Paul Argenti

Photo Credit: Jason Johns

March 18, 2024

Paul Argenti first entered the Brandeis English Department as a PhD student in 1975.  After a couple of years, though, his professional career went in a completely different direction, and he ended up as Professor of Corporate Communication at Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, where he has been for the last forty-three years. It’s never too late to follow your first love, however, and as of 2021, Argenti, while continuing to teach at Dartmouth, is back at Brandeis completing the English degree.
13 drawings of philosophers stand in two lines around Korean text.

Photo Credit: Sae-byul Kim

March 13, 2024

Jinmin Lee earned her PhD in Politics from Brandeis in 2014. Since then, she has written several successful Korean books. Her most recent book, Philo and Sophie Leave the Cave, came out in 2023. The book is aimed at teaching children about famous philosophers and their ideas.
Marcie Brewer with flowers

March 7, 2024

When Marcie Brewer, AGS ‘19 and EdM ‘20, first decided to apply for Brandeis’s Teacher Leadership program, she was at a crossroads in her career.  She saw the program as an opportunity to build leadership skills and see if administration was right for her. Brewer ultimately decided that being a teacher leader was “the best of both worlds,” allowing her to be in the classroom with students and also lead initiatives. In the process, she got more out of her experience at Brandeis than she ever expected to.
Jillian Franks

March 6, 2024

In this installment of Geeking Out With..., a series in which we talk to GSAS students about their passions, Psychology PhD student Jillian Franks talks about her research into empathy and the surprising ways in which her love of theater has informed it.
GSAS logo

February 16, 2024

Jonathan Anjaria, Associate Professor of Anthropology and GSAS’s Faculty Director of Professional Development, and Moriah King, PhD student in Anthropology, published the essay “Enabling Community-Engaged and Public-Facing PhDs'' in the American Council of Learned Societies report Preparing Publicly Engaged Scholars, which came out on February 1, 2024. In their essay, Anjaria (who is King’s advisor) and King shared their perspectives on the ongoing conversation about how doctoral students can conduct community-engaged projects while enmeshed in an academic world that is not always set up for them.
Genevra Valvo

February 12, 2024

When Genevra Valvo, AGS ‘17, applied to Brandeis’s Teacher Leadership program, she was looking to address immediate challenges in her role as an ESL teacher at Waltham’s Kennedy Middle School. “We had similar questions and challenges every year,” said Valvo, who was then in her third year in the school, “and I thought I would be interested in talking with mentors and teacher leaders to develop skills to think about how to try new things and new approaches.” At the time, she wanted to see what else was possible–and through her time in the program and after, she learned many new approaches that she continues to apply to a range of challenges today, as she continues to work in the Waltham Public Schools.
Joseph Weisberg

February 12, 2024

In this installment of Geeking Out With..., a series in which we talk to GSAS students about their passions, History PhD student Joseph Weisberg talks about his research on Jewish American relationships to slavery and how he arrived at his research focus.
An image from Nayoung Kim's dissertation website, Prismatic Reader, in which an image of people in an open space outside a building is juxtaposed with an image of a small bus outside a tower. Text reads, "On powerful vignettes in vignettes by Nayoung Kim."

Photo Credit: Nayoung Kim

February 7, 2024

In the wake of 2020, responding to changes in the world and in academic job markets, Brandeis’s English faculty decided to change the structure and requirements of their PhD program. Among these changes? Allowing dissertations beyond the traditional book-length manuscript that the discipline usually demands. With the new curriculum coming into effect in 2021, the fruits of this change are now appearing in dissertations that take a wide range of forms.
Thirteen people talk in small groups amongst rows of chairs.

Photo Credit: Becky Prigge

February 1, 2024

On January 12, 2024, GSAS and the Mandel Center for the Humanities co-sponsored a daylong PhD student retreat. Aimed at first- and second-year PhD students in the Divisions of Creative Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, this event followed last year’s successful pilot, which was funded by the Connected PhD grant. Organizers Ulka Anjaria, Director of the Mandel Center for the Humanities, and Becky Prigge, Assistant Dean of Student Affairs for GSAS, planned the retreat as one that would address the crucial skills that PhD students need to succeed in graduate school. 
Members of the Brandeis graduate writing group pose for a photo. Back row, from left: Daniel Ruggles, Ashley Gilliam, Joe Weisberg, Marie Comuzzo. Front row, from left: Manning Zhang, Emily Thoman, Sanchita Dasgupta, Anna Valcour.

January 23, 2024

For Marie Comuzzo and Anna Valcour, the idea to start a writing group for Brandeis PhD students sprang from their recognition of the importance of community in facilitating writing success. After supporting each other through the writing process, the two third-year PhD students in Musicology and Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies were inspired to bring the idea to more students. 
Medha Asthana

January 17, 2024

In this installment of Geeking Out With..., a series in which we talk to GSAS students about their passions, Anthropology PhD student Medha Asthana talks about their passion for music in all spheres of life.
A pile of 4 books

January 17, 2024

The DEIS Scholarship, funded in part by the A. Philip Randolph Fellowship, supports students from historically underrepresented backgrounds, including first-generation college students, as well as students who have a history of activism in support of underrepresented communities. Here, we profile the four first-year PhDs and two second-year master's students who are participating in the program.

Liz Mahon speaks into a microphone at 3MT Nationals, next to her slide.

Photo Credit: Alyssa Canelli

January 5, 2024

This past December, Liz Mahon finished the fall semester with a bang by traveling to the nation’s capital to try out her three minute thesis on a new audience. Accompanied by Alyssa Canelli, Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs for GSAS, and by Ollie the Owl, Liz was ready to compete in the finals for the North American 3MT Competition, hosted by the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS). 
Ayla Cordell

December 15, 2023

In this installment of Geeking Out With..., a series in which we talk to GSAS students about their passions, English and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies master's student Ayla Cordell talks about her passion for her job with GSAS's professional development team.

Rocky Klein

December 13, 2023

Rachmiel (Rocky) Klein had been planning on a PhD in Mathematics since late high school. Applying to programs right out of undergrad, he said, was “a very humbling experience;” while he was not accepted into any PhD programs on his first attempt, he was accepted into Brandeis’s MA program in Math. Interested in Brandeis because of its strong topology program, its proximity to both nature and Boston, and his desire to move to the East Coast, Rocky decided to enter the MA program and work to enhance his resume before applying to PhD programs again.

Annie Fortnow

December 1, 2023

After graduating from Brandeis with her BA in 2017, Annie Fortnow, Hornstein MA/MBA ‘23, spent four years working for Jewish organizations. Wanting to continue making change within the Jewish community, she thought getting a graduate degree would help her make a bigger impact. Because she wanted to get an MBA with a Jewish lens, she looked into the Hornstein Program, which she knew about from her days as an undergraduate.

Natalie Cornett

November 22, 2023

Natalie Cornett, PhD '21 in History, will publish her first book with Cornell University Press in the fall of 2024. She spoke to GSAS about the process and how she transformed her dissertation into a book.

Anjali Pandey

November 22, 2023

In this installment of "Geeking Out With...," a new series in which we talk to GSAS students about their passions, Molecular and Cell Biology PhD student Anjali Pandey talked about her love of science and communicating her research.

Text reads "Nov 8th, First-Generation College Celebration, Celebrating First-Gen Student Stories." Clockwise from top left, headshots of Michael Strand, Paul Garrity, Patricia Alvarez Astacio, Laura Miller, Teresa Mitchell, Howie Tam, Víkko Suàrez Casanova, Jiahua Chen, Ashley Gilliam, and Anna Valcour.

November 8, 2023

November 8, 2023 is the seventh annual First-Generation Student Celebration. GSAS talked to several of our graduate students and faculty members who were first generation students as undergraduates. Here is what they had to say.

A screenshot of a zoom session showing an introductory page of the Learning Design Thinking course with highlights of what students will accomplish.

Photo Credit: Dr. Elizabeth Santiago

October 24, 2023

This summer, GSAS collaborated with the Rabb School of Continuing Studies to launch a pilot program in Learning Experience Design, led by Dr. Elizabeth Santiago. A group of 10 GSAS PhD students participated in the program, which will continue into the fall.

Josh Perlmutter

October 20, 2023

In this installment of "Geeking Out With...," a new series in which we talk to GSAS students about their passions, we talk to Mathematics PhD student Josh Perlmutter about his love of film.

Students sit in small groups around tables. Text on a computer screen reads, "Let's practice writing some learning objectives!" and gives instructions: "Choose a topic from a class that you are teaching this year.  Write:  One overarching learning goal What should students know, appreciate, or understand after a particular class meeting?  Two specific, concrete, measurable learning objectives (using an action verb; what can they do if they know or understand the learning goal?) What are two skills students should learn during a class meeting."

Photo Credit: Marty Samuels

October 16, 2023

On September 9 and 10, 2023, the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) held a pedagogy seminar for Brandeis graduate students. Led by Dr. Marty Samuels, CTL Program Director, and Dr. Charles Chip Mc Neal, Director, Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Education Learning Initiatives, the seminar aimed to teach graduate students techniques for course design and inclusive teaching, whether they were experienced instructors or soon to be standing up at the front of a classroom for the first time.

Miranda Peery

September 26, 2023

Geeking Out With...is a new feature in which we talk to GSAS students about their passions. Here, we talk to English PhD student Miranda Peery about her love of teaching.

GSAS students, in robes, sit listening to a convocation speaker.

September 19, 2023

Welcome back to the first day of school in 1953! Classes officially started for the first class of Brandeis GSAS students on Wednesday, September 30th. Read on to learn more about their experience.

Images clockwise from top left: A student smiles holding an ice cream cup; students gather outside on the Feldberg Lounge deck; students line up at a table for ice cream; two students smile holding ice cream; two other students smile holding ice cream; students sit in chairs on the Feldberg Lounge deck; students line up for ice cream; two students wearing shirts with hamburgers on them sit on a couch and smile

September 7, 2023

For the 2023-2024 academic year, GSAS welcomes an incoming class of 236 students across more than 40 programs. Joining the GSAS community are 76 doctoral students, 132 master’s students, and 28 non-degree students. 

Annika Sparrell

September 1, 2023

For graduate students, summer doesn’t necessarily mean a break from work. For many, it’s a chance to build on existing skills and experiences and to further explore their academic and professional interests. This year, many GSAS students did this through summer internships, which they found in a wide range of fields and some of which were funded through Brandeis initiatives. 

Shirah Malka Cohen Graduation Photo

August 22, 2023

Shirah Malka Cohen, PhD ’23 in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies, reflects on her experiences at Brandeis and the reasons she chose to attend.

Eight members of the Women in Physics group stand in front of a blackboard, with six additional Zoom squares on a screen between them. There is a table with sodas in the foreground.

Photo Credit: Anthony Trubiano

August 7, 2023

When Kanaya Malakar learned about the American Physical Society’s (APS) initiative to improve the situation of women in physics, she knew she wanted to become involved. The organization gives around twenty grants a year to universities to start Women in Physics groups and help with the issue of women’s underrepresentation in the field; on October 31, 2022, Malakar’s advisor, Professor Bulbul Chakraborty, forwarded her an email inviting grant proposals from students.

The Reading Writing Pedagogy Institute's participants gather for a photo outside the Mandel Reading Room.

July 25, 2023

From June 26 to June 30, GSAS hosted Brandeis’s inaugural summer Teaching Institute in Reading-Writing Pedagogy. While particularly aimed at students who are interested in teaching positions at community colleges and access-oriented institutions, it also prepared students for teaching at other types of colleges and universities.

Tong Lin

June 5, 2023

When Tong Lin was applying to graduate school for psychology, advisers at her alma mater of Centre College in Kentucky suggested she consider Brandeis. Why? Because even with its high level of research activity and status as an R1 University, Brandeis’ smaller classes and accessible faculty ensure that its students benefit from an extensive support system.

Tong made the decision to attend Brandeis. Today, she holds a master’s degree in Psychology and has just completed her third year as a doctoral student in the department.

Liz Mahon on a Zoom Screen

Photo Credit: Liz Mahon

May 24, 2023

Liz Mahon, fourth-year Psychology PhD student, only had a few weeks to prepare for the Northeastern Association of Graduate Schools (NAGS) Three Minute Thesis Competition (3MT) on April 28. After winning first place in her division (Sciences), the People’s Choice Award, and the highest overall score at the Brandeis Graduate School of Arts and Sciences 3MT Competition on April 4 though, she was ready to rise to the occasion.

A student holds her teaching award certificate.

Photo Credit: Simon Goodacre

May 15, 2023

In 2023, GSAS once again honored outstanding graduate student instructors and teaching assistants across programs with the Graduate Student Teaching Awards. These awards celebrate one to two students per program who have made great contributions in teaching roles.

Professor Caren Irr hoods a PhD student at a past Commencement.

May 11, 2023

At the university Commencement on May 21, 2023, over 250 GSAS students will celebrate their graduation. Here are some words from the GSAS students who are going on to new paths.

Brandeis campus in fall, showing Usdan, the library, and trees

April 24, 2023

Applying for external grants, fellowships, and awards is an increasingly important skill across fields–and this year, GSAS students truly showed it! Over twenty GSAS students, who came from all four divisions, received external grants and awards this year. 

3MT logo

On April 4, 2023, The Shapiro Theater hummed with nervous energy as the finalists for the second annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition filed inside. These ten graduate students from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) had made it through a preliminary round with twenty-five students, and now got to present their research one more time to a panel of judges and a new audience.

Elizabeth Simms, Joseph Weisberg, and Rafael Abrahams

Photo Credit: Amy Singer

April 13, 2023

The two-year collaboration between Wayland Free Public Library (WFPL) and the Brandeis University PhD program in History started with just a phone call in the summer of 2021. It culminated in a community-wide public event on March 19, 2023.

Kerry Chase and Margie Lachman

April 7, 2023

Kerry Chase and Margie Lachman are the recipients of the 2023 Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Dean's Mentoring Award.

Liz Mahon

March 31, 2023

Liz Mahon was an undergraduate at Harvard College when an Introduction to Psychology class taught by Dr. Dan Gilbert changed the trajectory of her future. While she had originally planned to major in government, her new-found passion led her in a different direction.

Computer Science buildings on the Brandeis campus in spring

March 31, 2023

GSAS career fellows have engaged in a wide range of career exploration and professionalization activities during the spring 2023 semester, led by the GSAS Professional Development team.

Wakako Hironaka stands with John F. Kennedy and a group of other men

March 20, 2023

In honor of Women's History Month, we celebrate the achievements of GSAS's women alums.

Michael Fingerman MA/MBA'22

March 15, 2023

When it came to considering graduate school options, Michael Fingerman MA/MBA'22 was advised to choose between pivoting or propelling his career. “Hornstein,” Michael explains of his former graduate program, “is more of a propelling career move.” 

GSAS logo

March 7, 2023

Dean Wendy Cadge provides an update on the anti-racism plan GSAS began developing in the fall of 2020.

Photo of Michela Zaffagni

February 23, 2023

Read about Michela Zaffagni's experience finding community and collaboration as a PhD student in the Molecular and Cell Biology program.

Black students gather at Ford Hall, with a student playing a drum in the center.

Photo Credit: Ralph Norman

February 15, 2023

In honor of Black History Month, we highlight Black scholars, alums, and faculty who played important roles in the history of GSAS.

Tyler Hill

Photo Credit: Sayan Biswas

February 3, 2023

Doctoral candidate, Tyler Hill, first considered attending Brandeis while researching C. elegans. Read about Tyler’s journey to the Neuroscience program at Brandeis and his experience in the Sengupta lab.

Emiliano Gutierrez Popoca

January 24, 2023

Last year, English PhD candidate Emiliano Gutierrez Popoca won the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition at Brandeis and proceeded to compete in the national competition.

david sherman

January 23, 2023

"At the end of 2020, battered by that year, faculty in Brandeis’s English Department committed to reimagining its PhD program. We couldn’t fix the world, but we could fix the curriculum."

frankie zhao

October 26, 2022

Zhao enrolled at Brandeis “because of the uniqueness of the MS in Biotech program,” which gave them the opportunity to study both the research and business sides of the industry.

campus during the fall season

October 14, 2022

From biotech startups to youth advocacy, GSAS students across the academic spectrum explored careers across academia, industry and non-profit organizations during the summer.

white flowers on campus

September 2, 2022

The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences welcomed 72 PhD students, 154 master’s students, and 37 post baccalaureate students in August, for a total of 263 new graduate students.

Headshot of Karina standing in a classroom with windows

August 22, 2022

Read about Karina Herlambang's journey, and how another Brandeis alumnus helped make Brandeis Karina's top choice for grad school.

Headshot of Rose in front of a beige hallway

August 19, 2022

Read about Rose Morris-Wright's journey, from being a high school educator to earning her PhD in Mathematics.

Headshot of Alex in front of a beige hallway

July 7, 2022

Read about Alex Romer's unique journey from mathematics to computer science, in Brandeis' CS master's program for non-majors.

Image of Corey standing in front of dark clouds with a brown winter coat on.

June 29, 2022

Read about Corey Beckford's exciting journey to the field of philosophy and how Brandeis supported his passion for learning.

i corps logo

June 22, 2022

On April 13, four teams presented their business ideas in the Innovation Corps (I-Corps) “Demo Day.” I-Corps is supported by the National Science Foundation, and Brandeis is one of ten universities in the New England region selected to host the program.

Image of Alma Castillo Hernandez's headshot

May 26, 2022

Read about Alma Castillo Hernandez's exciting work combining science and business during her time as a MS student.

students and faculty attend commencement reception for GSAS

May 25, 2022

The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) graduated 265 students on Sunday, May 22 at Commencement.

Image of jessie neal in front of a road and wooded area

May 25, 2022

Read about jessie neal's journey for visibility in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality studies and their current research as a MA student.

mandel center for the humanities

May 20, 2022

Members of the GSAS Career Fellows Cohort and the 2022 Three Minute Thesis (3MT) finalists were invited to a professional development reception with recent GSAS alumni on April 28.

Emiliano Gutierrez Popoca

May 12, 2022

Emiliano Gutierrez Popoca, a PhD candidate in English, wins the regional Three Minute Thesis compeition hosted by the Northeastern Association of Graduate Schools.

Volen Center in Spring, viewed from the Chapels

May 12, 2022

Read about Ella Tuson's determination in the field of computer science and her current research as a PhD student.

3mt logo

April 12, 2022

The finals for Brandeis University’s first ever Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition were held on the evening of April 7, 2022.

Image of Volen National Center for Complex Systems

April 11, 2022

Read about José Molina GSAS MS'17 and his journey from being a latecomer in computational linguistics to working at Google.

grace han and thomas fai

April 8, 2022

Thomas Fai, Assistant Professor of Mathematics, and Grace Han, Assistant Professor of Chemistry were presented with the Dean’s Mentoring Award at the faculty meeting on February 8, 2022. 

three minute thesis banner

April 6, 2022

On Thursday, April 7, twelve GSAS students will compete in the final round of Brandeis University’s first ever Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition. 3MT is a speaking competition designed to showcase graduate student research in three-minute talks to a general audience. 

mandel humanities quad

March 14, 2022

This article is the third in a series that will focus on efforts within the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) to promote diverse career pathways to our students.

berlin chapel

February 10, 2022

This article is the second in a series that will focus on efforts within the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences to promote diverse career pathways to our students. 

Brandeis University sign at the front of campus

January 28, 2022

Department Prize Instructorships have been awarded to three PhD students, in Physics, Psychology, and History, for the Spring 2022 semester.

Daichi Hayakawa

January 25, 2022

Daichi Hayakawa has found that the opporunities to collaborate with top researchers in the Physics department have played a vital role in his academic growth.

Anish Ghosh

January 25, 2022

Anish Ghosh PhD’06 received the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize in Mathematical Sciences in November. We spoke with him about the award, his research, and his advice for students.

vivek sits in the space chair

January 10, 2022

With a grant from NASA, researcher Vivekanand Pandey Vimal, GSAS PhD'17, is exploring how to train people to trust technology in space.

Eric J. Harvey

November 19, 2021

Eric J. Harvey MA’11, PhD’20 only became interested in studying the Hebrew Bible and ancient Near East after finishing his undergraduate studies. 

mandel center for the humanities

November 15, 2021

This article is the first in a series that will focus on efforts within the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences to promote diverse career pathways to our students. 

Map of Iraq

October 1, 2021

On October 10, 2021, Iraqis participated in the sixth parliamentary election since the U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein. PhD student Houman Oliaei has been creating a story map to collect data on Iraqi elections and present them in an accessible way.

Kosow-Ros building

September 8, 2021

The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences welcomed a new cohort of DEIS Scholarship recipients to campus this fall. These four recipients represent the sixth cohort of the program, which was established in 2016.

The squire bridge

August 24, 2021

The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences hosted 304 new students on August 23, 2021 for orientation, including 65 doctoral, 214 master's, and 25 post-baccalaureate and non-degree students.

Half of Victoria Chea's face against a grey background

August 19, 2021

With a grant from the New Music USA Creator Development Fund, Victoria Cheah dives into “Ocean into wire,” a collaborative piece with the New York-based quartet Yarn/Wire.

Lipstadt receives an honorary degree at the Brandeis 2019 commencement ceremony.

August 3, 2021

A leading expert on Holocaust denial, Lipstadt's new appointment aims to combat antisemitism in all forms.

Natalie Cornett

August 3, 2021

Natalie Cornett is advancing her academic and career goals with a two-year postdoctoral research fellowship hosted at McGill University.

Houman Oliaei

July 14, 2021

Houman Oliaei’s interest in anthropology did not start in the classroom but in a Zoroastrian fire temple in Tehran.

Julia Bandini

June 24, 2021

Julia Bandini discusses her interest in health, aging, death, and bereavement that culminated in her dissertation project: an ethnographic study focusing on the the experience of dying patients and their family members at the hospital.

Jasmine Quynh Le

June 22, 2021

When the global pandemic threatened to diminish the experience of incoming first-year graduates, students in the Neuroscience Department spear-headed an effort to help facilitate lasting connections between both new and experienced graduates.

Esther Lee

June 9, 2021

As an active duty service member in the United States Army, Esther Lee took a non-traditional path to Brandeis.

Dave Dominique

June 8, 2021

David Dominique PhD’16 discusses his upcoming Radcliffe fellowship project "Steam," a multimedia opera integrating his music, his journalism, and his political voice.

TF Award Certificate

May 7, 2021

Many were able to use learnings from last spring to implement a more intentional approach to teaching in a hybrid format during the 2020-21 school year.

Billy Chau

April 27, 2021

With the rapid growth of the Biotechnology sector, Billy Chau MS '20 is excited to explore the myriad possibilities available in this dynamic industry.

Ulka Anjaria

April 20, 2021

The award recognizes faculty who are outstanding mentors for students enrolled in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Winners receive a certificate, a $2,500 prize and their names are added to a plaque in the International Lounge in the Usdan Student Center. 

Catherine Z. Worsnop

April 6, 2021

Professor Catherine Z. Worsnop PhD’16 discusses her ongoing book project looking at the challenges of international cooperation during cross-border disease outbreaks.

Zoila Coc-Chang

March 19, 2021

For Zoila Coc-Chang, her art has always felt like an extension of herself, allowing her to experience a versatility that she has not found anywhere else.

Claire Khokhar

March 15, 2021

Claire Khokhar, a Tennessee native, has always been fascinated by ancient history.

Yassel Hernandez in a science lab

March 12, 2021

When Yassel Hernandez was offered an opportunity through the DEIS program, her decision to attend Brandeis became a no-brainer.

Jennifer Lefleur

February 19, 2021

Jennifer LaFleur used her knowledge of policy analysis to help lead an examination of data provided by families in Boston Public Schools under the direction of Professor Derron Wallace.

wendy cadge

January 28, 2021

Wendy Cadge, Senior Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives, Division Head for the Social Sciences and Barbara Mandel Professor of the Humanistic Social Sciences, has been selected as the new Dean of GSAS. 

al schmidt

December 16, 2020

The New York Times Magazine profiles Al Schmidt PhD'00, one of three Philadelphia city commissioners on the County Board of Elections.

graeme lambert

December 7, 2020

Graeme Lambert’s journey to biotechnology began after he interned at a cancer immunology lab during the summer between his junior and senior years of high school.

Carol Fierke PhD'84

November 30, 2020

Fierke, who earned her doctoral degree in biochemistry from Brandeis in 1984, will begin her tenure on January 1, 2021.

ghosts of our former selves album cover by joe wardwell

October 23, 2020

For his recent album, "Ghosts of Our Former Selves," Dean Chasalow composed a series of songs about gun violence, political dishonesty, and the need for empathy.

Mohammed Seyedsayamdost, a MacArthur Fellow, standing and looking at the camera.

October 9, 2020

Mohammad Seyedsayamdost ’01, MS’01, a biological chemist who explores how bacteria communicate and interact with other organisms, has received a MacArthur Fellowship, one of the nation’s most prestigious honors.

a protester faces police in beirut

September 22, 2020

PhD Candidate Kelly Stedem discusses the future of Lebenese politics following the explosion in Beirut last month. 

campus in spring

September 22, 2020

At the beginning of the semester, the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences welcomed five DEIS Scholarship recipients to campus. The scholars represent the fifth cohort of the DEIS program, which began in 2016.

eric chasalow

September 14, 2020

Eric Chasalow, the Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, has announced his intention to step down on July 1, 2021, bringing his seven-year period of transformational leadership at GSAS to a close. 

brandeis university entrance sign

September 4, 2020

Last month, the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences hosted 266 new students for orientation, including 77 doctoral, 159 master's, and 30 post-baccalaureate and non-degree students. Incoming domestic students hail from 17 countries and 35 states.

gsas logo

June 5, 2020

The Graduate School of Arts and Science recognizes the essential contribution of the schools teaching assistants and course assistants during the transition to remote learning. 

Xiru Zhang

June 5, 2020

Brandeis’ first PhD candidate in computer science has joined the university’s Board of Trustees. Xiru Zhang, MA’90, PhD’91, P’22, was elected by the trustees to a four-year term. The vote was taken at a virtual meeting of the board April 27-28, 2020.

Connected PhD Banner

June 2, 2020

The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) has dedicated some Connected PhD funds to support fellowships in higher education administration at Brandeis University.

Timothy Street

May 22, 2020

Timothy Street, Assistant Professor of Biochemistry, has received the 2020 Dean’s Mentoring Award. The $2,500 award is given to a faculty member who demonstrates “outstanding ability as a mentor” in the supervision of students enrolled at GSAS.

Raul Ramos

May 8, 2020

GSAS has awarded six University Prize Instructorships to seven doctoral students in Molecular and Cell Biology, Politics, Neuroscience and Sociology. Recipients will receive $6,000 to design and teach their own courses for undergraduate students.

May 8, 2020

The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences has awarded four Dissertation Year Fellowships to doctoral candidates in English, History, Musicology and Politics. The award provides a twelve-month, $30,000 stipend and a full credit toward the Brandeis health insurance option for students completing dissertations in the humanities or humanistic social sciences.

scott lerner

February 11, 2020

After earning an undergraduate degree in Art History, Scott Lerner decided to pursue the post-baccalaureate program in Studio Art at Brandeis.

ana sarmiento

February 11, 2020

Ana Sarmiento MS’19 became interested in genetic counseling when she was twenty-three. As the daughter of a Guatemalan immigrant, she was particularly attracted to the educational aspect of the discipline.

highlights podcast banner

January 21, 2020

In this episode of the new Highlights podcast, Alyssa Stasberg Canelli discusses the Connected PhD and the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity. Marika McCann introduces the Center for Career and Professional Development.

kelly stedem

January 3, 2020

Kelly Stedem discusses the current protests in Lebanon and her dissertation, which explores clientelism in the country. Stedem recently coauthored an article for the Washinton Post's Monkey Cage blog about the protests.

alexander herbert

December 18, 2019

In this episode of the Highlights Podcast, Alexander Herbert, a PhD candidate in the history department, discusses his book, What About Tomorrow?: An Oral History of Russian Punk from the Soviet Era to Pussy Riot.

2019 DEIS Scholars

November 26, 2019

Earlier this semester, the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences welcomed eight DEIS Scholarship recipients to campus. The scholars represent the fourth cohort of the DEIS program, which began in 2016.

brenden o'donnell

November 20, 2019

Brenden O’Donnell’s dissertation, Queer Temperance: Recovery as Critical Mourning, examines the representations of addiction and recovery in LGBT literature.

dean chasalow takes a selfie with the incoming students

August 27, 2019

The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences hosted 299 new students for orientation on August 23, 2019 in Slosberg Auditorium.

connected phd banner

August 22, 2019

The Connected PhD will make the consideration of careers outside the academy an integral part of doctoral education in the humanities and humanistic social sciences at Brandeis.

Matthew Heck

June 18, 2019

PhD candidate Matthew Heck has spent his time at Brandeis investigating the nuts and bolts of Shostakovich's musical language and attempting to bring together the existing scholarship from Russian and Anglophone theorists.

Deborah Lipstadt at Podium

May 19, 2019

"If we are going to fight prejudice, we must fight it across the board. You cannot be a fighter against antisemitism but be blind to racism or, even worse, engage in it yourself."

Karen Uhlenbeck

May 15, 2019

In March, mathematician Karen Uhlenbeck, MA’66, PhD’68, H’08, became the first woman to win the Abel Prize, awarded by the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters for outstanding work in the field of mathematics.

Ha Jin

May 15, 2019

Exiled by political events in his native China, novelist Ha Jin, MA’89, PhD’93, H’05, discovered freedom writing in the English language.

Ryan Marcus

May 9, 2019

Ryan Marcus, PhD'19, discusses how machine learning can address the increasing complexity associated with cloud computing and existing data systems.

eric chasalow gives a certificate to a student

May 8, 2019

The GSAS dean honored this year's most outstanding teaching assistants with a ceremony in the Mandel Center on May 8.

Maham Ayez

May 2, 2019

The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) has awarded seven University Prize Instructorships to doctoral students in Anthropology, Mathematics, Music Theory and Composition, Near Eastern and Judaic Studies, Neuroscience, and Psychology.

John Bergdall

April 29, 2019

John Bergdall works as an Assistant Professor of Mathematics at Bryn Mawr having performed postdoctoral research at Boston University and the Max Planck Institute in Germany.

dmitry kleinbock

April 12, 2019

Dmitry Kleinbock has received the 2019 Dean’s Mentoring Award. He is the first professor of mathematics to win the award.

Gleb Kanasevich

April 3, 2019

The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences has awarded Dissertation Year Fellowships to seven doctoral candidates in Anthropology, English, History, Music Composition and Theory, and Politics.

Sarah Valente

April 3, 2019

Valente is planning a series of portraits of scientists for her spring exhibition. She majored in chemistry as an undergraduate, so she has a deep appreciation for science and the scientific community.

Chris Konow

March 22, 2019

Chris Konow researches the impact of growth on Turing patterns in the Epstein Lab. Turing patterns are named after the British mathematician Alan Turing, who proposed a mechanism for how differentiation can occur within a homogeneous system.

Jack Davis

March 21, 2019

Jack E. Davis, PhD'94, returned to campus on March 19, 2019 to give a talk about his Pulitzer Prize winning book, "The Gulf: The Making of an American Sea."

Veronica Flores

March 18, 2019

Veronica Flores, PhD'19, discusses her work across the disciplines of psychology and neuroscience in the Katz lab.

Christian Gochez

March 12, 2019

Christian Gochez became interested in biotechnology when he discovered the potential of genetically modified foods. He wants to understand how gene editing techniques can enrich crops to combat nutrient deficiencies in populations experiencing severe poverty.

Michelle Guaman

March 7, 2019

Michelle Guaman was drawn to Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies because of her passion for women's reproductive health, education, and justice.

February 27, 2019

Habiba Farh studies the political trajectories of Arab-Americans in contemporary American society, specifically how the politicization of Arab-Americans growing up after the 9/11 attacks compares to the politicization of Arab-Americans who witnessed the attacks first hand.

Brittany Cassidy

February 22, 2019

Brittany Cassidy, PhD ’14, is interested in how we observe and evaluate others in our daily encounters. Earlier this year, the Association for Psychological Science recognized Cassidy as a Rising Star.

Adrianna Shy

February 12, 2019

PhD candidate Adrianna Shy’s first interaction with Brandeis came in 2016, when she participated in a summer Research Experience for Undergraduates program.

Jeremy Mele

February 11, 2019

At the end of his senior year of college, Jeremy Mele, MA'18, realized that he wanted to pursue a degree in Philosophy. Little did he know that his interest would eventually lead to a run for local office in his home state of Maine.

Victor Suarez

February 4, 2019

Víctor Suárez discusses his experience in the dual MS/MBA program in biotechnology and business at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and the Heller School of Social Policy at Brandeis.

GSAS Logo

November 30, 2018

Steve Weglinski and Cheyenne Paris discuss how the Graduate Student Association represents graduate students across campus. They also discuss a new initiative to create a student association for the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences for the first time.

Will Edgecomb

November 29, 2018

Will Edgecomb came to Brandeis for a master’s degree with a view to eventually earning PhD in Philosophy. However, he ultimately decided to take advantage of the career opportunities offered by a degree in computer science.

Megan Finch

November 16, 2018

Megan Finch is writing a dissertation on the emergence of literature by black women writers in the post Black Power/Civil Rights era that re-signified the trope of the mad black woman.

chimpanzees interacting

November 15, 2018

Anthropology candidate Amy Hanes, MA'11, investigates the meaning of care. Her dissertation research has taken her deep into the forests of Cameroon, where she has spent months caring for orphaned chimpanzees. 

Dean Eric Chasalow

November 5, 2018

Watch Dean Chasalow take a couple of staff members on a quiet tour of some of Brandeis’ lesser-traveled corners to hunt for fungus – specifically the kind that taste succulent and savory when sautéed in butter (and don’t kill you).

Alyssa Stalsberg Canelli

September 18, 2018

Are you struggling with time management and keeping up with your writing schedule? In this episode of the Highlights Podcast, Alyssa Stalsberg Canelli discusses tools to help students increase research and writing productivity and improve work-life balance.

NCFDD Logo

September 7, 2018

Brandeis has joined the National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity, a nationally recognized organization providing online career development and mentoring resources.

Dean Eric Chasalow

September 5, 2018

Hear the first episode of the Highlights Podcast with Dean Chasalow's welcome back for students. He speaks about ongoing initiatives at GSAS, upcoming events and workshops, and the importance of keeping an open mind during graduate study.

2018 deis scholars

August 30, 2018

On August 26, seven DEIS recipients were welcomed to Brandeis with a barbecue at dean Eric Chasalow’s house.

dean eric chasalow addresses students at orientation

August 27, 2018

On Monday, August 27, 2018, the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) welcomed 333 new students, including 73 doctoral students, 231 master's students, and 29 post-bac and non-degree students.

Michael Rosbash and Vipin Suri

June 14, 2018

Vipin Suri PhD'01, the GSAS representative on the Brandeis Alumni Association board of directors, interviews 2017 Nobel Laureate Michael Rosbash at Alumni Weekend. Dr. Suri performed research in the Rosbash lab for five years as a graduate student.

Kendra Yarbor

May 18, 2018

The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences has awarded Dissertation Research Grants to sixteen doctoral candidates.

Sarah Mabry

May 14, 2018

Sarah Mabry pays tribute to the Brandeis experience, overcoming adversity and the importance of serving others.

Sarah Mabry

May 9, 2018

Sarah Mabry, a masters candidate in the Global Studies program, has been nominated to serve as graduate speaker at Commencement. She serves on the executive board of the Graduate Student Association, where she was recently elected as Vice President.

Matthew Linton

May 8, 2018

Matthew Linton, a PhD graduate in History, will serve as the Marshal for GSAS at Brandeis’ 67th Commencement.

Raul Ramos

May 2, 2018

PhD Candidate Raul Ramos returns to his native Texas to encourage underprivileged adolescents to consider careers in science.

Eric Chasalow with Student

April 30, 2018

Each year, the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences asks each program to nominate an outstanding teaching fellow to be honored at a reception with the deans. This year, Susan Birren, the dean of Arts and Sciences, and Eric Chasalow, the dean of GSAS, presented the awards on April 30 in the Mandel Center.

Laura Miller

April 24, 2018

Each year, students and alumni at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) have the opportunity to recognize professors who have a profound impact on their education both inside and outside the classroom by nominating them for the Dean’s Mentoring Award.

Meghan Finch

April 19, 2018

The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences has awarded the 2018 Dissertation Year Fellowship to six doctoral candidates. The award provides a $33,500 stipend for students writing dissertations in the humanities or humanistic social sciences.

Christiana Joseph

March 20, 2018

Joseph hopes that a deeper understanding of African American women's perceptions of mental health will enable healthcare providers to cater to their needs more effectively.

Laura Loranjo

March 19, 2018

The 2018 University Prize Instructorship (UPI) has been awarded to five doctoral students in History, English, Musicology, Molecular and Cell Biology, and Psychology.

Lauren Bernard

March 9, 2018

Lauren Bernard examines music from the turn of the century to the present, applying interdisciplinary methods to the study of both classical and popular music.

Marika McCann

March 6, 2018

After seven months at GSAS, Marika McCann is taking a permanent position as Assistant Director at the Center for Career and Professional Development.

AK King

February 12, 2018

Informed by their own lived experience and conversations with other members of the queer community, AK King researches individuals of color who are masculine and assigned female gender identity at birth as part of the Women’s, Gender and Sexuality program.

Alyssa Stalsberg Canelli

February 9, 2018

We are excited to welcome Alyssa Stalsberg Canelli and Monique Howell to our team at GSAS. Alyssa will serve as Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs, and Monique will serve as Assistant Director of Financial Aid and Admission.

Kristine Mackin

February 8, 2018

Kristine Mackin PhD'14, a graduate of the Biochemistry department, was elected to the Waltham City Council last year. We caught up with Kristine recently and asked her about her motivation for joining the City Council.

PBS Newshour

February 5, 2018

Theresa Rebeck, MA’83, MFA’86, PhD’89 discussed the Women’s Voices Theater Festival, the #MeToo movement, and working as a female playwright on PBS Newshour on February 5, 2018.

Christine Darko

January 25, 2018

"The faculty I’ve had the chance to work with really care about my scientific development and are here to help me achieve the goals I’m working towards."

Ana Ward

January 23, 2018

Ana Ward combines various research interests to investigate the impacts of outer space on terrestrial life and help pave the way for long-term space exploration.

Laura Laranjo

November 17, 2017

For almost three years, PhD candidates in the sciences have been collaborating with Waltham Public Schools to share their research with local middle and high school students.

Graduate Student Association

October 20, 2017

The Graduate Student Association has announced the induction of their new executive board and senators. They will organize social events, represent graduate students in various campus committees, and support funding opportunities.

Gravitational Waves

October 17, 2017

Professor Marcelle Soares-Santos collaborates with hundreds of researchers to observe gravitational waves from a neutron star collision that occurred 100 million years ago.

Vipin Suri

October 17, 2017

What is it like to work with a future Nobel Laureate? Vipin Suri, PhD’01, shares his experience of working in the Rosbash lab. 

Leslie Lamport

October 12, 2017

Brandeis Magazine profiles Leslie Lam­port, MA’63, PhD’72, H’17, the 2014 recipient of the A.M. Turing Award, viewed as the Nobel Prize for computer science.

Michael Rosbash

October 2, 2017

Brandeis University warmly congratulates Michael Rosbash, the Peter Gruber Endowed Chair in Neuroscience and professor of biology, and Jeffrey C. Hall, professor emeritus of biology, on being awarded the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

Shawn Fayer

October 2, 2017

Shawn Fayer MS ’16 is the project manager of the BabySeq Project, a randomized control trial assessing the utility of genomic sequencing in newborn infants.

Eve Marder

September 19, 2017

Since 2012, Victor and Gwendolyn Beinfield Professor of Neuroscience Eve Marder ’69 has been writing a series of articles for the online journal eLife in which she reflects on her professional life and offers some words of wisdom to today’s young researchers.

2017 DEIS Scholars

September 8, 2017

GSAS welcomed the 2017 DEIS recipients in August with a barbecue at the dean’s house. 

Eric Chasalow addresses incoming students

August 29, 2017

On August 28, GSAS welcomed its 64th class, which includes 77 doctoral candidates, 202 master's candidates, 6 postbaccalaureate students, and 21 non-degree students.

Raul Ramos addresses students from Waltham High School

June 9, 2017

"My journey to Brandeis is literally the struggle of my life."

Vivekanand Vimal PhD'17

May 21, 2017

"And we know that within the piles of violence, hatred, aggression and everything that divides us, are the dormant seeds of beauty."

Terry Shaipitisiri

May 18, 2017

Heritage and identity have shaped the Brandeis experience for Terry Shaipitisiri BA’17, MAT’17.

DYF winner, Celene Ibrahim

May 12, 2017

The Dissertation Year Fellowship has been awarded to eight students in Anthropology, English, Musicology, Near Eastern and Judaic Studies, Politics, and Sociology.

UPI Instructor: Laura Paige

May 5, 2017

Six PhD students in Anthropology, English, History, Mathematics, Neuroscience, and Psychology will receive $6,000 to design their own course.

TF Award Certificate

May 5, 2017

"Those of us who really enjoy teaching see it not as a burden but as an opportunity to share what we've learned." - Doug Bafford, PhD candidate in Anthropology.

Emily Koh

April 28, 2017

Brandeis’ 66th commencement ceremony will take place on May 21, 2017.

 

Lotus Goldberg

April 21, 2017

Dr. Goldberg serves as the advising chair for the master’s program in Computational Linguistics.

Ieva Jusionyte

April 18, 2017

Jusionyte studies conflict in the boarder regions of Latin America.

Rosalie Silberman Abella

April 4, 2017

Abella will be among five individuals to receive honorary degrees.

liquid full of microtubules inside ring-shaped containers

March 23, 2017

Researchers recreate the system that causes cells to change shape.

Matthew Chernick

March 22, 2017

Master's candidate Matthew Chernick will fly to Romania in October.

comparing dripping wine bottle to drip-free wine bottle

March 22, 2017

Daniel Pearlman finds a solution to the age old oenophile's problem.

Sign for Waltham's Moody Street

March 7, 2017

Students share their favorite spots to visit in Waltham.

Mahala Rethlake

February 23, 2017

Mahala left her Amish community at age fifteen to pursue an education.

Jeffrey Karam

February 23, 2017

Dr. Karam recently published an article in the premier journal of intelligence.

Maya Dworsky

February 17, 2017

Dworsky studies diversity in children's literature.

Donald Warren

February 16, 2017

Donald Warren is pursuing a degree in musicology.

Steven Rodriguez

February 10, 2017

Steven Rodriguez has spent his time at Brandeis researching the imperial activity of the United States during the 20th century.

Zachary Elliott

February 8, 2017

This story is the first in a series about recipients of the DEIS Award.

James Haber

February 3, 2017

For nearly three decades, James Haber has studied DNA repair, the processes whereby insults to our genetic code are corrected.

Avi Rodal

January 24, 2017

“We didn’t cure ALS in the flies, but we did make them significantly better.”

Multi-Axes Rotation and Tilt Device

January 24, 2017

Imagine you’re a fighter pilot being chased by a heat-seeking missile.

Dorothee Kern

January 24, 2017

Biochemist Dorothee Kern unraveled a mystery about how life began on the planet.

Ryan LaRochelle

January 20, 2017

The Politics alumnus studies American political development.

Mellon Logo

January 19, 2017

The award funds the Dissertation Year Fellowship and other programs.

Mary Fischer

January 18, 2017

More than 500 people have signed up for the service already.

Stephen Guerriero

January 6, 2017

"The AGRS program put me onto a fulfilling and challenging academic path."

Stephen Whitfield

December 13, 2016

American Studies professor looks back at his time on campus.

December 9, 2016

The panel also included the GSA president.

Belisi Gillespie

December 7, 2016

"My time at Brandeis shaped the work that I continue to build upon at Berkeley."

Brian Donahue

December 2, 2016

Brian Donahue '82, MA'93, PhD'95, built a home that "makes a connection" with the surrounding landscape.

Susan Lindquist

November 29, 2016

The late MIT biologist is being honored for research on protein misfolding.

Eric Chasalow

November 11, 2016

The piece was commissioned by the French vocal ensemble Musicatrieze.

November 9, 2016

Wasserstrom describes Jin as "a writer of simple yet powerful gifts."

James Pustejovsky

November 8, 2016

The money will enable James Pustejovsky and colleagues to build a computer system capable of analyzing reams of documents and recordings.

Laura Pasek

November 8, 2016

The DeLeT alumna is not referring Clinton and Trump in the classroom at all.

Ronald D. Liebowitz

November 3, 2016

“It is our charge, our opportunity now, to reignite the flame of our mission.”

Mark Brimhall-Vargas

November 2, 2016

Nationally experienced in diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

November 2, 2016

Dr. Irvin discusses life as a historian.

October 26, 2016

Read about the recipients and hear some of their music.

Lizeng Huang

October 20, 2016

"I think Brandeis provides a perfect program to become a good teacher."

Jessica Resnick

October 14, 2016

"Their advice was invaluable. I feel like their training landed me my position."

Graduate Student Association leadership

October 13, 2016

MA candidate Marinella Taoushiani will serve as president.

Yoshinori Ohsumi

October 4, 2016

The Japanese biologist won the Nobel for his work on autophagy.

September 29, 2016

Jeffery Kelly's work has deepened our understanding of a variety of diseases.

Meghan Peck

September 28, 2016

The program will include a series of six sessions.

Multi-Axis Rotation and Tilt Device (MART)

September 26, 2016

Video: PhD candidate Vivek Vimal shows you how it works.

September 16, 2016

A total of 19 new faculty members and visiting professors have been welcomed to campus this fall.

Rachel Weisz with Deborah Lipstadt

September 15, 2016

Deborah Lipstadt, MA’72, PhD’76 is a authority on the Holocaust.

Kavli Prize Eve Marder

September 11, 2016

Marder accepted her award in a ceremony in Norway.

Career Services staff

September 1, 2016

There are some big changes coming to GSAS Career Services.

2016 Deis Scholars

August 29, 2016

The scholars will study ancient Greek and Roman studies, anthropology, history, musicology and philosophy.

Eric Chasalow speaking to new students

August 22, 2016

Incoming students heard from Eric Chasalow and Susan Birren.

August 22, 2016

The award is presented by the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston.

Hannah Herde

August 5, 2016

PhD Candidate Hannah Herde may be among the first to realize everything we know about the universe has changed.

Samuel Lasser

August 1, 2016

Lasser was recruited by Charles River Analytics while studying at Brandeis.

Adaire Klei

July 29, 2016

Adaire Klein, '53, MA'57 was a member of the first GSAS class.

July 25, 2016

Liu completed the master's program in Teaching Chinese earlier this year.

Ronald D. Liebowitz

July 1, 2016

A ceremony to mark his new presidency will be held on Nov. 3, 2016.

June 17, 2016

Lupis continues to teach at Brandeis after graduation.

Eve Marder

June 2, 2016

The biennial prize for scientific innovation cites Marder’s research in brain development.

Jason Olson

June 1, 2016

Jason Olson's Dissertation Analyzed the Six-Day War.