Boston College Chronicle

Page 1

The Boston College

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

•BC version of ‘DWTS’ a real hit, page 2

•BC physicists shed light on insulators, page 3 •University ranks among Fulbright producers, page 3 •Heights wins award, page 3 •Rombalski steps down as Student Affairs VP, page 3 •Sesquicentennial Q&A with Robert Blute ’43, page 4

By Ed Hayward Staff Writer

Five current and former university presidents joined University President William P. Leahy, SJ, and a group of distinguished scholars last week for a two-day symposium to discuss the place of religion amid the liberal aims of higher education. Held as part of the University’s Sesquicentennial Celebration, “Religion and the Liberal Aims of Higher Education” took place Nov. 8 and 9 in the Heights Room of Corcoran Commons. Panels brought together the leaders of religiously-affiliated institutions, as well as scholars from diverse backgrounds to discuss what sets religious colleges

and universities apart from their secular peers who share the similar commitment to offering a liberal education. “The question for me isn’t whether religion, theology and belief have a place in the liberal university,” Fr. Leahy said in his closing remarks. “The question is how will they have a place in higher education in the US, but also in the life of our society?” To answer that and other questions, Fr. Leahy was joined by Notre Dame President John I. Jenkins, CSC, Bryn Mawr College President Jane McAuliffe, Wheaton College (Ill.) President Philip G. Ryken, Wake Forest University President Nathan Hatch and retired University of Richmond

“You can see there’s a culture of innovation across the University. BC fosters that culture of being open and sharing and helping out. People are always willing to help you make a connection.” — Ashley Macaulay ’14

Entrepreneurial Hothouse

Enterprising students find that Boston College offers opportunities and support for starting up a business •GrantScape will aid research funding, page 6 •Tremblay gets new post at Law School, page 6 •Woods College prof. ends tour in Afghanistan, page 6 •Things to do and see on campus, page 8

By Ed Hayward Staff Writer

Entrepreneurship has taken root on the Boston College campus, drawing on the expertise of faculty, course offerings, alumni mentors and competitions that give students a chance to test-drive their ideas and business plans in front of leading executives and venture capitalists. Spurring the growing list of opportunities for students to study and engage in entrepreneurship is the expertise of the Carroll School of Management, which serves as the nexus of many of these efforts, but also attracts students from outside CSOM who are just as eager to learn about what it takes to launch a business. “Creating a culture of entrepreneurship is important, but this is a piece of the broader culture of learning here at BC,” said CSOM

President Richard Morrill, who gave a keynote address on Nov. 9. What religious and secular liberal arts institutions share is a commitment to educating the whole person, the panelists said. Where they diverge are the spiriContinued on page 4

Associate Professor of Information Systems John Gallaugher. “That’s what makes the University so unique – the chance to bring people together to share and discuss ideas. This is all part of that.” Gallaugher has led the Carroll School’s TechTrek classes that conclude with visits to tech companies and venture capital firms here in Boston, the Silicon Valley and Asia. The courses attract CSOM students, but also students from the College of Arts and Sciences. On an annual basis, new businesses are emerging from the Boston College Venture Competition, a six-year-old business plan contest that awards $15,000 in seed money. Gallaugher and recently retired CSOM faculty member Larry Meile launched the competition in 2007, with help from BC alumni and students. Continued on page 5

QUOTE:

University President William P. Leahy, SJ (top photo), presented closing remarks at the “Religion and the Liberal Aims of Higher Education” symposium, which included panel discussions with prominent education experts like (above, L-R) Nicholas Wolterstorff, Susan Jacoby, Eboo Patel and Mark Oppenheimer.

LSOE’s Barnett Wins Mass. Professor of the Year Honor By Kathleen Sullivan Staff Writer

Lee Pellegrini

•Bridging the partisan gap, page 2

Weighing In on Religion, Higher Ed

Justin Knight

INSIDE

Sesquicentennial Symposium

Caitlin Cunningham

november 15, 2012 VOL. 21 no. 6

Lynch School of Education Associate Professor G. Michael Barnett has been named the 2012 Massachusetts Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) in recognition of his teaching excellence and positive influence on the lives and careers of students. Barnett is the second Lynch School faculty member in the last four years to win the statewide honor, along with Associate Professor Audrey Friedman, the 2009 awardee. The Carnegie/CASE Professor of the Year award is the only national program that recognizes excellence in undergraduate teaching and mentoring. Barnett’s focus is on urban science education, promoting STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) fields to undergraduate education majors, and the youngsters they student-teach, through projects

G. Michael Barnett

that utilize technology and link to real-world issues. In his teaching, Barnett uses innovative tools such as indoor hydroponic vertical farms, where BC undergraduates work with their K-12 students to grow vegetables and then sell the produce at their own farmer’s markets. Through the project, which takes the participants from seed to market, his students learn about topContinued on page 5

“‘Dancing with the Scholars’ is an event that really bridges the BC community, by pairing people from a wide range of the facets of campus life.” —Cape Verdean Student Association President Rayana Grace ’13, page 2


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