Recipients of these prizes have demonstrated intellectual leadership as well as exceptional creativity, breadth, and depth in their scholarship.
The Prize Scholarship of the Class of 1882 recognizes students with great potential for intellectual leadership and creativity.
Ayden J. Crosby (A21) has routinely distinguished himself through his academic excellence, contributions to the Tufts community, and commitment to environmental and social justice. As an undergraduate representative on Tufts’ Educational Policy Committee, Ayden advocated for Covid-19 academic protocols that would help his fellow students through the challenges of the pandemic. Ayden’s thesis advisor celebrates his analysis of the relationship between urban development, landscapes and wildfires as a truly impressive achievement.
Iverson J. Eliopoulos (A21) is a versatile and engaged musician described by his professors as a “magnificent performer, potential prodigy-level conductor, and future-professor-in-the-making thinker.” Iverson’s commitment to connecting a love of music with the needs of the wider community became evident during his organization of a Zoom fundraiser to support Black Lives Matter, and his collaborative development of a podcast on American classical music and musical scholarship.
Abigail Wilson (E21) has performed exceptionally in her studies in engineering physics and mathematics, outstandingly in her research, and has all the makings of a great intellectual leader. Described as an “outstanding star” in her major, she is full of great ideas and has demonstrated that she will make great progress in science and be a leader in the field. Active in the Society of Women Engineers at Tufts, she hopes to become a professor.
The Class of 1898 Prizes are given to students with high scholarly ability and a wide range of intellectual interests.
Jason E. Getzler (A21) is celebrated by a chorus of voices in the Romance Studies and Biology departments as an incredibly bright student who always goes above and beyond with his scholarly and service activities. Thanks to his stellar performance as a teaching assistant, he has been hailed as an exceptional educator who earns rave reviews. He contributes actively to the community at large, putting his language skills to good use as a volunteer at East Boston Neighborhood Health Clinic.
Sithya Lach (A21) combines a flawless academic record with a passion for serving communities in need. In her freshman year, Sithya completed over 350 hours working with the Jumpstart organization, helping preschool-aged children from underserved communities develop literacy skills. She is also celebrated for her leadership skills, demonstrated by her involvement with the Child Development Association. It’s no wonder she is described as a “future leader in [her] field.”
Adam Lipson (E21) has achieved a stellar scholastic record thanks to his intellectual curiosity and passion for learning. As a Computer Engineering major, Adam enthusiastically extended his knowledge beyond the classroom, participating in software engineering internships and contributing to open-source projects ranging from lossless file compressor engine to MIDI keyboard firmware. Adam has also tutored students, served as Tufts Public Harmony Music Director, been on the Tufts Club Climbing team, and participated in Tufts Theatre programs.
Shicheng (Anderson) Zuo (A21) has pursued his Environmental Studies major with an intellectual voraciousness that drives him to integrate the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities. In addition to being a standout student in disparate fields, Anderson has translated his education into a wide array of research and volunteer efforts including working on the Boston Area Climate Experiment, interning for the Earth Watch Institute, co-organizing the Tufts Energy Conference, and serving as a tutor to refugees in Serbia.
The Class of 1942 Prize Scholarship recognizes those seniors most likely to become outstanding university teachers, counselors, or administrators.
Mikayla K. Barreiro (A21) is a first-generation college student celebrated by faculty in Classics and History as a talented young medievalist with a clear passion for historical research. Her thesis advisor shares that her work already has the “makings of a powerful doctoral dissertation and [a] book that could have a real impact” on fields including history, political philosophy and international relations.
Jenna Clark (A21) is a bright, motivated, and synthetic thinker interested in environmental policy. An excellent student, she works hard to achieve both academic and personal goals. Jenna excels in her approach to the process of working in an unfamiliar subject, striving to work through the difficulties she encounters with a patient, considerate perspective that allows room for personal growth. With an impressive record of teaching at Tufts as an undergraduate, she is poised for excellence in graduate school.
Allison Culbert (A21) is a Physics major who has proven consistently to be an excellent academic, researcher, and teacher. She has demonstrated the ability to interact meaningfully with her professors, perform top-quality research, overcome academic and personal obstacles, and serve as a valuable member of the university community. As a teaching assistant, Allison employs a variety of strategies to create an environment where students feel comfortable engaging in authentic scientific discussions.
Described by the director of his research program as a “once in a generation student,” Daniel Pascal (E21) is a Biomedical Engineering major and Undergraduate Research Fellow at Silklab Research Group. A creative thinker who works tirelessly to discover new solutions to scientific problems, Daniel naturally integrates himself into the laboratory environment with his enthusiasm, organization, and leadership. In addition to being extremely academically talented, Daniel is also a member of the Tufts men’s diving and swimming team.
Jonathan Rodriguez (A21) is an impressive student who has taken multiple advanced classes in his chosen field of theoretical computer science and has successfully undertaken undergraduate research with two different research groups at Tufts. Jonathan takes great pride in his Puerto Rican heritage and has become a strong role model for diverse students in the department. Jonathan has been the recipient of the Astronaut Scholarship and the Goldwater Scholarship, both highly competitive and prestigious national awards.
Kai Smith (A21) is an extraordinary student, committed to sharing his love of learning and passion for political theory with others. He collaborated with Professor Ioannis Evrigenis on the Bodin Project, an effort to digitize and provide editorial comments on the three versions of Jean Bodin’s Six Books of the Commonwealth. Kai’s dedication to teaching was evident as early as his sophomore year, when he expressed a strong interest in becoming a teaching assistant for large survey courses in political theory.
The Ivan Galantic Special Achievement in Humanities Prize is awarded to students who reach for wisdom, not simply knowledge.
Ruby Belle Booth (A21), a History and WGSS major, seamlessly integrates methods of research and thinking across disciplines. At once grounded in the rigorous study of the past on its own terms, Ruby is also distinguished in the classroom by her efforts to continually incorporate new conceptual models. She has been an intellectual leader on this campus as a head fellow in the Writing Fellows program and as an independent teacher in the Experimental College.
Aidan Demsky (A21), a dual History and Environmental Studies major, is distinguished by his unbounded curiosity, genuinely infectious excitement for scholarship, and comfort with exploring the intersections and undeveloped ties between academic disciplines. Aiden has served as an environmental studies teaching assistant, a campus leader in a range of wilderness and youth education organizations, and developed an impressive and original senior thesis on the 1988-1994 “Space Bridge” program between Tufts and two universities in the then-unraveling USSR.
Bizaye T. Banjaw (A24) is majoring in English.
The Charles F. Seymour, Jr., Prize honors participants in musical theatre with an interest in business.
Whether she is coordinating the campus-wide Eco-Rep program or energizing the musical theatre community as President of Torn Ticket II, Taite R. Pierson (A21) brings a sense of joy, commitment, and excellence to all she does. She has provided exceptional leadership during the pandemic, pivoting on-campus groups to an online format while remaining remarkably positive. Several professors enthusiastically supported her for this award, praising her dedication, courage, thoughtfulness, creativity, professionalism and persistence.
Mary Reynolds (A21) has served as a pillar of and strong advocate for the musical community at Tufts. A key member of the Opera Ensemble and Torn Ticket II, she has been active in the Tufts choral program and as an assistant to the Tufts Children’s Choir. She is a skilled string player, singer, teacher and conductor who hopes to obtain a master’s degree in music education following her graduation from Tufts.