Profound Impact
The Friedman School’s world-renowned faculty have made innumerable contributions to our modern understanding of human health. Their research and teachings have had a profound impact on the advancement of nutrition science and our ability to dramatically improve the lives of communities around the world.
Empowering students. Enabling progress.
Friedman School faculty are nutrition leaders in areas that span, among others, humanitarian assistance, neuroscience, biostatistics, sustainable agriculture, nutrition interventions, and epidemiology. Your support of our faculty ensures that students have the opportunity to learn from—and collaborate with—the most innovative minds in nutrition.
Gifts provide our faculty with ample support as they pursue novel research, as well as teach and mentor the next generation of nutrition leaders. Your support helps us attract and retain faculty committed to leading-edge thinking across all areas of nutrition.
Named Professorships and Directorships
Endowed professorships are distinguished positions that allow us to attract and retain top-tier faculty members who are instrumental in teaching the next generation of nutrition leaders. Your gift can be directed to a specific field within nutrition, providing faculty with critical support to pursue their research and develop their careers.
To learn more about supporting faculty at the Friedman School, please contact Cindy Briggs Tobin, senior director of development and alumni relations, at Cindy.Briggs@tufts.edu or 617-636-0962.
Current professorship holder: Lynne M. Ausman, D.Sc.
The Saqr Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi Professorship in International Nutrition was established in 2007 to foster the development of new and relevant knowledge to serve the nutritional needs of Ras Al Khaimah, the region, and the world.
Current professorship holder: Sean B. Cash, PhD
The Bergstrom Foundation Professorship in Global Nutrition was established through the generosity of the late Joan Bergstrom, J62, former university trustee and Friedman School board chair, her husband, Gary, and son, Craig, through the Bergstrom Foundation to recruit and launch the career of a young faculty member who seeks to address vital global issues such as malnutrition, hunger, food insecurity, and famine.
Current professorship holder: Erin Coughlan de Perez, PhD
The CBF Professorship was established through the generosity of Cristiana Falcone, N01, F01, Tufts Trustee and Friedman School board member, to promote research, education, and action that seeks to alleviate human suffering worldwide.
Current professorship holder: Alice H. Lichtenstein, D.Sc.
The Stanley N. Gershoff Professorship was established in 2001 to endow a chair in honor of Dr. Stanley N. Gershoff, founding dean of the Friedman School. This endowed fund is used to support a faculty member at the Friedman School who demonstrates the expertise to implement the integration of nutrition science and nutrition policy.
Current professorship holder: Daniel Maxwell, PhD
The Henry J. Leir Professorship in Food Security at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy was established in 2016 to enable the school to recruit or retain a distinguished scholar/practitioner who is an acknowledged leader in the field of food security. The appointee will carry out groundbreaking research, set new scholarly agendas, and supervise graduate students who themselves produce life-changing research. The position is intended to make a real difference in the way food insecurity, famine, and starvation are addressed around the world.
Current professorship holder: Dariush Mozaffarian, MD, DrPH
Established in 1981 through the generosity of Henry J. Leir, the Jean Mayer Professor of Nutrition honors Jean Mayer’s work in nutrition and the alleviation of hunger.
Current professorship holder: Patrick Webb, PhD
The Alexander McFarlane Professorship was established in 1986 by Best Foods, a subsidiary of CPC International, in honor of Alexander N. McFarlane, A34, H80, J60P.
Current professorship holder: Fang Fang Zhang, PhD
The Cam Neely Foundation wishes to deepen the partnership between Tufts Medical Center and the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy in order to bring cutting-edge nutrition care and education to patients with cancer, inflammatory diseases, and autoimmunity. On behalf of The Cam Neely Foundation and as part of this larger vision, the donor will establish two professorships at the Friedman School that support faculty leaders of academic distinction whose focus includes the creation and translation of research related to nutrition, cancer or inflammation, and clinical care.
Current professorship holder: Christina Economos, PhD
The New Balance Foundation established the New Balance Chair in Childhood Nutrition in 2004 to support a faculty member at the Friedman School who has demonstrated expertise and credentials in childhood nutrition.
Current professorship holder: Paul Howe, PhD
The Rosenberg Professorship was named in honor of Irwin H. Rosenberg, former dean of the Friedman School of Nutrition, in recognition of his efforts to create the Feinstein International Center at Tufts University. This professorship is awarded to the director of the Feinstein Center and advances the mission of the University to make a difference in our world through the application of science and research to policy. It was made possible through the generosity of a significant group of donors: the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation; Aaron Foundation; Bergstrom Foundation; Feinstein Foundation; the Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman New York Foundation for Medical Research Inc.; and the Leir Foundation, Inc.
Current professorship holder: Timothy Griffin, PhD
The Teri and Barry Volpert Family Professorship in Nutrition, Agriculture, and Sustainable Food Systems was established in 2018 by the Volpert Foundation to promote research, education, and action that promotes sustainable agriculture and improves human health.
Current directorship holder: Jennifer Hashley, New Entry Sustainable Farming Project
The Trisha Pérez Kennealy and Mike Kennealy Directorship is a term directorship at the Friedman School for its New Entry Sustainable Farming Project to advance sustainable agriculture and the training of new farmers.