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The Tufts Daily
Where you read it first | Tuesday, March 19, 2024

BREAKING: Dean Bynoe to leave Tufts for MIT

nandi-bynoe
via Tufts University Division of Student Diversity and Inclusion

Nandi Bynoe, associate dean of diversity and inclusion of the Schools of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering, will leave Tufts to become the assistant dean for diversity, equity, and inclusion at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology School of Engineering, according to an email sent to the Tufts community on Thursday. Bynoe’s last day at Tufts will be June 4.

According to the email, signed by Dean James Glaser of the School of Arts and Sciences and Dean Jianmin Qu of the School of Engineering, Bynoe assumed her position in 2019. She has headed the Division of Student Diversity and Inclusion, which incorporates the six identity-based centers at Tufts, ever since. These include the Africana Center, the Asian American Center, the FIRST Resource Center, the Latinx Center, the LGBT Center and the Women’s Center.

Glaser and Qu discussed the initiatives Bynoe undertook and the accomplishments she achieved during her tenure.

“Dean Bynoe was instrumental in creating the University’s Bias Education and Resource Team to address incidents of bias, discrimination and hatred on our campus,” Glaser and Qu wrote in the email. “She supported the creation of a new student organization focusing on the indigenous student experience at Tufts and has championed the increase of financial and institutional support for our indigenous student population.”

Several other initiatives Bynoe tackled during her time at Tufts included the distribution of federal CARES Act funding and funds raised institutionally for Tufts students who were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic; the completion of the soon-to-be-published Arts and Sciences Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice Strategic Plan; and the expansion of staff and resources for the identity-based centers within the Division of Student Diversity and Inclusion.

After earning both her B.A. in international relations and M.A. in educational studies at Tufts, Bynoe held roles in Student Services and worked in the Center for Awareness, Resources, and Education as a Sexual Misconduct Research before assuming the role of dean. She also has been a pre-major advisor and served as assistant dean of student affairs.

"She has made a true mark on our students–especially those who are BIPOC or from underrepresented backgrounds–and has been a trusted colleague to our staff and faculty," Glaser and Qu said.

They announced that the university will form a search committee composed of faculty, staff and administrators to fill the vacancy left by Bynoe.