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The main campus building at Simmons University

Simmons Alum Kelly O’Connell Champions Women and Nonbinary Entrepreneurs

Since joining the Simmons University Alumnae/i Association Executive Board (AAEB), Kelly O’Connell ’99 has helped launch the Simmons Tuesday Tea Podcast, and co-hosted the Byond Balance event last November. On April 2, AAEB is hosting a special Simmons campus screening of “Show Her The Money,” a documentary that delves into the gender gap in venture capital funding with a focus on empowering women entrepreneurs.


A side-by-side image of Joy-ann Reid and Latoyia Edwards

Join the Discussion on "Democracy on the Edge: A Conversation with Joy Reid" at the Ifill Forum

On Tuesday, April 2, 2024, the 2024 Gwen Ifill Forum will feature a discussion with MSNBC political analyst Joy-Ann Reid, moderated by Emmy Award-winning anchor Latoyia Edwards.


Abigail Bloom, Aria Cooper, and Adriana Lizeth Campuzano Martinez

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.


Anna Kelly ’23MS

Protecting the Freedom to Read: Anna Kelly ’23MS Reflects on the Importance of Indigenous Perspectives in Literature

“As an Indigenous woman, it is hard for me to not take personally the challenging and banning of books by Indigenous authors and about the Indigenous experience,” says Anna Kelly ’23MS an enrolled member of the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe.


The main campus building at Simmons University

Remembering Sarah-Ann Shaw ’19HD, a Local Luminary

In 1968, journalist and Roxbury native Sarah-Ann Shaw (1933–2024) made her debut television appearance on WGBH-TV’s “Say, Brother” (renamed “Basic Black” in 1998). Over the course of her career, Shaw received many awards for her groundbreaking reportage and advocacy.


Jennifer Roecklein-Canfield

Professor Jennifer Roecklein-Canfield Selected as a 2024 Fellow of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Jennifer Roecklein-Canfield, Professor of Chemistry and Physics at Simmons, is among the 2024 cohort of Fellows within the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB). She spoke with us about receiving this honor, advocating for women in STEM, and reimagining mentorship.


A close-up image of two sets of hands clasping together

Angela Regalado ’21MSN Helps Dismantle Barriers to Medical Care

Family Nurse Practitioner and Simmons alumna Angela Regalado is a member of the medical team at Carolina House Calls, offering high-quality medical care to patients who are underserved due to mobility issues, disabilities, chronic illnesses, and so forth.


A table of food, all components of a Mediterranean diet, such as fruits and wine.

Jasmin Dieb ’24DIP Celebrates Nutrition as Portal to Healing, Family, and Love

To honor National Nutrition Month this March, we spoke with Jasmin Dieb ’24DIP, a certificate student in the Nutrition and Dietetics Internship Program. Dieb discussed her passion for nutrition and how food forms health, community, and love.


Leadership in the News

The main campus building at Simmons University

Simmons Alum Kelly O’Connell Champions Women and Nonbinary Entrepreneurs

Since joining the Simmons University Alumnae/i Association Executive Board (AAEB), Kelly O’Connell ’99 has helped launch the Simmons Tuesday Tea Podcast, and co-hosted the Byond Balance event last November. On April 2, AAEB is hosting a special Simmons campus screening of “Show Her The Money,” a documentary that delves into the gender gap in venture capital funding with a focus on empowering women entrepreneurs.


Abigail Bloom, Aria Cooper, and Adriana Lizeth Campuzano Martinez

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.


Dr. Ena Williams at the Dotson Bridge and Mentoring Program Lectureship Event. Photograph by Ashley Purvis.

Dr. Ena Williams Champions Workplace Diversity in Dotson Bridge and Mentoring Program Lectureship Event

On February 29, the Dotson Bridge and Mentoring Program, directed by Associate Professor of Practice LaDonna Christian, hosted a Lectureship Event with Dr. Ena Williams. Her lecture, entitled, “Experiences of Racial and Ethnic Minority Nurses: Our Role in Advancing Workforce Diversity,” identified workplace biases and underscored the need for mentorship, racial equity, and organizational change.


Horn Book creator Bertha Mahoney and a poster celebrating 100 years of the Horn Book magazine

Blowing the Horn for Children’s Literature: One Hundred Years of The Horn Book Magazine

In October of 1924, the first issue of The Horn Book magazine appeared. It began as a newsletter from the Bookshop for Boys and Girls, one of the first children’s book shops in the United States, established in 1916 by...


Gloria Steinem. Anne Jardim, and Thasunda Brown Duckett

Inclusion & Impact: Honoring Change Makers Of Our Time

We are proud that this year marks the 125th anniversary of Simmons University, an institution founded for equality and dedicated to furthering social justice and economic mobility. We are also celebrating 45 years of The Simmons Leadership Conference , an...


Ann Marie Fudge '73, '98HD

Ann Marie Fudge ’73, ’98HD Opens Doors for Women in Corporate America

Ann Marie Fudge ’73, ’98HD has enjoyed a fruitful career in the corporate world, having served on the boards of General Electric, Marriott, Honeywell, Novartis, Unilever and Infosys, as well as several non-profits.


The exterior of the Clinton Street Bakery

Co-Owner of Clinton St. Baking Co. Dishes on the Value of a Women-Centered Education

After an earlier career in magazine journalism and writing, Dede Lahman ’93 became the co-owner of Clinton St. Baking Co., a restaurant and bakery on NYC’s Lower East Side. The eatery specializes in breakfast and brunch with notorious 2 hour lines around the block. We spoke with Lahman about how her studies at Simmons shaped who she is now.


Felipa Canchola ’24, Lisa deRosier ’24, and Rashida Alisa Hagakore ’24

Simmons Students Support Local Women Experiencing Homelessness

This fall, Simmons students from the Social Action Leaders course are channeling their academic studies into advocacy. We spoke with students Felipa Canchola ’24, Lisa deRosier ’24, and Rashida Alisa Hagakore ’24 about their passion for experiential service learning and their conception of good leadership.


STEM in the News

Abigail Bloom, Aria Cooper, and Adriana Lizeth Campuzano Martinez

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.


Jennifer Roecklein-Canfield

Professor Jennifer Roecklein-Canfield Selected as a 2024 Fellow of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Jennifer Roecklein-Canfield, Professor of Chemistry and Physics at Simmons, is among the 2024 cohort of Fellows within the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB). She spoke with us about receiving this honor, advocating for women in STEM, and reimagining mentorship.


A model of a Perfluorooctanoic acid molecule.

Associate Professor of Biology Eric Luth Co-Authors Scientific Article with Former Students

Neurobiologist Eric Luth recently co-authored a peer-reviewed article in the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part A (October 2021) with several of his students: Celine Breton ’21, Kaitlyn Kessel ’23, Ariel Robinson ’19, and Kainat Altaf ’22. The piece traces developmental abnormalities among worm populations after exposure to environmental contaminants.


The Park Science Center building on the Simmons University campus

Honoring 50 Years of the Park Science Center and Celebrating a New Era at Simmons University

At the time it was built in the early 1970’s, the Park Science building served as a symbol of progress and achievement in women's-centered education. It challenged gender norms and societal expectations while promoting inclusivity and diversity in academia.


Stacey Pazar Huth

Dr. Stacey Pazar Huth ’87 Shares Family’s Multigenerational History with Simmons

Chemist and biomedical product developer Stacey Pazar Huth ’87 is a leading woman in medical diagnostics and research and development. Her connection to Simmons also involves her father, who helped build the campus, and her daughter, a current nursing major. We spoke with Huth about her Simmons journey, the gender bias in STEM, and her understanding of legacy.


Pictured: Students visit the MIT Museum: Raneem Mousa, Michelle Doroteo-Alvarez, Giselle Yang, Christine Felt, Leensyn Asmen, Minh Anh Bui

Simmons Creates Paths to Engineering

Simmons University is officially partnered with Washington University in St. Louis in the Engineering 3+2 program, in addition to Columbia University. As part of this program, students complete three years of course work at Simmons, followed by two additional years at a partner institution, earning both a Bachelor of Science in Engineering and a Bachelor of Science from Simmons.


Eva Piernas '23

Eva Piernas' Journey from Simmons University to Infectious Disease Research ('23)

How Did Eva's Time at Simmons University Shape Her Path in Science? Eva Piernas, a recent 2023 alumni, reflected upon her journey at Simmons University, where she majored in Neuroscience on the neurobiology track and minored in Chemistry. As she...


Physics major Geraldina Cruz '23

Geraldina Cruz '23 Presents Research at Brigham and Women's Radiology Research Symposium

Physics major Geraldina Cruz '23 recently participated in the annual Radiology Research Symposium at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) on May 25. Cruz was one of just two undergraduates who presented research alongside seasoned researchers at BWH. They spoke with...


Faculty in the News

Jennifer Roecklein-Canfield

Professor Jennifer Roecklein-Canfield Selected as a 2024 Fellow of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Jennifer Roecklein-Canfield, Professor of Chemistry and Physics at Simmons, is among the 2024 cohort of Fellows within the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB). She spoke with us about receiving this honor, advocating for women in STEM, and reimagining mentorship.


Olivia Montgomery giving virtual testimony to the Joint Committee on the Judiciary in the Massachusetts Legislature

Associate Professor of Social Work Olivia Montgomery Promotes Fat Liberation

In December of 2023, Simmons School of Social Work Associate Professor Olivia Montgomery offered virtual testimony in support of a bill prohibiting body size discrimination. In a presentation to the Simmons community in February, Montgomery offered an introduction to Fat Liberation in Social Work, examining the root causes of anti-fatness and its widespread consequences.


Dr. Michael C. LaSala

School of Social Work Dean Among Most Impactful Contributors

School of Social Work Dean Michael LaSala was included in the 100 Most Impactful Global Contributors to Social Work Publications, a list published by Sage Journals.


A basic map of Haiti

Assistant Professor Patrick Sylvain Offers Insights into Crisis in Haiti

After armed groups overran Port-au-Prince, thereby displacing thousands of residents and hindering access to food, Haiti’s government declared a state of emergency on March 4, 2024. According to Sylvain, Haiti must cultivate strong leadership to overcome the current crisis.


Illustration from the Daoyin tu demonstrating exercises for improving health, as part of the “nourishing life” branch of Chinese medicine

Assistant Professor of History Yunxin Li Examines Gendered Foundations of Ancient Chinese Medicine

In a recent article published in The Bulletin of the Jao Tsung-I Academy of Sinology, Assistant Professor of History Yunxin Li explores the role of women and gender in the theory and practice of medicine in ancient China. She spoke with us about her research and what she will reflect on during Women’s History Month.


Nisha Wali '21FNP teaches class on bone marrow transplants to nurses at Dhaka Medical College Hospital

Nursing Faculty and Alumnae/i Receive Award for Advancing Palliative Care in Bangladesh

Professor Emerita Anne-Marie Barron and Associate Professor of Practice Kelly Marchant, along with collaborators Emily Erhardt, Jocelyn Hulburt ’08BSN, and Nisha Wali ’21FNP, recently received the 2023 Award of Excellence from the End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC).


A graphic depicting salad vegetables in a circle in front of a person's stomach

De-Mystifying the Microbiome with Diet

Despite all the hype about probiotics and detoxifying “gut resets,” scientists still do not have a general consensus regarding what constitutes a healthy gut. Biologists and dieticians have, however, identified correlations between a healthy microbiome and a healthy diet. “Plant...


Two bowls of salad with dressing in bowls on the side.

Simmons Nutrition Professor Discusses How to Make Salad Dressing Healthy

Health-conscious individuals gravitate toward greens, but they may be wary of the extra calories that salad dressing contains. “I don’t want people to worry about salad dressing to the point that they’re not eating the salad. Eat the salad,” Professor of Nutrition Teresa Fung told NBC’s Today.com.



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