Boston College Chronicle by Boston College

The Boston College

Chronicle Published by the Boston College Office of News & Public Affairs Summer 2013 Edition

Moore Heads Up Alumni Relations; Feudo Joins Development

INSIDE •Quad reconstruction update, page 2 •Racing scull named for Fr. Kennedy, page 2 •Good marks for BC Athletics in report, page 2 •Darcy wins Community Service Award, page 3

Former Boston College hockey player Ben Smith ’10, now a member of the National Hockey League champion Chicago Blackhawks, stopped by Conte Forum on July 16, bringing with him the Stanley Cup to show his former coach, Jerry York. (Photo by Lee Pellegrini)

•Padilla lab sees progress in terahertz work, page 3 •Kempa paper wins an award, page 4 •Smith: compensation does not resolve “Magdalenes” controversy, page 4 •University hosts major conference on vocations, page 5

•Epstein off to Russia on Fulbright grant, page 5 •Two named as Lilly Fellows, page 5 •CSON presents Kelleher Award, page 5 •Walk Across Campus program gathers pace, page 6 •Gaillardetz assumes CTSA presidency, page 6 •Clough, Gilman scholars are announced, page 6 •Fr. Hollenbach cited by Catholic Press Assoc., page 7 •BC students learn the art of books, page 8

Summers a National Humanities Ctr. Fellow By Sean Smith Chronicle Editor

Associate Professor of History Martin A. Summers has been named as a Fellow at the National Humanities Center for the 2013-14 academic year, joining 35 other distinguished scholars from institutions across the United States, Canada, France and Russia. Chosen from more than 400 applicants, NHC fellows — who represent humanistic scholarship in history, literature, philosophy, anthropology, art history, classics, mu-

sicology, and religion — work on individual research projects and have the opportunity to share ideas in seminars, lectures, and conferences at the center, located in the Research Triangle Park of North Carolina. Summers, who also teaches in the African and African Diaspora Studies Program, is the first recipient of the center’s newly established Ruth W. and A. Morris Williams Jr. Fellowship for his research project, “Race, Madness, and the State: A History of Saint Elizabeths Hospital and Washington, DC’s African American Community, 1855-

1987.” “I’m thrilled to have been chosen for such a prestigious honor,” said Summers, the third Boston College faculty member to be selected as an NHC Fellow, along with English Professor Kevin J. Ohi (2004-05) and Professor of Theology Rev. James Weiss (1986-87). “My last external research fellowship — at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study during 2007-08 — was what originally brought me to Boston, which eventually resulted in me joining Boston College. Continued on page 4

Joy Moore, former director of stewardship and donor relations in University Development, has been appointed associate vice president for alumni relations, Senior Vice President for University Advancement James Husson announced. A 1981 alumna who received an honorary degree at the 2010 Commencement Exercises for her work with the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls, Moore succeeds John Feudo ’82, who after seven years in the alumni relations post has joined University Development as senior development officer. Husson said the leadership transition would strengthen the University’s $1.5 billion “Light the World” campaign, which earlier this year crossed the $1 billion threshold. A major facet of the campaign’s success, he said, is “providing compelling Continued on page 3

BC Scientists Aid in Developing New Form of Carbon Electronic properties of nanographene can be modified in predictable manner By Ed Hayward Staff Writer

Chemists at Boston College and Nagoya University have together synthesized the first example of a new form of carbon, the team reports in the most recent edition of the journal Nature Chemistry. This new material consists of many identical pieces of grossly warped graphene, each containing exactly 80 carbon atoms joined together in a network of 26 rings, with 30 hydrogen atoms decorating the rim. These individual

molecules, because they measure somewhat more than a nanometer across, are referred to generically as “nanocarbons,” or more specifically in this case as “grossly warped nanographenes.” Until recently, scientists had identified only two forms of pure carbon, diamonds and graphite. Then in 1985, chemists were stunned by the discovery that carbon atoms could also join together to form hollow balls, known as fullerenes. Since then, scientists have also learned how to make long, ultra-thin, hollow tubes of carbon

QUOTE:

atoms, known as carbon nanotubes, and large flat single sheets of carbon Joy Moore ’81 atoms, known as graphene. The discovery of fullerenes was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1996, and the preparation of graphene was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2010. Graphene sheets prefer planar, two-dimensional geometries as a consequence of the hexagonal, chicken wire-like, arrangements of trigonal carbon atoms comprising their two-dimensional networks. The new form of carbon just report- John Feudo ’82 Continued on page 4 (Photos by Lee Pellegrini)

“The benefits of walking and related activities — even for just a short time each day — are well-known, of course. But it seems the program goes beyond the physical benefits: People are developing a real sense of camaraderie — they see the Fitbit and have an instant connection — and that is healthy in and of itself.” —Associate Vice President for Human Resources Robert Lewis, page 6

T he B oston C ollege

Chronicle summer 2013

Floating his boat

BC in the Media “[Even] if the report shows strong employment growth, the Fed is unlikely to decide to begin tapering its asset purchases when it meets later this month. The Fed will want to wait until its September meeting when it will have employment numbers for July and August in hand.” —Assoc. Prof. Robert Murphy (Economics), interviewed by ABC-TV on the latest national job figures

Work on the Gasson Quad is expected to finish up in mid-August, administrators say. (Photo by Lee Pellegrini)

The project, which began the day following Commencement, entails replacing the network of paths and its central hub with a diagonal north-to-south walkway, and leveling the area’s grade to provide improved pedestrian traffic flow and better outdoor function space. The new Quad will feature a central open space, with flowering trees and seat walls around the perimeter. Ledge removal on the site had largely been completed as of last week, said Vice President for Facilities Management Daniel Bourque, and despite some bouts of inclement weather the project is on schedule for completion in mid-August. Touching on other campus construction in progress this summer, Bourque said the St. Mary’s Hall project also is proceeding well. The building, which houses the Boston

tions are on schedule, said Bourque. St. Mary’s is expected to reopen in December of 2014. The scaffolding on top of Gasson Hall, said Bourque, is related to a project that involves waterproofing the building’s tower. Severe rains have often resulted in water leaking down to lower floors, he explained. Maloney Hall is undergoing reconfiguration to accommodate the move of the Economics Department and the Office of Student Affairs to different floors, and the relocation of the Connell School of Nursing and the Mathematics Department to Maloney. Watch BCInfo [www.bc.edu/ bcinfo] for information and updates on campus construction this summer. —Office of News & Public Affairs

“To many people, ‘work’ now means being productive as long as they can. They want to be recognized as contributing human beings. They want to be valued. The new normal is that retirement is going to include some amount of paid work, at least for some period of time.” —Sloan Center on Aging and Work Director Assoc. Prof. Marcie Pitt-Catsouphes (GSSW), on changing attitudes toward retirement, Boston Globe “The weight of the evidence is overwhelming, but the issue of guilt or innocence is almost irrelevant to Bulger. It’s like a terrorist wanting to have a trial so they can espouse their political views. I’m watching this trial and I’m thinking there might be a real likelihood that he will take the stand.” —Prof. Robert Bloom (Law) on the “Whitey” Bulger trial, Boston Herald

Photo courtesy BC men’s crew team

College Jesuit community, also will be the new location for the Communication and Computer Science departments and the Woods College of Advancing Studies in early 2015. Installation of the building’s new cast stones and roofing is well underway, and the interior renova-

Reconstruction of the Gasson Quad continues on schedule, with the pedestrian way leading from the Campus Green to Higgins Green across the front of Fulton Hall expected to reopen this week, according to Facilities Management administrators.

Quad make-over on schedule

Fr. Kennedy and crew team members with racing scull named in his honor.

Canisius Professor and Jesuit Institute Director T. Frank Kennedy, SJ, readily acknowledges being “a totally unathletic Jesuit.” So he is all the more gratified at being the namesake for a boat donated recently to Boston College men’s crew. Thomas Lacy ’93, a crew team alumnus, last year told Fr. Kennedy he wanted to donate a scull in the memory of Denis Moran, SJ, the Theatre Department chairman — and, along with Fr. Kennedy, a former professor of Lacy — at the time of his death in 1993. Lacy invited Fr. Kennedy to attend the dedication ceremony at the team’s year-end meeting so he could bless the boat and oversee its christening. “I suggested there might be other Jesuits more connected with sports who would be better choices, but Tom was unyielding,” said Fr. Kennedy, rector of BC’s Jesuit Community. “Then, two weeks before the event, he called again to make sure I would come.” During that phone call, Lacy sprang a surprise on Fr. Kennedy: He was donating not one but two racing sculls, and one would be named for Fr. Kennedy. So when

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 Rosanne Pellegrini Kathleen Sullivan Michael Maloney

More good marks for Athletics Thirteen Boston College sports teams were recognized for being in the top 10 percent of all squads in their sport in the NCAA Academic Performance Public Recognition release. BC’s baseball, football, men’s golf, men’s skiing, men’s swimming, men’s indoor track, men’s outdoor tack, softball, women’s ice hockey, women’s lacrosse, women’s swimming, women’s indoor track and women’s outdoor track were honored. A total of 57 teams from Atlantic Coast Conference schools earned recognition across 26 sports, including five teams from non-ACC Division I sports. This marks the third straight year all 12 ACC member institutions were recognized with at least one award. Boston College was one of 13 FBS football programs — and four from the ACC, along with Clemson, Duke and Georgia Tech — honored by the NCAA. Nationally, 976 teams were publicly recognized for high achievement, representing 594 women’s teams and 382 men’s or mixed squads. In 2012, 954 teams were recognized. Duke and BC led all ACC schools with 15 and 13 awards, respectively, followed by North Carolina and Wake Forest (5), Miami, NC State and Virginia (3 apiece), and Clemson, Georgia Tech, Florida State, Maryland and Virginia Tech (2 apiece). —Boston College Athletics

the team gathered in May to salute its graduating seniors and formally welcome the new additions to its fleet, Fr. Kennedy was happy to be there. “It was a very nice evening, all the more because of this wonderful surprise,” said Fr. Kennedy. “Part of what made this special was that Fr. Moran and I had worked on producing a Jesuit opera at BC during the Ignatian Anniversary Year celebration of 1990-91, and a number of his students and mine had been involved as singers and dancers. “So it means a lot to be associated with him — even in such an unlikely place. I’m very grateful to Tom and all the BC crew members and supporters for this honor.” —Sean Smith

Photographers

Gary Gilbert Lee Pellegrini

The Office of News & Public Affairs is sponsoring a “Where’s Baldwin?” photo contest this summer, inviting members of the University community to print out [at http://on.bc.edu/FlatBaldwin], and snap a photo with, the BC mascot while on vacation or in the midst of other summer activities. Photos can be sent to social@bc.edu or tagged on social media channels with #WheresBaldwin.

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 summer 2013

Community Service Award

ResLife’s Darcy ‘Defines Generosity’ By Rosanne Pellegrini Staff Writer

Christopher Darcy, an associate director in the Office of Residential Life and a tireless volunteer both in his community and on campus, is the recipient of the University’s 2013 Community Service Award. Sponsored by the Office of Governmental and Community Affairs, the award highlights the outstanding contributions of a Boston College employee whose actions exemplify the Jesuit spirit of service to others. It was presented to Darcy by University President William P. Leahy, SJ, at a recognition dinner in late May. “This award truly means so very much to me personally and professionally. I am honored, but extremely humbled and moved. I was absolutely overwhelmed by being recognized as the recipient for this year,” Darcy said. “There are so many incredibly giving and caring faculty and staff in our BC community who serve and give of themselves on a daily basis, it is a blessing and honor to be chosen amongst all of them, and as a representative of the work we engage in each and every day.” A 17-year member of the University community, Darcy is responsible for the ministerial components and programs of the Office of Residential Life, and serves as a part-time campus minister for the division of University Mission and Ministry. He received award nominations from three members of the BC community, and heartfelt letters of support from several students. “If I am half the man that Chris Darcy is someday, I will have lived a very successful, loving and compassionate life full of joy. [He] is one of the finest men I have had the privilege of knowing,” wrote Kenny Ierardi ’13. Among his many volunteer activities, Darcy has served for nearly three decades as a baseball coach in his hometown of Natick. He also has volunteered for more than 15 years at St. Ignatius Church as a liturgical coordinator, Eucharistic minister and lector; for Little Brothers/ Friends of the Elderly, and has participated in five Dana-Farber/ Jimmy Fund Half Marathon Walks. Among his activities at Boston College, he has been an Arrupe mentor and staff person for numerous international immersion programs; serves as a Mays mentor for two students; as a retreat

New Posts for Moore, Feudo Continued from page 1 opportunities for alumni to deepen their engagement with their alma mater.” Since joining Advancement in 2011, Husson said, Moore “has brought important vision and energy to Boston College, as she and her team have spearheaded some of the campaign’s most visible stewardship events and activities,” such as the 150ontheroad program introduced as part of the University’s Sesquicentennial celebration. Husson praised Feudo for his work in alumni relations and his skill in relationship building that will be crucial to helping reach the campaign goal over the next few years. “In an effort to deepen the bench strength of key leaders focused on this goal, I am pleased to announce that John will be joining the University Development unit as a senior development officer. John’s deep understanding of the Boston College experience and his skill in developing relationships will be critical to our success.” Moore worked in the University’s development operation shortly after graduating and followed that with positions at the University of San Francisco and University of

California at Berkeley. After stints as interim head of school at The Archer School for Girls in Los Angeles and Dana Hall School in Wellesley, she served for four years as interim and then deputy head of the South Africa-based Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls, launched by the famed television personality and executive in January 2007. “I’m delighted by this opportunity,” said Moore. “It brings me back full circle: Working in the Alumni Association under [executive director] John Wissler got me started in the development-alumni relations profession.” Moore said she was confident of continued alumni support for “Light the World,” citing the response that greeted 150ontheroad, during which BC graduates and parents gathered in seven cities with the goal of providing 150,000 meals to the hungry — an objective that was met many times over. “Going from city to city and seeing the power of alumni enthusiasm was a wonderful experience. Where there is a University-wide effort to enhance Boston College and its mission, the alumni will be behind it.” —Office of News & Public Affairs

Padilla Lab Sees a Breakthrough in Effective Terahertz Imaging Christopher Darcy: “If I can make a difference in some small way, that fuels my passion to be a person with and for others, especially because of how I have been formed through my Jesuit education, and by the wonderful experiences and people of the BC community.” (Photo by Caitlin Cunningham)

director for the Kairos program and assists in co-directing an annual 48 Hours retreat for firstyear students. “I have always been inspired by St. Ignatius of Loyola, who gave unconditionally of himself by ministering and teaching others so genuinely, caringly and lovingly,” according to Darcy. “Boston College has afforded me some incredible opportunities to serve and give, here and outside of BC. I feel strongly, if I can make a difference in some small way, that fuels my passion to be a person with and for others, especially because of how I have been formed through my Jesuit education, and by the wonderful experiences and people of the BC community.” On campus, he has enriched the academic and personal lives of many students, including those who wrote on his behalf as part of the nomination process for the Community Service Award. “Christopher Darcy has been one of the most amazing people that I’m grateful to have crossed paths with during my time at BC. He’s been a wonderful mentor, adviser and a friend,” wrote

Lyz Alexandre ’13. “When I need advice, Darcy never tells me what to do, he asks me questions so I can come to my own conclusions.” “I am honored to represent all of the amazing and inspiring people at BC who volunteer, care, serve and give of themselves each and every day. I am grateful for the support of my supervisors, colleagues and students. I cannot thank enough Peter Folan [First Year Experience assistant director], Ellen Modica [campus minister], Rev. Donald MacMillan, SJ [campus minister, who wrote on his nomination: “If I can simply define generosity, it is Chris Darcy.”] and the students who nominated me in support of this award. I am also grateful to my wife, Ann Marie, who encourages and supports my efforts to volunteer and give back, in some way!” According to Community Affairs Director Bill Mills, who chairs the Community Service Award Committee, this year’s group of candidates was among the most qualified, which made it difficult to select the winner. Contact Rosanne Pellegrini at rosanne.pellegrini@bc.edu

The universe is awash in terahertz are inefficient. This has fueled the (THz) waves, as harmless as they are search for new imaging technologies Lee Pellegrini in order to manipulate abundant. But unlike other regions of the THz waves. electromagnetic specEfforts to overcome trum, says Professor of the challenges of mePhysics Willie J. Padilchanics, cost and imla, THz has proven to age clarity are viewed be extremely difficult as a crucial step in efto manipulate in order forts to tame the THz to capture novel imgap since imaging and ages of objects and masensing at this frequenterials with which these cy holds the potential Willie J. Padilla light waves interact. for advances in areas as Most existing THz imaging de- divergent as chemical fingerprinting, vices employ prohibitively expensive security imaging of hidden weapons, technology or require several hours even real-time skin imaging to proand cumbersome manual controls mote simple detection of skin cancer. to generate a viable image, according Central to this challenge is the to Padilla. development of a technology to crePadilla and researchers in his lab ate efficient masks — similar to the recently reported a breakthrough in aperture of a camera — capable of efforts to create accessible and effec- tuning THz radiation in order to tive THz imaging. Using both opti- produce clear images in just a few cal and electronic controls, the team seconds. developed a single-pixel imaging Padilla and graduate students Datechnique that uses a coded aperture vid Shrekenhamer and Claire M. to quickly and efficiently manipulate Watts report their new single pixel stubborn THz waves, according to imaging method centers on what a recent report in the journal Optics they describe as a “coded aperture Express. multiplex technique” where a laser In the so-called terahertz gap, beam and electronic signals are used a region of wavelengths that falls to send a set of instructions to a between microwave and infrared semiconductor so it can guide the frequencies, conventional electronic reproduction of the image of an sensors and semiconductor devices object after THz waves have passed are ineffective. Some systems capture through it. only a fraction of a scene and the —Ed Hayward means to tune these THz waves

T he B oston C ollege

Chronicle summer 2013

Fellowship Allows Summers to Continue Research

Vanderslice Professor of Chemistry Lawrence T. Scott and colleagues have synthesized a new form of carbon, nanographene (model shown above). (Photo of Scott by Lee Pellegrini)

New Form of Carbon Continued from page 1 ed in Nature Chemistry, however, is wildly distorted from planarity as a consequence of the presence of five 7-membered rings and one 5-membered ring embedded in the hexagonal lattice of carbon atoms. Odd-membered-ring defects such as these not only distort the sheets of atoms away from planarity, they also alter the physical, optical, and electronic properties of the material, according to one of the principal authors, Jim and Louise Vanderslice and Family Professor of Chemistry Lawrence T. Scott. “Our new grossly warped nanographene is dramatically more soluble than a planar nanographene of comparable size,” says Scott, “and the two differ significantly in color, as well. Electrochemical measurements revealed that the planar and the warped nanographenes are equally easily oxidized, but the warped nanographene is more difficult to reduce.” Graphene has been highly touted as a revolutionary material for

nanoscale electronics. By introducing multiple odd-membered ring defects into the graphene lattice, Scott and his collaborators have experimentally demonstrated that the electronic properties of graphene can be modified in a predictable manner through precisely controlled chemical synthesis. The leader of the team in Japan, Professor Kenichiro Itami, is director of the Institute of Transformative Bio-Molecules at the University of Nagoya. The other authors of this paper include Yasutomo Segawa, an assistant professor at Nagoya, BC post-doctoral researcher Qianyan Zhang and Katsuaki Kawasumi, a Nagoya doctoral student who worked for three months during the course of this project as a visiting student at BC with a fellowship from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. Contact Ed Hayward at ed.hayward@bc.edu

Kempa Report Wins Award Professor of Physics Krzysztof Kempa’s research report “Controlling light propagation with nanowires,” co-authored with researcher Yun Peng, was selected as one of the most notable papers of 2012 by the journal Applied Physics Letters. The research centered on using charge oscillations of electrons – present in a silver wire – to effectively transport light from one end of the wire to another with a negligible loss of energy, according to Kempa, who co-authored the paper with then-doctoral student Peng, who is now a lab manager in the Physics Department. Using calculations and computer simulations, Kempa said the research team demonstrated that when electrons are excited with polarized electromagnetic waves at one end, a nanowire can function as an efficient waveguide of the electron oscillations, known as surface plasmon polaritrons, or SPPs. The findings mark an important step toward proof of principle for a new class of microscope under development by a team of BC scientists, including Kempa. The team is developing a prototype of a nanoscale coaxial optical microscope that uses light-guiding “metamaterials” to create images that reveal micro- and macroscopic matter with significantly improved clarity. The design will allow the microscope to focus beams of light on sub-wavelengthsized matter, such as cells or proteins, and then return that light to a camera that presents the image. The full article can be found at http://bit.ly/12yjASO —Ed Hayward

Continued from page 1 “Now, this fellowship from the National Humanities Center will enable me to complete the research project I had been working on that year, and which I began back in 2001. I look forward to what promises to be a rewarding year.” An historian of culture and society, Summers said that through researching and writing “Race, Madness, and the State” he has become “an historian of medicine” as well. Not that he set out to do so: While browsing the National Archives in Washington, he stumbled across a register book for Saint Elizabeths Hospital, which was the country’s first large-scale, federally operated psychiatric hospital when it opened in 1855. As he began to delve into hospital records and other materials, he found a compelling story. Although Saint Elizabeths was established to house inmates under federal jurisdiction, chiefly military personnel, the lack of municipally run psychiatric facilities in Washington prompted authorities to also utilize it for mentally ill civilian residents of the district too poor to afford private care, Summers said. This meant a significant part of the hospital population was African-American, and that percentage would rise over the decades, especially when the military stopped using Saint Elizabeths after World War II. “When I expanded my research, I found there hadn’t been much written about race and mental illness from a historical perspective,” said Summers. “For me, St. Eliza-

“You have a fascinating case study on the intersections of the historical process of racial formation, medical and cultural understandings of insanity, and the exercise of institutional power.” —Martin Summers

Lee Pellegrini

beths presented some big questions: What is the role of ideas and attitudes regarding race in how psychiatric professionals regarded mental illness? How did that translate into the management of patients at Saint Elizabeths? And how did this all affect the relationship between the hospital and the African-American community in DC? “In this context, the legacy of Saint Elizabeths is a mixed one. Certainly, the hospital provided a valuable service by taking responsibility for the African-American patients who came to their door, rather than turning them out. But at the same time, these patients were treated differently than white patients. “So, looking at this hospital over a 130-year period, you have a fascinating case study on the intersec-

tions of the historical process of racial formation, medical and cultural understandings of insanity, and the exercise of institutional power.” Supported in part by grants from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the National Endowment for the Humanities, and by contributions from alumni and friends, the National Humanities Center [nationalhumanitiescenter. org] has awarded fellowships to more than 1,200 scholars in the humanities. Their work at the center has resulted in the publication of more than 1,400 books in all fields of humanistic study. The center also sponsors programs to strengthen the teaching of the humanities in secondary and higher education. Contact Sean Smith at sean.smith@bc.edu

Smith: Closure Elusive for Former ‘Magdalenes’ Last month’s announcement by Under the terms of the compenthe Irish government that it will sation plan announced on June 26, compensate survivors of Ireland’s no- Magdalene survivors would receive torious Magdalene LaunLee Pellegrini tax-free ex-gratia payments dries seemed to conclude — the amount determined one of the country’s most by the how much time the controversial and wrenchindividual was confined ing scandals. — state-funded retirement But Associate Professor pensions and free medical of English James Smith care at state facilities. In ad(right), who researched the dition, a dedicated Departscandal and later became ment of Justice unit will an advocate for the “Magensure survivors’ easy access dalenes,” says real closure is to services and supports. likely to prove elusive for the women The announcement was the cliwho endured abuse and exploitation max of a two-year investigation into in the Catholic Church-run asylums the Magdalene Laundries, where — and that the tragedy’s larger les- more than 10,000 girls and women sons may likewise be lost. were housed from 1922 to 1996. “The compensation scheme of- The inmates were often categorized fers much that will make a significant as “fallen” — considered to be prosimpact on the lives of these wom- titutes or exhibiting inappropriate en and their families,” said Smith. sexual-related behavior — when in “That is very, very important and fact, as researchers and advocates inshould not be discounted. However, cluding Smith have shown, most this is not, and cannot be, closure — were victims of poverty, homelessthat can only come when the truth ness and dysfunctional families in a is revealed about both the govern- state lacking the facilities to care for ment’s and the Church’s role in the them. scandal.”

“Some of the Magdalenes were women fleeing abusive husbands, or young girls — some not even in their teens — regarded as ‘rebellious’ or ‘immoral,’” noted Smith. “For whatever reason, they were regarded as having no place in Irish society.” Smith went from researcher to advocate when one of the estimated 770 surviving Magdalene inmates contacted him after the publication of his 2007 book Ireland’s Magdalen Laundries and the Nation’s Architecture of Containment. He joined the advisory board of Justice For Magdalenes (JFM) and helped state the women’s case to the Irish Parliament, government officials, the United Nations Committee Against Torture (UNCAT), Irish Human Rights Commission (IHRC) and other media. He also helped supply materials to the government’s Inter-departmental Committee of Investigation established in 2011 and co-authored JFM’s response to the compensation report. —Sean Smith

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Chronicle summer 2013

University President William P. Leahy, SJ, chats with Archbishop of Boston Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley, OFM, Cap. (right) and Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA at the “Summit on Vocations” last month.

study’s findings. Other panels discussed the state of vocations today and emerging strategies and new directions. There were about 100 attendees. Among the notable clergy and academic leaders who participated in the Summit on Vocations were: Archbishop of Boston Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley, OFM Cap.; Archbishop of St. Louis Robert J. Carlson; Archbishop for the US Military Services Timothy P. Broglio; Rev. W. Shawn McKnight, executive director, Secretariat of Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations, US Conference of Catholic Bishops; Assumption College President Francesco C. Cesareo, and Rev. Thomas J. O’Hara, CSC, provincial of the US Province of Priests and Brothers, Congregation of Holy Cross. Boston College participants were University President Rev. William P. Leahy, SJ, who delivered remarks; Vice President and University Secretary Terrence P. Devino, SJ; Professor Rev. Richard Lennan, chair of the Ecclesiastical Faculty in the School of Theology and Ministry and Woods College of Advancing Studies Interim

Dean Rev. James P. Burns, IVD. “The Influence of College Experiences on Vocational Discernment to Priesthood and Religious Life” represents one of the largest recent surveys of men in formation and the newly ordained. The survey polled respondents on college coursework, Mass attendance, involvement with campus ministry, experiences with religious retreats, and peer friendships, among other topics, to identify the distinct factors at Catholic colleges and universities that influence vocational discernment to diocesan priesthood or religious life. The Summit on Vocations was a collaboration of Boston College, the Archdiocese of Boston and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, with financial support provided by the Knights of Columbus. Boston College’s support came from the division of University Mission and Ministry, the Church in the 21st Century Center, Manresa House, the Woods College of Advancing Studies, the School of Theology and Ministry and the Blessed Peter Faber Jesuit Community. —Kathleen Sullivan

Two BC Grads Earn Lilly Fellowships Boston College graduates Sarah Messer ’13 and Brian Tracz ’12 have been selected to this year’s cohort of the Lilly Graduate Fellowship Program, which supports young men and women interested in becoming teacher-scholars at church-related colleges and universities in the United States. Lilly Graduate Fellows must intend to enter a PhD, MFA, ThD or equivalent program that will lead to a teaching career in the humanities or arts at the college or university level. Fellows receive a stipend for three years and collaborate with each other, and with mentors and senior scholars, in areas of research, teaching and professional development. A native of Milford, NH, Messer received her bachelor’s degree

in history at Commencement in May, and will be pursuing a doctorate in history at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She earned several notable academic honors in her senior year from the College of Arts and Sciences, including the John McCarthy, SJ, Award for Best Scholar of the College thesis in the humanities, the Andrew Bunie Award for exceptional work in the history major, and the John F. Norton Award as the student best personifying the tradition of humanistic scholarship. As a BC undergraduate, her activities included the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, where she coled small group Bible study meetings, served on the executive committee of its Multi-Ethnic chapter and took part in its annual service

trip to help rebuild parts of New Orleans affected by Hurricane Katrina. Tracz, a native of Highland Heights, Ohio, who attended BC through the Presidential Scholars Program and graduated summa cum laude, has enrolled in the doctoral program at the University of California-San Diego, where he plans to study philosophy of mind, cognitive science, and phenomenology. At BC, Tracz worked in the lab of Biology Professor Ken Williams and was editor-in-chief of the undergraduate research journal Elements. He also tutored at the Connors Family Learning Center and was a member of the Chamber Music Society. —Sean Smith

Fulbright Funds Epstein’s Study of ‘Underground’ You might say Thomas Epstein, an adjunct associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences Honors Program, is pretty well-acquainted with Russia: He’s visited there 47 times over the past 24 years. But Epstein is hardly blasé about the prospect of his 48th visit, which will take place from January to June next year. Supported by a Council for International Exchange of Scholars Fulbright fellowship, Epstein will spend the semester in Saint Petersburg, teaching English at Smolny College and continuing his research on the city’s legendary Soviet-era “Underground” arts movement. “I’m very happy at being selected for this fellowship,” said Epstein, adding that his upcoming sojourn not only represents a fulfillment of professional and personal opportunities, but also carries potential benefits for Boston College. “BC has a long history with Saint Petersburg, thanks to our productive Slavic and Eastern Languages Department. I’m hoping to strengthen those ties, through working with Smolny and the Dostoevsky Museum, and hopefully pave the way for more BC faculty and students to discover the city’s rich culture and history.” A member of the A&S Honors faculty since 1998 — he also has an appointment in Slavic and Eastern Languages — Epstein focuses his research on Russian poetry of the late 20th century through the present, with particular interest in Saint Petersburg’s Underground. Epstein describes this artistic and literary movement — exemplified by such figures as Joseph Brodsky, Yelena Shvarts, Viktor Krivulin, and Arkady Dragomoshchenko — as a fascinating universe of personalities and styles that was a key facet in Russia’s transition from late- to postSoviet society. “While it might be described as

Sean Smith

Catholic bishops, Catholic college and university presidents, university mission officers, campus ministry staff, and vocation directors for 15 dioceses and 10 orders of priests convened at Boston College last month for a national gathering to discuss ways to promote vocations to the priesthood. At the June 20-21 “Summit on Vocations: Exploring Ways to Promote Vocations to the Priesthood,” participants discussed the results of a survey commissioned by Boston College and the Jesuit Conference to assess the impact of higher education on the vocational discernment of men entering the seminary and religious life in the United States. The research study, “The Influence of College Experiences on Vocational Discernment to Priesthood and Religious Life,” was conducted by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) in Washington, DC. Its findings support the idea that Catholic colleges and universities offer a more encouraging environment for vocational discernment and more opportunities to have dialogues about vocations. Compared to those who attended a non-Catholic college, students who attended a Catholic college are more than three times likely to report being encouraged in their vocational discernment by college staff (50 percent to 14 percent); almost three times more likely to be encouraged by a college professor (72 percent to 25 percent); and substantially more likely to be encouraged by parents, siblings, friends and campus ministers. James C. Cavendish, an associate professor of sociology at the University of South Florida, and CARA Executive Director Thomas P. Gaunt, SJ, presented the

Justin Knight

University Hosts Summit on Vocations

Thomas Epstein

counter-culture, the ‘Underground’ was not, as the name might imply, dissident or non-conformist,” he explains. “There is some similarity to the US ‘beat’ culture, but the Underground had far more of a religious orientation to it. Where the Soviet period was modernist, and religion and other aspects of Russian culture were suppressed, the Underground played a vital role in reenergizing the medium of cultural memory. “When the Soviet Union collapsed in the early ’90s, and the ‘new Russia’ emerged, this cultural memory remained and thus functioned as a link to Russia’s past.” Epstein, whose research on the Underground combines translation, essays and interviews with figures from the movement, is equally enthused about the teaching portion of his Fulbright at Smolny, Russia’s first liberal arts college. “My experience as a faculty member at a Jesuit, Catholic university, working in the A&S Honors Program as well as Slavic and Eastern Languages, has sensitized me to a more humanistic style of teaching that is not a tradition in Russian higher education,” he said. “It’s a sensibility I’ll be able to bring to classes and discussions, in areas such as translation and comparative poetics, at Smolny.” —Sean Smith

CSON Presents Kelleher Award to Pomerleau Mimi Pomerleau, president of the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses, was presented with the 2013 Connell School of Nursing’s Dean Rita P. Kelleher Award, named for the school’s first faculty member and former dean. The award recognizes a Connell School graduate who is an accomplished nursing leader, an ethically aware scientist, and a skilled and inquisitive clinician. Pomerleau, who earned a master of science degree in nursing from the Connell School in 1995, leads the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses, a nonprofit membership organization devoted to improving and promoting the health of women and newborns. She also has been an assistant clinical professor at MGH Institute of Health Professions in Boston. Prior to that, she spent 16 years as an associate clinical professor at Lawrence Memorial Hospital/Regis College. Pomerleau has volunteered in Ethiopia for Save the Children, working with frontline health workers. She also has made several mission trips to Haiti to provide professional training for nurses. A Q&A with Pomerleau and Boston College Magazine Editor Ben Birnbaum is available at frontrow.bc.edu/program/pomerleau. --Kathleen Sullivan

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Participation Steps Up for University’s Walk Across Campus Program By Sean Smith Chronicle Editor

Louis Maillet, a mechanic in the Boston College Electrical Shop, figured he would get a few benefits from taking part in the University’s “Walk Across Campus” program. “I thought it would be good for me, of course, but also interesting to see how far I walk every day,” he said, “and that it would be fun to have a little friendly competition with the other people taking part in the program — just a little something to liven up your workday.” What Maillet didn’t anticipate was how much participating in the two-month walking/activity campaign — organized by BC as part of its HEALTHY YOU employee health and wellness initiative — would influence other parts of his life. “It made me more aware, more conscientious about walking in general,” he explained. “For example, if I had to go pick up some materials or tools to do a job, in the past I would probably just drive the van there and back. But now, I walk it. “Even at home, I started to find ways I could do more walking — instead of just opening the door

and letting our dog out into the yard, we’d go on a walk together. It’s been a great experience.” Maillet was one of almost 1,200 BC employees on 67 teams who took part in Walk Across Campus this spring; last fall, the numbers were 855 and 55. The program began as an individual event several years ago through Campus Recreation and last fall was incorporated into HEALTHY YOU. Participants, who each receive a Fitbit pedometer to track their progress, form teams to provide one another with support and encouragement. “Walk Across Campus has been a success in so many ways,” said Associate Vice President for Human Resources Robert Lewis, who welcomed Maillet and other participants to a June 7 celebration in the Flynn Recreation Complex marking the end of the latest Walk Across Campus program. “The benefits of walking and related activities — even for just a short time each day — are wellknown, of course. But it seems the program goes beyond the physical benefits: People are developing a real sense of camaraderie — they see the Fitbit and have an instant connection — and that is healthy in and of itself.” Lewis pointed to several statis-

Participants in this spring’s “Walk Across Campus” program looked at results during a celebration held earlier this summer in the Flynn Recreation Complex. (Photo by Lee Pellegrini)

tics to underscore the impact and scope of Walk Across Campus at BC: •Walk Across Campus spring 2013 participants took a combined 512,721,641 steps over the course of the program, 17 percent more than in the fall. •Walkers collectively traveled 230,222.4 miles — equivalent to walking the circumference of the

Earth almost 30 times, and nearly enough to reach the moon. •Participants climbed 117,766 flights of stairs, which at 10 feet per flight equates to a height of about 1,916 miles — or the outer part of the Earth’s atmosphere. “More to the point, Walk Across Campus racked up 15,746,806 active minutes,” said Lewis. “According to the American Heart Asso-

ciation, for every hour of regular vigorous exercise — like walking — adults may gain as many as two hours of life expectancy. According to our active minutes, we may have added 524,893 hours to our collected life expectancy.” Contact Sean Smith at sean.smith@bc.edu

Joseph Professor of Catholic Systematic Theology Richard R. Gaillardetz assumed the presidency of the Catholic Theological Society of America (CTSA) at its recent annual meeting. An ecclesiologist, Gaillardetz is an expert on ecumenical councils, particularly the Second Vatican Council. He recently co-authored Keys to the Council: Unlocking the Teaching of Vatican II, which presents a less intimidating and more accessible introduction to the vision of the Vatican II. His newest publication is a volume he edited titled When the Magisterium Intervenes: The Magisterium and Theologians in Today’s Church, a collection of papers by leading Catholic scholars on the Church’s official teaching authority in a postmodern world. Gaillardetz has received several major honors for his writing. Earlier this year, When the Magisterium Intervenes won a 2013 Excellence in Publishing Award from the Association of Catholic Publishers, which also selected Keys to the Council for a third-place award in the general interest category. He also has been recognized

Caitlin Cunningham

First Clough Public Interest Law Scholars Named BC’s Gaillardetz Takes Twelve Boston College Law awards was fierce and I am de- College is dedicated to interdiscistudents were selected as the first lighted with the group we have plinary reflection on the promise Reins As President of CTSA Public Interest Law Scholars of selected,” said Law Profes- and problems of constitutional

Richard R. Gaillardetz

by the Catholic Press Association and the Washington Theological Union, which presented him with the Sophia Award for theological excellence. With a membership of more than 1300, the CTSA is the principal association of Catholic theologians in North America and the largest professional society of theologians in the world. Active members of the society hold a doctorate in theology or a related discipline. —Office of News & Public Affairs

the University’s Clough Center for the Study of Constitutional Democracy, as part of the center’s mission to support students who are committed to service for others. The Clough PIL Scholars receive $5,000 grants for uncompensated public interest work this summer. During the 201314 academic year, they will be expected to participate in the Clough Center’s programs in the Law School and throughout the University, and will enjoy members-only events and discussions, providing a unique forum for intellectual discourse. Students from the BC Law Class of 2014 selected as PIL Scholars were Raymond Burke ’05, Kelly Dees, Matthew Harris, Stephenie Johnson, Stephen Kelly, Tere Ramos and Jessica L. Frattaroli ’09. Members of the Class of 2015 chosen were Gabriel Gill-Austern, Andrew Haile, Lillian Khoury, Benjamin Levine and Nicole Poteat. [Profiles of the 12 scholars are available at http://bit. ly/12jZxx5.] “The competition for these

sor Vlad Perju, director of the Clough Center. Established in 2008, the Gloria L. and Charles I. Clough Center for the Study of Constitutional Democracy at Boston

government in the United States and throughout the world. For more information, see www. bc.edu/centers/cloughcenter. —Office of News & Public Affairs

Five Receive Gilman Scholarships Five Boston College students, rising juniors and seniors, are participating in study-abroad programs this summer and fall — traveling to such destinations as Europe, Africa and Latin America — through prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarships. One student, English major Maurice Jackson ’14, was selected for a summer award to study in Paris. Four others will study abroad during the fall semester: Connell School of Nursing student Sabrina Caraffa ’15, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Ecuador; political science major Ericka Cruz ’15, Rhodes University, South Africa; sociology and biology major Sophia Trinh ’15, University of Glasgow, Scotland, and Lynch School of Education student Angela Jung ’15, L’institut de Langue et de Culture Française, Institut Catholique de Paris, Paris. A sixth student was awarded, but declined, a scholarship. As part of the application process, students are required to submit a follow-up project proposal, for completion on campus when they return from their international study programs. Christina D. Hatzipetros, assistant director for International Development in BC’s Office of International Programs, hailed “the continued success” of BC students in winning Gilman scholarships. “It is wonderful to see the positive impact of their follow-up projects on campus. Gilman scholars have contributed interesting research, insightful blogs, photos, served as panelists and volunteered at orientation meetings,” said Hatzipetro. —Rosanne Pellegrini

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Catholic Press Association Honor for Fr. Hollenbach

An article co-authored by Theology Professor David Hollenbach, SJ, holder of the University Chair in Human Rights and International Justice, is part of a special issue of America magazine that has received the 2013 first place award from the Catholic Press Association for best coverage of religious liberty issues. In the March 2012 piece, Fr. Hollenbach and Thomas A. Shannon, professor emeritus of religion and social ethics at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, analyzed issues related to religious freedom that were roiling the presidential election: “The Catholic underGary Wayne Gilbert standing of religious freedom stands in sharp contrast to secularizing approaches to public life and privatistic interpretations of the place of religion. The contrast is particularly evident in the way the US bishops have linked their opposition to same-sex relationships and gay marriage to their exercise of religious freedom. They state that the human rights of all persons must be protected, but that this ‘should be done without sacrificing the bedrock of society that is marriage and the family and without violating the religious liberty of persons and institutions.’ “This linkage echoes controversies about whether Catholic institutions can be legally required to provide family health care benefits for the partners of employees in same-sex relationships, provide adoption services to gay couples or fund insurance plans that cover contraception.” The article, “A Balancing Act,” is available at americamagazine.org/issue/5131/article/balancing-act —Office of News & Public Affairs obituary

Maria Koufos, 58; Won Community Service Award

A funeral service was held June 21 in St. Athanasius Greek Orthodox Church of Arlington for Maria (Metaxas) Koufos ’03, a former employee in the University’s Information Technology division and an avid volunteer for many causes, who died June 18. She was 58. Mrs. Koufos, a Cambridge native and Newton resident, joined Boston College in 1990 and went on to serve as coordinator for IT’s Office and Training Center and later director of the Student Learning and Support Services Center, among other positions, before leaving the University in 2005. A passion for altruism guided Mrs. Koufos, who won the BC Community Service Award in 1995. “If I see a need, I don’t think about it, I just jump in and help out,” she said in an interview with Boston College Chronicle after being named the winner. She organized a hat-and-mitten drive for children in BC’s Campus School, the Shriner’s Hospital for Crippled Children, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, and other organizations. Mrs. Koufos helped build the Campus School playground, volunteered at the Special Olympics when the event took place at BC and served as a United Way representative. She also coordinated various trips for University employees as vice chair and secretary of the Staff Advisory Senate, and provided notary public services free to anyone in the BC community. Mrs. Koufos was active in St.

Athanasius, running festivals for children, and put her fluency in Greek to work by interpreting for Greek-speaking patients in area hospitals. “Maria was a total people person, family-oriented, very funny and loving,” said Academic Advising Center Assistant Director Stella Primpas, a childhood friend of Mrs. Koufos. “She was so good to so many people, and I will miss her very much.” Mrs. Koufos earned a bachelor’s degree in 2003 from the Woods College of Advancing Studies. Her daughter Stephanie Quill was a 1999 graduate of the Lynch School of Education. The daughter of Presbytera Georgia Metaxas and the late Rev. Dr. Arthur J. Metaxas, Mrs. Koufos is survived by her husband George; another daughter, Gena Robinson; brothers John and Nicholas Metaxas and sister Kathy Ypsilantis; grandchildren Katerina and Sophia Quill; and many nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory to St. Athanasius The Great Greek Orthodox Church, 4 Appleton St., Arlington, MA 02476; or to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke at NINDS/ NIH Memorial Donation, Financial Management Branch, Bldg. 31, Room 8A34, 31 Center Drive, MSC 2540, Bethesda, MD 208922546. —Sean Smith

Newsmakers In an interview with the Boston Herald, Prof. James Bretzke, SJ (STM), discussed the role of Pope Francis in the elevation of Pope John Paul II to sainthood. The recent disclosures of National Security Agency surveillance of the Internet, wrote Prof. Patrick Maney (History) in the WBUR “Cognoscenti” blog, call to mind the first time the federal government monitored private communications — which should raise flags today. Assoc. Prof. Zine Magubane (Sociology), who taught in South Africa during the presidency of Nelson Mandela, spoke with the Christian Science Monitor on the intersection of grief and politics as the country’s former leader nears death. Daily Valley ran a feature on “Freya!,” the documentary by Assoc. Prof. Rachel Freudenburg (German Studies) about Freya von Moltke, who with her husband formed an opposition group to Hitler’s regime. Appearing on the New England Cable News show “Broadside,” Assoc. Prof. Joseph Tecce (Psychology) discussed interpretations of the demeanor of former New England Patriots star Aaron Hernandez, now charged with murder.

Earlier this month, Boston College Police Officer Joseph Lamusta was named winner of the Robert Bunker Award for Outstanding Service by the Northeast Colleges and Universities Security Association. Lamusta, along with other BCPD officers, rendered medical assistance to a Northeastern University student on Shea Field during a major blizzard on Feb. 8. In the photo above, Lamusta (left) is shown with BC Police Lt. Chris Santiago, who accepted the award at the conference on Lamusta’s behalf. (Photo courtesy of Boston College Police Department)

BC BRIEFING Publications “The Effect of Audit Committee Industry Expertise on Monitoring the Financial Reporting Process,” by Prof. Jeffrey Cohen (CSOM), was accepted for publication by The Accounting Review.

Deaths Mary Breen, retired housekeeper in Facilities Services. (June 30)

NOTA BENE School of Theology and Ministry Associate Professor Nancy Pineda-Madrid has been elected to the position of vice president of the Academy of Catholic Hispanic Theologians of the United States (ACHTUS). She will succeed to the post of president-elect of the academy in 2014-15 and president in 2015-16, and be responsible for planning the ACHTUS colloquium for June 2015, which will be held in Milwaukee. ACHTUS is an association of scholars dedicated to promoting research and critical theological reflection within the context of the US Hispanic experience. Graduate School of Social Work Associate Professors Marcie Pitt-Catsouphes and Stephanie Berzin, directors of GSSW’s Center for Social Innovation (CSI), along with former Boston College graduate assistant Luis de Zengotita, compiled a study on Massachusetts’ status as a leader in social innovation. CSI collaborated with the Massachusetts Council of Human Service Providers on the study, based on interviews with 23 human service agencies leaders who had spearheaded social innovation initiatives. The findings were presented last month at a one-day conference on Brighton Campus attended by some 40 human services practitioners. An essay by biology major Loic Assobmo ‘15, “From Cameroon to Campus Dining,” won first place in a National Association College Auxiliary Services contest. Assobmo described how “the skills, motivation and empowerment” he gained as a student working in accounting for Boston College Dining Services encouraged him to launch a nonprofit organization called the Global Establishment for Medical Advancement, focused on bringing awareness of and solutions to crises crippling Africa’s healthcare system.

Grants Assoc. Prof. Candace Jones (CSOM), co-recipient: $797,529, Danish Council for Independent Research through the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Higher Education, for study “The Impact of Material Artifacts and Visual Representations on the Institutionalization of Innovations.”

Honors/Appointments Academic Studies Press has named Prof. Maxim D. Shrayer (Slavic and Eastern Languages) editor of the series “Borderlines: Jews of Russia/Eastern Europe and Their Legacy,” which will explore various intersections of Jewish Studies and Russian/Soviet/East European Studies in literature, history, philosophy, the visual arts, music, cinema, and cultural anthropology.

Time and a Half Asst. Prof. Jeremy Clarke, SJ (History) was invited by the Cultural Heritage Bureau of the Government of Xuhui District of Shanghai and the Shanghai People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries to present a paper at the international conference “The History, Culture and Development of T’ou-se-we.”

JOBS The following are among the most recent positions posted by the Department of Human Resources. For more information on employment opportunities at Boston College, see www.bc.edu/offices/hr: Director, Academy

Lynch

Leadership

Public Safety Dispatcher, Gate Attendants Administrative Assistant, Chemistry Department Student Services Associate, Student Services Financial Aid Associate, Student Services Evening Supervisor, Bapst Library

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NEWS

&Notes

(L-R) Students Juliette San Fillipo, Anna Whitham and Jen O’Brien with their hand-crafted books, the first BC student work of this kind to be included in an exhibit at the New England chapter of the Guild of Book Workers. (Photo by Gary Wayne Gilbert)

BC Students’ Hand-Crafted Books Exhibited During a spring semester internship at the University’s Burns Library of Rare Books and Special Collections, Boston College seniors and Bookbuilders of Boston scholarship recipients Juliette San Fillipo and Jennifer O’Brien had the opportunity to attend several workshops in the library’s conservation lab, joined by lab assistants Anna Whitham ’15 and Josh Rosenfeld ’13. [O’Brien described her internship experience in a blog post; see

http://bit.ly/1b7ZAgs] Under the direction of Burns Conservator Barbara Adams Hebard, the student team handdecorated paper for book covers and then hand-sewed the books. Their finished work is included in an online exhibit sponsored by the New England Chapter of the Guild of Book Workers, a first for BC students. Bookbuilders of Boston is a non-profit organization founded in 1937, with a membership rep-

resenting all areas of the book industry, and a scholarship fund to support, encourage, and promote publishing-related education. Participating educational institutions such as Boston College award the scholarships to students who plan to pursue careers in publishing anticipating that, upon graduation, they will contribute their knowledge and unique talent to the field. —Office of News & Public Affairs

Sullivan Artist-in-Residence Seamus Connolly, director of Boston College’s Irish music programs, was chosen as a National Heritage Fellow by the National Endowment for the Arts — the nation’s highest honor in the folk and traditional arts. NEA National Heritage Fellowships recognize folk and traditional artists for their artistic excellence and efforts to conserve America’s culture for future generations. The fellowships include an award of $25,000. Connolly has cultivated a decadeslong list of accomplishments that include selection by Irish America magazine as one of the top 100 Irish Americans and “Traditional Musician of the Year” honors from the Irish Echo. He founded and directed BC’s highly acclaimed Gaelic Roots Summer School and Festival and now coordinates a Gaelic Roots series of free concerts and lectures by visiting artists throughout the academic year. (Sean Smith) Is it permissible to harm one to save many? Those who tend to say “yes” when faced with this classic dilemma are likely to be deficient in a specific kind of empathy, according to a report co-published by Assistant Professor of Psychology Liane Young in the scientific journal PLOS ONE. Young and Ezequiel Gleichgerrcht of the Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Favaloro University in Argentina address two key questions related to moral decision-making: First, what specific aspect of emotional responding is relevant for these

judgments? Second, is this aspect of emotional responding selectively reduced in utilitarian respondents or enhanced in non-utilitarians? The researchers’ findings show there is a key relationship between moral judgment and empathic concern in particular, specifically feelings of warmth and compassion in response to someone in distress. In a series of experiments, utilitarian moral judgment was revealed to be specifically associated with reduced empathic concern, and not with any of the demographic or cultural variables tested, nor with other aspects of empathic responding, including personal distress and perspective taking. (Patricia Delaney) A two-year, $200,000 National Science Foundation award will enable Boston College students and faculty to install sensors to track air quality in Boston neighborhoods and relay the data to storefront windows they plan to convert into large touch screen displays. Students of Lynch School of Education Associate Professor G. Michael Barnett, the grant’s principal investigator, will deploy environmental sensors in Brighton, West Roxbury, Dorchester, Roxbury, West Roxbury, South End, South Boston, Mattapan, and Hyde Park, as well as in several surrounding communities for comparative analysis. As data about ozone, dust, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, temperature, humidity and volatile organic compounds are collected, the information will be displayed in local storefront windows through touch foil technology, a thin film that can be placed on any glass surface and transform it into a large, interactive touch screen able to display data. (Ed Hayward)

SUMMER AT THE HEIGHTS

BC SCENES

Commencement was two months ago, but the Boston College campus hasn’t been without activity since then. Summer events have included: (upper left) the Golden Eagle investiture ceremony and class photo on May 31 for the Class of 1963; the dedication of Stokes Hall on June 7, which included remarks by the building’s benefactor and namesake Patrick T. Stokes (lower left); a celebration for this year’s cohort in the University Affiliates program on June 12 (below); and a reception for Associate Professor of Theology Fred Lawrence, shown with his wife Sue, on June 19 to mark his 40 years of leadership in the field of studies on Jesuit theologian Bernard Lonergan, SJ.

Rose Lincoln Lee Pellegrini

Lee Pellegrini