Who We Are

Jill Zellmer (she/her) has been the Executive Director and Title IX Coordinator of the Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO) at Tufts since 2011. Jill is charged with directing and conducting investigations of discrimination and harassment allegations from staff, faculty, students, patients, community members and visitors and also coordinates and manages the compliance of all university Title VII, Title VI, Title IX and reasonable accommodation (Americans with Disabilities Act, religious and other requests) processes and protocols.

Previously, Jill was an Investigation Manager for Boston Scientific in the Office of Global Compliance, conducting domestic and international investigations of discrimination, harassment and fraud. Prior to Boston Scientific, Jill worked as an instructional designer, trainer and mediator with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Human Resources Division and at the MA Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD), specializing in employment law, discrimination prevention, corrective action in a unionized environment and conducted compliance and diversity trainings. She also worked as the EEO Officer for the Boston Housing Authority conducting investigations and compliance trainings while developing processes for complaint reporting and accommodation requests, post-consent decree. Jill has also worked as an EEO and LGBTQI consultant, mediator and trainer to private employers and nonprofit agencies, and acted as a liaison to local, state and federal regulatory, community and civil rights organizations. She began her career as a clinician working with teenagers, young adults and individuals with substance use disorders.

A Wisconsin native, Jill was a first generation college student and earned a BA from Macalester College in Sociology and in Gender Studies and holds a Masters and license in Social Work.

Jennifer Magrone (she/her) became an investigator for the Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO) at Tufts in 2013, and became the Deputy Director in 2016. Jennifer is responsible for the prompt, effective and fair review and investigation of allegations and complaints received by OEO, typically for employee-related matters (Title VII). Before joining Tufts, Jennifer served as Assistant Director of Human Resources at the Information and Technology Division for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. A Massachusetts native, Jennifer earned a BA from Smith College and a MSW from Boston University.  When she is not at OEO, Jennifer enjoys meditating with the Cambridge Zen Center and walking in the woods or by the ocean.

Pamela Ring (she/her) has been the Deputy Title IX Coordinator and investigator with the Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO) at Tufts since 2019. In this role, Pam is involved in both informal and formal case resolutions for members of the Tufts community. She approaches her work as an impartial, trauma-informed professional, focused on maintaining a safe and welcoming environment for students, faculty and staff that is aligned with Tufts policies, and in which individuals can learn, work and grow along the way.

Prior to working at Tufts, Pam was in private practice and conducted impartial civil rights investigations for universities throughout New England. Pam began her work as an investigator while serving as a Title IX investigator at Emerson College. A Brockton native, she started her career as a criminal prosecutor in Plymouth County and trial lawyer for the Commonwealth of Mass. She then pivoted to student affairs at Harvard Business School and Brown University.  Pam holds a JD from Temple University School of Law, a MPA from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard, and a BA from Clark University.

Pam enjoys walking her dog Riley on the beach, especially in the evening when the stars are shining brightly. She has studied modern Greek language for several years but is still a beginner.

Alida Bográn-Acosta (she/her) has been an Investigator with the Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO) at Tufts since 2015. In that role, Alida conducts internal inquiries to determine whether there has been a violation of University policy. Prior to coming to Tufts, Alida worked in employment law in the Boston area and served as Commission Counsel for the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD). She is also chapter co-author on Gender Discrimination for Massachusetts Employment Law (Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, Inc.). Alida holds a JD from Northeastern University School of Law, a Masters in Urban Affairs from Boston University and a BA in Political Science from Boston University.

Alida is a Board Member with Pathway for Immigrant Workers (PIW), a Cambridge-based nonprofit serving the Greater Boston area. Originally from Honduras, Alida is fluent in Spanish and is certified as a court interpreter by the Administrative Office of the United States Courts. In her spare time, Alida is an avid walker, knitter (only in winter) and traveler.

Marcia Blanchard (she/her) joined the Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO) at Tufts as an Investigator in November 2021. Marcia brings over two decades of Human Resources, workplace investigations, policy development and legal compliance experience to her work as an Investigator.  Prior to joining OEO as an Investigator, Marcia also served as a contractor covering other OEO functions.  She enjoys the team environment and collaboration with her OEO colleagues.  Prior to joining Tufts in a permanent position, Marcia served as the Human Resources Director at Framingham State University and as the Senior HR Compliance Officer at Emerson College.  Before moving into higher education, Marcia worked for fifteen years in the Legal Department at Boston Scientific where she eventually moved into a Senior Legal Compliance Specialist role and, during her early career, she worked for several years at McKinsey & Company.  She holds an MBA in Human Resources and a BS in Business Management.  Marcia was also awarded post-baccalaureate certification in paralegal studies.  In her free time, Marcia spends time with her children, and she enjoys reading a good book, beach time, gardening, hiking, and exploring the local bike trails.

April Robbins (she/her) is the Resource & Support Specialist at the Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO) at Tufts and has been with OEO since 2018. April is responsible for responding to student, faculty and staff needs regarding resources, interim support measures and formal and informal options provided through the Office of Equal Opportunity.  She also supports the annual new student orientation training provided by OEO. Prior to Tufts, April worked for 21 years at Span, Inc., a non-profit whose mission was to assist people who were or had been incarcerated to achieve healthy, productive and meaningful lives. At Span, Inc, April began as the Office Coordinator, then moved to Director of Administrative Operations and finally to Director of Reintegration Services. April is dedicated to work that provides opportunity for all people to achieve their potential. She received her B.A. in Psychology from the George Washington University and is conversant in Spanish.

Justin MacDowell (he/him) joined the Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO) as the Title IX Investigator in September 2024. Justin is focused on conducting prompt, equitable, and thorough investigations and providing informal and formal case resolutions, generally for matters of sex and gender-based discrimination and harassment (Title IX). Previously, Justin worked for the United Nations in The Hague at the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals and the International Criminal Court’s Office of the Prosecutor. After 2020, Justin returned to his home in Western Massachusetts and investigated employment discrimination for the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination. Before joining Tufts, Justin served as Title IX Coordinator for the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams. Justin holds a BA in Political Science from University College Utrecht and earned his LLM in International and European Law from Tilburg University. Justin has lived in Denmark, Israel, Palestine, and the Netherlands. When he is not at the OEO, Justin spends his time at home in Western Mass attempting to read 52 books in a year, PC-gaming with his wife, and cooking gourmet meals. Justin speaks Dutch but would prefer not to.

Katherine Vosker (she/her) joined the Office of Equal Opportunity as the new Accommodations Manager and 504 Officer in July 2022. Prior to joining OEO, Katherine worked for 21 years in the Office of Student Affairs at the Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, most recently as the Director of Student Affairs where she had oversight of department functioning, coordinated accommodations for students with disabilities, supported students experiencing personal issues or concerns, and oversaw major events such as orientations, white coat ceremonies and Commencements. While at the School of Dental Medicine, she served on the Ethics, Professionalism and Citizenship as well as Admissions Committees and was the Dental School Title IX Liaison for the OEO. She was also a member of the University’s Sexual Misconduct Steering Committee, the Mental Health Steering Committee, the Disability Services Committee, the Threat Assessment Team, and the Anti-Semitism Advisory Council. Katherine earned her BA degree from Mount Holyoke College and her EdM degree from Boston University.  A native of Massachusetts, Katherine likes to spend as much time as possible with her family - especially doing outdoor activities - in her free time.

Johny Lainé (he/him) served as the Accommodations Specialist at OEO for a decade before moving into his current role as Senior Accommodation and Leave Specialist. In addition to his work with OEO, Johny was the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Manager with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Prior to his time at Tufts University, Johny served as a trainer and Mediator at the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD). Johny received training in Dispute Resolution at the University of Massachusetts Boston, while matriculating in the Master’s in Dispute Resolution Program.  He holds a B.A. in English from Brandeis University and a paralegal certificate from Bentley College.  Johny was born in Haiti but grew up in Boston.  He is fluent in Haitian Kreyol and French.

Amin Fahimi Moghadam (he/him) joined the Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO) at Tufts as an Accommodations Specialist in 2021, after serving as a Project Specialist (graduate student employee) with OEO. Prior to that, he was a community fellow at Tufts GSAS. Coming from a background in architecture, Amin studied Diversity and Inclusion Leadership at Tufts GSAS where he focused on spatial justice and the intersection of DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion), placemaking, and policymaking. Originally from Dezful, Iran, Amin has a background in both architecture and marketing/entrepreneurship and has worked in both spheres. Amin holds an MA in Diversity & Inclusion Leadership from Tufts, an MS in Computational Architecture from Pars University of Art & Architecture, and a BS in Architecture from Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz. Amin is fluent in Farsi (Persian).

Nadra Sultan (she/her) is a Compliance Specialist with the Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO) at Tufts and has been with the OEO since 2011. Nadra coordinates the preparation of annual Affirmative Action Plans and ensures compliance with federal regulations on Affirmative Action. She is also responsible for quality control of cases through the OEO’s case management system (EthicsPoint). From EthicsPoint, Nadra produces state and federal required compliance reports such as the NASA report, Clery Report, Massachusetts Campus Safety and Violence Prevention Report and other reports requested from Tufts Administration. In collaboration with Tufts Athletics Department, Nadra is also responsible for tracking athlete attestations in compliance with the 2022 NCAA policy on Campus Sexual Violence. Nadra holds a BS in Business Management and a MS in Accounting, She is originally from Zanzibar and speaks fluent Swahili.

Christine Colacino (she/her) joined the Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO) at Tufts as the OEO Coordinator in 2021. She supports the Executive Director and the day-to-day office operations, coordinates university-wide trainings for students, faculty and staff, and supports the case management system for the office.  Christine brings a breadth of Higher Education Administration experience to OEO, having worked with all college constituencies throughout her career. She is most proud of her work in Diversity Inclusion and Community Partnership and, prior to that, teaching and advising First Year students.  Christine received a B.A. in English/Communication Arts from St. Thomas Aquinas College, and her M.A. in Creative Writing and Literature from Emerson College.   A New Yorker who has lived in Boston since the 1986 World Series, Christine remains loyal to the New York Mets.

Mohammad Hadi Ahmadi (he/him) is a student intern for the Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO) at Tufts. Originally from Afghanistan, Mohammad is currently a senior at Tufts, studying Sociology and Economics. In addition to his work as an OEO intern, Mohammad is also involved with the FIRST Resource Center as a peer leader, the Middle East Research Group (MERG), and Tufts Financial Group (TFG). When he’s not studying, Mohammad is drawing, learning Arabic, and trying out new recipes. Mohammad is fluent in Persian and Pashto.