Awards and Accolades
Simmons continues to be named among the best colleges and universities in the nation.
Recent awards
- Simmons has been recognized with the 2024 Carnegie Elective Classification for Leadership for Public Purpose. This designation recognizes our institutional commitment to the pursuit of leadership and the collective public good.
- 2022 U.S.News & World Report ranked Simmons School of Library and Information Science #1 for Archives and Preservation, #7 in Services for Children and Youth, #9 in School Library Media, #11 in Best Library and Information Studies Programs, and #13 in Digital Librarianship
- 2021 U.S.News & World Report ranked Simmons #1 in Archives Management
- 2021 U.S.News & World Report ranked Simmons #11 in Library Science
- 2021 U.S.News & World Report "Best Nursing School" programs among the best in the nation
- 2020 U.S.News & World Report ranked Simmons #125 in National Universities
- 2020 U.S.News & World Report ranked Simmons #35 in Best Value Schools
- 2020 Niche ranked Simmons #46 Best Colleges for Nursing in America
- 2020 Niche ranked Simmons #3 Best Colleges for Nursing in Massachusetts
- 2020 Niche ranked Simmons #18 Best College Locations in America
- 2020 The Princeton Review's Guidebook of "Best 380 Colleges" (a designation held by 15 percent of America's four-year colleges and universities)
- 2019 U.S.News & World Report ranked Simmons #36 in Social Work
About Simmons
Simmons University is a nationally recognized private university located in the heart of Boston.
University Awards in the News
Simmons Awarded Prestigious Carnegie Designation for Leadership for Public Purpose
This designation recognizes our institutional commitment to the pursuit of leadership and the collective public good. Most exciting, this honor is a national recognition of the unique brand of leadership we have developed and advanced at Simmons – a group of everyday leaders committed to doing well and doing good.
Simmons School of Nursing Joins National Campaign for Health Workforce Well-Being
The Simmons University School of Nursing was accepted as part of the inaugural cohort in the National Academy of Medicine's Change Maker Campaign for Health Workforce Well-Being.
Susan MacKenty Brady Will Receive Honorary Degree from Marietta College
On May 4, Susan MacKenty Brady, the CEO of the Simmons University Inclusive Leadership Institute, will receive the Marietta College Honorary Degree, Doctor of Laws, at the College’s 2024 Commencement ceremony. (She is a Class of 1994 Marietta alumna). “It...
School of Library and Information Science Director Visits University of Osijek in Croatia as Fulbright Specialist
In October of 2023, School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) Dean Sanda Erdelez traveled to her native Croatia as part of the Fulbright Specialist Program, which offers opportunities for U.S. professionals and academics to share expertise and collaborate with institutions around the world.
Simmons University Library Receives National Award in Recognition of DEI Efforts
The Simmons University Library has received the 2024 Library Excellence in Access and Diversity (LEAD) Award from Insight Into Diversity magazine. The LEAD Award honors academic libraries’ programs and initiatives that encourage and support DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) across their campus.
Simmons University Receives more than $400,000 in a grant from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Simmons University has received grant funding from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center to address health needs in the communities the hospital serves. The $416,000 grant awarded to Simmons University will help support mental and behavioral health at Fenway High School located in Mission Hill.
Simmons Celebrates Exemplary Research, Teaching, and Service at the 2023 Faculty Awards
On October 11, the Simmons community gathered to honor the outstanding achievements of six faculty members representing five disciplines. This year’s awardees received recognition for superlative undergraduate and graduate teaching, research, service, and a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Simmons' School of Nursing Receives Significant Grant from the Helene Fuld Health Trust
Earlier this spring, the Helene Fuld Health Trust, a charitable organization that promotes the education of nurses, informed Simmons that the School of Nursing received a substantial grant from the Trust. These funds will be used to amplify Simmons’ Dotson Bridge and Mentoring Program, which aims to support nursing students of color.
Student Awards in the News
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.
School of Nursing Students Train to Work with Children with Developmental Disorders
Simmons School of Nursing students Rachel Takes ’24MSN and Elizabeth Strager ’19 ’21MSN, FNP- C, ’25DNP were recruited into the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities Program (LEND Boston) at Boston Children's Hospital’s Institute for Community Inclusion.
Chemistry/Physics Student Accepted into Research Experience at UPenn
Annabelle Hannah ’25, a double-major in Chemistry and Physics, was accepted into the 2024 summer Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program at the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn). The 10-week program is funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF).
Nursing Student Receives Excellence in Nursing Practice Award from New England Regional Black Nurses Association
Samantha Normilus ’19BSN, ’26MSN has received the Excellent in Nursing Practice Award from the New England Regional Black Nurses Association, Inc. (NERBNA). A Dana-Farber Cancer Institute nurse who is pursuing the online MSN-FNP program at Simmons, Normilus spoke with us about being a NERBNA awardee, the rewards of oncology nursing, and the supportive community she found at Simmons.
Library and Information Science PhD Student Named Acting Director of IMLS
Cyndee Landrum, a student in the Simmons University Library and Information Science PhD, has been named Acting Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).
Simmons Welcomes Passionate Leaders Project Scholars for Spring 2024
The Passionate Leaders Project (PLP) supports Simmons undergraduates by enriching their academic and professional interests beyond the boundaries of a conventional classroom. Students may request up to $4,000 to support their research, internships, and creative endeavors. This semester’s cohort comprises student-scholars producing original research on healthcare for seniors, fashion sustainability, and the intersection of the arts, social justice, and gender-expansive agency.
Congratulations to the 2024 Senior Scholars
The annual Senior Scholar Award is sponsored by the Provost's Office and the Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships. The award recognizes six graduating seniors for their outstanding scholarship and contribution to a field of study.
Maya Balling ’24 Competes in Synchronized Skating Championship
Simmons student Maya Balling ’24 recently traveled to Las Vegas to compete in the Synchronized Skating Championship. Along with other New England skaters, Balling belongs to Team Excel (the adult and collegiate divisions), which finished sixth and ninth out of the 12 teams, respectively.
Faculty Awards in the News
SLIS Professor to Receive Information Science and Technology Service Award
The Association for Information Science & Technology (ASIS&T) recently announced that Simmons Library and Information Science Professor Naresh Agarwal is the recipient of the 2024 Watson Davis Award for Service. This award “recognizes an individual member of the Association who...
Children’s Literature Professor Helps Select Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Winners
The Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards “recognize and reward excellence in literature for children and young adults.” As the School Library Journal reported, Professor and Graduate Program Director of Children’s Literature Cathryn Mercier chaired a group of judges who determined the 2024 awardees.
Nutrition Professor Receives Award from Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation
Recognizing the professional achievements of Assistant Professor of Nutrition Dr. Jacqueline Beatty, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation honored her with the 2024 Margene Wagstaff Award for Innovation in Dietetics Education.
The Boston Globe Praises Literature Professor’s Daring New Book
A recent article in The Boston Globe commends Natural Magic: Emily Dickinson, Charles Darwin, and the Dawn of Modern Science (Princeton University Press, 2024) by Professor of Literature and Writing Renée Bergland.
Professor Hamilton-Mason Honored by Haymarket People’s Fund
The Haymarket People's Fund has described Professor Johnnie Hamilton-Mason as “an interdisciplinary researcher” and honored her for her work in support of the Fund.
SLIS Dean Sanda Erdelez Receives Croatian Women of Influence Award
The School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) Dean Sanda Erdelez was selected as a winner of the Croatian Women of Influence Award, a recognition of leadership, innovation, and community impact of Croatian women around the world.
Professor of Communications Bob White Featured in Oral History Collection of Artists During COVID-19
During the COVID-19 lockdown (2020–2021), local photographer and filmmaker Jerry Russo interviewed hundreds of artists about their experiences of isolation, including Professor of Communications Bob White. The University of Massachusetts Amherst has since archived this oral history collection.
Navigating the North Star: Assistant Professor Tatiana M.F. Cruz Receives Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice Award
The American Council on Education Women’s Network Massachusetts has recognized Tatiana M.F. Cruz, Assistant Professor and Interdisciplinary Program Director of Africana Studies and Women’s and Gender Studies, and her collaborator Dr. Kamille Gentles-Peart (Roger Williams University) for co-founding and directing the North Star Collective, a group of colleges and universities in New England that are committed to faculty racial equity.