Search News

Simmons University is pleased to announce that it has selected Dr. Michael C. LaSala, PhD, LCSW to serve as Dean of the School of Social Work. Dr. LaSala will begin the transition to Simmons during the week of February 5, 2024, and his term will officially begin on July 1, 2024.

• University Leadership and Structure

A recent CBS news segment chronicles the journeys of openly-gay bishops within the Episcopal Church. The story centers around trailblazer Bishop Gene Robinson, and also spotlights Jeffrey Mello ’00MSW, who became Bishop Diocesan in the Episcopal Church in Connecticut in 2022.

• LGBTQIA+
• Social Justice & Advocacy

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.

• Awards and Honors
• Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Graduate student Diana Myers is pursuing a Master’s in Library Science and Information Science with a concentration in Archives Management. She plans to combine her archival experience with her research on medieval Europe to facilitate the public’s access to rare, premodern materials.

• Careers and Internships
• Mentorship
• Research

In January 2024, Dr. Paul Geisler, formerly Professor of Health Professions Education, Associate Dean of Health Sciences, and Interim Associate Dean of Natural and Behavioral Sciences, accepted a new position as Interim Dean of the School of Sciences and Health Professions. He will become the official Dean following the School’s formal renaming on July 1, 2024.

• University Leadership and Structure

When Stacie Parillo ’11MS was unhappy with her career, she began investigating her childhood dream of being a librarian. Now she is the Director of the Naval Historical Collection Archives at the U.S. Naval War College.

• Careers and Internships

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.

• Awards and Honors
• Careers and Internships
• Leadership

In a new article published in Educational Leadership, Dr. Beryl Irene Bailey identifies the reason for flailing literacy among elementary school students and proposes an innovative solution.

• Careers and Internships
• Community Engagement
• Research

Professor Laura Saunders shares how she supported an anti-book banning resolution in her town of Somerville, Massachusetts.

• Community Engagement
• Social Justice & Advocacy

Following their spring graduation, Oliver Fontaine ’24 will start an assurance staff position at the Hartford office of Ernst & Young. They spoke with us about landing a job at a “Big 4” firm before graduating, the joys of being a Campus Ambassador, and the power of networking.

• Careers and Internships