Assistant Professor of Humanities Patrick Sylvain is a literary scholar and poet whose intellectual curiosity knows no bounds. His work explores the issues of nationhood, leadership, race, and (de)colonization. In conjunction with Black History Month 2025, we spoke with him about Haitian politics, poetry, and zombies.

• Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

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.

• Awards and Honors
• Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

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."

• Community Engagement
• Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
• Social Justice & Advocacy

The 2024 Boston Globe–Horn Book Awards Ceremony was held on November 24 at the Boston Public Library, where Cathryn Mercier, Professor and Graduate Program Director of Children's Literature, reflected on her role as a judge.

• 125th Anniversary
• Awards and Honors

Simmons faculty from various disciplines received awards in undergraduate and graduate teaching, research, service, and a commitment to DEI at the 2024 Faculty Awards.

• Awards and Honors
• Research

Faculty from the Department of Politics and Policy at Simmons recently presented a virtual panel discussion on the upcoming presidential election.

• Community Engagement

Brazilian illustrator Roger Mello visited the Simmons campus for a presentation in Professor Cathryn Mercier’s Picturebook class.

• Community Engagement

The Gwen Ifill School of Media, Humanities, and Social Sciences and the Simmons Alumnae/i Association honored the legacy of trailblazing news anchor and journalist Gwen Ifill ’77 ’93HD. Ifill’s brother Dr. Roberto Ifill and her college classmates joined Simmons faculty, current Simmons students, Ifill School Dean Ammina Kothari, and President Lynn Perry Wooten to commemorate this extraordinary alumna.

• 125th Anniversary
• Gwen Ifill

As dean, Dr. Kothari will play a pivotal role in the leadership of the Ifill School, a vital part of Simmons' forward-looking academic structure that is designed to accelerate student pathways and growth in meaningful careers.

• From the President
• University Leadership and Structure

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.

• Awards and Honors
• Health and Wellness
• Leadership
• Science and Technology