Boston College Chronicle

FEBRUARY 11, 2021 VOL. 28 NO. 9

PUBLISHED BY THE BOSTON COLLEGE OFFICE OF UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS

New Applications Record Only Part of the Good News Positive trends in academic quality and diversity seen as continuing

BY SEAN SMITH CHRONICLE EDITOR

It’s a big story at first glance: Boston College set a new all-time school record this year for undergraduate applications—just under 40,000—in the midst of a pandemic that has created widespread economic and social distress.

Director of Undergraduate Admission Grant Gosselin, however, says the story is less about establishing new, glitzy benchmarks and more about adhering to big-picture, long-term institutional goals that are the hallmark of a selective national university.

“This level of interest in BC is certainly good news for any university or college, especially at a time like this,” said Gosselin of the 39,877 applications that BC received for the Class of 2025, representing a 36 percent increase over last year. “But

INSIDE 2 Women’s Summit

Black Lives Matter co-founder, Know My Name author are keynote speakers at annual event.

3 ‘Breakfast with God’

Virtual weekly Roche Center/C21 program a hit with young families.

8 BC Global

Vice Provost for Global Engagement James Keenan, S.J., offers an update on the University’s international outreach and collaborations.

we have always measured our success by the quality and make-up of our applicant pool, as opposed to its size. Those of us who work in admission and enrollment management at BC feel validated that the decisions we’ve made in recent years have proven to be the right ones, and will continue to help the University meet its objectives.”

One of the University’s most significant admissions-related decisions came in late 2019, when BC introduced an Early Decision (ED) program to meet the growing preference of most high school students and enroll more “best-fit” applicants for whom BC was a first choice. ED offers include two opportunities for early applications: Through ED I, high-achieving high school students who view Boston College as their top choice can apply by November 1 for a decision notification by December

Continued on page 5

Rougeau to Lead Holy Cross Vincent Rougeau, whose decade-long tenure as dean helped to enhance the reputation and stature of Boston College Law School, has been named president of the College of the Holy Cross, effective July 1.

As dean of BC Law, Rougeau led a reorganization in leadership structure that supported a more holistic approach to student services, expanded the school’s recruitment of a diverse student body, and enhanced the school’s commitment to experiential learning and global engagement.

Through his efforts, BC Law’s Center for Experiential Learning brought together the school’s hands-on training programs, while the Global Practice Program launched new opportunities for BC Law students in Dublin, Germany, Chile, France, and other locations around the globe.

“It has been an honor for me to be the

Law Dean Vincent Rougeau

photo by webb chappel

dean of BC Law for the past 10 years,” said Rougeau. “This is one of the nation’s outstanding law schools, and that is obvious based on many objective measures—the impressive faculty, the outstanding students, the extraordinary staff, and the accomplished alumni. But what has always been distinctive about BC Law is the community. Over years and generations, BC Law has built a community of people who care deeply for one another and who are committed to the highest standards of professionalism and academic excellence. I have been so very proud to be

Continued on page 7

Shadowing and Substance Pre-Health students create EagleShadow program to connect with mentors

BY PHIL GLOUDEMANS STAFF WRITER

The COVID-related shutdown last spring affected most every part of the Boston College community, and it was acutely felt

by Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences Pre-Health students, whose “shadowing” opportunities—intensive, in-person observation of health professionals in their work settings, and the extraordinary insights these experiences offer—were eliminated for safety concerns.

Undaunted, two Pre-Health students swiftly converted crisis into opportunity and formed EagleShadow, a virtual, interactive platform designed to provide physician in-

The EagleShadow administrative team includes Class of 2022 members (L-R) Daniel Pacella, John Dempsey Jr., Rachel Lee, and Victoria Wittgen. photo by lee pellegrini

terface through the evaluation of actual case studies and simulated engagements, as well as mentoring options. Developed in col-

laboration with the University’s Pre-Health Program, EagleShadow added two co-

Continued on page 4

I am so thankful that Boston College has allowed its students and faculty to continue creating art.

– theater student jacob kelleher ’21, page 6

Chronicle

2

February 11, 2021

Around Campus

A New Lease on Life for a Very Old Tree on Brighton Campus A centuries-old oak tree on the edge of Brighton Campus will be removed next week due to failing health—but rather than disappear altogether, its trunk will undergo an unusual transformation.

Ken Packie, a Massachusetts artist who specializes in wood sculptures, has been commissioned by the University to carve the tree’s nearly six-foot-wide base into a threedimensional portrayal of the Holy Family, celebrating Boston College’s Jesuit, Catholic heritage and recognizing the historical significance of the Brighton Campus.

The new sculpture will be visible from Commonwealth Avenue as motorists and pedestrians approach the McMullen Museum of Art. Those who continue into Newton will be treated to another of Packie’s creations: a marathon runner carved from an ailing maple tree.

For Landscape Planning Director Regina Bellavia, whose team maintains roughly 4,600 trees across the University’s three campuses, preserving the oak’s memory through art is a fitting tribute. She estimates the tree’s age to be around 200 years, making it older than the buildings and roadways surrounding it.

“I could imagine, historically, before they cut Commonwealth Avenue through, there were probably many more of these oak trees,

A recent photo of the oak tree on Brighton Campus that, due to failing health, is being removed next week, although its trunk will be turned into a sculpture. photo by lee pellegrini

and this one happened to survive,” she said.

“I’m grateful we were able to witness it for this long.”

Bellavia has been tracking the oak tree’s declining health for nearly a decade, consulting with arborists and taking steps to extend its longevity without risking the safety of people walking and driving nearby. Six years

ago, the tree’s canopy was cut back significantly to reduce strain on its trunk, after a resistograph test revealed high levels of decaying wood. In the years since, Bellavia has noticed carpenter ants alongside the back of the tree, where the bark has long since fallen off.

In November, a second arborist recom-

Women’s Summit Welcomes Patrisse Cullors, Chanel Miller Black Lives Matter Global Network cofounder Patrisse Cullors and Chanel Miller, a national advocate for awareness of sexual violence, were the keynote speakers at the annual Boston College Women’s Summit, held February 6 in virtual format.

With the goal of empowering women of all backgrounds to realize their individual and collective potential to rise together and enact change, 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, the Undergraduate Government of Boston College, SLAM!, and Women in Business.

“This year’s summit was certainly different than past years given that it was all virtual. However, the warmth, grace, and candidness of all of our speakers made it feel like an intimate experience,” said Women’s Center Director Katie Dalton. “Chanel Miller and Patrisse Cullors did an incredible job welcoming the audience into their stories and clearly illustrating the roots of their activism, while our skilled moderators, ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT FOR UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS

Jack Dunn SENIOR DIRECTOR FOR UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS

Victoria Garcia and Professor Régine JeanCharles, expertly connected those stories to the Jesuit identity of Boston College.”

An artist, organizer, educator, and public speaker, Cullors has been an activist for criminal justice reform, and founded the grassroots Los Angeles-based organization Dignity and Power Now. Cullors has been widely recognized for her work with Black Lives Matter, including by Time magazine, which in 2020 named her among the 100 Most Influential People as well as the “100 Women of the Year.” Her memoir, When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir, became an instant New York Times bestseller.

Miller first came to the attention of the public anonymously, as the victim of a sexual assault by Brock Turner in 2015, when her victim impact statement at Turner’s sentencing went viral. Four years later, she came forward publicly about her ordeal and released her memoir Know My Name, which won the National Book Critics Award for Autobiographies and helped spark national discussion about sexual violence in aca-

CONTRIBUTING STAFF

Christine Balquist Phil Gloudemans Ed Hayward Rosanne Pellegrini Kathleen Sullivan

Chronicle

PHOTOGRAPHERS

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

Patricia Delaney EDITOR

Sean Smith

demia. She shares her experiences as a means of promoting greater awareness of the isolation and trauma sexual assault victims face.

The event also featured eight virtual workshops on topics such as “Women’s Leadership in the COVID Pandemic,” “Achieving Common Goals: Lessons From An Activist In Professional Women’s Hockey,” and “Prepping for Post-Grad: A Lesson in Humility,” with Amaka Nnaeto ’20, who works in financial technology at BlackRock Investment Management.

Other workshop leaders included Symone Varnado ’19, an entrepreneur, community activist, and organizer; Helene Norton-Russell ’00, M.A. ’02, an adjunct professor of sociology at Johnson & Wales University and member of the BC LGBTQ+ Alumni Council Executive Committee; and Katie Diasti ’19, founder and CEO of Viv, which makes sustainable menstrual products.

For more about the Women’s Summit, see bc.edu/offices/sites/womens-center.

—University Communications

Lee Pellegrini Peter Julian

mended that the tree be removed due to the “significant amount of dead trunk area and potential for future failure.” If it were to fall, the tree would crash directly into Commonwealth Avenue, posing a risk to cars, pedestrians, and subway riders.

“No one ever wants to take down a tree this big, but they are living things so they have a lifespan,” said Bellavia. “We decided it was time.”

The tree is scheduled for removal this coming Monday, February 15. During that time, one lane of traffic will be closed on the westbound side of Commonwealth Avenue and a temporary sidewalk will be erected for pedestrians.

Once the canopy is removed, Packie will begin work transforming the trunk into a work of art. To create his pieces, many of which are inspired by nature, he uses only three tools: a chainsaw, chisel, and blowtorch. In a documentary about his work, Packie describes the joy he takes in watching his subjects emerge from wood.

“It’s an evolution as the piece unfolds,” he said. “[I’m] taking something that was alive and giving it a second life in a different form.”

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

Total Compensation Statement to Be Sent Later this month, every full-time employee 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 TCS, which represents information for the calendar year 2020, will be mailed to employees’ home addresses.

Introduced by BC last year, 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 to group auto and home insurance to adoption assistance.

Note: New employees who started on or after Oct. 1, 2020 should not expect a statement this year.

—University Communications

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.

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Send requests to chronicle@bc.edu.

Chronicle

February 11, 2021

3

For Some, Sundays Include ‘Breakfast with God’ Roche Center, C21 program offers faith resources, and friendship, in a virtual format for young families

BY KATHLEEN SULLIVAN STAFF WRITER

Sunday mornings, young children gather in their respective homes for a special program that connects them and their family via Zoom with other families, with the Gospel, and with their Catholic faith.

“Breakfast with God” may be a virtual event, but the joyfulness is palpable, say participants and organizers.

Sponsored by the Barbara and Patrick Roche Center for Catholic Education and the Church in the 21st Century Center, “Breakfast with God” was created in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic when churches and religious education classrooms closed. “Breakfast with God” is a 30-minute program that gets families ready for Mass and to find God in the everyday through the Gospel, song, prayer, children’s literature, and art.

“It’s been a real gift,” said C21 Center Director Karen Kiefer. “‘Breakfast with God’ offers families the grace found in community and in the work of the Holy Spirit. There have been real relationships and friendships formed in this virtual space. The kids get to pray and sing and learn that faith can be fun.”

“Breakfast with God” is meant to be a casual, no-fuss proposition, a scaffolding resource for young families before or after a virtual or in-person Mass. Pajama-clad children on the Zoom screens can be seen seated at the kitchen table with cereal bowls before them. Others are on the sofa surrounded by stuffed animals and parents with coffee mugs. Grandparents and other relatives join in too.

The hosts of “Breakfast with God” are an engaging pair highly skilled at speaking to families and young children about the Catholic faith: Anne Krane, a Boston Col-

Ethan and Liam, the sons of Boston College Roche Center for Catholic Education Executive Director Melodie Wyttenbach, participate in a “Breakfast with God” session with BC doctoral student Quang Tran, S.J. photo by melodie wyttenbach

lege alumna and teacher at St. Columbkille Partnership School, and Quang Tran, S.J., a member of the Jesuit Community at BC and doctoral student in the Lynch School of Education and Human Development’s higher education counseling psychology program.

Krane has been an educator at STCPS for 12 years and has led her own pre-K classroom for the past six years. She has a master’s degree from the Lynch School and M.Div. degree from the School of Theology and Ministry. Fr. Tran has been one of the celebrants of the family Mass at St. Ignatius Church.

“Something that makes ‘Breakfast with God’ distinct is the parent engagement,” said Roche Center Executive Director Melodie Wyttenbach, who recruited Krane and Fr. Tran for the program. “Parents often are challenged with ‘How do I teach the faith to my children?’ and ‘How do I help them to understand this complex world that we’re living in and navigate it through the lens of our Catholic faith?’ I think Anne and Fr. Tran do a great job of modeling that for parents.

“Kids are the spotlight, but parents get just as much from ‘Breakfast with God,’” she

said.

Kiefer echoed that sentiment, noting that the team has received emails and gifts from parents expressing their gratitude. “During ‘Breakfast with God’ it is great to see parents watching their kids get excited about God and excited to talk about God. The program also gives parents a lot to talk with their kids about during the week.”

“It feels like this is where God wants us to go,” said Fr. Tran. “The best thing we can pass on to kids is the faith. It holds you through so many things in life.” “‘Breakfast with God’ is full-family faith formation,” summarized Krane, whose own mother joins from her home each week.

Typically, some 150 people from Boston, New York, New Jersey, Louisiana, California, and beyond participate in “Breakfast with God.” Organizers admit that initially they did not know if “Breakfast with God” would work or how long it would go on for. Earlier this year, the program passed the ninemonth mark.

“It’s been such a joy,” said Krane. “We do it because we love it. The families are so wonderful. I hope it doesn’t go away.”

“Breakfast with God” follows a consistent structure. After an introduction, Fr. Tran proclaims the week’s Gospel and gives a homily, asking the children questions. Krane reads aloud from a children’s book which has a theme connected to the Gospel reading.

She then introduces a craft or art project the families can do together. This is followed by prayer intentions, reciting the Lord’s Prayer, and a closing song.

“It doesn’t replace Mass,” said Krane, “but it’s communion with a small ‘c.’ It’s become a really helpful way to be together when a lot of times we’re far apart.”

“It’s a joyful and organic way of letting children reintroduce you to Jesus,” said Fr. Tran, adding a passage from the Gospel of Matthew: “Jesus said the mysteries of the kingdom are hidden from the wise, but revealed to the children.”

Perhaps the most moving part of “Breakfast with God” occurs when the children offer their prayer intentions. Their intentions demonstrate a deep concern and compassion for others: the sick, the lonely, family members, and animals.

“They are praying for things they love, the things that are important to them,” noted Krane.

The pandemic is also very much on the children’s minds. They pray for those who have died and those in the hospital. At a “Breakfast with God” in December, children prayed for those who couldn’t travel to celebrate Christmas. “‘Breakfast with God’ brings children’s voices into celebrating the faith. It creates a space for children to share and centers it, which is beautiful,” said Wyttenbach, who regularly participates with her three children.

“Personally, ‘Breakfast with God’ has been an unexpected grace for me,” said Fr. Tran.

“If you can explain the faith to the little ones, you can explain it anyone. It has really simplified the way I pray and think about God.” To learn more about “Breakfast with God” or to register for the free program, visit www. bc.edu/content/bc-web/centers/church21/programs/breakfast-with-god.html.

Copeland to Speak at February 16 MLK Scholarship Banquet Professor Emerita M. Shawn Copeland, an award-winning theologian who specializes in practical-political Catholic theology, theological anthropology, and the African and African American intellectual history and religious experience, will be the keynote speaker at the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Banquet, which will be held in virtual format on February 16 at 6 pm.

To register for the banquet, go to https:// bccte.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN__Ll_ jUM-TyS_rsKQv1wuyQ. During the banquet, University President William P. Leahy, S.J., will announce the winner of the Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship, which 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.

M. Shawn Copeland photo by gary

wayne gilbert

This year’s scholarship candidates are Grace Assogba, Darnell Fils, Nana Kusi Minkah, Armani Mitchell, and Latifat Odetunde. During the virtual banquet, attendees

will view video clips of each of the finalists reading an excerpt from their scholarship application essay on the meaning of King’s legacy in their own lives.

Copeland, who taught in the Theology Department and African and African Diaspora Studies Program for 17 years before retiring in 2019, earned a doctorate in systematic theology from the University in 1991.

She is a former president of the Catholic Theological Society of America and a former convener of the Black Catholic Theological Symposium.

Her works include Enfleshing Freedom: Body, Race, and Being, which has been called a modern theological classic, Knowing Christ Crucified: The Witness of African American Religious Experience, and The Subversive Power of Love: The Vision of Henriette Delille, along with numerous articles, book chapters, and reviews. She is also co-editor of four

theological volumes: Grace and Friendship: Theological Essays in Honor of Fred Lawrence, Uncommon Faithfulness: The Black Catholic Experience, Feminist Theologies in Different Context, and Violence Against Women.

In 2018, the Catholic Theological Society of America presented Copeland with its highest honor, the John Courtney Murray Award, in recognition of a lifetime of distinguished theological achievement.

She has also received the Marianist Award, which honors a Catholic scholar, author, and theologian who has made an outstanding contribution to the intellectual life; the Yves Congar Award for excellence in theology; and the Elizabeth Seton Award, which recognizes distinguished women in theology, among other accolades.

For more information on the Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship, go to bc.edu/mlk.

—Christine Balquist

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February 11, 2021

Students Devise a Solution for ‘Shadowing’ Need Continued from page 1

founders to the team, and launched last fall after an aggressive push to recruit physicians as presenters and student attendees during the summer.

As of mid-November, EagleShadow had provided BC students with more than 2,700 verified medical shadowing hours.

“Following the shutdown, I asked myself, ‘The world’s gone virtual; how can we adapt?’” said John Dempsey Jr. ’22, president of EagleShadow’s administrative team.

“I had previously founded an online medical research company based on a virtual format, so that served as a model and got us up to speed quickly. “ Joining Dempsey were Co-Vice President and Treasurer Victoria Wittgen ’22, and CoVice Presidents Dan Pacella ’22 and Rachel S. Lee ’22, all MCAS Pre-Health students.

“For those on a pre-med track, COVID-19 restrictions halted any in-person shadowing, so EagleShadow was borne out of a need,” said Wittgen, a St. Louis native.

“John and Dan immediately realized that, so our mission became ‘by students, for students.’”

Pre-COVID, shadowing engagements were typically arranged on an ad hoc basis using existing BC resources or through personal or family contacts, explained Dempsey, a Schenectady, N.Y., resident. It was often expensive: Travel to and from local hospitals and clinics could sap a student’s meager budget, and the time required to fulfill the commitment might reduce or eliminate income-critical part-time jobs, factors that often excluded Pre-Health students, particularly those from low-income households. Simultaneously, the pressure to tally observation hours was intense, an overall scenario Dempsey characterized as “discouraging.”

“The EagleShadow program effectively filled the gap created by the COVID pandemic,” said Morrissey College Associate Dean Rafael E. Luna, director of BC’s PreHealth Program and the Gateway Scholars

EagleShadow co-founder John Dempsey Jr. ’22: “Following the shutdown, I asked myself, ‘The world’s gone virtual; how can we adapt?’” photo by lee pellegrini

Program for STEM. “There is so much hope with this program. It reduced the energy barrier for BC students interested in exploring health careers, and helps them collect and reflect upon their virtual clinical shadowing experiences to inform their decision on whether to pursue a professional health career.”

The MCAS Pre-Health Program is open for all students in every major program of study. The program provides support and comprehensive advising for undergraduates and BC alumni interested in medical, dental, or veterinary careers, as well as other areas of health profession study.

According to Luna, Assistant Directors Erin Curley and Maureen Simmons provide Pre-Health advising specifically tailored to the unique competitive portfolio development of each applicant, which culminates in a faculty review, and a committee letter of endorsement. Biology Associate Professor Danielle Taghian chairs the Faculty Pre-Health Advising Committee. While the national acceptance rate for United States medical schools is approximately 44 percent,

BC-committee-endorsed applicants averaged 79 percent in 2019.

“Most medical school admissions committees expect that successful applicants will have adequate experiences in medicine, including physician shadowing, so that both school and applicant are sure that their chosen vocation has been adequately tested and is found to be valid,” said Stephen J. Cavalieri, assistant dean for admissions and faculty member at the Creighton University School of Medicine. “During the COVID pandemic, obtaining these experiences has become problematic if not impossible. It’s evident that EagleShadow is a formal, wellorganized virtual shadowing program that should make an excellent alternative for the now difficult, in-person physician shadowing opportunities.”

Led by Pacella and with BC Pre-Health’s sanction, EagleShadow tapped EagleDocs— a roster of alumni in health care professions who welcome shadowing inquiries from BC pre-health students —and Eagle Exchange, the BC Alumni Association’s official online mentoring platform, plus some dogged LinkedIn research, to identify and enlist presenter candidates. The request was two hours of their weekend time to discuss their “physician journey,” ranging from their initial motivations for a medical career to their current responsibilities, and to include the bad as well as the good. The response was overwhelming: Every fall weekend was booked with medical professionals willing to virtually share their experiences.

EagleShadow guest speakers were provided with guidance for presentation design and logistical information about the virtual meeting, including a PowerPoint template and informational sheet to efficiently walk presenters through their preparation, according to Pacella, a Milford, Mass. resident.

He noted that the program has solicited students’ suggestions for presenters whose perspectives, professional or personal, might offer useful insights.

Student response to an online flyer yielded 600-700 registrations and an average of between 150-200 attendees at each event.

Dr. Catherine M. Wittgen, Victoria’s mother and program director of Surgical Critical Care at SSM St. Louis University Hospital, spoke to 195 students in October, and utilized the discernment questions posed by BC Associate Director of Undergraduate Admission Steven Koo at her daughter’s campus visit as her presentation guide.

“It was a great place to start,” said Wittgen. “I used the time to think about my surgery practice and what I’m good at, and to remember all the experiences that had come together to bring me to this place.

There are some pretty dark days right now in the midst of COVID, and this activity was pure joy.”

EagleShadow also offers a COVID-safe mentoring component in which more than 60 pairings of BC upperclassmen with underclassmen are engaged in oral and written reflections on their virtual shadowing experiences, key elements in their decision to pursue a health profession, as well as providing recollections for use in medical/dental school applications and essays.

“My co-board members and I recognized the need to offer Pre-Health students opportunities to not only shadow practitioners but also to safely meet and interact with other students,” said Lee, of East Brunswick, N.J., who led the mentorship program. “The weekly meetings allowed students to reflect on the EagleShadow sessions and the practitioners’ stories, as well as exchange their own individual experiences with each other.”

According to Dempsey, EagleShadow plans to operate post-COVID, both virtually and as a tool to facilitate in-person health professional shadowing.

“It’s a dynamic and evolving platform designed to inform the aspirations of future health care providers,” said Dempsey.

East Asian Students Tops Again in New TIMSS Report The latest results of the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), administered by Boston College, show East Asian students again leading in achievement at the fourth and eighth grade levels.

The longest running, large-scale assessment of mathematics and science education in the world, TIMSS is directed by Ina V.S. Mullis and Michael O. Martin of the TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center at the Lynch School of Human Development and Education. TIMSS—the flagship study of the IEA (International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement)—measures student achievement in the fourth and eighth grades every four years, and also tracks changes in curriculum, instruction, and other aspects of education in classrooms around the world.

According to the latest results, released in December, Singapore, Chinese Taipei,

Korea, Japan, and Hong Kong SAR continue to outperform all TIMSS countries in mathematics by a substantial margin at the fourth and eighth grades. Between the top performing countries and the next highest performers was a pronounced gap: 26 points at the fourth grade and 35 points at the eighth grade.

Those East Asian countries were strong in science as well, but the results were more varied, the report stated. In fourth grade science, Singapore and Korea had the highest achievement, followed by a 21-point gap before the Russian Federation and Japan, with Chinese Taipei and Finland also performing well. In eighth grade science, Singapore was the top performer, scoring 34 points higher than Chinese Taipei, Japan, and Korea, with the Russian Federation and Finland also performing well.

More than 580,000 students in 64 countries and eight benchmarking systems

around the world participated in TIMSS 2019, with half of the countries transitioning to computer-based assessment. TIMSS 2019 is the seventh TIMSS assessment cycle, providing 24 years of trends since the first assessment in 1995. By reaching its 24year milestone, TIMSS earns the distinction of establishing the longest trend line of any international education assessment.

Mullis noted that, short and long term, TIMSS results show achievement trends are up, with more countries registering increases than decreases, except in the short term in science at the fourth grade. “The positive trends indicate education is improving worldwide, and it’s not at the expense of equity between high- and low-achieving students. Remarkably, most countries have been able to educate most of their fourth and eighth grade students to at least minimum proficiency.”

Among other findings in TIMSS 2019:

•An early start in education—such as literacy and numeracy activities at home or pre-primary education—has a lasting effect through the fourth grade.

•Many students are in supportive school environments that emphasize academic success. In both grades, students with a higher sense of school belonging had higher achievement.

•Most fourth and eighth grade students attended well-disciplined and safe schools, which was associated with higher average achievement.

•Most students were never or almost never bullied. The six to eight percent of students that reported being bullied weekly, however, had considerably lower average achievement.

For more about TIMSS 2019, go to timss2019.org.

—University Communications

Chronicle

February 11, 2021

5

Major Grant for Institute for Scientific Research

BY ED HAYWARD STAFF WRITER

The United States Air Force has awarded a $5.3 million contract to Boston College’s Institute for Scientific Research to study the chemistry and physics of the space environment, according to ISR Director Patricia Doherty.

The five-year contract from the Air Force Research Laboratory at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, N.M., will support work on the project “Space Chemistry, Reactivity and Modeling,” known by the acronym SCRAM. SCRAM combines studies of the chemistry and physics associated with the space environment, said Doherty. “This contract enables ISR to enhance novel research in laser spectroscopy and reactivity, plasma chemistry and space chemistry within the laboratories of the Air Force Research Laboratory—an area of research involving Boston College’s ISR for over 16 years.

This research has been quite fruitful, resulting in nearly 200 publications since BC began involvement in the program.”

In addition, ISR received a USAF STAR team designation for plasma chemistry research. STAR team designations are awarded to just the top 10 percent of Air Force Office of Scientific Research programs, Doherty said.

ISR staff members supporting this new contract include Michael Hause, Shawn

Miller, Ryan Booth, Brendan Sweeny, Thomas Miller, and John Williamson. This team will assist the work at the Air Force Research Laboratory Space Vehicles Division in Albuquerque.

“This project is focused on two major areas of research: satellite thrusters and releases from satellites, sounding rockets, and other vehicles to determine how they interact with the space environment and spacecraft,” said Doherty.

Ion thrusters provide electric propulsion for spacecraft. Employed on a variety of missions—from keeping communications satellites in the proper position to propelling spacecraft throughout our solar system—they create thrust by accelerating ions using high-energy electrons. The ISR team will study the chemical interactions in ion thruster operation for different proposed thruster designs and propellants.

Laboratory tests will use models to study thruster operation and explore the effect of various propellants on satellite surfaces, as well as examine the interaction of thruster propellants with oxygen and nitrogen atoms in the regions of space occupied

by Earth-orbiting satellites.

The second major area of the project seeks to find ways to improve ground and satellite radio communication in turbulent ionospheric environments, where high concentrations of ions and free electrons can interfere with radio wave signals as they traverse the ionosphere.

Institute for Scientific Research Director Patricia Doherty said the grant will fund a project focused on satellite thrusters and releases from satellites, sounding rockets, and other vehicles to determine how they interact with the space environment and spacecraft. photo by lee pellegrini

Part of that study will involve sending canisters of a metallic chemical element 170 kilometers into the ionosphere, where they will be vaporized to create artificial plasma clouds that mimic frequency-dis-

rupting forces in the space region. Those clouds and their interactions with radio waves will be measured and modeled in an effort to create solutions to improve communications.

It is the sixth contract awarded during the past two years by the Air Force to ISR, one of the foremost centers for space research. Last year, the agency granted a $10.6 million contract to expand their studies on the space environment.

The ISR was formed in 1954 with a government grant to study signals from the earliest artificial satellites. Originally involved in space physics, space chemistry, solar-terrestrial research, space weather, and astrophysical investigations, the ISR has changed its focus in response to the advancement in the use of space-based technologies for communication and navigation systems—systems that society depends on greatly, but can be negatively affected by space weather and irregularities of the space environment.

Recent ISR programs have addressed the space environment, space weather phenomena, and mitigation of their effects on systems of societal interest. In support of global social justice, ISR has international partnerships that address capacity building for space science research in developing countries. The institute also provides workshops that foster the intellectual development of young scientists from around the world.

Admission ‘Best-Fit’ Strategy Achieving Results Continued from page 1

15; ED II features a January 1 application deadline with a decision notification by February 15.

At the time, Gosselin expected a decline in overall applications as a result of the departure from Early Action, and that’s what happened. Applications dropped from 35,500—the previous high-water mark—to 29,000 in 2020. But, also as he predicted, the statistics from the Class of 2024 showed an improved yield and selectivity among the applicants, which pointed to an undergraduate student body that was not only academically excellent but becoming more diverse.

“Many universities simply focus on building a large applicant pool as a gauge of their success. That’s actually easy to do,” said Gosselin. “But that has never been our strategy. Building a strong, robust pipeline of students who are the ‘best-fit’ candidates for an institution takes a lot more careful planning and execution. We have put a lot of time and energy into doing the latter, and the results speak for themselves.”

Like most higher education institutions, BC made another critical admissions-related move this past year: With the pandemic causing havoc for standardized testing programs, the University went test-optional, announcing that high school students unable or electing not to submit standardized test results would not be disadvantaged in BC’s selection process.

“Despite the challenges associated with a larger applicant pool, adopting a test-optional policy this year was simply the right thing to do.”

—Grant Gosselin photo by peter julian

In this case, Gosselin and his colleagues knew they were likely to see an increase in applications. “Despite the challenges associated with a larger applicant pool,” Gosselin said, “adopting a test-optional policy this year was simply the right thing to do.”

Gosselin noted that this year’s ED pool also

grew in size, as well as quality and diversity.

Approximately half of the Class of 2025 will come from ED, and half from Regular Decision (RD).

Due to continued concerns for student safety and an uncertain testing landscape related to COVID-19, the University has announced that BC will continue its testoptional policy for 2021-2022.

Yet another area of focus in this year’s admissions cycle, according to Gosselin, was the impact of COVID-19 on underrepresented and underserved populations.

In November, early results from the Common Application—an undergraduate college admission application that can be used for more than 900 colleges and universities across the United States—showed a 16 percent decline in applications from lowincome and AHANA students over 20192020, he said. Even with a considerable rebound later in the year and into January, applications from these populations are still down by three percent, nationally.

But the BC applicant pool contains a similar proportion of AHANA candidates as last year, so concerns that the pandemic might hamper the University’s efforts at increasing the diversity of its undergraduate student body “have not been realized,” said Gosselin.

Fortuitously, late in 2019, BC had accepted an invitation to join QuestBridge, a highly respected non-profit that helps

high-achieving, low-income students gain admission and scholarships to top-ranked colleges and universities. The rewards were evident this year, Gosselin said, with more than 2,000 applications received through the QuestBridge network: During the ED round, BC matched with 50 low-income students from 19 states around the country, and additional students will be considered during RD. The high number of RD hopefuls this year—36,600—poses a challenge for the BC Admission staff, which will be reviewing this extraordinary amount of applications within a fairly short time-frame, said Gosselin. It also will result in what he calls “unprecedented selectivity” for RD. Which is why BC has long resisted turning undergraduate applications into promotional and recruitment tools for future classes, he said.

“Larger applicant pools at the nation’s most selective universities will lead to lower admit rates, and the unfortunate reality that we will be forced to disappoint thousands more students in April,” said Gosselin. “For those of us on the Admission staff, this is the most difficult aspect of working in highly selective admission.

We have a responsibility to refrain from feeding the admission application frenzy and, instead, focus our efforts on carefully counseling potential applicants on the value of a Boston College education.”

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February 11, 2021

Live Performances, Virtual Audiences A new, and different, season of student theater begins, tailored to COVID constraints

BY ROSANNE PELLEGRINI STAFF WRITER

Student thespians have taken to the Robsham Theater Arts Center stage for live performances this semester. But instead of playing to a full house, their audiences are virtual.

Among the productions is the premiere later this month of a play conceived last fall

by Maggie Kearnan ’14, “IDK [What This Is],” which she wrote specifically for performance during the pandemic. “Before last September,” according to the play’s director, Professor of Theatre Scott T. Cummings, “this play was not even a twinkle in her eye.”

The Theatre Department is putting on four live productions this semester, building on the success of last fall’s productions “both artistically and in terms of safety,” said Associate Professor of the Practice and Department Chair Luke Jorgensen. Two are faculty-directed, including one by Jorgensen, and two are directed by students with faculty mentorship, he said. Though these student workshop plays are typically presented in the smaller Bonn Studio, all four will be presented live on the Robsham main stage “to give us maximum room for safety,” said Jorgensen; COVID safety protocols of physical distancing and masking will be observed, and actors will perform via a Zoom format, he added. Student workshops were suspended last semester, due to the pandemic.

“Proof” by David Auburn—2001 winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Tony Award for Best Play— launched the spring season last week, under the direction of senior Jacob Kelleher.

“Having the opportunity to direct ‘Proof’ this semester has been one of the best parts of my senior year,” Kelleher said. “I feel honored that the Theatre Department has put its trust in me and allowed me to take ownership of this project and make the show my own. I feel very lucky that I am still able

to create theater during the pandemic. For the last 10 months, theaters across the world have been forced to go dark as they await the end of this pandemic.

“I am so thankful that Boston College has allowed its students and faculty to continue creating art, and I couldn’t be more thankful that everyone involved in ‘Proof’ has gone above and beyond to create an engaging virtual theater experience that still maintains everyone’s safety,” he added.

From February 25-28, Cummings will direct Kearnan’s “IDK [What This Is],” which centers on six friends who agree to participate in a social engineering experiment in the hope of making a difference in the world, but things do not go according to plan. “Maggie is as talented an actor as she is a scene painter as she is a playwright,” according to Cummings, who noted that she pursued all of those interests as an BC theater major, and has continued to do so after graduation.

Another interesting aspect of the play, Jorgensen noted, is that the director and designers are “experimenting with the creation of multiple plexiglass safe spaces (boxes) that each actor can inhabit.”

The production underscores the Theatre Department’s long commitment to the development and production of new plays, particularly by BC student playwrights past and present. “Working with our former students after they have been out in the world a few years is gratifying for faculty and staff, and it helps current students imagine possibilities for themselves,” said Cummings.

Cummings’ original plan for the 20202021 season was to direct a play by Kearnan about a famous female lighthouse keeper in the 1860s and ’70s. But when the pandemic hit, “neither Maggie or I were interested in adapting that play to Zoom. We decided she would write a brand new piece that could accommodate the limitations of moment.”

BC senior Jacob Kelleher, director of "Proof,” which kicked off the spring 2021 Robsham Theater season last week. photo by lee pellegrini

The second student workshop production, directed by senior Ally Lardner, is “The History of Colors” by Charly Evon Simpson, from March 25–28. The play focuses on a year in the life of Jolene, the oldest of four sisters, who takes the lead on fixing up a lakeside shack inherited by her and her sisters. It depicts the sisters and the shack, from Jolene’s perspective, in each season.

Concluding the season April 28-May 2 is Edgar Lee Masters’ “Spoon River Anthology,” adapted and directed by Jorgensen.

Regarded as one of the most striking and original achievements in American poetry, it probes the social background of small-town living through a collection of short free-form poems spoken from a cemetery in the small fictional town of Spoon River, Ill. “I have selected the monologues that let the rascals and criminals have their say, and they are not always apologetic,” he said.

“Our version allows this reminiscence to be more revival than funeral, and focuses on some of the more scandalous residents of Spoon River. It will be presented in one act with live bluegrass music. I chose this play when the musical was no longer an option due to pandemic regulations, because the style of presentation—a collage of monologues—lends itself to safe distancing on

stage.

“Though it may sound melancholy, and certainly there is at times a melancholic nature to the narratives, there is also a wry grin and a wink as our characters each tell us of their colorful lives,” Jorgensen added. “There is a historic sense to the production but also a modern zeitgeist as we remember all those who have passed—both in this pandemic and before—with warmth, fondness, and storytelling.”

Cummings praises Jorgensen as “a hero” for dealing with pandemic-related challenges to theatrical productions. Shortly after assuming the position of Theatre Department chair, “he was faced with figuring out what kind of theater season, if any, we could have.

So much of what we are doing this year is an effort to explore the possibilities of mediated performance. Luke has been a gentle but dogged advocate for the educational value of our production program.”

This semester’s theater productions are free, but a ticket is required from the RTAC Box Office to get the virtual program and link for each show. Tickets may be obtained in-person at the box office, by calling 617552-4002, or through the RTAC website at bc.edu/robsham.

Boston College Student, Employee, and Mom: Fraser’s Done It All Asked recently about her 42 years at Boston College, Pamela Fraser ’82 modestly replied, “There’s really not much to write about.”

But her former colleagues, along with her three daughters—all of whom she helped put through BC—say there are plenty of reasons to tell her Boston College story.

Fraser transferred to BC from Westfield State College as an undergraduate student and remained at the Heights until her retirement this past October. She began working in the Office of Admissions in 1978 and took classes at BC’s Evening College (now the Woods College of Advancing Studies) to finish her degree in sociology. Her experience, which included the former Freshman Financial Aid Office, the Office of Financial Aid, and the Office of Student Services, is like a mini-history of the financial aid operation at BC: At the beginning, for example, Fraser would type out each student’s financial aid award letter, a process that is now completely automated.

Pamela Fraser

“For 42 years, Pam was a dedicated employee, co-worker, and friend to so many students and employees,” said University Bursar and Director of Operations for Student Services Christopher Cordella. “She brought a level of competency, reliability, compassion, and kindness that became the gold standard for others in the office.”

Eagles dot many branches of Fraser’s family tree. Her brother Mark Murphy ’82

played hockey at BC and his daughter also studied at the Heights. Her husband of 40 years, Joseph Fraser, whom she met in high school, earned undergraduate and graduate degrees (in 1997 and 2000) from BC. Pamela and Joseph’s three daughters went to the Boston College Children’s Center and graduated from the University years later.

Her son-in-law is current BC assistant football coach Rich Gunnell ’10, M.S. ’14. And one of Fraser’s three grandchildren enjoys a special distinction: She became the first child of a BC Children’s Center alumna to attend the preschool (she graduated from the center in 2014).

“It really helped make the transition of going to college much easier knowing my mom was only a quick walk away,” said Allison Fraser ’09. “On her way home from the office sometimes, she would pick up my laundry and bring it back to me the next day.”

“Pamela loves to take care of people and

make sure that they have everything that they need,” said Gunnell, who is the running backs coach for BC football. “Since we met back in 2007, I’ve almost been spoiled by her for all she has done for me which I greatly appreciate.”

Fraser’s generosity stood out to family and colleagues alike.

“She was patient and kind to all, especially to the thousands of students and parents she helped over all of those years,” said Director of Financial Aid Mary McGranahan. “I depended on Pam a great deal throughout our time together and was never disappointed.”

Asked about her retirement plans, Fraser said she is looking forward to babysitting for her three grandchildren and traveling to her timeshare in Aruba once it is safe to do so. She also is eager to return to Alumni Stadium to cheer on the Eagles, and her sonin-law, during football games.

—Christine Balquist

Chronicle

February 11, 2021

WELCOME ADDITIONS An Introduction to New Faculty at Boston College Megan Hunter

Assistant Professor of Marketing, Carroll School of Management DEGREES: Pomona College (B.A.); Harvard University (A.M.), Stanford University (Ph.D.) WHAT SHE STUDIES: How firms and consumers strategically use information; quantitative marketing, structural industrial organization, and digitization; economics of information, consumer decision-making, consumer habit, reviews and word-of-mouth, and consumer finance.

WHAT SHE TEACHES: Customer Research

What has inspired your research into how firms use information in this era?

“Many of my research projects have come from thinking about how I personally interact with information in the digital age. The amount of information that consumers can access about firms as well as about themselves has exploded in the last few years and my research seeks to understand the strategic actions that both consumers and firms take in response to one another.”

Benjamin Valentin

Professor of Theology and Latinx Studies, School of Theology and Ministry DEGREES: College of

New Rochelle (B.A.); Harvard Divinity School (M.T.S.); Drew University (Ph.D.) WHAT HE STUDIES: Contemporary theological studies; U.S. Latino/a religion and theology; Christianity in Latin America; theologies of liberation and justice; constructive and systematic theology; practical and contextual theology.

WHAT HE’S TEACHING: Faith & Justice: Liberation Theologies in the United States; Screening Theology: Theology in and Through Hollywood Movies

Last semester you were on a research leave and spent time working on a manuscript, tentatively titled Touched by this Place. Can you share what the book is about?

“The work throws light upon the multidimensional significance of places.

Incorporating narrative, philosophical, and theological analysis, chronicles of places, and insights taken from cultural geography, critical place inquiry, the discourse of decoloniality, Latinx studies, and environmental psychology all at once, the book argues that contemporary theologies need to move beyond understandings of place as passive or ornamental backdrops for the human story and towards an appreciation for how they often are primary events in the story.”

—Ed Hayward, Kathleen Sullivan photo by lee pellegrini (hunter)

Rougeau to Leave BC Law

Continued from page 1

a part of this community and to serve as its leader.

“Although I am taking on a new role at a new institution, I am not going very far away and I will be leading a college that shares the same Jesuit heritage that guides and animates us at BC Law: formative education of the whole person, a commitment to ethical and personal discernment, and passion for service to others, particularly those least fortunate.”

A nationally respected expert in legal education and Catholic social thought, Rougeau is the author of the book Christians in the American Empire: Faith and Citizenship in the New World Order. His research and writing has focused on the relationship between religious identity and citizenship in highly mobile and increasingly multicultural democratic societies. He is the current president of the American Association of Law Schools, and serves as the inaugural director of the Boston College Forum on Racial Justice in America.

He also serves as senior fellow at the Centre for Theology and Community in London.

“Since he arrived at Boston College a decade ago, Vince Rougeau’s leadership at the Law School and across campus has been extraordinary,” said Provost and Dean of Faculties David Quigley. “He has hired a strong cohort of faculty colleagues and encouraged far greater engagement with the University’s other schools and centers, all while advancing a powerful vision for the contemporary importance of our mission. Vince is recognized as a national leader in legal education and will surely be a great college president. I wish him every success at the College of the Holy Cross.”

“Vince Rougeau has been a well-liked and respected leader of BC Law as well as a much-appreciated member of the Boston College community for the past decade,” said

University President William P. Leahy, S.J. “I wish him the very best in his new role as president of the College of the Holy Cross.”

Prior to BC Law, Rougeau served as a professor of law and associate dean for academic affairs at the University of Notre Dame. He received his A.B. magna cum laude from Brown University in 1985, and his J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1988.

He is a member of the bar in Maryland and the District of Columbia. Before entering academia, he practiced law at the Washington, D.C., office of Morrison & Foerster from 1988-1991.

“BC Law will always remain a special place for me,” said Rougeau. “Because of the strength and dedication of the members of the BC Law community, we have been able to do transformative work together over the past decade. BC Law has emerged stronger than ever from a major crisis in legal education that followed the 2008 recession. We have made innovative curricular changes, consistently hired outstanding faculty, achieved successes in admissions and career placement that have drawn national attention, and we have reengaged our alumni and friends, who have responded with record-breaking financial generosity and extraordinary service to the school.

“We also have done transformative work together to make BC Law a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive community. This was not without its challenges, but we approached it with the humility and honesty required to ensure that all are embraced and welcomed at BC Law. Although our work is not yet complete, I take great pride in the example of institutional engagement with issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion that we have set for the legal academy and the legal profession.”

—Jack Dunn

7

BC in the Media Liberty Mutual Professor of Law Patricia McCoy spoke with CNBC about the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which is expected to become a more aggressive consumer watchdog under the Biden administration.

Adair (English) was among poets interviewed by New Hampshire Public Radio on the performance of Amanda Gorman at the presidential inauguration, as well as why poetry matters and how it is evolving.

Speaking with CNN.com, Prof. David Blustein (LSOEHD) explained that, as the pandemic continues, it’s important for people to maintain a hopeful but also a realistic view of the situation.

Asst. Prof. of the Practice Barton Geger, S.J. (STM), a research scholar at the Institute for Advanced Jesuit Studies, wrote on the history and possibilities of women joining the ranks of Jesuits in America magazine.

Assoc. Prof. of the Practice Matthew Rutledge (Economics) of the Center for Retirement Research joined Yahoo Finance Live to discuss the outlook for retirement planning during the new administration.

Assoc. Prof. Kari Hong (Law) discussed President Biden’s 100-day deportation “pause,” and the move to block it by a Texas federal judge, in Time magazine and The Washington Post.

Assoc. Prof. C. Shawn McGuffey (Sociology), director of African and African Diaspara Studies, joined a panel of experts on WGBH’s “Basic Black” to explore how issues of racial trauma are passed down from one generation to the next.

Asst. Prof. Emrah Altindis (Biology) offered comments to NPR’s “Morning Edition” on the progress of the pandemic in his native Turkey, which has been hit hard

by COVID-19.

In the wake of a frenzied period on Wall Street, during which amateur traders joined forces to run up prices of struggling stock in a number of companies, including GameStop, then turned their attention to silver, Carroll School of Management Cleary Professor Jeffrey Pontiff offered analysis to The Washington Post and Haub Family Professor Ronnie Sadka spoke with Reuters.

Shemekia Copeland, regarded as the greatest blues singer of her generation, decided she wants to fuse politics with the blues.

She was the subject of a feature by Prof.

Carlo Rotella (English) in The Washington Post Magazine.

Prof. Kent Greenfield (Law) commented on the road ahead for Trump’s second impeachment in USA Today while Asst. Prof.

Daniel Farbman (Law) discussed the proceedings with Boston 25 News.

Assoc. Prof. of the Practice Allison

Prof. Dennis Shirley (LSOEHD) and Assoc. Prof. of the Practice Chandini Sankaran (Economics) spoke with Boston 25 News on the how the migration of thousands of Massachusetts children to private schools for in-class instruction could have long-term consequences for the public education system.

Prof. Boyd Taylor Coolman (Theology) and his wife, Holly—who have adopted five children and have a wide array of birth families and former foster families in their lives—were among those highlighted in a U.S. Catholic cover story on how Catholics find God in the ties that bind.

Assoc. Prof. Robert Murphy (Economics) was featured in WalletHub’s recent study about Hungriest Cities for Credit.

Assoc. Prof. Brian Quinn (Law) shared insights with The Fashion Law on the reported intention of Saks Fifth Avenue owner Hudson’s Bay Co. to split Saks.com from Saks brick-and-mortar.

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.

Assistant Director, Annual Giving

Associate Director, Young Alumni Giving

Dean, Connell School of Nursing

Temporary Food Service Worker, Dining Services (multiple positions) Assistant Registrar, Academic Records Recruiting Manager, Carroll Graduate School of Management Program Director, TWIN-CS Assistant Manager, Dining Services Senior Philanthropic Advisor Assistant Director, Leadership Giving Senior Applications Developer

Post-doctoral Research Fellow (multiple positions) DevOps Systems Administrator Speech/Language Pathologist, Campus School Public Safety Dispatcher Engineering Projects Manager Director, Sponsored Programs Director, Prospect Development Director, Marketing & Communications, Lynch School of Education and Human Development Director, Marketing & Communications, BC School of Social Work

Chronicle

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February 11, 2021

BC Global

The Whole World Round

The pandemic hasn’t exactly made his first year on the job easy. But Vice Provost for Global Engagement James Keenan, S.J., reports progress on a number of fronts in the University’s international activities.

The coronavirus has made it a challenging time for global outreach in academia, given international travel restrictions and financial uncertainties throughout higher education. But the Boston College Office of Global Engagement, under the direction of first-year Vice Provost James Keenan, S.J., has made significant advances nonetheless.

Fr. Keenan has succeeded in meeting the ambitious agenda he set for himself by strengthening the Strategic Alliance of Catholic Research Universities (SACRU), creating new partnerships with Jesuit institutions, and working with the Office of the Provost to bring the Office of International Programs (OIP) and Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS) under the auspices of the Office of Global Engagement this semester.

Citing a desire to “honor the legacy” of the late Alberto Godenzi, BC’s inaugural vice provost for global engagement, Fr. Keenan has worked with each of the eight SACRU schools to form working groups with interdisciplinary committees in their respective institutions to respond to COVID-19 through research and teaching, and develop plans for collaboration on environmental issues. In addition, he has leveraged the existing study-abroad programs between Boston College and five of the seven SACRU partners: Pontifical Catholic University of Chile in Santiago, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, Sacro Cuore in Milan, Sofia University in Tokyo, and Australian Catholic University in Melbourne to develop further cooperation among faculty and graduate students, while also working through BC’s Jesuit Institute to organize an annual semester-long visiting professor fellowship for a SACRU faculty member to teach at Boston College.

Three new MOUs Beyond SACRU, Fr. Keenan has recently overseen the signing of memoranda of understanding (MOU) between BC and three Jesuit schools—Ateneo de Manila University in Manila, Philippines; Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá, Colombia; and Université Saint-Joseph de Beyrouth in Beirut, Lebanon—that will establish faculty and student exchange programs, academic partnerships, and future collaborations.

The MOU with Ateneo de Manila University seeks to inaugurate a partnership between BC’s School of Theology and Ministry and AMU’s Loyola School of Theology for online courses; collabora-

Vice Provost for Global Engagement James Keenan, S.J.: “We are very excited about the future of global engagement at Boston College.” photo by lee pellegrini

tions between the school’s environmental sciences departments and their respective programs in global public health and entrepreneurship; and an alliance between Ateneo’s Science and Art of Learning and Teaching initiative and the Lynch School of Education and Human Development’s Learning Engineering Program.

The Pontificia Universidad Javeriana-BC MOU would create collaborations between their respective schools of social work, particularly in the areas of migration and reconciliation; the development of programs with BC’s Earth and Environmental Sciences department and PUJ’s Faculty of Rural and Environmental Studies and its Water Institute; and online courses between the Woods College of Advancing Studies’ Applied Economics program and PUJ’s master’s degree programs in artificial intelligence and health economics.

Boston College and Université SaintJoseph de Beyrouth look to launch joint research opportunities between nursing schools; online courses, and possible faculty exchanges between USJ’s Faculty of Religious Studies and BC’s School of Theology and Ministry.

OIP and OISS Fr. Keenan said the accomplishments of this past year are due in no small part to the strong working relationships he and Office of Global Engagement Associate Director Bryan Fleming developed with the President’s Office, the Provost’s Office, OIP and OISS, and the “very active” Global Engagement Committee composed of del-

egates from each of BC’s eight schools.

“Because of these relationships, we have had a very successful launch of SACRU, which is already promoting various research working groups. We’re also preparing for visiting professorships at our allies’ schools and launching a weeklong summer global training program in 2023 for roughly 50 doctoral students annually.

And we have signed five major MOUs with the Jesuit Refugee Service, the Pontifical Council of Culture, and three major Jesuit research universities. We are pleased with the accomplishments that we have achieved thus far.”

Fr. Keenan said the move of OIP and OISS under the umbrella of Global Engagement will strengthen their outreach, allow them to work more closely together, and create more diverse and rigorous opportunities for international study.

He praised former OIP Director Nick Gozik—who left BC to become dean of global engagement at Elon University last month—for being “an enormous help” in the transition.

“Larry Pickener is doing a superb job as OIP interim director, with the search for the new OIP director to begin in April,” said Fr. Keenan. “We want OIP to have a global reach that is more reflective of a Research 1 University, and this means working with undergraduate program directors to make study abroad a more ambitious time for developing students’ academic portfolios, and offering a program that is more expansive than our predominantly Western European offerings.”

He added that OISS Director Adrienne Nussbaum “has been indispensable on the Global Engagement Committee; in time, we will have conversations about other ways to support our graduate students coming from overseas.”

What’s next?

BC’s academic leadership has welcomed the changes.

“It makes complete sense that the Office of International Programs works under the umbrella of Global Engagement,” said Vice Provost for Undergraduate Academic Affairs Akua Sarr. “The mission of OIP to educate students for an increasingly diverse world is directly in line with the vision of Global Engagement to advance international education and global cooperation on our campus. The promotion of internationalization is an important strategic goal for BC, and I think this partnership will be fruitful. I look forward to continuing to work with Jim Keenan, Larry Pickener and the entire Global Engagement team.”

Added Vice Provost for Faculties Billy Soo, “OISS has come a long way from when its sole role was to assist international students and scholars with visas. Today, it has a host of programs and services that help welcome and integrate our international community with the greater Boston College universe. With the establishment of the Office of Global Engagement, OISS has found a natural home where they can share their expertise and experience to a broader company who have the shared goal of magnifying Boston College’s presence in and impact on the world.”

Fr. Keenan noted the potential for additional partnerships with universities whose expertise aligns with Boston College’s interests and strengths: At present, a group of BC faculty are in discussions with their counterparts at the Ateneo, the Javeriana, and Saint-Joseph, he said, and by next semester he expects some 50 BC faculty to be “building bridges” with the Jesuit universities in Manila, Bogotá, and Beirut. Three more MOUs are likely to be signed this spring with the Jesuit Hekima University in Nairobi, Trinity College Dublin, and eventually a major Jesuit university in India.

“These six universities, together with the seven universities in SACRU—located in 13 very different international cities—will be the critical, global partners that will define BC’s actual and future global engagement. We are very excited about the future of global engagement at Boston College.”

—Jack Dunn