Boston College Chronicle

FEBRUARY 14, 2019 VOL. 26 NO. 11

PUBLISHED BY THE BOSTON COLLEGE OFFICE OF UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS

‘Crucial Contributors’

INSIDE 3 MLK Scholarship Banquet

BC Law School Dean Vincent Rougeau will speak at the Feb. 19 event, which will include presentation of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Scholarship.

International Studies appointments seen to enhance interdisciplinary research and teaching

4 Another Honor for BCDS

BC Dining Services has been named Innovator of the Year by Food Management.

BY SEAN SMITH CHRONICLE EDITOR

8 BC Research

Earth and Environmental Sciences faculty member Carling Hay and colleagues believe the last ice age is responsible for variations in sea level along the U.S. East Coast.

(L-R) Connell School of Nursing freshmen Jaclyn, Alexa, and Kylie Russell: “They really care about each other,” says a fellow Connell School student. “They are friends, not just sisters.” photo by lee pellegrini

Motherhood Across Borders

Three’s No Crowd The Russell triplets have taken their ‘stick-togetherness’ to Boston College, and they–and their friends and family–couldn’t be happier

Ever since the Russell triplets—Boston College freshmen Alexa, Kylie, and Jaclyn—were little girls, their father would seeks to offer insights, and hold up three fingers and say, “Stick together.” change attitudes, about Today, the Connell School of Nursing maternal migration students from Marshfield, Mass., are sticking together in a profound way.

BY PHIL GLOUDEMANS They take two classes together, study STAFF WRITER together in O’Neill Library, play basketball together on an intramural team, and eat “La deje, pero no la abandone.” breakfast (Lyons), lunch (Eagle’s Nest), and “I left her, but I did not abandon her.” dinner (McElroy) together most days.

“Children left behind” is a phrase comTo help their now empty-nester parents monly used to refer to children of immiadjust to life at home without their three grant parents who reside in the country of daughters, they meet mom and dad nearly origin, while the parents live in the host every Thursday night for dinner—togethcountry. But the notion that leaving a child er—in a restaurant near campus. behind is synonymous with abandonment Dad could not have scripted it any betis soundly rejected by mothers who have ter. migrated to the U.S.—a crucial point at the Believed to be the first triplets at Boston heart of Lynch School of Education and College to study in the same school with Human Development Assistant Professor the same major, the Russells have made Gabrielle Oliveira’s recently published book, quite an impression on the campus, excelMotherhood Across Borders: Immigrants and ling in the classroom and turning heads Continued on page 4 among classmates who can’t help but no-

Lynch School’s Oliveira

tice the energetic trio and admire the bond that exists between them.

“The first thing you notice when you are with them is how comfortable they are with one another,” said Jordan Wietrecki, a fellow first-year nursing student from Medfield, Mass. “They really care about each other. They are friends, not just sisters.

They are also three of the most genuine people I have ever met. I consider myself lucky to call them friends and to be studying nursing with them at BC.” The triplets say that growing up, they had always been interested in science and health care. Their grandparents lived with them, and after their grandmother was involved in a car accident, she received nursing care at their home. Witnessing the visiting nurses firsthand piqued their interest in the field.

“We all did internships in high school that really sealed the deal,” said Jaclyn, who everyone knows as “Jackie.”

Jackie and Alexa interned at South Shore Hospital in Weymouth; Kylie at

Continued on page 6

The five newest International Studies faculty members represent a diversity of research and teaching interests befitting an interdisciplinary program with a global outlook: the intersection of economic growth, innovation, and international trade; the relationship between protest movements and democratization; global capitalism in imperial and post-colonial settings; the depiction of political history in film; and the influence of ethics and religion on international politics.

Collectively, their defining experiences make for an impressive sweep of academic, social, and formational activities: They include involvement in Iran’s pro-democracy movement, winning a national innovation award as a high school student, publishing an award-winning book on international finance and war, and working on projects in conflict alleviation and recovery.

These qualities, according to International Studies Program Director Erik Owens, make the five “crucial contributors to the University’s broad effort to enhance interdisciplinary scholarship and teaching.” Four of the new faculty were hired with joint tenured or tenure-track appointments in other departments: Assistant Professor Danial Lashkari (Economics); Assistant Professor Stacie Kent (History); Assistant Professor Ali Kadivar (Sociology); and Professor Jonathan Kirshner (Political Science). The fifth, ethicist Mara Willard, serves a three-year term as a visiting assistant professor in International Studies.

“Each completed rigorous disciplinary training in his or her field and has chosen to research and teach in ways, and about issues, that cross disciplines in illuminat-

Continued on page 5

“It’s not like we’re changing things; it’s been going on here for a long time. We’re actually naming what the school does.”

–Trustee Peter Lynch ’65, Hon.’95, page 3

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February 14, 2019

Around Campus

New Gallery 203 Exhibition Challenges Ideas About Diversity, Heritage, Culture Twenty-one works of art in a variety of media, now on display through Feb. 25 in Carney Hall’s Gallery 203, are as diverse as their makers: two members of the Boston College community and residents from Newton, Allston, Waltham, Cambridge, Arlington, Bridgewater, and Lowell.

The works comprise “Multiformity,” which explores and challenges the commonalities and differences in cultural diversity and ideologies.

A collaboration between the Boston College Arts Council and Waltham-based nonprofit Art in Suburbia [www.artinsuburbia. org], the exhibition allows viewers “to challenge preconceived notions about diversity, heritage, and multiculturalism,” according to organizers: “What are our immediate thoughts when we think of ‘cultural diversity’? What role does our heritage play in our daily lives, and interactions with others?”

“Multiformity”’s guest curator, Art in Suburbia Executive Director Linda Ferrer, highlights the interactions between diverse cultures and socio-political world views, putting into consideration the relationship between multiculturalism and its impact on local culture. The exhibitions Ferrer curates build a platform of intent for inquiry and dialogue through creative expression.

“It is important as artists, and as a community for others, to have an open dialogue with individuals outside of our

Celine Jia Rong Lim ‘20, left, explained her photography work to Ryan Gutierrez ‘19 and Lauren Bynum ‘19 at the opening of “Multiformity.” photo by christopher huang

immediate reach,” said Arts Council Program Administrator Tatiana Flis of the collaboration. “We see the art poised in such a way that it allows viewers [to engage in] critical conversations that can range from political complexities and social injustices to love and beauty. “‘Multiformity’ gives us an opportunity to have these experiences and conversations with our local community, as well as with

artists from different backgrounds.”

The exhibition brings relevant topics and the community together “in a way that engages one’s feelings and responses to the world around us,” she adds. “It encourages our artists to be observant, curious, and reflective in a way that pushes them out of their own bubble, and to share experiences with individuals outside of their daily lives.”

Among the nine artists whose work is on display are BC junior Celine Jia Rong Lim and Media Technology Services Associate Director Darren M. Herlihy. Area resident participants are Ferrer, Zhanna Cantor, Natalia Arbelaez, Kim Triedman, Rocky Cotard, Jessica TranVo, and Ruth Cantor. Their works include acrylic paintings on canvas, acrylic paintings on fabric, digital collages, mixed media collages, photography, and conceptual installation pieces.

“Boston College has opened its doors to a variety of diverse artists in the community and from other municipalities,” Ferrer said. “In this exhibition, much of what we gather is inspired by the artworks. But in order to delve deeper in understanding the pieces and each other, we encourage conversation with the artists and analysis of our own feelings.”

“Boston is a city rich in diversity, culture, and individuality,” said Kelly O’Donovan ’19, Arts Council Student Gallery director. “We’ve been able to coalesce experiences in a way that prompts both students and community members to actively reflect on the role diversity plays in their lives. This exhibition serves as a vehicle for this dialogue.”

“Multiformity” is sponsored by the Boston College Arts Council.

–Rosanne Pellegrini

Longtime Dining Services Administrator Ryan Departs University After 40 Years

Massachusetts Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito ’88 spoke on Monday in the Walsh Hall Function Room. During her talk, she fielded questions from a panel of students—Amirah Orozco ’19, Lucy Kaneb ’19, and Ignacio Fletcher ’21—who asked her about her ideas on and approach to achieving civil discourse in politics. photo by lee pellegrini

ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT FOR UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS

Jack Dunn SENIOR DIRECTOR FOR UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS

CONTRIBUTING STAFF

Christine Balquist Phil Gloudemans Ed Hayward Rosanne Pellegrini Kathleen Sullivan

Chronicle

PHOTOGRAPHERS

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

Patricia Delaney EDITOR

Sean Smith

Assistant Director of Purchasing and Nutrition for Auxiliary Services Patricia Ryan—better known to her colleagues as “Pat”—has retired after 40 years of service to Boston College. Ryan was responsible for purchasing the culinary equipment, healthy foods, and sustainable products necessary for Boston College’s dining operations.

Ryan joined Boston College Dining Services in 1979 on her birthday, April 9, as an administrative dietitian. In this role, she purchased food for the University and planned meals for those with special diets.

Over the years, her responsibilities grew and she was eventually in charge of the purchasing of millions of dollars of food, beverages, and supplies for Boston College.

“I’ve often deemed Pat a superb leader within our department and the food service industry,” said Associate Vice President

Gary Gilbert Lee Pellegrini Peter Julian

for Auxiliary Services Patricia Bando. “She readily shared her talents with her peers, customers, vendors, and University departments. She has set high managerial benchmarks for our team.”

Throughout her 40 years, according to Bando, Ryan has helped respond to many challenging situations: quickly procuring 600 gallons of bottled water for use in food production during a four-day boil-water advisory in 2010, for example, and helping move industrial refrigerators up many stairs into the concession stands when Alumni Stadium was built in 1995.

“Her high degree of dedication to her job, the department, and the University is unmatched,” said Bando. “I thank my lucky stars to have had the honor of working with her.”

–Christine Balquist

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Chronicle

February 14, 2019

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Rougeau to Deliver Keynote at MLK Banquet Feb. 19 event to include annual presentation of Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Scholarship Boston College Law School Dean Vincent Rougeau will be the keynote speaker at the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Scholarship Banquet on Feb. 19 at 5:30 p.m. in the Yawkey Center Murray Room.

Highlighting the event—which draws administrators, faculty, staff, students, alumni, and friends of the University community—will be the presentation of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Scholarship, honoring 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 candidates are Sydney Boyd, Thair Brown, Nwamaka Nnaeto, Michael Osaghae, and Omonosagiagbon Owens.

Rougeau, who is in his eighth year

Law School Dean Vincent Rougeau. photo by gary wayne gilbert

as BC Law dean, is recognized as an advocate for legal education reform. He has led a reorganization in leadership structure at BC Law that supports a more holistic approach to student services, expands the school’s national and international recruitment of a diverse student body, and enhances the school’s commitment to experiential learning and global engagement. BC Law was 26th in the most recent U.S. News and World Report rankings of “Best Graduate Schools,” an eight-point improvement over the previous two ranking cycles.

Under Rougeau, the school has introduced the Center for Experiential Learning, which brings all BC Law’s hands-on training programs under one roof, and the Global Practice Program, an initiative that builds on the school’s longstanding

presence in Europe with new opportunities for students in Dublin, Germany, Chile, France, and other locations around the globe.

An expert in Catholic social thought, Rougeau is author of Christians in the American Empire: Faith and Citizenship in the New World Order. His current research and writing examines the relationship between religious identity and notions of democratic citizenship and membership in highly mobile and increasingly multicultural democratic societies.

For questions about the King Scholarship Banquet, send e-mail to mlkjr@ bc.edu.

–University Communications

University to Host Forum on Intercultural Skills Event seen as valuable to internationalization of campus communities and fostering inclusivity

Trustee Peter S. Lynch ’65, Hon.’95 (with daughter Mary Witkowski) at the Jan. 30 symposium marking the formal re-naming of the Lynch School of Education, of which he and his late wife Carolyn were benefactors and namesakes. The school is now known as the Lynch School of Education and Human Development. photo by lee pellegrini

Lynch Praises New Name for LSOE as ‘What the School Does’ “A great moment” was how Boston College benefactor and Board of Trustees member Peter S. Lynch ’65, Hon. ’95 summed up the Jan. 30 name-enhancement event that officially added “Human Development” to the Lynch School of Education eponym.

“It’s not like we’re changing things; it’s been going on here for a long time. We’re actually naming what the school does,” he noted during remarks that followed a symposium in the Yawkey Center’s Murray Room, “Partnering with Schools and Communities to Foster Human Development,” that featured Lynch School of Education and Human Development Professors Belle Liang and Eric Dearing and Associate Professor Rebecca Lowenhaupt.

“Two-thirds of the [undergraduate] students major in applied psychology and human development, and 40 percent of

the faculty teach within this discipline. The two elements of the school’s name—education and human development—relate to each other every minute of the day.”

Lynch characterized his family’s involvement in the school as the “greatest thing we’ve ever done” among the numerous philanthropic ventures of the Lynch Foundation, which he established with his late wife Carolyn in 1988. Both children of educators, the Lynches went to public schools and attended college on scholarships. In 1999, the couple contributed more than $10 million to the school, resulting in its formal renaming in their honor in November 2000.

“The most important four years of my life were here at Boston College,” said Lynch in closing.

—Phil Gloudemans

Boston College will host the third Boston Intercultural Skills Conference (BISC) on March 1, an annual gathering of faculty, international education professionals, and others focused on the internationalization of campus communities and the promotion of inclusion. This year’s BISC will explore generational differences and their impact on international education, and how colleges and universities should appreciate and respond to the ever-changing needs, expectations, and characteristics of incoming students.

Presenting the keynote address and workshop, “The Cross-Generational Higher Education Environment: Generational Awareness as an Intercultural Skill,” will be Rachel Reiser, assistant dean for undergraduate student experience and services at the Boston University Undergraduate Academic and Career Development Center.

As organizers note, the current collegeage generation has been shaped in part by greater access to, and use of, the Internet and social media, as well as post-9/11 attitudes and practices regarding safety and security. Breakout sessions at BISC—such as “Making Technology Work for FirstGeneration College Students in an International Context” and “Preparing Students for a Changing Workforce by Leveraging Intercultural and International Learning”—will touch on these and other generational characteristics and features, and what they portend for higher education programming and practices.

“BISC continues to serve as one of the few opportunities in the country for faculty and staff to gain intercultural knowledge and skills, which allow them to be better mentors to students,” said Nick Gozik, di-

rector of BC’s Office of International Programs and the McGillycuddy-Logue Center for Undergraduate Global Studies, who will offer concluding remarks with Reiser.

“While BISC will benefit participants from a number of institutions around the country, it will also do much to feed into internationalization efforts at Boston College, which have taken off over the past several years and which are featured in the University’s most recent Strategic Plan.

“The conference likewise reflects Boston College’s mission of fostering intentionality and reflection among its students, in line with the University’s Jesuit history and values.”

Other Boston College speakers at BISC will be: Director of University Counseling Services Craig Burns; Associate Professor of Romance Languages and Literature and African and African Diaspora Studies Régine Michelle Jean-Charles; Lynch School of Education and Human Development Associate Dean for Faculty Ana M. Martínez Alemán; Assistant Dean/Director of the Office of International Students and Scholars Adrienne Nussbaum; International Studies Program Director Erik Owens, an associate professor of the practice in the Theology Department; Lynch School Associate Professor of Educational Leadership and Higher Education Heather RowanKenyon; and Associate Professor of the Practice in Communication Celeste Wells.

BISC is free for all BC staff, faculty, and graduate students. Information and registration is available at www.bc.edu/offices/ international/events/BISC.html; the registration deadline is Feb. 20.

—University Communications

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February 14, 2019

‘You Are Here, But Your Heart Is There’ Continued from page 1

Their Children in Mexico and New York.

Drawing on more than three years of ethnographic research, Oliveira, an anthropologist and São Paulo, Brazil, native, provides insights into the many consequences of maternal migration, and particularly parenting from afar; how transnational families stay together; how violence and poverty frequently drive a mother’s migration; and how education plays such an important motivational role in family separation.

She relayed the comments of an emotional Guatemalan mother, now in the U.S., who called into WNYC-FM’s “The Brian Lehrer Show” during a recent book tour interview with Oliveira: “I came here,” said the caller, “but I never stopped caring about my children; I never abandoned them.”

“Did I represent the participants in the most truthful way possible?” Oliveira asked rhetorically. “That is what I cared most about in writing this book.”

More than half the migrants worldwide are women, and an increasing number of Mexican female immigrants migrate solo to the U.S., leaving their children behind in the care of relatives or friends; most work to support their children, and a critical justification for the mothers’ move was their child’s access to better education.

Oliveira noted that migrant mothers who leave their children behind are frequently and unfairly demonized, but she argues that they’re “being the best mothers they can be, and they’re in fact, reassembling motherhood, and still playing a central role in their children’s lives.” Mothering, she says, becomes an “unbounded practice, where mothers do not necessarily live in the same household but are very

much present and involved in the everyday lives of the children they have left behind.”

In her 272-page book, Oliveira shares the story of Sara, a Mexican single mother who migrated to New York City 14 years ago, leaving her five-year-old son Agustin behind in the care of his maternal grandmother in a small Mexican town. While in New York, Sara met a man, and they had a son, Felipe. When asked about separation from Agustin but also having a child in New York, she said: “One feels divided, you are here, but your heart sometimes is there. I know I left him with the best care I could ask for and now I have a child here.

It’s hard, but I think it’s better this way.”

During their conversation, Sara received a text from Agustin, in Mexico, asking to go out with his friends. Sara responded: “It’s late already; what did your grandmother say?” Agustin replied that she said it would be OK as long as Sara allowed him to go. Sara agreed, with the stipulation that he had to return home by 9 p.m.—it was a school night—and he had to text her when he returned. When he did not abide by his curfew, his grandmother called Sara instead of Agustin, asking her to phone him because she was concerned. Simultaneously, Sara was coping with her East Harlem-based son, Felipe, who was crying in frustration because he couldn’t play with his cousin’s action figure.

Oliveira characterized the numerous, daily interactions of cross-border parenting as “transnational care constellations,” with mothers assuming the central role of authority. As she outlines in her book, the mother supplies financial support, grants or denies permission, and makes decisions about school-related activities.

“However, when she did not deliver...

she was criticized, and blamed for everything that went wrong, and felt guilty and helpless,” wrote Oliveira. “When the discussion was about schooling—homework, classes, teachers, uniforms, books, summer classes, field trips, grades, parent-teacher conferences—the mothers were able to communicate their desires and assert their authority by giving children orders. Providing a better education was the topic that participants in the care constellation thought to be the most important or the reason behind familial separation.”

Oliveira, no stranger to immigration herself, stressed that the influence of migration cannot be fully understood by examining just one side of the border.

“Schooling, achievement and educational experiences differ for separated siblings in Mexico and New York City,” she says.

“This book provides a nuanced analysis of migration’s many faces, and contributes to existing scholarship on how transnational migration and people’s mobility shape the lives of children and youth ‘left behind,’ ‘brought over,’ and ‘born here.’” photo by lee pellegrini

Migrant mothers who leave their children behind are frequently and unfairly demonized, but Oliveira argues that they’re “being the best mothers they can be, and they’re in fact, re-assembling motherhood, and still playing a central role in their children’s lives.”

Motherhood Across Borders: Immigrants and Their Children in Mexico and New York has won the Ethnography in Education Research Forum’s inaugural “Outstanding Ethnography in Education Book Award,” which honors a book-length academic publication, issued within the past three years, that draws on ethnographic inquiry into education. Oliveira will be presented with the award at the forum’s 40th annual conference at the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education on Feb. 22-23.

BC Dining Services Named ‘Innovator of the Year’ Menu updates, sustainability initiatives, mobile ordering, communication with students cited among key elements of BCDS operations

Boston College Dining Services has been named “College Innovator of the Year”

by Food Management, a magazine which covers the non-commercial foodservice industry.

Food Management highlighted programs and initiatives such as menu and venue updates, sustainability initiatives, and GET mobile ordering that reflect BCDS’s drive to be on the cutting edge of food service.

“The young customer base at a university desires innovation,” said Director of Dining Services Beth Emery. “Our students inspire us to continually think outside the box.”

The strides BCDS has made to be more sustainable, such as hiring a sustainability manager and creating an action committee of student groups, were prompted by an increase in passion and feedback from BC students on the topic, BCDS administrators said.

“Innovation led to our sustainability

BCDS Director Beth Emery: “Our students inspire us to continually think outside the box.” photo by lee pellegrini

initiatives, our waste tracking systems, and how we choose our vendors and their products,” said Executive Chef Frank Bailey. “Innovation has made us a much better member of our community.”

Bailey is involved in developing creative menus for “pop-up” meals with the BCDS Catering team. These events, among the initiatives highlighted by Food Management, range from “scraps” dinners, where BCDS staff highlight delicious ways to use what would traditionally be considered waste, to a multi-course fine dining experience.

Emery cites Bailey as among the members of her “talented team” who have made significant contributions to BCDS’s innovation. They include Associate Director of Restaurant Operations Megan O’Neill, who led the GET mobile ordering initiative and its partnership with a student-run business that provides deliveries of advance orders, and McElroy Commons General Manager Michael Forcier, who oversaw the

redesign of the student-run Co Ro (College Road) Café & Market which now serves flatbread pizza, Starbucks coffee, and kombucha on tap. Co Ro also provides students a gathering space with laptop outlets and a location to host musical performances.

Emery and her team find inspiration for innovative changes from the competition around Boston. They frequently go to locations around the city and bring back new ideas for on-campus dining such as açai bowls and fast-casual dining. BCDS also strives to renew their menu options through the BC Test Kitchen, which accepts recipe suggestions from students, staff, and faculty.

“We love being on the cutting edge of food service, keeping up with the latest trends and having a true passion for food and service,” said Assistant Director of Catering Scott Powers. “Beth Emery has created a culture in BC Dining that allows us to be innovative in everything that we do.”

—Christine Balquist

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February 14, 2019

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New Faculty Bolster BC Int. Studies Continued from page 1

ing ways,” adds Owens. “Each also reflects Boston College’s commitment to global engagement, both in the international content of the courses they teach, but also in the international experience they bring in their personal and professional lives.”

The joint appointments between the IS Program and the four departments, he explains, are “a constructive way of formalizing the relationship so that the expectations of teaching, advising, service, and scholarship are fairly distributed and clear to all parties. The common goal is to have new faculty members truly flourish at BC, eventually earning tenure and integrating themselves into the life of the University and, of course, their home program and departments.”

tive,” says Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences Dean Gregory Kalscheur, S.J. “I’m delighted that we’ve been able to add such a strong cohort of new faculty with joint appointments in International Studies this year, and I’ll look forward to working with these new colleagues as we continue to strengthen the University’s global impact in the years ahead.”

The IS newcomers have a similarly favorable impression of the program and its students.

“My career trajectory has been somewhat unusual in that I have been in many different disciplines along the way, before settling at last on economics,” says Lashkari, an expert in economic growth, innovation, and international trade. “Therefore,

New International Studies faculty members (clockwise from far left): Ali Kadivar, Stacie Kent, Mara Willard, Danial Lashkari, and Jonathan Kirshner.

courses.” Her classes at BC include Colonial Pasts/Global Presents, which explores both the continuities and discontinuities between the colonial era and the globalization of today.

“My appointment in the History Department is in global history, which is still an uncommon position within the discipline. BC is ahead of the curve in recognizing that a better understanding of the present ‘global condition’ is improved through a historical perspective and that one can ask historical questions that are properly answered at the global scale.”

Kent holds a bachelor’s degree in international studies from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, and master’s and doctoral degrees in history from the University of Chicago. She sees BC students as “highly motivated and eager to engage with ideas and texts that deepen their understanding of experiences they have had or observations they have made about the world in which they live.”

Kadivar, who earned degrees from the University of Tehran and University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, was drawn to BC because of the Sociology Department’s strength in fields such as global and transnational sociology, comparative historical analysis, and sociology of development.

However, he adds, “beyond sociology I draw from political science, history, and area studies. So I find International Studies an ideal home since we have faculties from various disciplines and we promote interdisciplinary approaches in our teaching.

My students are professional, hardworking, and engaging—every time that I leave class I feel energized and cheered up, looking forward to our next meeting.”

Snapshot

photos by lee pellegrini and peter julian

One of Boston College’s oldest interdisciplinary programs, International Studies has seen a 102 percent increase during the past 10 years in the number of students— the current figure is 267—choosing it as a major and has consistently been among the top 10 most popular undergraduate minors. There are good reasons for this, says Owens.

“At its best, International Studies embodies the forms of interdisciplinary teaching and learning that prepare students to think and act in complex working environments after graduation.” In his recent conversations with IS students and alumni, Owens adds, “they consistently described it as rigorous, flexible, interdisciplinary, and global—four key themes that also dovetail with the University’s Strategic Plan’s initiatives.”

“Increasing global aspects of the BC curriculum is an important initiative in the University’s Strategic Plan, and enhancing faculty strength in the International Studies Program will make an important contribution to implementing that initia-

being part of a multidisciplinary program along with colleagues from other fields has certainly been an important aspect of joining the IS faculty. I accepted the position hoping for rewarding and enriching interactions with faculty and students with broad and diverse perspectives on ideas and goals in their academic and professional careers.”

An Iran native, Lashkari won the National Student Award of Innovation in 1998 and later earned degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Tehran.

He also holds doctorates in electrical engineering and computer science from MIT and political economy and government from Harvard University.

“With the students in the classes I taught in the first semester and my advisees,” he says, “I have come across many motivated and brilliant minds, who are eager to learn and succeed and yet maintain a refreshing sense of humility.”

Kent, who describes IS as a “robust major,” appreciates the program’s “invitation to think creatively about issue-oriented

His experience as a participant-observer in Iran’s failed pro-democracy movement prompted Kadivar to study the characteristics of other similar efforts—successful or not—around the globe, and what tactics and strategies are conducive to democracy.

He is currently teaching Protest and Social Movements in the Middle East.

Kirshner pursues research in international relations, political economy, and politics and film, and has authored American Power after the Financial Crisis and Hollywood’s Last Golden Age: Politics, Society and the Seventies Film in America. Another book, Appeasing Bankers: Financial Caution on the Road to War—on how financial interests and international financial markets can influence states’ grand strategies and decisions about war and peace—won an award from the International Security Studies Section of the International Studies Association. [Kirshner is profiled in this issue’s “Welcome Additions” on page 7.]

Willard, a former visiting scholar at BC’s Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life whose degrees include a master’s in divinity and a Ph.D. in the Study of Religion from Harvard, worked with the Center for Strategic and International Studies and USAID in conflict alleviation and recovery. In addition to her Ethics, Religion, and International Politics class, Willard has co-taught Where on Earth?, a new course in the International Studies core curriculum examining the meaning of “place” as the basic building block for a globalizing world, from geographical location to cyberspace.

To find out more about the International Studies Program and its faculty, go to www. bc.edu/isp.

PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER HUANG

Black History Month

University Trustee Steve Pemberton ’89, Hon. ’15, was the featured speaker at “Still I Rise,” the Black History Month opening celebration hosted by the Thea Bowman AHANA and Intercultural Center on Feb. 6 in Gasson 100. Also appearing were student performance groups PATU (Presenting Africa to You), Voices of Imani, FISTS (Females Incorporating Sisterhood Through Step), BC Slam!, and BEATS (Black Experience in America Through Song). For more on Black History Month at BC, see www.bc.edu/baic.

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February 14, 2019

Plenty of Room at BC for Three Russells Continued from page 1

Tufts Medical Center in Boston.

The siblings did not necessarily plan to go to college together, but they hoped to stay close to Boston to take advantage of its world-class hospitals.

“We all applied to several colleges and universities, but BC was our first choice,” said Kylie. “When we received our acceptances, we all said, ‘I’m going to go. I’m going to go, too!’ Now that we’re all here, we can’t imagine being apart.”

Added Alexa, “We get along really well.

We occasionally fight over little things, but we have always been close.”

Jackie says that while the siblings see each other every day, they each have their own roommate and friend group, and have developed individual bonds with the 105 first-year nursing students in what is now BC’s most selective undergraduate school.

“The nursing program is small, but BC is big enough that we can each find our own way.”

They have succeeded in doing just that.

Each lives in a different residence hall, and each has her own favorite spot on campus. Kylie likes walking across Middle Campus: “It can be raining, it can be sunny, it can be snowing, and it still looks beautiful.” Alexa prefers the walkway between Stokes Hall North and South. Jackie enjoys the view of the reservoir and Boston skyline as she makes her way to the Rec Plex in the morning. Each has a different career plan for the future, with Alexa hoping to work in a maternity ward, Jackie in an intensive care unit, and Kylie most likely in oncology.

Each, friends say, also has her own personality.

“Jackie is super-motivated and is at the gym every day before class,” said Wietrecki.

“Alexa is quiet at first but has a kind heart and is a really good friend. Kylie has high energy and is one of the funniest people I have ever met. She provides comic relief just when you need it most.”

For their parents, Kelley, a pre-school

aide in Marshfield, and Paul, a captain in the Boston Police Department who works nearby in District 14 in Brighton, having all three of their daughters at BC has been a blessing.

“We are very proud of the girls,” said Paul. “They worked so hard in high school and their work has been rewarded. I tell them all of the time how much I love them, but they will never know how much I do until they have kids of their own.”

The Russell household had been one of constant motion with the two working parents juggling the schedules of three energetic and high-achieving teenagers who each played a different sport.

“They made it to every game,” marveled Jackie. “Dad would drive to games more than an hour away after a hard day’s work to see me play five minutes in a basketball game. They were so supportive all of the time.”

The triplets recall their doting father telling them when they were little that he was going to go to college with them.

“Now,” said Alexa, “he is right down the street.”

Asked what it is like to have their father working as a Boston Police captain nearby, Kylie responds demurely, “We have not found out yet.”

They did, however, bump into their father unexpectedly one evening in Alumni Stadium when they and their fellow students stormed the field after a BC football game. “Our father was working a detail and asking students to leave the field when we suddenly ran into him,” Jackie said.

“He smiled and hugged us.”

The triplets have found strong mentorship among BC faculty and administrators as well, especially with Eileen Sullivan, assistant director of the nursing laboratories in the Connell School, whom they first met at Accepted Students Day. “I absolutely love them,” said Sullivan.

“They share core values of reliability and honesty, but they have their own personali-

“The nursing program is small, but BC is big enough that we can each find our own way.”

–Jaclyn “Jackie” Russell (left) “We get along really well. We occasionally fight over little things, but we have always been close.”

–Alexa Russell (center) “Now that we’re all here, we can’t imagine being apart.” photo by lee pellegrini

ties. Kylie does most of the talking, Alexa is more reserved, and Jackie is in the middle.

But they are all so committed to each other. They are remarkable individuals from a truly loving family.”

The triplets have also won Sullivan’s respect for their hard work in the Brown Family Learning Lab in Maloney Hall, where they clean the simulation labs and prepare the supply carts for nursing classes.

“They have so much energy and enthusiasm,” said Sullivan. “They are like sponges; they want to take it all in and learn everything. They have a strong work ethic, innate compassion, and a unique ability to draw you to them. They will be

–Kylie Russell (right) wonderful nurses.”

The triplets, who have never spent more than a week apart, know that their “stick-togetherness” gives them a closeness that few will ever know, but that Boston College, with its myriad offerings, will give them opportunities to grow as individuals as they prepare for a career helping others.

“For us, BC has been the perfect place,” said Jackie.

“It is awesome and we couldn’t be happier,” said Alexa.

“It has all worked out so well,” said Kylie. “We could not have asked for anything more.”

—Jack Dunn and Kathleen Sullivan

Robsham Spring Season Presents a Classic: ‘Hamlet’ You can count Professor of Theatre Scott T. Cummings among the many fans of “Hamlet,” which he’ll direct Feb. 21-24 at Robsham Theater Arts Center’s Bonn Studio. “‘Hamlet’ is a juggernaut. It’s a theatrical Mount Everest,” he said. “I feel so lucky to be working on this play with this group of talented and dedicated students.

To perform such an expansive play in such intimate surroundings should make for an interesting experience.”

Considered to be William Shakespeare’s masterpiece, “Hamlet” follows the brilliant but vengeful Prince of Denmark, who finds himself at the intersection of betrayal and devastation via family treachery, murder, and suicide.

“You have to come at it well-prepared

and one step at a time,” Cummings explained. “To help with that, students involved in the production are also enrolled in a Shakespeare Performance Workshop that I am teaching. We’re looking at the play in various contexts to form a foundation for our work in rehearsal.”

“Hamlet” was widely performed and regarded as influential during Shakespeare’s lifetime, and its appeal has endured over centuries.

“Shakespeare’s theater puts dramatic verse and the spoken text front and center and we are trying to concentrate on that,” said Cummings. “It’s a challenge for student actors—all actors really—who are more accustomed to dialogue that aims at realism. Shakespeare’s language is theatrical.

It’s more like music.”

Other spring semester Robsham productions include “The Identity Project,”

by BC Theatre Department students, codirected by Maurice Parent and Dawn M. Simmons. Parent, an award-winning actor, director, and arts educator, is the current Monan Professor in Theatre Arts. He also is the co-founder and executive director of The Front Porch Arts Collective, “a black-led theatre company committed to advancing racial equity in Boston through theater.” Simmons, a director, playwright, and arts administrator, is the collective’s artistic director.

Described as “a devised theater piece written and performed by BC students,” “The Identity Project” will be presented in April on dates to be announced.

On April 24-28, “9 to 5 The Musi-

cal” comes to RTAC’s Main Stage. Based on the 1980 hit comedy movie, it follows three unlikely friends who take control of their office and learn there is nothing they can’t do, even in a “man’s world.”

Music and lyrics for the high-energy show, which is described as “outrageous, thoughtprovoking and even a little romantic,” were written by singer-songwriter Dolly Parton, who also was one of the movie’s stars.

Ticket prices (service fee included) for these productions are $17 for adults; $12 for BC students with valid ID, faculty and staff (one ticket per ID), and seniors. For more information, including performance times, the casts and production teams, see www.bc.edu/offices/robsham/tickets.

—University Communications

Chronicle

February 14, 2019

WELCOME ADDITIONS

BC in the Media

An Introduction to New Faculty at Boston College David Jorgensen

Assistant Research Professor of New Testament Assistant Editor, New Testament Abstracts School of Theology and Ministry DEGREES: Dartmouth College (BA); Harvard Divinity School (MTS), Princeton (MA, PhD).

WHAT HE STUDIES: Biblical studies, church history, New Testament, and patristics.

Jonathan Kirshner

Professor of Political Science and International Studies Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences DEGREES: Johns Hopkins University (BA); Princeton

relations; political economy, especially macroeconomics and money; politics and film.

WHAT HE’S TEACHING: International Political Economy; Introduction to International Studies; The Politics of the Seventies Film.

One of your areas of scholarly interests includes politics and film, and in fact next semester you’re teaching the class Politics of the Seventies Film. Give us an example of a film from that period you think is artistically and politically significant.

“Robert Altman’s mid-period masterpiece ‘Nashville’ was both a landmark of New Hollywood filmmaking as well as a commentary on the state of the nation in the troubled mid-1970s. Or as New York Times political columnist Tom Wicker described it, ‘Nashville’ is a ‘cascade of minutely detailed vulgarity, greed, deceit, cruelty, barely contained hysteria, and the frantic lack of root and grace into which American life has been driven.’”

–Kathleen Sullivan and Sean Smith photos by lee pellegrini and peter julian

University (MA, PhD).

WHAT HE STUDIES: International

Snapshot

7

PHOTOS BY PETER JULIAN

Center for Retirement Research Director Alicia Munnell spoke with Bankrate.com about the Social Security 2100 Act—introduced recently in the House and the Senate—which presents key expansions to Social Security, including raising benefits for all beneficiaries while also increasing the amount that Americans pay into the system.

Assoc. Prof. of the Practice Sam Richardson (Economics) offered comments to WBUR News after President Trump grabbed the attention of Massachusetts pharmaceutical companies when he called drug prices a “major priority” during his State of the Union address.

Federal prosecutors are investigating whether charges should be brought against Pennsylvania dioceses under the RICO

Nota Bene Assoc. Prof. Andrea Vicini (STM) co-authored “Environmental Ethics as Bioethics” in Catholic Bioethics and Social Justice: The Praxis of US Health Care in a Globalized World.

BC bOp! and Full Swing Prof. Maxim D. Shrayer (Slavic and Eastern Languages and Literatures) presented “The Jewishness of the Third Wave Russian Émigré Literature in America” at the Annual Conference of the Association for Jewish Studies in Boston, and discussed Aspettando America, the recently released Italian translation of his book Waiting for America, at Istituta di Cultura e Lingua Russa in Rome.

The Feb. 9 BC bOp! concert in The Rat at Lyons Hall included a swing dance performance and workshop by members of Full Swing—one of whom (below) was almost floored by the experience.

Prof. John J. Michalczyk (Art, Art History, and Film) and Prof. Michael Resler (German Studies) presented their second series of lectures at Catholic University in Bavaria last month. The program, which dealt with the ways in which the United States, Germany, and Russia have confronted their dark pasts, included screenings of their films on the Berlin Wall, the Gulag, and the displaced Jewish orchestra from St. Ottilien. Class of 2018 graduate Solina Jean-Louis, one of their former students, and a current Fulbright scholar in Germany, joined the program to show her documentary of Berlin’s WWII memorials.

The Journal of Business Ethics has accepted for publication the article “An Analysis of Glass Ceiling Perceptions in the Accounting Profession,” co-authored

by Prof. Jeffrey Cohen (CSOM).

Assoc. Prof. Eric Weiskott (English) co-curated an online colloquy, “Prosody: Alternative Histories,” for Arcade, a digital salon at the Department of English at Stanford University. The colloquy features different submissions from emerging to internationally known scholars and poets in the United States, England, and Israel.

Act. Libby Professor of Law and Theology Cathleen Kaveny discussed the case in a piece for Commonweal.

Prof. Marc Landy (Political Science) wrote about presidential use of emergency powers, in an op-ed for Real Clear Politics.

Prof. Emeritus Andy Hargreaves (LSOEHD) co-authored a piece for The Conversation stressing that, in addition to improving children’s reading abilities and interests, priority must also be given to mathematical skills. The Scotsman cited Hargreaves’ remarks in a story on standardized testing.

In a Q&A with the Chronicle of Higher Education, O’Neill Professor of American Politics R. Shep Melnick—author of the 2018 book The Transformation of Title IX: Regulating Gender Equality in Education— contended that Title IX’s reach extends far beyond its original purpose.

Asst. Prof. Michael Serazio (Communication), appearing on WGBH-TV’s “Greater Boston,” talked about the 2019 “Worldwide Threat Assessment” issued by the intelligence community, which contradicts President Trump’s stances on a range of matters.

Jobs The following are among the most recent positions posted by the Department of Human Resources. For more information on employment opportunities at Boston College, see www.bc.edu/offices/hr: Manager, Facilities Management Information Systems Director, Annual and Leadership Giving, University Advancement Academic and Student Services Assistant, Academic Affairs/Provost Senior Writer, Principal Giving, University Advancement Development Assistant, Marketing and Participation, University Advancement Chef Manager, Dining Services, Dining & Catering/Auxiliary/Public Safety Window Systems Administrator, Information Technology Electronic Resources Access and Discovery Librarian, Academic Affairs/Provost Senior Business Intelligence Analyst/Developer, University Advancement Assistant Director, Career Education and Peer Career Coaching Program, Student Affairs/Residential Life Grant and Contract Post Award Administrator, Academic Affairs/Provost Financial Systems Project Manager, Financial/Budget Staff Assistant, Athletics Professor of Catholic Educational Leadership, Academic Affirs/Provost

Chronicle

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February 14, 2019

BC Research

The Ice Age: Still at Work Even after all these centuries, it continues to shape variations in sea level along the U.S. East Coast, according to Boston College researcher Carling Hay and colleagues

BY ED HAYWARD STAFF WRITER

Along the East Coast of the United States, relative sea level change does not happen uniformly between Maine and Florida.

Data have shown that sea level rise in the Mid-Atlantic region surpassed changes in relative sea level along the coastlines of the South Atlantic and the Gulf of Maine.

A team of researchers including Assistant Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences Carling C. Hay took a look back at historical data through new analytical methods to pinpoint the reason behind the different rates of sea level change.

Assessing data from a range of sources and previous studies, the team concluded that the movement of the earth—referred to as vertical land motion—is the dominant force behind variations in rates of sea level rise up and down the East Coast, the team reported in the journal Nature.

Across the past century, records indicated that sea level rise has varied—from approximately 1.5 feet along the shores of the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia and the beaches near Cape Hatteras, NC, to approximately one foot near New York City and Miami. Along the coast of Maine, the sea level rose only about a half a foot.

The team found that vertical land motion is the primary factor influencing the spatial variability in relative sea level rates, explaining 75 percent of the observed variation along the East Coast, according to the report, titled “Origin of spatial variation in the U.S. East Coast sea-level trends during 1900-2017.” More than two-thirds, or 69 percent, of the observed vertical land motion is due to ongoing effects from the last ice age.

BC Scenes

Carling Hay: “While vertical land movement due to the last ice age is both the dominant driver of the spatial variability in sea level rates and a significant contributor to local sea level change, present day ice melt and heating of the oceans also play a large role in explaining the observation.”

photo by lee pellegrini

“This ice age effect is the largest in Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina,” said Hay, who co-authored the report with colleagues from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Harvard University, Tufts University, and Atmospheric and Environmental Research Inc. “The remaining sea level trends that cannot be explained by vertical land motion also exhibit significant structure, with rates of sea level rise increasing from northern Maine to southern Florida,” Hay said. “This spatial structure is consistent with patterns associated with the combined effects of ice melt, groundwater pumping, and dam building over the last century.”

This study brings together, within a

statistical framework, observations and reconstructions of sea level, vertical land motion data, and physical models of ongoing sea level changes due to the last ice age to determine the sources of the observed variability in 20th-century sea level trends, according to Hay. “We set out to determine whether ongoing sea level changes due the last ice age are driving differences in rates of sea level change along the U.S. East Coast,” said Hay. “Previous studies have disagreed on the source of this variability, mostly because no previous study combined all the different data sources and models, and their respective uncertainties, in a statistically robust framework.”

The researchers examined data across the current and last centuries, including a combination of tide gauge observations, GPS data, sea level reconstructions from salt marsh data, and models of long-term sea-level changes due to previous ice age cycles. They then used statistical methods

PHOTOS BY ROSE LINCOLN

Women’s Summit

The annual Boston College Women’s Summit on Feb. 2 in Robsham Theater included a discussion on work/life balance, above, with (L-R) moderator BC Women’s Center Director Katie Dalton and panelists Helen Ha, Jocelyn Gates, and BC faculty members Tiziana Dearing and Regine Michelle Jean-Charles. Slam poet Sarah Kay, right, gave the keynote address. For more information on the event, see bcwomenssummit.com.

to include all sources of uncertainty and make connections between the different data sets and models. The statistical analysis allowed the team to determine which processes are dominating sea level change in different regions along the coast, Hay said.

Given the results of earlier studies, Hay said the team did not expect to pinpoint the largest sea level changes due to the last ice age so far south along the coast.

“We were surprised that the largest rates of sea level change due to the last ice age are found in Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina,” said Hay. “Numerous previous studies have suggested that the largest ice age effect is in New York, New Jersey, and Delaware. We were also surprised to find that the sea level rates not associated with vertical land motion still exhibit significant spatial trends. This had not been observed in previous work.”

Hay said it is important to note that while some of the sea level trends along the coast are influenced by climate change, this study targets sea level changes due to moving land, specifically those associated with the ongoing effects of the last ice age.

“While vertical land movement due to the last ice age is both the dominant driver of the spatial variability in sea level rates and a significant contributor to local sea level change, present day ice melt and heating of the oceans also play a large role in explaining the observations,” Hay said.

Hay said the next steps in this line of research will be to include additional sea level factors in the statistical model so that researchers can further explore the sources of spatial variability along the coast.

Read the report by Hay and her colleagues at bit.ly/Nature-sea-level-trends.