2026 Tufts University Alumni Award Honorees

Tufts alumnus, Rev. Chris Hope, A07 - known internationally as "The Tech Rev" - is an ordained minister, ethical AI strategist, workforce development leader, and founder of The Hope Group, a Boston-based AI and IT consultancy focused on human-centered innovation. He teaches AI & Business Ethics at Boston University and serves as co-founder and Executive Director of The Loop Lab, a nationally recognized media and tech workforce program creating pathways for BIPOC young adults. 

Glenn Engler is a seasoned business and marketing strategist, with deep experience in growth strategy, digital transformation, marketing effectiveness, brand communications and marketing data and technology. Glenn is currently a Senior Partner at Bain & Company, the top-rated management consulting firm globally according to Glassdoor and The Vault. At Bain, Glenn focuses on marketing and digital transformation engagements for a wide range of corporate and financial investor clients around the world.  He is a member of the Bain Boston Diversity Council, an active trainer for Bain’s formal new manager and new partner development programs, and the lead partner driving the recruiting efforts for Bain at Tufts University. 

Dr. Kelly Henning leads the public health program at Bloomberg Philanthropies. After receiving her medical degree from Tufts University in 1985, she completed internal medicine training at the University of Pennsylvania, and received her epidemiology training in the Epidemic Intelligence Service at the United States Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. Henning served as a fellow in infectious diseases at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. 

Sandra R. Hernández, MD, is president and CEO of the California Health Care Foundation. Prior to joining CHCF, Sandra was CEO of The San Francisco Foundation. She previously served as director of public health for the City and County of San Francisco.

Dr. Brigham Hyde is CEO and Co-Founder  of Atropos Health since August 2022. He provided funding support for Atropos Health's official launch in late 2020. Hyde has a significant track record of building businesses in the health tech and real-world data (RWD) space and most recently served as President of Data and Analytics at Eversana. 

Dr. Erica Pan serves as director and state public health officer for the California Department of Public Health, a role she assumed on February 1, 2025. As CDPH director, Dr. Pan strives to embody and promote the values of dignity, equity, compassion and humility. She works with collaborative partnerships to communicate and empower communities and institutions to transform policies and systems to include a “health in all policies” approach, acknowledging that addressing the social determinants of health are fundamental to achieving healthy communities with thriving families and individuals. As California’s public health officer, Dr. Pan exercises leadership and legal authority to protect health and prevent disease.

Kathleen Sullivan, MA, has over 35 years of experience within the Head Start community. She holds a Master's Degree in Child Development Language and Literacy from Tufts University's Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Study and Human Development, a Bachelor's Degree in Hispanic Studies from the University of Southern Maine and is a UCLA Anderson School of Management Head Start Fellow. 

Laurence S. Bailen, MD, AGAF, serves as Chief of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology and Medical Director of the Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Unit at Mass General Brigham–Newton-Wellesley Hospital. He is also a Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine, where he has held a faculty appointment for more than 25 years.

James "Jess" Kane graduated from the University of Massachusetts and Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, where he received his master of science degree in Anatomy and Certifications in Orthodontics as well as Pediatric Dentistry. He has established practices in Natick, Walpole, and Norwell. Dr. Kane has also served as a staff orthodontist at the Tufts Dental Facility for the Handicapped and as an Assistant Clinical Professor at the Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, Department of Pediatric Dentistry. Additionally, Dr. Kane served as an Orthodontic Consultant for the New England Medical Center and as the Orthodontic Course Director for the Department of Pediatric Dentistry at Tufts New England Medical Center. He has been President of both the Tufts Dental Alumni Association and the University of Massachusetts Alumni Association.

Nancy Bello, J69, A13P, has spent more than five decades advancing Tufts through extraordinary volunteer leadership and philanthropy. A pioneer in computer programming, MBA graduate of the Tuck School of Business, and business entrepreneur, Nancy has paired professional achievement with a lifelong commitment to education and community service. Her transformational support for Tufts athletics, scholarships, campus spaces, and the student experience, including Bello Field, the Tufts Squash Center, the Nelson Gateway Garden, and the golf program, has left a lasting impact on generations of students.

Matthew L. Myers was the President of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids from 2000 to 2023, an organization he co-founded that became a leader in the fight for the adoption of policies to reduce tobacco use and its devastating consequences in the United States and around the world, policies that have been credited with saving more than 35 million lives across the globe. He is currently the Chair of the Board of American Families for Vaccines and teaches at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. He also helped found the Global Health Advocacy Incubator, an initiative of the Campaign that uses the power of advocacy to reduce preventable deaths across a broad range of public health measures by changing policies and strengthening public health systems. Today GHAI supports civil society organizations and advocacy movements in more than 30 countries. 

Dr. Ancy Verdier is a board-certified periodontist, educator, mentor, and longtime Tufts leader. A proud triple Jumbo, he earned his undergraduate degree in Psychology from Tufts University, where he served as Student Body President, before earning his DMD and completing his residency in Periodontology at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine.