Magazine Archives

• Letter from the interim dean
• A Moment of Serendipity Joseph Assan shares how he crossed paths with Laurence Simon at a conference, leading to a new chapter in his career with Heller’s MA in Sustainable International Development program
• Creating a Self-Sufficient Future Three Heller Social Impact MBA/MA in Sustainable International Development alumni share what they have learned from working with Fab Labs and Makerspaces
• Voices of Heller: Podcast Playlist A podcast playlist featuring Heller community members who moonlight as podcast hosts, or pinch-hit as guest experts on podcasts we all know and love
• Q & A with Bawi Mang Lian, MS GHPM/MA SID’23 Bawi Mang Lian talks about navigating political unrest to provide critical health care
• In Focus: In support of the Colombian Peace Process, Everyday Peace Indicators (EPI) has integrated photovoice into its Everyday Justice project in Colombia.

In Case You Missed It

• “Closing the Equity Gap” with Impact Investors Freada Kapor Klein, PhD’84, and Mitch Kapor
• Brandeis punches above its weight in social science research

Alumni Milestones

• Sam Hyun, MPP/MBA’22: Featured in BOLD 9
• Morgan Crossman, PhD’15: One of Vermont’s Rising Stars
• Summer Jackson, MA SID’13: Studying organizational inequality
• Larry Tobin, Hornstein MA’17, Heller MBA’17: Helping refugees resettle

*The summer 2023 edition of Heller Magazine is entirely digital, with no print issue.

• Letter from the interim dean
• Championing Social Justice: Interim Dean Maria Madison embraces an equity-centered approach to leadership
• Is the End of Child Poverty in Sight? The Institute for Child, Youth and Family Policy is pushing to end child poverty — without losing sight of equity
• Drinking in the Data: Heller’s NIAAA training program prepares the next generation of researchers to investigate causes and solutions for alcohol use and misuse
• Q & A with Neh Meh, MA SID/COEX’23: Neh Meh on her practicum working with Karenni refugees on the Thai border
• In Focus: During her practicum at the SEGA Girls’ Secondary School in Morogoro, Tanzania, Beatriz Pleités, MA SID’23, finds inspiration in the students who are working to become community leaders

In Case You Missed It

• A closer look at the history of surveillance and racial inequity
• Heller welcomes new director of Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity

Alumni Milestones

• Abdishakur Ahmed, MA SID’20: Advancing sustainable energy in Somalia
• Dr. Jill M. Baren, EMBA’19: From physician to college president
• Yuqi Wang, MBA/MPP’20: Fostering equity in Kendall Square’s business sector
• Isaac Cudjoe, MA COEX’18: The new Heller Alumni Association Board president

Welcoming New Faculty

• Alexandra Piñeros-Shields, PhD’07, Visiting Associate Professor of the Practice of Racial Equity
• Mursal Manati, Visiting Scholar

Accessible PDF - Winter 2023 issue

• Letter from the interim dean
• Fabric of Change: Ambreen Khan, MA SID’19, fosters economic empowerment for artisan women from Pakistan to Texas in an increasingly competitive marketplace
• Children in Crisis: Dr. Ilan Schwartz, EMBA’21, established the award-winning Child Psychiatry Short Stay Service to ease pressure on Massachusetts’ strained care system
• The Power of Storytelling: Economist and professor Lisa Lynch, P’17, H’17, helps students make sense of an economy and labor market unlike any other
• Q & A with Habiba Braimah, PhD candidate: As the director of the Brandeis University Intercultural Center, Habiba Braimah fosters a welcoming community where diverse experiences and perspectives are valued
• In Focus: PhD candidate Teresa Kroeger’s research lens illuminates her perspective as a professional photographer

In Case You Missed It

• Heller-led teams sweep at Brandeis’ largest start-up pitch competition
• Institute for Economic and Racial Equity receives $1 million gift to establish Racial Justice x Tech Policy initiative
• Heller launches Undergraduate Research Fellows program

Alumni Milestones

• Jessica Sanon, MBA’18: One of the BOLD 9: Brandeis’ annual list of up-and-coming recent alumni
  
• Matthew Brookner, MPP/MA’13, PhD’21: Digging into the data
• Mariama Khan, MA SID’08: Becoming a cultural scholar
• Lange Le, MPP’10: Bringing the Affordable Care Act from theory to practice

Accessible PDF - Summer 2022 issue

• Letter from the dean
• Health Policy Change-Makers: Heller alumni are advancing health equity from every angle
• It’s a Problem So Big, We Have to Solve It: In a powerful new book, Anita Hill describes the true costs and consequences of gender-based violence
• Fighting for Energy Justice: Paula Garcia, MA SID’13, is taking a people-first approach to solving the climate crisis
• Q & A with “The Farmer Foodie”: Meet Alison Elliott, MBA/MA SID’22, who is passionate about using social entrepreneurship to promote sustainable agriculture practices
• In Focus: Associate Dean Maria Madison brings her restorative justice expertise to The Robbins House

In Case You Missed It

• Banner Month: Heller receives $11M in grant funding for disparities-related research in September 2021
• MPP Program Launches Environmental Justice Concentration

Alumni Milestones

• Jessica Santos, PhD’15: Research Center for Immigrant Health Selects Heller Alumna as Inaugural Director
  
• Tom Sannicandro, PhD’16: New Nonprofit Eases Estate-Planning Process for Parents of Children with Disabilities
• Ziyanda Stuurman, MA SID’20: Alumna Authors Book on Future of Policing in South Africa
• Thomas P. Glynn III, MSW’72, PhD’77: Celebrating a Career Built on Solving Big Public-Administration Challenges

Accessible PDF - Winter 2022 issue

• Letter from the dean

• Advancing access to independent living: The Community Living Policy Center helps win increased funding for home- and community-based services for people with disabilities in the American Rescue Plan

• The overlooked children: Institute for Child, Youth and Family Policy research informs new policies to include children in immigrant families in essential safety net programs

• Accelerating Africa’s (technology) revolution: Amrote Abdella, MA SID’07, is expanding internet access and supporting African-led start-ups at Microsoft’s 4Afrika Initiative

• Beyond “Do no harm”: Four students reflect on ethical dilemmas in international development and peacebuilding – and how Heller is teaching them to challenge the status quo

• A big-picture approach to better health care: Health policy experts Jennifer Perloff and Robert Mechanic explain how Accountable Care Organizations could remake our health care system

• Creative community-building during a pandemic school year: How Heller students have found ways to stay connected during a challenging pandemic school year

Alumni Milestones

• Cal Harris, MPP’10: Building a system that works for everyone
• Christopher Ives, MA SID’11: Introducing the world’s most eco-friendly camper van
• Constance Fairweather Kane, PhD’85: Empowering women, children through education in Ghana
• Barbara Nobles Crawford, PhD’84: Opening doors and changing systems for underrepresented and marginalized people
• Emilia Dunham, MBA/MPP’15: Connecting justice-involved individuals with critical behavioral health care
• Making connections with the new B Connect

*The summer 2021 edition of Heller Magazine is entirely digital, with no print issue. 

• 2020 asks us: If not now, when? Dean David Weil shares reflections on a year like no other
• Physician leaders meet the challenge of a career: Students and alumni draw on EMBA skills, resources and connections to navigate the pandemic
• Reimagining policing in America: Heller students and alumni work to advance policies and programs for racial equity, police accountability and community safety
• The forgotten frontline workers: The precarious world of nursing home workers during the COVID-19 pandemic

Heller Alumni Award Winners (Alumni Profiles):

• Fernando Torres-Gil, MSW’72, PhD’76: Advising presidents from Carter through Obama on aging and disability policy
• Van Ngoc Ta, MA SID’12: Working to end modern-day slavery and human trafficking in Vietnam 
• Elisa Trotta Gamus, MA COEX/MA SID’11: Fighting for democracy and human rights in Venezuela
• Heather McMann, MBA’12: Building a healthier, more equitable community in Lawrence, Massachusetts

• Professor Emerita Donates Retirement Fund to Support Heller Students 
• Peak Inspiration: Daniel Mazur, PhD’00, scales the planet’s highest summits and gives back to the communities that call those mountains home
• Celebrating Heller at 60
  • Letter From 60th Anniversary Steering Committee Co-chairs
  • Reflections from Dean David Weil on Heller’s 60th Birthday
  • The Best Lessons I Learned at Heller: Alumni share stories about their favorite professors
  • Then and Now: Heller by the Numbers
  • Then and Now: Heller Policy Impact
  • 60 Heller Alumni Around the World
  • Deans’ Stories: Stuart Altman, Jack Shonkoff and Lisa Lynch look back on their time leading the Heller School
• Tracking Fentanyl in the Drug Supply: Traci Green puts public health first with new services for users to test their drugs
• Alumni Milestones:
  • Maryse Pearce, MBA/MPP’18: Strengthening the LGBTQ Community in New York City
  • Sydney Skov, MA SID’15: Shining a light on dance and development
  • Evan Hochberg, MMHS’96: Creating social change through philanthropy
  • Kathy Byers, MSW’71, honored as National Association of Social Work Pioneer

Accessible PDF - Summer 2020 issue

• Dual Degrees Rise in Popularity at Heller
• Rescuing History: King Davis, PhD’72, harnesses his Heller education and decades of experience to save a vital trove of health history
• Opportunity Knocks Across the Nation: The Child Opportunity Index from the Institute for Child, Youth and Family Policy inspires policymakers and practitioners to improve the lives of the youngest members of their communities
• The Power of Local Public Service: Heller alumni share why they’ve chosen careers in city and county governments across the United States
• Understanding Everyday Peace: New COEX Associate Professor Pamina Firchow brings unique, participatory peace and conflict research to Heller
• Perspectives: Bridging the Disparities Gap in the Opioid Crisis: Maria Madison and Andrew Kolodny discuss how the prevailing narrative around the opioid addiction epidemic fails to recognize its effects on nonwhite populations
• Alumni Milestones:
  • Antoinette Hays, PhD’90, receives Living Legends in Massachusetts nursing award
  • Nicole Rodriguez, MPP’14: Leading policy change for low-income people
  • Adeyemi Okunogbe, MS GHPM’12: Improving health systems globally
  • Shadi Sheikhsaraf, MA SID/COEX’17: Improving the lives of displaced people

Accessible PDF - Winter 2019 issue

• Who Is Your Social Justice Hero? Heller community members share stories of those who have inspired them in their work
• The Toughest Job You'll Ever Love: Returned Peace Corps Volunteers on their passion for service, why they chose Heller and their lifelong bond
• From Social Policy to Sesame Street: Sesame Workshop's chief knowledge officer Michael Levine, PhD'85, on his career in early education and child development
• Bringing Big Business to the Fight Against Climate Change: Pallavee Panchal, MBA/MA SID'16, is advancing corporate sustainability at Citi, the 200-year-old multinational banking and financial services company
• Shepherd, Scholar and Social Entrepreneur: Roba Bulga Jilo, MBA/MA SID’19, fights for the rights of indigenous people around the world — including his own tribe in Ethiopia
• Perspectives: Thomas Shapiro describes how emergency savings funds could become a mainstream workplace benefit, helping workers cope with financial crises

Accessible PDF - Summer 2019 issue

• The Right to Parent: PhD candidate Robyn Powell is fighting for the rights of parents with disabilities, and it’s personal
• Redefining Opioid Addiction Treatment: An excellent medication exists to treat people addicted to opioids. Why aren’t we using it?
• Where the Rubber Meets the Road: Susan Windham-Bannister, PhD’77, navigates the intersections of science, business and policy to spur life sciences innovation
• Building Welcoming Places: The Sillerman Center engages philanthropic organizations in northern New England around immigrant integration efforts
• Get to know the Incoming 2018 Class: Every Heller student has an incredible story, a drive to make change, a purpose to fulfill and a goal for their future. Read about six of them here
• Perspectives: Joel Cutcher-Gershenfeld gives readers a master class on a technique to facilitate culture change, borrowing from his work with the geoscience community

Accessible PDF - Winter 2018 issue

• Simulated Society, Real Lessons: COEX Program Director Alain Lempereur uses an exercise called SIMSOC around the world—from Burundi to his classroom at Heller—to shed light on social inequities
• Optimism of the Heart: Professor Robert Kuttner on his latest book, that infamous phone call from Steve Bannon, and a lifetime on the left edge of the possible
• Changing the Future Through Fellowships: How critical financial support from Heller alumni and friends helps students—especially international ones—transform their lives and the communities around them
• A Community for Life: The Eli J. & Phyllis N. Segal Citizen Leadership Program celebrates its 10th anniversary
• Excellence Rising: A Fresh Start on Equity, Inclusion and Diversity at Heller: A perspectives column authored by Maria Madison, the associate dean for equity, inclusion and diversity 

Accessible PDF - Summer 2018 issue

• The Academic Advocate: The Heller School welcomed David Weil, workplace and labor policy expert and former Obama appointee, as the school’s dean in August 2017
• Connecting the Dots on Criminal Justice Reform: From policing to substance abuse to recidivism and re-entry, Heller MPP researchers and alumni strive for change at every level of the justice system
• WorkAround: Three Heller alumnae have founded a startup company that provides online micro-tasking jobs to refugees and displaced people around the globe
• Heller's Homegrown Global Ambassador: Ravi Lakshmikanthan, Heller’s assistant dean for academic and student services, builds connections for alumni around the world
• Homelessness is, Foremost, a Housing Problem: Tatjana Meschede reflects on her work on homelessness in the U.S. 

Accessible PDF - Winter 2017 issue

• In the Age of Trump: Faculty from Heller’s academic programs respond to the new presidential administration’s policy agenda
• Taking Aim at America's Opioid Crisis: How a team of researchers from the Institute for Behavioral Health is pointing policymakers in a more effective direction
• At the Intersection: Heller's new Executive MBA for Physicians program aims to improve health care by helping doctors take the lead
• Watch City/La Ciudad de Reloj: Building a dual-immersion language program in Waltham public kindergarten
• Who's With Me in the Classroom: Professor and Sillerman Center Director Susan Eaton shares the lessons she keeps close to heart that she learned from her former teachers and mentors

Accessible PDF - Summer 2017 issue

• Hacking Bias in the Tech Industry: Freada Kapor Klein, PhD'84, co-founder of Project Include, brings research to bear on diversity and inclusion efforts in Silicon Valley
• Right in Their Backyard: How three prominent Heller researchers and an alumna lend their strong voices to the cause of affordable housing in their hometown of Newton, Mass.
• Inside Man: Edwin Pool, MA SID'17, wants to be an agent of change for a sustainable future
• A Herculean Tradition: The Team Consulting Project comes full circle for one Heller MBA alumna
• My Journey to Belong and Empower Others to Find Their Space in the World: Tam Emerson, director of the Eli J. Segal Citizen Leadership Program, reflects on her recent visit to Columbia--her first time back since being adopted from Bogotá almost 30 years ago at the age of six months

• Neuroscience for Peace
• On the Ground: And (Social) Justice for All
• Two Steps Forward, No Steps Back
• Heart, Soul and Commitment 
• "While I Ran to War, She Ran From It": The Story of a U.S. Veteran and a Syrian Expatriate

• At the Intersection of Race and Disability
• On the Ground: Dengue Control in Mexico
• A Distinctive History in Health Care
• Social Justice Insurrection
• Inclusive Communities and the Future of Anti-Discrimination Forensics 

• On the Ground: Ebola Response in Liberia
• The Founding Mother
• Keeping Up with the Neighbors
• The Future of Youth Policy
• Banner Years 

• Bridging the Doctor-Patient Disconnect
• Ruderman Scholars Delve into Disability Challenges
• Real Lives, Real Dreams
• A Necessary Hero
• Protagonists of Change 
• Helping, In Just the Right Way
• Big Data, Big Insights into Healthy Aging
• A Nation Addicted
• Healing Invisible Scars
• The Reality of the American Dream

• Research, Policy and Action for Seniors and Children
• Managing Organizations with a Social Mission

• Shaping and Examining Policy
• Advocacy and Education

• Citizen Leadership