Boston College Chronicle

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Around Campus

Armstrong to leave

BC Research

University starting to make use of new facilities at 300 Hammond Pond Parkway; a special Lessons and Carols Service for the School of Theology and Ministry

Vice President for Planning and Assessment Kelli Armstrong will become president of Salve Regina University next June.

In his junior year, Ben Posorske is already getting valuable hands-on experience with realtime scientific advances.

DECEMBER 13, 2018 VOL. 26 NO. 8

PUBLISHED BY THE BOSTON COLLEGE OFFICE OF UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS

Alumna Named BC’s Third Rhodes Scholar

BY SEAN SMITH CHRONICLE EDITOR

Getting a jump on the season

Santa Baldwin received an enthusiastic greeting during Saturday’s Winter Wonderland festival at the Cadigan Alumni Center—one of many campus holiday events.

More photos on page 8. photo by gretchen ertl

‘Why I Remain a Catholic: Belief in a Time of Turmoil’

Faculty, Student Panelists Discuss Strengths of Faith

BY ED HAYWARD STAFF WRITER

Describing his reaction to the Catholic Church crisis, Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences sophomore Sean Barry cited a prized Boston College possession as part of his answer: a seashell.

The shell, he told the Robsham Theater audience, was a gift given to him from a child in the Dominican Republic at the end of a service trip, during which he immersed himself in the village community to cope with news that a former high school

teacher had passed away.

“This crisis has forced me to ask myself ‘What is my seashell?’ What is the symbol that what you do matters?” said Barry. “In times of crisis like this, you a have a choice to either engage with these questions, to reflect, to listen, to take action, to do the small things you can through community.

Or you can choose to be consumed by anger and rage. So, in times like this, I ask myself ‘What is my seashell?’ What is it that keeps me going? I invite you to do that with me and that’s my hope for the

Continued on page 4

Isabelle Stone, a 2018 alumna whose Boston College experience inspired her interest in the social justice and public policy dimensions of economics, has been selected for a Rhodes Scholarship.

The coveted post-baccalaureate award, which honors students on the basis of such qualities as high academic achievement, personality, integrity, and leadership potential, will enable Stone to study at Oxford University for upwards of three years. Stone, who grew up in Bermuda, is the third BC graduate to earn a Rhodes, and the first since Brett Huneycutt ’03 and Paul Taylor ’04 were both chosen in the fall of 2003.

As a BC undergraduate in the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences, Stone majored in economics with minors in philosophy and Faith, Peace and Justice. She was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa and Alpha Sigma Nu honor societies, as well as the Omicron Delta Honor Society for

2018 graduate Isabelle Stone

students with outstanding achievement in economics, and made the Dean’s List with first honors every semester from 2015-18.

Complementing her academic excellence was a devotion to community service, notably at the Casa Nueva Vida homeless shelter in Boston’s Jamaica Plain neighbor-

Continued on page 5

Five BCSSW Students Earn Council for Social Work Ed. Minority Scholarships The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) has named five Boston College School of Social Work students recipients of CSWE Minority Fellowships: doctoral candidate Manuel Cano and second-year MSW students Lisbeth Acosta, Valeria Lazo, Magdalena Lopez, and Olga Paz. The CSWE Minority Fellowship Program aims to enhance the training of direct

practice-focused social work students in their final year of study. Students must have a focus on, and commitment to, mental health and/or substance-use disorder service to racial/ethnic minority populations.

The five BCSSW fellowship winners are in the school’s Latinx Leadership Initiative,

Continued on page 6

“We’re still working through logistics, but it’s already clear that 300 Hammond Pond Parkway will be a great asset to the University community, in particular for students.”

–Vice President for Planning and Assessment Kelli Armstrong, page 2

ADDRESS GOES HERE

Chronicle

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December 13, 2018

Around Campus

University Making Good Use of 300 Hammond Pond Parkway (‘300 HPP’) Last Sunday’s BC Bands “Christmas Festival” wasn’t just a celebration of the holiday season. The late afternoon all-ages gathering—featuring performances by the University Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, and BC bOp! as well as an interactive musical instrument “petting zoo”—was the most extensive public event yet to be held at Boston College’s recently acquired property at 300 Hammond Pond Parkway.

Formerly owned by Congregation Mishkan Tefila, the 24-acre campus—located approximately a mile southwest of the Main Campus—was purchased in 2016 by the University, which envisions the property as administrative, performance, student activity, and meeting space.

Among its features are an 800-plus capacity auditorium, a multi-purpose room that seats more than 400 people theater-style, a hexagon-shaped room that can be used for meetings, conferences, and rehearsals, and a quad for outdoor events.

After a series of renovations, some Facilities Services departments relocated their offices to the new site, and this fall the building was made available for University events. Those making use of “300 HPP” have included the 4Boston service organi-

The 300 Hammond Pond Parkway auditorium was appropriately festive for the BC Bands “Christmas Festival” held on Sunday. photo by peter julian

zation, the Boston College Association for Retired Faculty Members, and the Symphonic Band; the Student Affairs division

will hold its staff holiday party there later this month.

Bigger things are in store for 300 HPP

during the coming months, say administrators: These plans include providing evening rehearsal space for student performance groups, and introducing a shuttle service to and from Main Campus.

There also are additional renovations and improvements to be made, such as audiovisual infrastructure and stage alterations.

Event spaces in 300 HPP are under the management of the Robsham Theater Arts Center; events that require food and catering need to be organized through Event Management.

“People have been pleasantly surprised to find out that 300 Hammond Pond Parkway is up and running, and there have been some very positive comments about the space and what it offers,” said Vice President for Planning and Assessment Kelli Armstrong. “We’re still working through logistics, but it’s already clear that 300 HPP will be a great asset to the University community, in particular for students.”

More information about 300 Hammond Pond Parkway is available at www. bc.edu/offices/robsham/Venues/HPP.html.

–Sean Smith

‘A Time of Preparation and Anticipation’ School of Theology and Ministry celebrates the season, and its 10th-anniversary year, with annual Lessons and Carols Service

The School of Theology and Ministry’s Lessons and Carols Service last Friday night marked the start of Advent. photos by peter julian

ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT FOR UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS

Jack Dunn SENIOR DIRECTOR FOR UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS

CONTRIBUTING STAFF

Christine Balquist Phil Gloudemans Ed Hayward Rosanne Pellegrini Kathleen Sullivan

Chronicle

PHOTOGRAPHERS

www.bc.edu/bcnews chronicle@bc.edu

Patricia Delaney EDITOR

Sean Smith

The School of Theology and Ministry celebrated the arrival of Advent season with its annual Lessons and Carols Service last Friday evening at St. Ignatius Church. STM Associate Professor Andrew Davis and his wife Emily MDiv ’03, a campus minister at the College of the Holy Cross, co-led the prayers; STM students and alumni comprised the schola for the service.

This year marked a departure from previous years, when STM held the service— which originated in the Anglican Church in the late 19th and early 20th century—as part of its regular daytime Thursday liturgy.

Andrew Davis said he and his wife were especially pleased to have a role in the service. “The Advent season is a time of preparation and anticipation, and Lessons and Carols invites us through word and song to reflect on the gift of Jesus we will receive at Christmas. Having the opportunity to

Gary Gilbert Lee Pellegrini Peter Julian

preside with Emily was quite meaningful for us: STM, including one of its precursors, Weston Jesuit School of Theology, has played a significant role in our life together. We met at Weston Jesuit, and two years ago we renewed our wedding vows in the STM chapel. We were honored to lead in prayer a community that has supported us over the years.”

The school’s 10th anniversary year added another layer of festiveness to the occasion, he added. “One of the best parts of this year’s 10th anniversary celebration has been seeing STM alumni at various events.

We have so many alums who are doing wonderful work in the Church and in the world. I hope our leadership at Lesson and Carols, as alumni of the school, will inspire other alums to play a role in the life of the school.”

–University Communications

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Chronicle

December 13, 2018

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University Responds to Student Incident Racist graffiti in Welch Hall is called ‘in conflict with our institutional values’ A Boston College undergraduate was arrested by Boston College Police Sunday morning in connection with a series of incidents that took place on campus on Dec. 9.

According to police, the student discharged a fire extinguisher in Walsh Hall and then scrawled several explicitly racial epithets in a common area and bathroom in Welch Hall. Later, he assaulted two BC police officers investigating the incidents who attempted to confront the student in

his room.

The student was taken to a local hospital for observation, and Student Affairs administrators issued a summary suspension banning the student from the BC campus. He is facing criminal charges in both Boston and Newton courts, as well as expulsion from the University.

In a letter to the University community released Sunday afternoon, Interim Vice President for Student Affairs Joy Moore said, “As a Jesuit, Catholic university, Boston College has zero tolerance for acts of racism. These actions are in conflict with our institutional values, which call on all of us to treat one another with love and respect. I ask you to reinforce to all those who comprise our community that such acts of hatred will never be accepted here.”

Moore urged those with questions to

reach out to residence assistants, University Counseling, or Student Affairs staff.

“We are here to assist in any way, and to work with all of you to ensure that we are not defined by this act of hatred, but by the caring, inclusive goodwill that is at the heart of the BC community.”

On Monday, Provost and Dean of Faculties David Quigley sent a letter to faculty describing the incidents. “I join with my faculty colleagues and students across the campus in voicing outrage over this incident, which strikes at the heart of our shared values and who we are as a community.”

Outlining the University’s efforts to address concerns following campus racial incidents in the fall of 2017, Quigley said this weekend’s event “reminds us that we have much as a community still to do.”

Quigley asked faculty “to reassert the high expectations we hold for our students and to remind them that hate in any form has no place in our community.

I ask you to be attentive to the needs of students, particularly our students of color, who may well have been traumatized by this experience and to be sensitive to their requests for accommodations.

“While counsellors are available in the Office of University Counseling, I see the benefit of outreach from faculty in assuring our students that these actions will never be tolerated at Boston College and that our commitment to creating a loving, caring, inclusive community—consistent with our Jesuit, Catholic mission—will never be lessened.”

––University Communications

Kelli Armstrong to Leave BC at End of Academic Year

BY JACK DUNN ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT FOR UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS

Kelli Armstrong, a gifted and highly respected University administrator who has led Boston College’s institutional research, planning, strategic services, and space management efforts since 2004, has been named president of Salve Regina University in Newport, RI. She will step down from her position at the end of the spring semester, and assume her new role at Salve Regina beginning in June of 2019.

Armstrong was chosen by the Salve Regina search team to become the first lay president of the Catholic liberal arts university, which is sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy and enrolls 2,600 undergraduate and graduate students.

Hired in 2004 as Boston College’s first director of institutional research, Armstrong founded the Office of Institutional Research to provide an effective research arm to inform the University’s planning and decision-making processes.

Her successes led to an increased portfolio in the areas of institutional planning and assessment that resulted in the 2007 establishment of the Office of Institutional Research, Planning and Assessment, which collaborated with Information Technology Services to create a data warehouse to better inform campus managers in their planning and use of information. She subsequently assumed responsibility for Space Planning to support implementation of BC’s Institutional Master Plan and individual departments’ efforts to advance key initiatives on campus. She also oversaw Strategic Services to provide program review support for administrative departments, coordination of campus service centers, and design and implementation of strategic planning for departments and divisions.

In recognition of her accomplishments in creating one of the best planning and assessment programs in American higher education, she was named vice president

Kelli Armstrong joined Boston College in 2004 and was appointed as the University’s vice president for planning and assessment in 2012. “She embodies the ideal of ‘men and women for others’ through her tireless efforts and advocacy on behalf of women and underrepresented populations at Boston College,” said Executive Vice President Michael Lochhead. photo by lee pellegrini

for planning and assessment by University President William P. Leahy, S.J., in 2012.

Armstrong said her decision to leave BC was a difficult one, but the opportunity to assume the presidency of Salve Regina was one she could not overlook.

“I am deeply grateful to Boston College for giving me the opportunity to serve this wonderful community,” said Armstrong. “For 15 years, I have been blessed to work with extraordinarily talented faculty, staff and students, and it has been a privilege to witness the advancement and impact of our mission.”

Executive Vice President Michael Lochhead praised Armstrong for her leadership skills and diverse array of talents that helped to successfully support the University during the past decade and a half.

“I am grateful for Kelli’s commitment and leadership to the University over her many years of service,” said Lochhead. “She worked in the seams between departments and organizations to ensure that people, processes, and decisions were successful. She embodies the ideal of ‘men and women for others’ through her tireless efforts and advocacy on behalf of women and underrepresented populations at Boston College. In Kelli, Salve Regina

selected a wonderful president and a firstclass, caring, and committed leader whose positive energy will no doubt enliven the work of those around her. I wish her the best of luck and much success in her new presidency.”

Provost and Dean of Faculties David Quigley offered similar praise.

“Kelli Armstrong’s leadership has strengthened and elevated planning and assessment work at Boston College, and her colleagueship has been greatly valued by faculty across campus,” said Quigley. “Her work on the latest strategic planning process was essential. I wish her every success at Salve Regina.”

In addition to her administrative accomplishments, Armstrong founded the Monserrat Task Force in 2013 to support the Monserrat Coalition, which serves more than 1,400 low-income BC students each year. In 2008 she and Associate Vice President of Advancement Operations and Planning Brenda Ricard founded the Women’s Collaborative, a BC networking group that sponsors speakers and volunteer activities for its more than 200 members.

She was also a noted mentor to many on the BC campus, particularly female administrators, who regularly sought her

advice and counsel.

“I have always admired Kelli’s ability to bring people together to solve problems or generate new ideas,” said Ricard. “She deserves the credit for building BC’s first Office of Institutional Research because, before her arrival, this work existed in pockets across the university. Her ability to think about space and the impact it has on teaching, research, student life, and student formation has been transformational. I will miss her dearly, but I am thrilled that she has a chance to fulfill her dream of becoming a college president.”

“I feel so blessed to have been able to work with Kelli during her time at Boston College,” said Jessica Greene, director of University assessment and accreditation services. “Kelli’s tireless work ethic, unwavering commitment to her colleagues and BC’s students, and her excellent judgment have enabled our institution to move forward in a multitude of areas. Kelli’s contributions to Boston College are countless, and while I will very much miss our professional work together, what has made Kelli such a trusted and valued member of the BC community has been her genuine care for us all—this combination of effective, responsive leadership and deep concern for others will undoubtedly ensure Kelli success in her new role.”

A graduate of Bates College, Armstrong earned a master’s degree in English from the University of Virginia, and a Ph.D. in higher education administration from Boston College. Prior to joining the BC administration, she worked in institutional research and enrollment management at Bates College, Tufts University, and the University of Massachusetts system.

“I have been transformed personally and professionally by my experience here at Boston College,” said Armstrong. “I look forward to the opportunities that await me at Salve Regina, knowing that wherever I go BC will always be in my heart.”

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December 13, 2018

University Hosts Forum on Church Chrisis Continued from page 1

future, that shared dialogue.”

Barry was among a panel of Boston College faculty and students that discussed the strength of their Catholic faith at a time when crisis has enveloped the Catholic Church—in the U.S. and globally—because of its failure to respond decisively to a two-decades-old clergy sexual abuse scandal that continues to reveal a deep need for reform and reconciliation.

University Trustee R. Nicholas Burns ’78, Hon. ’02 moderated the panel, titled “Why I Remain a Catholic: Belief in a Time of Turmoil,” which drew approximately 500 people to Robsham Theater on Nov. 27.

Sponsored by BC’s Church in the 21st Century (C21) Center, the program examined questions on the minds of many Catholics following reports from a Pennsylvania grand jury detailing decades of clergy sexual abuse, and the resignation of Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick amid sexual abuse and harassment allegations.

University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J., who launched the C21 initiative in the wake of the revelations of clergy sexual abuse nearly 20 years ago, welcomed the audience to a discussion about the dimensions of faith challenged, but also ways to help heal and, ultimately, strengthen Catholics and the Church.

He said he hoped the program would give those in attendance and those watching online via Facebook the opportunity to “consider our connections with the Church and the Catholic community around us and how they might be strengthened. Certainly, our faith and sense of what it means to be a Catholic and part of the Church do not depend on one person or one event, but they have been and continue to be shaped by family, prayer, sacraments, relationships, and service to others.”

Burns, a professor of the practice at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and a former U.S. Ambassador to NATO and Greece, acknowledged the pain many Catholics are experiencing.

“We are meeting because the Catholic Church is in crisis and if the Church is in crisis, that means we are in crisis—as individuals and as a Catholic family,” said Burns. “The clergy abuse scandal…it’s been devastating to Catholics in the United States and worldwide. [There has been an] absence of decisive leadership by the Vatican, an absence of decisive leadership by the American bishops.”

The discussion ranged broadly over the panelists’ own faith experiences, their reactions to the many scandals that have plagued the Church, as well as their internal lives as Catholics in an increasingly secular U.S. society.

“I get hope from community above all,” said Professor of Theology Stephen Pope, who at one time contemplated a life in the Society of Jesus. “The Church is a

photos by lee pellegrini

Scenes from “Why I Remain a Catholic”: Above, panelists Tiziana Dearing (left) and Stephanie Sanchez ’18 listen as Sean Barry ’21 speaks; right, Sanchez offers her thoughts during the discussion; below, Sanchez, Barry, and Dearing are joined by (L-R) C21 Director Karen Kiefer, panel moderator R. Nicholas Burns ’78 Hon.’02, University President William P. Leahy, SJ, and Stephen Pope, who also was a panel member.

community. Jesus calls us together and he promises us suffering. So, we can see that Jesus’s promise is fulfilled. What makes us Christians is we endure with hope and patience and courage. We get that from each other. . .The hope is we commit to our community even more on the grassroots and the local parish level, to get involved, to pray in community, to live and care for one another, and to show hospitality for the stranger.”

“We talk about the institutional Church and ways it needs to change and grow and shift,” said School of Theology and Ministry student Stephanie Sanchez MSW ’18. “But God is ever-present, everloving, ever-full of mercy. So, for me, the timing of this is perfect with Advent right around the corner. There is nothing like Advent to give me joy. We need joy. We have lost it in our Church and it is coming right back. Get ready. We need to sit in church and pray and welcome Jesus anew.

God makes everything new and we celebrate that in a few short weeks and that is what gives me a lot of peace and allows me to stay.”

BC School of Social Work Professor for Macro Practice Tiziana Dearing said the formational relationships she established with her parish priests are part of what help her keep the faith during turbulent times for the Church. In addition, Dearing described her catholicity as central to her Christianity.

“First off, parish priests have taken a beating through this process. But there is no question that part of the reason my faith is so deep is two parish priests: Fr. William Fitzgerald and Fr. J. Bryan Hehir,” Dearing said. “Their roles in my life and formation have had profound sticking power for my faith, and I want to honor them and acknowledge them. The second thing is my Catholicism is how I know

God. I don’t ever want to be disconnected from God. My Catholicism: the sacraments, the practice of faith in community, and Mass are [all examples of ] how I know God. Third, every corner and aspect of my life is animated by the social mission that Christ handed down to us.”

Reflecting last week on the event, C21 Director Karen Kiefer said, “The BC community came together as a Catholic family and had a deeply honest, challenging but hope-filled exchange about the Church; where we are and where we need to go. Most families have these conversations during trying times, but it’s love and the gifts of healing and reconciliation that lead to renewal. It was apparent that night that our Catholic faith remains a light even in turmoil and there is a hope to share. That hope is found in the Catholics that remain Catholic and committed to restoring the Church.”

The event was co-sponsored by the School of Theology and Ministry and the Theology Department.

To read a fuller version of this story, and for a link to a video of “Why I Remain a Catholic,” go to http://bit.ly/why-i-remaincatholic.

Phaymus was among the student dance groups that performed in Robsham Theater to close out he University’s fourth annual Week of Dance, which took place Nov. 26-Dec. 1. photo by christopher huang

Chronicle

December 13, 2018

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For Rhodes Scholar, BC Experience Shaped Interest in Economics and Social Justice Continued from page 1

hood—where she developed a friendship with a homeless girl that continues to this day—and through participation in the University’s Best Buddies program, which pairs BC students and persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

She also was a member of the BC chapters of Model United Nations and Americans for Informed Democracy, and worked at the University’s radio station, WZBC. “All of Isabelle’s faculty at Boston College are proud of her latest achievement,” said Provost and Dean of Faculties David Quigley. “I’m especially pleased to see how important her PULSE program placement at Casa Nueva Vida turned out to be, as she excelled in the classroom and beyond in her undergraduate years. This economics major/philosophy and Faith, Peace and Justice minor exemplifies the very best of this generation of BC undergraduates.”

Stone sees her Rhodes Scholarship as an outcome of the personal and spiritual formation she underwent at BC. “I feel as if it’s all come together for me, starting with my decision to go to BC,” said Stone, who hopes to continue her economics studies at Oxford. “I came with the idea of getting a high-paying finance job, but I got swept up in BC’s Jesuit ideals of social justice and giving back to the community. I really liked how I was able to have an interaction between my service work and my academic work. They had been separate in my life before, but now I was able to write and talk about something for which I had a great passion.

“The Rhodes just seems like a perfect fit: They want your academic work to integrate with your passion to fight the world’s fight, live a politically active life, and advocate for those who are marginalized.”

Even as BC helped broaden her view of the world, Stone found her gaze focusing on her home country, and the social and economic inequality that profoundly limits opportunities for so many Bermuda citizens to improve their lives. She also discovered, in conversations with Bermuda’s leading economists, how little research existed on the Bermudian economy and its relation to race.

Her sojourn at Oxford, then, will not simply be for personal enrichment, according to Stone: She seeks to be part of a generation of young Bermudians that will bring their knowledge and proficiency to bear on solving the country’s problems.

“Oxford, with its intensive tutorial system and degree programs that are tailored to your interests, will be the perfect place to do this research and use it to help in advocating for policies and programs that address the inequities in Bermudian life which stem from its colonial past.”

Stone is grateful to BC faculty members who prompted her to seek new pathways and connections in her academic and personal interests, such as Kathleen Hirsch, a part-time faculty member in philosophy.

“Seeing the disparity between what most of the Boston College community grew up with and what families just 15 minutes away in Jamaica Plain are going through, adding to what I studied in my classes, has made me want to combine the big-picture approach of economics with the care and concern for the individual that’s at the heart of Jesuit education.”

–Isabelle Stone ’18 with Tiffany, a girl she befriended while working at Casa Nueva Vida homeless shelter

“Kathleen had a huge impact during my sophomore year, as I was making the transition from being a math major who was planning to go into finance. During our PULSE class, we did a few essays based on education or health policy in the U.S. She helped me to see that my analysis really worked with big-picture public policy; nobody had ever pointed that out to me before. So from there I took some public policy courses in my economics major and I realized how much I enjoyed that.”

Stone also cites Economics Associate Professor of the Practice Paul Cichello, whose expertise in development policy stimulated her interest “in being able to see how we can use statistics, regression analysis, and other analytical tools to look at the effect that legislation has on people’s everyday lives—these are the sort of things that will come in so handy at Oxford, and especially doing my own research.”

Said Cichello, “Issy combines a compassionate heart with an intellectually curious and rigorous mind, and an easy-going spirit eager for fun with a strong determination and will to change the world for the better.

She’s willing to openly share her ideas. I think she’ll be an effective leader for positive change in the lives of others.”

The Challenge of Justice class taught

by Matthew Mullane, a faculty member in the Faith, Peace and Justice program, was another foundational experience, she said: “In Bermuda, there isn’t a great desire to go into public service life because it’s not as lucrative as the financial/business sector. Losing so many of these ‘best brains’ to that sector has had a negative effect on participation in public service. Professor Mullane’s class really opened my eyes and made me realize that, if I were to become financially successful and start or just support a charity—as a lot of people do—I wouldn’t be getting to the root of the problems in Bermuda. The person you’re giving

the charity to will be at your door the next day; with effective public policy, you can make sure that person isn’t at your door in the first place.”

But seeing the impact of inequality up close and personal, such as through her service with Casa Nueva Vida, has been equally, if not more meaningful than reading and discussion. Stone’s primary duties involved providing tutoring for school-age children—mostly from Spanish-speaking, immigrant families—in the shelter and supervising recreational activities. She became close to one family, and in particular their daughter Tiffany, and when the family moved out of the shelter she maintained the bond, inviting Tiffany to campus to experience college life and to attend sports events with Stone and her roommate.

“Now, Tiffany really wants to go to

BC, and this is such a huge contrast from when we first met. Having seen the difference one’s actions can have on somebody’s life, I want to be able to do something that has a macro impact: Maybe put forth a policy that provides additional benefits to struggling families so their kids will be able to attend and succeed in school, or that subsidizes shelters like Casa Nueva Vida so they can continue to provide help to those in need.

“Seeing the disparity between what most of the Boston College community grew up with and what families just 15 minutes away in Jamaica Plain are going through, adding to what I studied in my classes, has made me want to combine the big-picture approach of economics with the care and concern for the individual that’s at the heart of Jesuit education.”

OID Seeks Proposals for Diversity, Inclusion Summit The Office for Institutional Diversity is seeking proposals for sessions, workshops, posters, and exhibits as part of the programming for the office’s fourth annual Diversity and Inclusion Summit to be held May 22.

The summit offers an opportunity to University administrators, faculty, and staff to explore promising practices that contribute to BC’s commitment to enhancing a diverse, welcoming, and inclusive community that respects all and fosters dialogue within the University’s Jesuit, Catholic tradition. The 2019 event will focus on the kinds of dialogue that help facilitate meaningful change and promote effective relationships.

According to the OIP, activities, post-

ers, and exhibits proposed for the summit should be highly interactive; provide important insights, points of view, strategies, and techniques that could be applicable and transformative across work areas; highlight exemplary actions, programs, and approaches necessary to build an inclusive community through dialogue; and detail collaborative efforts and opportunities to explore specific aspects of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

The deadline for proposals is Jan. 16. For more details about the call for proposals and the 2019 Diversity and Inclusion Summit, see the Office for Institutional Diversity website at www. bc.edu/diversity.

—University Communications

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December 13, 2018

BC Physicist Researches Potential of 2-D Magnetism

BY ED HAYWARD STAFF WRITER

Two-dimensional magnetism has long intrigued and motivated researchers for its potential to promote innovations in nanodevices.

Their excitement is partly driven by predictions that the magnetic moments of electrons—known as “spins”—would no longer be able to align in perfectly clean systems, thus unleashing numerous new states of matter, and enabling novel forms of quantum computing.

The successful fabrication of perfectly clean systems and their incorporation with other materials has proved a stumbling block. But for more than a decade, materials known as “van der Waals” crystals, held together by friction, have been used to isolate single-atom-thick layers leading to numerous new physical effects and applications.

Now, researchers from Boston College, the University of Tennessee, and Seoul National University say this class has been expanded to include magnetic materials, and may offer one of the most ambitious platforms yet in scientific efforts to investigate and manipulate phases of matter at the nanoscale.

Two-dimensional magnetism, the subject of theoretical explorations and experimen-

tation for the past 80 years, is enjoying a resurgence thanks to a group of materials and compounds that are relatively plentiful and easy to manipulate, according to Associate Professor of Physics Kenneth Burch, a first author of the article “Magnetism in two-dimensional van der Waals materials,” published recently in the journal Nature.

The most oft-cited example of these materials is graphene, a crystal constructed in uniform, atom-thick layers. A procedure as simple as applying a piece of scotch tape to the crystal can remove a single layer, providing a thin, uniform section to serve as a platform to create novel materials with a range of physical properties open to manipulation.

“What’s amazing about these 2-D materials is they’re so flexible,” said Burch.

“Because they are so flexible, they give you this huge array of possibilities. You can make combinations you could not dream of before. You can just try them. You don’t have to spend this huge amount of time and money and machinery trying to grow them.

A student working with tape puts them together. That adds up to this exciting opportunity people dreamed of for a long time, to be able to engineer these new phases of matter.”

At that single layer, researchers have focused on spin, what Burch refers to as the

Kenneth Burch

photo by mason gray

“magnetic moment” of an electron. While the charge of an electron can be used to send two signals—either “off” or “on,” results represented as either zero or one—spin excitations offer multiple points of control and measurement, an exponential expansion of the potential to signal, store or transmit information in the tiniest of spaces.

“One of the big efforts now is to try to switch the way we do computations,” said

CSWE Awards Scholarships to 5 SSW Students Continued from page 1

which prepares students to work with Latinx individuals, families, and communities in the U.S. and around the world from a strengthsbased perspective. Through the LLI—which combines coursework, research, field placements, mentoring, training in self-advocacy, and career development—students develop a nuanced understanding of Latinx populations, the challenges they face in accessing equitable education, social services, and health care, and the most effective interventions to overcome these challenges.

“We are delighted by the Council on Social Work Education’s recognition not only of the accomplishments and dedication of these outstanding students,” said BCSSW Dean Gautam Yadama, “but also of the school’s leadership in training the next generation of social work practitioners and scholars to work with diverse populations.”

Cano, raised in Mexico, received his master’s in social work degree from Arizona State University and worked for eight years in Phoenix as a substance abuse clinician for parents and caregivers involved in the child welfare system, an experience that spurred him to return to school.

He is currently applying for assistant professorships with the goal of continuing research on alcohol and drug abuse in the

Clockwise from above left: Lisbeth Acosta, Manuel Cano, Valeria Lazo, Olga Paz, and Magdalena Lopez.

photos courtesy of boston college school of social work

Latino community. “I am convinced that research in this area is crucial to producing the effective culturally adapted prevention efforts and interventions that Hispanics in our country need,” he says.

Acosta, a University of MassachusettsAmherst graduate whose father and sister are both social workers, focuses her clinical interests on children, youth, and family. She is working as a school adjustment intern at a Brockton middle school, in collaboration other school personnel, and at the Clean and Sober Teens Living Empowered program in Brockton, where she provides counseling and conducts psychosocial assessments.

These experiences revealed to Acosta the pervasiveness of substance use in younger populations, as well as to an apparent lack of diversity among those seeking care, and she

hopes the CSWE Fellowship will give her the tools to address those issues.

While pursuing her undergraduate degree at Loyola University Chicago, Lazo served internships at a teen runaway hotline and an immigrant and refugee career service organization. She currently works at New Health Charlestown, which provides an integrated model of behavioral health care. Lazo seeks to use her professional skills and experience to help bridge gaps in mental health and substance abuse services in the Latinx community. She sees her CSWE Fellowship as an opportunity to connect classroom and placement learnings, and to effect change at a higher, possibly political level.

A psychologist and mentor for high-risk youth in El Salvador, Lopez came to Boston to continue her education and to better

Burch. “Now we record whether the charge of the electron is there or it isn’t. Since every electron has a magnetic moment, you can potentially store information using the relative directions of those moments, which is more like a compass with multiple points.

You don’t just get a one and a zero, you get all the values in between.”

Potential applications lie in the areas of new “quantum” computers, sensing technologies, semiconductors, or high-temperature superconductors.

“The point of our perspective is that there has been a huge emphasis on devices and trying to pursue these 2-D materials to make these new devices, which is extremely promising,” said Burch. “But what we point out is magnetic 2-D atomic crystals can also realize the dream of engineering these new phases—superconducting, or magnetic or topological phases of matter, that is really the most exciting part. It is not just fundamentally interesting to realize these theorems that have been around for 40 years.

These new phases would have applications in various forms of computing, whether in spintronics, producing high temperature superconductors, magnetic and optical sensors and in topological quantum computing.”

For more information, the full article can be found in Nature at DOI: 10.1038/ s41586-018-0631-z. provide for her family. Recognizing a lack of English fluency among Latinos as being a barrier to receiving services, she became motivated to help the Latino community.

Since joining the MSW program, Lopez has worked as a high school substitute teacher in the greater Boston area, where she witnessed the inequality of resources between schools in wealthy and poor neighborhoods, and is now an intern at Boston Medical Center serving the Latino population and supporting substance abuse care cases. She views the fellowship as a means to receive further training on the issues that stoke her passion.

Serving as a mentor to single mothers during her senior year at Brigham Young University inspired Paz to study social work and ultimately enroll in BCSSW. Since then, she has had a number of fulfilling experiences: as an events writer for the Immigrant Integration Lab, where she identifies and publishes resources for social workers supporting the immigrant community; as a behavioral health counselor at the East Boston Neighborhood Health Center, supporting Latinx families with mental health and/or substance abuse challenges; and as a collegebound career counselor to Boston-area ninth graders, guiding them towards available resources and educational paths, and sharing her own experiences as a first-generation student. With the fellowship in hand, Paz is deciding between focusing her work for the Latinx community in a health care or an educational setting.

Read more about the five Council for Social Work Education Minority Fellowship winners at http://bit.ly/bcssw-minority-fellowships.

—Boston College School of Social Work

Chronicle

December 13, 2018

WELCOME ADDITIONS

BC in the Media

An Introduction to New Faculty at Boston College ANDREA CROW

Assistant Professor of English Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences DEGREES: Gonzaga University (BA); Ohio State University (MA); Columbia University (PhD)

WHAT SHE STUDIES:

Early modern English poetry and drama; food history, gender and sexuality studies; the intersection of England and the Arab world; academic labor and the future of the university.

WHAT SHE TEACHES: Shakespeare: Early Plays; Shakespeare: Later Plays; Literature Core: American Crime Stories

Your current book project deals with diet and food scarcity in 17th-century Anglophone literature. What have been some of your most compelling findings so far?

“I’m studying how people in the early modern period started to think in a heightened way about the social consequences of diet. Early modern England suffered from recurring starvation-level food crises. What’s striking to me is how closely literary authors engaged with the problem of hunger: When they talk about food, it’s not just a metaphor, it’s a pressing social problem. I’m interested in how authors creatively use literary form to try to shape the way their audiences eat, and the way they understand the impact of their dietary choices. One of my favorite findings has been coming across the 17th-century vegetarian ‘cookbooks’ written by Thomas Tryon.

Spoiler: His answer to how to eat vegetarian is usually ‘Cook vegetables and put them on toast.’ I wouldn’t recommend it as a guide to nutrition, but it’s a lot of fun to read.”

Snapshot

7

JOSHUA SNYDER

Assistant Professor of the Practice of Theology Director, Faith, Peace and Justice Minor Morrissey College of Arts and Science DEGREES: St. Peter’s University (BA); Villanova University (MA); Boston College (PhD).

WHAT HE STUDIES: Forgiveness and reconciliation; Guatemalan Catholic Church; human rights and social justice; truth commissions; Catholic social teaching; Augustinian political theory; medical and bioethics; end-of-life care; palliative care; health implications of climate change.

WHAT HE’S TEACHING: The Challenge of Justice; Faith, Peace and Justice Seminar.

What are some of your plans for the Faith, Peace and Justice minor?

“The Faith, Peace and Justice minor provides students the opportunity to live out Boston College’s mission of being men and women for and with others as well as seeing God in all things by focusing their course of study on the most pressing challenges to social justice and the common good. As an interdisciplinary minor, students grapple with complex social issues from the perspective of various academic disciplines. The practical result of the minor is to form students who are deeply committed to social responsibility and the common good. As the new director, it is my goal to build on the foundation of my predecessor by expanding the number of students involved in the minor and offer an array of courses that analyze the complexity of both global and domestic social injustices.”

Prof. Heather Cox Richardson (History) and Prof. of the Practice Tiziana Dearing (BCSSW) discussed the late President George H.W. Bush’s politics and public service, and the evolution of the GOP, on, respectively, WBUR-FM’s “Radio Boston” and New England Cable News’ “The Take.”

Drinan Professor of Law George Brown offered comments to Reuters on the lawsuit surrounding President Trump’s dealings with foreign governments.

Asst. Prof. Kari Hong (Law) was interviewed by Associated Press regarding a U.S. appeals court ruling against a federal immigration law.

Assoc. Prof. of the Practice Sam Richardson (Economics) wrote an op-ed for WBUR Commonhealth and spoke with The Boston Globe on the impact of the merger of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Lahey Health.

WGBH News interviewed Prof. Robin Lydenberg (English) on the multi-media exhibition of artist Carrie Mae Weems—of which she is co-curator—at the McMullen Museum of Art, which WGBH called “a must-see exhibition” and “a vital lens on our times.”

Alaska lies in an area prone to powerful earthquakes, Weston Observatory geophysicist Prof. John Ebel (Earth and Environmental Sciences) told The Boston Globe for a story on the 7.0-magnitude quake that struck the Anchorage area.

A New York Times column noted a survey

by Boston College Center for Retirement Research Director Alicia Munnell and Associate Director Andrew Eschtruth suggesting American society places little market value on caregiving as far as Social Security benefits are concerned.

Why does it matter that Americans read more poetry now? Assoc. Prof. Eric Weiskott (English) gave his insights on the matter in an op-ed for Inside Higher Ed.

Nota Bene

–Rosanne Pellegrini, Kathleen Sullivan photos by peter julian

photo by lee pellegrini

Floor show

photo by george martell

School of Theology and Ministry Associate Professor Hoffsman Ospino received a Bishop Cheverus Medal from Archbishop of Boston Cardinal Sean O’Malley, OFM, Cap., on Nov. 25.

The annual award ceremony recognizes local Catholics who have served the Church over an extended period of time and in a quiet, unassuming and unrecognized fashion. Most recipients are nominated by their pastor and approved by their regional bishop or episcopal vicar and Cardinal O’Malley; some additional recipients, such as Ospino, are selected personally by Cardinal O’Malley.

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: Manager, Digital Communications, Center for Corporate Citizenship Director, Annual and Leadership Giving, University Advancement Assistant/Associate Director of Annual Giving, BC Law School Senior Data Analyst, University Advancement Development Assistant, Major Giving, University Advancement These audience members chose an unconventional view of the Dec. 6 Music at St. Mary’s Christmas Concert with members of the University Chorale.

Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach, Athletics UI/UX Designer/Developer, President’s

Office Post-Doctoral RPCA, Academic Affairs/ Provost Engineering Project Manager, Facilities/ Trades Senior Business Intelligence Analyst/Developer, University Advancement Assistant Director, Alumni Affinity Programs, University Advancement Production Manager, Dining Services, Dining & Catering/Auxiliary/Public Safety Financial Systems Project Manager, Financial/Budget Senior Writer, University Advancement Engineering Project Manager, Facilities/ Trades

Chronicle

8

December 13, 2018

BC Research

A Chance to Be Part of Something Big Research opportunities led BC junior to publish his first scientific paper, and discover a passion for biology

BY ALIX HACKETT SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE

They can only be seen under a microscope, but the importance of platelets in the human body is massive in scale.

The tiny blood cells, named for their plate-like shape, are what keep skinned knees and nasty paper cuts from becoming life-threatening events.

“Platelets are what clot your cut so you don’t bleed out wherever you are,” explained biology major Ben Posorske ’20. “They’re essentially the body’s natural Band-Aid.” Posorske knows a thing or two about the subject. This summer, an article he co-authored was published in Platelets, a peer-reviewed medical journal covering all aspects of platelet-related research.

The article, “In vitro culture of murine megakaryocytes from fetal liver-derived hematopoietic stem cells,” outlines the results of groundbreaking research conducted by a lab run through Brigham and Women’s Hospital with funding from the National Institutes of Health. Posorske has been a student researcher at the lab for the past two years, working alongside established scientists to transform the way platelets are delivered to the thousands of patients who need them.

“Our main focus is being able to artificially create large quantities of platelets without needing a direct human donor,” he said. “This would be novel in the science world.”

The demand for platelet donations in the United States is constant, in particular because the cells have a shelf life of only five days. Hospitals rely on platelet transfusions during major surgeries to help save accident victims, and to counter the effects of radiation in cancer patients. When natural disaster strikes, organizations like the American Red Cross often issue desperate pleas for platelet donations.

When Posorske arrived at Boston College, he knew little about platelets, but he had already developed a love for scientific research. As a high school student in Scottsdale, Ariz., he spent summers assisting with cardiothoracic surgery research at the University of Colorado-Denver.

His decision to attend BC was motivated in part by its location in a city known for being at the forefront of biomedical research. Several days a week, he rides the Green Line to Longwood Medical Center, a hub of world-class hospitals, labs, and research facilities. Most of his colleagues have ties to nearby Harvard Medical School or Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

“Biology students at Boston College are fortunate to have research opportunities both within the department and off campus in Boston and Cambridge,” said Professor of Biology Kenneth Williams, the interim department chair. “Often these opportunities are a springboard for medical school or future graduate studies and industry positions.”

For Posorske, being able to participate in real-time scientific advances has reaffirmed his passion for biology, and helped him thrive in his undergraduate courses.

“A lot of the stuff that I do in the lab translates directly to my classes,” he said.

“I’ll be in a lecture and hear a term or we’ll be talking about a microbiology concept and I’ll have a better understanding of it

Ben Posorske ’20 (left): “A lot of the stuff that I do in the lab translates directly to my classes.

I’ll be in a lecture and hear a term or we’ll be talking about a microbiology concept and I’ll have a better understanding of it because I’ve had the experience in the lab already. It’s cool seeing the correlation between the two.” photo by peter julian

because I’ve had the experience in the lab already. It’s cool seeing the correlation between the two.”

Posorske and his colleagues are already working on another paper, this time on machine-learning related to the production of artificial platelets. If all goes well, Posorske could have multiple publications under

BC Scenes

Seasonal Activity

The Boston College campus has been full of holiday cheer this month, with such events as (clockwise from left): the annual Christmas tree lighting on the Plaza at O’Neill Library, left and above; the Music at St. Mary’s Christmas Concert with members of the University Chorale, above right; the Alumni Association’s Winter Wonderland festival on Brighton Campus, top far right; and the BC Bands “Christmas Festival” at 300 Hammond Pond Parkway, where a special guest showed up.

PHOTOS BY LEE PELLEGRINI, PETER JULIAN AND GRETCHEN ERTL

his belt before he graduates.

“It’s been a really exciting time for me,” he said. “I’m learning so much and being challenged every day. It’s been a lot of time, a lot of effort, but it’s all worth it.”

—Alix Hackett is a senior digital content writer for the Office of University Communications