School of Engineering Staff Member Wins Tufts Distinction Award

In the School of Engineering, Janel Blood is a familiar face for many students, special guests, faculty, and staff. She is often the first point of contact for anyone who enters the School of Engineering Dean’s Office. Janel recently received a Tufts Distinction Award in recognition of her exceptional performance and dedication to the Tufts community.

Janel joins an exceptional group of 13 individuals and four teams who were honored with 2026 Distinction Awards. The selection committee and sub-committees carefully reviewed an impressive pool of 383 nominees before selecting the top candidates for the award.

Janel first joined Tufts University in 2011 as part of the Office of Alumni Relations before transitioning to the School of Engineering Dean’s Office. After some time away from Tufts, she returned in 2017 as the administrative assistant to the Dean of the School of Engineering. In 2023, she was promoted to executive administrative assistant to the Dean and the school’s executive administrative dean. In her role, she manages complex schedules and travel for the Engineering Deans, plans Engineering School-wide celebrations and lectures, coordinates visits for international delegations and guests of the deans, and supports a wide range of operations that advance the School’s mission.

Staff members like Janel are an integral part of the Tufts ecosystem. Their work keeps things running smoothly but can sometimes be less visible. The Tufts Distinction Awards put a spotlight on this important work and celebrate staff and faculty who excel in areas outside of research and teaching. All staff and faculty members are eligible to submit nominations and winners are chosen by a Selection Committee of staff and faculty from across the university.

Janel’s tireless efforts to support the students, faculty, and staff in the School of Engineering were recognized at the June 16 Distinction Awards Ceremony. “Janel is recognized for managing complex priorities with precision, discretion, and extraordinary professionalism and for supporting major events and initiatives with exceptional care,” said Karol Family Professor and Dean of the School of Engineering Kyongbum Lee during the ceremony. “Her behind-the-scenes leadership, reliability, kindness, compassion and commitment make an outsized impact across the School and University.”