The Professors Are What Make Tufts Stand Out

How alumna Celia Rumsey and her son, Ian, are working with university leaders to maximize their impact.
Portrait of two woman and a man sitting together and smiling

Celia Rumsey, J84, AG90, A19P; assistant professor Melinda Latour; and Ian Rumsey, A19

Over the years, Celia Rumsey, J84, AG90, A19P, has had many relationships with Tufts University, including as an undergraduate, a grad student, a parent to Ian Rumsey, A19, and a member of both the Parents Leadership Council and the President’s Council. "For me," Rumsey said, "coming to Tufts is coming home."

When it comes to helping Tufts thrive, her areas of interest are equally varied—which is why, when Rumsey contemplated making a gift in 2011, she turned to leaders at the School of Arts and Sciences for help. "I’m not an expert on how to run a university, or finding faculty with the right qualifications, or knowing the strengths and weaknesses of a particular program," Rumsey said. "I want people who have that knowledge and experience to have the latitude to put the money where it would go to the best use."

The result was a gift both meaningful to Rumsey and significant to the school: the endowed Deborah Greenwald Fellowship, which provides summer funding for graduate psychology students who otherwise would need to pause their research over the summer. This fellowship was matched by the university through its Financial Aid Initiative, doubling the impact of the fund from day one. So far, the Greenwald Fellowship has supported the work of twenty-three students, including Xiao Han, AG17, now a Ph.D. candidate studying stress-induced drug use disorders and therapeutic solutions. "The graduate fellowship was something I would never have thought of on my own, but it’s been really gratifying. I’m very happy to have done it," Rumsey said.

Portrait of two woman sitting together in an auditorium

Celia Rumsey (left), J84, AG90, A19P, with musicologist Melinda Latour, the assistant professor Rumsey’s gift supports.

Rumsey named the fellowship after her former psychology professor, Deborah Greenwald, who "noticed I was struggling one particular semester and made the effort to check in with me periodically," she said. "Professor Greenwald became my unofficial advisor and mentor." That is just one example of many ways that Rumsey sees Tufts faculty personally connect with students. "To me, the professors are what make Tufts stand out. They not only care about the students’ learning, but their well-being," said Rumsey, who went on to earn her M.A. from Tufts, become a high school English teacher, and later a comedy writer for television. "The culture that’s created at Tufts is challenging, but encouraging, making you want to become a better, more knowledgeable person," she said. "It was like that for me and it’s still like that for my son today."

Rumsey's son, Ian Rumsey, A19, is likewise happy to be part of the Tufts community. "Tufts is truly a unique experience that can expand everyone’s worldview," he said, adding, "I think the opportunities are great here!" Reflecting on the current state of relations between students and professors, Ian said, “It’s surprisingly easy to talk to professors and they’re very helpful. I’d say, in general, they’re very knowledgeable, but also very accessible."

Inspired by the research of his advisor, psychology professor Aniruddh Patel, a 2018 Guggenheim Fellow, Ian is majoring in the cross-departmental Cognitive Brain Science program, exploring the intersection of cognitive science and music. He is considering a career in music therapy, something he discovered from studying with Patel. "His research is super interesting and impressive," Ian said, "and he still finds time to give me great academic advice whenever I need it."

Faculty support was a clear choice for Celia Rumsey's next gift in 2015. This time she brought her son into the conversation. "I want to teach Ian about giving back. Plus, he has firsthand knowledge of Tufts as it exists today," she observed. Again she worked closely with the School of Arts and Sciences leadership to meld her interests with the school's needs. She had only one preference: that this contribution support faculty in the arts or humanities. "For the professors who work in medicine, engineering, and other sciences, there’s a lot of grant money available," Rumsey said. "We decided we wanted to support someone who might not have the same kind of funding opportunities."

With guidance from Dean Jim Glaser, the Rumsey family established the first term professorship in the School of Arts and Sciences, the Rumsey Family Junior Professorship in the Humanities and the Arts. Assistant Professor Melinda Latour, a musicologist, was recruited last year to be the inaugural holder of the Rumsey Family Professorship. "I literally could not have picked a better person myself," Rumsey said.

Latour's research ranges from Renaissance music to ethics and music, and she teaches courses including Women in Music and French Pop. "I am deeply grateful for Celia Rumsey’s generous support of the humanities and arts in funding this junior professorship," said Latour. "In my research and teaching at Tufts, I am thrilled to explore the intersection of music and ethics that recognizes the powerful role of song in accomplishing positive change, particularly in moments of social or political instability." 

Rumsey takes particular pride in the knowledge that her professorship gift will be wide-reaching. "When you support a professor, every person the professor teaches is affected as well as the people those students affect," she said. She has found her donor experiences at Tufts to be quite rewarding and credits Dean James Glaser, President Tony Monaco, and the Advancement office for working with her to both personalize and maximize the impact of her giving. "Tufts encourages faculty to set up their own classes and curricula and play to their strengths," Rumsey said. "I felt it was important to let the administrators play to theirs."