Boston College Chronicle by Boston College

The Boston College

Chronicle Published by the Boston College Office of News & Public Affairs may 26, 2016 VOL. 23 no. 18

Embrace Change, ‘the Only Constant,’ Moniz Tells Graduates By Sean Smith Chronicle Editor

US Secretary of Energy Ernest J. Moniz ’66 told the Class of 2016 at Monday’s Commencement Exercises to be prepared for momentous changes, on both a personal and a global scale, in the coming years – much like what he himself experienced in the half-century following his own graduation from Boston College. But rather than fear the future, Moniz said the graduates, empowered by the intellectual and spiritual formation they experienced at Boston College, should embrace and make the best of change in ways that will have the best possible effect on society, especially the poorest and most vulnerable. “Whether you make that differ-

INSIDE •COMMENCEMENT COVERAGE pages 1, 6-8

3 •Psychology’s Christian-

son named first Gianinno Family Asst. Prof. •Diversity and Inclusion Summit is June 1

4 •Veterans Affinity Group •New recreational facilities for St. Columbkille to head up Coun5 •Burns seling Services wins Dr. 9 •Gabelus Donald Brown Award •Rappaport Ctr. announces fellowships •Corcoran, Sherman earn Embracing the Legacy honors 25-year em10 •Retiring, ployees recognized

ence at the individual, community, national or world level, you will decide,” he said. “You’ll have opportunities placed in front of you. Communities of faith have historically played a critical role in these areas. Boston College has given you tools. Use them or lose them – and use them to good end, because you will write history.” Also presented with honorary degrees Monday were: St. Boniface Haiti Foundation founding president emeritus Nannette Canniff; Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. Managing Director John (Jack) Joyce ’61, MBA’70, chairman of the Boston College Club; María Eugenia (Gena) McGowan, principal of St. Matthew Catholic School in Phoenix, Ariz.; and Father Emmanuel Mwerekande MA’06, pastor of Our Lady of Fatima parish in

US Energy Secretary Ernest J. Moniz ’66 addressing the graduates at Monday’s Commencement Exercises. (Photo by Gary Gilbert)

Uganda. [See page 7] Some 4,000 BC students received their undergraduate and graduate degrees following the main Commencement event at Alumni Stadium, fanning out to separate ceremonies held around campus.

Wortham Is Choice to Lead the Lynch School By Jack Dunn Director of News & Public Affairs

Boston College has named Stanton Wortham, the Judy & Howard Berkowitz Professor and former associate dean for academic affairs at the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education, as the inaugural Charles F. Donovan, SJ, Dean of the Carolyn A. and Peter S. Lynch School of Education. He will begin at Boston College in July and succeed Maureen Kenny, who will return to the faculty after five years of service as dean. Wortham, a noted scholar whose research interests include classroom discourse and the linguistic anthropology of education, is also a respected expert in online education who serves as faculty director of the Penn Online Learning Initiative. During his 18 years as a teacher and administrator at Penn, Wortham won multiple awards for teaching excellence — including the University of Pennsylvania Lindback Foundation Award for Distin-

Stanton Wortham

guished Teaching — and served as both acting and interim dean of the Graduate School of Education. The author or editor of nine books and more than 80 articles and chapters, he has written widely on immigration and the social identification of children in schools, among other topics. His work has included action research and service learning, ethnography in schools and their surrounding towns, and discourse analysis. Continued on page 5

QUOTE:

Associate Professor of History Charles Gallagher, SJ, offered the invocation, and Rev. Peter J. Uglietto, vicar general and moderator of the curia for the Archdiocese of Boston, delivered the benediction. University President William P.

Leahy, SJ, in his welcoming remarks, asked the family and friends of those receiving degrees to stand and be recognized as “special people whose support, encouragement, and guidance made such a difference to our graduates.” Fr. Leahy touched on some of the milestones that were part of the Class of 2016’s time at BC: the construction and opening of Stokes Hall – “a building which reaffirms BC’s commitment to the humanities” – the record snowfall of the winter of 2015, and the terrorist bombings at the 2013 Boston Marathon. The Boston College community is “part of a world that is certainly more complicated and as, or perhaps more, challenging, than any that Boston College graduates have Continued on page 8

Fulbrights: World of Opportunity Nine members of the Boston College Class of 2016 and five recent BC alumni (one of whom received a graduate degree Monday) are headed overseas for a year of scholarly activity supported by prestigious Fulbright grants. Fulbright awards support a year’s post-baccalaureate study abroad, and students typically pursue research in various disciplines, or serve an English Teaching Assistantship, through which they not only teach English language but also use the opportunity to provide insights about American culture. The ports of call for the 14 Boston College Fulbrights will be Germany, South Africa, Greece, Belgium, India, Malaysia, Cyprus, Spain, Bulgaria and the Philippines. In addition, one graduating senior who received a Fulbright declined the award; another was named an alternate for a Fulbright award but is pursuing other postgraduate plans. A look at the 2016 Fulbright winners:

Ricardo Alberto HOMETOWN: San Francisco DESTINATION: India PROJECT: English Teaching Assistantship; plans to engage youths in the community through the formation of a basketball club, to promote health and wellness as an essential part of leading a happy and healthy life. FUTURE PLANS: Law school, in preparation for a career in the field of immigration law. •“Before embarking on my undergraduate studies, I had rarely ever traveled outside of my home state of California, let alone outside of the United States. Boston College provided tremendous opportunities for me to gain international experience to support my development as a global citizen. With the aid of resources on campus in funding study-abroad experiences, service and immersion programs, research endeavors and conference trips, I can proudly say that I will graduate from BC having visited 12 different countries. This Fulbright grant serves as the culmination of my four years here; the skills I’ve acquired in global awareness, cross-cultural collaboration and quick adaptability to new environments will prove incredibly valuable as I endeavor to serve as an English Teaching As-

Continued on page 12

“Veterans add a lot to our University. Although missions differ between a university and a branch of the armed services, veterans are accustomed to serving a mission and a cause that is greater than themselves and in that regard they can and do contribute in meaningful and important ways to an institution like Boston College.” –Executive Vice President and US Army veteran Michael Lochhead, page 4

T he B oston C ollege

Chronicle may 26, 2016

A ROUND

C AMPUS CAMPUS SCHOOL SPIRIT

A LEAGUE AHEAD The Freshmen League of Boston College, an all-male, peer-led mentoring program, has experienced tremendous popularity in its first five years, according to administrators, drawing some 1,230 participants since it was established in 2011. Administered through the Center for Student Formation, the Freshmen League is intended to help male undergraduates “grow into their authentic selves” and avoid restrictive stereotypes associated with the “college man,” according to program leaders. The program provides first-year men with positive role models and offers service trips, retreats, special events and other formational opportunities for male students. The Freshmen League consists of 36 “teams” of 10 students each, with each team composed of two upperclassmen, male mentors and eight first-year men. Each team of 10 attends an overnight retreat at the beginning of the second semester, meets weekly as a group to do a reflection in the spirit of the Ignatian Examen, and is provided a modest programming budget to do activities in the city of Boston to

facilitate bonding. One recent Freshmen League event was a panel discussion, “How to Be a Man of Intellect, Character and Faith,” with Theology Professor Fr. Michael Himes, Lonergan Institute Associate Director Kerry Cronin – a fellow at the Center for Student Formation– and US Navy Lt. Dave Dauphinais ’05. “The Freshmen League has become a popular program largely because of the exceptional junior and senior men who have chosen to serve as captains,” says Center for Student Formation Director Michael Sacco, who notes that about 35 percent of all first-year males apply for the program. “As student leaders, the captains have built a culture of authenticity, mentorship, and reflection. The captains’ desire to share their wisdom with first-year men, and the hunger among the freshmen to make meaningful connections, has helped the Freshmen League grow over the last five years into a robust and meaningful community.” For more information, see www. bc.edu/freshmenleague. –Sean Smith

Facilities Services recently announced changes affecting United States Postal Service and Boston College mail operations for the summer. The USPS mail office in McElroy Commons, which closed last Friday, will re-open on Aug. 15. Also, the BC mail facility in McElroy closed last Friday for construction and will not re-open until an as-yet unannounced date in July. In the interim, all faculty and student mail and packages will be distributed from the Voute Hall package center. The Edmond’s Hall mail center is now closed permanently in advance of the building’s demolition later this year. All mail services located at Edmond’s will move to Voute Hall until the new Walsh Hall facility opens in mid-July. Newton Campus mail centers will operate on a regular schedule. –Office of News & Public Affairs 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 Siobhan Sullivan Photographers Gary Gilbert Lee Pellegrini

The Boston College

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

some new ones. Combining those funds with some raised last year, they were able to present the largest check ever to the Campus School,” said Morin. Among other fundraising events, the 20th annual Campus School Golf Classic was held earlier this month, co-hosted by the volunteers, Fulton, Senior Advi-

lives profoundly,” said Robyn Dollar, whose eight-year-old son Jack is “buddies” with CSVBC co-president John Tringl ’16. “[It] is a magical place where each child is treated as a person first; their diagnoses and medical needs fade to the background. What you see instead is joy and hope, fun, learning and life. The

Photo courtesy of Campus School

US Navy Lt. Dave Dauphinais ’05, center, joined Theology Professor Fr. Michael Himes and Lonergan Institute Associate Director Kerry Cronin at a recent Freshmen League event.

The dedicated Campus School Volunteers of Boston College give their time and talents to the school’s pupils during the academic year, and recently capped their 2015-16 service with an impressive fundraising achievement: the presentation of a check for the unprecedented amount of $200,000. In front of an audience of students and staff, the six student members of the CSVBC executive board presented the check on May 16 to Principal Donald Ricciato, Lynch School of Education Dean Maureen Kenny and Associate Dean Mary Ellen Fulton, and University Advancement Associate Vice President Brenda Ricard. “The commitment and investment of time of the Campus School Volunteers in supporting the work of the Campus School is extraordinary,” said Ricciato. “Their work with our students and the staff is what makes the Campus School a truly special community. The recent check presentation provides the financial resources to the program that enhances our ability to make a difference in the lives of our students. I cannot express enough appreciation to our volunteers.” CSVBC works to promote the Campus School – a special education day school for students ages 3-21 with complex learning and health care needs – within the Boston College and Boston community, and share its vision of, and commitment to, “realizing the potential in all students.” Campus School Marketing/ Outreach Coordinator Kristen B. Morin ’86 noted that the volunteers worked tirelessly throughout the year to come up with ways to replace funds previously raised through the Boston Marathon. In the past, CSVBC members raised about $75,000 annually for the Campus School by participating in the Marathon as unregistered runners, but this practice was discontinued following the 2013 bombings. “We worked together to reengineer some events and add

“If you asked me who Jack’s best friend is, I’d say it’s Johnny — his Boston College undergrad buddy who’s been a huge part of Jack’s life for the past four years,” says Campus School parent Robyn Dollar of her son Jack, shown above with his “buddy” John Tringl ’16.

sor to the President Leo Sullivan, Vice President for Information Technology Michael Bourque, Auxiliary Services Executive Director Linda Riley and McIntyre Professor of Economics Joseph Quinn. At that event, the mother of a young pupil diagnosed with Down syndrome shortly after birth had high praise for the school and its mission: “The Campus School has changed our

Campus School opened our eyes to Jack’s real potential and helped us set practical and measurable goals. “His accomplishments are celebrated by the entire Campus School community. He has friends. If you asked me who Jack’s best friend is, I’d say it’s Johnny — his Boston College undergrad buddy who’s been a huge part of Jack’s life for the past four years.” –Rosanne Pellegrini

BC AMONG TOPS IN HISTORY Boston College is ranked fifth among the top US colleges for a major in history, according to a report by college selection portal College Factual. The rankings, published recently in USA Today College, described BC as “a prestigious university, known for its selectivity and demanding curriculum. Faculty members ensure students have the skills to think critically, while writing concisely and persuasively.” College Factual noted the University’s undergraduate program includes classes in Western history, European history, Latin American history and other specialized topics “to help students see the connection between the past and present so as to understand how cultures and traditions have been shaped.” The top four schools were Yale, Princeton, Harvard and Penn; others in the report included Columbia (6), North Carolina-Chapel Hill (7), UCLA (8), Cornell (9), Dartmouth (14), Stanford (16), Notre Dame (19) and Chicago (20). Read the USA Today College story (which includes links to the College Factual rankings) at http://usat.ly/1TW2tH7. –Office of News & Public Affairs 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.

A flipbook edition of Chronicle is available via e-mail. Send requests to chronicle@bc.edu.

T he B oston C ollege

Chronicle may 26, 2016

By Sean Smith Chronicle Editor

Assistant Professor of Psychology John Christianson has been named the inaugural Gianinno Family Sesquicentennial Assistant Professor, as part of a continuing Boston College initiative to support promising earlycareer faculty members. Christianson, who joined the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences faculty in 2013, researches the neural mechanisms that allow mammals to distinguish between dangerous and safe environments, as well as the neural basis of stress resilience and emotion regulation. His work could have possible application in interventions for psychiatric conditions including post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety. He also has been part of the University’s strategic planning process in the integrated sciences. Recently, he has been involved in an interdisciplinary collaboration on a device platform for next-generation brain stimulation and monitoring with Ferris Professor and Physics Chairman Michael Naughton and Vice Provost for Research and DeLuca Professor of Biology Thomas Chiles. Funding for the Sesquicentennial assistant professorships comes from the recently completed Boston College Light the World campaign’s Sesquicentennial Challenge, which is designed to provide financial support for the research and scholarship of junior faculty. Additional Sesquicentennial Challenge faculty include Coughlin Family Assistant Professor Hristina Nikolova (Carroll School of Management), Buehler Family Assistant Professor David Miele (Lynch School of Education) and White Family Assistant Professor Jennifer Erickson (Political Science) of the Morrissey College. “I am sincerely grateful for this recognition and humbled to be associated with the other Sesquicentennial Assistant Professors at BC, who are themselves quite remarkable scholars,” said Christianson. “It is a privilege to work in this community and the recognition reinforces and renews my commitment to service and scholarship at BC. “The award comes at a critical time in my career development. Because our research utilizes a large array of technologies which each require significant time and energy to validate and use toward new research endeavors, the payoff for setting up the lab can feel like a long time coming. We are positioned to push our research in some very exciting directions. I hope that my record in teaching, service and scholarship at BC will bring honor to the Gianinno family.” The Gianinno Family Sesquicentennial Assistant Professorship – which supports an assistant pro-

Lee Pellegrini

Christianson Is First Gianinno Professor

John Christianson

fessor associated with research that spans the physical and behavioral sciences – was made possible by University Trustee Susan McManama Gianinno ’70, P’93, and Dr. Lawrence “Larry” Gianinno ’70, P’93. Susan Gianinno – whose father, John McManama ’37, worked as a physician at BC for more than 40 years – has aided her alma mater in numerous capacities over the past 25 years. She has chaired the Board of Trustees’ Committee on Academic Affairs, participated in key administration hires, and been a strong advocate for women on campus, serving as co-chair on the task force on women and BC, a precursor of BC Connections and the Council for Women of Boston College. “Working with BC as a trustee, and in other ways, has enabled me to develop a deeper insight into the University’s priorities and objectives,” she said. “One of the most important things I’ve come to appreciate is the value of investing in junior faculty. Larry and I are pleased that John Christianson is the first Gianinno Family Sesquicentennial Assistant Professor.” Larry Gianinno added, “John’s work not only illuminates a fascinating aspect of mammal behavior, but may help in combatting some of the most common and troubling mental health problems in our society.” Morrissey College Dean Gregory Kalscheur, SJ, said, “I’m delighted that John has been appointed as the inaugural Gianinno Family Sesquicentennial Assistant Professor. His interdisciplinary study of the biological basis of human behaviors, his collaboration with colleagues in Physics and Biology, and his important contributions to the University’s ongoing integrated sciences initiative planning process, make him an ideal selection as the inaugural holder of this professorship.” Christianson’s current work, supported by the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation and National Institute of Mental Health, focuses on the insular cortex, which receives sensory information of every mode and is vital for memory. He and his team hypothesize that the cortex’s properties would allow for the in-

tegration of expectation with actual outcomes, a process critical to many kinds of human behavior – and with troubling consequences if it fails. “For example, individuals who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder experience high levels of fear and danger expectation, even when clear cues for safety abound – like familiar friends or bright, safe rooms,” he explained. “In other words, individuals with PTSD are not making use of safety cues to predict outcomes in their environment and the result is an inappropriate state of fear.” In experiments where rats were given a stressful treatment mirroring PTSD symptoms, Christianson and his colleagues found that rendering the insular cortex inactive inhibited the brain’s “safety signals” from mitigating stress. “Our research now entails a more general study of the insular cortex in emotion regulation and recognition and we expect future work to inform the diagnosis and treatment of not only PTSD, but also social affective disorders such as autism spectrum disorders and schizophrenia where these individuals fail to read or react appropriately to the emotional cues of other people. These conditions need better treatments; we hope these will be the fruits of our study.” Christianson said he was attracted to BC because of the impressive research and scholarship in neuroscience, and the strong presence of junior faculty in Psychology. Participating in the planning committee for integrated sciences, he said, has broadened his understanding of the University’s mission and ambitions. “I believe the work of our committee will put BC on the international map as a cornerstone for impactful, life-improving science that will reach our students through curriculum, and our communities through discoveries, outreach and new applied technologies. I look forward to the hard work ahead which will be required to see our vision through to fruition.” A native of Vernon, Conn., Christianson came to BC after serving as a research associate at the University of Colorado for seven years. He also taught for three years at the University of New Hampshire, where he earned master’s and doctoral degrees; he holds a bachelor’s degree from Susquehanna University. In 2013, he was named a NARSAD (National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia, Anxiety & Depression) Young Investigator by the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation. At Boston College, Christianson has taught Molecular Basis of Learning and Memory, Behavioral Neuroscience and Neurophysiology. Contact Sean Smith at sean.smith@bc.edu

Assistant Professor of Psychology Alexa Veenema held a Bring-YourParents-to-the-Lab Day last Saturday, at which students – including Christina Reppucci ’16 (top) and Max Tulimieri ’18 (above) – demonstrated behavioral neuroscience techniques carried out in her lab. Veenema also talked about the goals and impact of the research she and the students focus on. (Photos by Frank Curran)

Diversity and Inclusion Summit Is Set for June 1 Boston College will hold its inaugural Diversity and Inclusion Summit on June 1. The Summit, titled “Building and Leveraging Partnerships Across Campus” and sponsored by the University’s Office for Institutional Diversity (OID), will focus on how BC contributes to the social justice mission of the Society of Jesus through its efforts to create a diverse and inclusive community. Organizers say the event has received an overwhelming response to registration. Open to Boston College faculty and staff, the Summit – which runs from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. in Gasson Hall – will include exciting and innovative programs, initiatives, exhibits and relevant research related to diversity and inclusion, with the goal of providing a vibrant and continual learning experience for all BC employees. A highlight will be a panel discussion on best practices in the area of diversity and inclusion with nationally recognized experts from BC, including Janet Helms from the Lynch School of Education’s Institute for the Study and Promotion of Race and Culture; Brad Harrington, executive director of the Center for Work and Family; Assistant Professor of Sociology Gustavo Morello, SJ; and Lynch School Associate Professor Richard Jackson. Associate Vice President for Alumni Relations Joy Moore will

moderate. Damon A. Williams, senior vice president and chief educational and youth development officer at The Boys and Girls Clubs of America, will present the keynote address, “Strategic Diversity Leadership: Activating Change and Transformation in Higher Education. A former vice provost, chief diversity officer and faculty member at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Williams joined Boys and Girls Clubs of America in 2013. He currently leads national program strategy for BGCA’s strategic outcome areas with a focus on strengthening the club experience at more than 4,000 locations that serve some four million young people annually. His 16 years of experience in youth development, organizational design and strategic planning include research contributions and the co-authored book, The Chief Diversity Officer: Strategy, Structure, and Change Management. In addition to giving the keynote address, Williams will participate in two concurrent educational sessions to be held in the afternoon, with a meet-and-greet and book signing at the closing reception. For full Summit details and registration for concurrent sessions go to www.bc.edu/offices/ diversity. Participants are invited to attend all or part of Summit. –Office of News & Public Affairs

T he B oston C ollege

Chronicle may 26, 2016

Serving Those Who Served

Affinity group aiding University’s outreach to veterans on campus ness among members of the campus community who have little or no experience with military life. “There are many things related to veterans happening on campus, but there is no central point to bring those all together,” he said. “Our emphasis is to be a resource for people who don’t know how to talk about these issues.” Erin Flaherty earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the Connell School, then served three years active duty as a nurse practitioner in the US Air Force, rising to the rank of captain while stationed at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Fla. She returned to BC as a doctoral student in the Connell School and is a resident assistant.

St. Columbkille students gave their playground equipment a try-out at the recent unveiling of the school’s new recreation center. (Photo by Lee Pellegrini)

Partnership School Gets New Play/Recreational Facilities By Ed Hayward Staff Writer

The St. Columbkille Partnership School dedicated a new, $1.2 million outdoor recreation facility yesterday, marking another step in a decade-long University partnership that has helped revitalize the last Catholic elementary school in Brighton. With a $1 million donation from the Yawkey Foundation and contributions from alumni and other donors, the pre-K through 8 school replaced a parking lot with a year-round playing field, running track, basketball court, space for gardening and landscaped areas. The outdoor complex is part of a $3.6 million capital initiative to expand and upgrade the 115-yearold school’s campus at the corner of Arlington and Market streets, said BC’s Peter McLaughlin, chairman of the school’s board of trustees. “With the generous support of the Yawkey Foundation, we have completed the second phase this year by transforming our parking lot into an outdoor recreation center which includes a turf field and sports court,” said McLaughlin. “St. Columbkille continues on an upward trajectory as manifested by the improvements in our physical plant,” McLaughlin added. “This outdoor recreation center will enable us to help our students live a lifestyle that emphasizes the importance of physical activity, wellness and healthy development.” The facility was dedicated in memory of the late Sister Michaeline Twomey (1915-95), a member of the Brighton-based Congregation of the Sisters of Saint Joseph, which has a long-standing relationship with the school. Sister Twomey “modeled the true joy that love of God and learning bring to our lives,” reads a plaque placed near the playing field. University President William P. Leahy, SJ, blessed the new play space during the ceremony, which was also attended by Fr. Richard

Fitzgerald of St. Columbkille Parish, officials of the Yawkey Foundation and the Archdiocese of Boston, and teachers, students and parents from the school community. Head of School William Gartside said the new recreation center will expand opportunities for educational and enrichment programs for a student body drawn predominantly from the neighborhood. “For 115 years, St. Columbkille’s kids have played on blacktop,” said Gartside. “Thanks to the Yawkey Foundation, donors and Boston College, they now have a beautiful play space.” In a statement, the Yawkey Foundation said it seeks to continue “the legacy of Tom and Jean Yawkey by making significant and positive impacts on the quality of life of children, families and the underserved. St. Columbkille Partnership School’s mission is consistent with these goals. The beautiful outdoor recreation center will serve the children of Brighton for many years to come.” Since the partnership launched in 2006, the University has funded capital and technology improvements at the school, provided programs and services, offered graduate courses for teachers and provided hundreds of faculty, student and staff volunteers. Gartside said the new recreation center will help fulfill the school’s educational mission. “We value the development of the whole child,” he said. “Up to this point, we’ve done the job with academic and spiritual life, but never had the facility to give highquality physical education, which is important for fitness as well as social development. “On these fields and courts, students learn how to play and compete and challenge themselves to be the best they can be while respecting others who are around them. Without this field, it is difficult to accomplish that. These students who work so hard, deserve a place where they can play hard as well.”

The University has established a Veterans Affinity Group to improve outreach and services to students and employees at the University who have served their country. There are a total of 84 students, including 18 undergraduates, who self-identify as veterans, according to the Office of Student Services. In addition, approximately 80 employees self-identify as veterans, according to the University’s Human Resources division. The initiative has taken shape under the guidance of a steering committee made up of representatives from departments across the University, including Executive Vice President Michael Lochhead, a US Army veteran. Administrators say there are students and employees who have opted not to report their veteran status. The group wants to encourage additional veterans to make the University aware of their status and help to identify services and programs they may need. “We want it to be a group that supports veterans as part of the BC community,” said Lochhead, who served in the Army before enrolling as a full-time undergraduate at BC and earning his bachelor’s degree in 1993. “Veterans add a lot to our University. Although missions differ between a university and a branch of the armed services, veterans are accustomed to serving a mission and a cause that is greater than themselves and in that regard they can and do contribute in meaningful and important ways to an institution like Boston College.” The University has an active veterans’ alumni network, Division of Human Resources recruitment initiatives, and the College Warrior Athlete Initiative, a research program of the Connell School of Nursing. The Veterans Affinity Group has hosted speakers and conducted outreach to prospective veteran employees. The group hopes to build on those efforts, serving as a clearing house of information and a sounding board for veterans themselves, said steering committee chair Michael Lorenz, an associate director in Residential Life and a US Air Force veteran who served tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. Lorenz said the group wants to be a resource for staff and faculty, as well as support veterans enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs. Another goal is to draw on the experiences of former service members to raise aware-

group member. Veterans are given the option to self-identify with Human Resources and approximately 80 have done so, but many others have not. “We want the veterans who work here or who may want to work here to know that BC is a veteran-friendly employer,” said Ferres. “Human Resources attends veterans job fairs to recruit and consults with organizations focused on workforce development for veterans. We’re excited to be part of the effort to better serve the needs of veterans who are employees, as well as students and other members of the community who have served our country.” The Carroll Graduate School

Lee Pellegrini

By Ed Hayward Staff Writer

Boston College Veterans Affinity Group members (L-R) Michael Lorenz, Erin Flaherty, Linda Malenfant and R. Darrell Peterson.

The transition to civilian life required some adjustments. “It was a bigger change than I thought it would be,” said Flaherty. “It could be little things, like having to figure out what to wear to work. If I didn’t know the campus so well, it could have been more difficult.” In addition to focusing on issues including education, employment, health and the transition from military to civilian life, Lorenz said he wants the group to encourage a wider conversation on campus about America’s veterans. There are 20.8 million American military veterans, including 2.1 million veterans who served in the global war on terror since 2001, according to US Department of Veterans Affairs data. “When students leave BC, they will meet veterans – whether it’s a friend or family member, a coworker or a neighbor – and hopefully get to know them,” said Lorenz. Part of the effort is to develop a more accurate count of the number of veterans employed at BC, said Judy Ferres, an associate director of the Office for Institutional Diversity, and an affinity

of Management MBA Program enrolls the largest number of veterans, according to the Office of Student Services, which works with veterans and dependents who receive education benefits, such as the GI Bill. All veteran undergraduate students are enrolled in the Woods College of Advancing Studies. Flaherty said she welcomed the creation of the affinity group, adding that even she is unaware of many of her fellow veterans on campus. She said the greater the awareness of the presence of veterans on campus, the more connections can be made. “Some students may be uneasy approaching a veteran because they are unsure of their experience in the military,” said Flaherty. “For me, I had a great experience. But it’s not that easy to spot a veteran and some students may not know how to approach them. I think the best way to start is to simply ask them ‘What was your experience like?’” For more information about the Veterans Affinity Group and other resources for veterans on campus, see http://bit.ly/1qzeVSG. Contact Ed Hayward at ed.hayward@bc.edu

T he B oston C ollege

Chronicle may 26, 2016

New Counseling Services Head Sees a ‘Changing Landscape’ I look forward to building on it.” As director, Burns oversees Boston College’s extensive range of mental health-related services, programs and resources for its student population. More than 1,800 students go to UCS annually for a wide variety of problems and concerns, including anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, response to traumatic events, eating disorders,

Craig Burns has been named director of University Counseling Services (UCS) after serving in the position on an interim basis since last August. A 10-year veteran of University Counseling Services, Burns was UCS associate director when he was appointed in 2015 to succeed Thomas McGuinness, who became associate vice provost after heading UCS for 26 years. “We are very excited that, after a national search, Craig Burns has accepted the position of Director of the University Counseling Services,” said Vice President for Student Affairs Barb Jones. “He is an outstanding clinician with the administrative skills necessary to meet the needs of the Boston College community.” Describing Burns as “conscientious and talented,” McGuinness said, “I am confident that he will be an excellent leader for an important department which faces many challenges. He is well regarded by colleagues both within UCS and across the University. I wish him every success.” “I’m honored by the responsibility and trust that Barb has placed in me to guide UCS, which plays such a crucial role in the life of the campus,” said Burns. “The respect shown UCS by offices and departments across the University is a tribute to the work done by Tom and many others over the years, and

Gary Gilbert

By Sean Smith Chronicle Editor

said he and his colleagues at BC, and throughout higher education, have seen “a changing landscape” in the field of mental health services for college students. “There is a greater demand for these services, due to a combination of factors and trends,” he said. “Nowadays mental health issues – and seeking help for them – carry less of a stigma. At the same

“College is about removing barriers to success, and that includes emotional or mental health issues.” –Craig Burns

family issues, and adjustment difficulties. That number does not include hundreds of other students for whom UCS has provided consultation or outreach. Burns manages a team of 25 staff members, including 10 fulltime and three part-time psychologists, two part-time social workers, three post-doctoral fellows, three part-time psychiatrists, and four full-time administrative assistants. Another full-time psychologist and post-doctoral fellow will join the team later this year. During his decade at BC, Burns

time, there are increased stressors, whether financial, social or cultural, among college students. Social media also is a major part of students’ lives, and they may need assistance dealing with its impact.” Burns said the current collegeage generation presents a set of contradictions that can be challenging for mental health professionals. “There is a vast population of highly resilient and competent young people attending college nowadays,” he explained. “But one noticeable trend in their social development has been an expectation

of closer emotional support, which can be more difficult to find among their peers than in the past. “In an age where everyone is ‘connected’ and seemingly shares most every aspect of their lives, cultivating meaningful, supportive relationships can nonetheless be difficult for college students. Additionally, students feel great pressure to appear competent and in control. So it’s more imperative than ever for colleges to ensure that students don’t become isolated.” That’s why, in addition to providing one-on-one counseling and psychotherapy to students, Burns and his colleagues see their mission as strengthening BC’s institutional commitment to personal and community development. Among other key partners, UCS collaborates with University Health Services, the offices of Health Promotion, Residential Life, and Dean of Students, the Thea Bowman AHANA Intercultural Center, the Women’s Center, Boston College Police, Athletics, the division of Mission and Ministry, and academic deans and departments. “We’ve always placed an emphasis on interacting with the BC community,” he said. “It’s important to us that we are, and are perceived as, engaging students who might not feel comfortable, perhaps because of cultural background, personal identity or socioeconomic status. College is about removing barriers to success, and that includes emotional or mental health issues.” “One of Craig’s strengths is his

ability to form strong partnerships with faculty, staff, and students on campus,” said Associate Vice President of Student Affairs Katherine O’Dair. “In his role as director, he will work closely with campus colleagues to continue to strengthen our overall approach to student mental health care. I look forward to working with Craig and the team of excellent clinicians and staff in UCS.” Burns sees his career path as stemming from a longstanding interest in “how people deal with distress, particularly in relationships” that led him to study psychology in college. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Brown University and master’s and doctoral degrees from The Catholic University of America. After working with UCS on a post-doctoral fellowship from 200304, Burns joined the office in 2006 as a staff psychologist and became a senior staff psychologist in 2011. From 2010-14, he was director of training for UCS. He also has taught in the Lynch School of Education as an adjunct faculty member. “In the course of my undergrad and graduate studies, I found a great niche in the community of higher education,” he said. “UCS is a community mental health service, for the community of Boston College.” His other professional experience includes working as a staff psychologist at The Brookline Center and a research assistant at Massachusetts General Hospital. Since 2005, Burns has maintained a private practice as a psychologist.

Wortham Is Appointed as Lynch School of Education Dean Continued from page 1 Wortham is also executive producer of the award-winning documentary film “Adelante,” which portrays the mutually beneficial relationship between Mexican immigrants and Irish-American parishioners in revitalizing a parish in suburban Philadelphia. He is completing a book on the town’s transformation that has resulted from an influx of close to 10,000 Mexican immigrants during the past two decades. Provost and Dean of Faculties David Quigley praised Wortham as the unanimous choice of the search committee and an individual uniquely qualified to advance the Lynch School of Education at this time. “The search committee was impressed by Stanton Wortham’s range of experience within the Graduate School of Education and across the University of Pennsylvania, and we were inspired by his vision for the Lynch School of Education,” said Quigley. “I expect Stanton to provide strong leader-

ship for the Lynch School through a challenging time for schools of education, and his commitment to imaginative collaborations with faculty colleagues and school-based partners will serve us well. We look forward to welcoming Stanton to Boston College later this summer.” Added Daniel E. Kearns Professor Mary Walsh, who served on the search committee, “We are delighted to welcome Dr. Wortham as dean. His commitment to the common good and his work at the intersection of research and practice make him an excellent fit for the Lynch School. He comes to us with a deep set of experiences as both a faculty member and administrator at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education. His scholarly work draws from a wide range of fields and disciplines in the social sciences including psychology, education, history, sociology, anthropology and even business/ management. He is deeply engaged in thinking about the intellectual basis of educational and clinical

practice. We are happy to have him as our colleague and academic leader.” Wortham said he was honored to become the first Donovan Dean at the Lynch School and welcomes the opportunity to work with the school’s distinguished faculty. “I’m excited to be joining the Lynch School and Boston College,” said Wortham. “Both the school and the University have significant momentum that is recognized nationally, and I am impressed by the quality of the people, the strength of the community, and the remarkable work of the faculty. “Through research and service, the Lynch School and BC have been building a compelling vision of education and human development – one in which educators focus on developing the whole person, including ethical and relational dimensions as well as knowledge and skills. We have an opportunity to lead the field by further articulating this vision, exploring what it means to help young people become fuller human beings,

and we will put the vision into practice by implementing it in our own work and through our students.” A native of West Roxbury who studied at the Roxbury Latin School, Wortham had an early experience with Boston College that left a favorable impression. With Spanish courses unavailable at his high school, he studied Spanish at Boston College at night for three years to learn a language that today figures prominently in his research and community service. He received a BA in psychology from Swarthmore College, and an MA and PhD in human development from the University of Chicago. He began his academic career as an assistant professor of education at Bates College in 1993, before joining the faculty of the University of Pennsylvania in 1998. He was named full professor in 2004 and given an endowed chair in 2006. An advocate for interdisciplinary studies, he has chaired the Educational Leadership and the Education, Culture and Society divisions within

the Graduate School of Education and has served as associated faculty in Penn’s Annenberg School for Communication and in the Anthropology and Folklore Graduate Groups in the Penn School of Arts & Sciences. He is currently a member of the editorial boards for American Anthropologist; Anthropology & Education Quarterly; Discourse, Context & Media; Linguistics & Education; Pedagogies; Qualitative Psychology; and Theory & Psychology. “The deanship at the Lynch School gives me an opportunity to take on a new challenge, to come back to Boston where I grew up, and to join a university on a strong upward trajectory,” said Wortham. “I am eager to work with my new colleagues on articulating and putting into practice our distinctive vision of education, one that involves enhancing the human condition, expanding the imagination and making the world more just. I look forward to beginning in July.” Contact Jack Dunn at jack.dunn@bc.edu

T he B oston C ollege

Chronicle may 26, 2016

By Kathleen Sullivan Staff Writer

Marissa Marandola – a member of the Gabelli Presidential Scholars Program who has distinguished herself through her stellar academic achievement and commitment to public service – received the Rev. Edward H. Finnegan, SJ, Award at the University’s 140th Commencement Exercises on Monday. The award is presented to the graduating senior who best exemplifies the spirit of the University’s motto “Ever to Excel.” A member of the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences Honors Program, Marandola was a political science major with minors in American studies and management and leadership. She earned Phi Beta Kappa and Alpha Sigma Nu honors and was chosen to be the chief marshal of the Order of the Cross and Crown. Marandola was an Undergraduate Research Fellow and recipient of an Advanced Study Grant, for which she produced a 70-page independent case study of the establishment clause case Ahlquist v. Cranston. Her work was ultimately published in the USC Journal of Law and Society. “Marissa is distinguished by a rare combination of intelligence, intellectual passion, dedication, poise, and good humor,” wrote Assistant Professor of Political Science David Hopkins in support of Marandola’s nomination. Marandola served as the editor-inchief of Elements, the University’s undergraduate research journal, and on the executive board of BC Splash. At the Connors Family Learning Center, she tutored other BC students. Last year, she was awarded a Harry S. Truman Scholarship, which recognizes outstanding undergraduates committed to public service. Marandola, who is from Cranston, RI,

plans to attend Harvard Law School, followed by a career in government and public service involving educational issues. Also nominated for the Finnegan Award were: Patricia Garibaldi, of Pleasantville, NY, an applied psychology and human development major with minors in management and leadership, theology, and psychology. A member of the Lynch School of Education Honors Program, she was inducted into the Alpha Sigma Nu Honor Society as a junior. Since last spring she had worked as a research assistant in the Harvard Lab for Youth Mental Health, immersing herself in all aspects of research related to issues such as anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress. As a volunteer coordinator for the African Community Economic Development of New England, she selected and trained 15 BC students as volunteer tutors in the afterschool program for young refugees, in addition to serving as a tutor herself. She also was as a peer advisor for LSOE’s freshman seminar and a volunteer for two years at the Edison K-8 School in Brighton. Lynch School Assistant Dean of Undergraduates Audrey Friedman called Garibaldi “one of the rare students who demonstrate genuine grit, discerned focus, and immense resilience.” Halted by the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings when she was a half-mile from the finish line, Garibaldi completed two subsequent marathons in Chicago and Boston, raising thousands of dollars for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and the Melanoma Foundation of New England. Garibaldi will serve in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, working as a case manager for families from low-income neighborhoods in San Diego. Rebecca (Reba) Hatcher, a Car-

Christopher Huang

Finnegan Award Candidates Exemplify BC’s ‘Ever to Excel’ Motto

This year’s Finnegan Award candidates: L-R, Patricia Garibaldi, Rebecca Hatcher, winner Marissa Marandola and Laura Mata Lopez.

roll School of Management double major in accounting and sociology, demonstrated leadership skills in her role as head coordinator of the Student Admission Program, a vital initiative that supplies campus tour guides and student panelists for the Office of Undergraduate Admission. After volunteering as a tour guide and panelist, Hatcher became coordinator of the tours program where she was responsible for interviewing and selecting new tour guides who would showcase the campus to more than 50,000 prospective students and their families. This past year, Hatcher served as head coordinator for the entire program, managing 13 coordinators who organized the efforts of nearly 700 volunteers. Hatcher also was president of Women in Business, an organization with which she was involved all of her four years at BC. WIB is dedicated to the empowerment and education of female undergraduates. “She has spent her four years here working hard in and out of class to arrive at where she is now — president of Women in Business, the most active club in the Carroll School, and

head of the Student Admission Program,” wrote CSOM Assistant Dean Erica Graf in the letter nominating Hatcher. “Both commitments require a great deal of attention, leadership, and time management which Reba handles with ease. She is highly respected by her peers and is to be admired for her strong, effective leadership that she exhibits with humility and grace.” In addition, Hatcher was a 4Boston volunteer at Franciscan Children’s Hospital and a teaching assistant in CSOM’s Portico program, and staffed the 48 Hours and Kairos retreats. The New York City native will be a business consultant staffer with Ernst & Young beginning this summer. For the last year, the Connell School of Nursing’s Laura Mata Lopez has served as president of the Massachusetts Student Nurses Association, representing a group of more than 1,000 student nurses. For the MaSNA, she has spearheaded community service projects and organized a career fair attended by more than 100 nursing students.

HAT TRICK Some members of the Class of 2016 festooned their mortarboards with special messages for family members and friends and other sentiments for Commencement.

Photos by Sean Smith and Lee Pellegrini

This Dean’s List student was inducted into the BC chapter of Sigma Theta Tau, the international honor society for nursing. She was presented with CSON’s Keys to Inclusive Leadership in Nursing Program Inclusivity Award for promoting community cohesion while respecting individuals, and for demonstrating a sincere interest in learning and caring about others. The Costa Rican native’s fluency in conversational and medical Spanish has proven to be a valuable asset in her volunteer placements and research positions. As a volunteer and intern at Rosie’s Place, a women’s shelter in Boston, Mata worked with lawyers and social workers supporting guests dealing with issues such as housing, legal aid and immigration. She also provided tutoring in English to Boston-area community members through BC’s Neighborhood Center. As an Undergraduate Research Fellow, she translated research materials pertaining to binge eating into Spanish. She spent a semester studying public health and liberal arts at the La Universidad San Francisco de Quito in Ecuador where she completed a population health nursing clinical placement in a local emergency room. Earlier this year, she participated in CSON’s service immersion trip to Nicaragua, working at health centers and conducting research on perceptions of mental illness in Nicaragua. In her nomination letter for Mata, CSON Undergraduate Associate Dean Sean Clarke wrote that “from her humble beginnings as an immigrant speaking no English,” Mata tirelessly worked to “become an outstanding scholar... selflessly using her talents in service to others.” Contact Kathleen Sullivan at kathleen.sullivan@bc.edu

T he B oston C ollege

Chronicle may 26, 2016

María Eugenia Pares-Reyna de McGowan

Ernest J. Moniz

Nannette Marie Canniff

Citations for this year’s honorary degree recipients

Back, L-R: Rev. Peter J. Uglietto, Archdiocese of Boston; John (Jack) Joyce ’61, MBA’70; University President William P. Leahy, SJ; Fr. Emmanuel Mwerekande MA’06; BC Trustees Chairman John Fish. Front, L-R: María Eugenia (Gena) McGowan; Ernest J. Moniz ‘66; Nannette Canniff. (Photo by Gary Gilbert)

John “Jack” Joyce

Jack Joyce has spent a lifetime fulfilling his promise to give back to society and the University that took a chance on him. For this son of Dorchester, higher education was simply not an option when he finished high school, so he joined the Navy, where a surgeon encouraged him to pursue college. He attended Boston College on the G.I. Bill, was elected class president, and won the Finnegan Award. After graduating in 1961 with an economics degree, he attended night school at BC and earned his MBA. Working in the investment world, where he built a reputation for integrity, he became managing director of Deutsche Bank Securities. He also served his alma mater and Church in a variety of ways, including as president of the BC Alumni Association, chairman of Catholic Charities, and co-founder and chairman of the Boston College Club—which has funded 80 University scholarships for students from the City of Boston since its inception. He and his wife Nancy are also co-patrons of the McMullen Museum of Art. In a 2003 interview, the proud father of two daughters said, “I have made a lifelong commitment to give back in any way I can. Whether it is time, talent or treasure, that’s what I really feel I have an obligation to do.” For his service and commitment to the University, the Church, and those less fortunate, Boston College awards Jack Joyce the degree of Doctor of Business Administration, honoris causa.

Fr. Emmanuel Mwerekande

The ministry of Father Emmanuel Mwerekande has been marked by his pastoral care and his efforts to improve the everyday lives of people wherever he has served. As a boy in Uganda, he witnessed priests and missionaries helping others in his poor village, which inspired him to pursue a vocation to the priesthood. He was ordained in 1990 and began parish ministry in his homeland. He came to the United States to earn a master’s degree in pastoral ministry from Boston College in 2006, while also serving at St. Mark’s Parish in Dorchester. Since 2011, he has been pastor of Our Lady of Fatima Parish, which has more than 50,000 members, 41 sub-parishes and 20 Catholic schools serving 17,000 children of all faiths. As a pastor, Father Emmanuel realized that his parishioners’ health problems were often linked to contaminated water. His advocacy and outreach has led to the installation of 32 water tanks and more than 12,000 rain barrels that have provided clean water for the community. He has obtained books and supplies for parish schools and established a much-needed lunch program that serves thousands of meals daily. His visionary leadership led to the creation of an extensive water and irrigation system to support sustainable agriculture, and the construction of a magnificent new church seating more than 1,000 people. For his faithful ministry, commitment to the Church, and service to others, Boston College presents Father Emmanuel Mwerekande the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa.

Gary Gilbert

Modest beginnings in parish fundraising in a working-class neighborhood of her native Quincy, Massachusetts, inspired humanitarian Nannette Marie Canniff to improve the lives of Haiti’s poor. More than three decades ago, she accepted an invitation to hand-deliver proceeds from a local Walk for Hunger event to a Haitian orphanage. After witnessing the hope and resilience of the people, she pledged her continued support. Fulfilling her promise, this compassionate medical professional and mother of 10 opened her heart and her family home to the people of Haiti. She founded the St. Boniface Haiti Foundation, which now serves 65,000 patients and thousands more community members each year through a school, a health clinic, and a hospital in the remote village of Fond-des-Blancs. A beacon of hope for individuals living in the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, her foundation is a model for health care systems in resource-poor settings around the world, and each winter break it hosts student and faculty volunteers from Boston College Law School. Now retired from her role as president and CEO, she continues to serve as a devoted fundraiser and frequent visitor to Haiti. Fluent in Creole, she feels equally at home in its villages as she does on the South Shore. For her selflessness and unwavering dedication and service to the Haitian people, Boston College awards Nannette Marie Canniff the degree of Doctor of Social Science, honoris causa.

‘honoris causa’

A native of Venezuela and childhood resident of France who came to the United States at the age of 12, María Eugenia “Gena” McGowan has dedicated her life to education and helping immigrants thrive in America. After graduating from the University of San Francisco, she moved to Arizona with her husband and worked in youth counseling, social services and pastoral ministry in Phoenix’s Spanishspeaking community. In 2006, she was appointed principal of St. Matthew Catholic School, which was struggling to remain open with fewer than 90 students. Today, St. Matthew enrolls more than 200 students in grades K-8, and has strengthened the education and services it provides to students and their families—all of whom live at or below the poverty level. Under her innovative leadership, St. Matthew adopted a dual-language immersion curriculum to develop proficiency in both English and Spanish for all students in all subjects. Three years ago, St. Matthew became part of the Two-Way Immersion Network for Catholic Schools offered through the Roche Center for Catholic Education at Boston College. With a new curriculum and additional support, student achievement has increased in math and reading. This mother of two grown children changed the way the school works with parents by offering counseling and classes in English and citizenship. In partnership with Phoenix Children’s Hospital, St. Matthew also offers free pediatric care to all students. For her faith in the power of Catholic education to change lives and her commitment to ministering to immigrant families, Boston College awards María Eugenia McGowan the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa.

Lee Pellegrini

Ernest Moniz left his native Fall River, Massachusetts, in September, 1962 to enroll in the College of Arts and Sciences at Boston College. He left four years later having earned a bachelor’s degree in physics and a Scholar of the College award. He received a doctoral degree in theoretical physics at Stanford University, and then joined the faculty of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He chaired the Department of Physics there and was founding director of the MIT Energy Initiative. He is currently the Cecil and Ida Green Professor of Physics and Engineering Systems Emeritus. The recipient of numerous honorary doctorates, he is also a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Physical Society, and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. In 1999, the Boston College Alumni Association presented him with the Award of Excellence in Science. Following his distinguished academic career, he entered public service as Under Secretary of the United States Department of Energy from 1997 to 2001. Since 2013, he has served as the U.S. Secretary of Energy. Combining his skills in science and diplomacy, he has worked to resolve formidable issues, from the United StatesIran nuclear agreement to climate change and clean energy. He has earned bipartisan respect among many lawmakers by demonstrating what the Washington Post described as “a natural ability to translate complex scientific concepts into digestible terms.” For his work in the advancement of science and dedicated service to our nation and the world, Boston College proudly awards Ernest J. Moniz the degree of Doctor of Science, honoris causa.

Above left and below left: Two happy 2016 graduates savor the moment. Above, the Class of 2016’s “Final Flight” processional from Linden Lane to Alumni Stadium took them through the Gasson Rotunda – retracing the steps from their “First Flight” as freshmen four years ago.

T he B oston C ollege

Chronicle may 26, 2016

Moniz Addresses Grads Continued from page 1 entered since our founding a century and a half ago,” he said: Technological advances bring progress but “also enable abuses”; wealth is “increasingly concentrated in the hands of fewer and fewer”; millions of lives have been disrupted by war and violence, and religious faith is “under challenge in many parts of the world.” Fr. Leahy also pointed to continuing racial tensions and the impact of partisanship on government’s ability to address environmental, educational, social and other urgent issues. “Our nation and world face daunting problems, but we must maintain perspective, hope, and confidence,” he said. “There have been challenges throughout human history, and I believe that you, the Boston College graduates of 2016, will do your part to engage and resolve troubling issues of our day because of who you are and what you have experienced at Boston College.” Fr. Leahy urged the Class of 2016 to “use your education and talents in the service of society, that you give to others from the abundance of gifts that you have received, and that you put into practice the principles, values, and beliefs of Jesuit education shaping and guiding Boston College.”

Left, the Class of 2016 gathered on Linden Lane in preparation for the procession to Alumni Stadium; above, a quick photo from the front; right, everything was thumbs-up with this grad. (Photos by Lee Pellegrini)

Moniz also touched on the challenges ahead for this year’s graduating class, especially climate change and its myriad economic and social as well as environmental effects, but also the greatly altered world security framework. Boston has recently born witness to both, he noted, through the extreme weather in the winter of 2015 and the tragedy and horror of the 2013 Marathon bombings. “Those are just indications of much, much greater trends that you’ll be dealing with in a multigenerational sense,” said Moniz. However, he added, the graduates will confront such tests “with an education that will allow you to be good stewards of the Earth, and its

ecological and human needs.” Moniz pointed out that some changes ahead could bring benefits, or appeal to our thirst for adventure and exploration: City services might be completely managed through robotics, for example, and commercial space flight might be possible (“We may even be able to leave Earth’s orbit for a little while.”) Perspective, he said, is therefore a very important quality with which to approach the future. “The things you have grown up with, my generation has had to learn about late in life,” he said. In his field of physics, the store of knowledge about the particles that make up the universe – which

he had studied in his courses at BC – changed dramatically in just 10 years after he had earned his degree. “The key was being prepared, not only to accept this change but to advance it,” said Moniz. “The only constant will be change, and therefore what’s needed is the preparation to adapt and shape that change the way this country has, with great success, over a long period of time. “Your BC education, and the values this institution has promulgated, will prepare you well, I believe, for that change.” Part of the graduates’ challenge will be to use their gifts and abilities for the good of others,

emphasized Moniz, much as his fellow honorary degree recipients have done throughout their lives. It is the Jesuit tradition that “brings the threads together” of advancing education and social justice, and he urged the Class of 2016 to hear “the voices of the poor” around them. “We need a lot of innovation from your generation. We need it in our science and technology, policy and politics, business models. Every skill set you have must be brought to bear to address these issues, while adhering to the core values we have spent two millennia developing.” Contact Sean Smith at sean.smith@bc.edu

A Family’s Clean Sweep

By Sean Hennessey Staff Writer

Being an overnight custodian may not be the most glamorous job on the Boston College campus, but all that ever mattered to Fred Vautour was giving his children a better life than he had. On Monday, the proud father watched his youngest, Alicia, receive her diploma from Boston College – the last of his five children to graduate. Commencement capped an impressive and thrilling journey for his family, one filled with sacrifice, pride, plus a bittersweet tear or two. “To have all five come through is a dream come true,” said Vautour, who started working at BC in 1994. “I never would have believed it. It’s kind of sad because when I started I said ‘I have 18 years of my kids going to college and hopefully they’ll all come here.’ And now it’s over.” When it was Alicia’s turn to walk across the stage at the Connell School of Nursing graduation ceremony, waiting to hand the diploma to her was her father – just as he had done with her four siblings, Tom, John, Michael and Amy. “It was exciting,” said Alicia

Vautour. “I had no idea what it was going to be like. Was he going to cry? Was he going to be excited? What emotion was going to be there? It was great. It was everything I expected and more.” “I kind of cried for myself a little bit because it’s over,” said Fred. “For the past 18 years, I’ve always had a kid in college while I was working here so it’s a little different now.” Because Vautour was a Boston College employee, his children were able to attend the University – although they had to be accepted like any other students – without having to pay tuition. They realize full well the gift they’ve been given from a father who works the overnight shift at Robsham Theater, cleaning up when most people are sleeping. “It’s just an unreal experience,” said Tom, a Carroll School of Management graduate who works as an IT consultant. “We’re so grateful for our father to be able to do what he’s done and been through to support his children. He lives for us – that’s his motto.” “Boston College was always something that we dreamed of attending but didn’t think we actually could because we couldn’t afford

Lee Pellegrini

Overnight custodian Fred Vautour sees the fifth of his five children graduate from BC

New grad Alicia Vautour receives warm congratulations from her mother, Debbie, and father, Fred. Looking on are (L-R) her sister-in-law Lily, nephew Adam (son of Alicia’s brother John), and brothers Michael and John.

it,” said Amy Vautour Carney, the oldest of the Vautour children, a Lynch School of Education grad now working as a fundraiser. “Being a first-generation college student, this whole experience was new for all of us, especially me. To be the first one, and have so many follow after, is pretty amazing.” “You really can’t put it into words,” said Carroll School alumnus John, a software quality manager. “We can’t even think of ways to begin to repay him for his service to us and his loyalty and love.” While enrolled at BC, all the

Vautours made it a point to find their dad on campus, whether to drop off laundry or just to say hello. “It was great knowing my dad was here,” said Michael, a Carroll School graduate. “Every now and then, I would stop by and hang out with him while he was working.” That the Vautour children would be able to attend BC tuitionfree never dawned on Fred when he was first hired as a cook in 1994. He was just interested in having a job with benefits for the first time in his life. “It’s a gift from God. I never

would have been able to afford to put five kids through this type of university. I just have to thank BC for being so gracious to me and allowing my five kids to come in here.” While Fred toiled away, creating opportunities for the Vautour children that might never have existed, wife Debbie was always by his side, helping the children through life’s ups and downs. Watching Alicia complete her education was “a wonderful gift,” she said. “Now the kids have the means and the tools to soar. Fred and I never got to go to college so we’re living through them: Their highs are our highs, and we’re with them every step of the way.” Even though the BC student body will no longer include any Vautour children, Fred will continue on, thinking about those 18 years of laboring with love for his children. He admits it will be “a little disheartening,” but adds, “I’ll get over it. It’s a new generation – the grandkids are coming.” Readmoreathttp://bit.ly/1TUOK0D Contact Sean Hennessey at sean.hennessey@bc.edu

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Chronicle may 26, 2016

Gabelus Is 2016 Brown Award Winner er with Halftime, 48Hours and Kairos, and worked as a College Transition Program peer advisor. This year, Gabelus reactivated and led United Front, an organization dedicated to serving and promoting cultures birthed from the Af-

John Gabelus graduated on Monday after an impressive undergraduate career marked by engagement on all levels: academic achievement, exemplary service and campus leadership. In recognition, he was selected to receive the 2016 Dr. Donald Brown Award, which honors a senior who, during his or her time on campus, made extraordinary contributions to Boston College, and particularly to the AHANA community. “John embodies the Dr. Donald Brown Award in his commitment to the AHANA community and the many contributions he made to students and to Boston College during his undergraduate tenure,” said Bowman AHANA and Intercultural Center (BAIC) Director Inés Maturana Sendoya. “BAIC is tremendously grateful for his leadership.” Gabelus, who majored in theology with minors in African and African Diaspora Studies and biology, hit the ground running as a freshman: He was involved with BAIC’s Sankofa Leadership Program, the McNair Scholars and Dedicated Intellectuals of the People organization. He went on to participate in and later lead the Jamaica Magis service immersion trip, had leadership roles in the Black Student Forum and L’Association Haitienne, and received an MLK Advanced Study Grant. He also served as a resident assistant, Mississippi Delta Service Corps volunteer, a program lead-

Lee Pellegrini

By Rosanne Pellegrini Staff Writer

John Gabelus

rican Diaspora. He also was an Information Technology Services student employee and Eagle Escort Supervisor and, off campus, volunteered at Caritas Christi Health Care. “Winning this award at the end of a year like this, filled with tremendous growth and community success, is a great feeling and only fuels my sense of motivation with regard to working toward improving issues faced by people from all backgrounds, either on or off campus,” Gabelus said. “I am honored to not only be named as this year’s recipient, but also to be included in the company of former student leaders who made sure that students of color were represented and included in the many programs that Boston

College has to offer. “While the award was welcome news, it is not what validates my efforts to improve the BC community,” he added. “Witnessing a positive improvement as a result of these efforts has been reward enough.” Gabelus will spend a month this summer studying abroad in Santiago, Chile, as a participant in “Through the Eyes of Service,” a program combining theology study with service led by Adjunct Associate Professor of Philosophy David McMenamin. Helping to fund his first international study opportunity is a BASAA Scholarship from the Fund for Education Abroad. “Studying abroad and serving a new community will expand my understanding of global citizenship and provide me the opportunity to experience life outside of the United States,” he said. This fall, Gabelus will be back on campus to pursue a master’s degree in the School of Theology and Ministry. Though he hasn’t decided the focus of his studies with regard to a career, “among the paths I am considering are hospital chaplaincy and campus ministry, but I may well find myself seeking more research opportunities.” The Dr. Donald Brown Award was established in honor of the former director of the Office of AHANA Student Programs, now the Thea Bowman AHANA and Intercultural Center. Contact Rosanne Pellegrini at rosanne.pellegrini@bc.edu

Corcoran, Sherman Honored for Social Justice Efforts Photos by Lee Pellegrini

Two members of the Boston College community – BC Law Clinical Professor Francine Sherman and former University Trustee and longtime benefactor Joseph E. Corcoran ’59, Hon.’09 – were honored last week by the Robert F. Kennedy Children’s Action Corps as two of this year’s Embracing the Legacy award recipients. The awards recognize those persons who are “dedicated to making positive impacts on the lives of some of the most vulnerable members of the population by raising awareness, fighting against social injustices, and advocating for those who don’t have a voice,” according to the organization. Sherman, founder and director of the BC Law Juvenile Rights Advocacy Program, is a nationally recognized expert on juvenile justice,

particularly about girls in the justice system. She has spoken before Congress and at the White House, and served on the US Department of Justice National Advisory Committee. Her most recent report, “Gender Injustice: System-Level Juvenile Justice Reforms for Girls,” provides a “comprehensive overview of the needs and pathways of girls into and through the justice system and details a developmental approach to juvenile justice reforms.” Corcoran, founder and chairman of the Corcoran Jennison Companies, “has changed the lives of countless innercity youths by replacing failed public housing projects with mixed income developments that

offer unique community services to low-income residents.” Among his philanthropic endeavors, Corcoran – the chief benefactor and namesake of BC’s Joseph E. Corcoran Center for Real Estate and Urban Action – has directly funded educational opportunities for dozens of academically talented city youths through scholarships to Boston College High School as well as BC, Simmons College and Emmanuel College. The other two Embracing the Legacy winners honored at the event, held May 20 at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, were MassHousing Community Services Director Thaddeus Miles and Celtic punk rock band The Dropkick Murphys. Read more at www.rfkchildren.org/ events/embracing-the-legacy. –Office of News & Public Affairs

The Rappaport Fellowship offers “opportunities to gain hands-on experience in government, benefit from mentors, and learn how law and public policy are used to effect change for the social good,” says Rappaport Center Executive Director Elisabeth J. Medvedow.

BC Law Students Among 12 to Receive Public Service Internships By Ed Hayward Staff Writer

Twelve Boston-area law school students have been awarded prestigious summer internships in public service by the Rappaport Center for Law and Public Policy at Boston College Law School. Now in its 16th year, the Rappaport Fellows Program provides opportunities for the students to work in public policy and public service at the highest levels of

mentors, and learn how law and public policy are used to effect change for the social good.” The competitive fellowship program’s summer internships place students in positions with leading policy makers and provides mentors from the center’s Advisory Board and staff, past fellows, civic leaders and respected attorneys in the field. This year’s class brings to 192 the number of Rappaport Fellows selected since the program’s in-

Boston College Law School students (clockwise from above) Stephanie Johnson, Rodline Louijeune and Amar Patel are among this year’s Rappaport Center Fellows.

state and local government in Massachusetts. Among this year’s group of fellows are three Boston College Law School students: Rodline Louijeune, who will intern with the Massachusetts State Treasurer’s Office; Stephanie Johnson, who will intern with the Boston Redevelopment Authority; and Amar Patel, who will intern at the City of Boston’s Office of Innovation and Technology. They are joined by students from Boston University School of Law, Harvard Law School, Northeastern University School of Law, Suffolk University Law School, New England School of Law and the University of Massachusetts School of Law. “This year’s 2016 Rappaport Fellows are an extraordinary group of law students who exude passion and commitment to bettering communities, the environment, education, access to justice, women’s rights, veterans, individuals with disabilities, and the world,” said Rappaport Center Executive Director Elisabeth J. Medvedow. “The Rappaport Fellowship affords them opportunities to gain hands-on experience in government, benefit from

ception. Alumni include Boston City Council President Michelle Wu, Massachusetts Assistant Attorney General Julie Kobick, US Department of Justice Attorney Alistair Reader, and Boston Public Health Commission Director of Intergovernmental Relations and Public Health Advocacy Lisa Conley. The acclaimed public policy law center, which began its work in 2000, provides educational programs, career mentoring and stipends to law students interested in government and public policy. The Rappaport Center was established at Boston College Law School in 2015 with a gift from the Phyllis & Jerome Lyle Rappaport Foundation. Read about the 2016 Rappaport Fellows at http://bit.ly/BCRsrch_ Fellows16. For more information about the center, see www.bc.edu/ rappaport.

T he B oston C ollege

Chronicle may 26, 2016

Retirees reflect on their time at Boston College

Lee Pellegrini

Interviews by Siobhan Sullivan plan. The Jesuit presence is less visible than it was when I arrived, both because of the lack of numbers and because fewer wear clerical garb, but the Ignatian presence is still here and in my view it is stronger and even more inclusive than it was when I came in. At Boston College I could entertain the possibility that with God as creator and human beings created in the image of God, that we are in our very nature creative. I would acknowledge that one Harold Petersen need not believe in God to see Associate Professor of Economics creativity as a virtue. But could I Joined BC: 1960 be comfortable having this kind of Boston College was always a discussion at another school? I am beautiful place, graced as it was by not so sure. What I do know is Gasson, St. Mary’s Bapst, Lyons, how much I valued having it here. and Devlin. [With the] opening I will miss the interaction with of Stokes Hall we have returned students, particularly those doing to the Gothic beauty of the initial a senior honors thesis or indepenDiane Cronin Foreign Tax Specialist/Timekeeper Joined BC: 1972 When I started at Boston College there were only three of us to process the University payroll. Everything was done on paper [and manually]. There were many changes over the last 43 years, but all for the best! The technology is ongoing and we are using less paper than we did back in the ’70s. It was amazing to be a part of the payroll conversions from paper to computers. I will really miss my colleagues

and students at BC. Boston College is a really compassionate and caring community. I always felt it was my ‘second’ home; my two daughters grew up at Boston College and felt the same way. I have made many life-long friends and treasure these friendships. I will miss working with the girls in the HRSC office; we have many years together and they are part of my family. I have had the opportunity of working with many international scholars and students during the last 20 years dealing with their taxes and treaties. I always tried

ALL EAGLES HERE On the Friday of Commencement Weekend, the Alumni Association formally welcomed the Class of 2016 into the ranks of Boston College alumni at the annual Class Toast event held on Bapst Lawn. Above, the graduating seniors gave a standing ovation to the Class of 1966, who were special guests. Right, Alumni Association President Ann Riley Finck fastened a class pin on Owie Agbontaen.

dent study, for this was where we learned together and really learned from each other. And of course I will miss my Capital Markets course, where we explored whether it is possible to pick winners in the world of stocks and bonds except by luck or by the use of inside information. I have been so blessed to be here for these 56 years. I met my wife here – I saw her behind the desk of the library on the day I arrived – and our three children are all BC graduates. I had great colleagues and wonderful students. I got to see Doug Flutie play football, and I had JFK and Ronald Reagan as my presidents. I wouldn’t have traded places with anyone in the world.

to put myself in their situation to understand our complicated international tax laws. I enjoyed going to work every day, interacting with my colleagues, working in a team setting, learning new techniques and troubleshooting issues with new software to make Boston College a better environment. I am very fortunate to have been able to work at Boston College. It has been a wonderful ride and now I will be going down the next road of enjoying life, family and friends!

University Recognizes Retiring, 25-Year Employees Boston College will honor retiring administrators, faculty and staff at the President’s Recognition Dinner on Tuesday. The Office of Governmental and Community Affairs also will present its annual Community Service Award at the event. Employees who have retired during the 2015-16 academic year are: Jon Bai, Jonas Barciauskas, John Boylan, James Clements, Anne Marie Condon, Seamus Connolly, Diane Cronin, Patricia DeLeeuw, Susan Delay, Karen Dorn, Timothy Duket, Miguel Escobar, Margaret Flibotte, Donald Hafner, John Havens, William Juszkiewicz, Thomas Kane, Robert Lewis, Ruth Ann MacEachern, David Mangan, Paul Mariani, Peter McKenzie, Gil Miranda and John Moir. Also, Michael Mulhern, Kathleen Murphy, Joseph O’Brien, James O’Neill, Norma O’Reilly, Alec Peck, Harold Petersen, Brendan Rapple, Mario Raynor, Elvira Reynolds, Susie Shabanian, Robert Sherwood, Elizabeth Smith, Susan Spencer, Pamela Terreri, Susan Thomas, Carey Townsend, Cesar Valladaus, Donald Weber, Gail White, Theodore Williams, Arch Woodside and Norah Wylie. On May 3, the University recognized the following employees for 25 years of service: Milvia Sanchez, Burton Howell, David Flaherty, John Krieg, George Apodiakos, Fr. Anthony Penna, Michael Killeen, Daniel Donovan, Paul Flynn, Kathleen Duggan, Christine Laflamme, Christine Conroy, Anne Crowley, Kathleen McGuinness, Lynne Ann O’Connell, Beth Burns, William Coakley, Hipolito Cardona, Margaret Thomas, David Hollenbach, SJ and Gerald Smith. Also, Lisa Cuklanz, Penny Hauser-Cram, Francis Herrmann, SJ, Joseph O’Keefe, SJ, M. Brinton Lykes, James Cunningham, Jose Ulices Contreras, John McGovern, Joyce O’Connor, Anna Jacome Branco, Carol Bisceglia, Diane Neylon, RoseMarie DeLeo, Theresa Rezzuti, Nham Manh Vu, Gail White and John Zona. –Office of News & Public Affairs

Carroll School to Host Annual Finance Conference Appearances by Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas President and CEO Robert Kaplan and former Treasury Secretary Lawrence H. Summers highlight the 11th annual Carroll School of Management Finance Conference taking place on June 2 in Fulton Hall. Kaplan, an author and former Goldman Sachs executive, will present the Dorothy Margaret Rose Knight Economic Keynote Discussion. Summers, who also served as National Economic Council Director and is now a professor at Harvard University, will present the Daniel E. Holland III keynote address. “Our conference will provide participants with two distinct views on US growth prospects and monetary policy,” says Carroll School Finance Associate Professor Jonathan Reuter, who will moderate one of the panel discussions. “Robert Kaplan will offer his take on US economic growth, the state of the US energy sector, and the direction of US monetary policy. I also plan to ask him to share his opinions on the value of designating some banks as ‘too big to fail’ and on the possible consequences of Brexit [Britain’s possible exit from the European Community]. “Professor Summers has a unique perspective on the US economy, and is well-known for speaking his mind. I expect him to focus on challenges and opportunities for US growth in a world with very low nominal interest rates, and to comment on the growing political opposition to international trade agreements.” In addition, Council on Foreign Relations President Richard Haass will take part in a “fireside chat” on major foreign policy challenges in the Middle East, Asia and beyond, with Assistant Professor of Political Science Peter Krause as moderator. The conference also will include the panel discussions “Markets: Uncharted Waters – What’s Next?” and “Investing in Private Firms.” For registration and other details, go to www.bc.edu/schools/csom/ research/asset.html. –Sean Henneseey

T he B oston C ollege

Chronicle may 26, 2016

BOSTON COLLEGE IN THE MEDIA Boston College faculty continued to comment on Donald Trump’s impact on the 2016 presidential race. With some Capitol Hill Republicans questioning whether they can support Trump, Assoc. Prof. Rev. James Weiss (Theology) told the Christian Science Monitor that personal and policy morality are always involved in the selection of leaders. Writing for Salon.com,

Prof. Heather Cox Richardson (History) described Trump’s assault on the legitimacy of the political system as reminiscent of themes that led to some of America’s darkest hours. Assistant Professor of the Practice Natana DeLong-Bas (Theology, Islamic Civilization and Societies) weighed in on the danger of Saudi

NOTA BENE Retiring Vice Provost for Faculties Patricia DeLeeuw presented awards at the Graduate Teaching Recognition Ceremony.

The inaugural Boston College Graduate Teaching Recognition Ceremony on May 4, organized by the Center for Teaching Excellence, honored the unique contribution of graduate student teachers to the BC community. Some 150 friends, family members and faculty mentors were in attendance to congratulate and support the 49 Donald J. White Teaching Excellence Award winners and 13 graduates of the CTE’s Apprenticeship in College Teaching (ACT) Program. Vice Provost for Faculties Patricia DeLeeuw and CTE Executive Director John Rakestraw spoke at the ceremony, as did Teaching Excellence Award winner Renata Love Jones, a Lynch School of Education doctoral student, who described how her teaching practice at BC gave her the opportunity to understand her academic studies more deeply from the perspective of her students. For the list of award winners, see http://bit.ly/23VdTxs. –Center for Teaching Excellence

BC Students Earn International Summer Study Opportunities

Boston College scholars have once again been recognized in prestigious national and international competitions, working with the Office of International Programs. Two Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences students have been awarded US Department of State Critical Language Scholarships (CLS) for summer study abroad. Rising senior Janice Li will study Chinese in Dalian, China, and MCA&S graduate student Lindsay Paturalski will study Hindi in Jaipur, India. The CLS scholarship program is part of a US government effort to expand the number of Americans studying and mastering critical foreign languages. Some 560 undergraduate and graduate students from more than 200 institutions received CLS scholarships this year. John Gabelus ’16 was awarded a Boston-Area Study Abroad Association Scholarship from the Fund for Education Abroad to study in Chile this summer. [see separate story on page 9] Omeed Alidadi ’18 was awarded a Mizna Fellowship to Morocco for the 2016 spring semester. Through matching funds, the McGillycuddy-Logue Center supports BC’s Islamic Civilization and Societies Travel and Research Grant, which funds student research projects abroad with a special focus on Islamic

Studies. Kyung Kim ’18, who will study abroad in South Africa this summer through a BC program, was awarded a Benjamin Gilman Scholarship, which aims to diversify the kinds of students who study abroad, and the countries and regions where they go, through undergraduate support. Kim also is a recipient of a summer McGillycuddy-Logue Travel Grant, which funds international educational experiences for academically excellent BC undergraduate students. Other summer grants have been awarded to: freshmen Rachel Lim, Olivia Ivanof, Kiran Khosla, Mackenzie Hulme, Daniel Marino and Jorge Mejia; sophomores Katherine Murphy, Aziza Alam, Helen Au, Dana Cavanaugh, Allison Chowdhury, Sara Elzeini, Jillian Giaccio, Cameron Howe, Hannah Ladesic, Shannon McNall, Samuela Nematchoua, Tyng Pan, Joela Qose, Noelle Scarlett, Jialin Shan and Shauna Wassmus; and juniors Jose Ibarra, Maura Lester McSweeney, Johnson Fong, Cassie Sando and Thien Bui. Seo Jin Nam ’17 was nominated to receive the Japan Student Services Organization Scholarship for her spring 2016 semester studies in Japan. –Rosanne Pellegrini

Assistant Professor of German Studies Daniel Bowles won the 2016 Helen & Kurt Wolff Translator’s Prize for his translation of Christian Kracht’s Imperium: A Fiction of the South Seas. Associate Professor of English James Najarian was chosen as the winner of the sixth annual Frost Farm Prize for metrical poetry. Najarian, who teaches poetry and prose at Boston College, directs the doctoral program in English and edits the Religion and the Arts journal, was honored for his poem “The Dark Ages.” More than 600 entries were submitted to the competition. Theology doctoral student Cristina Richie ’16 received the 2016 Evangelical Press Association first place award for her article “Diet and Cross-Religious Witness.” Boston College faculty members contributed material to a special issue of American Psychologist on psychological science’s role in the wellbeing of older Americans. Lynch School of Education Research Professor Jacquelyn James – co-director of the Sloan Center on Aging & Work – Boston College School of Social Work Assistant Professor Christina Matz-Costa, McIntyre Professor of Economics Joseph Quinn and Kevin Cahill, a doctoral student in the Economics Department, were among the authors included in “Aging in America: Perspectives from Psychological Science,” published by the American Psychological Association. Another contributor was former Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and Associate Vice President for Research Dean Michael Smyer, now provost and professor of psychology at Bucknell University and a research fellow at the Sloan Center on Aging & Work.

Curley Awarded NSF Fellowship Julia Curley ’16 has been awarded a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship to pursue her doctorate in chemistry at Yale University. Curley, who majored in chemistry with a math minor, plans to study organic chemistry at Yale, with a focus on developing alternative energy sources and materials through sustainable, green chemistry innovations. “I am honored to receive this fellowship from the National Science Foundation to support by graduate research,” said Curley, a native of Lawrenceville, NJ. “This fellowship gives me the opportunity to fund the research that I want to pursue at Yale in organo-metallic chemistry with a focus on environmental applications – such as renewable energy sources and biodegradable plastics. “My parents raised me to be

respectful of the environment and that is something I feel passionately about, so I am looking forward to combining by interests in chemistry and the environment as part of my graduate studies.” Curley was president of the student chapter of the American Chemical Society at BC. Among her academic honors, Curley has been named a Sophomore Scholar, a Dean’s Scholar and a Scholar of the College. She is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa national honor society. The NSF award provides three years of financial support within a five-year period, covering an annual stipend of up to $34,000 and tuition costs of up to $12,000 for graduate study that leads to a research-based master’s or doctoral degree in science or engineering. Read more at http://bit.ly/ BCRsrch_Curley –Ed Hayward

Arabia becoming a failed state in an interview with the New England Cable News show “The Take.” The Fresno Bee cited a study coauthored by Prof. Rebekah Levine Coley (LSOE) that found unhealthy living conditions take both a physical and psychological toll on low-income families. On the 20th anniversary of the death of Garth Williams, a leading illustrator during what many consider to be the golden age of children’s literature, Prof. Elizabeth Kowaleski-Wallace (English) – who along with her husband Assoc. Prof. James Wallace (English) published a new biography on the artist – reflected on his contributions in a piece for the Boston Globe “Ideas” section. Assoc. Prof. Donnah Canavan (Psychology) was among experts interviewed by the Boston Herald on the long-lasting psychological scars a Lakeville bank employee will likely endure after her lifeand-death struggle with an armed robber. A growing trend toward live performances of podcasts is an extension of what’s happened before – audiences watching radio shows, spoken word performances, and standup acts – enhanced by social media, Assoc. Prof. John Gallaugher (CSOM) explained in an interview with the Boston Globe. Prof. Maxim D. Shrayer (Slavic and Eastern Languages, English) wrote about his generation’s “lost Soviet youth” in Tablet Magazine.

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: General Service Worker, Dining Services Audio and Event Services Specialist, Media Technology Services Campus Minister for International Programs, Campus Ministry Temporary Office Pool, Human Resources Asst./Assoc. Director, Athletics Development, University Advancement Associate Dean, Administration and Finance, Academic Affairs/ Provost Director, Career Advising, Residential Life Law Library Assistant, Provost

T he B oston C ollege

Chronicle may 26, 2016

Fulbrights

FUTURE PLANS: Graduate school

•“I decided to apply for a Fulbright while

Continued from page 1 sistant to senior secondary students in New Delhi.” HOMETOWN: Staten Island, NY DESTINATION: Philippines PROJECT: Related to his senior thesis, he will work with doctors, researchers and academics on a study of the Filipino government policy on transplant tourism: the act of traveling overseas to obtain an illegal organ transplantation. Preliminary research shows that the Philippines has been successful at mitigating the spread of the black market on organs within its borders; the aim is to help other countries struggling with organ trafficking. FUTURE PLANS: Pursue a joint JD/ MPH program, with a focus in international law and medical policy. •“This Fulbright project represents the pinnacle of my academic career thus far. My time at BC has been geared toward understanding the intricacies of international public health, but more specifically, the intersection of medical ethics with cultural and religious barriers. My first taste of independent research came in the form of a summer semester abroad with [Political Science Associate Professor of the Practice] Kathleen Bailey in Kuwait. I knew from that point onward in my intellectual formation that I wanted to continue to travel the world, living and working with people from all different backgrounds. The Fulbright represents everything that we have been taught here at BC, the core importance of intercultural dialogue and an appreciation for expanding our education beyond the classroom and into the world.”

Graham Beck ’15

HOMETOWN: Los Altos, Calif. DESTINATION: Germany PROJECT: English Teaching Assistantship; he will seek to engage the community by sharing his favorite US publications – including the Boston Globe and Sports Illustrated – to promote discussion, hosting a World Series, Thanksgiving or Super Bowl party to share American cuisine, teaching a photography workshop and playing such sports as flag football. FUTURE PLANS: Apply to medical school, to pursue a career in medicine and healthcare. •“The Fulbright has connected my passion and interest in German language and culture, which I developed at BC, with my desire to teach and immerse myself in a foreign country.”

Doyle Calhoun

HOMETOWN: Duxbury, Mass. DESTINATION: Belgium PROJECT: To continue work on a digitized, searchable database of a set of 24 texts on Niger-Congo languages, written by French Catholic missionaries in the 19th and 20th centuries. FUTURE PLANS: Doctoral studies in French linguistics at the University of Cambridge. •“I’m excited to be immersed in an intellectual climate where the study of the historiography of linguistics is deeply valued and more developed than it is in the US. I hope my research can contribute not only to linguistics, but also to promoting crosscultural understanding and collaboration between European and American scholars of the history of linguistics. I am deeply indebted to the mentorship, encourage-

Lee Pellegrini

Richard Balagtas

This year’s Fulbright winners include: (front row, L-R) Eleanor Vorys, Kimberly McDonagh, Emily Papazian, Alec Walker, Sophia Marseille, Richard Balagtas and Olivia Hart; (back row, L-R) Ricardo Alberto, Doyle Calhoun and Graham Beck ’15. ment, and patience of Professor Margaret gee population. After my Fulbright year, I need to be aware of foreign and domestic Thomas of Slavic and Eastern Languages, hope to share my findings with colleagues current events – particularly in countries who has been instrumental in my personal in the US government, which itself would with struggling economies, like the current and intellectual development during my benefit from studying the policies of other situation in Greece. It is my hope that I countries, especially EU member states.” four years at BC.” can implement all that I have learned at Boston College in order to help students Olivia Hart Sophia Marseille in Greece grow socially, emotionally and HOMETOWN: Pensacola, Fla. HOMETOWN: Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. academically.” DESTINATION: Cyprus DESTINATION: South Africa PROJECT: English Teaching Assistant- PROJECT: English Teaching Assistant- Siobhan O’Brien ’15 ship; hopes to work with an after-school ship; will start an afterschool program HOMETOWN: Amherst, Mass. program that fosters intercultural commu- where she hopes to teach dance, visual DESTINATION: Germany nication among Cypriot students through arts and creative writing with the theme PROJECT: English Teaching Assistantthe outlet of food and cooking. of cultural exchange, creative development ship; also plans on hosting movie showFUTURE PLANS: Graduate school for and community engagement. ings to demonstrate diversity of social and education or social work with an eye to- FUTURE PLANS: Pursue joint law/ culture structures in the US, and to work ward a career in counseling or therapy- master’s in education degree; plans to be with students on their own films and related work with children from bilingual involved with policy makers and organi- multi-media presentations. or immigrant backgrounds. zations seeking to reform the US public FUTURE PLANS: Pursue a graduate de•“I hope to take this year in Cyprus as education system. gree in international relations and intera time of growth, both personally and •“Being chosen for the Fulbright English national education development, and go professionally. In my position as an Eng- Teaching Assistant program in South Af- on to work with NGOs that promote the lish Teaching Assistant, I hope to develop rica is truly a blessing. I am so grateful to development of education and exchange several of the skills that I have begun to have the opportunity to serve as an ambas- programs as a tool for generating internaacquire through coursework and extracur- sador for my country and to share my love tional cooperation and conflict resolution. riculars at Boston College, including teach- for language with others. As an African and •“Receiving this Fulbright is an honor, and ing language and literacy skills to students African Diaspora Studies minor, I have a true culmination of everything I strove from diverse backgrounds, effective lesson had the privilege of spending much of my for throughout my four years at Boston planning, and intercultural communica- BC career taking apart the meaning of College. At BC, I learned what it meant tion. I also want to use the experience as a race across various disciplines including lit- to share my education and passion with way to explore career options and decide erature. This, coupled with my experience others, as well as how to be open to learnon a master’s program. As a visiting scholar teaching on the Jamaica Magis service trip, ing from others’ experiences and life stories in Cyprus, I want to immerse myself in has fueled my passion for serving diaspora – and this is exactly what I will be doing as the culture of the island, learn Greek and communities within the classroom. Grow- an ETA in Germany next year.” Turkish, and witness to understand the ing up, I was fortunate enough to have had ongoing consequences of the Cyprus prob- some great teachers who left lasting impacts Emily Papazian lem.” on the trajectory of my education. As an HOMETOWN: Lincoln, RI English Teaching Assistant, I hope to give DESTINATION: Spain back some of those positive influences to PROJECT: English Teaching AssistantNarintohn Luangrath ’14 my students.” HOMETOWN: Tigard, Ore. ship; plans to volunteer at an urban health DESTINATION: European Union clinic and as a community health educator. PROJECT: Will affiliate with the Migra- Kimberly McDonagh ’15, MA’16 FUTURE PLANS: University of Chicago tion Policy Institute Europe in Brussels, HOMETOWN: Latrobe, Pa. Pritzker School of Medicine (fall 2017) Belgium and pursue a research project on DESTINATION: Greece •“Being a member of the Boston College the labor market integration of refugees PROJECT: English Teaching Assistant- community has prompted me to explore in the European Union by conducting ship; will volunteer with programs for per- new perspectives and taught me to recinterviews in four case countries: Germany, sons with disabilities. ognize my skills and apply them for the Sweden, Italy and the Czech Republic. FUTURE PLANS: Teach at an elemen- benefit of others whenever possible. The Will also study how the Asylum, Migration tary school in an urban area where she’d courses I’ve taken and experiences such as and Integration Fund supports EU mem- like to blend different cultures into one Arrupe and Bystander have all taught me ber states’ refugee labor market integration classroom to create a comfortable learning the vitality of effective communication and programs. environment. education in addressing challenging issues FUTURE PLANS: Enroll in a JD/PhD •“As an educator, I am so excited to take in our world. Participating in Fulbright program in the US. on this new challenge of teaching in an- as a teaching assistant will help me develop •“Since graduating from Boston College other country and representing America my communication skills in both English two years ago, I have spent time evaluating as a cultural ambassador. Throughout my and Spanish for application as a medical federal social service programs intended to five years in the Lynch School, I have de- student and physician.” promote the economic mobility of resettled veloped a passion for incorporating social refugees in the United States. I look for- justice into the classroom. I believe that Willow Sommer ward to learning more about how the EU every student has something valuable to of- HOMETOWN: Eastport, NY is standardizing refugee protection across fer and should be given the opportunity to DESTINATION: Germany member states, while simultaneously work- discover and develop as citizens throughout PROJECT: English Teaching Assistanting on the long-term integration of its refu- their education. I believe that all students ship

studying abroad in Berlin last spring. Being away from BC gave me the clarity to appreciate how much I really loved studying German and Germany and, most importantly, that this was a viable direction in and of itself. I am grateful to the Fulbright program for offering an opportunity in which passionate curiosity is valued for its own sake. I am also thankful to Professor Michael Resler and to the whole German Department for their encouragement and advice in this pursuit.”

Rebekah Straneva ’13

HOMETOWN: North East, Pa. DESTINATION: Bulgaria PROJECT: English Teaching Assistantship; volunteer in hospital and health clinics. FUTURE PLANS: Graduate study in cognitive science •“My great-grandparents left Eastern Europe for an opportunity to raise their children in the US, where they could live the ‘American Dream.’ In return, I would like an opportunity to teach in Bulgaria, where I can inspire future generations to challenge themselves in life.”

Eleanor Vorys

HOMETOWN: Gahanna, Ohio DESTINATION: Malaysia PROJECT: English Teaching Assistantship; intends to create after-school program to promote brainstorming techniques and physical activity. FUTURE PLANS: Pursue graduate studies and work with migrants within US communities to ensure positive integration. •“As an International Studies major, the Fulbright program will be an incredible capstone to my studies in international ethics and social justice. My extracurricular work at Boston College with the student organization FACES and several other diversity education initiatives has helped me discover a profound foundational philosophy of utilizing education to empower individuals and influence change; I hope to place this in practice during my time in Malaysia.”

Alec Walker

HOMETOWN: Laconia, NH DESTINATION: Germany PROJECT: English Teaching Assistantship; will also volunteer within local refugee communities. FUTURE PLANS: Enroll in doctoral program in history; envisions career as teacher or academic. •“In one way, the Fulbright is the realization of a goal I’d set myself freshman year: I heard about the grant about halfway through my first year here, and intended to apply for it from then on. More importantly though, the Fulbright will allow me to continue the process of thinking, reading, learning, and writing that began, for me, at Boston College.”

Erin Comber was selected for an English Teaching Assistantship in Colombia but declined the grant. Katherine Quigley was named a Fulbright alternate but is pursuing other plans.

-Compiled by Ed Hayward, Kathleen Sullivan, Sean Hennessey, Rosanne Pellegrini and Sean Smith