The Boston College Chronicle

The Boston College

Chronicle Published by the Boston College Office of News & Public Affairs december 13, 2012 VOL. 21 no. 8

TIMSS/PIRLS

Warmth Amidst Cold

BC Center Releases Global Data on Student Achievement

Former Student Affairs VP Kevin Duffy Dies Kevin P. Duffy, who served as vice president of student affairs for 24 years, died on Dec. 4 of complications resulting from a fall. Story on page 6.

•Connolly Book of Hours now available online, page 6 •BC Scenes: Christmas at The Plaza, page 8

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•Big Brothers/Sisters a big deal at BC; junior wins Big Sister Award, page 5

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•BC Law researcher advocates for juvenile offenders, page 4 •Sesquicentennial Q&A with John Mahoney, page 4

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With the holiday season in full swing, Boston College reaches out to its community — and to those in need

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•For BC junior, an up-close look at UN climate change conference, page 3

Parker Milner ’13 helps his BC hockey teammates load donations to the team’s toy drive — which he began and organizes —for Children’s Hospital Boston. Story below. (Photo by Lee Pellegrini)

standard” internationally for reading comprehension at the fourth grade, measuring trends every five years since 2001.

As in previous cycles, TIMSS and PIRLS 2011 — the fifth and third assessments of each project, respectively — report achievement at four international benchmarks that describe what students know and can do in mathematics, science, and reading, and can be used to help interpret achievement scores.

In mathematics at the fourth grade, Singapore, Korea, and Hong Kong were top performers, followed by Chinese Taipei and Japan. Northern Ireland, the Flemish Community of Belgium, Finland, England, and the Russian Federation also performed very well. In Continued on page 8

Parents’ Low-Wage Jobs Can Their goal? Make someone happy Harm Their Kids, Says Sociologist HOLIDAY EDITION

Winning is one Boston College men’s hockey tradition, and so is service — especially around Christmas time.

The Eagles recently held their third annual collection of new, boxed, unwrapped toys for patients at Children’s Hospital Boston. The team took donations at their Dec. 2 game in Conte Forum against Boston University and their Nov. 24 contest versus Dartmouth. On Tuesday, players delivered the donated toys to the hospital.

Organized by senior goaltender Parker Milner, the toy drive is another affirmation of the team’s longstanding relationship with the world-famous hospital, which members past and present have regularly visited.

“I remember my freshman year [2009], we brought the national championship trophy with us, and what a great time that was,” recalls Pittsburgh native Milner, a Carroll School of

Management student with a concentration in marketing. “The kids there are going through a lot, and don’t have much to look forward to. We just want to brighten their day, whether with a toy or simply by being there and spending time with them.

“However much the kids might enjoy it, it brings an even bigger smile to our faces.”

Milner — who praises the Pike’s Peak team booster club for their assistance with the toy drive — has been encouraged by the results: Donations to this year’s drive, he said last week, are likely to surpass those from last year, which filled 15 hockey equipment bags (the first year filled 10 bags’ worth).

In addition, last week, the toy drive received a financial donation from Marge Kelley, wife of legendary hockey coach John “Snooks” Kelley, as well as Kelley’s daughter Candy Kelley

By Kathleen Sullivan Staff Writer

Lee Pellegrini

INSIDE

Students from East Asian countries, in addition to a select group of European countries, outperformed students around the world in mathematics, science and reading at both the fourth and eighth grades, according to results released Tuesday by Lynch School of Education Professors Ina V.S. Mullis and Michael O. Martin, executive directors of the TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center.

The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) is the first global assessment of mathematics and science to provide data about trends over time, measuring achievement in these subjects every four years at the fourth and eighth grades since 1995. Performance on the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) represents the “gold

Parents’ low-wage jobs can harm their children’s health, education and overall development according to a new report co-authored by Sociology Research Professor Lisa Dodson.

Some 16 million US families are headed by parents employed in low-wage jobs, such as cashiers, nurses’ aides, janitors, salespeople, food servers, and elder care attendants. Dodson and co-author Randy Albelda, a professor of economics from the University of Massachusetts-Boston, found that adolescents in these families are seven times more likely to drop out of school than are higher income youth, more likely to be among the one in five American teens who are obese, and are far more likely to become parents in their teen years.

“How Youth are Put at Risk

by Parents’ Low-Wage Jobs” presents the first-ever overview of the Continued on page 2 relationship between the status of youth and their parents’ low-wage

QUOTE:

Lisa Dodson

jobs. Graduate student Marya Mtshali worked with Dodson on the report.

“What we found is that parents’ work and young people’s lives are profoundly linked,” said Dodson.

“And yet, very little attention has been paid to this interaction.”

Adolescents need resources, stability, and parental attention to support their wellbeing, to do well in school, be safe, and move on to pursue healthy lives. But their parents’ low-wage jobs are also lowquality jobs, with few job benefits, Continued on page 3

“I find the most critical issue is that girls’ experiences of violence — intimate partner violence, violence in their homes and sexual exploitation — drive them into the juvenile and criminal justice system not as victims, but as perpetrators or mischaracterized criminals.”

—BC Law Visiting Clinical Professor Francine Sherman, page 4

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Chronicle december 13, 2012

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The Boston College Police Department wants to share its celebration of the Christmas season with the University community — one ornament at a time.

The BCPD has set up a Christmas tree in the lobby of its Maloney Hall headquarters, and is inviting visitors to decorate it with handmade and traditional ornaments.

“We started this last year, and got a good response, so we decided to continue growing it,” says Sgt. Jeffrey Postell. “We want to get

HOLIDAY EDITION Continued from page 1 McLaughlin and grandson Patrick Kelley McLaughlin.

Like many BC student-athletes, Milner came to the Heights with a goodly amount of service experience in hand, from his days in high school and at Old Avon Farms prep school in Connecticut. Playing junior hockey for a season in Waterloo, Iowa, Milner helped out at the local Humane Society and other charities. While at Waterloo, he also was witness to the “teddy bear toss” — when the team scored its first goal, fans would throw teddy bears on the ice, which the players would collect and donate to Toys for Tots.

“I liked that whole idea, but I thought we could do something a bit more organized here, and gear it towards helping Children’s Hospital,” says Milner.

He talked with BC Athletic Association administrators, who helped him make arrangements to set a toy drive in motion. It wasn’t hard to decide for which game to schedule the collection.

“The game against BU is always a big one. That’s where you get the most fans, and the most interest. So while we might set up collections on a couple of other dates, we definitely figure on BC-BU.”

Donations to the BC hockey toy drive for Children’s Hospital took up a lot of room. The toys were delivered to the hospital Tuesday.

Although Milner is graduating in the spring, the holiday toy drive will stay in place, he says: He’s already tapped sophomore goaltender Brian Billett to take up the leadership reins.

“We’re given so much by BC, and so much support from the community,” says Milner.

“We’re fortunate to be studentathletes, and blessed to be able to do what we do. So it’s foolish of us not to give back something of ourselves.

“Just seeing how optimistic each child is, how happy they are, despite what’s going on in their lives, makes a difference in how you see the world. We’re all grateful to have the opportunity to do this.”

For more on the BC men’s hockey toy drive, see the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BostonCollegeHockeyToyDriveForChildren, or contact Parker Milner at milnerp@bc.edu —Sean Smith

Youthful decoration-makers at the Boston College Children’s Center made Christmas ornaments for the BC Police Department community tree.

people in the spirit of the holidays, of course, and this is also a way of reaching out and engaging the community.”

Helped by its use of social media — a photo of the “community tree” was posted on the BCPD Facebook page [www.facebook. com/bcpolice] — the department is continuing to see positive results.

Between last year’s contributions as well as this year’s, “the tree is really filling up,” says Postell.

While he and his colleagues are heartened by all the donated decorations, Postell says there are a few in particular that have caught their eye. “Somebody brought in

Special invitation Whatever other holiday celebrations they may attend this season, a group of Edmonds Hall students are looking forward to one this Sunday afternoon that is unlike any other.

The approximately two-dozen students will be volunteers at the annual Christmas in the City party for homeless children in Boston.

Christmas in the City provides each child living in a shelter with the gift that child has selected. At the party — which features a catered lunch, a stage show, petting zoo, hands-on exhibits from local museums, visits with Santa and local pro athletes, and other entertainment — the gift is presented to the child, with a personalized card.

Christmas in the City volunteers do a variety of tasks in support of the effort, such as soliciting donations of toys and money prior to the event. At the party, volun-

a Marine ornament, which adds a real personal touch when you think about how many servicemen and women are away from home this holiday. It also helps represent those in our department and elsewhere at BC who have served, or are serving, in the military.”

One decoration comprised a policeman’s uniform, complete with badge, while another was in the form of an angel with the inscription “Believe.”

“The angel ornament really says

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it all: believing in good for the community,” says Postell.

The community Christmas tree will be up until New Year’s, says Postell, and the ornaments donated this year will be stored away along with those from last Christmas.

“We plan to keep the ornaments from year to year. What we want is have people come back years later and see that we still have the ornaments they were kind enough to give us.”

And if it gets to the point where there are more ornaments than there are places to put them? Not to worry, laughs Postell: “We’ve got space to accommodate a taller tree.”

—Sean Smith

teers help with set-up or clean- good things about Christmas in munity.”

Junior Kelly Tyman, a psyup, waiting tables, distributing the the City to believe it would be a presents or greeting families. good community service activity chology major with a minor in Hispanic Studies, has a “More than simply giving a gift, we at- “In this season when Christmas presents and Christmas trees, history of community tempt to connect with even a warm home to return to after finals, are so often tak- service that includes working each sumthe family and child in en for granted,” says Kelly Tyman ’14, “I figured it was the a way that they know least I could do to volunteer a few hours of my time to make mer with children and young adults through their neighbors care for them,” according Christmas special for a couple of families down on their luck. the track club in her Isn’t that what Christmas is really about?” hometown of Hollisto the organization’s ton, Mass., serving in website [http://christthe Read Boston Program and masinthecity.org]. “And having for the students. developed relationships with or“Christmas in the City came volunteering 100 hours at an aniganizations sheltering homeless to mind because I really wanted mal shelters. Her PULSE Profamilies, Christmas in the City is the students to have a more direct gram placement at the Rosie’s able to offer support and guidance service opportunity than simply Place homeless shelter — which to families as they transition from raising money for a cause,” she ex- included a weekly overnight stay shelters to their own homes.” plains. “In my experience, conver- — made her especially interested The Boston College students’ sations and accompaniment with in Christmas in the City.

“Homelessness tends to be a participation at the event was or- those in need have had the biggest ganized by Edmonds Hall resi- impact on the ways I think about very misunderstood condition. It dent assistant Elizabeth Mulligan, service and social justice. I also was is so easy to pass judgment on a student in the Graduate School drawn to the idea of being able to people who are homeless, assumof Social Work from Westford, serve outside of the BC bubble but ing that they brought it upon Mass. Mulligan had heard enough still within the local Boston comContinued on page 6

Giving opportunities •The Volunteer Service and Learning Center encourages the Boston College community to support the center’s partnership with Cradles to Crayons by shopping for an outfit pack for a local child.

Those interested in participating can stop by the VSLC Giving Tree in McElroy 114 and choose a child’s outfit pack request. Once you purchase the requested items, bring the outfit pack (unwrapped in a bag with the child’s request tag) to McElroy 114 or the Office of the Dean of Students in Maloney 212 before Tuesday, Dec. 18.

For more information, contact Kate Daly at kate.daly.1@ bc.edu. To learn about Cradles to Crayon, see http://cradlestocrayons.org/boston.

•Boston College Athletics will aceept donations for Toys for Tots through Tuesday, Dec. 18.

Bring new, unwrapped toys to the External Operations office in Conte Forum 238 betwen 9 a.m.5 p.m. One pair of tickets for an upcoming men’s or women’s basketball game will be given per toy (quantities are limited; tickets will be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis).

—Office of News & Public Affairs 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 Photographers

Gary Gilbert Lee Pellegrini

The Boston College Chronicle (USPS 009491), the internal newspaper for faculty and staff, is published biweekly from September to May by Boston College, with editorial offices at the Office of News & Public Affairs, 14 Mayflower Road, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467 (617)552-3350. Distributed free to faculty and staff offices and other locations on campus. Periodicals postage paid at Boston, MA and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: send address changes to The Boston College Chronicle, Office of News & Public Affairs, 14 Mayflower Road, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467.

Contact Chronicle via e-mail: chronicle@bc.edu.Electronic editions of the Boston College Chronicle are available via the World Wide Web at http://www. bc.edu/chronicle.

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Chronicle december 13, 2012

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‘We Should Be Angry’

BC junior Joseph Manning attended the UN conference on climate change for the fourth time; he says the lack of progress is frustrating, but he’s hopeful Joseph Manning ’14 attended the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change 18th annual Conference of the Parties held recently in Doha, Qatar. It was the fourth time Manning had represented the Sierra Club at the event, and he discussed the experience with Michael Maloney of the Chronicle.

[The full interview is available at www.bc.edu/chronicle] Why is climate change so important to you?

I’ve been interested in climate change since I was in middle school and I believe this interest stems from my experience as child in Nova Scotia, Canada. My family owns a home there, in a small fishing village and the front door is no more than 50 feet from the high-tide mark. I spent every summer as a child at this house, and the people in the community are my friends and family.

I distinctly remember listening to a family friend talk about how, when he was a kid, the harbor used to freeze during the winter, but that it had been over 30 years since the last time this had happened.

The concern is in his voice was palpable.

The more I learned, the more convinced I became that I needed to work to solve climate change because the people I love are on the front lines. If sea levels continue to rise, my community will be displaced. I want to ensure that my children and grandchildren will be able to play on the beach and spend their summers in that community.

On a more abstract level, climate change is important to me because there are real tangible impacts for my generation, impacts that we are already beginning to see. The real face of climate change is the farmer from Iowa who lost her crop because of drought, and the young boy from Staten Island whose home was flooded in a November hurricane. Let’s face it, people have trouble with long-term planning; after all, most of us don’t know what we’re going to have for dinner let alone what we need to do to avoid problems 50 years down the road.

You were quoted as saying that this year’s “Conference of the Parties will serve as a major stepping stone to achieving a binding international agreement that will include all nations that are considered major greenhouse gas emitters.” Can you further

explain these goals and touch on how this progress is going?

Last year in Durban, South Africa, the COP decided that by 2015 they would create a new treaty that would replace the Kyoto Protocol and require all of the world’s major emitters to make binding cuts to their greenhouse gas emissions. So Doha should have provided the opportunity for negotiators to begin that process.

It was the hope of many, including myself, that in light of a year of record heat and extreme weather events, we would be able to create a solid framework in Doha that

I had the privilege of meeting Mary Robinson, the first female president of Ireland and a UN Elder. She was speaking to a group of representatives from youth environmental NGOs and in the course of the discussion she stated that she wished young people were so angered by the inaction on climate change that they were “throwing shoes at the television.” I had the opportunity to speak with her after the briefing and completely agree with President Robinson’s sentiment. We should be angry. It is our future that is being negotiated.

The other event experience is Caitlin Cunningham something that I will carry with me for a very long time.

It is not very often that a senior diplomat cries in public, but that is exactly what happened during a pact plenary on the Kyoto Protocol. I was sitting in the back of the plenary hall, when the lead negotiator from the Philippines, Naderev M. Saño, took the floor. He began to speak about typhoon Bopha, which had hit the Philippines the day before.

As he spoke he fought back tears. Mr. Saño’s distress was so tangible as he concluded with a heartfelt appeal to world leaders: “I am would allow us to build towards making an urgent appeal, not as a that 2015 deadline. Unfortunately, negotiator, not as a leader of my this did not happen. What was delegation, but as a Filipino. I apneeded was for countries to increase peal to the whole world, I appeal their emission reduction pledges, to leaders from all over the world, develop a mechanism for ensuring to open our eyes to the stark reality increased finances for developing that we face...Please, let 2012 be countries to develop sustainably remembered as the year the world and adapt to climate change that found the courage to find the will is already occurring, and estab- to take responsibility for the future lish common practices for count- we want. I ask of all of us here, ing carbon across different carbon if not us, then who? If not now, markets. None of these goals were then when? And if not here, then achieved, leaving us only margin- where?” ally closer to solving climate change Are you involved with anythan we were two weeks ago. thing similar here at BC? I would just like to stress that Yes, I work with Ecopledge as despite the lackluster result of the the external affairs coordinator. I’m conference, I don’t want to leave also the chief of staff for the UGBC anyone with the impression that Senate’s Policy Steering Committhe fault rests with the negotia- tee, which handles all UGBC poltion process itself. Climate change icy including issues of on-campus is a global phenomenon and will sustainability. require a global response and the This is the time where we as UN Framework Convention on college students can make the most Climate Change provides the best impact. After all, climate change is opportunity for us to do this. How- our fight, just as other generations ever, if we’re going to succeed we had civil liberties and the Vietnam will need to create the political will War. For millennials, it’s climate to address climate change domesti- change, because how we choose cally. to address — or not address — it What was the most memo- during this decade will determine rable experience from this year’s the shape of our future. It will be conference? hard, but allow me to assure you it is doable.

“Our country is treating workers like a commodity,” says Dodson (shown above with graduate student Marya Mtshali, left, who aided her research project). “With low-wage work projected to account for two of every three new jobs in the US over the next decade, this is a mainstream problem, not a problem in the margins.”

Photo by Lee Pellegrini

Dodson Co-Authors Study Continued from page 1 unreliable schedules, and little flexibility that would allow these parents to tend to their children’s needs, according to the authors.

“Our country is treating workers like a commodity,” said Dodson. “With low-wage work projected to account for two of every three new jobs in the US over the next decade, this is a mainstream problem, not a problem in the margins.”

For example, the study cites that parental involvement is a key ingredient to student success in school. Yet this involvement, which ranges from monitoring homework to meeting with teachers and volunteering for school activities, is the very thing parents with low-wage jobs have difficulty doing. Their non-standard work schedules and lack of paid time off are obstacles, said Dodson.

“We need to change the narrative in this country, where we see parents who are not as involved and say they are inadequate,” she said. “It may be that they are working hard so their kids have basics, like heat and food.”

The legend of personal irresponsibility, as opposed to the impact of low-wage, low-quality jobs, continues to dominate policy debate and the public imagination, according to the authors.

In terms of the obesity risk, the study points to a number of reasons. Parents in low-wage jobs are often not home at mealtime to make nutritious breakfasts or dinners. They also can’t afford to enroll their children in afterschool sports or extracurriculars that keep kids active. Instead, adolescents stay inside and watch television as a version of self-care.

Another area of concern for Dodson is the “adultification” of youth in low-income families. “It

can be a nightmare for some lowincome families to manage life on a daily basis and sometimes the last person standing is a 12-yearold,” she said. They are thrust into taking care of younger siblings or into elder care, diverting time and attention from their schooling, extracurricular activities, and personal development.

Dodson said she hopes the study, funded by the Ford Foundation and the Annie E. Casey Foundation, will underscore the point that behind every parent working in a low-wage job, there is a child who is being negatively affected. She also wants to spur advocacy groups who work for child and youth development and those who work for better jobs and employment benefits to work together as allies to improve policies and programs.

The authors identify specific, current policy initiatives that could improve children and youth outcomes, including efforts to promote job benefits and sick leave, allow more flexibility for all working parents, and increase hourly wages. Dodson and Albelda say there is a critical need for programs and resources for lowincome youth – as well as young children — including after-school programs, summer programs, and other opportunities that ensure young people whose parents are away from home working still get adult attention, thus supporting their academic progress and health, and also protecting youth from having to grow up too fast.

The study is available online at http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/rvp/ pubaf/12/Youth_Report.pdf Contact Kathleen Sullivan at kathleen.sullivan@bc.edu

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Chronicle december 13, 2012

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Making Progress?

Celebrating THE

Sesquicentennial

Sherman says reforms needed to protect female juvenile offenders

By Melissa Beecher Staff Writer

When the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation gathered recently to discuss the issue of minority over-representation in US prisons, Law School faculty member Francine Sherman was on hand to present her latest research, which argues that gender is one of the most important factors influencing the treatment of juvenile offenders in the criminal justice system.

At the Washington, DC, event, Sherman spoke about her findings — which she published in an article for the UCLA Law Review titled “Justice for Girls: Are We Making Progress?” — that laws on domestic violence and runaways often wind up having a much harsher effect on girls than boys.

“Our laws don’t say it’s ‘X’ for boys and ‘Y’ for girls. In fact, the laws look, on their face, like they are gender neutral. The same statute, the same criminal law applies to boys and girls. But, because the experiences of boys and girls are different, because societal views of them are different, the impact of these laws are different,” said Sherman during a recent interview.

“Certain laws have a much harsher impact on girls than boys — and inappropriately so.”

Sherman — a visiting clinical professor who directs the Law School’s Juvenile Rights and Advocacy Project — said that speaking at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation was not only an honor but an opportunity to bring her work to the attention of a wider audience.

“Because the juvenile justice system looks gender-neutral on its face, gender disparities in practice can be hard for jurisdictions to see.

Knowing what to look for is a critical first step.

“After all these years of representing girls and working with jurisdictions to help them be more effective in working with girls,” Sherman continued, “I find the most critical issue is that girls’ experiences of violence — intimate partner violence, violence in their homes and sexual exploitation — drive them into the juvenile and criminal justice system not as victims, but as perpetrators or mischaracterized criminals.”

As an example, Sherman points to mandatory or pro-arrest provisions in many states’ domestic violence laws, which were enacted to remove adult male batterers from the home but have had unintended

BC Law School faculty member Francine Sherman recently presented her research on female juvenile offenders to the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. (Photo by Lee Pellegrini)

consequences for teenage girls.

“What we have found in our research is that teenage girls are disproportionately swept up by these laws, that require them to be charged or detained when they are having fights with their mothers,” she said. “In one jurisdiction we worked with, while girls represented 20 percent of detentions overall, they were more than 40 percent of detentions for domestic battery.

“From what we know, girls are more likely than boys to have conflicted relationships at home and to engage in fights with their mothers or siblings. Because of these mandatory and pro-arrest laws, these family incidents are treated as crimes.”

Similarly, since girls comprise a majority of the runaway population — as much as 75 percent, according to one study — they are more likely to be affected by laws and policies that mandate secure placements for runaways.

These policies, Sherman said, point up the need for “good data” — more comprehensive and nuanced studies and analysis — on juvenile offenders to help inform practices in law enforcement, criminal justice and political systems, and to help improve laws and practices.

“Arrest statistics do not measure

crime, they measure arrests,” said Sherman. “That is an important difference.”

There are important economic ramifications to the treatment of juvenile offenders, she notes: “It is much more costly to detain or incarcerate a youth in a secure facility than it is to address their needs in a community setting.”

Sherman has been a consultant to the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative on strategies to reduce the detention of girls.

The Principal Investigator of the Massachusetts Health Passport Project (MHPP), Sherman is also co-founder and president of the Board of Artistic Noise Inc., with branches in New York City and Boston, programs that work with youth in the justice system.

Her new research project will profile young women who grew up in the juvenile justice system in three major cities across the country. Sherman will use documentary-style photography, along with qualitative research methods, to help tell the stories.

To find out more about Sherman’s work and to read her research papers, see http://bit.ly/ THIKgW. Contact Melissa Beecher at melissa.beecher@bc.edu Christopher Huang

Lake Simons and Brendan McMahon presented “A Portrait of Me As Others” as part of “Puppetology: An Evening of Uncommon Theater,” held Dec. 2 in the Robsham Theater Arts Center. The event, held in conjunction with the Rev. J. Donald Monan, SJ, Professorship in Theatre Arts, offered a rare, wide-ranging look at the artistry of puppets.

Few faculty members in the 150-year history of Boston College have achieved such a fulfilling life’s work of distinguished scholarship and universal reverence as Rattigan Professor of English Emeritus John L. Mahoney, a treasured member of the University’s academic community since his own undergraduate days in Lee Pellegrini the late 1940s.

Mahoney, now 84 and retired from scheduled teaching, began his teaching journey as a graduate assistant at BC, then was appointed as an English instructor at Boston College

by Rev. Charles F. Donovan, SJ, in 1955.

After an illustrious teaching career covering nearly five decades as scholar, mentor and department chair at BC, Mahoney completed his sterling academic cycle with an honorary degree from Boston College presented to him at the 2003 University Commencement.

Mahoney recently took time to share his Boston College memories with Chronicle correspondent Reid Oslin, recalling the splendid ERSPECTIVES career that has now spanned some 65 years, often enhancing his memories by reading passages from the draft of a memoir that he is preparing.

The full interview is available at www.bc.edu/chronicle What was Boston College like in those post-war days?

We had so many veterans that we actually had barracks [on campus].

I remember them being shuttled down Beacon Street on trucks. Later, I taught in those buildings.

Who were the men sitting beside me? Some were young kids; others were people four or five years older. Not many “wise-guys,” saying “Wow, let’s tell the story about what happened with the dancing damsels in Japan.”

I didn’t hear much of that at all. What I heard was, “I never thought that coming into an Army-like barracks would make all of us sit up straight and memorize things and say things like ‘Yes, sir’ and ‘No, sir.’”

The curriculum, as I look back, was rigid in the best sense of that word: philosophy, theology, a science, mathematics, perhaps not enough work in fine arts. Among my earliest teachers were Fr. Paul McNulty in English, Fr. Dan Dwyer in English, Fr. Anthony Eiardi in biology, Fr. Edward Douglas in theology – they were good professionals, exemplary Jesuits, encouraging teachers. But the best was yet to come.

Scholarship and teaching has been your life’s work. How has it changed at Boston College and elsewhere over the years?

It was a splendid experience learning how to teach at the college level and learning about future career plans that would require a PhD in my special fields of interest, the Enlightenment and British Romanticism. They continue to be my specialties.

Part of the change had to do with people like Ed Hirsch, who had a Yale PhD. It was a big change, and I suppose that I had a part in it because I became chair of the English Department when I was quite young [early 1960s].

My teaching career continued without interruption and the University began to stress the importance of research as a part of the full professional life.

I took very seriously the charge given to me in his office by President Michael Walsh, SJ, and his charge was that I build a strong faculty and curriculum for the English Department. I and my colleagues posted notices of faculty openings every year in the MLA [Modern Language Association], and we went to MLA meetings which were very good ways of calling attention to department needs. I recruited Andrew von Hendy, Bob Reiter, John Loufborow, Ann Ferry, Mark Gibbon, Paul Doherty – later the chair himself – and others. I will never forget those years.

What has Boston College meant to you?

It has been a great part of my life. I have always been in love with books and learning, but you have to go a step even beyond that. I wanted my learning to be free and open, capable of revision, all of those things. I began to get that at Boston College. Teachers who weren’t asking classes to memorize and be ready to repeat, but would say, “What’s your opinion of this?” – a real dialogue taking place.

It took me all the way from sitting in one of those Army barracks, to sitting in a building that looked academic, into a department that included my two heroes, Hirsch and [Albert] Duhamel, into a department where somebody said “He might make a good chair,” into a department where I became chair and began a process of bringing in people from not just distinguished universities but from distinguished universities who had the beginnings, at least, of a research record and a publication record. That’s the way you build an even stronger Boston College.

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Read the full interview at www.bc.edu/chronicle

T he B oston C ollege

Chronicle december 13, 2012

‘Bigs’ and ‘Littles’ Share Fun, Friendship at the Heights

Big Brother’s bond makes big difference As a middle child with a younger sister, Stefan Canizares ’13 knows what it’s like to be a big brother.

But to be a Big Brother? That’s quite a different experience.

Canizares is among more than 50 Boston College students serving as Big Brothers and Big Sisters for children from Franklin Field, a low and moderate-income apartment complex in Dorchester. Twice a month, the children come out to the BC campus and spend an afternoon with their “Bigs,” doing group activities — from science experiments to dodge ball to dance routines — and enjoying some one-on-one time for recreation and conversation.

For the past two years, Canizares has been a Big Brother — friend, mentor and role model, all rolled into one — to eight-year-old Damien, one of the youngest participants in the Franklin Field program, which is organized through Big Brothers-Big Sisters of Massachusetts Bay. They’ve shot hoops at the Flynn Recreation Complex, played air hockey and pool in Walsh Hall, hung out in Corcoran Commons and, in between visits, chatted by phone.

If that doesn’t sound like a big deal, listen to Damien’s mother, Isha Louis, when she talks about the difference a Big Brother has made in his life.

“Damien’s broken out of his shyness,” says Louis, whose nineyear-old daughter Daija also is in the Franklin Field program. “He’s putting himself out there, helping kids younger than he is, and he’s even talking about going to college: ‘Mom, I want to go to BC like Stefan.’ They talk all the time — ‘Mommy, can I call Stefan now?’

— and I like the connection between them. Stefan even calls me to see how I’m doing.

“It can be tough for a single mom to raise a son, so seeing the changes in him makes me feel very

proud. And Stefan is a big part of that.”

From his vantage point, Canizares, a senior communication/ Hispanic Studies major from Old Tappan, NJ, has enjoyed seeing Damien’s maturity almost as much as Louis.

“It’s been a pleasure watching him grow. Being a Big Brother to Damien makes me feel confident about making a difference, and being involved in someone’s life.”

There are many stories like that of Damien and Canizares because of the BC-Franklin Field program, says Terrence McCarron, director of program services at Big Brothers-Big Sisters of Massachusetts

Bay. The program, administered through the University’s Volunteer and Service Learning Center, was established in 2010 through a gift from William Dwyer ’80, managing director and president of National Sales and Marketing at LPL Financial, and his wife Chris ’82.

“Much of what drives these kinds of programs is logistically based on what the organization can do,” says McCarron. “Boston College was a great match, because it is rich in resources and facilities, so there is plenty for the ‘Bigs’ and ‘Littles’ to do that is entertaining but also educational. Most of all, of course, BC has such caring students who give of their time.”

A transition looms for Canizares, and Damien, however, when Canizares graduates from BC in May. He isn’t sure if he’ll stay in the Boston area, and even if he does, he won’t be able to take part in the BCFranklin Field program. But there’s no way he won’t keep in touch with Damien — after all, he did so when he spent part of his junior year in Argentina (“When I came back,” he says, “Damien and I picked up right where we left off”).

“Damien understands that this is my last year in the program, but that someone else will be there for him at BC.” As for Damien’s stated desire to be a fellow Eagle, Canizares ac-

The Big Brothers/Sisters program at BC includes group activities as well as one-on-one time. One recent session featured scientific experiments, which Adrian worked on with his Big Brother Michael Nardi ’14 (far left photo); Souadatou (above) was a little dubious about the results.

(Photos by Caitlin Cunningham)

knowledges that, obviously, a lot can change between now and when Damien reaches college age. But he is not about to dampen such enthusiasm.

“I just encourage him to do well.

I tell him if he works hard and keeps up the effort, that’s the best thing he can do for himself, and his family.”

Contact Sean Smith at sean.smith@bc.edu

Boston College Junior Earns Big Sister of the Year Honors

By Rosanne Pellegrini Staff Writer

The Big Sister Association of Greater Boston has chosen junior Caroline Kohler as a 2013 Big Sister of the Year, one of only five selected by the association.

Kohler has been a participant in the Volunteer and Service Learning Center’s (VSLC) “BC BIGS Program” since her sophomore year. Through the Dorchesterbased program, youths are brought to campus twice a month on Saturdays to participate in activities and have one-on-one time with their “Bigs” [see accompanying story].

“Caroline has been a consistent, quiet leader, and is a wonderful mentor to her little sister, Nadege,” says Daniel Ponsetto, Welles R. Crowther Director of the VSLC. “She has emerged as a student leader for our program this year, and is currently working on putting a resource closet together for all of our big brothers and sisters on campus.”

“I consider myself extremely blessed to have been chosen out of so many wonderful mentors in the Boston area for this honor,” says Kohler, who will be recognized at an appreciation event next month.

“It is significant to me because my

Caitlin Cunningham

By Sean Smith Chronicle Editor

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Caroline Kohler

little sister and her family were the ones who nominated me. Every other week I meet with her and participate in events and chat about life; to think that she and her family see me as someone that deserves this honor has left me truly humbled.”

Adds Big Sister Association match support specialist Erin Hynes, “Caroline has been a consistent, positive and supportive big sister and as a result of her commitment to Nadege, she has helped Nadege become more vocal and confident.”

Kohler has helped her little sister choose a high school, explore subjects that interest her and — according to 14-year-old Nadege —

always encourages her to be herself.

Among other criteria for the Big Sister of the Year award, volunteer mentors must demonstrate exemplary performance, commitment, perseverance and impact — embracing the Big Sister Association’s mission of helping each girl reach her full potential.

An English and psychology major from Park Ridge, Ill., Kohler values the award “because it has really given me perspective on what it means to give back. I have had so many wonderful opportunities and mentors in my life. Looking at the relationship that I have built with my ‘Little,’ I want nothing more than to help her realize her goals and be the person that helps her achieve them.”

Kohler considers her Big Sister experience to be “one of the most rewarding of my life. I look forward to my meetings with my little sister; she never ceases to amaze me with her determination, compassion and wonderful sense of humor.

“The Franklin Field Program is guided by some truly inspiring leaders, and I consider myself lucky to have found such an amazing group of people among the staff at Big Sisters, Big Brothers, the VSLC and the other ‘Bigs’ and

‘Littles.’”

The program, she explains, is “founded on the idea that it is important to expose the ‘Littles’ to a college atmosphere, with the hope that it will inspire them to attend college.”

Kohler and Nadege have participated in a variety of activities together: rock climbing, ice skating, swimming and scavenger hunts around BC; they also took a BC Police Department self-defense class, and attended a BC basketball game.

“I never really thought about how our relationship enriches my ‘Little’s’ life, until the end of last school year. When I reflected on our match, I looked at it from my perspective — but at the end-ofthe-year party, I saw it from hers.

She was crying because she would not be able to see me for three months while I was home for the summer.

“It was at that moment that it hit me: I was so much more than a mentor to her, I was a friend.

Someone she could count on to listen to her, give advice, and offer a different perspective. I realized that I am a real presence in her life and she is a real presence in mine.”

Contact Rosanne Pellegrini at rosanne.pellegrini@bc.edu

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obituary

A miniature from The Connolly Book of Hours depicting the Trinity.

Burns Library Puts Ancient Religious Manuscript Online

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The Connolly Book of Hours, a 15th-century illuminated manuscript held by the Burns Library, is now available online [http:// hdl.handle.net/2345/2873].

Named after Terence L. Connolly, SJ — University Librarian from 1946-59 — who donated the manuscript to Boston College, The Connolly Book of Hours was created circa 1440, most likely in northern France, according to the Burns Library. The text of 159 leaves contains 15 large and 14 small miniatures with foliate borders, and its contents include “Calendar,” “Obsecro te,” “O in-

HOLIDAY EDITION Continued from page 2 themselves for being lazy or spending money unwisely. It is so easy to claim that you will never be in the same situation because you are smarter, more motivated, better connected, etc. The fact is that homelessness could befall even the hardest-working, most responsible individuals; all it could take is an injury at work or a natural disaster, for example.

“I view the opportunity to volunteer at Christmas in the City as a way of saying thanks for all the blessings I have been given in my life. In this season when Christmas presents and Christmas trees, even a warm home to return to after finals, are so often taken for granted, I figured it was the least I could do to volunteer a few hours of my time to make Christmas special for a couple of families down on their luck. Isn’t that what Christmas is really about?”

Jamie Lam, a junior chemistry and mathematics major from Malden, Mass., is no stranger to

temerata,” “Hours of the Virgin,” “Seven Penitential Psalms and Litany,” “Hours of the Cross,” “Hours of the Holy Spirit,” “Prayer to the Holy Cross,” and “Suffrages of the Saints.”

The project required advanced photographic techniques to maintain color accuracy of the manuscript’s gold leaf and the diverse pigments. All imaging work was completed at the Northeast Document Conservation Center in Andover.

More information on The Connolly Book of Hours is available at http://bit.ly/TMFca6.

—Office of News & Public Affairs volunteering, having given of her time at area hospitals the past few years and, currently, at ABCD Elder Services.

“I feel Christmas is a time to help others and to give of yourself, so that’s why I wanted to work at Christmas in the City,” she says.

“I enjoy volunteering because I feel I’m making a difference for someone, and I like to interact with other people and learn about their lives.”

Both Michelle Han ’14 and her roommate decided to volunteer for Christmas in the City “to give back to the Boston community.”

Han, a chemistry major from East Granby, Conn., says she has taken part in enough community service to know it suits her.

“It’s always a great feeling to see someone else smile because of you.

I just like meeting new people and hearing their stories. It definitely helps bring some perspective into my life.”

Mulligan believes taking time to reflect on and discuss community service experiences make them more meaningful for participants, and would like the Edmonds students to have that chance. “I am hopeful that as we travel back to BC this coming Sunday after the event we will be able to process and talk about their impressions and experiences together.”

—Sean Smith

A funeral Mass was held Dec. 8 in St. Ignatius Church, Chestnut Hill, for Kevin P. Duffy, who served for 24 years as Boston College’s vice president of student affairs during one of the University’s most transformative eras.

Dr. Duffy died on Dec. 4 of complications resulting from a fall.

He was 70.

Dr. Duffy’s tenure as student affairs vice president from 19762000 coincided with significant changes to Boston College, from its physical plant to the makeup of its student body, as it became more of a national — and international — Catholic university.

This period also saw an increasing demand throughout higher education for greater attention to college students’ non-academic needs.

As vice president, Dr. Duffy helped develop many key services to meet such needs, among them the offices of University Housing, Dean for Student Development and AHANA Student Programs, as well as University Health and Medical Services, the Career Center, Counseling Services, First Year Experience, Learning Resources for Student Athletics, and Learning to Learn.

Interviewed by Boston College Chronicle shortly before stepping down from his vice presidency — he went on to serve as an assistant professor and director of internships in the Lynch School of Education Higher Education Graduate Program until his retirement in 2007 — Dr. Duffy reflected on how the changes at BC had affected his own role: Where his position had once been “more of a ‘dean of men,’” it had evolved “to a far more comprehensive administrative role.”

He added, “Through it all, though, I think my chief role has stayed constant: to constantly remind people that students are our priority, and to help those students have the best experience possible here.”

Dr. Duffy also was lauded for reviving one of Boston College’s most storied student organizations, the Fulton Debate Society, and upon his departure from Student Affairs the society chose him as the namesake for an award in debate excellence.

“Kevin always had a great understanding of, and an enthusiasm for, the role of Student Affairs in the lives of the students and in the University,” said Margaret Dwyer, former University vice president.

“He was devoted to the Jesuit ideal of the education of the whole student. In that connection he was very active in the Conference of Jesuit Student Personnel Adminis-

Lee Pellegrini

Kevin Duffy, Led Student Affairs for 24 Years

“Kevin lived the Ignatian mission,” said Bernard O’Kane, a former colleague of Kevin Duffy, above. “He believed deeply in student formation.” trators, where he joined with colleagues across the country in identifying best practices and in seeking to meet new and changing needs of students.”

“Kevin lived the Ignatian mission,” said Director of Employee Development Bernard O’Kane ’70, who served under Dr. Duffy as administrative officer in the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs. “He believed deeply in student formation. His advocacy for students, especially those marginalized, was unwavering. At times, his positions placed him squarely in between the University administration and the students, but he always saw the issue through. He had unbridled generosity, with his time, resources and spirit. He was a mentor to me and to many younger administrators.

“One of his favorite phrases was ‘University citizen,’ which referred

to someone he admired at BC who took responsibility for things far beyond his or her role. Kevin was truly a University citizen.”

A New York City native and a graduate of Cathedral College with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy, Dr. Duffy came to BC in 1968 as director of student services, and was housing director from 1970-76. He also held a master’s degree in counseling from Fordham University and a doctorate in higher education administration from BC. Dr. Duffy also was a prominent national figure in the field of student affairs. He held such leadership positions as president of the Jesuit Association of Student Personnel Administrators (JASPA) and the Boston Association of College Housing Administrators, Region 1 vice president of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA), and codirector of six NASPA Region 1 senior student affairs officers’ retreats. He served on eight college accreditation teams or visitation committees, and made more than 60 presentations at regional and national conferences of NASPA, JASPA, the Society for College and University Planning (SCUP) and various other professional associations.

His professional honors included awards from NASPA as a “Pillar of the Profession” as well as for Outstanding Service and for Support for Graduate Students and New Professionals, the Yanitelli Award from JASPA, the St. Ignatius of Loyola Award for a Career of Service to Jesuit Higher Education, and Martin Luther King Award for Advocacy on Behalf of Students of Color from Boston College.

Dr. Duffy is survived by his wife, Dr. Persis C. Rickes; his son Mark A. Duffy and grandchildren Nolan, Oceana and Phelan Duffy; and brothers Bernard and Brendan Duffy.

—Sean Smith

To mark the end of Native American Heritage Month, Boston College invited Annawon Weeden from the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe to attend a closing ceremony Nov. 28 in the Murray Room of Yawkey Center. The event included a dinner, a talk by Weeden and traditional music and dances in which students participated. (Photo by Caitlin Cunningham)

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WELCOME ADDITIONS Connell School of Nursing Assistant Professor Viola Benavente, who recently completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Washington School of Nursing, previously taught acute nursing care at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Benavente’s clinical experience is in cardiovascular disease, and her research focus is on cardiovascular health promotion and coronary heart disease prevention among Latinas, including the study of cardiovascular health disparities among Latinas and other Hispanics. Benavente, who holds a doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania, will teach Adult Health II to undergraduates in the spring.

Assistant Professor of Mathematics Maksym Fedorchuk, an algebraic geometer, has taught Multivariable Calculus and Algebra I. Prior to joining BC, he was a Ritt Assistant Professor at Columbia University. A native of Ukraine, he earned a PhD from Harvard University and an SB in mathematics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His current research on the study of moduli spaces in algebraic geometry is partially supported by an NSF grant. Fedorchuck’s research has been published in such journals as Inventiones mathematicae and International Mathematics Research Notices.

Assistant Professor Micah Lott taught for a year at the Asian University for Women in Bangladesh before joining the Philosophy Department this semester. His fields of interest include ethics, meta-ethics, political philosophy and ancient philosophy. In addition to a PULSE core course, he currently teaches the upper-level course Kant and Kantians on the Moral Law. Lott, who has been published in the Journal of Moral Philosophy and Social Theory and Practice, describes his writing as focusing mostly on contemporary debates that have deep historical roots. He received a PhD in philosophy from the University of Chicago, a master’s degree in theology from Fuller Theological Seminary, and a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and history from the University of Georgia.

A 1992 alumnus who earned his bachelor’s degree in economics, Paul Cichello returned to the department this semester as an adjunct associate professor and has taught courses in statistics and econometrics. His research interests are development economics and applied econometrics, and he has published a number of journal articles and book chapters. Previously a visiting faculty member at Haverford College and Johns Hopkins University, and a senior economist at The World Bank Group in Washington, DC, Cichello — who holds a doctorate in economics from Cornell University — also served for two years as a Peace Corps math teacher in West Africa.

—Kathleen Sullivan and Rosanne Pellegrini Photos by Caitlin Cunningham and Lee Pellegrini “Welcome Additions,” an occasional feature, profiles new faculty members at Boston College.

Segal Named Econometric Society Fellow Professor of Economics Uzi Segal has been elected a Fellow of the Econometric Society, the world’s leading learned society for economists.

Most of Segal’s work involves the fields of decision theory and social choice. One of his projects dealt with analysis of the basic rule that the probability of two independent events both happening is the product of their probabilities — a rule that Segal said can apply to, for example, gambling tendencies and the Internal Revenue Service’s policy on auditing tax returns.

The Econometric Society nomination committee listed Segal’s paper, “Let’s agree that all dictatorships are equally bad,” as one of his main contributions to the field of social choice. Segal’s research shows how minimal consensus among members of society that a dictatorship is bad — regardless of the dictator’s identity — can lead to agreement on allocating social resources and overcoming the inability to compare different individuals’ well-being.

Other members of the Economics Department who have been elected to the Econometric Society are Roche Professor of Economics Arthur Lewbel and Professor Tayfun Sonmez.

—Office of News & Public Affairs

Newsmakers CTV London and the Saugeen Times featured the story of a young man with cerebral palsy who has never “spoken” with his family but now may have that chance thanks to Boston College’s EagleEyes assistive technology, developed by Carroll School of Management Egan Professor of Computer Science James Gips and colleagues, which is making its debut in Canada.

As cleanup from Hurricane Sandy continues, so does a moral debate: While the idea of evacuation as a moral duty has gained traction among some local officials, theologians and hurricane survivors, others find the notion misguided, uncompassionate and a threat to individual liberties. Founders Professor of Theology James Keenan, SJ,

discussed the issue with Religion News Service; the piece was picked up by the Washington Post and Ethics Newsline, among other outlets.

The Boston Globe included remarks

by Senior Vice President for University Advancement Jim Husson for a story about the concern among nonprofits over the possibility that financial negotiations in Congress might result in restrictions on or eliminations of tax deductions for charitable contributions.

For a related story — on the potential impact such decisions might

BC BRIEFING have on higher education’s fundraising efforts — the Associated Press interviewed Center on Wealth and Philanthropy Director Prof. Paul

EXCERPT “The first lesson Dickens offers is to simply look back. If not often, at least occasionally, ask ‘What led me to where I am to-

Schervish (Sociology); the piece ran in the Wall Street Journal, among other outlets.

Center for Work and Family Executive Director Brad Harrington discussed the center’s research on work/ life balance for today’s fathers with the Toronto Globe and Mail and, in an essay for the Huffington Post, drew lessons from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.

Economics and Carroll School of Management Adj. Assoc. Prof. Richard McGowan, SJ, an expert in gaming and lotteries, discussed the recent giant Powerball jackpot in a Q&A with Boston Magazine and a casino proposal for Everett, Mass., on New England Cable News.

Honors/Appointments Asst. Prof. Ralf Yusuf Gawlick (Music) was awarded a prize for his orchestral work “De la mas sabrosa y agradable vida” at the Karol Szymanowski International Composers Competition in Poland.

day?’ In my teaching at Boston College, often the first assignment

Publications

I require of my students is to write a 20-page autobiography. As

is filled with answers to many of our most vexing and important

An authorized Russian translation of Waiting for America, by Prof. Maxim D. Shrayer (Slavic and Eastern Languages and Literatures) has been published. Excerpts from the book were featured by bookkin.ru, SNOB and ExLibris Nezavisimaia Gazeta, and an interview with Shrayer appeared in Russkii Zhurnal [russ.ru], the leading Russian-language political and cultural portal.

questions, if we only take the time to reflect on it.”

—Center for Work and Family Executive Director Brad Harrington, writing in the Huffington Post

JOBS

NOTA BENE

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/:

it did for Scrooge, the students’ long look back brings up so many memories, both good and not so good, of the people and events that have shaped their lives. The insights students gain from this exercise are invaluable. Many find answers to their most important life questions - some of which had been long and often pondered, others never before considered. Whatever the case, the past

Barbara J. Berkman, a Graduate School of Social Work research faculty member, was presented with the Distinguished Achievement in Cancer Award at the American Cancer Society Volunteer and Staff Leadership Summit in Atlanta.

The award recognizes Berkman’s tireless research, practice, and advocacy of social work and its importance in caring for cancer patients and their families. She is responsible for advancements in the assessment instruments that oncology social workers use to identify patients and families who are at risk for poor psychosocial adjustment to changes in health status.

Freshman Ben Kerrigan was chosen for the 2012 Newton-Needham Chamber of Commerce Young Entrepreneur Award. Among other accomplishments, Kerrigan was recognized for his founding of an online video news and entertainment site devoted to regional skateboard-related news, features, promotions and events [bostonskateboarder.com], and through which he advocated for the development of the Charles River Skatepark, which is expected to be built next year. Kerrigan also created and launched his own brand of skateboard wax, Chunked Wax, which he promotes online and sells through local skate shops.

Vice President for Student Affairs Assistant Director, Law School Student Services Research Economist, Center for Retirement Research Associate Director of Operations, Residential Life Assistant Director, Graphic Design & Production, Office of Marketing Communications Assistant Director, Housing Assignments & Occupancy, Residential Life Senior Information Security Analyst, Information Technology Technology Manager, Residential Life Staff Psychologist, University Counseling Director of Annual Giving for Marketing & Participation, Development Office Web and Social Media Manager, Center for Corporate Citizenship

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TIMSS/PIRLS Continued from page 1 addition, the US state of North Carolina also had high achievement, though lower than the East Asian countries.

In mathematics at the eighth grade, Korea, Singapore and Chinese Taipei led the world in achievement, followed by Hong Kong and Japan. There was a substantial gap in achievement between these five East Asian countries and the next highest performing countries, including the Russian Federation, Israel, Finland, the United States and England.

For example, the gap in average achievement between Korea and England is more than 100 points.

In addition, the US states of Massachusetts and Minnesota also had high achievement.

Korea and Singapore were the top performers in fourth-grade science, followed by Finland, Japan, the Russian Federation, Chinese Taipei and the United States. The US state of Florida also had high achievement, though not as high as the top seven. Singapore was the highest achiever in science at the eighth grade, followed by Chinese Taipei, Korea and Japan. Finland, Slovenia, the Russian Federation, Hong Kong and England also performed well. In addition, Massachusetts had achievement higher than all countries except Singapore.

The top-performing countries in fourth-grade reading were Hong Kong, the Russian Federation, Finland and Singapore. Northern Ireland, the United States, Denmark, Croatia and Chinese Taipei also had higher achievement than

BC SCENES

Ina V.S. Mullis and Michael O. Martin, executive directors of the TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center. (Photo by Lee Pellegrini)

the majority of other participants.

In addition, Florida and the Canadian province of Ontario were among the highest achieving participants.

Projects of the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA), TIMSS and PIRLS are the preeminent international assessments monitoring changes in student achievement at regular intervals.

TIMSS and PIRLS 2011 represent a landmark event — the first time the two renowned international assessments have been conducted concurrently. In 2011, TIMSS and PIRLS assessed nearly 900,000 students worldwide: TIMSS in 63 countries and 14 benchmarking participants, and PIRLS in 49 countries and nine benchmarking participants.

“The Lynch School is proud to be the home of the TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center,” said Lynch School Interim Dean Maureen Kenny. “The assessments designed and managed

by Professors Mullis and Martin provide rich sources of data that describe students, teachers, schools, academic curricula and educational policies around the globe and inspire deep reflection and debate on what can be done to enhance education worldwide.”

“TIMSS and PIRLS are designed to measure trends in achievement and to show growth or decline over time,” explains IEA Executive Director Hans Wagemaker. “As a result, many countries and benchmarking participants have comparable data from previous assessments that allow them to monitor system-level trends in a global context.”

Since 1995, 12 countries have raised their average mathematics achievement at the fourth grade level; eight have done so in science; and 10 have increased their reading achievement. At the eighth grade level, nine countries had increases in mathematics achievement, and 11 countries had increases in science.

A number of countries have been working hard to improve their educational achievement, by redeveloping curricula, for example, raising standards for teacher certification, or increasing the number of years of schooling, according to Mullis and Martin, who oversee the global assessment.

“It is very impressive that so many countries have been able to improve student performance since 1995,” said Martin. “It is all the more impressive that some countries have managed to raise achievement at all four International benchmarks, for the lowestas well as the highest-performing students.”

“For the most part, students around the world are very positive about learning mathematics, science, and reading,” added Mullis. “However, in an environment

where countries are trying to attract students into future mathematics and science-related careers, it is a matter of some concern that, by the eighth grade, there is an erosion of positive attitudes towards mathematics learning and instruction.”

The new reports also provide an extensive set of contextual information collected by student, teacher, school, curriculum, and parent questionnaires, which offer insights into factors that are positively related to academic success.

The full report is available at timssandpirls.bc.edu/data-release-2011.

—Office of News & Public Affairs, with assistance from Chad Minnich, editor and writer for TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center

College Bound Holds Annual Roundtable The Lynch School of Education College Bound program, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary, held its Annual College Roundtable, which gives Boston high school students who participate in the pre-collegiate program the chance to meet with representatives from area colleges and universities.

Held last Saturday in Walsh Hall, this year’s roundtable not only included representatives from college admissions’ offices, but also College Bound alumni, staff and affiliates from prior years who shared their experiences about preparing for and attending university.

Throughout the year, College Bound students participate in a series of college and career development sessions that are designed to prepare them for success in college and other post-secondary programs. College Bound students are in grades nine through 12 and attend the Boston public schools Brighton High School, Urban Science Academy and West Roxbury Academy. So far, 98 percent of the 220 graduates of the program have gone on to graduate from college within four years—with the help of $22 million in higher education scholarships and grant support, according to the Lynch School.

—Ed Hayward

SEASON OF LIGHT Photos by Lee Pellegrini

The Boston College community gathered at The Plaza at O’Neill Library Dec. 5 to watch University President William P. Leahy, SJ (in photo at far left),celebrate the start of the campus holiday season with the annual lighting of the Christmas tree — the first to take place in the renovated plaza. The crowd also enjoyed visits with Santa Claus, performances by BC music groups and some unique photo opportunities.