Cooper Gottfried

Brandeis PostDoc wins Hanna Gray Fellowship

Julianne Pelaez, a biology postdoctoral associate researcher, was recently awarded the Hanna Gray Fellowship from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), a“transformational award for early career researchers who show exceptional promise of becoming outstanding leaders in academic science.” The HHMI writes that “Fellows receive funding for their postdoctoral training and during their early years as […]

Retired Brandeis Catholic Chaplain Walter Cuenin accused of sexual assault

Disclaimer: This article discusses sexual abuse. Reader discretion in advised.   A former Brandeis Catholic Chaplain, Rev. Walter H. Cuenin was recently accused of “forcing a 20-year-old male [in 2014] Brandeis University student to have oral sex with him in a Manhattan hotel room,” according to a lawsuit filed in New York City.    Rev. […]

Library Workers Union protests for a fair contract

The Brandeis Library Workers Union recently held a rally, and delivered an associated petition to Brandeis administrators, in protest of “deferred maintenance” (the failure to update staff salaries and university facilities on schedule). According to a Google Form (sent to community members so that they may e-sign a petition) that was obtained by The Hoot, […]

Retired Brandeis Catholic Chaplain Walter Cuenin accused of sexual assault

Content warning: This article discusses sexual abuse. Reader discretion is advised. A former Brandeis Catholic Chaplain, Rev. Walter H. Cuenin was recently accused of “forcing a 20-year-old male [in 2014] Brandeis University student to have oral sex with him in a Manhattan hotel room,” according to a lawsuit filed in New York City.  Rev. Cuenin, […]

Jennifer Walker named VP of Enrollment Management

On Dec. 5, Brandeis named Jennifer Walker as their new Vice President of Enrollment Management. Having served Brandeis for 17 years as Director of Admissions, Dean of Admissions and, most recently, as Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid, Walker steps into this role with a significant amount of experience. In a “Brandeis Stories” article, Interim […]

‘Brandeis Commitment’ to increase financial aid

On Nov. 19, Assistant Vice President of Student Financial Services, Sherri Avery, sent an email to the Brandeis community announcing “the Brandeis Commitment, a program to improve transparency for incoming students and their families around the cost of attendance. Beginning with students entering in the fall of 2025, domestic students with total family incomes of […]

Harvest Table refuses to address student concerns about worker treatment

Over the course of the semester, Harvest Table has repeatedly been the subject of student criticism centered on their treatment of dining workers. Beginning in September, students associated with the Revolutionary Students Organization (RSO) and the dining workers union (Local 26 Boston) began protesting in the Usdan complex and Sherman Dining Hall for a fair […]

Multicultural hair products now available in C-Store

Student Union President Rani Balakrishna ’25 and Student Union Vice President Ria Escamilla-Gil ’27 have successfully spearheaded a movement to get “multicultural hair products into the C-Store to help black students with kinky, type four hair get these products in a more equitable manner.” According to an email sent to The Hoot by President Balakrishna, […]

Cross country teams compete at UAA Championships

On Nov. 2, both the men’s and women’s cross country teams competed in the UAA Championship meet in Attleboro, Massachusetts. The event was hosted by Brandeis and attended by eight teams in total: the Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) Tartans, the Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) Spartans, the University of Chicago Maroons, the Emory University Eagles, […]

Peter Rojas joins ICC as new director

On Oct. 31, Brandeis’ Intercultural Center (ICC) announced via their Instagram account that they’re “thrilled to welcome Peter Rojas as our new ICC Director! With a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion, Peter aims to strengthen our community and foster a space where all students feel heard.” In a separate news article on Brandeis Stories, […]

An interview with Brandeis’ interim president

As Brandeis’ interim president arrived on campus, The Hoot had the chance to speak to both Interim President Arthur Levine ’70 and Director of Presidential Communications Carolyn R. Assa about the new administration’s plans for Brandeis. President Levine has worked at the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation as President Emeritus and a Senior Fellow, as […]

Brandeis chooses not to renew Lydian String Quartet’s contracts

In another cut made to the Music Department, Brandeis has declined to renew the Lydian String Quartet’s contract. The Lydian has been described as “one of the country’s superior chamber groups,” their performances described as both “richly satisfying” and “glorious.” After being formed more than 40 years ago, the Lydian String Quartet “has embraced the […]

Wrongful death lawsuit filed against Brandeis and three of its police officers

Content warning: This article mentions the death of a Brandeis community member. Reader discretion is advised. On Oct. 31 at 10:32 a.m., a “wrongful death lawsuit” concerning “Eli T. Stuart, a 20-year-old student who died in December 2023” was filed in the Superior Court in Middlesex County. This lawsuit named Brandeis University, former Brandeis Police […]

Jewish Brandeis Bund holds vigil for Palestine

On Monday, Oct. 21, The Jewish Brandeis Bund held a vigil to honor lost Palestinian lives. The Bund, a recently formed Jewish-led group of anti-Zionist students, came together in the Shapiro Campus Center (SCC) slightly before the scheduled start time of 7:00 to set up folding tables, hang posters, and pass out masks among attendees. […]

Brandeis declines to renew Prof. Taylor Ackley’s contract

As Brandeis moves through “headwinds” facing higher education, the university administration has made several budget cuts. Recently, these cuts have landed upon the Music Department. The university cut the Musicology PhD program just last year and now has declined to renew the contract of Assistant Professor of Music Taylor Ackley.    Professor Ackley describes himself […]

SEA circulates petition to bring back Sustainability Office

On Oct. 11, Students for Environmental Action (SEA) authored a petition to reopen Brandeis’ sustainability office. The petition noted, “As the climate crisis worsens, we are personally experiencing the consequences of anthropogenic climate change as seasons get warmer, storms get stronger, droughts last longer and flooding gets more severe. In the summer of 2024, during […]

An interview with the Brandeis Boxing Club

The Hoot sat down with Haile Pereira ’27, the President of the Brandeis Boxing Club, to learn about what his club offers, what new members can expect at practice and what the rest of the year holds for the club. The club is “committed to providing a supportive and inclusive environment that fosters personal growth, […]

Judges cross-country teams attend UMass Dartmouth and Bates Invitationals

Since our last coverage of the teams, the Men’s and Women’s Cross Country teams have competed twice. First, on Sept. 21, the teams traveled to North Dartmouth to compete in the UMass Dartmouth invitational. Here, both the men’s and women’s teams placed similarly, with the women’s team coming in 16th out of 45 schools (5th […]

Brandeis falls in U.S. News’ rankings

In the recently released U.S. News and World Report rankings of American Universities, Brandeis University has fallen in the rankings. Last year, the University was ranked 60th, and this year at 63rd. Brandeis is in a tie for that spot with George Washington University, Michigan State University, The Pennsylvania State University in University Park, Santa […]