Leadership Team

Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Dean of Academic Affairs for Arts and Sciences
Professor of Education

As Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Bárbara supports all GSAS programs and serves as the liaison between students, faculty, and administration on all aspects of graduate education within the school. This includes key initiatives, such as strengthening the quality and diversity of the graduate student body and integrating career and professional development training into our students’ education. The Dean of GSAS also serves as an Academic Dean of Arts and Sciences, and supervises the departments of Education, Occupational Therapy, and Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning, as well as the Museum Studies, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice Leadership, and Data Analytics programs.

Before taking on these deanships, Bárbara served as a Dean of Academic Affairs for Arts and Sciences from 2014 to 2021 and as an Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion for Arts and Sciences from 2019 to 2021. She began her career at Tufts in 2001 in the Department of Education. Explore her faculty profile.

Director and Chief Curator, Tufts University Art Galleries

As Director and Chief Curator of the Tufts University Art Galleries, Dina oversees the temporary exhibitions and public programs at the Aidekman Arts Center on the Medford campus and at the SMFA at Tufts Boston campus in addition to the university’s Permanent Art Collection. She also organizes contemporary art exhibitions and chairs the university’s Gifts of Art and Public Art Committees.

Dean of the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts
Professor of the Practice

As Dean of the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts, Scheri oversees all operations at SMFA at Tufts. She works closely with faculty and staff across the university to forge curricular and co-curricular connections between and among artists and other academic practitioners. Scheri joined the SMFA faculty in 2023. Explore her faculty profile. 

Executive Administrative Dean

As Executive Administrative Dean, Chris Helmuth is the lead administrative representative for the School of Arts and Sciences overseeing the effective use of the school’s resources including personnel, budgets, technology, and facilities. He is also responsible for strategic planning and assessment, financial management and oversight, space planning, and school-based technology.

Previously, Chris served from 2015 to 2018 as Director of Budget Services at Tufts for the Boston Health Sciences Campus including the School of Medicine, the School of Dental Medicine, the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, and the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA). Chris has a wealth of experience in financial and administrative management in higher education. Prior to coming to Tufts, he worked at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health for nine years, most recently as the Director of Finance & Administration for the Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases. Chris earned his Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Emerson College where he wrote literary fiction, and his BA in English from Grove City College.

Senior Director of Administration

Working closely with the Executive Administrative Dean, the Director of Administration provides oversight on all administrative and financial matters pertaining to the school including policy development, employee compensation and equity, and facility management. Tony and his colleagues help ensure that school resources—financial, physical, and human capital—are allocated in a manner that coincides with the strategic plans of both the school and university. Tony also serves on several University-wide committees pertaining to Human Resources, IT, and space & facilities management.

Tony joined Tufts in 2011. From 2011-2015 Tony served as Budget Fiscal Officer in the University’s Central Finance Office and from 2015-2016 served as Director of Budget Services at Tufts for AS&E. Before coming to Tufts, he spent six years at Genzyme Corporation within the Personalized Genetic Health finance team, and seven years in banking, mainly with State Street Corporation’s Wealth Management Services division. He has an MBA from Boston College and a BS in Business Management from Ithaca College.

Dean of Academic Affairs for Arts and Sciences
Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion for Arts and Sciences
Nathan and Alice Gantcher Professor in Judaic Studies

As Dean of Academic Affairs, Heather supervises the chairs and directors of nearly half of the school’s departments and programs. In addition, she supervises the faculty affairs staff who manage contracts, leaves, and human resources issues of our faculty. She is also responsible for leading key A&S initiatives including the accreditation process and negotiating union contract renewals. In addition, Heather represents Arts and Sciences on the university-wide Cabinet on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and specifically focuses on the needs and concerns of faculty and staff.

Before joining the Dean’s Office, Heather joined the faculty at the Department of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies in 2013. Explore her faculty profile.

Director of Marketing and Communications

As Director of Marketing and Communications, Amanda leads the marketing and communications strategies for the School of Arts and Sciences, the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts. She and her team provide communication, marketing, and editorial support for the schools with the goal of enhancing the reputation and visibility of Arts and Sciences to audiences both within and beyond Tufts.

Prior to joining Tufts, Amanda held various roles in both the corporate and nonprofit sectors. Most recently, she was the head of Corporate Communications at AXA Art Americas Corporation, an international specialty fine art insurer, where she oversaw the communications and marketing strategy for the company’s business across North and South America. She has also held positions at Harvard Medical School and Preserve Rhode Island. Amanda received her BA in Art History and Architectural Studies, magna cum laude, from Tufts University and her MS in Integrated Marketing with a concentration in Digital Marketing from New York University.

Senior Director of Development

As Senior Director of Development, Matt Scheck leads fundraising for the School of Arts and Sciences, managing key fundraising staff focused on major gifts, SMFA at Tufts, Hillel and Athletics. He brings nearly 20 years of management and development experience to the role, from UC Berkeley, Manhattanville College. He joined the A&D development team in 2013. He received his BA in Philosophy and English from Colby College, and a Master's in Public Administration from the NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. 

Dean of Research, School of Arts and Sciences
Professor of Psychology

As Dean of Research, Ayanna coordinates strategic planning and implementation for research across the school. She serves as primary advisor to the Dean and works to support department chairs and faculty in research matters. In addition, Ayanna is a key liaison between the Office of the Vice Provost of Research and our faculty in promoting and facilitating the research mission of the school and the university. She manages the school’s Research Administration team and sits on the University-wide Research Council. She also oversees the Visiting and Early Research Scholars' Experience (VERSE) Program.

Ayanna joined the Tufts faculty in 2007 as a member of the Department of Psychology. Explore her faculty profile.

Dean of Academic Affairs for Arts and Sciences
Professor of Chemistry 

As Dean of Academic Affairs, Sam supervises a large portfolio of department chairs and program directors. In addition, he supervises the staff in the AS&E Undergraduate Education division including the departments of Undergraduate Advising, Global Education, International Programs and Partnerships, and the StAAR Center.

Before becoming a dean, Sam joined the faculty at Tufts in the Department of Chemistry in 2009. Explore his faculty profile.

Associate Dean of Student Accessibility and Academic Resources

As Associate Dean of Student Accessibility and Academic Resources, Kirsten oversees the day to day management of the StAAR Center. The StAAR Center offers academic resource support to all students in the form of academic coaching, writing support, subject tutoring and academic and non-academic accommodation support for students with disabilities. Kirsten also works closely with and educates campus partners, including faculty, to ensure that each aspect of the collegiate experience is inclusive for all. 

Kirsten is co-author of the book Reach Everyone, Teach Everyone: Universal Design for Learning in Higher Education (West Virginia University Press, 2018). She is also an adjunct professor at Suffolk University, where she cofounded and teaches in the graduate certificate program on disability services in higher education. Kirsten received her BA from Bates College and her MA from Boston University.   

Dean of Admissions & Enrollment Management

Joseph "JT" Duck serves as Dean of Admissions for the School of Arts and Sciences (including SMFA at Tufts) and the School of Engineering, overseeing both the undergraduate and graduate admissions offices.

JT joined Tufts in September 2019 from Swarthmore College, where he served as Director of Admissions. A first-generation college student, he has nearly 20 years of experience in higher education admissions and leadership, college counseling, and helping students and families navigate admissions processes. Prior to working at Swarthmore, JT held admissions positions at MIT, Haverford College, Brandeis University, and worked in college counseling at Boston University Academy. He earned a BA in Comparative Literature (French and English literature) from Haverford College and an MEd in higher education administration from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Associate Dean and Senior Director, Tufts Global Education

As Associate Dean and Senior Director of Tufts Global Education, Mala oversees Tufts Programs Abroad, external study abroad programs, global partnerships for custom student programs, visiting international exchange students, and faculty-led courses abroad. Mala works closely with partners across the University on global initiatives and international operations.

Mala joined Tufts in June 2019 from MIT, where she was Managing Director for MIT-India, part of the MIT International Science & Technology Initiatives. Prior to working at MIT, Mala was Associate Director with Intrax Education Abroad in San Francisco and Program Manager at PVA Educational Consultants in Palo Alto where she developed international programs for universities and non-profits. As Coordinator of Multicultural Affairs and Multicultural Center at Bates College, and through her work as the Graduate Women's Coordinator at Stanford University she focused on student affairs and DEI. She held multiple roles at the Women of Color Resource Center in Berkeley connecting grassroots organizers with academic research and global partners. She holds a MA from Stanford University and a BA from Bates College.

Associate Dean, Student Administrative Services 

As the Associate Dean, Student Administrative Services, JoAnn is charged with overseeing and continually improving the work and operations of Student Services, the Office of the Registrar, and Information Technology for Admissions. She also works with campus partners to continually improve the student experience at Tufts. 

JoAnn began her career in student services while earning a BA at North Adams State College. Her first job was working in financial aid at Boston University where she earned an MEd specializing in Higher Education Administration. JoAnn was recruited to Tufts from Bentley College more than 20 years ago to lead the Student Services Desk Team as part of Tufts' newly established Student Services organization.

Associate Dean of Student Diversity, Inclusion, and Success

As Associate Dean of Student Diversity, Inclusion, and Success, Ellise leads the Division of Student Diversity and Inclusion, which is shared by both the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Engineering. The Division of Student Diversity and Inclusion includes the Center for STEM Diversity and the seven Identity-based Centers: Africana Center, Asian-American Center, FIRST Resource Center, Indigenous Center, Latinx Center, LGBT Center, and Women’s Center. Both individually and collectively, the centers seek to promote understanding, community, and belonging across the Tufts communities. Ellise works on issues of diversity, inclusion, equity, and justice across the undergraduate student experience, from matriculation to graduation in collaboration with Admissions, Student Affairs, Student Services, Undergraduate Education and Advising and many other student-facing departments. She is also a Research Assistant Professor in the Center for Engineering Education and Outreach (CEEO) and an Institute for Research on Learning and Instruction (IRLI) collaborating staff member.

Ellise joined Tufts in 2018 as Director of the Center for STEM Diversity, where she was responsible for supporting a diverse population of students as they pursued undergraduate and graduate STEM degrees. Ellise led the Center’s strategic direction and infrastructure, implemented programmatic offerings, and secured resources in support of the academic and personal success of students from underrepresented groups. She participated in and utilized best-practice research on broadening underrepresented student participation in science, technology, engineering, and math.

Prior to Tufts, Ellise was the Director of Academic Services at Olin College of Engineering and worked there with the Provost and faculty on financial, operational, and diversity and inclusion initiatives. Previously she spent three years with Babson College's Graduate School of Business Admissions office as the Director of Operations, where she managed reporting, event planning, and recruitment outreach efforts. Ellise was also the Director of the Commonwealth Institute’s Women of Ethnic Diversity Initiative, supporting women entrepreneurs as they grew their businesses by recruiting women, implementing programs, and raising funds. Ellise holds a PhD in Education from University of Massachusetts, Boston.

Dean of Students and Chief Student Life Officer

As Dean of Students and Chief Student Life Officer, Dean Lizarríbar oversees multiple important student-facing departments for the Schools of Arts, Sciences and Engineering, including the Office of Student Life, Residential Life, Campus Life, Health and Wellness, and the Career Center. 

Camille brings a wealth of experience in the areas of student affairs, academia, and law. Before joining Tufts in July 2020, she served as Dean of Student Affairs and Senior Associate Dean of Yale College, where she had led and oversaw the student affairs division since 2016. From 2010 to 2016, she was the Residential College Dean of Yale’s Ezra Stiles College and advised over 500 undergraduate students on academic and co-curricular matters. She also served as Dean of the First-Year Scholars at Yale Program from 2013 to 2016, where she advised students from under-resourced schools and low-income backgrounds during their summer before matriculation, and designed and implemented related programs and initiatives, including diversity trainings for student counselors. In addition to her administrative roles, Camille has taught at Yale, Harvard, and Centro de Estudios Avanzados de Puerto Rico y el Caribe in San Juan. She has worked as an attorney in both private practice and government, and was a clerk in the Federal District Court, District of Puerto Rico. Finally, Camille has coupled her expertise in law and her skill at languages as a translator in the private sector and as a court interpreter for the District and Superior courts in the Boston metropolitan area.

Camille holds a bachelor’s degree in comparative literature and in French language and literature from Brandeis University. She also holds a PhD in comparative literature from Harvard University, as well as a JD from Harvard Law School, and has studied at the Sorbonne in Paris and at Istituto Linguistico Italiano Dante Alighieri in Siena. Originally from San Juan, Puerto Rico, Camille is fluent in four languages: Spanish, English, French, and Italian. 

Dean of Undergraduate Studies, Arts and Sciences

As Dean of Undergraduate Studies, Carmen Lowe oversees academic advising, academic support, and educational enrichment programs for undergraduate students in the School of Arts and Sciences. She leads our team of Associate Deans of Undergraduate Advising, as well as the Scholar Development, Pre-Health Advising, the Senior Honors Thesis Programs, and the SPIRIT Fund. Her role includes upholding and interpreting educational policies and serving as decision maker for student appeals related to academic records and academic standing.

As an undergraduate English major at Grand Valley State University, Dean Lowe was a “first-gen” student. She then went on to teach adult literacy to factory workers in an auto plant near her hometown of Detroit, MI. She came to Tufts for graduate studies, earning both her MA and PhD in English. Dean Lowe has taught numerous advising courses, expository writing in the English department, the Writing Fellows Seminar in the Experimental College, and Representing the Environment and the Senior Seminar in American Studies. She served as Director of the Academic Resource Center for several years. Carmen also co-directs Tufts’ REAL Program (Resumed Education for Adult Learners).

Director of Tisch Library

As Tisch Library Director, Dorothy supports the mission of the university and the Schools of Arts, Sciences and Engineering. In addition to managing day-to-day operations, her responsibilities include facilitating and managing teams and resources for large and small projects involving faculty, staff, students and senior administration. She also oversees and supports the Lilly Music Library and the W. Van Alan Clark, Jr. Library at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts.

Prior to coming to Tufts, Dorothy was the director for university planning and assessment in the President's office at Drew University, where she worked for 11 years in positions of increasing responsibility. She served in the library as head of collections and metadata services, participated in the Library/IT review team, and led various groups in developing and implementing the library's strategic plan. During her career, she has been deeply involved in leading change and setting priorities in a rapidly evolving, technology-driven environment. For five years, Dorothy was an elected official, serving on the school board of Madison, NJ, and rising up to the presidency of the board. Dorothy received her BA in Interdisciplinary Studies from Georgetown University, and her MLIS from Rutgers University.

Secretary of the Faculty

In her role as Secretary of the Faculty for the Schools of Arts, Sciences and Engineering, Erin supports the academic mission of the university, providing advice on faculty governance, and managing the processes that link the two schools to the Provost's office.

Prior to joining Tufts in 2017, Erin was the Assistant Director for Faculty Affairs at Harvard Graduate School of Education, where she managed faculty searches and oversaw multiple promotion and tenure processes. Earlier, she managed the faculty recruitment process for the MIT Skoltech Initiative at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Erin’s experience in higher education administration and consulting roles includes career services, executive search, faculty recruitment, and management of standing processes related to hiring, promotion, and annual reporting. Erin earned her EdM in Higher Education at Harvard Graduate School of Education, and her BA in Sociology-based Human Relations from Connecticut College.