Past Spotlights on Tufts Gordon Institute

2025
Student highlight

Name: Anushka Singh
Degree: MS in Innovation and Management
Faculty mentor: Senior Lecturer Jane Seminara
Hometown: Mumbai, India

Why Tufts? 
Tufts was the place for me because of the different skills I would be exposed to along with the incredibly collaborative environment at the university. During my master’s degree, I was able to explore my interests in robotics and child psychology while pursuing my business and innovation-focused degree. I also had the opportunity to collaborate with professors and students from numerous other departments to explore how the research and technology being developed at Tufts can be commercialized to help the public.  

Favorite thing about the Medford/Somerville area? 
I love that Medford/Somerville and Boston have a well-connected public transport system. It enabled me to explore the city and its surrounding areas at a reasonable price without having to buy a car. I think a well-connected public transport system is essential to enable students (especially international students) to explore and socialize.  

Any advice you’d give to prospective students or new graduate students? 
I would say that Tufts has a lot to offer you as a student. It’s a community filled with great students, alumni, professors and staff. If you have any kind of ambition, you will find the support and mentorship in this community. Therefore, don’t hold yourself back prematurely. Be willing to chase your dreams! 

Faculty highlight

Name: Senior Lecturer Jane Seminara
Research interests: Ethical leadership, social justice, and public speaking.

About Senior Lecturer Jane Seminara:
Jane Seminara has extensive experience teaching courses in ethical leadership, social justice, and public speaking in various educational settings. She joined TGI in 2008 as a part-time lecturer and began teaching "Humanistic Perspectives on Leadership" for the Master of Science in Engineering Management program. In 2016, she created a graduate seminar titled, "Unbounded Perspectives" for the newly formed Master of Science in Innovation and Management program. In 2022, Jane Seminara was appointed as a full-time Senior Lecturer at Tufts Gordon Institute. In 2008, Seminara was awarded the "Exemplary Teacher Award" by the Lynch School of Education at Boston College. 

2023

Student highlight

Name: Lauren Fraser
Degree: MS in Engineering Management
Faculty mentor: Professor of the Practice Samuel Liggero
Hometown: Milford, CT

Why Tufts? 
I knew Tufts was the place for me because not only is it prestigious, but it's also a very welcoming and inclusive school. With the online program, I was able to grow my network with professors and other like-minded individuals. Professors went out of their way to get to know everyone in the class, holding virtual coffee chats and office hours.

Favorite thing about being in the online program? 
One of the many things I loved about the MSEM online program was the flexibility that it had to offer. Being able to avoid the Boston traffic after a full day of work was a major plus.

Any advice you’d give to prospective students or new graduate students? 
If you are thinking about joining the program, take the leap of faith and enroll because you won’t look back. It is more than a degree — it is a program filled with so much support. They want you to succeed in both your professional and personal life.

Faculty highlight

Name: Professor of the Practice Samuel Liggero, Academic Director of the MS in Engineering Management program

About Professor Liggero: 
Samuel H. Liggero, formerly CTO and co-founder of AirPrint Networks, spent over thirty years in the imaging industry as an executive at Polaroid Corporation. Under his direction, Polaroid developed the groundbreaking digital printing technologies code-named Opal and Onyx. These technologies, which delivered high quality thermal prints from digital files at low cost and faster than any other technology in the marketplace, were further developed and commercialized by Zink Imaging. He brings his professional experience to his teaching at Tufts, where his areas of expertise include new product development, technology strategy, and innovation.