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Tufts drops to 40th place on U.S. News list; 287th in WSJ ranking

By Katie Spiropoulos | September 29

Tufts dropped from 32 to 40 on the US News and World Report’s list of the best universities in America and ranked 287th out of 400 on the Wall Street Journal’s list earlier this month. Both publications tailored their algorithms this year to focus on alumni outcomes, analyzing metrics like graduation rates and graduates’ salaries when compiling their rankings.

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Harvard prof. Serhii Plokhii traces historical path to Ukraine War

By Arvind Pillai | September 28

Serhii Plokhii, the Mykhailo S. Hrushevs’kyi professor of Ukrainian history and director of the Ukrainian Research Institute at Harvard University, spoke at the Fletcher School about his new book, “The Russo-Ukrainian War: The Return of History” on Sept. 19.

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Audrey Petty speaks on public housing at Cities@Tufts’ first event of the semester

By Reece Christian | September 28

Cities@Tufts kicked off its first digital colloquium of the fall semester with writer Audrey Petty on Sept. 20. Petty authored “High Rise Stories: Voices from Chicago Public Housing,” a collection of narratives from individuals who lived in now-demolished public housing high rises in Chicago.

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Tufts Arab Student Association calls for relief funds after fatal Moroccan earthquake

By Akisha Tokwe | September 28

Thousands of people perished from an 6.8 magnitude earthquake that hit the Atlas region of Morocco on the night of Sept. 8. The Tufts Arab Student Association responded by starting relief initiatives, calling for donations and raising awareness of the tragedy. The earthquake reached as far as Marrakech city, which was 40 miles southwest from the epicenter, but most of the destruction was experienced by the small rural communities of the High Atlas mountain range.

Resident assistants picket in front of the Joyce Cummings Center on Aug. 29.

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RA union ratifies first contract with university

By Matthew Sage | September 27

The United Labor of Tufts Resident Assistants voted to sign a union contract in agreement with Tufts University on Sept. 25. The contract signing ends a seven-month-long effort that included an organized strike to earn benefits and union representation for the university’s 141 RAs.

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Tisch College names Dee-1 inaugural Artist/Scholar in Residence

By Shannon Murphy | September 27

The Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life has named hip-hop artist and activist David Augustine, known by his stage name Dee-1, as the inaugural Alan Solomont Artist/Scholar-in-Residence. The residency was created by Alan Solomont, Tisch College Dean Emeritus, with the purpose of acknowledging the link between art and social activism.

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Tufts stresses COVID-19 policies amid rise in cases

By Estelle Anderson | September 26

This September saw an increase in local COVID-19 cases, according to Tufts medical personnel. Students are highly encouraged to visit the on-campus vaccination clinics that will be offered this fall, in addition to following the university’s COVID-19 guidelines.

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Political Science Department launches new undergraduate journal

By Ishaan Rajiv Rajabali | September 21

Tufts’ new biannual political science publication, “The Great Wave: A Journal for the Study of Politics and Social Change at Tufts University,” published its inaugural issue this month.

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Tufts investigating after cannon painted with inflammatory messaging; perpetrators unknown

By Daniel Vos | September 19

Derogatory statements were painted on the cannon and tree in front of Goddard Chapel between the night of Sept. 16 and the morning of the 17th, prompting an investigation by TUPD and OEO. The identity of the perpetrators is currently unknown. On Monday evening, Monroe France, Vice Provost for DEIJ, sent an email to the community addressing the incident.

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Tisch College announces Solomont Speaker Series programming

By Katie Spiropoulos | September 19

Tufts’ Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life announced on Sept. 12 its latest choices for its yearly Solomont Speaker Series. From politicians to medical professionals, Tisch College states that the “Solomont Speaker Series hosts a diverse group of leaders in civic life to share their expertise and inspire discussion among the Tufts community.”

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Somerville public schools bring on new superintendent

By Shannon Murphy | September 15

After major renovations to Somerville High School, Dr. Rubén Carmona started the job as Somerville’s newest superintendent.

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Tufts agrees to dining workers’ demands in new contract

By Matthew Sage | September 11

Tufts Dining workers, represented by the labor union UNITE HERE Local 26, reached a new contract agreement with the university on Aug. 26. The new collective bargaining agreement, which has been under negotiation since March, includes all of the union’s main demands.

The Science and Engineering Complex on the Medford/Somerville campus is pictured.

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Engineering professor wins grant for neuroscience research and STEM diversity

By Taylor Escudero | September 7

Dr. Brian Timko, assistant professor of biomedical engineering, received the Faculty Early Career Development Program Award from the National Science Foundation this summer to support his research into the effect of bioelectronic devices embedded in lab-grown brain tissues.

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SMFA part-time lecturers continue union negotiations for separate compensation structure

By Katie Spiropoulos | September 7

SMFA part-time lecturers remain in negotiations with the university, following the reopening of the collective bargaining agreement to continue pay structure negotiations.

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Q&A: University President Sunil Kumar discusses priorities for his first year in office

By Daniel Vos and Aaron Gruen | September 5

Sunil Kumar began his role as the 14th university president of Tufts on July 1, becoming the first person of color to serve in the position. Kumar sat down with the Daily on Aug. 30 for the first time since beginning his role.

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Here’s the status of RAs’ contract negotiations with Tufts

By Aaron Gruen | September 5

Negotiations between Tufts and United Labor of Tufts Resident Assistants resumed on Thursday, with the university proposing compensation in the form of a $600 semesterly scholarship in addition to 80 meal swipes per semester. David Whittingham and Anisha Uppal-Sullivan, RAs who sit on the union’s bargaining committee, left the meeting feeling that they made progress. “I think yesterday was really great,” Uppal-Sullivan, a junior, told the Daily on Friday. “We do think that [scholarship] number is too low for the amount of work that we do, but we think we’re finally making progress towards something real.”

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French program unveils new cultural studies major

By Estelle Anderson | September 5

Tufts’ Department of Romance Studies will offer a new French & Francophone cultural studies major, in addition to a French Literary Studies track this Fall. The new major reflects a push within the department to teach languages from a broader, more worldly perspective, moving away from their primary ...

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Live updates: RAs picket while first-years move in

By Daniel Vos and Aaron Gruen | August 29

Tufts resident assistants, who have been rallying in demand for a stipend, have ended demonstrations for the day. RAs, students and more have been picketing since 7:30 a.m. this morning.

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Tufts resident assistants prepare to go on strike Tuesday

By Chloe Courtney Bohl | August 27

Tufts resident assistants are prepared to go on strike Tuesday if the university doesn’t agree to pay them a stipend for their work. United Labor of Tufts Resident Assistants, the union representing undergraduate RAs, began negotiating a new contract for RAs in February. But the two sides reached an impasse in July, union representatives told the Daily, when the university told RAs it would not agree to pay them in the form of a stipend — which they say is the fairest, most flexible way to compensate them for their responsibilities.

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Deans Glaser, Lee: Investigation into admissions office finds no evidence of discrimination

By Daniel Vos | July 14

An investigation into the Tufts admissions office has concluded and found no evidence of discrimination by Dean of Admissions JT Duck, according to a statement by James Glaser, dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, and Kyongbum Lee, dean of the School of Engineering.