PUBLISHED BY THE BOSTON COLLEGE OFFICE OF UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
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Around Campus
Women’s Summit
McMullen Exhibitions
A Boston College Dining Service campaign spotlighting its employees marks 10 years; a look at BC’s international population.
Annual event takes place this Saturday with full schedule of talks and workshops.
McMullen Museum will unveil two new exhibitions in February, “Eaglemania: Collecting Japanese Art in Gilded Age America” and “Cuenca: City of Spanish Abstraction.” JANUARY 31, 2019 VOL. 26 NO. 10
PUBLISHED BY THE BOSTON COLLEGE OFFICE OF UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
University to Launch Early Decision Program in 2019 BY JACK DUNN ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT FOR UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
Something in the Air
photo by christopher huang
Student dancers galore were on (or above) the Robsham Theater stage last Friday. See page 6.
Boston College will introduce an Early Decision program for undergraduate admission this year, in an effort to meet the growing preference of today’s high school students and enroll more “best fit” applicants for whom Boston College is a first choice, the University announced last week. The decision will result in a shift from BC’s non-binding Early Action policy to a binding Early Decision program that will include two opportunities for students to apply early to Boston College. For high-
The Priesthood, Reexamined
“To ‘fix’ the priesthood in light
BC scholars issue statement
place in relation to what it’s a
of its current scandals and decline, you need to think about it ‘holistically’ and consider its part of, not in isolation.”
on renewing priesthood and
-Fr. Richard Lennan
ministry for Catholic Church
photo by lee pellegrini
BY KATHLEEN SULLIVAN STAFF WRITER
A scholarly group at Boston College has issued a statement on the priesthood and ministry in the contemporary Catholic Church that calls for re-examining the formation process for diocesan priests and eradicating the priesthood’s embedded clerical culture. Titled “To Serve the People of God:
Renewing the Conversation on Priesthood and Ministry,” the document was issued by Boston College’s Seminar on Priesthood and Ministry for the Contemporary
Church, sponsored by BC’s Theology Department and School of Theology and Ministry. The seminar, which began meeting in September 2016, was comprised of women and men who are lay and ordained theologians and ministers working in pastoral and academic settings. The report calls for a “serious reconsideration” of how candidates for the priesthood receive their theological and pastoral
Continued on page 9
achieving high school students who view Boston College as their top choice, Early Decision I will offer a Nov. 1 application deadline with a decision notification by Dec. 15. Early Decision II will feature a Jan. 1 application deadline with a decision notification by Feb. 15. Students who prefer to apply Regular Decision will continue to have a Jan. 1 deadline with a notification of April 1. Vice Provost for Enrollment Management John L. Mahoney said that while Early Action has served Boston College well for many years, high school students today are expressing a clear preference for binding Early Decision programs.
Continued on page 4
A Vision for Global Public Health at BC BY ED HAYWARD STAFF WRITER
Boston College’s new program in Global Public Health and the Common Good, the first academic initiative of the University’s Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society, will launch its new undergraduate minor this fall, with an anticipated major in 2021 and an ambitious research agenda during the next five years, according to program director Professor of Biology Philip J. Landrigan, MD. A 1963 alumnus and a respected authority on public and children’s health who joined the BC faculty last summer, Landrigan has developed a five-year vision for Continued on page 5
“It is a brotherhood. Whether I am in Boston or San Diego, St. Paul or Guayaquil, Jesuits share a sense of humor, passion for ministry, and desire to change the world.” –Patrick
Hyland, S.J., ’09, page 9
ADDRESS GOES HERE
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Around Campus
A Decade of Spreading the Good Word for BC Dining Services For 10 years, members of Boston College Dining Services staff have been recognized through a campaign called “We Are BC Dining,” designed to boost employee morale. Exemplary BCDS employees are showcased on posters with a professional photograph of them working in their respective roles, as well as personal information such as their hometowns, the number of years they have worked at BC, and their favorite dishes served in the dining halls. These posters are shared at internal dining staff trainings and meetings and are also hung in the serveries in the dining halls with different employees represented each week. “I think employees are very happy and proud having their picture out there,” said Marcela Norton, an employee relations officer for Dining Services. “Our employees work so hard, they are on their feet all the time, and are always busy. When we do this for them, it helps them to be proud of their work.” The posters portray employees from many segments of the dining staff including
the dish room, bakery, laundry room, and concessions. Marlene Ramos, a second cook in Corcoran Commons, was featured on a “We Are BC Dining” poster working the grill. “If they choose me to be on one of the posters, that means that they are setting me as an example,” said Ramos. “It feels good to be appreciated.” The posters also introduce customers to the employees who are there to serve them, even those who work behind the scenes on loading docks or in dish rooms. “We always try to get our employees the recognition they need,” said Beth Burns, human resources manager for Dining Services. “It really enhances how you do your job.” According to Burns, on average a food service worker stays in the business for about 18 months; the average stay for a BCDS employee is 17 years. Ramos has worked at BC for 17 years and said that she will probably retire here. “BC is a great place to work,” said Ramos. “I love it here. It comes with safety, great benefits, and teamwork.”
BC International Population Up – Again Boston College’s international population continues to grow prodigiously, having set new standards every year for the past decade, according to a recent report by the Office of International Students and Scholars. This past year, OISS said, the total international population increased by more than six percent to 2,856, compared to 1,276 in 2008-09. That figure includes undergraduate and graduate students, students working in their field of study after graduation (“practical training”), faculty and research scholars, and dependents. Bucking national trends, BC’s international student population alone rose by more than seven percent to 1,878; the number for 2008-09 was 899. Of the 2018-19 student population, 1,015 are undergraduates—11 percent more than 2017-18—and 863 are graduate students, a rise of almost three percent. These increases come at a time when numbers of international students are declining in the U.S. Last November, Inside Higher Ed, citing data from the annual Open Doors survey, reported that new enrollments of ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT FOR UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
Jack Dunn SENIOR DIRECTOR FOR UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
international students fell by 6.6 percent at American universities in 2017-18 compared to the previous year; the dip was continuing this academic year, Inside Higher Ed added, but apparently at a less severe rate. China continues to have the largest representation among international students at BC with 927, up 17 percent from last year, and comprises half the total international student population. South Korea is second with 139, a 16 percent decrease from 201718. Spain (54), Canada (53), India and Italy (41 apiece), Brazil, France, and the UK (30 apiece), and Australia (29) round out the top 10. The OISS report also shows 495 students in practical training and 313 faculty and research scholars, representing increases of, respectively, eight and 13 percent. In addition, there are 170 dependents in the international population. During 2008-09, BC hosted 123 students in practical training and 129 faculty and scholars. The report is available at the OISS website, www.bc.edu/oiss. —Sean Smith
CONTRIBUTING STAFF
Sean Smith
In addition to boosting morale, a goal of “We Are BC” is to showcase the diversity of the BC dining staff, which represents 33 different nations of origin and 14 different spoken languages. “It is great to look at all of the posters and see the diversity of BC’s Dining Services reflected,” said Ramos. “I am from Africa and you will also see someone who is American, someone who is from Guatemala, and someone who is from Colombia. It shows
Snapshot
PHOTO BY LEE PELLEGRINI
The School of Theology and Ministry hosted its annual Prayer for Christian Unity Service on Jan. 24 in the chapel at Simboli Hall, with STM Assistant Professor Rev. William Roozeboom presiding. The theme of this year’s service, written by the World Council of Churches, was “Justice, Only Justice, You Shall Pursue.”
Chronicle
PHOTOGRAPHERS
www.bc.edu/bcnews chronicle@bc.edu
Gary Gilbert Lee Pellegrini Peter Julian
what BC Dining is, diverse.” The posters have also been repurposed to help with Dining Services’ recruitment efforts, providing potential employees with a visual representation of BC’s dining staff and the many reasons why they enjoy working at Boston College. “The pictures tell the story,” said Burns. “There is a lot of happiness among our staff; they like what they do.” –Christine Balquist
Prayer for Unity
Christine Balquist Phil Gloudemans Ed Hayward Rosanne Pellegrini Kathleen Sullivan
Patricia Delaney EDITOR
Marlene Ramos is proud to be among the staff featured in the “We Are BC Dining” campaign.
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 University Communications, 3 Lake Street, Brighton, MA 02135 (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 University Communications, 3 Lake Street, Brighton, MA 02135. A flipbook edition of Chronicle is available via e-mail. Send requests to chronicle@bc.edu.
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January 31, 2019
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After ‘Incredibly Fulfilling’ Time, VP McDermott to Leave University
Sarah Kay, poet and founder/co-director of Project VOICE, will be the keynote speaker for this Saturday’s annual Women’s Summit.
BC to Host Women’s Summit on Saturday Speakers, workshops to cover topics such as work-life balance, beliefs-based leadership, pop culture and feminism, finding a vocation; BC administrators, faculty to participate BY ROSANNE PELLEGRINI STAFF WRITER
Empowerment is on the agenda for some 400 attendees—primarily Boston College undergraduate women—at the annual Women’s Summit taking place on campus this Saturday. The event, which will be held in multiple venues from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., brings together students, faculty, administrators, alumni, and special guests for talks on life, learning, careers, and other topics. The summit aspires to empower women of all backgrounds to realize their individual and collective potential to rise together and enact change. “Our hope is that attendees not only see themselves and their existing goals and passions reflected in the diverse lineup of speakers, but also that they are able to make new discoveries and formulate new goals through both self-reflection and meaningful conversations with other attendees,” said Lucy Kaneb ’19, an event marketing director. Prominent slam poet Sarah Kay—who gained national recognition for her 2011 TEDTalk “If I Should Have a Daughter,” which addressed issues of female empowerment and expression—is the keynote speaker. She is the founder and co-director of Project VOICE, which uses performances and workshops to improve literacy and empowerment in elementary and middle school classrooms across the country. Main Stage Conversation panels and workshop speakers include several BC faculty and administrators, who summit organizers believe will serve as inspirational and informative role models for attendees. Participants on a work-life balance panel include: BC School of Social Work Professor for Macro Practice Tiziana Dearing;
Helen Ha, Center for Student Formation associate director; Senior Associate Athletics Director Jocelyn Gates; and Régine Michelle Jean-Charles, associate professor of Romance Languages and Literatures and African and African Diaspora Studies. A discussion on beliefs-based leadership will explore effective leadership styles and what it means to be a leader in a Jesuit, Catholic context. Panelists include Vice President for Planning and Assessment Kelli Armstrong and Interim Vice President for Student Affairs Joy Moore. Workshops include “The Power of Pop Culture: Is Wonder Woman Feminist (and Why Does It Matter)?,” led by Associate Professor of the Practice of English Lori Harrison-Kahan; “Growing Up Ethnic in America,” with Vice Provost for Undergraduate Academic Affairs Akua Sarr; “How to Look Fabulous and Fight the Patriarchy, Without Coming on Too Strong: Double Binds, Controlling Images, and other Gender Traps,” led by Assistant Professor of the Practice of Philosophy Cherie McGill; and “Finding Your Vocation & Owning Your Voice,” with University Advancement Executive Director of Marketing and Communications Kate Haughton. While the focus is primarily on giving women a voice and “the selection of our speakers is specifically tailored to the experience of BC women,” organizers note, male students are welcome and encouraged to attend. Tickets are free but sell out quickly; they are available at https://bit. ly/2sw95Fz. The summit is sponsored by the Boston College Women’s Center and the Boston College Office of Student Involvement, in partnership with the Council for Women of Boston College and Women in Business. For more information see bcwomenssummit.com.
Vice President for Development Beth E. McDermott will leave Boston College to become managing director of development at Harvard Business School, the University has announced. McDermott, whose relationship with Boston College goes back nearly two decades, was appointed vice president for development in 2016 after serving as associate vice president for development for two years. As vice president, McDermott oversaw all aspects of University fundraising, including annual and major giving and organizational and school-affiliated fundraising, and supervised a development staff of more than 70 employees. Senior Advancement administrators credited her leadership and dedication as contributing to the success of the University’s $1.6-billion Light the World campaign, which exceeded its goal by $100 million. “My time at BC has been incredibly fulfilling, both professionally and personally,” said McDermott, who will officially depart BC tomorrow. “Even as I’ve come to understand and appreciate Boston College’s academic and formational mission, I’ve been a beneficiary of it myself.” McDermott began working in University Advancement at BC in 1999 as associate director of the Boston College Fund, rising to the position of director of special projects in 2003. She worked at Middlebury College between 2005 and 2010 as associate director of principal gifts and then executive director of institutional advancement at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, before rejoining BC Advancement as director of development for the Carroll School of Management. She held several positions of increased responsibility, including executive director of school development and organizational giving, and associate vice president of capital giving. “During her tenure at BC, Beth has helped to guide the growth of philanthropic dollars in support of the University’s priorities as well as the professional development of our fundraising staff, evidenced by the many colleagues who have taken on roles with increased responsibility under her leadership,” said Senior Vice President for University Advancement Jim Husson. “Beth has had a direct impact on
Beth E. McDermott
photo by lee pellegrini
every element of our organization and has demonstrated a deep commitment to the values that guide our work in University Advancement.” Having first arrived on campus at the tail-end of the University’s Ever to Excel capital campaign, McDermott recalled, she saw early on the qualities that have made BC successful in its academic and administrative goals. “Even as the University moved to the post-campaign phase, you could see there was a great importance attached to always being aspirational, always driving toward the future. There was no complacency on the part of BC’s leadership—instead, what you heard was, ‘How do we capitalize on this momentum? How do we keep going forward?’ “When I returned to BC in 2010, it was fascinating to see the progress made—how little seeds that had just been planted during my first stint, like Stokes Hall, were now becoming a reality. And the same thing was going on in University Advancement, as it took up the challenge of building on Ever to Excel with the Light the World campaign. I was grateful to have a seat at the conversation.” —Sean Smith
RISE3 Symposium on Feb. 7 to Explore Issues in Criminal Justice The second RISE3 Symposium, “Race, Place, Poverty & Outcomes—Exploring Intersectionality in Criminal Justice,” will take place Feb. 7 in McGuinn Auditorium at 6 p.m. Co-sponsored by the Institute for the Liberal Arts and Boston College School of Social Work, and hosted by Research in Social, Economic and Environmental Equity (RISE3), the symposium invites one scholar and one senior practitioner to
interrogate the impact of the intersection of racial identity, poverty status, and place on outcomes in a key area of social policy. A discussion on criminal justice will feature Assistant Professor of Sociology at Boston University Jessica Simes and Adam J. Foss, former assistant district attorney and founder of Prosecutor Impact. For information and registration, go to http://bit.ly/2scS5Ed. –University Communications
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Administrators: Early Decision Program Seen As Key to Enrolling More ‘Best Fit’ Applicants at BC Continued from page 1
“The popularity of the Common Application and the ease with which students can apply to college today has produced staggering application volume at competitive colleges,” said Mahoney. “Students are responding by beginning the college search earlier to reduce anxiety and uncertainty as much as possible. The advantage of Early Decision for students is the opportunity to increase their chance for admission at their top college choice and reduce the overall number of applications they submit. The advantage for colleges is the opportunity to enroll more best-fit students, which should increase their satisfaction level and retention. For Boston College, Early Decision will allow us to attract the best students, knowing that we are their top choice.” In moving to Early Decision, Boston College joins a growing number of peer institutions, including Wake Forest, Tufts, Northwestern, Duke, Vanderbilt, and Emory universities, and the University of Pennsylvania, among others. Overall, 21 of the top 40-ranked national universities in U.S. News have Early Decision I and II programs. Director of Undergraduate Admission Grant Gosselin said BC’s move to Early Decision in the coming 2019-2020 admission cycle will help BC to compete with
these and other highly selective institutions, most of which are enrolling a growing share of their students through Early Decision programs. “This change in early admission at Boston College will help us to identify and focus on our best-fit applicants as we respond to a clear shift in the early admissions landscape,” said Gosselin. “While the change will likely suppress overall application volume, it will help to improve selectivity and yield by enabling students to commit to BC through the two rounds of binding Early Decision.” This year, Boston College received 35,556 applications for the Class of 2023, its highest total ever, and a 14 percent increase over last year. A total of 19,694 applicants applied Regular Decision and 15,862 applied Early Action—a 54 percent increase over previous years—which reflects the growing trend of high-achieving high school students seeking an earlier resolution to their college admission process. “While our admission staff worked diligently to review each Early Action application with care and thoughtfulness, the volume is simply unsustainable,” said Gosselin. “Continued growth in the Early Action pool in the future would threaten our ability to meet our deadlines. After careful
Grant Gosselin: Change “will help to improve selectivity and yield.” photo by peter julian
consideration, we came to the realization that we had to make this change to Early Decision.” The shift to a binding Early Decision program will require students who are accepted early to commit to Boston College, provided their financial aid needs are met. Under BC’s Early Action program, accepted students were not required to commit until deposits were due in the late spring. “Given that Boston College is one of only 19 private universities that is needblind in admission and meets full demon-
strated need, accepted students should be confident that we will meet their financial needs,” said Mahoney. “We are committed to enrolling students from a wide range of socio-economic backgrounds. We urge all families to use our net price calculators to determine their likelihood of qualifying for financial aid and the type of aid package they might expect to receive if admitted.” Provost and Dean of Faculties David Quigley, who oversees Enrollment Management and Undergraduate Admission, said that Regular Decision will continue to be the main entry point for most of BC’s accepted students, but that Early Decision will enable the University to enroll a higher proportion of students for whom Boston College is their desired destination. “This change is in the best interest of Boston College, and applicants who have identified BC as their first choice,” said Quigley. “The admissions landscape continues to change, and we expect that our Early Decision program will position the University to attract the strongest students from across the country and around the world.” Learn more about the Early Decision program at http://bit.ly/boston-college-earlydecision.
Wolfson Is New Editor of Boston College Magazine John Wolfson, a veteran writer and editor with more than 23 years of journalistic experience, has been named editor of Boston College Magazine, the University’s alumni publication. Wolfson, who most recently served as editor of Tufts Magazine and editorial director for Tufts University’s Department of Communications and Marketing, succeeds the retiring Anna Marie Murphy, who has served as acting editor of BCM since last August and previously as deputy editor for 18 years [see separate story]. Associate Vice President for University Communications Jack Dunn said Wolfson was selected from a pool of talented applicants based on his extensive writing and editing experience and proven track record. “I am pleased to welcome John to the BC community, where he will use his gifts to help Boston College showcase its distinctiveness and myriad accomplishments through Boston College Magazine,” said Dunn. “As a writer, John excels in the art of storytelling, and as an editor he has consistently demonstrated how to shape the stories that capture the essence of an academic community. I am excited to have him here, and look forward to working with him in chronicling and promoting Boston College.” BCM, launched in 1978, is published quarterly and distributed free of charge to 182,000 BC alumni, as well as faculty, staff, and parents of current undergraduates. It was overseen by former editor Ben
University’s Graduate School of Journalism, and a bachelor of arts degree in English from the University of Maine. “It’s an honor to follow a journalist as talented and dedicated as Anna Marie Murphy into the editor’s chair at Boston College Magazine,” said Wolfson. “I am thrilled to
have landed in a position where I can help one of the nation’s finest universities tell its important stories, and humbled by the opportunity to pick up on Anna Marie’s work leading this esteemed publication.” –Phil Gloudemans
Murphy Says Farewell to BC
John Wolfson
photo by lee pellegrini
Birnbaum for four decades until his retirement last year. Wolfson, who served at Boston Magazine for eight years, first as senior editor and later as editor in chief, supervised a team of 15 writers, editors, designers, and videographers at Tufts, including oversight of Tufts Magazine, its website, and the alumni publications of five of the university’s graduate schools. He has also written extensively for such publications as The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and The New York Times, and has worked for newspapers ranging from The Seattle Times to the Orlando Sentinel. He earned a master’s degree in communication and journalism from Columbia
Anna Marie Murphy has retired from the University after almost two decades of providing a leadership role at Boston College Magazine. Murphy started at the magazine in 1999 as a freelance writer and editor, and the following year became deputy editor. She most recently served as BCM’s acting editor during the past year, with the retirement of former Office of Marketing Communications Executive Director Ben Birnbaum after 40 years at BC. Earlier this month, John Wolfson was appointed editor of BCM [see separate story]. Murphy began her journalism career when she joined the staff of the Wilson Quarterly—published by the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars—prior to its launch in 1976, and became the journal’s first managing editor. “Like Boston College, the Wilson Center was extraordinarily diverse, academically and culturally,” said Murphy. “Missing, I realize now, was the energy and youthful inventiveness of students, whom I have
greatly enjoyed covering at this place.” Murphy fondly recalled her first feature assignment for BCM, a piece on the University’s Options Through Education, a summer enrichment initiative for academically and financially disadvantaged students. “For me the reporting was a great introduction to the challenges and opportunities involved in creating a level playing field through higher education, and also to BC’s heart.” “Anna Marie was an exacting editor, dogged in her pursuit of accuracy and thoroughness but also with an eye for the details that give a piece personality,” said BCM Senior Editor Thomas Cooper. “She could spot the story in a tangle of words and extract an engaging magazine piece out of a massive academic manuscript. Nothing in BCM escaped her attention, and everything was improved by her efforts. It’s too bad she found so little time to write; her own pieces were always a treat.” —Sean Smith
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Global Public Health Program Coming Into Focus Continued from page 1
the program focused on education, service, and research to support the next generation of public health leaders. “The program in Global Public Health and the Common Good at Boston College will align closely with BC’s educational and spiritual missions because public health is deeply rooted in a philosophy of social justice, ethics, strives to eradicate inequities in health, and embodies a preferential option for the poor,” says Landrigan, a pediatrician and epidemiologist. The Schiller Institute will serve as the cornerstone of a new, $160-million integrated science teaching and research facility slated to break ground on campus later this year and open in 2021. Last fall, Landrigan launched the Global Observatory on Public Health to study efforts to control pollution and prevent pollution-related diseases that account for an estimated nine million deaths worldwide each year. He and Vice Provost for Research and Academic Planning and DeLuca Professor Thomas Chiles also signed a memorandum of understanding with United Nations Environment, establishing the observatory’s first partnership in advance of a study of pollution in India. Landrigan says the newly established
Global Public Health program will complement its predecessor, the highly regarded three-course sequence in public health that faculty in the School of Social Work, the Connell School of Nursing, and the Lynch School of Education and Human Development established during the past four years. Global Public Health is also designed to align with BC’s renowned programs in medical humanities and pre-health. Already, the Global Observatory has established a research collaboration with the Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Landrigan says he expects to build additional connections with research and medical institutions in Boston. “A source of great strength for the program in Global Public Health is BC’s proximity to Boston, the city with the world’s greatest concentration of biomedical and public health research,” says Landrigan. “Partnerships with our sister institutions in the Boston area offer the program unparalleled opportunities for collaboration in research and education.” In addition to the study in India, BC undergraduate and graduate students, faculty and staff will undertake a range of
State’s Lieutenant Governor to Discuss Civil Discourse Feb. 11 Massachusetts Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito ’88 will visit campus on Feb. 11 to give a talk on civil discourse, as part of Boston College’s Civic Engagement Initiative (CEI). Polito, a graduate of the Carroll School of Management, will present “Civil Discourse in Politics Today” at 5 p.m. in the Walsh Hall Function Room. Following her talk will be a 30-minute response-anddiscussion session with four BC student leaders. The event is free and open to the public. First elected as lieutenant governor in 2014 as the running mate of Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, Polito won re-election last fall. She chairs the Community Compact Cabinet, which seeks to strengthen the administration’s partnerships with local government and promote best practices. Since the program’s inception, Polito has signed a compact with all 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts covering a total of 835 best practices. As chair of the Seaport Economic Council, she works with coastal communities to leverage their unique assets to drive sustainable growth. In addition, Polito has played a leadership role in efforts to address sexual assault and domestic violence issues and, as cochair of the STEM Advisory Council, ensure that all students have access to STEM courses with the goal of preparing them for careers. A program of the Student Affairs division, the CEI aims to help students think about how they can make a difference in the civic life of their communities—both political and non-political—or on a larger
Global Public Health Program Director Philip J. Landrigan, MD photo by gary gilbert
research projects during the next five years on topics slated to include: •Global pollution and the health of children •Loss of cognitive function caused by early-life exposure to fine particulate air pollution •Impact of pollution on cardiovascular disease and death •Impact of particulate air pollution on risks of diabetes and of chronic kidney disease •Role of mercury in the total global burden of disease The program will oversee international and domestic service missions that give students the opportunity to encounter
“first-hand the social, political, economic, and environmental factors that powerfully shape health and disease” in an economically diverse mix of countries, according to Landrigan’s vision. The program’s first mission, teamed with colleagues from Mission and Ministry, took 12 undergraduate students to Honduras last summer. Chiles says the Global Public Health and the Common Good program draws on the strengths of current faculty and staff and sets the stage for the University’s expansion of teaching, research, and service in the field. “Phil’s vision for this new program charts an ambitious course for the University, our faculty and students. Our Global Public Health and the Common Good program aligns with our strengths in research and teaching, our Jesuit, Catholic mission, and the many critical issues the world faces when it comes to the health of the planet and the people who share it.” Landrigan says establishing the academic programs and initiatives in service and research will leave students thoroughly prepared to work in the global public health field. “The intellectual foundation of public health lies in the rigorous study of patterns and causes of disease in populations, using the tools of epidemiology and biostatistics,” says Landrigan, who spent many years with the Centers for Disease Control early in his career. “Mastery of the core skills requires therefore that students pursue a structured curriculum that covers these basics and then gives them opportunity to apply their newly acquired skills to study a diverse array of health problems ranging from the spread of measles among schoolchildren, to global variations in patterns of cancer, to environmental causes of rising rates of cardiovascular disease.”
Landrigan Makes Visit to Rwanda
Massachusetts Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito ’88
scale. Administrators, faculty, staff, and students assist in planning and organizing CEI events and activities, often in collaboration with other University offices and departments. “Given the current political climate of staunch partisan politics,” said Women’s Center Director Katie Dalton Walsh, “the committee felt that it was important to plan an event to engage attendees in a discussion about the importance of constructive dialogue with others from across the political spectrum.” —University Communications
Despite an economy that is still developing, Rwanda operates a universal health care system generally regarded as one of the best in Africa. The East African nation, where a tribal genocide claimed approximately 800,000 lives in 1994, has become a focal point for innovation and entrepreneurship, particularly in public health. One of those experiments is the University of Global Health Equity, which launched in 2015 and offers a master’s degree in public health and is constructing a medical school campus. Professor of Biology Philip J. Landrigan, MD, director of Boston College’s new Global Public Health and the Common Good program, spent last week in Rwanda lecturing at UGHE on public health and threats posed by urbanization, development, pesticides, and the proliferation of gas-powered cars, trucks, and buses. Landrigan says he focused on strategies that can help rapidly developing countries like Rwanda grow without the degradation of public health and the environment that
marked industrialization in the U.S. and Western Europe. “The most important element of these strategies is to take advantage of new technological developments in energy production and build their economy on clean, renewable sources of energy such as wind and solar, rather than on coal and oil. A second element is to build smart, well-designed cities that incentivize public transport and discourage widespread use of private vehicles.” While visiting the country, Landrigan joined Harvard Medical School Professor Paul Farmer, MD, co-founder and chief strategist of the international non-governmental organization Partners In Health, which played a central role in the development of UGHE along with the Cummings Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Landrigan says he hopes to find ways for BC students and graduates to participate in PIH initiatives in Rwanda, Haiti, and the other countries served by the organization. –Ed Hayward
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BC and the World: A Clearer Picture Committee report lays out opportunities, challenges of global engagement for the University, and offers a blueprint for the way forward A wide-ranging exploration of the opportunities, challenges, and resources needed for enhanced global engagement at Boston College—with a blueprint outlining strategies and supporting initiatives for advancement in this area—is now available in a new report by the Global Engagement Committee, which is composed of representatives from across the University. The document, available at the University’s BC Global website [www.bc.edu/ global], was prepared in response to the direction set forth in the University’s Ever to Excel strategic plan, released in 2017, which called for an increase in Boston College’s presence and impact across the world. The product of extensive meetings with senior administrators, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends of Boston College, as well as analyses of peer universities and of global trends in higher education and beyond, the report also benefitted from consultation with Robin Helms ’05, director of the American Council on Education’s Center for Internationalization and Global Engagement, who has provided guidance to the internationalization efforts of a wide range of U.S. universities. While comprehensive, the report remains a work in progress, administrators
BC Scenes
say, and must respond to internal and external forces constantly changing the landscape of higher education. “What will remain steady,” said Vice Provost for Global Engagement Alberto Godenzi, “is the commitment of Boston College to increase its presence and impact across the world in accordance with its Jesuit, Catholic mission.” The global vision outlined for the University in the report responds to demographic changes in the United States and the strong presence of Catholics in Latin America and sub-Saharan Africa; aligns with trends in higher education, particularly the prevalence of internationalization strategies across universities; enhances teaching, scholarship, research, service, and formation; prepares students for understanding and interacting with a complex world as future global citizens; and positively affects the school’s international ranking and global reputation. Proposals to this end include the creation of alliances—such as the Strategic Alliance of Catholic Research Universities, formed in 2018—as well as of collaborative hubs in key areas around the world, and the launch of an Ibero-American collaboration; establishing global learning
PHOTOS BY CHRISTOPHER HUANG
15 Years of Synergy The Synergy Hip Hop Dance Company—Synergy for short—marked its 15th year as a Boston College student organization with the show “All Aboard Syn Express” at Robsham Theater last Friday. About 20 Synergy alumni appeared in the performance, as did the Dance Organization of Boston College (page 1 photo), Boston College Dance Ensemble (lower right), Fuego Del Corazón, and FISTS (Females Incorporating Sisterhood Through Step). These groups and others in the Boston College student dance community are preparing for the annual “Showdown” competition to be held later this semester in Conte Forum.
outcomes in all undergraduate and graduate programs; enhancing the global lens of the liberal arts curriculum; leveraging the use of foreign languages in key campus communications; facilitating the increased participation of international students and scholars; and supporting the ability of faculty to thrive in global settings, among other recommendations. In demonstrating that members of the University community not only excel in their global settings but also experience fulfillment in their work with international partners, the report offers a compelling case
for a more globally engaged Boston College, said Godenzi. “We are convinced that the heritage, mission, and academic distinction of Boston College position it to make unique contributions to the signs and challenges of our time,” he said, “as a voice that contributes to the tradition and evolution of faith and culture. “This is what the world needs Boston College to be.” —University Communications
Chronicle
January 31, 2019
7
Q&A: Thomas Crea
The Global View of Social Work BCSSW faculty member’s research activities extend to Africa and Latin America The 2013–16 Ebola outbreak infected nearly 6,000 children under the age of 16 and left 16,000 without one or both of their parents. This past August, Boston College School of Social Work Associate Professor Thomas Crea received a five-year, $2.6 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to conduct a first-of-its-kind study of the long-term social, physical, and mental health effects of children exposed to Ebola in Sierra Leone. Crea, who is assistant dean of global programs at the School of Social Work, is also currently leading studies on children in Honduras, Guatemala, Kenya, and Burkina Faso. Last fall, the globetrotting Georgia native held a wide-ranging conversation about his current projects, new research methods, and his far-flung journey to the field of social work. What prompted the Sierra Leone study, and how will the research begin? Crea: Theresa Betancourt, the Salem Professor in Global Practice, has spent more than 15 years studying the effects of war on Sierra Leone’s youth. Soon after she joined the School of Social Work last year, she approached me, knowing my background working with children overseas who are facing adverse situations, and asked if I’d be interested in looking into Sierra Leone. It seemed like a perfect fit for me. I’m collaborating with Theresa; with John Schieffelin, an infectious disease investigator at Tulane University’s School of Medicine; two psychiatrists, including one of only two in all of Sierra Leone; and Fr. Joseph Bangura and his team at Caritas Freetown. The cross-disciplinary approach is really exciting. Our goals are to understand Ebola’s lasting effects on children’s physical health and cognitive and emotional development, and ultimately to develop interventions that will help those affected by this disease, and by other acute infectious diseases, to live healthy and productive lives. One of the first steps is going out into the community, talking to key stakeholders, and interviewing between 750 and 1,000 children aged seven to 17 total: one cohort of Ebolainfected children, one of Ebola-affected children, and a control group of children. In a recent interview, you discussed the trauma that thousands of children have experienced amid the Trump administration’s family separation policy, and the challenges social workers face, both in terms of young children’s ability to articulate their trauma, and in inadvertently triggering their trauma when interviewing them. Many children in
your Ebola study will have experienced severe trauma. How do you navigate those challenges? Crea: It’s a complicated balance. On the one hand, you have to ask these questions, through standard measures that are locally validated, to get a sense of what the prevalence of mental health issues is, but then there are the treatment issues. So you have to be really careful. In some of our pilot work in other places, we’re seeing a lot of trauma with these kids, so even asking the questions can be upsetting. In these situa-
children at the Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya. Since we don’t exactly know yet what the barriers and facilitators are, we’re using community-based system dynamics (CBSD) [an increasingly popular method of engaging local stakeholders to analyze a system issue that the School of Social Work held a workshop on last spring]. CBSD has proven to be a really nice methodology to get the perspectives of people on the ground, and to help them design a set of recommendations that could then be used to get kids into mainstream classrooms.
BC School of Social Work Associate Professor Thomas Crea: “We’re continually trying to figure out how to make the content we’re teaching immediately relevant and practical for somebody who’s working in the field, whether in the U.S. or overseas.”
photo by peter julian
tions, we’re going to have social workers on our teams to provide immediate support if a child gets upset. If it’s an acute case—if the child is suicidal or extremely upset—we have a protocol developed where we stop the questions and the person asking them will immediately provide support. We will be able to provide some limited resources, and in some cases transportation, to make sure kids get the support they need. What other research projects are you working on? Crea: With Jesuit Refugee Service, I’m looking into barriers and facilitators of educational inclusion for special needs
I’ve also been working with Catholic Relief Services since 2015 in analyzing the effects of the USDA-funded McGovernDole Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program on improving literacy in rural, poor, highly food-insecure areas of Guatemala and Honduras. We just finished data collection for the Honduras mid-term evaluation, surveying children, teachers, principals, and parents at about 180 schools. We’re also starting a four-year project in Burkina Faso looking at the sustainability of the same program in this region, using community-based system dynamics. In the U.S., I’ve had an ongoing partnership with Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service since 2014 to document
outcomes and establish best practices for unaccompanied immigrant children. We’re currently seeking funding for a study to gather information on kids’ mental health that can be used to develop programs to support them. What piqued your interest in international research? Crea: It hasn’t exactly been a linear course. I was an anthropology major as an undergraduate [at the University of Georgia]. I initially wanted to be an ethnomusicologist, studying the music of different cultures. I ended up being a drummer in a rock band after college, so that took me in a different direction. I eventually became a social worker, working in northeast Georgia for several years in the field of children’s mental health, and then in foster care and special needs adoption. When I went to graduate school, I was interested in evidence-based practice, but it was really focused on child welfare systems and services in the U.S. It wasn’t until around 2007, when I got to the School of Social Work, which had just started its global program, that I looped back to my original interest in anthropology and different cultures . . . I still always bring a recorder to document music or sounds from wherever I go. How has the global program evolved in the four years since you’ve become chair? Crea: We’ve developed a range of new electives and strengthened our core courses. They’re increasingly focused on building methodological skills in research and evaluation and policy analysis, and also in broadening content expertise in a variety of areas: Services to Migrants: A Border Perspective, Immigrant and Refugee Issues in the United States, Global Child Protection, Frameworks and Tools for Global Practice, Global Policy Issues and Implications— these and other courses are designed so that students will have a toolkit when they graduate and start working overseas with an NGO, or in whatever context they find themselves. We’re continually trying to figure out how to make the content we’re teaching immediately relevant and practical for somebody who’s working in the field, whether in the U.S. or overseas. –This interview, which originally appeared on the BC School of Social Work website and has been slightly edited, was conducted by Zachary Jason, a former writer for the Office of University Communications.
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January 31, 2019
The Ones Who Made a Difference For BC alumni Jesuits, inspiration to serve came from caring faculty, administrators BY RYAN HEFFERNAN SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
It was at an early age—the first grade at Our Lady of Peace School in Marshfield, Wisc., to be exact—when Christopher Krall, S.J., ’05 felt a calling to the priesthood. That interest, which he began discerning with the help of a local priest in the years ahead, found support and inspiration during his time at Boston College. “I was able to meet with the Jesuits during my junior and senior years of high school,” said Fr. Krall, “and to help aid the discernment, I was encouraged to attend Boston College to meet and work with many more amazing Jesuits that lived, worked, and taught on campus.” At least 10 other men have graduated from the University and entered the Society of Jesus during the past 20 years, and many see common themes: The charism, community, and traditions of BC helped support their vocation to the priesthood. Sam Sawyer, S.J., ’00, now an executive editor at America magazine, is one of them. “Listening to a talk on Jesuit education during spring of my freshman year, hearing the description of Ignatius and the first companions united by a shared desire to ‘help souls’ – it was like God tapped me on the shoulder to say ‘That’s the name for what you want,’” Fr. Sawyer remembered. But the “calling”—that tap on the shoulder that Sawyer mentions—isn’t always immediately recognizable. “The idea of becoming a priest was not even on my radar as far as what I saw for myself after graduating from BC,” said Myles Kelley, S.J., ’14, who earned a concentration in management and leadership from the Carroll School of Management. But countless applications and rounds of interviews led nowhere, and Kelley began to rethink his path. “In my desperation, I took a step back to reflect,” he recalled. “I had gone on a Halftime Retreat a year earlier and then taken a class with [Theology Professor] Fr. Michael Himes, so I sat down and thought about his Three Key Questions for Discernment: ‘What brings me joy? What am I good at? What does the world need me to be?’” This introspection led him to a year of post-graduate service, then onto graduate school at Loyola Marymount University, and toward a realization that he, too, “wanted to live a life of service” modeled after the Jesuits he knew. “I could see how God’s providence was at work all along,” Kelley said, “especially in my time at BC.” He is currently in the Jesuit Novitiate of the Three Companions in Culver City, Calif. Even when one’s interest in the priesthood becomes clear, the prospect of a vocation can still be “frightening,” as Mario Powell, S.J., ’03, put it. “I didn’t really tell anyone,” he said. “I remember telling [then-College of Arts and Sciences Dean] J. Robert Barth, S.J., but I was so nervous I sounded like a babbling
Christopher Krall, S.J., ’05, now a doctoral student at Marquette University: “I was able to meet with the Jesuits during my junior and senior years of high school, and to help aid the discernment, I was encouraged to attend Boston College to meet and work with many more amazing Jesuits that lived, worked, and taught on campus.”
idiot. He was very kind to me.” From there, Fr. Powell, who directs the REACH Program at Regis High School in New York City, began opening up to friends that he was thinking about the priesthood. “I was so afraid that folks would respond negatively. My experience was the exact opposite. People were amazingly supportive and curious.” Sullivan “Sully” McCormick, S.J., ’15, now in the Jesuit Novitiate of St. Stanislaus Kostka at St. Charles College in Louisiana, said friends provided him significant encouragement. “Close friends supported my vocation,” he said. “Singing in the Liturgy Arts Group surrounded me with people committed to their faith lives and Mass.” While quick to highlight networks of professors, clubs, and other activities that affirmed their interest in a vocation, these BC grads say, the interaction with priests and Jesuits at Boston College added a level of depth to their discernment. In the classroom, Fr. Krall had several Jesuit professors who showed him the many ways he can live out his vocation. Stephen Schloessor, S.J., a former BC history professor now at Loyola University Chicago, “was the best history teacher I ever had and allowed me to see the influence a teacher can have on students. I still try to model his teaching style.” Another mentor was Ronald Anderson, S.J., an associate professor of philosophy who died in 2007. Fr. Anderson, with doctorates in both philosophy and physics, taught The Philosophy of Physics: An Introduction to its Themes, Science, and Religion, and was known on campus for his dedication to scholarship, teaching, and mentoring. “He was a big hero,” said Fr. Krall, now
completing his own interdisciplinary doctorate in theology and neuroscience at Marquette University. Today’s students equally appreciate the relationships formed with BC’s large Jesuit Community. The Lunches with Jesuits series—sponsored by Campus Ministry’s Ignatian Society of Boston College and hosted by the Jesuit Community—takes place twice a week in the St. Mary’s Hall dining room and brings together five students and a Jesuit for lunch and candid conversation. It is booked throughout the year. For BC graduates now in the Society of Jesus, those types of candid conversations were key to their vocational journey. They cited more than a dozen past and current BC Jesuits as influential in their discernment, including University President William P. Leahy, S.J., and Fathers Casey
Snapshot Unity Breakfast
Assoc. Prof. Régine Michelle JeanCharles (Romance Languages and Literatures) speaking at the Martin Luther King Jr. Unity Breakfast Jan. 16, held in the Heights Room of Corcoran Commons.
photo by peter julian
Beaumier, S.J., Jack Butler, S.J., Francis Clooney, S.J., Terrence Devino, S.J., Theodore Dziak, S.J., Paul McNellis, S.J., Joseph O’Keefe, S.J., Cyril Opeil, S.J., John Paris, S.J., John Savard, S.J., Ronald Tacelli, S.J., and the late Howard Gray, S.J., and William Neenan, S.J. “These men were examples of their vocation, making them more alive and interesting, and of generosity and fidelity as priests and ministers,” Fr. Sawyer said of the Jesuits he knew at BC. Kelley, who converted to Catholicism his sophomore year, said that Fr. Tony Penna, associate vice president for University Mission and Ministry and director of Campus Ministry, introduced him to one of the gifts of religious life: joy. “Fr. Tony’s example was very formative for me,” he said. “I saw the joy of the priesthood and the graces of the vocation. [From there] I got to know Jesuits, as well, and grew to really appreciate their wisdom, presence, and approachability.” Todd Kenny, S.J., ’95, now the vice president of mission and identity at Cristo Rey Atlanta Jesuit High School, echoed the importance of joy. “Being a Jesuit is the hardest thing and the best thing I have ever done,” he said. “I find great joy in being with men who are trying to do the magis.” That connection to the magis—seeking and working for the more, considering how we can better give ourselves to others—is a link these men share as Boston College graduates and, now, as Jesuits. “It is a brotherhood,” said Patrick Hyland, S.J., ’09. “Whether I am in Boston or San Diego, St. Paul or Guayaquil, Jesuits share a sense of humor, passion for ministry, and desire to change the world.” Students interested in exploring a vocation can stop by the Manresa House (58 College Rd.) or e-mail ministry@bc.edu to meet with a Jesuit or member of a religious order about his or her own discernment journeys. See bc.edu/vocations for more. (Heffernan, a 2006 alumnus, is associate director of Campus Ministry at Boston College.)
Chronicle
January 31, 2019
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As Questions About Church Mount, Scholars Mull Future of Priesthood Continued from page 1
preparation. The seminar participants contend that the enclosed setting of seminaries separates candidates for the priesthood from lay and religious men and women also preparing for ministry. “If, however, candidates for ordination study in universities and theological centers with others who are preparing for ministry, the shared learning is likely to contribute to a healthy future for ministry in the
photo by tony rinaldo
“We stepped back to ask the deeper questions of what does it mean to be ordained. What is the nature and purpose of the priesthood? What priestly gifts are required that have clear theological warrant? What is the best way to educate and prepare candidates for the priesthood?” –Thomas Groome
Church, a future in which collaboration and co-responsibility are typical,” reads the document. “This change would introduce diocesan seminarians to the gifts and talents of those with whom they will work as ministers.” According to the seminar group, this diversity is not only enriching but also reflective of the reality of the Church in which the ordained will serve. “Lay ministry is not a substitute or competitor for the ministry of the ordained priests but rather a gift of the Holy Spirit and integral part of the Church’s mission
today.” “Our report seeks to break new ground with a contemporary articulation of priesthood that encourages an open conversation about the current and future state of priestly ministry,” said STM Professor of Theology and Religious Education Thomas Groome, who launched the seminar when he was director of BC’s Church in the 21st Century Center. He co-chaired the seminar with Joseph Professor of Catholic Systematic Theology Richard Gaillardetz and STM Professor of Systematic Theology Richard Lennan, a priest in the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle, Australia. “Everyone in the seminar believed in the importance of the ministerial priesthood for the life of the Church,” noted Gaillardetz. “Our focus was on articulating a contemporary theology of the priesthood that was faithful to the best insights of the Second Vatican Council and the missionary spirit of Pope Francis. “Where we proposed reforms in the process of calling forth and forming candidates for the priesthood, those reforms were oriented toward both uprooting the deeply embedded clerical culture that infects our Church and toward re-imagining a ministerial priesthood capable of serving the baptismal priesthood of the people of God,” he added. In a review for America magazine, theologians Stephen Bevans, S.V.D., and Robin Ryan, C.P., call the document “theologically rich and religiously and pastorally inspiring” and “one of the best reflections on priesthood we have ever read.” “To Serve the People of God” is the result of a rigorous two-year project taken on by systematic and practical theologians, priests, and others who researched, read, and discussed the history, theology, and practice of the priesthood. The seminar participants read John Paul II’s apostolic exhortation on the formation of priests (Pastores Dabo Vobis), Second Vatican Council documents, speeches and official documents from Pope Francis, and met with leading contemporary scholars such as Katarina Schuth, Mary Gautier, David Hunter, and Fr. Eamonn Conway, as well as a diocesan priest in the Archdiocese of Boston. “The seminar’s broad representation and the extended time period made possible a breadth and depth of theological conversation that went beyond proposing simplistic solutions to complicated theological and pastoral issues,” said Gaillardetz. “We approached the priesthood as part of the body that is the Church,” said Fr. Lennan. “As with any organism, when part of the body is ill or in need of repair, the
photo by gary wayne gilbert
“Our focus was on articulating a contemporary theology of the priesthood that was faithful to the best insights of the Second Vatican Council and the missionary spirit of Pope Francis.” –Richard Gaillardetz
whole organism is affected; so if you want to ‘fix’ the priesthood in light of its current scandals and decline, you need to think about it ‘holistically’ and consider its place in relation to what it’s a part of, not in isolation. “[‘To Serve the People of God’] takes a holistic approach,” continued Fr. Lennan. “We begin with God’s mission that brings about the Church, we explore the mission of the Church and the place of ministry within that mission; only then do we talk explicitly about the ordained priesthood, relating it to other ministries and the wider mission of the whole Church.” The report calls for an elimination of a culture of clericalism and an emphasis on collaborative leadership. Priests need to be willing “to work collaboratively with others, men and women who are volunteers and also those who are formally engaged as lay ecclesial ministers.” Invoking the words of Pope Francis, the report states, “If the priesthood becomes a path to power, priests can understand themselves as gatekeepers of ‘discipline, rules and organization,’ rather than as disciples among disciples.” The seminar did not directly address controversial issues like the ordination of
women and of married men. “We stepped back to ask the deeper questions of what does it mean to be ordained,” explained Groome. “What is the nature and purpose of the priesthood? What priestly gifts are required that have clear theological warrant? What is the best way to educate and prepare candidates for the priesthood?” “To Serve the People of God” highlights five essential characteristics for effective priestly ministry: the capacity to preach the word of God in ways that nurture the faith, hope, and love of the disciples of Christ; the ability to lead the Christian community in life-enhancing prayer and worship; the willingness and aptitude to be a collaborative leader among lay ecclesial ministers and the whole people of God; the disposition to lead an exemplary life of discipleship within the ecclesial community, and the commitment to practice pastoral charity in service of the Gospel. The report was published in late December by Origins, a media outlet of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. It also has been sent to Pope Francis and distributed to bishops throughout the Church. In early 2018, before the statement was finalized, Groome and seminar participant Fr. Liam Bergin, professor of the practice of theology, met with representatives of the Congregation for the Clergy at the Vatican to discuss the project. Notably, “To Serve the People of God” cites in its conclusion Pope Francis’ words, “Let us rethink our usual way of doing things.” By logistical necessity, the scope of the seminar was limited to diocesan priests in the U.S., but Groome notes, “the best way to be universal is from your own backyard. We speak out of an American context, but we hope that this will have resonance with the whole Church.” The other members of the seminar were, from STM, Professor of Historical and Liturgical Theology John Baldovin, S.J., Associate Dean for Student Affairs Jacqueline Regan, doctoral candidate Emily Jendzejec, and alumna Megan Hopkins; from Theology, Professor Boyd Taylor Coolman and doctoral candidate Elyse Raby; Church in the 21st Century Center Director Karen Kiefer, and James Flavin, a priest of the Archdiocese of Boston and episcopal vicar for the Central Region. Read the full report at: on.bc.edu/Priesthood
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January 31, 2019
Lowell Humanities Series
Spring Program Highlights Liberal Arts and Issues Such as State of Politics, Immigration and Borders, and Brexit Former Oxford theologian Werner G. Jeanrond will give the Annual Candlemas Lecture on Feb. 6, ushering in the spring semester schedule for the Lowell Humanities Series. The program is sponsored by the Lowell Institute, the Boston College Institute for the Liberal Arts, and the Provost’s Office. “We look forward to fostering conversations on campus about pressing issues including—and as part of the 10-year anniversary of the Institute for the Liberal Arts—the crucial role of the liberal arts in the current political climate, immigration and borders, and Brexit,” said LHS Assis-
the event takes place from 7-9 p.m. in Devlin 101. This semester’s other Lowell Humanities Series events, which also take place from 7-9 p.m., will be held in Gasson 100: Feb. 13: Martha C. Nussbaum, “Fear, Anger, Democracy: Our Need for the Liberal Arts”—The University of Chicago’s Ernst Freund Distinguished Service Professor of Law and Ethics, Nussbaum— who identifies the liberal arts as one “practice of hope”—has worked on political emotions and the capabilities approach, with such recent publications as Creating Capabilities and Anger and Forgiveness. Last
(L-R) Werner Jeanrond, Martha Nussbaum, Carmen Maria Machado, Alvin Jackson
work in prominent periodicals and outlets; her memoir House in Indiana is forthcoming this year. March 20: James C. Scott, “In Praise of Floods: The Study of Rivers and Civilization”—Yale University’s Sterling Professor of Political Science, Scott is also an anthropologist and directs its Agrarian Studies Program. His research concerns political economy, comparative agrarian societies, theories of hegemony and resistance, peasant politics, revolution, Southeast Asia, and theories of class. Recent publications include Against the Grain: A Deep History of the First Agrarian States. He has received
photo credits: johnny bambury (jackson), beowulf sheehan (cantú), robert tolchin (nussbaum)
many prestigious grants, including from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Guggenheim Foundation, and has recently been working on hill-valley relations in Mainland Southeast Asia. March 27: Francisco Cantú, “The Line Becomes a River”—An agent for the United States Border Patrol from 2008 to 2012, Cantú is a former Fulbright fellow and recently received an MFA in nonfiction from the University of Arizona. His essays and translations appear frequently in Guernica magazine, and his work appeared in The Best
articles and six books, including The Two Unions: Ireland, Scotland, and the Survival of the United Kingdom, 1707-2007—shortlisted for the Saltire Society’s Scottish History Book of the Year and for the Ewart-Biggs Irish Literary Prize. (Co-sponsored by the Irish Studies Program and made possible by the Gerson Family Lecture Fund, established by John A. and Jean N. Gerson, P’14) Lowell Humanities Series events are free and open to the public. For more details on the series and speakers visit www.bc.edu/lowellhs. —University Communications
Gaelic Roots Series to Host Irish Singer Nóirín Ní Riain on Feb. 7
James Scott, left, and Francisco Cantú
tant Director Lauren Wilwerding, a parttime English Department faculty member. “The spring lineup represents our commitment to an interdisciplinary and relevant series.” Jeanrond will present “Hopes, Hope and Radical Hope: Christian Hope and the Praxis of Love.” Now a professor at the University of Oslo, Jeanrond served as Master of St Benet’s Hall and professor of theology at the University of Oxford, after teaching systematic theology at Trinity College Dublin as well at the universities of Lund and Glasgow. His books and articles in theology and hermeneutics have been translated into many languages. Cosponsored by the Theology Department,
American Essays 2016, among other publications. His memoir, The Line Becomes a River, was published in 2018. (Co-sponsored by the Winston Center for Leadership and Ethics) April 10: Alvin Jackson, “The Survival of the United Kingdom, 1707-2017: Bloodshed, Borders and Brexit”—A former Burns Visiting Scholar in Irish Studies at BC, Jackson is the University of Edinburgh Sir Richard Lodge Professor of History and considered a leading scholar on Brexit. His research on modern Irish, Scottish, and British history has been supported by three major national awards. He has published many
year she published The Monarchy of Fear: A Philosopher Looks at Our Political Crisis on fear, anger, and hope in the current American political moment. (Co-sponsored by the Institute for the Liberal Arts) Feb. 27: Fiction Days presents Carmen Maria Machado, “Her Body and Other Parties”—Machado’s debut short story collection, Her Body and Other Parties, won the Bard Fiction Prize and was a finalist for the National Book Award, the Kirkus Prize, and the National Book Critics Circle’s John Leonard Prize. A fiction writer, critic, and essayist who holds an MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and is University of Pennsylvania writerin-residence, Machado has published her
The Boston College Gaelic Roots series will present singer-musician Nóirín Ní Riain—a former visiting faculty member—and her sons Owen and Moley Ó Súilleabháin on Feb. 7 at 6:30 p.m. in the Theology and Ministry Library on BC’s Brighton Campus. Ní Riain, who as a visiting faculty member at BC in 1990 was part of an effort to establish Irish music as a presence at the University, is an authority on Celtic music as well as sacred and spiritual songs from across the ages. One of her most famous collaborations was a trio of recordings with the Benedictine monks of Glenstal Abbey, and she’s also performed with artists such as Sinead O’Connor, John Cage, and Paul
Winter. Gaelic Roots, supported through the Center for Irish Programs in collaboration with the Alumni Association, explores Irish, Scottish, American and related folk music traditions through concerts, talks, and other events featuring accomplished performers—many with ties to Massachusetts or elsewhere in New England or the Northeast—widely considered among the best at their craft. Information on Gaelic Roots events, which are free, is available via the BC Center for Irish Programs website at www. bc.edu/irish. —University Communications
Chronicle
January 31, 2019
WELCOME ADDITIONS
BC in the Media
An Introduction to New Faculty at Boston College
Ali Kadivar
PhD)
Assistant Professor Sociology Department Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences DEGREES: Tehran University (BA, MA), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (MA,
WHAT HE STUDIES: Politics; comparative
historical analysis; social movements; global sociology; Middle East; Iran. WHAT HE’S TEACHING: Social Theory and Political Sociology; Protest and Social Movements in the Middle East
How has your experience as a participantobserver of the pro-democracy movement in Iran shaped your research, which contributes to political and comparativehistorical sociology by exploring the interaction between protest movements and democratization?
“I was interested in social movements and political change when I was involved in Iran’s pro-democracy movement as a student in the 2000s. The movement in Iran which was called ‘Reform Movement’ at the time failed to bring democracy to Iran. This failure motivated me both to study the reform movement and to go broader and study other successful and failed protest movements across the globe. In my research, I have explored what keeps movements together or disintegrates them, whether protest tactics are conducive to democracy, what democracies are more durable and what is the role of protest movements in that. Currently, I am working on a paper that investigates the effect of digital media on protest mobilization through a quantitative sub-national analysis of a recent wave of anti-regime protest in Iran.”
Maria PiñerosLeaño
Assistant Professor Boston College School of Social Work DEGREES: University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign (BS, MSW, MPH, PhD) WHAT SHE STUDIES: Maternal and child mental and physical health; risk factors of maternal depression and mood disorders; social-contextual antecedents to childhood obesity; prevention trials for childhood obesity.
WHAT SHE’S TEACHING: Human Behavior
in the Social Environment (sections in English and Spanish)
One of your studies involved interviewing Latina mothers on how their feeding practices changed before and after migration to the United States. What findings made the biggest impression on you?
“The findings that made the biggest impact on me were that public health campaigns about healthy eating are having an important effect on changing eating patterns among Latina immigrant mothers—they are changing the eating patterns they grew up with for healthier ones. For instance, the majority of participants mentioned that although their mothers cooked with lard, they learned it wasn’t healthy, so now that they have children and are in charge of making food for them, they cook with healthier choices such as olive oil. These findings demonstrated that Latina immigrant women are highly receptive to public health messages around healthy eating.”
Boston College faculty offered their expertise to media outlets reporting on the U.S. government shutdown: Prof. Heather Cox Richardson (History) described the first such instance, in 1879, on National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered”; Assoc. Prof. Katharine Young (Law) discussed whether mounting pressure points such as longer airport delays might hasten an end to the shutdown, in an interview with the Philadelphia Inquirer; Murray and Monti Professor of Economics Peter Ireland spoke with the Boston Globe about the potential effect on Federal Reserve policy and the wider economy. Prof. Claudia Olivetti (Economics) made comments to The New York Times on changes to the Gates Foundation family leave policies. Prof. David Wirth (Law) talked with the Washington Post about the impact
Matt Rutledge
Associate Professor of the Practice Economics Department; Research Fellow, Center for Retirement Research DEGREES: Boston College (BA, MA), University of Michigan (PhD) WHAT HE STUDIES: Economics of aging; retirement and disability; health insurance; labor economics; public finance. WHAT HE’S TEACHING: Statistics; Public Policy in an Aging Society; Microeconomic Theory.
How has your work at BC’s Center for Retirement Research influenced your teaching of undergraduates?
“I’m continually, but pleasantly, surprised at how much BC students care about retirement, something that won’t affect them directly for another 40 or 50 years. But BC students are keenly aware of the world, so they know that programs like Social Security and Medicare face financing challenges that they’ll be responsible for, both as taxpayers and—way down the line—beneficiaries facing a reformed system. And they saw their parents and grandparents deal with the Great Recession and worry about their 401(k)s. They’re always more engaged with the course material when I can bring in research I’ve done on how older workers fared during the downturn, or how disability and retirement interact, because it makes those subjects feel more real, and reforms more possible.”
—Rosanne
11
Pellegrini,
Sean Smith, Phil Gloudemans
photos by peter julian (kadivar) and lee pellegrini (piñeros-leaño)
NEXT ISSUE: A look at the spring Robsham Theater schedule
Nota Bene Canisius Professor and Jesuit Institute Director James F. Keenan, S.J., has been elected vice president of the Society of Christian Ethics, a position through which he will subsequently assume the organization’s presidency. Past SCE presidents include Boston College faculty members Lisa Sowle Cahill and Cathleen Kaveny. Professor of Biology David Burgess has been named chair-elect of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Biological Sciences Division. The American Journal of Nursing selected Children and Environmental Toxins: What Everyone Needs to Know, by Professor of Biology and Global Health and the Common Good Program Director Philip J. Landrigan, MD, and his wife, Mary M. Landrigan ’64, as among the winners of its 2018 Book of the Year Awards. Technology and Engagement: Making Technology Work for First Generation College Students, co-authored by Lynch School of Education and Human Development professors Heather T. RowanKenyon and Ana M. Martínez Alemán, won the 2018 Association for the Study of Higher Education Outstanding Book Award. Martínez Alemán, who is also the Lynch School dean for faculty and academic affairs, and Rowan-Kenyon received the award with co-author Mandy Savitz-Romer PhD ’04 at the association’s annual conference.
of a spike in U.S. carbon emissions on global efforts to curb the effects of climate change. Prof. Peter Skerry (Political Science) published an op-ed in The American Interest on the Catholic Church and the migrant caravan. Assoc. Prof. of the Practice of Finance Richard McGowan, S.J. (CSOM), offered comments for a piece running nationally through Religion News Service noting that Massachusetts—despite opposition from the Archdiocese of Boston—is one of 10 states that have, along with the District of Columbia, legalized small amounts of marijuana for adult recreational use. Asst. Prof. Hiba Hafiz (Law) was among a group of academics interviewed by Bloomberg News criticizing the National Labor Relations Board for failing to conduct the legally required economic analyses on the potential impacts of its “joint employer” proposal on small businesses and labor unions. Winnowing down the possessions of a lifetime shows what really matters, wrote Prof. Suzanne Matson (English) in an essay on aging for Boston Globe Magazine.
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 Academic Program Director, Academic Affairs/Provost Senior Data Analyst, University Advancement Development Assistant, Marketing and Participation, University Advancement Chef Manager, Dining Services, Dining & Catering/Auxiliary/Public Safety Window Systems Administrator, Information Technology Electronic Resources Access and Discovery Librarian, Academic Affairs/Provost Senior Business Intelligence Analyst/Developer, University Advancement Assistant Director, Alumni Affinity Programs, University Advancement Grant and Contract Post Award Administrator, Academic Affairs/Provost Financial Systems Project Manager, Financial/Budget Senior Writer, Principal Giving, University Advancement Staff Assistant, Athletics
Chronicle
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January 31, 2019
Campus Arts
McMullen Spring Exhibitions Will Showcase Japanese, Spanish Art BY ROSANNE PELLEGRINI STAFF WRITER
Beginning Feb. 11, the McMullen Museum of Art will present “Eaglemania: Collecting Japanese Art in Gilded Age America,” which celebrates and contextualizes Boston College’s iconic “golden eagle”: a monumental bronze sculpture of the University’s mascot.
artists. Boston College faculty, staff, and students are invited to preview the exhibitions on Feb. 10 from noon to 5 p.m. The event will include a 2 p.m. presentation, “Cuenca: City of Spanish Abstraction” by Manuel Fontán del Junco and María Toledo of the Fundación Juan March; and a 2:45 p.m. presentation, “Eaglemania: Collecting Japanese Art in Gilded Age America,” by cura-
“Eagle,” attributed to Suzuki Chokichi (1848–1919), part of the “Eaglemania” exhibition at the McMullen Museum.
During its recent restoration, the sculpture was revealed to be a Japanese masterpiece from the Meiji period (1868–1912), according to exhibition organizers. The restored piece will be unveiled as the centerpiece of the exhibition, which will explore Meiji bronze production, the depiction of birds of prey in Japanese art, and the fascination of late 19th-century Americans—and Boston Brahmins in particular—with Japanese art and culture. The exclusive exhibition will be on display in the McMullen Museum’s Daley Family Gallery through June 2. An exhibition in the museum’s Monan Gallery, “Cuenca: City of Spanish Abstraction,” also will be on display during this period. The McMullen is the first American museum to offer a retrospective of the founding of the renowned Museo de Arte Abstracto Español in Cuenca, Spain. The exhibition comprises rarely exhibited works on paper by 14 leading Spanish abstract
tors McMullen Museum Assistant Director Diana Larsen and Victoria Weston, an associate professor of art at the University of Massachusetts-Boston, who edited the exhibition catalogue. An RSVP for the preview is available at http://bit.ly/mcmullenpreview-day. “The McMullen Museum is pleased to celebrate the painstaking restoration and research that recently revealed the artistic significance of a virtually lost monumental bronze masterpiece from Japan’s Meiji period,” said McMullen Museum Director and Professor of Art History Nancy Netzer. “The exhibition and accompanying scholarly volume contextualize the history of Boston College’s eagle sculpture and the argument for its probable attribution to the circle of master artist Suzuki Chōkichi [1848–1919] with an array of magnificent loans, many of which have never been displayed publicly in New England.” The original eagle was fully gilded af-
ter its donation to Boston College in the 1950s by the estate of diplomat and collector Larz Anderson (1866–1937) and his wife, Isabel (1876–1948). Weathered over nearly four decades, a replica was recast to take its place outdoors and the original went into storage in the 1990s. That replica presides over campus atop a 34-fourfoot granite column in front of Gasson Hall. A new assessment of the original work deemed it worthy of restoration, a process that began in 2017, and involved careful study, reconstruction, and repatination to return the sculpture to its 19th-century appearance. As a work of art and social history, the eagle sparked a host of questions that resulted in this project. In its restored glory, it presides over the exhibition, the galleries inspired by the many themes that emerged in the course of research. Though its authorship is unknown, “one name looms large,” according to the introduction in the accompanying catalogue: imperial court artist Suzuki Chōkichi, “perhaps Japan’s best known metals artist, who famously exhibited hawks and eagles in international arts competitions.” The exhibition comprises bronze, silver, and ivory sculptures of birds of prey, folding screens, scroll paintings, netsuke, lacquerware, ceramics, and textiles, which join to bring the history of the stunning Boston College eagle to life. Organized by the McMullen Museum of Art, “Eaglemania” has been underwritten by Boston College with major support from the Patrons of the McMullen Museum and Peter and Leslie Ciampi.
“Cuenca: City of Spanish Abstraction” examines many of the first artists associated with the now-renowned Museo de Arte Abstracto Español, including Fernando Zóbel, Gustavo Torner, Gerardo Rueda, Eusebio Sempere, Eduardo Chillida, and Manuel Millares. Founded by Fernando Zóbel in the 1960s during the repressive regime of General Francisco Franco, the Museo became a literal refuge for artists seeking an environment of collaboration and innovation. Perched in the “hanging houses” of the medieval city, the Museo supported resistance against the current cultural and political climate, providing artists practicing abstraction with workshops to create prints and galleries in which to display them. “It is an honor to work with the Fundación Juan March to be the first museum in America to offer a retrospective look at the genius behind the founding of the Museo de Arte Abstracto Español in Cuenca and to pay tribute to the outstanding work born of collaboration among the earliest abstract artists associated with the city,” Netzer said. Organized by the McMullen Museum in conjunction with the Fundación Juan March, the exhibition—curated by Elizabeth Thompson Goizueta, part-time faculty member in Romance Languages and Literatures Department—has received major support from the Patrons of the McMullen Museum. For more information on these exhibitions, and accompanying events at the McMullen Museum, see www.bc.edu/artmuseum.
“Sin titulo,” by Eusebio Sempere (1923–85), is among the works to be featured in “Cuenca: City of Spanish Abstraction.”