Inside Out

A REAL YET RANDOM, PLAYFUL YET SERIOUS SPIN AROUND CAMPUS—AND JUST BEYOND

NEW CENTER DIRECTOR AT TUFTS: THE CENTER FOR STEM DIVERSITY (CSD) is excited to announce that Dr. Grace Caldara will be the new Director starting in the fall of 2022. Dr. Caldara brings her passion for STEM and mentorship to the CSD, a supportive and welcoming space for students who have been historically excluded from STEM fields. Before Tufts, Dr. Caldara taught biochemistry labs at Chapman University and worked in the nonprofit sector as a mentor and advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion across STEM fields.

FIRST–YEAR ENGINEERING DESIGN CHALLENGE: THIS ANNUAL EVENT is making a comeback this fall! Created to provide first-year engineering students with a “one-afternoon” experience, students will form teams to participate in a collaborative design challenge. Hosted within the first few weeks of classes at the Science and Engineering Complex, undergraduate teams work to create sections of a Rube Goldberg machine with the goal to have a start-to-finish system completed in just four hours. No preparation needed, just show up ready to rumble!

EXCOLLEGE HIGHLIGHT: STORIES IN THE NIGHT SKY: STARS ARE MORE than just flaming balls of helium and hydrogen thousands of light years away from our planet. They’re also the basis for many stories, myths, and art for cultures around the world and throughout history. Considering those varied understandings of stars from many different cultures will shed a light (get it?) on new ways of interpreting something in our universe that we often take for granted.

BON VOYAGE: WHO SAYS engineers can’t study abroad? Thanks to the ten Tufts programs abroad and over 150 pre-approved programs available to Tufts students, the world is at our students’ fingertips, regardless of major. With multiple engineering-specific programs like the summer program focusing on data and computer science and Italian in Pavia, Italy, or the semester-long opportunities through Tufts-in-Chile or Tufts-in-Hong Kong allowing you to combine your (presumably many or varied!) interests, there are many ways to get involved and get abroad.

RISE-ING TO THE OCCASION: REDEFINING THE IMAGE OF SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING (RISE), one of the many incredible programs within the Center for STEM Diversity, is designed to provide support to historically excluded students in STEM and engineering. First-year scholars in the program receive advising and mentorship through weekly seminars focused on guidance during the transition to college, introductions to faculty, lab tours, socials, networking opportunities, and more. The close-knit community also leads to friendships that extend well beyond graduation.

BUILDING BETWEEN DISCIPLINES: TUFTS’ NEWEST academic building, which opened in 2021, is a multidisciplinary space designed to bolster the flow of both people and ideas. The Joyce Cummings Center will serve as the new home for the Data Intensive Studies Center, the Departments of Computer Science, Economics, and Math, and the Tufts Gordon Institute. The new Green Line station, which is nearing completion, will make Boston more accessible and increase access for engineering students traveling into the city for internship opportunities and outings.