Dean of Faculty Ngoni Munemo noted that student interest in biology and, in particular, the health sciences, has exploded in recent years, and expressed that this new professorship will provide Hamilton with much-needed resources.
“The health sciences take up probably the first two years of the biology curriculum, so it’s an area of growth and real substantive need,” Munemo said. “And a professorship in that area will help us be responsive to an area of growth in the curriculum.”
Ducibella often speaks fondly of how his own professors — particularly the late Professor of Biology Emeritus Duncan Chiquoine and the Silas D. Childs Professor of Chemistry Emeritus Robin Kinnel — shaped and inspired him during his time earning his biology degree at Hamilton. Both Ducibella and Nannini cherish the influence of their professors and have found fulfillment in their own experiences mentoring students and young professionals throughout their careers.
“We ended up where we did because of the faculty that had an impact on us, and we, in turn, have tried to pass the baton,” Ducibella said.
Ducibella earned his Ph.D. in biology from Princeton University in 1973, followed by a post-doctoral Ford Foundation Fellowship at Harvard Medical School in the Laboratory of Human Reproduction and Reproductive Biology. Thereafter, he was a professor at Tufts University School of Medicine, as well as a principal investigator and a member of the human in vitro fertilization (IVF) team at Tufts Medical Center Hospital.
Nannini earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing at Georgetown University, a master’s degree in nursing with a family nurse practitioner specialty at Vanderbilt University, and a Ph.D. in health policy at Brandeis University. Her life’s work — as a bilingual family nurse practitioner in community health centers, a policy researcher at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, and a professor at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell — focused on improving the health of the underserved, particularly women and Latinx populations.
Ducibella and Nannini’s backgrounds overlap considerably with regards to reproduction and family planning, through the lenses of biology and public health. They speak about one another’s accomplishments with evident pride, and are quick to highlight the interface between biology and public health.
“We have a vision to help add to the body of knowledge of both biology and public health, and also using a social justice framework that is not so esoteric, that can be practical. You can draw a line to ethics,” Nannini said.
Given this vision, the couple was particularly impressed by Associate Professor of Biology Natalie Nannas’ course offerings, including a bioethics class and a seminar on genetic medicine, in which Ducibella participated as a guest lecturer. Both Ducibella’s and Nannini’s professional specialties involve working to improve the lives of others, which correlates to their contributions to Hamilton — ultimately, the couple wants to help make the world a better place.
In addition to this new professorship, the couple established the Ducibella-Nannini Summer Research Fund in 2019. While the majority of biology courses at Hamilton include a concurrent laboratory component, Ducibella noted that the additional lab experience facilitated by their gift helps students develop deductive reasoning skills. By testing hypotheses and running experiments, students are furthering their multidimensional practice of the liberal arts.
Ducibella attributes his success as a scientist and a thinker to his Hamilton liberal arts education. Similarly, Nannini attended Georgetown University because she was drawn to the liberal arts.
During Homecoming Weekend this past September, Ducibella was nominated for a College Key award in recognition of his years of dedicated service to Hamilton. He is enthusiastic about visiting with Hamilton students and faculty in the lab, guest lecturing, and participating in virtual classes. Ducibella feels that this honor is yet another component of the mutually supportive connection he enjoys with his alma mater, saying that the College Key represents a reciprocal relationship with Hamilton.
“We give something to Hamilton, and Hamilton is giving something back to us,” Ducibella said. “It’s all part of the continued development of our relationship.”
Posted December 18, 2025
