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dean to give 3 STM first address
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Muskavitch aids genome project
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New BCPD officers; Schor’s Plenitude october 21, 2010-vol. 19 no. 4
McLaughlin Is Appointed Vice Provost for Research
Alexander Guittard ’11 in the Panjshir Valley of Afghanistan in August 2009. He also has visited Lebanon, Tajikistan and Kuwait, among other places, during his time at Boston College.
Taking a World View from the Heights His years at Boston College have sent Alexander Guittard far and wide By Sean Smith Chronicle Editor
When Alexander Guittard ’11 made his way to Chestnut Hill three years ago, he thought he was just coming to Boston College. Instead, he wound up seeing the world. Not all the world, to be sure. But during his time at BC Guittard has traveled to places like Lebanon, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kuwait, Yemen and Egypt. Along the way he’s amassed memorable, enlightening experiences: interviewing Afghani politicians; being mistaken for a journalist and shuttled to a Hezbollah rally in Beirut; and enduring a tense police interview in Tajikistan.
ONE OF THE GIRLS—Deirdre McCourt ’12 portrayed the character Dullgret in the Robsham Theater-Theatre Department production of Caryl Churchill’s “Top Girls,” which was staged at Robsham earlier this month. Tonight through Saturday, the Boston College Dramatics Society will present “References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot” at Robsham. (Photo by Lee Pellegrini)
To say that these journeys, along with his classroom and extracurricular activities at BC, have broadened Guittard’s worldview is putting it mildly. The San Diego native feels he has undergone the intellectual growth hailed as the hallmark of a classic Jesuit, Catholic liberal arts education. But it’s not something that just happens, Guittard says: You have to seize opportunities, take some risks, and above all be prepared to think. A lot. “My mindset starting out at BC was, ‘How can I develop a skill that will serve my country?’” says Guittard, a member of BC’s Army ROTC program who is majoring in political science and Islamic Civilizations and Societies (ICS), and who has served as
editor of Al Noor, BC’s undergraduate Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies journal. “But then it became far more important to develop a more comprehensive and realistic understanding of the issues that have interested me.” For someone drawn to international affairs — especially the Middle East, in Guittard’s case — experiences abroad are an absolute necessity, even if your itinerary doesn’t always work out as planned. “It’s like studying art history and never painting, or never setting foot in an art museum,” he says. “You have to go see for yourself what the Middle East is like — or Africa, or Asia, or Continued on page 4
Professor of Chemistry Larry W. McLaughlin has been appointed vice provost for research, Provost and Dean of Faculties Cutberto Garza announced recently. McLaughlin assumes the new post Jan. 1. McLaughlin, a biological chemist who has taught at BC for 25 years, will work with faculty and administrators, as well as students, to support, enhance and advance research activities across BC. He replaces Rourke Professor of Physics Kevin Bedell, who returned to teaching and research. “I am grateful to Professor Kevin Bedell for his service as the inaugural vice provost for research and am delighted that Professor McLaughlin will be taking on this important role,” Garza said in a letter to faculty. McLaughlin, who served as Chemistry Department chairman from 1999 to 2001, said the time was right in his career to take on a senior leadership role in shaping BC’s research portfolio. “It’s a time when I’m willing to try something else,” said McLaughlin, adding that he is excited to apply his experiences
Lee Pellegrini
By Ed Hayward Staff Writer
Larry W. McLaughlin
as a researcher to the challenges of coordinating the broad range of research that takes place on campus. “I don’t want to just be an administrator. I want to be an administrator who can use his capacity as a researcher to improve the greater good of the research community at BC.” The vice provost for research oversees the Office of Sponsored Programs, which administers the University’s $66.2 million annual portfolio in externally funded research and projects, the Office of Technology Transfer and Licensing, which works with faculty to license and commercialize Continued on page 3
University Hosts Forum on Financial Reforms Oct. 25 By patricia Delaney Deputy Director of News & Public Affairs
A panel of key figures in the financial marketplace will assess the impact of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act — deemed the most comprehensive overhaul of financial rules since the Great Depression – at Boston College’s Robsham Theater on Monday, Oct. 25, from 5–6:30 p.m. US Rep. Barney Frank (DMass.), chairman of the House Financial Services Committee and co-sponsor of the reform legislation, will be joined by Sheila Bair, chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and Paul A. Volcker, chairman of the Obama Administration’s Economic Recovery Board and former chairman of the US Federal Reserve System. Carroll School of Management Finance Professor Cliff Holderness, an expert on cor-
porate finance and governance, will moderate the discussion, after which participants will take questions from an audience of leading business and financial executives, economists, academics and students. The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, approved by Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama in July, is a sweeping measure that tightens regulations across the financial industry in an effort to prevent a repetition of the fiscal crisis that began in 2007 and is still affecting individuals and industries across the nation. The Oct. 25 forum will address the effect of the legislation on the financial world both now and in the future. The forum is open to the public; seating is limited and is on a first-come, first-served basis. Frank represents the Fourth District of Massachusetts in the Continued on page 3
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Chronicle october 21, 2010
Surviving, and thriving “I look at the world with different eyes because I am a survivor. I am a survivor because I never lost hope. I look forward to the future because I know it is bright.” The words are those of freshman Emily Ransom, recently honored as the 2010 Andre Sobel Award winner for her honest and uplifting essay on surviving childhood cancer. Ransom, who is majoring in elementary education at the Lynch School, was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia at age 11. In her submission to the Andre Sobel River of Life Foundation, the Burlington, Vt., native said her diagnosis and illness taught her how to appreciate the relationships with others and to embrace the opportunities in life. In her essay, Ransom explores the fear, confusion, sadness and anger experienced after her diagnosis. “When I first heard about the Andre Sobel Society essay contest I knew that I wanted to share my story,” said Ransom. “I wanted to share my story with other cancer patients and encourage them to continue their fight. I hope that no one ever feels alone during his or her treatment process.” The essay not only appeared on the Andre Sobel River of Life Foundation website [http://bit.ly/ a7jcP1], but was published on the Huffington Post. “I am absolutely honored that my poem was chosen. The ability to reach out to so many people and share hope and courage is one that I am immensely thankful for,” said Ransom. “I can only
A ROUND C AMPUS
A jewel in Diamond’s crown
Emily Ransom ’14: “I wanted to share my story with other cancer patients and encourage them to continue their fight. I hope that no one ever feels alone during his or her treatment process.” (Photo by Suzanne Camarata)
hope that other patients will be inspired by my poem. I want every person diagnosed with cancer to understand that although they have cancer, cancer will never define who they are.” The foundation selected Ransom’s essay from among a national group of applicants. The award invites teens who have survived serious illness to share their stories so friends, family and others experiencing health crisis can learn from their experiences and challenges. Valerie Sobel, founder and president of the foundation, wrote: “We buy magazines that expose the inner
working of celebrity lives, but with Emily Ransom’s writing, we get a front seat view at a story that we do not often get to see. Our award winner writes not to a viewing audience, but witnesses her own soul exposing it to a universe that she believes to be kind in spite of all evidence.” The foundation was named in honor of Andre Sobel, who died from a brain tumor at the age of 19. The foundation assists families coping with the emotional, logistical and financial effects of catastrophic illness. —MB
Political ponderings With the 2010 mid-term elections less than two weeks away, Chronicle asked faculty members for their thoughts on the national political scene: Lee Pellegrini
Assistant Professor of Law Richard Albert [at left]: Ben Franklin famously quipped that death and taxes are life’s only certainties. We can now add a third item to his list: the President’s party is virtually guaranteed to lose House seats in mid-term congressional elections. That rule has held steady in all but two midterm elections since FDR’s reelection. We should expect history to repeat itself in 2010, with the Democratic Party suffering losses perhaps as historic in scale as the 1946 and 1994 mid-term elections, when the President’s party lost over 50 seats. O’Neill Professor of American Politics R. Shep Melnick: The most interesting question is not what will happen in two weeks, but how the new Republican majority (in the House and perhaps the Senate) will try to govern. Right now they can simply say “no” to almost everything. But if they constitute a majority in the House, they will be expected to pass legislation — including a budget. In my opinion, many of the “Tea Party” candidates nominated by the Republicans espouse an anti-government position that only a small minority of American voters will accept. Most Americans want small government in the abstract, but do not want to see any cuts in Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, education, environmental protection or national defense. In other words, they don’t want any significant reductions in either spending or regulation. Republicans learned this the hard way in 1995-96. I suspect they will need to relearn this lesson in 201112. Some Republicans, most notably Congressman Paul Ryan, are making a serious effort to lay out the hard choices necessary to achieve a balanced budget in coming years. Will most Republicans be willing to withstand the intense political heat that will accompany any effort to reduce the growth of entitlement spending? I doubt it.
Peter A. Diamond, who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Economics this month, is a research associate at BC’s Center for Retirement Research, which provides decision-makers in the public and private sectors with critical information to better understand the issues facing an aging population. The center has had a long-standing partnership with MIT, where Diamond is professor of economics, and has published a number of his papers. Diamond was awarded the Nobel Prize for developing a theory that helps to explain the mismatches between job seekers and employers that can contribute to high unemployment. “We are thrilled that Peter Diamond won the Nobel Prize,” said center director Alicia Munnell. “He has made remarkable contributions to the economics field, not only on frictions in the labor market for which he received the prize, but also on optimal taxation and the theory and practice of public and private pensions. “Peter volunteered to collaborate with us in 1998 when we applied for our first grant,” added Munnell, “and he has been a stalwart supporter of the center ever since. He has produced working papers, collaborated on issue briefs, and he and I ran the Governor’s Commission to Reform Massachusetts State Pensions. So we at the center feel like a member of our family got this award.” —Office of News & Public Affairs
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Chronicle ON Be sure to check out the Boston College Chronicle YouTube channel [www.youtube.com/bcchronicle] for video features on Boston College people, programs and events. New and upcoming videos include: •Professors and Pastries: For the past four years, the Boston College Academic Advising Center has been running “Professors and Pastries,” an informal way for students and professors to meet and discuss common interests, plans and ambitions. The series has become increasingly popular — both for the company and the desserts. •Library Mobile Services: Reserve a library study room, ask a reference question, renew a book — all with your phone? Senior Reference Librarian Kenneth Liss demonstrates some of BC Libraries’ mobile services. The Boston College
Chronicle Director of NEWS & Public Affairs
Jack Dunn Deputy Director of NEWS & Public AFFAIRS
Patricia Delaney Editor
Sean Smith Contributing Staff
Melissa Beecher Ed Hayward Reid Oslin Rosanne Pellegrini Kathleen Sullivan Eileen Woodward Photographers
Moakley Professor of American Politics Kay Schlozman: I wish I had a crystal ball to predict where things are headed with respect to campaign finance. In January of this year, the Supreme Court ruled in Citizens United v. FEC that, because corporations are legally persons and because making campaign contributions is a constitutionally protected form of expression, corporations have the same right as citizens to engage in unlimited independent spending — that is, spending that is not coordinated with a party or candidate organization. This controversial decision generated concerns that unlimited corporate spending would produce undue influence over the outcomes of elections or the subsequent policy decisions made by elected officials. At this point, the predicted torrent of corporate spending does not seem to have materialized. That said, the overall sums being spent in 2010 are staggering, well beyond what was spent four years ago. Moreover, donations from corporate political action committees have risen substantially over the last mid-term election. In addition, there seems to be an increase in independent spending by non-profits with bland names like the American Future Fund that do not have to make public the names of donors with the result that the origins of large campaign sums remain unknown to the public. Where is this all heading? I wish I knew.
Gary Gilbert 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 News & Public Affairs, 14 Mayflower Road, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467 (617)552-3350. Distributed free to faculty and staff offices and other locations on campus. Periodicals postage paid at Boston, MA and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: send address changes to The Boston College Chronicle, Office of News & Public Affairs, 14 Mayflower Road, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467. Contact Chronicle via e-mail: chronicle@bc.edu. Electronic editions of the Boston College Chronicle are available via the World Wide Web at http://www.bc.edu/chronicle.
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Chronicle october 21, 2010
Fr. Massa to Give Inaugural Address
Lee Pellegrini
By Kathleen Sullivan Staff Writer
J. D. Levine
New STM Dean will discuss book on the American Catholic Revolution
School of Theology and Ministry Dean Mark Massa, SJ, will discuss his new book, The American Catholic Revolution How the Sixties Changed the Church Forever — and how what happened in the 1960s can be translated for the predominate number of STM students born after Vatican II — at his inaugural dean’s address on Nov. 3 at 4 p.m. in the Heights Room of Corcoran Commons. In American Catholic Revolution, Fr. Massa chronicles the School of Theology and Ministry changes in the Catholic Church Dean Mark Massa, SJ since the Second Vatican Council have arisen among Catholics since and American Catholics’ respons- Vatican II, he writes, can be traced es to those changes. The changes to differences between those who — which included modifications want the Church to be timeless to the Mass such as the use of Eng- and those ascribing to historical consciousness, the lish instead of Latin and a repositioning Debate in the Catholic awareness that everything in history of the priest and the altar — were “excit- Church, says Fr. Massa, changes. The book highing but unnerving,” “means that the faith is lights noteworthy said Fr. Massa, who specializes in church alive and people take it people and issues history. “There was seriously. It’s only when since Vatican II, such as the papal encyclia bit of trauma felt it turns acrimonious cal Humanae Vitae, by those in the pews. the anti-Vietnam They were led to that’s it’s bad.” war protests of the believe that the way “Catonsville Nine” they worshipped was and laicization of the eternal. And then it Immaculate Heart of Mary sisters changed.” Fr. Massa explains that while of Los Angeles. There is still debate among Catholic core beliefs and faith are timeless, the way Catholics practicing Catholics over many worship and the structure of the issues in the Church even 45 years Mass are not. The conflicts that after the end of Vatican II. But Fr.
Massa sees debate as a good thing: “It means that the faith is alive and people take it seriously. It’s only when it turns acrimonious that’s it’s bad.” Terms such as “conservative” and “liberal,” or “right” and “left,” don’t do the debate justice, adds Fr. Massa. “We need to diffuse and depoliticize the debate in the tradition of [Cardinal] Avery Dulles, SJ.” Fr. Massa says that history tells us that ripples from Vatican II are still coming. “It can take years, centuries to see changes,” he remarked. One aspect of the Second Vatican Council that Fr. Massa feels has not been completely fulfilled is “empowering the laity to claim Catholicism.” A native of Ohio, Fr. Massa assumed the deanship of STM this past the summer. He was previously at Fordham University where he served as Karl Rahner Distinguished Professor of Theology and founded and directed the Curran Center for American Catholic Studies. He is a member of the American Society of Church History, the Catholic Theological Society of America and the American Studies Association. He also is the author of several publications, including the award-winning book Catholics and American Culture: Fulton Sheen, Dorothy Day, and the Notre Dame Football Team. Registration is required to attend Fr. Massa’s Nov. 3 lecture. See http:// bit.ly/cq6vRR Kathleen Sullivan can be reached at kathleen.sullivan@bc.edu
The School of Theology and Ministry enrollment now tops 400.
In Its Third Year, Numbers Show STM Is Thriving The School of Theology and Ministry’s student body has grown in size, quality and diversity since its establishment in 2008, say STM administrators. The school’s total enrollment is 402, including 172 new students who enrolled this September — a 12 percent increase over new enrollment last year, and a 38 percent increase over the number of new students when the school opened in September 2008, according to the STM Admission Office. The academic excellence of the incoming students also has risen dramatically. According to Assistant Dean and Director of Admission Sean Porter, the median GRE verbal score for the new STM class is 625, the 90th percentile. The GRE verbal score for the new Master of Theological Studies (MTS) students is 50 points higher than last year’s MTS class. The STM student body also has grown more diverse. Two Augustinians of the Assumption brothers have enrolled, joining the Jesuit, Capuchin, and Redemptorist orders that have members studying at STM. According to Porter, international students make up a quarter of the school’s total enrollment. The upswing in enrollment is due to “many good things,” said STM Dean Mark Massa, SJ, who cited STM’s faculty, the work of his predecessor, founding STM Dean Richard Clifford, SJ, and the attractiveness of a Boston College degree. —Kathleen Sullivan
Financial Reform Topic of Oct. 25 Forum ‘IceJam’ Will Usher in Continued from page 1 US House of Representatives, where he has been chairman of the Financial Services Committee since 2007. He has been an advocate for numerous efforts to spur recovery from the economic crisis and to provide decent affordable rental housing for low-income families, including the American Housing Rescue & Foreclosure Prevention Act, the Section 202 refinancing program — related to affordable housing for the elderly — and the National Housing Trust Fund, created as part of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008. Named this year’s “hardest working lawmaker” in the House of Representatives, according to a survey by The Hill, the newspaper for and about Congress, Frank has served in Congress since winning his seat in 1980. He has published numerous articles on politics and public affairs. Bair was appointed the 19th chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) in 2006 for a five-year term, and as a member of the FDIC Board of Directors through July 2013. As FDIC chairman, she has presided over a tumultuous period in the nation’s financial sector. Her work has included programs to provide temporary liquidity guarantees,
increases in deposit insurance limits and systematic loan modifications to troubled borrowers. In 2009, Bair was named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people. She has received the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award and the Hubert H. Humphrey Civil Rights Award, and, in 2008, topped the Wall Street Journal’s annual 50 “Women to Watch List.” That same year, Forbes magazine named her the second most powerful woman in the world. Volcker served in the US Federal Government for almost 30 years, culminating in two terms as chair-
man of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, following service at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the Treasury Department and Chase Manhattan Bank. In November 2008, then-President-elect Barack Obama chose Volcker to head the President’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board. His proposal to restrict US banks from certain investment activities — known as the “Volcker Rule” — evolved into a component of the Dodd-Frank Act. Patricia Delaney can be reached at patricia.delaney@bc.edu
McLaughlin Is VP for Research Continued from page 1 intellectual property developed at BC, the Office of Research Integrity and Compliance, and the Director of Research Protection. While not all faculty pursue external funding for their research, McLaughlin said he wants the office to support professors and researchers who seek outside funding so they can compete successfully for research dollars. “I’m looking forward to working with people in all areas of research who will educate me about what their work entails
and tell me how the University can help keep good programs going and expand them,” said McLaughlin. “I’m also looking forward to helping those who want to get involved in developing their own research projects and programs.” McLaughlin said he will maintain his research lab and continue to work with graduate students. “I don’t want to go away to another office and lose touch,” he said. Ed Hayward can be reached at ed.hayward@bc.edu
BC Winter Sports Season Boston College winter sports fans can get their fill of season-starting excitement and enthusiasm at BC’s first “IceJam” on Oct. 26 at 8 p.m. in Conte Forum. The event – the first of its kind to utilize Conte’s ice surface and basketball court simultaneously – will celebrate the launch of BC’s men’s and women’s basketball and ice hockey seasons. Hosted by NBC sports announcer Bob Costas, “IceJam” will feature all four of the University’s major winter sports teams in a peprally type event that will feature in-squad competitions, fan activities and special guests, according to event organizers. “We have been working with UGBC representatives to have some sort of winter season kickoff event,” says Associate Athletic Director for External Relations Jamie DiLoreto, who got the idea from seeing a hybrid photograph of Conte’s hockey and basketball surfaces. “I can’t think of another college or pro sports arena that has ever done a halfcourt, half-ice event before, so this is something really unique to BC. We thought it would be great to bring our four programs together to kickoff the winter seasons.” In addition to a t-shirt giveaway, DiLoreto says attendees will receive glow sticks as they enter the building, which will open at 7 p.m. Following introductions of the four teams, student-athletes will participate in a variety of contests, such as slam dunks for men’s basketball, accuracy shots for men’s and women’s ice hockey, and a three-point shooting contest for men’s and women’s hoop teams. Students who have correctly deciphered a secret code in an on-going campus contest will be eligible to win a two-year free lease of a new BMW automobile with a special BC color scheme. DiLoreto says the event also will include “a couple of surprises” for attendees. “It will be pretty exciting,” he promises. Admission to the event is free. —Reid Oslin
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Chronicle october 21, 2010
Time Abroad Has Been Time Well Spent Continued from page 1 whatever part of the world. The more you go, the more you’ll get it. Even after all my travels I still don’t completely get it, but I certainly do a lot better than before.” “Alex is an iconoclast of sorts who always bent the rules a bit, always pushed the boundaries of what was offered to him as a student at BC, and always brought fresh interpretive thinking into his area of study,” says Assistant Professor of Slavic and Eastern Languages Franck Salameh. “He went to study at the American University of Beirut when no one at Boston area universities was going to Beirut. His insatiable curiosity took him into ‘forbidden’ areas of Beirut where not even local old-hands would dare venture. When most students at BC and elsewhere were mobbing Arabic language courses in a frenzy to learn Arabic, Alex was studying dialects, and exploring Eastern and Islamic languages besides Arabic — as always, thinking beyond the neat little boxes into which we generally like to put our Middle East.” Guittard’s interest in the Middle East bloomed well before he arrived at BC. As a seventh-grader coping with the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, he read a book about Al Qaeda — the first of the 150plus books related to Middle East politics, history and culture he estimates he’s read. At 16, he started taking Arabic language courses at a local community college. After he finished his freshman year at BC, Guittard sold his car so
he could take part in the summer course in Kuwait taught by Political Science professors Kathleen Bailey — who is associate director of ICS — and David Deese. Instead of returning to the US, he decided to pursue research on Hezbollah, the controversial Shi’a Islamist political and paramilitary organization, and wended his way to Beirut. One day, he set out to attend a Hezbollah rally, and wound up sharing a cab with some journalists. When they came to a security checkpoint, he was pressed into service as the group’s translator — being the only one who could speak Arabic — and the Hezbollah guards assumed he also was a journalist, despite Guittard’s denials. He and the others were put into a van and driven to the rally site, where Guittard finally accepted a press pass — and got what turned out to be “the best seat in the house.” It was a jarring introduction to Hezbollah, but during the weeks Guittard spent in Beirut he came to see other dimensions to the organization. “You form an impression, based on what you read or see in the media. So hearing the name ‘Hezbollah,’ you might simply think of a savage, homicidal terrorist group. In fact, they are a multi-faceted organization that is involved in numerous communityrelated activities, and they were pretty cooperative for my research. “You have to take some things with a grain of salt, obviously,
because they’re happy to show you only what they want you to see. And you certainly can’t overlook the less savory parts of their operation. But when you see the bigger picture for yourself, you start to think critically about what you’ve read and heard, and you draw your own conclusions.” Guittard’s travels also have been full of subtle insights into life in other societies. In the summer of 2009, with a BC Advanced Study Grant, he went to study Persian in Tajikistan and arranged to stay with a host family. One night, Guittard got caught in the middle of a brawl that broke out in the bar where he was visiting, and suffered a minor injury. He and his hosts — who didn’t know about the incident — were more than a little taken aback when police showed up next morning to question him. It became quite clear to Guittard that the wife of the family was “petrified” during the police interview, which did not result in any problems for Guittard. “Most of the family remembers what it was like when Tajikistan was part of the Soviet Union,” says Guittard, who returned to Tajikistan last summer to study Islamism. “The police are still known as ‘KGB.’ It’s one thing to read about life in an authoritarian state, but another thing to see evidence of it, even after so many years.” Other revelations while abroad have helped crystallize some of Guittard’s views and beliefs, such as his study of the elections in
Alexander Guittard ’11 with Brooke Braswell ‘12 in the offices of Al Noor, BC’s undergraduate Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies journal: “I think the best students of the Middle East have a deep love for the people, the languages and the cultures, but at the same time they can take a step back and be critical, rather than romanticize.” (Photo by Gary Wayne Gilbert)
Afghanistan, which took him not only to Kabul but other parts of the country to interview local and country government leaders. “Talking to people and hearing about their lives, I felt better about our involvement in Afghanistan,” he says. “Every BC student has a counterpart there, who want nothing but good for their families and have a desire to be evaluated on merit, rather than on status or reputation. I do think we are helping provide a space in which that can happen. “It’s become kind of a cliché to say that our being in Afghanistan is allowing girls to go to school, but to see it happen is extraordinary. There’s a lot of cynicism about our presence in the world, but millions of people are not cynical about our values. They’re attaching their hopes and aspirations to things we
may be taking for granted.” After his graduation in May, Guittard hopes to obtain a commission in the army and work in Washington, DC, and gradually make the transition into diplomacy. He credits faculty members like Salameh, Bailey and ICS Director Political Science Professor Ali Banuazizi for helping him further develop his perspective on the Middle East and elsewhere. “I think the best students of the Middle East have a deep love for the people, the languages and the cultures,” he says, “but at the same time they can take a step back and be critical, rather than romanticize. I’m really fortunate to have had these kinds of learning experiences while at BC, and I truly feel prepared for the next step.” Sean Smith can be reached at sean.smith.1@bc.edu
Genome-Mapping Seen as Shedding Light on Mosquito-Borne Diseases Biologist Muskavitch aids international group of researchers in project By Ed Hayward Staff Writer
An international group of researchers, including DeLuca Professor of Biology Marc A.T. Muskavitch, has sequenced the genome of the Southern house mosquito, providing new insights into the most widespread diseasebearing mosquito and shedding new light on the transmission of mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria, encephalitis, and West Nile. Mapping the genome of the Southern house mosquito effectively completes a platform for mosquito comparative genomics – a critical third piece of a genetic puzzle researchers have sought to solve in a global effort to contain the spread of infectious diseases transmitted by mosquitoes, Muskavitch and his co-authors report in a pair of papers in the journal Science. Armed with the genome sequence of Culex quinquefasciatus, researchers undertook the next step of uncovering the building blocks coded in the Culex genome that make it a deadly transmitter
DeLuca Professor of Biology Marc A.T. Muskavitch, with two doctoral students on his research team, Betty Slinger, left, and Kim Regna. (Photo by Lee Pellegrini)
of disease, said Muskavitch, a coauthor of the first report and the senior author of the second, which was produced by an international team of 33 researchers. “With the genome decoded, we have the building blocks. We can also determine which building blocks the mosquito uses to combat a pathogen and which genes the pathogen avoids when evading the defenses of the mosquito,” said Muskavitch, who began collaborating with colleagues at the Broad Institute in 2007. Muskavitch said the genome advances are being shared with
scientists around the globe as part of an international effort to bring researchers, doctors and public health experts the best information possible in order to combat the spread of these deadly and disfiguring diseases. “Our goal is to determine how we can turn the building blocks of these mosquitoes against pathogens, in attempts to defeat those pathogens,” said Muskavitch, whose research has taken him to Africa to share strategies with scientists at work where the diseases take their greatest toll. “That is the scientific and public health signifi-
cance of this new research.” Breeding in drains, cesspools and other polluted water bodies, the Southern house mosquito feeds on blood from birds, livestock and humans and transmits West Nile virus, St. Louis encephalitis and the microscopic roundworm that causes lymphatic filariasis, leading to 120 million infections and more than 40 million cases of elephantiasis each year. Already, researchers have sequenced the genomes of two other mosquitoes, Aedes aegypti, which transmits yellow fever and dengue fever, and Anopheles gambiae, a species that carries malaria, a disease that infects 250 to 500 million people each year and kills nearly one million people annually, mostly young children in sub-Saharan Africa. Culex differs from the two other arthropods in that its molecular “parts list” includes a staggering 18,883 protein-coding genes – that is 22 percent larger than for Aedes aegypti and 52 percent larger than for Anopheles gambiae – with multiple gene family expansions, including those controlling smell and taste, immune responses and genes that attack toxic foreign compounds, the researchers discovered. Greater understanding of these expanded gene sets could provide
critical new insights into Culex and improve public health efforts. The mosquito’s more complex genetic structure may have influenced evolution of Culex as an opportunistic feeder, able to detect and feed on birds, humans and livestock. This flexibility contributes to Culex’s ability to transmit numerous disease-causing organisms – including West Nile virus, encephalitis viruses, filiarial worms and malaria parasites – to birds and humans, the researchers report. “The consequent diversity in many different genes may be an important factor that led to the wide geographic distribution” of Culex, concludes a team of 69 coauthors of the genome report. “When I started out in this field many years ago, the concept of sequencing vector genomes was a hope and not a reality,” said Muskavitch. “It has been extremely exciting to see genome sequencing in vector biology moving from a hope to a reality and then into responses to human problems. These diseases are a serious human problems. We hope that with this new information, we will have a greater capacity to reduce disease and improve lives. That is the ultimate goal.” Ed Hayward can be reached at ed.hayward@bc.edu
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Chronicle october 21, 2010
Pastures of Plenitude Schor to speak at Winston Forum about link between ecology, society and economy By Melissa Beecher Staff Writer
Boston College Patrol Officer Laurene Spiess goes over practices and procedures with newly hired BC officers (L-R) Dina Smith, Travis Dixon and Michael Delaney. (Photo by Lee Pellegrini)
New BCPD Officers Learning the Ropes For these three recent arrivals, the education is just beginning By Reid Oslin Staff Writer
A geologist who has worked at the University’s Weston Observatory, a criminal justice major who is progressing into a law enforcement career and a member of an extended Boston College family who “always wanted to be a police officer” are the three newest members of the Boston College Police Department’s patrol force. The three new patrol officers – Dina Smith, Travis Dixon and Michael Delaney – were among 27 law enforcement professionals from 16 police departments across Massachusetts who were graduated from the MBTA’s Municipal Police Training Academy on Oct. 6. Smith, Dixon and Delaney are currently undergoing several weeks of on-campus field training with senior BCPD officers to better understand the particular nuances and procedures of law enforcement and safety in a campus community. “We congratulate these new officers for successfully completing this comprehensive training academy programs,” says University Director of Public Safety and Chief of Police John King. “We are eager to have them join their colleagues in service to the Boston College community.” Each of BC’s new officers followed a different path into the law enforcement profession. Smith, who holds master’s degrees in both geophysics and business administration, had previously been the associate director of operations at the Weston Observatory before deciding to make a career switch. She is a graduate of Smith College where she majored in geology and chemistry, and followed with graduate study at BC where she earned her two advanced degrees. Smith also served as an auxiliary police officer in Waltham and took courses in criminal justice in
the Woods College of Advancing Studies — earning professional certification in the field — before applying for a position with the University’s police department. “About three-and-a-half years ago, I started working as an auxiliary officer,” Smith says, “and I realized that was so much more exciting and so much more fun. Even though I have been interested in sciences since I was a kid, this is so much more up my alley. “I am looking forward to working particularly with this age group,” Smith says. “It is an age when [students] are still teachable. It’s the whole aspect of helping people to make their lives better.” Delaney, a University of Massachusetts at Amherst graduate with a degree in marketing, added a master’s degree in administration
“You just never know what is going to happen from shift to shift, or even minute to minute. There are things they cannot teach you in the police academy – you have to live it.” —Patrol Officer Sarah Fantasia
from Woods College in 2005. “I always wanted to be a police officer,” he says. “It just took a while to break into the field.” Delaney comes from a long family line of Boston College graduates – his grandparents, parents, sister and “countless” cousins all earned degrees in Chestnut Hill, he says. “I have known Boston College for pretty much my whole life.” Dixon, who holds a degree in criminal justice from UMassAmherst, spent the past four years working for an armored truck company in the Boston area. “When I saw the opening at BC I applied, went through all of the steps in the process, completed the 26-week academy training,
and here I am,” he says. “I love the college atmosphere and BC is just great.” The new officers will spend the next month paired with an experienced officer as they learn the nooks, crannies and idiosyncrasies of the BC campus. “You can’t always apply book knowledge to the street,” warns Patrol Officer Laurene Spiess, one of the department’s field training officers. “Every scenario is different. We try to familiarize them to all of the streets and buildings. They need to know where all of the fire panels are, where the panic buttons and security alarms are. “Then, they have to know about all of the different types of calls that we do,” Spiess adds. “How do you interact with people? A college is a little bit different than a town in that we have University judicial hearings – so you don’t always have to arrest people and give them a record for the rest of their lives. They learn how we apply policing.” Patrol Officer Donald Reed, a field training officer who works the overnight shift, says he tries to instill a sense of officer safety during his mentoring of the new patrol officers. “They need to know where they are at all times,” he says. “As we call locations in as ‘the Quad,’ ‘Conte North/South,’ ‘rear of 66’ or ‘St. Joe’s stairs,’ they all need to make sense for officers’ safety.” “Field training is tough,” adds Patrol Officer Sarah Fantasia, who is also assisting in the current instruction of the new officers. “You have a few weeks to teach a brand new officer enough to keep him or her and the community they are working in safe. You just never know what is going to happen from shift to shift, or even minute to minute. There are things they cannot teach you in the police academy – you have to live it.” Reid Oslin can be reached at reid.oslin@bc.edu
When Professor of Sociology Juliet Schor’s book Plenitude: The New Economics of True Wealth was published earlier this year, it came on the heels of the worst economic collapse in the nation’s history. While some economists and social commentators wrung hands and pointed fingers, Schor’s work offered a solution: Break the work hard-spend hard cycle and improve the environment for an increased quality of life. Use the economic crisis as impetus for change and emerge as a better society. Substantial buzz surrounded the book – it received glowing reviews in Publishers Weekly, was
dergraduates, Schor said, a departure from her other works. The students helped her to crunch numbers and research many of the book’s main themes – which include the rise of the “DIY” (Do It Yourself) culture, community gardening and clean energy alternatives. And while the economy continues to limp toward a rebound, Schor believes that the lessons of the past two years will not be lost on consumers. “The one thing that I can predict moving forward is that this is not temporary. People are facing situations with less money, less security and in a market where they are unemployed or underemployed,” said Schor. “It is in our economic interest to understand that what makes sense for the planet makes sense for all of us.” Schor says households are turning back to the community, both for economic perks – sharing or trading services and goods – but also for more social time
Prof. Juliet Schor (Sociology): “I don’t consider it impractical to hope, that as a human race, we see what is happening and change course to heal and restore our planet.” (Photo by Gary Wayne Gilbert)
featured on PBS’ “NewsHour” and received significant play on National Public Radio – and the calls to Schor have continued long after the debut. “Issues about ecology, society and economics are not going away,” said Schor, who will speak at the Winston Forum on Business Ethics on Nov. 4, 7 p.m., in the Murray Room of the Yawkey Center. The idea for Plenitude began to take shape in the 1980s. Schor said she kept returning to the concept even when researching her other books, The Overworked American: The Unexpected Decline of Leisure (1992), The Overspent American: Why We Want What We Don’t Need (1998) and Born to Buy: The Commercialized Child and the New Consumer Culture (2004). “It took some time for the pieces of the puzzle to come together. We have started to take sustainability seriously — when people are willing, or have been forced, to cut back, make and do things for themselves,” said Schor, who has been booked on a number of television and radio shows this month. Plenitude was researched with the help of Boston College un-
with neighbors or family. These simple changes are far better for the environment, with a mindset focused on saving rather than consuming. As for criticism that Plenitude is utopian? Schor embraces the idea. “If, by utopian, you mean does it strive for something better, than yes, it is utopian in thinking. I don’t consider it impractical to hope, that as a human race, we see what is happening and change course to heal and restore our planet,” said Schor, who has been invited and accepted membership in the MacArthur Foundation’s Connected Learning Research Network of scholars to continue research on the themes in her book. “To continue to disgrace and destroy this planet –- that is economically impractical. To remain blind to the fact that our current way of life is having a negative impact on the planet and our selves – to ignore that we need another kind of economic model – that is impractical.” For more information on Schor’s talk at the Winston Forum, see http://bit.ly/aBhPYc Melissa Beecher can be reached at melissa.beecher@bc.edu
T he B oston C ollege
Chronicle october 21, 2010
CSON Summer Activities Reflect a Global Focus
BC Hosts Seismology Conference
By Kathleen Sullivan Staff Writer
By Ed Hayward Staff Writer
Debunking myths surrounding the earthquakes of yesteryear, using seismology to teach children science and creating a digital repository of data about historic temblors were among the topics at the 82nd meeting of the Eastern Seismological Society of America, which took place on campus earlier this week, hosted by Boston College’s Weston Observatory and the Earth and Environmental Sciences Department. The annual meeting drew geophysicists, seismologists, researchers and private-sector scientists to campus for three days of discussions about recent research and trends concerning earthquakes throughout the eastern United States and Canada, said Weston Observatory Director Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences John Ebel. “It’s a chance to share ideas, sometimes a testing ground, sometimes a proving ground,” said Ebel, one of a number of BC faculty members, graduate and undergraduate students to give presentations at the conference. “People talk about the topics they’ve been working on, reveal research results or propose new ideas that haven’t been offered up publicly. Sometimes researchers revisit existing data for a renewed look.” The society also presented the Jesuit Seismological Association Award, an annual career achievement honor that was founded by the now-defunct association of Jesuit seismologists. This year’s recipient was former BC adjunct faculty member Martitia Tuttle,
Weston Observatory Director Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences John Ebel gives a lecture during the meeting of the Eastern Seismological Society of America. (Photo by Lee Pellegrini)
president of the Maine-based about aftershocks that followed geological research firm M.P. the catastrophic quake. Ebel and undergraduate MeTuttle & Associates. gan Dupuy unveiled a new onOne of the most prominent line database of historical inforspeaking opportunities of the mation about past earthquakes conference was granted to Asin the northeastern US and sistant Professor of Classical eastern Canada. The database Studies Gail Hoffman, whose will offer in electronic format research into more than 180 inancient art and dicators – up from traditions has “It’s a chance to the 80 characterincluded particishare ideas, someistics contained pation in archeoin the traditional logical surveys in times a testing pen-and-paper the Middle East ground, sometimes a log books – from for more than a and secdecade, said Ebel. proving ground.” primary ondary source maHer work will be —John Ebel terial and make the subject of an the information upcoming camavailable over the pus exhibition. Internet in the fuAnother preture. sentation focused There also was a presentation on the response of seismologists on the Boston College Educato the earthquakes in Haiti. Foltional Seismology Project, which lowing the devastating temblors the Weston Observatory operin January, the need for imates in K-12 schools throughout proved local seismological monitoring in that country became eastern Massachusetts. The projclear. The Geological Survey of ect uses seismology as a medium Canada installed the first con- for introducing students to scitinuously transmitting seismo- entific research. Ed Hayward can be reached at graph network in Haiti, gived.hayward@bc.edu ing scientists much better data
The summer of 2010 had a decidedly international flavor at the Connell School of Nursing as faculty members and students traveled abroad to study health policy and exchange healthcare information, or hosted foreign visitors interested in learning about American nursing education. CSON Dean Susan Gennaro said the summer activities underscore the school’s broadening international vision. “The Connell School is increasingly involved in international programs that reflect our deep commitment to global health and the high regards in which the Connell School is held around the world.” Associate Professor of Maternal/ Child Health Joyce Pulcini taught Global Health Perspective: Ecuador, a new course offered through the Office of International Programs. Eleven undergraduates traveled to South America for the three-credit course that involved an in-depth study of global health policy from the perspective of the various stakeholders: populations, governments, NGOs, health care providers and health educators. The course attracted a crosssection of students “seeking international health information,” said Pulcini, whose class was comprised of biology, international studies and economics majors as well as nursing students. “It was great to get to know students from other disciplines, and have students hear other perspectives.” Classes were held at the hospital of the Universidad San Francisco de Quito. The students heard lectures from physicians and traveled with one doctor to a clinic in a remote village at the top of the Andes. The students also visited a birthing center and other health care facilities, while staying with families to deepen their knowledge of the culture. Pulcini is already discussing plans for next year’s trip and has been visited this semester by students interested in pursuing research projects based on their experience in the
Ecuador. Meanwhile, undergraduate nursing students Hannah Binder, Hilary Cloonan, Sarah Connor, Sabianca Delva, Allison Sandler and Kimberly Pomerleau, along with Associate Professor of Adult Health Ellen Mahoney and Clinical Assistant Professor of Maternal/Child Health Colleen Simonelli, traveled to Lausanne, Switzerland, for the Switzerland Board of Higher Education’s Summer University, which brings together students and faculty from different countries who are working in the same discipline. Some 60 students from Switzerland, the United States, India and Singapore attended the Summer University’s Nursing Program, which covered issues such as caring for an aging population, dying with dignity and autonomy, and adolescent mental health issues. The Connell School students were invited to participate in the Summer University by Biagio Tedesco, a director of the Board of Higher Education in Switzerland, who visited campus earlier this year. The BC students attended training workshops, courses and seminars and visited Swiss Parliament and the International Red Cross. “It was a wonderful opportunity to discuss timely issues and gain some cross-cultural understanding,” said Mahoney, who noted it was especially interesting to hear how end-of-life issues are addressed differently in each country. In July, a group of psychiatric mental health experts from the National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry in Tokyo, Japan came to the Connell School to discuss creating a graduate program in psychiatric mental health nursing at their hospital. Associate Dean for Graduate Programs Patricia Tabloski, Professor and Nurse Theorist Sister Callista Roy, Clinical Assistant Professor Pamela Terreri and Yumiko Murai, a CSON graduate student from Japan, met with the visiting psychiatrists, psychologists and psychiatric nurse. Kathleen Sullivan can be reached at kathleen.sullivan@bc.edu
OBITUARY
‘Frosty’ Frost; Popular Custodian
SIGNS OF THE TIMES—Members of the Boston College women’s soccer team visited with, and gave autographs to, spectators at Saturday’s home game against Clemson as part of the Celebration of Women’s Athletics organized by the Council for Women of Boston College. (Photo by Frank Curran)
A funeral Mass for Arnold Q. “Frosty” Frost, a popular and well-liked housekeeping custodian who worked at Boston College for 10 years, was held at St. Mary of the Hills Church in Milton on Oct. 8. Mr. Frost, who worked in numerous Middle Campus buildings from 1989 until his retirement in 1999, died in Braintree on Oct. 5 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. “He was an outgoing and friendly person who always had a story to tell,” recalled Facilities Services Associate Director for Housekeeping Gerard Boyle. Mr. Frost was an Air Force veteran of the Korean War and was a long-time member of the McKeon American Legion Post in Dorchester. He had been a resident of Dorchester and Milton before his death. He is survived by four children and two grandchildren. Burial was in Milton Cemetery. Contributions in his memory may be made to Alzheimer’s Association for Research, 311 Arsenal St., Watertown, Mass. 02472. -Reid Oslin
T he B oston C ollege
Chronicle october 21, 2010
WELCOME ADDITIONS Carroll School of Management Assistant Professor of Finance Oguzhan Karakas holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from Middle East Technical University, a master’s in operations research and financial engineering from Princeton University and a doctorate in finance from London Business School. Prior to joining the BC faculty, he served as a part-time consultant to a hedge fund on establishing trading strategies. Karakas’ research focuses on corporate governance, ownership and control, private equity, dynamic investment strategies, and corporate social responsibility. With research focused on social behaviors — including juvenile play-fighting, adult aggression, social recognition and social anxiety — Assistant Professor of Psychology Alexa Veenema looks at the intersection of neuroscience, early life stress and how it plays out in adults. Earning her PhD from the University of Groningen, Veenema has received two postdoctoral stipends from the Bavarian Research Foundation and an international research fellowship from the German Research Foundation. Her research ultimately aims to shed light on normal and abnormal human social functioning as observed in autism spectrum disorder, borderline personality disorder, antisocial personality disorder, and schizophrenia. Lynch School of Education Assistant Professor Zhushan “Mandy” Li has broad research interests in psychometrics and educational research methods, including categorical data analysis, latent variable modeling, and educational measurement issues. She earned her PhD in psychometrics and master’s degree in statistics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a master’s in Instructional Design and Instructional Technology from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. Her current research focuses on measurement models and estimation methods with the application to survey data, educational measurement data, and quality of life research data. Assistant Professor of English Maia McAleavey, who holds degrees from Stanford and Harvard, specializes in the Victorian novel, 19th century British literature and culture, narrative analysis, gender theory, and generic distinctions and conventions. Her forthcoming book, The Shadowy Third: Bigamy and the Victorian Novel, looks at the surprising prevalence of bigamy in the Victorian novel, from sensational plots to “simultaneous” remarriages in novels like Jane Eyre, David Copperfield, and Middlemarch. She has been awarded the Howard Mumford Jones Dissertation Prize, the Boston Ruskin Essay Prize, and a Certificate of Distinction in teaching by the Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning. —Melissa Beecher Photos by Lee Pellegrini “Welcome Additions,” an occasional feature, profiles new faculty members at Boston College.
Burns Scholar to Give Talk Nov. 1 Francis Carroll, who is Burns Library Visiting Scholar in Irish Studies for the fall semester, will present the lecture “‘I thank God I have lived to see this day’: The Official Visit of the first Irish Free State leader, W.T. Cosgrave, to the United States in 1928,” on Nov. 1 at 4 p.m. in Burns Library. Carroll is professor emeritus of history at the National University of Manitoba, and focuses his research on areas such as diplomacy of the Wilson Era, Anglo-Irish-American relations from 1910-37, and Irish nationalism, as well as northern Minnesota. He is the author of Money for Ireland: Finance, Diplomacy, Politics, and the First Dail Eireann Loans, 1919-1936, A Good and Wise Measure: The Search for the Canadian-American Boundary, 1783-1842 and Reflections of Our Past: A Pictorial History of Carlton County. A graduate of Carleton College, Carroll holds a master’s degree from the University of Minnesota and a doctorate from Trinity College, Dublin. The Burns Library Visiting Scholar in Irish Studies uses the library’s Irish collection for his or her own research, and teaches one Irish Studies course and delivers two public lectures per semester. —Office of News & Public Affairs
NEWSMAKERS Assoc. Prof. Joseph Tecce (Psychology) discussed with Fox 25 News and WHDH-TV the psychological health of the 33 rescued Chilean miners. Assoc. Prof. Dennis Hale (Political Science) was interviewed regarding various aspects of the Massachusetts gubernatorial race by WBUR-FM and the International Business Times. America quoted from articles by Center for Human Rights and International Justice Director David Hollenbach, SJ, and Research Professor Maryanne Loughry in the book Driven from Home: Protecting the Rights of Forced Migrants — edited by Fr. Hollenbach — for a piece on the problem of refugees facing the churches in the Middle East.
Catholic Reporter the contributions Pope Benedict XVI has made to the Catholic Church.
PUBLICATIONS Prof. Emeritus Rebecca Valette (Romance Languages) published “In Remembrance of Anne Slack (1915-2010)” in the French Review. School of Theology and Ministry faculty members published the following: •Dean Mark S. Massa, SJ, “A Model Theologian” in Commonweal. •Prof. James T. Bretzke, SJ, “How
TIME AND A HALF Associate Director of News & Public Affairs Reid Oslin has been appointed to the Board of Overseers of the USS Constitution Museum. Located in the former Charlestown Navy Yard alongside the famed warship USS Constitution, the museum is a leading cultural and historical resource for the region, and will feature a number of special exhibits and outreach programs to commemorate the upcoming bicentennial celebration of the War of 1812. Asst. Prof. Karim Chalak (Economics) presented “Identification of Local Treatment Effects Using a Proxy for an Instrument” at the California Econometrics Conference 2010 at Stanford University.
BC BRIEFING
The York Daily Record interviewed Prof. Kevin Kenny (History) about a planned public apology to American Indians in Pennsylvania, particularly for the 1763 massacre of 20 peaceful Indians in Lancaster — the subject of Kenny’s book Peaceable Kingdom Lost: The Paxton Boys and the Destruction of William Penn’s Holy Experiment. Prof. Kay Lemon (CSOM) offered comments to Business News Daily on the use of social media in marketing. Assoc. Prof. Willie Padilla (Physics) was quoted by Technology Review regarding research on turntable metamaterials. Center for Retirement Research Economist Anthony Webb spoke with Bloomberg Business Week about the uptick in interest in reverse mortgages. Prof. Rev. Kenneth Himes (Theology) discussed with National
Can Ethics Be Christian? What the Pontifical Biblical Commission Might Offer in Response” in Bible Today. •Prof. Daniel J. Harrington, SJ, Jesus the Revelation of the Father’s Love and Historical Dictionary of Jesus. •Prof. Thomas J. Massaro, SJ, “The Social Question in the Papacy of Pope Leo XIII” in The Papacy Since 1500: From Italian Prince to Universal Pastor. •Asst. Prof. Hoffsman Ospino, “Theological Horizons for a Pedagogy of Accompaniment” in Journal of Religious Education. •Prof. John F. Baldovin, SJ, “Idols and Icons: Reflections on the Current State of Liturgical Reform” in Worship. •Asst. Prof. Dominic F. Doyle, “Spe salvi on Eschatological and Secular Hope: A Thomistic Critique of an Augustinian Encyclical” in Theological Studies. •Asst. Prof. Nancy Pineda-Madrid, chapters on Latina theology to Liberation Theologies in the United States: An Introduction and New Feminist Christianity: Many Voices, Many Views.
NOTA BENE Lynch School of Education Professor Emeritus Charles F. Smith Jr. was honored by the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities’ Conference on Multicultural Affairs (CMA) as a “CMA Legend” for his more than 20 years of dedicated service and leadership to the organization and his efforts to help sustain its mission. The CMA aims is to support and promote American Jesuit higher education by facilitating cooperative efforts among the 28 member institutions, providing a forum for the exchange of experience and information, and representing the work of American Jesuit higher education at the national and international levels. Burns Librarian Robert K. O’Neill has been awarded the “Orden Al Merito de Chile” by Chile’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in recognition of the library’s sponsorship and support of an on-going exhibit celebrating the 200th anniversary of Chile’s independence [see page 8]. The award is the highest government tribute given to non-citizens of the South American nation. The honor was bestowed on O’Neill by Dr. Paul William Garber and Dr. Philip C. Garber, honorary consuls of Chile in Boston, and Rosa Zullo, cultural attaché of the Chilean Consulate, during a Sept. 20 reception in Burns Library celebrating the opening of the exhibit.
Assoc. Prof. Stefan Hoderlein (Economics) presented “Revealed Preferences in a Heterogeneous Population” and “Semiparametric Estimation of Heterogeneous Euler Equation Models” at the Colloque CIREQ Conference in Montreal. Prof. John F. Baldovin, SJ (STM), served as president for the fourth meeting of the International Jungmann Society for Jesuits and Liturgy. Send items to: people.chronicle@bc.edu
JOB LISTINGS 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 http://www.bc.edu/offices/hr: Program & Events Administrator, Center for Centers Study Abroad Application Specialist, Office of International Programs Interlibrary Loan Lending Specialist, O’Neill Library Part-time Assistant Men’s & Women’s Fencing Coach, Athletic Association Bio-Informatic Programmer, Biology Department Director, Irish Institute Associate Director for Employer Relations, Career Center Senior Digital Media & Web Developer, Office of Marketing Communications Associate Director, Development, Annual Giving, Classes Associate Director, Special Gifts, Development, Annual Giving Education Technical Specialist & Legal Info. Librarian, Law Library Staff Assistant, Development, Annual Giving, Classes
T he B oston C ollege
Chronicle october 21, 2010
LOOKING AHEAD Burns Library Celebrates 200 Years of Chile By Rosanne Pellegrini Staff Writer
Chile’s rich history — now all the richer with the dramatic rescue of 33 miners last week — is the subject of an exhibition now on display through Dec. 15 at the John J. Burns Library of Rare Books and Special Collections. “Chile: 1810-2010,” which honors the 200th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence of Chile, comprises watercolors, prints, books, medals, historical letters and significant documents on loan from Dr. Paul W. Garber and Dr. Philip C. Garber, honorary consuls of Chile in Boston. Situated between the Andes Mountains and the Pacific Ocean, Chile encompasses amazing climatic and geographic contrasts from the Atacama Desert in the north to the fjords and glaciers of Patagonia in the south, according to exhibition organizers. Like the landscape, they note, the people and cultures that make Chile what it is today are many and varied – from indigenous Mapuche and Diaguitas Indians, to Spanish, Italian, German, Yugoslav, British and Lebanese immigrants. Through the artifacts on display, the exhibition illustrates some of Chilean history, industry, culture and arts, as well as associations with New England. Included is an engraved portrait of Newburyport native William Wheelwright (1798–1873), the founder of the Pacific Steam Navigation Company, which brought the first steamships, railroad and
BC SCENES
“Chile: 1810-2010” includes watercolors, prints, medals, historical letters and other items. (Photos by Gary Wayne Gilbert)
Also on display at the Burns Library this fall: “Scientific Revolutions: An Exhibition of Early Scientific Works from the John J. Burns Library” (through Jan. 14 in the Francis Thompson Room) Features: A first edition of Sir Isaac Newton’s Principia (1687) and works by Copernicus, Galileo, Clavius, Kircher, Schott, Scheiner and Grassi. Each of these books — core works in the history of science — demonstrate the unique contributions of the individual authors to the wider sphere of scientific thought and offer a portrait of science and life from late 16th to the early 18th century. “Writing from the Irish Language Tradition: Ancient Inspires New” (through Dec. 15 in the Irish Room) Features: Books, manuscripts and sculptures that focus on the Irish language tradition from the early 18th century scribe William Sheehan to contemporary poet Nuala Ni Dhomhnaill. It is offered as a complementary display to the “Literary Lives” exhibition at the McMullen Museum, which features many items from the Burns Library’s collections. For more on Burns Library exhibits, see http://bit.ly/cQg8dW
gas lights to South America in the 19th century, according to Burns Library Reference Librarian/Bibliographer Justine Sundaram. On display in Ford Tower and the O’Brien Fine Print Room are more than 50 items — including eight books, four photographs, 29 artifacts, 14 watercolors, two prints and a map of Chile. The latter, a 17th century map by William Blaeuw (Amsterdam, 1620–1640), shows sea monsters — but whether these are decorations or indications of possible denizens of the ocean is open to question, according to exhibition materials: “A vestige of medieval cartography — a manifestation of the idea of the ‘moyen âge long’ — allows mythical elements to persist alongside mathematical calculations. In later maps, the fictional depiction is clearer.” In addition to Chile’s Bicentennial, the exhibition commemorates connections, according to the Garbers, who cite “William Wheelright of Newburyport with Chile; Charles Darwin and Lord Edward Pelham Clinton; Admiral Merino and Rockwell Kent, and our own 36-year connection with Chile as consuls. We hope viewers will see the humor by reading the labels and looking closely at the exhibits.” Rosanne Pellegrini can be reached at rosanne.pellegrini@bc.edu
A BANNER NIGHT
DATE & TIME
Samy Gemayel, above, one of the youngest members of the Lebanese Parliament, will present a talk, “Lebanon: Culture of Violence vs. Culture of Peace,” tonight at 6:30 p.m. in the O’Connell House Grand Hall. A graduate of the Jesuit Université Saint-Joseph in Lebanon, was a member of the (Phalangist) Lebanese Kataëb Party and a coordinator of a number of students groups and youth organizations that played a major role in Lebanon’s 2005 Cedar Revolution, forcing Syria to withdraw its armies after a 30-year occupation of Lebanon. For information, call ext.2-3915. The Clough Center for the Study of Constitutional Democracy will host a panel discussion with Alison LaCroix on her new book The Ideological Origins of American Federalism, on Oct. 27 at 4:30 p.m. in McGuinn 121. Other panelists will be: O’Neill Professor of Political Science R. Shep Melnick; Steven Calabresi, George C. Dix Professor of Constitutional Law at Northwestern University; and Edward Purcell, Joseph Solomon Distinguished Professor of Law at New York Law School. E-mail clough.center@bc.edu. The University Wind Ensemble of Boston College will present a concert of various chamber works for winds and percussion on Oct. 31 at 3 p.m. in the Cabaret Room of Vanderslice Hall. The international community’s response to humanitarian crises — with a particular emphasis on the human rights of internally displaced persons — will be the subject of a Nov. 3 lecture, “Natural Disasters and Human Rights: Comparing Responses to Haiti and Pakistan,” by Beth Ferris, co-director of the Brookings-Bern Project on Internal Displacement. The event, to be held at 7 p.m. in the Murray Room of theYawkey Center, is sponsored by the Center for Human Rights and International Justice. E-mail cansler@bc.edu for information.
A display of flags from various countries climaxed the Hispanic Heritage Month closing celebration at Robsham Theater last Friday night. The event included performances by student groups and a fashion show. (Photo by Christopher Huang)
For more on Boston College campus events, see events.bc.edu or www. bc.edu/bcinfo.