The Boston College
Chronicle Published by the Boston College Office of News & Public Affairs february 14, 2013 vol. 21 no. 11
INSIDE
GSSW Social Innovation Leaders Looking Ahead
STORM SCENES
•Faculty discuss pope’s resignation, page 2
Completion of latest phase offers plenty of optimism for initiative
•Dining to Go, page 2 •A new way to look at morality, page 3
By Sean Smith Chronicle Editor
With an important major milestone completed, organizers of the Graduate School of Social Work’s social innovation initiative are now planning for its next phase, including an effort to involve other Boston College schools, departments and programs. Nearly three years ago, GSSW Associate Professors Marcie PittCatsouphes and Stephanie Berzin launched the initiative, establishing a center to coordinate activities that promote social innovation — a growing field that blends entrepreneurship and practices from business/management and other disciplines to address social needs. Concurrent with the Center for Social Innovation (CSI), PittCatsouphes and Berzin created a program to train GSSW students in integrating macro social work practice and social innovation to unleash their leadership potential and work for sustainable social
•Student email moving to Google Apps, page 3 •Gasson Chapel, page 3
•McHarris named King Scholarship winner, page 4 •New advising evaluation form to debut, page 4 •Kerry as Secretary of State, page 5
NIH Grants Support Biologists’ Research Related to HIV/AIDS
•Fontenot honored as Nurse of the Year, page 5 •What’s so great about studying abroad? Plenty. See page 6 •Rougeau on the future of law schools, page 7 •McMullen presents ‘Portugal, Jesuits, and Japan,’ page 8
change. Yet another component was the Social Innovation Lab, created to support social service agencies wishing to develop new responses to social issues. Recently, the lab — having begun as a pilot program in 2011-12 — marked its first formal year of operation by winding up a partnership with four Greater Boston area social service agencies. Representatives of South Shore Mental Health, Bridge Over Troubled Waters, Old Colony YMCA and Phoenix Charter Academy took part, each focusing on a specific social problem and working with the lab to develop and test potential solutions. For Bridge Over Troubled Waters (BOTW), which serves homeless youth and young adults, the concern was to ensure their population has access to preventive, not just acute, care. As a result of their work in the Social Innovation Lab, BOTW decided to offer some health and wellness programs, such as yoga classes, instead of relying on hospital services. “For many of the homeless, Bridge Over Troubled Water is essentially their community,” explains Pitt-Catsouphes. “The agenContinued on page 5
Members of the Boston College community sent in numerous campus photos via Twitter, Instagram and other social media during last week’s winter storm Nemo, which shut down the University on Feb. 8. For links to more photos, see pinterest.com/bostoncollege.
A Welcome Return
Woods College faculty member Andrew McAleer back in classroom after tour of duty in Afghanistan By Reid Oslin Special to the Chronicle
Woods College of Advancing Studies faculty member Andrew McAleer ’91 brings a wealth of experiences to his teaching, as a published crime novelist, a state prosecutor, an attorney, and as the son — and former teaching cohort
— of the late John McAleer, one of BC’s most popular and acclaimed English professors. And now, Andrew McAleer has added still another credential to his list. He recently returned from active duty with the US Army in Afghanistan, where he served as a combat historian, chronicling the Continued on page 6
QUOTE:
By Ed Hayward Staff Writer
The lab of Professor of Biology Ken Williams, whose research focuses on the role of immunological cells in a range of illnesses that strike people living with HIV and AIDS, has been awarded a pair of grants totaling $4.6 million from the NIH’s National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Williams is the principal investigator on a five-year, $2.7 million award that marks the third round of funding for his lab’s research into monocyte and macrophage cells, which play important roles
as part of the body’s immunological response. One of the lead researchers in the Williams’ lab, Research Associate Professor of Biology Tricia Burdo, is the principal investigator on another NIH/NINDS award of $1.9 million over five years. That grant will fund a study of the role of the body’s immune response in a debilitating form of nerve damage suffered by people living with HIV. Williams and his research team have linked the activity of macrophage and monocyte cells to the presence of debilitating conditions like dementia, cardiovascular disContinued on page 3
“He was a good listener and was able to quickly understand difficult issues and concepts. John enjoyed the Socratic dialogue. I think he will continue to use the Socratic method so that he can make informed decisions about any issue.” —Prof. Robert Bloom (Law) on his former student John Kerry, page 5
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Faculty on Pope Benedict XVI know you personally.” Speculating on potential papal successors, Pope pointed to Milan Archbishop Cardinal Angelo Scola — who has connections with Vatican insiders — and Cardinal Peter Turkson, a Ghanaian who, as the first black pontiff, would reflect the Church’s growing strength in the Southern Hemisphere. Interviewed by the Boston Metro, Clough Millennial Professor of History James O’Toole said America’s “superpower” status represented an obstacle for American cardinals — such as Boston Archbishop Cardinal Sean O’Malley, OFM, Cap. — who might be considered for the papacy. “The fear would be that for the church in other parts of the world it would be too much concentration of authority in one place, so I think that would stand in the way.” For more updates, see www.bc.edu/ bcinfo. —Office of News & Public Affairs
Dining to Go now on menu Faculty, staff and student groups now have a quick and easy food option to help them through their morning meetings, thanks to Boston College Dining Services. Last month, BCDS inaugurated the Dining to Go pick-up service at five locations: Lower Live (Corcoran Commons), Carney Dining Room (McElroy Commons), Welch Dining Room (Lyons Hall), Café 129 (129 Lake Street, Brighton Campus) and Stuart Dining Hall (Newton Campus). The menu includes a 10-cup box of “Joe to Go” coffee, bagels (dozen or individual serving), muffins (half-dozen or individual), croissants, fruit, orange juice and other breakfast-type items. Payment is by credit card, P-card, conference card or cash. The Dining to Go website [see http://bit.ly/XNTpE5], in addition to listing hours of operation for the service, offers information on short-term parking for each location. For more information, send e-mail to bcdining@bc.edu. —Office of News & Public Affairs
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For the ninth year, Boston College is participating in the RecycleMania Tournament, which challenges colleges and universities across America to promote waste reduction on their campuses. During the tournament, which began Feb. 3 and ends March 30, participating schools report weekly on the amount of recycling and trash collected and are ranked in various categories based on who recycles the most on a per capita basis, as well as which schools have the best recycling rate as a percentage of total waste. Schools are able to track their performance against their competition and use the weekly results as motivation to rally their campus to increase participation. Last year, as one of 605 participating colleges and universities, BC was ranked second in the “Per Capita Classic” category, seventh in the “Gorilla” category (schools that recycle the highest gross tonnage of combined paper, cardboard and bottle and cans regardless of campus population), 30th in the “Grand Champion” category and 42nd in the “Food Service Organics” category. The greenhouse gas impact from BC’s recycling includes 21,106 metric tons of carbon-dioxide equivalent, or the amount to keep 413 cars off the road and enough energy to supply 182 households. For information on energy-saving tips, and BC’s sustainabilityrelated initiatives and activities, see www.bc.edu/sustainability.
Prior to Boston College’s triumph in the Beanpot Tournament final Monday night, the Eagles received some encouragement from afar — Afghanistan, where senior defenseman Patrick Wey’s cousin Tyler is stationed. In the photo, he holds a jersey the team had signed and sent to him.
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of vitality and energy, capable of fulfilling its many demands.” Theology Professor Stephen Pope, also interviewed by the Boston Globe, agreed with Groome that the next Catholic leader should be a “bridge builder,” who can resolve controversies within the Church — notably the role of women — while reaching out to other religions, especially the Muslim faith. Groome told the Globe, “Many American Catholics are looking for a new departure, some movement away from some of the policies and rulings and so on of the last 30 years. We are looking for a bridge builder.” Pope noted in the interview that Vatican ties have historically figured prominently into a candidate’s chances for the papacy. “The people voting for the pope like to know the pope. The chances of getting elected [are increased] if they know you, if you’ve worked in Rome, in the Vatican, and they have seen you off-duty, and they
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In the wake of the surprise resignation announcement on Monday by Pope Benedict XVI, Boston College faculty offered their views to the media on the reasons for the pope’s decision and the outlook for the Catholic Church. “One has to respect Pope Benedict’s great faith and great humility,” Associate Professor of Theology Fr. Robert Imbelli told Fox 25 News. “He gave as the reason that to proclaim the gospel requires strength of mind and body, especially given the modern world of instant media coverage, and that he does not feel he can bring sufficient strength of mind and body to this important task in the Catholic Church.” In an op-ed for the Boston Herald, School of Theology and Ministry Professor James T. Bretzke, SJ, wrote: “Certainly this is not an act of easy humility to recognize and admit so publicly his increasing inability to do his job. Letting go of power, especially the nearly absolute power the papacy enjoys in its own sphere, seems to be even harder. What Pope Benedict XVI has given us then is a clear indication that Semper idem will not be the motto that becomes his epitaph, and indeed this last strategic act of his papacy may prove to be one of the most important to move the institution further along into the 21st century.” “I admire Benedict for doing it,” said School of Theology and Ministry Professor Thomas Groome to the Boston Globe. “It brings the papacy into the 21st century. Pope John Paul II should have done it, but didn’t.” Speaking with the Patriot Ledger, Groome said, “Clearly he knows his limits; we’re not accustomed to this in a pope. It [the papacy] should be filled by a person
Chronicle
Director of NEWS & Public Affairs
Jack Dunn Deputy Director of NEWS & Public AFFAIRS
Patricia Delaney Editor
Sean Smith Contributing Staff
Melissa Beecher
Move along, plenty to see here
Ed Hayward Rosanne Pellegrini
In addition to the McMullen Museum exhibition opening this weekend [see page 8], four distinctive displays — celebrating student formation, showcasing 130 years of student art in Stylus Magazine, highlighting the work of a visiting faculty member, and revealing inscribed sentiments — are on view through the end of February. “Interconnected Dimensions: Student Formation at Boston College,” O’Neill Library Lobby: One in a series of exhibits sponsored by University Libraries which celebrates BC’s Sesquicentennial, “Interconnected Dimensions” illustrates the intellectual, social and spiritual aspects of student formation. Items include photographs and printed materials from the University Archives, monographs from the O’Neill and Burns libraries, and images of students engaged in service activities from the official BC Flickr stream, maintained by the Office of News
& Public Affairs. Accompanying text is drawn from the University of Mission and Ministry booklet The Journey into Adulthood. “Art Beat Stylus: Student art of the Stylus Magazine since 1882,” O’Neill Library Level One Gallery: Founded in 1882, Stylus Magazine – which features student literature and art – is one of the country’s oldest literary magazines. Its first campus exhibit celebrates 130 years of submissions and includes student work featured throughout the magazine’s storied history, as well as pieces from the most recent issue of last fall. The exhibit is sponsored by University Libraries and Stylus Magazine, which is published by a student staff at the end of each semester during the academic year. “Amidst: Mixed Media Works,” Bapst Library Gallery: The recent body of work by Sammy Chong, SJ, a visiting lecturer in the Fine Arts Department, focuses on
the notion of social, physical and spiritual disengagement in public spaces. With a background in theology and philosophy, Fr. Chong builds his studio practice on the notion of individual identity and transcendental meaning in contemporary society. In his work, shopping malls, airports and train stations connote forms of solitude, linked to the ever-expanding conglomeration of modern society. Fr. Chong uses his experience painting on canvas as a starting point for creating multi-layered installations. By leaving painted sections of seemingly banal scenes in oils and acrylics on Plexiglas panels, he invites the viewer to gain awareness of the meditative nature of being both immersed in and removed from the activity around us.
Sponsored by the Art Club and University Libraries. “Warm Words & Fond Farewells,” Burns Library, Ford Tower: This exhibit features expressions of friendship and cordiality exchanged between admirers,
families and colleagues, as seen in letters and inscribed books from the Burns Library collections. Organizers say that, with any luck, a glimpse at the warm words of others will help exhibit viewers through the coldest of seasons. Sponsored by University Libraries. See the University Calendar [http://events.bc.edu] for more information. —Office of News & Public Affairs
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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Boston College researchers study effect of moral realism on belief By Patricia Delaney Deputy Director of News & Public Affairs
Getting people to think about morality as a matter of objective facts rather than subjective preferences may lead to improved moral behavior, Boston College researchers report in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. In two experiments, one conducted in person and the other online, participants were primed to consider a belief in either moral realism (the notion that morals are like facts) or moral anti-realism (the belief that morals reflect people’s preferences) during a solicitation for a charitable donation. In both experiments, those primed with moral realism pledged to give more money to the charity than those primed with anti-realism or those not primed at all. “There is significant debate about whether morals are processed more like objective facts, like mathematical truths, or more like subjective preferences similar to whether vanilla or chocolate tastes better,” said lead researcher Assistant Professor of Psychology Liane Young. “We wanted to explore the impact of these different meta-ethical views on actual behavior.” Ideas have previously been advanced on the subject, but Young and her former research assistant A.J. Durwin, now a law student at Hofstra University, are the first to directly investigate the question. In one experiment, a street canvasser attempted to solicit donations from passersby for a charity that aids impoverished children. Participants in one set were asked a leading question to prime a belief in moral realism: “Do you agree that some things are just morally right or wrong, good or bad, wherever you happen to be from in the world?” Those in a second set were asked a question to prime belief in moral anti-realism: “Do you agree that our morals and
ers, enhanced self-esteem) or bad (e.g., retribution) — priming a belief in moral realism may in fact prompt people to behave better, in line with their existing moral beliefs, the researchers say. The researchers note that priming a belief in moral realism may enhance moral behavior under certain conditions — such as when the right thing to do is relatively unambiguous (e.g., it is good to be generous). A different outcome could be possible when subjects are faced with more controversial moral issues, they say. Young’s research frequently focuses on the psychology and neuGary Gilbert roscience of moral judgment and behavior. In 2012, she was awarded a Sloan Research Fellowship from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and named a Dana Neuroscience Scholar by the Dana Foundation, which also awarded her a three-year grant to support her study of brain activity and moral decision-making in individuals with autism, a project that will provide a valuable research opportunity for BC undergraduates. In addition, she received the 2011 Early Career Award for Distinguished Scientific Contributions to Social Neuroscience Asst. Prof. Liane Young (Psychology) from the Society for Social primed with anti-realism or not Neuroscience, among other honors. Her research on attributions of primed at all. “Priming participants to con- responsibility to groups (e.g., corposider the notion that morals are like rations) versus members of groups facts increased decisions to donate in was published in the journal Psyboth experiments, revealing the po- chological Science in 2012. She is tential impact of meta-ethical views also co-author of a study of moral on everyday decision-making,” said judgments in adults with autism that Young. “Simply asking participants was reported in the Proceedings of the to consider moral values, as we did National Academy of Sciences. The study, “Moral Realism as with the anti-realism prime, did not produce an effect,” she said, “so Moral Motivation: The Impact of priming morality in general may not Meta-Ethics on Everyday Decisionnecessarily lead to better behavior. Making,” was made possible through Considering the existence of non-ne- the support of a grant from the John gotiable moral facts may have raised Templeton Foundation. It appears the stakes and motivated participants in the March 2013 print edition of the Journal of Experimental Social to behave better.” Since “real” moral stakes may be Psychology and is available online at accompanied by “real” consequences http://on.bc.edu/V69aM4. Contact Patricia Delaney at — whether good (e.g., helping othvalues are shaped by our culture and upbringing, so there are no absolute right answers to any moral questions?” Participants in a control set were not asked any priming question. In this experiment, participants primed with realism were twice as likely to be donors, compared to those primed with anti-realism or not primed at all. A second experiment, conducted online, yielded similar results. Participants asked to donate money to a charity of their choice who were primed with realism reported being willing to give more than those
patricia.delaney@bc.edu
Williams’ Lab Receives Two NIH Grants Continued from page 1 ease and peripheral neuropathy, which strike patients living with HIV or AIDS even though they have effectively muted the virus with drug therapies. The $2.7 million grant will support the Williams lab’s efforts to define the cell types in the brain that contribute to an HIV “viral reservoir,” which effectively harbors the virus even if it is almost undetectable in patients
taking anti-retroviral therapy (ART) drugs. Working with researchers at the University of California at San Francisco, the team will test the pairing of traditional ART drugs with and a new, orally administered form of a drug that specifically targets infected monocytes and macrophages. It would be the first time researchers have paired another drug with
traditional ART in an effort to target the macrophage reservoir of HIV. Burdo’s project will study the progression of peripheral neuropathy, which afflicts nearly seven out of 10 people living with HIV. Burdo said it’s important to pinpoint early and advanced stages of neuropathy with biomarkers, and explore potential drug therapies that could stop or slow the disease.
Lee Pellegrini
Being Objective About Morality
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Michael Davidson, SJ, celebrates Mass in Gasson Commons.
The Gasson Hall Chapel, created to provide a place of worship on the Middle Campus during the two-year renovation of St. Mary’s Hall, has found a home in the former Honors Library in Gasson Hall, where students, faculty and staff have praised its warmth and convenience. The chapel, which offers Mass seven days a week at 8 a.m., and weekdays at 11 a.m. and noon, is staffed by the Boston College Jesuit community, who also offer the sacrament of penance 15 minutes before each Mass in confessionals constructed by BC carpenters. It is open for prayer or quiet reflection each day from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m. “People have found the Gasson Hall Chapel to be intimate and welcoming and a nice place to pray,” said Director of Campus Ministry Fr. Anthony Penna. “It is not St. Mary’s, but given that it is more centrally located, people find it easily accessible and an ideal place to stop in for a prayer or visit.” —Jack Dunn
Student Email Will Shift to Google Apps for Education By Kathleen Sullivan Staff Writer
Information Technology Services has announced that Boston College student email services will move to Google Apps for Education, with a pilot group of a thousand students beginning the transition next month and full migration expected by summer’s end. With Google Apps for Education, administrators say, students will retain an @bc.edu email address while improving their email experience with a web-based system that offers significantly more storage space and a full suite of integrated services, such as a calendar function and document creation. The selection of Google Apps for Education was made after a lengthy review by the Student Email Committee, comprised of members from key academic and administrative areas as well as undergraduate and graduate student representation. “The collaborative effort this committee brought to bear on this project was fantastic, second to none,” said ITS Support Technology Director Scott Cann. BC joins a growing list of universities using Google for student email, including Brown, Georgetown, Northwestern, Vanderbilt, Notre Dame and Michigan. Faced with inadequate storage and poor performance and vendor support with its current student email system, ITS administrators made the decision in 2010 to reconsider student email at BC. Although students are gradually turning to
other means to communicate with each other, email is still the primary way that BC faculty and staff communicate with students. The committee determined that a reliable email system that retains a BC address for students was a necessity. After exploring various options, the committee selected Google. “We’re very excited,” said Cann. “This move will bring to students the power of Google in a BC wrapper.” With Google, communications between faculty and staff and students, including via class lists and campus groups, will continue to work as they do now. Cann noted that since many students already use Gmail, he expects the transition to be seamless. Any concerns about security and privacy have been addressed as well, said Cann. Because many universities use Google for student email, FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) issues have already been addressed by Google. There also is no advertising on Google Apps for Education. “We’ve done due diligence regarding the contract,” said Cann. He emphasized that students with email issues in the new system can still contact the Help Desk for assistance. “We’re ready and available to help.” He added that at this time, there are no specific plans to move faculty and staff email to Google Apps for Education. More information is available at www.bc.edu/studentemail.
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It was a moment Philip McHarris ’14 didn’t want to miss – not even from South Africa. When University President William P. Leahy, SJ, took the stage in Robsham Theater last week to announce the winner of the 31st annual Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Scholarship, McHarris followed along via Skype streaming through his friend’s laptop. Even from thousands of miles away in the midst of a study-abroad experience, McHarris said he felt his anticipation building throughout the evening. “I closed my eyes before the winner’s name was announced. When Fr. Leahy said my name I opened my eyes, exhaled, and smiled — It was a really joyous moment,” said McHarris. “I continued to smile for the rest of the ceremony. It was about 2 a.m. here so I had to contain my excitement as I didn’t want to wake any of my housemates up. “When my friends, family, and mentors congratulated me, it made the moment even more special. I was truly excited and after a while I just made sure to remind myself that the work only continues,” he said. A Bronx, NY, native and longtime New Jersey resident, McHarris was one of five candidates [see separate story] for the Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship, which recognizes a Boston College junior who embodies King’s philosophy in their life and work. McHarris is a double major in sociology and English with a minor in African and African Diaspora Studies. Recently accepted into the BC Honors Program and a member of the Ronald E. McNair Post Baccalaureate Achievement Program,
Above, 2013 Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship winner Philip McHarris. Left, University President William P. Leahy, SJ, with finalists (L-R) Patrick Williamson, Kayla Mendonca, Natali Soto and Steven Jefferson.
McHarris has an impressive scholarly record at BC: He has traveled to India, where he took a creative writing course and researched the South Asian Desi Hip-Hop cultural movement; worked with Sociology Professor C. Shawn McGuffey on racial development in school-aged children; studied various aspects of rhetoric with English Professor Paula Mathieu; and been involved with BC’s Institute for the Study and Promotion of Race and Culture. In addition to his scholarly and research activities, McHarris has balanced student leadership with service throughout his years at BC. Among other activities, he has participated in the Honduras Education and Leadership Project, STEP, and the International Justice Project. Caitlin Cunningham
By Melissa Beecher Staff Writer
Caitlin Cunningham
From Afar, MLK Winner Exults
Stanford University historian Clayborne Carson spoke at the scholarship ceremony.
A former participant in the AHANA Leadership Academy, McHarris is co-president of United Front, an umbrella student organization for all the black culture clubs at BC. He is a trainer of the Bystander Education program and is a member of DIOP, a characterbuilding group for men of color on campus. McHarris said his research experiences at BC have led him to a vocation, but also a commitment to service. “After graduation, I want to move on to a PhD program in sociology — I want to be a professor, a researcher, and a writer,” he said. “In the long run, I also want to start schools, community centers and programs in under-resourced and underserved communities. I plan to travel as much as I can. My overall plan is to continue learning and growing.” McHarris attributes his drive directly to his family. “Without a doubt, my family has the biggest influence on me. Throughout my life, they have showed me unconditional love and patience. My parents have always supported me and kept me in places where I would grow and develop. My older twin sisters have been incredibly important ideological in-
OTHER KING SCHOLARSHIP FINALISTS Steven Jefferson Randallstown, Md. Major: Sociology, African and African Diaspora Studies minor A McNair Scholar, Jefferson participates in numerous musical groups, including The Bostonians, BEATS and Voices of Imani, and was a runner-up in the 2010 BC Idol competition. He has worked in the Boston College Prison Arts Outreach Program, Eagle Volunteers, the AHANA Student Advisory Board, Multicultural Christian Fellowship and is on the Black History Month Committee. Jefferson is a research assistant for the Darfur Research Workshop in Trauma, Law and Social Justice. Kayla R. Mendonca Dorchester, Mass. Major: Philosophy Mendonca has balanced service with a rigorous pre-med course load. A McNair Scholar, she has worked at the Connors Family Learning Center for the past three years, tutoring her peers in calculus and ESL. She was a member of the Cape Verdean Student Association and Black History Month Committee and served as Timmy Global Health assistant executive director, managing the non-profit’s outreach and coordinating volunteer trips. Mendonca has volunteered at the Boys & Girls Club and the Commonwealth Transitional Assistance group. She has traveled to Uganda and Rwanda on service immersion trips. fluences, as I thank them for exposing me to books, ideas, theories, and thinkers at such an early age. “Without the support structure created by my parents and sisters, I would not be where I am today.” During the Feb. 4 King Scholarship ceremony, Camalae Thomas – McHarris’ friend who manned the laptop – read a statement from McHarris in which he asked his peers and those in attendance to remember the slain civil rights leader’s legacy through actions of the everyday. “As we enter a month designated
Natali Soto Methuen, Mass. Majors: English, economics A Thea Bowman Scholar on the pre-law track, Soto is the UGBC AHANA Leadership Council Policy Director and has traveled with the Appalachia Volunteer program to Mechanicsville, Va., and Albany, Ga., to participate in Habitat for Humanity projects. Active in the PULSE program, Soto worked as a volunteer counselor in the St. Stephen’s Afterschool Program and as a teacher’s aide in the Dominican Republic. She has served as a teacher assistant in the Carroll School of Management Portico program and as a resident assistant in the Office of Residential Life. Patrick G. Williamson Saugus, Mass. Majors: Communication, sociology Williamson has led a Halftime Retreat through the Center for Student Formation and been active in the PULSE program, 48 Hours and Eagle Ops. He has traveled to Jamaica twice and Jonestown, Miss., for service projects. His other activities include participation in the Precision Step Team and the Dedicated Intellectuals of the People, volunteering at the West End House Boys & Girls Club, and working as part of the “bull-gang” crew that prepares Conte Forum and Alumni Stadium for hockey, basketball and football games. for the reflection and appreciation of black history, I call us all to reflect on the visions and ideas that King and other freedom fighters of the civil rights movement graced us with. As we continue to commit ourselves to service, I hope that we also seek to understand and dismantle the very roots of the inequality we see amongst us today — for as King said, ‘Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.’” To read more of Philip McHarris’ speech, see www.bc.edu/chronicle. Contact Melissa Beecher at melissa.beecher@bc.edu
University to Introduce New Advising Evaluation Form in Spring By Kathleen Sullivan Staff Writer
Undergraduates will have the opportunity to appraise the academic advising they receive from faculty using a new online evaluation form that will debut on a university-wide basis this spring. The new annual advisor evaluation questionnaire is the product of a student initiative led by members of the Undergraduate Government of Boston College. “We had a way to evaluate courses, but no way to provide feedback on the advising experience,” said Harrison Kent ’13, UGBC’s director of university affairs. “We hoped that by introducing this tool it would reward
good advising as well as place an emphasis on advising, showing it was just as important as research and publishing.” The new questionnaire polls students about their advisor’s knowledge of the core curriculum and major requirements as well as their advisor’s availability, help with academic goals and concern about non-academic life. Along with Kent, others leading this initiative were Anna Rhodes ’10, Denise Der ’10, Brian Jacek ’10 and Christopher Kirby ’12. “These students were the principal architects. This advisor evaluation form marks a wonderful achievement for them,” said Vice Provost for Undergraduate
Academic Affairs Donald Hafner. The advisor evaluation form was initially proposed during the 2009-10 academic year. The students met regularly with Hafner to fine-tune the project, and made presentations to the University Council on Teaching and the Provost’s Advisory Council, among other groups. “It is tricky,” said Kent. “The advising relationship is inherently a personal one and it can be difficult to determine how to measure it.” In 2011, the evaluation form was piloted in the Connell School of Nursing. The experiment was successful, with more than an 80 percent participation rate. Last spring, the pilot group was ex-
panded to the Carroll School of Management. “We were concerned about survey fatigue,” recalled Kent. “But, the response told us that students felt it was an important issue.” “We were pleased to find that students really took the process seriously,” added Hafner. “We found students were generally happy with their advising experience, but we did identify areas that could be strengthened.” The UGBC students also helped to develop advising guides for students. These one-page guides, tailored to each class year, offer a checklist of questions and topics that students should be prepared to discuss with their
advisor. “Advising is a two-way street,” said Kent. “Students need to learn to be good advisees.” Hafner noted that the evaluations are administered by an outside vendor and responses are confidential. In late April, undergraduates will be contacted by email about completing the advisor evaluation questionnaire. Kent, an English and economics major from Arizona, is pleased that he will be here to see the advisor evaluation form become reality. “I joined UGBC because I wanted to create a legacy and make a positive impact for BC students.” Contact Kathleen Sullivan at kathleen.sullivan@bc.edu
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Continued from page 1 cy also saw an opportunity to encourage their clientele to take interest and responsibility in their own care and treatment. So the yoga classes serve a dual purpose: getting the youths and young adults to think about health and wellness, while providing a gathering place that affirms a sense of community.” “Our experience in the lab was very rewarding,” says Gregory Perchik, a 2010 GSSW alumnus who is BOTW’s coordinator of outreach and medical services. “We identified a problem, but we were only seeing it from one angle. At the lab, we were able to turn the problem on its head and see it from other perspectives, and find a way to move forward.” Working with the lab, the Phoenix Charter Academy revised its orientation process to foster a deeper, more enduring engagement with students, as a means for school personnel to better detect academic or social problems. Old Colony YMCA, meanwhile, began a culinary arts institute, providing needed social service, vocational and health/wellness components to its programming. The role of GSSW students — who act as consultants, working with lab participants on potential solutions and prototypes — is integral to the lab, note Pitt-Catsouphes and Berzin. “Students don’t take for granted the perceived boundaries or obstacles, and come in with a fresh view,” says Pitt-Catsouphes. “They have their own life experiences and talents to draw upon, as well as the GSSW curriculum and training that prepares them for these challenges.” Lauren Watt, a Vancouver, Canada, native in her final year at GSSW, said her coursework in Berzin’s class on social innovation opened her to the concept of applying her past business/finance experience to social services. Working in the CSI has deepened her interest in social innovation. “I think it is a necessary concept for all social workers to become aware of and engaged in so that we as a community and network of social service providers can begin to affect systemic change for social problems that have plagued our society for decades,” says Watt. “Although countless individuals have worked tirelessly to affect change for fundamental, national level issues such as unemployment, homelessness, poverty, we have yet to see an overhaul of these problems and in many cases they have gotten worse.
What Now for Kerry? Faculty Weigh In on New Sec. of State
Lee Pellegrini
Planning for Next Phase
(L-R) Graduate School of Social Work faculty members Stephanie Berzin and Marcie Pitt-Catsouphes discuss the GSSW social innovation initiative with students Lauren Watt, Kyle Smith (out of view), Molly Shepley and Christina Peterson.
“Applying socially innovative methodologies and framework is a novel way to readdress these issues and push for tangible change that provides us with a society of healthy, safe, nurtured people.” Pitt-Catsouphes and Berzin say they are encouraged by CSI’s progress, both on its own terms and in the promise it holds as a model in policy and practice for social work. “What we’ve seen these past few years is how well social innovation resonates across the disciplines,” says Berzin. “Social work didn’t have much of a place in the discussion about social innovation and its possibilities. “GSSW,” she asserts, “has put the profession right at the table.” Adds Pitt-Catsouphes, “It’s been gratifying to see how GSSW students and faculty are embracing the concept of social innovation. Can this same interest and involvement extend elsewhere throughout Boston College? That is one question we’re looking at now.” Toward that end, Pitt-Catsouphes and Berzin have started a
Social Innovation Council, bringing together faculty and administrators from GSSW, the Carroll School of Management, Lynch School of Education, Law School, College of Arts and Sciences — including the Biology, Sociology, Theology, Theatre, Communication and Psychology departments — as well as representatives from the Volunteer and Service Learning Center, PULSE, Boston College Social Entrepreneurs Envisioning Development and other offices and departments. “We know BC has a tremendous devotion to service for others,” says Pitt-Catsouphes. “So we’re trying to see how this concern for the social good might be integrated, academically and programmatically, in the University. Based on our experiences, social innovation would seem to offer a means to do that.” To find out more about the Social Innovation Council, contact Pitt-Catsouphes [martha.pitt-catsouphes@bc.edu] or Berzin [stephanie.berzin@bc.edu]. Contact Sean Smith at sean.smith@bc.edu
CSON’s Fontenot Earns March of Dimes Nurse of the Year Honors
Connell School of Nursing Clinical Assistant Professor Holly Fontenot was named a 2012 Nurse of the Year by the Massachusetts Chapter of the March of Dimes, in the category of Nursing Administration/Research. Nurse of the Year is a statewide award that recognizes exceptional nurses, all of whom represent the March of Dimes vision for a healthier, stronger generation of babies and families. Fontenot was one of nine nurses honored at a ceremony held last month. Fontenot, who became a faculty member at BC in 2004, has served as coordinator of the Connell School’s women’s health nurse practitioner program since 2007. She also is a women’s health nurse practitioner at the Sidney Borum Health Center,
where she supervises graduate students on clinical rotations. Her clinical interests are in women’s health, HPV, forensic nursing and sexual health and safety. Her research has been published in the Journal of Nurse Practitioners and Nursing for Women’s Health, among other publications. —Kathleen Sullivan
On Feb. 1, Boston College Law School graduate John F. Kerry JD ’76 officially became the 68th United States Secretary of State, after serving as a US senator since 1985. Chronicle invited BC faculty members — including two of Kerry’s former professors — to offer their views on the qualities Kerry brings to the job, and the challenges he is likely to face. Prof. Robert Bloom (Law): As a firstyear law student, he had a lot on his plate – John was a father of a young child and traveled in from Lowell. Nevertheless, he took law school seriously. In his second year, John seemed to thrive. He really enjoyed debate – he and classmate Rona Schneider won an inter-school moot court competition and did well in national competition. He was a good listener and was able to quickly understand difficult issues and concepts.
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its most unstable since the end of the Cold War. China is, in fact, the security issue of the 21st century — how to defend our interests while trying to work cooperatively with China. That said, as the new secretary of state, Kerry may have an advantage. The Chinese are looking for an opportunity to forge better cooperation with the US, and hoping for a change from what they experienced with Hillary Clinton. So Kerry goes in with a clean slate, and the possibility of building an effective working relationship with China. Asst. Prof. Peter Krause (Political Science): There is any number of foreign policy challenges ahead for Kerry, especially in the Middle East. Syria, for example: Can the US work out something with the Russians that will cut off the conflict and usher in a post-Assad era? Any negotiations with Iran — which
John Kerry JD ’76 during a visit to BC Law in 2007. (Photo by Judy Sanders)
John enjoyed the Socratic dialogue. I think he will continue to use the Socratic method so that he can make informed decisions about any issue. Prof. Marc Landy (Political Science): In his first term, President Obama appointed strong-minded, exceptional, people to the two crucial posts of Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense. Replacing them with two of his Senate cronies is a big step down. Obama himself is not a clear strategic thinker; he needs to appoint people who can challenge and prod him even if they have rough edges. Kerry’s edges are smoother. Prof. Robert Ross (Political Science): Kerry’s major strength is his experience. As the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, he held hearings on virtually every matter related to US foreign policy, so he has great insight into American interests. We’re fortunate to have someone who can step right in and go to work without much of a learning curve. As for challenges, Kerry tends to speak his mind. This is an advantageous in the US Senate, but it is not always helpful in the foreign policy arena. In diplomacy, precision in speaking is required, or else the wrong impression can be very easily conveyed. So learning and mastering this sort of rhetoric will be crucial for him. The Middle East, including the humanitarian crisis in Syria, will certainly test Kerry. But I think the most pressing issue will be how to manage Asia, which is at
might include discussions about Syria — would mean a big role for Kerry. Closer to home, in North America, are some critical issues that will involve Kerry. With Canada, there is the Keystone pipeline, and the dilemma of balancing economic gain versus environmental concerns. And the US has to deal with Mexico on matters of immigration and drugs. Kerry also has a huge issue that has to do with the security of US embassies abroad in the wake of the attacks in Benghazi and Turkey. Whatever the fall-out for Hillary Clinton, it’s now Kerry’s task to fix the problem. But consulates perform a valuable role in American foreign policy because of their engagement with the local populace, so if you make them inaccessible you create another set of difficulties. It’s important to realize that the secretary of state doesn’t have as much influence on foreign policy as the president or the secretary of defense. State has a broad focus but a small budget, so the secretary is essentially a top diplomat who helps to enact the policies pushed by the president. My impression of Kerry is that his tenure will be one of a generally solid stewardship with no radical changes. Libby Professor of Law Sanford Katz: John Kerry was an excellent student of mine in Family Law. One would ordinarily not think of John as interested in the field, but he was and he showed real insight in family law issues that must have helped him in his senate career in his support of social legislation.
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“Back at BC: Marketing Your Experience Abroad”
Forum Touts Study-Abroad Benefits By Ed Hayward Staff Writer
The McGillycuddy-Logue Center for Undergraduate Global Studies wants to give students who study abroad the tools they need to maximize the personal and professional benefits of their overseas academic experience. Earlier this month, in collaboration with the Career Center and the Office of International Programs, the center hosted “Back at BC: Marketing Your Experience Abroad” in the Heights Room of Corcoran Commons to give returning study-abroad students a chance to hear how others have benefitted from their experiences. Approximately 1,200 BC students study abroad each year, said Nick Gozik, the director of the center and the Office of International Programs. “We’ve realized that when we send students abroad we do a lot
with them pre-departure and we do a lot with them while they are abroad with our mentors and faculty overseas,” Gozik told the approximately 100 students in attendance. “It’s when they come back where we want to do more to help them adjust to the transition, as well as help them tell their study abroad story, be it in an academic setting or in a discussion with a potential employer.” Junior Emily Churchill, who spent the fall semester in Ecuador, agreed with Gozik’s observation that many students are startled to find their transition back to campus life includes some culture shock. Having been away from campus since last May, Churchill is adjusting to new classes and off-campus housing while trying to catch up with classmates and friends. “I went from rural Ecuador to spending a month at home basically just with my family to being on campus with thousands of stu-
dents,” said Churchill. “It is great to be back. But it was a little overwhelming at first.” Students also heard from a panel that included two seniors with study-abroad experience, Megan Cain (Spain) and Dara Fang (Italy), Career Center Associate Director Louis Gaglini, PricewaterhouseCoopers recruiter Leslie MacKenzie and Theresa Higgs, vice president of global operations at United Planet. From an employment perspective, Gaglini said study-abroad experience helps form a well-rounded resume when added to academics, extracurricular activities, service, internships and employment. “Study abroad fits very nicely into creating a picture of a whole person for an employer,” said Gaglini. “It’s an experience that is very special and it’s important to give it the emphasis it deserves.” The McGillycuddy-Logue Center for Undergraduate Global Studies, established in 2008 through
(Right) Boston College Board of Trustees Chairwoman Kathleen McGillycuddy NC ‘71 and her husband Ron Logue ‘67, MBA ‘74 speak with Kimberly Vo ‘14. (Below) Office of International Programs Director Nick Gozik introduces a student panel. Photos by Ed Hayward
a gift from BC Board of Trustees Chairwoman Kathleen McGillycuddy NC ’71, and her husband, Ron Logue ’67, MBA ’74, promotes and fosters innovative international learning opportunities for BC undergraduates. The benefactors were also in attendance, along with Provost and Dean of Faculties Cutberto Garza. “Ron and I are delighted to be
part of a program that supports students in their education and personal growth,” McGillycuddy said. “We feel students should have the chance to study abroad and experience cultures and people beyond the US. It’s a crucial part of an education that prepares students to be global citizens.” Contact Ed Hayward at ed.hayward@bc.edu
Continued from page 1 exploits and adventures of the men and women of America’s front-line military units for the Center for Military History in Washington, DC. “We travelled all around Afghanistan to meet up with units at combat outposts and operating bases to see what they were up to,” McAleer explains. “We would study a task force and determine what they were doing operationally and then maybe pick out some soldiers who we thought were operationally savvy and travel out to wherever they were embedded. We would stay with them for a week or so at a time, conducting oral interviews with them, maybe taking a few pictures. “The interviews were really to supplement or support the data we would collect to preserve history.” While in Afghanistan, McAleer’s unit was attached to two of the Army’s premier combat units, the 1st Cavalry Division and, later, the 1st Infantry Division. “I had a great experience out there, I really did,” McAleer says. “I always say that ‘If you don’t capture it now, it’s history.’ I was able to communicate pretty well with the officers – I guess I am used to communicating with arbitrators and judges and civil servants in my job. But, I did feel more comfortable with the enlisted guys and I think that’s where you get some of the great stories. Those are the guys who are in the thick of it. I am in awe of the men and women who serve
Caitlin Cunningham
McAleer Is Relishing His Return to the Classroom
Andrew McAleer
over there. Believe me, it wasn’t always a picnic for them.” McAleer’s path to becoming a military historian is as complex and twisted as the plots of the mystery novels he analyzes in his Master Sleuths classes in WCAS. After earning a degree in English and philosophy at BC, he worked in the health care service industry for several years before enrolling at Massachusetts School of Law. He financed his legal studies by operating a landscaping business in his hometown of Lexington. After earning his law degree, McAleer worked in private practice from 1997 until 2008 when he accepted an appointment as a prosecutor with the Massachusetts Department of Correction. McAleer says that he always
had military service in the back of his mind, and at age 41 – a time when most career soldiers are contemplating retirement – he joined the Massachusetts Army National Guard. “You always have to do these things while you are still young,” he says with a laugh. “I’m not ready for middle age yet. I had always wanted to serve and I said to myself, ‘You can do it.’ “I can still run and I can still do pushups,” he says. “I went through a lot of tests and passed them all. I originally enlisted as a combat engineer, but as I went through my training they thought I might be a little better suited for public affairs and so I switched over.” McAleer, who also had his own mystery novel, Fatal Deeds, published in 2010, ended up as part of a three-person Military History Detachment in Worcester that was called up for active duty deployment to Afghanistan later that year. He served in the war zone from December of 2011 until the unit rotated home this past October. This semester, McAleer has returned to the BC teaching assignment that began 10 years ago when former WCAS Dean James A. Woods, SJ, asked Andrew to join his father in the classroom to co-teach his Dad’s popular “Master Sleuths” course. The elder McAleer was suffering from
cancer at the time and died halfway through the semester. “He died on a Wednesday morning,” Andrew recalls. “Wednesday was always his late teaching night and sure enough we had a class scheduled that night. I asked myself, “What would Dad do?’ “To my father, the students were always the most important part of teaching,” he says. “I ended up teaching the class that night.” McAleer has continued to teach crime fiction courses for the past decade. “There are so many different genres within the mystery genre,” he says. “It’s hard to encapsulate every aspect of crime literature into just one course.” McAleer says his real life experiences have been fortified by his BC classroom connections. “One of the things that I feel is most ful-
filling about the Woods College is what I end up learning from the students. I have had students who have been police officers, librarians, even a former Navy SEAL and a Hurricane Katrina survivor. “I think that these real life experiences add an incredible dynamic to the class. It’s great when you are teaching crime fiction and you have a police officer in the room who can tell you what it is really like to pull somebody over at three in the morning. “I can only hope that what I can pass on with my war experiences and as a prosecutor will also add to our discussions,” he says. “In the end, we have some very important tasks ahead — like helping Sherlock Holmes and Miss Marple and Jack Reacher catch some bad guys.”
Associate Vice Provost J. Joseph Burns listens to Connell School of Nursing senior Ann Harrington describe her project at the annual Undergraduate Research Symposium, held Feb. 1 in Fulton Commons. (Photo by Lee Pellegrini)
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WELCOME ADDITIONS A historian of modern France with a focus on how wars and emotions mediate moments of social transformation, Assistant Professor of History Thomas Dodman taught at the University of Chicago — where he earned his doctorate — Sciences-Po in Paris and George Mason University. Dodman, whose fields of interest include Modern European social and cultural history, modern France and French Empire, war and society, and medicine and emotions, is revising a book manuscript on the forgotten history of fatal nostalgia, an emotional syndrome that affected 18th and 19th-century soldiers and colonial settlers. He teaches modern European history core classes, as well as courses on the social and cultural history of modern France and its empire, and the history of emotions and of war in society. He was honored by the Society for French Historical Studies for his research on the colonization of Algeria. After earning her doctorate at the University of Iowa in 2002, Psychology Department Lecturer Andrea Heberlein completed postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Pennsylvania, the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and Harvard University, where she worked as a research associate and lecturer. Her research interests include social neuroscience, social psychology and cognitive/affective neuroscience. She has researched mind perception and its neural substrates; the processes by which we recognize others’ emotions and understand their actions; anthropomorphizing; simulation and shared substrates models. Heberlein teaches Social Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, Emotion, and Introduction to Behavioral Statistics. Carroll School of Management Assistant Professor of Finance Dmitriy Muravyev pursues research on empirical asset pricing, derivatives, market microsctructure and information processing. His recent research has been published in the Journal of Financial Economics. A native of Russia, Muravyev completed his undergraduate studies at Lomonosov Moscow State University, earned a master’s degree in economics at Moscow’s New Economics School and received his PhD in finance from the University of Illinois. His industry experience includes research in finance and economics at the Centre for Economic and Financial Research in Moscow, and a stint as a trader and credit risk analysis at Bank Petrocommerce in Moscow. —Rosanne Pellegrini, Melissa Beecher and Ed Hayward Photos by Lee Pellegrini “Welcome Additions,” an occasional feature, profiles new faculty members at Boston College.
Beanpot Hall of Fame Inducts York, But ‘York Night’ Must Wait Until Fall Men’s hockey head coach Jerry York was inducted into the Beanpot Hall of Fame in ceremonies between last week’s firstround games of the 61st Beanpot Tournament. York helped lead the Eagles to a Beanpot title as a player in 1965, and as coach has taken them to seven more, including this year. York — who in December became the winningest coach in college hockey history — is second all-time among BC coaches in Beanpot championships with six, trailing John “Snooks” Kelley’s total of eight. The Jerry York Night celebration scheduled for Feb. 8 was postponed due to weather concerns, and will be held at the start of the 2013-14 season. The date will be announced when next year’s schedule is released.
Newsmakers Every few years, politicians come up with the notion of using public pension funds to make political statements — the most recent incarnation being the effort to divest public pension and retirement plans from companies that make firearms, wrote Drucker Professor of Management Sciences Alicia Munnell, director of the Center for Retirement Research, in an oped for the New York Times. It’s time men and fathers get off the sidelines and become vocal about the ways in which their lives are limited by gender stereotypes, as the women’s movement has done so well, Center for Work and Family Executive Director Brad Harrington wrote in an essay for the Huffington Post. Assoc. Prof. James Smith (English) offered his views on the Irish government’s long-awaited report concerning the state’s involvement with Ireland’s Magdalene Laundries, in interviews with the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Associated Press, BBC, Irish Times, Irish Central and Scotsman, among other outlets.
Honors/Appointments “Occupy the Tax Code: Using the Estate Tax to Reduce Inequality and Spur Economic Growth,” an article co-authored by William J.
BC in the Media If law schools want to maintain their status in higher education, wrote Law School Dean Vince Rougeau in an op-ed for US News & World Report, then they better change the way they operate. As Rougeau noted, “The average debt load of law school students continues to increase, major law firms have slashed the number of entry-level associates they hire, and observers do not expect a return to the days when graduates could expect to earn six-figure salaries despite little training in the day-to-day practice of law.” Rougeau suggested four solutions for law schools to explore: •Create more partnerships with employers to transition recent law graduates into practice. •Establish academic programs to better prepare graduates for the workforce. •Educate students about the realities of law school before they apply. •Reflect the realities of an integrated global economic environment. [Read Rougeau’s op-ed at http://bit.ly/YdBQxV]
Kenealy, SJ, Professor of Law James Repetti, was cited as one of the top five tax articles downloaded on the Social Science Research Network.
BC BRIEFING Hidetaka Hirota PhD ’12, a postdoctoral fellow in history, received a three-year postdoctoral fellowship at the Columbia University Society of Fellows. Fellows teach undergraduate courses, complete scholarly work, present projects to other Fellows and University faculty, and plan and participate in conferences on areas of research interest.
NOTA BENE The current edition of the American Economic Review, the flagship journal of the profession of economics, includes articles by Economics Department faculty members Roche Professor Arthur Lewbel and Professor Tayfun Sonmez. Lewbel’s piece, “Children’s Resources in Collective Households: Identification, Estimation, and an Application to Child Poverty in Malawi,” co-authored with Simon Fraser University faculty Geoffrey Dunbar and Krishna Pendakur, focuses on the difficulty in identifying resources available to children in a family unit when consumption is only measured at the level of the household. “School Admissions Reform in Chicago and England: Comparing Mechanisms by their Vulnerability to Manipulation,” written by Sonmez with Parag Parthak of MIT, addresses the analysis of weaknesses in mechanisms — such as that used in Boston school assignments — in terms of their vulnerability to being manipulated by participants. This line of research is closely related to that cited in the award of the 2012 Nobel Prize in Economics to Alvin Roth, a frequent co-author of Sonmez. Frederick J. Adelmann, SJ, Professor of Philosophy John Sallis has been chosen by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation to receive a Humboldt Research Award, which recognizes lifetime achievements in research. Sallis is the founding editor of the journal Research in Phenomenology, general editor of Studies in Continental Thought, and the author of 16 books. His fields of interest include ancient philosophy, philosophy of art, Kant and German idealism, and ancient continental philosophy. The Humboldt Foundation seeks to promote academic cooperation between scientists and scholars from abroad and from Germany. Humboldt Award winners are invited to carry out research projects of his or her own choice in cooperation with specialist colleagues in Germany.
Publications Adj. Assoc. Prof. Michael C. Keith (Communication) published short stories in Boston Literary Magazine, Connotation Press, and Greensilk Journal. Prof. Emeritus Rebecca Valette (Romance Languages and Literatures) and her husband Jean-Paul Valette published a new three-level secondary school program, “Discovering French Today: Bleu, Blanc and Rouge.”
Obituaries James M. Collins, SJ, 87, who joined the Boston College Jesuit Community in 1985 and served as treasurer and sub-minister, minister, prefect of health, and assistant rector until 2007. (Jan. 24) Anne F. Rockett, 80, long-time Boston College Dining Services employee. (Feb. 1)
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/: Head Librarian, Social Work Library Research Associate and Research Economist, Center for Retirement Research Associate Director of Operations, Residential Life Art Director, Office of Marketing Communications Associate Director, Diversity and Inclusion, Office of Institutional Diversity Senior Information Security Analyst, Information Technology Food Service Worker, Lower Campus, Dining Services Senior Associate Director, Major Giving, BC Law Advancement Staff Psychologist, University Counseling
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LOOKING AHEAD
McMullen Exhibit Looks at Fascinating East-West Exchange By Rosanne Pellegrini Staff Writer
In Japan, they were called nanban-jin — “southern barbarians”: European missionaries and merchants who arrived in the 16th and 17th centuries, bringing with them a host of influences, from the artistic to the religious. A groundbreaking exhibition of rare nanban art opening this Saturday at the McMullen Museum of Art will examine this period of East-West cultural exchange, and the transformations in Japan’s political, cultural, artistic, technological, and linguistic spheres through the presence of the Portuguese and the introduction of Christianity. “Portugal, Jesuits, and Japan: Spiritual Beliefs and Earthly Goods,” on display through June 2, highlights an era of Japanese internationalism that gave way to Japanese insularity following the expulsion of the Portuguese. The viewer travels through the complex landscape of religious ideas, customs, and artistic styles that typified the nanban period as an age of exploration. The museum will formally celebrate the new exhibition with an opening reception and special evening viewing from 7-9:30 p.m. on Feb. 18 in Devlin 101. “Boston College, one of the
BC SCENES
Items from the forthcoming “Portugal, Jesuits, and Japan: Spiritual Beliefs and Earthly Goods” exhibition at the McMullen Museum of Art.
premier Jesuit universities in the world, is pleased to collaborate with the government of Portugal and Portuguese institutions on this groundbreaking exhibition examining — through the display of magnificent nanban works of art — the cultural, spiritual, and artistic exchange among Portuguese, Jesuits, and Japanese in the ‘Age of Exploration,’” said McMullen Museum Director and Professor of Art History Nancy Netzer. The exhibition comprises 70 works; central to the narrative are seven magnificent folding screens that illustrate Japanese encounters with visiting Portuguese traders and Jesuit missionaries. Examples of the objects depicted on the
screens also will be on display: elaborately decorated Japanese furniture, lacquerware, and military equipment; Indian and Chinese ceramics, textiles, and furniture; and paintings by Jesuit-trained Japanese artists. In addition to rare European and Japanese maps, the artifacts and screens tell a fuller story than that documented in contemporary texts. Organizers selected iconic works from institutions and private collections in the US, including the Peabody Essex Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, Mary and Jackson Burke Foundation, and Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Lenders from Portugal include the Museu Nacio-
nal de Soares dos Reis, Oporto; Museu de São Roque, Lisbon; Diocese de Coimbra, Sé Nova; and Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal, Lisbon, and many private collectors. Said Paulo Cunha Alves, consul general of Portugal in Boston, “‘Portugal, Jesuits, and Japan’ will be a one-of-a-kind exhibition in America. The beauty and the rareness of the works of art displayed, some of them coming from public and private collections in Portugal, will attract the attention of both scholars and admirers of Asian art. “The exhibition explores the profound bonds between commerce and religion at the time of the first globalization promoted
STANDING ON CEREMONY Photos by Christopher Huang
Boston College continued one of its storied traditions Feb. 3 with the induction for the Order of the Cross and Crown. Founded in 1939, the Cross and Crown is the honor society for College of Arts and Sciences seniors who have achieved an average of at least A-minus and have an established record of unusual service and leadership on campus. Above, A&S Associate Dean William Petri spoke with this year’s members — including William Juarez, Krystle Jiang, Elizabeth Jekanowski and Michael Lopes (at right) — before they received certificates at a ceremony in Gasson 100 (left), which was followed by a reception.
by merchants, missionaries, and noblemen at the service of the Portuguese Crown.” “Portugal, Jesuits, and Japan” has been underwritten by Boston College, the Patrons of the McMullen Museum, Leslie and Peter Ciampi, the Camões Institute of Cooperation and Language/Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Portugal, the Consulate General of Portugal in Boston, and the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, with additional support from the LusoAmerican Foundation, and the Japan Foundation, NY. Research by international scholars from a range of disciplines will be published in the accompanying exhibition catalogue. Comprised of eight essays and color reproductions of all works in the exhibition, the catalogue will be published by the McMullen Museum, distributed by the University of Chicago Press, and will be available for purchase from the Boston College Bookstore [see http://goo.gl/bNNAO]. Docent-led tours are available Sundays from 2–2:45 p.m. Feb. 24 through June 2. Tours also arranged upon request by calling ext.2-8587. Exhibition details, directions, parking and program information are available at the McMullen website [www.bc.edu/ artmuseum]. Contact Rosanne Pellegrini at rosanne.pellegrini@bc.edu