Our Team

Founding Director: Hilary Binda

Director of the Tufts University Prison Initiative of Tisch College, Hilary Binda has a PhD in English, serves as Director of the Tufts Program in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, and is a Senior Lecturer in Civic Studies. Her current research aims to support the development of educational access, equity, and decriminalization.

Assistant Director: Quinn Williamson

Research Coordinator: Jill Weinberg

Admissions Coordinator: Heather Curtis

Journal Coordinator: John Lurz

TUPIT Faculty Advisory Committee Members 

Hilary Binda, Civic Studies, Women’s, Gender, Sexuality Studies, A&S, CHAIR
Bridget Conley, World Peace Foundation, Fletcher School 
Heather Curtis, Religion; Race, Colonialism, and Diaspora, A&S 
Greg Crane, Classics, A&S 
Kim Dong-Breen, Public Health, Tufts School of Medicine 
Kevin Dunn, English, A&S; Vice Provost 
Daanika Gordon, Sociology, A&S 
Kirby Johnson, Tufts School of Medicine; Office of the Vice Provost for Research 
Erin Kelly, Philosophy, A&S 
Peter Levine, Political Science; Civic Studies, A&S; Associate Dean of Tisch College 
John Lurz, English, A&S 
Heather Nathans, Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies; Dean of Academic Affairs; Associate Dean of Diversity and Inclusion, A&S 
Kim Ruane, Math, A&S 
Jill Weinberg, Sociology, A&S 
Chantal Zakari, Graphic Arts, School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University
Amy Millay, Romance Studies, A&S

TUPIT Faculty & Courses

Faculty join the program from across Tufts University, and offer a wide array of courses to the TUPIT students.

Faculty listed below by school, with Tufts courses taught in the college-in-prison program.

School of Arts and Sciences

Tisch College of Civic Life

School of Engineering

Tufts University School of Medicine

School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University

The Fletcher School

StAAR Center

MyTERN Speakers Bureau

  • Shakir Abdullah
  • Abdurrahim Gray
  • Joseph Irizarry
  • Davon McNeil

TUPIT Student Coordinators

  • BR Rose
  • Meira Downie
  • Emile Naccasha
  • Lizzie Friedman
  • Jack Steen 
  • Evan Zlotnick

Program Research & Assessment Committee

  • Hilary Binda, Kim Dong, Daanika Gordon, Claudia Guetta, Ella Missan, Jill Weinberg