The Boston College
Chronicle Published by the Boston College Office of News & Public Affairs may 22, 2014 VOL. 22 no. 18
COMMENCEMENT 2014
‘Pass On Your Light to Others’ Lee Pellegrini
By Sean Smith Chronicle Editor
US Secretary of State John F. Kerry told the Class of 2014 at Monday’s Commencement Exercises that his Boston College education had inspired him to serve others – and he urged BC’s newest graduates to draw on the same lessons to guide their own lives and careers. “The diploma that you will receive today isn’t just a certificate of accomplishment,” said Kerry, a 1976 BC Law School alumnus. “It’s a charge to keep. It’s a powerful challenge to every single one of you, because you have already been blessed with a world-class education, and with it comes responsibility. Part of that responsibility is taking to heart the values that you’ve learned here and sharing them with the world
INSIDE •Photos: Patrick, Menino, Davis talk leadership, page 2 •Theatre minor to be offered, page 2 •Statue dedication honors Privitera family, page 2 •2150 Comm. Ave. project begins this summer, page 3
•IFM Fund making a world of difference, page 3 •Petersen earns Phi Beta Kappa award, page 3 •Cote wins Finnegan Award, page 5 •Nguyen is Aquino Scholarship recipient, page 5 •Radu Florescu dies, page 6 •Lopez wins Dr. Donald Brown Award, page 7 •Oppenheimer will be new Corcoran Visiting Prof., page 7
Caitlin Cunningham
Kerry tells the Class of 2014 that service ‘is how you can keep faith with and renew the idea of America’
US Secretary of State John F. Kerry JD’76 speaks at Monday’s Commencement Exercises in a festive Alumni Stadium.
beyond BC. “That spirit of service is part of the fabric of this school, just as it is part of the fabric of our nation.” Kerry, who received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree at the ceremony, recalled a storied predecessor – Thomas Jefferson, the first secretary of state – who used
the image of one candle lighting another to describe “the contagious quality of shared knowledge.” The metaphor resonates with the Jesuit tradition, Kerry said, as articulated in St. Ignatius of Loyola’s call to “set the world aflame.” Also presented with honor-
ary degrees Monday were: Boston Celtics legend and basketball Hall-of-Famer Robert J. “Bob” Cousy (Doctor of Humane Letters); Ann Riley Finck ’66, an award-winning leader in the nursing profession (Doctor of Nursing Science); Paloma Izquierdo-Hernandez ’76, president and CEO
of Urban Health Plan Inc. (Doctor of Social Science); and University Trustee Robert J. “Bob” Morrissey ’60, founder and senior partner of Boston law firm Morrissey, Hawkins & Lynch (Doctor of Laws). The five honorees joined the BC community in saluting the some 4,000 Boston College students who, following the main Commencement event in Alumni Stadium, went on to receive their undergraduate and graduate degrees at separate ceremonies held around campus. University President William P. Leahy, SJ, in his welcome to the graduates and guests, also urged the graduates to follow the example of service set by thousands of alumni throughout BC’s history. “Let me suggest that those who have had the most fulfilling lives are those who used their educaContinued on page 4
One Journey Over, Another to Begin BC Fellowships Span Globe BC has been a place of personal and professional growth and Range of Disciplines for husband-and-wife duo Paul Chebator and Mer Zovko By Sean Smith Chronicle Editor
Individually, they are respected professionals in the student affairs field who have cultivated long and fulfilling careers as Boston College administrators. But Paul Chebator and Mer Zovko also have been a couple for some two decades – husband and wife since 1997 – and this inevitably colors their BC experience. Now, a new phase in their lives beckons: Chebator and Zovko are retiring from the University after, respectively, 34 and 25 years. Even as various end-of-academic-year tasks filled their schedules over the past several weeks, the two have found moments for reflection on their time – shared and single – at the Heights. One subject they readily admit is an unexplored one: What would life
at BC have been like if they hadn’t been a couple? “For me, BC and Paul have been so intertwined, that question never occurs to me,” said Zovko, assistant director for leadership development in the Student Programs Office. “I think I would have found, and relished, the sense of community that exists at BC, with or without Paul. I just feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with so many amazing people here, and to have that experience encompassing of Paul is icing on the cake.” “I was here for almost 10 years before Mer, so I was pretty well settled at BC,” said Chebator, whose most recent position has been dean of students. “I think that, if I had found a relationship with someone other than Mer, it would not have been through BC. Being with her, Continued on page 6
QUOTE:
By Office of News & Public Affairs Staff
Boston College students and alumni have earned impressive fellowships for the 2014-15 academic year, including Fulbrights, a Boren Scholarship, a Congressional Policy Fellowship and a Goldwater. BC continues to be one of America’s top producers of Fulbrights – which support a year’s post-baccalaureate study abroad – with nine confirmed at press time; three other students were chosen as alternates, pending confirmation of funding for their projects. In addition, two students were selected for Teaching Assistantship Program in France (TAPIF) fellowships, a sister program to the Fulbright administered by the French Ministry of Education. A look at Fulbright and TAPIF winners, and Fulbright alternates:
Lauren Audi
Ballston Spa, NY DESTINATION: Ecuador PROJECT: English Teaching Assistantship FUTURE PLANS: Work with indigenous groups on issues of literacy and conservation; graduate study. QUOTE: “I feel very lucky to be given the opportunity to complete a Fulbright teaching assistantship in Ecuador. I look forward to immersing myself in a culture that is so rich with compassion, humanity, and color. As an English student at Boston College I have learned just how powerful a tool language is in our society. While in Ecuador, I hope to teach English through a critical lens with the aim of making language about understanding rather than control.”
Tiixa Chukwuezi ’09 Boston DESTINATION: Taiwan PROJECT: English Teaching Assistantship FUTURE PLANS: Continue working with East Asian youth, pursue a masContinued on page 8
“My time at Boston College has taught me to care more about the world’s problems and consider the way that I can help solve them. I could never have predicted the effect that BC has had on me, and I feel very blessed to have had the opportunity to spend four great years here.” –David Cote, 2014 Finnegan Award winner, page 5
T he B oston C ollege
Chronicle may 22, 2014
2
A ROUND
C AMPUS
LEADING THE WAY TO ‘BOSTON STRONG’ Former Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino, former Boston Police Commissioner Edward F. Davis and Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick joined CNN’s John King (L-R in photo at left) in Robsham Theater on May 7 for a discussion about the leadership challenges they faced in the wake of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings. The event, “Leadership in the Commonwealth: Making Boston Stronger,” was hosted by the Carroll School of Management’s Winston Center for Leadership and Ethics as part of its Clough Colloquium program. For more information about the Winston Center, see www.bc.edu/content/bc/ schools/csom/research/leadership.html.
Photos by Caitlin Cunningham
THEATRE’S NEXT STAGE Beginning this fall, students with a serious interest in theatre — but who are not able to commit to fulfilling the requirements for a major — will have the option to pursue a minor in the discipline. “The impetus came from the students,” said Theatre Department Chair and Associate Professor Scott T. Cummings. “They pushed for it and made a persuasive case. We think it is going to expand the range of students that we can work with. “We’ve always had a few students who take numerous theatre courses and participate in productions but cannot or will not commit to the major,” he added. “I call them ‘shadow majors.’ We decided it’s time to bring them out of the shadows.” Based on the principles and structure of the theatre major, the aim is to provide students
with a broad-based theatre education that balances courses in both studies and practice through courses that comprise the Theatre Department curriculum. Requirements include a range of courses in such areas as history of theater, fundamentals of performance, elements of theater production and others. Status as a theatre minor may be a factor in determining actors, designers and stage managers for Theatre Department productions. The new minor option is available to BC students in the classes of 2015, 2016 and 2017, as well as those in the matriculating Class of 2018 and thereafter. For more information, including course requirements and contact information, see www. bc.edu/theatre. –Office of News & Public Affairs
This is Chronicle’s last edition of the 2013-14 academic year. Keep up with all the news and happenings at Boston College this summer at BCInfo [www.bc.edu/ bcinfo] and BC Social [www.bc.edu/social], and watch for the summer edition of Chronicle in July. Director of NEWS & Public Affairs Jack Dunn Deputy Director of NEWS & Public AFFAIRS Patricia Delaney Editor Sean Smith
Contributing Staff Melissa Beecher Ed Hayward Sean Hennessey Rosanne Pellegrini Kathleen Sullivan Michael Maloney Photographers Gary Gilbert Lee Pellegrini
(L-R) Francis Privitera Jr. ’95, Law School Dean Vincent Rougeau, Philip Privitera ’95, University President William P. Leahy, SJ, sculptor Pablo Eduardo, Francis D. Privitera ’56 and Jeannine Privitera at the dedication ceremony for the St. Thomas More statue. (Photo by Christopher Soldt, MTS)
A LAW SCHOOL FAMILY’S GENEROSITY The Law School held a ceremony on May 2 to formally dedicate a statue of St. Thomas More in appreciation of the Privitera family, who provided funding for the sculpture. Constructed by Bolivian-born sculptor Pablo Eduardo of Gloucester, the statue stands adjacent to the Law Library looking toward Barat House. The statue of the famous lawyer, author, statesman and philosopher is the most recent example of the commitment to the Law School shown by Francis D. Privitera ’56 – who went from shining shoes and delivering
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newspapers as a child in Boston’s West End to half a century of legal practice, commercial ventures in real estate and computers, and philanthropy – and his family. Their generosity has included the Francis D. Privitera ’56 Law Scholarship and the Philip Joseph Privitera ’95 Commencement Award. Privitera also has supported other local artistic projects, such as the bronze statue of Dante that stands outside the Dante Alighieri Cultural Society in Cambridge, and a six-foot-high bronze relief dedicated to Bishop John Baptist Scalabrini that was
the family’s gift to the Sacred Heart Church in the North End. A plaque on the St. Thomas More statue bears the names of his late wife, Jean, and their children, Francis D. Privitera Jr. ’95, Philip Privitera ’95 and Jeannine Privitera. Privitera and his children were present at the May 2 dedication, along with University President William P. Leahy, SJ, and Law School Dean Vincent Rougeau. [For more on Privitera and the family’s gift, read this article in BC Law Magazine: http://bit. ly/1m2OiQl] –Boston College Law School
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 News & Public Affairs, 14 Mayflower Road, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467 (617)552-3350. Distributed free to faculty and staff offices and other locations on campus. Periodicals postage paid at Boston, MA and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: send address changes to The Boston College Chronicle, Office of News & Public Affairs, 14 Mayflower Road, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467.
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T he B oston C ollege
Chronicle may 22, 2014
3
Summer Construction
Work on 2150 Comm. Ave. to Begin By Sean Smith Chronicle Editor
Petersen Wins PBK Award Associate Professor of Economics Harold Petersen has been selected for the 2014 Phi Beta Kappa Teaching Award, given annually by the academic honor society’s Boston College chapter to a faculty member who has achieved excellence as a teacher and advisor. Petersen began teaching at BC as an instructor in 1960, and has twice served as chairman of the Economics Department. His fields of concentration are capital markets, statistics and econometrics. Students who nominated Petersen for the award described him as “very dedicated to his students,” “engaging, knowledgeable and experienced,” “always encouraging” and “a tremendous professor and mentor.”
Irish Famine Memorial Fund Having World-Wide Impact By Kathleen Sullivan Staff Writer
Architectural rendering of the 2150 Commonwealth Avenue residence hall, looking across St. Thomas More Road. (Image courtesy EYP Architecture & Engineering)
“We have a strong team on this project and we are applying the latest construction management techniques to deliver the highest quality with the utmost efficiency,” said Associate Vice President for Capital Projects Mary Nardone. Renovations for St. Mary’s Hall, the primary residence for BC’s Jesuit community, are on schedule for completion in November, administrators said. Recent activity at the site has included installation of cast stones at the east end of the chapel, the building’s north façade and a new entrance facing the Plaza at O’Neill Library; inside, painting and various mechanical, electrical and plumbing work continues. Plans call for Jesuit residents to move into St. Mary’s in December, according to Facilities Management. Also at the end of the year, the Woods College of Advancing Studies will relocate from McGuinn Hall to the ground level of St. Mary’s; the upper levels will be occupied by the Communication and Computer Science departments when they move from Maloney Hall. St. Mary’s will formally reopen in January. “This has been a very exciting project in terms of its technical complexity, historic restoration and Lee Pellegrini
Boston College’s new residence hall at 2150 Commonwealth Avenue will begin taking shape in the next few months, one of several major upcoming and ongoing campus construction projects this summer. In addition to the start of the Commonwealth Avenue project – which will first involve the demolition of More Hall – renovations will continue on St. Mary’s Hall and Maloney Hall. None of the construction work scheduled for the summer is expected to significantly affect vehicular or pedestrian traffic on campus, according to Facilities Management administrators. The approximately 240,000 square-foot residence hall, when completed in the summer of 2016, will provide an additional 490 beds in four and six-person apartments for BC undergraduates. In addition, the building – which will vary between five and six stories – will house two staff/faculty-in-residence apartments, seminar and music practice rooms, and the BC Health Services Center, which will relocate from Cushing Hall. This week and next should see the completion of some key tasks – including asbestos abatement and the cutting and capping of utilities – prior to the demolition of More Hall, Facilities Management administrators said. The demolition is expected to take approximately four weeks, after which the work on 2150 Commonwealth Avenue will begin. The project team for 2150 Commonwealth Avenue includes EYP Architecture & Engineering of Boston – the designers for nearby Stayer Hall – and Bond Brothers, a construction and contracting firm based in Everett.
The Irish Famine Memorial Fund has supported housing construction in Haiti and Nicargua, a water well for a Jesuit school in Tanzania, the building of classrooms in Rwanda, the Connell School of Nursing’s service trip to the Dominican Republic, and other initiatives.
Harold Petersen
“His knowledge, professionalism and sincere interest in his students place him in the ranks of professorial excellence,” wrote one student. Petersen said the award represented a “vote of confidence [that] means more to me than I can possibly say.” Reflecting on his career, Petersen said one important revelation that has had a significant impact on his teaching, and his life, is that
prominence on Linden Lane,” said Nardone. Maloney Hall will have its own construction and relocation activity this summer, with the building’s fourth floor now being renovated as the new home for the Student Affairs division, which is currently on the second floor; the Economics Department has moved from the fourth floor to the third floor. Once Student Affairs is resettled, work will begin on the second floor, and part of the third, as the future headquarters for the Connell School of Nursing – the school will relocate from Cushing Hall in the summer of 2015. Other projects of note taking place this summer: •The second floor of O’Neill Library, formerly the Computing Resource Center, will be reconfigured to house the Center for Teaching Excellence. •State-of-technology fire alarm and sprinkler protection systems will be installed in Ignacio Hall. •Electrical work will take place in the Commonwealth Avenue parking garage, with no impact on parking availability expected. Contact Sean Smith at sean.smith@bc.edu
“almost everything we teach about time management is wrong.” Early on, he explained, he felt compelled to “guard my time” as a means to fulfill his responsibilities. “I learned over the years that if I take time to smell the roses, I get refreshed and get so much more done with the remaining time. I learned that if I can give freely of my time, with no thought of what it might be costing me, that I am filled with positive energy that flows through to everything I do. “Time may be limited in one sense – it is finite by the clock – but what happens with time is highly elastic. I can spend hours at a task and get nothing done. Or I can have 10 minutes of amazing productivity. And in my experience, those productive 10 minutes are so much more likely to occur when one is not worried about the clock.” –Sean Smith
In its own quiet way, Boston College’s Irish Famine Memorial (IFM) Fund, endowed through a generous gift from the family of late University Trustee and benefactor Thomas Flatley, has made real-world differences in some of the neediest communities across the globe. The fund was established in 2010 to provide financial or material support to alumni and other individuals associated with Boston College who are committed to alleviating poverty, disease, famine and illiteracy in foreign countries or in the United States — a tribute to Flatley, an Irish immigrant who came to America and became a successful businessman and philanthropist. Since its establishment, the IFM Fund has supported projects and students in more than 20 countries. The IFM Fund has provided financial assistance to students who commit to returning to their native country, where they will use their education to assist people in their homeland. More than three dozen students from countries such as Bolivia, Brazil, Ghana, Malaysia, Senegal, Vietnam and Zambia have received scholarships for graduate studies at the University. The fund has also underwritten projects that meet educational, agricultural, housing and transportation needs in countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Nicaragua, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. “Speaking for my sister Kathleen and my other siblings, I know our father’s deepest-held dream that flowed from his Irish soul was to leave something behind that would go to alleviate extreme suffering and deprivation, such as endured by the Irish during the Famine of the 1840s,” said Dan Flatley, MA ’89. “We are privileged indeed to be part of this new initiative at Boston College to provide some aid and comfort to those in dire need around the world. BC is the right place for this.” One recipient of IFM Fund grants is St. Peter Claver High School, a Jesuit school in Tanzania, which received funds to purchase computers and playground and sports equipment. IFM funds also have been approved to develop a well to provide much needed water to support the school’s growing enrollment.
“Our school community – Jesuits, students, faculty and staff – is grateful for the support,” said Brother Joseph Badokufa Bulugu, SJ, MEd ’12, who serves as assistant principal at St. Peter Claver. Another grant recipient has been TECHO, a non-profit organization that constructs transitional housing in approximately 20 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. Specifically, the IFM Fund has underwritten the construction of about 100 units of housing in Haiti and Nicaragua. At a meeting earlier this month, the IFM Fund Committee extended funding for 26 current Boston College graduate students and awarded scholarships to an additional 13 graduate students pursuing studies in the School of Theology and Ministry, Graduate School of Social Work, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and in the graduate programs of the Carroll School of Management and the Lynch School of Education. The committee also approved funding for water wells at a diocesan high school in Uganda and the purchase of land for a farm for the new Loyola Jesuit Secondary School in Malawi. The farmland will provide food for the school, which is being established by the Zambia-Malawi Province, as well as serve as a training site for the school’s agricultural program. Past IFM Fund grants have supported the building of classrooms in Rwanda for a school run by the Benebikira Sisters and transportation for Jesuits in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Ongoing support by the IFM Fund to Our Lady of Fatima parish in Uganda has led to the installation of water tanks, latrines, and rain barrels; the purchase of books and school supplies, and the creation of a school lunch program. Work is underway to build an irrigation system to support a sustainable agriculture program in the community. The IFM Fund also is committed to assisting Boston College students who seek to participate in programs that aid the needy in foreign countries or the US. For example, two BC alumni volunteered last year with the Sisters of Mercy in Kingston, Jamaica, under IFM Fund sponsorship. The fund also supported the Connell School of Nursing’s trip to the Dominican Republic earlier this year and has already earmarked money for next year’s trip. Contact Kathleen Sullivan at kathleen.sullivan@bc.edu
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Chronicle may 22, 2014
4
COMMENCEMENT 2014
Continued from page 1 tion and talents in the service of society, who have given life and given it abundantly,” said Fr. Leahy. “So I urge you graduates to be true to yourselves, complete the Jesuit education you have begun here at the Heights by spending your lives giving it away, living and working as men and women for others.” Noting the extraordinary growth of BC since its 1863 founding – ranked among the top 35 American universities, with a student population of more than 14,000 from around the US and the world – Fr. Leahy said the University has remained true to three hopes and expectations for its students: a rigorous intellectual experience; the fostering of religious, ethical and personal formation; and the promotion of citizenship, service and leadership.
Lee Pellegrini
Kerry: Help People to ‘Live in Dignity’
Vice President William B. Neenan, SJ, exchanges a celebratory fistbump with a grad-to-be.
Caitlin Cunningham
ence of then-Law School Dean Robert Drinan, SJ, who Kerry credited with encouraging him to study law. For Kerry, BC proved to be the right place at the right time: In a turbulent era of “division and disillusionment,” he had found his faith tested by what he had endured and witnessed in Vietnam. Reading the classic works of St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Paul, he said, was “not just an abstract academic exercise,” but a means to understand “where and how everything fit.” He continued, “The people I met here were putting into action the words of the Jesuit motto that you’ve heard already today: ‘Men and women for others.’ Every institution has a mission or a motto – that’s the easy part. The hard part is ensuring that they’re not just words. We have to make sure that even as our world changes rapidly and in so many ways, we can still, each of us, give new meaning to our values.” Kerry said America continues to uphold its values and ideals in the world, pointing to examples such as US relief efforts in the Philippines following last year’s typhoon, its support for surgeons and Catholic nuns helping victims of violence and abuse in
“In the past century and a half, Boston College has changed in location, size, scope, and reputation, but its essentials remain the same: Jesuit education is a gift only fully realized when given away, much like the declaration in Matthew 10:39 that ‘he who loses his life for my sake will find it.’” Kerry praised “the welcoming spirit of this community,” which he had experienced himself upon arriving at the Law School, particularly in the pres-
the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and American leadership in Ethiopia’s fight against AIDS. The next challenge for American values, he said, will be to confront the reality, and pervasive impact, of climate change. Kerry noted two recent reports, as well as the assessment of 97 percent of the world’s scientists, warning that the consequences of climate change are already being felt, and hold the potential for greater conflict and instability among peoples of the world. Enacting new, climate-friendly policies – even if the grim predictions don’t pan out – can create new jobs in an alternative-energy economy, improve our health with a cleaner environment, and ensure greater security through energy independence. “This is not matter of politics or partisanship; it’s a matter of science and stewardship,” he said. “And it’s not a matter of capacity; it’s a matter of willpower.” Kerry framed these and other global challenges as questions of “whether men and women can live in dignity,” citing the Catholic social teaching of BC Center for Human Rights and International Justice Director David Hollenbach, SJ: “[When] families have access to clean water and clean power, they can live in dignity. When people have the freedom to choose their government on election day and to engage their fellow citizens every day, they can live in dignity. When all citizens can make their full contribution no matter their ethnicity; no matter who they love or what name they give to God, they can live in dignity.” The struggle for dignity “is where you come in,” Kerry told the graduates, evoking St. Ignatius’ charge. “Pass on your light to others. Set the world aflame with your service. Welcome those who are lost; seek out those at the crossroads. That is how you can fulfill your responsibility as a graduate of this great institution. That is how you can answer the call to be a servant, leader, and that is how you can keep faith with and renew the idea of America, and that is how we all live up to our duty as citizens.” Boston Archbishop Sean O’Malley, OFM, Cap., echoed the theme of service in his benediction: “May [the graduates] seek ever to excel, serving people to the best of their abilities.” Watch Commencement highlights on www.youtube.com/BostonCollege
The Class of 2014 passes by the statue of St. Ignatius Loyola during their processional across campus to Alumni Stadium. (Photo by Caitlin Cunningham)
(Back) University President William P. Leahy, SJ, with John F. Kerry JD’76, (front, L-R) Robert Morrissey ’60, Paloma Izquierdo-Hernandez ’76, Bob Cousy and Ann Riley Finck ’66. (Photo by Gary Gilbert)
HONORARY DEGREE CITATIONS
Excerpts from the citations for this year’s honorary degree recipients; for the full versions, see www.bc.edu/chronicle
Robert J. Cousy
His parents named him Robert Joseph Cousy, but to Boston Celtics fans he is known simply as “Cooz.” A basketball legend, he led the Celtics to six NBA championships with innovative passing and playmaking that made his teammates better and transformed the game itself. Off the court, he helped establish America’s first major sports union, the National Basketball Players Association. As the civil rights era dawned, he took public and private stances against racism in support of the first black players to enter the NBA. After retiring as a professional basketball player in 1963, he came to the Heights to coach the Boston College Eagles, compiling a record of 117 wins and 38 losses in six seasons. He later became a coach and broadcaster in the National Basketball Association, as well as president of the NBA Hall of Fame, to which he was inducted in 1971. He was married for 63 years to his high school sweetheart, and they were blessed with two daughters, including a 1973 Boston College graduate. He and his family have long supported causes in their Worcester community, and for more than 20 years spent summers teaching hundreds of boys about basketball and life at Camp Graylag in New Hampshire.
Ann Riley Finck
For more than 40 years, Ann Riley Finck has served as a critical care nurse at New YorkPresbyterian Hospital, one of the world’s leading teaching and research hospitals. Working in the neuro-intensive care unit, this award-winning nurse practitioner manages post-operative patient care, trains the next generation of nurses and shares her deep knowledge of neuroscience nursing through her dynamic lectures and publications. A proud Boston College alumna, she generously serves her alma mater as vice president of the BC Alumni Association, founding member of the Council for Women of Boston College, mentor, and volunteer. She has hosted send-off events for incoming freshmen, organized class reunions and chaired the efforts for Parents Weekend—something she is quite familiar with as the parent of five Boston College graduates. In 2011, the Connell School of Nursing presented her with its Dean Rita P. Kelleher Award for outstanding achievements as a nurse leader and clinician. Her commitment to the University has been recognized with the Parent Volunteer of the Year Award.
Paloma Izquierdo-Hernandez
Following in the footsteps of her father, a pioneering doctor celebrated in New York City for his grass-roots health and education initiatives, Paloma Izquierdo-Hernandez has dedicated her life to improving health disparities in the South Bronx and Queens. Her inspired leadership has transformed Urban Health Plan Inc. from a single site into an extensive network recognized as one of the nation’s top 20 community health centers. It annually serves more than 50,000 individuals, regardless of their ability to pay, through programs that are hailed as national models. One vital initiative, its award-winning asthma management program, has been recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency for reducing asthma-related hospitalization rates in the South Bronx, an area disproportionately affected by respiratory ailments. Passionately committed to a vision of care where no person lacks access to essential health services, this 1976 graduate of Boston College has shared her expertise and the lessons of her success through membership on many professional boards and organizations, including New York City’s Commission for Economic Opportunity.
John Forbes Kerry
Born in 1943, John Forbes Kerry learned early in life about the human cost of warfare among nations. His father was a member of the United States Army Air Corps during World War II, and later became a member of the United States Foreign Service. His mother worked as a Red Cross nurse in France, and her family home was destroyed during the war. As a young naval officer, he experienced firsthand the high price of conflict in Vietnam, where he earned a Silver Star, Bronze Star with Combat V, and three Purple Hearts. His time in Vietnam spurred him to become an outspoken critic of the war, and led him to put his talents to work for others, including fellow veterans. This commitment to service called him to enroll in Boston College Law School, become a prosecutor in the Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office, and ultimately seek election as Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts, and then as United States Senator. He served the people of Massachusetts on Capitol Hill for 28 years, and took a leadership role on key foreign policy and national security issues as Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman. In February 2013, President Obama named him United States Secretary of State. As America’s top diplomat, he has confronted challenging geopolitical issues around the world, most especially in the Middle East, Ukraine, Afghanistan and South Sudan.
Robert J. Morrissey
A devoted husband and father, loyal alumnus and acclaimed investment expert, Robert J. Morrissey defines the three loves of his life as family, faith and Boston College. Raised by his mother after his father’s death, he graduated cum laude from Boston College with an economics degree in 1960. After law school, he became a law partner at the age of 30, but it is in the world of investment where he has made his greatest contribution. Elected to the Boston College Board of Trustees in 1980, he has chaired the Investment and Endowment Committee since 1981. His investment acumen has helped increase the University’s endowment from $18 million to more than $2 billion. A founding partner of the law firm Morrissey, Hawkins & Lynch, he also serves in leadership positions on investment committees for the Archdiocese of Boston, the New England Province of Jesuits, and the Society of Jesus worldwide. Beyond his professional and volunteer successes, he is most proud of his family. He and his wife of 50 years, Alyce, raised five children, all Boston College graduates.
T he B oston C ollege
Chronicle may 22, 2014
5
Finnegan Award
Cote, Finalists Represent BC ‘Ever to Excel’ Credo By Ed Hayward Staff Writer
David J. Cote – who pursued a demanding double major in theology and chemistry and served as editor-in-chief of The Heights – received the Edward H. Finnegan, SJ, Award, BC’s most prestigious undergraduate honor, at the University’s 138th Commencement Exercises on Monday. Cote, from Burlington, Conn., received the award, presented to the student who best exemplifies the spirit of BC’s motto “Ever to Excel,” for his academic accomplishments, impact on campus life and extensive service activities. “David is an amazing young man, always willing to go the extra mile to make a positive contribution, whether to the local BC community or to the community in a global sense,” Dean of Students Paul Chebator wrote in support of Cote’s nomination. “His sense of perspective, maturity, and perseverance are those of an individual well beyond his years.” Cote, who plans to attend medical school, was one of four outstanding senior finalists for the honor, along with Megan Cannavina, Lynch School of Education; Joshua Coyne, Carroll School of Management; and Danielle Gautereaux,
Connell School of Nursing. In addition to his double major – including participation in the chemistry honors track – and threeyear commitment to the student newspaper, Cote had leadership roles with Eagle EMS and Eagle Escort, researched HIV/AIDS in Kenya, conducted research in the lab of Assistant Professor of Chemistry Jeff Byers and worked as a coordinator in the Connell School’s Clinical Research Certificate Program. “My time at Boston College has taught me to care more about the world’s problems and consider the way that I can help solve them,” Cote said. “I could never have predicted the effect that BC has had on me, and I feel very blessed to have had the opportunity to spend four great years here.”
[Read an interview with David Cote as part of the Chronicle’s “Seniors to Remember” feature at http://bit.ly/1qSd7Dk]
Cannavina, of Morris Plains, NJ, drew praise for her work as a resident assistant, a part-time class aide at the Campus School and for developing formation and wellness programs for her peers. Her undergraduate research examined interventions for students with severe physical and intellectual disabilities. Last summer she received a LEND Fellowship at the Department of Developmental Medicine at Boston Children’s Hospital.
people’s lives. “I can’t imagine my life going forward without the undertones of philosophy and theology that have become such a centerpiece of my Boston College experience. At the same time, I look forward to using business as a medium for social good and to impact and enrich those around me.” One of the top students in the Connell School Class of 2014, Agoura Hills, Calif., native Gautereaux served as a group leader for the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and Campus Ministry’s Urban Immer(L-R) Finnegan Award winner David Cote and other finalists Danielle Gautereaux, sion program, and was a health coach Megan Cannavina and Joshua Coyne. (Photo by Caitlin Cunningham) for two years in the Office of Health “Megan is truly one of the most Coyne, of Paxton, Mass., was Promotion. In addition to clinical academically talented and mor- lauded for his academic achievement and service assignments, she worked ally exemplary young women with – he took a finance and information as a nursing assistant in the Geriatwhom I have worked,” wrote LSOE systems concentration with a minor ric Psychiatry Unit at St. Elizabeth’s Assistant Dean of Undergraduates in international studies for manage- Medical Center, and as an underAudrey Friedman. “Humble, gra- ment – and his role in helping to graduate research fellow for CSON cious, compassionate, she is an out- shape the spiritual lives of his fellow Assistant Professor Melissa Sutherstanding role model and ambassador students through his work with Cam- land in areas of interpersonal violence. for Boston College.” pus Ministry and Residential Life. Sutherland described Gautereaux Cannavina, who will attend a Carroll School Associate Dean for as “a passionate and intelligent indidoctoral program in psychology at Undergraduate Programs Richard vidual whose work has been integral Loyola University Maryland, said Keeley praised Coyne as a “com- in moving my research trajectory forshe plans to advocate on behalf of panion” in the Ignatian sense of the ward.” people with disabilities. word. “He’s someone with a unique Gautereaux plans to work as an “Over the past four years, I’ve felt gift for accompanying others and his emergency room nurse before purso empowered by my mentors and companions span a range of ages and suing graduate study and eventurole models at BC,” said Cannavina, background that is remarkable. In a ally working to establish public health who had a double major in applied time riven with differences, Josh cre- clinics in low-income areas. psychology and human develop- ates community.” “I want to provide better health ment and sociology. “I’ve learned to Coyne, who will join Deutsche care and services for all people, esthink more critically about the world Bank’s Technology Investment pecially those who are economically around me, and they have shown Banking group in Boston, said he and socially disadvantaged,” said me the value of servant leadership – looks forward to supporting new Gautereaux. “My goals are to spread something I will take with me both companies in the tech field, where awareness and touch people’s lives in personally and professionally.” innovations have the power to change every way that I can.” Aquino Scholarship: A look at this year’s other finalists for the
By Rosanne Pellegrini Staff Writer
Carroll School of Management rising senior Thinh Nguyen, who plans to pursue a career in accounting – an academic discipline he describes as “a kind of Zen exercise to bring order to life” – is the 2014 Benigno and Corazon Aquino Scholarship award winner. Presented annually to a student who represents the highest ideals and aspirations of Boston College and the Asian American community, the scholarship provides up to $20,000 toward senior-year tuition. “The Aquino Scholarship is a testament to the hard work and excellence of the entire Asian-American community, not just myself,” Nguyen said of the award. “It is an incredible honor.” Nguyen, who grew up in Dorchester’s Vietnamese community, is sensitive to the pressures facing first-generation Asian American students in balancing respect for their traditional cultures and the desire to fit into modern American culture. To help families in his community bridge this gap, he volunteers as an instructor at the Vo Binh Dinh Vietnamese Martial Arts Academy, where students range in age from seven to 18.
Lee Pellegrini
Dorchester Native Wins Aquino Scholarship
Thinh Nguyen
That experience, he said, “has been a large part of my life outside of BC. It’s taught me discipline and leadership, but it’s given me the opportunity to work with at-risk Vietnamese American students. It’s been an incredibly rewarding opportunity to teach children who, like me, did not have role models growing up.” With a CSOM academic focus in accounting and finance, Nguyen studied business law in Venice in 2012, via a McGillycuddy-Logue Travel Grant. “BC has surpassed all of my expectations,” Nguyen said. “I have had the opportunity to travel to Venice and visit technology companies in San Francisco and Silicon Valley. I have
been a chemistry tutor in the Connors Learning center, and a teaching assistant for Database Systems. Most importantly, I have been taught by the most caring and intelligent professors in the Carroll School. BC has shaped me into a leader, but it has taught me the importance of educating others with what I have learned.” Nguyen also served as assistant director of UGBC’s AHANA Caucus and throughout his undergraduate years has worked with leaders of several culture clubs and served as president of the Asian Caucus, an umbrella organization for eight cultural groups that seeks to educate the campus community about Asian cultures and the shared Asian American experience. “The pressure I felt as a first-generation Asian American student was something I pushed on myself because of my natural instinct to care for my family,” he said. “However, the pressure has been replaced by the motivation to help others and the passion to pursue excellence within myself.” Nguyen – who says he is grateful for the generous support from a number of fellow students, faculty members and administrators – will continue his volunteer efforts in Dorchester this summer, and work in the Risk Assurance Group at PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Earnestiena Cheng
A double major in finance and theology from Hollis Hill, NY, Cheng plans to complete her degree in three years and hopes to become a financial consultant. A member of the Carroll School of Management Honors Program and vice chair of its Community Service Committee, she has been a volunteer in the Office of Undergraduate Admission and treasurer of the Asian Caucus; next year, she will serve as its co-president. She considers her most important campus role that of chair of the Student Organization Funding Committee, where she says she acts as a bridge between the Asian Caucus clubs and broader campus initiatives.
Aashana Dhruva
Dhruva – who spent most of her life in Saudi Arabia - is completing both a history and pre-med major. After a study-abroad experience last fall in Galway, where she volunteered at a health clinic, she plans to write her senior thesis on the relationship between religion and the Irish health care system. An aspiring pediatrician, she volunteers at Boston Children’s Hospital; cofounded and co-leads the BC chapter of NETwork Against Malaria, which raises awareness about malaria in Uganda and other global health issues; and this summer will participate in the Timmy Global Health program in rural Guatemala.
Benjamin Miyamoto
From Jacksonville, Fla., Miyamoto – who plans to pursue graduate study in business or law – is a double major in theology and philosophy who edits the undergraduate philosophy journal Dianoia and will write his senior thesis in that discipline. Via an Advanced Study Grant, he spent a summer pursuing independent research on “Religion, Human Rights and Networking” in the Palestinian population of Bethlehem and participating in an Israeli archeological dig at Ashkelon; this year, he studied abroad in France. He has served on UGBC’s Student Life Board, written about intercultural issues as a Heights columnist and next year will be Asian Caucus co-director of Policy and Political Initiatives.
Grace Son
An accomplished high school lacrosse player from New Jersey who aspires to a law career, Son plays club lacrosse at BC, and her athletic skills qualified her to play on the South Korean national team in the 2013 Women’s Lacrosse World Cup – an experience that helped her understand more deeply her Korean cultural identity. She has spent two summers as head teaching assistant at the Akademia, a tutoring program in Seoul. A member of the Korean Student Association, the philosophy major studied Kierkegaard in Copenhagen last fall and will do a senior thesis in philosophy. She served as Bellarmine Law Society mentoring committee director and next year will be Asian Caucus codirector (with Benjamin Miyamoto) of Policy and Political Initiatives.
–Office of News & Public Affairs
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Chronicle may 22, 2014
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Retiring, 25-Year Employees Honored on May 29
Photo by Caitlin Cunningham
Starting a New Journey Continued from page 1 and being here, has just been so natural.” Prior to his arrival in 1980, Chebator had had a fleeting relationship with BC: Offered undergraduate admission, he chose UMass because he wanted to go away to college instead of commuting from home; later, he dated a girl at the Newton College of the Sacred Heart (“I’d sit in the Duchesne Hall lounge waiting for her”), the future Newton Campus; and in 1974 he taught a class at the School of Education. Chebator made his foray into academia during the 1970s, earning a master’s as well as a bachelor’s degree from UMass and directing the Office of Student Activities and Athletics at Bunker Hill Community College. But then he found himself at a career crossroads, contemplating job offers from the Dean of Students Office at BC and Seagram’s. “It came down to this: I thought I’d be happier working with students than in corporate affairs,” said Chebator. “While I was getting my master’s degree at UMass, there were a lot of exciting things going on, and I developed an affinity for working in a campus environment.” Zovko found her career path as an undergraduate in Ithaca College, where she concocted her own major, in adult and college counseling, and drew inspiration from several internships, including one with the dean of students. “I was taken by the sense of welcome and outreach I felt,” said Zovko. “I really appreciated the ability to give people the feeling that someone was there for them. I thought, ‘I like this.’” When Zovko was offered the opportunity to direct BC’s thennew Emerging Leaders Program, she accepted, albeit with some qualms and questions about working in a Catholic institution. Yet
even as she dealt with these feelings, she was taken by what she found in the University community: “I loved the environment and the energy here. I felt this place could be my home.” As an associate dean in what was then the Office of Student Development, Chebator had numerous duties, and these included coordinating ELP, which meant frequent contact with Zovko. It became evident to both of them that they had a rapport. “We’d talk about ELP until 5 p.m., then just keep going,” recalled Zovko. “We were serious in what we did, but we laughed and laughed. Paul became a big reason for my enjoyment of BC.” Each of them had personal situations that complicated the possibility of a deeper relationship. But there also was their workplace status to consider: Were they simply colleagues who got along well as friends? If they were more than that, what would be the impact on their personal and professional lives? Ultimately, their relationship turned on a leap of faith, and trusting in one another, according to Zovko and Chebator, citing the famous Appolinaire poem: “...Come to the edge, he said/They came/He pushed them/And they flew.” “We recognized how different we were, but instead of that recognition creating tension, it helped us to look at our strengths as complementary, not competitive,” said Chebator. “Whether in our work or at home, we have this synergy: Mer can deal with the micro, I’ll deal with the macro. If we were running a restaurant, she’d be at the front of the house and I’d be in the kitchen.” Chebator and Zovko readily acknowledge they’ve had difficulty in shuttering that metaphorical restaurant. “We both knew all the players, the situations, the issues we
Twenty-five year employees are: Dennis Benway, Daneille Berzinis, Stephen Bold, Sebastian Bonaiuto, Jacqueline Briley, Anthony Cadogan, Peter Carlo, Eileen Chase, Kenneth Coleman, Jeronimo Colon, James Costa, Mark Dalton, Victor Dias, John Duffield, John Ellis, Isabel Faria, Robin Fleming,
dealt with at BC, so you’d think that would have made it easy for us to separate work and home,” said Zovko. “We’ve had to catch ourselves every now and then and say, ‘Enough. No more office talk.’” But when you’ve been as passionate about the challenges and joys of working in student affairs as Chebator and Zovko, it’s perhaps understandable if the conversation runs overtime. Both look back at nearly 60 years combined experience in the field, and see change and continuity among the young people who come to the Heights: Zovko, for example, points to the technology-driven expectation for “everything to be instant”; Chebator, meanwhile, finds many students to be increasingly sophisticated and worldly, yet perhaps “not so street-smart.” “These are 17 and 18-year-olds leaving home, pushing themselves into adult roles,” said Zovko. “They come in with such excitement, fear, ambiguity and loads of questions about who they are, what they want to be. These are issues that will forever be at the center of student affairs.” Added Chebator, “Students are still experimenting, and not always in a positive way. But if you show them you care, that there will be someone who’ll not only talk but listen to them, that can make so
David Fornari, Mary Galvin, Cely Garcia, Marilyn Goode, Adam Gouveia, Edward Greene, Kim Guilbert, Kenji Hayao, William Howard, Thomas Judson, Sami Aziz Karachi, Peter Keating, H. Joseph Keough and Rogelio Landaverde. Other 25-year honorees are: Lee Le Blanc, Jan Lent, TerryLynne Lepore, Mary Lessard, Alberto Madera, Gil Manzon, Ronald Marsh, W. James Mastin Jr., Jose Matute, Thomas McGuinness,
CHRISTINE MURPHY Undergraduate Program Assistant, Connell School of Nursing NUMBER OF YEARS AT BC: 40 (Also worked in the English Department, Human Resources, Office of the Senior Vice President, Connell School of Nursing’s Dean’s Office); graduated from Woods College of Advancing Studies in 1980. FAVORITE MEMORIES: Seeing her son Michael graduate from the College of Arts and Sciences in 2006 with a bachelor of arts in communication. “The day my son was accepted as freshman and the day I was able, as an employee, to award him his diploma at graduation are my best memories. His graduation was my proudest moment.” WHAT SHE’LL MISS: “I will miss seeing the nursing students come
Karen Miller, Gilda Morelli, Mark Nicosia, Susan Noonan, Philip O’Leary, James O’Neill, Jeffrey Pearson, Jorge Pedraza, Michael Raffi, Harcharan Rai, Brendan Rapple, Norman Reid, Brenda Ricard, John Robishaw, Robert Ross, Naomi Rubin, Vanessa Rumble, Hossein Safizadeh, Laurie Santilhano, Dominic Savarese, Paul Scarnici, Maria Schwab, Sean Smith, Elizabeth Sweeney, Robert Taggart, Reyna Vasquez, Mary Walsh, Ted Youn, Sheri Young and Mer Zovko. –Office of News & Public Affairs Caitlin Cunningham
“We recognized how different we were, but instead of that recognition creating tension, it helped us to look at our strengths as complementary, not competitive,” says Paul Chebator of his relationship with colleague and spouse Mer Zovko (right). Notes Zovko: “We’ve had to catch ourselves every now and then and say, ‘Enough. No more office talk.’”
Employees who have retired or marked 25 years of service to the University during the past year will be honored at a dinner hosted by University President William P. Leahy, SJ, on May 29. Fr. Leahy will also present the Community Service Award to Office of Residential Life Assistant Director Marianne Carrabba. Retired administrators, faculty and staff being recognized are: Lula Albert, Rose Apodiakos, Deborah Augusta, Irwin Blumer, BrendaAnn Brown, Janet Burke, Marianne Carrabba, Paul Chebator, Nancy Corrin, Reginald Denny, Mary Ellen Devlin, Wendy Drobnyk, Curt Dudley-Marling, Robert Faulkner, Frank Gollop, Samuel Goodwin, George Grimsley, Yvette Hanley, Linda Hayes, William Keith, Robert Kern, Michele Latimer, Peter Lingar, Marta Madrid, Leo McCarthy, Francis McLaughlin, Sandra Morse, Christine Murphy, Claire O’Leary McVicar, Robert O’Neill, Vincent O’Reilly, Nancy Rallis, Carl Rubinstein, William Stanwood and Michael Varsamis.
in and out, watching them grow. I hope I have been able to ease them through the transition from high school to college.”
–Kathleen Sullivan much of a difference to their college life.” And that caring, Chebator and Zovko agree, is a constant at BC, and not just where students are concerned: “You need help from someone, you’ll get it – that’s just inbred into the culture at BC, and we’ve experienced this time and again.” After leaving BC, the two will spend several months in Italy (where they were married), then split their time between Vermont and Florida. obituary
But visits to BC are definitely on their retirement agenda – they plan to be on campus in February for the “Sing It to the Heights” 10th anniversary event, for one thing. And they’ll look forward to seeing students they’ve known become the next generation of leaders. “You see the education these young people have had, the things they’ve done, and what they plan to do,” said Zovko, “and you think, ‘We’ll be in good hands.’”
Historian, Author Radu Florescu
History Professor Emeritus Radu Florescu, co-author of the bestseller In Search of Dracula, which revealed the historical identity of the legendary Dracula for the first time, died in France on May 18 at age 88. He had taught at Boston College for 45 years. Dr. Florescu and the late Raymond T. McNally, also a professor in the History Department, published In Search of Dracula in 1972. Their book, which was researched in Romania under a Fulbright grant, was the first to identify Vlad Tepes, a 15th-century prince, as the Dracula of literature. Tepes was known as Vlad the Impaler for impaling his enemies on stakes. Dr. Florescu also located Tepes’ castle in the Transylvanian Alps. The book garnered the writing duo international fame, landing Dr. Florescu on “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.” Dr. Florescu and Dr. McNally authored several other books: Dracula Prince of Many Faces; The Complete Dracula; The Essential Dracula; Dracula: A Biography of Vlad the Impaler, and In Search of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Dr. Florescu also wrote In Search of Frankenstein and In Search of the Pied Piper, among other books and scholarly articles. To read the full obituary, go to http://bit.ly/1tguXxy –Kathleen Sullivan
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Chronicle may 22, 2014
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Cristian Lopez, who graduated Monday from the Carroll School of Management, was recently announced as this year’s recipient of the Dr. Donald Brown Award, which honors a senior for extraordinary contributions to Boston College, and particularly the AHANA community, in the areas of leadership, service, and academic development. A native of Lynn, Mass., who studied finance and accounting at the Carroll School, Lopez is the son of El Salvadoran immigrants and the first in his family to graduate college. His leadership activities at BC included serving as president of the Organization of Latin American Affairs, assis-
Lee Pellegrini
Lopez Wins Donald Brown Award
Cristian Lopez
tant director of the AHANA Leadership Council and a member of the Freshman Leadership Program and Sankofa Leadership Program. He also was a volunteer tutor and took part
in the PULSE Program/Work Force Youth Program. International experiences were another facet of Lopez’s years at BC. He studied in Madrid, participated in the Arrupe International Immersion Program service trip to Mexico and spent spring break this year in El Salvador learning about microfinance institutions. Lopez will serve as a preceptor this summer in the Office of AHANA Student Program’s Options Through Education Program, then work for PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as a management consultant. Read an interview with Cristian Lopez as part of the Chronicle’s “Seniors to Remember” feature at http://bit.ly/1sWgZ3C. –Office of News & Public Affairs
Oppenheimer Appointed Corcoran Visiting Professor Mark Oppenheimer, a frequent commentator on religion and culture who writes the New York Times biweekly “Beliefs” column, will be the 2014-15 Corcoran Visiting Professor in Christian-Jewish Relations at the Boston College Center for Christian-Jewish Learning. Oppenheimer, who teaches in the Yale University English Department and the Yale Divinity School, has drawn praise for his writing, which appeals to academia as well as wider audiences. His books include Knocking on Heaven’s Door: American Religion
in the Age of Counterculture and Thirteen and a Day: The Bar and Bat Mitzvah Across America. In addition to the “Beliefs” column, Oppenheimer writes about religion for The New York Times Magazine, The Nation and The Christian Century, among other publications. As Corcoran Professor, Oppenheimer – who holds a PhD in religious studies from Yale – plans to continue his research on differing Judeo-Christian interpretations of family law, specifically with regard to marriage and divorce. He also will organize a
conference, “Jews, Catholics, and Protestants Confront Divorce,” teach a seminar titled Writing about Religion, and offer public lectures. The Corcoran Visiting Professorship is named in honor of the late John Corcoran, a 1948 alumnus and former trustee of Boston College, who made a gift to the University in 2000 to establish the Center for Christian-Jewish Learning. For more information on the center and its activities, see www.bc.edu/cjlearning. –Office of News & Public Affairs
NOTA BENE Samantha Miko, a 2013 Boston College Law alumna, has won the prestigious Deak Award for her student note “Norm Conflict, Fragmentation, and the European Court of Human Rights,” published in the BC Law Review [http://bit.ly/1lubbsj]. This is the second year in a row and the third time since 2000 a BC Law student has won the award, given by Oxford University Press to the best international law student article in a student-edited law journal. “Our success with the Deak Prize reflects well on the intellectual curiosity of our students and the nature of the relationships they share with professors,” said Law Professor and Associate Dean for Global Initiatives Frank Garcia. “Our professors are active scholars who take students seriously as thinkers and reformers. Professors also work closely with students, nurture their writing, and encourage them to tackle real projects and questions and not just narrow, safe technical issues.” [Read more about Miko’s award at http://bit.ly/1mY7n9k] Winners of this year’s annual Donald J. White Teaching Excellence Awards, which recognize graduate teaching fellows and teaching assistants who distinguished themselves in classroom instruction: Douglas Lepisto, Andrea Tunarosa (Carroll School of Management); Eileen Searle, Chelsea Spindel (Connell School of Nursing); Arianne Babina, Pamela Cassiani, Adam Jenkins, Kim Regna, Jaclyn Stromp Peraino, Kayla Delle Chiaie, Joseph Morabito, Brian Sneed, Adam Szymaniak, Elsie Yu, Oluwaseyi Bolarinwa, Christopher Soeller, Rossella Calvi, Bertan Turhan, Fabiana Cabral, Deanna Malvesti, Linda Martin, Laura Sterrett, Jared Hardesty, Shannon Monaghan, Thomas Crawford, Nicholas Vlamis, Andrew Yarmola, Marina Denischik, Gregory Floyd, Michael Frost, Zhuoyao Li, Rebecca Dally, Matthew Heine, Gregory Burnep, Kimberley Stewart Burns, Christina Reppucci, Lauren Bergeron, Ana Conboy, Amy Coulter, Daniel Cuenca, Michaela Kametani-Rider, Giuliana La Rosa, Lori Mele, Mathieu Destruel, Kimberly Bachechi, Fatima Sattar, Jillian Maxey and Joshua Snyder (Graduate School of Arts and Sciences); Meghan Blattner, Paul Brown, Cristina Hunter and Caroline Vuilleumier (Lynch School of Education). Kelly Dumais was awarded the Engelhard Pingree Fellowship. –Office of News & Public Affairs
This spring, Wishmakers on Campus BC organized the first “Kicking for Wishes” kickball tournament on Shea Field to benefit Make-A-Wish Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Founded last summer, Wishmakers on Campus BC raised almost $5,000 during its first year of operation. (Photo by Christopher Huang)
Newsmakers Prof. Marcie Pitts-Catsouphes (GSSW), director of the Sloan Center on Aging and Work, was interviewed by the New York Times for a story on companies that make special efforts to retain older workers. Prof. James Bretzke, SJ (STM), discussed with Fox News Boston and the Boston Globe the controversial Harvard Extension School Cultural Studies Club plan to stage a Black Mass – which was subsequently cancelled.
interviewed on the subject by the Irish Times.
Publications Assoc. Research Prof. Richard Spinello (CSOM) authored the book Global Capitalism, Culture, and Ethics.
Time and a Half Founders Professor in Theology James F. Keenan, SJ, presented the following: “Casuistry at the cutting edge,” Society of Christian Ethics, Seattle; “Are Universities Ethical?,” Emmanuel College; “Catholic Social Teaching and Jesuit Education: Challenges and Opportunities,” Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities, St. Joseph’s University, Philadelphia.
BC BRIEFING
Boston College Law School Federal Appeals Clinic Director Laura Murray-Tjan, an immigration lawyer, spoke with National Public Radio about a new plan announced by the Obama administration that would allow spouses of high-skilled immigrants to work in the United States. To close achievement gaps, eliminate opportunity gaps, suggested Lynch School of Education Visiting Assoc. Prof. Martin Scanlan and Asst. Prof. Rebecca Lowenhaupt in a piece for the Boston Globe “Podium.” Murray and Monti Professor of Economics Peter Ireland wrote in Economics21 about the fundamental factors underlying the economy’s continuing improvement. An analysis of economic inequality as it affects the US and the world, co-written by Assoc. Prof. Rev. Kenneth Himes, OFM (Theology), and doctoral candidate and Flatley Fellow in theological ethics Kate Ward, was highlighted by National Catholic Reporter. Seelig Professor of Philosophy Richard Kearney, author of the Anatheism: Returning to God after God – in which he rejects the notion that individuals must chose between theism and atheism – was
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 for International Programs, Campus Ministry Staff Psychologist, University Counseling Executive Director, Center for Teaching Excellence Associate Vice President/Dean of Students Bakery Manager, Dining Services Senior Associate Athletic Director for Administration Technology Manager, Residential Life Financial Systems Manager Associate Director, Major Giving, Development Grant Writer, Office of Sponsored Programs Drill Designer, Marching Band, Boston College Bands
T he B oston C ollege
Chronicle may 22, 2014
Continued from page 1 ter’s degree in international relations with a focus on East Asia. QUOTE: “Through my service work at Boston College in places like Mississippi and Uganda, I discovered the world is a classroom. Working with Hurricane Katrina victims and the children of Uganda taught me the uniqueness of each country’s challenges and culture. I am pursuing an ETA in Taiwan to explore its potential cultural similarities to my Cape Verdean and Native American heritages. The unique beliefs, traditions and ceremonies – like the Harvest Festival of Taiwan’s Aborigine population – have similarities to my own Native American heritage 7,124 miles away.” Andrew Gier Barrington, Ill. DESTINATION: Germany PROJECT: English Teaching Assistantship FUTURE PLANS: Enroll in a PhD program to study early modern European economic history with a goal to become a professor of history. QUOTE: “More than anything, I would say that the Fulbright program gives me the opportunity to give back to a country that has given me so much during my time at BC. As someone who majored in economics, history, and German, I really believe that the Fulbright grant will give me the opportunity to combine the wide range of things I have learned in the classroom to create a truly interdisciplinary experience for my students.” Anthony Kuzma Pittsburgh DESTINATION: Bulgaria PROJECT: English Teaching Assistantship; conduct research on the current crisis in Ukraine and its effect on Bulgaria. FUTURE PLANS: Hopes to get involved with an international organization like the United Nations to make use of his experience; continue teaching and attend graduate school. QUOTE: “To have the opportunity to go to Bulgaria and teach in an entirely different educational culture is exciting and one I take with great responsibility. Representing the US abroad as a Fulbright Scholar is a dream come true and I could have never done it without the support of my friends and family.” OTHER FELLOWSHIPS •James Sauro ’16, a major in international studies and psychology from Bethesda, Md., has been awarded a David L. Boren Scholarship. He will participate in an intensive Arabic language program in Amman, Jordan, from June to the end of August, then a semester-long area-andlanguage study. Read full story at http://bit.ly/1o2FIDR •Graduate School of Social Work doctoral student Amy Griffin ’05 has been awarded a Congressional Policy Fellowship from the Society for Research in Childhood Development, a
James Sauro
one-year placement that involves working in the office of a member of Congress or for a Congressional committee or support agency. Read full story at http://bit.ly/1gLxVbA
services and public resources for residents; volunteer in pre-kindergarten school to teach English and assess early childhood education programs. FUTURE PLANS Pursue master’s degree in public policy, or work in public sector.
Front row (L-R): Christina Pump, Alexis Tercero, Lauren Rever and Alyssa Ellard. Back row (L-R): Andrew Gier, Alison Wawrzynek, Kimberly Crowley, Brian Chung, Lauren Audi and Anthony Kuzma. (Photo by Lee Pellegrini)
doing community service or studying abroad, have helped widen my perspective on issues affecting people from different backgrounds. I have to thank those professors who have challenged me and made an effort to build strong relationships with me.”
Alison Wawrzynek Glenview, Ill. DESTINATION: Germany PROJECT: English Teaching Assistantship, with focus on inequality and personal identity as it relates to the asymmetrical development and modernization of the former East and West Germany. Her proposed curriculum will allow students to analyze the similarities and differences of the American and German experiences. FUTURE PLANS: Pursue a career in international business, with emphasis on public and international policy; pursue advanced degree in business administration, public policy, or international affairs; long-term goal includes working for an international nonprofit or NGO. QUOTE: “I am thrilled to return to Germany in September as a representative of Boston College and the Fulbright Program. The supportive community at BC has taught me a great deal about developing a global perspective through education, and I look forward to teaching and learning alongside of my students next year.” FULBRIGHT ALTERNATES Brian Chung Oyster Bay, NY DESTINATION: Ukraine
•Connell School of Nursing rising junior Laura Mata has been awarded a Fund for Education Abroad Scholarship to support her upcoming study abroad semester in Ecuador. She is the first-ever Boston College student to win a FEA scholarship. Read full story at http://bit. ly/1noGDy3 •Michael Weston-Murphy ’10 has received a Lisa Goldberg Fellowship at the New York University Wagner School of Public Service for this fall. The fellowship was established for rising leaders in public service who seek careers in philanthrophy or Jewish leadership. For the past
PROJECT: English Teaching Assistantship; establish student club on environmental awareness, and organize community run/walk to support a local charity. FUTURE PLANS: Graduate studies in civil engineering, to help communities prepare for hazardous natural events like floods and earthquakes. QUOTE: “I have had a personal interest in Ukraine throughout my life, but only recently did I develop an academic interest. My family, friends, and professors are the ones who inspired me to pursue this passion. The Slavic Languages and Literatures Department has been a family to me during my time here and I am privileged to take its lessons with me wherever I go. The fact that the Fulbright program has chosen to continue in Ukraine this year despite the turmoil and unrest speaks volumes to its intense and unwavering commitment to maintain international education. I am honored by the continuing prospect of facilitating this dialogue. Traveling to Ukraine at this time would be a treasure, with the opportunity to experience the region at such a critical crossroads in its life as a nation. It is an opportunity to view how Ukraine’s people respond to adversity and an opportunity to use my project founded on English language.”
Logan Gallagher San Diego DESTINATION: Brazil PROJECT: Research whether the pacification of favelas (slums) in Rio de Janeiro has improved access social Lee Pellegrini
Fellowships
Christina Pump Chatham, NJ DESTINATION: Austria PROJECT: Combined grant to teach English and conduct research to better understand the nitrogen-fixing ability of legumes and its potential impact on fertilizer use, which could affect agricultural practices and have larger environmental implications. FUTURE PLANS: Attend graduate school and to apply the knowledge gained in Austria. QUOTE: “The opportunity to pursue a Fulbright allows me to follow my passion in environmental sciences and to hopefully make a meaningful contribution to the world.” Benjamin Reedy ’12 Ames, Iowa DESTINATION: Germany PROJECT: English Teaching Assistantship, with extracurricular activities such as coaching sports or working with special needs students. FUTURE PLANS: A career or advanced degree program that combines religion and public health. Lauren N. Rever Derry, NH DESTINATION: Germany PROJECT: English Teaching Assistantship FUTURE PLANS: Graduate study in historic preservation or museum curation. QUOTE: “Teaching English and American studies in Germany gives me the chance to combine my two majors at Boston College – history and German – in a really exciting way. I cannot wait to get back to Germany and explore the culture.” Alexis Tercero Lynn, Mass. DESTINATION: Guatemala PROJECT: English Teaching Assistantship to tutor marginalized youth; directing a college-access non-profit. FUTURE PLANS: Work in education initiatives for underserved students, perhaps at a non-profit; hopes to also earn law degree and master’s degree in education. QUOTE: “Earning a Fulbright has been a true accomplishment for me. My parents emigrated from Guatemala to the United States in search for a prosperous future and to have the opportunity to go back to my parents’ native homeland and work with Mayan communities is a blessing. I would say that my experiences at Boston College, whether it has been Lee Pellegrini
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Amy Griffin
three years, Weston-Murphy, cofounder of Al-Noor: The Boston College Undergraduate Journal of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, has been an employee for the Archdiocese of New York,
Elizabeth Wall Frankfort, Ill. DESTINATION: Bulgaria/Romania PROJECT: Study Bulgaria and Romania’s involvement in the Southeast European Law Enforcement Center to analyze why their cooperation has been effective in the fight against drug trafficking but declined in anti-human trafficking efforts. FUTURE PLANS: Work in international law enforcement; pursue graduate and doctoral studies in European integration, institutions and politics with goal of employment in academia. TAPIF WINNERS Kimberly Crowley Copley, Ohio FUTURE PLANS: Earn a doctorate in education policy or a related field; study the political, legal, bureaucratic, economic and social factors affecting the US education system; hopes to work in the Department of Education or as a researcher at an education think-tank. QUOTE: “This project is a once-ina-lifetime opportunity – a chance to really chase a few of my major passions. I have been studying the French language and culture since I was 12 years old, and I have wanted to work with children for almost as long. This grant will allow me to finally live within and truly experience a culture that I have admired for almost half my life, while working in a field that profoundly inspires me.” Alyssa Ellard Brewster, Mass. FUTURE PLANS: Graduate school to study language and linguistics. QUOTE: “I am looking forward to this opportunity to live and teach in France as a means of furthering my classroom study here at Boston College both as a student of the French language and of linguistics. Through this experience, I hope to learn more about French education and the challenges facing French students as well as French culture in general. During my time in France, I hope to incorporate my own passion for learning, which has been so inspired by my time at BC and the amazing professors I have encountered, into my role as a teacher and to continue to learn from my students and from this immersion experience.”
managing a campaign to support the restoration of St. Patrick’s Cathedral. •Benjamin Gilman Scholarships for summer study were awarded to Sothavy Doeur ’15 (in Cambodia) and Saron Tekie ’15 (Ireland); Carson Truesdell ’17 (Italy) was named an alternate. •Matthew F. Evans ’15, whose research interests focus on the cell biology of neuron growth, was awarded a Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship, considered the premier undergraduate fellowship in the sciences. [See Chronicle story at http://bit.ly/ QQYkrS]