Paula Hammond, an MIT Institute Professor and MIT’s executive vice provost, has been named dean of MIT’s School of Engineering, effective January 16. From 2015 to 2023, she was head of the Department of Chemical Engineering and has also served as MIT’s vice provost for faculty. She is a member of MIT’s Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research and has earned many accolades for her work developing polymers and nanomaterials that can be used for applications including drug delivery, regenerative medicine, noninvasive imaging, and battery technology. In 2021 she was named to the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. She has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Academy of Medicine, the National Academy of Engineering, the National Academy of Sciences, and the National Academy of Inventors.
Ashish Jha, currently Dean of the School of Public Health at Brown University, will step down from that position at the end of this year to lead an as-yet-unidentified “initiative that aims to bolster our nation’s defenses against emerging pandemic and biological threats,” according to the university. In response to a question from The Brown Daily Herald, he wrote: “We are in a new age of biological threats and I believe that requires new approaches and responses. …It’s critically important work that will be driven by collaborations with scientists, policymakers and organizations. …I’m very excited about what’s next.” An expert in infectious disease and global health, Dr. Jha served in 2022-2023 as the White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator. Before leading the School of Public Health at Brown, he was a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and a professor of global health at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
David J. Hedison will retire in January after leading the Chelmsford Housing Authority as its Executive Director for over 32 years and leading the Northeast Regional Capital Asset Team overseeing over 10,000 units of public housing from Worcester to Boston – North. He has been appointed to lead the nonprofit CHOICE Housing Opportunities for Intergenerational and Community Endeavors (CHOICE) and will continue to build supportive housing for seniors and families throughout Massachusetts. In Newton he served on the Walker Center JAPG and currently serves on the BERDO Committee.
Lauren Berman will become Newton’s Director of Economic Development in Mayor-elect Laredo’s administration. She is the founder of All Over Newton, a marketing firm promoting Newton’s local retail businesses through initiatives such as Newton Centre Shop & Stroll, Bakery Crawl, and Lunch Pop-up Markets at the Allen Center. Earlier in her career, she focused on marketing and sales at IBM and Gartner. She holds an MBA in Marketing and Finance from Columbia University.
Cheryl Lapin will become Newton’s Deputy Director of Economic Development in Mayor-elect Laredo’s administration. She has over 30 years experience in business marketing, analytics, and digital marketing, including most recently eight years as General Manager/CEO of Bronze Memorial, Inc. She served 18 years on the City Council — and eight of those years as its Vice President. In those roles she notes that she facilitated the City’s acquisition of Newton Community Farm, established a “Lessons Learned” database for public building projects, advocated for seniors, and improved public safety.
Doug Haslam has become a three-time finalist in the New Yorker magazine’s weekly Cartoon Caption Contest. His suggested caption for this cartoon is: “I’m sure you will find this is plenty.” In his first two times as a finalist, he went on to win. This time, he told Fig City News, “I am amazed to have my caption nominated for a third time. One was great, two was crazy, and three is honestly hard to imagine. I enter this contest primarily to amuse myself, but if others get a laugh, all the better.” The New Yorker will announce results for this third time on December 15.
