Boston College Chronicle

PUBLISHED BY THE BOSTON COLLEGE OFFICE OF UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS

FEBRUARY 1, 2024 VOL. 31 NO. 10

Filling a Need for Young Adult Catholics

“One of the tasks of universities in our age is to facilitate conversation about contentious issues in a way that sheds light rather than heat.”

—Cathleen Kaveny

University Joins Effort Promoting Civil Discourse

C21’s Mass & Mingle program provides welcoming place to join together for Mass, faith discussions, and friendship

BY KATHLEEN SULLIVAN STAFF WRITER

Once a month, a group of about 100 adults in their 20s and 30s come together to attend 5 p.m. Sunday Mass at St. Ignatius Church. Following Mass, they walk over to the Cabaret Room in Boston College’s Vanderslice Hall for food, fellowship, and a discussion about faith.

The young adults are participants in Mass & Mingle, a new program from Boston College’s Church in the 21st Century Center. Conducted in partnership with the BC Alumni Association and the Jesuit Parish of St. Ignatius of Loyola, Mass & Mingle is a monthly invitation for young adults to gather together to celebrate Mass, receive the Eucharist, and grow in friendship.

Launched in January of 2023, Mass & Mingle has built a community of more than 650 young adults in just its first year. The program has grown primarily through social media and word-of-mouth. It is believed to be one of the largest organized communities of Catholic young adults in Massachusetts, according to the program’s organizers.

When the C21 Center posted the first

Young adults gathered in Vanderslice Hall last year as part of the Church in the 21st Century Center’s Mass & Mingle program.

Mass & Mingle invite on social media, recalled Assistant Director of Programming Eileen Corkery ’17, “my phone wouldn’t stop buzzing. It was from all the notifications of people signing up to be a part of this group. That’s when we knew we were on to something.

“It showed me that people in their 20s and 30s are hungry for something like this.

They’re looking for community, looking to have deeper conversations about the intersection of faith and life.”

Others are discovering Mass & Mingle on their own. “People are finding us when they Google ‘Boston young adult faith groups,’’’ said C21 Center Assistant Director of Communications Andrew Craig ’17.

“They are literally searching for us. There’s a desire to find peers and companions for a

time in life that’s very transitional.”

A strong faith community of peers was something that both Corkery and Craig— leaders of Mass & Mingle, under the leadership of C21 Center Director Karen Kiefer— sharply missed after they graduated BC. “My friends and I were involved in Campus Ministry programs. It was a beautiful community of support, service, and faith,” said Corkery. “Suddenly, you graduate and you don’t have that formalized programming and that structure. I was looking for something to fill that in my life, a kind of faith formative group that would nourish me now as a working professional.”

Craig agreed. “Once you graduate, the 24/7 access to those intentional friendships and conversations is no longer there. Mass Continued on page 5

BY JACK DUNN ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT FOR UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS

Boston College has partnered with eight area colleges and universities in an educational series for faculty and students that will address issues of civility, respect, free speech, and open dialogue.

Titled “Dialogue & Action,” the series—which began January 29 with a Zoom panel discussion—will feature conversations among colleagues from BC, Boston University, Brandeis University, Harvard University, MIT, Northeastern University, Tufts University, University of Massachusetts-Boston, and Wellesley College, with the goal of tackling difficult issues and modeling constructive dialogue.

Each school will also offer an opportunity for students in select classes to discuss the topics with a faculty member following the panels.

The “Dialogue & Action” series was conceived at a recent dinner of area college

Continued on page 6

INSIDE

AI the Topic of Feb. 15 Dean’s Colloquium

2 Around Campus

Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences Dean Gregory Kalscheur, S.J., will host a Dean’s Colloquium on February 15 to explore the current, and potential, impact of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in the liberal arts context.

“Teaching, Research, and Learning in the Age of AI,” which takes place from 4-5:30 p.m. in Gasson 100, will feature a conversation with Center for Digital Innovation in Learning Associate Director John Fitzgibbon, Professor of History Virginia Reinburg, and Assistant Professor of Computer Science Nam Wook Kim; Associate

Renaissance music concerts; BC Women’s Summit.

5 MLK Scholarship Banquet

Alumnus and 2013 scholarship winner McHarris is guest speaker.

8 ‘The Age of Identity’

Q&A with Lynch School authors Andrew Hargreaves and Dennis Shirley.

Professor of Communication Michael Serazio will serve as facilitator.

The colloquium comes at a time when rapid advances in generative AI—artificial intelligence technology that can produce various types of content, including text, imagery, audio, and synthetic data—have sparked widespread speculation about its effect on many sectors of American society.

Like other higher education institutions, Boston College has had numerous internal conversations, formal and informal, in recent years among administrators, faculty, and staff on how tools like ChatGPT,

Bard, and DALL-E 2 could impact teaching, research, and other aspects of the college experience. Last August, the University’s Information Technology Services published an overview highlighting some key considerations for its use at BC, such as the importance of providing proper citations, protecting sensitive or confidential information and data, and being aware of potential algorithmic bias.

The colloquium will be followed by a reception in Gasson 112.

—University Communications

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Around Campus

Upcoming Concerts Explore Renaissance Music in a 21st-Century Context The Boston College Music Department will host events this month featuring highly acclaimed British vocal group the Marian Consort, during their time as University artists-in-residence. Led by founder and director Rory McCleery, the award-winning group performs music from the 12th century to the present, and champions marginalized and lesser-known composers. The consort also creates and commissions new music, and has premiered more than 30 works (their website is marianconsort.co.uk).

The Marian Consort will offer two free public concerts and perform pieces related to Music Chair and Professor Michael Noone’s recent research, including a project he spearheaded to digitize music preserved in the only surviving copy of a choirbook printed in 1620 by Susana Muñoz, the most prolific printer of sacred music in 17th-century Spain.

On February 13 at 7:30 p.m., St. Mary’s Chapel will be the venue for “Vicente Lusitano: The Forgotten Portuguese Motets,” a concert of vocal music by the first published composer of African descent: Vicente Lusitano, the name given him by his Roman publisher in 1551 as a descriptor, which means “Portuguese.”

Despite the quality of his music and importance as a music theorist and composer, he remains largely unknown to modern

British vocal group Marian Consort will perform at BC on February 13 and 14. photo by nick rutter

audiences.

The consort’s February 14 recital in Gasson 100 at 12:30 p.m. —“The African composer, the Spanish widow, and St. Ignatius’s cousin: an Ash Wednesday celebration of new discoveries in Iberian Renaissance vocal music”—will showcase selections from the Burns Library’s recent acquisition of a rare copy of an atlas-sized choirbook containing the sacred compositions of Tomás Luis de Victoria, the first

great composer to be associated with the Jesuit order. A masterpiece of the art of Renaissance music typography and book making, according to Noone, the choirbook will be on hand for viewing by concert attendees, and lunch will be provided.

The group also will sing a work recently discovered by Noone in the archive of Segovia Cathedral in Spain: an unknown source of a “Salve Regina (Hail Queen)” composed by a cousin of St. Ignatius of

Annual BC Women’s Summit Takes Place Saturday Attorney, author, and advocate Rachael Denhollander, the first woman to publicly accuse former Michigan State University and USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar of sexual abuse, will be the keynote speaker at the 2024 Boston College Women’s Summit this Saturday.

The daylong event, which takes place in Gasson Hall, also will feature workshops, a panel discussion titled “Navigating Life After Graduation,” and student performances.

With the goal of empowering all attendees by connecting them with a community of fellow classmates, speakers, and guests, and creating a space in which to share meaningful conversations and gamechanging ideas, the summit is sponsored by the Boston College Women’s Center and the Office of Student Involvement, in partnership with the Council for Women of Boston College, the Undergraduate Government of Boston College, SLAM!, and Women in Business.

ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT FOR UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS

Jack Dunn

SENIOR DIRECTOR FOR UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS

Patricia Delaney EDITOR

Sean Smith

Denhollander is recognized as a leading voice on the topic of sexual abuse, with a unique blend of professional skills, personal experiences, and dynamic communication style that has made her a soughtafter media commentator, speaker, and consultant. A former gymnast, she became a public figure in 2016 when she spoke out and pursued criminal charges against Nassar, who had treated her for back pain. In the wake of her revelation and determination to seek justice, more than 300 women, including Olympic medalists, came forward to identify themselves as survivors of abuse

by Nassar, who was eventually sentenced to life imprisonment.

Her experiences with and understanding of the realities facing survivors of sexual abuse have resonated with audiences, as have her books, What Is a Girl Worth and Discover Your True Worth; she also has published a children’s book, How Much Is a Little Girl Worth? She was named as one

CONTRIBUTING STAFF

of the world’s 100 Most Influential People

by TIME magazine in 2018, and won the Inspiration of the Year Award from Sports Illustrated.

Most of the summit workshops—which delve into topics such as restorative justice, gendered behavior in the labor market, and resilience in business and sustainability— will be led by BC administrators and faculty members: BC School of Social Work Director of Community Based Initiatives Yvonne Castaneda; Associate Dean for Student Conduct Melissa Woolsey; Connell School of Nursing Clinical Instructor Alison Marshall; Senior Associate Athletics Director Shauna Cobb; and doctoral student in economics Alex Opanasets ’19; also leading will be Maria Vasco, founder and CEO of Uvida Shop, known as Boston’s first zerowaste store.

For more on the BC Women’s Summit, see Bit.ly/bc-womens-summit.

—University Communications

Phil Gloudemans Ed Hayward Audrey Loyack Rosanne Pellegrini Kathleen Sullivan

Chronicle

PHOTOGRAPHERS

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

Caitlin Cunningham Lee Pellegrini

Loyola, Juan de Achieta. The music manuscript had been used as binding material for a 16th-century account book at Segovia cathedral, Noone said, and it will now be heard during this recital for the first time since the 16th century.

“The young British singers of the Marian Consort bring an extraordinary combination of lightning energy, astonishing skill, and polished ease to their performances of the lesser-known masterworks of the Renaissance,” Noone said.

“In particular, their exploration of the compositions of the first composer of African descent, the works of composers who were published by Spain’s most prodigious music printer, and their performance of a newly-discovered ‘Salve Regina,’ reveal a rare commitment to relating the music of the past to audiences of the 21st century.”

The members of the University Chorale and other BC student ensembles also will receive private coaching sessions from the Marian Consort. Co-sponsors of the group’s appearances include the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Office, African and African Diaspora Studies, the University Chorale, Boston College Libraries, and the Jesuit Institute.

For more on these concerts, and others presented by the Music Department, contact concerts@bc.edu or see rb.gy/503rkf.

—University Communications Later this month, full-time employees of Boston College will receive the Total Compensation Statement: a personalized document that details the total compensation, salary plus benefits they receive from the University. The Total Compensation Statement, which represents information from calendar year 2023, will be mailed to employees’ home addresses.

The annual statement lists an employee’s base salary plus health and wellness benefits, retirement plans, and tuition remission. The non-salary section will be detailed further to show an employee’s contribution and BC’s contribution. Also included are descriptions of all the benefits the University offers, from disability coverage group auto and home insurance to adoption assistance.

(Note: New employees who started on or after July 2, 2023 should not expect a statement this year.)

—University Communications

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Send requests to chronicle@bc.edu.

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BC a Venue for Event Touting Women in Physics

BY PHIL GLOUDEMANS STAFF WRITER

A conference co-hosted by Boston College last month offered undergraduate women interested in physics an opportunity to seek advice, learn about graduate school prospects, explore physics careers with female professionals—and to hear from a woman who changed astronomy forever.

The physics departments at BC and Wellesley College co-hosted the 2024 American Physical Society’s Northeast Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics (CUWiP) from January 19-21, attracting more than 200 attendees to the Heights. Supported by grants from the National Science Foundation, the United States Department of Energy, the American Physical Society (APS), and the respective host institutions, the event was one of 13 CUWiP conferences held simultaneously throughout the country at sites including the U.S. Military Academy (West Point), University of Michigan, Georgia Tech, and Stanford.

Locally co-organized by Assistant Professors of Physics Benedetta Flebus and Qiong Ma, the BC-based event featured a keynote address—livestreamed from the University of Michigan to the 13 CUWiP host sites—by University of Oxford Visiting Professor Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell, a pioneer in the field of astronomy whose contributions were nonetheless overlooked for decades.

In 1967, as a 24-year-old Cambridge University doctoral student assisting her thesis advisor, astronomer Antony Hewish, Bell Burnell discovered pulsars, the compact, spinning celestial objects that emit beams of radiation, like cosmic beacons—a finding that altered the perception of the universe. It was Hewish, however, who was co-awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1974.

Bell Burnell went on to an illustri-

ous career: chancellor of the University of Dundee, president of the UK’s Royal Astronomical Society, and first female president of both the UK/Ireland Institute of Physics and the Royal Society of Edinburgh. But years later, in a piece for The New York Times, she recalled the snub: “I was a graduate student and a woman, which demoted my standing in terms of receiving a Nobel Prize.”

brilliant young woman and her crucial role in an advancement characterized as the greatest astronomical discovery of the 20th century.

“It can feel very uphill doing an undergraduate physics degree; if you are a [gender and/or ethnic] minority, it can feel even more so, but it’s worth hanging in there, because it opens so many doors,” Bell Burnell told the CUWiP audience,

Assistant Professor of Physics Benedetta Flebus welcomed participants at the recent Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics at Boston College, co-sponsored with Wellesley College. Flebus and her departmental colleague Assistant Professor Qiong Ma were co-organizers for the event, one of 13 held simultaneously across the country. photo by ann hermesi

In 2018, Bell Burnell was awarded the $3 million Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics, which she donated to help persons in under-represented groups become physicists. The 2021 documentary “The Silent Pulse of the Universe” chronicled Bell Burnell’s arduous path to this astrophysics breakthrough, and society’s repudiation of an extraordinarily

which included more than 2,000 young women. “There is, unfortunately, still a certain amount of bias that women can’t do physics; however, the more women who are members of a physics department, the better it gets. I find it immensely reassuring to be with such a large group of women who are all doing physics.

“It’s a turning point when the men who

lead physics departments recognize that it’s an issue that needs attention. We’re 90 percent of the way there; we’re beginning to win.”

In 2020, according to the APS, 25 percent of all U.S. physics bachelor’s degrees were earned by women, the highest percentage ever recorded. Some 30 percent of BC physics majors identify as female, and the department, chaired by Professor Michael J. Graf, has expressed a vigorous commitment to their support by founding the Society of Women in Physics, comprised of female graduate and undergrad students, post-docs, and faculty members who regularly meet for peer-to-peer learning, and to share advice and information about participation in research groups.

“I love physics, and I’m driven by the desire to understand how the world works at its most fundamental level,” said Sarah Wells ’24, a BC chemistry major minoring in physics, who came to CUWiP with the goal of meeting other women in the field. “Being a minority in the sciences, it’s encouraging to see more women becoming involved, and inspiring to engage with those who have had similar experiences.”

Flebus and Ma expressed appreciation for “unwavering support” from Wellesley College, Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences Dean Gregory Kalscheur, S.J., Graf, colleagues, student volunteers, department staff, as well as Laura Steinberg, Seidner Family Executive Director of the Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society.

“We aspire to leave an enduring impact, instilling in these remarkable women the pride of being physics majors, and carrying this confidence with them throughout their lifelong journeys,” they said.

“The CUWiP series has played a crucial role in energizing and empowering young women interested in pursuing physics careers,” said Graf. “The entire team did an amazing job in making this event an impactful experience for the participants.”

Lynch School Introduces Urban Scholars Program A Lynch School of Education and Human Development initiative launched last fall aims to prepare future counselors for the unique challenges of working with clients in urban settings.

The Mental Health Counseling Urban Scholars Program offers a specialized curriculum with cohort-based seminars for students pursuing a master’s in mental health counseling, fostering a deeper understanding of the lived experiences of individuals in urban settings and preparing counselors to offer effective, empathetic mental health support.

“Often, people will think of ‘urban’ as a euphemism for some kind of deficit,” said Treniece Lewis Harris, the program director of the Master’s in Mental Health Counseling program. “Our program recognizes that, while there are certain sources of stress, trauma, or experiences of income

insecurity, there are also a lot of strengths.”

The project—a collaboration between the Mental Health Counseling program and Urban Outreach Initiatives, which also oversees the Donovan Urban Teaching Scholars Program—has been years in the making, according to Stanton E.F. Wortham, the Charles F. Donovan, S.J., Dean at the Lynch School.

“We created the Mental Health Counseling Urban Scholars Program using the same model as our highly successful 30-year-old Donovan Urban Teaching Scholars Program,” he explained. “It provides deeply discounted tuition for students who commit to a period of teaching or working in mental health agencies that serve under-resourced urban communities.

This allows aspiring counselors who want to live out their ethical commitments an opportunity to earn a degree and work

with communities that have too often been overlooked.”

One of the key advantages of the program is collaboration via a cohort model under the Lynch School’s Office of Urban Outreach Initiatives. With an inaugural cohort of 10, these students have the valuable opportunity to engage with Donovan Scholars/master’s candidates seeking their teaching licensure with a commitment to working in urban environments after graduation.

“We see mental health counselors as our counterparts [to the Donovan Program],” said Aaron Coleman, associate director of Urban Outreach Initiatives. “The goal is to be connected—not to be two separate entities that do similar work, but to be two programs that come together to see how we align in our work, our values, and how we can grow together.”

For the participants in the program, many of whom are early-career students seeking counseling licensure, learning goes beyond the traditional classroom. In the second year of the two-year program, students will gain hands-on experience through urban community-based practicum placements.

“We are very excited about the prospects for the mental health version of this program because we know that many committed, aspiring professionals want to work in urban settings,” said Wortham.

“By removing the financial barriers, Boston College is able to further our mission of making the world more just by preparing professionals to use their skills where they are needed most.”

—Laura Davis, Lynch School of Education and Human Development

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BC Biologist Shines a Light on Polyploidy

BY ED HAYWARD STAFF WRITER

Assistant Professor of Biology Vicki Losick admits she harbors a desire to change the world a little bit.

“I want to make ‘polyploidy’ a household word,” Losick said in her Higgins Hall office, next door to her lab, where she and her team are among the leading researchers investigating the curative aspects of a cellular phenomenon she says should be as familiar as the stem cell.

To start, polyploidy is a condition in which the cells of an organism have more than one pair of chromosomes. Humans, and most species, are diploid: They have two complete sets of chromosomes, one from each parent. Most plants are polyploid, with cells replicating again and again. Polyploidy is what fattens strawberries, for instance.

Same with blueberries and bananas and most other fruits.

In humans, polyploidy’s uncontrolled cellular replication was at first viewed as a dangerous contributor to the growth of cancers. But Losick and others have found that the human body contains more polyploid cells than first understood. For instance, polyploid cells may make up as much as 80 percent of the adult human heart.

Losick’s research has discovered that polyploid cells play a crucial role in wound

Vicki Losick photo by lee pellegrini

healing, a role she thinks places polyploidy on the same level as stem cells, which have revolutionized the life sciences and many aspects of health care.

Losick would like to hear the word—a German derivation of the Greek words for “many” and “folds”—uttered by the president of the United States and spoken by evening news anchors.

“Everyone should know what a polyploidy is,” she said. “As a researcher, one of my goals is to educate the public. I think everyone should know the word and the role polyploidy plays in their lives.”

Among the scientists at the forefront of this relatively emergent field, Losick has published her findings in the journals Development, Trends in Genetics, and Advances in Wound Care, her lab’s findings helping to reveal mechanisms of “wound-induced polyploidization,” or WIP. Last May, she helped to organize the scientific conference “Poly-

February 1, 2024

ploidy Across the Tree of Life.”

As a report last year in the journal Science noted, Losick and her peers have upended the previously held assumptions about polyploidy. “What is certain is that polyploid cells, far from being abnormal, are one of life’s major mechanisms for coping with the stresses of injury, disease, and a hostile environment,” the piece noted.

Losick’s research has identified a protein that aids in the control of polyploidy in fruit flies. In mammals, its equivalent molecule is known as YAP1, shorthand for “yes1 associated transcription regulator,” the article explained. Scientists know that YAP1 plays a role in helping to regulate genes that control the size of human organs. In insects, YAP1 can provoke polyploidy in wound healing and then shut it down when unsuccessful.

Losick said she discovered what is now the central focus of her research almost by accident. As a postdoctoral researcher at the Carnegie Institution for Science in 2008, she focused her expertise as a microbiologist on stem cells.

But as she and others studied how wounds heal in fruit flies, she noticed unusual cells surrounding the wounds. They were not stem cells, but larger cells that turned out to be stuffed with multiple copies of their genome, yet which ceased to generate new cells.

“When we looked at the tissue, it was clear they were not dividing,” Losick said.

“We saw these giant cells forming. Normally, cells divide into the same as what they were before. But these were not regenerating by cell division. The cells were growing in size to heal the wound.”

Using the fruit fly model, Losick has

discovered that there are multiple routes to wound healing. Beyond the typical response of regeneration through cell division, she and her colleagues have found that cells can also be replaced by stimulating existing cells to grow in size by becoming polyploid, a process they have dubbed wound-induced polyploidization.

What remains unknown is why under conditions of stress, like injury, aging, and disease, polyploid cells frequently arise? And how do polyploid cells function during these stress responses?

“We are trying to understand what stress signals stimulate polyploid cells to arise, so one day we can promote them when they are doing something good for our tissues, or inhibit them when they are doing something bad like causing disease,” Losick said. “But we need to know how these cells affect the organ physiologically: Is it functioning well, or long-term do these cells lead to dysfunction?”

Losick, whose work is supported by the National Institutes of Health, said the facility of the fruit fly model allows her to incorporate undergraduates into her research.

“I have five undergraduates in the lab now. It is exciting to see them make discoveries and know that one day someone is going to be using that to heal an eye, or a kidney, or a liver. We don’t do that in the lab, but we can make fundamental discoveries that will go on to benefit humankind.”

Those students can go forth to help make polyploidy a household word.

“We want people to know what it is and why they should care about it. We want to make it the next ‘it’ word. That way, people can see why this is so important.”

Grant Powers Schiller Professor’s Clean Energy Research

BY ED HAYWARD STAFF WRITER

Supported by a grant of nearly $400,000 from the United States Department of Energy, Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society Professor of Renewable Energy and Sustainability Jier Huang will continue her work designing an organic framework to launch a sunlight-powered catalyst that will harvest energy from carbon dioxide (CO2).

The capture and conversion of CO2 into useful chemical fuels driven by solar energy represents one of the best solutions to resolve growing energy concerns. While researchers are exploring many strategies, photocatalytic CO2 reduction is perhaps most attractive due to its simplicity and economy of the input energy source.

Huang, who holds a joint appointment as an associate professor in the Chemistry Department, is developing a unique set of hybrid covalent organic framework (COF) photocatalysts capable of absorbing and manipulating light and equipped with a molecular catalyst that can consume CO2 and convert it to energy.

“I am grateful to the Department of Energy for continuing to fund my work,” said Huang, who joined BC after nearly 10 years at Marquette University. “I have been in this field of solar energy conversion since I was a graduate student. Throughout my career, I became interested in these porous materi-

als as catalysts for energy conversion. That is what our group has been doing for six or seven years.”

Huang and her lab are pursuing the most critical challenge in this area: designing photocatalytic architecture that can effectively pair the tasks of harvesting electrons and initiating an efficient chemical reaction from abundant sources of CO2.

“It is CO2 conversion: using sunlight to convert carbon dioxide to fuels,” said Huang. “It has been seen as a critical element of zero-emissions policy. You remove carbon from the atmosphere and create usable products. The process is driven by sunlight, so it is a renewable and sustainable process.”

Huang will use spectroscopy—a scientific high-speed photographic process—to examine the factors that can control the photocatalysts. In addition to examining the photocatalytic performance, the project will look at selectivity and catalytic pathways and how they correlate with the properties and relationships between structure and function of the hybrid COF catalysts.

“The new materials we have developed, which we call 2D covalent organic frameworks, is a porous material that gives us more surface area and allows the reagents to move throughout the catalyst. Each empty space is expected to run a reaction. We create a lattice of molecules out of organic materials.”

Jier Huang photo by caitlin cunningham

By using two organic molecules to create the frameworks, their structural flexibility allows for molecular adjustments, or fine tuning, to improve the chemical reaction, said Huang.

While there are no specific targets for the photocatalysts’ performance, researchers aim to provide new solutions to help reach international goals for greenhouse gas reduction, Huang said.

“It may sound like it is far away from application, but that is what we do,” said Huang. “We work toward a goal to make it possible. That is why I was so happy to join

BC and the Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society. We are working on all of these issues: health, the environment, and energy. We are trying to work together to make this happen.”

As the third Schiller faculty hire, Huang joined Institute Professor of Climate Science and Society Yi Ming and Institute Professor of Global Sustainability Hanqin Tian as the institute’s inaugural faculty members. The Schiller Institute opened in 2021 to enhance multidisciplinary, collaborative research processes to address critical societal issues in the areas of energy, health, and the environment. Named in honor of Boston College Trustee Phil Schiller ’82 and his wife, Kim Gassett-Schiller, through a multi-year lead gift totaling $25 million, the institute is housed in the University’s new science building at 245 Beacon Street.

“I am excited to be here at BC and the Schiller Institute to work with people with complementary experience,” she said. “It feels like by working and collaborating with people here we can make a difference globally. So that is very exciting.”

“I look forward to collaborating with colleagues at BC, or at other area universities since there are so many here. Those are some of the things I’m looking forward to doing,” she added.

Information about Huang’s work is available at the Huang Research Group website [sites.bc.edu/huanggroup].

Alum to Speak at MLK Scholarship Banquet Philip McHarris ’14, an assistant professor at the University of Rochester, will be the featured speaker at the February 19 Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Banquet, at which the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Scholarship—which McHarris received in 2013—will be announced.

The event, a major gathering of the Boston College community, will take place at 5:30 p.m. in the Yawkey Center Murray Function Room.

The scholarship recognizes a Boston College junior who has demonstrated superior academic achievement, extracurricular leadership, community service, and involvement with the African American community and African American issues.

This year’s scholarship finalists are Tracy Aggrey-Ansong, Joy Babalola, Julie CanutoDepina, Temidayo Lukan, and Esther Udoakang.

McHarris, a faculty member in the University of Rochester Department of Black Studies and Frederick Douglass Institute, pursues research on racial inequality, housing, and policing. He is currently at work on “Brick Dreams,” an ethnography-based manuscript focused on the New York City Housing Authority and the contemporary realities and challenges of public housing in America. He is the author of the forthcoming book, Beyond Policing, which traces the historical arc of policing and presents transformative visions for safety and justice.

His work has been supported by the Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship

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BC Scenes

Martin Luther King Jr. Unity Breakfast

photos by lee pellegrini

Philip McHarris ’14 won the Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship in 2013.

and the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. In addition to his scholarly work, McHarris has written for such media outlets as The New York Times, Washington Post, Slate, The Guardian, MTV, and Nickelodeon. His commentary has been featured by HBO, CNN, TIME, and PBS. In 2020, he was honored as one of the Root 100 Most Influential African Americans.

While at Boston College, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology, McHarris participated in the College Transition Program and the Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program.

To register for the banquet, or for other information, send email to mlkjr@bc.edu.

—University Communications

The Black Faculty, Staff, and Administrators Association affinity group hosted the Annual Unity Breakfast in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. on January 18. Highlights of the event included presentation of the Living the Mission Award to Yvonne McBarnett, director of the Bowman AHANA & Intercultural Center (above), and a reading by Vanderslice Hall/90 St. Thomas More Hall Resident Director Phionna-Cayola Claude of her poem in honor of King.

Faith, Fellowship, and Fun at the Heart of Mass & Mingle Continued from page 1

& Mingle creates a sacred space where people in their 20s and 30s can find a sense of community and companions on the journey where we’re all asking these really big questions.”

Mass & Mingle is not intended for BC undergraduates; its audience is young working professionals and graduate students in the Greater Boston area. While about half of the Mass & Mingle community are affiliated with BC—as alumni or current graduate students—the other half of participants have no BC affiliation.

Mass & Mingle is for any young adult looking for a faith community, Corkery emphasized. “You don’t have to be a BC grad.

You don’t need to be a college graduate. The Church is for everyone, regardless of your resume.”

Brendan Albertson, a 2018 Merrimack College graduate, first heard about Mass & Mingle from a friend. He said he keeps coming because it’s fun and the good turnout offers the opportunity to meet new people and make new friends. “Mass & Mingle is a great chance to attend Mass and have dinner and drinks with other Catholic young adults.”

“Our program is the only model of its kind for young adults that integrates Mass,

bringing young people to the Eucharist,” said Kiefer. “We’re really excited and proud about that.”

The idea for Mass & Mingle came from the findings of the C21 Center’s Student Voices Project, according to Kiefer, who noted that one of the big takeaways from the survey was the importance young people place on forging faith connections in a community setting.

“Young people want to be in a community centered around their faith. They want the Church to invite them into greater participation,” she said.

That is why, she explained, so much care and stewardship is devoted to the Mingle component of Mass & Mingle. “We truly welcome young people in a fabulous way.”

The Mingle venue is decorated and music plays in the background. A sit-down dinner, cocktails, and dessert are served. By design, each Mingle is slightly different, but there is a constant thread of faith and a “big question” that guides the evening’s small group discussions.

“Challenges at work, relationships, and resilience—these are things 20- and 30-somethings might be struggling with,” said Kiefer. “How can their faith help them navigate questions related to these topics

and in their day-to-day lives?”

“The sense of community and shared faith during Mass & Mingle is unparalleled,” said participant Kristyn Stoia ’21, a graduate student in the Connell School of Nursing. “Mass & Mingle provides an opportunity for profound conversations. I look forward to these gatherings, not only for the spiritual enrichment they provide, but also for the joy of introducing friends to the richness and beauty of our faith community.”

Some of the Mingles have featured a guest speaker, such as Sister Carlotta Gilarde, a member of the Sisters of Saint Joseph for nearly 65 years who has provided decades of service in Boston and beyond.

She talked about her vocation and the power of one person to make a difference.

Her presentation connected with the big question “How can you enact service in your own life?”

A recent Mass & Mingle was focused on gratitude. Henry Shea, S.J., the celebrant of the 5 p.m. Mass, talked about the importance of community outreach and gratitude in his homily. At the Mingle, participants wrote cards and assembled care packages for residents in the Jesuits’ Campion Center in Weston.

While the Mass and faith discussion are the heart of Mass & Mingle, organizers make sure the events are fun, too. Each Mingle has trivia and a raffle for tickets to a concert or sporting event.

The organizers have also put together a couple of stand-alone social events. In June, more than 100 Mass & Mingle participants went to Fenway Park to catch a Red Sox game. Mass & Mingle organizers and BC’s Roche Center for Catholic Education cohosted a tailgate before the Boston CollegeHoly Cross football game last September.

“It is our hope that Mass & Mingle can serve as a model for parishes,” said Kiefer.

It’s also possible that BC alumni chapters around the country could partner with parishes in their cities to host a Mass & Mingle program of their own.

Added Kiefer: “Mass & Mingle honors the 20-plus-year mission of the Church in the 21st Century Center to be a catalyst and resource for the renewal of the Catholic Church.”

To learn more about Mass & Mingle, email church21@bc.edu or see the Church in the 21st Century Center website at bc.edu/c21.

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Chronicle

February 1, 2024

Taking on Food Insecurity, One Meal at a Time A BC first-year student started Kitchens for Change while she was still in high school. Now it’s receiving national attention.

BY ALIX HACKETT SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE

When COVID-19 sent the country into lockdown in 2020, Audrey Smallwood ’27 and her friend Elias Rabine were high school students in Turlock, Calif. Both of their families were in the restaurant business, so they watched with great interest as renowned Spanish-American chef José Andrés and his nonprofit World Central Kitchen made headlines by paying empty eateries across the nation to cook free takeout meals for community members in need.

“We were really inspired by his efforts, not only to combat food insecurity but also to alleviate the stress that restaurants were experiencing during the pandemic,” recalled Smallwood, now a student at the Lynch School of Education and Human Development. “We got to thinking, how could we replicate what they were doing, but get youth involved doing it?”

The answer turned out to be Kitchens for Change, a nonprofit Smallwood and Rabine founded in 2021. It began as a high school club where students prepared fresh meals under the guidance of professional chefs, and then delivered them to people in the community. To pay for ingredients, the group hosted fundraisers and applied for grants, but the kitchen space was free—the

photo by lee pellegrini

“We couldn’t speak the same language as the people we were serving, but the expressions and smiles on their faces communicated to us the impact this one meal had.”

—Audrey Smallwood students had full access to Rabine’s family restaurant, First & Main, when it was otherwise closed to the public.

Kitchens for Change caught on quickly—more than 100 students signed up to join in its first few months and membership has since surpassed 200 students across two chapters. Local news channels took notice, and midway through her freshman year at Boston College, Small-

wood received an exciting phone call: “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” a popular daytime television program hosted by the former “American Idol” winner herself, had booked Chef Andrés as a guest on an upcoming episode. Would Smallwood and Rabine like to join him?

“We got a four-day notice, so it was a very quick, stressful process,” said Smallwood. “But we said, ‘Yes, of course we’re

BC in Program to Encourage Dialogue Continued from page 1

and university presidents hosted by Northeastern University President Joseph Aoun, with the goal of addressing ongoing conflicts and their societal impact, and higher education’s role in providing solutions.

The opening panel on January 29, “Dialogue and Action in an Age of Divides: Hate and Free Speech,” was moderated by Roderick Ireland, Distinguished Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Northeastern University and retired chief justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. The panelists—BC Law Professor and Dean’s Distinguished Scholar Kent Greenfield, University of MassachusettsBoston Associate Professor of Philosophy Andrew Leong, and Boston University Clinical Associate Professor of Law Andrew Sellars—discussed the significance of free speech and its limitations. BC Law Clinical

Associate Professor Evangeline Sarda led the Boston College student discussion with select students from BC Law. The second panel, “Coming Together Across Difference: Finding Common Ground Across Identities and Political Divide,” will take place at 5 p.m. on February 13, followed by a BC student discussion led by Assistant Professor of Theology Joshua Snyder.

Charles F. Donovan, S.J., Dean of the Lynch School of Education and Human Development Dean Stanton E.F. Wortham and Libby Professor of Law and Theology Cathleen Kaveny said they were honored to lead BC’s effort in the “Dialogue & Action” series at the request of Provost and Dean of Faculties David Quigley.

“Boston College is pleased to join with our local peer institutions in this effort to

encourage civil dialogue about contentious issues,” said Wortham. “We look forward to providing students and faculty an opportunity to hear from BC and local experts on approaches to constructive conversation.”

Added Kaveny, “One of the tasks of universities in our age is to facilitate conversation about contentious issues in a way that sheds light rather than heat.

Massachusetts is a global center of higher education, and it is exciting to collaborate with faculty from so many distinguished institutions in addressing a key challenge of our times.”

More information about the series, including updates on future events, is available at dialogueandaction.northeastern. edu.

down.’ It was really special for us to be able to meet the man who inspired us. He’s the reason Kitchens for Change was founded.”

Since she was a child, Smallwood has associated serving others with food. Her grandmother immigrated to the United States from Mexico when Smallwood’s mother was six years old, and opened a Mexican restaurant called La Morenita.

Later, Smallwood’s mother and sisters launched a spinoff establishment, La Mo, which became Smallwood’s second home.

She remembers doing homework at empty tables, working the floor, and watching her mother give back in small but meaningful ways.

“She was always giving away a free cup of coffee to a homeless person or delivering a week’s worth of meals to a family who had lost someone,” said Smallwood. “That really exemplified to me the power that food has to unite people.”

Through Kitchens for Change, Smallwood and Rabine are working to eliminate as many barriers as possible to help hungry people access nutritious food. While First & Main remains their home base, students regularly prepare meals in the kitchen of the local homeless shelter, serving residents in the adjacent dining room. Every January, they prepare holiday meal boxes for fellow students who are struggling with food insecurity to take home to their families. And in November of 2021, when hundreds of refugees from Afghanistan were stationed at hotels in Turlock, Kitchens for Change partnered with the International Rescue Committee to cook them a traditional Afghan meal.

“It was my favorite project we’ve done,” recalled Smallwood. “We couldn’t speak the same language as the people we were serving, but the expressions and smiles on their faces communicated to us the impact this one meal had.”

Since arriving at Boston College last fall, Smallwood has temporarily hung up her apron and assumed a leadership role with Kitchens for Change, joining the board of directors and overseeing organizational logistics from afar. Right now, her priority is increasing the consistency and frequency of meals produced by Turlock students, but eventually, she’d like to see the Kitchens for Change model emulated in high schools across the country. After her appearance on “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” she now has a $10,000 donation from sponsor Conagra Brands to help make that happen, as well as the admiration of the man who inspired it all.

“It’s a magical, simple, powerful idea,” said Chef Andrés of Kitchens for Change. “They saw what they had around them and they did the most they could with what was at their disposal. It’s people like them that [make us believe that] yes, we can change America, we can improve America, we can change the world.”

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

STM’s Daly Heads New Center on Catholic Health Care Ethics School of Theology and Ministry Associate Professor of Moral Theology Daniel Daly has been appointed as the inaugural executive director of the Catholic Health Association of the United States (CHA) Theology and Ethics Center, a new center that will address pressing issues in Catholic health care ethics by drawing on the best of the theological and moral tradition. The center will be responsive to the needs of the Catholic health care ministry by engaging with medical practitioners, health care leaders, and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Daly will remain a member of the STM faculty during his tenure with CHA, though his teaching schedule and other duties will be adjusted to accommodate this new role, which starts in May. “I’m excited to found the center,” said Daly, who holds a doctorate in theological ethics from BC. “It offers a different way to live my vocation as a theologian and ethicist. In five years, I’d like the center to be the leading voice in Catholic health care ethics. I hope it’s a place that bishops, hospital CEOs, administrators, and ethicists turn to for guidance in policy-making.

“I’m equally excited to remain on the BC faculty,” he added. “I see this as a winwin. I’ll be able to leverage my work at the center for the benefit of BC students.”

Daly is an experienced clinical medical ethicist who has served on the ethics committees of the Catholic Medical Center and the Elliot Hospital in Manchester, NH. He was a member of CHA’s Theology and Ethics Committee (now Advisory Council) from 2015–2021. He also has contributed articles to Health Progress, CHA’s journal.

A leading scholar of medical ethics, Daly has written peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters on ethics and theology and delivered presentations at numerous conferences. He is a member of the Catholic Theological Society of America, Society of Christian Ethics, and Catholic Theological Ethics in the World Church initiative.

7

Chronicle

February 1, 2024

BC in the Media An AI-generated robocall using a voice sounding like President Biden urged people not to vote in the New Hampshire primary. Discussing this report with 7 News Boston, Woods College of Advancing Studies M.S. in Cybersecurity Policy and Governance Director Kevin Powers warned that more such tactics are likely in upcoming elections.

The cost of $24.5 billion to fix the MBTA is high, but the costs to public health of doing little or nothing are far greater, according to a piece Global Public Health Program Director Philip Landrigan, M.D., wrote in CommonWealth Beacon.

He also discussed the impact of exposure to lead and other hazardous chemicals in a Q&A with the Times of India.

Daniel Daly hopes the Catholic Health Association Theology and Ethics Center will be a source “for guidance in policy-making.” photo by lee pellegrini

His 2021 book, The Structures of Virtue and Vice, offered a new ethics for understanding the social forces that shape moral character. The volume was awarded a First Place Catholic Media Association Book Award in the category of Theological and Philosophical Studies.

“This appointment is not only a great recognition of Dan’s standing in the field of Catholic medical ethics, but represents a mutually beneficial arrangement for CHA and the STM,” said STM Dean Michael McCarthy, S.J. “It will contribute greatly to the mission of the Church in the crucial and complex field of Catholic health care.”

Founded in 1915, CHA advances the Catholic health ministry of the U.S. in caring for people and communities. Comprised of more than 600 hospitals and 1,600 long-term care and other health facilities in all 50 states, the Catholic health ministry is the largest group of nonprofit health care providers in the nation.

—University Communications

Boston College student dance group Synergy had their game faces on for a January 27 performance in Robsham Theater. photo by caroline alden

darter fish is still important at a time when the law itself is in danger of extinction, he wrote in a piece for WBUR’s “Cognoscenti.”

The Jewish News Syndicate ran a profile of Eastern, Slavic, and German Studies Chair Prof. Maxim D. Shrayer, whose latest book, Immigrant Baggage, was cited among the top Jewish books of 2023 by the editor of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

Whether the odds are stacked against him in a game, or in a toddler’s bedtime routine, being a poker entrepreneur takes a lot of luck, wrote Boston College Magazine Editor John Wolfson, in a feature on poker pro Bart Hanson for Boston Globe Magazine.

Asst. Clinical Prof. Claire Donohue (Law), lead author of a Boston College Law School Legal Services Lab white paper on Massachusetts court-ordered parenting classes for separating couples, offered comments in a GBH News story on complaints about a class for “high-conflict” parents.

An interdisciplinary study led by Prof. Rebekah Levine Coley (LSOEHD) and Assoc. Prof. Samantha Teixeira (BCSSW) that explores the well-being of residents of a public housing complex as it is redeveloped into a mixed-income community was cited in a Boston Globe editorial on the $2 billion construction plan.

A recent study by the Boston College Center for Retirement Research dispels previous conflicting findings on older workers and business productivity. Senior Research Economist Gal Wettstein discussed the report with MarketWatch via Morningstar.

Senior Lect. Drew Hession-Kunz (CSOM) discussed how credit card companies decide whether or not to “instantly approve” an online applicant, and related topics, in a WalletHub Q&A.

Retired Prof. Zygmunt Plater (Law) argued and won the first United States Supreme Court case under the Endangered Species Act, which marks its 50th anniversary this year. The story of that tiny snail

“Opportunities for the Supreme Court to save the country, a political party, and itself do not come often. The Court should not miss the moment,” wrote Prof. Kent Greenfield (Law) in an op-ed for WBUR’s “Cognoscenti.”

Jobs The following are among the recent positions posted by the Department of Human Resources. For more information on employment opportunities at Boston College, see www.bc.edu/jobs or scan the QR code at right.

Records Assistant, University Advancement Fitness Coordinator Program Director, Ever to Excel Student Services Associate Senior Unix Systems Administrator Director, Design & Brand Management Physician/Assistant Director, Sports Medicine Network Systems Engineer Food Service Worker Fiscal Assistant Assistant Director, Residential Life and Student Engagement Public Safety Dispatcher Benefits Administrator

Program Director, Master of Health Administration Program and Events Specialist Staff Assistant, Lynch School Associate Director, Student Success Construction Project Manager Manager of Data Integration Services Patrol Officer Associate Director, Student Financial Systems

8

Chronicle

February 1, 2024

Education In‘The Age of Identity’ Can we create a learning environment that considers the diverse identitites of its students during an era of such social media-fueled volatility? The Lynch School’s Shirley and Hargreaves say “Yes.” In 2022, the United Nations convened a meeting for worldwide education leaders in response to a global crisis of equity and inclusion, quality, and relevance in education.

Against this backdrop, Lynch School of Education and Human Development Research Professors Dennis Shirley and Andrew Hargreaves have collaborated on their fifth book, The Age of Identity; Who Do Our Kids Think They Are and How Do We Help Them Belong? Written for educators, families, school board members, and “everyone else invested in education who wants all children to be treated fairly and succeed,” the new book takes a proactive approach to building a learning environment that values the diverse identities of all students.

The Chronicle’s Phil Gloudemans sat down with the authors to examine how to best promote identity in schools and to find common ground across all of our differences.

How can common ground be found between, as you’ve outlined, the “push in educational institutions and workplaces toward inclusion of different identities as ways to increase equity and opportunity,” and “an indignant backlash from groups who have felt threatened or overlooked by these developments”?

We propose three elements which are indispensable to solving our many challenges related to identity. First, we need broad representation of diverse groups in our schools and universities, to promote full and free exchange of different and even conflicting ideas and experiences.

Second, our teaching and curriculum need to focus on learning to weigh and balance different sources of evidence, and also on learning to draw on different theoretical perspectives to understand and be curious about those whose lives and struggles are different from our own. The essence of learning in the humanities is to be introduced to different historical and

cultural perspectives and to believe that others’ experiences are accessible to all of us, even if we don’t all share the exact same identity.

Third, we call for the cultivation of open-minded sympathy for the suffering and marginalization of others, by drawing on our own experiences of suffering, even if not of the same sort, to create emotional

“Ultimately, all young people want to learn, and the vast majority of educators and parents are trying to do their best for their students, even if they disagree sometimes about how to proceed.”

—Dennis Shirley (left) and Andrew Hargreaves

photo by lee pellegrini

and ethical bridges between us. As Adam Smith pointed out, sympathy is the basic emotion of democracy.

What do you anticipate will be the barriers and challenges as school leaders who embrace your advice attempt to implement your recommendation in their districts?

Snapshot Making Waves

One big barrier is the power of social media to simplify and distort complex arguments, and then to spread them online with no sense of social responsibility.

Another challenge is an insistent political culture that thrives on innuendo and character assassination. The biggest challenge, though, is people’s fear for themselves, and as we have just seen with the hesitant state-

PHOTO BY ANN HERMES

Student troupe UPrising Dance Crew presented “Waves VII” last Friday at Robsham Theater.

ments by Ivy League presidents regarding campus protests about the war between Hamas and Israel, we cannot lead from positions of fear. But we shouldn’t overstate these challenges, either.

Our book sets out 12 guiding principles that leaders can use to help everyone move forward together—including simple codes of conduct such as humility, irony, courage, solidarity, and civility. Ultimately, all young people want to learn, and the vast majority of educators and parents are trying to do their best for their students, even if they disagree sometimes about how to proceed.

What gives you hope that society will, as you’ve stated, “move beyond rage to reconciliation”?

It’s important to be hopeful, but not naive. The Age of Identity is based on longitudinal research from the Canadian province of Ontario, which for many years was making impressive progress in promoting diverse identities as part of a system-wide emphasis on young people’s well-being.

Our collaborative research, in other words, was conducted in a climate of inclusion, not indignation. Since then, things have flipped dramatically in Canada and elsewhere. We do believe that the spread of difference offers positive possibilities, but it will not look after itself without a strong accompanying narrative of inclusion.

One such narrative that we picked up from our Canadian educators is the idea that what’s essential for some kids is usually good for all kids. Self-advocacy by kids with special educational needs can prompt more personalization and student voice for all kids. Gender-neutral bathrooms mean everyone will get better bathrooms. When we welcome immigrants and refugees, this can create a more welcoming culture for all students—children and young people in military families that are constantly moving, or whose parents have to transfer because of their work, for example.

How can the core messages of your book reach school boards, and what would motivate them to embrace your approach?

Belonging is a big part of our book.

Parents want success, and they want to be properly informed about their children’s development. There are forces out there feeding the media with harmful myths about excesses of identity politics—like the completely fabricated story that teachers were putting out cats’ trays for kids who identified as cats. Schools and their principals need to get out in front of all this, not be afraid, communicate with parents in non-technical language, and get everyone to commit to building belonging together.

One simple message of our book is that there’s more to all of us than meets the eye, so we need to take the time to pay greater attention to one another rather than rushing to conclusions based on one or two tick-box aspects of each other’s identities. We’re finding that this idea resonates strongly with educators and school board members.

You characterized the early 1990s as the Age of Achievement and Effort, where the focus was on “testing, data teams, and teaching to prespecified standards,” instead of on “developing visions for educational systems related to what countries wanted their students and societies to be like.” Are there features of the Age of Achievement that can or should co-exist with the Age of Identity, where “young people (are treated) as human beings, rather than mainly as academic performers?”

The aspiration to accomplish something important is a core part of young people’s healthy development. We squander that natural propensity when we turn schools into test-centered factories that make learning onerous and joyless, as the Age of Achievement and Effort did. Whatever shortcomings the Age of Identity may have by comparison, it is broadening our understanding of what education can be for all young people and especially the most socially marginalized ones. This is a net gain that augurs well for a more inspiring school system in the years to come.