Dear AS&E Community,
We are pleased to share that Dr. John O’Keefe has been appointed Senior Associate Dean of Academic Advising effective July 1, 2026.
John brings more than two decades of experience in academic advising, student success, and undergraduate education leadership. Before joining Tufts, he served for over 12 years as the Director of Advising and Academic Support Services at Wellesley College. In this capacity, John led advising and academic support initiatives for students across the institution. Prior to his time at Wellesley, he held several leadership positions at Harvard University, focusing on undergraduate education, academic policy, advising, and student support.
Since joining Tufts, he has worked closely with engineering students to support their academic progress and well-being, especially those navigating academic challenges, leaves of absence, and other issues. He has also played a key role in coordinating the School’s pre-major advising program and supporting incoming students as they begin their Tufts journey.
John’s academic and professional background reflects a deep commitment to education and student development. He earned a Ph.D. in the History of American Civilization from Harvard University and a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where he received awards recognizing his scholarship and commitment to humanity and law. He also earned master's degrees from Harvard University and Harvard Divinity School, as well as a bachelor's degree from Columbia University.
Throughout his career, he has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to student success and academic excellence. We are fortunate to have someone with his experience, expertise, and dedication already serving our students, and we are excited for him to assume leadership of the academic advising unit within the School of Engineering.
As we welcome John into this new role, we also want to express our sincere gratitude to Dr. Jennifer Stephan for her outstanding leadership and dedicated service to the School of Engineering. Over the past decade, Jennifer has been an advocate for our students and has played a pivotal role in shaping and strengthening academic advising and student support within the School and across the university.
Please join us in congratulating John on his appointment and in thanking Jennifer for her many years of service at Tufts.
Warm regards,
Kyongbum Lee (he, him, his)
Karol Family Professor
Dean, School of Engineering
Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering
Andrew Ramsburg (he, him, his)
Dean of Undergraduate Education, School of Engineering
Associate Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
