Boston College Chronicle

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INSIDE

3 Pops on the Heights Goo Goo Dolls to perform at annual campus event.

4 Events Honor Scholars Achievements of Fr. Keenan, Schlozman to be celebrated.

Mass of the Holy Spirit

With the support of an exchange program developed by Boston College economists Tayfun Sönmez and Utku Ünver, the Banu Bedestenci Sönmez Liver Paired Exchange System has rapidly become one of the world’s leading liver exchange initiatives.

BC Joins Formative Education Group

Boston College has joined the Coalition for Transformational Education (CTE), a 23-member national association of public and private universities committed to ensuring all college students complete their degrees, but more significantly, benefit from life-altering educational experiences that enhance their well-being, work, and civic engagement throughout their lives,

Continued on page 6

Economists’ Role Vital to Life-Saving Program New Book

For more than a decade, Pope Francis has led the Roman Catholic Church, emphasizing collegiality in ecclesial governance and focusing global priorities on the poor, the marginalized, and the environment. His vision for the Church—and the reluctance by many Catholics in the United States to engage with it—are explored in a new book co-edited by Boston College Joseph Professor in Catholic Theology Kristin Heyer.

8 BC Research Faculty investigate climate change effect on cranberry production. In order for

Located at Turkey’s Inonu University, the program has set new standards by performing the world’s first five-way liver exchange in October 2023, the first sixway liver exchange last January, and the first seven-way liver exchange in July, said Sönmez. These groundbreaking procedures have been documented in a forthcoming paper in the American Journal of Transplantation, the premier scholarly outlet for the field.

Sönmez and Ünver, both natives of Turkey, are recognized world-leading experts and developers of matching mechanisms, particularly in the area of kidney exchange and transplantation. Their work in “matching markets” has also focused on how to improve K-12 school choice algorithms and the assignment of cadets to military specialties in the United States Army.

In recognition of their contributions, Inonu University honored Ünver and Sönmez with honorary doctorates on July 26, during the ninth Malatya Giessen Transplantation Days conference. The event also

served as the platform to announce the world’s first seven-way liver exchange, with participation from Turkish media and officials, including the health minister.

The researchers thanked Liver Transplantation Institute Director Sezai Yilmaz, M.D., the program’s surgeons and professors, and medical and administrative personnel, as well as Inonu University Presi-

dent Ahmet Kizilay.

“I am humbled and deeply honored with this honorary doctorate,” said Ünver. “However, it is more humbling to know that more than a hundred patients have already benefitted from the University’s liver paired exchange program, receiving transplants that would not have material-

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QUOTE

photo by ricardo stuckert/pr
University President William P. Leahy, S.J., celebrated the annual Mass of the Holy Spirit with homilist Vice President and University Secretary Casey Beaumier, S.J., director of the Institute for Advanced Jesuit Studies, on September 5 in the Plaza at O’Neill Library. Later that same day, another Boston College tradition took place: the First Flight Procession and First Year Academic Convocation [see page 8].
photo by caitlin cunningham
Boston College economists Tayfun Sönmez, left, and Utku Ünver used their expertise to help develop one of the world’s leading liver exchange initiatives.
photo by lee pellegrini

Around Campus

Robsham to Host Performances of Play That Explores Black Hair Culture

A play coming to Robsham Theater Arts Center later this month explores the wounded history of Black hair culture, and how it has been shaped by American politics, music, and fashion.

“Crown of Times” will be presented on September 20 at 7 p.m. and September 22 at 2 p.m., marking the play’s debut on a collegiate stage. Written and directed by activist, poet, and painter Yvette Modestin and network writer/producer Michele Avery, “Crown of Times” opened in 2023 to sold-out crowds at Boston’s Museum of Science.

The play uses music, imagery of Black hairstyles, intense monologue, and historical narration to explore Black women’s deep, complex relationship with their hair from the 1960s to the Black Lives Matter Movement. In each decade, characters recognize that their hair deeply reflects their experiences—ultimately changing, becoming more empowered, and influencing the next decade.

The word “Crown” in the play’s title is a reference to the CROWN (Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair) Act, which prohibits discrimination based

on hair style and texture. When the bill was first introduced in the United States Congress in 2019, there were no legal protections for natural hairstyles in American schools and workplaces. The CROWN Act passed the House of Representatives but its companion bill stalled in the Senate; attempts to revive the legislation have thus far been unsuccessful. Twenty-five states— including Massachusetts—have adopted similar anti-discrimination measures.

Innovative App Marking First Decade

ScratchJr, the highly acclaimed free programming app originally launched by Lynch School of Education and Human Development faculty member Marina Bers and co-developed by the Developmental Technologies (DevTech) Research Group—now housed at the Lynch School—will celebrate its 10th anniversary on September 16.

Available in 18 languages and with over 50 million users worldwide, ScratchJr enables children ages five to seven to learn the powerful ideas of computer science and literacy through programming and customizing their own animations, stories, and games. Youngsters can create numerous types of personally meaningful projects using a variety of programming blocks that connect like puzzle pieces.

Now available as a free app for iOS, Android, and Chromebook, ScratchJr has received a four-star rating from CommonSense Media, which characterized it as “offering a rich and challenging environment for very young programmers.”

ScratchJr is inspired by the Scratch visual programming language, aimed primarily at youth ages 8-16 as an educational tool that requires reading skills. Its creators saw a

ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT FOR UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS

Jack Dunn

SENIOR DIRECTOR FOR UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS

Patricia Delaney

EDITOR Sean Smith

need for a more simplified way to learn programming at a younger age.

Launched by Bers—now the Augustus Long Professor of Education at Boston College—in 2001 at Tufts University’s EliotPearson Department of Child Development in partnership with Lifelong Kindergarten and the Playful Invention Company, the project was originally awarded a $1.3 million grant from the National Science Foundation.

In 2022, Bers and DevTech moved to the Lynch School. DevTech focuses on the design and use of creative technologies that promote young children’s learning about computational thinking, coding, creating, and engineering in a playful, developmentally appropriate way. Supported by the Scratch Foundation, DevTech has developed numerous learning and teaching resources, researched learning outcomes with ScratchJr and its curricula, and networked with the global community to support its use.

As an example, Bers points to the free Coding as Another Language curriculum for pre-K to second grade students that incorporates ScratchJr and KIBO—a research-based, hands-on coding robot—to expose children to developmentally appropriate ideas of comput-

CONTRIBUTING STAFF Phil Gloudemans Ed Hayward Audrey Loyack Rosanne Pellegrini Kathleen Sullivan

PHOTOGRAPHERS Caitlin Cunningham Lee Pellegrini

“Crown of Times” uses music, imagery of Black hairstyles, intense monologue, and historical narration to explore Black women’s deep, complex relationship with their hair.

The Robsham presentation of “Crown of Times” is the result of efforts by Njoke Thomas, an assistant professor in the Carroll School of Management, who saw the play with former BC School of Social Work faculty member Tyrone Parchment and was inspired to have it staged on campus.

“We were both completely moved,” said Thomas. “Dr. Parchment suggested I apply for a grant from the BC Institute for the Liberal Arts to bring ‘Crown of Times’ here.”

The ILA, which hosts conversations and supports programs that examine and advance liberal arts education, awarded Thomas the grant as an incubator project for possible future college tours of the play.

Redefining Black hair by repositioning it as a Crown, according to Modestin and Av-

ery, the play serves as a heartfelt tribute to Black women, Black culture, and individuals navigating their self-identity journey— and as a love letter.

“We noticed in conversations while writing this play that when folks struggled with their identity, the struggle often began with their hair,” explained Modestin. “Hair was something we loved. We wanted to show the depth of that love and how that love has been superseded over decades by negative connotations.”

“No matter who you are, when you come to see this production, you’ll learn something. Identify with something. Walk away with something. You might walk away with more questions, but that’s the purpose of art,” said Avery. “You are not alone. This is for you.”

This free production is sponsored by the Institute for the Liberal Arts and the Winston Center for Leadership Ethics. For more information, see events.bc.edu/event/ crown-of-times.

Ellen Seaward is a senior digital content writer in the Office of University Communications

er science as well as to principles of literacy while at school, in after-school programs, and in the home.

According to Bers, she and her DevTech Research Group will mark the app’s first decade by sharing a decade’s worth of research, design, and development that created, enhanced, and expanded the reach of ScratchJr, including international partnerships, neuroscience studies, new prototypes, and curricular resources.

“We hope many people will join the

wonderful DevTech team and me, as well as some of our international partners, to learn more about the work we’ve been doing with ScratchJr, and all of the new and exciting future opportunities,” she said.

To register for the virtual anniversary celebration on September 16 from 4-6 p.m., use this link: bit.ly/ScratchJr10th. Additionally, DevTech will host an in-person event on March 16; the group’s website is sites.bc.edu/ devtech.

—Phil Gloudemans

The Boston College Chronicle (USPS 009491), the internal newspaper for faculty and staff, is published biweekly from September to May by Boston College, with editorial offices at the Office of University Communications, 3 Lake Street, Brighton, MA 02135 (617)552-3350. Distributed free to faculty and staff offices and other locations on campus.

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ScratchJr was in use at a Developmental Technologies Research Group summer camp in July.
photo by lee pellegrini

Curtain Rises for Pops on the Heights Sept. 27

Boston College’s Pops on the Heights: the Barbara and Jim Cleary Scholarship Gala, a beloved University tradition, will take place for the 32nd year on September 27 at 8 p.m. in Conte Forum as part of Family Weekend [see separate story].

Once again a sold-out event, Pops on the Heights will feature performances by four-time Grammy-nominated rock band the Goo Goo Dolls, the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra with conductor Keith Lockhart, and BC students.

University Trustee Sandra M. and Paul B. Edgerley P’24, with fellow board member Patricia L. and Jonathan A. Kraft P’24, are co-chairs for this year’s scholarship gala, the University’s largest annual fundraiser.

Since the inaugural event in 1993, Pops on the Heights has raised more than $145 million for financial aid, enabling some 3,700 students to pursue an education at BC, according to the Office of University Advancement. The event aids BC’s ability to remain a need-blind institution, meeting the full demonstrated need of undergraduate applicants.

“In many ways, Pops on the Heights illustrates what makes Boston College so special,” said Senior Vice President for University Advancement Andrew Davidson. “It’s a night of celebration, where our community comes together to support students on financial aid. Eagles helping Eagles.”

A pre-show performance will begin at 6:45 p.m. with appearances from campus groups and individual students. Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences senior Sofia Burke, executive board member and vocal section leader of the BC bOp! jazz ensem-

ble, will share the stage with the Boston Pops during the main show.

Led by John Rzeznik and Robby Takac, the Goo Goo Dolls—who, according to Forbes, set a record in 2007 for most Top 10 hits in adult-rock history (12)—will present some of the hit songs from their 38-year career, such as “Iris” and “Name.” Their songs have been covered by numerous artists, including Taylor Swift, whom

Rzeznik joined on stage at Madison Square Garden in 2011 for a special performance of “Iris,” which Swift called “one of the best songs ever written.”

Lockhart has conducted more than 2,000 performances in over 150 cities during his tenure as Boston Pops conductor, including the annual July 4 Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular, which draws a live audience of more than half a million, plus

millions more who watch on television or live webcast.

Founded by the late Barbara and James F. Cleary ’50, H’93, a BC trustee, the Pops on the Heights legacy is carried on by their children—Kara ’84, M.A.’91; Kristin ’89, J.D.’93; and James Jr., P’18 —embodying the shared sense of purpose that establishes financial-academic support at Boston College as Pops benefactors.

Eagle Families Come to Campus Later This Month

Highlighted by the Pops on the Heights: the Barbara and Jim Cleary Scholarship Gala [see separate story], the 2024 Boston College Family Weekend will welcome parents, grandparents, siblings, and other relatives of current Eagles to campus September 27-29.

The first day will include a Student and Academic Affairs Open House and “Enduring Questions,” an academic keynote ad-

dress given by Associate Professor of Theology Brian Robinette and Associate Professor of Music Daniel Callahan, who will talk about their collaborative teachings and discuss how theology, the arts, and philosophy are not only disciplines to be learned but practices that are indispensable to being alive and serving the common good.

University President William P. Leahy, S.J., will present a talk to conclude the

afternoon, and the Pops on the Heights event will take place in the evening.

The following day will feature the Boston College-Western Kentucky football game in Alumni Stadium, and Family Weekend will conclude on September 29 with a family liturgy in Conte Forum open to all faiths followed by a continental breakfast.

—University Communications

BC Economists Helped Create Liver Transplant Program

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ized otherwise.”

“Even before receiving the honorary doctorates from Inonu University, our partnership had been truly fulfilling,” said Sönmez. “While Utku and I need no additional motivation or recognition to give our best for this program, we are, of course, very happy and humbled to receive this honorary degree.”

The Banu Bedestenci Sönmez Liver Paired Exchange System has performed 144 liver exchange transplants to date, with 129 of these occurring in the 13 months since the program’s public announcement in July 2023. This achievement far surpasses the previous record of 10 liver exchange transplants in a single year and the 94 transplants, during a period of 13 years, performed by the next highest-volume program, the researchers said.

“No other program ever performed more than 10 liver exchange transplants in any given year,” said Sönmez. “No other program ever reached 100 liver transplants, a number we reached in less than a year. Right now, we are performing somewhere

between 70 to 80 percent of the world’s annual liver exchange transplants in just one center in Turkey.”

The program’s ability to conduct multiway exchanges—including one seven-way, two six-way, three five-way, seven four-way, and 14 three-way exchanges—has revolutionized liver transplantation. These complex procedures overcome the challenges of matching donors and recipients, providing life-saving transplants to patients who would otherwise not receive them. Among other factors, the program developed by Sönmez and Ünver helps to maintain transplant opportunities for multiple patients by ensuring blood-type compatibility and compatibility in the size of the liver grafts.

“Multi-way exchanges overcome the difficulty in matching by serving more patients, many of whom otherwise would not receive transplants, and providing others with better transplants than they would otherwise get in smaller exchanges or directly from their own compatible donors,” said Ünver.

The institute team can conduct up to

“No other program ever performed more than 10 liver exchange transplants in any given year,” says Tayfun Sönmez. “No other program ever reached 100 liver transplants. Right now, we are performing somewhere between 70 to 80 percent of the world’s annual liver exchange transplants in just one center in Turkey.”

seven-way exchanges, simultaneously utilizing 14 surgery rooms and about 140 medical personnel, said Ünver. This capacity is instrumental in overseeing all larger than three-way exchanges and 14 of the 16 three-way exchanges conducted in the world. Similar capabilities do not exist in any other single center, Ünver added.

Sönmez highlighted the personal significance of the program, created in memory of his late wife, Banu, and its success in increasing living donor transplants by more than 30 percent in the past two years.

“Creating the Banu Bedestenci Sönmez Liver Paired Exchange System at Inonu University in her memory has been profoundly meaningful for me and our son, Alp Derin,” said Sönmez. “The program’s success, becoming the most effective livingdonor organ exchange initiative globally and increasing living donor transplants by over 30 percent in the past two years, has deepened our sense of joy and connection to this cause. This journey has been a tribute to Banu’s legacy, reminding us of her incredible strength and love every day.”

photo by lee pellegrini
This year’s festivities at the annual Pops on the Heights event will include a performance by the Goo Goo Dolls, right.
photo at left courtesy university advancement

Upcoming Events Honor Accomplished BC Scholars

Two-day conference will tout Fr. Keenan’s work in Catholic ethics

The scholarship and legacy of Vice Provost for Global Engagement, Canisius Professor, and Jesuit Institute Director James F. Keenan, S.J., an internationally respected and influential Catholic moral theologian, will be celebrated at a conference at Boston College on September 13-14.

The conference, “Bothering to Love: James F. Keenan’s Retrieval and Reinvention of Catholic Ethics,” will bring many of Fr. Keenan’s former students—now academic theologians in the United States and abroad—back to campus to honor their professor and his body of work in the field of theological ethics.

“This Festschrift conference is a way to express our admiration for all Jim has done in the field and our gratitude for what he’s done for so many of us in the field today,” said Clough School of Theology Associate Professor Daniel J. Daly, who received a doctorate in theological ethics from BC in 2008 under the direction of Fr. Keenan and is serving as a convener of the conference along with CSTM Professor Mary Jo Iozzio, another of Fr. Keenan’s doctoral advisees.

The event will begin Friday at 4 p.m. in Gasson 100 with remarks from Daly, Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences Dean Gregory Kalscheur, S.J., and Theology Department Chair and Walsh Professor of Bioethics Andrea Vicini, S.J. Professor of Ecumenics Linda Hogan from the School of Religion at Trinity College, Dublin, will offer the keynote address, “Love’s Work: The Performative Theological Ethics of James F. Keenan.”

“The spirit of the conference goes beyond gratitude; it will look back and look forward,” said Daly. “It will look back to Jim’s work, which is ongoing. He’s as productive now as he’s ever been. It will also look forward to where the discipline is going, given his many contributions. At the conference, Jim’s work will serve as a point of departure for addressing issues that confront humanity, Christians, and Catholics today.

“There’s not one person in the world who is more deserving of this honor,” Daly added. “He’s a giant in the field.”

Fr. Keenan, who has authored more than 27 books and edited volumes and more than 225 professional essays, is considered one of the most prolific and influential Catholic ethicists living in the world today, said Daly, citing Fr. Keenan’s contributions in the areas of Aquinas, virtue ethics, and the history of Catholic moral theology. “He’s widely cited and I’d say every academic theological ethicist has read him. He has influenced academic theological ethics in many of its sub-fields, and his work will be read for decades and decades to come.”

Beyond academic circles, Fr. Keenan has written widely for lay Catholics, authoring

more than 150 essays and articles in publications such as America, National Catholic Reporter, and Commonweal

“He’s influenced how lay Catholics think about their moral lives,” said Daly. “He has a style of writing where he tells stories and he connects with people’s experience in order to teach them about the tradition. He’s not telling them what to do, but guiding their own discernment, helping them to make better decisions in light of the Catholic moral tradition.”

One of Fr. Keenan’s most notable accomplishments is his founding of the Catholic Theological Ethics in the World Church, the first and only global network of Catholic theological ethicists, said Daly.

“He has given scholars in the Global South a platform, raising up voices of people who traditionally had not been listened to. It’s been an enormous shift in the field. He has given scholars in the Global North a way to read, listen to, and meet scholars from Latin America, Africa, and Asia. It has really enriched the scholarship coming out of the Global North now that we’re reading the work of our sisters and brothers from the Global South.”

A beloved teacher and mentor, Fr. Keenan led the University’s Gabelli Presidential Scholars Program for 10 years and has directed more than 40 doctoral dissertations and scores of licentiates in sacred theology.

“His influence has filtered down in so many ways through the work of his students,” noted Daly, citing the S.T.L. degree recipients who have returned to Asia, Africa, and Latin America to teach in their seminaries as well as the recipients of the Ph.D. in theological ethics who are teaching and writing.

The conference has been funded and supported by the Institute for the Liberal Arts, Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences, Provost’s Office, Clough School of Theology and Ministry, and Theology Department.

The conference’s September 13 session is open to the public and will be available on Zoom. Registration is required for the September 14 sessions. See bit.ly/james-keenanconference-2024 for details.

Clough Ctr. to hold tribute for political expert Kay Schlozman

Retired Boston College faculty member Kay L. Schlozman, considered one of the most eminent American political scientists of her generation, will be honored at a September 20 conference sponsored by the Clough Center for the Study of Constitutional Democracy and the Political Science Department.

“On Democratic Participation: A Celebration of Kay Schlozman,” which takes place starting at 8:15 a.m. in Gasson 100, will feature three panel discussions and eight distinguished speakers, including Henry Brady (University of California–Berkeley), with whom she and Sidney Verba co-authored three books—among them the widely acclaimed Voice and Equality: Civic Voluntarism and American Politics and Gary King (Harvard University), her co-editor, along with Norman Nie, of The Future of Political Science

Other speakers will include: Jeffrey Berry (Tufts University), Traci Burch (Northwestern University), Philip Jones (University of Delaware), Jane Junn (University of Southern California), Jane Mansbridge (Harvard University Kennedy School of Government), and Shauna Shames (Rutgers University).

Schlozman, the University’s inaugural J. Joseph Moakley Professor of Political Science, joined the faculty in 1974 and retired at the end of the 2023-2024 academic year. Her research has covered broad areas of American political life, parties and elections, interest groups, voting and public opinion, political movements, money in politics, and the gender gap in citizen political activity. In addition to Voice and Equality, her co-authored books with Brady and Verba include The Unheavenly Chorus: Unequal Political Voice and the Broken Promise of American Democracy and The People’s Voice in the New Gilded Age, and she co-published Organized Interests and American Democracy with John T. Tierney. She also was the editor of Elections in America.

She has earned multiple honors from the American Political Science Association (APSA), among them the Warren E. Miller Lifetime Achievement Award for a career of intellectual accomplishment and service to the profession in the field of elections, public opinion, and voting behavior—the first

woman to be so recognized. Schlozman, Brady, and Verba shared the APSA Philip E. Converse Book Award for Voice and Equality—which also won the American Association for Public Opinion Research Book Award—and two American Association of Publishers PROSE Awards for The Unheavenly Chorus. She, Verba, and Nancy Burns received the APSA Schuck Prize for The Private Roots of Public Action: Gender, Equality, and Political Participation Schlozman was selected for fellowships and awards from many prestigious institutions, including the Kennedy School of Government, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the Bellagio Center at the Rockefeller Foundation.

“Kay Schlozman is the quintessential BC political science professor, setting a model of research productivity and classroom engagement for the whole department over many years,” said Professor of Political Science Jonathan Laurence, the Clough Center director. “She has been a benevolent force for more than a generation, always welcoming new faculty with open arms and treating undergraduates with great attention and respect.

“It’s our fortune that Kay made so many close colleagues at the highest level of the profession, since they will be coming to speak to honor her contributions to the study of American politics—something our Clough Center fellows and political science majors can enjoy and be inspired by.”

Details for “On Democratic Participation: A Celebration of Kay Schlozman” will be available at the Clough Center website, bc.edu/content/bc-web/centers/clough.html

Affinity Group Luncheon Is Sept. 18

The University’s annual Affinity Group Community Building Welcome Luncheon will be held on September 18 from noon to 1:30 p.m. in Gasson 100. Affinity Groups are volunteer, employee-managed groups that promote the interests of their respective constituencies. They bring together individuals with common interests to facilitate efforts that promote education and awareness while helping to advance

and sustain a campus culture and climate that welcomes diversity and inclusiveness.

At the luncheon, representatives from each group will talk about their achievements and upcoming events, and answer questions from those interested in joining.

More information about BC Affinity Groups is available through the Office for Institutional Diversity website, bc.edu/ diversity.

Vice Provost for Global Engagement James F. Keenan, S.J.
photo by lee pellegrini
Retired Moakley Professor of Political Science Kay L. Schlozman
photo by lee pellegrini

Faculty, Alumni Contribute to Book on Pope’s Moral Vision

Continued from page 1

The Moral Vision of Pope Francis: Expanding the US Reception of the First Jesuit Pope (Georgetown University Press), coedited by BC alumnus Conor Kelly, an associate professor at Marquette University, brings together leading U.S. Catholic theologians and theological ethicists to reflect on Pope Francis’s implicit approach to moral theology, evaluating his teachings and actions to characterize his moral vision and explain how this vision should apply to a range of contemporary issues. The book’s contributing authors, most of whom are affiliated with Boston College, also explore the Ignatian influences shaping Francis’s pontificate.

Heyer and Kelly say there is an underappreciation of Pope Francis in the U.S. driven primarily by two factors, one scholarly and the other related to content.

“In the field of Catholic moral theology and theological ethics, Pope Francis’s vision has been slower to take root because, unlike his two predecessors [Pope Benedict XVI and Pope John Paull II], Francis is less of a systematic thinker,” said Heyer. “His approach is not to offer careful maxims but to respond with pastoral urgency. So to capture his moral vision, we needed to look not only at his official teachings, but also his homilies, addresses, gestures, and mode of engaging the world Church. We needed to ‘reverse engineer’ the implications of these ample modes of witness in order to distill their implications precisely in terms of moral theology.”

Another contributing factor to the lack of reception to Francis’s message in the U.S.—both among bishops and the faithful in the pews—is that the pontiff’s words and actions are often at odds with American culture, said Heyer: “There’s deep in-

dividualism in American culture, and Pope Francis is really lifting up solidarity and a culture of encounter. Similarly, his teachings opposing throwaway culture, critiques of capitalism, and his prophetic statements about the environment are at odds with our comfort with consumerism. There is resistance because his message goes against the grain.”

In Part I of The Moral Vision of Pope Francis, the foundations of the pope’s moral vision are examined by Kelly and contributing authors Monan Professor of Theology Lisa Sowle Cahill; Canisius Professor of Theology and Vice Provost James F.

Chair of Applied Christian Ethics, addresses LGBTQ issues and morality.

The roots of The Moral Vision of Pope Francis go back to an October 2022 Boston College conference on “The Moral Theology of Pope Francis.” Funded by the Institute for the Liberal Arts and the Jesuit Institute, the conference hosted a public panel where Cahill, Fr. Keenan, Kelly, and Fr. Massingale talked about the impact of Francis’s papacy and implications for the field of ethics and moral theology, challenges, opportunities, and what the future might hold.

The second part of the conference was

“We tried to present what it would mean for U.S. Catholics, both the people of God and scholars in the ivory towers, to reshape our way of being a Church in light of Francis’s leadership and embrace a Church comfortable with ambivalence, centered on mercy and responsive listening, and focused on the poor.”

Keenan, S.J.; and BC alumni Elyse Raby of Santa Clara University, M.T. Davila of Merrimack College, and Thomas Massaro, S.J., of Fordham University.

Part II looks at the application of Francis’s moral vision across various topics. Heyer addresses migration, while her Theology Department colleague Walsh Professor Andrea Vicini, S.J., focuses on bioethics. BC alumni Daniel DiLeo of Creighton University, Laurie Johnston of Emmanuel College, Megan McCabe of Gonzaga University, and Maureen O’Connell of La Salle University examine ecological ethics, peace ethics, gender and feminism, and racism, respectively. Fordham University Professor Rev. Bryan Massingale, the James and Nancy Buckman

a private, all-day workshop where the contributing authors shared research on the impact of Pope Francis’s approach to moral theology on their particular subject area. All the participants read each other’s book chapter drafts and each was assigned a respondent. This collaborative approach, said Heyer, is what led to a very cohesive published volume. It also led the co-editors to change the title of the book from moral theology to moral vision. “The final product exceeds the scope of moral theology; there are implications for ministry, lay empowerment, for synodality.”

Across the chapters, certain signposts in Francis’s papacy and vision emerged, noted Heyer. His commitment to discernment

and to the importance of “heart over head” are evident in Francis’s teaching and shape what he has to say. Added Heyer: “My chapter on migration, for example, takes this up in detail. It’s not just about structures and policies, but ideologies and attitudes and how fear and xenophobia really shape our thinking and our action.

“Francis is attentive to unjust policies and how harmful attitudes foster social injustice across a range of issues, such as the way in which they prevent us from hearing the cry of the Earth or the cry of the poor. He’s not only looking at individual wrong action or virtue and vice, but at more structural shortcomings, which is a different approach from what Catholic theologians have seen in the past.”

Francis is comfortable with ambiguity and descending into the messy realities of life, according to Heyer. “He’s really attentive to the gap between norm and ability to embody that norm and the danger in using rules or laws as stones to throw at people’s lives. Sometimes that is disappointing to people, but it allows for a real engaging of new questions with honesty.”

The book has drawn early interest from scholars and theologians, and was the topic of a panel at the annual meeting of the Catholic Theological Society of America held over the summer. Heyer and Kelly envision professors using The Moral Vision of Pope Francis in their courses.

“We tried to present what it would mean for U.S. Catholics, both the people of God and scholars in the ivory towers, to reshape our way of being a Church in light of Francis’s leadership and embrace a Church comfortable with ambivalence, centered on mercy and responsive listening, and focused on the poor.”

Lynch School to Partner with Australian Catholic Univ.

The Lynch School of Education and Human Development has agreed to a series of research collaborations with the seven-campus Australian Catholic University (ACU), a pact forged on a trip to the Sydney-based institution last January, announced Stanton E.F. Wortham, the Charles F. Donovan, S.J., Dean of the Lynch School.

ACU is Australia’s leading Catholic institution of higher education, ranked in the top two percent of all universities worldwide.

Key areas of overlapping expertise and interest between the two institutions, according to Wortham, include sharing data and comparative studies on Catholic schools; teacher retainment tools; approaches to formative education; and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) for student-teacher interaction training.

“We’re starting with seed funding to create faculty-to-faculty research collaborations,” said Wortham, who along with Professor Deoksoon Kim represented the

Lynch School at this past winter’s session.

Additionally, the Lynch School shared MyConnects, an online student support information system developed by the school’s City Connects program, with ACU, which will consider adopting it.

Honorable David S. Nelson Professor Brian K. Smith, the Lynch School associate dean for research, is working with ACU leadership to establish the faculty collaborations.

“We’re happy to be partnering with

Australian Catholic University, located in Sydney, is ranked among the top of universities worldwide.

ACU and confident that teaming up with our faculty colleagues there will lead to research contributions that leverage the strengths of both institutions,” he said.

While in Australia, Wortham and Kim, along with a six-member BC contingent, attended the inaugural Global Researchers Advancing Catholic Education (G.R.A.C.E) Research Colloquium, a three-day convening hosted by Fremantle’s University of Notre Dame, for international and national researchers and

practitioners to explore the challenges and opportunities within Catholic education worldwide.

G.R.A.C.E. is an international, researchbased partnership between Ireland’s Mary Immaculate College, St. Mary’s in London, Boston College, the International Office of Catholic Education in Rome, and the host.

BC Roche Center for Catholic Education Executive Director Melodie Wyttenbach was joined at the conference by Andrew F. Miller, an assistant professor in the Lynch School’s Educational Leadership and Higher Education Department; John Reyes, Roche Center director of research, program evaluation, and innovation; Fr. Gilbert Ezewugu, a Lynch School research assistant; and Tara Frost, a Roche Center instructional leadership coach. Also present were two Catholic School leaders with whom the Roche Center collaborates: Daniel Roy, superintendent of the Diocese of Fall River, Mass., schools, and Patty Lansink, superintendent of the Diocese of Sioux City, Iowa, schools. Wortham and Wyttenbach delivered closing comments on the insights achieved at the colloquium, and the prospects for the future.

University Joins Coalition for Transformational Education

Continued from page 1

Provost and Dean of Faculties David Quigley has announced.

The purpose of the coalition—whose members strive to use data-informed experiments to rework their curricula, and scale the use of project-based experiences to build a sense of belonging and growth mindset for all students—directly hews to BC’s view of formative education as central to the mission of educating students who will use their gifts in the service of others, noted Quigley.

“BC’s distinctive culture of formation is foundational to and animates the University’s approach to education, particularly our goals of integrating intellectual excellence, religious commitment, and service to wider society, and of remaining faithful to our educational and religious heritage,” he said. “By joining the coalition, we link with a community of like-minded university leaders dedicated to centering student well-being and lifelong flourishing as their mission.”

According to the CTE website, “every college student should graduate with a sense of identity, belonging, agency and purpose, laying the foundation for a lifetime of well-being, fulfilling relationships, and meaningful work. To develop identity, students must be encouraged to discover who

they are, where they come from, and their place in the world. To develop agency, they must be encouraged to discover what they can do with what they learn, and to apply their knowledge to authentic problems in the world. And alongside these, to develop a sense of purpose, they must be encouraged to explore what impact they might have on the world.”

Founded in 2019 as the Coalition for Life-Transformative Education, the organization stems from the results of the 2014 Gallup-Purdue Index—the first annual measure of American college graduates’ success in their pursuit of great jobs and great lives. The index examined college experiences such as internships, extracurricular activities involvement, and connections with professors.

The then-president of Olin College, Richard K. Miller, convened a group of 20 higher education leaders in 2017 to consider Gallup’s findings, which centered on a critical factor: Alumni who reported that during their undergraduate years they encountered someone who “cared about them as a person” and who also had the opportunity to engage in applying what they learned in a real-world context had twice the national average of well-being many

years after graduating, as opposed to the impact of grades or academic distinctions.

The outcome upended the notion that success in life correlated most closely to economic success and/or academic achievement. Even more compelling, the data demonstrated that just a fraction—three percent—of college graduates reported experiencing these positive, formative influences.

In response, the coalition founders agreed that emotionally supportive mentoring and connecting classroom activities to authentic problems in real life should be priorities for colleges and universities.

CTE membership, Quigley explained, provides networking and collaboration opportunities, access to workshops, and learning communities dedicated to best practices and common goals and challenges; members also can apply for a $25,000 mini-grant to support a coalition-related project. The coalition hosts an annual conference—held this past March in Washington, D.C.—and a leaders’ meeting.

“By collaboration with other member institutions, we look forward to learning new approaches that produce meaningful improvements; we also suspect we have some insights to share that might inspire

colleagues on other campuses,” he said.

Stanton E.F. Wortham, the Charles F. Donovan, S.J., Dean of the Lynch School of Education and Human Development, will serve as BC’s liaison with the coalition.

“It’s wonderful to see how many peer universities are coming around to the idea that they should deliberately foster the holistic development of young people, including the development of a sense of purpose and commitment to a larger moral order,” said Wortham. “BC has always had this emphasis on whole person formation, and we’re excited to join with other coalition institutions moving in the same direction.”

Other CTE members are Arizona State University, Bates College, Belmont University (Nashville), Bucknell University, University of Connecticut, University of Denver, Embry-Riddle Aeronautic University (Prescott, Ariz.), University of Florida, Georgetown University, Kent State University, University of Maine, MIT, University of Miami, University of MichiganDearborn, Ohio Northern University, Olin College of Engineering (Needham, Mass.), Texas Tech, University of Southern California, University of Virginia, Wake Forest University, Washington University in St. Louis, and Wellesley College.

Nguyen Leads Diabetes Prevention/Management Program

The Connell School of Nursing has connected with a local nonprofit social services provider, a partnership that has garnered the attention—and support—of United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, the former wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

Quincy Asian Resources Inc. (QARI) is focused on improving the social, cultural, economic, and civic lives of immigrants and their families. Among many other programs, QARI has an innovative and highly successful workforce development initiative that provides pathways to employment for immigrants and services to organizations with a high immigrant workforce.

Supported by a $5 million grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Connell School Associate Professor and Strakosch Family Fellow Tam H. Nguyen is working with QARI on diabetes prevention and management among Asian American populations in Massachusetts and New York City. They envisioned expanding the program nationwide to communities with a high density of underserved immigrant populations.

The goal is to prevent or delay onset of type 2 diabetes among adults with pre-diabetes and improve self-care practices, quality of care, and early detection of complications among people with diabetes, according to Nguyen. She is implementing two evidencebased programs: Diabetes Prevention, shown to reduce the onset of diabetes by 60 percent for pre-diabetics, and Diabetes SelfManagement Education and Support, which has been successful in removing hemoglobin A1C, reducing diabetes-related complica-

tions, and increasing overall quality of life.

But these programs, Nguyen said, “have been a huge failure in implementation in Asian and minority communities, for a number of reasons, such as a lack of linguistic and cultural adaptation, and a lack of trust and relationship building.

“The great thing about working with QARI is that they are grounded in the community and have a strong sense of trust and connection with people,” she continued, noting that QARI connects immigrants to health and wellness programs directly at their workplaces.

“The first priority for new immigrants is getting food on the table, paying rent, finding a safe place to live,” said QARI COO Emily Canner. “It’s not necessarily thinking about health and wellness, yet these are things that can have a long-term and significant impact. By bringing services on-site, we are making early intervention very accessible. If you’re really strapped for time, you’re not

going to go out of your way to seek these services elsewhere. We want to make it as easy as possible for the populations we work with.”

“In order for people to do well with diabetes prevention and management, they first have to have their social needs adequately met,” explained Nguyen. “QARI is here in the community addressing the social determinants of health. They provide these wraparound social services—workforce development, ESOL and citizenship classes, connecting people to fresh fruits and vegetables and mental health services—that are really important not only for immigrants to be contributing members of society, but to have health over the lifespan.

“In the coming years, I can see more and more innovation happening in this space,” she continued. “The CDC grant is focused on Asian communities, but I think we could expand and implement the diabetes prevention and the diabetes self-management program into other minority immigrant-facing communities.”

In addition to the CDC, QARI has received financial support from the Cummings Foundation and a $1 million donation from Mackenzie Scott through Yield Giving and Lever for Change. Senator Warren helped secure more than $620,000 in congressional funding for QARI’s workforce initiative.

In June, Warren paid a visit to Kam Man Food, an Asian supermarket in Quincy that employs many immigrants who have come through QARI’s workforce development program.

Following the tour of the market, Warren led a roundtable discussion on immigration that included Nguyen, QARI President and CEO Philip Chong, Kam Man Food General Manager Wan Wu, Massachusetts State

Rep. Tackey Chan and State Sen. John Keenan, and Christopher Moore, senior director of support services at Beth Israel Deaconness Hospital-Plymouth, one of QARI’s employer partners.

Nguyen and Chong highlighted the importance of health and wellness programs embedded in the workplace. During the roundtable, Nguyen emphasized that diabetes prevention and management doesn’t happen in isolation. These behavior-change programs fall apart at the individual level, she noted, without the support of the good work being done by social service agencies.

Nguyen also advocated for the Diabetes Prevention Program to be a Medicaid reimbursable preventative service. She said most states, including Massachusetts, did not reimburse for it. “In order for things like this to help the people of Massachusetts, particularly the most vulnerable people, they have to be financially sustainable,” said Nguyen.

She also challenged local officials to think about how to make the built environment easier for people to engage in healthier behaviors, from walking, biking, and better access to fresh fruits and vegetables and grocery stores, to a sense of safety and community that for many Asians has been missing the last few years.

Nguyen and the QARI team say that QARI’s innovations and collaborations can serve as a model that could be replicated elsewhere in the state and across the country.

“This is a great initiative and collaboration,” said Chong. “We should bring this model to all Jesuit schools across the nation. Like the Jesuits, we believe in helping others. We are training immigrants and giving back to the community. With the situation with the migrants in our country, I think this is a great model.”

Connell School faculty member Tam H. Nguyen photo by caitlin cunningham

Pamela Berger: Scholar and Filmmaker, 84

Retired Professor of Art, Art History, and Film Pamela Berger, a medieval art expert who became a self-taught independent filmmaker, died on August 31. She was 84.

Dr. Berger, who joined what was then the Boston College Fine Arts Department in 1974, had a special interest in iconography and published a book, The Crescent on the Temple, which described how the Dome of the Rock came to stand for the Temple of Solomon in Christian, Jewish, and Muslim art. She also published The Goddess Obscured, which examined how the goddess of seeding and sowing was transformed into a female saint in the imaginations of peasants in the Middle Ages.

Among the medieval art history courses she taught was Mysteries and Visions, which covered such areas as the imagery of Judaism and early Christianity, the mosaics of the First Golden Ages of Byzantine Art, CelticEarly Christian Irish art, and the art of the Vikings and of Islamic Spain. Another class, Image and Imagination, focused on the symbolism and the multiplicity of meanings in works of art from Mozarabic Spain and the Romanesque and Gothic north.

In the mid-1980s, Dr. Berger took her scholarly interests in a new direction, drawing inspiration from a 13th-century Latin text that depicted the conflict between a Dominican friar named Etienne de Bourbon and a peasant woman thought by her community to have the powers of healing. She found herself drawn to the narrative and the major themes it represented, as well as its revelations of everyday life in medieval France.

“I knew I wanted to share this story with as many people as possible and suddenly thought, ‘l’ll make a movie,’” Dr. Berger recalled in a 1987 interview with Boston College Biweekly. When she told her family, she added, her husband and two teenage children “fell on the floor, laughing.”

But Dr. Berger wasn’t deterred. She did some historical research in France, wrote a 125-page script, and received National Endowment for the Arts funding to set the film in motion; she also received financial support from the French Ministry of Culture and other sources. She recruited Suzanne Schiffman, a former co-screenwriter and assistant director to Francois Truffaut, to help her refine the screenplay and direct the film. Although Dr. Berger’s role was largely that of creative consultant—providing photos and information to help ensure medieval authenticity—she was there for every scene over the eight-and-a-half weeks of shooting.

The result was “Sorceress,” which Dr. Berger told Biweekly, exemplified “the dramatic confrontation of the Middle Ages that pitted the folk culture of the peasant villagers against the official culture, particularly that of the Church.” The film had its international debut at the Toronto Film Festival in 1987, and earned Schiffman a French Academy Award (César) for best first work. Dr. Berger went in a different direction

for her second film. Looking for a story set locally, she came upon a novella by Abraham Cahan about a Jewish immigrant in early 20th-century Boston returning to his Polish homeland who selects a bridegroom for his Americanized daughter without her knowledge—a turn of events setting up a clash between old and new-world values.

Dr. Berger wrote a screenplay that drew on the works of other early 20th-century immigrant writers, particularly Anzia Yezierska, and reworked the female roles, creating stronger and more fully realized characters. Having observed her “Sorceress” colleague Schiffman at work, Dr. Berger felt she could take on the challenge of directing, and attended an American Film Institute master class to further prepare herself.

Her directorial debut, “The Imported Bridegroom,” debuted in 1989 at the Montreal Film Festival and was shown opening night at the Boston Film Festival. She later adapted the film as a musical comedy and staged it at Robsham Theater Arts Center.

“Kilian’s Chronicle: The Magic Stone,” which Dr. Berger wrote, directed, and produced, was released in 1994. The story takes place five centuries before Columbus, when the Vikings were lost in the North Atlantic. According to the Icelandic Sagas, the Norsemen sent two Irish slaves ashore to explore the land, and one of them—Kilian—stole a navigating stone from the ship so the Vikings could not find their way home. Dr. Berger’s film recounts Kilian’s adventure and his encounters with the native people of America.

Dr. Berger stayed true to her teaching and research, and was involved in some milestone campus events. She contributed to Visualizing lreland: National Identity and the Pictorial Tradition, a collection of essays that was an accompaniment to a McMullen Museum of Art exhibition and took part in another exhibition commemorating the Fine Arts Department’s 25th anniversary.

At the 1994 Faculty Day event, Dr. Berger joined a panel of faculty members who reflected on the administration of retiring University President Donald Monan, S.J. Dr. Berger retired after the 2020-2021 academic year.

A native of New Britain, Conn., Dr. Berger earned a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and a doctorate from New York University.

Dr. Berger is survived by her husband Alan, their children Noah and Laurel, and two grandchildren.

Funeral services were private.

—University Communications

Read the full obituary at: bit.ly/pamela-berger-BC-obituary

BC in the Media

A proposed amendment to Iraq’s 1959 Personal Status law could theoretically make it legal for girls as young as nine years old to get married. Asst. Prof. Marsin Alshamary (Political Science) provided insights to TIME magazine.

The work commute for Starbucks’ new CEO will be 1,000 miles via corporate jet. Carroll School of Management Coughlin Family Professor of Finance  Ran Duchin, who studies corporate governance and has researched remote CEOs, offered comments to The New York Times.

Pavel Durov, a Russian business executive, entrepreneur, and investor who is a co-founder and the chief executive officer of Telegram, was charged in France for failing to prevent illicit activity on the online communication app. Prof. Daniel Lyons (Law) discussed the case with The New York Times.

This year marks the 23rd anniversary of 9/11. Assoc. Prof. Jennifer Erickson (Political Science) weighed in with GBH News on how the conversation around national security has evolved over the years.

Seventy million Americans receive Social Security benefits, but the program is paying out more than it’s taking in. Drucker Professor Alicia Munnell, director of the Center for Retirement Research, spoke with

Jobs

The following are among the recent positions posted by the Department of Human Resources. For more information on employment opportunities at Boston College, see www.bc.edu/jobs or scan the QR code at right.

Associate Vice President, Annual & Leadership Giving

Research Assistant, TIMSS and PIRLS  Estate Planning Fellow, ILH&P

Teacher Assistant

Marketing Database Analyst Director, Finance & Operations

Program & Events Assistant, Companions Program

Assistant Director, Education, Advisory & Online Programs, Center for Corporate Citizenship

Assistant Director of Learning and Student Success, CSON

Associate Director for Research, RPCA Program Assistant, BC Prison Education Program

Assistant Director, Student Philanthropy

Grant Administration Specialist

Research Specialist, Measurement & Data Analysis, TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center

“PBS NewsHour” about possible solutions.

Prof. of the Practice Can Erbil (Economics) discussed wages, working conditions, and the impact of AI in a Q&A with WalletHub.

Flood disasters such as those that recently occurred in Vermont can have significant emotional and psychological consequences on survivors. Betty Lai, an associate professor in counseling psychology at the Lynch School of Education and Human Development, was interviewed on the issue by  The Boston Globe.

The Federal Reserve needs to steer real interest rates down to the two percent range, wrote Brian Bethune, a part-time faculty member in Economics, in an op-ed for MarketWatch. He also gave comments to The Boston Globe

Provost and Dean of Faculties  David Quigley offered advice for first-year students and those at any stage of their academic career for a U.S. News article.

Connell School of Nursing Associate Professor of the Practice and Director of Experiential Learning  Shelley K. White discussed with HealthcareDegree what students should know about nonmedical factors that affect a person’s health and well-being.

Assistant/Associate Director, Annual Giving Reunion Programs

Theater Promotions & Operations Assistant

Graduate Student Advisor

Assistant Director, Residential Life

Temporary Office Pool

Dining Management Intern

Physical Security Technician

Campus Minister for Liturgical Arts

Director, Center for Isotope Geochemistry

Associate Director, Intercultural Programming

Associate Director, Campus Ministry

Senior Information Security Engineer

Liaison Librarian for Nursing

photo by geoff why

BC Research

Researchers Study Cranberry Production in Changing Climate

What would Thanksgiving be without the crimson, tart berries that have long graced the dinner table at many Americans’ traditional harvest celebration?

We may well find out, say a pair of Boston College researchers.

Cranberries, one of only three commonly cultivated fruits native to North America and Massachusetts’s No. 1 commercial crop, face an uncertain future as the impact of global climate change alters the growing conditions that have allowed them to thrive in the Northeast for generations.

A recently published study in PLOS Climate by Earth and Environmental Sciences Professor of the Practice Tara L. Pisani Gareau, and Brian J. Gareau, a professor in the Sociology Department and the International Studies Program, found that Massachusetts cranberry farmers—despite expressing less alarm about global warming that average Americans—are nonetheless modifying their practices to adapt to changing environmental conditions, allowing their viny plants to endure. At least for now.

“Cranberry growers are adopting new ways to sand their bog, installing more efficient automatic irrigation systems, and renovating them with higher yield varieties,” said Pisani Gareau, who also serves as the director of BC’s Environmental Studies Program. “They also have available more accurate weather forecasts, which allow them to respond to seasonal extremes, but it’s unknown how long technology can stave off the forces of a changing climate.”

The investigation was supported by a grant from BC’s Research Across Departments and Schools (RADS) program, administered through the office of the Vice Provost for Research. Lijing Gao, a postdoctoral research fellow, now an assistant professor at the University of Missouri, was the paper’s second author.

According to a 2009 Global Climate Change Impact in the US Report, large portions of the Northeast are likely to become

unsuitable for growing popular varieties of apples, blueberries, and cranberries if higher emissions of heat-trapping gases ensue. Cranberries, which require a timespan during the winter when the ambient temperature falls below 45 degrees F for normal blossoming, are particularly susceptible to a warming planet.

A previously published study by the authors in 2018 found, however, that most New England cranberry growers did not consider global warming a serious threat to production, despite their inability to shift to a crop that is more adapted to a warmer

plant’s resilience, their ongoing adaptation strategies, and knowledge gleaned from a trusted source, the UMass Cranberry Station.”

A branch of the University of Massachusetts Cooperative Extension, the Cranberry Station is an East Wareham, Mass.-based research and outreach center with a mission to maintain and enhance the economic viability of the state’s cranberry industry. It informs growers about best practices, emergent technologies, and in collaboration with the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers Association, timely weather predictions. However,

climate, a practice more accessible to farmers planting annual crops.

“One might expect that cranberry growers would be even more concerned about global warming since their livelihoods depend on maintaining this unique production system that is geographically bound,” said Pisani Gareau, noting that 2022 Massachusetts cranberry sales exceeded $82 million. “We discovered that growers are experiencing the impacts of a warmer, wetter, and more extreme Northeast climate, even to point of yield loss. But they remain optimistic about the future of cranberry production in Massachusetts due to the

Tara Pisani Gareau and Brian Gareau. “While scientists widely agree on the reality of human-induced climate change,” says Gareau, “this consensus is not mirrored in public opinion, especially in agricultural social circles.”

broader context of climate change—reflects their more pressing needs and priorities, rather than the longer-term, abstract problems of climate change.”

According to the researchers, the roughly 400 New England cranberry growers operate in a coupled social and ecological production system comprised by both social components—such as fellow growers, extension agents, and conservation organizations—and natural elements such as bogs, upland habitat, weather, and water resources. This “socio-ecological network” supports truth claims about the agriculture world, creating trustworthiness among the participants.

Gareau said evidence suggests growers may unconsciously adapt to climate change in their daily practices “by observing shifts in weather patterns, responding to agricultural stressors, seeking to improve productivity and resilience, implementing risk management strategies, or relying on traditional knowledge. Growers’ decisions to adapt are dependent on their unique experiences and observations, as well as their interpretations of changing weather and climate conditions.

“The urgency for sustainable practices has prompted some growers to adopt various adaptation strategies,” he added. “However, whether cranberry growers will employ tools such as climate forecasting to reduce production risk and manage water resources remains unknown.”

the UMass Cranberry Station has been relatively quiet about climate change in its published outreach, according to the study.

“The communication of climate change science is a highly politicized issue, and can lead to polarized responses,” said Gareau, who also serves as the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences senior associate dean for faculty affairs and academic planning.

“While scientists widely agree on the reality of human-induced climate change, this consensus is not mirrored in public opinion, especially in agricultural social circles. For growers, the extension’s focus on immediate weather events—instead of the

Given that climate change is shifting all the conditions in which the cranberries thrive, making them exceedingly harder to grow, the iconic crop’s future is in question. A representative of one Bay State growers association noted in a 2020 National Geographic newsletter that New Jersey is the southern-most location where cranberries can thrive. “But by 2100, Massachusetts will have the weather of New Jersey, or somewhere father south, and then what will we do?”

PLOS Climate [journals.plos.org/climate] is a publication of the Public Library of Science, a nonprofit, open-access publisher of research in science and medicine.

On September 5, members of the Class of 2028 took part in the traditional First Flight Procession from Linden Lane to Conte Forum, where they listened to artificial intelligence expert Fei-Fei Li speak at the First Year Academic Convocation.

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Year Tradition
photos by caitlin cunningham and seho lee

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