Tufts Blueprint Winter 2009

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FOR TUFTS UNIVERSITY | WINTER 2009

Patron of arts & letters

Fung gift strengthens the

humanities program, page 2

Smile like never before

Grant cuts costs for new

advanced dental surgery,

page 5

Doctor’s orders

The time to support the

medical school is now, says

donor, page 8

Independent thinking

New Tufts admissions

initiative supported by

family’s pledge, page 9

Rooftop gardening

Student uses scholarship

to pursue a creative way of

energy conservation, page 10

Racing green

Student-designed hybrid

shifts into overdrive, page 11

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News of the Beyond Boundaries Campaign Campaign Beyond Boundaries Winter 2009

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A SOUND INVESTMENT IN THE HUMANITIES

Fung

A $1.5 MILLION GIFT FROM E. MICHAEL FUNG, A79, A12P, will name 48 Professors Row,

which houses the Center for the

Humanities, and establish the E.M.

Fung Humanities Fellows, a fund

that will support Tufts’ ability to

recruit top-flight doctoral candi-

dates to disciplines such as drama,

English, and history.

The gift from the chairman of

JP Morgan Private Bank, Asia, is one

of the largest ever received from a

Tufts alumnus in Asia. Fung House

will be named in honor of Fung’s

parents, William and Cynthia.

“Graduate students in the

humanities are our future teachers,

scholars, and artists,” says Lynne

Pepall, dean of the Graduate School

of Arts and Sciences. “They’re at the

core of any liberal arts curriculum

and an integral part of our intellec-

tual community on the Medford

campus.

“The dissertation writing stage

is the time when a graduate student

needs the financial and intellectual

support of the humanities center.

When our graduate students finish

their Ph.D.s and take jobs at univer-

sities across the country, and indeed

the world, they are letting their col-

leagues in the academic world know

what Tufts is all about,” Pepall says.

Fung says his own intellectual

and professional journey inspired

his interest in the humanities. He

initially enrolled at Tufts with plans

to be a dentist, but after two years

majoring in chemistry, switched to

economics.

“At Tufts, there is such depth

in a variety of fields that, whatever

Over the last six months, we have witnessed unprecedented eco-

nomic turbulence. As I have said elsewhere, while Tufts is in a strong

position because of prudent fiscal management, we are not immune

to the current conditions. We face many challenges. We must

respond to our students’ increasing financial need and continue

to invest in our faculty and core academic programs. At the same

time, like all institutions, we confront losses in our endowment.

Carrying out our fundamental mission unquestionably becomes more

challenging in difficult times. Yet, we cannot lose sight of what makes

us a great university: our people. Continuing to sustain our faculty

and students with the resources they require for success is more

important now than ever.

The current economic circumstances are not of our making, but we

will rightly be judged by how we act during this time. The achievements

of the faculty and students featured in this issue of Blueprint are

one measure of that response. The continued support of our alumni,

parents, and friends like you is another measure, and I remain

grateful for all you do for Tufts.

Sincerely,

Lawrence S. Bacow, President

A message from President Bacow:

“The current economic

circumstances are not of our

making, but we will rightly

be judged by how we act

during this time.”

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Winter 2009 News of the Beyond Boundaries Campaign

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The new fund can increase financial aid

awards to admitted students who face

the prospect of deferring enrollment.

As the former director of admissions at the

Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School

of Nutrition Science and Policy, Elizabeth

Cochary Gross, N82, NG88, now a Friedman Overseer,

understands the plight of an accepted student who is

forced to defer admission because of insufficient funds.

Dr. Cochary Gross knows that these students may ulti-

mately never come to Friedman at all.

She has come up with a creative way to help. She

and her husband, Phillip Gross, have given $200,000

to establish the Friedman School Deferral Recovery

Fund to assist admitted students who show they need

a little extra financial help if they hope to attend. The

idea was developed last spring as the economic future

became less clear and education loans less available.

The fund gives the Friedman School flexibility to

increase financial aid awards to admitted students who

otherwise would have to defer enrollment due to unfore-

seen financial challenges. The fund will be available for

two years on a case-by-case basis. This year the fund

made it possible for several students to attend, including

the top-ranked candidates in the master’s programs in

Humanitarian Assistance and Nutritional Epidemiology.

“I remember when I was director of admissions,

some students would call asking to defer their admis-

sion because they didn’t have enough money,” says

Dr. Cochary Gross. “Sometimes it was only a couple of

thousand dollars. And, when a student defers, you’re

less likely to get them, as they may not come. I thought

it would be great to have a pool of money where an

admissions person could figure out how much it would

take to have a student stay.” In addition to the Deferral

Recovery Fund, the Grosses have recently committed to

setting up an endowed scholarship named for the found-

ing dean, Dr. Stanley Gershoff.

Dr. Cochary Gross has longstanding ties to Friedman

as a graduate of its Ph.D. program, founder of its alumni

association, former researcher, and current adjunct

faculty member. “The school matters to me,” she says.

“I’ve spent so much of my life there. I really care about

the students, love hearing their stories, and want them

to succeed.”

As the Friedman School’s vice chair for the Beyond

Boundaries campaign, she says, “I hope to be able to

help other donors come up with creative ideas for giving.

It is enormously satisfying as a donor to fill in a gap that

wouldn’t otherwise be addressed.”

Overseer alleviates

pressure on current

students and families

A SOUND INVESTMENT IN THE HUMANITIESmajor you choose, you will get a

high-quality education,” he says. He

and his wife, Rose, have encouraged

their daughter Sarah, A12, to sample

a variety of courses in the arts and

sciences before settling on a major.

Traveling extensively as head

of Asian business development and

growth strategy for JP Morgan, Fung

is passionate about sharing career

advice with young people, whom he

urges to follow their hearts. “Being

a doctor, lawyer, or banker isn’t right

for everyone,” he says. His gift to

Tufts allowed him to “raise appre-

ciation of the humanities” while

also recognizing the “dynamism,

leadership, and confidence” of Tufts

students. “In my mind,” says Fung,

“those are the defining qualities of

Tufts students and graduates around

the world.”

From left: Michael

Fung, Provost

Jamshed Bharucha,

Sarah Fung, Center

for the Humanties

Director Jonathan

Wilson, Rose Fung,

and President

Lawrence Bacow

Cochary GrossCochary Gross

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Walking the walk: Leadership by example

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Dr. Robert Amato, Volunteer

Interested in helping to make a difference for Tufts?

Please contact Tufts University Advancement

at 617.627.3200 or [email protected]

Chair, Board of Trustees

James A. Stern, E72, A07P

President

Lawrence S. Bacow, Ph.D.

Provost

Jamshed J. Bharucha, Ph.D.

Campaign Chairs

Pamela K. Omidyar, J89

Pierre M. Omidyar, A88

Alan D. Solomont, A70, A08P

Jonathan M. Tisch, A76

Honorary Chairs

William S. Cummings, A58,

M97P, J97P

Dr. Bernard M. Gordon, H92

Daniel F. Pritzker, A81

Karen M. Pritzker, J83

Executive Committee

Kathryn C. Chenault, Esq., J77

Steven B. Epstein, Esq., A65,

A96P, A01P, A07P, AG04P

Nathan Gantcher, A62, H04

Martin J. Granoff, A91P

Daniel A. Kraft, A87

Joseph E. Neubauer, E63, J90P

Agnes Varis, H03

Blueprint

University AdvancementTufts University80 George StreetMedford, MA 02155

[email protected]

Although he considers himself a pretty accomplished golfer,

Dr. Robert Amato wasn’t at all

troubled when his team lost in the

Tufts School of Dental Medicine’s

26th Annual Golf and Tennis

Tournament this past fall. In fact, he

was celebrating. A 10-year co-chair

for the event, he had volunteered his

time organizing it and rounding up

participants. The Boston native, who

graduated from TUSDM in 1980

and completed a residency in end-

odontics at the school in 1983, was

pleased with the result: The tourna-

ment raised more than $15,000 for

the TUSDM Student Loan Fund.

Amato, an inveterate volun-

teer, didn’t stop to celebrate for

long. Instead, he turned back to

his ongoing efforts to raise money

from his residency classmates for

the naming of a treatment room in

TUSDM’s new endodontic clinic.

Before he embarked on that project,

he served for a year as president of

the school’s alumni association, after

a decade-long stint as a member

of the board of directors. He also

served as co-chair of his 10th, 15th,

20th, and 25th class reunions, with

his efforts focused on fundraising.

Incidentally, his class has an extraor-

dinary track record when it comes to

reunions. As Maria Gove Tringale,

senior director of development and

alumni relations, puts it, “At our

school, reunions are as much about

attendance as fundraising, and chairs

like Bob Amato rally their classmates

on both fronts. Bob’s D80 class is

especially successful each time they

come together—they raise funds and

they have a blast doing so.”

For the past 27 years, Amato has

also served as an instructor at the

School of Dental Medicine. For a

day and a half each week, he tears

himself away from his specialty prac-

tice—a practice he loves because of

“the work, the patients, and [his]

partners”—and shares his knowl-

edge as a clinical professor of end-

odontics. “Every day, my students

teach me through their enthusiasm

and energy,” he says. “They inspire

me to be a better practitioner.”

Why does he give his time and

energy on so many fronts? “I believe

that anything I can do to help make

my profession and my school better

benefits everybody,” he says. “It’s

important to me to support Tufts in

any way possible.” He considers him-

self fortunate to have had three role

models, Dr. Van Zissi, Dr. Thomas

Winkler, and the late Dr. Cyril Gaum.

These members of the Tufts Dental

community had also shared their

time as Tufts instructors and, in turn,

inspired Amato with their passion for

helping others.

One of his goals is to spread that

inspiration, to show both his former

classmates and a new generation of

dentists how satisfying volunteering

can be. “I like to remind everyone

about the connection between being

social and volunteering,” he says.

“To put it simply, giving back to a

place you love can be just plain fun.”

“Anything I can do to

help make my profession

and my school better

benefits everybody.”

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Step UP Dental

brings Tufts talent

to Boston schools

After reading, math, and science, Boston elementary-

school pupils are learning to brush, floss, and eat healthy,

with help from Tufts dentists and nutritionists.

“Across the nation, dental problems are a leading cause

of absenteeism at school,” says Dr. Catherine Hayes,

who as the Delta Dental of Massachusetts Professor of

Public Health and Community Service coordinates Tufts’

involvement in Boston’s Step UP partnership serving city

schools. “Our goal for Step UP Dental is to address any

urgent care issues and instill lifelong healthy dental habits

in school children and their families,” she says.

Gifts to the Beyond Boundaries campaign have supported

the effort. A $5 million gift from the state’s largest pro-

vider of dental benefits endowed the Delta Dental profes-

sorship held by Hayes, chair of the school’s Department

of Public Health and Community Service.

A grant from the State Street Foundation supports Tufts’

involvement in Step UP. The year-old program administered

by the City of Boston draws on resources and expertise

from five area universities to provide comprehensive

services to urban schools. Tufts’ participation includes

Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy initiatives

in healthy eating and physical activity, along with dental

health education, prevention, and restorative services

provided by the team from the dental school.

Tufts’ Step UP team is composed of four hygienists,

two public health dentists, and a rotating roster of third-

year dental students. They arrive at Boston schools with

450 pounds of portable equipment—including a dental

chair, compressor, and lights—and stay from a week to

a month, providing cleanings, fluoride, and routine restor-

ative care. “The number of children who have never seen

a dentist is astounding,” says Karen Daniels, executive

director of Step UP.

Grant from Nobel Biocare aids ongoing study of innovative implant procedure

LEAH MCCARTHY NEEDSLITTLE PROMPTING TOSING THE PRAISES OFDR. MARIA PAPAGEORGE,the Tufts Dental Clinic surgeon

who recently guided her through an

experimental dental implant proce-

dure available at only a few centers

in the United States.

“My treatment plan was

complicated and a little intimidat-

ing,” McCarthy says. “I had all

the confidence in the world in Dr.

Papageorge. In addition to being the

best at what she does, she is such a

compassionate person.”

The procedure, made pos-

sible by a grant from Tufts cor-

porate partner Nobel Biocare, is

called a zygomatic implant, and

involves anchoring implants in the

cheek bone. The approach is use-

ful in cases of patients who have

inadequate bone for conventional

implants.

“Leah had gone through a great

deal before coming to Tufts,” says

Papageorge, professor and chair of

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at

Tufts University School of Dental

Medicine. “She had dentures in her

twenties, followed by failed implants

and bone grafts. When we talked

about options, she told me, ‘I cannot

leave the clinic without teeth.’”

The procedure was performed

as part of a five-year study on the

implants in which Tufts is participat-

ing. Surgery was carried out in steps

at Tufts Medical Center and then

by a prosthetic team at the School of

Dental Medicine led by Dr. Robert

Chapman, chair of Prosthodontics

and Operative Dentistry.

The average cost for such a

procedure is $45,000. “Not many

patients could afford that,” says

Papageorge. “With the grant from

Nobel Biocare and our decision to

waive all professional and surgical

fees, the cost for each of the 10 to

12 patients we expect to enroll in

this study will be about a quarter

of that.”

McCarthy, who works at a

Boston investment firm, says, “I

definitely didn’t want to have den-

tures for the rest of my life. Now my

teeth look natural, and I can eat any-

thing—except maybe peanut brittle!

I would do it all over in a heartbeat.”

Says Papageorge, “It’s so gratify-

ing to have such an outcome. It’s

why we do what we do.”

Professor Catherine Hayes, second from left, and Tufts’

Step UP Dental team at the Josiah Quincy School in Boston

Papageorge and McCarthy

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ALONSO NICHOLS

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FOCUS ON NEW KNOWLEDGE

Provost Bharucha

“Tufts has three principal missions that go hand in hand: education, research, and service to the world,” says Jamshed Bharucha, the university’s chief academic officer.

In this edition of Blueprint we focus on the research leg of the troika. Broadly

stated, Tufts’ research mission involves expanding our knowledge and under-

standing of the world. Roughly a third of the Beyond Boundaries campaign’s

$1.2 billion total is earmarked to bolstering the research enterprise at Tufts.

“It is important that we have profes-

sors who are at the cutting edge of

their fields and who can challenge

our students to push the boundar-

ies of knowledge,” Provost Bharucha

says. “When students learn by dis-

covery, rather than merely reading

in books about what other people

have discovered, the learning is

much more robust.”

Key to this mission, he says, is the

generosity of Tufts’ friends. “We rely

on philanthropy to help us establish

the most enlightened environment

in which students and faculty can

learn.”

Three faculty members who per-

sonify Tufts’ growing reputation

as a world-class research university speak here about their work. Charlotte

Kuperwasser’s field, cancer research, is an area of growing strength at

the School of Medicine that the Beyond Boundaries campaign has sought

to bolster. Michael Levin’s research in biology has been supported by the

Presidential Initiatives Fund established by a gift from Susan and Richard

Smith, J82P. Chemist Clay Bennett has benefited from a faculty development

fund created by a gift from the Knez Family Charitable Foundation.

Charlotte Kuperwasser

We look at three aspects of breast

cancer. One question is the rela-

tionship of breast stem cells with

cancer and cancer-related stem cells.

Another project is trying to under-

stand the cells and the micro-envi-

ronment involvement in tumor

progression and metastasis. The last

area is the role of the stroma, noncan-

cer host cells, in the progression of

the disease.

Annually, roughly 200,000 new

cases of breast cancer are diagnosed.

There are 40,000–45,000 deaths

annually. It is the second-leading

cause of cancer-related deaths in

women in the country.

Potential applications of our

research are quite varied and might

give us insights into the origins of

breast cancer that will aid in early

intervention and prevention. For

those already coping with late-stage

metastatic cancer, these insights

might provide better therapies

for late-stage cancer that currently

don’t exist.

I’m really excited by the discov-

ery of what I think would impact

patient care. Finding these nontra-

ditional new ways of addressing and

understanding cancer excites me.

This goes beyond simply advanc-

ing knowledge to having a real and

important impact on health care.

CHARLOTTE KUPERWASSERResearch: Breast cancer

Associate Professor, Department of Anatomy

and Cellular Biology, School of Medicine;

Investigator, Molecular Oncology Research

Institute, Tufts Medical Center

MICHAEL LEVIN Research: Morphological and behavioral

information processing in living systems

Professor and Director of Tufts Center for

Regenerative and Developmental Biology

CLAY BENNETTResearch: Carbohydrate chemistry,

carbohydrate chemical biology, synthetic

methodology development

Assistant Professor of Chemistry

Kuperwasser


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prepare complex carbohydrates will

prove useful in a number of different

biomedical applications.

For example, the appearance

of unusual carbohydrates on the cell

surface is one indication of cancer.

A “chip” employing complex sugars

could be used to detect the pres-

ence in a patient’s blood serum of

antibodies against these molecules,

providing an early method for cancer

detection. We’re developing meth-

ods that may greatly reduce the time

and cost associated with the produc-

tion of these tests.

I’m lucky to be in the academic

setting, because it allows me to com-

bine teaching and research. When

students carry out research, they

have the opportunity to apply the

science they learned in the classroom

to making new discoveries that have

the potential to have a real-world

impact. Seeing students get excited

as they make new discoveries is the

most rewarding aspect of teaching.

In a similar vein, the opportunity

to make new discoveries still is the

most exciting aspect of research

for me.

Tufts is extremely supportive,

with a very collegial atmosphere.

Everyone’s very friendly and the

students are top-notch. Tufts has

been very nurturing, one of the

reasons I’ve been successful out

on my own.

Michael Levin

Our lab’s work centers around one

major theme: How do biological sys-

tems—cells, organs, tissues, organ-

isms—store and process information?

Using a variety of frog, chick,

zebra fish, and flatworm systems,

we study the natural bioelectric sig-

nals that cells use to communicate

in determining the pattern of their

shape. We combine molecular genet-

ics, biophysics, physiology, and math-

ematical and computer modeling to

try to understand the bioelectrical

language spoken by cells and learn

to artificially modulate it to rationally

control shape.

This work will give rise to novel

applications in cancer biology, such

as early detection of tumors; the

detection, prevention, and repair of

birth defects; and the regeneration

of complex organs and appendages

damaged by injury or aging. Our

approaches focus in particular on

adult, terminally differentiated cells,

rather than embryonic stem cells.

Our lab also studies memory

stored outside of the brain—yes,

there is such a thing!—to try to

understand how this memory is

stored and communicated. This work

will give rise to new prosthetic sen-

sory devices, as well as to the discov-

ery of pharmaceuticals that increase

intelligence, improve memory, and

counteract neurotoxins and addiction.

My favorite part of research is

the discovery of completely new

biological mechanisms: We pur-

posely mine areas that very few other

people are addressing and are dis-

covering some incredibly interesting

things. The ability to move some of

this work toward biomedical applica-

tions that will help real people is also

extremely exciting.

Tufts has a superb critical mass

of researchers in areas of interest to

us, such as cognitive science, biology,

biomedical engineering, physics, and

computer science. I have found Tufts

to be a very collaborative place.

Clay Bennett

Complex carbohydrates, or sugars,

possess an enormous promise

as a source of new therapeutics.

Carbohydrates found on bacteria,

viruses, and diseased cells, such

as cancer, differ significantly from

those found on normal, healthy

cells, which has increased interest

in the use of carbohydrates for new

vaccines.

We’re looking at new chemical

and enzymatic processes to stream-

line carbohydrate synthesis so these

molecules can be routinely pre-

pared in a short period of time, from

hours to days. The ability to rapidly Levin

Bennett

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It was through the treatment of Belle

and Dusty, two beloved corgis, that

Anne Engen met Scott Shaw, V98,

Mary Labato, V83, and John Rush,

D.V.M. From their experiences, she

and her husband, Travis, took away an

indelible impression of three gifted, dedi-

cated, and compassionate veterinarians and

were determined to find a way to honor

them. “I started thinking: I’ll bet they’ve

all got a wish list,” she recalls. The Engens’

gift of $515,000 granted to each clinician

some wishes that benefit both research and

patient care.

Dr. Rush can now maintain a supply of

stents for dogs of all sizes for tracheal and

other uses, their cost making that impos-

sible until now. “We’d anesthetize a dog

to confirm that it was a candidate for the

stent,” he says. “If we didn’t have the right

size, we’d wake the dog, order a stent, then

re-anesthetize the dog 48 hours later to

place it.” Now surgeons are likely to have

the right size ready to deploy, avoiding

delay and re-anesthesia. The Engens’ gift

will also sponsor a half-time cardiologist,

allowing Dr. Rush to focus more time on

On a recent visit to the School of Medi-

cine’s urban campus, gastroenterologist

Bruce Pastor, M68, J95P, hardly recognized

his alma mater. “My classmates and I flour-

ished not because of the space around us,

but in spite of it,” he said. The renovated

Sackler Center at the medical school rep-

resents “a quantum leap in improvement

since I was a student.”

Dr. Pastor and his wife, Joyce Field Pastor,

J67, J95P, pledged $100,000 to name the

eighth-floor conference room in the refur-

bished campus center. Thanks to a chal-

lenge by the Jaharis Family Foundation,

the impact of their gift has been doubled.

Through their family foundation, Overseers

Steven Jaharis, M87, and Michael Jaharis

contributed $15 million toward the renova-

tion of the Sackler Center, the creation of

a new Clinical Skills and Simulation Center,

and financial aid.

The project is already transforming medi-

cal education and the quality of life among

medical students at Tufts. The clinical skills

center and three floors of the Sackler build-

ing are open and in use by students.

Under the Jaharis challenge, Tufts agreed

to raise an additional $7.5 million to

release a portion of the Jaharis gift for

scholarships once the construction proj-

ects are complete. The Pastors are among

the first to step forward in response to the

Jaharis challenge.

“Now is the right time to give, especially

in this challenging economic environment,”

says Dr. Pastor, founder of a seven-

physician practice in Boston that is affili-

ated with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical

Center. “It’s an opportunity to help provide

scholarship funds while showing support

for the new campus center.”

A former president and reunion chair of

the medical school’s alumni association,

Dr. Pastor made up his mind during his

40th reunion to make this gift.

“My reunion gave me a chance then to

reflect on how much I owe to Tufts,” he

says. “The institution launched my career

and gave me extraordinary opportunities,

life-changing relationships—I met my wife

there—and professors who became inval-

uable mentors.

“I’ve always known that I would one day

want to give a significant gift to the school.

I was waiting for the right occasion.”

Three wishes:

GrantedPet lovers delighted to

empower faculty clinicians

at the Cummings School

From left: Dr. John Rush, Anne Engen, Dr. Mary Labato, Dr. Scott Shaw, and Travis

“Now is the right time

to give, especially in this

challenging economic

environment.”

Bruce and Joyce Pastor have responded to

the Jaharis challenge for the Sackler Center.

School of Medicine alum steps

forward once again

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interventional radiology, a less invasive alter-

native to traditional surgery.

“The Engens’ gift came at the perfect

time for us to add a renal resident with an

interest in urinary tract issues,” says Dr.

Labato. This will enable the department to

conduct more clinical studies. It will also

purchase a new CRRT (continuous renal

replacement therapy) machine for dialysis

on tiny or critically ill animals. At the upcom-

ing American Society of Nephrology annual

meeting, department members will shop for

new equipment. “But instead of thinking

‘someday,’ this year it’s ‘which piece do we

want to bring back with us?’” she says.

Dr. Shaw, too, has bought equipment.

A new thromboelastograph will offer new

information on blood clots to aid research

on anti-platelet drugs used to treat diseases.

Dr. Shaw is now seeking grants to research

the drugs’ effect on coagulation. A new, more

traditional coagulation analyzer will support

in-house testing at a cost of about $20 per

sample instead of sending samples out to be

tested at $250 each. “With this equipment,

any funding we obtain to run the assays will

go much further,” he says.

Anne Engen speaks with delight of the

opportunity to make a difference in the work

of these three faculty clinicians, adding that

Belle’s and Dusty’s treatments helped her see

an important crossover between human and

veterinary medicine. “My fundamental belief

is that you look around and ask, what draws

me to help?” she says. “And you choose a

worthy object that touches your heart.”

DEAN OF THE SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCESROBERT J. STERNBERG’S NEW VISION OF COLLEGEADMISSIONS IS STARTING TO COME TRUE, HELPED BYTHE GENEROUS SUPPORT OF THE SCHUSTER FAMILY.

The Schusters—A&S Overseer Mark,

A78, A08P; Audrey, A08P; Todd, A82;

and Lauren, J82—made a $350,000 gift

to support Project Kaleidoscope, Dean

Sternberg’s innovative admissions initiative

that values “out-of-the-box” thinking while

reappraising how students learn and teach-

ers teach.

“I’m pleased and grateful that the Schus-

ters share a vision for changing fundamen-

tal processes of admissions and teaching,”

says Sternberg. “Tufts is uniquely posi-

tioned and qualified to change the way

students are educated and prepared for

leadership roles. This generous funding

helps us make important progress.”

Sternberg is a cognitive psychologist whose

decades of research suggest that tradi-

tional measurements—such as grades and

test scores—tell only part of the story of

a person’s ability. He is working with Lee

Coffin, dean of undergraduate admissions

and enrollment management, on measures

to identify students with diverse learning

and thinking styles who are most likely to

be tomorrow’s leaders.

“Research shows that leaders are not just

‘book’ smart,” Sternberg says. “Rather,

they synthesize wisdom, intelligence, and

creativity.”

The Schuster family has given generously

to Tufts over the years. Mark Schuster

is founder and president of a national

commercial real estate firm, Bluestone/

Wingate Holdings, in Newton, Mass., and

an overseer for the School of Arts and

Sciences. Mark’s wife, Audrey, is a gradu-

ate of Simmons College and has served in

a leadership position in a number of phi-

lanthropies. She serves on the Women’s

Studies Research Center Board at Brandeis

University and is active in the Jewish

Children and Family Services Center and

the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Todd Schuster is founder and CEO of CW

Capital, a national commercial real estate

finance and investment management

firm based in New York City. Todd’s wife,

Lauren, is actively involved with the Tufts

Alumni Admissions Program, serving as

chair for the California Central Coast region.

(continued on page 11)ngen, Dr. Mary Labato, Dr. Scott Shaw, and Travis Engen

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Kathryn Bond, A10, aims for the heights. As a double major in biology and environmental studies, the St.

Petersburg, Fla., native is advancing the science of rooftop garden-

ing and promoting energy conservation and urban ecology by turning

the tops of cities green. And as vice president of the Tufts Mountain

Club she regularly leads climbing assaults on New Hampshire cliff

faces—though she officially has “no knowledge” of who perches a

pumpkin atop the Carmichael Hall cupola each Halloween.

Bond is the inaugural holder of the Ellen R. Gordon Scholarship,

created by Joseph and Sheila Rosenblatt of New York City in honor

of their granddaughter Ellen Gordon, A08. “I knew Ellen through

the Tufts Mountain Club,” Bond says. “Having a scholarship named

for a friend is kind of cool.”

Gordon, the scholarship’s namesake, is heading to the African

country of Lesotho with the Peace Corps, and had asked her family

to take any money planned as a graduation gift and put it, instead, to

a good cause. “My grandparents just went to the next level of gen-

erosity and meaningfulness to me,” Gordon says. “They knew how

much I enjoyed my Tufts education and what a special place Tufts

is for me.” She is especially happy to see the award go to a friend:

“I know her very well, so this is exciting!”

Joseph Rosenblatt says, “We wanted to give our granddaughter a

graduation present, but there was nothing she needed.” So after con-

sidering other options, he and his wife decided to endow a scholar-

ship for its enduring impact on Tufts. “Ellen was very pleased for us

to do this in her name,”

he says. “This keeps her

name and an Ellen Gordon

student connected with

Tufts for at least the next

century, I hope.”

This past summer

Bond received National

Science Foundation fund-

ing for a research project

on plants that grow on “green roofs” such as the Tisch Library’s.

A green roof is beneficial, she says, because it creates a layer of insu-

lation that lowers heating and cooling costs while reducing storm

runoff; it also is aesthetically pleasing, and creates habitat space for

migratory birds.

Bond’s college career has not been spent behind a desk. Last fall

she was a Wilderness Orientation Leader guiding eight freshmen on

a camping trip in Vermont’s Green Mountains. Over winter break,

she worked at an organic farm in the south of Spain.

Postgraduation, Bond would like to enroll in the Friedman

School’s Agriculture, Food, and Environment program or pursue a

master’s in public health.

She appreciates the scholarship that has helped make it all

possible. “I am extremely grateful and thankful to the Rosenblatts

for their generosity,” she says.

Every year during the rainy season, dengue fever

plagues the shantytowns of Rio de Janeiro. Between January and

April last year, the virus infected more than 50,000 and killed more

than 60 people, many of them children, in Brazil’s second-largest city.

A Blakeley Fellowship enabled Yanina Seltzer, F09, to spend this

past summer in Brazil helping in the fight against dengue fever. As

an intern with a company called Mobile Metrix, founded by Melanie

Edwards, F89, Seltzer trained

young people to act as

“mobile agents” to help stop

the disease from spreading in

their communities. Removing

trash and standing water can

protect against the mosquito-

borne virus that causes high

fever, headaches, and joint

pain, and for which there is

no vaccine.

Seltzer is drawing on the

experience in writing her

master’s thesis. “I couldn’t

have done this without the Blakeley Fellowship,” says Seltzer, of

San José, Costa Rica.

Gerald and Lucy Blakeley of Lincoln, Mass., established the

Blakeley Term Fellowship Fund in 2007 to support Fletcher School

students seeking funding for unpaid internships in the nongovern-

mental organization (NGO) sector. In its inaugural year, the fund

provided 10 awards of $5,000 to students on unpaid, overseas intern-

ships, with an NGO focused on international development.

Says Gerald W. Blakeley III, F04P, president of the Gerald W.

Blakeley Charitable Foundation, “This has been a great ‘social

investment’ for our family, since the impact that these students have

made will pay dividends for years to come.”

The Blakeleys have multiple strong ties to Fletcher. Gerald

III, former president and owner of Extech Instruments Corporation

in Waltham, Mass., and his wife, Lucy, are longtime friends of

the school. Their son Kipper, F04, of the Swiss social investment

firm Blatter + Frick, serves as a member of the Fletcher European

Advisory Group. Gerald III is the son of longtime Fletcher Over-

seer Gerald Blakeley Jr., the real-estate developer, and Dr. Tenley

Albright Blakeley, the surgeon and former Olympic gold medalist

in figure skating.

Blakeley fellowship supports NGO experience

Granddaughter inspires scholarship

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When Matthew Liberatore, E09, started a hybrid-

car racing team at the School of Engineering two

years ago, he had no environmentalist ambi-

tions whatsoever. He just liked to go fast.

An avid motorcycle racing fan, Liberatore got

the idea when he came across an advertise-

ment for an international racing competition

for student-designed cars. “I knew we had

to have a student team at Tufts,” says the

mechanical engineering major. “But I was not

thinking hybrids. I was thinking race cars with

regular combustion engines.”

Inspired, he hung posters around campus look-

ing for like-minded motor enthusiasts. He was

soon joined by graduate student Erica Belmont,

E04, EG08, a longtime car hobbyist who had

done some amateur racing and was excited

about the prospect of designing a fast car.

They were skeptical when Richard Wlezien,

professor and chair of mechanical engineer-

ing, suggested they build a hybrid car for

competition. Enticed by an offer of lab space

and some startup funds, the two reluctantly

decided to give hybrid design a try. It was not

long before their enthusiasm for the emerging

technology shifted into high gear.

“After doing some research we started to see

the bigger picture and the implications of pro-

viding energy-efficient alternatives,” Liberatore

says. “This is the way car design is going.”

Now the team has grown to more than a

dozen students and, with support from the

Peter and Denise Wittich Family Fund for

Alternative Energy Research, plans to com-

pete in the Formula Hybrid International

Student Competition this coming May at New

Hampshire Motor Speedway.

At the competition, their car must accelerate

quickly from zero to 60 mph, navigate a short

course of sharp turns, and complete a 13-

mile road race. Their design will be judged not

on speed but on performance and efficiency.

Belmont says she is optimistic all their design

deliberations will pay off in New Hampshire.

Liberatore, who recently completed an

internship at the U.S. Department of Trans-

portation’s Volpe Center, where he helped

develop fuel-efficiency standards, says he’s

sticking with hybrid design for the long haul.

“Tufts Hybrid Racing has had a big impact on

me,” he says. “My plan is to build my career

around more efficient fuel systems and the

team is what sent me in this direction.”

Project Kaleidoscope (cont.)

Alternative energy research fund

helps drive innovators

Clockwise from top left: Audrey,

Mark, Laurie, and Todd Schuster

Together, they pledged $350,000 to

support the Tufts admissions initia-

tive that reaches beyond the well-

known Common Application (used by

Tufts and nearly 300 other colleges

and universities) by adding Tufts-spe-

cific admissions questions. Essays

that tease out creative, analytical,

practical, and wisdom-based thinking

skills are now part of the Tufts under-

graduate admissions application.

“Tufts is its student body, and what

we love about this program is the

comprehensive and thoughtful

approach being applied to the admis-

sions process,” Todd Schuster says.

“The tangible result is that Tufts gets

a better look at more prospective stu-

dents and that’s healthy for the uni-

versity. There is more to an applicant

than just the numbers.”

Mark Schuster says, “That out-of-

the-box thinking will recruit students

as people—not simply as applicants

with outstanding board scores and

GPA, and a well-rounded resume. It’s

very exciting that our university wants

to know more about the person.

That’s what we’re all about: We’re

recruiting people. From my vantage

point, the more Tufts can know about

a student the better.”

Belmont and Liberatore with the

makings of their hybrid vehicle.

University Advancement

80 George Street, Medford, MA 02155

NONPROFIT

ORGANIZATION

U.S. POSTAGE

PA I D

BOSTON, MA

PERMIT NO. 1161

She’s up with the birds: A coxswain

with Alexandria (Va.) Community

Rowing, Bess is at the boathouse

on the Potomac River by 5:30 every

morning and on the water before

the sun rises. After practice she

changes into a suit and by 8:30 is

at her desk at the Pentagon, where

she is a cost analyst in the Office

of the Secretary of Defense.

She credits Tufts with fueling her

drive to lead an active life. “Tufts

was more than I could have hoped

for,” says the political science

graduate. “In one day, I could go

hear the Saudi Arabian ambassa-

dor speak, head to crew practice,

spend hours in the library, and the

next morning go hiking with the

mountain club. I had life-changing

professors and countless oppor-

tunities. I absolutely thrived there.”

For that reason, Dopkeen says,

she joined the Packard Society at

the Ivory Tusk level, annually giving

$100 multiplied by each year that

has passed since her graduation.

This year, with her fifth reunion

approaching in May, her gift is

$500. “It’s a little painful every

year, but I keep in mind that what

Tufts gave me far outlasts what-

ever I may be giving Tufts,” says

Dopkeen, who also volunteers

to help Tisch College students

find summer internships in D.C.

“Tufts gave me so much.”

Approved for 2009: IRA Charitable Rollover presents significant tax benefit

Donors 70½ or older may make a

charitable gift to Tufts directly

from an IRA without paying fed-

eral income tax on the withdrawal.

Congress has passed legislation

allowing direct distributions to char-

ity up to $100,000 per person. These

gifts will not be included in the donor’s

taxable income and can be counted

toward the minimum required distri-

bution (MRD). To qualify:

Gifts must be outright and finalized

by December 31, 2009.

Transfers must be made from a

traditional or Roth IRA.

Plan providers must issue the check

in the name of the university.

For more information, contact the

Gift Planning Office at 888-748-8387,

email [email protected], or visit

www.tufts.edu/giftplanning.

Distributions from 401(k), 403(b), and other non-IRA retire-

ment plans do not qualify. There is no charitable deduction

available for the transfer. Transfers to donor-advised funds or

charitable remainder trusts and charitable gift annuities do

not qualify. There may be state tax consequences resulting

from charitable rollover gifts. This information is not intended

as legal or tax advice; please consult your advisor if you are

considering this type of gift.

Annual Gifts. Daily Impact.

Annual gifts go to work immediately, enhancing daily life at the university:

> supporting financial aid that makes a Tufts education possible for bright

and deserving students

> helping the university recruit and retain exceptional faculty

> funding library acquisitions and improved technology

> sponsoring student research initiatives, athletics, and student activities

To learn more about making a gift to your school’s annual fund, please

contact us at [email protected] or 800.326.4001.

Donor profile: Bess Dopkeen, A04

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Documents

Tufts Blueprint Winter 2009