The Multi-Ethnic Graduate Alliance (MEGA)

The Multi-Ethnic Graduate Alliance (MEGA) is a social and educational organization serving graduate students from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, the School of Engineering, the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, the School of Dental Medicine, The Fletcher School, the Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, the School of Medicine, and the Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences.

Founded in 2009, the organization brings together students from all backgrounds and life experiences for social and educational events. During its inaugural year, MEGA hosted a kick-off event in Davis Square and moved forward with its plans to establish a student-run advisory board and a graduate diversity recruiter program (in which graduate students will reach out to prospective applicants who come from diverse backgrounds).

Questions about MEGA can be directed to Yvette Dalton-McCoy, associate director of graduate diversity programs, Office of the Provost, at yvette.dalton-mccoy@tufts.edu. Students can also learn more about MEGA through its Facebook page and Twitter.

Anand

Ranjith Prasad Anand
doctoral student, biology

Current Research: "I am investigating the biological phenomena behind several DNA expansion diseases such as Huntington's disease and Spinocerebellar Ataxias."

Why Tufts: "The single most important factor that makes Tufts a great place to work is the incredible sense of collegiality that exists amongst the researchers irrespective of their official status; be it a student or a faculty member. This holds especially true for the biology department. The sense of collegiality is so much so that the department feels as if it is a big family of biologists. My Tufts graduate experience has helped me do away with my old mentality of working in isolation. It has taught me that scientific collaboration can be truly rewarding, and that great advances in science are brought about only when there is a confluence of ideas from various fields."

The Tufts Difference: "I value the teaching assistantship that the biology department offered me as the most influential factor in my development as a professional researcher. I owe any improvement in my communication and presentation skills to the assistantship."