In honor of Freedom of Information Day earlier this month, we spoke to two faculty members of the School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) about the importance of the Act the day commemorates, and how those outside the library profession can access information from the government.

• Social Justice & Advocacy

Six graduating seniors have been selected for the prestigious Senior Scholar Award at Simmons University. Sponsored by the Provost’s Office and the Office of Research and Fellowships, the Senior Scholar Award recognizes outstanding scholarly research and creative works across a variety of disciplinary fields.

• Awards and Honors
• Commencement
• Mentorship
• Research
• Senior Profile

Children’s Literature and Writing for Children graduate Emily Sun Li ’24MA/MFA reflects on her road to becoming a published author and how Simmons supported her career path.

• Careers and Internships

Since completing her master of arts in children’s literature at Simmons, Amber Weinstock ’24MA has begun her doctoral studies at the University of Connecticut. We caught up with Weinstock, winner of the 2024 Graduate Student Essay Award, to ask how Simmons prepared her for her current studies.

• Awards and Honors
• Careers and Internships

The Dotson Bridge and Mentoring Program hosted its annual Lectureship event for in-person and virtual attendees on February 25. This year’s guest speaker, founder of the New Nurse Academy LLC, Tiffany Gibson, discussed how the art of emotional intelligence can foster inclusivity and wellbeing in nursing environments.

• Careers and Internships
• Community Engagement

Cassie Sheets-Kavanagh ’18MA, who earned her master of arts in children’s literature at Simmons, is pursuing a PhD in curriculum, instruction, and teacher education at Michigan State University.

• Careers and Internships
• Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

We spoke to author and illustrator Damian Alexander ’18MFA about how he found his creative home in writing and illustrating books for young adults, and what drew him to the Simmons Master of Fine Arts in Writing for Children.

• Careers and Internships
• Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Oona Metz ’93MSW is a therapist who leads therapy groups and supports women in transition. We spoke with her about her new book on navigating divorce and the essential training she received at Simmons.

• Careers and Internships

The Office of Research and Fellowships has announced the recipients of the 2025–2026 Graduate Student Research Award. This competitive, cross-disciplinary award provides up to $1,500 to five doctoral and master’s degree candidates to conduct research in the fields of mental health, social work, children’s literature, and archival preservation.

• Awards and Honors
• Research

Abigail Pearson ’26, ’27MSW is an honors student pursuing an accelerated degree in social work. We spoke with her about the vitality of an interdisciplinary education and the thriving community at Simmons.

• Careers and Internships
• Community Engagement
• Mentorship
• Research