Tufts Events

Event Type: Multifaith Observance Event Sponsor: University Chaplaincy (Wicca/Paganism) Begins at sundown on the first day listed. Autumnal equinox and the second harvest festival, celebrating the equivalence of light and dark, the arrival of Autumn, and thanksgiving for the Earth's bounty. 

Event Type: Multifaith Observance Event Sponsor: University Chaplaincy (Hinduism) A nine-night (nav-rat) celebration of nine auspicious forms of Shakti/Devi (feminine divine power/the Goddess). Observances may include limits to participation in academics or work and may include fasting. 

Event Type: Multifaith Observance Event Sponsor: University Chaplaincy (Judaism) Begins at sundown on the first day listed. The Jewish New Year and the anniversary of the creation of humankind, Rosh Hashanah is the first of the Ten Days of Awe (also known as the Ten Days of Repentance) that conclude on Yom Kippur. It marks the beginning of the holiest time of the year for Jews. Observances may include limits to participation in academics or work.

Online Location Details: https://tufts.zoom.us/meeting/register/odp5KDh_RDGrwdYCMg-blA#/registration Open to Public: No Primary Audience: Faculty,Staff,Students (Graduate),Students (Postdoctoral),Students (Undergraduate) Event Type: Information Session/Open House/Orientation Event Subject: Diversity/Identity/Inclusive Excellence,Education,Global Engagement,Politics/Policy/Law,Research Event Sponsor: Office of the Provost Event Sponsor Department / Area: Office of the Vice Provost for Institutional Inclusive Excellence Event Sponsor Details: Alaina Macaulay and Tiffany Enos Event Contact Name: Jasmine Raynor Event Contact Email: jasmine.raynor@tufts.edu Event Contact Phone: 8572938048 Link: https://diversity.tufts.edu/events/#summer_drop_ins Monthly Drop-Ins with IIE, OUC and OEO The Office of the Vice Provost for Institutional Inclusive Excellence will also be partnering with the Office of University Counsel and the Office of Equal Opportunity to offer joint office hours through the summer. These 60 minute virtual office hours can serve as drop-ins for questions or consultations to faculty, staff, and students who have questions about how federal actions may impact their research, teaching, programs, or scholarship at Tufts.  

Building: Tisch Library City: Medford, MA 02155 Campus: Medford/Somerville campus Location Details: Digital Design Studio, Tisch Library, room 303 Wheelchair Accessible: Yes Open to Public: No Primary Audience: Students (Graduate),Students (Undergraduate) Event Type: Training/Workshop Event Subject: Arts,Education Event Sponsor: School of Arts and Sciences Event Sponsor Department / Area: Tisch Library RSVP Information: https://tufts.libcal.com/event/15235973 Event Contact Name: Kylie Burnham Event Contact Email: kylie.burnham@tufts.edu Link: https://tufts.libcal.com/event/15235973 Adobe InDesign is a desktop publishing and page layout application used for making books, magazines, reports, and more, and is available on the computers at Tisch Library's Digital Design Studio (DDS). In this workshop, taught by Lili Newberry, A26, participants will learn the key features of InDesign and get hands-on practice, as well as learn ways to continue learning after the workshop! All are welcome to attend. This workshop is part of the DDS Community Skillshare series. For this series, students from across Tufts University are invited to teach a digital media skill to the campus, with support provided by DDS staff to design the workshop. For more information, or to apply to teach a DDS Community Skillshare workshop in a future semester, please reach out to Kylie Burnham at kylie.burnham@tufts.edu.

Building: Goddard Chapel City: Medford, MA 02155 Campus: Medford/Somerville campus Wheelchair Accessible: Yes Open to Public: No Event Subject: Religion/Spirituality Event Sponsor: Tufts University RSVP Information: Tufts University Journaling can be a rich spiritual practice but in our busy days, it can be hard to find time and space to sit down with pen and paper. This drop-in space offers just that—a judgement-free zone where you can drink tea, nibble a snack, and see where the pen takes you. Weekly prompts will be provided but feel free to use this time as you see fit. For students, faculty, and staff, starting September 9.

Building: Cabot Intercultural Center City: Medford, MA 02155 Campus: Medford/Somerville campus Location Details: Cabot 702 Open to Public: Yes Link: https://forms.office.com/r/3uSq76Sca0 Join the Hitachi Center for a welcome event introducing the Center's events and activities and kicking off its new Tech Policy Research Working Group for people whose capstones, dissertations, and other research activities deal with issues related to tech policy. Intended to meet roughly once per month, the Tech Policy Research Working Group will offer participants opportunities to discuss with peers their ongoing research projects, ideas for future projects, any challenges they've encountered in the research process, practice presenting their work, and share advice and best practices for studying technical topics, summarizing relevant technical literature, and engaging with the tech policy community of scholars and practitioners.

Building: Barnum Hall City: Medford, MA 02155 Campus: Medford/Somerville campus Location Details: 216F, Barnum Hall (Second Floor) Wheelchair Accessible: Yes Open to Public: Yes Event Type: Lecture/Presentation/Seminar Event Subject: Sustainability/Climate Event Sponsor: Tisch College of Civic Life Event Sponsor Details: Tufts Environmental Studies Program RSVP Information: https://tischcollege.tufts.edu/news-events/events/civic-life-lunch-growing-communities-tufts-pollinator-initiative Admission/Cost: Free Link: https://tischcollege.tufts.edu/news-events/events/civic-life-lunch-growing-communities-tufts-pollinator-initiative Register (In-Person)      Register (Virtual) How do we recognize and promote the importance of native species on campus and in other urban spaces? The Tufts Pollinator Initiative (TPI) is a group on campus cultivating native plant gardens that encourage pollinators, while also advocating pollinator outreach and education off campus, too. Hear from TPI President Blythe Elderd about the history of the organization and how their work offers a model for cultivating civic responsibility at Tufts and beyond. You’ll also take home a seed medley grown in our very own Tufts gardens to keep the momentum growing. Registration required, all are welcome. Lunch provided. Blythe Elderd is a senior at Tufts University studying Biology and Environmental Studies, with a minor in Urban Studies. She became involved with the Tufts Pollinator Initiative (TPI) in 2023 through her interest in urban ecology and serve as the club's president. Beyond campus, Blythe has worked in both the ecological field and urban planning, which has shaped her focus on the intersection of ecology and urban spaces. This event is cosponsored by the Environmental Studies Program and the Office of Sustainability. This lunch is part of From Tufts, Forward, our semester-long Civic Life Lunch theme exploring how the Tufts community carries ideas forward on campus, in local communities, and far beyond. Each event reflects the momentum we create together through creativity, dialogue, and civic responsibility, and how that momentum extends into lasting impact.  

Online Location Details: https://tufts.zoom.us/j/95122761558?pwd=z1zOug26VWYiJxu5EIUKO4e57pu8w9.1 Building: Pearson Chemical Laboratory City: Somerville, MA 02144 Campus: Medford/Somerville campus Location Details: Room P-106 Open to Public: No Event Type: Lecture/Presentation/Seminar Event Sponsor: School of Arts and Sciences Event Sponsor Department / Area: Chemistry department Speaker Name: Prof. Yinsheng Wang, University of California, Riverside Event Contact Name: Marianne O'Connell Event Contact Email: marianne.o_connell@tufts.edu Event Contact Phone: 617-627-2649 Department of Chemistry - Fall 2025 Seminar Series "Chemical Biology of Nucleic Acid-Binding Proteins"

Building: Barnum Hall City: Medford, MA 02155 Campus: Medford/Somerville campus Location Details: 163 Packard, Barnum Hall Room 238 Wheelchair Accessible: Yes Open to Public: No Primary Audience: Faculty,Staff Event Type: Community Engagement Event Subject: Community Celebration,Diversity/Identity/Inclusive Excellence Event Sponsor: Tufts University Event Sponsor Details: Alaina Macaulay RSVP Information: https://doodle.com/sign-up-sheet/participate/73d51baf-ba8f-4b18-9318-f1ba8c45495b/select Event Contact Name: Jasmine Raynor Event Contact Email: jasmine.raynor@tufts.edu Event Contact Phone: 857-293-8048 Link: https://doodle.com/sign-up-sheet/participate/73d51baf-ba8f-4b18-9318-f1ba8c45495b/select The Office for Institutional Inclusive Excellence (IIE) would like to invite all of our friends and partners to come and visit our new office space at Barnum Hall in room 238 (second floor). Please use the sign up sheet to let us know your availability. The open houses will be held on: September 16 from 9–11 a.m. September 17 from 2–4 p.m. September 24 from 1–3 p.m. There is no formal program for the open house event. You and your teams can drop by for drinks and snacks or to just say hello! If there are conflicts with the open house dates, please contact jasmine.raynor@tufts.edu to schedule a 30-minute meeting with the IIE team, or if you would like to discuss a possible training or collaboration complete a consultation form which can be found on our website. We look forward to seeing you all in September!

Building: Fung House 48 Professors Row City: Somerville, MA 02144 Campus: Medford/Somerville campus Wheelchair Accessible: Yes Open to Public: Yes Primary Audience: Alumni and Friends,Faculty,Postdoctoral Fellows,Staff,Students (Graduate),Students (Postdoctoral) Event Type: Community Engagement Event Subject: Arts,Humanities,Religion/Spirituality,Research,Social Justice/Human Rights,Theater/Dance Event Sponsor: School of Arts and Sciences Event Sponsor Department / Area: Center for the Humanities At Tufts (CHAT) RSVP Information: No RSVP required Admission/Cost: Free Event Contact Name: Amanda Gary Pepper Event Contact Email: amanda.pepper@tufts.edu Event Contact Phone: 203-763-9353 Link: https://humanities.tufts.edu/events/faculty-book-talk-critical-dreaming-lilian-mengesha-924 Please join us on September 24 to hear Lily Mengesha discuss her newest monograph, Critical Dreaming: Feminist Performances Across Indigenous Americas. Critical Dreaming offers a resonant framework for understanding Indigenous embodied ways of knowing that work against colonial attempts to discredit or disappear forms of imagination, relationality, and resistance connecting disparate Indigenous communities. This powerful book urges readers to recognize how Indigenous artists contribute to ongoing struggles against multiple forms of colonialism.  This event is co-sponsored by the Center for the Humanities at Tufts (CHAT), the Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies program, and the Theatre, Dance and Performance department. Please contact humanities@tufts.edu with any questions.

Building: Tisch Library City: Medford, MA 02155 Campus: Medford/Somerville campus Location Details: Room 316 Wheelchair Accessible: Yes Open to Public: Yes Event Type: Lecture/Presentation/Seminar Event Subject: Arts,Engineering/Technology Event Sponsor: School of Arts and Sciences Event Sponsor Department / Area: History of Art and Architecture department Event Sponsor Details: Barkan Lecture Link: https://as.tufts.edu/art-architecture/news-events/lecture-series Barkan Lecture with Sonja Drimmer, associate professor, Department of History of Art and Architecture, University Massachusetts Amherst.

Event Type: Multifaith Observance Event Sponsor: University Chaplaincy (Judaism) Begins at dawn. A minor Jewish fast. Observances during this time may include fasting.

Building: Curtis Hall City: Medford, MA 02155 Room: Curtis Hall - Multipurpose Room Campus: Medford/Somerville campus Wheelchair Accessible: Yes Open to Public: Yes Event Type: Lecture/Presentation/Seminar Event Sponsor: School of Arts and Sciences Event Sponsor Department / Area: Environmental Studies program RSVP Information: https://tufts.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_mVrZeq2dQOKZibPv-wIUPg Link: https://as.tufts.edu/environmentalstudies/news-events/hoch-cunningham-lecture-series#sep25 The ResilientMass Plan was released in 2023 as an update to the federally mandated state’s hazards mitigation and climate adaptation plan. The Plan outlines the most urgent climate change impacts in Massachusetts and establishes cross-government and state agency actions to address them. The actions include the creation of the Office of Climate Science, which the speaker is a member of. The speaker will share how this office serves to empower state and municipal agencies in their climate resilience planning/projects. Some examples include providing high-resolution climate data and offering technical assistances. Finally, the speaker will reflect on how those with STEM and non-STEM backgrounds alike can contribute to climate resilience in Massachusetts.

Building: Ballou Hall City: Medford, MA 02155 Campus: Medford/Somerville campus Location Details: Provost's Office Open to Public: No Primary Audience: Faculty Event Type: Community Engagement Event Sponsor: Office of the Provost Link: https://provost.tufts.edu/faculty-engagement/ Faculty are invited to drop-in coffee hours to engage with Provost Genco.

Building: Fung House 48 Professors Row City: Somerville, MA 02144 Campus: Medford/Somerville campus Location Details: Meet at the pollinator garden between Ballou Hall and Barnum Hall. Discussion at 48 Professors Row to follow. Wheelchair Accessible: Yes Open to Public: Yes Primary Audience: Faculty,Students (Graduate),Students (Postdoctoral),Students (Undergraduate) Event Type: Community Engagement,Lecture/Presentation/Seminar Event Subject: Education,Humanities,Public Service/Government,Sustainability/Climate Event Sponsor: School of Arts and Sciences Event Sponsor Department / Area: Center for the Humanities At Tufts (CHAT) Event Sponsor Details: University Ecologies RSVP Information: Please email Alex Blanchette at alex.blanchette@tufts.edu. Admission/Cost: Free Event Contact Name: Amanda Gary Pepper Event Contact Email: amanda.pepper@tufts.edu Event Contact Phone: 203-763-9353 Link: https://humanities.tufts.edu/events/tour-tufts-pollinator-initiative-sites-and-open-discussion-their-future-925 Beginning as a research project of graduate students and faculty in the Department of Biology, the Tufts Pollinator Initiative (TPI) has been a key network of sites for creating and imagining a more diverse university landscape. Stewardship of the TPI gardens has recently shifted to a group of faculty and students drawn from across the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities. This group will be meeting at the pollinator garden between Ballou Hall and Barnum Hall, then moving to the Center for the Humanities at Tufts building (Fung House, 48 Professors Row). All are welcome. If you require assistance to attend, please contact Alex Blanchette (alex.blanchette@tufts.edu), Blythe Elderd (blythe.elderd@tufts.edu), or Tatiana Chudakova (tatiana.chudakova@tufts.edu).

Campus: Boston Health Sciences campus,Medford/Somerville campus Location Details: Participate on Zoom or join the Medford watch party location at the 226 Austin Conference Room, Tisch Library, OR the Boston watch party location in Room 773, Tufts School of Dental Medicine, 1 Kneeland Street Open to Public: No Primary Audience: Faculty,Interns and Residents,Postdoctoral Fellows,Staff,Students (Graduate),Students (Postdoctoral),Students (Undergraduate) Event Type: Lecture/Presentation/Seminar Event Subject: Global Engagement,Health/Wellness Event Sponsor Details: Office of the Vice Provost for Education Speaker Name: Este Geraghty RSVP Information: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeOaLL_MFimxSZlH-IpmF-KaKaXwQ4-do2Hogh0VOQlvhuVTg/viewform?usp=send_form Event Contact Name: Laurel Fahey Event Contact Email: laurel.fahey@tufts.edu The Public Health Speaker Series welcomes Este Geraghty as the first speaker in the series. This event will take place via Zoom with watch parties in two locations on the Medford/Somerville and Boston campuses, and refreshments are included. Please register to RSVP. Este Geraghty is the chief medical officer at Esri, the makers of ArcGIS software. She is also a former deputy director of the Center for Health Statistics and Informatics with the California Department of Public Health and an associate professor of clinical internal medicine at the University of California at Davis. At Esri since 2014, she leads business and solution development and has helped organizations around the world use location intelligence to meet a range of health challenges, including enhancing strategic planning and optimizing health-care access during the COVID-19 pandemic. Geraghty holds advanced degrees in medicine, medical informatics, and public health and is also a board-certified public health (CPH) professional and a geographic information systems professional (GISP).

Building: Alumnae Hall City: Medford, MA 02155 Campus: Medford/Somerville campus Location Details: 40 Talbot Avenue, Medford Open to Public: No Primary Audience: Faculty Event Type: Community Engagement,Training/Workshop Event Sponsor: Office of the Provost Event Sponsor Department / Area: Office of the Vice Provost for Institutional Inclusive Excellence RSVP Information: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfaJ99sGslxTAATnluH1Bj403BADIboky-3Az86pL0esXx9Ig/viewform The goal of the monthly Roundtable Discussions for Faculty Researching and/or Teaching Topics Related to Inclusive Excellence, Accessibility, and/or Climate/Environmental Justice Content discussions is to build a supportive community where you are in conversation with fellow colleagues to discuss concerns, share resources, and explore strategies for your work. We seek to build a supportive community and identify actionable next steps to enhance our collective efforts in this area. These monthly discussions are being convened by the Office of the Vice Provosts for Institutional Inclusive Excellence, Faculty, Education, and Research, and the Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching.

Online Location Details: Zoom Webinar Open to Public: Yes Link: https://www.fletcherexeced.com/event-details/webinar-spheres-of-power-competition-for-influence Today’s great power competition unfolds across three interconnected domains—politics, economics, and technology—and that prevailing across all three is essential to securing and sustaining global leadership. While geography once anchored the boundaries of influence, the 21st century’s contest is no longer tethered to territory in the same way. Ideas, innovation, and the control of critical technologies now rival physical space and terms of trade as decisive factors shaping power and geopolitical risk. Drawing on historical precedents, contemporary case studies, and a new analytical framework— “open” and “closed” hegemony —"Spheres of Power" shows how states wishing to maintain their own independence or rise to a position of global leadership must adapt to this transformed landscape, balancing stability, justice, and strategic advantage in an era where the competition for influence extends far beyond borders.  

Building: Olin Center City: Medford, MA 02155 Campus: Medford/Somerville campus Location Details: Lecture in Room 011Reception in Laminan Lounge Wheelchair Accessible: Yes Open to Public: Yes Event Type: Lecture/Presentation/Seminar Event Subject: Diversity/Identity/Inclusive Excellence,Global Engagement,Social Justice/Human Rights Event Sponsor: School of Arts and Sciences Event Sponsor Department / Area: Romance Studies department Speaker Name: Tony Haouam Drawing Power, Reading Images: Why Comics Matter Framed as the “ninth art,” comics and graphic novels occupy a central place in the Francophone cultural scene—widely read across age groups, frequently adapted into prize-winning films, and often a catalyst for public debate and controversy over representation. In this context, the talk first historicizes the medium’s role in circulating colonial, sexist, and orientalist narratives, while also examining its cross-generational readership. Through close visual reading—attending to framing, sequencing, page layout, color design, and narrative structure—we will show how bandes dessinées can make meaning, shape affect, and carry ideology. We then turn to the political economy of the comics and graphic novel industry, and to the shift toward platform distribution, where social media such as Instagram is reshaping publics, careers, and visual forms. The conclusion highlights how contemporary cartoonists leverage visual storytelling to contest entrenched visual conventions and iconographies, articulate new experiences of identity and belonging, and redraw who appears—and how—on the page.