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The Latest News
Alumnae/i Receive Awards from American Library Association
The American Library Association (ALA) announced winners of the 2025 Youth Media Awards, including Breanna J. McDaniel ’14MA, Gabe Cole Novoa ’19MFA, Stephanie Seales ’09MA, and Sacha Lamb ’20MS/MA.
Nursing Alumna Brings Compassionate Care to Baltimore
Registered Nurse and Dotson Bridge and Mentoring Program Mentor Amanda Lee Davis ’15 recently relocated to Baltimore, Maryland, where she has already made a significant impression on the city’s healthcare community. She is also pursuing a doctoral degree at Johns Hopkins University.
Simmons Welcomes New Cohort of Bonner Community Leaders
The Bonner Community Leaders Program is a unique opportunity for students who want to combine a strong commitment to service with personal growth, teamwork, leadership development, and scholarship. We spoke with Ellie Foss ’28, Jocelyn Miranda Landaverde ’28, Bridget Swezey ’28, and Soraya Timas ’28 about what drew them to the program.
Simmons Awarded Grant Funding from Luce Foundation
Funding from the Henry Luce Foundation will support Simmons’ efforts to advance student success, retention, and confidence in STEM-related fields as well as a Clare Boothe Luce Professorship.
Associate Professor’s Research Links Drinking and Depression
School of Social Work Associate Professor Christina Sellers was quoted in an article, "Retirement and drinking don't mix."
Professor of Nutrition Weighs in on Ultra-Processed Foods
Professor Teresa Fung was quoted in two recent articles fact-checking claims on the harm of consuming vegetables and how to assess the safety of ultra-processed foods.
Two Simmons Faculty Members Receive North Star Fellowships
Samuel Odom from the School of Social Work and Don Simmons from the School of Library and Information Science, have been named fellows by the North Star Collective Faculty Fellowship, which is designed to promote supportive community and racial healing for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) faculty members across New England.
Honoring the National Day of Racial Healing
January 21, 2025 — the day after Martin Luther King Jr. Day — is the ninth annual National Day of Racial Healing (NDORH). Created by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, NDORH "is an opportunity to engage in collective action to create a more just and equitable world."
Leadership in the News
Simmons Welcomes New Cohort of Bonner Community Leaders
The Bonner Community Leaders Program is a unique opportunity for students who want to combine a strong commitment to service with personal growth, teamwork, leadership development, and scholarship. We spoke with Ellie Foss ’28, Jocelyn Miranda Landaverde ’28, Bridget Swezey ’28, and Soraya Timas ’28 about what drew them to the program.
Celebrating the 2024-25 Passionate Leaders Scholars
Six Simmons undergraduate scholars from different disciplines have been selected to join the 2024-2025 Passionate Leaders Project cohort.
Women in Leadership and Social Justice
Local leaders recently gathered at Simmons University to discuss what it means to lead in today’s world. The event was part of the Unpacking Series and was hosted by the Simmons Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in collaboration with the Institute for Inclusive Leadership, the School of Management, the School of Social Work, and the Stephen D. London Center for Community Engagement and Social Justice.
Mother and Daughter Alumnae Reflect on Shared Simmons Pride
To commemorate Simmons’ 125th anniversary, we spoke with Karen MacKenzie ’10, ’12MSW and her daughter Jennifer “Jen” DiRico ’12MBA about graduating alongside one another, Simmons’ spirit of inclusivity, and the formative power of a women’s-centered education.
Institute for Inclusive Leadership CEO Responds to “the Broken Rung” on CBS News
According to Susan MacKenty Brady, “a massive amount of value is lost when we aren’t fully tapping into the available talent in our organizations. . . . The traction of early promotion is where we need to mend, and where we need to lift up and create more resources and more opportunity for women.”
Professor Visits University of Johannesburg as Fulbright Specialist
Professor Johnnie Hamilton-Mason received a Fulbright Specialist Award this year. Recipients of the Fulbright Specialist awards are "selected on the basis of academic and professional achievement, demonstrated leadership in their field, and their potential to foster long-term cooperation between institutions in the U.S. and abroad."
Simmons Social Work Doctoral Student Awards Kindest Kids in America
Jessie Hansen ’26DSW recently started the program The Kindest Kid in America, which awards young students who are exemplars of kindness. Hansen is a representative of Think Kindness, an organization that aims to promote acts of kindness in school and communities.
Simmons Children’s Lit Alum on Judging the Horn Book Awards
Rodney Fierce ’12MA, a Humanities Teacher at Sonoma Academy, shares what led him to study children’s literature, his work at the Academy, and his recent experience on the Horn Book Awards Committee.
STEM in the News
Simmons Awarded Grant Funding from Luce Foundation
Funding from the Henry Luce Foundation will support Simmons’ efforts to advance student success, retention, and confidence in STEM-related fields as well as a Clare Boothe Luce Professorship.
Nursing Dean Discusses Tech Advances in The Boston Globe
Nursing schools are turning to virtual reality-based training tools, including UbiSim, to address the nursing and nursing educator shortages. Dean Heather Shlosser is quoted in a Boston Globe article.
Chemist and Coach Helps Women in STEM Cultivate Belonging
Beyond her faculty role at Simmons’ Department of Chemistry and Physics, Dr. Lara Kallander supports women in STEM via Thriving Through Adversity Coaching, a small business she founded in 2019.
Simmons Exercise Science Alumnae Share Research at Conference
Health and Exercise Science alumnae Haleigh St.Hilaire ’24, ’26MPH and Caroline Aspinwall ’24 recently presented their respective research at the New England chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine (NEACSM) conference.
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National Science Foundation Grant Aims to Retain STEM Students
Sarah Rose Cavanagh, Senior Associate Director for Teaching and Learning in the Center for Faculty Excellence, was recently awarded a four-year $496K grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The goal of the funded project is to tackle high attrition rates in biology education at the undergraduate level by improving assessment and feedback practices.
STEM Student Receives Research Scholarship from American Chemical Society
Biochemistry major and Literature and Writing minor Reagan Cleversey ’26 received the competitive James Flack Norris / Theodore William Richards Summer Research Scholarship from the American Chemical Society. She spoke with us about her passion for medicinal chemistry and the importance of mentorship.
Changes in Reproductive Health Laws Impact Perinatal Hospice Care
Emily (Orlando) Cane ’23MPH was interviewed by Hospice News about how changes in reproductive health laws have impacted perinatal hospice care.
Accelerated Degree Student Presents Poster on ChatGPT at Technical Symposium
Raneem Emad Amer Mousa ’25 is pursuing the Dual-Degree in Engineering Simmons offers in collaboration with Columbia University. Her research project, “Is ChatGPT the Academic Catalyst We’ve All Been Waiting For?” was accepted for inclusion in the SIGCSE Technical Symposium 2024.
Faculty in the News
Associate Professor’s Research Links Drinking and Depression
School of Social Work Associate Professor Christina Sellers was quoted in an article, "Retirement and drinking don't mix."
Professor of Nutrition Weighs in on Ultra-Processed Foods
Professor Teresa Fung was quoted in two recent articles fact-checking claims on the harm of consuming vegetables and how to assess the safety of ultra-processed foods.
Two Simmons Faculty Members Receive North Star Fellowships
Samuel Odom from the School of Social Work and Don Simmons from the School of Library and Information Science, have been named fellows by the North Star Collective Faculty Fellowship, which is designed to promote supportive community and racial healing for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) faculty members across New England.
Simmons School of Social Work Welcomes New Faculty
Simmons University’s School of Social Work Programs welcomed four new faculty members this academic year, with expertise in addiction treatment, hospice and bereavement support, racism-based trauma, and military social work.
Nursing Dean Discusses Tech Advances in The Boston Globe
Nursing schools are turning to virtual reality-based training tools, including UbiSim, to address the nursing and nursing educator shortages. Dean Heather Shlosser is quoted in a Boston Globe article.
Chemist and Coach Helps Women in STEM Cultivate Belonging
Beyond her faculty role at Simmons’ Department of Chemistry and Physics, Dr. Lara Kallander supports women in STEM via Thriving Through Adversity Coaching, a small business she founded in 2019.
Dean of SLIS Discusses Public Libraries in The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe featured commentary from Sanda Erdelez, Dean of Simmons‘ School of Library and Information Science, on the remarkable resilience of public libraries, particularly those in New England.
Simmons Social Work Professor Featured in New Documentary Film
In a new documentary film, Never Cried: Boston’s Busing Legacy, sisters Leola Hampton and Linda Stark reflect on a trauma they endured fifty years ago. Dr. Gary Bailey, Professor of Practice and MSW Director of Simmons’ School of Social Work, makes appearances throughout the film.
What stories will you tell?
Alumnae/i Receive Awards from American Library Association
The American Library Association (ALA) announced winners of the 2025 Youth Media Awards, including Breanna J. McDaniel ’14MA, Gabe Cole Novoa ’19MFA, Stephanie Seales ’09MA, and Sacha Lamb ’20MS/MA.
Nursing Alumna Brings Compassionate Care to Baltimore
Registered Nurse and Dotson Bridge and Mentoring Program Mentor Amanda Lee Davis ’15 recently relocated to Baltimore, Maryland, where she has already made a significant impression on the city’s healthcare community. She is also pursuing a doctoral degree at Johns Hopkins University.
Simmons Welcomes New Cohort of Bonner Community Leaders
The Bonner Community Leaders Program is a unique opportunity for students who want to combine a strong commitment to service with personal growth, teamwork, leadership development, and scholarship. We spoke with Ellie Foss ’28, Jocelyn Miranda Landaverde ’28, Bridget Swezey ’28, and Soraya Timas ’28 about what drew them to the program.
Feeding the Revolution Through Baking and Activism
Corrie Locke-Hardy '20MA combines her love of baking with social activism with her cookbook, The Revolution Will Be Well Fed.
Internship Inspires Alumnae/i Career in Healthcare
Dianna Shaw ’92, who majored in psychology and sociology at Simmons, was interviewed by The Bay Magazine about her over 30-year career assisting older adults.
Celebrating the 2024-25 Passionate Leaders Scholars
Six Simmons undergraduate scholars from different disciplines have been selected to join the 2024-2025 Passionate Leaders Project cohort.
Exercise Science Alumna Interviewed in The Boston Globe
The Globe interviewed Francesca Corsinetti ’19 an occupational therapist, high school basketball coach, and founder of The Sports OT (a program that helps current and retired athletes navigate the complexities of mental health).
Students Discuss Archival Internship in The Pilot
Students Emily Greco and James Kaeser recently concluded fall semester internships at the Archdiocese of Boston Archives. They shared their reflections about this unique experience in a published interview with The Pilot.
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