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The Latest News
Leaders Celebrate Simmons’ Impact at Topping-Off Ceremony
Local and state officials gathered with project and Simmons University leaders this week to celebrate a major milestone in the University’s transformational One Simmons project — the topping off of its new Living and Learning Center.
Applying Classroom Skills to Simmons Leadership Conference
Students in the course “Applied Inclusive Leadership: Project Management for Real-World Impact” used a real-time model for learning successful project management: the Simmons Leadership Conference 2025.
SLIS Professor Named Outstanding Information Science Teacher
School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) Professor and Library and Information Science PhD Program Director Kyong Eun Oh has been named the 2025 winner of the Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T) Outstanding Information Science Teacher Award.
Simmons Celebrates 125 Years
Over 350 members of the Simmons community gathered on campus June 6–8 to celebrate Simmons University’s 125th Anniversary with a unique Reunion for all classes that included special celebrations for the classes of 1965, 1966, 1967, 1970, 1972, 1975, 1980, 1985, 1990, 2000, and 2003.
Family Support Through Care and Housing Support
Deyanira Gomera ’24MSW is a school-based clinician at Housing Families, Inc., a nonprofit in Malden, Massachusetts, that offers a range of programs for individuals and families in need of stable housing. In this role, Gomera works in partnership with Everett and Peabody public schools to provide group therapy to children and teens who are living in shelters.
SLIS Alumnus Reexamines Misinformation
SLIS alumnus Matthew Connor Sullivan ’14MS, ’24PhD is a Librarian for Collection Development and Assessment at Harvard University’s Widener Library. We spoke with him about his interdisciplinary approach to library and information science (LIS) research and the formative mentorship he received at Simmons.
Congratulations to the 2025 SURPASs Scholars
Eight undergraduate scholars from disciplines across Simmons have been selected to join the Summer Undergraduate Research Program at Simmons (SURPASs). SURPASs students receive the necessary funding and mentorship to execute an independent research project of their own design.
Social Work Professor Honored as Legacy Maker
Professor and MSW Program Director Gary Bailey was featured in Portraits of Pride 2025, a recognition of LGBTQ+ leaders in the Greater Boston area.
Leadership in the News
Applying Classroom Skills to Simmons Leadership Conference
Students in the course “Applied Inclusive Leadership: Project Management for Real-World Impact” used a real-time model for learning successful project management: the Simmons Leadership Conference 2025.
Social Work Professor Honored as Legacy Maker
Professor and MSW Program Director Gary Bailey was featured in Portraits of Pride 2025, a recognition of LGBTQ+ leaders in the Greater Boston area.
Clinton Valedictorian Chooses Simmons
Ella Askren, an academically-driven student and accomplished athlete, will attend Simmons in Fall 2025. At Simmons, she plans to study physical therapy and play soccer.
Practicing Social Justice via Arts, Archives, and Community
Aislinn Doherty ’25 reflects on expanding her leadership skills as a Bonner Leader, and making it her mission to get involved with as many organizations and opportunities as possible while at Simmons.
SLC25 Celebrates Leaders’ Capacity for Change
The Simmons University Institute for Inclusive Leadership recently hosted the 46th Annual Simmons Leadership Conference. The diverse array of panelists and guest speakers championed resilience, self-growth, and interpersonal connection.
Building a Family History at Simmons
Nearly a century ago, Anna T. Kenney attended Simmons College, majoring in Secretarial Studies. Now, Kenney’s great-granddaughter, Annie Doherty ’26, has followed in her great-grandmother's footsteps to Simmons.
An Advocate for Women and Children
Esta Soler ’68, ’06HD is the President of Futures Without Violence (FUTURES). Based in San Francisco, Boston, and Washington D.C., this nonprofit organization aims to prevent violence against women and families.
Harbinger of Health, Racial, and Gender Equity
An early proponent of reproductive rights and a courageous advocate of racial, socioeconomic, and gender equity decades before the Civil Rights and Women’s Movements, Dr. Dorothy Celeste Boulding Ferebee, Class of 1920, was a visionary leader ahead of her time.
STEM in the News
Computer Science Researchers Develop Humanitarian Software
As part of Simmons’ Faculty-Student Collaborative Fellowship program, computer science majors Maleehah Africawala ’25, Fayza Beshir ’25, Emily Douglas ’25, and Megan McNamara ’25 worked under the supervision of Professor Nanette Veilleux to develop humanitarian software for Simmons’ REEF Support Center.
Valuing Hands-on STEM Training and the Latinx Community
First-generation college student Sophie Salas ’25 reflects on finding community at Simmons and taking advantage of opportunities to make an impact, both in her community and academic work.
Simmons Announces 2025–2026 Clare Boothe Luce Scholars
Funded by the Henry Luce Foundation, Simmons has awarded six scholarships to sophomores pursuing accelerated dual-degree engineering and STEM-related bachelor’s degrees.
Finding Support in STEM and Relishing Urban Life
Chemistry and Physics double major Annabelle Hannah ’25 discusses her laboratory research experiences and how she found community at Simmons.
Thriving as Future STEM Leaders and Innovators
Fuma Iwakura ’26, MJ Vasquez ’27, and Gina Gawargi ’27 are part of the Dynamic Research Education Academy for Mentoring (DREAM) program, which currently has about 60 student participants. The NASA-funded initiative helps increase the retention of Simmons students in STEM fields.
The Simmons Edge Accelerates Academic and Career Success
Accelerated graduate education is a key feature that drew Kayla Pringle ’26 to Simmons. With the launch of the Simmons Edge, all undergraduate students will have the opportunity to graduate with an advanced degree in a wide selection of fields in as few as four or five years.
SLIS Professor Explains the Technological Shift to AI
Simmons School of Library and Information Science is leading efforts to integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI) literacy into the curriculum. Assistant Professor Don Simmons offered a virtual webinar covering the basics of AI and how it is shaping how we work and learn.
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 STEMM-related fields as well as a Clare Boothe Luce Professorship.
Faculty in the News
SLIS Professor Named Outstanding Information Science Teacher
School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) Professor and Library and Information Science PhD Program Director Kyong Eun Oh has been named the 2025 winner of the Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T) Outstanding Information Science Teacher Award.
Social Work Professor Honored as Legacy Maker
Professor and MSW Program Director Gary Bailey was featured in Portraits of Pride 2025, a recognition of LGBTQ+ leaders in the Greater Boston area.
SLIS Faculty Member Receives Research Grant
The Association for Information Science & Technology (ASIS&T) announced that Professor Naresh Agarwal, a faculty member at Simmons’ School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) and Director of the Information Science and Technology Concentration, has received the 2025 Bob Williams...
Nutrition Professor Weighs In On Dietary Guidelines
Department of Nutrition Professor Teresa Fung was quoted in an article on Civil Eats, “Everything You Know About the Dietary Guidelines Is Wrong.”
Professor Shares Response to Censorship in Higher Ed
School of Library and Information Science Professor and Associate Dean Laura Saunders published an article on “The Chilling Impact of Censorship in Higher Education."
Simmons School of Management Welcomes New Faculty
Justine Pouravelis is a 15-time Emmy-Award Winning sports media executive with 17 years of industry experience. Christina Ramey specializes in program development and operational excellence in higher education and professional learning.
Simmons Faculty Member Quoted in The Washington Post
An article in The Washington Post discusses the impact of Miranda July’s second novel and features commentary by Suzanne Leonard, Professor of Race, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and Program Director for Gender and Cultural Studies.
Boston Globe Interviews Professor on Threats to Archives
Katherine Wisser, Associate Professor and Master's Program Director, Director Archives Concentration, and Director of Archives Certificate Program in the Simmons School of Library and Information Science was interviewed by The Boston Globe for, “An archivist’s job is to ‘keep the receipts.’ What happens when they can’t do their job?”
What stories will you tell?
Family Support Through Care and Housing Support
Deyanira Gomera ’24MSW is a school-based clinician at Housing Families, Inc., a nonprofit in Malden, Massachusetts, that offers a range of programs for individuals and families in need of stable housing. In this role, Gomera works in partnership with Everett and Peabody public schools to provide group therapy to children and teens who are living in shelters.
SLIS Alumnus Reexamines Misinformation
SLIS alumnus Matthew Connor Sullivan ’14MS, ’24PhD is a Librarian for Collection Development and Assessment at Harvard University’s Widener Library. We spoke with him about his interdisciplinary approach to library and information science (LIS) research and the formative mentorship he received at Simmons.
Congratulations to the 2025 SURPASs Scholars
Eight undergraduate scholars from disciplines across Simmons have been selected to join the Summer Undergraduate Research Program at Simmons (SURPASs). SURPASs students receive the necessary funding and mentorship to execute an independent research project of their own design.
Undergraduate Receives Prize from New England Poetry Club
Houley Koundourou ’28, a double major in Writing and Political Science, recently won the 2025 Victor Howes Prize in Poetry, awarded on behalf of the New England Poetry Club. We spoke with Koundourou about poetic inspiration, her Senegalese ancestry, and the value of a women’s-centered education.
Celebrating Online Degree Completion Graduates, Class of 2025
Felipa Arevalo and Christina Orfanos are among the 2025 graduates in the Simmons Online Degree Completion Program for adult learners. We spoke to a few graduates about what the program meant to them.
The Story Listener
Breanna J. McDaniel ’14MA is the author of four acclaimed picturebooks and the recipient of the 2025 Ezra Jack Keats Writer Award. On July 26, McDaniel will present a presentation with author-illustrator Vashti Harrison at the Summer Children's Literature Institute at Simmons University.
Alumna Artist Featured in Authority Magazine
Simmons alumna and multidisciplinary artist Natasha Di Fiore ’03, ’08MBA was recently featured in a profile published in Authority Magazine. The daughter of Italian immigrants, Di Fiore embraces the values of collaboration, creativity, and resilience. Her artistic expertise spans fashion, music, modeling, and film.
Finding Purpose in School-Based Social Work
Diana Pelaez ’24MSW is a clinical social worker for the Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity (METCO) — the largest voluntary school-integration program in the country.
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