RWU President-Designate Ioannis Miaoulis Recognized by the Massachusetts Women’s Political Caucus for Leadership in Advancing Equity for Women

BRISTOL, R.I. – Roger Williams University President-Designate Ioannis Miaoulis has been named a recipient of the Good Guy Award from the Massachusetts Women’s Political Caucus (MWPC) for his leadership in significantly increasing representation of women in higher education and leadership roles.

Since 2002, the MWPC’s Good Guy Award has honored men who demonstrate an ongoing commitment and partnership in achieving equality for women through their professional and civic work.

Prior to assuming his new role as president of RWU later this summer, Dr. Maioulis served as dean of Tufts University’s School of Engineering, where he increased the number of female undergraduates by 30 percent, and significantly boosted the proportion of female faculty members to 25 percent. He also served as president of the Boston Museum of Science, where he raised the museum’s profile to an internationally acclaimed STEM education institution prompting greater philanthropic support including a $50 million gift from Bloomberg Philanthropies, and led the development of the museum’s National Center for Technological Literacy (NCTL) which advances the knowledge of engineering and technology through K-12 curricula programs that have reached an estimated 200,000 teachers and 18 million students. In 2018, he was named one of the 100 most influential people in Boston by Boston Magazine. 

“Dr. Miaoulis is an advocate and a change-maker who has committed his career to advancing women in the sciences and engineering at Tufts University and the Boston Museum of Science,” said MWPC Director Pam Berman. “We know he will bring that same passion for increasing the representation of women in leadership positions and across all academic disciplines to his new role as president of Roger Williams University.”

“I am deeply honored to receive the Good Guy Award for my work at Tufts University and the Museum of Science,” said Dr. Miaoulis. “Achieving parity for women in higher education and leadership roles is critical to creating a just and thriving society, in which everyone benefits from enabling each person to reach their full potential. As I assume the presidency of Roger Williams University, I will lead a shared commitment to inclusion and equity that drives our mission of being the university the world needs now.”

The award will be presented during the MWPC Gala on Oct. 3 at the Fairmont Copley Plaza in Boston. Other honorees include:

• Natasha Lamb, managing partner and co-founder of Arjuna Capital, who will receive the Abigail Adams Award for her commitment to gender pay equity and for investing globally in women. 
   
• Lora M. Pellegrini, Esq., president and CEO of the Massachusetts Association of Health Plans (MAHP), who will receive the MWPC Legacy Award,which honors a former MWPC board president, or past Abigail Adams honoree. 
   
• Daniel Rivera, mayor of Lawrence, who will receive the Leadership Awardfor his leadership during the 2018 Columbia Gas explosions that impacted Lawrence, Andover and North Andover.