The Boston College
Chronicle Published by the Boston College Office of News & Public Affairs october 31, 2013 Vol. 22 no. 5
Celebrating
INSIDE
THE
Sesquicentennial
•Faculty Staff Art Show, page 2
Religious Diversity Is Theme of Nov. 13 Event By Kathleen Sullivan Staff Writer
•International Education Week, page 2 •Game Day challenge promotes sustainability, page 2 •Foundation carries on Carly Hughes’ spirit, page 3
•BC on Kiplinger’s ‘Best Values’ list, page 3 •Eagles’ grad rate one of best in US, page 3 •Kafka has settled in at Weston Observatory, page 4 •Markey speaks at Sesquicentennial event, page 4
•CSON’s Harris wins “Nurse of the Year” honor, page 5 •Warren Zola to lead BC CEO Club, page 5 •BC social media earning plaudits, page 6 •Veterans Day Mass and Remembrance, page 6 •Boisi Lecture set for Nov. 7, page 6 •Wolfe to speak at Mass Humanities event, page 7 •Lee to premiere new composition, page 8 •Career Night for the Arts, page 8
Center for Religion and American Public Life Associate Director Erik Owens, who is organizing the symposium with Boisi Center Director and Professor of Political Science Alan Wolfe. “This is the story of Boston, the story of America. The symposium is a chance to talk about and celebrate Boston College’s role in this narrative.” The keynote speaker will be E.J. Dionne Jr., a syndicated columnist for the Washington Post, columnist for Commonweal magazine, and senior fellow at the Continued on page 4
On Nov. 13, Boston College will host “Religious Diversity and the Common Good,” the final academic symposium of its SesRunners near the finish line at the annual Welles Crowther Red Banquicentennial celebration, bringdanna 5K, held Oct. 19. For more photos of recent Boston College events, ing together scholars and leaders see page 8 (Photo by Frank Curran) of civic and religious communities to discuss the nature and pursuit of the common good in a pluralistic society. “The University’s beginnings are rooted in its Irish Catholic of Education Research Professor MiBy Sean Hennessey heritage, but now we are part of chael Martin, who along with Lynch Staff Writer a flourishing diversity,” said Boisi School Professor Ina Mullis is co-exIt’s a long-held belief that pa- ecutive director of TIMSS & PIRLS rental and administrative support and the study’s co-author. “The helps breed academic success; now analysis focuses on ‘How does that there’s data to back that up. A new work, what’s behind that?’ There’s study released by the IEA (Interna- never been data to do this, to show tional Association for the Evaluation this mechanism, this path.” of Educational Achievement) and The study, titled “TIMSS and the TIMSS & PIRLS International PIRLS 2011: Relationships Among Study Center at Boston College Reading, Mathematics and Science examines what makes up “cultural Achievement at the Fourth Grade educational excellence” while quan- – Implications for Early Learning,” tifying the strengths of best practices is the first report to look at the issue at school, and at home. of cultural excellence: what parents, “The data supports many long- schools, and students are doing to held beliefs about good ways of improve success in reading, math raising your children and preparing and science. Researchers used data Continued on page 5 Sophomores Lucas Allen and Catherine Larrabee at the Boston Marathon them for school,” said Lynch School
Global Study Assesses ‘Educational Excellence’
BC Law Experts: Don’t Push Panic Button on ACA With the Affordable Care Act Chirba and Adjunct Professor Alcontinuing to serve as a political lightning rod, two Boston College Law experts on the ACA say initial problems are to be expected, and that there are valid reasons why many are having their health insurance cancelled. “There are real problems with Healthcare.gov, but they are by no means insurmountable,“ says Professor Mary Ann Chirba. “In fact, given the complexity of what is being launched, it is not surprising that there have been problems in achieving lift-off.”
ice Noble have read all 907 pages of the statute line by line, and are the authors of the new book, Healthcare Reform: Law and Practice. “It is not time to push the panic button,” says Noble. “Designing the exchange was complicated to begin with for several reasons, including the lack of clarity about how many states would run their own exchanges, how many would participate in the ACA’s Medicaid expansion program and how many insurers would compete
Continued on page 5
QUOTE:
finish line replica constructed as part of the Presidential Scholars Program’s “Boston Strong” project. (Photo courtesy Presidential Scholars Program)
Students Look to Explore Meaning of ‘Boston Strong’ By Kathleen Sullivan Staff Writer
Since the Boston Marathon tragedy this spring, the phrase “Boston Strong” has emerged as a rallying call. But what does it mean to be “Boston Strong”? Sophomores in the Boston College Presidential Scholars Program have launched a project to find out. “I ran the 2013 Boston Marathon
and finished a couple of minutes before the bombings. This project is a way of responding and paying tribute,” said Presidential Scholar Dan Lundberg, a biology and philosophy major from Orono, Minn., who is interested in disability rights. The Boston Marathon is more than a sporting event. Of the more than 23,000 runners who compete, many do so in support of charitable Continued on page 6
“To be recognized for my work with adolescents is extremely important because the negative behaviors that adolescents adopt can have significant consequences on their health and well-being during their reproductive years and on their children.” —Connell School of Nursing Assistant Professor Allyssa Harris, page 5
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Chronicle october 31, 2013
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A ROUND The 10th annual Boston College Faculty and Staff Art Show, now on display at the Bapst Library Gallery, offers an eclectic mix of media, styles and formats in the works of some 22 members of the BC community. “This is our most popular exhibit year after year,” said Vivian Ylan Phan ’15, vice president of the student-run BC Art Club, which organized the exhibit. “I think that faculty and staff appreciate the chance to showcase their art work, and I’m really grateful to be a part of this experience. “Art Club’s mission is to bring art appreciation and awareness to the BC community — not just to those students that are fine arts or art history majors and minors — and
C AMPUS
SHOWING THEIR ARTISTIC SIDE
Exhibits Specialist and Senior Library Assistant Kevin Tringale with his works on display at the 10th annual Boston College Faculty and Staff Art Show in the Bapst Library Gallery. (Photo by Lee Pellegrini)
GAME DAY, GREEN DAY Maroon and gold — and green? For the second football season in a row, Eagles have been competing not only on the gridiron, but also in the parking lots and tailgate events in the Game Day Recycling Challenge. It’s all part of a friendly competition among colleges and universities to promote waste reduction at home football games. During each game, tailgaters are provided different plastic bags – blue for recyclables, white for nonrecyclables – and the waste is collected by BC Facilities. Officials track and report waste reductions and disposal data that are used in rankings of other schools. At this weekend’s game against Virginia Tech, fans will see a “Green BC” tent outside Gate E. More information on this program, as well as additional efforts to make BC greener will be available. Volunteers from EcoPledge, Real Food and other student organizations will be available to answer questions and provide t-shirts and water bottles to participating fans. To date, BC has collected and recycled 50 tons of waste. The goal is to achieve a 50 percent overall recycling rate, said BC Sustainability Program Director Robert Pion. “We’re hoping that this helps
people think more about the waste they produce,” said Pion. “Currently, each person at BC generates about 595 pounds of trash a year. When we look at the amount of recycling per person, that number drops to 243 pounds. Many groups across campus are working hard to instill a greater sense of responsibility and increased dedication toward environmental stewardship.” Last year, Pion noted, BC placed ninth among 67 participating schools for the Recycling Champion category. The diversion rate of waste was 45.8 percent. “This year, the goal is to do even better,” he said. Facilities Management, the Office of Engineering and Energy, Office of Sustainability, Dining Services, BClean and others all played a role in increasing recycling efforts on campus between June 2012 and May 2013, when a 41 percent recycling rate was achieved, said Pion. The Game Day Recycling Challenge is a partnership of the College and University Recycling Coalition, RecycleMania and Keep America Beautiful. It is supported by the Environmental Protection Agency program WasteWise. —Melissa Beecher
Director of NEWS & Public Affairs Jack Dunn Deputy Director of NEWS & Public AFFAIRS Patricia Delaney Editor Sean Smith
Contributing Staff Melissa Beecher Ed Hayward Sean Hennessey Rosanne Pellegrini Kathleen Sullivan Michael Maloney Photographers Gary Gilbert Lee Pellegrini
this exhibit encapsulates this mission wonderfully. The works on display include a ceramic vase, a woven basket, oil paintings, ink/gouache paintings, graphite drawings, digital photography and collage pieces. “The exhibit changes every year as various faculty and staff become more aware of the event and have works to show,” Phan noted. “The goal is to open interdisciplinary and staff-student discussions, so the exhibit is purposely not themed.” The exhibit has been supported and sponsored by Boston College University Libraries since its inception in the Bapst Gallery, and Exhibits Specialist and Senior Library Assistant Kevin Tringale is a long-
time exhibitor. This year he submitted two abstract photographs, both untitled works that capture lights in motion. “I enjoy taking photographs in general and have been experimenting with abstract photographs for a number of years now,” he said. “Abstract photography can be defined as avoiding traditional representation; its purpose is the image itself and the process of its creation keeping in mind the basic elements of design: line, shape, form, and often color.” The free, public exhibit is on display through Nov. 30. For more information, see www.bc.edu/ content/bc/libraries/about/exhibitsnew/Bapst2012/FacStaffShow.html —Rosanne Pellegrini
GLOBAL LEARNING
For the past 13 years, International Education Week (IEW) — established nationally by the US Department of State and the Department of Education — has promoted international education awareness throughout the Boston College community. IEW returns Nov. 11-15 with more than 40 events happening on campus. Office of International Students and Scholars Director Adrienne Nussbaum said the spirit of IEW is reflected in this year’s theme: “BC at 150: More International Than Ever!” “With over 35 events planned throughout the week, IEW is the only time of year when BC’s many academic departments, administrative offices, and student organizations all collaborate to bring awareness to the whole University community about important international educational, cultural and social issues,” said Nussbaum. “It is a celebration of our rich and valuable diversity at home as well an acknowledgement of BC’s engagement and influence throughout the world.” BC IEW is a collaborative effort among more than a dozen departments and groups, each focused on increasing knowledge and awareness
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of the world’s cultures, languages and international education. For example, on Nov. 11, University Advancement and the Alumni Association will host their first-ever Google+ hangout, featuring BC alumni from Europe, Asia, Southeast Asia and Latin America. Hosted by Associate Vice President for Alumni Relations Joy H. Moore ’81, and Alumni Association President Vincent Quealy ’75, the Google+ Chat will involve global alumni in a conversation about the role that BC has played in their lives, and the possibilities for creating a robust alumni community. According to Executive Director of International Advancement Ellen Sullivan ’88, IEW is a great opportunity to connect with and showcase BC alumni around the world. “The world’s great universities have global alumni networks that serve their students during the undergraduate experience, and throughout their lives as alumni,” said Sullivan. “Boston College is eager to strengthen the ties between our international alumni and families and the life of the University by helping to develop a vibrant and dynamic worldwide alumni community.” Sullivan added, “We are proud to have loyal alumni working to raise the profile of BC and create a sense of community for Boston College in China, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore, Brazil, Colombia,
Panama, and Puerto Rico, as well as through existing alumni chapters in Dublin, London and Paris.” Other highlights of the week: •Burns Library Visiting Scholar in Irish Studies Mary McAleese, former president of Ireland, and her husband Martin McAleese, chancellor of Dublin City University, will speak at the Nov. 11 IEW opening event at 4:30 p.m. in Higgins 300, followed by a reception in the Higgins Atrium. •Faculty and staff are invited to two OISS-sponsored workshops: how to pronounce Chinese names (Nov. 12 at noon in Higgins 225), and Cross-cultural communication (Nov. 13, at 12:30 in the McElroy Third Floor Lounge). •OISS, the Office of International Programs and the Career Center will co-sponsor a program on BC alumni who have pursued international careers, on Nov. 13, at 6:30 p.m. in Gasson 305. •A reception for visiting international faculty and research scholars will be held Nov. 14 in the Fulton Honors Library from 3-5 p.m., followed by a panel discussion on “Internationalization at BC: How Far We Have Come and Where We Are Headed” with Nussbaum, Vice Provost for Undergraduate Academic Affairs Donald Hafner, Associate Vice Provost for Academic Affairs Joseph Burns, Office of International Programs Director Nick Gozik and Center for International Higher Education Director Philip Altbach. The website for IEW at BC, which includes a listing of events, is www.bc.edu/iew. —Melissa Beecher
The Boston College Chronicle (USPS 009491), the internal newspaper for faculty and staff, is published biweekly from September to May by Boston College, with editorial offices at the Office of News & Public Affairs, 14 Mayflower Road, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467 (617)552-3350. Distributed free to faculty and staff offices and other locations on campus. Periodicals postage paid at Boston, MA and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: send address changes to The Boston College Chronicle, Office of News & Public Affairs, 14 Mayflower Road, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467.
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T he B oston C ollege
Chronicle october 31, 2013
Supporting education for children in need came to define the late Carly Hughes’ years at BC. Now, a foundation seeks to keep her work going By Sean Smith Chronicle Editor
Lynch School of Education 2011 alumna Carly Hughes — who would have turned 25 this month — relished many aspects of her Boston College education, say family and friends. A particularly cherished BC experience was participating in the annual Lynch School service trip to the Holy Family School in Natchez, Miss., one of the country’s oldest African-American Catholic schools in one of America’s most impoverished areas. “After the first time she went there, she told me, ‘Mom, it feels like home,’” recalled her mother, Irene Vouvalides. “Having been there, I can understand why it felt that way to Carly. The people are simply wonderful and so dedicated to the kids.” Hughes died of gastric cancer earlier this year, but in her memory Vouvalides established “Carly’s Kids: A Foundation for Education” that supports education for children in need — children like those at Holy Family, who made such an impression on her daughter. Vouvalides presented a $15,000 check on behalf of the foundation to Holy Family last week. Founded by the Society of St. Joseph in 1890 to teach AfricanAmerican children during the era of segregation, Holy Family built a reputation for helping students achieve academic and professional success. In 1998, the Lynch School launched a campaign to save Holy Family, collecting donations of books and supplies and raising money. Every year, the Lynch School has sent a contingent to Holy Family to help with building and maintenance projects, and to spend time with the school’s students and teachers. Despite such efforts, Holy Family’s difficulties – ascribed to racial and social dynamics as well as economic conditions – have persisted. Five years ago, Holy Family discontinued its elementary school program and became an early learning center for children aged two to five. But in spite of its woes — or maybe because of them — Holy Family was a special place for Hughes, according to her boyfriend Michael Hughes ’11, whom she talked into going along on the service trip in their senior year.
“She went for the kids, or the ‘babies,’ as she called them,” he said. “Every time I looked around, Carly seemed to have multiple kids around her, always one sitting on her lap, and they were all laughing and having a good time. Carly had such a radiant, loving, fun personality that made her love the kids and — more importantly, the kids love her. “One of my best memories was the carnival day we held for the kids. I felt like every time I turned around, Carly somehow had another kid in her arms. She sang, danced and helped as many as possible with arts and crafts. What struck me was how Carly seemed to be having even more fun than the kids. That was her personality. She was always happy and somehow spread that to everyone around her.” Carly’s friend and 2011 classmate Alyssa Rosenfeld said: “Her own ability to love others so deeply was very similar to the ways the teachers at Holy Family related to the students and to visitors. She felt passionate about the quality education that the students were receiving and was inspired by the teachers and faculty at Holy Family.” Another friend and 2011 alumna, Robyn Antonucci, added, “As soon as she came back from her trip in her junior year, she knew she wanted to return and take on a bigger role in preparing, organizing, and fundraising for the next year’s trip. She was chosen as one of the leaders for the trip her senior year. She helped to organize numerous successful fundraisers and made sure that students at BC were aware of the importance of keeping Holy Family open.” When the idea of creating a foundation in memory of Carly came up, recalls Michael Hughes, Holy Family was a logical choice as its focus. “Carly had talked so often about how much she loved it there. I had a few conversations with her, even while she was sick, about how she wished she could go back there and how she was planning on donating again for the spring trip. I think the experiences she had down there always made her want to go back and teach, which she was hoping to do later in life. “The motto of the Holy Family School is ‘Learn so you can love so you can live.’ I feel like
Kiplinger’s Ranks BC Among ‘Best Values’ in US
Photo courtesy of Carly’s Kids Foundation
Carrying on for Carly
“The motto of the Holy Family School is ‘Learn so you can love so you can live,’” says Michael Hughes, who was the boyfriend of Carly Hughes (above). “I feel like this phrase really epitomized Carly’s personality well. She lived through loving.” this phrase really epitomized Carly’s personality well. She lived through loving.” Lynch School Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Student Services and Associate Professor Audrey Friedman recalls Carly as a well-loved, thoughtful and considerate student – she once presented Friedman, an inveterate lover of iced coffee, with a Dunkin Donuts gift card – who could often be found chatting with John Cawthorne, former Lynch School associate dean for students and outreach and architect of the school’s support for Holy Family. “I think this foundation represents a perfect intersection, in that it not only honors the memory of Carly but by extension that of John Cawthorne, too,” said Friedman of Cawthorne, who died last year. “His desire to make Holy Family a focus for outreach fit squarely into the mission of the Lynch School. So the foundation will provide a means through which the efforts of people like Carly and John can live on.” The Carly’s Kids foundation also will support educational research for prevention and treatment of esophageal and gastric cancers. [For more on Carly’s Kids: A Foundation for Education, see http://carlyskidsfoundation.com]
Contact Sean Smith at sean.smith@bc.edu
Boston College placed 23rd on Kiplinger’s Personal Finance’s 2014 annual listing of the nation’s best values in private colleges and universities, a onepoint improvement over last year’s ranking of 24th. Kiplinger’s compiles its listing of 100 private universities and 100 liberal arts colleges annually based on high-quality academics at a reasonable cost. Kiplinger’s says its selected schools exemplify the attributes parents and students look for in higher education, including small class size, a good freshman retention rate and a high four-year graduation rate. “With President Obama’s recent emphasis on rating colleges and universities based on their value, our rankings serve as a valuable resource to help students and families make more informed choices,” says Janet Bodnar, editor of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine. “Combining a high-quality education with an affordable price tag is a challenge, but the colleges on this year’s list offer the best of both worlds.” Kiplinger’s rankings measure
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academic quality and affordability. Academic criteria include the student admission rate, the test scores of incoming freshmen, the ratio of students to faculty, and four- and five-year graduation rates. On the cost side, Kiplinger’s measures the sticker price, the availability and average amount of need-based and merit-based financial aid, and the average student debt at graduation. Boston College and several of the schools on the top 100 list have appeared in Kiplinger’s rankings since its inception. “We are pleased that Kiplinger’s has again recognized Boston College as a best-value private university based on our commitment to need-blind admissions and to meeting the full demonstrated need of our students,” said Bernard Pekala, director of student financial strategies and enrollment at Boston College. “This ranking, coupled with our listing in US News’ “Great Schools Great Prices” survey, reflects our ongoing effort at making a BC education accessible to students from all socio-economic backgrounds.” —Jack Dunn
Student-Athlete Grad Rate Strong Boston College ranks fifth in the nation for overall Graduation Success Rate (GSR) in all sports among FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) schools, according to data released this month by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. BC’s GSR score of 96 was topped only by Notre Dame (99), Duke (98), Stanford (97) and Northwestern (97). Only nine other schools received an overall GSR of over 90: Wake Forest (94), Rice (94), Miami, Fla. (92), Vanderbilt (91), Air Force (90), Army (90), Illinois (90), Navy (90), Virginia Tech (90). In addition, the football team’s score of 94 was best in the Atlantic Coast Conference and tied for third in the nation. Only eight FBS institutions received a football GSR of 90 or better. Those schools are Northwestern (97), Rice (96), Boston College (94), Notre Dame (94), Stanford (93), Air Force (93), Duke (92) and Boise State (91). Fourteen BC sports teams received a perfect GSR score of 100: men’s fencing, men’s golf, men’s skiing, men’s swimming, women’s basketball, women’s
rowing, women’s field hockey, women’s ice hockey, softball, women’s skiing, women’s soccer, women’s swimming, women’s tennis and women’s volleyball. The NCAA developed the Graduation Success Rate as part of its academic reform initiative to more accurately assess the academic success of student-athletes. The rate holds institutions accountable for transfer students unlike the federal graduation rate. The GSR also accounts for midyear enrollees and is calculated for every sport. More information about the GSR report may be found at the NCAA’s website, www.ncaa.org. —Boston College Athletics
Correction An interview with Associate Professor of Theology Yonder Moynihan Gillihan in the Oct. 3 Chronicle contained an incorrect reference to the co-sponsor for a student tour to the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit at the Museum of Science. The tour was coorganized in cooperation with the Academic Advising Center. Chronicle regrets the error.
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Chronicle october 31, 2013
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Celebrating THE
Sesquicentennial
Alan Kafka says of the Weston Observatory, “I view it as a priceless resource to our campus and the communities we serve.” (Photo by Caitlin Cunningham)
Settling In Just Fine Longtime faculty member Kafka is relishing his new role as director of BC’s Weston Observatory By Ed Hayward Staff Writer
Almost two months into his appointment as director of the University’s Weston Observatory, Associate Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences Alan Kafka says he is excited to further the mission of one of the world’s leading earthquake monitoring and research institutes. “The Weston Observatory enjoys a proud legacy and will continue to play a significant role in the future of Boston College,” said Kafka, who has been involved with the work of the observatory — located about 10 miles from campus in the town of Weston — during the course of his 30-year career at BC. “I view it as a priceless resource to our campus and the communities we serve.” A geophysicist who specializes in seismology, Kafka assumed the post at the start of the fall semester, taking over for long-time director and Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences John Ebel, who is now serving as chairman of the department. Kafka said the observatory, which has been recording earthquakes since the 1930s, will continue to carry out a three-tiered mission of scientific research, public outreach and science education in Boston-area communities. Research takes place on a global scale, supporting the work of professors and government scientists around the world. The observatory’s seismic instruments support the New England Seismic Network and the WorldWide Standardized Seismic Network. Public outreach has grown to include a significant role in earthquake mitigation, ranging from research into forecasting seismic activity and providing guidance
to agencies such as the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency. Science education includes school visits and tours, as well as the observatory’s Educational Seismology Program, which places seismographs in K-12 classrooms and public libraries in support of science education and outreach. The observatory remains firmly rooted in its history, Kafka said, a direct result of the work of early Jesuit scholars in the earth sciences whose religious order supplied one of the first global networks for the collection and dissemination of earthquake data. Visitors can still watch the seismographs roll, their delicate needles transcribing onto graph paper the movement of the earth below. At the same time, the observatory has moved its data onto high-tech networks of servers to offer access to a global audience. The staff is currently developing new software to provide earthquake data to scholars and students of all ages. This melding of old and new is part of the challenge of leading the observatory, Kafka said. “An earthquake observatory is a unique place,” he said. “It’s a research laboratory, it’s a distributed network for earthquake monitoring and research, and it’s a provider of educational and public outreach resources about all aspects of seismology and earthquake hazards. “This is an exciting time in the field of seismology, particularly in the cutting-edge use of the Internet and social networking to advance seismological research and mitigate earthquake hazards. We are excited about the possibilities.” Contact Ed Hayward at ed.hayward@bc.edu
US. Sen. Edward J. Markey (DMass.) ’68, JD ’72, addressed the Sesquicentennial symposium “Energy: From the Last to the Next 150 Years,” held last Friday in the Heights Room of Corcoran Commons. Markey discussed how policy changes can spur competition and innovation in the energy sector, leading to increased choice and lower prices for consumers while reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
Photos by Caitlin Cunningham
Sesquicentennial Forum on Religious Diversity Continued from page 1 Brookings Institution, who will give his talk at 3:15 p.m. Dionne, a Rhodes Scholar, is an awardwinning author of Our Divided Political Heart: The Battle for the American Idea in an Age of Discontent; Why Americans Hate Politics and Souled Out: Reclaiming Faith and Politics After the Religious Right, among others. He appears regularly on National Public Radio, MSNBC and NBC’s “Meet the Press.” The symposium will be divided into two sections. The first will look at historical trajectories from 1863 to present day. David Quigley, dean of the College and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and professor of history, will serve as moderator. The second half will examine contemporary issues and approaches and will be moderated by Newton College Alumnae Professor in Western Culture Catherine Cornille, chair of the Theology Department and author of the influential book The Im-Possibility of Interreligious Dialogue. Symposium participants have devoted their life’s work to the themes of the symposium, ac-
cording to Owens, either from a historical or contemporary perspective. “In a country devoted to liberal individualism, is it possible to purse a common good? What, if anything, can specific religious communities contribute to this pursuit? These are some of the questions the panelists will consider,” added Owens, who teaches in the Theology Department and in the International Studies program. One participant will be Clough Millennium Professor of History James M. O’Toole, author of The Faithful: A History of Catholics in America, among other books. Other participants will be: Marie Griffith of Washington University in St. Louis; Omar M. McRoberts of the University of Chicago; Jonathan Sarna of Brandeis University; Nancy Ammerman of Boston University; Reza Aslan of the University of California, Riverside; Randall Kennedy of Harvard Law School, and Laurie Patton of Duke University. In the evening, a private dinner will be held for journalists,
academics, and religious and civic leaders who work for the common good in the Boston area. University President William P. Leahy, SJ, will offer welcoming remarks, and Wolfe will moderate a panel discussion featuring prominent leaders: Harvard Kennedy School Parker Gilbert Montgomery Professor Rev. J. Bryan Hehir, secretary for health and social services for the Archdiocese of Boston; Interim Superintendent of Boston Public Schools John McDonough; Dr. Mohammad Ghiath Reda of the Islamic Center of Boston; Amy Ryan, president of the Boston Public Library; and Rev. Jonathan Walton, professor of religion and society at the Harvard Divinity School and Plummer Professor of Christian Morals and Pusey Minister in the Memorial Church. “Religious Diversity and the Common Good” will take place in the Heights Room of Corcoran Commons from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. It is free and open to the public. To register, visit www.bc.edu/150. Contact Kathleen Sullivan at kathleen.sullivan@bc.edu
T he B oston C ollege
Chronicle october 31, 2013
Nurse of Year Honors for CSON’s Harris
Allyssa Harris pursues research in adolescent sexual decision-making and risk behaviors and health care disparities. (Photo by Lee Pellegrini)
By Kathleen Sullivan Staff Writer
Connell School of Nursing Assistant Professor Allyssa Harris has been named a 2013 Nurse of the Year by the Massachusetts Chapter of the March of Dimes. Harris was honored in the category of Nurse Researcher. Nurse of the Year is a statewide award that recognizes exceptional nurses, who are an integral part of the March of Dimes’ mission for stronger, healthier babies. Harris was one of 17 nurses feted at a recent ceremony in Natick. Harris, a faculty member at Boston College since 2007, teaches Advanced Practice in Women’s Health Nursing and Theoretical Foundations in Women’s Health and Pediatric Nursing, as well as a clinical course in childbearing. Her research interests are in adolescent sexual decision-making and risk behaviors and health care dispari-
ties. “It is an honor to receive an award from such a prestigious organization. The health of women and children is very important because they form the backbone for many families,” said Harris. “To be recognized for my work with adolescents is extremely important because the negative behaviors that adolescents adopt can have significant consequences on their health and well-being during their reproductive years and on their children.” “I am so proud of Dr. Harris’ recognition by the Massachusetts Chapter of the March of Dimes,”
said Connell School Dean and Professor Susan Gennaro. “The March of Dimes’ mission to improve the health of babies is important to all of us and Dr. Harris’ commitment to improving the health of women and infants in the US is closely aligned with that mission.” Harris holds an appointment at the Munn Center for Nursing Research at Massachusetts General Hospital and served as a women’s health nurse practitioner at the Roxbury Comprehensive Community Health Center. Harris has been published in the Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Nursing, The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, Nursing for Women’s Health and Journal of the Black Nurses Association. In 2011, she was honored for excellence in nursing education and teaching by the New England Black Nurses Association.
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from 180,000 students, 170,000 parents, 14,000 teachers, and 6,000 principals across 34 countries. The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) is the first global assessment of mathematics and science to provide data about trends over time, measuring achievement in these subjects every four years at the fourth and eighth grades since 1995. The Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) is one of the most influential global evaluations of reading literacy in the world. “This is the biggest and most comprehensive set of data at this grade level — fourth-grade, 10-year-old kids — by far,” said Martin. “There’s never been data from so many countries on such a level of achievement – really good measures of mathematics, science, reading achievement – as well as background from questionnaires to the parents primarily, and from the school principals, teachers, students themselves, data from all of these sources. There’s never been a set of data like this.” While researchers found each country has a unique approach towards education, the data also pointed to across-the-board similarities in school and home that affect achievement. “The culture of educational excellence starts in the home,” said Mullis. “It follows with a school that has a focus on educational success by all the parties concerned –
Lee Pellegrini
TIMSS/PIRLS on ‘Educational Excellence’
TIMSS & PIRLS executive directors Michael Martin and Ina Mullis
the teachers, the administration, the parents, the students themselves. It continues into the classroom with a teacher who is engaging students. We know then we will have students in the end who have higher achievement, a higher motivation, and a higher probability of becoming life-long learners.” Added Martin, “Obviously, well-educated parents tend to buy lots of books, tend to engage in activities with their kids, tend to read to them, do literacy tasks and numeracy tasks. Those kids, when they begin school, are able to do these things. They know what a book is, they can do their ABCs, they can read, even when they start. And of course, that’s a huge, huge boost to their achievement in school. They never lose that advantage, they start school with an advantage and they never lose it. “So we were digging into how that advantage comes about, and what the mechanism of this is. It all
starts at home and this isn’t news, but the amount of data that we have on how it works is new.” More than half of the 34 participating countries were able to get 90 percent or more of fourth-grade students to a basic level of proficiency in reading, math, and science (though the US wasn’t included in this study, 98 percent of fourthgraders reached basic proficiency in reading in 2011, 96 percent in math and science) while five countries saw 35 percent of their students reach a high level of achievement in those subject areas. “For many years, we’ve known that kids from homes of educated parents with lots of reading materials will do better in school in the fourth grade,” said Martin. “But we have really good data at TIMSS and PIRLS, reports from parents, about not only on the materials they have in the home but the numerous literacy activities they engage their children with, and their estimate of just how competent the kids were in being able to read and write, and to do basic things when they began primary school. And then from an assessment result we have what they can do in the fourth grade.” [The study “TIMSS and PIRLS 2011: Relationships Among Reading, Mathematics and Science Achievement at the Fourth Grade – Implications for Early Learning” is available online at timssandpirls. bc.edu/timsspirls2011/relationships.html] Contact Sean Hennessey at sean.hennessey@bc.edu
Zola to Head CEO Club By Sean Hennessey Staff Writer
Warren Zola, assistant dean for graduate programs in the Carroll School of Management, has been named executive director of the Boston College Chief Executives’ Club of Boston. Zola, a former chief financial officer and member of the Massachusetts bar, will assume his new role Nov. 1. With a membership of 400 companies, the Boston College CEO Club brings together leading CEOs for a unique networking opportunity and access to global CEOs who run some of the world’s biggest companies. “I look forward to continuing the proud tradition of the Boston College Chief Executives’ Club of Boston as both a signature program of the Carroll School of Management and a crucial forum for the city’s business leaders,” said Zola. “I’m grateful to Carroll School Dean Andy Boynton and BC President William P. Leahy, SJ, for the opportunity to lead this Boston institution as it connects global corporate leaders with the men and women leading the business community.” Boynton said Zola’s managerial background and experience will provide for a smooth transition while promising growth of the forum, which is housed in the Carroll School’s Office of Corporate and Government Affairs. “I am delighted that Warren has accepted this role leading the Office of Corporate and Government Affairs,” said Boynton. “His management experience in both the corporate and academic arenas coupled with his own work as a thought leader in the business of sports will be valuable assets as he brings together executives for broad and vibrant exchange through the Chief Executives’ Club of Boston and the Boston College Citizen Seminars.” Zola, who has served as one of the Carroll School’s chief finan-
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cial administrators for more than Caitlin Cunningham a decade, replaces Peter Rollins, who retired last spring after leading the club for 21 years. During that time, BC’s CEO Club Warren Zola became the top-ranked business forum in the United States and one of the best in the world. Zola said the club will continue to bring global leaders to its highly regarded luncheon speaker series. “The Chief Executives’ Club of Boston has become a must-attend event for the city’s business leaders,” said Zola. “I look forward to ensuring that our events continue to offer a unique networking opportunity for CEOs, add value to the work that they do, and play a part in helping to ensure that the Boston business community remains one of the most vibrant, innovative and successful in the nation.” In addition to his administrative duties, Zola is an adjunct faculty member in the Carroll School’s departments of Business Law and Operations and Strategic Management, and chair of the University’s Professional Sports Counseling Panel, where he advises student-athletes pursuing career opportunities in professional athletics. “We will remain fully committed to the needs of our membership and maintain our level of excellence by hosting speakers who are recognized thought leaders,” said Zola. “We will strengthen the ties between the organization and the Carroll School of Management, to ensure that the club highlights the work of the University and makes strong connections to the intellectual capital on our campus. I also look forward to deepening the connection between our dynamic forum and the Boston business community.”
Chirba and Noble Discuss ACA
Continued from page 1 in a given state or region with further variations in the number, kinds, and costs of available plans.” Many are having their health insurance cancelled, despite assurances over the years from President Obama, who often said: “If you like your health plan, you can keep your health plan.” “If President Obama had to do it over again, he may have said it differently,” says Noble. “Certain plans that don’t meet certain criteria will no longer be allowed to be sold, but the statement underscores the fact that we are not completely deconstructing the health insurance system. For many, it’s going to work generally the way it has.” The two point out that the ex-
changes are intended to spur functioning insurance markets in every state so that competition among insurers can give consumers more choices at better prices. For this to work, however, consumers must be able to “shop” and evaluate the costs and benefits of different plans. “A system needs to have good decision support tools for those new to buying or even having health insurance so that not only premiums but deductibles and co-payments are properly included into a consumer’s monthly costs, which can vary by region and applicant age,” says Chirba. “This goes to system design, not to the need for the system to begin with.” —Sean Hennessey
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BC Social Media Efforts Continue to Draw Accolades
Boston College has once again emerged as a national leader in higher education social media, ranking 31st in Student Advisor’s Top 100 Social Media Colleges. The Student Advisor rankings compare more than 6,000 federally recognized colleges and universities and post-secondary schools in the United States in terms of their mastery of public social media methods, tools and websites. Boston College improved 19 points over last year. This latest recognition continues a positive trend for BC’s social media efforts: Enterasys ranked Boston College 16th among the “Best and Most Collaborative US Colleges,” fifth among medium-sized schools; Nitogram named Boston College Instagram the top account in the country; and the UK’s Future Index placed BC’s Social Media Council (SMC) among its “social sparks” of colleges and universities doing innovative projects with social media. “This latest survey affirms the esteem in which the University’s social media program is held,” said Jack Dunn, director of the Office of News & Public Affairs (NPA), which oversees Boston College’s official social media channels and the Social Media Council. “It’s a tribute to the hard work and creativity of Patricia Delaney, Melissa Beecher and the Social Media Council they have
established at Boston College.” Delaney, NPA deputy director and SMC co-chair, said: “We’re happy to see this external indicator of BC’s leadership in social media. We know that success is not all about numbers, but as BC Social [www.bc.edu/social] shows, the use of social channels across campus has grown dramatically, as well as become more sophisticated. “It’s gratifying that this advancement has been recognized nationally, and even internationally.” Beecher, University social media manager and the SMC cochair, said the accolades reflect a vibrant online community and important work done by account managers. “There is a commitment among social media administrators at BC to establish meaningful, informative and entertaining channels for fans and followers. It’s great to see that work recognized,” said Beecher. “The SMC and BC Social provide a strong foundation for collaboration and communication among social media admins. I think we’re all looking forward to build on that success.” The full Student Advisor Top 100 Social Media Colleges list is available at http://www.studentadvisor.com/top-100-social-media-colleges. —Office of News & Public Affairs
Former ETS Head Michal Beller to Present Boisi Lecture Nov. 7
Michal Beller, an expert in educational testing and evaluation and a former top official at the Educational Testing Service (ETS), will present the 19th annual Boisi Lecture in Education and Public Policy on Nov. 7. Beller’s talk, “The Impact of International Large Scale Assessments on Education Policy,” will take place at 5 p.m. in Higgins 300, and is free and open to the public. Beller is the founder and retired director general of the Israel Ministry of Education’s National Authority for Measurement and Evaluation. Prior to that position, she served as senior director of research and development at ETS, the largest testing institute in the world. She also was director of the
Israeli National Institute for Testing and Evaluation — created by the Israeli universities — and a faculty member in the Department of Education and Psychology at the Open University where she founded and directed the Center for Technology Integration for Distance Teaching. Among her publications, Beller co-authored the chapter “Constructing, Adapting, and Validating Admissions Tests in Multiple Languages: The Israeli Case” for the 2005 book Adapting Educational and Psychological Tests for Cross-Cultural Assessment. For more information on the event, send e-mail to karen.tice@ bc.edu or call ext.2-4521. —Sean Smith
The Robsham Theater-Theatre Department production of “The 39 Steps,” which ran Oct. 17-20 (above), was named by WBZ/CBS Boston as one of the top college productions of the fall. (Photo by Lee Pellegrini)
Veterans Mass, Remembrance on Nov. 11 Retired US Navy Chaplain Robert K. Keane, SJ ’71, whose 23-year career in the service took him to the Middle East, Iceland and Japan, among other places, will be the featured speaker at the University’s 13th annual Veterans Day Mass and Remembrance Ceremony on Nov. 11. The Mass, which takes place at 9:30 a.m. in St. Ignatius Church, will be celebrated by part-time Philosophy faculty member Paul McNellis, SJ, who is a veteran. The ceremony and roll call will follow at 11 a.m. at the Veterans Memorial on Burns Library Lawn. Both events are open to all members of the Boston College community. Fr. Keane, director of special projects in mission for the Office of the Vice President for Mission at the College of the Holy Cross, joined the Jesuits in 1965 and was ordained to
‘Boston Strong’ Continued from page 1 causes. In this way, say Lundberg and his fellow 2016 Presidential Scholars, the marathon functions as a social justice mechanism by supporting the agents that serve to make Boston strong. According to Lundberg, this summer when the Presidential Scholars undertook their service and social justice projects in the city of Boston, the topic of the marathon tragedy was at the forefront of conversation. But many of those leading and working at social service agencies in Boston were not feeling the sentiment behind the phrase “Boston Strong” or its ideal that Boston is a city that takes care of its own, said Lundberg. “There is trauma and injustice everyday in the lives of the marginalized.” When the Presidential Scholars gathered at the start of the academic year to determine their Sophomore Social Justice Project, their experiences from the summer informed their direction. They are producing
the priesthood in 1978. Entering the US Navy in May of 1989, Fr. Keane aided earthquake relief efforts that fall in San Francisco. He was subsequently deployed to the Arabian Gulf and participated in operations Desert Shield, Desert Storm and Desert Saber before serving as chaplain at the Officer Candidate School at the Naval Education and Training Center in Newport, RI, where he earned certification as a master training specialist. From 1996-98, Fr. Keane was a staff chaplain at the Naval Air Station Keflavik in Iceland, then for the US Sixth Fleet in Italy from 19982001 during Operation Enduring Freedom in support of operations in Kosovo. In 2005, he was deployed once again to the Arabian Gulf for Operation Iraqi Freedom before returning to Newport the following
year to become director of training for the Naval Chaplains School. From 2009-2011 he was command chaplain for Marine Corps Bases in Japan, then was appointed command chaplain of Marine Corps Combat Development and Marine Corps Base in Quantico, Va. Fr. Keane retired from the US Navy in 2012, having earned two Legion of Merit awards, three Meritorious Service Medal awards, four Navy Commendation Medal awards, a Navy Achievement Medal, and numerous unit, service and campaign honors. The Veterans Day Mass and Remembrance Ceremony is co-sponsored by the Boston College Alumni Association, the Human Resources Department and BC’s Army ROTC unit. —Sean Smith
a publication, The Heart of This City: Boston Strong and Becoming Stronger, set for release next April, the first anniversary of the marathon bombings. According to project organizers, the publication will “seek to capture untold stories about individuals and agencies who make Boston strong by improving the lives and opportunities of others within our city and to demonstrate how their missions have interfaced through the marathon. We are then examining the most serious social justice issues facing our community today and how we must address them if we are to become stronger and maintain this commitment of taking care of one another.” To that end, the student organizers set up a Boston Marathon finish line replica on the Gasson Quad to engage members of the BC community in the question of what makes Boston strong. Students, faculty and staff have written responses on ribbons and tied them to the adjacent barricade fence. These exchanges are online as well via the group’s website, www.theheartofthiscity.org, which asks virtual visitors
to submit their response to what makes Boston strong. Responses will appear on the website and in the publication. This past Tuesday, the scholars organized an event called “Boston Strong and Becoming Stronger: A Conversation about the Heart of This City,” an interactive panel that focused on the meaning of Boston Strong and the identity of Boston. Panelists were: Dave Fortier, a runner who was injured in the first explosion; Boston Globe photographer John Tlumacki, who was working at the Boston Marathon finish line; Boston Herald chief reporter Dave Wedge, writer of the upcoming book and film, “Boston Strong”; Kathe McKenna, executive director of Haley House, a Boston-based nonprofit; Philosophy Assistant Professor Aspen Brinton, who teaches courses in BC’s PULSE program, and, via a pretaped video interview, 2013 Boston College alumna Brittany Loring, who was injured in the explosions. Contact Kathleen Sullivan at kathleen.sullivan@bc.edu
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Lynch School of Education Assistant Professor Kristen Bottema-Beutel is an expert in special education whose research examines social interaction dynamics, decision-making processes in peer inclusion, and social interventions among youths with autism spectrum disorders. She earned her PhD from the joint program at the University of California at Berkeley and San Francisco State University in 2011. Bottema-Beutel holds a master’s degree in special education from San Francisco State University and a bachelor of science in cellular and molecular biology from the University of Michigan. A post-doctoral fellow at Vanderbilt University in 2012–13, BottemaBeutel has published her research in such publications as Exceptional Family, Linguistics and Education, and the American Journal of Play. After teaching part-time in the Philosophy Department and College of Arts and Sciences Honors Program for a number of years, Adjunct Assistant Professor Deborah De Chiara-Quenzer has become a full-time Philosophy faculty member. Prior to her work at BC, she was a professor of philosophy at St. John’s Seminary. De Chiara-Quenzer, who holds master’s and doctoral degrees from Boston College, earned her bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York-Stony Brook. Her research interests include Ancient Greek Philosophy – especially Plato and Aristotle – history of Western Philosophy, ethics and political philosophy. She is currently teaching Perspectives (Western Culture) and Western Cultural Tradition in the A&S Honors Program. Stephanie Jernigan began her career at the Carroll School of Management in 2011 as an adjunct professor, then served as a visiting professor before accepting a full-time appointment as an adjunct assistant professor. With an expertise in operations and logistics and a doctorate from Georgia Institute of Technology, Jernigan has worked at Norfolk Southern Railroad and Avon Products. She also spent two years as a research associate at the Center for Transportation and Logistics at MIT, where she investigated ways to lower the carbon footprint of multinational supply chains and means of assessing supply chain risk in new product launches. At BC, Jernigan is teaching Math for Management, Operations Management, Intro to Business Statistics, and a Risk Analysis and Simulation Class. Professor of Chemistry Shih-Yuan Liu joined Boston College from the University of Oregon, where he taught for six years. Liu’s research interests include the development of heterocycles — compounds that have atoms of at least two different elements as members of their rings. In particular, Liu’s work focuses on boron-nitrogen heterocycles and their materials and biomedical applications. Liu received his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Austria’s Vienna University of Technology and earned his PhD in organic chemistry from MIT, where he was a post-doctoral researcher before joining the Oregon faculty. In 2012, he won the Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award and the Journal of Physical Organic Chemistry’s Award for Early Excellence. His research has been published in journals including Angewandte Chemie and the Journal of the American Chemical Society. Adjunct Assistant Professor of the Practice Esther Gimeno Ugalde, coordinator of the Spanish CCR1, CCR2 and Avanzado courses, pursues research in areas such as applied linguistics, Spanish language teaching, sociolinguistics (Spanish and Catalan) and cinema studies. Ugalde earned her master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Vienna, and a bachelor’s degree from the Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona. She was a founding member of BETA (Asociación de Jóvenes Doctores en Hispanismo), an organization that brings together young researchers in the fields involving Hispanic literature and cultural studies, and has served as its vice president since 2011. Ugalde is also the principal investigator of MICA (Red de Mujeres Iberoamericanas de Cine y Medios Audiovisuales), the first online catalogue and database of feature films directed by Ibero-American women. —Melissa Beecher, Ed Hayward and Sean Hennessey Photos by Lee Pellegrini and J. D. Levine “Welcome Additions,” an occasional feature, profiles new faculty members at Boston College.
The Atlantic interviewed Prof. Rebekah Levine Coley (LSOE) on a study she co-authored in Developmental Psychology concerning the impact of housing quality on low-income children and families. Assoc. Prof. Robert Murphy (Economics) offered his views to New England Cable News and National Public Radio on how the recent government shutdown affected consumer confidence. Writing for the Huffington Post, Assoc. Prof. Tiziana Dearing (GSSW) assessed Charity Navigator’s announcement that it will change its evaluation of nonprofits to provide “results reporting.”
Retired Professor of History Radu Florescu returned to campus recently to sign copies of his new co-authored book, Dracula’s Bloodline: A Florescu Family Saga. (Photo by Lee Pellegrini)
The college essay can be the tipping factor in a college application — and can be daunting for the student. In an interview with the Boston Globe, Undergraduate Admission Director John Mahoney offered words of advice for high school seniors working on their essay in an interview.
Assoc. Prof. Joseph Tecce (Psychology) spoke with the Patriot Ledger about the popularity of zombies in 21st-century popular culture.
Asst. Prof. Charles R. Gallagher, SJ (History), presented “The FBI, Father Charles Coughlin and Militant Anti-Semitism in America” at the University of North Florida.
Publications
Prof. Maxim D. Shrayer (Slavic and Eastern Languages) and his father, David Shrayer-Petrov, did a joint reading from their new books at the Brookline Public Library.
Adj. Assoc. Prof. Michael C. Keith (Communication) published a short story in The Penmen.
BC BRIEFING
Drucker Professor of Management Sciences Alicia Munnell, director of the Center for Retirement Research, spoke with CBS MoneyWatch about a new CRR study refuting the idea that older workers who stay on the job longer squeeze out opportunities for younger employees — when in fact, according to the study, the overall labor market is flexible and dynamic, and can absorb workers of all ages who have the skills that are needed by the economy.
Time and a Half Assoc. Prof. Andrea Vicini, SJ (STM), presented the lecture “Epidermolysis Bullosa: Ethical Challenges and Resources” at the international conference “Living with Epidermolysis Bullosa: The Voice of Patients and Families,” organized by DEBRA International, at the Vatican Pediatric Hospital “Bambino Gesù,” in Rome.
Mass Humanities Symposium Nov. 9 Professor of Political Science Alan Wolfe, director of the University’s Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life, will be among the speakers at the 10th annual Mass Humanities Symposium taking place Nov. 9 from 12:30-5 p.m. in Corcoran Commons. This year’s symposium, titled “E Pluribus Paralysis: Can We Make Our Democracy Work?,” will focus on constructive ideas for making American democracy work at a time when “the corrupting influence of money, the manipulation of elections and the enduring legacy of social, racial and gender divisions have eroded confidence in America’s political system,” according to Mass Humanities. Wolfe will be part of a panel discussion, “Capital Ideas: Reducing the Influence of Money in Our Democracy,” along with Fordham University Associate Professor of Law Zephyr Teachout and Thomas Mann, W. Averell Harriman Chair and
Assoc. Prof. Margaret Schatkin (Theology) presented the paper “Charles Norris Cochrane: Christianity and Classical Culture: Thesis, Critical Reviews, and Impact upon Subsequent Scholarship” at a conference titled “Between religio licita and religio regalis: The church and theology of the time of changes; 1,700th anniversary of the Edict of Milan” held at the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin in Poland.
JOBS The following are among the most recent positions posted by the Department of Human Resources. For more information on employment opportunities at Boston College, see www.bc.edu/offices/hr:
Lee Pellegrini
WELCOME ADDITIONS
Newsmakers
Provost and Dean of Faculties Associate Director, Procurement Services University Controller Bio-Informatic Software Engineer, Biology Department Alan Wolfe
Senior Fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution. Two other panel discussions will comprise the symposium: “Righting Voting Wrongs: Making Our Republic More Democratic” and “Bending the Arc of History: Toward Equality and Democracy.” For more information about the event, which is free (donations are welcome), and to register, see masshumanities.org/ symposium. —Office of News & Public Affairs
Technology Manager, Residential Life Academic Administrative Officer, Lynch School of Education Research Associate, Center of Retirement Associate Vice President for Facilities Services Staff Psychiatrist, University Counseling Associate Director of Major Giving, Development Office Program/Communication Specialist, STM Continuing Education
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Lee’s New Work Celebrates BC and Jesuit Poet
Lee Pellegrini
LOOKING AHEAD By Rosanne Pellegrini Staff Writer
The premiere of Professor of Music Thomas Oboe Lee’s “God’s Grandeur,” which he composed to commemorate the University’s Sesquicentennial, will be performed by the University Chorale under the direction of John Finney, on Nov. 9 from 8-10 p.m. in Trinity Chapel on Newton Campus. “God’s Grandeur” comprises five poems by Gerald Manley Hopkins, SJ (1844-1889), whose posthumous fame established him among the leading Victorian poets. Fr. Hopkins’ poems have been described as covering the range of human emotions, from the sheer celebration of the world to the terrors of desolation. “I hope the audience will enjoy the work as much as I did when I was creating it,” said Lee. The genesis of “God’s Grandeur” goes back to 2000, said Lee, when Finney and the University Chorale premiered Lee’s “Mass for the Holy Year 2000” for chorus and orchestra in Trinity Chapel. So pleased with the performance was Lee that 10 years later, in anticipation of the 150th anniversary
BC SCENES
Prof. Thomas Oboe Lee (Music)
of Boston College’s founding, he decided to write another work for the Chorale. Since Lee wanted the subject of the new piece to revolve around BC’s Jesuit identity, Fr. Hopkins was an appropriate choice, he said. But that was not the only reason: “I was very surprised and thrilled that for someone who lived in the 19th century, his work is so fanciful, imaginative and ‘abstract’ in form,” which he said lent itself well to the project. “These abstract poetic qualities are the very things that a composer in the 20th and 21st centuries finds inspiring when seeking texts for musical settings. I did indeed find the sound and silences of his words quite inspirational. Hearing music in those words came directly
and quickly as I was working on the piece.” In addition to the title piece, “God’s Grandeur,” Lee adapted Fr. Hopkins’ “Pied Beauty,” “The Habit of Perfection,” “Thou Art Indeed Just, Lord,” and “Inversnaid.” According to Lee, “God’s Grandeur” is the second, public declamation part of his Fr. Hopkins project. The first was a private utterance of faith and God in a chamber setting with a 10-poem song cycle for soprano and piano, titled “THOU mastering me God!” The work was premiered in Bapst Library in March 2011. “The Chorale and I are very excited about the world premiere performance of Thomas Oboe Lee’s ‘God’s Grandeur’,” said Finney, who noted that the work will be performed by the entire Chorale, accompanied by a professional chamber orchestra. “Professor Lee’s settings of five poems by Gerard Manley Hopkins, SJ, are absolutely stunning, and we are delighted to be the first ensemble in the world to perform this amazing composition.” At the concert, the Chorale will also perform what Finney describes as a beautiful Mass by Franz Joseph Haydn, the “Missa Sancti Nicolai.” Admission is $10; tickets are available via the Robsham Theater Arts Center Box Office. Call ext.24002 or send e-mail to RTACTickets@bc.edu. Contact Rosanne Pellegrini at rosanne.pellegrini@bc.edu
AUTUMNAL SPLENDOR October is often a great time to be outdoors on the Boston College campus, and this year has been no exception. Recent University events included the annual Welles Crowther Red Bandanna 5K (right) on Oct. 19, which started and ended at Gasson Hall, and “The Street” — an offering of performances (including by Against the Current, below, and The Acoustics at left) and other events and activities in a street fair-type environment — on Oct. 18 in the Plaza at O’Neill Library.
Caitlin Cunningham Caitlin Cunningham
Annual Career Night for the Arts Is Nov. 7 Some 25 alumni will return to campus Nov. 7 to participate in the annual Career Night for the Arts, hosted by the Arts Council and Career Center at the McMullen Museum of Art from 7-9 p.m. Launched in 1999, the popular event offers an informal networking opportunity for students of all majors who are considering the arts as a vocation to meet with BC alumni who have successful careers in writing, music, theater, fashion, visual art, photography, arts administration and other areas. Organizers say more than 100 undergraduates attend each year, and chat with various arts-affiliated professionals such as musicians, composers, conductors, photographers, graphic designers, painters, arts editors, producers, directors, stage directors, arts journalists, museum administrators, art dealers, film editors, writers, actors, instructors, consultants and arts attorneys. “The alumni not only represented an impressive array of arts-related careers, they were enthusiastic about answering every question I had and providing valuable insight into the professional arts industries,” said Victoria Sponsel ’13 of her experience at last year’s event. The benefits, organizers note, go both ways. Students can forge professional contacts, get practical advice and explore both internship and career options. Alumni have the chance to “give back” by assisting students in navigating the professional arts world, sharing their postgraduate experiences and offering advice, while catching up on campus happenings and connecting with fellow arts alumni. “This year we are trying to extend this relationship between BC students and our arts alumni, in hopes that we can continue to educate and inspire them to pursue aspirations of working in the arts,” according to Arts Council Program Administrator Sarah McDermott. “We are encouraging our alumni to sit with us in front of a video camera to discuss their careers and answer relevant questions that might help students beyond Career Night. We are also asking alumni to send us resumes to incorporate into the Career Center database for students to access as models for creating their own resumes.” For more information, see www.bc.edu/content/bc/offices/artscouncil/CareerNight.html. Leading up to the event, the Arts Council will feature attending alumni on its BC Arts Insider blog at bcartsinsider. wordpress.com. —Rosanne Pellegrini Frank Curran