NECHE Accreditation

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September
Kick-off
Meeting

September Self-Study Posted for Public Feedback

November Self-Study to NECHE

Site Visit
March 12-15

Working Groups Meet

Steering Committee Reviews Standards

Public Comment

Steering Committee

Dawn Geronimo Terkla, Associate Provost
Co-Chair, Steering Committee & Standard 1

As associate provost, Dr. Terkla oversees the Office of Institutional Research (OIR) and the Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching, serves as the university’s MEL team leader for the USAID funded STOP Spillover Project, and provides guidance across the university on issues relating to institutional research, outcomes assessment, and evaluation. Dr. Terkla is the university accreditation liaison officer to the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE). In addition, she participates in school-level accreditations, providing support as needed.

Marty Ray, Chief of Staff, Office of the President
Co-Chair, Steering Committee & Standard 1

Marty Ray serves as chief of staff in the office of the president and as assistant secretary of the corporation at Tufts University. In his role, he directs the operations of the president’s office while advising the president on policy, procedural and operational issues. He facilitates matters within the senior leadership team, coordinates strategic initiatives, represents the president on university-wide committees, engages with a broad array of university constituents, and manages special projects.

Melissa Stevenson, Assistant Provost for Faculty Affairs, Office of the Provost
Provost's Office Representative

Melissa Stevenson is the assistant provost for faculty affairs in the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty. In this role she oversees the university-level academic approvals process and participates in the review and development of programs and policies that impact academic and faculty affairs. She collaborates closely with dean’s offices, faculty affairs offices, donor relations staff and the trustees office to ensure that school-based and university faculty affairs processes are in alignment. In addition, she is the lead administrator for the trustees academic affairs committee and is a key member of the administrative team supporting the university’s program development (PDAC) process.

Jessica Sears, Project Administrator, Office of the Provost
Project Manager

Jessica Sears serves as the accreditation administrator in the office of the provost. In her role, she manages the university’s reaccreditation through the New England Commission of Higher Education. She supports and advises the chairs of the steering committee and the nine working group chairs; coordinates and disseminates information to all individuals involved with the accreditation process, both internally and externally; reviews the self-study; and manages the site visit.

Tom Malone, Executive Associate Dean, School of Medicine
Chair, Standard 2

As the executive associate dean, Tom Malone serves as chief financial officer and chief operating officer for Tufts University School of Medicine, as well as the school's lead administrative representative on all university-wide matters. In his role, he is leading the implementation of the medical school's new strategic plan and developing the financial plan to ensure investments are made to ensure the plan's success. Tom also focuses on income-generating initiatives for the school as well as program development with an emphasis on launching degree programs in new regions of the country.

Paul Tringale, Secretary of the Corporation
Chair, Standard 3

Paul Tringale, A82, F01, has had a long and distinguished association with Tufts since his days as a student. He first worked at dining services and then moved to the conference bureau where he became director in 1994. Between 1999 and 2009, Paul served as director of conferences and summer programs and became the director of the all-university commencement activities in 2000. During that time, he took on special assignments as interim registrar, as well as interim director of student activities. Paul became secretary of the corporation in 2009.

Dan Jay, Dean, Graduate School of Biomedical Science
Chair, Standard 4

Dan Jay is the dean of the Graduate School of Biomedical Science and professor of Developmental, Molecular & Chemical Biology at the School of Medicine. His research has focused on identifying proteins on cancer cells that are important in invasion of neighboring tissue, which could lead to the development of anti-metastasis drugs. He has published more than 80 papers and mentored more than 60 graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, and undergraduates in his lab, which he has continued to do as the school’s dean. Jay is also an adjunct professor of drawing and painting at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts.

Camille Lizarríbar, Dean of Student Affairs, Schools of Arts & Sciences and Engineering
Co-Chair, Standard 5

Dean of Student Affairs and Chief Student Officer, Schools of Arts & Sciences and Engineering Camille Lizarríbar leads student-centered initiatives and oversees student affairs at the School of Arts and Sciences (including the School of the Museum of Fine Arts) and the School of Engineering. Before coming to Tufts, she served as the dean of student affairs and senior associate dean at Yale College. While at Yale, she also served as a lecturer in the Humanities. She has extensive administrative, teaching, advising, and legal, and experience.

Kevin Kraft, Associate Dean of Student Affairs, School of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering
Co-Chair, Standard 5

As Associate Dean of Student Affairs, Kevin helps students create community and build a culture at Tufts that values accountability, holistic wellness, and personal growth.   Kevin supervises the Offices of Community Standards, Alcohol and Other Drug Education, and Health Promotion. These teams work together to enhance the personal wellbeing of undergraduate and graduate students and facilitate their development by providing preventative education and facilitating learning when challenges occur.  Kevin also leads a variety of cross-functional initiatives and interdisciplinary collaborations to improve the overall student experience at Tufts.

Kevin has extensive experience in residence life, community standards, crisis management, and student affairs leadership.  Kevin’s research and writing have focused on civic engagement in higher education and free speech at colleges and universities.

Kris Manjapra, Chair, Department of Studies in Race, Colonialism, and Diaspora, School of Arts & Sciences
Co-Chair, Standard 6

A Tufts faculty member since 2008, Kris Manjapra studies global, transnational, and comparative history. He is professor of History, and the chair of the Department of Studies in Race, Colonialism, and Diaspora. The author of five books, he has held fellowships from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, the Radcliffe Institute of Advanced Study, and the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, and The Leverhulme Trust. In 2017, he received the Lillian and Joseph Leibner Award for Excellence in Teaching and Advising of Students at Tufts.

Nirupa Matthan, Associate Professor, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy
Co-Chair, Standard 6

Nirupa Matthan joined the Tufts community in 2000. She is currently a Scientist I in the Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging and an Associate Professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. She conducts translational research aimed at bridging the gap between basic, clinical and population science in the field of diet and cardiovascular health, with specific emphasis on biomarkers of diet quality, endogenous metabolism and lipidomics. She has over 90 peer-reviewed publications and provides academic mentoring to graduate and postgraduate scholars. Between 2017 to 2022, she served as a Faculty Senator, chaired the Research and Scholarship Standing Committee and was elected to the Executive Council of the Tufts University wide senate. She has been part of several DEI working groups at Tufts including Administrative Structures and Policies, Council of Diversity, and more recently the Compositional Diversity workstream. She has an active research portfolio, presents at scientific conferences/workshops and has several professional affiliations.

Lisa Halpert, Senior Director of Finance and Planning
Chair, Standard 7

Lisa Halpert, senior director of finance and planning at Tufts University is responsible for indirect cost recovery and fringe benefit rate negotiations with the federal government and service center costing oversight.  Lisa designed and manages Tufts’ long range strategic planning model, used by senior executives and trustees for strategic decision making, and provides financial analyses of initiatives and opportunities on a school and university level.

Heather Nathans, Dean of Academic Affairs and Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion
Chair, Standard 8

A former Jumbo who earned her doctorate in theatre studies, Heather Nathans's scholarly interests include representations of race, gender, and ethnicity on the U.S. American stage, African American theatre, Jewish American theatre, musical theatre, 18th century French theatre, theatre historiography, and directing. She is also the editor of the Studies in Theatre History and Culture series from the University of Iowa Press.

Mike Rodman, Vice President, University Communications and Marketing
Chair, Standard 9

In his current role, Mike Rodman oversees the university’s media relations, editorial, marketing, and communications efforts. His team is responsible for raising the profile of Tufts and its schools, enhancing alumni engagement and loyalty, and cultivating prospective students. Prior to joining Tufts in 2018, Mike served as the assistant dean for communications and marketing at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Previously, Michael served as assistant director of communications at Harvard Law School and as a speechwriter/researcher for U.S. Representative Steny Hoyer in the Committee on House Administration.

Christina Butler, Director, Office of Institutional Research
Chair, Data First Forms

Christina Butler currently serves as the director of the office of institutional research. Since joining the office in 2010, Christina has assumed several roles including research analyst, business analyst and assistant director. Throughout her time at Tufts, she has managed several large-scale projects to aid in strategic decision making across the university. Christina is active in the institutional research profession, serving on committees, presenting at conferences, and leading workshops.

Mike Howard, Executive Vice President
Member

As chief administrative officer of the university, Mike Howard is responsible for oversight and coordination of core administrative functions including Finance, Human Resources, Information Technology, Operations, Audit & Management Advisory Services, Strategy & Program Development, Sustainability and Investment Office Administration. 

Prior to joining Tufts, Mike was the executive vice president for finance and administration at Smith College where he led the development of several financial sustainability initiatives, led efforts to improve information technology, built Smith’s response to climate change and increased the college’s commitment to impact investing for its endowment. Mike also served as vice president of finance at MIT, managing an operating budget of more than $3 billion.  

Standard Working Group Members

Standard 1: Mission & Purposes