Mosca named outstanding graduate contributor

The School of Engineering Award for Outstanding Graduate Contributor to Engineering Education recognizes full-time graduate students who — through TA work, voluntary service, and/or other activities — have enhanced significantly the education programs of their department. PhD candidate Ab Mosca of the Department of Computer Science received this award as part of the 2021 Tufts Graduate Awards.

“[Mosca is] deserving because of their integrated research with their teaching, because of their commitment and success in mentoring, teaching, and outreach, and because of their organization, leadership, and service,” says Associate Professor Remco Chang, Mosca's advisor.

The premise of Mosca’s thesis is that a communication gap remains between data analysis and decision making, despite the existence of the best statistical modeling. They have taken lessons from their research “focusing on the use of evidence, data, and an emphasis on communication and reasoning in both classroom teaching and in individual mentoring,” says Chang, and applied it to their teaching and mentoring style.

Mosca has worked closely with undergraduate and master’s students, tailoring the support each student needs so that each student can succeed. Under Chang’s direction, Mosca was a co-instructor for Chang’s graduate-level visualization seminar, taught modules in COMP 152, and was a teaching assistant (TA).

They have accepted an offer from Northeastern University to become an assistant teaching professor in the College of Computer Science starting in September 2021. Congratulations to Ab Mosca on receiving a School of Engineering Outstanding Graduate Contributor to Engineering Education Award, and best wishes in their new position at Northeastern University beginning this fall.