Dear Faculty, Staff, Students, and Friends of CSSH:
As I come to the end of my first full year as Dean of the College of Social Sciences and Humanities, I am more inspired than ever by the intellectual creativity, collaborative energy, and problem-solving spirit of the CSSH community. This has been a semester of disruptions across higher education, as we contend with fluctuating governmental policies and priorities; the disruptive potential of AI technologies; and the impact of geopolitical conflict on members of our community.
As always, members of CSSH have risen to the occasion in a semester buzzing with activity and achievement. I am proud of the expertise and analytical insight that CSSH faculty in all disciplines have been able to bring to this complex moment through their teaching, research, and writing for many audiences. Staff in the dean’s office and the units have provided untiring support for symposia, lectures, and other events addressing topics from the Middle East peace process to Black art and Black feminism to the political significance of Executive Orders and beyond. As always, our students have provoked us to think deeply about our ethical commitments to them, to one another, and to the advancement of knowledge for the good of all.
Below, you can read about some of our events and accomplishments—beginning with what is always one of the proudest moments of the spring semester: the CSSH Celebration, where we celebrate the graduate and undergraduate students who have trusted us to help them prepare for lives of meaningful action.
2025 CSSH Celebration
The CSSH Celebration began with the Doctoral Hooding ceremony on April 28, honoring the twenty-eight CSSH students who received PhDs this year, and came to a triumphant conclusion in Matthews Arena on May 10, as students, parents, and guests celebrated the hard work and bright futures of our graduating seniors and Master’s degree recipients.
The CSSH Celebration student speakers, Disha Shilpa Kamlesh Pansuriya, who graduated with a Master of Science in Economics, and Keneya Onuagoluchi, graduating with a BA in History, Culture, and Law, emphasized the transformative nature of their own educations and the goals of positive change they bring with them into their next chapters. In my remarks, I emphasized that our students have been educated to demonstrate leadership and have impact in a variety of contexts, some public and easily recognized, others less obvious but no less significant. I cited an observation from our Assistant Dean, who has worked with students across the university: “Students who thrive are not necessarily those with the highest GPA or with the most polished resumé. The thriving student leans into uncertainty with curiosity, asks for help, and keeps moving forward even when a desired outcome’s arrival isn’t near or clear.”
At the university commencement ceremony on May 11, Elliot Grainge (CSSH ‘13) similarly emphasized the importance of moving forward, telling students to “trust yourself, trust your gut, and trust your creativity to build what others call impossible.” We are proud of every one of our 2025 graduates and cannot wait to see what you go on to build.
Student Honors
Many of our students were recognized by the college and the university for academic and experiential excellence this year. A small sample includes:
Clara Barsoum ’25, a political science and communication studies & philosophy double major, who received the Compass Award for her exceptional contributions to our community through her work with the First-Generation, Undocumented, Low-Income Network (FUNL) at Northeastern; the Leaves of Growth Award; and the First-Generation Social Justice Advocacy Award.
Manushi Sharma, MPP ’25, recipient of the university’s Outstanding Master’s Student Award in Community Leadership and one of five CSSH Master’s students inducted into the Laurel and Scroll 100 in recognition of their outstanding academic performance.
Toshiaki Yoshida, PhD Political Science ’25, received the Outstanding PhD Award in Experiential Learning.
Please see the Endnotes for more of our students’ honors and achievements.
Faculty and Staff Accomplishments
Our faculty continue to demonstrate a commitment to scholarly impact through national and international collaboration.
For example, this spring saw the launch of the CSSH Humanities Center Global Fellows program, which will bring together Northeastern faculty and graduate students from the Boston, London, and Oakland campuses starting in fall 2025. The list of selected fellows can be found in the Endnotes. Director of the School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs Maria Ivanova spearheaded a new institutional collaboration, a partnership with the United Nations University Centre for Policy Research, launched in a signing ceremony with United Nations University Rector and UN Under-Secretary-General Tshilidzi Marwala.
Many CSSH faculty were honored at Northeastern’s 15th Academic Honors Convocation. The 2025 Global Network Accelerator Award, celebrating faculty whose research and teaching span disciplines, colleges, campuses, countries and industry sectors while exhibiting the best of Northeastern’s mission, went to the three co-directors of the Humanities Center: Oliver Ayers, associate professor of history in London; K.J. Rawson, professor of English, women’s, gender and sexuality studies in Boston; and Kirsten Saxton, professor of English in Oakland. Daniel Aldrich, professor of political science and public policy, was one of the recipients of the 2025 University Excellence in Teaching Award; Lori Gardinier received the 2025 Global Educator Award; and two CSSH faculty members, Dean’s Professor of Civic Sustainability and Professor of English Ellen Cushman and University Distinguished Professor of Political Science and Computer Science David Lazer, were recognized by the 2025 Excellence in Research and Creative Activity Awards.
View a full list of faculty honors and employment milestones in the Endnotes.
Notable Events
CSSH is the single provider of language instruction to students across the university, offering courses in 11 languages, from Arabic to Spanish; 9 minors; and a Spanish major with several combined majors. This spring saw the reorganization of the previous home of language instruction, the World Languages Center, into the Department of World Languages and Cultures, strengthening the college’s global humanities focus and creating opportunities for interdisciplinary teaching and scholarship.
Every year, CSSH symposia on current topics bring together Northeastern faculty, external speakers, and students to inform and learn from each other. In February, the Africana Studies Program convened the 4th annual bell hooks Symposium around the theme “Black Feminism, Black Art,” featuring speakers such as renowned jazz drummer Terri Lyne Carrington, photographer Scheherezade Tillet, and director Tchaiko Omawale. March—Women’s History Month—saw the Women’s, Gender, and Sexualities Studies Program’s 11th annual Women’s History Month Symposium, “Pictures, Words, and Lies,” featuring reflections on media representation by speakers such as photographer Lola Flash, Boston City Council member Sharon Durkan, and Northeastern Law professor Michael Ann DeVit.
The spring’s Civility Series hosted two events: “The State of Affirmative Action, the State of Belonging,” and “Fear, The State, and Contemporary Executive Orders,” bringing together Northeastern faculty from the departments of History and Philosophy and the Schools of Criminal Justice; Public Policy and Urban Affairs; and Law to shed light on the actions of the current presidential administration and the on-the-ground consequences of the many changes implemented in the administration’s first few months.
Expanding coverage of political developments from the U.S. to the Middle East, the Center for International Affairs and World Cultures hosted seasoned diplomats Dennis Ross and Ghaith Al-Omari, for a Leaders in Foreign Service Speaker Series dialogue titled, “The Future of the Middle East Peace Process.” Holocaust and Genocide Awareness Week featured a series of distinguished lectures, as well as a panel hosted by Gideon Klein Scholar Max Berger ‘26, “A Poetic Revolt: The Oyneg Shabes Archive and The Art of Written Resistance.”
The 2025 Hanson Lecture, sponsored by the Department of English, featured acclaimed graphic novelist Alison Bechdel. Speaking to a full house in Blackman Auditorium, Bechdel offered a reminder of the profound impact that storytelling can have on the development of individual identities and communal identities.
Recordings of these and other notable CSSH events are available on our YouTube channel.
As this academic year comes to a close, I extend my gratitude to each member of CSSH —faculty, staff, and students—for your contributions to our vibrant intellectual community. Your dedication to excellence in teaching, research, and service make me proud to call CSSH my professional home.
I hope the summer provides opportunities for rest and renewal. Our leadership in the transformative disciplines of the social sciences and humanities remains crucial in the current unsettled state of the world. I look forward to continuing our work together.
With appreciation and admiration,
Kellee Tsai
Dean and Distinguished Professor
College of Social Sciences and Humanities
