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Chronicle Published by the Boston College Office of News & Public Affairs
INSIDE:
news 3 Summer round-up
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Update on campus construction
“Literary Life” at the McMullen September 9, 2010-vol. 19 no. 1
Convocation Presents Visions of BC’s Past and Future By Sean Smith Chronicle Editor
While the future of Boston College’s academic programs and buildings comprised a significant part of yesterday’s University Convocation, an upcoming celebration of BC’s past also took center stage. Speaking before administrators, faculty and staff at Robsham Theater, University President William P. Leahy, SJ, formally announced plans to commemorate Boston College’s 150th anniversary, which will take place in 2013. “This will be a cause for celebration, reflection and planning,” said Fr. Leahy, who added that the approaching sesquicentennial provided a context in which to think about “how Boston College has evolved, and how we must respond to current challenges and opportunities according to the vision, beliefs, and values that have animated and guided our University since its beginning.” Executive Vice President Pat-
rick Keating and Provost and Dean of Faculties Cutberto Garza also spoke at the event. Keating discussed current University administrative and financial developments, as well as campus construction projects — highlighted by a computer-generated “tour” of the Stokes Hall academic and classroom building that is to be constructed on Middle Campus — while Garza examined several initiatives relating to intellectual, societal and faith aspects of the University’s mission. In addition to announcing the Sesquicentennial Celebration [see separate story], Fr. Leahy mused on the University’s beginnings as a single building on Harrison Avenue in Boston’s South End, and its progress throughout the years. BC got off to a less-than-auspicious start, Fr. Leahy noted: Having promoted the school to Boston’s Catholic community and expecting “an army of students” to enroll, the University’s first dean, Robert Fulton, SJ, was dismayed to see only 22 show up. “’Many
came gratuitously,’” said Fr. Leahy, quoting from Fr. Fulton’s account of the day, “’and only one or two had talent.’” But the vision of Fr. Fulton and other formative figures in BC’s first years, such as John McElroy, SJ, John Bapst, SJ, and benefactor Andrew Carney, proved to be durable, Fr. Leahy said. “Their deep sense of mission motivated them to respond to the challenges and opportunities of their time,” said Fr. Leahy. Over time, BC “began to change in size, structure, and scope in response to different circumstances and aspirations in the Roman Catholic population, higher education, and American society,” while retaining its commitment to Catholic values and teaching. As BC approaches its 150-year mark, the vision and sense of mission in BC’s founders and guiding spirits is needed more than ever, said Fr. Leahy, as is the Jesuit, Catholic, liberal arts education BC offers. To continue as “effective stew-
ards” of its educational, formational and faith mission, said Fr. Leahy, BC must ensure its programs and budgets “reflect strategic priorities and are managed as efficiently as possible.” Recruiting strong faculty and — in particular with increased financial aid — talented students must be a foremost concern, he said. BC also must safeguard its “special, caring community” and expand efforts to
deepen the understanding of BC’s Jesuit, Catholic dimensions. Fr. Leahy called for the University community to use the 150th anniversary observance as an opportunity to “remember the vision, sacrifice, and tenacity that gave root and life to the university we know and love, and to rededicate ourselves to being wise, effective stewards of the mission and Continued on page 6
University Announces 150th Anniversary Plans By Jack Dunn Director of News & Public Affairs
Lee Pellegrini
To formally recognize the University’s 150th anniversary and its extraordinary transformation from a local school for the sons of Irish immigrants to one of the nation’s premier institutions of higher learning, Boston College will host a Sesquicentennial Celebration from May of 2012 through the fall of 2013, University President William P. Leahy, SJ, announced this week. To oversee the effort, Fr. Leahy has appointed a Sesquicentennial Steering Committee to outline plans to commemorate the anniversary. The committee has begun organizing the celebration around the University’s motto “Ever to Excel,” with specific em-
phasis on the University’s excellence in scholarship, student and alumni formation and in bridging the gap between faith and culture. Major events proposed for the Sesquicentennial Celebration include a convocation of national and international Catholic college and university presidents to address the critical issues facing American Catholic higher education; a Founder’s Day celebration scheduled for April of 2013; a Sesquicentennial Speakers Series featuring leading dignitaries; the unveiling of historical markers throughout campus; an outdoor Mass at Fenway Park for students and graduates of Boston College and Boston College High School; and a series of school-specific and student-sponsored events that will Continued on page 6
BC Achieves Its Highest US News Ranking Ever Mark Herzlich has received plenty of attention from the media, and elsewhere, about his battle against cancer.
Completing the Comeback
After bout with Ewing’s sarcoma, Mark Herzlich returns to the gridiron By Reid Oslin Staff Writer
Boston College linebacker Mark Herzlich scored a victory far greater than any number posted on the Alumni Stadium scoreboard last Saturday when he successfully returned to the football field after conquering a year-long battle with cancer. Herzlich, an All-America player who was named the outstanding defensive player in the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2008, was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma – a rare form of bone cancer – in the spring of
2009 and underwent intensive chemotherapy treatments to halt the disease. Earlier this year, the Wayne, Pa., native had surgery to place a titanium rod in the center of his left femur to give it more support and enable him to attempt to resume his gridiron career. Throughout the long and painful period of cancer recovery, Herzlich never gave up his goal of returning to football – and his courageous battle became an inspiration to legions of people around the world who share in the fight against the disease.
“Ever since it was diagnosed, we knew that I wasn’t going to play last season,” Herzlich explained prior to last Saturday’s season opening game against Weber State. “So we – my family and my supporters – targeted Sept. 4. I always thought that once I got to this point I could say, ‘I’m back and doing what I love to do.’ I can’t believe that it is happening. “Just being out there practicing football again feels so natural,” Herzlich said. “It was like everything was coming back together. “After the first day of practice I Continued on page 5
Boston College rose to 31st among national universities in the 2011 US News & World Report survey, its highest ranking to date. The University, which moved up three positions in the ranking, was bolstered by a strong assessment from high school guidance counselors, which placed BC 22nd overall, as well as improvements in selectivity and average alumni giving rate. Boston College also placed 43rd in the “Great Schools, Great Prices” ranking, reflecting the University’s commitment to need-blind admissions and to meeting the full demonstrated need of all of its accepted students. In addition, BC’s Carroll School of Management improved to 23rd from 25th in the “Best Business Schools” survey. Provost and Dean of Faculties Cutberto Garza said he was pleased with the 2011 US News rankings
and the positive way in which Boston College continues to be viewed among national universities. “The new rankings should bolster our efforts to help prospective students and their families discover Boston College’s commitment to the development of our students’ intellectual abilities in the service of a better world,” said Garza. In addition to the US News rankings, Boston College placed 27th in Forbes magazine’s annual list of “America’s Best Colleges” released this summer. US News rankings of all colleges and universities can be accessed online at www.usnews.com. The Forbes rankings are at www.forbes. com/2010/08/01/best-colleges-university-ratings-rankings-opinionsbest-colleges-10-intro_slide.html. —Office of News & Public Affairs
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Chronicle september 9, 2010
A ROUND C AMPUS
A good run
Parking along Beacon Street? It’ll cost you. (Photo by Sean Smith)
Meters come to Beacon Street Visitors to Boston College who plan to park their vehicles on the Beacon Street side of campus should remember to bring plenty of quarters – and a wristwatch – when they pull up to the curb. The City of Newton has installed parking meters for 29 designated parking spaces along Beacon Street’s west-bound lane from the Boston-Newton line near Merkert Center up to Car-
ney Hall. The meters, installed over the summer, allow 20 minutes of parking for each quarter deposited – up to a three-hour maximum. A Newton parking control officer patrols the area to ticket scofflaws who exceed their paid time allotment. The meters are not in effect after 6 p.m., however, meaning that fans attending athletic events or students arriving for
Chronicle to Offer Flipbook Format Beginning this week, Boston College Chronicle will now be available in “flipbook,” an easy-to-browse digital format. If you would like to receive Chronicle flipbook editions, send e-mail to chronicle@bc.edu with “Subscribe flipbook” in the subject field, and include your name in the message. The flipbook edition also can be viewed at the Chronicle website, http://www.bc.edu/chronicle.
evening classes will not have to pay for Beacon Street parking. There are also three “live parking” slots located near the McGuinn Gate entrance to campus, designed to allow van drivers to wait in an attended vehicle when picking up children from the Campus School in Campion Hall. The marked bicycle lane for cyclists was also extended from the Boston-Newton line up to Hammond Street by city officials, who are seeking to improve traffic safety for cyclists, pedestrians and motorists along the busy thoroughfare. In the future, city officials plan to add pay-as-you-park meters on the east-bound side of Beacon Street, where posted one-hour parking signs are currently located. -RO
Phone it in In its latest embrace of social media, Boston College has released an iPhone application that is available through iTunes. The Boston College iPhone app, a compatible application for the popular iPhone, iTouch or iPad devices, provides news and information about the University through 16 modules containing items ranging from a campus map to the BC fight song. It can be downloaded free of charge at itunes.apple. com/us/app/boston-college/ id373910500?mt=8. The BC iPhone app was a team effort that originated during spring semester when BC Director of News & Public Affairs Jack Dunn gathered representatives from Information Technology Systems, University Advancement, Alumni, Athletics, Admission, News & Public Affairs and Marketing Communications to create an app for the BC community.
The group partnered with Straxis Communications, which had built similar apps for a range of colleges
and universities throughout the country, and officially released the app on June 1.
“In light of the success the Office of News & Public Affairs has had with BC Twitter and BC Facebook, it seemed that the iPhone app was the appropriate next step in our widening social media offerings,” said Dunn. “Each of the offices represented worked hard on this project, and through the professional guidance of Scott Olivieri of ITS we feel that we have put together a product that will benefit members of the BC community, past, present and future.” To install the BC iPhone app from the link, iPhone, iPad or iTouch users should tap the “App Store” button on their device. From the search tab at the bottom, search for “Boston College.” Tap the first item in the list, then tap the green “Install” button. For individuals who wish to see a description of the app with screen grabs, they should go to bit.ly/cln6bH. —Office of News & Public Affairs
The sixth annual Welles Remy Crowther Red Bandanna Run will take place on Main Campus Sept. 18, in honor of the 1999 Boston College alumnus who died on 9/11 while assisting rescue operations in the World Trade Center South Tower. Open to runners and walkers of all levels, the 5K road race begins at 9 a.m. and loops around the Main Campus. Those wishing to participate must register by Sept. 13 at 9 p.m. Donations from participants and non-participants alike also are welcome. Proceeds from the event will go to the Welles Remy Crowther
Charitable Trust, which was established by the Crowther family to recognize academic and athletic excellence in young people who serve their communities. Recipients of gifts and annual awards from the trust have included the Rockland Symphony Orchestra Annual Young People’s Concert, Fresh Air Fund, Camp Becket, the Institute for Educational Achievement, and the Natural History Museum of the Adirondacks. For information on the Red Bandanna Run and the Crowther Trust, see http:// www.redbandannarun.com. —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. Videos recently posted include: •“Moving In Day”: Freshmen don’t have to fend for themselves when they move in at Boston College. Office of Residential Life administrators and staff, Boston College Police personnel, and a coterie of “Welcome Wagon” student volunteers, as well as others from the BC community, all help the University’s newest arrivals get settled into their quarters. •Boston College Program Is the Write Stuff: Professor of Education Maria Brisk developed the Genres in Writing program to give teachers and students in the Boston Public Schools a new method to improve writing skills. For two students at the John Winthrop Elementary School in Dorchester, the program led to winning an annual essay contest sponsored by the Boston Red Sox Foundation and $10,000 scholarships when they enter college.. 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
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.
T he B oston C ollege
Chronicle september 9, 2010
While You Were Away A look at Boston College news from the summer of 2010
Daniel J. Lasker, renowned for his seminal works on the medieval Jewish-Christian debate and polemics, will be the Corcoran Visiting Chair in Christian-Jewish Relations for 2010-11 at the Boston College Center for ChristianJewish Learning. Lasker is Norbert Blechner Professor of Jewish Values at BenGurion University of the Negev, where he teaches medieval Jewish philosophy in the GoldsteinGoren Department of Jewish Thought. He is the author or coauthor of several books and more than 100 other publications in the fields of Jewish philosophy and theology, Jewish-Christian debate, Karaism, the Jewish calendar, and Judaism and modern medicine.
port available. Lynch Leadership Academy will use the resources of the Lynch School and Boston College to prepare the next generation of leaders for our Catholic, public and charter schools.” In announcing the gift, University President William P. Leahy, SJ, praised the Lynches for their commitment to improving education for all children. “Carolyn and Peter Lynch have done so much on behalf of public and parochial education in the Greater Boston area,” said Fr. Leahy. “The establishment of the Lynch Leadership Academy demonstrates their commitment to providing the training to prepare effective leaders for Catholic, public and charter schools.” In addition to the faculty and staff of the Lynch School, the Lynch Leadership Academy will draw on expertise from the Carroll School of Management, Winston Center for Leadership and Ethics, Connell School of Nursing, Graduate School of Social Work and Law School, as well as successful school leaders from
Daniel J. Lasker
This fall, Lasker will teach Debating Religious Truth: Jews & Christians in the Medieval World, a class open to graduates and undergraduates which will focus on the historical and theological implications of the Jewish-Christian debate and what can be learned from polemical literature regarding the relations between Jews and Christians and Judaism and
Boston-area Catholic, public and charter schools. The Lynch Leadership Academy will award 25 fellowships annually, accepting nominations from superintendents and leaders in the Catholic, public and charter school sectors. The fellows will attend a leadership retreat, a two-week summer institute, monthly workshops, and weekly sessions with leadership coaches, as well as participate in an online community to foster ongoing communication and networking among the fellows. Upon completion of the program, the fellows will receive three graduate school credits and a Certificate in School Leadership. The fellows will be drawn from the leadership of Boston’s 135 public schools, 16 charter schools and the 135 schools of the Archdiocese of Boston. Administrators estimate that within the first five years approximately 45 percent of these school leaders will have graduated from the Lynch Academy. —Jack Dunn Christianity. He also will organize a public conference next spring on “Are We Living in a Post—Polemical Era?” that will feature Jewish and Christian scholars addressing the medieval and contemporary periods. Lasker holds three degrees from Brandeis University and also studied at the Hebrew University, Jerusalem. He has lectured widely at universities and synagogues throughout North America, as well as at professional conferences on five continents. The Corcoran Visiting Professorship is named in honor of the late John Corcoran, a 1948 alumnus and former trustee of Boston College, who made a gift to the University in 2000 to establish the Center for Christian-Jewish Learning. —Kathleen Sullivan
Law Dean Search Is On
Provost and Dean of Faculties Cutberto Garza recently announced the formation of a search committee to seek a successor to Law School Dean John Garvey, who left Boston College this summer to become president of Catholic University in Washington, DC. Garza said the search process will extend into the middle of next spring, and anticipated the committee would meet 10 or more times during the next several months. In addition to Garza, who is chairing the search, members of the committee are: Prof. Filippa Anzalone (Law), associate dean for library and technology services; Clinical Assoc. Prof. Sharon Beckman (Law); Prof. Mark Brodin (Law); Law Student Association President Nathanael Burris ’11; Assoc. Prof. Gregory Kalscheur, SJ (Law); John Hanify ’74, Hanify & King; Prof. Judith McMorrow (Law); Lynch School of Education Dean Joseph O’Keefe, SJ; Assoc. Prof. MaryRose Papandrea (Law); Asst. Prof. Brian Quinn (Law); Co-Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Prof.
Lee Pellegrini
Boston College named John M. King, the senior director of public and environmental safety at Tufts University, as its new director of public safety and chief of police this summer. King, a career campus law enforcement professional who served as chief of campus police at Bentley University and as a lieutenant and manager of police services at Northeastern University prior to his 21-year tenure at Tufts, assumed his duties last month. He replaced Robert Morse, who had served as chief of police at Boston College from 1992 until his retirement in May. Financial Vice President and Treasurer Peter C. McKenzie praised King as an experienced police and higher education professional with a proven track record in successfully managing the safety and security needs of a university. King said he viewed the appointment as a “wonderful opportunity,” and is looking forward to putting his background and experience to use in promoting safety and security at BC. “I am leaving a great institution and coming to a great institution with a long tradition of educating tomorrow’s leaders to serve society. From the beginning, I have sensed that Bos-
John M. King
ton College is going to be a great place to be. It is an exciting opportunity for me, and I am eager to get started.” At Tufts, King was responsible for developing, implementing and supervising all programs and services related to police, security, public safety, emergency planning and environmental health and safety, while overseeing 100 employees on three campuses. A graduate of Northeastern University with a bachelor’s degree in law enforcement in 1978 and a master’s degree in public administration in 1984, King received his police training at the Massachusetts State Police Academy and the Boston Police Department Regional Recruit Academy. —Jack Dunn Gary Wayne Gilbert
A $20 million gift from Carolyn and Peter Lynch will create an academy to train principals from public, Catholic and charter schools.
Lee Pellegrini
A new educational leadership academy – the first in the nation to jointly train and support new principals from Catholic, public and charter schools – will be funded at the Lynch School of Education by a $20 million gift from Carolyn A. and Peter S. Lynch, long-time supporters of educational initiatives and benefactors to Boston College and Boston’s inner-city Catholic schools. Peter Lynch, a 1965 BC graduate who is vice chairman of Fidelity Management and Research Co., and his wife Carolyn, a noted philanthropist and the president and CEO of the Lynch Foundation, made the gift that will create the Lynch Leadership Academy to further their commitment to improving the educational experience at schools throughout the Boston area. “Education in the early grades is the most important issue in America,” said Peter Lynch. “The principal is the key individual who can affect everyone in the school. Carolyn and I have always looked for ways in which we can help provide opportunities for young people to have meaningful lives. For us the essential ingredient is education, and this academy will help to improve educational leadership at public, charter and urban-centered parochial schools.” Added Carolyn Lynch, “Principals have one of the most demanding and important jobs in America. My father was a lifelong educator and principal, so I know how critical it is that they receive the best training and sup-
Lasker New Corcoran Prof.
King Named As University’s Director of Public Safety
Gary Wayne Gilbert
Lynch Gift Establishes Leadership Academy
Former BC Law Dean John Garvey now heads Catholic University.
Diane Ring (Law); and Pratt Wiley ’06, Nutter McClennan & Fish LLP. University President William P. Leahy, SJ, praised Garvey as a person of integrity and compassion who cares deeply about the important role that law plays in American society. “John Garvey did an excellent job as dean and leaves BC Law in a position of strength as one of the nation’s premier law schools,” said Fr. Leahy. “I wish him the very best in his new role as president of Catholic University.” Robert Drinan, SJ, Professor George Brown was named interim dean of the Law School in July. —Jack Dunn
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Chronicle september 9, 2010
Campus Construction Update
Stokes, Brighton Campus Projects to Begin Eugena Ossi Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick speaks at Robsham Theater this Monday.
Massachusetts Governor to Launch Fall Humanities Series By Rosanne Pellegrini Staff Writer
Governor Deval Patrick will address the current state and future of education in Massachusetts on Sept. 13 at 7 p.m. in Robsham Theater, in the first of this fall’s Lowell Lectures Humanities Series events. Other Humanities Series events this semester include appearances by a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, a celebrated novelist, acclaimed nonfiction writers, and an award-winning sociologist. “We’re trying to sustain the Lowell Humanities Series’ traditional strengths by bringing in distinguished novelists, poets, writers of literary nonfiction, and scholars, but we’re also trying to expand our range,” said new director Carlo Rotella, professor of English and American Studies Program director. “This year, for instance, we’ll have Rebecca Skloot and Jane Brox, who in different ways show how science writing can be beautiful as well as informative. We’ll also have Dexter Filkins, a great war correspondent.” Rotella notes that Patrick — author of the forthcoming memoir, A Reason to Believe: Lessons from an Improbable Life — will talk about “his own education and the challenges facing the state as it tries to keep its place in the forefront of American education.” Patrick served as assistant attorney general for civil rights under President Bill Clinton and general counsel for the Coca Cola Co. before he was elected Massachusetts governor in 2006. He has made public education a priority during his administration, and has said, “I understand how education can transform a life because it is what transformed my own.” The event requires a free ticket (limit two per person) for admission. Tickets will be available for pick up at the theater box office (no phone orders or reservations) from 8 a.m.–4 p.m. on weekdays. For event information or for offcampus groups of five or more, please contact Katie Daily in the English Department at dailym@ bc.edu. Other fall appearances: Sept. 21: Dexter Filkins, au-
thor of The Forever War, part of a team of reporters who won a 2009 Pulitzer Prize for coverage of Afghanistan and Pakistan and an award-winning New York Times foreign correspondent. Sept. 28: Jane Brox, whose latest book, Brilliant: The Evolution of Artificial Light, was critically acclaimed. She is the author of several nonfiction books, including a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award in nonfiction. Oct. 13: Journalist, critic, blogger and author Elif Batuman, who teaches at Stanford University and writes for prominent publications. The New York Times praised her first book, The Possessed: Adventures with Russian Books and the People Who Read Them. Oct. 26: New York University sociology professor Eric Klinenberg, who recently authored Fighting for Air: The Battle to Control America’s Media. His 2002 book Heat Wave: A Social Autopsy of Disaster in Chicago won scholarly and literary prizes, was adapted for the stage, and is being made into a feature documentary. Nov. 9: Fiction Days presents celebrated novelist Gish Jen, author of several books whose new novel, World and Town, is due out this fall. Her work has been widely published, including in The Best American Short Stories of the Century, edited by John Updike; she was named one of the eight most important contemporary American women writers by critic Elaine Showalter. Dec. 1: Suketu Mehta, author of Maximum City: Bombay Lost and Found, a finalist for the 2005 Pulitzer Prize and winner of several awards. A New York University associate professor of journalism, he is working on a nonfiction book about immigrants in contemporary New York, has written an original screenplay for “The Goddess,” starring Tina Turner, and “Mission Kashmir,” a Bollywood movie. Complete series details—including more background on speakers, event times and locations, and spring semester events—can be found at: www.bc.edu/lowellhs. The series is sponsored by the Lowell Institute, BC’s Institute for the Liberal Arts and the Provost’s Office. Rosanne Pellegrini can be reached
By Reid Oslin Staff Writer
Three new major building and renovation projects that will kick off the University’s Master Plan efforts and provide expanded office and classroom space on the Boston College campus are scheduled to get underway in coming months. Pending approval from the University’s Board of Trustees in late September, work will begin this fall on the renovation of the administration building at 129 Lake Street — formerly Bishop Peterson Hall — on the Brighton Campus, which will be the new home of Boston College’s finance and human resources divisions. This project is expected to be completed in late 2011. Trustees will be asked to approve the start of a 12-month renovation project at 2121 Commonwealth Avenue, the former site of the Archdiocese of Boston’s Chancery office. When finished in early 2012, this building will be the new home of the University Advancement division. Work on the new Stokes Hall academic and classroom building on the Middle Campus is set to begin this fall, also subject to trustee approval, with completion projected in the fall of 2012. The major renovation of Gasson Hall, the University’s signature building, is progressing on schedule with a target completion date of August 2011. “The project is doing very well and it is presently on schedule,” said Director of Capital Construction John Romeo. “And we think the construction team, is doing a great job.” The year-long Gasson project involves a major renovation of the famed building’s exterior façade, as well as some interior accessibility and life safety upgrades. Masons are currently chipping and removing nearly 6,000 pieces of pre-cast concrete and mortar stonework from the 97-year-
The Gasson Hall renovation project is on target for completion next August, administrators say. (Photo by Lee Pellegrini)
old building and replacing the worn pieces with newly-cast matching stone elements. The construction team reports that very little of the Roxbury puddingstone, the predominate wall stone in the structure, needs to be replaced. Among the dozens of construction and renovation projects completed by the University’s Capital Projects Management team during the summer months are: •New operable windows in the luxury suites in Alumni Stadium and various improvements to the Flynn Recreation Complex. •Carpeting, new furniture, lounge renovations and security and fire protection systems in selected residence halls. •Creation of new classrooms and administrative offices on campus for offload of spaces closed by the Gasson renovation project. •Renovation of office spaces in the Stuart Smith wing of the Law
School. •Upgrades and renovations in the Connell School of Nursing, including a new simulation laboratory. •Physical improvements and space reorganization in McGuinn Hall’s academic areas. •Installation of utility meters across campus. •August completion and occupation of the Weston Jesuit Community Housing on Foster Street in Brighton. •Renovation of a facility at 10 Stone Avenue (between Beacon and Hammond streets) to serve as home for the Institute for Liberal Arts. •Roof repairs throughout campus and improvements to the University’s two major parking garages. “We had a busy, busy summer,” Romeo said, “but the projects went very well. It was very helpful that we had favorable weather this summer.” Reid Oslin can be reached reid. oslin@bc.edu
University Mass of the Holy Spirit and First Year Academic Convocation Set for Sept. 16 By Kathleen Sullivan Staff Writer
Boston College’s traditional “opening ceremonies” for the academic year will take place on Thursday, Sept. 16, beginning at noon with The Mass of the Holy Spirit on O’Neill Plaza (rain location: Conte Forum), and the First Year Academic Convocation at 7 p.m. Both events are open to the University community. The Mass of the Holy Spirit, organized by the Office of Campus Ministry, is a tradition at Jesuit institutions dating back to the Middle Ages. University President William P. Leahy, SJ, will be the main celebrant and Founders Professor of Theology James Keenan, SJ, will be the homilist. Classes are canceled during the noon hour so all may attend. Students, faculty and staff will participate as greeters, lectors and
Eucharistic ministers. Jesuits and other priests from BC will concelebrate the Mass. Music will be provided by the Liturgy Arts Group. For more information, contact Associate Campus Minister Ellen Modica at ext.2-4665 or modicae@bc.edu. The seventh annual First Year Academic Convocation, hosted by the Office of First Year Experience, will feature keynote speaker Daniel Wolff, author of How Lincoln Learned to Read. The book chronicles the formal and informal childhood educations of a dozen notable Americans, from Benjamin Franklin to Elvis Presley. Each member of the Class of 2014 was given a copy of Wolff’s book to read over the summer. Immediately prior to Wolff’s address, the Class of 2014, joined by the 50th anniversary Class of 1961, will process from Linden Lane to Conte Forum. At the start of their First Flight procession, freshmen are
urged, in the words of Jesuit founder Saint Ignatius, to “go set the world aflame.” The procession mirrors the same walk the students will take on their graduation day in 2014. “How Lincoln Learned to Read and [its] theme ‘What you need to know’ encourage exploration of what makes a good education in ways that are accessible to various sectors of the University community,” said Professor of English Carlo Rotella, director of the American Studies program. “The book’s historical characters each arrive at the age of 18 equipped with the makings of an education that will lead to what they need to know. It is an apt subject for freshmen arriving on BC’s campus to embark on a new phase of life.” [BC faculty offer reflections on How Lincoln Learned to Read at http://www.bc.edu/centers/ila/ 2014book.html.] Kathleen Sullivan can be reached at kathleen.sullivan.1@bc.edu
T he B oston C ollege
Chronicle september 9, 2010
By Ed Hayward Staff Writer
Looking to analyze scientific data on your iPad? There’s an app for that, thanks to Professor of Chemistry Evan Kantrowitz. Kantrowitz designed the app Scientific Data Analysis for the iPad primarily for the plotting and analysis of all types of data that can be formulated as x, y pairs. The app was approved by Apple and made available in its App Store this summer. In a broader sense, the app is part of the transformation of the iPad into a lab tool capable of providing students and other researchers with new ways to use the dynamic computing platform from Apple to improve the research process. “I didn’t write it just to write an app for the iPad,” said Kantrowitz. “I wrote it to see if I could come up with a way to use tablet computers in a research setting.” Designed with chemistry research in mind, the app gives users the ability to plot data in x, y pairs and then analyze that data using a wide range of common scientific formulas. The app can convert the data into graphs and charts and lets the user store data or export them to other applications or for use in lab reports or research publications. A professor of chemical biology and biochemistry, Kantrowitz lists computer programming among his hobbies. He has used electronic tools for a number of purposes, such as creating a wiki to replace his lab’s operations manual, which had grown to nearly three inches
“I didn’t write it just to write an app for the iPad,” says Chemistry Professor Evan Kantrowitz of his Scientific Data Analysis app. “I wrote it to see if I could come up with a way to use tablet computers in a research setting.” thick. In the iPad, Kantrowitz saw an opportunity to replace the laboratory notebook, as well as use the improved graphics of the iPad to put more electronic resources at the fingertips of his graduate, undergraduate and post-doctoral researchers. Chemistry lab work revolves around conducting experiments, logging the results in notebooks and then analyzing the findings, a task that now involves turning to the body of scientific knowledge on the Internet, Kantrowitz said. Typically, desktop computers are not located in labs or close to areas where experiments are conducted. “This does offer the chance to improve efficiency,” he said. “They can do almost everything without moving away from where they are working.” A long-time member of the University’s Academic Technology Advisory Board, Kantrowitz showed the app to Academic
Technology Executive Director Rita Owens, who arranged to provide six iPads to the Kantrowitz lab to test the impact of the app and the iPad in a research setting. Owens said Kantrowitz’s project goes to the core of efforts to improve instructional technology available to both faculty and students, either in the classroom or laboratory setting. “What I like is seeding innovation, using technology to support faculty so they can develop and support their students and their researchers,” said Owens, whose department sponsors the annual Academic Technology Innovation Grant program. “What I like is his ingenuity in developing the iPad app and the practical use of it by his students in the lab. That’s what we look for all the time.” To learn more about the app, visit the website http://www.scidataanalysis.com/sda/main.html. Ed Hayward can be reached at ed.hayward@bc.edu
HORN FORMATION—Members of the Boston College Screaming Eagles Marching Band got in a little practice during the week leading up to last Saturday’s BC-Weber State football game in Alumni Stadium. The Eagles host Kent State this Saturday at 3:30 p.m. and open their Atlantic Coast Conference schedule at the Heights Sept. 25 with Virginia Tech. (Photo by Justin Knight)
Continued from page 1 woke up the next morning and I was sore. But the soreness was all from playing football,” he said with a wry smile. “It actually felt pretty good.” During his recuperation and recovery, Herzlich has been a constant champion for cancer research and a source of hope for other patients in recovery. He did “hundreds and hundreds” of media interviews by his own count, and took part in a wide range of fund-raising activities that promoted cancer research and treatment causes. “It was sad sometimes,” Herzlich said. “You hear so many stories from different people with cancer. Some of them have even passed away from the disease, but to have been able to give them something to smile about for those last few months has been nice. “Then, you also meet people who have finished their treatments and they have written me letters saying how I was able to inspire them to get through it. That is really cool.” Herzlich said he was motivated in large part by his desire to play football again. “I tell everybody I talk with to make a goal,” he says. “Sometimes some elderly people you talk to don’t have a goal, because maybe they don’t see a place to get to at the end. I try to talk to them about trying to get to a grandchild’s graduation ceremony or wedding or something like that, something they can push to. “For me,” he says, “it was just to run out on the field with a uniform on.” Herzlich made dozens of appearances on behalf of various fundraising campaigns, and he is credited with helping to raise for than $200,000 for cancer research. He has received numerous honors for his efforts, and his comeback from cancer has been heralded in publications from USA Today to Esquire magazine as well as by every major television and radio outlet in the nation. His guest appearances have ranged from the Kennedy Compound in Hyannisport, where he played touch football with Patriots’ star Tom Brady in a charity event, to the Boston College campus, where he was a featured speaker at an Agape Latte faith formation gathering. Whitney Downum, a community executive for the American Cancer Society who serves as Boston College’s partner executive in the annual Relay for Life fund-raising event, says that the young man’s story has worked miracles among cancer survivors and their families. “He’s definitely inspirational,” she says. “He’s so down to earth and so sweet” – attributes not normally associated with bone-crunching linebackers. “He came to the opening ceremony of our Relay for Life event last February and spoke to 1,400 college-age volunteers. You could have heard a pin drop,” she says. “He shared his entire cancer story and had their complete attention. “It was someone their own age who was going through this,” Downum says. “A lot of times young adults have had parents or grand-
parents who have had cancer, but when someone is sitting there who is young, a college student just like them, and the fact that he has been so strong and has made himself so visible in his effort to inspire people to fight back.” “Once in a while I would talk about football,” Herzlich says, “but most of all, my message was about perseverance and fighting back.” Herzlich, who finished his degree in marketing in the Carroll School of Management while undergoing his treatment, is currently working on a master’s degree in the Woods College of Advancing Studies while he resumes his football career. He still wants a shot to play professional football and eventually plans to launch a foundation to fund cancer research. “I really want to help kids with cancer,” he says. Many say he already has. Reid Oslin can be reached at reid. oslin@bc.edu
Lee Pellegrini
Herzlich Returns
Lee Pellegrini
Putting the iPad In Touch with Science
“Just being out there practicing football again feels so natural,” Herzlich says. “It was like everything was coming back together.”
BC Football Hosts Cancer Survivors Linebacker Mark Herzlich is not the only cancer survivor helping push the Eagles to victory in the first two games of the new football season. The Boston College Athletics Association teamed up with the American Cancer Society to reach out to cancer survivors across the region and offer discount-priced tickets to patients and their families for the BC games against Weber State last Saturday and Kent State this Saturday. “Our thought is that we had the ‘Beat Cancer’ campaign that we started last year with Mark,” explains Associate Athletics Director for External Relations James DiLoreto, “and we wanted to continue to provide opportunities and experiences.” During last Saturday’s home opener, cancer patients – ranging in age from children to senior citizens – were invited to go on to the field to help form the “tunnel” as Herzlich and his teammates ran into the stadium to start the game. Boston College donated nearly $70,000 to the American Cancer Society last year from the sale of “Beat Cancer” t-shirts and sponsored several other fund-raising activities that netted another $100,000 in donations to cancer research. University athletics officials also distributed 20,000 rally towels to fans attending last weekend’s game, each bearing the message: “Keep the Faith.” —Reid Oslin
T he B oston C ollege
Chronicle september 9, 2010
New Academic Year, A New Look for the BC Bookstore By Melissa Beecher Staff Writer
An expanded and expansive Boston College Bookstore will now feature everything from etched Waterford stemware to BC Snuggies and slippers. The 10,000 square-foot space recently underwent a significant facelift that included new carpeting, fixtures, installation of glass cases, wood-paneled counters and ceilings. Removal of display cases in the front of the store now provides additional space for Boston College merchandise, books and BC-themed gifts. The cosmetic changes and added features were part of a much needed, several hundred-thousand dollar upgrade, said store director Bob Stewart. When Boston College entered a contract management partnership with Follett Higher Education Group, the largest operator of college bookstores in North America, the refurbished space was a must. “There were significant limitations in the number of things that we could offer in the bookstore because of space constraints,” said Stewart. “With the new store, we are able to bring in some of our more finer quality items because we finally have the space to display them.” Stewart said one of the most noticeable improvements is the addition of a fitting room – prior to the renovation, customers had to leave a license at the front desk and try on pants in the McElroy bathrooms. “Some changes were necessary and long overdue,” laughed Stewart. In addition, the bookstore will now offer a Rent-AText program, which allows students to “rent” books for the semester [see separate story]. Of course, a Superfan Tee – still just $9.95 – always proves to be a bestseller.
The Boston College Bookstore in McElroy Commons features new carpeting, fixtures, wood-paneled counters and other improvements. (Photo by Lee Pellegrini)
Students Now Have ‘Rent-A-Text’ Option The Boston College Bookstore now offers students the option of renting, rather than purchasing, their textbooks. Through its partnership with the Follett Higher Education Group, the bookstore is participating in the Rent-A-Text program, which promises savings of up to, or more than, 50 percent for students who opt to rent instead of purchase. The program enables students to arrange for rentals online and
pick up books at the store, and to convert rentals into purchases at any time. Students also are able to highlight passages and write in the books they rent. During RentA-Text’s pilot fall 2009 term, according to Follett, students at just seven schools saved nearly $2 million on their course materials. “The Rent-A-Text Program is positive service change that helps Boston College answer the growing demand for cost-savings in procuring academic textbooks for
A Mix of Past and Future at 2010 Convocation Continued from page 1 heritage of Boston College.” Keating, in his remarks, characterized the past year as “successful” for Boston College, in spite of “extraordinary fiscal challenges and uncertainty.” He cited improvements — some at all-time highs — in areas such as applications, yield, retention, sponsored research activity, alumni giving and fundraising pledges, achievements for which he said faculty and staff deserve considerable credit. Although the University was able to “weather the storm” from a finance and budgetary standpoint, Keating said BC will need sound stewardship — improving services or controlling expense growth — to confront future fiscal challenges, notably in financial and health care. Keating cited some instances of stewardship at BC, including the establishment of administrative service centers in the College of Arts and Sciences; administrative program reviews — which resulted in a more centralized Counseling Center operation, and improvements to the Flynn Recreation Complex facility, among other things; a 7 percent drop in actual spending for energy costs from fiscal year 2009; and efficiency reviews of cross-departmental pro-
grams, more than 20 of which have been completed. He also touted a soon-to-belaunched health management program, organized in collaboration with other area universities and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, which offers incentives to employees and their families to stay healthy. Keating finished with an update of recent, current and upcoming construction projects, including the renovation of Gasson Hall and 10 Stone Avenue — which will serve as home to the Institute of Liberal Arts — as well as completion of Jesuit community housing on Foster Street near the Brighton Campus. Pending approval by the Board of Trustees, he said, the University will shortly begin work on Stokes Hall, and renovation of the former Archdiocese of Boston Chancery office at 2121 Commonwealth Avenue, which will eventually house the University’s Advancement division. [For more on Boston College construction projects, see the story on page 4.] Garza spoke about the University’s commitment to fostering an intellectually rigorous community for undergraduate and graduate students, as represented by developments in several key areas, in-
cluding: •The Institute for the Liberal Arts’ expanding presence at BC, as reflected in the opening of its office at 10 Stone Avenue, and its organization of a campus symposium on liberal arts in education this November. •The renaming of the Geology and Geophysics Department as Earth and Environmental Sci-
ences, representing a wider field of inquiry into issues of the environment and sustainability. •The possibility of adding anthropology as a discipline to BC, a proposal to be discussed this year by the Council of Deans. •A review of the progress in bringing integrated sciences and the creative arts into the University curriculum.
students,” said Associate Vice President for Auxiliary Services Patricia Bando. “This low-cost text book resource option is an additional BC Bookstore asset along with the high level of customer service, guarantee of textbook and accompanying supplemental materials meeting our BC faculty requirements, and our purchase return policy that makes our bookstore a highly competitive vendor in this very competitive textbook sales arena.” —Sean Smith
•Initiatives by BC’s professional schools that have broadened their outreach to their respective disciplines as well as society at large, such as a new leadership academy to be funded by the Lynch School of Education [see page 3]. “These initiatives all demonstrate a concerted effort for excellence at BC,” said Garza. Sean Smith can be reached at sean.smith.1@bc.edu
Sesquicentennial Celebration Planned Continued from page 1 engage the wider University community in the celebration. Sesquicentennial Celebration Chair Mary Lou DeLong, vice president and University secretary, said that the committee, consisting of representatives from the offices of the Provost, News & Public Affairs, University Advancement, Student Affairs, Marketing Communications, Council of Deans, University Libraries, Jesuit Community and BC faculty, has offered many creative ideas, while also welcoming new suggestions from all facets of the University community. “Our goal is to plan a comprehensive sesquicentennial celebration that is inclusive of students, faculty, staff and alumni, as well as neighbors and friends of Bos-
ton College,” said DeLong. “We welcome input as we continue to outline plans for this special celebration.” Fr. Leahy said he looked forward to the 150th anniversary and to the opportunity it affords Boston College to celebrate its history and its service to Boston and the wider community. “Our sesquicentennial celebration will give us the opportunity to reflect on how Boston College has evolved over the decades, to give thanks for God’s blessings, and rededicate ourselves to the educational and religious vision that has animated BC since its founding in 1863.” Economics Professor and former College of Arts & Sciences Dean Joseph Quinn, who sits on the steering committee, will convene a
Sesquicentennial Academic Committee to work with deans and faculty from BC’s eight schools to plan “signature” events that reflect the University’s distinct mission and heritage. “Our faculty members are the heart and soul of our academic mission, and are central to the international reputation we now enjoy,” said Quinn. “Representatives from each school will convene in the fall to plan a series of events that will illustrate how Boston College research has made this a better world. Suggestions are encouraged from all our faculty, to your school representative or to me.” More information on the Sesquicentennial can be found at www.bc.edu/150thcelebration. Jack Dunn can be reached at jack.dunn@bc.edu
T he B oston C ollege
Chronicle september 9, 2010
N e w sma k e rs Carroll School of Management Galligan Professor Sandra Waddock commented to the Boston Herald on a poll of Bostonians commissioned by the developer of two controversial towers on the city’s waterfront.
Joseph W. Appleyard — shown with Campus School colleague Maureen Gates — was known for his work on the “EagleEyes” project.
OBITUARY
Joseph W. Appleyard, 39; Popular Campus School TA Services were held Tuesday at St. Mary’s Church in Melrose for Campus School teacher assistant Joseph W. Appleyard, who died Sept. 2 in his Melrose home. He was 39. A BC graduate, Mr. Appleyard began working in 2004 at the Campus School, which provides instruction, training and therapy services to children and young adults who have multiple disabilities and complex health care needs. He assisted students who use EagleEyes, an adaptive technology that allows people who cannot speak or move to communicate by controlling a computer cursor with their eyes. “Joe was devoted to the work of the Campus School,” said Campus School Director Don Ricciato. “He was a compassionate, gentle person and relished the opportunity to work with our students who benefit from EagleEyes. We will really miss him.” Maureen Gates, a teacher at the school and coordinator of the EagleEyes program, said she valued Mr. Appleyard’s patience and sensitivity to the severe special needs students who attend the school in Campion Hall. “He was a real asset to the EagleEyes team,” said Gates. “He
was steady and calm and sensitive to the kids. He always wanted to support what we were doing and work with the kids. He was a really good guy. My heart goes out to the family.” She said her colleague calmly tackled trouble-shooting the hightech teaching tool, as well as reading the non-verbal communications the students use. “He had that special sensitivity,” said Gates. “When you work with non-verbal children, you have to be attuned to their non-verbal queues. Sometimes the only way to tell how they are feeling or whether something isn’t quite right is through their body language.” Gates said Mr. Appleyard liked to sail in his spare time and participated in the Community Boating program on the Charles River Basin. He had recently purchased his own condominium near his parents’ home in Melrose. Mr. Appleyard is survived by his parents, Richard and Elizabeth of Melrose, as well his two brothers and his sister. Mr. Appleyard was the nephew of Joseph Appleyard, SJ, former vice president for University Mission and Ministry at Boston College. —Ed Hayward
NOTA BENE Assistant Professor of Law Richard Albert has been awarded the American Journal of Comparative Law 2010 Hessel Yntema Prize, which recognizes the most outstanding article published in the journal by a young scholar under the age of 40. Albert’s article, “The Fusion of Presidentialism and Parliamentarism” [available for download at http://ssrn.com/abstract=1424084] demonstrates how conventional accounts of the structural differences between governments with a president and governments with a parliament actually obscure the functional similarities of the two. The Journal of Race, Ethnicity, and Religion named Caminemos con Jesus: Toward a Hispanic/Latino Theology of Accompaniment, by Flatley Professor of Catholic Theology Roberto Goizueta, one of the 50 foundational books in race, ethnicity, and religion. In addition, Goizueta’s book Christ Our Companion: Toward a Theological Aesthetics of Liberation was selected as one of this year’s “Theological Best Books” by the Association of Theological Booksellers. Forbes.com included “WFN” [http://wfnetwork.bc.edu/blog/], the blog of the University’s Alfred P. Sloan Work and Family Research Network, among its top 100 “most dynamic, inspiring and helpful websites for women.” The network — led by Principal Investigator and Director Judi Casey and Graduate School of Social Work Associate Professor Marcie Pitt-Catsouphes, the network’s founder and advisor — is widely recognized as the premier online destination for current, credible, and comprehensive research and information on work and family issues.
After a visit to the fast-paced construction in China, American Studies Director Prof. Carlo Rotella (English) published an op-ed in the Boston Globe on Boston’s quality of comparatively slow, thoughtful continuity with its own past. Murray and Monti Professor of Economics Peter Ireland offered his views to the New York Times on Federal Reserve monetary policy. Prof. Juliet Schor (Sociology) was quoted by the Boston Globe on lavish displays of wealth during a tight economy.
What’s On ‘The Bookshelf’? This fall, Chronicle will inaugurate a new regular feature, “The Bookshelf,” that will take note of new or recent books by current Boston College faculty and staff. Authors can submit their books for consideration by sending e-mail to chronicle@bc.edu with “The Bookshelf” in the subject line, and including the following information: •Author’s name, hometown, rank or title and school, department or office at BC •Book title and publication date •Summary of the book — this should be three to four sentences, and written for a general audi-
ence rather than a scholarly publication An electronic image of the book cover should also be included in the e-mail. Books must have been published within the last six months to be considered “new or recent.” Textbooks, reissues or translations of previously published books will not be accepted. Items submitted will appear in the order they are received, and with space permitting. Chronicle reserves the right to reject any submissions that do not supply sufficient information or are otherwise deemed as inappropriate for inclusion.
BC BRIEFING
Prof. Thomas Groome (STM) was interviewed by Fox News on the Archdiocese of Boston campaign to bring Catholics back to the Church. MSN Money spoke with Sloan Center on Aging and Work Director of Employer Engagement Kathy Lynch regarding companies hiring retired baby boomers. Center for Retirement Research Director Alicia Munnell was quoted by the Wall Street Journal regarding the effect of the recession on boomers’ retirement plans, and by Cincinnati. com on retirees’ reliance on Social Security benefits. Facilities Services Manager Joseph Catanzaro talked with the Catholic News Agency about his service trip to the Gulf Coast. Prof. Marc Landy (Political Science) was quoted by the Boston Herald for a story on the image of 2012 presidential contender Mitt Romney.
OBITUARIES Jack McCall, 89, July 29. Founder of the Boston College Institute of Religious Education and Pastoral Ministry.
dace Hetzner is now serving a term as president of the Northeastern Association of Graduate Schools. Connell School of Nursing graduate student Doug Schlichting was awarded a student essay prize by the International Philosophy of Nursing Society for his paper “Destabilizing the ‘equipoise’ framework in clinical trials: Prioritizing non-exploitation as an ethical framework in clinical research.” The paper will be published in the journal Nursing Philosophy, and Schlichting will present his work at the IPONS annual conference this month.
T ransitions Camille Fitzpatrick Markey was named associate director of the Center for Christian-Jewish Learning at Boston College, replacing Audrey Doetzel. Markey’s primary responsibilities are programming, administration, and working as managing editor for the center’s ejournal, Studies in Christian-Jewish Relations (www.bc.edu/scjr). She has taught at Boston College and Anna Maria College as well as at various Catholic high schools.
Publications
T im e and a H a l f
Prof. Maxim D. Shrayer (Slavic and Eastern Languages) contributed an essay about the poet Ilya Bokshtein to Bokshtein’s posthumous volume of selected poetry, published in Jerusalem.
Assoc. Prof. Christopher Baum (Economics) presented “Corporate Liquidity Management and Future Investment Expenditures” to the department of economics of National University of Singapore.
Prof. Emeritus James Skehan, SJ (Geology and Geophysics), published the chapter “Geology and Grace: Teilhard’s Life and Achievements” in Rediscovering Teilhard’s Fire.
Prof. Mark Brodin (Law) discussed his book William P. Homans Jr.: A Life In Court at a Senior Partners for Justice luncheon in Boston.
Honors/ Appointments College of Arts and Sciences Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Can-
Prof. Jeffrey Cohen (Accounting) presented “Perceptions of Retail Investors of the Decision-Usefulness of Non-financial Information,” and “Audit Committee Industry Specialization and Accounting Restatements” at the American Accounting
Association National Conference in San Francisco.
Prof. Maxim D. Shrayer (Slavic and Eastern Languages) and graduate student in Russian literature Leon Kogan delivered “Tolstoy’s Jews” at the TolstoyTwain Bicentenary Symposium at the Editorial Institute of Boston University. Shrayer also presented “Jewish-Russian Poets as Witnesses of the Holocaust, 1941-1946” at the World Congress of the International Council for Central and East European Studies in Stockholm. Assoc. Prof. Junona Moroianu (Biology) had a poster presentation titled “Nuclear Import of Low Risk HPV11 E7 Mediated by its Zinc Binding Domain is Independent of Nuclear Import Receptors” at the 26th International Papillomavirus Conference in Montreal. Center for Work & Family Executive Director Brad Harrington presented “The Working Father Identity: Exploring Fatherhood Within an Organizational and Careers Context” at the Academy of Management in Montreal. 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 www.bc.edu/offices/hr/: Receptionist/Staff Assistant, Office of the Academic Vice President and Dean Of Faculties Writer, Development Associate Director, School Development Statistician/Programmer Trends in Mathematics & Science Study Operations Coordinator, Boston College Band Assistant Director, Center for Human Rights and International Justice
T he B oston C ollege
Chronicle september 9, 2010
LOOKING AHEAD A Celebration of the Literary and the Visual By Rosanne Pellegrini Staff Writer
The McMullen Museum of Art is the exclusive venue for “Literary Lives: Portraits from the Crawford Art Gallery and Abbey Theatre, Ireland,” which depicts Irish literary figures such as Jonathan Swift, Micheal O’Siadhail, Elizabeth Bowen and Frank O’Connor. Organized by the Crawford Art Gallery in Cork, Ireland, and the McMullen in collaboration with BC’s Irish Studies faculty and Burns Library, the exhibition will be on display from through Dec. 5. Over the last several centuries, a number of Irish artists have produced compelling portraits of Irish writers in painting, sculpture and photography, according to exhibition organizers. Many of these portraits were either commissioned or purchased by various Irish national collections. This exhibition comprises 49 of the finest examples from two of the most significant of these collections: the Crawford Art Gallery in Cork and Abbey Theatre in Dublin. “Literary Lives” combines visual portraiture with a wide range of rare books, manuscripts, letters, illustrations and objects selected from the Burns Library of Rare Books and Special Collections to explore questions about the literary life, both personal and professional, and reveal how different materials offer windows onto various aspects of that life. “The McMullen Museum and Irish Studies faculty at Boston College are proud to collaborate with the Crawford Art Gallery in Cork in presenting to the New England audience treasures from Irish
BC SCENES
New McMullen exhibition showcases compelling portraits of Irish writers
(Clockwise from above left) Seamus Heaney, Elizabeth Bowen, Lady Gregory and Patrick Kavanagh are among those depicted in “Literary Lives.”
National Collections and Boston College’s Burns Library that meld and explore visual and textual biographies of some of Ireland’s most celebrated literary figures,” said McMullen Museum Director and professor of Art History Nancy Netzer. Serving as co-curators for the McMullen Museum exhibition are Crawford Art Gallery Director Peter Murray, Crawford Art Gallery Curator Anne Boddaert, Irish Studies faculty members Associate Professor of English Marjorie Howes and Adjunct Associate Pro-
fessor of History Robert Savage, and McMullen Collections and Exhibitions Manager/Designer Diana Larsen. “The works of art in this exhibition celebrate literary achievements, but they also celebrate the talents of Irish visual artists. The painters, photographers, and sculptors who created these portraits give an insight both into the writer’s world and also into the way in which they were seen by those around them. The subject of each portrait is a distinct and unique talent and each portrait an example of an
artist’s own individual approach,” says Murray. According to Murray, the exhibition presents “the compelling intersection of two distinct creative disciplines: the visual artist who makes the portrait and the writers, who have made their own mark on society, through novels, plays and poetry. “Often the portraits are an expression of respect. Jonathan Swift is depicted by his friend Francis Bindon, while over two centuries later, the poet Micheal O’Siadhail is painted by his friend Michael O’Dea. Patrick Hennessy’s portrait of his friend Elizabeth Bowen is clearly a celebration of the writer’s home and heritage, while Norah McGuinness’s image of Frank O’Connor is an intimate portrayal of one of Cork’s greatest writers.” Such details as clothing, accessories and backgrounds add information about the person depicted, he notes. “The materials of which the portrait is made are also important, as are some of the less tangible aspects, such as the time taken in creating the work of art. A swift snapshot by photographer John Minihan can be a telling portrait, while an oil painting by Edward McGuire, created slowly over many sittings, gives a different but equally compelling insight into both artist and sitter.” “Literary Lives” is underwritten by Culture Island, Boston College and the Patrons of the McMullen Museum. For more on the “Literary Lives” exhibition and the McMullen Museum, see http://www.bc.edu/artmuseum or call ext.2-8100. Rosanne Pellegrini can be reached at rosanne.pellegrini@bc.edu
A TIME FOR THE NEW
DATE & TIME
Gabriel Schoenfeld (above), a former senior editor of Commentary magazine who is senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and resident scholar at the Witherspoon Institute, will present the Constitution Day Lecture, “Necessary Secrets: Leaks, National Security, and the Law,” on Sept. 16 at 4:30 p.m. (the location will be announced). The event is sponsored by the Clough Center for the Study of Constitutional Democracy; see www.bc.edu/ centers/cloughcenter/ for more information. The Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life will sponsor the discussion “Humanitarian Intervention and the ‘Responsibility to Protect’” on Sept. 16 at 5:30 p.m. in Higgins 300. Boisi Center Director Prof. Alan Wolfe (Political Science), University Professor in Human Rights and International Justice David Hollenbach, SJ, and Columbia University Lehman Professor of Government Mahmood Mamdani will be the panelists. See www.bc.edu/boisi for details. Sister Helen Prejean, CSJ, whose activism against capital punishment was the subject of her 1993 book Dead Man Walking (the basis for a popular film and, later, an opera), will speak in Robsham Theater on Sept. 17 at 7 p.m. For information, contact the Church in the 21st Century Center at ext.2-0470, wongao@bc.edu, or see www.bc.edu/church21.
Photos by Lee Pellegrini
Boston College was bustling as August turned into September, with this year’s freshman class arriving late last week at Newton Campus — where, above left, they were greeted and assisted by “Welcome Wagon” student volunteers — and other locations. Above right, University President William P. Leahy, SJ, offered his own welcome to the freshmen and afterwards chatted with UGBC President Micaela Mabida ’11, who also spoke. Below right, Asst. Prof. Rene Olate (GSSW) shared a laugh with Ana Mascagni of Brazil and Aakanksha Sinha of India at a picnic for international students held on the Campus Green.
Pianist Cecilia Farrell will give a concert on Sept. 19 at 4 p.m. in Gargan Hall of Bapst Library. She will play “Suite Bergamasque” by Debussy, a selection of waltzes by Chopin, and Beethoven’s “Tempest” Sonata. See /www.bc.edu/schools/cas/ music/calendar.html. For more on Boston College campus events, see events.bc.edu or www.bc.edu/bcinfo.