Boston College Chronicle

The Boston College

Chronicle Published by the Boston College Office of University Communications MAY 10, 2018 VOL. 25 NO. 17

INSIDE honors its 2 •University 25-year employees •Gold Award for BC Dining Services ‘FRESH’ film to have 3 •Pemberton special nationwide release

A Time of Transitions

Changes in Administrative Leadership Await as End of Academic Year Nears Kiefer to Take Reins as Director of Church in the 21st Century Ctr.

Fr. Burns Prepares to Leave Woods College Deanship Next Month

BY JACK DUNN ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT FOR UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS

•Expanded offerings for Jesuit studies appointed 5 •Cataldo Campus School director

6-7 •Seniors to Remember

for International 8 •Change Studies Program •BC center reports on student support thought and 9 •Catholic social innovation •BC’s Wang helps build better battery Keeley bid fond 10 •Casey, farewell to University honors LSOE 11 •AERA faculty, alumna •BC in the Media; Briefings; Nota Bene; Jobs Professors 12 •Calderwood reflect on time at BC

Rev. James P. Burns, IVD, dean of the Woods College of Advancing Studies since 2014, has been named president of Saint Mary’s University in Winona, Minn.

Fr. Burns was the unanimous selection for the presidency of the De La Salle Christian Brothers Catholic liberal arts institution, which has an enrollment of 5,700 undergraduate, graduate and online students. He will step down as dean of the Woods College on June 15, and begin his new role as Saint Mary’s 14th president on July 9.

Provost and Dean of Faculties David Quigley praised Fr. Burns for his efforts in enhancing one of the nation’s best colleges for advancing studies.

BY KATHLEEN SULLIVAN STAFF WRITER

James P. Burns, IVD

Lee Pellegrini

“I’ve been blessed to work closely with Fr. Burns during the past eight years,” said Quigley. “I have long admired his commitment to and belief in Woods College students, and his leadership has advanced the school to a new level of excellence. We wish him every success as he returns home to his beloved Minnesota.”

Fr. Burns expressed his “sinContinued on page 4

Church in the 21st Century Center Associate Director Karen Kelly Kiefer, a 1982 graduate of Boston College who has dedicated her career to creating programs that connect people to the University and to their Catholic faith, has been appointed C21 director

by University President William P. Leahy, SJ. Kiefer, who will assume the post on June 1, succeeds School of Theology and Ministry Professor Thomas Groome, the C21 director since 2015.

“Karen has been a key figure in the development of our Church in the 21st Century Center since its establishment 15 years ago,” said Fr. Leahy. “She understands the mission and culture of C21, and is a person known for her faith,

Karen K. Kiefer ’82

Molly Rather

creativity, and ability to form effective relationships with a wide range of people, especially BC students, faculty, staff, and alumni.

I look forward to working even more closely with her.”

Kiefer said she was honored to be named director and to continue the center’s work in renewing and revitalizing the Catholic Church.

Continued on page 4

Gareau Will Succeed Bourg as Associate Dean for University’s Undergraduate Core Curriclum

BY SEAN SMITH CHRONICLE EDITOR

A key transition in the leadership for Boston College’s undergraduate Core Curriculum is to take place this summer, when Associate Professor of Sociology and International Studies Brian Gareau succeeds Associate Professor of History Julian Bourg as associate dean for the core in the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences.

Bourg is the inaugural holder of the position, created three years ago as part of the University’s Core Renewal initiative. That effort began in the fall of 2012 when the Core Renewal Committee met with groups of faculty,

administrators, staff, students and other stakeholders in the University about the core, which had last been revised in 1991.

Among other changes, the initiative led to the establishment of a University Core Renewal Committee (UCRC), with Bourg as its chair, to provide governance for the core. That same year, 2015, saw the start of a pilot program to introduce new interdisciplinary core courses in two categories, Complex Problems and Enduring Questions.

[More information on the Core Renewal initiative is available at the Core Curriculum website, www.bc.edu/core] The change in core leadership Continued on page 5

REMINDER:

The Southeast Asian Students Association raised the roof during their performance at BC’s Arts Festival last month. More photos of the festival are on page 12. (Photo by Lee Pellegrini)

The 2018 Boston College Diversity and Inclusion Summit, “One Community, Many Perspectives,” will take place on May 23 in Gasson 100. For information and registration, go to www.bc.edu/diversity.

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Chronicle MAY 10, 2018

2

A ROUND

C AMPUS

GOLDEN ‘FRESH’ Boston College Dining Services has received more professional acknowledgement of its leadership in sustainability and conservation, winning a 2018 Gold Award for Sustainability in the category of Outreach and Education from the National Association of College and University Food Services (NACUFS).

Now in its 60th year, NACUFS supports the college and university food service market by

on community awareness and education about the importance of regional, sustainable, healthy food.

The program includes a weekly demonstration kitchen in front of the Corcoran Commons fireplace, featuring a different type of FRESH (which stands for “fairlytraded, regional, equitable, sustainable, healthy”) food each week, such as ratatouille, pickled cucumbers and brussels sprout

Boston College honored administrators, faculty and staff who have completed 25 years of service to the University at a reception on May 2. University President William P. Leahy, SJ (left), offered remarks at the event.

The following employees were recognized: Karen Cristello, John Finney, Thomas MacDonald, Thomas Nary, Toni Ross, Kwasi Sarkodie-Mensah, Joseph Desmond, Judith Clair, Elizabeth Graver, Fr. Michael Himes, Edith Hotchkiss, Paul Kline, Ray Madoff, G. Robert Meyerhoff, Kevin Newmark, Thomas O’Hare, Jennie Purnell, Ce Shen, Marc Snapper and Elizabeth Wallace.

Also, Keith Annese, Nora Ayala, Gary Christo, Paul Gallivan, Howard Lau, Paul Madden, Andrew Prince, Robert Scanlon, Carole Flynn, Sandra Howe, Barbara Kelly, Anthony Raymond Sr. and Mary Nardone.

–University Communications

Boston College Dining Services personnel (L-R) Paul Reilly, Sean Canny, Jill Ferreira, Derrick Cripps, Khalid Karachi and Rebecca Serio celebrated their Gold Award at Corcoran Commons last week. (Photo by Gary Wayne Gilbert)

providing its members throughout the US and Canada with the programs and resources they need to excel, from benchmarking and best practices to educational programming and professional networking.

BCDS will formally receive the award at the NACUFS national conference in July. Dining Services administrators and staff celebrated the honor on May 2 at Corcoran Commons.

The award recognized BCDS for its “FRESH to Table” initiative, which aims to increase the production and consumption of local, sustainable food options in New England, with a focus

hash. Chefs from BC Dining and area vendors provide free samples for students along with a recipe card so they can make the meal in their own kitchens. Bags with ingredients for a four-person dinner are offered for sale. The initiative is funded by a $399,705 grant awarded to BCDS from the Henry P. Kendall Foundation.

BCDS also has been recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency for its sustainable food management practices, and earlier this year hosted a major forum on recycling that spotlighted waste diversion efforts at Massachusetts colleges and universities.

–University Communications

The fourth-ranked Boston College lacrosse team earned a first-round bye in the 2018 NCAA Tournament. BC (19-1) will play on Sunday at 1 p.m. against the winner of the first-round game between Princeton and Syracuse, which will take place tomorrow at 4 p.m. at the Newton Campus lacrosse field. If BC wins, it will also host a quarterfinal game on May 19 at 1 p.m.

The lacrosse Final Four will be held at Stony Brook University on May 25 and 27. See bceagles.com for news and updates.

ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT FOR UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS Jack Dunn SENIOR DIRECTOR OF UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS Patricia Delaney EDITOR Sean Smith

CONTRIBUTING STAFF Christine Balquist Phil Gloudemans Ed Hayward Rosanne Pellegrini Kathleen Sullivan PHOTOGRAPHERS Gary Gilbert Peter Julian Lee Pellegrini

Photos by Peter Julian

Pleasant weather inspired many Boston College students to take their books, laptops and notes outside – including to the Gasson Quad – as the start of final exminations beckoned. Finals end this coming Tuesday. (Photos by Peter Julian)

The Boston College

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

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)5523350. 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.

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Lee Pellegrini

Online courses have made schedule, format more flexible for students

BY KATHLEEN SULLIVAN STAFF WRITER

The Certificate in Jesuit Studies program is marking its fifth year this summer with an expansion of course offerings and an increase in flexibility, among other changes.

Organized by the Institute for Steve Pemberton ’89 speaking at last year’s screening of “A Chance in the World” at Robsham Theater.

Advanced Jesuit Studies (IAJS), the Certificate in Jesuit Studies combines pilgrimages in Spain and Rome with graduate-level coursework to offer students a Film based on BC alumnus’ autobiography to get deep, informed understanding of a special one-day nationwide release on May 30 the spirituality, history, pedagomy teenage years – being seated at the Paley Center for Media. gy, and leadership methods of the

BY JACK DUNN across from my social worker two Several BC Alumni Association Society of Jesus – a one-of-itsASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT FOR days after Christmas, watching chapters will host events in select kind program not offered at any UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS him call families for hours on end cities. other Jesuit college or university, In addition, a new edition of according to IAJS Director Casey “A Chance in the World,” the desperately trying to find a home the book is available for purchase Beaumier, SJ. film adaptation of Boston Col- for me,” said Pemberton.

“The biggest challenge is that through Amazon and Barnes lege alumnus and Trustee Steve Having expanded from nine Pemberton’s best-selling book, there are simply not enough and Noble. For every book pur- to 15 credits, the Certificate in will be shown for one night only homes to meet the ever-increas- chased, Steve and Tonya Pem- Jesuit Studies program now ofin more than 800 theaters na- ing demand for foster care. It is berton’s A Chance in the World fers courses online and throughtionwide on May 30, thanks to my hope that this film – and the Foundation will donate a book, out the year. a partnership between Cinemark attention and discourse it will life session and a movie purchase Previously, the certificate proTheaters and AMC and Regal generate on May 30 – can help to a child involved in foster care. gram took place only in the sum“Tonya [his wife] and I view mer: Participants spent the first Cinemas that will showcase the to change that.”

Pemberton, who was taken in the May 30 premiere and the half on an immersion pilgrimage film to promote foster care.

The film is an autobiographi- by his former high school coun- re-release of the book as an op- in Spain and Italy and the second cal account of Pemberton’s des- sellor for his final year of high portunity to promote the vital half on campus in the classroom. perate search for his biological school, went on to graduate from importance of foster care,” said “It was intense,” said Fr. family, an effort continually Boston College in 1989 before Pemberton. “As I know from my Beaumier, who also is vice presithwarted by his mixed-race ap- assuming senior leadership roles own experience, all these kids are dent and University Secretary at pearance and cruel foster fam- at Monster.com and Walgreens. looking for is a chance, whether BC. “We found that not everyily. The title was taken from the A resident of Chicago and father that be furthering their educa- one interested in our program words of a baby sitter who said of of three, he currently serves as tion or finding a caring foster could commit to six weeks in the Pemberton, “This little boy does chief people officer at Globo- home. To them, every kindness summer. This new arrangement not have a chance in the world.” force, a pioneering company in matters.” is much more accommodating.

Find information on film “It was the stories of so many workforce engagement and social “The goal is to maintain depth times and locations, and pur- in Jesuit history, spirituality, and others I met after the book was recognition.

A frequent visitor to Boston chase tickets at www.fathom- pedagogy, and increase accessipublished that encouraged me to bring it to the screen,” said Pem- College, Pemberton received events.com/events/a-chance-in- bility,” he added, “all of which berton. “The opportunity to have an honorary degree from BC in the-world. makes BC the go-to place for all this nationwide showing of the 2015 and addressed the class of things related to Jesuit Studies.”

Contact Jack Dunn at film on May 30, during National 2020 at the First Year ConvocaBeginning this fall, a new onjack.dunn@bc.edu Foster Care Awareness month, is tion in 2016. He also hosted a line course on Jesuit pedagogy a perfect way to draw attention special screening of “A Chance in will be taught by IAJS Research to an issue about which I care the World” for friends and family Scholar Cristiano Casalini, a on campus last spring. deeply.” global expert in pedagogy and Pemberton says that his ultiChild welfare advocates say curriculum.

ALC Showdown that the foster care system in mate goal with the May 30 showCasalini has worked closely photo caption the United States is in deep cri- ing is for thousands of deserving with the staff of the Center for sis, as it struggles to find homes children to find a home as a Teaching Excellence on the creA photo caption on page for hundreds of thousands of result of this effort. ation of the online course.

8 of the April 26 Chronicle “These are children who have children. Of growing concern, “The Center for Teaching Excontained incorrect informaexperts say, are the nearly 30,000 done nothing wrong,” said Pemcellence has been an outstandtion about the results of the adolescents who age out of the berton. “Their only crime is to ing partner,” said Fr. Beaumier.

ALC Showdown event: The system each year, and are often have been the inheritors of cir“Their operation is impressive Competition category first left to fend for themselves with- cumstances they did not ask for. and they’re designing a course prize was awarded to Synergy, out the benefit of family struc- But they are not broken. They that will keep people really ensecond place to Sexual Chocohave hopes and dreams and the ture or support. gaged.” late; also, the People’s Choice “These staggering statistics, strength and resilience to make An online course in Jesuit hisAward went to the Dance Orand the stories that accompa- them happen.” tory, taught by IAJS Associate ganization of Boston College.

“A Chance in the World” will ny them, bring to mind one of Director Seth Meehan, will be Chronicle regrets the errors. the most enduring memories of be shown in New York City

GOING NATIONAL

CORRECTION:

Lee Pellegrini

Certificate in Jesuit Studies Program Expands Offerings

“The goal is to maintain depth in Jesuit history, spirituality, and pedagogy, and increase accessibility, all of which makes BC the go-to place for all things related to Jesuit Studies.”

–Casey Beaumier, SJ

offered in the spring of 2019, followed by an on-campus course in Jesuit spirituality in the summer and an online course on the Spiritual Exercises in the fall. Future courses will focus on other topics such as discernment and social justice.

The new format also means that the certificate program offerings are available à la carte for those interested in a course or two in a specific subject area.

To earn the Certificate in Jesuit Studies, students are required to complete the immersion course and the leadership seminar.

In the summer immersion course, students trace the early Jesuits’ footsteps through Spain and Italy and learn about the foundation of the Society of Jesus through daily readings, presentations, writing assignments and regular seminars.

Open only to those students who have completed four other courses in the program, the leadership seminar is the final requirement for the certificate.

It will be a hybrid course incorporating online readings and discussion exploring contemporary leadership theories with a weeklong seminar at BC. To learn more, see the institute’s web site at www.bc.edu/iajs Contact Kathleen Sullivan at kathleen.sullivan@bc.edu

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Kiefer Is Well-Prepared to Lead BC’s C21 Center Continued from page 1 “It is an extraordinary privilege and opportunity to work in collaboration with so many to create resources and conversations that help to renew our Catholic Church and shape its future,” said Kiefer. “I particularly enjoy working with students to help them imagine new ways to nurture their faith and see God working in their lives.”

Established initially in response to the sexual abuse crisis in the Catholic Church, the Church in the 21st Century Center has evolved into a nationally recognized catalyst and resource for the renewal of the Church.

The center has sponsored or co-sponsored more than 500 events featuring scholars, prominent Church leaders, theologians, journalists and other experts. Its portfolio of resources include a website that is home to nearly 600 videos of C21 programs; C21 Resources magazine, and an award-winning book series.

Kiefer has been the driving force behind many of C21’s most successful programs, notably Agape Latte. A partnership with Campus Ministry, Agape Latte

is a monthly faith conversation series for students set in a campus coffee house. The speaker — an alumnus, professor or administrator — tells a personal story on the intersection of life and faith that spurs students to engage in conversation and reflect on their

has also spearheaded the franchising of Agape Latte nationally to 44 colleges and universities and 13 high schools.

In 2013, Kiefer created Espresso Your Faith, a weeklong celebration where students express and reflect on their own faith

Kiefer (standing right of camera) at a 2014 Agape Latte event. The program is one of the Church in the 21st Century Center’s most popular, and has been franchised at other colleges as well as high schools. (Photo by Caitlin Cunningham)

own faith and life’s big questions.

Through her stewardship and work with the C21 Student Board, regular attendance at Agape Latte events has increased to upwards of 350 students. She

lives. Through some 30 campus events, students make connections to their faith in imaginative ways.

In addition, she partnered with Vice President and Univer-

sity Secretary Casey Beaumier, SJ, of the Institute for Advanced Jesuit Studies, on the Ever to Excel program, which brings high school students to campus to experience Boston College through the lens of Ignatian spirituality. She is also managing editor of C21 Resources, coordinating the publication’s editorial content, design, and distribution.

Kiefer benefits from the C21 Steering and Advisory committees, made up of faculty, administrators, and staff, as well as from the C21 Student Board, which helps students execute creative Agape Latte programming and marketing. Under her leadership, the board has grown to 85 students.

“There are lots of minds and lots of voices involved in the creation of the center’s resources and how those resources can be that catalyst for conversation and engagement,” said Kiefer.

“I think when you commit to those kinds of partnerships, you become much more fruitful.”

Kiefer expressed gratitude to the C21 leadership team that has guided the center since its inception. “I’ve been fortunate to work with [Special Assistant to the

President] Bob Newton and with some great directors over the past 10 years. Tom Groome always says, ‘Our job is to ready the soil.’

For me, it is has been fun to create new ways to ready the soil.”

Kiefer began her Boston College career in 1986, working in the Office of University Advancement as director of programs and events until 1997. She planned and executed hundreds of events and was involved in the creation of several signature fundraisers, including Pops on the Heights and the Wall Street Council Tribute Dinner.

After staying home to raise a family, Kiefer returned to BC in 2008, joining C21 as assistant director. She became C21’s associate director in 2011.

Kiefer and her husband, Sam, are the parents of four daughters: McKenna ’17, Madison ’18, Emma ’20 and Rose.

“BC has been so much a part of my life,” said Kiefer. “It is home, and I’m living a prayer. I wake up every morning and get to serve Boston College, serve my family, and serve God. That is the trifecta!”

Contact Kathleen Sullivan at kathleen.sullivan@bc.edu

Fr. Burns Leaving Woods College in Strong Position Continued from page 1 cere thanks” to University President William P. Leahy, SJ, “for his guidance and mentorship throughout my time as dean and for providing me this opportunity at Boston College. In addition, the opportunity to work closely with Provost David Quigley and my fellow deans, as well as BC’s vice presidents and its Jesuit community, has been a wonderful and singular experience. I am very grateful.”

As dean, Fr. Burns, who succeeded the school’s founding dean and namesake, James Woods, SJ, is credited with strengthening the undergraduate and graduate offerings within the Woods College, expanding its popular certificate and executive education programs, and introducing its first online program in 2016.

During his tenure, he responded to market needs by adding several highly successful graduate programs, including new MS degrees in Applied Economics, Leadership and Administration, Cybersecurity Policy and Governance, and Sports Administration, as well as its online master’s degree program in Healthcare Administration.

He also expanded collaborative

partnerships with other academic units on campus, including BC’s Law School, Carroll School of Management and Connell School of Nursing, as well as several key foundations, and expanded both the Boston College Summer Session and the Boston College Experience program for high school students.

Fr. Burns said he was proud of the team he assembled at the Woods College and the many successes they enjoyed in enhancing the student experience.

“We have built upon the strong foundation that Fr. Woods left us and crafted a smart, caring and thoughtful staff that is focused on student success and faculty support,” said Fr. Burns.

“As a result, we have seen our student retention rates increase significantly and our enrollments have doubled and tripled in some areas. We have been a hub of innovation, and have become the leader in online delivery systems to students at BC, with a focus on quality and rigor.

“Our proudest accomplishment, however, has been in providing a supportive and nurturing formation environment for our students, who say regularly that

they have never been to a school like the Woods College or a university like BC that offers them so much and wants to see them succeed, not only in their careers but in their personal lives.”

Fr. Burns said that the decision to leave the Woods College and

energy, passion and conviction to my work with students, faculty and staff at Saint Mary’s that I brought to the Woods College each day,” said Fr. Burns.

“There are so many natural connections between the Lasallian charism and the Jesuit charism.

The Woods College of Advancing Studies moved to a renovated St. Mary’s Hall during Fr. Burns’ tenure as dean. (Photo by Caitlin Cunningham)

BC after eight successful years – he arrived in 2010 and was appointed interim dean in 2012 –was a difficult one, but that he was excited to serve a school he knows well in state that he calls home.

“I intend to bring the same

Both highly value and honor education at all levels, both seek to find God in all things and to live in God’s presence, both have clear concern for those who are on the periphery and both seek to provide opportunities for all men and women.

“I look forward to further refining and integrating the Lasallian proposition and offering it to the upper Midwest and the world. Being the first non-Christian Brother to lead the university in more than 100 years is a humbling opportunity, but one that I hope to engage to the fullest.”

Quigley has named David Goodman, the associate dean of academic affairs and advising in the Woods College, as interim dean, effective June 15. As an experienced and respected administrator within the Woods College, Goodman is well positioned to continue the school’s momentum in the years to come, said Quigley.

“The University is fortunate that David Goodman will be serving as Interim Dean of the Woods College beginning this summer,” said Quigley. “David has been a key member of the team that has transformed the school in recent years and he brings tremendous energy and integrity to the position. I look forward to working closely with him in the months ahead.”

Contact Jack Dunn at jack.dunn@bc.edu

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Chronicle MAY 10, 2018

Gareau to Become Core Assoc. Dean Former Cohasset Schools

Gareau: “The Core Renewal will be part of the conversations about what makes Boston College distinctive.”

dents are impressed by the rigor and relevance of these courses and how they invite them to draw connections between what they are learning and what is happening in the rest of their lives.

“More generally, Core Renewal has energized the liberal arts at Boston College — all sorts of connections are being established between the Morrissey College and other academic and non-academic offices at BC.” Reflecting on his tenure as associate dean for the core, Bourg said he has enjoyed getting to know his colleagues. “There are good people all over campus who care about our students.

I especially have been gratified to witness inspiring faculty collaborations. Faculty are the heart of Boston College, and we are rightly beginning to do more and more to involve them in shaping the future of the University.”

“I’m tremendously grateful for Julian Bourg’s indispensable service as the inaugural associate dean for the core,” said MCA&S Dean Gregory Kalscheur, SJ, who has played a lead role in the Core Renewal. “His deep understanding of the integrative and formative vision underlying the core and of our distinctive pedagogical hopes for Core Renewal and the pilot Complex Problems

Head to Lead Campus School

and Enduring Questions courses were essential to the great success of these new courses over the last three years.

“A tremendous amount of work has been involved in moving this project forward, and Julian has been outstanding as a tireless leader, an effective advocate for the program with faculty colleagues and departments across the University, and a visible spokesman for Core Renewal with alumni, parents, and friends of the University.”

Gareau’s involvement with the Core Renewal has included participating in town hall-type discussions on the core at the start of the initiative and serving on the UCRC. He also codesigned a course for the revised core’s pilot phase with his partner, Tara Pisani Gareau, an assistant professor of the practice in the Environmental Studies Program.

“The Core Renewal has been a very exciting one, sparking interest and participation from faculty and students across the University,” said Gareau, who praised the work of Bourg and Assistant Director of the Core Charles Keenan, and the leadership of Fr. Kalscheur and Provost and Dean of Faculties David Quigley.

“I’ve witnessed firsthand the effects that Core Renewal has had on our students and faculty, and it’s been very encouraging. It’s also been fascinating to see the positive effects that this endeavor has had on the Core Curriculum in general. I saw being associate dean as a great opportunity to continue the effort of bringing new life and energy to this important foundation of the undergraduate University experience.

“This appointment also provides me with a remarkable opportunity to engage deeply, and in a meaningful way, with my interests in teaching, research, improving student-faculty interactions and integrating BC’s Jesuit mission into the University’s intellectual life,” Gareau added.

“I see Core Renewal as an opportunity to help enhance students’ engagement with intellectual and formative conversations both in and outside the classroom.”

“I’m delighted that Brian Gareau, a key contributor to the Core Renewal process, will be serving as associate dean for the core for the next three years,” said Fr. Kalscheur. “He and Tara offered one of the first Complex Problems courses, and their innovative Global Implications of Climate Change class is a great example of what can be accom-

plished through the Complex Problems model. Brian’s experience teaching in the renewed core and his strong commitment to the role of the Core Curriculum in the Jesuit, Catholic mission of the University will prepare him well to serve in this new role.

“I look forward to working with him as we continue to strengthen understanding of the core as the foundation of a Boston College education.”

Gareau pointed to the degree of faculty and student participation in the Core Renewal as a

Bourg: “The Core Renewal has energized the liberal arts at Boston College.” (Photos by Peter Julian)

testament to its successful implementation.

“A large proportion of faculty are signing up to teach these courses for a second, and a third time,” he said. “The general impression is that these courses are very meaningful, rewarding and intellectually enjoyable for both faculty and students. Again, it’s the hard work that Julian and Charlie have done to provide support to our faculty and students that has allowed for these successes.”

Building on the momentum from the Core Renewal pilot phase will be critical, as will providing support for the continued involvement of faculty and students, he added.

The Core Renewal also will be a key element in the University’s Strategic Plan as it progresses, said Gareau, who served on the steering committee for the Strategic Plan Initiative.

“The Core Renewal will be part of the conversations about what makes Boston College distinctive, and how we approach the coming years of growth and innovation while remaining mindful of the rich tradition that has provided the foundation of the Boston College experience.”

Contact Sean Smith at sean.smith@bc.edu

BY PHIL GLOUDEMANS STAFF WRITER

Barbara J. Cataldo, the former superintendent of the Cohasset Public Schools and a 16-year education administration veteran, has been named director of The Campus School at Boston College, Stanton E.F. Wortham, the Charles F. Donovan, SJ, dean of BC’s Lynch School of Education, announced last week.

She succeeds Don Ricciato, who led The Campus School for 30 years, and who will transition from his leadership role to teaching and advising LSOE undergraduates on a part-time basis, effective June 30.

Founded in 1970 and located at LSOE, the publicly funded Campus School currently enrolls more than 40 special education students, ages three to 21, from 32 Massachusetts communities.

Campus School students face complex physical and developmental challenges that may affect communication, vision, cognition, sensory processing, movement or fine motor skills. The school develops age-appropriate thematic units that align with the Massachusetts General Education Curriculum Frameworks.

Cataldo, formerly the director of special education at the Arlington Public Schools, and special needs coordinator at the Cambridge Public Schools, most recently served as an interim administrator of student services at the Sudbury and Weston Public Schools. Just prior to leading the Cohasset Public Schools, she was the assistant superintendent for Pupil Personnel Services at the Milford Public Schools. Cumulatively, she possesses more than 35 years of education experience.

“We’re thrilled to have Dr. Cataldo join us as the new director of The Campus School,” said Wortham. “She brings decades of experience in special education

Lee Pellegrini

Continued from page 1 comes at a time of encouraging signs for the Core Renewal pilot program, according to Bourg and Gareau: Approximately 700 firstyear students have taken the new core courses, with an additional 1,000 expected to do so by the end of the next academic year; by then, 126 faculty from all BC schools and 21 Morrissey College departments will have participated in Core Renewal.

As Bourg points out, the success is qualitative as well as quantitative. “Faculty colleagues have developed new collaborations and relationships. First-year stu-

5

Barbara J. Cataldo

and educational administration, as well as extensive contacts in local school districts. We look forward to a great future for The Campus School with Barbara at the helm.”

A resident of Needham, Cataldo received an EdD in Educational Leadership from Northeastern University, and a MEd from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She earned a BA at Wheaton College (Norton, Mass.).

“I’m looking forward to joining the Boston College Campus School family,” said Cataldo, who will start on July 9. “For many years I have watched the school grow and develop into the outstanding program it is today, serving children from many local communities. It is an honor to become the next director, and I hope I’m able to fill the shoes of Dr. Ricciato.”

The Campus School employs a personalized, integrated, and transdisciplinary approach to special education that strives to fulfill the potential in children and youth with multiple disabilities. Its University setting provides access to BC resources, particularly cutting-edge research, evidence-based practices, and the many undergraduate students who bring their energy and enthusiasm to the school through the Campus School Volunteers of Boston College.

McMullen Museum Director Nancy Netzer, left, interviewed Natalia Majluf '88 for an “Inside the BC Studio” event at the recent Arts Festival.

Majluf, director of the National Gallery of Peru, received an alumni arts achievement award at the festival. (Photo by Peter Julian)

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Read the full interviews at bit.ly/seniors-to-remember-2018

Zoe Bosenberg

Peter Julian

Hometown: Guilford, Conn.

Major: Nursing Notable Activities/Achievements: Faculty assistant, Connell School of Nursing; Sharps (all-female a cappella group); BC Women’s Rugby Club; studied abroad at Pablo de Olavide University, Spain; clinical rotations at local hospitals including Massachusetts General, Beth Israel Deaconess, Brigham and Women’s, Boston Children’s and the Veterans Administration hospitals, among others.

Post-Graduation Plans: Apply to work as a nurse in the Boston area – she will take her licensure exam (NCLEX) in July.

Overview: Described as the “heart and soul” of the Connell School senior class, Bosenberg in her role as a faculty assistant has given tours, worked as an actor in the Simulation Laboratory, and helped faculty with a variety of tasks. She credits her extra-curricular activities, the rugby club and Sharps, with helping her get through the rigors of the nursing program. But it is her recent experience as a patient that will likely make her a more compassionate and empathic nurse.

What has been your most formative experience while at BC? The summer going into senior year I found out I had a brain tumor. I got it removed Aug. 4 and moved back to school three weeks later. I had never been a patient before. I experienced a lot of negatives. I was talked down to by clinicians. But I also experienced a lot of positive things.

We talk a lot about empathy and we think we know what that means. But empathy and compassion are so important. Everyone kept telling me I had anxiety or that my headaches were from the lights at my work setting. I saw my third doctor who ordered an MRI “to ease your anxiety,” he said. Those words will always stick with me. Couple of days later, I got a phone call saying they found a brain tumor, a small mass in my head.

That time period between when I had the MRI and I saw the neurosurgeon, there’s nothing like that. Not knowing if you are going to live. Not knowing what’s going to happen to you. When I met with the neurosurgeon, he told me, “I saw your MRI and you’re going to be fine.”

I’ve learned so much from the experience. That day I had the MRI, I knew they would find something. I had the intuition. You are really more aware of your body than you think you are. I learned to trust patients’ opinions.

I will never discount someone’s pain, because you have no idea what they’re feeling. With the opioid crisis, I understand you have to be aware of people who are searching for drugs. But we deny a lot of people’s pain. I believe everyone has those moments that define what they are meant to do. Before this, I was questioning if nursing was my path. This experience really caused me to reflect. I’ve done a 180.

What made you want to pursue nursing?

My work with Special Olympics is what first drew me to nursing. When I was 12, my soccer coach was also a Special Olympics coach. He introduced us to the kids he was working with, and for the next six years I stuck with him and worked with that population. My public school was very inclusive for kids with special needs. That definitely shaped me a lot.

And this semester, my population health clinical rotation was at the Carter School in the South End. Its population is a lot like our Campus School. It’s been really cool working there because it has reminded me why I came to nursing in the first place. It’s been my favorite rotation.

How has BC put its stamp on you?

Jesuit values are very important in nursing. Ethics are embedded in our curriculum, in every single class. Nurses are compassionate — that’s why they want to serve others — but I feel like there is a lot more compassion involved in our teaching methods.

You joined the Catholic Church while you were a student here at BC. How did that come about?

I wasn’t affiliated with any religion before I came to BC. I would go to Mass here with my friends [St. Joseph’s Chapel on Upper Campus]. What drew me in first was the music. Hearing the songs and paying attention to the lyrics made me more interested in learning about Catholicism. About five or six of us took the course [RCIA, or Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults] with Ellen Modica at Campus Ministry. I was baptized, received Communion and was confirmed.

What advice do you have for incoming freshmen?

Join a club of any kind, and definitely go abroad!

–Kathleen Sullivan

Emma Winters

Hometown: Pineville, NC Major: English with a concentration in creative writing, minor in theology Notable Activities/Achievements: Order of the Cross and Crown; Phi Beta Kappa; English Department’s Sophomore Scholar; writer/editor for The Gavel; editor of Fresh Ink; intern for America in the summer of 2017; Ignite retreat leader; Kairos leader.

Post-Graduation Plans: Won O’Hare Postgraduate Media Fellowship to work with America Media beginning in August.

Overview: An English major who wrote for her high school newspaper, Winters developed a love of writing poetry while at Boston College. She also has taken an active role in Campus Ministry during her time at BC by leading various retreats and has met some of her best friends through that involvement. Now, she is looking forward to moving to New York City after graduation, where she will be an O’Hare Postgraduate Media Fellow with America Media, publisher of the weekly Jesuit magazine America, where she interned last summer.

Who has been an impactful mentor during your time at Boston College?

[Associate Professor of the Practice of English] Allison Adair. I have taken three classes with her. I knew I liked writing, but I didn’t start writing poetry until I was in her Introduction to Creative Writing class. She has really been there for me, not just with academics, but with personal issues, too. I didn’t have her this year, but

Mattia Pizzagalli

Hometown: Winchester, Mass.

Major: Biochemistry, minor in German Studies Notable Activities/Achievements: 2017 Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship for undergraduate research in the sciences; 2018 Fulbright Scholar (Austria); Scholar of the College; Alpha Sigma Nu national honor society; Phi Beta Kappa; campus EMT and leadership team of Boston College EMS; volunteer, Advanced Heart Failure Unit at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

Post-Graduation Plans: Will spend the next two years as a researcher at the Austrian Academy of Sciences’ Research Center for Molecular Medicine; plans to attend medical school in the future, with an eye toward cancer research.

Overview: Pizzagalli set his sights on becoming a physician when he was a high school student, with the goal of helping patients as both a clinician and a researcher. That interest convinced him to earn his emergency medical technician certification and to participate the past four years in BC EMS. He also became an undergraduate researcher in the lab of Associate Professor of Chemistry Eranthie Weerapana, where he studied cysteine-containing proteins as part of the lab’s research into cancer and agerelated diseases. For his research, Pizzagalli earned a Goldwater Scholarship, which is considered the nation’s premier undergraduate award in the sciences.

His senior thesis was titled “Towards a Better Understanding of Breast Cancer Pathophysiology: Insights from Mass Spectrometry Platforms Targeting the Mitochondrial Porteome.”

I still go to her office hours just to talk. I recently went to her for advice about selecting a poem to read at Arts Fest. I chose to read the first creative writing piece I ever turned in to her.

How has Boston College played a role in your faith journey?

I definitely picked BC in large part because it is a Jesuit institution. As a freshman I came in with a sense of wanting to grow my faith and went on the “Beginnings” retreat. I have participated in, as well as led, faithbased retreats and these have helped me meet some of my best friends. It is so nice to go to a school where I can go to Mass each week with close friends.

What are you looking forward to in your next steps after graduation?

I am really excited about the fellowship and getting my feet wet in all different kinds of media as well as getting to do the things I know I enjoy, like writing and editing. I interned there last summer so I have a sense of what to expect. I really enjoyed being at work every day and there are so many potential mentors that I already admire. I did not realize how much of a gift that was until recently, when participating in the RISE program through the Women’s Center. One of the professors said that at her first job there was no one to look up to. I thought about how there are so many people that I worked with at America that I look

Peter Julian

up to and admire, both as people and as writers. I’m also excited to be near Central Park and go in there on the weekends and work on my writing, as well as hopefully getting involved with the creative writing scene in New York.

What advice would you give to incoming freshmen?

Don’t sweat rejection too much because you are bound to get rejected, and that’s okay. There is so much to do on this campus that if you put yourself out there you will never be bored. Also, seek out mentors who you can go to. It is nice to have adults in your life that you can look up to who aren’t your parents to help you with your college career, because it is a time of so much change.

–Christine Balquist

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you’re with people you love, building these connections and relationships that are going to last the rest of your life. It is not necessarily one specific moment. It’s staying up until the crack of dawn, talking about the dumbest stuff. Or having an incredible, philosophical discussion.

Those moments that melt together into one.

What was the impact of receiving a Goldwater Scholarship?

The Goldwater was the first big step to push my research forward.

It funded me for another semester in the lab and affirmed the work I had been doing, showed it was valuable work. I knew the research we were doing was important, but to have that outside affirmation is really a fantastic thing. It allowed me to build upon my other work even more and led to other things. I could not have done that without the support and mentorship of everyone in the lab.

What BC experience will you cherish the most?

This year especially, it’s been those moments when you’re not really doing anything, hanging out, but

How has BC made a difference in your life?

BC has encouraged me to take on more – to look at the whole picture.

It has encouraged me to look at the world not just through my own little part of the world, but on a global scale. I think the friendships and relationships I’ve made here have made me into a better person and a more well-rounded human who can hopefully go out and help people. I think that is made possible through the BC community. It is a really tight community that BC has fostered over the years.

What will you miss the most about BC? The community, definitely. Between friendships I’ve made with peers and relationships with professors and people in the lab, it has been an incredible four years. This is a special place. I really felt like I belonged on campus here.

–Ed Hayward

T he B oston C ollege

Chronicle MAY 10, 2018

Hometown: Bronx, NY Major: History and sociology; minor in African and African Diaspora Studies Notable Activities/Achievements: Recipient of the 2018 Dr. Donald Brown Award; finalist for 2017 Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship; co-president, Black Student Forum; treasurer, United Front; director, Ella Baker Mentorship Program; Academic Advising Center student fellow; Jamaican Magis; McNair Post Baccalaureate Achievement Program; Community Research Program; volunteer with Let’s Get Ready, an SAT preparation program for area high school students.

Post-Graduation Plans: Teach at Bethlehem University, West Bank; pursue master’s degree in history; attend law school.

Overview: A native of Ghana who moved to the US when he was 11, Boateng came to Boston College with a passion for history. But for him, history is not merely some intellectual exercise fulfilled through perusing academic tomes; it should have, he believes, a personal dimension and an immediacy that fosters engagement.

This desire to find and broaden connections has led Boateng to embrace opportunities for leadership, service and fellowship – and for deepening his appreciation of history – throughout his four years at BC.

How has your family life influenced your path?

My father and mother migrated to the United States in 1990s and have sacrificed a lot for their nuclear and extended family. They are big advocates for cultural and Western education, and they have already sent two children through college – my sister, who’s a certified nurse, and my older brother, a

Peter Julian

George Boateng

chemist in a pharmaceutical company – as well as my cousin, whom we adopted; my younger brother is still in college, studying computer science. In my household, it was always an expectation that you would improve yourself through education, make the best of your abilities. I am so grateful to my parents and my family for all the support they’ve given me.

Why does studying history, along with sociology, appeal to you?

History suits my focus. I try to be thoughtful about what I see going on around me now. I think about the links between the past and present, and what they might say about the future. When I’m reading about something – a person, an event, a place – I find myself going off to read something else related to it, and then something else, and on and on.

What’s important, though, is being able to make what you’re learning seem real, to yourself and others – like the Making History Public class, in which you create a public exhibit, or going to Israel and Pal-

My involvement in PULSE – which Hometown: Lakeville, Conn. educates students about social inMajor: Elementary education and Envi- justice through direct contact with ronmental Studies marginalized populations and social Notable Activities/Achievements: change organizations – and, speCampus Ministry Arrupe International cifically, working at Haley House Immersion Program (Cuernavaca, Mexhas had a lasting, significant imico); Kairos leader (; volunteer, Boston non-profit Haley House soup kitchen; pact. I’m a “hands-on” learner, and going to the Haley House soup Hardey-Cushing resident assistant.

Post-Graduation Plans: Seeking teach- kitchen was a very tangible way to ing positions in Greater Boston; volun- better understand poverty, inequalteering at Haley House’s Roxbury farm. ity, and social responsibility. I try to Overview: During Wilson’s four years go back when I can, and I’m excited at BC, she was as much a teacher as to volunteer on their small farm in a student, an apt preparation for an Roxbury this summer.

Maren Wilson

aspiring educator. At the Lynch School of Education, Wilson served as a fullpracticum student-teacher for third graders at Allston’s Jackson Mann School, as well as rising fourth graders as a fellow at the Uncommon Schools Summer Academy in Newark, NJ. She collaborated with Boston Public School science teachers as an assistant STEM instructor for the College Bound program, a pre-collegiate enrichment and support program. As part of her involvement in the Winston Center’s Jenks Leadership Program, she helped run an afterschool sports program for St. Columbkille Partnership School students, a BC lab school in Brighton. Within LSOE, she worked at the Education Resource Center, which assists students with the integration of fiction/nonfiction books, and educational technology within the K-12 curriculum.

What brought you back to Cuernavaca, Mexico, the site of your Arrupe immersion program -where undergrads learn about the complex realities of poverty?

The weeklong immersion trip in January of 2017 was such a whirlwind that I knew I wanted to return, so I spent about three-and-a-half weeks there this past summer to meet with the local activists, and to get to know their community much better. I lived with a host family, and spent most afternoons with my host mother, Cecelia, sitting at her kitchen table trying to learn as much Spanish as I could, while learning more about her, her family, and the community’s history.

What BC experience had the most significant impact on you?

What will you miss most about BC? The University’s “intentional com-

estine as part of a sociology class.

I think of it as sharing humanity: How can I use what I know, what I’m seeing and hearing? What stories can I tell?

What impact have these four years at the Heights had on you?

I thought college would just be a fun ride, along with the academics that took up the rest of your time. I didn’t expect to have such amazing conversations with my peers that opened up my eyes about race and other issues of society. My idea of “fun” changed to wanting to hear what this great visiting speaker had to say, or to talking with my professor. I came to see how much people care about equality in the world; I didn’t expect to encounter such selflessness.

I learned that I shouldn’t box myself out, that I should allow myself to be moved to learn and grow in different ways.

Like many others, I’ve been troubled by what the last four years have shown us about race in America, and yet my experience at BC would not have been the same without all this. I’ve thought about Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown, who were my age but never got to attend college. So I can’t sit idle, because too many others aren’t experiencing this opportunity.

I don’t isolate BC from these problems, but I am proud of everything that BC has given me, just as I am proud of what America has given me. It motivates me in my daily life. I have a privilege that others do not, and I feel I need to bring their stories forward.

–Sean Smith Lee Pellegrini

Phat Nguyen

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Hometown: Worcester, Mass.

Majors: Finance, philosophy Notable Activities/Achievements: Options Through Education scholar; GreatLee Pellegrini er Worcester Community Foundation scholar; Boston College Vietnamese Students Association production coordinator; Learning to Learn Dominican Republic Service-Learning and Immersion Program; Worcester Youth Nian Dancers co-founder; Southeast Asian Coalition volunteer/staff member; East Coast National Annual Lion Dance Competition co-founder and director (and host of a collegiate version); Hurricane Irma volunteer; “Youth Effect International” volunteer.

Post-Graduation Plans: Incoming Global Services Leadership Development Rotational Program Analyst at Dell; long-term goal of social-entrepreneurship or counseling psychology graduate degree.

Overview: A first-generation college student, Nguyen migrated at age 10 from the Vietnam countryside to the United States. He came to the Carroll School of Management to pursue a degree in finance, with a strong desire for an education that would enable him to serve the community and the individuals that contributed to his upbringing and development. Along the way, he developed a love for philosophy and realized its importance in his personal life, leading him to pursue it as second major.

Nguyen emphasizes that the person he is today is largely due to the sacrifices of his grandparents and parents – especially his grandfather, a prisoner of war for nearly 10 years after the Vietnam War who moved to the US in 1995. Nguyen describes his undergraduate years as among the most transformative and challenging to date.

While at Boston College, he continued to serve his local, and other, communities.

The concept of “paying it forward” was one of his main inspirations in facing difficult times as an undergraduate.

How has BC made a difference in your life?

As a first-generation college student, I did not know what to expect when I arrived at BC. I am extremely thankful for all the opportunities and relationships that I established during the last four years. Without a doubt, the vast amount of resources and support at Boston College helped me realize the importance of reaching out and asking for help when needed.

How have your studies and experiences here prepared you for the future?

While the content of the different courses I have taken is important, learning how to ask questions and think critically – both in and outside the classroom – are the lessons that will have the biggest impact on my future.

In what ways have your finance and philosophy majors complemented each other in your studies?

I get this question quite often! Finance is the major that teaches me how to make a living; philosophy teaches me how to live. I have always had a great interest in business, and finance stood out as a major that would enable me to better understand the business world, and be an essential instrument in my career. But as an individual who often questions “why,” philosophy stood out as a major that would enable me to learn about myself and offer me the opportunity to pursue the “truth” in life. Philosophy also teaches me how think about problems/issues from different perspectives; this was something I was able to apply to my finance major.

munities” – the many groups which are focused on important issues and causes, and taking action. It’s a special facet of BC that I didn’t engage with enough as a first-year student, but I’m so glad that I pushed myself to dive into groups that have been so reflective and important such as Arrupe, a life- and faith-sharing community, and Kairos.

How has BC made a difference in your life?

Social justice is woven through everything BC does, whether you’re in the classroom or on an urban farm in Boston. To be surrounded by people who are truly committed to it, who live it every day, has profoundly influenced me. BC’s focus on social justice has directed how I approach most things I do now.

–Phil Gloudemans

What experiences at BC have had the most significant impact on you and why?

The first two semesters of my college career had the most significant impact.

This transition period – coming from an inner-city public high school to a prestigious university – was an experience that made me even more determined. It was challenging, but I had an opportunity that many of my family members did not.

The summer after my freshman year I returned to Vietnam for a family visit and was reminded of my humble upbringing and all the struggles my family overcame. I was the first child on my father’s side to have the opportunity to pursue a college degree. I came into my sophomore year with more determination and optimism to thrive and succeed. I knew that with the vast amount of resources and great professors at BC, I had all the tools and support I needed to strive for excellence.

How has your family supported you in your BC journey?

I thank my Mom, Dad and baby sister for always having faith in me and giving me unconditional love. There is no greater sacrifice than the one my parents made. They left behind the life they knew in Vietnam to move to a country they knew nothing about, including the language. Since we moved to the US, they’ve worked tirelessly to provide for my sister and me. But their biggest gift was their faith in me. No matter where I go and what I do, they will forever be the heroes that I aspire to emulate.

–Rosanne Pellegrini

T he B oston C ollege

Chronicle MAY 10, 2018

BC Center Urges More Research on Student Support Integrated student support – a because of the evidence suggestcomprehensive, coordinated and ing that it can make a huge, posischool-based effort to connect tive impact for children living in students to specific district sup- poverty,” noted Erin Sibley, a ports, enrichments and services – COSS research fellow. “By growhas shown promise in promoting ing the research base, we believe low-income students’ academic we have a greater chance of imachievement and life chances, pacting policy changes that will according to a recent report is- support these types of intervensued by Boston College’s Center tions.” for Optimized Student Support According to the National (COSS).

Center for Education Statistics, But building on the evidence 52 percent of students nationbase will be critically important wide are eligible for free or reto influence educational policy, duced-price lunch, a measure of concludes the report, poverty. titled “Compre“Our nation hensive Services for must find effective, Children in Poverty; “This was a pivotal cost-efficient, and Setting the Research opportunity to focus scalable ways to eduAgenda for Integratcate children living ed Student Support.” on a shared, produc- in poverty and other Funded by the tive research agenda challenging circumAmerican Educationstances to be prewith relevance.” al Research Associapared to participate tion, the study syn–Mary Walsh in 21st-century civic thesizes the findings and community life from last October’s and the workforce,” convening of 29 leadexplained Joan Wasing scholars from the fields of de- ser Gish, director of strategic inivelopmental sciences, economics, tiatives at the center. “Our shared educational research methodol- future depends on helping all ogy and law, hosted by the Lynch children thrive and achieve acaSchool of Education. demically.”

“This was a pivotal opportu“We know from our own nity to focus on a shared, pro- work that integrated student supductive research agenda with rel- port makes a difference,” added evance,” said COSS Executive Sibley. “Coming together with a Director Mary Walsh, the Daniel group of researchers with diverse E. Kearns Professor of Urban expertise was important to figure Education and Innovative Lead- out what steps we needed to take ership. next to move the research in this “As researchers, we are invest- field forward.” ed in integrated student support –Phil Gloudemans

The sixth annual Arab Culture Night, held last month in Gasson 100, featured music, dance, poetry and food. Sponsors of the event, titled “Harmony,” were the Arab Students Association and Arabic Studies Program, in collaboration with the Islamic Civilization and Societies Program and Department of Slavic and Eastern Languages and Literatures. (Photo by Frank Curran)

Change at the Top

Robert Murphy prepares to step down after guiding the International Studies Program through its initial development Bob has skillfully managed the program’s growth in faculty and students alike,” says Owens. “He presided over the hiring of all of our joint faculty hires as well as our visiting faculty, all of whom have proved to be remarkable interdisciplinary scholars and teachers. I am immensely grateful for the many, many hours Bob has spent with me this semester, talking about the complex process of leading and managing this dynamic program.”

Murphy’s involvement with the program goes back to the 1980s, when he sat on the board overseeing the then-new interdisciplinary minor in International

BY SEAN SMITH CHRONICLE EDITOR

International Studies, one of the University’s most popular interdisciplinary programs – and which had the highest number of majors in its history this academic year – will shortly enter a new era, as inaugural program director Robert Murphy steps down on June 1.

Murphy, an associate professor of economics, will be succeeded by Associate Professor of the Practice of Theology Erik Owens, associate director of the Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life.

The program offers students the knowledge and skills to meet economic, ethical, political and social challenges in the 21st-century global environment. International Studies faculty members are drawn from the Communication, Economics, English, History, Romance Languages and Literatures, Political Science, Sociology and Theology departments; some have joint appointments with the program.

With this diversity in expertise, IS seeks to spur contemplation and discussion of international issues not only among undergraduates but also across the wider University community, Murphy and Owens say.

“While world events certainly play a part in influencing students’ choice of majors or minors, there’s always been a strong interest at Boston College in exploring international issues,” says Murphy. “The vision for International Studies at BC has been to provide an interdisciplinary approach that enables undergraduates to view these issues from different perspectives. And just as importantly, in adhering to Jesuit, Catholic principles, we work to ensure the ethical dimensions of international relations and policies are understood and appreciated.”

Murphy says the time was ripe for a transition in IS leadership, with the program having recently undergone a self-study and external review that led to a revamping of its curriculum.

“I certainly didn’t plan to stay as director for this long, but I enjoyed having the opportunity to be part of the planning for the program’s next phase. I think that, with Erik at the helm and our talented faculty contributing, International Studies will be able to build on its success.”

“During his tenure as director,

board.

Looking ahead, Owens sees a clear role for International Studies in helping contribute to the University’s emphasis on global engagement, as outlined in the Strategic Plan. The program will commit more resources to “building community” among faculty and students, he says, in part through a planned relocation to Connolly House, which will provide a venue for advising, mentoring, meetings and an enhanced array of academic programs and social events – including visits from IS alumni.

For example, Owens will organize a six-week project this fall, the Global Engagement Portal, that

Lee Pellegrini

8

“The vision for International Studies at BC has been to provide an interdisciplinary approach that enables undergraduates to view these issues from different perspectives,” says Murphy. “In adhering to Jesuit, Catholic principles, we work to ensure the ethical dimensions of international relations and policies are understood and appreciated.”

Studies. Over the years, IS has consistently been at or near the top of BC’s most-enrolled minors; this academic year there were 133, second only to 137 in history.

For years, students wishing to major in International Studies could only take it as an independent major. In the late 1990s, a committee was appointed by thenCollege of Arts and Sciences Dean Joseph Quinn to recast the International Studies Program with a formal major, which was launched in 2001. Starting with 31 majors, IS tripled that total in five years, and reached 213 by the end of its first decade; the total was 253 for 2017-18.

In addition to Murphy’s management of the program’s growth in faculty and students, Owens praises the support of International Studies Associate Director Hiroshi Nakazato and Program Administrator Patricia McLaughlin, and the program’s academic advisory

will enable members of the University to communicate directly with refugees, field workers, educators, students and others at nearly 30 sites around the world.

Owens says work will continue on the new IS curriculum, which has added new foundation courses and re-framed interdisciplinary concentrations. Program administrators and faculty also will seek to make IS – which he notes has a competitive application process and strenuous academic requirements “that require thoughtful planning and advising” – less challenging for its majors and minors to navigate, he adds, and increase student-oriented programming with a focus on internships and post-graduation jobs.

For more on the International Studies Program, see www.bc.edu/isp Contact Sean Smith at sean.smith@bc.edu

T he B oston C ollege

Chronicle MAY 10, 2018

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Lee Pellegrini

–Tiziana Dearing

BCSSW’s Dearing Sees Links Between Catholic Thought, Social Innovation

BY SEAN SMITH CHRONICLE EDITOR

The concept of “social innovation” – harnessing new strategies, ideas or organizations to address urgent social needs – is a relatively recent one that has gathered force in the 21st century. But Tiziana Dearing, co-director of the Center for Social Innovation (CSI) at Boston College, says there is an enduring yet widely overlooked driver of social innovation: Catholic thought.

“I would argue that, at some level, all social innovation is inherently – although not always intentionally – Catholic,” says Dearing, a professor of macro practice at the BC School of Social Work and former director of Catholic Charities Boston. “Our 20th-century definition of ‘social justice’ was shaped by and arguably rooted in Catholic values, and so much of the language in social innovation resembles that found in Catholic doctrine about care for the marginalized and vulnerable.”

Dearing’s view on social innovation’s links with Catholicism was crystalized after participating in a groundbreaking study of how Catholic-affiliated organizations have responded to the global refugee and migrant crisis.

The study was commissioned

by FADICA (Foundations and Donors Interested in Catholic Activities) as part of a project on defining Catholic social innovation. The CSI collaborated with FADICA to examine the scope and scale of Catholic outreach in 32 countries with a greater-

than-average flow of migrants and refugees.

Dearing, along with three graduate students – two from BCSSW, the other in the joint BCSSW-School of Theology and Ministry program – studied more than 140 Catholic ministries aiding refugees and migrants and profiled 64: Half of the interventions are identified as Catholicled or Catholic-based, the remainder affiliated with Catholic nuns.

Among the examples of Catholic social innovation cited in the report – titled “Catholic Social Innovation in the Global Refugee Crisis” – were a transitional home for refugees outside Pittsburgh, converted by the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth from a house they owned, and a program in a Chicago neighborhood where refugee women gather to work on textile projects.

These and other Catholic initiatives, the report found, are marked by a commitment to a range of values represented in Catholic social teaching, including human dignity, a commitment to the common good, care for the earth and promoting the dignity of work. In addition, according to Dearing, socially innovative Catholic approaches are often involved in “radical repurposing of existing resources to put them at work for vulnerable populations.”

Such characteristics are a hallmark of most social innovation ventures, whether secular or faith-based, says Dearing.

“One reason why social innovation’s connection to Catholic

social thought is generally unexplored is there is a disproportionate emphasis on ‘what’s new’ – start-ups and the like,” she says. “Catholic institutions are often disregarded or downplayed simply because they are older. I think this study makes it clear that an existing institution can be innovative, and at the same time offer a wealth of experience and insight. That’s always been our belief at the Center for Social Innovation.”

Dearing hopes to use the lessons of “Catholic Social Innovation in the Global Refugee Crisis” as a starting point for conversations in the larger social innovation sector.

“Shared values tend to be helpful. My feeling is, this is a great opportunity: Let’s look at how the values and goals we share can inform a discussion, and a movement, to social justice. What is there in the Catholic language that can translate to a secular environment?”

Dearing notes that Pope Francis has included secular as well as Catholic institutions in his call to assist the “excluded and marginalized.”

“Pope Francis has talked about the importance of ‘everyday’ holiness – that you don’t have to be a member of the clergy or a religious order to strive for holiness, but that you do good for the benefit of others,” she says. “He’s an innovative pope.

It’s a wonderful idea.”

Contact Sean Smith at sean.smith@bc.edu

The Salem Professorship in Global Practice in the Boston College School of Social Work was celebrated on April 30 with a lecture by inaugural Salem Professor Theresa Betancourt (at left in photo).

The event recognized the generosity of Paul and Navyn Datoo Salem ‘94, H’12. Betancourt is conducting research in the US and Africa and establishing interventions promoting the mental health of children who have experienced extreme trauma. (Photo by Rose Lincoln)

BC researchers produce stable ‘water-in-salt’ electrolyte, a key step in helping lithium-ion batteries achieve potential

Caitlin Cunningham

Building a Better Battery

“I would argue that, at some level, all social innovation is inherently – although not always intentionally – Catholic.”

BY ED HAYWARD STAFF WRITER

Harnessing the full electrochemical power of lithium-oxygen batteries requires an efficient, more stable electrolyte. Researchers from Boston College have applied a “water-in-salt” electrolyte that enables stable lithium-air battery operation, offers superior long cycle lifetimes and presents a platform that moves lithiumion batteries closer to their full potential, the team reports in the journal Chem.

In an effort to find a suitable electrolyte system, the team’s water-in-salt approach involves no organic solvents. It consists of super-concentrated lithium salt, known as LiTFSI, in which water molecules lock onto the ions and experience less degradation when in contact with oxygen molecules, according to the researchers, led by Professor of Chemistry Dunwei Wang.

The result is a “highly effective electrolyte that permits stable Li-O2 battery operations on the cathode with superior cycle lifetimes,” the team reports in the article titled “Cathodically stable Li-O2 battery operations using water-in-salt electrolyte.” Experiments showed the electrolyte enables stable lithium-air battery operations up to 300 cycles, making it competitive for practical applications.

Lithium-ion batteries operate by reversible insertion and extraction of lithium ions into and from a solid material, such as cobalt oxide. Here, lithium-air batteries operate by forming lithium peroxide during discharge and decomposing lithium peroxide during recharge.

Despite more than two decades of research, improving lithium-ion battery technology has fallen short of the theoretical potential for energy storage.

As an electrochemical energy storage technology, upgrading performance requires improved stability of electrolytes.

The team found a way around the problem of instability that arises from the use of water in the development of aqueous electrolytes.

“We employed an unorthodox approach of using a water-based electrolyte for Li-O2 batteries,” said Wang. “Previously, water

Despite more than two decades of research, improving lithium-ion battery technology has fallen short of the theoretical potential for energy storage. The BC team, led by Dunwei Wang (above), found a way around the problem of instability that arises from the use of water in the development of aqueous electrolytes. was thought to be extremely bad for Li-O2 battery operations because it would promote parasitic chemical reactions to significantly undermine the desired chemistry. We discovered that when the salt concentration is high, most water molecules can be locked down so that they provide the right functionalities such as conductivity but exhibit little of the parasitic chemical reactions.”

The team sought to overcome the limitations that have plagued earlier efforts to tame the complex chemical reactions within lithium-air battery prototypes, said Wang, who conducted the project with Boston College researchers Qi Dong, Xiahui Yao, Yanyan Zhao, Miao Qi, Xizi Zhang and Yumin He, and Hongyu Sun from the Technical University of Denmark.

“We studied a new concept for Li-O2 batteries,” said Wang.

“We used a combination of electrochemistry and materials characterization tools to carry out the study. Our goal is to enable stable, high-performance Li-O2 battery operations.”

Wang said the researchers will next try to build upon the results for practical fuel cell applications and also work to reduce the cost of producing the electrolyte.

Contact Ed Hayward at ed.hayward@bc.edu

T he B oston C ollege

Chronicle MAY 10, 2018

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FOND FAREWELLS: Retiring employees talk about their BC experiences

in 1966 and began looking for work. He took his brother Kenny’s advice to seek a night custoFor more than half a century, dial position at Boston College.

Jack Casey labored to keep Bos- “I went over and applied and ton College sports teams playing they said, ‘Do you want to start on pristine fields and in attractive tonight?’” he recalls. As part of and efficient on-campus venues. his duties, he was assigned to Casey, who began working for clean the old Alumni Stadium the University in 1966, retired press boxes after home games, this year as a lead athletics main- and his industrious work ethic tenance staff member. During his caught the eye of the late Andy 52 years on the job, Casey spent Beatson, BC’s director of athletic countless hours cutting grass on facilities at the time.

BC’s baseball, softball and soc“He told me, ‘Kid, you’re a cer fields, making thousands of helluva worker. Do you want to sheets of ice on McHugh Forum work for me?’ That was it.” Casey and Kelley Rink, and helping joined the athletics ground crew to install and remove the Conte in 1971.

Forum basketball court for every Casey says he holds fond memhome game. ories of many sports events on He also made a lot of friends campus, but has a particular recollection of BC’s thrilling 14-13 victory over highly Legendary Texas football coach ranked Texas at Alumni Darrell Royal “asked the guys on Stadium in 1976. “After the game Texas coach Darthe grounds crew if one of us could rell Royal asked the guys drive his wife and him to the air- on the grounds crew if one of us could drive his wife port in his rental car. He gave us and him to the airport in a hundred-dollar tip and said we his rental car. He gave us a hundred-dollar tip and didn’t have to turn the car in until said we didn’t have to turn the car in until the next the next day,” recalls Casey. day.

“That was a great night.”

“That was a great night,” he says, with a laugh.

Casey also recalls camalong the way. pus events including a circus, “Boston College has been rock music shows and even Boslike a second home for me,” says ton Pops concerts, with the late Casey, who officially retired on maestro Arthur Fiedler. “When Feb. 28. “I got to know some the Shrine Circus performed in great people. I don’t know if the old McHugh Forum one there is anybody that I don’t like time, they had trapezes hanging at BC.” from the ceiling and animals in The work was hard and the cages out in back. The Pops used hours were often long, but Casey to play on campus in June when delighted in the Eagles’ success it was really hot, and we had a on the fields, courts and rinks guy just passing towels to Fiedler that he had helped to prepare. as he conducted.”

“You were a part of the ‘team,’” “Jack is such an honest guy,” he explains. “When everything Reid says. “He would find walcame out right and maybe we lets or cash when he was cleaning would win one of the big games, after games but he always turned the grounds crew was a part of everything in so we could find it, too.” the owner.”

“Jack Casey has done just Casey never forgot his roots about everything for us,” notes and was known to admit more Athletic Facilities supervisor than a few kids from local neighNorman Reid. “Right up to the borhoods who could not afford day he retired at age 72, he was the price of admission to a Bosout there putting down the bas- ton College game. ketball floor.

Reid relates the story of a well“He was always one of those to-do alumnus who brought his guys who would do anything you family to Conte Forum, telling might ask,” Reid adds. “He’d just his guests, “Forty years ago, I got say ‘Yup’ and it would be done. my introduction to BC from a You could always count on Jack.” guy who used to let me in the Casey, who grew up in Allston back door to see the games.” near Harvard Stadium, completReid says, “Well, ‘That guy’ ed an active duty stint with the is standing right over there. His Massachusetts National Guard name is Jack Casey.”

BY REID OSLIN SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE

Richard Keeley, PULSE and CSOM college, Keeley enrolled, majoring first in English then switching to philosophy.

One of his seminal BC undergraduate experiences was taking part in the newly-launched PULSE, under the direction of Professor of Philosophy Patrick Byrne. “I went out to a Boston neighborhood and helped residents transform a vacant apartment into a community library,” says Keeley, who sat on the very

BY SEAN SMITH CHRONICLE EDITOR

His name was Joe, and he was the janitor in the building where a then-teenaged Richard Keeley worked. An avid reader, Joe would often talk with the young Keeley about his favorite books, especially Henry David Thoreau’s Walden.

“He said, ‘Dick, I’ve read it a dozen times, and I still don’t understand it,’” recalls Keeley, who is retiring as senior associate dean for undergraduates in the Carroll School of Management at the end of the academic year. “‘Isn’t that wonderful?’”

Joe’s declaration conveys the essence of what an educational experience should be, says Keeley, who’s often recounted the anecdote for Boston College students over the course of his 43 years at the Heights.

“It’s the willingness to submit ourselves to that passage, even though we don’t know for sure what the destination will be,” he explains. “You take a chance, you put yourself to a challenge, and even if you don’t completely succeed you find things to appreciate about the experience.”

Keeley, a 1972 BC alumnus, has found plenty to savor in his career at the University: as director of PULSE, the for-credit program combining human services field work and the study of philosophy and theology; at CSOM, which he joined in 1991 as an assistant dean for administration; and as director of programs for the Carroll School’s Winston Center for Leadership and Ethics.

He also feels fortunate to have been part of a period of extraordinary growth and development for Boston College.

“What I’ve seen is a new confidence and ambition about BC – a refreshing self-assurance about what it can become,” says Keeley, a Rochester, NY, native. “At the same time, I see continuity. BC continues to draw students of remarkable generosity, who feel the call to serve and share their gifts, through PULSE and the Faith, Peace and Justice Program, Appalachia Volunteers, and similar programs.

“I also see continuity in the presence of teachers, across all schools and departments, who can inspire and be prominent in their fields, their doors open to students.

I feel very fortunate to have been part of this community, and to have been able to contribute in some way to its progress.”

Keeley first encountered Boston College when he came to campus for a high school debate tournament hosted by the University.

Impressed by both the city and the

Peter Julian

Jack Casey, Athletics

Richard Keeley

first PULSE organizing council as a senior. “I really liked making the local connections, and putting our social teachings into action.”

Two years after graduating, Keeley returned to his alma mater for graduate studies in theology, and wound up taking the directorship of PULSE. The task before him and his colleagues was to further develop the program’s classroom aspect – “a framework to help the students better understand themselves and their PULSE experience.” He commends the Philosophy and Theology departments, and faculty members like Robert Daly, SJ, and Joseph Flanagan, SJ, in particular, for their support.

“We had all these wonderful students, who had the courage, the empathy, the willingness to lead,” he says. “We tried to give them room to do that, and they did, as students and alumni.”

By the time Keeley stepped down from PULSE, some 4,500 students had participated in the program; more than 200 undergraduates were taking part each year, serving placements in 36 area social service agencies and organizations. Several universities and colleges were in the process of establishing their own versions of PULSE. In 1990, a $750,000 grant from The Dayton Hudson Foundation helped to endow PULSE. “PULSE was at a critical juncture when Dick became director,” says Byrne. “He stabilized relationships with community partner supervisors of student volunteers and worked with faculty mem-

bers to fully integrate the academic components with the students’ service experiences. Then as now, he gained the confidence of all by listening carefully to all parties, offering thoughtful options, and providing a presence in which people could set aside differences and work together creatively. I recall many times when he calmly guided well-meaning students and their ill-conceived schemes into productive projects – transforming the students themselves in the process.

“The success of the PULSE is just one of Dick’s legacies to Boston College. Still greater is the countless number of young people who left the University with a maturity they gained from his mentoring, which they have since paid forward into their professional, civic and family lives.”

Studying for his MBA at the Carroll School during the late 1980s, Keeley became acquainted with CSOM administrators and faculty, including dean John Neuhauser, who envisioned a PULSEtype program for the school.

Keeley then worked with CSOM to create First Serve, a service-andstudy program for CSOM honors students.

Offered a chance to join the CSOM administration, Keeley saw the opportunity to strengthen and augment the Jesuit ethos in the school’s programs and resources. He contributed to the introduction of a one-credit course in ethics that provided the basis for Portico, a three-credit entry course for all first-year Carroll School students that examines business from global, multidisciplinary, ethical and social perspectives.

“It was a lot of work, but I enjoyed the collaboration which made Portico possible,” says Keeley. “We all felt it was important for business and management students to go through the same kind of discernment – to find out what they are being called to do – as those in other fields and disciplines.”

Keeley has long been a fan and scholar of the writing of urban visionary Jane Jacobs, and during his PULSE tenure he struck up a friendship with her, earning an invitation to visit the writer in her Toronto home. Eventually, he persuaded Jacobs to donate her papers, in 1995, to BC’s Burns Library. Once he steps down from CSOM, Keeley will focus on a project that entails writing a general introduction to Jacobs’ work.

“I’ve had a great time here,” he says. “I think it’s just a good idea to ‘get out of the way’ and give others opportunities. But I’m glad to know I’ll still be connected to the BC community.”

T he B oston C ollege

Chronicle MAY 10, 2018

LSOE Faculty, Alumnae Honored at AERA Event

BY PHIL GLOUDEMANS STAFF WRITER

Lynch School of Education faculty members Henry Braun and David Miele, along with alumnae Kristen Renn PhD ’98 and Sofia Chaparro MEd ’06, received awards for excellence in education research at the recent American Educational Research Association (AERA) annual meeting in New York City.

Also honored by AERA was Cawthorne Professor of Teacher Education for Urban Schools Marilyn Cochran-Smith, who was previously acknowledged as the recipient of the Division K Legacy Award.

AERA is the largest and most prominent interdisciplinary research association devoted to the scientific study of education and learning.

Braun, the Boisi Professor of Education and Public Policy, received the Division D Robert L. Linn Distinguished Address Award, which honors a scholar whose work bridges educational measurement, and either assessment policy, learning theory, or curriculum and instruction, resulting in a widespread, positive impact on the field. Braun led a first-of-its-kind interactive workshop for scholars from a range of disciplines who discussed strategies for measuring the impact of undergraduate education on students’ personal growth.

Miele, the Buehler Sesquicentennial Assistant Professor of Applied Developmental and Educational Psychology, received the Review of Research Award in recognition of an article he co-published in the

February 2017 Review of Educational Research. Miele shared the award with co-author Katherine Muenks, a postdoctoral researcher from Indiana University Bloomington.

Renn, a professor in the Department of Educational Administration at Michigan State University, received the Distinguished Contributions to Gender Equity in Education Research Award, which recognizes individuals within AERA for prominent research, professional practice, and activities that advance public understanding of gender and/or sexuality at any level in the education community.

Chaparro won the Bilingual Education Research Special Interest Groups Dissertation Award for “Language and the Gentrifying City: An Ethnographic Study of a Two-Way Immersion Program in an Urban Public School.” A graduate of the Lynch School’s Donovan Urban Scholars Program, she is an assistant professor of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education at the University of Colorado, Denver School of Education & Human Development.

The Division K Award presented to Cochran-Smith – who served as AERA president from 2004-05 – recognizes scholars who have made significant and exemplary contributions through their research, instruction and professional service in the field of teaching and teacher education.

She was also named to the list of top scholars who help shape educational practice and policy.

Contact Phil Gloudemans at philip.gloudemans@bc.edu Lee Pellegrini

The Theatre Department’s production of Rick Elice’s “Peter and the Starcatcher” was staged at Robsham Theater April 25-29. Associate Professor of the Practice of Theater Luke Jorgensen directed the play.

11

BOSTON COLLEGE IN THE MEDIA Can AI-enabled automation replace a company’s entire labor force? Carroll School of Management Egan Professor of Information Systems James Gips, Assoc. Prof. Sam Ransbotham and finance major Brendan Guerin ’20 weighed in on the topic for Sloan Management Review.

Lynch School of Education junior Natalee Deaette, a winner of a 2018 Truman Scholarship, discussed the honor, her commitment to public service leadership, and her experience as a first-generation college student with the organization Upward Bound, in an in-studio interview airing on New England Cable News.

Asst. Prof. Rawley Heimer (CSOM) discussed with National Public Radio’s “Morning Edition” the results of a report he co-authored as part of an international team of researchers, which found that constituents in gerrymandered districts are apt to lose economic security because politicians in such districts are less likely to advocate on their behalf.

In an interview with the Chronicle of Higher Education, Lonergan Institute Associate Director Kerry Cronin discussed “The Dating Project,” a recently released documentary film based on an assign-

“PCAOB Inspections: Public Accounting Firms on ‘Trial,’” by Prof. Jeffrey Cohen (CSOM), was accepted for publication by the journal Contemporary Accounting Research.

BC BRIEFING

Boisi Professor of Education and Public Policy Henry Braun co-published “Testing International Education Assessments” in the journal Science. In a companion event, the National Academy of Education (NAE) held a symposium last month in Washington, DC, to announce the release of a NAE report titled “International Education Assessments: Cautions, Conundrums, and Common Sense,” edited by Braun along with Harvard Graduate School of Education Conant Professor of Education Judith Singer and the NAE’s Naomi Chudowsky.

Assoc. Prof. Andrea Vicini (STM) presented the lecture “Ripensare la Creazione, l’Incarnazione, la Redenzione e l’Agire Umano (Rethinking Creation, Incarnation, Redemption and Human Action),” at E se esistesse la vita aliena? Che cosa cambierebbe nella nostra percezione di Dio? (What if Alien Life Existed? What Would Change in our Perception of God?), Festival Biblico, Verona, Italy.

NOTA BENE At its annual Legislators/City Councilors Breakfast on May 4, the Allston Brighton Adult Education Coalition cited Boston College Dining Services and University Employment as a “stellar example” of providing and/or supporting employment opportunities for immigrants. As part of the honor, Boston College Senior Human Resources Officer Joan Goltz and Human Resources Officer Karen McDermott and BC Dining Services Employee Relations Officer Marcela Norton and Human Resources Manager Beth Burns were presented with the Community Partner Award.

Current and former History Department graduate students recently received the following honors: Katie Carper, the John Higham Research Fellowship for graduate students writing dissertations in American history, for her work, “The Business of Migration, 1830-1880”; Gorkem Ozizmirli, a Junior Fellowship at the Research Center for Anatolian Civilizations in Istanbul for his project, “Sweat for Bread: Port Labor, Transformation of Labor, and Labor Consciousness in 1730-1807 Istanbul”; Michael Franczak, the Yale University Henry Chauncey Jr. ‘57 Post-Doctoral Fellowship; and Hidetaka Hirota PhD’12, the First Book Award from the Immigration and Ethnic History Society for Expelling the Poor Atlantic Seaboard States and the Nineteenth-Century Origins of American Immigration Policy.

ment in her popular philosophy course.

National Catholic Reporter reported on the publication of a volume of discussions from a landmark conference that brought US bishops and theologians to Boston College last fall to examine how Pope Francis’ exhortation Amoris Laetitia could be applied at the local level. The volume is co-edited by Canisius Professor James Keenan, SJ, director of the Jesuit Institute and an organizer of the event.

Unique Venues included the University’s Connors Center (“offers the charms of an old-fashioned estate with the amenities of a modern Massachusetts conference facility”) among its “Top Pick Venues to Meet and Relive History.”

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: Campus Minister, University Mission & Ministry Director, Undergraduate Admissions, Academic Affairs/Provost Assistant Director of Biology Labs, Academic Affairs/Provost Assistant/Associate Director, Classes, University Advancement Senior Philanthropic Advisor, University Advancement Development Assistant, University Advancement Broadcast Engineer, ACC Network Production Utility Worker, Dining & Catering/Auxiliary/Public Safety Senior Research Librarian/Bibliographer, Academic Affairs/ Provost Strategic Sourcing Officer, Financial/Budget Life Skills/Transition Coordinator, Academic Affairs/Provost Senior Marketing Campaign Manager, University Advancement Teacher Assistant, Academic Affairs/Provost Director, International Advancement, University Advancement Senior Marketing Campaign Manager, University Advancement Administrative Assistant to the Executive Vice President

T he B oston C ollege

Chronicle MAY 10, 2018

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Q&A: Sheila Blair and Jonathan Bloom

Goodbye to a ‘Warm and Welcoming Place’

The campus was alive with arts of all kinds at the 20th annual Boston College Arts Festival from April 26-28. Among the events was a cultural showcase that featured PATU (above); a performance by the BC Cello Ensemble (right); and a “Battle of the Bands” including Funky Giant (below). Festival-goers also had the opportunity to make their own art (bottom photo).

Lee Pellegrini

Boston College broke new ground in July 2000 with the appointment of internationally acclaimed art historians Sheila Blair and Jonathan Bloom to a dual professorship. United in marriage, parenthood, their field of study, and in their shared role in the University’s Art, Art History, and Film Department, the two will retire together at the end of the academic year.

At last month’s Arts Festival, Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences Dean Gregory Kalscheur, SJ, presented the long-serving Norma Jean Calderwood University Professors of Islamic and Asian Art with the 2018 faculty award in recognition of their professional accomplishments and contributions to the arts and to the University.

[Read more on the Arts Festival web site: https://www.bc.edu/offices/artscouncil/artscouncil_events/ awards] The distinguished art scholars, prolific authors and professors recently reflected on their 18 years as inaugural holders of the Calderwood Professorship.

Blair: The students. They keep you young and on your toes. They pose questions that make you think. Also the collegiality of colleagues.

What professional opportunities has the Calderwood Professorship provided?

Bloom: The Calderwood Chair has offered us unparalleled opportunities for furthering our teaching and research. We’ve been able to invite speakers from abroad, attend foreign conferences, visit museums and remote sites and expand our knowledge without having to apply for outside funding.

We’ve been able to offer promising students and fellow faculty members support in their research projects.

Blair: The chair has allowed us to travel to new places and see new things. The world of Islamic art is changing rapidly, and we have been able to evolve with it. For example, we’ve been able to visit some of the new museums and exhibitions in Europe, the Gulf, and elsewhere. We’ve even developed a course introducing Islamic art to students through eight exhibitions/museums/galleries that have opened in the previous decade.

Calderwood Professors Sheila Blair and Jonathan Bloom flank Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences Dean Gregory Kalscheur, SJ, after being honored at the Arts Festival. (Photo by Peter Julian)

Lee Pellegrini

Yiting Chen

Lee Pellegrini

What does it mean to you both to receive this award on the eve of your retirement from BC? Bloom: It’s very gratifying to be recognized by one’s colleagues for one’s contributions to furthering the study of the arts at BC. Blair: And it’s gratifying to see that BC recognizes the value of the arts in a liberal arts education.

What’s been most memorable for you during your time at BC; what will you miss most about BC? Bloom: When we arrived at BC we were astounded by what a warm and welcoming place it was – it had an atmosphere very different from other universities where we had worked. Wonderful students are, of course, the most memorable aspect about teaching at BC — it’s been very gratifying to see some of them go further in their studies as a result of taking a class with one of us. I will certainly miss my colleagues and the students, whose questions always make me think.

Another course surveys the history of Islamic art through the lens of a dozen masterpieces, all of which we have been able to see.

As the first holders of the Calderwood Chair, what do you hope to leave as your BC legacy?

Bloom: I would hope that subsequent holders of the chair recognize the special opportunities it offers to combine undergraduate teaching with unlimited research possibilities. I would hope [they] continue our tradition of hosting our entire department at an annual dinner to celebrate and remember the warm and generous hospitality once offered to us as students by Norma Jean and Stan Calderwood.

Blair: The joy of introducing new places to undergraduates. We held the first permanent position teaching non-Western art, and the department has now expanded to include professors in both Asian and African art. We hope that the global coverage will continue.

–Rosanne Pellegrini