Boston College Chronicle

SEPTEMBER 26, 2019 VOL. 27 NO. 3

PUBLISHED BY THE BOSTON COLLEGE OFFICE OF UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS

OTE Marking 40 Years Options Through Education provides ‘affirmation and reassurance’ to incoming BC students who face educational, financial challenges

BY KATHLEEN SULLIVAN STAFF WRITER

A ‘Hello’ and a High Five

Members of the Boston College Police Department and BC Cheer, along with Baldwin, came to Campion Hall on Sept. 13 for “High Five Friday,” welcoming Boston College Campus School students to the start of another school year. photo by zanna ollove

INSIDE 3 Land Battle

University opposes Newton mayor’s plan to seize 17 acres of land by eminent domain.

6 DeVoy/Robsham

The annual DeVoy Lecture and the start of Robsham Theater’s fall season are coming up in October.

8 BC Research

NSF CAREER Award will support chemist Matthias Waegele’s work on electrocatalysis.

As a first-generation student contemplating her first year at Boston College, Latifat Odetunde ’22 did not know what to expect when she arrived at the Heights. In fact, she had significant doubts that summer about whether she could succeed in such a “rigorous institution,” she recalled.

But Odetunde found the confidence she needed to flourish at BC through the Options Through Education (OTE) Transitional Summer Program. OTE students spend seven weeks on campus before the start of their freshman year and participate in activities designed to nurture their academic, social, cultural, and spiritual development. They learn about BC, get familiar with the campus and its resources, explore Boston, and take courses to earn credits toward their degree. The students also start building a community of

support with other students, faculty, staff, academic advisors, and counselors.

“OTE gave me the affirmation and reassurance that I would in fact succeed, and that they would be there to help along the way,” said Odetunde, a sociology major with a minor in African and African Diaspora Studies. “OTE provided me with a support system and a set of resources that allowed me to transition smoothly into the academic year. Through taking a math and English course that summer, I was able to get a glimpse of how a college course would run, and the expectations of a student in the classroom.

I was also able to get involved through the OTE Council and practice leadership skills that I wanted to incorporate in my college career.

“Most importantly, I was able to get a head start and connect with different people who were on campus, and network

Continued on page 4

New Endowed Prof. at CSON BC to Assess

Jesuit Mission

Researcher in chronic illness management, cancer-related

BY SEAN SMITH CHRONICLE EDITOR

symptoms joins faculty

BY KATHLEEN SULLIVAN STAFF WRITER

Mei R. Fu, an internationally respected nurse scientist whose research is focused on cancer-related symptoms and management of chronic illnesses, has been named to the Barry Family/Goldman Sachs Endowed Chair in Nursing in the Connell School of Nursing.

Fu is the inaugural holder of the chair, which was established through a gift from Boston College Trustee Steven M. Barry ’85 and family. She is the school’s second endowed professor, following Lelia Holden Carroll Endowed Professor in Nursing Ju-

Barry Family/Goldman Sachs Endowed Professor in Nursing Mei R. Fu photo by christopher huang

dith Vessey.

“The Connell School of Nursing continues to be a place where talented individuals can effect change in health care,” said

Continued on page 4

Boston College has begun a self-study of its effectiveness in fulfilling the Jesuit aspect of its educational and formational missions, covering a wide range of criteria that goes well beyond classroom and curriculum.

The self-study is part of the Jesuit Mission Priority Examen, a process initiated by the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU) that asks U.S. Jesuit colleges and universities to assess, and demonstrate, their commitment to Jesuit educational and spiritual traditions and values.

Institutions undertake a comprehensive evaluation of not only academic and student life programs and initiatives, but elements such as community outreach, service

Continued on page 3

Now, we’re really talking about the life of discipleship. How do you translate theological truths into living practices of the faith? From our perspective, Christian spirituality, at its best, is grounded in the tradition of the Church and in a community of believers.

– school of theology and ministry dean thomas stegman, s.j., page 5

Chronicle

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September 26, 2019

Around Campus

BCPD Pleased with Success of Its First ‘Youth Police Academy’ Eighteen youths from the Greater Boston area spent a week at Boston College this past summer at the first Boston College Youth Police Academy. The youth cadets were selected to participate because of their interest in law enforcement, according to the Boston College Police Department, and all costs were covered thanks to many generous sponsors.

“We had been looking at ways that we could engage with the greater Boston community,” said BCPD Lieutenant Jeffrey Postell of Patrol Operations and Community Policing. “We wanted to enable the youth who were selected to become more self-assured, caring, disciplined adults—to instill confidence and encourage.”

The program was designed with elements of a police academy and incorporated discipline, physical fitness, and drill exercises. The week’s many activities focused on teamwork, leadership, communication, confidence, and relationship-building. Cadets also took a CPR certification course and had the opportunity to learn about investigation procedures by documenting a simulated crime scene and collecting evi-

dence. Other activities included a harbor cruise with the Boston Police marine unit and training in fire prevention and alcohol education.

“Being here at BC showed me a part of myself I didn’t know,” wrote one cadet in a course evaluation. “Being here showed me that I am capable of many things and that if I find anything difficult, I can keep trying and never give up.”

The cadets received certificates in a ceremony at the end of the week—an extremely moving moment, said Postell, after witnessing their transformation during the program.

“I’ve been in law enforcement for over 20 years and I’ve been at BC for about 10 years now. Seeing those kids walk across the stage, the look on their faces, the pride and the confidence they showed—that was one of the proudest moments I have had since I’ve been here. There were very talented young men and women in that group and, frankly, they set the bar high for future academies that we will hold.”

–Christine Balquist

The Boston College Police Department’s Youth Police Academy included training sessions on campus, left, a crime scene simulation, and an outing with the Boston Police marine unit, below. photos courtesy of boston college police department

University Hosts Conference in Memory of Philosophy’s Richard Cobb-Stevens

The McMullen Museum's “Art After Dark” event earlier this month featured art activities, food, films, and music, voice, and dance performances—including by FISTS (Females Incorporating Sisterhood Through Step), above. photo by yiting chen

ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT FOR UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS

Jack Dunn SENIOR DIRECTOR FOR UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS

CONTRIBUTING STAFF

Christine Balquist Phil Gloudemans Ed Hayward Rosanne Pellegrini Kathleen Sullivan

Chronicle

PHOTOGRAPHERS

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

Patricia Delaney EDITOR

Sean Smith

Friends, former colleagues, and students of the late Professor Emeritus Richard Cobb-Stevens [in photo] gathered last weekend for a conference honoring the widely praised phenomenology scholar who taught for almost four decades in the Philosophy Department, including nine years as department chair.

Cobb-Stevens died in July of 2018 at the age of 83.

“Richard Cobb-Stevens: Phenomenology, Pragmatism, and Pedadogy—A Celebration by His Students” took place Sept. 20 and 21 with support from the Institute for the Liberal Arts, Philosophy Department, Lonergan Institute, and the Dean of the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences.

The conference began with keynote speeches by Boston University Professor of Philosophy Daniel Dahlstrom and Msgr.

Robert Sokolowski, Caldwell Professor

Lee Pellegrini Peter Julian

of Philosophy at The Catholic University of America. A daylong series of sessions featured presentations by 20 former students of Cobb-Stevens; two of the sessions were chaired by current Philosophy faculty members, Professor Patrick Byrne and Associate Professor Jeffrey Bloechl.

Cobb-Stevens was remembered as one of his department’s most influential faculty members, having directed 27 dissertations— more than anyone else in Philosophy except the late Jacques Tamaniaux—and led the teaching seminar for doctoral students for most of his tenure at Boston College. Colleagues cited his involvement in University-wide initiatives, among them chairing the University Core Committee, as indicative of his stature in the wider BC community.

—University Communications photo by lee pellegrini

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.

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Chronicle

September 26, 2019

University to Oppose Taking of Land by Eminent Domain Boston College will take legal action to oppose Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller’s plan to seize by eminent domain 17 acres of land the University purchased in 2016 at 300 Hammond Pond Parkway in Newton.

At a meeting of the Webster Woods Advisory Panel on Sept. 18, Fuller announced that she was taking the aggressive action “to protect forest land and the habitat it provides for mammals, amphibians and insects.”

The University acquired a 24-acre parcel from Congregation Mishkan Tefila for $20 million in 2016, including the 17 acres commonly known as Webster

3

Snapshot

Solemn Remembrance

PHOTO BY PETER JULIAN

Woods. The City of Newton did not attempt to buy the land when it was for sale.

Since then, Boston College has invested more than $5 million to refurbish the former Congregation building, and more than $1.5 million to repair a city sewer line. To date, the University has not proposed any development plans for the 17-acre parcel.

Associate Vice President for University Communications Jack Dunn said that the University would oppose the Mayor’s plan “to the fullest extent possible using all legal avenues.”

—University Communications

“‘Ever to Excel’ is a very useful point of reference to have as we go through the Examen.”

–Ryan Heffernan

Tributes were left at the Boston College Memorial Labyrinth on Sept. 11 for the 22 Boston College alumni who were killed in the 9/11 attacks 18 years ago. For more about the labyrinth and the alumni whose memories it honors, see www.bc.edu/sites/labyrinth.html.

Jesuit Examen Will Include Former UN Representative Self-Study and Peer Visit Continued from page 1

to the Catholic Church, and institutional policies in hiring and compensation.

Another key component of the Examen is a campus visit by a committee of peers from other Jesuit colleges and universities, who meet with key stakeholder groups— faculty, administrators, staff, students, and Jesuits—to review components of the selfstudy. The peer committee’s subsequent report serves as a basis for conversations between the institution’s president, the Jesuit Provincial, and the Jesuit Superior General on the college or university’s future plans.

Special Assistant to the President Robert Newton, who along with Campus Ministry Associate Director Ryan Heffernan is chairing the University’s participation in the Examen, compared it to the reaccreditation BC undergoes through the New England Association of Schools and Colleges’ Commission on Institutions of Higher Education.

“In both cases, the process involves a self-study that engages the major constituencies of the University community, and a site visit by peers whose report is a significant point of reference for BC’s progress,” said Newton, who also has spearheaded the University’s reaccreditation efforts.

“The Examen, however, is a validation rather than a reaccreditation. The AJCU asks, ‘Do you want to remain a Jesuit institution? If so, how do you express the characteristics that are part of being a Jesuit institution? And how might you improve on this?’ Ultimately, the AJCU wants us to come up with some recommendations for the next five years that address those questions.

“These kinds of broad institutional assessments are an opportunity for Boston College to reflect on our strengths and areas of distinctiveness, but also where we

might focus our resources and attention to achieve our objectives as a university dedicated to Jesuit ideals.”

In the coming weeks, Newton and Heffernan will meet with academic, administrative, undergraduate, graduate student, and alumni representatives, and a group of BC trustees, to hear their views on the selfstudy draft document that outlines BC’s Jesuit characteristics. Among other subjects, its sections describe how the University’s mission statement depicts its Catholic and Jesuit inspiration; how the Core Curriculum provides an understanding of what it means to be Catholic and Jesuit; what programs, initiatives, and campus events give witness to BC’s Catholic, Jesuit nature; and the opportunities and challenges in maintaining and promoting a Catholic, Jesuit campus culture.

The draft document will be revised following this round of discussions in advance of the peer committee’s visit to campus in March.

Heffernan noted that the University’s 2017 “Ever to Excel” strategic plan provides the backdrop for the Examen, addressing many of the critical issues and questions tied to evaluating BC’s Jesuit character.

“BC has in place a vision for its future as a Catholic, Jesuit university, and a number of specific strategies to guide it,” he said. “‘Ever to Excel’ is a very useful point of reference to have as we go through the Examen.”

Newton said that once the Examen selfstudy document is completed—following the consultations with BC groups, and before the peer committee visit and discussions with the Provincial and Superior General—it will be made accessible to the University community.

to Speak at BC on Oct. 2

The Clough Colloquium will host a conversation with former U.S. National Security Advisor and United Nations Representative Susan E. Rice, an important figure in American foreign policy of the 1990s and 21st century, on Oct. 2 at 4 p.m. in the Corcoran Commons Heights Room. The event is sponsored by the Boston College Winston Center for Leadership and Ethics.

Rice served under President Barack Obama as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations from 2009-13, the first African American woman to hold that position.

She worked on global issues of security, human rights, and prosperity while striving to build an effective basis of cooperation amid dramatically shifting international developments, such as the Libyan civil war.

During Obama’s second term, Rice took on the role as national security advisor, leading the National Security Council staff of approximately 400 defense, diplomatic, intelligence, and development experts. She provided the president with daily national security briefings and coordinated the formulation and implementation of the Obama administration’s foreign and national security policy. Among many issues she addressed as advisor, Rice cited growing concerns over Chinese cyberattacks in a 2015 speech, calling these “a critical factor in determining the future trajectory of U.S.-China ties.”

Rice also served in the Clinton administration as a member of the National Security Council, director for international organizations and peacekeeping, and special assistant to the president and senior director for African affairs.

She is currently a Distinguished Visiting

Susan E. Rice served as U.S. national security advisor and ambassador to the United Nations, the first African American woman to hold the latter distinction.

Research Fellow at the American University School of International Service; a nonresident Senior Fellow at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government; and a contributing op-ed writer for The New York Times.

No registration is required to attend the colloquium. Doors open at 3:30 p.m., and seating is based on a first come-first serve basis. For more information, contact the Winston Center at winston.center@bc.edu or ext. 2-9296.

–University Communications

Chronicle

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September 26, 2019

OTE Celebrates Four Decades Continued from page 1

with different campus offices.

“Once my freshman year started,” Odetunde continued, “I was confident in my abilities as a student, and that confidence helped me excel academically my first year. Socially, I also had a smooth transition since I was surrounded by my friends from OTE who I am still close to today.”

Every year, a select group of incoming Boston College students like Odetunde who have demonstrated potential and leadership in spite of challenging educational and financial circumstances are chosen for OTE, sponsored by the Thea Bowman AHANA and Intercultural Center (BAIC). OTE, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, also has a proven record of success in seeing that these same students stay at BC and go on to graduate.

“OTE is an exceptional program in that it offers the opportunity for underrepresented students from all walks of life to receive a Jesuit education at Boston College,” said BAIC Director Michael Davidson, S.J. “We encourage all of our OTE scholars to claim the University as their own, to let their voices be heard, to demonstrate love and compassion for others, and most importantly, to trust in God.” “In addition to the seriousness of going to class and learning, there is network building,” said BAIC Senior Assistant Director Joana Maynard. “Getting to know the campus before they’re here with 14,000 other students is a significant part of OTE. There are certain offices that are key to the success of BC students, and our students are able to go see physically where these offices are and make good connections with staff.”

Maynard added that the OTE students

Katty Pena ‘91 talks with her sisters, Tania Rauth ‘97, left, and Sonia Vazquez ‘97, during the Options Through Education 40th anniversary celebration last summer. photo by christopher huang

also connect with each other, as well as with faculty, and older students taking summer classes or working on campus.

“When you put it all together, it’s all those pieces that make this intricate puzzle that sustains them and can lead to opportunities for growth over a period of time,” she said.

“Coming from Oregon to Massachusetts was a drastic change,” said Kudzai Kapurura ’23, a Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences student who participated in OTE this past summer. “I missed my family, and I was facing culture shock. I was taking intense classes, as well as facing my own internal issues and struggles. Through the generous support of my peers as well as their counseling and advice, I was able to not only perform well, but stay motivated and gain confidence. I surprised myself with my performance. I was able to realize that opening up to others when I was in a place of need was extremely beneficial.

OTE taught me that I am resilient, I am strong, and that a supportive community can help me bring out these positive traits.”

OTE was established in 1979 during Donald Brown’s tenure as director of what was then called the Office of AHANA Student Programs. Students are chosen for the program by the Office of Undergraduate Admission and the BAIC based on criteria including accomplishments, determination, leadership, talents, and potential.

“We take the selection of, care for, and retention of OTE scholars seriously. Our aim is to produce lifelong learners who will make a difference in the world,” said Fr. Davidson.

Maynard, who coordinated OTE for more than 20 years and has worked in the BAIC for more than 30 years, has seen the evolution and the accomplishments of the program first hand. She said OTE’s four decades of success are a credit to the BAIC staff and the OTE students themselves.

“The staff is really committed to the goals and vision of OTE,” said Maynard.

“We offer comprehensive mentoring and support, and work with campus partnerships to give the students what they need to succeed. We’ve adapted to the times without compromising the integrity of the program.

“The young people that come to Boston College have a dream, they have a vision for their life,” Maynard continued. “The students we have invited into OTE have demonstrated leadership and resilience.

They’ve started programs or started businesses. They are invested in doing better, not just for themselves and their families, but for their communities.

“Getting to know them [OTE students] over their four years is a privilege.”

This past summer, alumni who participated in OTE returned to campus for a barbecue to celebrate the program’s 40th anniversary and meet the 41 members of the 2019 OTE class.

“OTE was a life-changing experience for me,” recalled Ariel Belgrave ’11. “As a first-generation student, OTE helped me make a smooth transition from high school to college. The program and amazing staff created a sense of belonging from the very start. They offered me the opportunity to not only be a part of a strong community of students who had a similar background, but also gave me access to the BC staff who were committed to investing in students like me. I started the academic year with a strong support system and confidence in my ability to succeed. I was also able to take all of my academic and social learnings from the program, and apply them to the rest of my four years at Boston College.”

Maynard says OTE alumni are always willing to share their perspective, insights, and wisdom with current OTE students.

Their approach, summarized Maynard, is “we didn’t go through it together, but we’re connected.”

Fu Is Inaugural Barry Family/Goldman Sachs Professor Continued from page 1

CSON Dean and Professor Susan Gennaro. “It’s in this spirit that we’re excited to welcome distinguished nurse researcher Mei R. Fu, PhD, RN, FAAN, as the Barry Family/Goldman Sachs Endowed Professor in Nursing. We’re grateful to now have two endowed professorships at the Connell School of Nursing, and it’s because of this generous support that we’re able to attract world-class faculty like Dr. Fu, furthering our mission of educating compassionate nurse leaders who use their knowledge in service of others.”

“BC’s vision, and especially the Connell School of Nursing’s—to relieve human suffering and to care for others—is really consistent with my own personal values,” said Fu. “I really like the collegial spirit and I see a lot of opportunities to collaborate with other colleagues at BC. “As an endowed professor, I will not only be able to expand my research horizons, but also mentor students and junior faculty. Throughout my career, a lot of senior faculty helped me and I want to be able to give back to the profession.”

“As an endowed professor, I will not only be able to expand my research horizons, but also mentor students and junior faculty. Throughout my career, a lot of senior faculty helped me and I want to be able to give back to the profession.”

–Mei Fu photo by christopher huang

Fu’s research centers on lymphedema, a swelling of the extremities caused by abnormal lymph fluid accumulation—a chronic and painful condition that can result from cancer treatment, commonly found in women after breast cancer surgery and radiation. Lymphedema has no treatment or cure.

“Because the lymphatic system is the first line of defense in our immune system, lymphedema can leave patients compromised and susceptible to infections and secondary cancers. So, not only is lymphedema a quality-of-life issue, it can endanger patients’ long-term health.”

Fu’s research incorporates qualitative

and quantitative research methods, genomic and biomarker approaches, and cutting-edge technology as well as innovative behavioral interventions. She has received funding from the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, Oncology Nursing Society, Avon Foundation, and Pfizer, among other organizations.

She is a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and the New York Academy of Medicine, as well as a senior fellow of geriatrics at the Hartford Institute of Geriatrics.

After obtaining bachelor’s and master’s degrees in China, Fu earned a bachelor of science in nursing, a master of science, and

doctorate in nursing science, all from the University of Missouri-Columbia. She has taught at Rutgers University’s College of Nursing and New York University’s Rory Meyers College of Nursing, where she currently holds a courtesy appointment as a professor.

Fu has published more than 100 journal articles and book chapters. She is a recipient of a Best Article Award from the Oncology Nursing Society, an Outstanding Journal Article Award from the North American Nursing Diagnosis Association, and a Young Investigator Award from the International Lymphology Association.

A member of the Sigma Theta Tau International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame, Fu was named 2003 Eminent Scientist of the Year by the International Research Promotion Council. She has been honored by the Chinese American Nurses Association for outstanding academic achievement and by the University of Missouri-Columbia for her lifetime contribution to nursing and health care.

Chronicle

September 26, 2019

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STM Launching Spirituality Studies Program

BY KATHLEEN SULLIVAN STAFF WRITER

This year’s School of Theology and Ministry Dean’s Colloquium, to be held on Oct. 1 in Cadigan Alumni Center, will mark the launch of the Spirituality Studies program, a new comprehensive initiative from STM. The program will explore the richness of the Christian spiritual tradition, its historical and contemporary texts, practices, figures, and movements, drawing from existing faculty strengths in Bible studies, systematics, church history, practical theology, ethics, and the Jesuit tradition.

“Spirituality Studies focuses on the religious experience of faith and spiritual practices,” said STM Professor of the Practice of Theology Colleen Griffith, faculty director of Spirituality Studies.

“This is doing theology the way that is appropriate to the School of Theology and Ministry,” said STM Dean Thomas D. Stegman, S.J., who praised Griffith’s leadership in shepherding the program’s development over the course of more than two years. “We teach theology in a special way.

We take the next step, which is to ask the ‘so what?’ question. What does this mean for people going into ministry? What does this mean for the people who will receive the ministry from our graduates?

“Now, we’re really talking about the life of discipleship. How do you translate

Colleen Griffith is faculty director of the School of Theology and Ministry’s new Spirituality Studies program. photo by lee pellegrini

theological truths into living practices of the faith? From our perspective, Christian spirituality, at its best, is grounded in the tradition of the Church and in a community of believers.”

The core faculty members for Spirituality Studies, in addition to Griffith, are André Brouillette, S.J., Francine Cardman, Barton Geger, S.J., Angela Kim Harkins, Catherine Mooney, and Michael Simone, S.J., from STM and Andrew Prevot and Brian Robinette from the Theology Department.

“Since [STM] is committed to rigorous

of individuals and Christian faith communities.

Another summer offering is an Intensive on the 19th Annotation, a one-week program for spiritual directors on facilitating for others the Spiritual Exercises in Daily Life, also known as the 19th Annotation retreat.

STM Professor Thomas Groome will deliver the keynote address at the Dean’s Colloquium, which will touch on the topic of his new book, Faith for the Heart: A Catholic Spirituality. The event begins at 6 p.m. Following Groome’s talk, there will be a reception where members of the Spirituality Studies faculty will be available to talk informally with people interested in learning more about the program’s offerings.

There has been a hunger for information and education in spirituality and spiritual traditions, said Griffith, who credits the “tremendous vision and energy” of Fr. Stegman. “Hats off to Tom Stegman. He’s had a passion for this initiative. He’s a scholar who’s always had keen pastoral instinct. He’s picked up the pulse of what’s happening in the Church and in the world and the need for this.”

The application process for Spirituality Studies is now open and courses will be offered beginning in the 2020 spring semester.

Information about the program is available at the STM website, www.bc.edu/stm.

Law’s Plater Receives Award for Environmental Leadership

Books by BC’s Matson and Former Student Are Selected as ‘Must Reads’ Ultraviolet, Professor of English Suzanne Matson’s fourth and most recent novel, which chronicles the disappointments and dilemmas of the women of one family across 80 years, was selected by the Massachusetts Center for the Book as a 2018 “Must Reads” fiction title.

Contemporaneously, Areas of Fog, a debut non-fiction book by Matson’s former student Will Dowd ’06, was named a 2017 “Must Reads.” The authors were recognized at a Sept. 17 Massachusetts Book Awards State House ceremony acknowledging significant works of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and children’s/young adult literature published by Commonwealth residents during the past two years.

“It was an honor to have Ultraviolet listed as a ‘Must Read’ by the Massachusetts Book Awards,” said Matson. “The news came as a happy surprise. Even more happily, I was so pleased to see Will’s name listed for his debut volume of essays; it doubled the pleasure to have our books

academic inquiry and pastoral excellence,” said Griffith, “we asked ourselves how we might offer programs in spirituality studies that would contribute to the scholarship or academic study and to the pastoral life of the Church, and to people in the world who are interested in spirituality?”

For the students who will go on to pursue the academic study of spirituality as scholars, writers, and teachers, a Spirituality Studies concentration option has been added to STM’s advanced degree programs, such as the master of theology, licentiate in sacred theology, and doctorate in sacred theology.

For practitioners in pastoral ministry, religious education, nursing, caregiving, social work, or faith-based service, there are 18-credit certificate programs in three specializations: Christian Spirituality, Ignatian Spirituality, and Spiritual and Pastoral Care.

The program will also offer a postmaster’s certificate in spiritual formation, a course of study that focuses on the themes of prayer and discernment, the art of spiritual direction, and working within faith communities, and is designed to be completed over three summers. The certificate is geared for people involved in high school or college ministry, teaching, spiritual direction, parish ministry, or nonprofit work who are seeking to strengthen their ability to transform the spiritual lives

Professor of English Suzanne Matson at the Massachusetts Book Awards ceremony, held last week at the State House.

recognized together.”

Said Dowd: “I’m thrilled that Areas of Fog has been recognized by the Massachusetts Book Awards. It’s a wonderful vote of confidence and a tremendous honor, not least because it places me in the company of Professor Matson, who has been a writing mentor ever since my freshman year at BC.” The award titles are added to Special Collections at the State Library of Massachusetts and promoted throughout the Commonwealth.

–Phil Gloudemans

Boston College Law School Professor Zygmunt Plater has received the American Bar Association SEER Award for Excellence in Environmental, Energy, and Resources Stewardship, in recognition of his accomplishments and demonstrated leadership in the environment, energy, and natural resources legal area.

Plater teaches and researches in the areas of environmental, property, land use, and administrative agency law. During the past 30 years, he has been involved with a number of issues of environmental protection and land use regulation, including service as petitioner and lead counsel in the extended endangered species litigation over the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Tellico Dam, representing the endangered snail darter, farmers, Cherokee Indians, and environmentalists in the Supreme Court of the United States, federal agencies, and congressional hearings.

His book The Snail Darter and the Dam: How Pork-Barrel Politics Endangered a Little Fish and Killed a River—which relates the hidden story behind one of the nation’s most significant environmental law battles—is being made into a documentary film series.

Plater chaired the State of Alaska Oil Spill Commission’s Legal Task Force on the wreck of the M/V Exxon-Valdez, and was a consultant to plaintiffs in the Wo-

Prof. Zygmunt Plater (Law)

burn toxic litigation, Anderson et al. v. W.R. Grace et al., the subject of the book A Civil Action and its subsequent film adaptation.

He also researched and consulted on responses to the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Plater received the award at the 27th SEER Fall Conference in Boston, held Sept. 11-14.

–Boston College Law School

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September 26, 2019

Multi-Talented Artist to Give Oct. 1 DeVoy Lecture Acclaimed playwright, performer, recording artist, and director Daniel Alexander Jones will present a lecture on Oct. 1 as part of the University’s Matthew R. DeVoy and John H. DeVoy IV Perspectives on Theatre Series. The free, public event will be held at 6 p.m. in the Robsham Theater Arts Center.

Lauded as “a true theatrical original” by Backstage Magazine, Jones also was praised

by American Theatre Magazine as an artist whose work will “change American stages for decades to come,” and by the Public Theater as “a boundary breaking visionary.”

Jones’ lecture will focus on challenging the conventional “rules” of theater. He will address the process for his experimental projects, and the value of having a diverse array of artistic mentors, particularly women and people of color. The lecture will be followed by a Q&A session with the artist.

Jones was named a 2016 United States Artist Fellow, given to artists who have “significantly contributed to the creative landscape and arts ecosystem of the country.”

His many other grants and awards include

Daniel Alexander Jones is a playwright, performer, recording artist, and director.

the Doris Duke Award honoring artists who have “demonstrated artistic vitality in their work and a deep commitment to their field,” and the Art Matters Grant, which provides fellowships to individual artists working with social issues and experimenting in form.

His critically praised original work,

“Black Light”—which features his performance “alter ego” Jomama Jones—is part of American Repertory Theater’s 2019-20 season, with performances running until this Sunday at Oberon in Cambridge, Mass. “Black Light” is described as “a spiritual revival for turbulent times. Jomama Jones invites us to the Crossroads to contemplate what we must choose at this moment in our own lives, in our civic relationships, in our country, and our world.”

New York Magazine wrote that “Jomama [moves us] to go from ‘Black Light’ back out into daylight with our senses somehow both sharpened and softened: more able to hear others [and] more able to see ourselves.”

Interviewed by Rolling Stone, Jones described Jomama as “an energy that I channel.” Speaking with Minnesota Public Radio, Jones said Jomama appeared to him as a fully formed being, arriving in a way “that was very different from the other kind of characters that I’ve performed or written…[an] energy that was very big, extremely clear, and distinct from me.”

His other original performance works include “Phantasmatron,” “Hera Bright,” “The Book of Daniel,” “Bel Canto,” “Earthbirths,” “Clayangels,” “Duat,” “An Integrator’s Manual,” and “Bright Now Beyond.” He is a former core writer of the Playwrights’ Center and was a resident playwright with New Dramatists. Jones has written essays and conducted artist interviews for HowlRound Theatre Commons, and is working on a book of creative nonfiction titled WAVES (A Manual for Bearing Light), which chronicles his journey through a “series of powerful lessons learned from pivotal mentors, places, and moments in time.”

As an associate professor of theater at Fordham University, Jones teaches playwriting, solo performance, and theater history.

The DeVoy Perspectives on Theatre Series, made possible by a gift from the DeVoy family, annually brings professionals and creative forces in theater and the performing arts to Boston College to share their experience and vision.

–University Communications

Robsham Fall Slate Begins Lynch School Faculty Member Wargo Honored with ‘Murder on the Nile’ for Literacies Research Lynch School of Education and Human Development Assistant Professor Jon Wargo was selected as one of two recipients of the 2020 Divergent Award for Excellence in 21st Century Literacies Research.

The award was established by the Initiative for 21st Century Literacies Research in 2016 to recognize contributions by educators and scholars who have dedicated their careers to the theoretical and practical study of 21st-century literacies. Wargo will be honored during “Research Week” of the 21st Century Literacies Lecture Series next February at Oklahoma State UniversityStillwater.

Announcing the award, Shelbie Witte, founding director of the Initiative for 21st Century Literacies Research, said Wargo was chosen for the award for his “innovation in research” and “dedication to both theoretical and practical study of literacies in the 21st century.”

Wargo, who teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in digital literacies, qualitative research methods, and arts-based inquiry, studies how historically marginalized children and youth use literacy and technology to design more just social futures. He has published his findings in the Journal of Literacy Research, Voices from the Middle, Qualitative Inquiry, New Media & Society, Learning, Media & Technology, and Language Arts.

A former Denver Public Schools teacher, he earned a bachelor of arts degree in English and gender studies from Indiana

Asst. Prof. Jon Wargo photo by lee pellegrini

University-Bloomington, and a doctorate in curriculum, instruction, and teacher education from Michigan State University.

Established by teachers and educators, the Initiative for 21st Century Literacies Research [www.initiativefor21research.org] focuses the interest and expertise related to 21st-century literacies at a time when school reform efforts recognize literacies as a common thread in successful personal, civic, and economic life.

–Phil Gloudemans

“Watching ‘Murder on the Nile’ is a bit like taking part in one of those murder mystery parties,” Theatermania said of renowned crime writer Agatha Christie’s play, which launches the Theatre Department and Robsham Theater Arts Center fall season. “This is an engaging, surprising, delightfully absurd evening of entertainment.”

The campus production of “Murder on the Nile”—which is based on Christie’s 1937 novel Death on the Nile—runs Oct. 10–13 on the Robsham Theater main stage, directed

by Associate Professor of Theatre John Houchin.

Kay Ridgeway, the play’s protagonist, has led a charmed life. Blessed with beauty, enormous wealth, and a new husband, she embarks on a honeymoon voyage down the Nile. Fatal circumstances await when the idyllic surroundings are shattered by a shocking and brutal murder.

The tension and claustrophobia builds, as a shocking and audacious conspiracy is laid bare.

The Theatre/Robsham season takes a comedic turn with the main stage production, “Noises Off,” Nov. 21-24. Written

by English playwright Michael Frayn and directed by Associate Professor of the Practice of Theatre Luke Jorgensen, it has been called “the funniest farce ever written.”

“Noises Off” follows a manic menagerie of itinerant actors rehearsing a flop called “Nothing’s On.” Slamming doors, intrigue both on and off stage, and an errant herring all figure into the plot of this hilarious, classically comic play, organizers note.

From Nov. 14-16, the Boston College Dramatics Society will stage “Pippin” in the Bonn Studio Theater at Robsham. The musical tells the story of a young royal who wants to find passion and adventure in life. Pippin struggles with the decision of whether to settle down and pursue a peaceful life or continue to make magic with a dazzling troupe of performers. With music and lyrics

by Stephen Schwartz and book by Roger O. Hinson, the BC production team includes seniors Meg Ellis (director), Conor Ancharski (music director), Bella Gervasini (choreography), and Anabel Johnson (stage manager).

Ticket prices (which include a service fee) for main stage productions are $17 for adults; $12 for students with a valid ID; $12 for BC faculty and staff members (one ticket per ID); and $12 for senior citizens.

Bonn Studio productions are general admission; tickets are $12.

For more information, including performance times and production teams, see www.bc.edu/offices/robsham/tickets.

–University Communications

Chronicle

September 26, 2019

WELCOME ADDITIONS

BC in the Media

An Introduction to New Faculty at Boston College Angela Boatman

Associate Professor of Educational Leadership & Higher Education, Lynch School of Education and Human Development DEGREES: University of Minnesota (BA); University of Michigan (MA, MPP); Harvard University (EdD) WHAT SHE STUDIES: Evaluation of college access policies, particularly in the areas of postsecondary remediation and financial aid.

WHAT SHE’S TEACHING: Organization and Administration of Higher Education

There is increased attention to the availability and effectiveness of resources that make higher education accessible for first-generation and under-represented high school students. What do you see as the key barriers students face when it comes to degree completion?

“I categorize the barriers to college entry and success in three ways: financial, academic, and informational. Many students cite finances as the primary obstacle to enrolling in or staying in college. These can be actual tuition costs, but also transportation, books, fees, child care, and the opportunity costs of not working to attending classes.

Academically, nearly half of all U.S. firstyear college students will take a remedial or developmental course designed to address incoming gaps in content knowledge, typically in the areas of math and English.

However, research suggests these courses, in their traditional format, have null to negative effects on students’ subsequent academic success. And we know that information is critically important: Students need timely and accurate academic advising, reminders of important deadlines, and help navigating a complex, often confusing organizational structure.”

Masha Krupenkin

Assistant Professor of Political Science, Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences DEGREES: Princeton University (AB); Stanford University (PhD) WHAT SHE STUDIES: Partisans’ preferences about government, race, and the media; relationship between political polarization and citizen cooperation with the government.

WHAT SHE’S TEACHING: Racial and Ethnic Politics; Media and Politics; Introduction to Data Science.

Your research utilizes data to examine the behavioral consequences of partisan polarization, even in areas like health and medical care. In general, how much of a hold does partisanship have on Americans?

“Partisanship has always had a strong grasp on Americans’ political behaviors, such as presidential approval. However, as polarization increases, we have begun to see significant effects on non-political behaviors as well. For example, we now know that Americans are much more likely to prefer socializing with members of their own party.

This has ramifications for a wide variety of political behaviors, including employment and marriage. My work focuses on the way in which the party of the president influences partisans’ behaviors. As we move forward, we’ve started to see the effects of political partisanship in more and more domains—

7

specifically, partisans tend to view the federal government very differently depending on which party holds the presidency, and this tends to trickle down into their non-political behaviors.”

Rachel Spooner

Associate Professor of the Practice in Business Law, Carroll School of Management DEGREES: Duke University (BA); Georgetown University Law Center (JD) WHAT SHE STUDIES: Pedagogy, especially in the areas of law and ethics; the Supreme Court; current issues in law and ethics.

WHAT SHE TEACHES: Introduction to Law; Portico; Securities Regulation.

You’ve had extensive experience as a trial attorney, working on commercial, securities, and bankruptcy litigation, as well as doing extensive pro bono work for prisoners, indigent criminal defendants, and on a death penalty case. How has this influenced your teaching?

“Teaching business law and ethics is not that different from being a litigator. One must engage a group of curious but dubious people, set out complex information in a way that is easily understood, and convince your judge, jury—or students—to agree with you.

The joy of teaching undergraduate students is seeing them learn to love learning. My goal is always to create lifelong learners who are curious about the world, care about social justice, and are prepared to engage in meaningful discourse on tough issues.”

Oliver Wunsch

Assistant Professor of Art History, Morrissey College of Arts and Science DEGREES: Haverford College (BA); Williams College (MA); Harvard University (PhD).

WHAT HE STUDIES: 18th- and 19th-century European and American art; history of artists’ materials and techniques.

WHAT HE’S TEACHING: Nineteenth Century Art; Art: Renaissance to Modern Times

In what ways does your background as a painter and printmaker inform your research on the history of artistic techniques?

“Much of art history focuses on style and subject matter, but my studio background pushed me to think about how meaning gets made through materials. The book I’m working on now [Painting against Time: The Decaying Image in the French Enlightenment] is a good example. It focuses on a group of 18th-century artists who began experimenting with physically unstable materials and techniques, making oil paintings that cracked or pastel portraits that were incredibly fragile. These objects can be a nightmare for conservators, but they also raise a historical question: Why would artists make objects with so little promise of enduring? That’s what the book sets out to answer, using materials and techniques as a way to explore bigger questions about time and futurity.”

–Phil Gloudemans, Ed Hayward, Rosanne Pellegrini, Sean Smith

photos by lee pellegrini and peter julian

Prof. Ann Wolbert Burgess (CSON), whose groundbreaking collaboration with the FBI on the criminal profiling of serial killers was the inspiration for a main character on the Netflix hit “Mindhunter,” spoke with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette about what the crime thriller series gets right.

in The New York Times.

Martha Bayles, a senior lecturer in the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences, wrote a piece for The Atlantic on Beijing’s move to co-opt the American film industry as it seeks to penetrate the world’s largest market.

Should parents bring children to the workplace? Center for Work and Family Executive Director Brad Harrington offered comments to the Associated Press.

Prof. Peter Skerry (Political Science) ex-

plored contemporary populism and its historical antecedents in a two-part perspective piece for The American Interest.

When savings run short, some retirees turn to freelancing to help fill the gap. Asst.

Prof. Cal Halvorsen (BCSSW), who studies later-life self-employment and entrepreneurship, spoke about the topic for a piece

Nota Bene Darald and Juliet Libby Professor Cathleen Kaveny led a panel discussion on the Great Recession, featuring perspectives from Wall Street, consumer protection, and the legislative sector, at the John W. Kluge Center at the Library of Congress on Sept. 17. Joining her on the panel was former Boston College Trustees Chair and current Trustee Associate Geoffrey T. Boisi ’69, P’11, chair and CEO of Roundtable Investment Partners LLC. Kaveny, who has joint appointments in BC’s Theology Department and Law School, is serving as the 2018-19 Cary and Ann Maguire Chair in Ethics and American History at the Kluge Center. Boisi is founding sponsor of the University’s Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life, a co-founder and chair emeritus of the BC Wall Street Council, and co-chaired the Ever to Excel capital campaign for Boston College.

Three Boston College faculty members have been selected for a Public Policy Research Award from the American Lung Association: BC School of Social Work Associate Professor Summer Sherburne Hawkins, Professor and Chair of Economics Christopher Baum, and Professor of Biology Philip Landrigan, director of BC’s Global Public Health and the Common Good program. The twoyear $100,000 grant will fund a study of the impact of tobacco control and air quality policies on disparities in prenatal smoking and birth outcomes by using data on more than 40 million mothers and infants.

Medicare for All, once a fringe issue, is now at the center of national discourse.

Prof. of the Practice Mary Ann Chirba (Law), the John C. Ford, S.J., Distinguished Scholar, was interviewed on the subject by the Boston Globe.

Prof. Robert Bloom (Law) discussed the

clash over prosecution of protestors at Boston’s Straight Pride parade in an interview with Bloomberg Baystate Radio.

Savers, particularly those near retirement age, are not getting enough return from their accounts or fixed investments. Drucker Professor Alicia Munnell, director of the Center for Retirement Research, weighed in on the issue for The New York Times.

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: Research Associate, Academic Affairs/Provost Director, Event Management, Dining and Catering/Auxiliary/Public Safety Resident Director, Student Affairs/Residential Life Senior Integrated Security System Technician, Dining and Catering/Auxiliary/ Public Safety Assistant Director, Financial Aid, Academic Affairs Development Assistant, University Advancement Communications Specialist, Center for Retirement Research, Academic Affairs/ Provost Senior Research Consultant, Information Technology Engineering Projects Manager, Facilities/ Trades Systems Manager, Academic Affairs/Provost Assistant Manager, Dining Services, Dining and Catering/Auxiliary/Public Safety Intern, Business Administration, Athletics Fiscal Administrator, Facilities/Trades Graduate Programs Assistant, Academic Affairs/Provost Report Writer, University Advancement Tenure-Track Professor of Information Systems, Academic Affairs/Provost Insurance Specialist, Risk Management, Financial/Budget

Chronicle

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September 26, 2019

BC Research

Recycling Carbon Dioxide

NSF award supports Waegele’s research on routes to cleaner energy sources

BY ED HAYWARD STAFF WRITER

Assistant Professor of Chemistry Matthias Waegele, whose research explores potential routes to cleaner energy sources, has received a CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation that will provide $675,000 in research funding during the next five years.

The NSF’s Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program supports early-career faculty who “have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in the mission of their department or organization,” according to the foundation. The program is intended to prepare faculty to be leaders who integrate teaching and research.

“I feel very fortunate to receive this CAREER award from the National Science Foundation,” said Waegele. “This award will provide important support to the research going on in my lab, which was developed thanks to an NSF grant I was awarded three years ago. This new award will further the development of the lab and our research agenda.”

Waegele, who joined the BC Chemistry faculty in 2015, is a physical chemist with research interests in electrocatalysis, a subfield of catalysis in which an electric potential is utilized to drive chemical transformations at a solid/liquid interface.

“Electrocatalysis is an intriguing approach because it can directly utilize electricity from renewable sources to facilitate chemical conversions,” Waegele said. “Further, the electric potential enables reactions that are not easily realizable with catalysts that work by supplying heat.”

Waegele said he and his team of re-

“When petroleum products are burned, energy, water, and carbon dioxide are liberated.

Because it is a greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide is an undesirable waste product of this process.

If we could reverse this process with the input of renewable energy, we could continue to take advantage of the benefits of petroleum products without net emission of carbon dioxide.”

–Matthias Waegele photo by lee pellegrini

searchers focus on chemical systems that show the potential for the production of renewable fuels and high-value commodity chemicals. Specifically, Waegele studies processes that convert carbon dioxide into fuels and other valuable chemicals.

“When petroleum products are burned, energy, water, and carbon dioxide are liberated. Because it is a greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide is an undesirable waste product of this process,” he explained. “If we could reverse this process with the input of renewable energy, we could continue to take advantage of the benefits of petroleum products without net emission of carbon dioxide.”

In other words, Wagele said, his lab is exploring ways to recycle carbon dioxide.

Such a recycling process would create what scientists call a “closed carbon cycle.” While various chemical routes of converting carbon dioxide to fuels are known, it is still

not possible to carry out these processes with sufficient energy efficiency and the required degree of control, also known as product selectivity.

With his NSF funding, Waegele will study the interplay between a liquid electrolyte and a copper electrode. This solid/ liquid junction forms a catalytically active interface.

“This interface is highly complex,” he said. “Its catalytic properties sensitively depend on the chemical composition of the liquid and the surface structure of the electrode. What makes its study so challenging is that the interfacial characteristics evolve during reaction conditions. Central to the inquiry is how these evolving interfacial properties exert control over product selectivity during the conversion of carbon dioxide.”

The lab uses intricate measurement technologies to better understand the

chemical reaction and how to control it.

Waegele specializes in a technique known as surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (SEIRAS). This approach utilizes the interaction between light and matter to probe molecules at the interface during catalysis. In particular, in this spectroscopic technique, the vibrations of molecules are examined. These vibrations are specific to the chemical structures of molecules and can therefore be utilized to probe chemical reactions.

Traditionally, SEIRAS and product detection are carried out separately. “The different experimental conditions that are often employed during the two experiments make it very difficult to correlate the catalytic properties of the interface with observed products,” Waegele said.

To address this challenge, Waegele’s team couples SEIRAS with differential electrochemical mass spectrometry (DEMS), a technique that probes product formation during catalysis.

“Studying the interface with SEIRAS while monitoring product formation with DEMS at the same time allows us to understand how interfacial properties give rise to the products generated,” Waegele said.

“We hope that our efforts will lead to a much deeper understanding how to steer the product selectivity of this intriguing process.

“It is exciting to work in a research field that is so dynamic and relevant to one of the greatest challenges of our time,” he said. “It also provides great learning opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students because in this field of study, fundamental chemical questions are closely coupled to broad and global questions about sustainability that touch almost every aspect of modern society.”

BC Scenes

Hispanic Heritage Month Boston College kicked off its annual celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month on Sept.

12 with a ceremony in Gasson 100. The event included a performance by student dance group Corazon del Fuego, right, and a poetry piece by Carroll School of Management senior Matthew Alvarado that he dedicated to his grandmother, a Guatemalan immigrant.

PHOTOS BY PETER JULIAN