APRIL 8, 2021 VOL. 28 NO. 13
PUBLISHED BY THE BOSTON COLLEGE OFFICE OF UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
A Transition at the Connell School In farewell address as dean, Gennaro reflects on challenges and lessons of last 13 years
Former CSON faculty member Gregory will return to lead the University’s nursing programs
BY KATHLEEN SULLIVAN STAFF WRITER
With her last semester as dean of the William F. Connell School of Nursing drawing to a close, Susan Gennaro spoke about the lessons she has learned about leadership, service, and nursing at the Spring 2021 Connell School Pinnacle Lecture. During her March 30 talk, she shared how she decided to become the dean of the Connell School, a discernment process that reflected her Jesuit education. “It’s really about the mission and the values. Being able to understand [Boston College’s] mission and being able to really live it has been the most wonderful thing,” said Gennaro, a graduate of Le Moyne College. Gennaro, who has served as Connell School professor and dean since 2008, was
INSIDE 2 Around Campus
Nine new Dining Services initiatives to feast on; Poetry festival tonight.
6 Romero Winner
Daniela Vazquez Loriga earns the coveted Oscar Romero Scholarship.
8 End of an Era
Student weekly The Heights will cease its print operations and become a fully digital publication.
BY JACK DUNN ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT FOR UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
Susan Gennaro photo by caitlin cunningham
the Dr. Maureen P. McCausland Pinnacle Keynote Speaker at the venerable lecture series where each semester a nurse leader speaks to CSON students, staff, faculty, alumni, preceptors, practitioners, and others. Leadership is about helping people to
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Katherine E. Gregory, the associate chief nursing officer (ACNO) for women’s and newborn health, research, and innovation at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), and assistant professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, has been named dean of the Connell School of Nursing. She will succeed Susan Gennaro, who is stepping down at the end of the semester after 13 years as dean. A visionary nurse leader, educator, and researcher, Gregory will return to Boston College where she received a Ph.D. in nursing in 2006 and served as an assistant and associate professor in the Connell School between 2006 and 2014.
Katherine E. Gregory Ph.D. ’06 r. symonds
photo by susan
During her 25-year nursing career, Gregory has risen from a staff nurse in a newborn ICU to the ACNO at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, with a scope of responsibility that includes leadership of a division with approximately 700 nurses and clinical staff, and
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Talent, Diversity Hallmarks of Class of 2025 BY JACK DUNN ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT FOR UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
Boston College has admitted its best and most diverse class in University history, including 42 percent AHANA students, 11 percent first-generation students, and seven percent international students, for the Class of 2025. The students were accepted from a pool of 39,875 applicants—the highest total ever at Boston College—with an admit rate of just 18.9 percent, reflecting the University’s growing admission selectivity. In a year when Boston College and most elite institutions of higher education made standard test scores optional, 61 percent of BC’s accepted students submitted test scores, with an average SAT score of 1495 and ACT of 34. In total, students were accepted from
3,168 high schools located in all 50 states and 75 countries. Fifty-four percent of admitted students come from public/charter schools, 20 percent from Catholic schools, and 26 percent from private/independent schools.
Director of Undergraduate Admission Grant Gosselin praised the admitted students in the Class of 2025 not only for their talents, but for the remarkable resiliency they have shown as COVID-19
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What if we were to invest in each other? What if our singular aim was to create a community of beloved belonging? What if we were to imagine a circle of compassion and then imagine nobody standing outside that circle? What if we chose together in a community of kinship to dismantle the barriers that exclude? – gregory boyle, s.j. m.div. ’84, page 3
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April 8, 2021
Around Campus
Dining Services Rolls with the Changes and Ups Its Game The COVID-19 pandemic has changed almost every aspect of our behavior, including how we eat. Chatty, two-hour dinners have been replaced by meals-to-go, and “contact-free” has emerged as the adjective du jour. But Boston College Dining Services is on a mission to prove that sometimes change can be good (and taste delicious, too). Alix Hackett, senior digital content writer for the Office of University Communications, looks at nine new initiatives for students hungry for something different this semester: 1. Patio pop-ups—Fact: tacos and tater tots are worth standing in (a socially-distanced) line for. Announced on BC Dining’s Instagram page, these one-off foodie events take place on The Patio at Walsh, and are open as long as supplies last (which isn’t long). “I often hear students playing music out their windows, which adds some festivity to it,” said BCDS Director Beth Emery. “It’s a nice vibe.” 2. Pizza delivery—About to call Domino’s for delivery? You should reconsider. Fresh, New York-style pizzas are available for delivery from The Market on Wednesday and Thursday nights, and student employees will bring them directly to the residence hall door. Students can order via the GET Mobile app and use dining bucks, flex plans, or credit cards.
Boston College Dining Services presented “Poutine on the Patio” last week as one of its popup events on The Patio at Walsh Hall. photo by lee pellegrini
3. More on mobile—Requesting your favorite custom deli sandwich from the Eagle’s Nest is now just as easy (and contact-free) as sending a text. The GET Mobile app has more options than ever before (including egg bites and breakfast burritos on weekends) so students can order mealsto-go from pretty much anywhere. 4. BC After Dark—In search of a latenight burger and beer? Students of legal drinking age can now head to Hillside Cafe on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights for a new casual menu (think burgers,
wings, and fries) and drink options ranging from beer and wine to hard seltzer and cider. With warmer weather on the way, distanced patio seating is the way to go. [For more on “BC After Dark,” see page 6.] 5. Green2Go containers—Pandemic rules are designed with safety in mind, but an unfortunate side effect has been an increase in disposable plates and cutlery. Enter: Green2Go reusable containers. Available at Stuart, McElroy, and Lower, these sturdy plastic containers are BPA-free and made of 50 percent recycled materials.
You don’t have to wash them—just drop them in the green bin to be used again and again. 7. Smart lockers—Social distancing during a lunch rush can be tricky, but new smart lockers at Hillside and The Market are an easy way to retrieve to-go orders without standing in line. Just use the GET Mobile app and receive a unique code to access your locker. 8. Inspiring employee stories—“Our team members come from many different backgrounds and different places,” said Emery, so as part of BC Dining’s commitment to food justice and racial equity, they’re sharing a different employee story every Thursday on Instagram. Get to know the frontline workers keeping BC healthy, and read about their all-time favorite meals, by following @bc_dining. 9. Virtual cooking classes—What better time than a pandemic to learn how to cook? BC Dining is partnering with professors and organizations across campus to offer meal kits accompanied by Zoom cooking lessons, so students can create their own feast at home. Upcoming lessons include a traditional Taiwanese meal and a microwave-themed tutorial for students without a kitchen. Follow BC Dining on Instagram [@ bc_dining] for the latest news, pop-ups, and giveaways.
Annual Undergraduate Poetry Festival Is All Set to Go (Virtually) Tonight Students selected by professors at 18 Boston-area colleges and universities will convene virtually this evening at 7 p.m. to read from their poetry, at the annual Greater Boston Intercollegiate Undergraduate Poetry Festival hosted by Boston College. Acclaimed poet, essayist, translator, and human rights activist Martín Espada is
the keynote speaker at the event. He has authored some 20 books including The Republic of Poetry, which received the Paterson Award for Sustained Literary Achievement, and Rebellion Is the Circle of a Lover’s Hands, winner of the PEN/Revson Award and the Paterson Poetry Prize. ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT FOR UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
Jack Dunn SENIOR DIRECTOR FOR UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
“Espada’s poetry gives presence and voice to people whose lives are often marginalized,” said Professor of English Suzanne Matson. “He writes poetry of conscience and passion, and is someone whose example will, I’m sure, feel galvanizing for the students as they think about poetry’s place in the culture.” [Under the auspices of the Lowell Humanities Series, Espada also is the Poetry Days virtual guest on April 14. For information, go to bc.edu/lowell.] This year’s Boston College poet is Sam Harmon ’21, an Army ROTC student majoring in English and political science with a minor in Religion and American Public Life. “Sam writes with tender simplicity about subjects that are themselves often too complex to name,” said Associate Professor of the Practice in English Allison Adair, Harmon’s professor in her Advanced Poetry Workshop. “His voice is that of an
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Christine Balquist Phil Gloudemans Ed Hayward Rosanne Pellegrini Kathleen Sullivan
Chronicle
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Sean Smith
observer, but one still, somehow, with skin in the game. He has flashes of an experimentalist streak—last spring in my course, Experiments in Narrative, he did a wonderful Calvino-inspired series of place-based vignettes.” Harmon also took part in Matson’s 2019 summer course abroad, Food Writing in Paris. “Sam fearlessly explored both the culture and the cuisine, making the most of his time in Paris,” she said. “In his writing, which encompassed food, and family-based memoir, Sam had a great eye for small details that resonated in memorable ways. He is a natural maker of sentences with a great sense of voice.” Of this year’s event, Matson added: “I’m just glad we are able to gather, even on Zoom. Last March, when the students were suddenly dispersed and the faculty were busy getting their online teaching game up to speed, we had to cancel the event. This year we are welcoming the festival back as
Lee Pellegrini Peter Julian
a sign of hope and the return of a familiar ritual. Meeting on Zoom has its benefits— families of the student poets, no matter where they live, can tune in and watch the event live.” Other participating institutions include Berklee College of Music, Brandeis University, Bridgewater State University, College of the Holy Cross, Emerson College, Massachusetts College of Art and Design, New England Conservatory, Pine Manor College, Regis College, Salem State University, Simmons University, Stonehill College, Suffolk University, Tufts University, University of Massachusetts-Boston, University of Massachusetts-Lowell, and Wheaton College. Festival sponsors are the Boston College Arts Council, the Institute for the Liberal Arts, and Poetry Days. An accompanying chapbook will once again be published. To register for this Zoom event, go to bit.ly/ poetryfestival-2021. —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. Distributed free to faculty and staff offices and other locations on campus. Periodicals postage paid at Boston, MA and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: send address changes to The Boston College Chronicle, Office of University Communications, 3 Lake Street, Brighton, MA 02135. A flipbook edition of Chronicle is available via e-mail. Send requests to chronicle@bc.edu.
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Strong Performances By Grad Programs in U.S. News Rankings
Homeboy Industries founder Gregory Boyle, S.J., M.Div. ’84, received the School of Theology and Ministry Alumni Distinguished Service Award and presented the Daniel J. Harrington, S.J., Lecture. photo by eric politzer
STM Alum Urges Outreach to the ‘Margins of Society’ BY KATHLEEN SULLIVAN STAFF WRITER
“The only way the margins [of society] will ever get erased is by standing out at them,” said Jesuit priest Gregory Boyle, who shared his message of kinship and the transformative power of tenderness at a recent campus event where he received the School of Theology and Ministry’s Alumni Distinguished Service Award. Fr. Boyle is the founder of Homeboy Industries, the largest gang intervention, rehabilitation, and re-entry program in the world. For more than 30 years, he has ministered to thousands of gang members in Los Angeles, offering them an opportunity to recognize their self-worth and to transform the trajectory of their lives. Homeboy Industries provides job training, educational services, and counseling and support for addiction and mental health issues, among other services. Fr. Boyle also is the bestselling author of Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion and Barking to the Choir: The Power of Radical Kinship. Fr. Boyle was presented with a medal as the STM Alumni Distinguished Service Award honoree at the conclusion of the March 25 event, which was held in webinar format. He earned a M.Div. degree from Weston Jesuit School of Theology in 1984; Weston Jesuit reaffiliated with Boston College as part of the establishment of STM, and its alumni are recognized as BC graduates. “We want to go to the margins and say [to those there], we refuse to live without you,” said Fr. Boyle. “We stand with the poor and the powerless and the voiceless… we stand with those whose dignity has been denied and those whose burdens are more than they can bear…we stand with the easily despised and the readily left out…we stand with the demonized and the disposable.” Only the second graduate to receive the STM award, Fr. Boyle was honored in recognition of “his boundless compassion, radical kinship, and extravagant tenderness; his prophetic witness to the Gospel message of recognizing Christ in our brothers and
sisters in all circumstances; his life’s ministry of faith in action; his work to make a difference in marginalized communities, and his being a compassionate face of the Catholic Church for so many.” Prior to the award presentation, Fr. Boyle delivered the Daniel J. Harrington, S.J. Lecture on “The Whole Language: The Power of Extravagant Tenderness,” the title of his forthcoming book. The lecture was named for the renowned New Testament scholar and beloved STM professor, who died in 2014. Fr. Boyle was a student of Fr. Harrington and called him “the shape of God’s heart.” In a talk that cited the Prophet Jeremiah, author Mirabai Starr, and civil rights leader John Lewis, Fr. Boyle called tenderness “the highest form of spiritual maturity.” Gang members arrive at Homeboy Industries “barricaded behind a wall of shame and disgrace, and the only thing that can scale that wall is tenderness,” he said, describing Homeboy as both a solution and a sign. It offers concrete help for men and women to reimagine their lives—he shared success stories about two men who went through the program—but also has a message about the inherent nobility and dignity of every person. “What if we were to invest in each other? What if our singular aim was to create a community of beloved belonging? What if we were to imagine a circle of compassion and then imagine nobody standing outside that circle? What if we chose together in a community of kinship to dismantle the barriers that exclude?” Christians need to take seriously what Jesus took seriously: inclusion, non-violence, unconditional love and kindness, and compassionate acceptance, he said. “The measure of our compassion lies not in our service of those on the margins, but only in our willingness to see ourselves in kinship with them. For the truth of the matter is this: If we don’t welcome our own wounds, we may well be tempted to despise the wounded. “We go to the margins not to make a difference, but to be made different.” To learn more about Homeboy Industries or to support its mission, see homeboyindustries. org.
Boston College Law School and the Carroll School of Management saw improvements this year in the U.S. News “Best Graduate Schools” rankings, released last week by U.S. News & World Report. BC Law rose three places in the rankings to 28th, tied with several schools including Emory University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Among specialty rankings, the Law School improved to 14th overall in tax law, and 24th in both environmental law and clinical training. The Carroll School of Management’s full-time M.B.A. program rose four places to 44th overall, tied with schools including Purdue and Rutgers universities. The parttime M.B.A. program improved to 35th. In the specialty rankings, the Finance program jumped to 13th overall among schools of business nationwide. The Lynch School of Education and Human Development placed 21st in the 2022 rankings, the highest placement of any Jesuit or Catholic school of education in the United States. In addition, five Lynch School programs finished in the top 20: Student Counseling and Personnel
Services (10th), Curriculum and Instruction (15th), Secondary Education (17th), Elementary Education (17th), and Higher Education (18th). The Connell School of Nursing fell from its 2021 ranking of 27th to 48th, as industry shifts saw many nursing schools transition from master’s programs in nursing to doctor of nursing practice programs, which caused high volatility within this year’s rankings. The Connell School, however, was highly assessed by health care professionals in a new contribution to the rankings, reflecting the school’s continued strong reputation in the field. The BC School of Social Work retained its ranking of 10th overall in the U.S. News rankings for social work programs, which were not updated this year. The U.S. News rankings follow the recent release of the prestigious QS World University Rankings, in which BC placed seventh worldwide in Theology, Divinity & Religious Studies. The QS rankings recognize the academic reputation of the School of Theology and Ministry and the Theology Department in the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences. —University Communications
Snapshot In solidarity
PHOTO BY LEE PELLEGRINI
The Boston College Asian Caucus and the Thea Bowman AHANA and Intercultural Center (BAIC) recently hosted candlelight vigils to honor victims of anti-Asian violence. In an email communication, Associate Vice President for Student Engagement and Formation Tom Mogan condemned recent harassment and violence against the AAPI community and offered support through Counseling Services and the BAIC.
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Transition Ahead in Connell School of Nursing Leadership
Gregory Continued from page 1
clinical operations for the largest birth hospital in Massachusetts. In her multifaceted leadership role, Gregory is also responsible for leading research and innovation efforts within the Department of Nursing, and working with donors and foundations to acquire resources to support research mentorship of the hospital’s nurses. She also serves as the senior nurse executive on Brigham and Women’s Executive Advisory Council for Diversity, Inclusion, Health Equity, and Community Health. As a researcher, Gregory has worked with a diverse set of scientists across multiple disciplines from a wide range of institutions, and has secured both National Institutes of Health and National Institute of Nursing Research funding from 2003 through 2024. In 2009, through the generosity of University Trustee Kathleen Haley and her husband Stephen, Gregory helped establish the Haley Nurse Scientist Program, a partnership between the Connell School of Nursing and Brigham and Women’s that funded clinical nurses at BWH and nursing faculty at CSON to engage in scholarly activities and lead clinical research while strengthening holistic care provided to patients and families. She was selected as the inaugural Haley Nurse Scientist. More recently, she served as scientific founder of an early stage company that aims to improve preterm infant nutrition and growth outcomes though software designed to optimize nursing care and clinical workflows, resulting in a patent issued in 2020. She has helped to raise more than $5 million in funding for the venture, while gaining invaluable experience in nurse-led innovation and entrepreneurship. In announcing the appointment, Provost and Dean of Faculties David Quigley praised
Gennaro Continued from page 1
move forward, Gennaro said—not by pushing them, but by putting your hand out and helping people to move along with you. Gennaro’s deanship has been marked by innovation and growth in both undergraduate and graduate academic programs, formation, and global initiatives. During her tenure, the Connell School established a new doctorate program, the Doctor of Nursing Practice, and the SCRUBS retreat for sophomores. The school’s global outreach has expanded from a single trip to Nicaragua to four international service learning trips and a summer elective with an institution in Switzerland. Gennaro also has set the tone for the school’s strong commitment to fostering an environment that values inclusiveness and diversity. She has overseen the establishment of the KILN program, which prepares student leaders to provide care in a multicultural society; the Seacole Scholars, a learning and living community for first-year students; and the Diversity Advisory Board. An internationally esteemed nurse researcher specializing in perinatal care, Gennaro has placed a strong emphasis on research at CSON, which has tripled in the last few years. During her tenure as dean, CSON also
Gregory as a uniquely talented nurse leader who is well prepared to guide the Connell School into the future. “The search committee and I were enormously impressed with Kate Gregory’s vision for the Connell School of Nursing,” said Quigley. “As someone who did her doctoral work here and then served on the faculty, Kate speaks powerfully about what makes Boston College such a special place. Her impressive research program, the leadership she has provided at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and her innovative approaches to nursing education and scholarship make her the ideal candidate to lead the Connell School starting this summer.” Gregory said she was thrilled to have the opportunity to serve as dean of the Connell School of Nursing, given the central role it has played in her personal and professional development. “Boston College has a long history of preparing nurses who make a difference, whether they serve at the bedside, in the classroom, as scientists developing new knowledge for practice, or as leaders in their local and global communities,” said Gregory. “I have had the privilege of an excellent education, training opportunities, outstanding mentorship, and a diversity of experiences that have led me back to Boston College. As dean, I plan to partner with many others, successfully contributing to the mission of Boston College and leading the Connell School through the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.” Prior to being named the associate chief nursing officer at Brigham and Women’s, Gregory served as associate director of research in pediatric newborn medicine, and director of newborn care redesign, improvements, and analytics. She continues to serve as an assistant in biology in the Mucosal Immunology Lab at Massachusetts General Hospital, and as a
senior scientist in pediatric newborn medicine at BWH. She is also the editor of the Journal of Perinatal and Neonatal Nursing. “Katherine Gregory is the right leader for the Connell School of Nursing because of her expertise in health systems leadership and strong vision for academic-health system partnerships to enhance student learning and research; her experience as both a leader and team scientist on large interdisciplinary and NIH-funded research projects; the alignment of her aspirations for the future of nursing education and research with the mission of the Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society; and her unyielding voice of advocacy for nursing within the healthcare community,” said Christopher Lee, professor and associate dean for research in the Connell School, who served on the search committee. “Dr. Gregory has a strong and forwardlooking vision for the future of the Connell School that will preserve the Jesuit, Catholic traditions that were formative in her own education, accelerate diversity and health equity initiatives for which she holds great passion, enhance the impact and collaborative nature of nursing research, and usher in a new era of rigorous-but-compassionate education and mentorship to support students and faculty to live in service to others.” “I am truly excited that Kate Gregory will be the next dean of the Connell School of Nursing,” said Colleen Simonelli, clinical professor and associate dean of undergraduate programs in the Connell School and a member of the search committee. “As a former Ph.D. student of the Connell School, tenured faculty colleague in our Maternal Child Health Department, and most recently a valued clinical partner in her position as associate chief nursing officer at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Kate’s commitment to Boston College’s nursing program has been unwavering.
With her vision for creating a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable nursing workforce, Kate is uniquely positioned to advance the mission of the Connell School. Bringing together our clinical and research faculty with our colleagues and partners across campus, I am confident Kate will lead us to new heights. Welcome home, Kate!” Gregory received her bachelor’s degree in nursing from the State University of New York at Binghamton, and a master’s degree in nursing from the University of Pennsylvania before earning a doctorate at Boston College. As a faculty member at BC, she won an award for Excellence in Teaching and Research, and a Faculty Award for Student Mentorship and Leadership Development. A member of the National Association of Neonatal Nurses, the Massachusetts Association of Registered Nurses, the Council for the Advancement of Nursing Science, and the Society of Pediatric Research, Gregory is also a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. Gregory and her husband Jeremy, a research scientist at MIT, are the parents of three children: Thomas, 16, Benjamin, 14, and Elizabeth, 10. “It is a tremendous honor to have the opportunity to serve as dean of the Connell School of Nursing at Boston College,” said Gregory. “My vision is that the Connell School and Boston College will prepare nurses to serve in many capacities that contribute to improved human health: as clinicians, educators, scientists, innovators, and leaders that make a difference. As dean, I will work closely with the community of the Connell School and Boston College, as well as with leaders across Boston and beyond, to ensure that we prepare nurses to serve patients, families, and communities in many capacities, but always as people for others. I look forward to beginning in this new role on July 1.”
has dedicated itself to keeping the local community healthy by creating programs for teens in Boston’s Mattapan neighborhood as well as for veterans. After stepping down as dean, Gennaro will remain on the CSON faculty where she will continue to teach, edit the highly regarded Journal of Nursing Scholarship, and conduct her NIH-funded research. Gennaro’s talk followed introductions by Haub Vice President for University Mission and Ministry John T. Butler, S.J., and Provost and Dean of Faculties David Quigley. Vice President Joy Moore, executive director of the Pine Manor Institute for Student Success, served as moderator and Gennaro’s conversation partner for the event. Quigley said Gennaro was “one of her generation’s most distinguished nurses.” He highlighted her myriad accomplishments and called her deanship from 2008-2021 a “remarkable, lucky 13 for the University and an extraordinary period of leadership and distinguished service.” He also described how her participation in the Ignatian Colleagues Program—a national program of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities designed to educate and form administrators and faculty more deeply in the Jesuit, Catholic tradition of higher education—affected her and her work on campus. “Susan took those lessons to heart
and became an exemplar on campus. She, as much as anybody that I’ve known over these 13 years, has brought this [ICP] mission to new and powerful life.” Quigley concluded by acknowledging Gennaro’s leadership of the Connell School during the pandemic. He called her an “indispensable leader” who has demonstrated “incredible grace and willingness to share her expertise.” Fr. Butler, the son of a nurse, shared a personal story about Gennaro who, along with her husband William Fehder (a retired CSON faculty member), regularly visited with and provided care and comfort to his mother after her cancer diagnosis. “I have great love for our dean because she loved me and my family,” said Fr. Butler. “My friend is a nurse who took care of one of the dearest and closest people in my life, and in so doing so, took care of me.” Gennaro discussed change, something most new leaders are tasked with creating. She recalled advice she received from nurse leader Angela Barron McBride about the importance of the pace of change: “People need time to change. If you come in and try to do too many things too quickly, it’s like there’s a tornado that’s come. Things change, but it’s destructive.” As a new dean, Gennaro talked with every Connell School faculty member to help
inform the path forward and the school’s strategic aims. She asked them three questions: What is so important and precious at the Connell School that it should not be changed? What would you like me to change? What do you need to be able to do your job the very best you can? Early on, she created a vision task force and it made clear what the priorities of the school were; consistency of messaging about those priorities helped to build trust. Gennaro said participating in opportunities that BC offered, such as retreats and other programming, led to her forming invaluable relationships with University colleagues outside the Connell School, senior leadership, and benefactors. The last year-and-a-half of Gennaro’s deanship will forever be connected to the pandemic, which completely upended nursing education in the classroom and in clinical settings. To figure out how to educate nursing students in accordance with licensing requirements while also keeping them safe, recalled Gennaro, “I had to draw on every single leadership quality, every relationship I had, and every communication skill I’ve developed.” Gennaro expressed gratitude to the CSON faculty, particularly the department chairs, and CSON’s leadership team, as well as her family, especially her husband, “the wind beneath my wings.”
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PoliSci’s Krause Co-Hosts Podcast on Fieldwork “Field research, regard-
BY PHIL GLOUDEMANS STAFF WRITER
Books are frequently adapted into film, but Associate Professor of Political Science Peter Krause’s 2020 co-edited volume, Stories from the Field: A Guide to Navigating Fieldwork in Political Science, has been converted into a different medium: a companion podcast. Krause, along with the book’s co-editor Ora Szekely, an associate professor of political science at Clark University, co-host their book-based, 13-episode podcast that launched in late January, and concludes this month. The production has drawn more than 1,000 listeners so far. “I worked on the podcast production with my research team of students, who helped plan, produce, and edit the episodes,” said Krause, whose book was described by reviewers as a “relatable, thoughtful, and unorthodox guide to field research in political science” featuring personal stories—“some funny, some dramatic, all fascinating and informative”— from 44 working political scientists. “Field research, regardless of where and how it is conducted, poses numerous ethical and logistical challenges, which the podcasts are designed to help the listener navigate,” he said. The duo started by releasing a 30-minute introductory installment in late January on the origins of their fieldwork book, and previewed the upcoming podcasts, which are composed of a 10-to 15-minute interview with each of the guests, followed by a 20-to-30-minute roundtable discussion. New episodes are published every Tuesday and the podcast is available via iTunes and Spotify. “We talk to political scientists about what actual field research looks like on the ground,” said Krause, a research affiliate with the MIT Security Studies Program who has conducted extensive fieldwork
less of where and how it is conducted, poses numerous ethical and logistical challenges, which the podcasts are designed to help the listener navigate.” —Peter Krause
photo by gary wayne gilbert
throughout the Middle East. “In each episode, we bring together a diverse collection of experts to discuss different ethical and logistical aspects of the field research process. We have scholars discussing their field experiments, surveys, archival research, policy work, and ethnology of all kinds, across a broad geography, including studies conducted in Africa, South Asia, South America, China, the Middle East, and in the United States.” Krause, Szekely, and their guests also discuss some of the resourcefulness tests that political scientists face, such as how to develop local knowledge, conduct research in authoritarian states, and how to grapple with the ethical dilemmas posed by funding sources. In short, Krause calls it a “look behind the curtain.” The first episode, “Developing Local Knowledge,” features political scientists Christina Greer of Fordham University, Northwestern University’s Wendy Pearlman, and Paul Staniland of the University of Chicago. The second episode dives into ethics with Erica Chenoweth, professor of public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School and the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, and Zachariah Cherian Mampilly, the director of Africana Studies and associate professor of political science
and international studies at Vassar College. Other episodes include “Positionality, Emotions and Research in the Middle East,” “Creatively Collecting Information” (with Krause’s fellow BC political scientist Associate Professor Lindsey A. O’Rourke), “Conducting Research Amidst Conflict,” “Health and Safety When Doing Field Research,” and “Research in China,” which showcased another BC political scientist, Professor Robert S. Ross. “This episode captures well the difficulties of conducting interviews with friends and colleagues in China,” said Ross. “Scholars must balance their research interests with the overriding value of respecting the interests of friends and colleagues working in a system that can impose significant constraints on scholars who exercise academic freedom.” “The final three episodes focus on teaching and learning fieldwork methods,” said Krause, whose teaching interests include Middle East politics, terrorism and political violence, and international relations. “We interview professors who have taught with our book about how they teach fieldwork, and how the book has been used, whether successfully or unsuccessfully. The closing episode examines various types of field research and CO-
VID-19, and the challenges, both logistical and ethical, of conducting fieldwork during and after the pandemic.” The second-to-last episode features discussions with graduate and undergraduate students who have learned from Stories from the Field, including seniors Leah Hickert, Jack MacDonald, and Sofia Renata Martinez, all of whom were students in Krause’s Research Methods in Political Science class last fall. They and other guests explain how students can best to use the book to start their own fieldwork. Interviewed recently, the three BC undergrads reflected on their before-and-after views of the research methods class. “I was intimidated, but I took the class because, honestly, I was uninformed,” said MacDonald. “It forced me to grow very quickly.” “Most people perceive it as dry,” said Hickert, “but it was way more useful than I definitely ever anticipated.” Martinez admitted that she was “really terrified but I knew that I needed it before graduating. There was no way that I would leave BC without putting myself in a situation where I’d learn how to properly draft a research paper. I was scared but the growth you see is impressive.” Krause noted that despite their mutual trepidation, the three students’ respective 30-page final papers were considered graduate-level work, and addressed fascinating questions such as the variation in the repression of nonviolent protests by China and other one-party states; the efficacy of gender quotas in promoting lasting female empowerment; and the impact of shifting U.S. gun laws on violence in Mexican border cities. Undergraduate Research Fellows Harper Barbaree ’21 and John Gehman ’21 serve as the podcast’s main producers, supported by a number of other undergraduates from Krause’s research team. To listen or learn more about the podcast, go to storiesfromthefield.buzzsprout.com.
Urban Catholic Teachers Corps Aiding Major Study BY PHIL GLOUDEMANS STAFF WRITER
The National Catholic Educational Association, in collaboration with Boston College’s Urban Catholic Teachers Corps and the Lynch School of Education and Human Development, has launched a national study designed to provide a current overview of—and a comprehensive and collaborative vision for—urban Catholic education for the next 20 years, announced UCTC Director Charles Cownie. The research results of the project, “Sustaining the Legacy 2020,” will lay the groundwork for a broader understanding of what will be necessary to lead urban Catholic schooling of marginalized and vulnerable students over the next two decades. The collaborative project harnesses the insights and resources of NCEA, the world’s largest, private professional educa-
tion association, which works with Catholic educators to support ongoing faith formation and the teaching mission of the Catholic Church; the Lynch School’s Educational Leadership and Higher Education “Particularly in this unprecedented COVID-19 era, new research is necessary to make sense of the complex student, staffing, and structural issues confronted by urban Catholic schools.” —Andrew Miller
department, which prepares administrators and leaders of pre-schools, K-12 public, Catholic and charter schools, universities, and post-graduate institutions; and the Urban Catholic Teacher Corps, which actively engages in the ministry of teaching in the schools of the Archdiocese of Boston. The inquiry is the first of this scope
since 2000, when former Lynch School Dean Joseph M. O’Keefe, S.J., conducted a national study of inner-city Catholic education that addressed the ways that the legacy of urban Catholic schooling has continued, enhanced, or adapted to the changing contexts and times. “Particularly in this unprecedented COVID-19 era, new research is necessary to make sense of the complex student, staffing, and structural issues confronted by urban Catholic schools,” said co-principal investigator Andrew Miller, an assistant professor at the Lynch School. “This update of the original ‘Sustaining the Legacy’ study will provide a more robust and multifaceted understanding of the current challenges and needs of these schools for and Catholic education policymakers, researchers, practitioners.” The pandemic and resulting economic uncertainty have exacerbated the current,
precarious position of U.S. Catholic education. According to Miller, the Catholic school sector has experienced an annual one- to two-percent decline in student enrollment, and an equivalent reduction in the number of Catholic schools over the past 20 years. NCEA reports that more than 200 schools have closed since March 2020, well exceeding the anticipated annual closure rate, and according to Annie Smith, NCEA’s director of research and data management, these closures have disproportionally occurred in urban communities. “If urban Catholic schools that serve low-income, marginalized, and excluded communities continue to close at their current rate, a crucial social force that contributes to equity and justice for these communities will be lost,” said Cownie, the principal investigator who also directs BC’s Catholic Teacher Formation.
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April 8, 2021
Romero Winner: ‘Change Begins with One Person’ BY CHRISTINE BALQUIST STAFF WRITER
Daniela Vazquez Loriga ’22, a Cuban-American, first-generation college student, and McNair Scholar, was awarded the University’s 2021 Saint Oscar A. Romero Scholarship. The scholarship, which covers a significant portion of senior-year tuition, is given annually to a BC junior who has demonstrated superior academic achievement, extracurricular leadership, community service, and involvement with the Hispanic/Latinx community and Hispanic/Latinx issues both on and off campus. “Learning about Romero’s life, mission, and sacrifice demonstrated to me that all you need to make a change in this world is courage, faith, bravery, and love for others, the world, and the community,” said Vazquez Loriga in her acceptance speech after University President William P. Leahy, S.J., announced her as the winner at the March 25 virtual award ceremony. “Change begins with one person, so thank you for believing that I will be one of those people.” An International Studies major and history minor, Vazquez Loriga was born in Cuba and moved with her family to Miami when she was two years old, escaping communism and extreme poverty. Her experiences growing up in an immigrant family were influential in her decision to pursue International Studies.
Daniela Vazquez Loriga ’22, the 2021 Saint Oscar Romero Scholarship winner. photos by peter julian
“I always felt very connected to my Cuban roots, but I was also in America, so I felt sometimes like I was experiencing two worlds at the same time,” said Vazquez Loriga. “I loved learning about politics, and coming from an immigrant household, the laws really decide our fate. As I build my career and think of my future, I just want to improve upon them.” Vazquez Loriga’s ambitions for her future center on international human rights. She hopes to pursue a career in international law after working in the nonprofit sector. During
her time at BC, she has researched femicides in Guatemala through the McNair Scholars Program—a graduate school preparation program for Boston College undergraduates from first-generation, low-income, and underrepresented backgrounds—and published “LGBT Rights in Russia: The ‘Gay Propaganda’ Law and Its Consequences in Chechnya” in the Bellarmine Law Society Review. She is the co-director of Social and Political Action for the Organization of Latin American Affairs (OLAA), a committee member for the Undergraduate Government of BC, and an AHANA Outreach Committee member. Vazquez Loriga expressed thanks to the scholarship committee, last year’s Romero Scholarship recipient Monica Sanchez ’21— who also spoke at the award ceremony—for motivating her to apply, Director of Learning to Learn Rossanna Contreras-Godfrey for writing her letter of recommendation, and especially her family. “This award is dedicated to my family because as a first-gen student, everything I do is to bring pride to my parents for all of the sacrifices that they’ve made,” said Vazquez Loriga. “It was very humbling to be given this honor and I will make sure to represent Oscar Romero in everything I do.” School of Theology and Ministry Associate Professor Hosffman Ospino was the keynote speaker at the ceremony, which also included a recorded performance by Boston
‘BC After Dark’ Debuts Tonight With the advent of spring’s longer days and warmer weather comes a fresh late-night dining option—which features outdoor seating—for students and other Boston College community members. BC Dining Services has transformed Hillside Cafe and the adjacent outdoor patio, adorned with bistro lights, to introduce the new campus restaurant “BC After Dark,” which opens today. “We are very excited to open ‘BC After Dark’ and believe that the outdoor seating will be very popular,” said BCDS Director Beth Emery. “We hope this restaurant provides a great opportunity for students to socialize and enjoy great food and drink on campus this spring.” The new venue will be open for five weeks, through the final exam period, on Thursdays from 5 p.m. to midnight, and on Fridays and Saturdays from 4:30 p.m. to midnight. The fare includes burgers (beef and vegetarian), French fries, and chicken wings. According to Emery, in addition to nonalcoholic beverages, beer, wine, spiked seltzer, and hard cider are available to students, who are required to show both a license and BC ID to receive wristbands which indicate that they are of legal age. The new venue accommodates seating for 50 inside and for 100 on the patio. COVID-19 protocols will be followed: physical distancing in line to access the restaurant; masks required for guests, except when eating or drinking; a six-person
maximum per table, and a 90-minute seating limit. Food orders will be contact-free, placed via mobile device. “Our team has been working diligently on plans for this restaurant since the beginning of the semester,” Emery said, praising the leadership of Associate Director for Restaurant Operations Megan O’Neill and Associate Director for Food and Beverage Frank Bailey. “We appreciate the support of so many of our colleagues across campus, from Government Affairs, Capital Projects, Fire Safety, Institutional Research and Planning Administration, Facilities Management, Auxiliary Services, Student Affairs, and approval from senior administration, to make this come to fruition. A special ‘thank-you’ to Christian Guma and Kevork Atinizian, UGBC president and vice president, for their input and collaboration,” she added. “Since early fall, Kevork and I worked hard alongside administrators to create ways to engage students and uplift campus morale,” said Guma, a senior. “Seeing the ‘BC After Dark’ concept come to fruition is pretty special. Our students have wanted something like this for a long time, and we are thrilled they will get to enjoy this. The ability to do this is also a testament to the tireless work our student body has put in to keep one another safe this year and #KeepTheHeightsHome.” [See a related story on page 2 for new BC Dining Services offerings.] —University Communications
College Latin dance group Vida de Intensa Pasion. Recorded speeches by each of the three finalists for the scholarship were presented during the ceremony and all three received gift certificates to the Boston College Bookstore. The other Romero Scholarship candidates: Lazaro Alvelaez, a general management major with a minor in computer science, serves as a resident assistant and is the co-president and financial officer for OLAA. He is a Gabelli Presidential Scholar and Bowman Scholar and hopes to work to facilitate the transition of Latinx immigrants into the United States. Paula Sanchez is an International Studies major with a concentration in political economy and development studies. She is as a volunteer and mentor with New Jersey’s Law and Education Empowerment Project, a collegeaccess and success program which helped her on her path to BC. She serves as a resident assistant and plans to use her education to provide children in her native Ecuador with better opportunities. For more information about the Romero scholarship, see bc.edu/romero.
“The admitted students embraced the challenge as an opportunity,” says Director of Undergraduate Admission Grant Gosselin, “and, in the process, many discovered a newfound appreciation for what the world needs of them.” photo by peter juliian
Class of 2025 Reflects BC’s Growing Selectivity Continued from page 1
directly affected the last three semesters of their high school experience. “The admitted students embraced the challenge as an opportunity and, in the process, many discovered a newfound appreciation for what the world needs of them,” said Gosselin. “They have distinguished themselves within a pool of nearly 40,000 applicants. We are confident that they will make a positive impact on the Boston College community in the years ahead.” Gosselin said he was particularly pleased with the comparative growth in both the quality and diversity of the applicant pool. “This year, 42 percent of admitted students come from AHANA backgrounds,” said Gosselin. “Our partnership with QuestBridge and our longstanding commitment to working with diverse high schools and community-based organiza-
tions has paid dividends and enhanced this year’s growth. “Boston College is fortunate to be viewed as one of the leading universities in the nation. Prospective students look to BC for our rich history of liberal arts education steeped in the Jesuit tradition, the social impact our students and alumni make on the world, and our continued physical and programmatic growth at a time when so many universities have been forced to cut back. The recently opened Margot Connell Recreation Center, the new 150,000-square-foot Integrated Science and Engineering Center [opening this December], and the creation of the BC Forum for Racial Justice in America have been of particular interest to this year’s applicants. We look forward to welcoming the Class of 2025 to Boston College this fall.”
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April 8, 2021
WELCOME ADDITIONS
BC in the Media
An Introduction to New Faculty at Boston College Junwei Lucas Bao
Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences DEGREES: University of Minnesota (Ph.D.) WHAT HE STUDIES: Interdisciplinary strategies using quantum mechanics, statistical thermodynamics, solid-state physics, and other branches of physics and applied mathematics to explore intrinsic complexities of chemistry. WHAT HE’S TEACHING: Physical Chemistry and Quantum Mechanics
Give us an idea of the work your lab is focusing on.
We are interested in understanding the “ electronic structure of reactive intermediates, the reaction mechanisms, and detailed kinetics of clean-energy driven catalysis, including electrocatalysis and photocatalysis. We are curious about how reliable our theoretical tools can be for predicting intricate catalytic kinetic information—for instance, activation energy, kinetic isotope effect, and selectivity. More importantly, if our current theoretical tools are not adequate, we strive to improve them or create new methods. Another topic in our group is to investigate the interaction between chemistry and our environment. We aim to establish reliable and comprehensive atmospheric chemical kinetics models for studying the fate and distributions of important trace gases and reactive intermediates in the troposphere.”
Dmitry Mitrofanov
Assistant Professor of Business Analytics, Carroll School of Management
DEGREES: Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (B.S., M.S.); New York University (M.Phil., Ph.D.) WHAT HE STUDIES: Data-driven operations, machine learning, and decision analytics, with applications in car-sharing, ride-hailing, and retail, among other industries. WHAT HE’S TEACHING: Operations Management
What are the key lessons you want to teach your students so they are prepared to use data effectively once they are in the workforce or in leadership positions? “Data-driven decision making plays a vital role in every company’s success due to the recent advances in digital technology and increased availability of large-scale data. This technological revolution poses new challenges for companies to better solve classical problems within operational and marketing contexts, such as demand forecasting or running promotions, which is the focus of my research. I believe that the value of quantitative business skills on the job market will keep increasing given that data analytics is likely to be even more important in the future. Therefore, my teaching goal is to prepare students with the ability to scale the methodologies learned in the classroom and leverage big data to make real-world business decisions.”
Njoke Thomas
Assistant Professor of Management and Organization, Carroll School of Management DEGREES: Stanford University (B.S.); Harvard University (M.S.); Case Western Reserve University (Ph.D.) WHAT SHE STUDIES: Professional identity construction; positive relationships at work; embodied sense-making; use of archival and field research to explore critical events in medical professionals’ socialization and training. WHAT SHE’S TEACHING: Organizational Behavior
What’s inspired your career in studying and teaching management and organization?
“I enjoy solving puzzles, which is what drew me to research. As it turns out, teaching is all about taking ideas in the world and organizing them like a puzzle to enhance the learning experience.”
—Ed Hayward photos by lee pellegrini and christopher soldt
OBITUARIES
Retired Sociology Faculty William Gamson and Lynda L. Holmstrom The University mourned the recent deaths of two accomplished former Sociology faculty members, William Gamson and Lynda Lytle Holmstrom. Dr. Gamson, who died on March 23 at the age of 87, was known for his use of role playing and game simulation exercises to illuminate real-life, complex concepts of social conflict. He conceived “Simulated Society (SIMSOC),” “What’s News,” and “Global Justice Game.” At BC, where he taught for 18 years, he co-founded and co-directed the Media Research and Action Project, which works with community and grassroots organizations to strengthen progressive social movements working toward social justice and inclusive, participatory democracy. Alongside his recognition in academia, Dr. Gamson achieved renown as a pioneer of fantasy sports and fantasy baseball in particular. [For a full obituary, see bit.ly/williamgamson-obituary]
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Dr. Holmstrom, who was 81 when she died on February 6, was a pioneering researcher in rape counseling and trauma whose interests also extended to other compelling social issues, such as the challenges faced by two-career families and controversies surrounding intensive care for newborns. The Sociology Department’s first tenured female faculty member, Dr. Holmstrom taught at Boston College for four decades. In 1972, Dr. Holmstrom, along with Connell School of Nursing faculty member Ann W. Burgess, founded a rape victim counseling program at Boston City Hospital that provided insights into the plight of women who endured sexual violence. Their research formed part of the basis for the 1977 book The Victims of Rape: Institutional Reactions, the first empirical study to detail the encounters of rape victims with three major institutions: police, hospital, and court. [For a full obituary, see http://bit.ly/ lynda-holmstrom-obituary]
The Boston Business Journal reported that 2011 Carroll School of Management graduate Justin Robinson—co-founder of Boston-based delivery service Drizly Inc., recently acquired by Uber for over $1 billion—is the latest contributor to SSC Venture Partners, a fund, startup accelerator, and mentor network for Boston College startups. In two decisions—extending its tenant eviction moratorium and upholding restrictions on sailing from U.S. ports—the Centers for Disease Control has signaled that the pandemic still has months to go. Global Public Health Program Director Philip Landrigan, M.D. shared his insights on these developments with Marketplace Radio. He also was quoted in a National Catholic Reporter story on a global study, led by BC’s Global Observatory on Pollution and Health, of the threat to human health posed by ocean pollution. Prof. Kent Greenfield (Law) was quoted
in a Boston Globe article noting that, with many workers resisting COVID-19 vaccines, calls grow for Massachusetts to make shots mandatory. The School of Theology and Ministry’s mission to bring ordained, religious, and lay ministers together as collaborators in ministry was highlighted—with comments from Associate Dean Jacqueline Regan and STM alumna Krista Chinchilla, now a campus minister at Marian University— by America magazine. Asst. Prof. Gabrielle Oliveira (LSOEHD), whose research focuses on immigration and mobility, discussed the immigration crisis at the U.S. border in an interview with Globo TV Brazil. Although adding the District of Columbia as a state is viewed by some as a partisan
move, it is not without precedent for a state to be added for that reason, The Washington Post reported in a story that included comments by Prof. Heather Cox Richardson (History). Woods College of Advancing Studies Associate Dean Aleksandar Tomic, director of the M.S. in Applied Economics program, discussed recovery from the Suez Canal debacle and prevention of a future supply chain crisis in an interview with Forbes magazine. Prof. R. Michael Cassidy (Law) spoke with WBUR News regarding the nearly $1 million the Massachusetts attorney general’s office has spent in legal fees defending three former prosecutors for roles in one of the state’s drug lab scandals. Center for Work and Family Executive Director Brad Harrington was among the experts asked by CommonWealth Magazine to weigh in on how the experience of the past year will reshape our world going forward. Buehler Sesquicentennial Assistant Professor Betty Lai spoke with Elemental for a piece noting that, as with many disaster anniversaries, the one-year milestone for COVID-19 lockdowns can trigger heightened emotions. Prof. Usha Tummala-Narra (LSOEHD) offered comments to National Catholic Reporter for a story on how religious organizations can help people manage stress—but first it’s essential to recognize the depth of the problem. Special purpose acquisition company mania is still going strong, but it has raised new concerns about potential high risks to individual investors, said Prof. Renee Jones (Law) in an interview with ABC News.com.
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. Associate Director, Career Advising & Programming Manager, Recruitment and Operations Academic & Student Services Assistant Administrative Assistant, School of Social Work Director, Financial Aid Director, Sponsored Programs Assistant Director, Strategic Sourcing Head Librarian, Collections Learning Designer Senior Fiscal & Grant Administrator Assistant Director, Graduate Program
Operations, Carroll School of Management Assistant Director, Annual Giving Senior Associate Director, Creative Services Research Economist, Center for Retirement Research Academic Support Assistant, Carroll School of Management Associate Director, Prospect Management Assistant Director, Student Philanthropy Campus Minister Associate Dean, Graduate Student Services, Lynch School of Education and Human Development Post-doctoral Research Fellow (multiple positions)
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April 8, 2021
Stopping the Presses After more than a century, BC’s weekly student newspaper will end its print edition and go all-digital BY SEAN SMITH CHRONICLE EDITOR
If journalism is the first draft of history, then The Heights has done its part in helping tell the saga of Boston College for the last 102 years. Since it launched in 1919, the weekly student newspaper has covered landmark news and events that shaped the University, from the 1920 announcement by President William Devlin, S.J., that BC would erect a science building (which now bears his name) to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Heights also has reported on BC student life outside the classroom—1920s-era “smokers”; the seniors’ “Welcome Freshmen Show” of 1953; popular undergraduate-produced YouTube videos—and published student perspectives on everything from academics to political and social issues to personal relationships to the arts. Now, The Heights is about to add a milestone of its own to BC history: Editor-inChief Owen Fahy ’22 recently announced that the newspaper will cease its print operations on May 3 and shift to an entirely digital format beginning this fall. The news was hardly unexpected. Like many newspapers in recent years, The Heights has struggled with the increasing gap between operating costs and advertising revenue (the newspaper became an independent student organization in 1971 and receives no funding from the University). The paper had already scaled back its print production while expanding its online presence through newsletters, social media, and its website. In a recent interview, Fahy said the possibility of an all-digital Heights was a subject of discussion in previous editorial boards well before he joined the paper as a freshman. Once he became part of The Heights leadership team, he and his colleagues ascertained the situation and felt it was an opportune time to build on the work done by their predecessors, make the
Heights editorial board members (L-R) Megan Kelly, Emma Healy, Owen Fahy, Madeleine Romance, and Lauren Wittenmyer. photo by peter julian
move, and align the paper with emerging trends in student and professional journalism. “The Heights could’ve gotten by if we kept things as they were,” said Fahy, a San Francisco native majoring in International Studies with a minor in Leadership and Management. “But we want to put all our resources to work to make the great journalism we’re doing as widely available as possible. Through the paper edition of The Heights, you’re reaching about 1,500 people on campus; a Tweet reaches 50,000, all over the world. It’s impossible to ignore numbers like that. “So, now we can rethink where and how we spend money that had gone to printing and distributing the paper. Maybe we send our reporters out of town to work on compelling stories, or to cover away football games; or we can create a welldesigned web feature.” Still, for Fahy and his editorial board
“There are plaques on the wall in the editor-in-chief’s office that list every student who’s held the position,” says Editor-in-Chief Owen Fahy. “They remind you of its rich history, and all the work that’s gone into making The Heights last as long as it has.”
colleagues, the decision was not one made lightly or without regret. As part of their orientation at The Heights, staffers are given an overview of its history and tradition, and are unfailingly impressed by the legacy they are furthering; their perspectives are often strengthened through contact with Heights alumni. “There are plaques on the wall in the editor-in-chief’s office that list every student who’s held the position,” said Fahy. “They remind you of its rich history, and all the work that’s gone into making The Heights last as long as it has. The letters, emails, and phone calls we receive from alumni—whether they worked for The Heights or not—show how intense its connection with students has been over the years. When you’re a 20-year-old in charge of a century-old organization, you are very conscious not only of tradition, but of the mission you’re expected to uphold.” “What really strikes me is how, from the start, The Heights has always stayed true to its mission: ‘for a greater Boston College,’” said Digital Director Margaret DiPatri ’22, a communication major from Wilmette, Ill., minoring in film studies and marketing. “Everything we do, and everything that those who came before us did, is truly with the intent to serve the BC community—and that is a really inspiring thing to be a part of. The decision was difficult to make since the print edition is something we all hold very dear, and we know it means a lot to many members of the BC
community and Heights alumni.” Since not all Heights staffers arrive with journalistic ink in their veins nor envision a future in journalism, The Heights may be their sole turn in the profession—which can make it all the more powerful an experience. Managing Editor Madeleine Romance ’22, a Miami-born English and political science major with a journalism minor, remarked on the “strong element of sentimentality” that Heights print issues inspire, recounting all the times she’s collected copies from the racks to take home so her parents could see “what their daughter spends so many hours a week doing.” And like their antecedents, Romance and her cohorts look back at sleep-deprived late nights of getting the paper ready for printing, “debating headlines and page layouts, but doing so with smiles on their faces.” For these reasons, there was initial hesitancy to make the digital transition, she said, but on further reflection “I knew we were in a unique position in Heights history, and I knew that if there ever was a time to do it, it was now.” Producing an “eEdition,” she said, will preserve something of the “weekly snapshot” The Heights has provided. General Manager Mac McGee said the transition—which involved finding a digital host, creating appropriate digitals to advertise the changeover, communicating with the administration and community, and raising enough revenue to ensure a successful last semester of printing—has been a “complicated but rewarding experience that required everyone’s complete dedication.” The Arlington, Mass., native, who majors in environmental geoscience and minors in finance, is “most excited to see the many possibilities that will arise from this decision.” DiPatri, who as the paper’s first digital director has a primary role in the new model, cited the transition campaign’s title, “To Greater Heights” [bcheights.com/togreater-heights] as a philosophy and a goal. “I love that we now have the opportunity to focus in on making The Heights the most accessible it has ever been for the BC community and beyond, and that our content can mirror that change and make a positive impact. I see this as the ultimate way to fulfill our mission statement.” To order a copy of the final Heights paper edition, and for information about other ways to support The Heights, go to www. support.bcheights.com.