Kudos June 2026
Kudos is a monthly submissions-based roundup celebrating university faculty and staff—awards, honors, thought leadership, new arrivals, and more. Share your own great news or recognize a colleague at go.tufts.edu/kudos.
Lilu Barbosa, associate teaching professor and director of the Leadership Program, received an Honorable Mention for the 2026 Tufts Excellence in Online Teaching Award. Educational Technology Services (ETS) asked students across the university to nominate course instructors whose online teaching has had a markedly positive impact on their learning and engagement. Awards were decided by a committee of instructional design and online learning professionals from across ETS.
Ira Caspari-Gnann, assistant professor of chemistry and assistant professor of education, is one of 17 individuals across U.S. higher education to be named a Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar, which honors the research and teaching careers of talented early-career faculty in the chemical sciences. As a scholar, Caspari-Gnann will receive an unrestricted research grant of $100,000. Caspari-Gnann is the first-ever chemistry education researcher to win the award.
Kevin Clark, assistant professor of chemistry, has been honored with a 2026 American Society for Mass Spectrometry (ASMS) Research Award. Each year, ASMS recognizes the outstanding efforts of young scientists in the field of mass spectrometry with three research awards, which are designed to promote the research of academic scientists within the first four years of joining the tenure track or research faculty of a North American university. Clark’s proposal to ASMS described the development of a new technology to enable faster and more sensitive mass spectrometry measurements of RNA molecules and their chemical modifications. Funds from the ASMS Research Award will allow Clark’s lab to advance their new technology to support RNA biomedicine and better understand how RNA modifications impact cell functions.
The team of Ashley Forkey, E26, Adda Hennessey, E26, Ethan Kessler, E26, Sanaa Nicholson, E26, Ella Voorhees, E26, Oakley Winters, E26, and Bisrat Yismashewa, E26, won first place in the Construction Industries of Massachusetts, Inc. student competition.
Joshua Kritzer, professor of chemistry, was selected for a research award from the Coins for Alzheimer’s Research Trust, which is an Alzheimer’s charity supported by the Rotary Clubs of North America. This award is for $500,000 for two years of research to develop compounds that slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
Sabrina Kurtz-Rossi, adjunct assistant professor of public health at the School of Medicine, received the Yufong International Health Literacy Award in recognition of a commitment to the Asian Health Literacy Association during Tufts Global Health Seminar in Boston.
Keren Ladin, professor of community health, had her co-paper entitled “Identifying Adaptation Needs of a Decision Aid for Older Latino Adults With Advanced CKD: A Qualitative Study,” published in the American Journal of Kidney Disease (AJKD), selected as an AJKD Editors’ Choice for the journal’s NKF (National Kidney Foundation) Mission Award. This honor recognizes authors publishing outstanding research in AJKD that promotes the mission of the National Kidney Foundation: to improve the health and well-being of those affected by kidney disease.
Mathew Letua, A26, won the Davis Projects for Peace grant to bring financial education and debt relief to women in northern Kenya. Read more about the project on Tufts Now.
Jennifer Mandelbaum, part-time lecturer of community health, was awarded the 2026 Leading the Narrative Award from the Society of Behavioral Medicine.
Mitch McVey, professor of biology, received a Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award (MIRA) grant. MIRA is a funding mechanism from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences that provides a single flexible grant to support an investigator’s overall research program, rather than specific projects. McVey’s award will advance his research investigating the genetic and molecular basis behind DNA damage tolerance, providing insight into how cells cope with DNA damage in different tissue and developmental contexts. The knowledge gained from the project will help to promote the development of novel cancer therapies.
Lily Mengesha, associate professor in the Department of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies and associate professor in the Department of Studies in Race, Colonialism, and Diaspora, received the 2026 PROSE Award in the category of Music and the Performing Arts by the Association of American Publishers for her book Critical Dreaming: Feminist Performances across the Indigenous Americas.
Laurel Nakadate, assistant professor of the practice at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University, received the Maud Morgan Prize for 2026 from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. The award honors a Massachusetts woman who has worked as an artist for at least 10 years, demonstrated creativity and vision, and made significant contributions to the contemporary arts landscape. The prize is awarded biennially, offering a $15,000 grant to an artist whose work has been or is planned to be acquired by the museum.
Madeleine Oudin, associate professor of biomedical engineering and Tiampo Family Fellow, was inducted into the 2026 Class of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering College of Fellows, which recognizes the top two percent of professionals in these fields.
Avijit Paul, Ph.D. student in biomedical engineering, and Srivalleesha Mallidi, associate professor of biomedical engineering, had their method to create better-quality photoacoustic images (published in 2024) named as one of the top-cited articles in the Journal of Biophotonics.
Camila Sánchez-González, and Jessica Wallingford, students at the Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, received the 2026 Honos Civicus. The award, in partnership with the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life, recognizes Friedman School students who demonstrated outstanding civic engagement and community service. Sanchez-Gonzalez worked on USDA-funded nutrition research, re-established the Friedman Run Club, and is co-developing SHEfe, a startup addressing maternal and infant mortality. Wallingford volunteers with Nourri-Source Montréal, maintaining free weekly breastfeeding clinics for underserved populations in Québec. Read more about this distinction on Tufts Now.
Oxana Shevel, associate professor of political science, won the Canadian Association for Ukrainian Studies Best Book Award for her Russia and Ukraine: Entangled Histories, Diverging States, which she co-wrote with Maria Popova, associate professor of political science at McGill University. Read more about the book on Tufts Now.
Elaine Short, assistant professor of computer science, was named recipient of the 2026 CRA Skip Ellis Early Career Award by the Computing Research Association.
Liana Woskie, assistant professor of community health, won the Best of Conference Award for research on Women’s Health at the U.S. national health policy conference (AcademyHealth), for her project “Cross-Border Spillover of U.S. Abortion Restrictions on Misoprostol Retail Pharmaceutical Markets.”
Pamela Yelick, professor of basic and translational sciences and director of the Division of Craniofacial and Molecular Genetics at the School of Dental Medicine, was honored as president of the International Association for Dental Research. She served as president during the 104th General Session of the International Association for Dental Research (IADR) and the 2026 IADR/AADOCR/CADR General Session and Exhibition.
Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine faculty and staff were honored at the annual Appreciation Lunch and Excellence Awards ceremony. Visit the Cummings School website to see a full list of recognitions.
Several Tufts School of Engineering faculty are involved in Springboard Award projects that range from advancing women’s health to detecting colorectal cancer. The list of their awards and their areas of focus is available on the School of Engineering’s website.
Two School of Engineering faculty members, six students, and two alumni were recognized for their outstanding achievements in engineering outreach, mentorship, and scholarship. Read more about the awards on the School of Engineering’s website.
Forty-eight Tufts School of Medicine graduate students were recognized as outstanding students whose achievements reflect the highest standards of academic excellence, leadership, and service. The 2026 awards highlight the dedication, perseverance, and meaningful impact these graduates have made throughout their academic and professional journeys. View the full list of awards, descriptions, and recipients on the School of Medicine’s website.
Winners of the Tufts New Ventures Competition, hosted by the Derby Entrepreneurship Center, were recently announced. Visit the Gordon Institute’s website to learn about the projects that received funding.
Three Tufts University students were recognized among the top-performing teams at the inaugural SharkNinja Jailbreak EDU AI Hackathon. Abhishek Verma was on the first-place team, White Space Explorer, while Jonah Porat and Kapil Vetrivel were on the second-place team, Point of No Return.
Chidi Anselm Odinkalu, professor of the practice of international human rights law at The Fletcher School, acted as lead counsel in a case challenging unfair election laws in Tanzania. The ruling of Ado Shuaibu & Others v. Tanzania opens the door for citizens to challenge election results in court.
James Fisher, non-resident fellow at the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life, had an article published in the International Journal of Listening that discusses the need for a listening-first governance that prioritizes citizen-centric and generous listening policies, using a case study of Burkina Faso from 1983 to 1987.
Susan Landau, professor of computer science and director of the Cybersecurity Center, participated in a webinar for the Federalist Society discussing foreign state actors, security, and privacy.
Jennie Jieun Lee, professor of the practice at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University, is included in The New York Times article, “Flowery Films Whose Plant Life Lingers in the Mind: Ten artists and designers reflect on the onscreen flora, from fantastical topiaries to scene-setting bouquets, that’s inspired them.”
Timothy Lee, part-time lecturer at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University, was included in the group exhibition Repeat After Me, which was on view at Worcester Art Museum’s Open Door Gallery earlier this spring.
Adam Lowenstein, assistant professor at the School of Dental Medicine, presented his course, “Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities,” at the Massachusetts Dental Hygienists’ Association Central Mass Symposium in May. The course focused on practical, evidence-based strategies to support oral health care for patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities, with an emphasis on improving patient experiences and expanding access to care.
Laurel McLaughlin, curator at Tufts University Art Galleries, published an interview with artist Jonathan González in the 2026 Whitney Biennial Catalog.
Chris Miller, professor at The Fletcher School, testified at the U.S.–China Economic and Security Review Commission hearing on Beijing's Data Strategy (starting at 2:18:28).
Rachel Riccio, biology Ph.D. student, Surya Varchasvi Devaraj, postdoctoral researcher, Leah Berube, Ph.D. student, and Claudia Gerecke, AG26, created a featherweight device that helps researchers listen to birds in a new way. The team is supported by VentureWell, a nonprofit that helps researchers turn promising ideas into real-world solutions. Read more about the project on the School of Arts and Sciences website.
Megan Rokop, assistant dean for community engagement and outreach, and John Chenier, director of student recruitment and community outreach, both at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, participated in the First Veterinary Youth Day Celebration at the State House. Sponsored by State Representative Angelo Puppolo Jr., the event brought together animal advocacy and medical organizations to support a bill to recognize May 2 as Massachusetts Youth Veterinary Day.
Laurence Sawyer, assistant teaching professor and director of the Luke and Lily Lerner Clinic, Yuki Nakayama, V14, assistant clinical professor, and Ariana Hinckley-Boltax, assistant teaching professor, all at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, believed there was a better way to deliver accurate and clear feedback to students. So, they built an AI-powered tool to do it. Read more about the tool on Tufts Now.
Jennifer Schmidt, professor of the practice at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University, has a large-scale sculptural installation titled “Cardboard Blocks–2026” included in A Common Bond: Brick Journal, at the Maine MILL in Lewiston, Maine, through October.
Rachelle Mozman Solano, assistant professor of the practice at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University, has work included in the exhibition Subvert, Repair, Reclaim: Contemporary Artists Take Back the Nude at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. The show is on view through August 2.
Somya Swarup, MPH26, and Marjorie Pradhan, MPH26, were part of a research team that produced a published systematic review addressing a critical public health issue: how socioeconomic disadvantage shapes outcomes for adults living with heart disease. The research was completed as their Integrative Learning Experience, the MPH capstone that brings together students’ academic, research, and applied training. Read more about the research on the School of Medicine’s website.