Dear School of Engineering community and colleagues,
I’m thrilled to report another remarkable year in the School of Engineering. Students, faculty, staff, and alumni have given our community a lot to be proud of in the academic year 2024–25. Faculty members earned prestigious recognition, such as Karol Family Applied Technology Professor Matthias Scheutz, who was named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and Associate Professor Valencia Koomson, Associate Professor Nikhil Nair, Professor Igor Sokolov, and Professor Sameer Sonkusale, who were all named Senior Members of the National Academy of Inventors. You can read more about faculty accomplishments throughout this report. Students continued to share their enthusiasm in the classroom and through club activities. Among other highlights, Tufts Women in Computer Science organized and hosted the 8th annual Women in Tech conference on the Tufts campus.
The first year of the graduate co-op program was a resounding success. Students and employers alike highlighted positive experiences. We anticipate that the next cohort of graduate co-op students is expected to nearly double in size. Beyond the co-op program, undergraduate and graduate students took advantage of career-building opportunities, including internships, research experiences, and professional development workshops.
Faculty and staff continued to uphold a high level of excellence in their research. One area that grew significantly over the past year is AI-related research and programming. In September, the Tufts Institute for Artificial Intelligence (TIAI), previously under the Office of the Provost, was relaunched under School of Engineering leadership. At the TIAI’s inaugural Big Ideas Day, I saw experts from across the university come together to brainstorm future solutions in the area of AI and human health. Following the event, TIAI put out a request for proposals in AI and health for social impact.
In a similar vein, a new master’s degree in artificial intelligence was launched this year, with tracks in the Department of Computer Science and the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. The program is designed to prepare the next generation of AI leaders, with a focus on social good. As it evolves, additional tracks will be introduced to connect AI with other strategic areas across Tufts.
It has been inspiring to see the Tufts community continue to support our work toward a brighter future through their ideas, time, and resources. The Epsilon Group’s $11.5 million sponsorship of the Tufts Epsilon Materials Institute (TEMI) will open up new possibilities in materials science research. TEMI reflects our partnership with Vikram Handa, E01, managing director at Epsilon Group and Tufts alumnus. The sponsorship funds three new faculty positions at the School of Engineering, expanding our expertise in sustainable solutions.
I am grateful for the passion and dedication of our community and all that we have accomplished this year. I have no doubt that the Tufts School of Engineering community will continue to uplift one another, both personally and professionally.
Sincerely,
Kyongbum Lee Dean, Tufts School of Engineering, Karol Family Professor
Selected Faculty Achievements
Tufts School of Engineering faculty were recognized this year for outstanding achievements in research and teaching, and their singular contributions to their disciplines.
Karol Family Applied Technology Professor Matthias Scheutz of the Department of Computer Science (CS) was elected a Fellow of the AAAS. Professor Sameer Sonkusale of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) was named an AIMBE Fellow. Associate Professor Valencia Koomson (ECE), Associate Professor Nikhil Nair of the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE), Professor Igor Sokolov of the Department of Mechanical Engineering (ME), and Professor Sameer Sonkusale (ECE) were all named Senior Members of the National Academy of Inventors. Professor Donna Slonim (CS) was named a Fellow of the International Society for Computational Biology.
From top to bottom, left to right: Matthias Scheutz, Sameer Sonkusale, Valencia Koomson, Nikhil Nair, Igor Sokolov, and Donna Slonim
Frank C. Doble Professor Fiorenzo Omenetto of the Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME) was the 2025 R. W. Wood Prize recipient. He was also awarded the title of Distinguished Innovator of the Year, and Associate Professor Gili Naveh (BME) was honored as the Rising Innovator of the Year at the Tufts 2024 inventor recognition event. Stern Family Endowed Professor of Engineering David Kaplan (BME) was listed among the world’s most highly cited researchers by Clarivate. Associate Professor Ayse Asatekin (ChBE) was awarded the 2025 NAMS Permeance Prize for midcareer excellence.
From top to bottom, left to right: Fiorenzo Omenetto, Gili Naveh, David Kaplan, and Ayse Asatekin
Professor and Chair Jason Rife (ME) was elected vice president of the Institute of Navigation. Professor and Chair Laurie Baise of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) was selected as the 2025 William B. Joyner Lecturer. Distinguished Professor and Dean of Graduate Education Karen Panetta (ECE) delivered the keynote address at the 2024 ABET Symposium. Professor Eric Miller (ECE) was honored as an International Artificial Intelligence Industry Alliance Fellow and was selected to serve as the director for the NSF Division of Engineering Education and Centers.
From top to bottom, left to right: Jason Rife, Laurie Baise, Karen Panetta, and Eric Miller
Tufts University’s Engineering Faculty Research Awards Committee honored Professor Qiaobing Xu (BME) with the Bright Light Award and Assistant Professor Michael Hughes (CS) with the Sunrise Award for their research contributions. Hughes also received a National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development (NSF CAREER) Award for his work in machine learning and predictive modeling. Professor and Berger Chair Farshid Vahedifard (CEE) was awarded a Senior Scholar Fellowship and delivered a lecture on climate-resilient and equitable infrastructure at Nanjing University. Professor and Dean of Research Matthew Panzer (ChBE) delivered a lecture at the Royal Society.
From top to bottom, left to right: Qiaobing Xu, Michael Hughes, Farshid Vahedifard, and Matthew Panzer
Assistant Teaching Professor Angela Lai (BME) and John R. Beaver Professor Chris Rogers (ME) received the School of Engineering’s Henry and Madeline Fischer Award. Professor of the Practice and Kentaro Tsutsumi Faculty Fellow Eric Hines (CEE) and Professor of the Practice Jack Derby of Tufts Gordon Institute (TGI) were recipients of the School of Engineering Faculty Teaching and Mentoring Award for 2025.
From top to bottom, left to right: Angela Lai, Chris Rogers, Eric Hines, and Jack Derby
Associate Professor Hari Sundar (CS) was named the Ada Lovelace Associate Professor. Associate Professor Chorng Hwa Chang (ECE) and Professor Lenore Cowen (CS) both won the Engineering Seymour Simches Award for Distinguished Teaching and Advising. Assistant Teaching Professor Richard Townsend (CS) was honored with the Lerman-Neubauer Prize for Outstanding Teaching and Advising.
From top to bottom, left to right: Hari Sundar, Chorng Hwa Chang, Lenore Cowen, and Richard Townsend
Tiampo Family Assistant Professor Srivalleesha Mallidi (BME) won this year’s Recognition of Undergraduate Teaching Excellence Award. Mallidi also received tenure and was promoted to associate professor. Ayse Asatekin (ChBE), Shuchin Aeron (ECE), and Jeffrey Guasto (ME) were all promoted to full professor.
From top to bottom, left to right: Srivalleesha Mallidi, Ayse Asatekin, Shuchin Aeron, and Jeffrey Guasto
Selected Student and Alumni Achievements
Tufts engineering students and alumni are changing the world through service, research, careers in industry, and more.
Students
Natasha Wan (left) and Max Harrington (right) outside the Engineers Without Borders greenhouse
Students in Engineers Without Borders, including Natasha Wan (BME) and Max Harrington (BME), built a solar-powered greenhouse on campus that fosters sustainability and hands-on learning, while growing crops central to Malawian cuisine.
Obafemi Jinadu (ECE) was selected as a 2024 recipient of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Signal Processing Society Scholarship. Engineering physics major Noah Stiegler (ECE) won a Tau Beta Pi Scholarship. In the 2024 Paris Paralympics, Alex Flynn (ME) won a silver medal as a member of the U.S. Para Rowing Mixed Coxed Four team.
Elias Bilal (ME) created a tracking website and developed backend code to receive and display live data on a NASA/Columbia Scientific Ballooning Facility balloon. Students in Women in Computer Science, including Ada Wu (CS) and Leann Dinh (CS), organized and hosted the eighth annual Women in Tech conference. Students for the Exploration and Development of Space members built a rocket that soared to 9,500 feet at the Spaceport America Cup. JumboHack returned for its second year, with record-breaking attendance of over 300 students from 25 universities nationwide.
Avijit Paul (BME) and John McElearney (ECE) were each recognized with the SOE award for Outstanding Academic Scholarship. Pan Menasuta (ECE) and Grace DePietro (CEE) won the SOE award for Outstanding Graduate Contributor to Engineering Education. Jed Quiaoit (ChBE) and Charles Mitchell (CS) were named Senior Award honorees. Sristi Panchu (CS) was among the 11 students honored in this year’s Presidential Awards for Civic Life.
Alumni
Allison Perkel speaks at the School of Engineering Graduate Programs Ceremony
Allison Perkel, E93, EG02, (ECE/CS) delivered remarks at the SOE Graduate Programs Ceremony. Doug Leaffer, EG98, EG24, (CEE) was elected a Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers. David Gantt, A22, (CS) was named the university’s first-ever Schwarzman Scholar, a highly selective global program that includes study and cultural immersion in Beijing. Adam Weber, EG99, (ChBE) won the Neil Armstrong Award of Excellence in recognition of his personal character and contributions to clean energy. Jesse Grupper, E19, and David Liebenberg, E14, (both ME) competed in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
Supported by the Cataldo Scholarship, Kenneth Stephens, E24, (CEE) completed an independent research project focused on soil remediation. Founder and managing director of the Epsilon Group, Vikram Handa, E01, (ECE), delivered the Dean’s Lecture about building sustainable batteries. Sadaf Qazi, EG08, (ECE) was honored with the SOE Outstanding Career Achievement Award.
Advancing a Supportive and Inclusive Engineering Community for All Students
At the Order of the Engineer induction ceremony, graduating seniors pledged to use their skills to serve humanity and use the earth’s natural resources responsibly
The School of Engineering is committed to fostering a welcoming academic environment where all students, faculty, and staff can thrive.
SOE hosted two events that highlighted inclusive approaches to education and scientific collaboration. At the first event, Tufts alumnus and Drexel University Associate Professor Christopher Wright, AG11, shared his work on expanding STEM learning opportunities for students in West Philadelphia. At the second event, researchers from Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory discussed how their teams build supportive workplace cultures to address complex scientific challenges.
In the classroom, Research Assistant Professor Chelsea Andrews from the Center for Engineering Education and Outreach led a Sociotechnical Community of Practice, supporting faculty as they explored how engineering connects with societal contexts. With guidance from Mafalda Gueta, associate director of Diversity & Inclusion Programs, 11 course sections incorporated new material that encouraged all Tufts students to reflect on engineering’s broader impact on society as a whole. These updates reached more than 250 students.
Beyond academics, collaboration with the Division of Student Diversity and Inclusion strengthened community and supported student success through events, workshops, and professional development opportunities for any engineering student who wanted to participate.
Global, Undergraduate, and Graduate Education
Students in the Tufts in Pavia program
Global education: Tufts Global Education (TGE) continues to enrich students’ experiences with transformative international programs that prioritize academic and personal growth. From 2024–25, engineering participation in global education opportunities increased by 25%. To further support this increase, Tufts Programs Abroad initiated new partnerships with institutions specializing in STEM coursework to complement existing offerings through Tufts in Madrid and Tufts in Hong Kong. TGE also expanded its summer programming, including Tufts in Pavia and the Global Design in Cartagena, Colombia program.
Undergraduate education: Academic offerings within the School of Engineering continue to attract new students to Tufts. Members of the incoming Class of 2029 indicated mechanical engineering, biomedical engineering, and computer science as top areas of interest. The Derby Entrepreneurship Center also stood out as a key feature for many incoming undergraduate students.
This year, undergraduate programs received a record-breaking 7,673 applications—up more than 10% from three years ago. The acceptance rate was 9%. The Class of 2029 comprises 46% women, 12% international students, and 17% first-generation college students. The class includes students from 31 states, plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, and 27 countries outside of the United States.
Graduate education: The School of Engineering set a new record for graduate applications again this year, with 3,332 applications for graduate programs that started in fall 2024. Preliminary numbers for fall 2025 indicate another record year at both the M.S. and Ph.D. levels in applications. However, these early numbers may not translate into enrollments due to outside influences on international visas and entry to the U.S. Over 40 students participated in co-ops in the first full year of the graduate co-op program. The school also launched a new Master’s in Artificial Intelligence program this year, with distinct tracks in the Department of Computer Science and the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
*Civil and environmental engineering are two separate B.S. degrees, but CEE is one graduate program.
**Students in joint-degree programs are only counted once but are also assigned to a second dept. in SOE, A&S, or Fletcher.
***For B.S. and M.S. programs, electrical and computer engineering are two separate degrees. For Ph.D. programs, ECE is one degree.
Selected Research Highlights
This fiscal year, externally sponsored research expenditures in the School of Engineering totaled roughly $42 million, the highest in the school’s history. Faculty submitted 400 new and supplemental funding requests, and invention disclosures from the School of Engineering continued to make up about half of the university’s total technology transfer activity.
Energy, water, and the environment
Frank C. Doble Professor Fiorenzo Omenetto (BME) developed a water-based nanomanufacturing approach that replaces toxic chemicals in the production of hybrid electronic-biological devices. Funded by the ADAPT Coalition, Professor John Durant (CEE) measured air quality in Chinatown through Heat Equity and Resilience in Open Spaces project. Professor and Berger Chair Farshid Vahedifard (CEE) contributed to the dams and levees sections of the ASCE Report Card for America’s Infrastructure. Associate Professor Jonathan Lamontagne (CEE) designed large-scenario ensembles that have the potential to support global climate policy decisions. Associate Professor Rob White (ME) built a sonic anemometer to collect high-resolution 3D relative wind data.
A variety of scientific instruments, including Associate Professor Rob White's sonic anemometer
Human health and bioengineering
Assistant Professor Nisha Iyer (BME) received a National Institutes of Health HEAL New Innovator Award to fund her work on stem cell tool development for pain circuitry. Associate Professor Gili Naveh (BME) invented a simple device to spot early-stage tooth decay. Professor Qiaobing Xu (BME) developed a vaccine that enhances the immune system’s ability to recognize and fight tumors. Associate Professor Nikhil Nair (ChBE) investigated how specific codons control cellular resources and fitness. Associate Professor Valencia Koomson (ECE) developed a microfluidic device to improve understanding of intercellular communication. Research Assistant Professor Shuliang Gao (BME) and Professor Qiaobing Xu (BME) published research in Nature Communications detailing improvements in CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing.
Gili Naveh, Associate Professor of Orthodontics, holds a CaviSense device
Human-technology interface
Professor Eric Miller (ECE), Professor Matthew Panzer (ChBE), and Professor Sameer Sonkusale (ECE) are part of an interdisciplinary Tufts team creating wearable technology to help detect cognitive decline. Tufts University hosted the first Annual Boston Security Usability Research Day, organized by Lin Family Assistant Professor Daniel Votipka (CS). Associate Professor Valencia Koomson (ECE) collaborated with two Ghanaian hospitals on a mobile platform for people with hypertension. Professor J.P. de Ruiter (CS) and team presented research on how to make AI a better conversational partner at the Empirical Methods in Natural Language Processing 2024 conference. Karol Family Applied Technology Professor Matthias Scheutz (CS) worked with Tufts Dining to implement a robot from the Tufts Human-Robot Interaction Laboratory to deliver food to guests in Hotung Café.
Valencia Koomson, front row, second from right, with collaborators in Ghana. (Photo courtesy of Valencia Koomson)
Intelligent systems
A team of researchers from Tufts University and the University of Texas at Dallas published a paper in Artificial Intelligence on a cognitive architecture framework that could advance AI’s ability to handle novel and unexpected elements. Associate Professor Mark Hempstead (ECE), Assistant Professor Marco Donato (ECE), and colleagues received a National Science Foundation Community Infrastructure for Research in Computer and Information Science and Engineering grant to design a tool that could improve the exploration and evaluation of memory systems in computer architecture. Professor Eric Miller (ECE) developed a novel AI model that could make finding prohibited items in imported cargo faster and more accurate than current X-ray technology.
From left to right: Mark Hempstead, Marco Donato, and Eric Miller
Learning science
Through the EMBRACE initiative, Tufts students led engineering research and educational activities in the Dominican Republic under the guidance of McDonnell Family Assistant Professor Greses Pérez (CEE). With an NSF Growing Convergence Research grant, Associate Professor Shuchin Aeron, Professor Mark Hempstead, Professor Eric Miller, Professor Sameer Sonkusale (all ECE), Assistant Professor Michael Hughes, Professor Abani Patra, (both CS), and McDonnell Family Bridge Professor Milo Koretsky (ChBE), are investigating the role of ambiguity, uncertainty, and confusion in STEM learning. CEEO Director Merredith Portsmore, CEEO Director of Outreach Elissa Milto, Research Assistant Professor Chelsea Andrews, and Tufts alumnus Christopher Wright, AG11, published a book about K–8 engineering education.
CEEO Director of Outreach Elissa Milto (left) and CEEO Director Merredith Portsmore (right) holding their book
Faculty Recruitment
Tufts School of Engineering’s number of tenured and tenure-track faculty rose to 95 this year. Faculty newly appointed to full-time positions include:
Harry Bendekgey, Assistant Teaching Professor in Computer Science, Ph.D.: University of California, Irvine, teaching interests: artificial intelligence, machine learning, mathematical underpinnings of computer science
Ankit Bhardwaj, Assistant Professor in Computer Science, Ph.D.: University of Utah, research interests: low-latency, resource-efficient, and highly scalable data center systems
Ryan Cosner, Assistant Professor in Mechanical Engineering, Ph.D.: California Institute of Technology, research interests: control theory, machine learning, and dynamic robot autonomy
Tong (Tony) Gao, Associate Professor in Mechanical Engineering, Ph.D.: University of Pennsylvania, research interests: mathematical modeling and simulation for fluid mechanics, soft matte, and materials
Jaylin Herskovitz, Assistant Professor in Computer Science, Ph.D.: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, research interests: human-AI interaction, accessibility, DIY technology and making, mobile sensing
Golriz Kermani, Assistant Teaching Professor in Mechanical Engineering, Ph.D.: Temple University, teaching interests: material characterization, lithium-ion batteries, tissue biomechanics, and engineering education
Hungtang Ko, Assistant Professor in Mechanical Engineering, Ph.D.: Georgia Institute of Technology, research interests: collective organization of biological collectives and robot swarms in fluid environments
Peter Lu, Assistant Professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering, Ph.D.: MIT, research interests: physics-informed machine learning and scientific representational learning
Karen Martin, Assistant Professor in Biomedical Engineering, Ph.D.: Georgia Institute of Technology, research interests: immunology, genetic engineering, and translational medicine
Kyle Quinn, Professor in Biomedical Engineering, Ph.D.: University of Pennsylvania, research interests: quantitative optical methods to characterize the spatiotemporal patterns of disease progression and tissue repair
James Skripchuk, Assistant Teaching Professor in Computer Science, Ph.D.: North Carolina State University, teaching interests: computing education, AI education, sound and music computing
Andrew Stout, Assistant Professor in Biomedical Engineering, Ph.D.: Tufts University, research interests: engineering cell lines and culture systems for low-cost, large-scale bioproduction of agricultural commodities
Guannan Wei, Assistant Professor in Computer Science, Ph.D.: Purdue University, research interests: scientific and engineering foundations of programming and software systems
Advancement and Outreach
Development
The School of Engineering surpassed its fundraising goal of $22 million and raised more than $28.5 million in fiscal year 2025. An $11.5 million sponsorship from the Epsilon Group will launch the Tufts Epsilon Materials Institute. The institute reflects the vision of Tufts alumnus Vikram Handa, E01, managing director at Epsilon Group. Engineering alumni, parents, and friends demonstrated their Jumbo Pride through donations to key initiatives, such as financial aid, faculty research and opportunities, student programs such as ACE++ and BEST, and the Nolop FAST Facility Makerspace.
In late 2024, the Science and Engineering Complex was renamed the Tsungming Tu Complex (TTC), thanks to a generous donation from Professor Loring Tu of the Department of Mathematics. During the dedication ceremony, Tu announced an additional $500,000 challenge match donation for financial aid and areas of greatest need.
The Professorship Initiative, launched in April, will seek philanthropic support to establish 20 endowed professorships over the next four years. In addition to growing expertise in key areas such as circular and sustainable materials and AI, these new professorships will provide important mentorship opportunities for students inside and outside the classroom.
Corporate and foundation relations
With more than $17 million in corporate and foundation contributions, the School of Engineering finished FY25 strong. Read more about this year’s highlights:
W.M. Keck Foundation awarded a $1.2 million grant to further investigate plant light harvesting systems and the possibility of applying those systems’ optical networks to advance solar energy efficiency.
Cummings Foundation helped to boost entrepreneurial education programming at the Derby Entrepreneurship Center with a 10-year grant of $1 million.
Kingsbury Corporation renewed a $450,000 gift for a visiting scholar and graduate student fellowship to study bearing technology used in offshore wind energy.
Alumni outreach
Karol Family Professor and Dean Kyongbum Lee (ChBE) spoke with alumni about the latest research initiatives at Tufts during an event in San Francisco. Stern Family Professor David Kaplan (BME) visited alumni in Seattle, Washington, and Portland, Oregon, to share his pioneering research in tissue engineering, cellular agriculture, and biomaterials.
Approximately 160 students and alumni connected during the annual Engineering Alumni-Student Networking Night. Hosted by the Office of Alumni Engagement at the Career Center as part of Engineers Week, the event provided mutual benefit to students who gained valuable networking experience and alumni who shared insights into their career paths.
Career Center
The Career Center continued to provide tools, resources, information, and guidance to get students where they want to go after graduation. The number of undergraduate and graduate students served increased by 3% compared to last year.
The Engineering Graduate Co-Op Program launched this year, led by Distinguished Professor and Dean of Graduate Education Karen Panetta (ECE) and Assistant Director of SOE Graduate Co-Op Advising Alicia Abdulrazzaq. Amory Wakefield also joined the Career Center team to job share with Associate Director of Engineering Career Services Robin Kahan.
Highlights from Selected Centers and Institutes
Tufts Epsilon Materials Institute
Established this year, Tufts Epsilon Materials Institute is a collaboration between manufacturer Epsilon Group and the university that will advance innovations addressing global challenges in energy and sustainability. This collaboration strengthens Tufts’ commitment to R&D in high-performance battery materials, supporting the growing demand for sustainable energy solutions in the U.S.
Engineering education and outreach
This year, the Center for Engineering Education and Outreach (CEEO) continued to provide innovative programming for K–12 and college-level students. Research Assistant Professor Chelsea Andrews taught a first-year engineering class on equitable and inclusive civil infrastructure, and Research Associate Professor Ethan Danahy led a University College precollege summer program on artificial intelligence.
Tufts CEEO partnered with Somerville Public Schools on two initiatives. The first, Opportunities for Robotics, Building, and Inclusive Technology, delivered robotics and coding programming to autistic middle school students. Led by Research Assistant Professor Jennifer Cross and Director of Outreach Elissa Milto, the initiative has been building students’ computational thinking and executive functioning skills since September 2023. The second is the Community Tech Press project, which engaged over 240 sixth graders in lessons on climate science, engineering design, and multilingual journalism.
Working with elementary schools in East Boston, Everett, and Somerville, 17 student outreach fellows delivered engineering education activities to local students.
Tufts Institute for Artificial Intelligence
Tufts Institute for Artificial Intelligence (TIAI) serves as the hub for AI research, scholarship, and collaboration at Tufts University. TIAI is dedicated to accelerating scientific discovery while simultaneously improving the well-being of all. This year, TIAI brought together Tufts’ leading experts in medicine and artificial intelligence during TIAI Big Ideas Day. One of the institute’s first initiatives is a seed funding program for new cross-school research projects aimed at advancing health care through AI.
Innovation, management, and entrepreneurship
This year, over 18% of all AS&E undergraduates took one or more classes offered under Tufts Gordon Institute’s four minors: engineering management, entrepreneurship, entrepreneurship for social impact, and the new business, management, and leadership minor. MS in Innovation and Management alumni Sofia Pashenti, EG25, and Zoe Watson, EG24, won $25,000 at the prestigious Rice Business Plan Competition for their startup Microvitality.
The Derby Entrepreneurship Center at Tufts received a 10-year, $1 million sustaining grant from Cummings Foundation’s $30 Million Grant Program. Entrepreneurship courses have seen 70% growth in enrollments over the past five years, and the entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship for social impact minors reached an all-time high of more than 150 graduates.
Tufts University is a founding partner for the National Science Foundation Innovation Corps Hub (I Corps): New England Region. The newly created Auster Center for Applied Innovation and Research will take the lead on implementing the I-Corps programming across all Tufts schools and will partner with the Derby Entrepreneurship Center to assist in the commercialization of research findings. The Auster Center is also committed to supporting three undergraduate transdisciplinary summer research experiences.
Cybersecurity Center for the Public Good
Tufts Cybersecurity Center for the Public Good is a research center where students and faculty pursue solutions to cybersecurity threats. Housed within the Department of Computer Science, the center researches usable security, database security and privacy, provable security and privacy, and legal and policy solutions to make technology safer.
Applied brain and cognitive sciences
The Center for Applied Brain and Cognitive Sciences (CABCS) builds interdisciplinary research teams for research and development aimed at measuring, predicting, and enhancing cognitive capabilities and human-system interactions for individuals/teams in high-stakes environments. CABCS projects involve Tufts faculty, postdocs, students, and staff. This year’s projects supported the U.S. Army Ranger Course data collection to model how individual and environmental variables impact intensive training.
STEM diversity
The Center for STEM Diversity (CSD) collaborated widely with other departments, offices, and student groups in the School of Engineering and the School of Arts and Sciences to foster an equity-minded, inclusive community for every student at Tufts. Attendance at the Undergraduate STEM Projects and Posters Fair was up 37% and introduced over 100 attendees from all backgrounds to 15 different labs and research groups across AS&E. Industry visits helped students envision potential career paths while a multitude of drop-in hours and trainings nurtured the skills students need to achieve their goals.
The Bridge to Engineering Success at Tufts program (BEST) celebrated its 15th year and transitioned to selecting cohorts through an application process for all students. This year, the BEST program served 44 undergraduate students across all class years and from all backgrounds. The first cohort of the Access for Computing Equity (ACE++) program graduated in spring 2025.
Over the summer, 10 students participated in data science research through the DIAMONDS program, 12 students engaged in undergraduate lab experience through the NSF’s Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation, and 10 fellows participated in graduate-level research through the GEM program. Eighteen STEM Ambassadors shared their engineering expertise with more than 700 local high school students in Boston, Medford, and Somerville. Two Redefining the Image of Science and Engineering Advising Seminar (RISE) courses introduced a total of 39 students to various campus resources.
Infrastructure Development
Clockwise, from left: An aerial view of the intersection of Boston Avenue and College Avenue; the Tsungming Tu Complex; the Tufts community celebrates the newly renovated Halligan Hall.
This year, members of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering settled into the newly renovated Halligan Hall. The Tufts community gathered to celebrate the official reopening of the building and explore its new research spaces, labs, and community gathering spots. In late 2024, the Science and Engineering Complex was renamed the Tsungming Tu Complex (TTC), thanks to a generous donation from Professor Loring Tu of the Department of Mathematics. Shell spaces were completed in the TTC, expanding research space for members of the Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Tufts University Center for Cellular Agriculture. Work continues on the Biomedical Engineering Open Lab in the Science and Technology Center at 4 Colby Street. Also, several smaller improvements and upgrades were completed across the engineering buildings at Tufts. A new residence hall at 401–403 Boston Avenue won approval from the Medford Community Development Board and is slated to house undergraduate students starting in fall 2027.
Inspirational Giving
New research institute in the School of Engineering
Vikram Handa (right) and President Kumar (left) pose together in front of the sponsorship agreement to establish Tufts Epsilon Materials Institute
An $11.5 million sponsorship will launch the Tufts Epsilon Materials Institute, a new interdisciplinary initiative at Tufts focused on materials science and engineering. The institute is a collaboration between manufacturer Epsilon Group and the university that will advance innovations addressing global challenges in energy and sustainability.
The institute reflects the vision of Vikram Handa, E01, Tufts alum, managing director at Epsilon Group, and member of the School of Engineering’s Board of Advisors. Epsilon Group is a leading industrial conglomerate driving innovation in carbon black and in sustainable, high-performance advanced battery materials that power electric vehicles and energy storage systems.
Epsilon Group’s focus on sustainability aligns with the university’s commitment to clean energy solutions. “Together, we will translate academic research into immediate, tangible, commercial applications that will power new directions in the energy industry,” said Tufts University President Sunil Kumar.
The sponsorship funds three new faculty positions in the School of Engineering and establishes seed funding to support future collaborations that focus on developing cleaner, safer, and more sustainable energy solutions. A truly effective clean energy transition depends on tackling complex questions related to materials science, such as how to improve clean energy storage and delivery and how to reduce the environmental impact of industrial and household goods, from manufacturing through disposal.
Solving those and other challenges will be among the top priorities of the Tufts Epsilon Materials Institute. One anticipated research area is the development of renewable material-based batteries that support a circular economy, in which resources are kept in use for as long as possible through repair, reuse, remanufacture, and recycling.
The seed of an idea for industry-academia collaboration was planted in February 2020 when Handa attended an event at Tufts where he and other alumni spoke with students. “I was amazed to see how strong Tufts had become in bioengineering,” he said. Since then, in conversations with faculty, he realized how Tufts’ approach to materials could help achieve clean energy goals.
“Tufts is already a global leader in developing technologies and materials solutions that touch our everyday lives, and I am confident that the Tufts Epsilon Materials Institute will work to further develop materials that will support the energy transition and give future generations a better, cleaner world,” said Handa.
From top to bottom, left to right: Matthias Scheutz, Sameer Sonkusale, Valencia Koomson, Nikhil Nair, Igor Sokolov, and Donna Slonim
