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The Latest News
Hope Floats: Hurricane Katrina 20 Years Later
Simmons School of Social Work Professor and Associate Dean for Faculty Development Johnnie Hamilton-Mason shared a retrospective conversation based on her research, titled “Hope Floats: African American Women's Survival Experiences after Katrina.”
SOM Dean Quoted in NBC News Boston
The city of Boston is hosting seven FIFA World Cup soccer games in June 2026. As NBC News Boston reported, business leaders — including individuals from Simmons — gathered in Foxborough on September 24 for a Women's Business Summit focused on the economic impact of the World Cup.
SLIS Student Relishes Exchange in Seoul
Graduate student Ryan Harrington ’27MS recently returned from an exchange program at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea. We spoke with him about this unique opportunity, the superb training at Simmons, and the importance of historical memory.
Simmons Professor Weighs in on Best Picturebooks
Assistant Teaching Professor Shelley Isaacson was quoted in an article for Slate, “The 25 Greatest Picture Books of the Past 25 Years.” Isaacson supported the inclusion of The Undefeated written by Kwame Alexander and illustrated by Kadir Nelson (Versify, 2019) on the list.
Public Health Alum Addresses Housing Insecurity
Sam Geheran ’25MPH is passionate about the right to safe housing. We spoke with them about their research on unhoused populations, their interest in public health, and the inspiring atmosphere at Simmons.
Information Literacy Consultants Support Simmons Students
This fall, the Tutoring Center received an internal grant from the Simmons Center for Information Literacy (SCIL) to hire five School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) students as Information Literacy Consultants (ILCs).
Exploring Internships, Locally and Abroad
Maryona Vicente '25, a biochemistry major on the pre-med track with minors in business and health care management, engaged in unique internship opportunities while at Simmons, locally and abroad.
Alumna Communicates Scientific Discovery at National Park
Julia Rush ’24 is the 2025 Cathy and Jim Gero Acadia Early-Career Fellow in Science Communication for the Schoodic Institute at Acadia National Park. We spoke with her about her love of journalism and the outdoors, and the essential training she received at Simmons.
Leadership in the News
Information Literacy Consultants Support Simmons Students
This fall, the Tutoring Center received an internal grant from the Simmons Center for Information Literacy (SCIL) to hire five School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) students as Information Literacy Consultants (ILCs).
Alum Profiled for Dedication to Making Culture Accessible
Olawumi “Ola” Akinwumi ’13MA, who serves as president of the Roxbury Cultural District (RCD), is a dynamic cultural strategist, event producer, and community engagement leader who is committed to celebrating communities of color through arts, culture, and storytelling.
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.
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
Hope Floats: Hurricane Katrina 20 Years Later
Simmons School of Social Work Professor and Associate Dean for Faculty Development Johnnie Hamilton-Mason shared a retrospective conversation based on her research, titled “Hope Floats: African American Women's Survival Experiences after Katrina.”
SOM Dean Quoted in NBC News Boston
The city of Boston is hosting seven FIFA World Cup soccer games in June 2026. As NBC News Boston reported, business leaders — including individuals from Simmons — gathered in Foxborough on September 24 for a Women's Business Summit focused on the economic impact of the World Cup.
Simmons Professor Weighs in on Best Picturebooks
Assistant Teaching Professor Shelley Isaacson was quoted in an article for Slate, “The 25 Greatest Picture Books of the Past 25 Years.” Isaacson supported the inclusion of The Undefeated written by Kwame Alexander and illustrated by Kadir Nelson (Versify, 2019) on the list.
Professor Takes New Approach to Countering the War on Drugs
Assistant Professor Jeffrey Steen brings lived/ living experience and academic rigor to social work and the area of substance use. We spoke with him about his recent research award, advances in harm reduction, and the collaborative community at Simmons.
SLIS Professor Shares How AI Can Benefit Libraries
School of Library and Information Science Assistant Professor Don Simmons was featured in an Elsevier story, “The role of AI in universities is growing — what does that mean for librarians?”
Gender Studies Professor Quoted in Fortune
Professor Suzanne Leonard, a faculty member in the Department of Race, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and Director of the Graduate Program in Gender and Cultural Studies, recently commented on the Netflix series The Hunting Wives for Fortune magazine.
SLIS West Director on Funding Cuts in Rural Libraries
Director of the Simmons School of Library and Information Science SLIS West program Eric Poulin published an editorial in The Shoestring warning that funding cuts to social services will result in a lack of access to electronic resources that will disproportionately hurt small, rural communities and their schools.
Professor Speaks to Social Media Influencer Trend
Suzanne Leonard, Professor of Race, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, and Director of the Graduate Program in Gender and Cultural Studies, was recently quoted in an article on the B-Side, connecting the current “stay at home girlfriend” trend on social media as a response to the previous “girlboss” trend.
What stories will you tell?
SLIS Student Relishes Exchange in Seoul
Graduate student Ryan Harrington ’27MS recently returned from an exchange program at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea. We spoke with him about this unique opportunity, the superb training at Simmons, and the importance of historical memory.
Public Health Alum Addresses Housing Insecurity
Sam Geheran ’25MPH is passionate about the right to safe housing. We spoke with them about their research on unhoused populations, their interest in public health, and the inspiring atmosphere at Simmons.
Exploring Internships, Locally and Abroad
Maryona Vicente '25, a biochemistry major on the pre-med track with minors in business and health care management, engaged in unique internship opportunities while at Simmons, locally and abroad.
Alumna Communicates Scientific Discovery at National Park
Julia Rush ’24 is the 2025 Cathy and Jim Gero Acadia Early-Career Fellow in Science Communication for the Schoodic Institute at Acadia National Park. We spoke with her about her love of journalism and the outdoors, and the essential training she received at Simmons.
Alum Profiled for Dedication to Making Culture Accessible
Olawumi “Ola” Akinwumi ’13MA, who serves as president of the Roxbury Cultural District (RCD), is a dynamic cultural strategist, event producer, and community engagement leader who is committed to celebrating communities of color through arts, culture, and storytelling.
A 3+3 PT Alum on the NFL Field
A graduate of the Simmons Accelerated Program in Health and Exercise Science & Physical Therapy (3+3), Alexia Malone Oliver ’16 ’18DPT is Assistant Athletic Trainer and Physical Therapist for the Denver Broncos. We spoke to her about what it means to treat players on and off the field.
Alums Honor Black Women Trailblazers with On-Campus Plaques
English major Jacqueline Jones ’79 and Public Relations/Marketing Communications major Gia Elie ’24, both members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (AKA), recently commissioned dedicatory plaques to honor three Simmons alums who trailblazed the domains of health care, civil rights, and women’s history. We spoke with them about honoring historic Black alumnae/i and relishing lifelong sisterhood through AKA.
Finish Your Undergraduate Degree at Simmons
Three Class of 2025 graduates of the Online Degree Completion Program share what makes the Simmons program special and a great option for students with full-time jobs and family responsibilities.
Connect with Simmons
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