The Tufts University Alumni Association held the 2021 Senior Awards ceremony on April 10, virtually honoring 12 graduating seniors from the Schools of Arts and Sciences and Engineering and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts for their academic achievement, leadership and participation in campus and community activities.
A total of 351 COVID-19 cases were reported on the Medford/Somerville campus since the Daily started tracking the number of cases on Jan. 16.
Melissa Ing (D’89), an associate professor at the Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, filed a lawsuit earlier this year accusing the university of gender discrimination and retaliation for complaining of alleged sexual harassment. Ing is currently awaiting trial by jury.
In an email to the Tufts community on Tuesday, University Infection Control Health Director Michael Jordan announced that the Gantcher Center would serve as a public vaccination site for all eligible Massachusetts residents.
The cities of Medford and Somerville reported that 37.01% and 33.36% of their residents, respectively, have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data released by both cities last week. When broken down by race/ethnicity, both cities show that white residents are the most vaccinated group per capita.
Members of the Tufts Action Group, a collective of faculty, staff and students committed to grassroots anti-racism efforts within the university, met in April to discuss and respond to the five recently published anti-racism workstream reports. TAG’s response acknowledged the progress made by the “Tufts as an Anti-Racist Institution” effort and called for increased transparency, accountability and community presence in its implementation.
In April, the three residents of the Zeta Beta Tau fraternity house were told to move out due to maintenance issues that began in September 2020 and that Walnut Hill, a Tufts real-estate subsidiary, repeatedly failed to resolve.
Tufts University announced it has issued $250 million in bonds that will be used to fund on-campus development projects including the construction of a high density, on-campus residence hall for undergraduates on the Medford/Somerville campus and the expansion of dining capacity and infrastructure, among other capital projects. The new residence hall is part of a push to increase the percentage of students living on campus. Though the details have not been finalized, the university will be conducting a study to help them determine the optimal location and number of residents.
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker announced that as of April 30, masks would no longer be required in outdoor public spaces where social distancing is possible. Face coverings are still required in indoor and outdoor spaces where people cannot be less than six feet apart. Tufts is not changing any university policies in response to the announcement.
Jane Goodall, founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and a United Nations messenger of peace, spoke to the Tufts community about her research on chimpanzee behavior and her experience in conservation science at a live virtual event on Wednesday.
According to an email sent from President Monaco early Sunday morning, several Asian students were verbally assaulted by the occupants of a passing vehicle, who were verbalizing anti-Asian rhetoric in a hateful manner. Additionally, members of an athletic team found a large swastika painted on the shed at Bello Field.
Amma Agyei was named the winner of the Tufts Community Union Senate presidential election by the Tufts Elections Commission (ECOM) on April 24. She will serve as the TCU Senate president for the 2021–22 academic year.
University Infection Control Health Director Michael Jordan announced in an email to the Tufts community on April 25 that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine will be available to all students, faculty and staff between April 28 and 30 at the Gantcher Center. Prior to this announcement, students in the Tufts Community Union Senate attempted various efforts to call for a vaccination mandate and heighten accessibility to the vaccine for the Tufts community.
The proposed wellness center would provide a dedicated space for mindfulness and offer wellness programming, mental health resources and stress-reduction activities, according to Alswanger. Collins, however, echoed Bowdler’s concerns surrounding the resources needed to realize the center, and emphasized that the COVID-19 pandemic is Tufts’ priority at this time.
The announcement, sent via email and signed by University Infection Control Health Director Michael Jordan, also said that all students will need to be vaccinated before participating in on-campus classes or activities. The deadline for vaccination for students in the School of Medicine, School of Dental Medicine and the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine is July 1, and the deadline for students in all other schools is the beginning of the fall semester.
The MBTA, which installed the benches, asserts that the architecture is designed to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act to provide easier access to seating for people with mobility challenges. However, the Council’s resolution argues that the benches have had the effect of preventing people — namely the homeless community — from lying down.
The Global Integrated Learning & Design program, an initiative that helps faculty design courses or projects with international and cross-cultural components, has provided students with the opportunity to have virtual study abroad experiences.
Although Tufts University Art Galleries has seen increasing numbers of virtual program visitation, Deitsch hopes that this trend will continue post-COVID-19. She mentioned that many students do not know there is an art gallery on campus. As a result, developing greater visibility on campus is an ongoing priority for TUAG staff.
The project's chapter at Tufts has raised $1,666 since February, which is enough to provide 46 people with clean drinking water for life. As part of an effort to solicit donations, the club hosted a minute-long fundraising activity following a screening of a Thirst Project documentary. This "miracle minute," as Nguyen referred to it, raised more than $120. The club also raised funds by hosting a bingo game in March on World Water Day, which is observed annually by the United Nations to raise awareness about the global water crisis.
Tisch College Dean Alan Solomont opened the discussion by bringing up President Biden's response to the recent Derek Chauvin verdict in the landmark George Floyd case. Pfeiffer also discussed his past work with communications for the Obama administration, which started with his involvement in media initiatives to promote communication with certain groups during his campaign.
