Alumni and Friends Events

We'll be celebrating this day of philanthropy with Heller students and sharing all the resources YOU make available to them. They will be learning about the Heller Student Enrichment Funds, Career Services Initiatives, Brandeis Food Pantry, and more!

Don't want to wait to make your gift? You can make an early gift today and be counted towards our Heller School Giving DEISday goal to reach 100 donors and $5,000 which will unlock an additional $5,000 from an anonymous donor!

RSVP to Norma DeMattos.

Innovative investing strategies hold the promise to revolutionize how we build a more inclusive society. One of the most successful approaches is Boston-based BlueHub Capital, a leading Community Development Institution (CDFI) which has invested more than $2.4 billion in low-income communities since 1985.

As CEO of BlueHub Capital, Elyse Cherry has been a pioneer in the world of innovative finance for 35 years. She has also been a leading voice in the women’s and LGBTQ+ movements.

This event is co-sponsored by the Heller MBA Program and the Heller Office of Equity, Inclusion and Diversity.

Save the date and watch it online here.

Carol Anderson, the Charles Howard Candler Professor of African American Studies at Emory University, is the 2022 winner of the Joseph B. and Toby Gittler Prize. She will present "White Rage: From Reconstruction to the January 6th Insurrection." She is the author of White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of our Racial Divide (Bloomsbury 2016). This book won the 2016 National Book Critics Circle Award for Criticism and is also a New York Times Bestseller, a New York Times Editor’s Pick, and listed on the Zora List of 100 Best Books by Black Woman Authors since 1850.

The Gittler Prize is hosted by the International Center for Ethics, Justice and Public Life on behalf of the Office of the President and Office of the Provost.

This talk and panel discussion included María Belén Power, Associate Executive Director of GreenRoots; presidential appointee to the White House Environmental Justice Adisory Council. GreenRoots is a community-based organization dedicated to improving and enhancing the urban environment and public health in Chelsea and surrounding communities. Heather McMann, MBA'12, Executive Director of Groundwork Lawrence. Through its environmental and open space movements, fresh food access programs, youth and adult education and employment initiatives, and community programming, GroundWork Lawrence creates the building blocks of a healthy community, and empowers Lawrence residents to improve their quality of life. Moderated by Susan P. Curnan, The Florence G. Heller Associate Professor of the Practice, Director, Center for Youth and Communities, and Chair, Environmental Justice MPP & MBA Concentration. Sponsored by The Year of Climate Action, Brandeis.edu/CLIMATE, and the Heller School.

Attendees heard from Brandeis and Heller Segal Fellows about their 2022 Segal Summer Internships and their growth as citizen leaders. This year's internships focused on: aging policy, Appalachian economic development, racial justice, US-Israeli relations, voting rights, and women's rights. Segal Fellow presenters include Heller MPP and Brandeis Undergraduate Fellows Catherine Gooding, Gabriella Lieberman, Vianny Rodriguez, Jolecia Saunderson, Shania Thomas, and Hannah Wilcove. Thank you to our internship partners ACLU of MA, AIPAC, Altarum, Center for Coalfield Justice, Mass NOW, and NAACP LDF’s Thurgood Marshall Institute for hosting them. To learn more about The Eli J. & Phyllis N. Segal Citizen Leadership Program.

Welcome and Installation of the Stuart H. Altman Chair in U.S. Health Policy with Ron and Jessica Liebowitz

Remarks by Dr. Stuart H. Altman
Stuart H. Altman is a national health economist and health policy expert, a former Heller School dean and the current Sol C. Chaikin Professor of National Health Policy. He has chaired national health policy organizations, including the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission, and acted as an advisor to five U.S. presidential administrations.

Lecture delivered by Karen Donelan, Stuart H. Altman Chair in U.S. Health Policy
Karen Donelan is a past founding director of the Harvard Opinion Research Program, Director of the Survey Research Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital, and is an internationally recognized expert on the healthcare workforce.

The Heller Alumni Association Board President, Isaac Cudjoe, MA COEX'18, celebrated the change-making potential of Africa's youth! Ghana-area alumni were invited to join Dr. Cudjoe at the University of Ghana for a Masterclass on Social Change. Panelists discussed the need for youth voices, a spirit of active citizenship, and a culture of service for sustainable community development. This event was a great opportunity to connect with other Heller alumni and change makers and meet the new Alumni Board president. Dr. Isaac Cudjoe is a community organizer, social entrepreneur, and champion for advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion. He is the Co-Chief Executive Officer of Peace First, an international non-profit organization which fosters the next generation of peacemakers. He recently completed his PhD in Public Policy and Administration from Walden University. As Heller Alumni Association Board President, he is looking forward to building bridges in the Heller community.

Alex Green '04, MPA, Adjunct Lecturer in Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School, is a widely recognized advocate, writer, and scholar on the history of disability institutions in America. He is the author of landmark legislation to create a first-of-its-kind disability-led human rights commission to investigate the history of state institutions for disabled people in Massachusetts. He is a Visiting Fellow at the Harvard Law School Project on Disability. Contact lurie@brandeis.edu with any questions.

Heller Alumni and Friends were invited to join the Brandeis Alumni of Color Network as we observed Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, in the celebration of our collective freedom and inclusion. If you have any questions about this event you can call the Brandeis Office of Alumni Relations at 781-736-4012 or email alumnievents@brandeis.edu.

The Krauss Family invited Heller alumni and friends to join a celebration of life for professor emerita and former university provost, Marty Wyngaarden Krauss, PhD’81, who passed away the evening of January 12, 2022. A Brandeis lifer, Krauss completed her doctoral studies at the Heller School, then joined the faculty in 1984 and spent her entire academic career at Brandeis. Marty served as interim dean of the Heller School from 2014 to 2017 and as an emerita member of the board of advisors thereafter. Read more about Marty’s connection to Brandeis. In lieu of flowers, you can make a gift in Marty’s honor to the Lurie Institute for Disability Policy at the Heller School at Brandeis University. When you make your gift, select "Other" and designate Lurie Institute IMO Marty Krauss.

This event in New York featured an illustrious panel who explored the ways that New York’s urban landscape could and should transform in the face of the rapid changes taking place in demographics, business habits, public health and safety needs and other aspects of city life. This event is sponsored by the Brandeis Alumni Association, the International Business School and the Heller School. Event chairs are Mitch Cohen ’76 and Stephen Rabinowitz ’83. Event panelists included Stephen Rabinowitz ’83, co-chair, Greenberg Traurig's Global Real Estate Practice; Dr. Lucretia Jones ’77, director, Communicable Diseases GSU, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene; David Hodes ’77, founder and managing partner, Hodes Weill & Associates; Bryna Sanger, Heller PhD’76, university professor of Policy and Management, The New School, New York City, and Heller Board of Advisors member; and Dr. Erik Blutinger ’09, emergency physician and medical director, Community Paramedicine, Mount Sinai Health System, NY.

How do you use your experience and insight from a long career to help others, create sustainable change and leave a lasting legacy? Panelists shared their stories, ideas and suggestions for next steps on how to offer your expertise to the next generation. Listen to this event to reflect on where your calling takes you next and hear from three Heller alumni on how they’re navigating their encore careers.

Panelists included Otis S. Johnson, PhD’80 - A former Dean at Savannah State University and previous Mayor of Savannah, Georgia; Helen Lo, PhD’80 - Founded Lo and Sons at the age of 65 with her family; and Rachel Winkeller, PhD'73 - A consultant with ESC and recently retired from her position as Director of Transportation, Policy and Planning at the US Department of Transportation (DOS). The event recording will be posted in the near future.

The Heller School celebrated and honored the Class of 2022 to commemorate their achievements as students, celebrate them as graduates and welcome them as alumni. Read more about Commencement. Brandeis also celebrated past 2020 and 2021 graduates with an in-person [Re]Commencement.

The Heller School celebrated Professor Joan Dassin at her retirement celebration. She joined the Heller School faculty in Fall 2014 and was Director of the M.A. Program in Sustainable International Development (SID). Gifts in honor of Joan can be made to the Heller School Fellowship Fund to support tuition for SID and COEX students.

Dean David Weil has a conversation with incoming Interim Dean Maria Madison as they discuss the latest challenges. Help us honor Dean David Weil's 5-year term as Dean with a gift to the David and Miriam Weil Fellowship. This fellowship will provide an award to a Heller School graduate student, with a preference for a student who is studying labor, economic or environmental policy. Our goal is to raise a total of $200,000 by June 30, 2022, when David concludes his tenure as Dean. This amount will allow the fund to be endowed in perpetuity. If you have any questions about this event, contact Joanne Beswick. A recording will be posted in the near future. Watch the recording.

Robert Kuttner's latest book explores the parallels between the presidencies of FDR and Biden. What is at stake for America in 2022 and beyond? With history and the extraordinary parallels between Biden and FDR as his guide, the veteran political analyst diagnoses what’s at stake for America in 2022 and beyond.

In the foreword Joseph E. Stiglitz writes, "Joe Biden has found his way back to Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal. After four decades of diminishing prospects for ordinary people, the public likes what Biden is offering. Yet American democracy is in dire peril as Republicans, increasingly the national minority, try to destroy democracy in order to cling to power. It is the best of times and the worst of times. In Going Big, bestselling author and political journalist Robert Kuttner assesses the promise and peril of this critical juncture. From a writer with an unparalleled understanding of the history and politics that have made this moment possible, this book is the essential guide to what is at stake for Joe Biden, for America, and for our democracy." This event is sponsored by the  Master of Public Policy Program.

The Global Studies Research Seminar (GSRS) inaugural event hosted Daniel Agbiboa, Assistant Professor of African and African American Studies at Harvard University, to discuss Beyond the Spectacle of the Real: Police Brutality and Spectral Violence. Global Studies Research Seminar Co-Chairs, Professor Pamina Firchow, PhD, and Professor Joseph Assan, PhD, moderated the session. The year 2020 ushered in a new era of pandemic world (dis)order. But it will also be remembered as a pivotal period that catalyzed police brutality and anti-police brutality protests across the globe, as evidenced by the Black Lives Matter and #EndSARS social movements in the United States and Nigeria respectively.

The Heller School announced the winners of this year's Heller Teaching; Teaching Assistant; Mentoring; Staff Service; Equity, Inclusion and Diversity; Early Investigator Awards; and the Barbara Wakefield Award. Read more about these exemplary members of our community!

The Black Action Plan (BAP) and the Intercultural Center (ICC) hosted “The State of Blackness,” a very special celebration of 69 years of diversity, art, activism and culture at Brandeis University! These unique events commemorated the many contributions that Black, Brown, Asian, and Indigenous students, faculty, staff and alumni have made over nearly seven decades, making Brandeis a diverse, equitable and inclusive space. They honored the countless intellectual, emotional, spiritual and physical improvements that members of this remarkable community–including Brandeis’s first Black student, Herman Hemingway ’53–have made to the university. They also celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Intercultural Center (a brain-child of student activism in the 1990’s). Please join us as we show our deep appreciation for the timeless legacies of those who have gone before, whose activism, courage, and vision created generational ripples of impact, making way for future legacies to take root and flourish.

Heller School alumni, current students, friends, faculty, and staff gathered at Artists for Humanity in Boston for drinks and hors d’oeuvres to laugh, converse, and enjoy a night of Heller in the City! Alumni and friends supported current Heller School students by sharing their expertise, insight, stories, and connections as they prepare for internships and other post-graduate opportunities this summer! This event was co-sponsored by the Heller Career Development Center, Development and Alumni Relations Offices and the Heller Student Association.

The National Research Center for Parents with Disabilities and the Lurie Institute for Disability Policy hosted a webinar entitled "Black, Disabled, Deaf & Proud." Presenters included three parents who are Black and disabled or Deaf about their experiences, and listeners learned about how service providers can best serve these parents and their families. Moderated by: Linda Long-Bellil, PhD'07, Assistant Professor, University of Massachusetts Medical School. Panelists included Earl Allen, Senior Staff Specialist, Rochester Institute of Technology; Morenike Giwa-Onaiwu, Academic Instructor, Texas Higher Education; and Heather Watkins, Disability Advocate, Speaker, Consultant. For more information about Lurie Institute events contact Miriam Heyman.

A virtual discussion that featured honoree Stephanie Tilenius ’89, MA’90, founder and CEO of Vida Health, and moderator Louis Woolf ’76, president and CEO of Hebrew SeniorLife. This event was sponsored by the President's Office, Brandeis University and the Asper Center for Global Entrepreneurship at the International Business School.

Professor Mari Fitzduff's book, "Our Brains at War: The Neuroscience of Conflict and Peacebuilding" (Oxford University Press 2021) suggests that we need a radical change in how we think about war, leadership, and politics. Most of us, political scientists included, fail to appreciate the extent to which instincts and emotions, rather than logic, factor into our societal conflicts and international wars. Many of our physiological and genetic tendencies, of which we are mostly unaware, can all too easily fuel our antipathy towards other groups, make us choose 'strong' leaders over more mindful leaders, assist recruitment for illegal militias, and facilitate even the gentlest of us to inflict violence on others. The book identifies the sources of compelling instincts and emotions, and how we can acknowledge and better manage them so as to develop international and societal peace more effectively.

Mari Fitzduff is Professor Emerita and founding director of the master’s professional programs in Conflict Resolution and Coexistence at Brandeis University. She has worked on conflicts in the Basque Country, the Caucasus, Northern Ireland, Sri Lanka, Middle East, Indonesia, Crimea, Korea, Japan, Cameroon, Philippines, Peru, and Colombia. 

Co-sponsored by The Heller School and the Brandeis Alumni Club of Greater Boston. If you have a question please contact helleralumni@brandeis.edu. The recording will be posted here soon.

A virtual event featuring:

• Anatole Manzi, Deputy CMO, Partners in Health
• Maria Madison, Associate Dean, DEI and Director, Institute for Economic and Racial Equity, The Heller School
• Tinashe Goronga, National Specialist, UNDP
• Joia Muckherjee, Chief Medical Officer, Partners in Health
• Kumba Sennaar, PhD Candidate, The Heller School
• Valeria Macias, Executive Director, Compañeros en Salud, PIH
• Jesus Peinado, Director, Program Management, PIH-Peru
• A.K. Nandakumar, Director, Institute for Global Health and Development, The Heller School

Co-hosted by Partners in Health and The Heller School.

The Gender Working Group facilitated a reading group for professor Anita Hill’s book “Believing: Our Thirty-Year Journey to End Gender Violence,” a powerful story of America’s endemic gender-based violence. Graduate students will facilitate each session for meaningful discussion and alumni were invited to join the group. Anita Hill will be a facilitator for the final meeting. Contact the Gender Working Group with any questions.

This workshop was lead by Edith Pick, Research Associate at Hadassah-Brandeis Institute and a PhD Researcher in the School of Business and Management at Queen Mary University of London. It explored some of the contentious meeting points between diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) discourse and the Jewish context. Moving between the worlds of theory and practice, debating conceptual and real-world questions, we investigated the dilemmas that the elusive nature of “Jewish difference” pose to the management of difference. We examined tensions between whiteness and otherness, privilege and marginality, difference and sameness, and unravel intersections between work, identity and social justice in Jewish organizational life, and beyond. Sponsored by the Heller Office of Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity and the Brandeis Intercultural Center.

Negotiating a salary for a new job or even a promotion can seem challenging and anxiety-inducing. Questions arise such as what should I ask for? How should I approach the negotiation conversation? Should I negotiate salary at all? What should I do if the organization doesn’t move from the current salary offering? This workshop will highlight some helpful strategies, insights, and resources which will make you more comfortable approaching the salary negotiation, informed of how organizations think about salaries for applicants, knowledgeable about the other layers of a salary package, and successful in getting the salary you deserve. This event was held on Handshake.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) is the world’s court for adjudicating the worst violence known to humankind: genocide, rape as a weapon of war, mass murder, pillage and more. It is also an international organization staffed by hundreds of dedicated lawyers, civil servants and others who live worlds away from the people impacted by these crimes. How do ICC staff confront the distance between themselves and those impacted by war? What is it like on a daily basis to work on behalf of populations they may never meet or see? This event brought together a broad array of ICC staff members who work or worked as investigators, trial lawyers, victims’ advocates, judges assistants and more to reflect on managing “distance” in their work at the Court. They brought together personal stories and strategies about daily life at the ICC to reflect more strategically on the Court’s broader challenges as it expands into new contexts around the world. Sponsored by the Heller COEX Program, and the Heller Office of Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity.

Interested in learning more about a career as a policy analyst? The work of a policy analyst involves using research, analysis and problem solving in order to shape society and contribute to solutions to challenges and complex social questions. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for public policy workers is expected to grow by around 13% until 2024, which is faster than the average for most other occupations. This workshop provided an inside look into what it is like working in public policy and being a policy analyst, how to get there, and what to keep in mind. Panelists included Edward Curis, MPP'13, Senior Policy Analyst, Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island; Moise Bourdeau, MS'14, Policy & Governmental Affairs Manager, Office of Healthy Aging, State of Rhode Island; and Elizabeth Olson, MPP'18, Policy Analyst, The Washington State Budget & Policy Center. This event was held on Handshake.

The Heller BIPOC Mentoring Marketplace Committee and Professors Joseph K. Assan, Maria Madison, Alexandra Piñeros Shields, and Rajesh Sampath held a conversation about mentorship and navigating higher education as a BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) Student. While the content will center on the experiences of BIPOC students, the knowledge gained will be relevant to all. We hope you will join us!

Panelists included Rajesh Sampath, PhD, Associate Director of Philosophy and Justice, Rights, and Social Change; Maria Madison, PhD, Associate Dean of EID and Director, Institute for Economic and Racial Equity; Alexandra Pineros Shields, PhD'07, Professor of Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity;  and Joseph Assan, PhD, SID Program Director and Senior Lecturer.

Professors Carole Carlson, Professor Joel Cutcher Gershenfeld, and Matthew Kriegsman ’11, MBA’20, are pleased to announce that we have just signed an agreement with Brandeis University Press to publish the first Heller Social Impact Case Collection. This collection of short social impact cases, with supporting materials, is (to our knowledge) the first collection of its kind and will help to establish Heller as a world leader for social impact teaching. The cases will fall into several categories: Social Entrepreneur Start-up Cases, Social Entrepreneur Scaling Cases, Social Impact Leadership Cases, Social Impact Operations Cases, Social Impact Financial Management Cases, Social Impact Human Resources Cases, Social Impact Data Analytics Cases, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion / Addressing Bias and other topics of interest. Please reach out to Carole Carlson with any questions. The collection of these cases has now closed.

Dr. Richard Frank, PhD, Margaret Morris Professor of Health Economics (emeritus) at Harvard Medical School, discussed Prescription Drug Affordability and the Supply of Cures. Dr. Frank is currently a Senior Fellow in Economic Studies and Director of the Schaeffer Initiative on Health Policy at the Brookings Institution. Stuart H. Altman, PhD, Sol C. Chaikin Professor of National Health Policy, moderated the discussion. To make a gift to the Stanley Wallack Distinguished Memorial Lecture Series, contact the Heller Development Office at 781-736-3808 or give online. Watch the recording.

In observance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, the Office of the Dean and the Heller Office of Equity, Inclusion and Diversity welcomed Dr. Alan Mueller, a passionate advocate for authentic transformation. He started Adaptive Challenge Consulting in 2014 to help organizations navigate their greatest challenges through listening and real conversations. This workshop explored the meaning of ‘race’ and ‘racism'; how overt racism appears in our language, symbols, and messaging; and where race and colonization intersect with gender and other identities. At the end of the workshop, participants should feel more empowered to work toward creating more inclusive environments at home, at work, and in their communities. Registrants can access the resources for the 7-Day Challenge online. Heller staff, faculty, students, and alumni were strongly encouraged to attend. If you have questions, contact Tynika Booth or Victoria Felson.

This year, we asked all Heller faculty, staff, friends, alumni, and students to come together to help us reach our goal of 100 donors and $5,000. Once we reach this goal we'll unlock another $5,000 from an anonymous match donor! The best part? All of these funds go towards supporting Heller students. This year, our community will unite to support Heller students with gifts designated for three essential pillars that support Heller students: Where the need is greatest, Heller Student Enrichment Funds, and the FRESH Brandeis Food Pantry. Thank you to all of our alumni, students, staff, friends and faculty who made this day a success! You can still make a gift anytime to the Heller School and if you have questions, please contact us at helleralumni@brandeis.edu.

The Heller School cordially invited alumni to join a conversation on racial literacy, with Howard C. Stevenson, a nationally recognized clinical psychologist and researcher of racial stress and trauma, and the 2020 winner of the Joseph B. and Toby Gittler Prize. Dr. Stevenson is the Constance Clayton Professor of Urban Education at the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education, where he serves as executive director of the Racial Empowerment Collaborative and directs Forward Promise, a national philanthropic office that promotes a culture of health for boys and young men of color, to help them heal from the trauma of historical and present-day dehumanization, discrimination and colonization. Dr. Stevenson has led mental health research projects funded by the National Institutes of Health to examine the benefits of racial literacy, and is the author of the bestselling book “Promoting Racial Literacy in Schools: Differences That Make a Difference,” which offers solutions to reduce racial threat reactions in face-to-face encounters. Watch the recording.

About the Joseph B. and Toby Gittler Prize
The Joseph B. and Toby Gittler Prize was created by the late Professor Joseph B. Gittler to recognize outstanding and lasting scholarly contributions to racial, ethnic and/or religious relations. The Joseph B. and Toby Gittler Endowed Fund at Brandeis University supports this annual award. The Gittler Prize is hosted by the International Center for Ethics, Justice and Public Life on behalf of the Office of the President and Office of the Provost.

The MBA Distinguished Management Lecture features Tracy Palandjian, the CEO and Co-Founder of Social Finance. Tracy will share how she and her team at Social Finance have worked with leaders in the public, private and social sectors to use funding and data in innovative ways to create lasting impact. Since its founding, Social Finance has catalyzed over $225 million to help more than 35,000 individuals realize improved outcomes in education, economic mobility, health, and housing.

Social Finance is a national impact finance and advisory nonprofit that builds innovative partnerships and investments to measurably improve lives. The firm became a fund manager in 2019 to launch its Career Impact Bond strategy, a financing model that improves economic mobility for unemployed and underemployed individuals. Prior to Social Finance, Tracy was a Managing Director at The Parthenon Group, where she established and led the Nonprofit Practice. She also worked at Wellington Management Company and McKinsey & Company. Tracy is Vice Chair of the U.S. Impact Investing Alliance, a Trustee of the Global Steering Group on Impact Investing, and a Director at both The Boston Foundation and Mass General Brigham. A native of Hong Kong, Tracy graduated from Harvard College with a B.A. magna cum laude in Economics and holds an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School, where she was a Baker Scholar. She is a recipient of the HBS Alumni Achievement Award, the School’s highest honor. If you have any questions, please contact Norma DeMattos.

The Heller School held a virtual discussion with University Professor Anita Hill about her latest book, “Believing: Our Thirty-Year Journey to End Gender Violence” in conversation with Professor ChaeRan Freeze, the Frances and Max Elkon Chair in Modern Jewish History and chair of the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Department at Brandeis. “Believing,” Professor Hill’s third book, is a comprehensive examination of how gender-based violence infiltrates and damages lives, communities and social structures. In it, Hill connects the dots from elementary school bullying to college sexual assault, workplace harassment and intimate partner violence, laying bare the broken systems that often fail to provide accountability or properly investigate complaints. Along the way she interweaves stories from her own life and others’, poignant reminders that although gender-based violence is almost too big to fully comprehend, its consequences are meted out on individual lives, families, communities and our society at large. Contact helleralumni@brandeis.edu if you have any questions. Watch the recording and read the feature article.

The Heller Alumni Association hosts the Student Coffee Break to welcome back new and returning students by inviting them to enjoy coffee and the legendary muffins from the Gingerbread Construction Co. Many young alumni will remember this event from when they were a student. We are inviting alumni to attend and also share their advice for students! Students will be there to meet alumni and also learn about the resources available for students, including the Heller Enrichment Funds, connecting with alumni, and ways to continue to be engaged with Heller after they graduate. Contact the Heller Alumni Relations Office if you have any questions.  This event is co-sponsored by the Heller Alumni Association, the Heller Development and Alumni Relations, the Career Development Center, Office of Equity, Inclusion and Diversity, Heller Student Services, and Brandeis Graduate Affairs.

Brandeis alumni and current students from across the Greater Chicago area gathered for a virtual evening of business and career networking. This event will featured a panel discussion and breakout rooms where alumni connected across sectors. Panelists include: Jesse Leung ’14, Michael Resnick ’86, Laura Neiman ’97, and Andrea Fishman ’97. Learn more about the panelists here. This event is presented by the Brandeis Alumni Club of Chicago and the Hiatt Career Center.

Three alumni changemakers whose personal and professional efforts have had significant impact in the LGBTQ community discussed how their Brandeis experiences shaped their advocacy work and how the concept of “repairing the world” or “tikkun olam” has driven and inspired them.

Panelists included Aliya Bean ’16 who was immersed in policy-making on Capitol Hill as interim executive director of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives. Marvin Kabakoff ’68, a historian and veteran of the gay rights movement who serves on the board of Boston’s LGBTQ archives and chairs his synagogue’s Rainbow Committee. Alexis “Lexi” Matza ’98 who provides welcoming healthcare services for LGBT veterans as deputy director of the federal Veterans Health Administration’s LGBT health program. The program was moderated by Josh Wright-Huynh, MBA’22, co-president of the LGBTQ+ Business Student Association. This event is co-sponsored by the Brandeis Alumni Association, the LGBTQ+ Business Student Association, The Heller School and the Brandeis International Business School. For more information, contact the Brandeis Office of Alumni Relations at 781-736-4012 or email alumnievents@brandeis.edu.

Candice C. Jones is the President and CEO of the Public Welfare Foundation. As noted on their website, "For over seventy years, Public Welfare Foundation has supported efforts to advance justice and opportunity for people in need. Today, our efforts focus on catalyzing a transformative approach to justice that is community-led, restorative, and racially just through investments in criminal justice and youth justice reforms." Jones previously "served as Senior Advisor at Chicago CRED, an organization that focuses on gun violence in Chicago... [and] as Director of the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice.... She also served as a White House Fellow [and]... a program officer with the MacArthur Foundation.... Jones received her J.D. from New York University School of Law and her B.A. from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri." This event is sponsored by The Eli J. & Phyllis N. Segal Citizen Leadership Program at The Center for Youth and Communities.

Professors Harleen Singh, Women’s Studies Research Center (WSRC) director and associate professor of South Asian Literature and Women's Studies and Rajesh Sampath, associate professor of the Philosophy of Justice, Rights, and Social Change at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis, had a discussion about the role of Dalit women in India's Anti-Colonial movement; the participation by members of what once was called the “untouchable” caste in modern Indian government and their conflicted status in Indian society. Explore gender inequality, the caste system, and their intersections in India and the pursuit of justice and equality today. This event is co-sponsored by the Brandeis Women’s Network and a Brandeis Alumni College 2021 event. Watch the recording.

This event featured a panel of alumni and a current student for a discussion of Latina/o/x students at Brandeis. The panel shared their experiences on campus spanning 50 years including student activism - off and on campus - and a history of the student organization, GRITO. The moderator is Heller alum Fernando Torres-Gil, MSW'72, PhD'76. Panelists include undergraduate alumni Naomi Vega '73, Norma Sanchez '84, Blanca Elizabeth Vega '98, Cesar Ramirez '04 and Irma Reyes '21. If you have any questions, please reach out to Elsie Morales Ramos '72. Hosted by the Brandeis Alumni of Color Network. Watch the recording.

The Biden Administration has prioritized the rapid scale up and administering of the COVID vaccine as a key part of the strategy to deal with the virus and create conditions conducive for reopening the economy. At the same time global efforts, through the Covax initiative as well as at country levels, are trying to use collective actions to make the COVID vaccine available to billions of people living in low and middle-income settings. The Biden administration has signalled its commitment to the global effort through a financial commitment in the billions of dollars. The domestic and global responses have come with questions on the rollout itself but equally with issues around ensuring equity and the responsibility of high income countries to low and middle-income countries. This panel brought together representatives from various sectors, domestic and global, to share their perspectives and discuss the issues. Moderated by Dr. Maria Madison, Associate Dean for Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity and Director, Institute for Economic and Racial Equity.

Panelists included Senator Jo Comerford, Massachusetts State Senator for Hampshire, Franklin, and Worcester Districts; Dr. Oneeka Williams, MD, MPH, Practicing surgeon, St. Elizabeth Medical Centre, Boston; Assistant Clinical Professor of Urology, Tufts University School of Medicine; Founder and CEO at Dr. Dee Dee Dynamo, LLC; Vice Chair, Board of Advisors, Museum of Science, Boston; Ms. Sangita Patel, Director Health Office, USAID India; Dan Kress, Vice President for Health Systems Innovation, Management Sciences for Health; Christian von Stolk, Vice President, RAND, & co-author, RAND vaccine nationalism study. This event is co-sponsored by the Institute of Global Health and Development and Institute for Economic and Racial Equity. Questions? Email Monica Jordan. Watch the recording.

In this Conversation with the Dean, David Weil spoke to Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut about her commitment to creating good middle class jobs, promoting employee and union rights, expanding the child tax credit and more. DeLauro became the Chair of the House Appropriations Committee in 2020 and sits on the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee, and she is the Chair of the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee, where she oversees our nation’s investments in education, health, and employment. Read about the event and watch the recording here.

Read more about Rep. DeLauro, her expertise, and biography here.

Calling all alumni in Africa!  Brandeis President Ron Liebowitz and his wife Jessica hosted a Zoom Reception and Q&A for Heller and Brandeis Alumni, Parents, and Friends in Africa. "Brandeis in the Time of COVID-19 and Beyond" Moderated by Heller alum and Board of Advisors member, Charles Nalyaali, MA SID’98, P’20. Heller Professor Joseph Assan joined as moderator for the Q&A portion of the program. Watch the recording.

The 5th Annual Stanley Wallack Distinguished Memorial Lecture featured special guest speaker Chris Jennings, Founder and President, Jennings Policy Strategies Inc. Mr. Jennings served as Senior Advisor to the President for Health Policy under Presidents' Clinton and Obama and most recently appointed to represent President Biden on the Biden-Sanders Unity Task Force. Heller’s Stuart H. Altman, PhD, Sol C. Chaikin Professor of National Health Policy, moderated the discussion and David Weil, Dean and Professor, Heller School for Social Policy and Management, gave opening remarks. The event recording will be posted soon.

To make a gift to the Stanley Wallack Distinguished Memorial Lecture Series, you can make a gift online by including “Stanley Wallack Distinguished Memorial Lecture” to the “Please indicate your preferred designation(s)” field.

David Weil, Heller Dean and Professor, hosted our very first Heller Alumni and Friends Virtual Town Hall featuring the panelists below. Topics included an overall update about Heller, our plan for addressing systematized racism, an update on the student experience during COVID-19, and many ways alumni and friends can interact with and help the Heller School. Even though the Heller School looks different this year compared to previous years, we push forward with hope and vision for a better world. Watch the recording.

Panelists included Benny Belvin, Assistant Dean, Career Development; Ravi Lakshmikanthan, MA SID'99, Assistant Dean, Academic and Student Services; Maria Madison, Associate Dean for Equity, Inclusion and Diversity and Director of the Institute for Assets and Social Policy; and Nicole Rodriguez, MPP'14, Heller Alumni Association Board President.

With the victory of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, what does the road ahead look like in terms of progressive social policies and socio-political movement trends? Dean David Weil facilitated a discussion among four panelists who bring a wealth of experiences and perspectives to this question. Watch the recording.

Panelists: David Weil, Dean and Professor (Moderator); Archon Fung, Professor, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University; Robert Kuttner, Meyer and Ida Kirstein Professor in Social Planning and Administration, The Heller School at Brandeis and Co-founder and former editor of the American Prospect; Chris Lu, Senior Fellow, University of Virginia Miller Center and Former US Deputy Secretary of Labor, Obama Administration; and Carmen Rojas, President and CEO of the Marguerite Casey Foundation and Founder of Workers Lab.

In the words of John Lewis, "Democracy is not a state. It is an act." The Heller Dean, David Weil, facilitated a panel discussion of democratic participation, civic engagement, and voting access in advance of Election Day. Panelists included David Weil, Dean and Professor, The Heller School, Brandeis University; Anita Hill, University Professor of Social Policy, Law, and Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies, Brandeis University; Fernando Torres-Gil, MSW'72, PhD'76, Director, Center for Policy Research on Aging and Professor of Social Welfare and Public Policy, Luskin School of Public Affairs, University of California; and Daniel Kryder, Louis Stulberg Chair in Law and Politics, Brandeis University. Watch the recording.

A second Conversation, "Politics and Policy: The Path Forward," will take place after the election and information on that event will be shared in November.

As a community dedicated to the pursuit and diffusion of knowledge advancing social justice, we are launching our first Heller community reading initiative this academic year. Throughout the year, beginning with incoming students at Orientation, we will read and discuss From #Black Lives Matter to Black Liberation by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, published in 2016. This ongoing conversation will include everyone in the Heller community: faculty, researchers, administrative staff, students and alumni. 

Dr. Taylor is Assistant Professor and Charles H. Mcilwain University Preceptor, Department of African Studies at Princeton University. She writes and speaks on Black politics, social movements and racial inequality in the United States. Dr. Taylor was recently named among the first cohort of Freedom Scholars, an initiative supporting progressive academics who are at the forefront of movements for economic and social justice. Learn more about Dr. Taylor by watching her TedxBaltimore presentation.

Following the conversation with Dr. Taylor, attendees were invited to join a Bridge to Beloved Community with Joy von Steiger from the Brandeis Counseling Center. This short, informal and interactive session is intended intended to help deal with the many pressures we are all facing in these difficult times.

Watch the recording.

Access to the book is remains available free of charge to members of the Heller community. For information to access the book, alumni can email helleralumni@brandeis.edu.

This was a cross-disciplinary discussion on racism as a public health and economic crisis, with a focus on action. Presenters included Leah Wright Rigueur, PhD, Harry Truman Associate Professor of History, Brandeis University; Bill Rodgers, PhD, Chief Economist, Heldrich Center for Workforce Development, Rutgers University; Anita Hill, JD, Professor of Social Policy, Law and Women's Gender and Sexuality Studies, Brandeis University; and moderated by Maria Madison, ScD, Associate Dean, Equity, Inclusion and Diversity, The Heller School, Brandeis University. Watch the recording.

As we approach the next presidential election, we are reminded of the people helping to pass voting rights through the 15th, 19th and 26th Amendments to the Constitution. Fannie Lou Hamer captured the frustration with her famous quote we use for the title of this session. We are also mindful of the role of the political and moral determinants of health and financial equity. These variables partnered with our outrage over continued violence by police against black and brown bodies, fuels our desire for this conversation now across multidisciplinary scholars. This session highlighted the historical and current context of racism in the United States. Carrying forward the legacies for activism established throughout history, participants discussed structural, systemic and personal methodologies, for social justice activism.

This event is sponsored by the Institute on Assets and Social Policy, the Heller Students Association and the Office of the Dean at the Heller School, and by the Department of African and African American Studies and Brandeis Black Graduate Student Association, Brandeis University.

This was a special briefing call for members of the Brandeis Alumni of Color Network hosted by the AOC committee. Hear from President Ron Liebowitz and Chief Diversity Officer and Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Mark Brimhall-Vargas about the impact of the #BlackLivesMatter protests and COVID-19 on the AOC community. We discussed how Brandeis is responding as well as opportunities for advancing social justice against systemic racism. Watch the recording.

As the violent deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and too many others have shown us yet again, entrenched systemic racism threatens the very lives of Black people in the United States. United by both our commitment to the pursuit of knowledge and as a community that considers social justice central to our mission, this event examined this issue in the larger society and at Brandeis itself. Moderated by Chad Williams who is the Samuel J. and Augusta Spector Chair in History and the Chair of the African and African American Studies department. This panel brought together University Professor Anita Hill, Daniel Kryder who is the Louis Stulberg Chair in Law and Politics, and Leah Wright Rigueur who is the Harry Truman Associate Professor of History, for an in-depth discussion from multiple scholarly perspectives of this moment, its historical precedents, and possible outcomes. This discussion was sponsored by the Department of African and African American Studies; Department of Politics; Department of History; Heller School for Social Policy and Management; Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; Office of the President; and the Office of the Provost. Watch the recording.

Racism is not an isolated incident, but rather a belief and system entrenched in American society. Brandeis and Heller alumni are invited to join us for a student center Zoom conference to advance racial justice. Each author will discuss the core points of their paper and propose a solution to the racial issue they identified in their paper. Watch a video about the event. Topics discussed include: COVID-19 and Race by Dr. Callie Watkins Liu, PhD'16; Racialized Disability: A New Framework of Rights by Anna Clements, PhD candidate; Restorative and Transformative Justice Towards Truth and Racial Reconciliation (The need for reparations) by Ona Wang, MA COEX'20; and Survival within Inequality (Two interwoven personal narratives about two people of color who grew-up in the Boston area) by Milan Friedman, Stonehill College '20.

For more information, contact HellerSankofaConference@gmail.com. Learn more about the Office of Equity, Inclusion and Diversity. The recording will be posted in the near future. Read more about this event.

The third and final event in the COVID-19 and its Social Policy Implications: Heller Perspectives event series.

• Stuart Altman, Sol C. Chaikin Professor of National Health Policy, Heller School, Brandeis University
• Maria Madison, Associate Dean for Equity, Inclusion & Diversity, Heller School, Brandeis University
• Christine E. Bishop, Atran Professor of Labor Economics
• Diana Bowser, Associate Professor, Heller School, Brandeis University
• A.K. Nandakumar, Professor of the Practice, Director, MS Program in Global Health Policy, and Director, Institute for Global Health and Development, Schneider Institutes for Health Policy, Heller School, Brandeis University

We know a US job search for international students may present challenges. Yet, many international Heller alumni have successfully connected to a job or other professional opportunities in the US. How did they do it? What strategies and tips made them successful? What resources were helpful? What were some of the challenges in connecting to opportunities in the US? Attendees learned about key tips, strategies, and resources for navigating a job search in the US by hearing from 4 alumni and 1 current student who have made connections and opportunities work in their favor.

Bryan Kanney, Assistant Director, Heller Career Development Center, moderated the panel which included Samira Bari, MA SID'20, Staff Planning and Support Lead (COVID Response), American Red Cross; Martins Francis, MS'19, Senior Associate, Policy Analytics, Avalere Health; Nittaya Saenbut, MA SID'14, Program Associate & Administrator, True Costs Initiative; Ye (Zhang) Pogue, PhD'19, Research Public Health Analyst, RTI International; and Davron Mirsagatov, MA SID'16, Program Manager, American Councils for International Education.

The second event in the COVID-19 and its Social Policy Implications: Heller Perspectives event series.

• Lisa Lynch, Provost, Brandeis University
• Robert Kuttner, Meyer and Ida Kirstein Professor in Social Planning and Administration, Heller School, Brandeis University
• Dolores Acevedo-Garcia, Samuel F. and Rose B. Gingold Professor of Human Development and Social Policy; Director, Institute for Child, Youth and Family Policy, Heller School, Brandeis University
• David Weil, Dean and Professor, Heller School, Brandeis University

Read more Heller COVID-19 stories. Watch the recording.

• Jerome Kim, MD, Director General of the International Vaccine Institute, Professor of Medicine at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
• Mike VanRooyen, MD, Professor at Harvard Medical School and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Chairman, Brigham & Women's Hospital Department of Emergency Medicine, Director of the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative
• Maria Madison, Associate Dean for Equity, Inclusion & Diversity, Heller School, Brandeis University
• Alain Lempereur, Alan B. Slifka Professor and Program Director, MA in Conflict Resolution and Coexistence, Heller School, Brandeis University and Harvard Program on Negotiation

Racial composition shocks during the Great Migration (1940-1970) lowered black upward mobility in the northern United States. The Migration’s effects on children are driven by location factors, not negative selection of families. Migration led to persistent segregation and higher police spending, crime, and incarceration from the 1960s onward. The changes induced by the Migration explain 27% of the region’s racial upward mobility gap today. Co-sponsored by the Heller School and Economics Department Joint Seminar Series. Listen to the recording.

Ellora Derenoncourt is an economist who works on labor economics, economic history, and inequality. She is currently a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Industrial Relations Section at Princeton University Department of Economics. In July 2020, she will join the faculty at UC Berkeley, in the Economics department and the Goldman School of Public Policy. She received her PhD in Economics from Harvard University.

In commemoration of International Women’s Day, Professor Anita Hill hosted a virtual gathering of Heller School alumni and students. The webinar involved a panel of experts comprised of Heller alumni who have contributed significantly to advocating for greater gender equity. Panelists included: Odgerel Dashzeveg MA SID'07; Seraphine Mukankubito, MA SID/COEX'12; Laurie Nsiah-Jefferson '80, PhD'06; Chhoeki Penjor, MA SID'11. Professor Hill lead the discussion on reducing gender disparities and areas where greater emphasis needs to be placed during this new decade. Listen to the recording.

Over 150 Heller alumni, students, faculty, and staff gathered in Washington, DC to socialize, reconnect, network and enjoy light refreshments. This event was co-hosted by Heller Alumni Relations and the Heller Career Development Center as part of their annual Washington, DC Career Trek. The event included concurrent panel sessions focused on domestic and international policy, chaired by Michael Doonan, PhD'02, Associate Professor and Director, MPP Program and Ravi Lakshmikanthan, MA SID'99, Assistant Dean for Academic and Student Services. Domestic alumni panelists included Elle Chang, MA SID'15; Sarah Leonard, MA COEX/MS'19; Phoenicia Lewis, MA SID/COEX'17; Brett Jordan, MPP'16; and Darley Tom, MA SID'11. International alumni panelists included Amira Abouhussein, MA SID/COEX'17; Pertula George-Redd, MA SID'08; Burhan Razi, MA SID'15; Prapti Sherchan, MBA'13; and Indalecio Vallejos, MA SID/COEX'13. Panel sessions were followed by an alumni and student networking reception.

Welcoming remarks and presentation by Alain Lempereur, SJD, Director, MA in Conflict Resolution and Coexistence Program. Professor Lempereur, wrote "The First Move. A Negotiator’s Companion," a bestseller that sold tens of thousands of copies in 15 languages, presented a series of first moves to invite you to do first things first in negotiation, increase your power as a negotiator and also enjoy everyday dealmaking and conflict resolution.

Candidates are running on a platform of change, specifically in the way our nation delivers and pays for health care. As the 2020 elections approach, we heard from a panel of experts who outlined and discussed the major healthcare policy challenges and opportunities and their potential impact on our country, our commonwealth, and ourselves. Panelists include Dr. Carole Allen, Executive MBA’17, Vice President, Massachusetts Medical Society; Michael Doonan, PhD’02, Associate Professor and Director, Masters of Public Policy Program; and Cindy Friedman, Massachusetts State Senator. Moderator: Elana Margolis ’97, senior director of state government and regulatory affairs, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts. Hosted by: Doug Rosner ’88, Goulston & Storrs, Boston, MA. Read full biographies.

The United States is in the midst of an opioid crisis: More than 100 Americans die every day from overdosing on opioids. Dr. Andrew Kolodny, Heller School faculty member, medical director for OPRC, a national expert on the opioid crisis and an outspoken critic of Purdue Pharma and other opioid makers, discussed how a flood of prescription opioids resulted in an epidemic of addiction and what’s needed to bring the crisis to an end.

In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day and the Ford Hall anniversaries, Sankofa Community Conversations presented by the Heller Office of Equity, Inclusion and Diversity offered a two day event, titled "Ford Hall: Closing the Disparity Gap." On Tuesday, January 21, 2020 was "Ford Hall Commemorative Community Discussion & Film" with Kwesi Jones '21. On Wednesday, January 22, 2020 was "Revisiting the 'N-Word': Intent vs. Impact in Communication" presented by Liz Pryor, Associate Professor of History at Smith College followed by "Charge to Remember" presented by Heller PhD candidate Jarvis Williams.

Welcoming remarks: Ravi Lakshmikanthan, MA SID'99, Assistant Dean, Academic and Student Services

Presentation by: Alain Lempereur, SJD, Director, MA in Conflict Resolution and Coexistence Program

Ravi Lakshmikanthan and Alain Lempereur were in Mumbai, India and hosted this event to bring together Brandeis and Heller alumni and prospective students. Alain Lempereur, who wrote "The First Move. A Negotiator’s Companion," a bestseller that sold tens of thousands of copies in 15 languages, presented a series of first moves to invite you to do first things first in negotiation, increase your power as a negotiator and also enjoy everyday dealmaking and conflict resolution.

Sarah LaMorey, MA SID/COEX'19, Program Coordinator, Graduate Program in Conflict Resolution and Coexistence, hosted alumni and prospective students at the Camellia Restaurant in Kigali, Rwanda.

Sarah LaMorey, MA SID/COEX'19, Program Coordinator, Graduate Program in Conflict Resolution and Coexistence, hosted alumni and prospective students at the Holiday Inn in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.