Boston College Chronicle

The Boston College

Chronicle Published by the Boston College Office of News & Public Affairs Summer 2015 EDITION

INSIDE The Class of 2019 presents encouraging signs for BC

By Sean Smith Chronicle Editor

•Carroll School continues CPA exam success •Fall conference on climate change encyclical

3 •Sarr is new vice provost •Bourg appointed as associate dean for core •New master’s program at Woods College receives Commu4 •Bunch nity Service Award

The Boston College Class of 2019 reflects several positive trends for the University in areas such as academic excellence, diversity, and outreach to prospective students.

According to the Office of Undergraduate Admission, the expected 2,280-strong freshman class – whose members are receiving a welcome to BC at the ongoing summer orientation sessions – was chosen from a pool of almost 29,500 applications that represented a 27 percent increase over last year.

This follows a significant decline in applications over the past

Robyn Gesek

2 •CSON students at Lourdes two years in the wake of the University’s decision to add a supplementary essay to its application.

The acceptance rate of 29 percent for the Class of 2019 affirms BC’s status as one of the nation’s most selective colleges, noted Director of Undergraduate Admission John L. Mahoney. Meanwhile, the composite middle 50 percent of SAT scores for the Class of 2019 is 1950-2150, which is comparable to recent years.

All of which means, said Mahoney, that BC has been able to rework its application process to identify students with genuine interest in the University, while retaining a high academic standard.

“The quality of the Class of 2019

Members of the incoming freshman class participated in an orientation session organized by the First Year Experience office earlier this week.

is nearly identical to recent freshman classes in terms of standardized test scores,” he explained. “However, our addition of a supplementary essay to our application two years ago continues to attract students who are more serious about Boston College and

resonate with its mission and values.”

The uptick in applications for the Class of 2019 was driven by a near doubling of the University’s earlyaction pool, Mahoney added, a circumstance benefiting both student Continued on page 5

5 •BBC and the ‘Troubles’

•Photos: CSOM Financial Conference

Lykes talks about 6•LSOE’s visit to North, South Korea •Wang’s promising research on water-splitting •Reinhartz new Corcoran Professor at CJL Center involved with 7 •Grad White House aging forum laud BC’s 8•Employees tuition benefit •Photos: Gardner Pilot Academy graduation

Longtime Financial VP McKenzie will step down at the end of 2015

Lee Pellegrini

•CAREER Award for Ruihua He

Kenny to rejoin faculty after four years as Lynch School of Education dean

Gary Gilbert

Changes in Academic, Administrative Leadership

By Jack Dunn Director of News & Public Affairs

By Jack Dunn Director of News & Public Affairs

Lynch School of Education Dean Maureen Kenny, who has led the school as interim dean and then dean since 2011, has announced her plans to step down after four years of successful leadership.

Provost and Dean of Faculties David Quigley said that a search committee will be formed later this summer to identify a successor, and that Kenny will continue to serve as dean until a successor is named.

She will return to the Lynch School faculty at that time.

During her tenure, Kenny was credited with sustaining the Lynch School’s leadership among the nation’s top-ranked schools of education and strengthening its collaborations across the University and with external partners locally, nationally and internationally. She was also recognized for leading a successful strategic planning effort that af-

Financial Vice President and Treasurer Peter McKenzie, who has helped guide Boston College through two-and-a-half decades of fiscal stability and unprecedented growth, has announced his plans to retire at the end of the calendar year.

McKenzie, who oversees the University offices of Controller, Budget, Procurement, Treasury & Risk Management, Financial Management Systems, Internal Audit, Auxiliary Services, Dining Services, Bookstore, Event Man-

Maureen Kenny

firmed the school’s seven pillars of excellence, and for attracting and retaining top faculty to advance its strategic goals.

Quigley praised Kenny for providing skilled leadership at the Lynch School at an important time in its 63-year history.

“A long-serving and widely admired faculty member in the Lynch School of Education, Maureen Kenny cut short a sabbatical in Africa in the spring of 2011 to step in as interim dean,” said Quigley. “During the last four years, Maureen’s work as dean of the Lynch School has been Continued on page 5

QUOTE:

Sarr, Bourg appointed to new positions, page 3 agement, Transportation & Parking and the Boston College Police Department, said he felt the time was right to retire after success-

Peter McKenzie

fully managing the University’s finances and investments for 25 years.

“I have greatly enjoyed my time at Boston College,” said McKenzie, a 1975 graduate who served as CFO of Tufts University before returning to his alma mater in 1990. “BC has been very good to me, but everything has to come to an end and now is as good a time as any.”

During his tenure, McKenzie, who is nationally recognized as a leader in the field of collegiate finances, was credited Continued on page 4

“Rules, regulations and policies that tried to suppress, shape or ‘spin’ coverage of the conflict were intended to marginalize extremists. Governments were acutely aware of the power of television to encourage sympathy or support for the very organizations they sought to destroy.”

–Assoc. Prof. of the Practice Robert Savage (History), page 5

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Chronicle summer 2015

2

A ROUND

C AMPUS

SPIRITUAL JOURNEY Every spring, three Connell School of Nursing undergraduates are chosen to help affirm the school’s Catholic heritage by journeying to one of Catholicism’s most sacred sites.

The Connell School students accompany members of the Order of Malta – a worldwide Catholic lay religious order – on their annual pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in France each May. The Order of Malta pilgrims bring the sick to Lourdes to wash with and drink the waters of the shrine’s grotto, and pray for spiritual and physical healing.

James O’Connor, a 1962 alumnus who has held several leadership positions in the order, points out that the students’ presence is not simply ceremonial.

“There are usually some 60 pilgrims who have significant medical needs. The BC students work as volunteer para-nurses, and are assigned to the doctors and nurses on the medical team traveling with our group,” explains O’Connor, former area chair for the order’s Boston branch and current president and board chairman of Malteser International, the order’s relief agency.

This year’s CSON representatives, graduating seniors Kaitlin Hildreth, Colleen McGauley and Karlee Rajaniemi, more than lived up to the high standard of their predecessors, according to O’Connor.

“They provided wonderful care and comfort, and everyone there spoke highly of them,” he says.

The Connell School’s participation in the pilgrimage, made possible through generous donations, represents one of many ties between BC and the Order of Malta, adds O’Connor, who notes that over the years numerous alumni – such as trustees Peter Lynch, Robert Morrissey and Thomas Flatley – have been members.

“There’s a very strong connection to BC, as befits a university that is so linked to the Catholic tradition,” he says.

Rajaniemi, in a personal reflection she wrote for the Connell School website, said the experience of going to Lourdes had profoundly affected her professionally, personally and spiritually.

“I learned how to be an advocate for my patients and even their family members, and how to address seemingly impossible discussions. I was introduced to truly fascinating people who give their life and their time to making the world a better place, parents of ill children whose kids remain as joyful as the next due to their sacrifices, and malades [French for “sick person”] whose outlook on life has challenged me to change my own.

“I strive to live with integrity, love, and perspective thanks to this trip. Many of my conversations with the malades of this trip have taught me the importance of taking time for your family and loved ones.”

Read the reflections written by Rajaniemi, McGauley and Hildreth at http://bit.ly/1eGqNgj. –Sean Smith

Connell School of Nursing students (L-R) Karlee Rajaniemi ‘15 , Collen McGauley ‘15 and Kaitlin Hildreth ‘15 with James O’Connor ‘62 at the Order of Malta pilgrimage to Lourdes in May. (Photo courtesy of James O’Connor)

Director of NEWS & Public Affairs Jack Dunn Deputy Director of NEWS & Public AFFAIRS Patricia Delaney Editor Sean Smith

Contributing Staff Melissa Beecher Ed Hayward Sean Hennessey Rosanne Pellegrini Kathleen Sullivan Michael Maloney Photographers Gary Gilbert Lee Pellegrini

Boston College Jesuit Community Administrator Michael Ford, SJ, blessed a statue of Mary that was installed on top of a new fountain in the courtyard of St. Mary’s Hall, the University’s Jesuit residence. (Photo by Lee Pellegrini)

UNDERSTANDING LAUDATO SI Boston College will hold a four-day conference this fall in response to Pope Francis’s encyclical on climate change and the environment “‘Laudato Si’ (Praised Be): On the Care of the Common Home.” The conference, “Our Common Home,” scheduled for Sept. 28-Oct. 1, will take place in the wake of the pope’s addresses to the US Congress and the United Nations.

“Our Common Home” will begin with a keynote in Robsham Theater by Cardinal Peter Turkson, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, who has spoken frequently on the issues of global inequality and threats against the environment.

Other scheduled speakers include theologian Elizabeth Johnson, CSJ (Fordham University), theologian and ethicist Willis Jen-

kins (University of Virginia), and Grant Gallicho (Commonweal).

The conference is being supported by a grant from the Institute for the Liberal Arts and is co-sponsored by several University departments and programs.

More information will be available this fall.

–Office of News & Public Affairs

MAKING THE GRADE For the third straight year, a graduate of the Carroll School of Management accounting program has placed among the top three in the Massachusetts Certified Public Accountant Exam. Kevin Roberts ’12 recorded the second highest score among the nearly 900 who passed the test in 2014, according to results recently released by the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants.

“I’m happy to hear I can continue in the footsteps of previous Boston College alums and keep the streak going while shedding a positive light on our university,” said Roberts, who works at the Charlotte, NC, office of Ernst & Young in the Wealth and Asset Management practice.

Roberts, who graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in finance/accounting, joins fel-

The Boston College

Chronicle www.bc.edu/chronicle chronicle@bc.edu

low alumni Zachary Joosten ’13, who received third-place honors in Massachusetts in 2013; and Mark Stankevitz MSA ’12 and Ebben Hutchison MSA ’12, respectively, the top and secondplace finishers in the Commonwealth in 2012 (Stankevitz and Anthony Salamone ’12 also received the Elijah Watt Sells Award for placing among the top 32 scores in the country).

“Kevin’s accomplishment is the culmination of a year in which our graduates passed the exam at the highest rate ever,” said Associate Professor Billy Soo, chair of the Accounting Department.

“Kudos to our faculty for their outstanding work in bringing out the best in our students.”

“The CPA exam is considered one of the most difficult, if not the most difficult, of professional

licensing exams,” said MSCPA Academic & Career Development Manager Barbara M. Iannoni.

“Kevin earned the second highest score of the 886 test takers from Massachusetts who passed the exam in 2014 – that is certainly impressive.”

Roberts, a member of the national business honor society Beta Gamma Sigma while at BC, cited his Carroll School education as a major factor in his success: “All of my accounting classes really prepared me well and gave me the proper foundation for these tests, which cover such a broad range.

Of all my time at BC, probably the most pivotal for the CPA was Professor Ed Taylor’s tax class my senior year. I’m positive that no one else can make a tax class better than his.”

–Sean Hennessey

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.

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By Sean Smith Chronicle Editor

Lee Pellegrini

Akua Sarr Appointed Vice Provost Akua Sarr, an associate dean in the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences, has been appointed as vice provost for undergraduate academic affairs, Provost and Dean of Faculties David Quigley announced this week.

She succeeds Donald Hafner, who retired this spring after 43 years at the University.

Sarr arrived at BC in 2006, after serving for seven years as assistant dean for student academic affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Letters & Science. As BC’s A&S freshman class dean and director of the Academic Advising Center, her responsibilities have included overseeing advising orientation of all incoming freshmen and A&S transfers, while working as a liaison with the Office of International Programs and as coordinator of A&S interdisciplinary minors.

“I’ve worked closely with Akua over the last decade and come to admire her commitment to our students and her tireless work to improve the experiences of all Boston College undergraduates,” said Quigley. “Since she arrived from the University of Wisconsin, she has emerged as one of the university’s most trusted administrators and someone whose work has led her far beyond the Academic Advising Center.

“It’ll be great having her on the team in Waul House as we partner with colleagues across campus

Akua Sarr

to strengthen existing programs and develop new initiatives.”

Sarr said she was “thrilled about this opportunity to continue to work in academic affairs with a group of committed and talented faculty and administrators, all dedicated ultimately to student development. I see the vice provost as a partner in building bridges across our diverse undergraduate academic programs and to provide leadership, new ideas, guidance and support as we advance new initiatives and the Jesuit mission of our institution.”

While at BC, Sarr also has been a faculty member in African & African Diaspora Studies with the Cornerstone and Capstone programs, and taught English in the Woods College of Advancing Studies. She has been involved in numerous University initiatives and programs, as a member of the Diversity Steering Committee, Core Renewal Committee, Undergraduate Council for Teach-

ing, Teachers for a New Era Advisory Board and the Pre-Medical Committee, among others.

Sarr said she enjoys “working with undergraduate students holistically as they work toward their long-term intellectual and professional goals. One of the things I’ve found unique about BC students is their commitment to living a life of purpose and meaning – an important tenet of our Jesuit mission. They take the time to reflect on how to best serve and they do it well: through civic engagement, public service, research, entrepreneurship, teaching or other means.

“BC students are doing such important work both inside the classroom and out, locally, nationally and abroad. I am often in awe of the kinds of meaningful lives that our students are already living. I look forward to continued collaboration across divisions to not only develop, but importantly assess our work to help students reach their human promise and potential.”

A 1985 graduate of Dartmouth College, where she was a Thurgood Marshall Dissertation Fellow from 1997-98, Sarr earned her master’s and doctoral degrees at the University of WisconsinMadison. During 1996-97, she was a Fulbright Scholar in Senegal, where she undertook research on women’s activism, women’s movements and the emergence of feminist literature.

Contact Sean Smith at sean.smith@bc.edu

Bourg Named Assoc. Dean in Core Renewal Effort Associate Professor of History Director John Rakestraw; Institute Julian Bourg has been appointed for the Liberal Arts Director Mary as the inaugural associate dean for Crane; MCA&S faculty members the core in the MorCaitlin Cunningham Robert Bartlett (Porissey College of Arts litical Science), Jeffrey and Sciences, one of Bloechl (Philosophy), several recent developDawei Chen (Mathments in Boston Colematics), Brian Gareau lege’s initiative to renew (Sociology), Gail and strengthen its unKineke (Earth and Endergraduate core curvironmental Sciences), riculum.

Franco Mormando Provost and Dean of (Romance Languages Faculties David Quigley Julian Bourg and Literature), Virginand MCA&S Interim Dean Greg- ia Reinburg (History) and Cynthia ory Kalscheur, SJ, also announced Simmons (Slavic and Eastern Lanthe creation of a newly constituted guages and Literature); and faculty University Core Renewal Com- members Sean Clarke (Connell mittee to succeed the University School of Nursing), Audrey FriedCore Development Committee – man (Lynch School of Education) created in 1991 – to provide gov- and Richard McGowan, SJ (Carernance for the core. roll School of Management).

In addition to Bourg, members A student member will be apof the UCRC will include newly- pointed this fall, Quigley and Fr. appointed Vice Provost for Under- Kalscheur added. graduate Academic Affairs Akua The core renewal effort began Sarr [see separate story]; Center in the fall of 2012 when the Core for Teaching Excellence Executive Renewal Committee met with

groups of faculty, administrators, staff, students and other stakeholders in the University community to address concerns and hear views regarding the core curriculum, last revised in 1991. By the following spring, the committee had formulated a proposal with an emphasis on intellectual engagement with enduring questions, interdisciplinary approaches to complex problems, student formation and personal discernment.

University President William P. Leahy, SJ, established the Core Foundations Task Force in the spring of 2014, with Fr. Kalscheur as chair, to continue the core renewal project. After inviting faculty members to submit proposals for interdisciplinary core courses, the task force approved several pilot courses to be introduced this coming academic year. [Read a Chronicle story about the new core courses at http://bit.ly/1LX0PDm.] –Office of News & Public Affairs

Jean Luc Enyegue, SJ, spoke as part of a panel discussion on Jesuit education at the inaugural International Symposium on Jesuit Studies, held June 10-14. The conference was organized by the Institute for Advanced Jesuit Studies at Boston College. (Photo by Lee Pellegrini)

Woods College Unveils New MS in Applied Economics

By Sean Hennessey Staff Writer

The Woods College of Advancing Studies has introduced an innovative new graduate program, a master of science in applied economics, designed to fill a significant demand of employers and appeal to professionals who want to advance their careers.

The 10-course program can be completed in less than a year-anda-half, but like all Woods College classes is designed to be flexible in meeting the needs of students while allowing them to make an immediate impact in any field where they choose to use the degree.

Woods College administrators expect the program, which debuted this past spring, to have approximately 200 students enrolled once fully scaled.

“We are not only meeting a market need but also preparing students for jobs that they will secure upon graduation,” said Woods College Dean James Burns, IVD. “Our program seeks to ensure that students have relevant skills for today’s job market, and tomorrow’s too.”

Fr. Burns said the degree graduates earn will enable them to bring to the table critical skills in practiceoriented data analysis.

“That data analysis would come with a rich sense of ethical responsibility, not only to the field but also in providing their skills to the broader community – especially to non-profits and similar organizations where some of them will be employed,” he said. “Others who will work in the for-profit field will be able to provide pro bono services to the not-for-profits.”

The program’s director, Aleksandar Tomic, said the master of science in applied economics program will train students for a variety of roles in industry, government, policy analysis, NGOs – “basically any place where people are supposed to forecast future trends, better understand what’s going on, evaluate impacts of different decisions, and do it in both

an intuitive and quantitative way.”

Tomic offered some examples of degree applications: A graduate working for a governmental agency would be able to assess the impact of a new tax proposal, or forecast economic numbers such as GDP and inflation. In the financial sector, the degree would help in forecasting economic variables and their relationship with one another. Applied economics could be utilized in the health care field to scrutinize re-admission rates and their impact on the reimbursement rates hospitals receive from the federal government.

These skills could also be useful in evaluating education programs and formulating new proposals.

“It is an applied program meant for people who want to further their career, whether by switching into new roles or expanding their current roles,” said Tomic. “We want to have this blend of intuition that allows people to formulate the right questions, and a set of data-driven tools to answer these questions in a data-rich environment that is today’s world.”

Students are taught by experienced academics, along with experts who work in the industry, noted Fr. Burns.

“Virtually all of our faculty hold doctoral degrees in economics or statistics and are accomplished practitioners. Their specializations range from work with the International Monetary Fund, to large consulting firms in the Greater Boston area, to academic departments that shape industry standards. Each faculty member is committed to equipping students with real-world skill sets that are applicable to a variety of workplaces.”

A July 20 open house at the Woods College will enable prospective students to learn about the master of science in applied economics, as well as another new program, the master of science in administrative studies, which prepares people for leadership positions.

Contact Sean Hennessey at sean.hennessey@bc.edu

T he B oston C ollege

Chronicle summer 2015

McKenzie to Leave VP Post Bunch Wins Continued from page 1 with establishing a disciplined ment initiatives in technology, Service Honor

By Kathleen Sullivan Staff Writer

Dan Bunch ’79 MSW ’81, director of Learning to Learn, is this year’s winner of the Boston College Community Service Award, given to a University employee whose actions exemplify the Jesuit spirit of service to others. The award, sponsored by the Office of Governmental and Community Affairs, was presented to Bunch by University President William P. Leahy, SJ, at Boston College’s annual recognition dinner.

Bunch began his professional career at Boston College in 1982 and since 1987 has directed Learning to Learn, a program designed to improve students’ critical thinking abilities and provide them with the learning skills and problem-solving skills they need to succeed in college and beyond. Open to all students, Learning to Learn especially seeks to assist those who may face obstacles to success in a challenging academic environment like BC, including firstgeneration college students, students with high financial need or with a learning or physical disability.

One of Learning to Learn’s signature programs is the College Transition Program that helps about 40 students become acclimated to the college environment during a twoweek program the summer before freshman year.

University President William P. Leahy, SJ, congratulated Dan Bunch on being named the 2015 Boston College Community Service Award winner.

“There are so many students who are first-generation or low-income or underrepresented who need an advocate,” said Bunch. “I was one of those students. I enjoy working with them and being their advocate.

“I want to show them that there are so many people here at BC who want to see them succeed,” he added.

Students and alumni were among those who nominated Bunch for the Community Service Award, with one alumnus describing him as “a phenomenal human being, selfless, considerate, and a blessing.” Another alumnus who cited Bunch as a “father figure and mentor” said his success at BC was “predicated on having Dan Bunch in my corner.”

An alumna simply said, “I am a better person because of Dan.” Learning to Learn Associate Director Rossanna Contreras Godfrey also nominated him for the award.

She recounted all the ways Bunch serves the University and his com-

munity and wrote, “Dan is the man that everyone comes to for assistance.”

In addition to official duties with Learning to Learn, Bunch contributes to the University as an advisor to the Black Student Forum, a member of the Black Staff Faculty Association, a founding member and treasurer of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Scholarship Committee and as a member of the AHANA Alumni Council. He also works directly with a handful of students as a Benjamin E. Mays mentor.

In 2000, Bunch co-founded Dedicated Intellectuals of the People (DIOP), a group of AHANA men on campus dedicated to characterbuilding. The group gathers every Wednesday to discuss issues that affect their social, emotional, spiritual and intellectual growth.

Read more at http://bit.ly/1HqCnpG Contact Kathleen Sullivan at kathleen.sullivan@bc.edu

Physicist Receives NSF CAREER Award Assistant Professor of Physics Ruihua He, whose research explores new classes of quantum materials, has received a CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation, the agency’s most prestigious grant for early-career faculty who best exemplify the role of teacherscholar.

The five-year, $540,000 grant will support He’s project “Probing an Emergent New Class of Electronic Liquid Crystals Using Synchrotron X-rays: Superconductors and Beyond,” which seeks to unravel the mysteries of a new class of materials with unusual electronic properties.

“I am grateful to the National Science Foundation and the agency’s support of my work,” said He, who joined BC in 2012. “I benefitted from the assistance of some of my colleagues here in the department, who helped me shape the proposal both in terms of research and outreach. [Ferris Professor and Physics Department Chairman] Michael Naughton offered encouragement, constructive criticism and moral support for which I am very thankful.”

An experimental physicist, He

Lee Pellegrini

fiscal approach that resulted in energy and printing that resulted 25 consecutive years of balanced in significant University savings. budgets and steady growth in He also is one of the original endowment gains, which earned founders of the Boston Consorhim the respect and gratitude of tium for Higher Education, a University leaders. collaborative association of area “Peter McKenzie has had an colleges and universities that has immense impact on Boston Col- provided enhanced buying power lege as financial vice president and significant savings in health and treasurer during the past 25 care, energy costs and equipment years,” said University President purchases for member instituWilliam P. Leahy, SJ. “Not only tions. did he lead a team that skillMcKenzie is quick to credit fully managed Boston College’s the strong leadership of Fr. Leahy finances, but he also provided and Chancellor J. Donald Movaluable advice and perspective nan, SJ – both of whom, he says, on a range of important issues understood finance – with steerrequiring attention. I enjoyed ing the University to unparalworking with him and will miss leled success, and longtime trusthis experience and wisdom.” ees such as Robert J. Morrissey, Peter Markell, vice chairman senior partner of Morrissey, of the Boston College Board of Hawkins & Lynch, and Michael Trustees, praised McKenzie for Murray, the director emeritus of his unwavering dedication and McKinsey & Company, with invaluable contribution to Bos- providing invaluable guidance in ton College’s success. financial and investment matters.

“Peter is a businessman’s fi- He also credits Director of Adnance guy,” said ministrative SerMarkell, execuvices Kathy Croft “I am ready. It is the right tive vice president, for working diliCFO and treasurer time to go. The financial gently alongside of Partners Healthhim for the past division and the UniverCare System. “He 25 years, and his has the ability to sity as a whole are in good entire staff for dosee the big picture ing more with fewshape, and my successor and where finances er employees than fit within, and he will have plenty of great most peer schools, also has the finanwhich, he says, entalent to work with.” cial discipline that abled the Univer–Peter McKenzie sity to run as effienabled the University to balance ciently as possible. its budget durMcKenzie, ing some challenging economic however, saves his greatest praise times. The respect that the Board for his wife of 39 years and of Trustees has for him is obvi- BC classmate, Maureen Quinn ous. Boston College is fortunate McKenzie, with whom he shares to have had him as financial vice a birthday, and their three chilpresident during these past 25 dren – Michael, Meghan and years.”

Kathleen, all of whom are BC McKenzie, who has steadfastly graduates. He says he is looking avoided the limelight during his forward to spending more time years at the Heights, said his with his family and grandson, greatest accomplishment is hav- Patrick, and to devoting his days ing built a staff that performs to his passion of furniture-makwell in difficult situations and ing, with the ultimate goal of supports each other for the sake building lines of furniture that of Boston College. “I am for- his daughter will paint and sell tunate to have had really great in consignment shops in Maine. people who worked well together “I am fortunate because I have to get things done,” he said. “To a great family and other things see how the staff performs in that I want to do with my life,” challenging situations is the part said McKenzie. “I am ready. It is of my job that makes me most the right time to go. The financial proud.” division and the University as In addition to helping grow a whole are in good shape, and the University’s total assets from my successor will have plenty of $652 million in 1990 to $4.3 bil- great talent to work with. I was lion today, McKenzie is credited able to spend 25 years working at with assisting in the negotiation a school that educated my father, for the acquisition of the Brigh- my wife, my children and me, ton Campus from the Archdio- and leave it with no regrets. I am cese of Boston, and working with blessed.” other vice presidents to promote Contact Jack Dunn at employee wellness, energy conjack.dunn@bc.edu servation programs and procure-

Lee Pellegrini

4

studies the microscopic behaviors of electrons in complex inorganic materials, examining the interplay among multiple degrees of freedom, charge, lattice, spin and orbit. He works with bulk and thin-film forms of high-temperature superconductors and other complex oxides and chalcogenides, which come from the oxygen family in the periodic table.

These materials are studied for their unique elemental properties – which often exceed expectations set for solid-state physics.

He’s CAREER research was inspired by the formal similarity between the behaviors of electrons in these quantum materials and those of molecules in liquid crystals that, as their name implies, behave a bit like liquid and a bit like crystals. In

homes and offices, liquid crystals support integrated electronics and displays found in televisions, computers, tablets and other devices in the digital age.

Two classes of this quantum version of classical liquid crystals – electron nematic and electron smectic – have been found to exhibit peculiar electronic properties that have intrigued researchers for decades.

With his grant, He will work to further develop the quantum liquid crystal concept by bringing in a third major class, known as electron cholesteric. He will use advanced X-ray techniques to explore some high-temperature superconductors and charge density wave materials in order to clearly establish this new phase of quantum matter, He said.

A component of the project involves training undergraduate and graduate students to use X-ray facilities at BC and elsewhere. In addition, the grant will support public outreach, including collaboration with the MIT Museum to conduct hands-on demonstrations and workshops on superconductivity topics for students and teachers from middle and high schools in the area.

–Ed Hayward Read more at http://bit.ly/1gxvj1U

T he B oston C ollege

Chronicle summer 2015

Kenny to Rejoin Faculty Savage recounts BBC’s challenges in reporting the ‘Troubles’ As political and sectarian strife roiled Northern Ireland from the 1960s to the late 1990s – claiming more than 3,500 lives and injuring tens of thousands – the British Broadcasting Corporation covered each grisly milestone during the era known as the “Troubles.”

In his new book, The BBC’s Irish Troubles: Television, Conflict and Northern Ireland, Professor of the Practice in History Robert Savage explores how the BBC’s coverage of the Troubles tested the integrity and independence of one of the world’s most trusted and respected media outlets.

“Labour and Conservative Governments alike tried to pressure, censor and bully the BBC both in Belfast and London,” said Savage.

“These governments were convinced that the BBC coverage of the turmoil in Northern Ireland undermined their efforts to defeat terrorism,” he said. “These governments were acutely aware of the power of television to damage the image of the United Kingdom at home and abroad and struggled to succeed in winning the ‘propaganda war.’”

Savage’s book focuses on the challenges the public broadcaster faced reporting on events taking place within the British enclave and beyond its borders.

As violence continued, the BBC was attacked, threatened and bullied by a variety of actors but did its best to stand its journalistic ground, said Savage, an expert in Irish and British political and cultural history, including Irish media and film.

The Troubles claimed the lives of two BBC employees.

Lee Pellegrini

By Ed Hayward Staff Writer

Robert Savage

Engineers Bill Thomas, 35, and Malcolm David Henson, 23, were killed in 1971 by an Irish Republican Army landmine as they drove to check a remote transmission tower in Northern Ireland. Bomb blasts targeted the BBC’s Broadcast Centre in Belfast in 1974 and Television Centre in London in 2001.

Savage explores how news and information about the conflict in Northern Ireland was disseminated by television news. He examines whether BBC broadcasts complicated the Troubles by challenging decisions, policies and tactics developed by governments trying to defeat a stubborn insurgency that threatened national security.

“The propaganda war that ensued created much consternation for officials in London, Belfast, and Dublin who understood the conflict presented a real and immediate threat to social order,”

said Savage, who completed the book while a 2012 visiting research fellow at Trinity Long Room Hub, an institute at Trinity College Dublin. “Rules, regulations and policies that tried to suppress, shape or ‘spin’ coverage of the conflict were intended to marginalize extremists. Governments were acutely aware of the power of television to encourage sympathy or support for the very organizations they sought to destroy.”

Using recently released archival material from the BBC and a variety of government archives, Savage addresses the contentious relationship between broadcasting officials, politicians, the army, police and civil service from the outbreak of violence throughout the 1980s.

Even in the wake of a 1988 clamp on press freedoms by the Thatcher government, the broadcaster’s staff resisted government efforts to silence voices that, although unpalatable, were critical to comprehending and eventually resolving a long and bloody conflict.

“Throughout the conflict British governments tried to shape the way in which television depicted the struggle against paramilitaries, especially the Provisional IRA,” said Savage.

“However, its relentless presence undermined government efforts to present a simple picture of the forces of law and order trying to defeat savage terrorists hell-bent on a campaign of murder and mayhem. All those involved in the conflict hoped to produce a narrative for both domestic and international audiences to justify their role in an increasingly bitter and violent struggle.”

Contact Ed Hayward at ed.hayward@bc.edu

The 10th annual Carroll School of Management Finance Conference, held June 3 and 4 in Fulton Hall, featured talks by experts such as Harvard University historian and author Niall Ferguson (left), who gave the keynote speech, and Peter Lynch ’65 (above), vice chairman of Fidelity Management & Research Company. Read more about the conference at http://bit. ly/1DcEERp. (Photos by Lee Pellegrini)

Continued from page 1 marked by a commitment to our students, the hiring and mentoring of a strong cohort of younger faculty, the strategic development of the Roche Center for Catholic Education and the Lynch Leadership Academy, and the imaginative rethinking of the future of LSOE. She’s been a terrific colleague and much respected by her fellow faculty and deans.”

A popular teacher and administrator, Kenny arrived at Boston College in 1988 as an assistant professor and was named full professor in 2005. She served as associate dean for four years before being named interim dean in 2011. In addition to her roles as professor and dean, she also served the Lynch School as chair of the Department of Counseling, Developmental and Educational Psychology, and the program director for MA and doctoral programs in counseling.

Kenny said she was pleased to have led the school during the past four years in its strategic visioning and its collaborative outreach, which included deepening the relationship with the School of Social Work and Connell School of Nursing in the development of the undergraduate sequence in public health, and the Carroll School of

5

Management in the creation of the Lynch Leadership Academy.

“I have been honored to serve as dean of one of the top schools of education in the country,” said Kenny. “Our mission, faculty, students, collaborations and great university context make this an outstanding school. I very much look forward to working with the next dean to advance the work of our school at a time when quality education for all is a matter of great national importance.”

Since she began her tenure as dean, the Lynch School has made a number of “top 10” lists, including College Factual, which ranked the school fifth in its survey of highest paid education grads for mid-career salaries; Campus Explorer, which ranked BC the ninth best college for education majors; and Smart Class, which named the Lynch School’s early childhood education program seventh best, and its secondary education degree program ninth best nationwide. It is home to the top counseling, elementary teacher education and secondary education programs in Massachusetts. Ranked 23rd in US News & World Report, the Lynch School remains the highest-ranked education school among Catholic universities nationwide.

Incoming freshmen at orientation earlier this week. (Photo by Robyn Gesek)

Positive Trends in Class of 2019 Continued from page 1 and institution.

“Early action is attractive to top students because they can be admitted to colleges without being bound to enroll,” he said. “This allows them to consider multiple options for college. Early action is also good for Boston College in that it affords us more time to communicate and interact with the highest quality applicants in our pool – the ones we most want to enroll.”

BC’s most competitive undergraduate program is the Carroll School of Management, where only 21 percent of applicants were admitted, said Mahoney. Enrollments are higher this year in the Lynch School of Education and Connell School of Nursing, although the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences remains the largest undergraduate school at BC. This year’s freshman class includes students from 45 states and

39 foreign countries – the percentage of international students among incoming freshmen rose from 6.7 to 8 percent; 26 percent of the Class of 2019 are from AHANA backgrounds.

For all the influence of rankings, social media and other such factors, Mahoney said, the Admission staff plays a critical role in helping prospective students consider Boston College as their destination – and their efforts aid the University in building a diverse, academically distinctive student body.

“Staff members this year visited over 1,000 high schools across the country as well as in Europe, Latin America, China, Japan and Korea,” he noted. “We also welcomed close to 60,000 visitors to the campus for information sessions and tours, a powerful signal of Boston College’s attractiveness to prospective students.”

T he B oston C ollege

Chronicle summer 2015

6

Korea Visit Enlightening for Professor

Water-Splitting Project May Boost Clean Power Research By smoothing the surface of the mineral hematite, a team of researchers led by Associate Professor of Chemistry Dunwei Wang achieved “unassisted” water-splitting, using the abundant rust-like mineral and silicon to capture and store solar hydrogen, the team reported last month in the journal Nature Communications.

Efforts to find an efficient solar water splitting method to mine electron-rich hydrogen for clean power have been hampered by hematite’s poor performance in the chemical reaction that separates hydrogen from oxygen in water.

By “re-growing” the mineral’s surface, the team produced a smoother version of hematite that doubled electrical yield, opening a new door to energy-harvesting artificial photosynthesis, according to Wang.

The project, which included colleagues from the University of California-Berkeley and China’s University of Science and Technology, marked the first use of earth-abundant hematite and silicon as the sole light absorbers in artificial photosynthesis.

“By simply smoothing the surface characteristics of hematite, this close cousin of rust can be improved to couple with silicon, which is derived from sand, to achieve complete water splitting for solar hydrogen generation,” said Wang. “This unassisted water splitting, which is very rare, does not require expensive or rare resources.”

–Ed Hayward

Reinhartz to Serve as Corcoran Prof. at Center for Christian-Jewish Learning Adele Reinhartz, whose scholarly interests include the depiction of The Bible in film, has been appointed the 2015-2016 Corcoran Visiting Chair in Christian-Jewish Relations at the Center for Christian-Jewish Learning at Boston College.

A professor at the University of Ottawa Department of Classics and Religious Studies, Reinhartz plans to spend her tenure as Corcoran Professor completing her book on the Gospel of John and the “parting of the ways” between Judaism and Christianity.

She also will organize a conference titled “Fringe Benefits: Marginality and Identity in the Ancient Mediterranean World,” and present public lectures.

Reinhartz, a researcher in the New Testament and early JewishChristian relations who earned her doctorate at McMaster University, has authored such books as Scripture on the Silver Screen, Jesus of Hollywood and Bible and Cinema: An Introduction. Her other works include Befriending the Beloved Disciple: A Jewish Reading of the Gospel of John and Caiaphas the High Priest.

She also is the general editor of The Journal of Biblical Literature and a member of the Royal Society of Canada and the American Academy of Jewish Research.

For information on the Center for Christian-Jewish Learning, see www.bc.edu/cjl. ­–Office of News & Public Affairs

story her life.

“Even though I’ve heard many stories of war horrors and am familiar with research on torture and trauma, it was very challenging to hear her, and it underlined the importance of ending this war – so that she and many others can begin to find closure.”

An unexpected, but welcome, source of revelations about Korean society for Lykes came through her conversations with her 24-year-old North Korean interpreter Jang Ye Song. “Jang had volunteered for Jodie Evans

Assoc. Prof. Dunwei Wang (Chemistry) with graduate assistant Chun Du and Erik Liu ‘17, who are assisting him with his research on water-splitting, which appeared recently in the journal Nature Communications. (Photo by Lee Pellegrini)

The two weeks Lynch School of Education Professor Brinton Lykes spent in Korea –­ both North and South – as part of an international women’s delegation were a whirlwind of public events and private moments, contrasting sights and perspectives, and a montage of emotions and impressions through which she continues to sift.

But one thing Lykes knows for certain: It was an enlightening, transformative experience, one that she and her fellow delegates hope can contribute to improved relations between North and South Korea, and to a reconsideration of the US role in that troubled region.

“We accomplished what we set out to do,” she says, “which was to call attention to the still unresolved conflict in Korea – many people don’t realize that while a ceasefire halted the fighting in 1953, no treaty has ever been signed – and the many lives this has affected: people in the North and South unable to see family members on the other side; North Koreans who struggle to live because of crippling economic sanctions; a region that is constantly militarized at the expense of social, educational, medical and other needs.

“At the same time, we wanted to point up the legacy of the US involvement with Korea, and the need for the US to help forge a new era of peace and reconciliation.”

Lykes went to Korea with 29 other women human rights activists, including author and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient Gloria Steinem; Nobel Prize laureates Mairead Maguire and Leymah Gbowee; Medea Benjamin, cofounder of Code Pink and Global Exchange; and Christine Ahn, coorganizer of several initiatives aimed at resolving the Korean conflict.

The group traveled to Korea in mid-May to meet with women activists on both sides of the divided nation, and take part in a series of events aimed at promoting peace and reconciliation, highlighted by a planned walk across the demilitarized zone (DMZ) from North to South on May 24 – the 70th anniversary of the separation of Korea into two states.

“The focus on women reflected the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 that women be involved in all phases of every peace process,” Lykes says. “We felt it important to put the spotlight on the experiences of women – their stories tend to be forgotten in the history of conflicts.”

High-profile peacemaking efforts such as the Women’s Walk for Peace in Korea invariably provoke

skepticism and doubt in the media and elsewhere. Some commentators, particularly in South Korea, decried what they saw as manipulation and propaganda, especially on the part of North Korea, and suggested – or outright stated – that Lykes and her fellow delegates were dupes, or worse, for taking part.

Lykes acknowledges that the delegation had to operate within constraints imposed by both North and South, and was fully aware that some events and activities were organized so as to advance political

(Above) Prof. Brinton Lykes (LSOE), at right, with Gloria Steinem and other delegates who went on the Women’s Walk for Peace in Korea.

(Right) Lykes with with her North Korean interpreter Jang Ye Song.

viewpoints of the host government.

In fact, owing to sensitivities and difficulties in communication between North and South, the DMZ crossing did not go quite as planned – the delegation walked part of the way, but then were bussed the remainder of the two-mile distance.

But Lykes said she and her fellow delegates firmly believe these limitations did not detract from the overall significance of the visit, or the value of what they observed and learned.

“Anytime you immerse yourself in another country,” she says, “you have the opportunity not only to learn about that society but about your own as well. You see yourself and your country in a new light, because you see how people see you.

Most everything we, as Americans, have heard or read about North Korea comes in the context of international politics, so it was refreshing to see things for ourselves.

“The testimonies we heard from survivors were remarkable,” adds Lykes, who has researched the impact of armed conflict on women and children. “One North Korean woman talked about the bombing of her village during the war, when she was a child. Where others had spoken about seeking reconciliation, she spoke about seeking revenge. What struck me was how her story crystallized the Korean experience for many: Because of the continual tension and militarization, she still experiences the US as a threat, and there has been no opportunity for her to resolve the traumatic war experience, to re-

Jane Jin Kaisen

By Sean Smith Chronicle Editor

the job, she explained, because in addition to beefing up her English she wanted to understand American feminism. She genuinely wanted to hear what the US was like, and what we thought about North Korea.

“One thing that was particularly interesting was her explanation of Korean philosophy as it relates to self-reliance, how in North Korea there is a collective sense of being ‘one’ so as to protect itself from the world. At the same time, Jang talked about her own goals and how she wanted to make a contribution to the world.

“My sense was that these types of exchanges may not have been possible 10 years ago, so perhaps it’s an indication that some openings are occurring.”

Lykes’ place in the delegation came about through Boston College colleague Psychology Professor Emeritus Ramsay Liem, who has been active himself in Korean peace and reconciliation efforts: He and his sister-in-law Deann Borshay Liem – another member of the delegation – ­produced and directed “Memory of Forgotten War,” a documentary depicting the human cost of the Korean War through accounts by four Korean-Americans, and are putting together a film, “Crossings,” about the Women’s Walk for Peace in Korea.

For information about the Women’s Walk for Peace in Korea, see www.womencrossdmz.org; to learn about the “Crossings” documentary, see facebook.com/crossingsdmzfilm.

T he B oston C ollege

Chronicle summer 2015

Alumna Hopes White House Forum Shapes Focus on Aging Boston College School of Social Work alumna Patricia Yu PhD’14 had a special perspective on the July 13 White House Conference on Aging, the decennial event that sets national policy priorities on aging-related issues over the next 10 years.

Yu worked for the conference as a policy analyst through the 2014-15 Health and Aging Policy Fellowship Program, which provides opportunities for health professionals to make a positive contribution to policies that affect older adults. She acted as liaison with the four work groups that presented recommendations for policies in the conference’s four areas of focus: retirement security, long-term services and supports, healthy aging, and elder abuse.

In addition, Yu was responsible for writing and issuing policy briefs related to the four themes and devising means to better disseminate policy ideas. She also attended regional forums held over the past several months, including one in Boston in May, at which various stakeholders – from senior citizens to aging services representatives to academic researchers – weighed in on issues likely to be discussed at the conference.

From her vantage point, Yu sees “a paradigm shift” in the national attitude about aging.

“I really feel that in the US we are rethinking what aging means, and are ready to have a national conversation on how to change the way we view, and treat, older adults,” said Yu, interviewed prior to the event. “This conference should help provide a good foundation for that dialogue.

“I think the focus is changing to a viewpoint of older people as contributors to society, instead of being a passive population or a burden. Of course, there is a lot of anxiety about what it means to grow old and retire. But instead of seeing aging purely in terms of medical and health care challenges, people are recognizing that seniors bring their own set of experiences, skills and expertise that can be useful in addressing social issues and other challenges facing us.

“The baby boom generation that has already begun to reach retirement age helped to transform society, and continues to be an active, powerful group.

So shouldn’t we see them as a resource, rather than simply as a potential problem?”

Yu hopes the changing landscape will mean more active roles

Photo courtesy of Patricia Yu

“The baby boom generation that has already begun to reach retirement age helped to transform society, and continues to be an active, powerful group,” says Patricia Yu PhD’14. “So shouldn’t we see them as a resource, rather than simply as a potential problem?” for older adults in community affairs, education, business and other areas, and development of policy and funding streams to achieve that outcome.

“It can’t simply be an individual-based approach; this has to involve communities,” she said.

“A big part of this new direction is overcoming outdated stereotypes and attitudes related to aging. An increasing percentage of the US population is going to be over the age of 65, so we have to overcome whatever discomfort we might have about older people.”

Yu, a California native who earned degrees in social work from California State-Los Angeles and the University of Southern California, never felt any such qualms herself: “I always had positive relationships with my grandparents and their friends. I really like the older population.

Going into a field which involved working with the aging seemed a natural direction for me.”

Her time at BCSSW, she said, definitely helped prepare her for the social policy path. She credits faculty members such as James Lubben, Marcie Pitt-Catsouphes and Kevin Mahoney for their support and mentoring, and is particularly grateful to Ruth McRoy, her dissertation chair.

“BC was a culture shock for me: the intensity, the drive, the intelligence of my peers and the faculty – it all really helped me to grow. I find I’m not intimidated to interact with policy makers as I have these past several months, and a big part of that is how BCSSW prepared me.”

–Sean Smith

7

Newsmakers Economics faculty members weighed in on the escalating fiscal crisis in Greece: Assoc. Prof. Robert Murphy spoke with WGBH News “Morning Edition” and the Boston Herald; Asst. Prof. Scott Fulford appeared on WRKO’s “Financial Exchange”; and Murray and Monti Professor of Economics Peter Ireland provided comments to CBS News and the Washington Post and Boston Herald.

The Boston Globe ran a feature on Prof. Michael Barnett (LSOE), who is spearheading an effort to inject more creativity into Chinese curriculums, in what is believed to be one of the first partnerships of its kind between an American university the Chinese K-12 educational system.

Many people can make adjustments to improve their retirement security, and they can start

QUOTEUNQUOTE

“When the 21-year-old white man killed six women and three men, including pastor and South Carolina state senator Clementa Pinckney, he reportedly said: ‘I have to do it. You rape our women and you’re taking over our country. And you have to go.’ [Dylann] Roof’s words seem bizarre – not just because black Americans make up less than 15 percent of the population but also because he murdered six women – but they made more sense when they first entered the American vernacular.

His statement hails straight from the Reconstruction Era after the Civil War, when white Southern men had to come to grips with the fact that they would no longer control the country.”

–Prof. Heather Cox Richardson (History) in Salon right now, wrote Carroll School of Management Drucker Professor Alicia Munnell, director of the Center for Retirement Research, in Boston Globe Magazine.

BC BRIEFING When encounters with police prove fatal, who should determine whether the use of lethal force was justified? Prof. R. Michael Cas-

NOTA BENE School of Theology and Ministry Associate Professor Andrea Vicini, SJ, has been named as a research fellow by the Center of Theological Inquiry as part of its project on the societal implications of astrobiology. Fr. Vicini will join an interdisciplinary team of theologians and scholars in the humanities and social sciences in pursuing their inquiry, in cooperation with leading astrobiologists and supported by the NASA Astrobiology Program and the John Templeton Foundation.

Boston College School of Social Work Associate Professor of the Practice Tiziana C. Dearing was recognized by a local non-profit for almost 20 years of aiding persons battling addiction and homelessness.

Dearing and her husband Stephen J. Seiner were presented with the Carl F. Barron Catalyst for Change Award by CASPAR (Cambridge and Somerville Program for Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Rehabilitation) at its annual fundraising event, “Strengthening Our Community.”

According to CASPAR, Dearing – former CEO for the anti-poverty fund Boston Rising and the first woman to serve as president of Catholic Charities, Boston – has provided assistance “with her development expertise, actively working to increase the impact and sustainability of the agency’s development plan.” The organization called her “an accomplished leader who has dedicated herself, throughout her career, to clearing a path for the rising class.”

Three Boston College alumni were part of the largest ordination class of US Jesuits in more than 15 years. Ryan Duns, SJ, Christopher Krall, SJ, and James Shea, SJ – who all obtained advanced theology degrees at the School of Theology and Ministry – were ordained priests last month by the Midwest Jesuits at Queen of All Saints Basilica in Chicago. Fr. Krall, who also holds an undergraduate degree from BC, is a member of the Wisconsin Province, while Fr. Duns and Fr. Shea are with the Chicago-Detroit Province.

The University’s official Twitter and Facebook social channels, administered by the Office of News & Public Affairs, are respectively ranked 15th and 26th among US college and universities in the latest social media survey, this one conducted by technology and data company Engagement Labs.

sidy (Law) discussed the subject on WBUR’s “Radio Boston.”

Claims that terrorism does or does not work may make for pithy headlines, but they obscure a far more nuanced reality – one that must be taken seriously if terrorism is to be understood and prevented, wrote Asst. Prof. Peter Krause (Political Science) and Craig Noyes ’08, MA ’13 in a piece for National Interest.

Honors/Appointments Prof. Shih-Yuan Liu (Chemistry) was selected for a Humboldt Research Award, which is conferred in recognition of lifetime achievements in research. Humboldt winners are invited to carry out research projects of their own choice in cooperation with colleagues in Germany.

Federico Rosconi of Uruguay has been selected as a Pew Latin American Fellow – one of more than 200 outstanding biomedical scholars from Central and South America chosen to pursue postdoctoral studies with distinguished mentors in the United States – and will join the laboratory of Asst.

Prof. Tim van Opijnen (Biology).

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: Fiscal Manager, Auxiliary Services Executive Director, Office for Institutional Diversity Staff Psychiatrist, Counseling

University

Food Service Worker, Dining Services Director of Development, School Development Director, Robsham Theater Arts Center Program Administrator, Global Leadership Institute Director, Human Resources Service Center Assistant Director, Career Engagement, Morrissey College of Arts & Sciences

T he B oston C ollege

Chronicle summer 2015

Employees reslish opportunities provided by BC tuition benefit

By Sean Smith Chronicle Editor

Assistant Director of University Advancement Gail Wiegner never gave up on the idea of getting her undergraduate degree. It just took longer than she thought – a few decades.

Wiegner first enrolled in Boston College during the 1970s, but didn’t stay. She wound up working in the human resources and technology fields, where she gained considerable management experience. When she returned to BC 10 years ago, and discovered the University’s tuition-remission benefit for employees, she thought “Why not?” and became a parttime student in the Woods College of Advancing Studies.

It took eight years for Wiegner to earn her bachelor’s degree in corporate systems, but she is now a full-fledged BC alumna.

“I did it a course at a time, because there were a lot of things I had to handle – not only my job but home life as well,” said Wiegner, interviewed at a June 18 reception honoring the more than 60 employees who completed undergraduate or graduate degrees at the University this year. “But I felt a real sense of purpose, and it helped me to just keep focused.

Was it all worth it? Definitely.”

For some employees, like Wiegner, the tuition benefit program provides the means to obtain the undergraduate degree that, for one reason or another, had eluded them. Others see the opportunity to build on their educational and professional credentials. All face

BC SCENES

Lee Pellegrini

8

the challenge of balancing studies six credits per semester, and six with work and other commit- during the Summer Session (a ments, over what can be a period total of 18 credits per academic of several years. But they also find year). As noted in the University’s a deeper connection to, and ap- employee handbook, the tuition preciation of, Boston College. benefit is granted “with the un“In all honesty, it’s a forward derstanding that class and study step I never thought I’d make,” hours do not conflict with regular said Assistant Manager of House- work schedules.” keeping Kenneth Coleman, who “Our focus at BC is developcompleted his bachelor’s in cor- ing the whole person, and the porate systems after seven years. tuition benefit program fits in “I got to meet so many great with furthering that ideal,” said people – students, faculty, advi- Vice President for Human Resors, administrators – I probably sources David Trainor, who also wouldn’t have otherwise. It made spoke at the event, in an interworking at BC a whole different view. “Whether someone got the ballgame.” bachelor’s degree they never had, At the reception, University or earned an MBA or a PhD, it’s a President William P. Leahy, SJ, continuation of their life journey, offered a toast to Coleman and their personal development. BC is other employee graduates, prais- invested in that growth in a very ing them for their “investment of real and tangible way, because time and energy.” employees who “Nothing hap- “I got to meet so many great take classes at BC pens easily when gain a better unpeople – students, faculty, you’re engaged in derstanding of the a full-time job, advisors, administrators – I University, and and have other what we do for probably wouldn’t have otherresponsibilities,” our students every said Fr. Leahy. wise. It made working at BC day.

“Boston College a whole different ballgame.”

“That’s why it is proud of your was important to –Kenneth Coleman acknowledge the dedication to furthering your eduachievements of cation, because your investment these employees, and the sacrifices helps us to deliver on our insti- they and their loved ones made.” tutional promise, and fulfill our For Coleman, a 27-year BC motto of ‘Ever to excel.’” employee, it was a loved one – his Full-time BC employees are wife Stephanie – who inspired eligible for 100 percent tuition- him to pursue his degree in the remission for undergraduate first place. “She told me, ‘You’re courses taken through the Woods a smart kid, you should try it,’” College and the evening Summer he said. “The more I went to the Session; the benefit also applies classes, the more I liked it.” at the graduate level for up to Custodian Walter Carberry

University President William P. Leahy, SJ, spoke at a reception on June 18 recognizing Boston College employees who completed their undergraduate and graduate degrees. Prior to his remarks, he chatted with new MBAs (L-R) Sarah Sletzinger, Markian Kolinsky and Vijaya Kommineni – all from Information Technology Services – and their colleague Venkat Vuppula.

found a similar kind of inspiration at home to study for his bachelor’s in corporate systems. “I thought it would be a good example for my kids – that you never stop learning, and that you can achieve a goal if you set your mind to it.”

Keeping up the commitment takes a lot of effort, say the employee graduates, but fortunately there are many others in the same situation to provide moral support and other kinds of assistance.

Carberry got to know Coleman during their studies, for example, which proved to be beneficial for them both.

“If Ken missed a class, I could share my notes with him, and vice-versa,” said Carberry. “It’s nice to know you’re not in it all on your own.”

To Kathryn Tosi, a financial analyst in the Office of the Provost, the prospect of pursuing an MBA at BC had more than a few attractions. “The tuition remission was a big plus, of course, and so is the fact BC offers a great educa-

tion,” she said. “I’m a driven person, and I feel like I have to push myself, so this seemed too good an opportunity to pass up.”

Wiegner, Coleman, Carberry, Tosi and other employees found that being a student opened up other aspects of the University community to them, so they were able to see for themselves that the quality of teaching at BC is as good as advertised.

“James Menno [of the Woods College faculty] was probably the most engaging professor I had, someone who helped you get into the flow of the class,” said Wiegner. “[Philosophy Professor] Peter Kreeft really challenged me to think – he doesn’t make it easy on you, but you learn a lot.”

“I met a ton of people, and made some friends,” Tosi said, “but I also got an insight into what it’s like to be a student here.

So I feel I can now speak better to what we do at BC.” Contact Sean Smith at sean.smith@bc.edu

POMP AND CELEBRATION Photos by Robyn Gesek

Eighth-graders from the Gardner Pilot Academy celebrated their graduation in Robsham Theater last month, an event that included a welcome address by Maureen Kenny (center photo, bottom row), outgoing dean of the Lynch School of Education. Boston College has a longstanding partnership with the Gardner, a full-service community school in Boston’s Allston neighborhood that serves nearly 350 students. Among other facets of the collaboration, Lynch School faculty have developed research opportunities with Gardner teachers in curriculum development, instructional strategies and content knowledge base, and BC Donovan Urban Teaching Scholars serve for a year as student teachers – and in some cases go on to be hired full-time – at the school.