The Boston College
Chronicle Published by the Boston College Office of News & Public Affairs april 10, 2014 VOL. 22 no. 15
By Sean Smith Chronicle Editor
Seniors Madeline Andreach (right) and Meghan Daly examined a lost trove of Chinese model pagodas that they and classmates traced to a Somerville warehouse.
Unravelling a Mystery
•“Conversations@BCLaw” to debut, page 2 •Student Affairs announces reorganization, page 3 •Fr. Keenan to head the Jesuit Institute, page 3 •Lynch School professor earns Fulbright, page 3 •Peter and Carolyn Lynch are Wall St. Dinner honorees, page 3 •Romero Scholarship is awarded, page 4
•Schor recognized for professional contributions, page 5 •BC names Jim Christian to coach men’s basketball, page 5 •Boston College Venture Competition, page 5 •BC & the Marathon: Memorial Walk; Mile 21; #BCHearts for Boston, page 6 •BC & the Marathon: cancer survivor looks forward to return; GSSW alumna and husband’s special cause, page 7 •Elizabeth Smart on campus tonight, page 8 •Arts Festival 2014, page 8
By Jack Dunn Director of News & Public Affairs
Twenty-five Boston College students studying in a Chinese history course have solved a mystery that had baffled officials at a museum in China for years: the whereabouts of 86 hand-made model pagodas that were built by children in an orphanage where the museum now stands. The lost pagodas, standing between two and six feet tall and intricately carved out of balsa wood to replicate existing tiered-towers in China, were recently discovered by BC students in a warehouse in Somerville, where they have been stored by a private art collector for the past seven years. Impressed by the students’ tenacity and research acumen, the owner
agreed to lend three of the prized pagodas for display in O’Neill Library. The exhibition, “Lost Pagodas Found! From Shanghai to Boston,” will run in the O’Neill main lobby through April 29. Assistant Professor Jeremy Clarke, SJ, a popular Chinese history teacher, presented the challenge of finding the lost pagodas to his students last September, after having spoken at an international conference in Shanghai’s Tushanwan Museum in the Xujiahui District, where the Society of Jesus has had a presence since 1608. The museum stands on a site of a former orphanage, where the orphans, as part of their fine arts studies, had handcrafted the pagodas to be displayed as a symbol of Chinese culture at the Panama Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco in 1915. Continued on page 4
Lee Pellegrini
•Intercollegiate Undergraduate Poetry Festival, page 2 •Time for BC’s National Day of Service, page 2 •Photos: Oliver Stone at BC; Green Career Night, page 2
Erickson Named to New Endowed Asst. Professorship
Lee Pellegrini
INSIDE
Assistant Professor of Political Science Jennifer Erickson, an expert on international security and political economy issues whose current research assesses the impact of arms export controls and embargoes, has been named the White Family Sesquicentennial Assistant Professor. Erickson, who began teaching at Boston College in 2010, becomes the second faculty member appointed to a Sesquicentennial Challenge chair, an endowed assistant professorship created as part of a new initiative to support junior faculty research and early-career development. Earlier this semester, Lynch School of Education Assistant Professor David Miele was named the Buehler Sesquicentennial Assistant Professor. “I feel incredibly fortunate to have been given this opportunity,” said Erickson. “I’m also really overwhelmed, both by the generosity of the White family and by the honor of being the first faculty member to hold the appointment. BC’s young faculty are doing excellent teaching and research, and it’s an honor to be selected from among this group.
Jennifer Erickson
“I am quite certain that I would not have gotten this appointment – or even been considered for it – were it not for the tremendous support of my senior colleagues from Political Science and International Studies, so I am incredibly grateful to them for the vote of confidence they have given me. Such appointments for assistant professors are incredibly rare, and it’s a significant professional honor. “BC faculty devote so much of ourselves to our teaching and our research, and it means a lot to me to have colleagues I really respect show that they genuinely appreciate my Continued on page 5
Carroll School Rises to 4th MARATHON: ONE YEAR LATER in BusinessWeek Rankings The Carroll School of Manage- has made a double-digit climb in just The Boston College community has long been a part of the Boston Marathon, whether as participants in the storied race, vocal supporters along the route, or in various other capacities. This year’s marathon on April 21 will once again have a BC component to it – but this year is no ordinary one, with the memory of last year’s bombing attacks. A look at the 2014 Boston Marathon from Boston College perspectives.
Brittany Loring JD/MBA ’13 sustained serious injuries when she was caught in one of the explosions at last year’s Boston Marathon (which fell on her 29th birthday). Since that day, Loring has endured countless physical therapy sessions, started a new job, gotten married and created a fund aimed at helping others. She recently spoke with Chronicle’s Sean Hennessey. What are your thoughts and recollections as you look back on April 15? There are a lot of thoughts. I feel Brittany Loring JD/MBA’13 flanked Continued on page 6
by her sisters on her wedding day.
NOTICE:
ment has climbed into the top five of the best undergraduate business schools in the country, according to new rankings by Bloomberg BusinessWeek of Top Undergraduate Business Programs. The Carroll School is now ranked fourth, up two spots from last year’s ranking. “I’m very proud of everybody in the business school who’ve helped us along the way. It’s a great achievement, but we’re going to get better,” said Dean Andy Boynton. “With respect to what Boston College is trying to accomplish with its undergraduates and the values at BC, there’s no better undergraduate business school in the country.” The Carroll School, which enrolls approximately 2,000 students,
three years; in 2011, the program was ranked 16th. “If you get the right talent together and a lot of energy and enthusiasm and focus, and are consistent with the values of Boston College, anything is possible,” said Boynton. “We are competing successfully among some of the best business schools and universities in the world and I give all the credit to our faculty, undergraduate associate dean Dick Keeley and his staff, and the students we have. We’ve gotten great alumni support and President [William P.] Leahy, SJ, has been very supportive of what we’ve been trying to do over the last 10 years.” For more, see http://bit.ly/1jrjc33. –Sean Hennessey
The Boston College men’s hockey team will take on Union this afternoon at 5 p.m. in the semifinal round of the Frozen Four. The winner will meet either North Dakota or Minnesota for the national championship on Saturday. Today’s game will be broadcast on ESPN2, espn.com/watchespn and WEEI 850AM. Be sure to go to BC Social [www.bc.edu/social] to share in the experience.
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A ROUND
C AMPUS
Sharp among the sweet, she came from fairy-tale stock, trees older than the stars. She knew the value of warm milk and soft consonants, words thick and knotty as her wool sweaters. The above verses from the poem “Ferment and Grow Old” were written by Bailey Spencer ’14 to evoke the lasting memory of her great-grandmother, whose family was from the Black Forest region of Germany. “I’ve heard stories about my great-grandmother, making sauerkraut on her back porch,” said Spencer of the inspiration for the fantastical piece. “In this poem, I imagine a jar of the fermented cabbage sprouting and becoming a little piece of that mythological ‘ancestral land’ here, today.” “Ferment and Grow Old” will be among her original works highlighted when she represents Boston College in the 2014 Greater Boston Intercollegiate Undergraduate Poetry Festival on April 22. This celebration of talented student poets will once again take place at BC, at 7:30 p.m. in the Murray Room of the Yawkey Center. Spencer and the other student participants – all selected by their respective professors – will represent some two dozen Boston-area colleges and universities at the festival, which also features keynote remarks by Elizabeth “Betsy” Sholl, poet laureate of the state of Maine from 2006-2011. “Students always enjoy seeing
Caitlin Cunningham
A FEAST OF POETRY AT BC
Bailey Spencer ’14, BC’s representative at the Intercollegiate Undergraduate Poetry Festival.
the great range of work presented, as well as the diversity of reading and performance styles,” said poet and festival organizer Suzanne Matson, BC English Department chair and professor. “They also value feeling themselves to be a part of an accomplished group of like-minded young poets. Writing is solo work, and poetry can feel even more isolated, so the sense of community created by the Intercollegiate Poetry Festival is a gift to them and to all of us.” Matson described Sholl – author of several collections of poetry, including the Four Lakes Poetry Prize-winning Otherwise Unseeable (2014), and winner of a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship and numerous other honors – as “a wonderfully wise and generous poetic voice — full of appreciative
detail over the things of this world, but also attuned to social iniquities and life’s absurdities. She’s funny, warm, and down-to-earth.” Spencer also drew praise from Matson: “Bailey is a skilled poet who has immersed herself in reading and writing poetry for years. I met her during her freshman year and could tell already that she had a focused and mature literary sensibility. Since then we’ve worked together, and her sensitivity to language and mastery over its effects convince me that she’s the real thing.” A chapbook of student poetry, including Spencer’s tribute to her great-grandmother, will be published in conjunction with the festival. “I am really honored to have been chosen to represent BC,” said Spencer, an English major from Michigan. “I’ve spent this year writing a collection of poems for my senior thesis, which explores the mythologies that develop in small towns and become woven into the fabric of place, and I’m excited for the opportunity to share some of my work and to hear what my peers at other universities are writing.” A reception will follow the program. The poetry festival — which takes place during National Poetry Month and is sponsored by Poetry Days and Boston College Magazine – is open to the public, free of charge. For more information contact soyerd@bc.edu. –Rosanne Pellegrini
Contributing Staff Melissa Beecher Ed Hayward Sean Hennessey Rosanne Pellegrini Kathleen Sullivan Michael Maloney Photographers Gary Gilbert Lee Pellegrini
WHERE EAGLES SERVE This Saturday, Boston College alumni from around the world will have the opportunity to make a difference in their communities while reconnecting with fellow Eagles, as part of BC’s ninth annual Day of Service. Alumni chapters in 34 areas, both in the US and abroad, are participating in the 2014 Day of Service. The Alumni Association this year suggested a “one-cause” theme to help guide planning for service projects, and some chapters will gear their efforts around feeing the hungry. For example, Chicago alumni are working with MAC, a food packing/organizing group supported by Catholic Charities, to provide food for women, children and seniors, while the Fairfield, Ct., chapter will assist in collecting donated food items during the National Association of Letter Carriers’ annual food drive. Among other service projects, the Panama chapter will donate air conditioning equipment to a children’s
center and share breakfast and activities with some of the members; BC alumni in China will work on arts and crafts with children of migrant families in Beijing; Eagles in Dallas will paint, organize and spruce up a treatment center for girls in transition to foster care, group homes and family residences; and in South Carolina, alumni will build a reef to promote oyster restoration and create a habitat for various finfish species. “Service is a central part of the Boston College community,” said Associate Director of Alumni Chapters Jenniffer McNamara ’08. “We are taught to be men and women for others from the first day of orientation, and the Day of Service is just one more opportunity for our alumni, students, parents and faculty to continue that tradition.” For information about the Alumni Day of Service, see the Alumni Association website at www.bc.edu/ alumni. –Michael Maloney
The Law School will begin a new speaker series, “Conversations@ BCLaw,” next week in which alumni political leaders are interviewed by BC Law professor Kent Greenfield. The series will be open to the public and live streamed, with online viewers invited to pose questions via social media with the hashtag #atbclaw. The first event – which takes place this Tuesday at 4 p.m. in East Wing 120 – will feature 11-term US Rep. Robert C. “Bobby” Scott ’73 (D-Va.). Scott has been active in supporting the right of all children with disabilities to obtain a free and appropriate education under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. He also was instrumental in the House’s passage of the Fair Sentencing Act, and has been a leading critic against warrantless wiretapping and an opponent of efforts to permit employment discrimination in federally funded programs. For more information or to watch the event online, see www. bc.edu/conversationsatbclaw. –Melissa Beecher
Eco Pledge and the Career Center hosted a Green Career Night event on March 26, giving students the opportunity to talk with Boston College alumni who work in conservation and sustainability-related jobs. At the start of the evening, Sustainability Director Robert Pion presented a trophy to representatives of Ignacio and Rubenstein residence halls, winners of the University’s NRG Games in which students were challenged to conserve energy. (Photos by Caitlin Cunningham)
Director of NEWS & Public Affairs Jack Dunn Deputy Director of NEWS & Public AFFAIRS Patricia Delaney Editor Sean Smith
Filmmaker Oliver Stone (at right in photo) and historian Peter Kuznick spoke about their TV documentary series and book “The Untold History of the United States” on April 5 in Robsham Theater. Prof. Seth Jacobs (History), left, and Prof. Charles Derber (Sociology) also were on the panel. (Photo by Caitlin Cunningham)
The Boston College
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newly created center that will focus on leadership and engagement among BC students. Arey will direct residential life, summer housing and off-campus affairs. Associate Vice President Thomas McGuinness will continue to oversee University Counseling Services, Health Services, the Eagle EMS program and the Office of Health Promotion. Jones said she hopes within the coming week to name a new AVP for student affairs, who will administer career services and exploration, experiential opportunities, graduate programs, employer-alumni/parent relations, and career liaisons with academic divisions. She also has begun a search process for a new AVP/dean of students, who will oversee student conduct, student programs, parent communications, emergency case management, and services to students with disabilities. As part of the reorganization, Jones also named Carrie Klemovitch as assistant to the vice president for administration and planning. Klemovitch will coordinate efforts around planning and administration of information technology, budget and administrative services. Jones also announced the establishment of a new parent communication program, which will periodically inform parents
By Jack Dunn Director of News & Public Affairs
Vice President for Student Affairs Barb Jones has announced a reorganization of the Student Affairs division that adds four senior leadership positions in an effort to enhance collaborative partnerships throughout the University. Under the new structure, announced April 2, Executive Director for Student Affairs Katie O’Dair and Office of Residential Life Director George Arey have been named associate vice presidents for student affairs. They will be joined by two additional AVPs to be named this spring, who will oversee the offices of career services and dean of students, respectively. “The role of the Student Affairs division is to provide support, services and engagement in support of the academic and formation missions of Boston College,” said Jones. “Through this new leadership team, Student Affairs will have a greater focus on building partnerships and collaboration throughout the University.” Under the reorganization, O’Dair will oversee the areas of graduate student life, assessment, AHANA student programs, Title IX compliance, the recently renamed Women’s Center and a
about campus events and student engagement opportunities. In addition, Jones said, the Volunteer and Service Learning Center will be moved to the division of University Mission and Ministry to avoid redundancy of volunteer programs. Jones praised O’Dair and Arey for their commitment to Boston College and for the difference they make in the lives of BC students. “Katie has built invaluable partnerships with academic affairs, and effectively educated the campus community on Title IX and other issues,” said Jones. “By enhancing her portfolio, she will be better able to build partnerships and promote student issues across campus. In addition, George has tremendous energy and creativity and has positioned the Office of Residential Life to be a key partner-building unit within Student Affairs, as evidenced by his work with areas such as Mission and Ministry, the Boston College Police Department, and Facilities Management. “Both of them are deserving of these promotions, and the corresponding divisional reorganization will help them to perform their roles even more effectively in the coming years.” Contact Jack Dunn at jack.dunn@bc.edu
By Ed Hayward Staff Writer
Lynch School of Education Associate Professor Lauri Johnson has been awarded a 201415 Fulbright Scholar Award and will spend next year in England, interviewing some of the nation’s pioneering black and South Asian school principals. Johnson, an expert in educational leadership and the history of education, will be based at the University of Nottingham, where she holds an appointment as an honorary research fellow until 2016. “It is very exciting and I view this as a gift,” said Johnson, who also coordinates the Lynch School’s Professional School Administrator Program (PSAP). “I’m grateful for this opportunity to spend a year pursuing a research project about which I feel very passionate.” Johnson said her previous research in England into the preparation of school leaders – known as “headteachers” – led her to propose the in-depth study of the lives and careers of some of the first non-white headteachers in Britain.
Lee Pellegrini
LSOE’s Johnson Wins Fulbright to England
Lauri Johnson
Johnson said elementary and secondary school enrollment in England is rapidly becoming more and more diverse. Yet people of color constitute less than 6 percent of all teachers and only 2.4 percent of headteachers. “While student populations are diverse, only a small percentage of teachers who are black or South Asian make it up the administrative ladder to headteacher,” said Johnson. “This is a significant issue for Britain. The country has to diversify both the ranks of its teachers and headteachers.” The project will build upon
Johnson’s earlier research into the role of race and culture in the lives of US educators. Johnson will spend the next academic year conducting indepth life history interviews with 30 black and South Asian headteachers from cities and towns throughout the country. Topics will range from childhood school experiences to the influences that led them to their teaching careers to their routes to school leadership. Johnson will be working with colleagues at the University of Nottingham, which is home to the National College for Teaching and Leadership. Lynch School Dean Maureen Kenny praised Johnson’s work as a scholar and teacher who both examines the lessons of the past and prepares educators for the future. “Professor Johnson, through her scholarship and her leadership of our PSAP doctoral program, works tirelessly to develop the next generation of school and district leaders,” said Kenny. “All of us at the Lynch School congratulate Lauri for this welldeserved honor.”
Fr. Keenan Is New Jesuit Institute Head, Canisius Prof. By Jack Dunn Director of News & Public Affairs
Gary Wayne Gilbert
Reorganization in Student Affairs
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Founders Professor of Theology James Keenan, SJ, director of the Presidential Scholars Program, has been named director of the Jesuit Institute and holder of the Canisius Chair. He succeeds T. Frank Kennedy, SJ, who had served as director since 2002. Fr. Kennedy, whose term as rector of the Boston College Jesuit Community ends this year, will embark on a year-long sabbatical to Oxford University, where he will write and help to establish a center at Oxford’s Campion Hall similar to the Jesuit Institute. “As a respected theologian and scholar, Fr. Keenan is well-suited to build on the foundations of the Jesuit Institute and to further its purpose of engaging in dialogue concerning issues of religious faith and contemporary culture,” said University President William P. Leahy, SJ. “I am grateful to him for taking on this role while continuing to teach theology and oversee the Presidential Scholars Program. I am also grateful to Fr. Kennedy for his dedicated service as director of the Jesuit Institute.” Fr. Keenan said he was pleased to serve as institute director. “It is an honor to assume the role of director, especially in light of the thoughtful leadership of my two predecessors, Michael J. Buckley and T. Frank Kennedy,” said Fr. Keenan. “I look forward to developing a very lively and engaging agenda at the Jesuit Institute for the Boston College community.” The Jesuit Institute was estab-
James Keenan, SJ
lished in 1988 to support the Jesuit, Catholic mission and character of Boston College. Initially funded through a gift from the BC Jesuit Community and subsequently supported by many generous donations, the institute works in collaboration with BC’s schools, faculty and programs to promote personal research, academic interchange and inquiry into questions that emerge at the intersection of faith and culture. It sponsors a number of interdisciplinary seminars, research fellowships, academic retreats and public debates and lectures, including the annual Canisius Lecture. In addition, Myles Sheehan, SJ, provincial of the New England Province of Jesuits, has announced that Robert Keane, SJ, a retired captain in the US Navy Chaplain’s Corps and the current director of special projects in mission at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, has been named the new rector of the Boston College Jesuit Community. He will succeed Fr. Kennedy beginning in July.
Wall St. Dinner Honors Lynches Peter and Carolyn Lynch, longtime philanthropists and founders of the Lynch Family Foundation, will be honored at the 26th annual Boston College Wall Street Council Dinner, to be held April 24 at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City. The couple, who personally and through their foundation have awarded more than $150 million in grants, will be recipients of the University’s President’s Medal of Excellence, in recognition of their exceptional careers as well as their contributions to society. “The Wall Street Council Dinner, in support of Boston College’s Presidential Scholars Program, is a most worthy event,” said Peter Lynch ’65, vice chairman of Fidelity Management & Research Company and an advisory board member of the Fidelity Funds. “Carolyn and I are very excited we’re being honored with this award. The Wall Street Council does amazing things and we’re being honored by Boston College, which I believe is the finest university in the world.” Peter and Carolyn – who is president and chair of the Lynch Foundation – have been actively involved in education, children’s advancement, health care research, social service initiatives, Catholic-based programs, and civic organizations for over three decades. The School of Education, named after the couple, houses the Lynch Leadership Academy, an institution that assists active and aspiring school principals in improving their managerial and academic skills. The Wall Street Council is a network of more than 1,700 BC alumni, parents and friends. Over the past 25 years, the council’s dinner has raised more than $20 million for the Presidential Scholars Program at Boston College, an extraordinary honors program that combines rigorous course work, community service, international experience and internships. –Sean Hennessey
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4 Lee Pellegrini
Romero Winner Takes a Global View By Kathleen Sullivan Staff Writer
Asst. Prof. Jeremy Clarke, SJ (History), right, with University Librarian Thomas Wall at the installation of the pagodas March 28 at O’Neill Library.
Pagodas
Continued from page 1 Some years after the orphanage closed in 1957, the museum, which was constructed for the Shanghai World Expo in 2010, had considered purchasing the pagodas to pay homage to the exquisite craftsmanship of the orphans and Chinese cultural antiquity – but missed out on the opportunity when the pagodas were sold to an anonymous private collector and presumed lost. Upon hearing the story, Fr. Clarke told the museum officials that his students would try to find the pagodas, and presented the assignment to the undergrads in his Chinese history class From Sun Yat-sen to the Beijing Olympics. At the same time, Fr. Clarke enlisted the help of Associate Professor of Fine Arts Sheila Gallagher, who also asked her students to assist in the cross-disciplinary effort. The students took on the role of detectives, conducting extensive web research and contacting museum curators and art dealers throughout the world in an effort to track the pagodas down. They learned that the pagodas had been exhibited at the Field Museum in Chicago during the 1980s, and that the museum had held onto three of them, but sold the remaining 83 to an anonymous collector. No one seemed to know who had purchased them or where they were now located. Eventually, the students approached a local Chinese art expert who had heard that there were Chinese pagodas stored in a warehouse somewhere in the Boston area. One of the students found photos of the pagodas in a book of privately owned art collections. Through research, the students made contact with an art dealer representing the collector, who confirmed that the pagodas had, in fact, been stored in a warehouse in Somerville. Impressed by the students’ efforts, and desirous of the pagodas being used as an educational tool to promote Chinese culture, the owner agreed to lend three pagodas for display in O’Neill Library. Fr. Clarke described the class assignment as a collegial learning moment, where students had to develop expertise on each of the 86 pagodas and work together to locate them. “I am of the belief that students should be the subject and not the object of their learning,” he said. “They learn best by doing, and I was quite impressed by the care and
effort they put into this assignment.” Senior Maddy Walsh, a double major in international studies and economics from Manchester, NH, said she was excited to have her class project culminate in the O’Neill Library exhibit. “Given their remarkable journey spanning thousands of miles over the course of a century, the BC community is very fortunate to be able to see these incredible pieces of art without leaving campus. Perhaps the most rewarding part of the project has been seeing the number of Chinese students and faculty visiting the exhibit and expressing their excitement and gratitude for the BC community taking such an interest in their culture.” Added senior Madeline Andreach, a finance major from Rumson, NJ, “When Fr. Clarke gave us the task of finding 86 lost pagodas, we were quite skeptical and doubtful. The process of trying to hunt down a collection that originated in Shanghai proved very difficult. There was limited information online, and art dealers and museums weren’t talking because of confidentiality agreements. It was also challenging to tackle a problem between 25 students in an organized way. “I was lucky, however, to have had a conversation with a curator who mentioned that she had seen the pagodas, and that they were actually right here outside of Boston of all places! Finally seeing the pagodas up close completely blew us away: The pride in having found them and the beauty of their detail was very emotional. As a senior, this project and our surprise victory have come at a great time. We accomplished a really cool goal and now in our last few weeks on campus it is gratifying to see these pagodas getting so much attention on campus.” Fr. Clarke – author of a monograph on the development of Chinese Catholic identities and a guidebook to Catholic Shanghai, and now working on a history of the Tushanwan Catholic orphanage – hopes that the owner, who intends to display the 83 pagodas in San Francisco next year in honor of the 100th anniversary of the San Francisco exhibition, might consider selling at least some of them to the Tushanwan Museum, so that they can return home to Shanghai. “To me, that would be an ideal way for this story to end,” said Fr. Clarke. “I hope that it may happen one day.”
Junior Jessica Franco, a firstgeneration college student whose Boston College education has been heightened by experiences in Guatemala and Ecuador, is this year’s Archbishop Oscar A. Romero Scholarship recipient. Franco received the award at a March 29 ceremony hosted by the Romero Scholarship Committee. The event also saw presentation of the John A. Dinneen, SJ, Hispanic Alumni Community Service Award to Arivee N. Vargas Rozier-Byrd ’05, JD ’08 [see separate story]. The scholarship, which covers a portion of senior year tuition, is awarded annually to a BC junior who demonstrates a commitment to the values and ideals reflected in the life of Archbishop of El Salvador Oscar Romero, an outspoken advocate for the poor and oppressed who was assassinated in 1980. A native of Harrison, NY, Franco is an economics and theology double major with a minor in international studies. Last year, supported by an Advanced Study Grant, she conducted research in Guatemala for the BC Center for Human Rights and International Justice’s Migration and Human Rights Project. Under the guidance of Lynch School of Education Professor Brinton Lykes, CHRIJ associate director, Franco studied the impact ofparental absence due to immigration on the family members left behind: the grandmothers now raising their grandchildren and the children growing up with absent parents. The project included offering workshops on community psychology, stress management workshops for grandparents, and art therapy workshops for children. She also began a research project on the transnational nature of remittances and debt, interviewing five families in Guatemala with a family member working in the US. She plans to follow this family connection by interviewing the migrant workers in the US, with the goal of developing the research for her senior thesis. Her work with the Migration and Human Rights Project also includes providing informational workshops for immigrants in East Boston and Providence. Franco spent last semester in a study-abroad program in Ecuador, which further exposed her to race and socioeconomic issues. She bonded with the 17-year-old maid of her host family, teaching her how to read Spanish and use a computer. She also had an internship with an NGO, working for immigration rights with marginalized populations along the northern border of Ecuador. In an interview last week, Franco
It was an emotional evening for Jessica Franco ’15 and her loved ones, left, when she received the Archbishop Oscar A. Romero Scholarship from University President William P. Leahy, SJ. (Photos by Caitlin Cunningham)
recalled hearing at her freshman orientation about all the opportunities for students to do research with professors and study abroad. “It all sounded so perfect, but I never saw myself doing those things. But when I got here my whole life turned around. “My mom has always emphasized the importance of education and religion, but I did not know about the Jesuits until I came to BC. I’m so thankful for the Jesuit mission and the Jesuits. If I wasn’t Arivee N. Vargas Rozier-Byrd ’05, JD ’08 – a former recipient of the Archbishop Oscar A. Romero Scholarship – was named winner of the 2014 John A. Dinneen, SJ, Hispanic Alumni Community Service Award at the March 29 Romero Scholarship Ceremony. Rozier-Byrd is a member of the Boston law firm Jones Day, where she focuses on civil litigation in state and federal courts and serves on the firm’s Diversity Committee. For the past three years, she has been a part-time faculty member at Boston College Law School, and serves as a mentor for students of color there and at other area law schools. Rozier-Byrd frequently appears as a panelist and presenter at career development events aimed at exposing college and high school students of color to the legal field. Read more about Rozier-Byrd in the online version of this story at www.bc.edu/chronicle.
here [at BC], I wouldn’t be doing these things.” At BC, she is involved with Learning to Serve, a program that pairs freshmen with upperclass student mentors to ease the adjustment to college and provide an introduction to social justice issues and opportunities for volunteer service in the Boston area. As a homesick freshman, Franco found the mentoring provided through Learning to Serve invaluable. “I had a great mentor when I was a freshman and I knew I wanted to do the same for someone else,” said Franco, who for the last two years has served as a mentor to freshmen and led a group for weekly volunteer service at Epiphany School and
Project Bread. Franco praised the Theology Department faculty, especially one influential professor. “Professor [Stephen] Pope is amazing. He is the one who introduced me to Oscar Romero. Due to his class, I had a personal transformation, a gradual awakening to the realities in the world and the moral responsibility to addressing those issues,” she said. Among her favorite classes, Franco cited Perspectives and The Challenge of Justice, both with Pope; Latin America in the World, with History Associate Professor Deborah Levenson-Estrada; and Liberation Christology with Flatley Professor of Catholic Thelogy Roberto Goizueta. “I feel I have a calling to be in solidarity with the marginalized and the oppressed, particularly in Latin America.” Franco hopes to go abroad after graduation either via a Fulbright award, Jesuit Volunteer Corps or the Peace Corps. She ultimately wants to purse graduate studies. Her dream is to work for the United Nations. She was especially grateful that her mother, Martha Mejia, was able to attend the Romero Award ceremony. Mejia, one of 16 children, immigrated to the United States from Colombia and has worked tirelessly to enable her daughter to go to college. “My mom came here 35 years ago and she has not rested one day since,” said Franco. “She came here to obtain the American dream. She’s the strongest person I know. I’m super grateful to her.” The other Romero Scholarship finalists were Francisco Bernard, a communication and sociology double major who does extensive work with the Organization of Latin American Affairs and Rosemary Concepcion, a sociology major and four-year member of the International Club who tutors local middle school students. All three finalists were awarded gift certificates to the Boston College Bookstore. Contact Kathleen Sullivan at kathleen.sullivan@bc.edu
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Juliet Schor
emy. “To influence the public’s understanding of the pressing issues of our day is, for me, a cherished achievement. I’m especially pleased to receive the award after writing a book on the urgency of climate change,” she said. In her award nomination, a colleague wrote of Schor: “I have observed with awe her non-stop tenacious efforts to diffuse powerful sociological analyses to influence both debate and action on some of the most challenging issues of our time. As a result her work has been taken up as potent blueprints for change by policymakers, social movement organizations, civil soci-
ety, and activists of all stripes. Schor was one of the first influential voices advocating ‘downshifting’ lifestyles as a way in which citizens could tackle problems of consumerism. “Her most recent book, Plenitude, is the most ambitious of all: seeking to connect the dots between the ‘business-as-usual’ economy, consumerism, and impending ecological crises as we overshoot the planet’s boundaries. This inspiring analysis has put Schor at the forefront of the global sustainability movement.” Schor has written articles for the Economic Journal, The Review of Economics and Statistics, The Journal of Economic Psychology, Ecological Economics, The Journal of Industrial Ecology and Social Problems, among many other journals. She has served as a consultant for the United Nations, World Institute for Development Economics Research, and United Nations Development Program. Schor has lectured widely throughout the United States, Europe and Japan to a variety of civic, business, labor and academic groups, and has appeared frequently in national and international media. –Kathleen Sullivan
Erickson Is White Family Sesquicentennial Asst. Prof. Continued from page 1 work on both fronts.” “Jennifer is a wonderful colleague doing invaluable, timely research on international security, and who is already making her mark on the Political Science Department and International Studies Program,” said College and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Dean David Quigley. “She also understands the importance of encouraging and supporting students’ scholarly pursuits, having recently teamed with Assistant Professor of History Jeremy Clarke, SJ, to run a poster session for seniors writing theses in the social sciences and the humanities. Jennifer is quite deserving of this opportunity.” The White Family Sesquicentennial Assistant Professorship was established with a gift by Susan and Michael White ’74, whose daughter Larissa Booras earned bachelor’s and law degrees at BC. “Susan and I are thrilled to learn that Jennifer Erickson has been named the first White Family Sesquicentennial Assistant Professor,” said Michael White, president and CEO of DirectTV. “We established the White Family Sesquicentennial Assistant Professorship to support rising stars whose teaching and research will make a lasting impact both at the Heights and in their area of scholarship. Dr. Erickson exemplifies what we had hoped to accomplish.” Erickson has taught courses on Globalization and National Security, the European Union in World
Affairs and Introduction to International Studies. Her research interests focus on international reputation, states’ commitment to international rules and how their compliance is affected by domestic politics. She has authored articles or chapters for such publications as World Politics Review, European Journal of International Relations and Journal of Peace Research, and The Causes and Consequences of Nuclear Proliferation. She is finishing up a book project on the development of humanitarian arms export controls, including the new UN Arms Trade Treaty, that will attempt to limit small and major conventional arms transfers to countries engaged in severe human rights violations, conflict, or genocide. Erickson’s activities at BC include co-organizing a series of seminars, “Afghanistan After 2014,” and the Political Science Department Foreign Policy Speaker Series. A graduate of St. Olaf College with master’s and doctoral degrees in government from Cornell University, Erickson has conducted extensive fieldwork in the United States and Europe. She has also been a research fellow at Dartmouth College in the War and Peace Studies Program at the John Sloan Dickey Center for International Understanding. In her time at BC, Erickson said she has found students “smart and hardworking,” and with a strong interest in “learning more about the world and thinking about what they can do in it. This makes it an
especially rewarding place to teach about international issues.” Teaching in the Political Science Department and the International Studies Program, she added, “means that I get a lot of really fantastic students from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds who, as a whole, are excited to be challenged to think hard about big questions in world affairs. It’s really motivating as a teacher to get to work with students like this, and to help them develop their ideas and personal and professional goals along the way.” Erickson said the professorship will be integral in providing support for her next research project, which will examine how countries manipulate – or attempt to do so – international norms during wartime, such as through deployment of new military technology or treatment of civilian populations. “Ultimately, this will be a booklength project, which will mean lots of research and traveling to conduct interviews and visit archives. It’s very exciting to know there will be resources available and that I can jump more directly into the research as a result.” The Sesquicentennial Challenge Gift initiative was sparked by a BC alumnus who offered to match $500,000 for every $1 million put forward by other benefactors to create the $1.5 million endowments required to fund each assistant professorship. Two other Sesquicentennial Assistant Professorships are expected to be announced this year.
Christian New Hoops Coach Jim Christian, the Mid-American Conference all-time leader in winning percentage, has been named the 12th men’s basketball coach at Boston College. Christian spent the last two seasons as head coach at Ohio University, leading the Bobcats to an overall 49-22 record. In his first season at the helm, Ohio went 24-10 and won the MAC regular-season championship, earning a bid to the National Invitational Tournament while Christian was named the NABC District 14 Coach of the Year. This past year saw the Bobcats go 25-12 and advance to the quarterfinals of the College Insider Tournament. The MAC has been home to Christian for eight of his 12 years as a head coach. He spent six seasons with Kent State from 2002-08, compiling a record of 138-58 (.704) and leading the Golden Flashes to five postseason appearances. He earned MAC Coach of the Year honors in 2006 and 2008, both times leading Kent State to the conference title and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The Golden Flashes earned NIT berths in each of his first three seasons. Christian holds the best winning percentage in MAC history (.700) and has reached 20 wins in all eight of his seasons in the conference. “Jim Christian brings three remarkable traits to Boston College basketball,” said Director of Athletics Brad Bates. “First, he sincerely
Photo courtesy BC Athletics
Professor of Sociology Juliet Schor, a highly regarded researcher on sustainability issues, has been named winner of the 2014 Public Understanding of Sociology Award, presented annually by the American Sociological Association to a person who has made exemplary contributions to advance the public understanding of sociology, sociological research, and scholarship among the general public. Schor’s scholarship has been focused on topics such as American consumer culture and the relationship between environmental sustainability and consumption. Co-founder of the Center for a New American Dream, a national sustainability organization, she is the best-selling author of several books including Plenitude: The New Economics of True Wealth, Born to Buy: The Commercialized Child and the New Consumer Culture, The Overspent American: Why We Want What We Don’t Need and The Overworked American: The Unexpected Decline of Leisure. Schor said that she is gratified by the honor, as it recognizes the contributions that scholars make to the larger world outside the acad-
Gary Wayne Gilbert
ASA Recognizes Schor’s Contributions
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Jim Christian
cares about his student-athletes and will be a catalyst for their development as basketball players, scholars, servers and leaders, while creating a family culture that brings pride to the BC community. Second, his energy is contagious and his passion inspiring, which will resonate throughout our program. Finally, he is a proven winner with a career winning percentage of 70.2 and three conference championships. “We are very excited to have Jim Christian leading Boston College basketball, and look forward to an extraordinary future.” Christian also spent four seasons as the head coach at Texas Christian. In his final season, he led the Horned Frogs to an 18-15 record and an appearance in the quarterfinals of the College Basketball Invitational. A native of Bethpage, NY, Christian played two seasons at Boston University before transferring to Rhode Island to finish his collegiate career under coach Tom Penders. He guided the Rams to the Sweet Sixteen in the 1988 NCAA Tournament. –Boston College Athletics
Nxt4 Takes First in Venture Competition Home to one of the best business schools in the country, Boston College has become a breeding ground for entrepreneurs. Last week, three more hopeful start-ups were crowned during the finals of the 2014 Boston College Venture Competition (BCVC). Walking away with the $20,000 first place prize was Nxt4, an entity hoping to streamline the college admission process by offering a four-year running resume for students, who will be able to update their activities, grades and board scores for which colleges and universities would pay to access. “Historically, colleges have marketed to students via personalized paper mail,” says Nxt4 team member Mike Bryant. “But colleges aren’t necessarily sure students received this mail, let alone if these students are even interested in going to their college. By allowing colleges to market directly to students on their profiles, students can give these colleges immediate feedback saying, ‘Hey, I’m interested,’ or ‘No thank you.’” The team says by allowing access to student data, colleges can increase their yield rate because they’ll know who is serious about attending. You Sit, an online market place aimed at connecting buyers and sellers, and Molly Miller, an eco-friendly clothing design for woman that promotes a positive body image, tied for second and each earned $6,250. “It started as a fun project but now it’s turning into a real thing,” says You Sit team member Andrew Bernstein ’17. “It’s really cool – it’s all happening so fast.” “BC definitely does a good job of making resources available,” says Molly Miller co-founder Danielle Dalton ’16, about the efforts to help would-be entrepreneurs. “And there are all these people who are willing to help you.” That assistance has gone long way in helping Boston College become a popular place for entrepreneurs. In just the past three years, four start-ups from the University have gone on to form companies that have raised more than a million dollars in funding. All four companies started as teams that either won BCVC or competed in it. See a Google+ Hang-out with Nxt4 at http://plus.google.com/+bostoncollege/ –Sean Hennessey
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BC & THE MARATHON: ONE YEAR LATER
The Undergraduate Government of Boston College will host a Marathon Monday Memorial Walk to pay tribute to the Boston Marathon bombing victims this Tuesday, April 15 – the oneyear anniversary of the attack. The Memorial Walk, organized by juniors Alex Heiman and Amanuel Teshome of UGBC’s Student Initiatives Department, will begin at 1 p.m. Walkers will gather at Conte Forum and proceed to walk three laps around the reservoir. T-shirts will be sold for $5 for participants as well as supporters. All proceeds from the t-shirt sale will go to aiding the marathon bombing victims. Though a student initiative, the Marathon Monday Memorial Walk is open to all members of the BC community. No registration is required. Information will be available through the UGBC web site at ugbc.org. Boston College will be front and center along Mile 21, which passes campus as the runners crest Heartbreak Hill and begin their descent toward the finish line in Copley Square. Some of the activities along this stretch of the course are still in the planning stages, while others took root many months ago – all intended to remember those killed and injured in the attacks a year ago, honor the first responders, and celebrate this year’s runners. Last November, the Connell School of Nursing and Boston College Facilities Management teamed up to plant 3,500 daffodil bulbs along Commonwealth Avenue, near the Lake Street intersection. The plantings were part of the Marathon Daffodils project, which sought to line the race route with 100,000 daffodils in memory of the marathon bombing victims. The Boston chapter of the Boston College Alumni Association and the community group Catching Joy will organize at Mile 21 to cheer on runners in this year’s race. On Saturday, the Alumni Association and Catching Joy, founded by BC alumna Joy Olaes Suprenant, have teamed up for BC’s National Day of Service [see story on page 2] to make cards and posters dedicated to bombing survivors and first responders. Posters will be on display at the Alumni Association tent at Mile 21. The cards, created by alumni, their children and friends, were delivered to Spaulding Rehabilitation Center, the Newton Police and Newton Fire Department as part of Catching Joy’s “Marathon” of 26 familyfriendly events leading up to the marathon. –Ed Hayward
Continued from page 1 like it was just yesterday and at the same time, I can’t believe how far I’ve come since that day. There’s a lot going through my head. As the anniversary approaches, it’s a lot harder to talk about it, to be honest. Last year when I spoke with the media and with people about the event, I think it was a little bit easier to go through everything that had happened just because I think I was still in shock over the whole event. Now that I’ve processed a lot of it, it’s getting harder to look back on. But I’m really grateful at this point that I’ve come as far as I have. I’m getting close to be able to start running again, which is good. For me, I’ve done pretty much everything besides that which I would have otherwise been doing this year if the bombing hadn’t happened. I’m pretty proud of myself for getting through all of that. Tell us about the Brittany Fund. The fund, called the Brittany Fund – that may change – will raise money for other marathon survivors, and survivors of other traumatic events that happen. My hope is to be able to give back the way that so many gave to me, and to help those who are going through the kind of struggles that I went through. I look forward to working on that as a way to pay it forward. Right now it’s a pretty basic website [Brittanyfund. org] which takes you straight to a donations page, but I’ll be working on it more in the months to come so hopefully it will be more built up soon. You mentioned a moment ago that it’s more difficult to talk about April 15. When you think about that date these days, what issues pop up that didn’t a year ago? I think it just makes me overall more sad now. A year ago, I think I was still in shock as I repeated what the events were that day. When I repeated the events of the day, I didn’t really show much emotion, and now internally there’s more of a sadness to it than there was before. I think continually that will change over time – I think it’s the process of grief over what happened. I know it’s different for everyone but it’s something I think about on a daily basis, something I’m continually processing. I can’t imagine a day that would go by when you won’t think about it. Yeah, I can’t imagine that either. It’s just a matter of figuring out how to fit it into my “normal life.” I think back when it initially happened, I didn’t want to believe that an event like that – perpetrated by others who had ill intentions – could change me, but the fact of the matter is it did change me. I do think most of those ways it changed me are positive. I look at every day as if it could be my last day on earth. I think I have a feeling of that more than I ever had
Daffodils were sprouting last week on Commonwealth Avenue at the edge of Brighton Campus. The bulbs – 3,500 in all – were planted last fall by the Connell School of Nursing and Facilities Management as part of the Marathon Daffodils project in memory of the marathon bombing victims. (Photo by Lee Pellegrini)
before. You think of the quote “Live in the moment,” but I’m not sure that’s something most people feel until you go through an event like that where you really do face death. Things in my life have changed because of that. I’m trying to re-focus on being nicer to people every day – you know, with everyday things – and trying to find the joy in the simpler things in life. Do you keep in touch with fellow marathon survivors? Yes I do. I attend a support group with other marathon survivors that’s set up by the Boston Public Health Commission, which has been great through all of this, really supportive of all of the survivors. I felt really lonely back in June, that I really needed something like that so I joined the group, and for me it’s been a big part of my healing. You have people that went through the same thing that I did. Everyone has a completely different reaction to what happened to them, but we all share some similarities. Is there any message you want to send to the public? For all the support I received, I just want to reiterate “Thank you”: to the Boston College community, to alumni, and to complete strangers who reached out to me. I want to say thanks for that, but also let everyone “What can we do to show support for Boston?” A simple question from a student studying abroad prompted a movement across campus that is quickly growing around the world. The Boston College Office of International Programs (OIP) is sponsoring a student initiative to show support and solidarity for the City of Boston and runners of this year’s Boston Marathon. #BCHeartsForBoston and #ToBostonWithLove are two hashtags that will be used on social media over the next two weeks. Those who are interested in being a part of the movement are asked to take a photo or short video expressing support for the
know that every little thing people did meant so much to me. Whatever happens in the future, I would suggest reaching out in the same way because it was really fundamental in my recovery. I understand you won’t be attending this year’s marathon, so what will you be doing? I will be on an island in the Caribbean celebrating my 30th birthday. I felt a little bit guilty at first not attending the marathon, but this year I need to reclaim my birthday for myself and given that the bombing is something I think about on a daily basis, I’m sure it won’t be far from my thoughts on that day either. I’ll be there in spirit – I have a lot of fellow marathon survivors running the race and the only part I’m sad about is not being able to see them finish. They’re so inspiring and I’ll definitely be carrying them in my heart that day.
Brittany Loring, right, and Liza Cherney at last year’s Commencement.
runners and Boston. Participants are asked to wear Boston College, “Boston Strong” or any type of Boston-related apparel and identify a location. Send out the message through social media using the hashtags and the responses will be curated. “As Marathon Monday 2014 rapidly approaches and we all find ourselves in various countries around the world, our hearts return to Boston,” said Connell School of Nursing student Rebecca Howell ’15, who is studying at Venice International University this semester. “We have an opportunity to show our love and support for Boston and the marathon runners from wherever we are in the world.”
Liza Cherney has succeeded in not letting the injuries she suffered from one of the Boston Marathon explosions derail plans that were in the making prior to the attack last April 15. Cherney was able to recuperate from her injuries and return to campus last May, joining her MBA classmates for graduation. She served as the Carroll School of Management graduate programs student representative during Commencement Exercises, walking unassisted to the Alumni Stadium stage while she received a standing ovation. Since then, she has stuck to her original plans and moved back to her home state of California, taking a job in the financial services sector and continuing to rehab from her injuries. “As to the events of the Boston Marathon bombing, they will forever have impacted my life, but I am not letting them define me,” Cherney told the Chronicle. “I am still doing physical therapy and have found good doctors out here as well. I do cycle classes multiple times every week and am feeling strong and fit.” Since earning her MBA and starting her new job, Cherney has traveled to Zurich and New York City for work and earned certifications required for her career in the securities industry. “I am doing really well out in California,” Cherney said. “While I miss all the great people who I met in Boston, my life in San Francisco is pretty fantastic.” Cherney, who earned undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Southern California, was recently invited to speak at her alma mater. “One of my main points was about my incredible experience at the Carroll School of Management,” said Cherney. She remains grateful to her classmates and Carroll School staff and faculty, the medical personnel who cared for her, as well as the many strangers who offered her their thoughts and prayers. “The support of the Boston community has been amazing,” Cherney said. –Ed Hayward Assistant Director for International Development Christina Hatzipetros said OIP will use their social media channels to do just that. “We wanted a way to connect our students who are around the world and missing Boston during this time,” said Hatzipetros. “It started as just a Boston College effort, but we’re hoping that anyone, and other schools around the world, would participate. This is an event that connects us all, even if we are at different places around the world.” For those not on social media, photos and videos can be emailed to dimitroc@bc.edu and will be posted on the OIP sites. –Melissa Beecher
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BC & THE MARATHON: ONE YEAR LATER The finish line of the Boston Marathon is motivation enough for most runners. But when training gets tough, Meghan Hickey ’13 pictures Mile 21, the top of Heartbreak Hill, on Marathon Monday. “Through most of the run, I don’t know that I’ll have many fans along the route, so I’m going to have to save my energy until I get to Boston College, see those towers, the BC students and my friends,” said Hickey. “I think about that moment all the time. Coming home. I know it’s going to be amazing.” This year’s Boston Marathon has countless stories of redemption, recovery and renewal. Hickey, who is two years cancer-free, embraces the fact that her run represents all that – and more. As a junior at BC, Hickey was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. She cancelled a semester in Spain so she could return home to Chicago for radiation, chemotherapy and treatment. “Images of paella danced in my head as I watched the IV drip, drip drip...” she said. Hickey participated in a clinical trial, funded in part from the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, which cut her time away from school from an entire year to a semester. “I consider it my alternative semester abroad. Going through Emily Greising Remenschneider, a 2007 Graduate School of Social Work alumna, and her husband Aaron [in the photo with Emily] have always believed that the place where he works – the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary – is a special one. But the events of last Patriots Day redoubled that belief, and this year they’ll be running their very first marathon to support the work of Mass Eye and Ear. At the outset, as Emily recalls, Patriots Day 2013 looked to be a fairly uneventful one for the couple. Aaron, a fifth-year chief resident, went into work and was scheduled to be on call throughout the night; Emily had been serving jury duty, but with the courts closed because of the holiday she went to her office in Waltham (Wide Horizons for Children, an international child welfare organization) to do some catching up. “In the early afternoon, I received a message from my cousin in New York asking about explosions at the marathon,” she says. “I immediately tried to see what information I could find, but everything was so unclear.” When she arrived home that afternoon, Emily saw “lines of ambulances as far as you could see” and numerous streets blocked off; the
treatment and the trial, I just wanted to get back. And I was back for the marathon and was able to graduate with my class,” said Hickey. “I really tried to put the experience behind me, didn’t talk about it much because I was always around so many healthy people, people who were the picture of health,” said Hickey. After graduation, Hickey started working as a product support analyst. With her off-hours as her own, she dedicated more time to running. Hickey had run crosscountry in high school, but was always a recreational jogger – a few laps around the reservoir were the most she’d do while at BC. “The events of last year affected everyone in different ways. I found myself at my first job, with a lot of time on my hands and decided to start training. Boston has been my adopted city. I’d never be fast enough to qualify for a number so
sounds of helicopters and sirens continued through the evening. Meanwhile, victims of the bombings were arriving at the city’s hospitals, including Mass Eye and Ear. Aaron and his colleagues worked through the night evaluating and treating patients for ear pain, hearing loss, and other head and neck injuries caused by the force of, or shrapnel from, the blasts. Many patients had to receive follow-up care in the ensuing weeks and months. It was the kind of experience that tests the mettle of a healer, but Emily had little doubt Aaron could meet the challenge. “Aaron has always placed a lot of importance on the personal side of patient care. Supporting the sick through difficult times has been one of his draws to medicine.”
I decided to run through a charity,” said Hickey. The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society was the natural choice. As she raised money, Hickey had to reveal her story to colleagues and new friends. The journey to raising $4,000 became therapeutic, and she has nearly doubled that total. “When I was diagnosed with blood cancer, I was upset with very superficial things – missing tailgates, losing my hair. It’s only now, when I am a little older, that I can appreciate the impact of this research and the direct effect it had on people like me,” said Hickey. “I feel a responsibility to give back.” As she trains alongside runners who were not allowed to finish the marathon last year, Hickey said she appreciates all the more the fact that this year’s race will be an important part of the city’s history. “Boston, our city, has been through a true test. The sense of community, how we’re all coming back together, it makes me proud to be an adopted Bostonian,” said Hickey. “When I was sick, that feeling of coming back to BC was like a homecoming. This time, it’s only going to be better.” To contribute to Meghan Hickey’s fundraising: http://pages. teamintraining.org/ma/boston14/ mhickeyha6. –Melissa Beecher Moreover, Aaron and his colleagues at Mass Eye and Ear, along with doctors from other Boston medical centers, saw a potential to learn from the tragedy: They have embarked on a research project to study the long-term impact of blastrelated ear injuries. Native Indianans though they may be, the Remenschneiders have fallen in love with their adopted city, and while sharing in the horror and dismay over the bombings, Emily says, they also were heartened by the strength and resilience shown by the community. So the idea of running the Boston Marathon to benefit hearing-related research at Mass Eye and Ear seemed a perfect way to express their feelings about the place they call home, and the people in it. “This year we are running in support of a city that we love,” says Emily, who reports she and Aaron have been training assiduously for this, their first marathon of any kind. “We hope to honor all the incredible people that were present last year, and to help raise awareness and funds for a cause we believe in.” For information about the Remenschneiders’ fundraising campaign, see www.crowdrise.com/ teameyeandear/fundraiser/remenschneider. –Sean Smith
Walk Across Campus participants formally kicked off this semester’s program on April 1. Some 1,400 BC employees on 90 teams are taking part. For more information, see www.bc.edu/healthy-you. (Photo courtesy Richard Jefferson)
Newsmakers As it pursues advancement, Massachusetts should not look for inspiration from inferior international performers whose models offer an easy fit, advised Lynch School of Education Brennan Professor Andy Hargreaves and Prof. Dennis Shirley, co-authors of an op-ed in the Boston Globe.
beth Bishop’s double sonnet “The Prodigal.” Adj. Asst. Prof. Fang Lu (Slavic and Eastern Languages) presented the paper “Lady Wu: Why and How a Demonized Chinese Female Emperor was Reconstructed” at the conference of the Association for Asian Studies, and was invited by the Greater Boston Chinese Cultural Association to give a talk on the bilingual modern Chinese writer Lin Yutang’s cross-cultural strategies.
BC BRIEFING
Research Prof. Peter Gray (Psychology), author of Free to Learn, was among the guests on a HuffPostLive program discussing the difference between keeping children safe and over-sheltering them. Assoc. Prof. Rev. James Weiss (Theology) spoke with WWL-TV in New Orleans about Pope Francis’ popularity and its relationship to perceptions of change in the Catholic Church. Prof. Marcie Pitt-Catsouphes (GSSW), director of the Sloan Center on Aging and Work, offered her views to Forbes magazine about the struggles of Americans balancing work and elder care. Center for Work and Family Associate Director Jennifer Fraone offered tips for mothers pursuing online degrees in an interview with US News & World Report. Center for International Higher Education Director Philip Altbach co-authored a piece for New Statesman about the benefits for those nations whose governments pay for their young adults to study abroad. Assoc. Prof. of the Practice Tiziana Dearing (GSSW) wrote in the Huffington Post about the cultural dimensions of inner-city poverty.
Time and a Half At a conference on John Donne and contemporary poetry held at Louisiana State University, Prof. Dayton Haskin (English) gave a paper on Donne’s “What If This Present Were the World’s Last Night” and Eliza-
Assoc. Prof. John McDargh (Theology) led a discussion, “Welcoming the Stranger,” at a Golda University session held at Jewish Community Housing in Brighton. Prof. Emeritus Dennis Taylor (English) gave the Thomas Grace, SJ, Memorial lecture at Holy Cross College on “Shakespeare and Catholicism.”
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: Senior Admissions Associate, Carroll Graduate School of Management Bakery Manager, Dining Services Senior Associate Athletic Director for Marketing Resident Director, Residential Life Financial Systems Manager Administrative Assistant, Dean’s Office, Connell School of Nursing Associate Director, Annual Giving Classes, Development Web Services Librarian, O’Neill Library Grant Writer, Office of Sponsored Programs
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LOOKING AHEAD A Sweet 16 for the BC Arts Festival By Rosanne Pellegrini Staff Writer
After enduring a seemingly never-ending winter, Boston College will celebrate the arrival of spring later this month with the 16th Arts Festival, an annual showcase of campus arts in all genres. The festival, which takes place April 24-26, will involve the talents of some 1,000 BC students, faculty, administrators and staff in a multitude of events highlighting the performing, visual and literary arts. Last year’s Arts Festival drew an all-ages crowd of more than 16,500, with an offering of participatory activities as well as performances, exhibitions and readings. “Filter Your World” is the theme of the 2014 festival, which organizers say is meant to challenge traditional perspectives for perceiving and interpreting art. “The dedication and creative energy of our students, faculty, staff and alumni shape an Arts Festival into one of the most anticipated events on campus,” said Associate Professor of Theatre Crystal Tiala, chair of the University’s Arts Council, which organizes the festival. “Each year the festival is better and bigger than the year before. It is the crowning achievement of everyone’s hard work, allowing – at last – the community to experience the wealth of creative talent in three exuberant days of spring.” In addition, the festival highlights the achievements of accomplished alumni arts professionals. Anne Garefino ’81, executive producer of the long-running TV series “South Park” and Broadway hit
BC SCENES
“The Book of Mormon” (now playing at the Boston Opera House), will return to BC as a special guest: She will participate in special programming on April 24 and 25 and receive the Boston College Arts Council Alumni Award for Distinguished Achievement at a public presentation and reception on April 25. [For more on Garefino, see www.bc.edu/artsawards; registration for the awards event also is available at that site, or by calling ext.2-4700]. Also being honored this year is Sullivan Artist-in-Residence Séamus Connolly, director of BC’s Irish music programs, organizer of the popular Gaelic Roots music series and one of the world’s most respected master Irish musicians, who will receive the Arts Council Faculty Award. The awards ceremony also will recognize students’ artistic accomplishments. The Arts Festival main performance tent is located on the Plaza at O’Neill Library. The Arts Tent on Stokes Lawn will host children’s activities and a smaller stage for more intimate performances, art displays and receptions. Activities for children and families, which take place from noon-5 p.m. on April 26, include an original children’s play, “Nick of Time” by Adjunct Associate Professor of Theatre Luke Jorgensen, to be performed by students from one of his classes. Also that afternoon, the Undergraduate Government of Boston College will co-sponsor activities for families. Other highlights of the festival include: •A production of the award-win-
PLEXTIME
Photos by Caitlin Cunningham
Last Saturday, the Flynn Recreation Complex was full of activity at the annual Family Fun Day, held in conjunction with the Jay McGillis Memorial Spring Football Game and other athletic events. Above, Mia Bottaro – daughter of 1997 grad Mike Bottaro –got in some good bouncing. At right, Cameron Morrison offered a smile and best wishes to the BC men’s hockey team, which plays tonight in the Frozen Four national semifinal game.
ning musical comedy “The Drowsy Chaperone,” directed by Associate Professor of Theatre Stuart J. Hecht, from April 23-27 at Robsham Theater Arts Center [see www.bc.edu/ robsham]. •A concert by student a cappella groups whose members prepared for the festival through sessions with Boston-based professional groups. •Dance showcases featuring BC faculty and student choreographers, and a variety of genres; and dancing with BC bOp!, the University’s popular jazz band. •A gallery opening and reception in the Arts Tent, with talks by BC student artists. •The McMullen Museum of Art exclusive exhibition “Paris Night & Day: Photography Between the Wars,” on view through June 8 [see www.bc.edu/artmuseum]. •BC Underground, a collaborative arts event that features spokenword artists, rappers, break dancers, DJ’s and electronic music artists. •Performances by improv groups and winners of annual “Battle of Bands” and singer-songwriter competitions. Sponsors of the festival include the offices of the President and the Provost, Center for Student Formation, Student Affairs and Carroll School of Management, with support from the Alumni Association and Bookstore. The festival coincides with, and is a part of, Boston’s annual Art Week, organized by the Citi Arts Performing Center. For information on event times and locations, see www.bc.edu/artsfestival or call ext. 2-ARTS (2787); events are free unless otherwise indicated.
The Boston College Arts Festival offers many performance and participatory events for all ages. Left, TV producer Anne Garefino ’81 is this year’s recipient of the Arts Council Alumni Award for Distinguished Achievement. Festival photos by Crystal Tiala, Alex Gaynor and Vincent Chao
Contact Rosanne Pellegrini at rosanne.pellegrini@bc.edu
Elizabeth Smart Speaks Tonight Elizabeth Smart, whose kidnapping and captivity as a young girl propelled her into a career as an advocate for programs and resources to combat child abduction, will speak tonight in McGuinn 121 at 7 p.m. Her appearance at Boston College is sponsored as part of the Winston Center for Leadership and Ethics Collaborations program. Smart was 14 years old when she was abducted from her Salt Lake City home in 2002 and was held for nine months, during which she endured continual physical and mental torment. She testified in front of her captor, Brian David Mitchell, who was sentenced to two life terms. Smart later chronicled her experiences in a best-selling book, My Story. She is involved in the Elizabeth Smart Foundation, has helped promote The National AMBER Alert, The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act and other safety legislation to help prevent abductions. She and other abduction survivors worked with the Department of Justice to create a survivors guide to provide support and encouragement to children who have gone through similar experiences. For information, see the Winston Center website at www.bc.edu/schools/csom/research/leadership.html, or send email to guerrica@bc.edu. –Office of News & Public Affairs