Reunions 2026
Discussions & Discoveries

Friday, May 15th, 2026 

10:00 - 11:00 A.M.,
Fruitful aging: what fruit fly research tells us about longevity and health 
Pearson Chemical Laboratory 104, 62 Talbot Avenue 

Presented by: Mitch McVey, Professor, Biology; Graduate Biomedical Sciences Member, Genetics, Molecular and Cellular Biology 

Description: 
This session will begin with a description of studies that highlight the importance of DNA repair and genome stability in promoting healthspan and longevity. Participants will learn about different theories of aging, with a focus on a hormetic responses to DNA damaging agents. The session will conclude with a recent story from the speaker’s lab about an intervention that can promote gut integrity and healthspan in Drosophila.

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1:15 - 2:30 P.M.
"A Photo History of the Buildings of Tufts University from 1852 to Today"
Pearson Chemical Laboratory 104, 62 Talbot Avenue 

Presented by: Dan Valentine, E93, EG95

Description: 
Join us for a photo history tour of the Tufts campus to see how it’s evolved since its beginning as a lonely Ballou Hall perched atop a grassy, treeless hill outside Boston. You’ll get to see images dating back to the 1800s, as well as learn about long-forgotten buildings and structures that have come and gone in the past 174 years. 

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3:00 - 4:00 P.M.
Spheres of Power in the 21st Century: Rethinking Geopolitical Competition
Pearson Chemical Laboratory 104, 62 Talbot Avenue 

Presented by: 
Monica Duffy Toft, Director, Center for Strategic Studies, Professor of International Politics, The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy

Description: 
Great powers have always sought to project influence over neighbouring regions, but the nature of that competition has fundamentally changed. This talk examines how states today pursue hegemony across three distinct but interconnected domains—geopolitical (military and territorial), geoeconomic (trade and investment), and geotechnological (digital infrastructure and innovation). Unlike Cold War spheres of influence, which were justified by existential security threats, contemporary sphere-building often lacks that rationale, creating new instabilities and contradictions in how states behave. We'll explore what this "tri-domain" competition means for regional stability, great power relations, and U.S. foreign policy in an era where influence operates simultaneously through bullets, balance sheets, and bandwidth.

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Saturday, May 16th, 2026

11:00 A.M. - 12:00 P.M.
Alumni Panel: From Then to Now: Leadership, Change, and Hard-Earned Lessons 
Pearson Chemical Laboratory 104, 62 Talbot Avenue 

Moderator:
Susan L. Crockin, JD, J76, A16P -
Senior Scholar, Georgetown University Law Center’s O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law; pioneer and expert in Assisted Reproductive Technology Law.

Panelists: 
Diane Hessan, J76 - Award-winning entrepreneur, market researcher and board director; Founder and Chairman of C Space (formerly Communispace) 

Elizabeth M. Hewlett, Esq., J76 - Former Chairman, Prince George’s County Planning Board and The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission and Former principal of Shipley, Horne & Hewlett, PA 

Karen Pattani, J86 - Partnerships Leader at Google Cloud, Board member, National Institute for Reproductive Health. Former executive at MTV Networks, Sony Music, and Island Def Jam / Universal Music Group, former board member of DanceBrazil and the Capoeira Center of New York; reinvention specialist

Dr. Lara Oboler, J91, A26P - Triple boarded cardiologist; private practitioner in New York City; Castle Connolly Top Doctor, a distinction awarded through a rigorous, peer‑driven process; Co-chair, George Washington University Medical School Board of Advisors   

Description: 
As opportunities have expanded and expectations have shifted, the meaning of a “successful career” has grown more complex. 

Distinguished Tufts alumnae from different fields and generations will reflect on how they navigated leadership, ambition, setbacks, and reinvention over time. They’ll discuss what guidance they received early on, which assumptions held up (or didn’t), and how their thinking has evolved as the world -- and their industries -- changed. 

Join us for a candid conversation about what we believed then, what we know now, and how those lessons continue to matter. 

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1:30 - 2:30 P.M. 
Breast Cancer and Beyond: Advances in Women’s Health from Biomedical Engineering at Tufts University
Pearson Chemical Laboratory 104, 62 Talbot Avenue 

Presented by: Shelly Peyton, Professor and Department Chair of Biomedical Engineering

Description: 
Tufts Biomedical Engineering is actively growing our research efforts in Women’s Health. Our research team is using a wide variety of engineering methods to find innovative solutions to endometriosis, fertility challenges, and cancers. Professor Peyton will start the talk on her own work using biomaterials engineering to understand why and where breast cancer metastasizes, and how we can use engineering approaches to find novel treatments for metastatic disease. She will then broaden to the work of other Biomedical Engineering faculty and their research in cancer and Women’s Health more broadly.
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3:00 - 4:00 P.M.
Alumni Panel: Identifying Truth and Accuracy Amid Misinformation 
Pearson Chemical Laboratory 104, 62 Talbot Avenue 

Moderator:
Brad Hamilton, A86 - Editor in Chief, The Hatch Institute (formerly the Contently Foundation) 

Panelists: 
William Sanderson, A81 - Ex-New York City print and text journalist. Author, Bulletins from Dallas, about media coverage of the JFK assassination. 

Neil Swidey, A91 - Professor of the Practice and Director of the Journalism Program, Brandeis University. Editor At Large, Boston Globe Magazine  

Description: 
In this session, our panel will share their secrets on how to quickly assess media content for accuracy. We will also discuss how AI contributes to misinformation and tips on finding factual reporting amid the information overload.

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Saturday, May 30, 2026

11:30 A.M. - 12:30 P.M.
Faculty Presentation: Health Innovation with Purpose: Tufts‑Driven Advances in Bioelectronics and Diagnostics

Presented by: Sameer Sonkusale, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Biomedical Engineering and Chemical and Biological Engineering 

Description: 
Dr. Sameer Sonkusale, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Tufts University with joint appointments in Biomedical Engineering and Chemical and Biological Engineering, is an internationally recognized leader in bioelectronics, biomedical devices, nanoscale sensing, and point‑of‑care diagnostics. His interdisciplinary research group develops groundbreaking technologies—from flexible and wearable electronics to ingestible “lab-on-a-pill” systems—that are transforming how health is monitored, measured, and treated. His innovations, including “smart bandages,” “smart sutures,” and painless microneedle drug delivery systems, have led to over 40 invention disclosures, multiple patents, and the launch of several startup companies.

Recently named Tufts’ Distinguished Innovator of the Year, he continues to advance technologies that address urgent public health needs. His current initiatives include a project to develop quantitative pain measurement tools to reduce gender bias in treatment and research to create rapid, point‑of‑care diagnostics for inflammatory biomarkers. In this presentation, Dr. Sonkusale will share insights from his pioneering work at the intersection of engineering, medicine, and entrepreneurship—highlighting how novel devices move from concept to clinic to real‑world impact.

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2:00 - 3:00 P.M.
Alumni Panel: Lessons Learned: How Entrepreneurship at Tufts Shapes Careers and Decision Making

Moderator:
Jack Derby - Professor of the Practice, Derby Entrepreneurship Center; CEO, Derby Management 

Panelists:
Matthew Alswanger, A21 - Associate, Liquidity Solutions, Antares Capital LP; Serial Entrepreneur & Advisor 

Geoffrey Grumbach, A21 - Founder, Never Clog LLC

Paget Stanco, A16, EG17 - Director, Gemini Institutional 

Description: 
Celebrate the 5th anniversary of the Derby Entrepreneurship Center with Professor of the Practice Jack Derby for a special alumni panel showcasing the real-world impact of entrepreneurial education at Tufts.

Featuring alumni working in private credit, institutional finance, and startup growth, this discussion explores how entrepreneurial skills developed at Tufts—initiative, problem-solving, leadership, and execution—continue to shape successful careers well beyond graduation. Panelists will reflect on pivotal career moments, lessons learned, and how the Derby Entrepreneurship Center has influenced their professional paths.

This event offers a powerful look at how Tufts’ investment in entrepreneurship education is creating lasting impact across industries.. 

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Events are subject to change.