Boston College Chronicle

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The Boston College

Chronicle Published by the Boston College Office of News & Public Affairs february 16, 2012 VOL. 20 No. 11

INSIDE •St. C gets callback to BC Idol, page 2

•Mike Mayock back at the Heights, page 2 •Dickson wins MLK Scholarship, page 3

•Economic justice panel, page 3 •Eagle EMS gets new wheels, page 3 •Three stories from Relay for Life, page 4

•Q&A with James Keenan, SJ, page 5 •Undergrads present research, page 6

•Chatting with HP’s Randy Seidl ’85, page 6 •Concerts a-plenty on campus, page 8

Four BC Faculty Members Win Sloan Fellowships By Ed Hayward Staff Writer

In a coup for a university without a medical or engineering school, four Boston College faculty members have received prestigious 2012 Sloan Research Fellowships from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Assistant Professor of Biology Michelle Meyer, Assistant Professor of Physics Ying Ran, Assistant Professor of Chemistry Dunwei Wang and Assistant Professor of Psychology Liane Young were among the 126 researchers recognized by the foundation with the two-year, $50,000 awards, which are given annually to early-career scientists and scholars identified as the next generation of leading researchers. “It is unprecedented for a university of our size, without a medical or engineering school, to receive four Sloan Research Fellowships in one

(L-R) Michelle Meyer, Ying Ran, Dunwei Wang, Liane Young

year,” said Provost and Dean of Faculties Cutberto Garza. “This recognition is a testament to the caliber of researchers Boston College has hired in recent years.” With four awards, BC led Massachusetts colleges and universities, followed by Boston University (3), Harvard (3), MIT (3) and UMass Amherst (1). “Michelle, Ying, Dunwei, and

Big Brothers/Sisters Program at BC Gaining in Popularity By Melissa Beecher Staff Writer

Michael Wangen ’12 was excited to get involved in the Big Brothers/ Big Sisters Program at Boston College for all the usual reasons — to be a positive influence and role model in the life of a child. When he was paired up with 10-year-old Josh from the Franklin Field Housing Complex in Boston, he was thrilled. Then his phone started ringing. Three, four, five times a day. “It turned out Josh really, really wanted a Big Brother, too. He had called the organizers repeatedly trying to find out if he had been paired up with anyone. When they paired us up, he decided to start getting to know me right away with phone calls and texts,” laughs Wangen. “So from the very beginning we very much had a big brother-little brother relationship.” Over the past two years, the friendship has evolved and strengthened. “He’s goofy, like me. We enjoy the same things – math and science, movies, we’ve been ice skating and rock climbing. And I think I have had

Liane are each doing world-class research and together represent a remarkable cohort of talented junior faculty in Arts and Sciences,” said College of Arts and Sciences Dean David Quigley. “I’m enormously proud of their individual contributions and look forward to even greater things as their Boston College careers develop.” Drawn from 51 colleges and uni-

a positive impact on him – when we first met he had been suspended from school a few times. Now, his grades have improved and he doesn’t get suspended anymore,” said Wangen. “And I’ve learned a lot from him and Continued on page 6

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Continued on page 5

Place of Danger, and Death BC theologian sees messages about suffering and salvation in women’s efforts to combat violence in a Mexican city By Kathleen Sullivan Staff Writer

The number of student-child pairings in “BC BIGS” has tripled in one year.

versities across the United States and Canada, the 2012 Sloan Research Fellows represent a variety of research interests. Meyer’s comparative genomics research focuses on computational biology, the discovery and validation of non-coding RNA, and the molecular evolution of RNA and protein structures.

Feminist theologian Nancy Pineda-Madrid remembers Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, before it became one of the most violent cities on earth. During her childhood, PinedaMadrid lived in El Paso, Texas, directly across the border from Juárez, which she recalls as “a bustling, active and vibrant city” with streets full of people. Her memories include shopping trips, weekly family dinners at a local restaurant, and a large high school graduation party that brought together families from El Paso and Juárez. “I had a connection and love for Juárez that was very significant throughout my childhood and young adult years. There was a real sense of community,” said PinedaMadrid, an assistant professor in the School of Theology and Ministry. So when she returned there last October for a conference on the high number of women murdered in Juárez, she was stunned at the emptiness she saw.

“It was eerie. You see a lot of buildings boarded up. It’s clear there is a fear in the city. Any woman walking around the streets of Juárez feels a sense of tension and anxiety.” According to international crime data, Juárez — with more than 3,000 murders in 2010 — is one of the most dangerous places in which to live. It is particularly unsafe for young girls and women, hundreds of whom have been systemically beaten, raped and murdered. The violence in Juárez against women — typically poor females aged 10 to 30 — is classified by many scholars as “feminicide” because it is a widespread killing based on gender, conducted in a very brutal and gruesome manner with impunity. In her new book Suffering and Salvation in Ciudad Juárez, PinedaMadrid takes a look at the violence against women in Juárez and seeks to identify messages about salvation that can be found in the actions of women who are resisting the violence. “Any experience of extreme sufContinued on page 5

“I wanted to be a doctor well before I got sick. Having cancer has only strengthened my desire, because of the perspective I’ve gained. Now, I have to become a doctor.” —Meghan Woody ’14, page 4


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Chronicle february 16, 2012

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BC-St. Columbkille Event Is No ‘Idol’ Gesture

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Honoring Student Artists

Lbby Wu, left, and Stayce Legagneur were among the St. Columbkille students appearing at last year’s “BC Idol.”

Tonight, Boston College students will once again put their musical and singing talents on display in the University’s version of a popular reality TV show — and once again, BC has invited students from Brighton’s St. Columbkille Partnership School to share the stage with them. The annual “BC Idol” show, which takes place for the eighth time tonight at 8 p.m. in Robsham Theater, has again designated its proceeds to benefit St. Columbkille. Last year, BC Idol raised more than $3,500 for the Brighton parochial school, which is marking the fifth anniversary of its partnership with BC. And in an encore of last year’s show, some St. Columbkille students will have the opportunity to participate in the “American Idol”-like event. The 2011 BC Idol featured Stayce Legagneur, an eighth-grader who sang “Halo” by Beyonce; Roisin O’Rourke, a

fifth-grader who sang Christina Aguliera’s “Beautiful,” and Libby Wu, a third-grader who played “The Butterfly” on piano. St. Columbkille Head of School William Gartside said funding from last year’s BC Idol fundraiser helped to transform the school’s music and arts programs. “The BC Idol program helped us jump-start our fine arts program,” Gartside said. “We now have 70 students taking musical instrument lessons, a chorus as well as art and drama clubs. While many schools are cutting these crucial programs, we are developing our talent.” Community Affairs Director Bill Mills says BC Idol helps foster the relationship between the University and St. Columbkille. “BC Idol is one of the many events and programs that illustrate how much the relationship between Boston College, St.

Columbkille, and the community has prospered in the last few years,” Mills said. “We encourage students, family, friends and neighbors to be a part of this special night.” Ten BC students selected from auditions will perform, and a panel of three judges will offer opinions. The winner of the event will be decided by votes from the audience. Last year’s winner, senior Liz Peter, will also perform for the audience. BC Idol is organized by students in BC’s Emerging Leader Program and Undergraduate Government of Boston College, as well as BC’s Office of Governmental and Community Affairs and the Lynch School of Education. The event is open to public seating. Tickets are $10. For more information, see http:// www.bc.edu/robsham. —Ed Hayward

The Boston College Arts Council is accepting nominations for the 2012 Arts Council Student Awards, recognizing students who have made an outstanding contribution to the arts by fostering, expanding, or participating in the arts on campus or in the community. Faculty, staff and administrators may submit nominations, which are due on March 2. The awards will be presented on April 27 as part of the BC Arts Festival. For more information, see http://www.bc.edu/arts or e-mail arts@bc.edu.

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Chronicle ON Be sure to check out the Boston College Chronicle YouTube channel [www. youtube.com/bcchronicle] for video features on Boston College people, programs and events. New and upcoming videos include: •Undergraduate Research Symposium—Each year, the University Fellowships Committee hosts the Boston College Undergraduate Research Symposium, featuring panel and poster presentations by BC students on projects they have undertaken during the previous year. [See story on page 6] The Boston College

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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

Mayock Talk

Reid Oslin Rosanne Pellegrini Kathleen Sullivan

Award-winning TV announcer and former BC football co-captain Mike Mayock ’80, Sports Illustrated’s “Media Person of the Year,” was back on campus Sunday night.

Those members of the Boston College football team who aspire to a broadcasting career heard from one of the best in the business Sunday night as Mike Mayock ’80, an award-winning television announcer for the NBC and NFL networks, spoke to players as part of BC’s ongoing Football Alumni Resource Group program. Mayock, who was a co-captain of the BC football team as an undergraduate, was recently named “Media Person of the Year” by Sports Illustrated for his knowledgeable and insightful broadcast analysis of college and professional football. Mayock was joined Sunday by more than 25 other BC football alumni representing a wide variety of professions

Photos by Caitlin Cunningham

– from financial services to law enforcement — who took part in the career mentoring program for football student-athletes held in the Barber Family Auditorium of Yawkey Center. BC’s FARG sessions are held for football players once each semester. Past speakers have included Marcus Cherry ’89, a child psychologist at Boston’s Children’s Hospital; Russ Joyner ’83, a real estate developer in Las Vegas; and Victor Crawford ’83, senior vice president for operations at PepsiCo. The football graduates offer advice on academic options and course selections, professional internships, career choices, resume building, interview skills and networking to the student-athletes. —Reid Oslin

Michael Maloney Photographers

Gary Gilbert Lee Pellegrini

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Chronicle february 16, 2012

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30th Martin Luther King Scholarship Event

A look at the other finalists for the 2012 Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship [for complete profiles, see www.bc.edu/chronicle]: Tracy Akuffo A sociology major from Pineville, NC, interested in a law career, Akuffo represented Boston College at last year’s Teach for America Rising Leaders Summit in Washington, DC, and is logistics coordinator for this year’s event. Adizah Eghan A native of San Jose, Calif., Eghan is majoring in political science and French, and is currently studying abroad in Paris. Inspired by a course in the sociology of HIV/AIDS, she won an Amanda Houston Fellowship to travel to India, where she worked with an NGO focused on prevention and awareness among the gay community. Charissa Jones Jones and her family emigrated from Dominica to New York City, where as a high school student she volunteered in a home for troubled boys. A communication and psychology major at BC, she has participated in a PULSE program placement with Project Bread, served as pianist with the Liturgy Arts Group and worked as a research associate to Assistant Professor of Communication James Olufowote. Malika Weekes A resident of Randolph, Mass., enrolled in the Connell School of Nursing, Weekes is an undergraduate research fellow helping CSON Professor Judith Vessey design an honors program for nursing. She has worked extensively with the University Mail Services, Athletic Concessions and as a summer campus tour guide, and tutors fellow students in statistics.

Sandra Dickson, a Connell School of Nursing junior who helps coordinate CSON’s AHANA student outreach program as one of her multiple extracurricular service activities, has been named winner of the 2012 Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship, given annually to a BC junior who reflects King’s philosophy in his or her own life and work. Dickson was announced as the winner last Friday in a special ceremony held at Robsham Theater where Harvard Law School Professor Charles Ogletree, featured speaker at the 30th annual scholarship event, joined in presenting the coveted award to her. She was one of five candidates for the King Scholarship [see separate story]. As a KILN (Keys to Inclusive Leadership in Nursing) scholar in CSON, Dickson serves as a research assistant to Assistant Professor Allyssa Harris on a project examining the effect of urban literature on adolescents, and she

Sandra Dickson

helps Associate Professor of Sociology Shawn McGuffey with his research on refugees from Darfur. Dickson participates in the University’s PULSE program, working with the Samaritans’ suicide prevention hotline effort. She also volunteers her time as a campus tour guide for the Undergraduate Admission Office, a student guide for the 48 Hours retreat program, co-chair of the Black History Month planning committee, and as a member of

the AHANA Leadership Council’s Volunteer Corps and its annual service trip to Mississippi. “Nursing is an embodiment of Dr. King’s philosophy,” Dickson, a Newark, NJ, native who is of Ghanaian descent, wrote in her scholarship application essay, “because it is a profession that demands compassion, selflessness and advocacy from its workers. My approach to tackling the challenges we face is to, first and foremost, value and honor the opportunities I have had thus far and use it to uplift others. “I am grateful that I attend an institution that teaches young men and women to be wellrounded, to constantly reflect on themselves and to be altruistic. Aligning with the Jesuit ideals, Dr. King’s teachings summon us to replenish ourselves spiritually and to lead a life of purpose,” she wrote. “My personal goal for dealing with the injustices in our society is creating awareness and finding ways to integrate the Jesuit ideals with that of my own.”

Lee Pellegrini

By Reid Oslin Staff Writer

Lee Pellegrini

CSON’s Dickson Earns Milestone Award

Contact Reid Oslin at reid.oslin@bc.edu

New Eagle EMS Vehicle Is Ready to Ride Last semester we provided almost 4,000 man-hours of coverage, and were at every big event on campus. A new emergency response We offered monthly CPR classes, medical vehicle, staffed by trained had weekly state-accredited continustudent EMT volunteers and su- ing education sessions, and we did a pervised by University administra- lot of community outreach. “We asked ourselves, ‘How can tors, will provide improved medical assistance for the Boston College we help the community even more?’ We felt that we were ready for a community. The new first-response vehicle, vehicle.” Faherty and his fellow EMT a specially designed 2012 Ford Explorer outfitted with state-of-the- leaders worked with Vice President art emergency medical and trauma of Student Affairs Patrick Rombaltreatment equipment, was deliv- ski, Executive Vice President Patrick ered to campus on Feb. 9. Having Keating, University Health Services passed inspection, the vehicle is ex- Director Thomas Nary, MD, Public Safety Director and pected to go into service Chief of Police John tonight. The Eagle EMS Purchase of the vehicle will be staffed King and Interim Dean of Students Paul Chebanew first-response vehicle was the result by two certified stu- tor to draw up specificaof a multi-year effort dent emergency medi- tions and highly detailed by members of Eagle cal technicians during procedures for a studentstaffed first-response veEMS, an award-winning student organiza- weekend periods and hicle. “This whole thing is tion that offers EMT at large events. a tribute to the students training and certificawho have been a part of tion for interested undergraduates, and provides volun- Eagle EMS for the past five or six teer emergency medical service at years,” says Chebator, who along with King and Dr. Nary will oversee University events. “Eagle EMS started pushing operation of the vehicle and Eagle for an ambulance or first-response EMS campus service. “Their student vehicle six or seven years ago,” says leadership has just been amazing in Eagle EMS president Christopher terms of the levels of professionalFaherty ’13, who has been active in ism and responsibility that they have the group since his freshman year. shown. They put together a proposal “We have about 125 members and for this vehicle that was one of the 90 of them are certified EMTs. best student proposals I have ever By Reid Oslin Staff Writer

seen.” Chebator praised the Eagle EMS students’ dedication, noting that they are often first responders at campus events to aid victims of heart attacks, heat strokes or other emergencies. “A vehicle will now allow them to respond more quickly and with appropriate equipment.” The Eagle EMS vehicle will be staffed by two certified student emergency medical technicians during weekend periods and at large events. It will be dispatched to medical emergencies by the Boston College Police Department. Although the new vehicle is equipped for emergency medical treatment, it will not do transport service, deferring to larger ambulances as needed. The University has an affiliation with St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Brighton that will afford BC responders medical control and oversight from the hospital’s physicians, and also qualify the vehicle to carry some prescription drugs – such as EpiPens for allergic reactions and glucometers for treatment of diabetics – as well as a suction unit and other specialized medical devices. “Members of Eagle EMS are a part of the community and we are doing this because we want to do it,” says Faherty. “We want to volunteer. We do it because we care about other students. It’s a higher level of care and we take it very seriously. We hold ourselves to the most professional level.”

BC Law Dean Vincent Rougeau, Campus Minister Rev. Howard McLendon and University Trustee Darcel Clark at Friday’s panel discussion.

Panel Talks Economic Justice As a Boston College undergraduate, University Trustee Darcel Clark ’83 made a yearly trek each January to Washington, DC, joining thousands of others in urging Congress to establish the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. as a national holiday. It may have been a symbolic victory, but the success in memorializing King’s birthday was a milestone in the struggle for civil rights, said Clark at a panel discussion held Friday in the Yawkey Center Murray Room as part of the University’s 30th anniversary Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Ceremony. “We’ve come a long way, and there is still a ways to go,” said Clark, a New York State Supreme Court justice, “but all of these steps are important.” Joining Clark — who was the inaugural winner of the BC Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship in 1982 — on the panel were BC Law Dean Vincent Rougeau and Campus Minister Rev. Howard McLendon ’75, with Assistant Law Dean Tracey West serving as moderator. With King’s legacy serving as a thematic backdrop, the panelists

offered their views on contemporary issues of economic justice and civil rights. The tribute to King continued later that afternoon, as Harvard Law Professor Charles Ogletree presented a talk in Robsham Theater prior to the awarding of the 2012 King Scholarship to Sandra Dickson [see separate story]. Responding to a question by West on the definition of economic justice, Rougeau said an economic system based on fairness “is designed to serve people, not the other way around. When we see the economy dehumanizing and marginalizing families and individuals — instead of empowering them — then we have a problem.” In a discussion about the role of education in economic justice and civil rights, Rev. McLendon said, “The degree of economic success we’ve been afforded is tied to educational opportunities. What should be of concern to us is we have generations who are not being prepared to pursue higher education. That is a serious obstacle to achieving economic justice.” —Sean Smith


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Chronicle february 16, 2012

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Life Stories

Survivors Walk at the BC Relay for Life.

They each have a story. Andrew DiChiara ’12 lost his grandmother to cancer two years ago. Casey Osgood ’14 made the threehour drive from Chestnut Hill to Wilton, Conn., countless times last year as her mother battled thyroid cancer. Karen Guarino ’13 remembers when her favorite high school teacher was diagnosed and given just five months to live. Cancer has shaped the lives of each of the organizers of the Boston College Relay for Life. On Feb. 24, they will lead an effort to raise $150,000 – which would be a BC Relay for Life record – to support cancer research. “This is so much bigger than a competition. Each person has a personal story,” said DiChiara, a chemistry major from Woburn, Mass., who has been a Relay organizer since his freshman year. “It’s something that we share from the beginning. At the first meeting of the year, we all sit and explain how we have been impacted and we give it all the time it takes to get through everyone in the room. “That shows us all why it is important for us, individually, and why it is important for us, as a group, to be a part of Relay,” said DiChiara. Danny Baush ’12, a biology and psychology major from Holyoke, Mass., got involved with Relay for Life as a freshman. Baush’s grandmother fought cancer, and so when a roommate joined the organizational effort, Baush decided to come along, too. After attending his first Relay for Life at BC, Baush became a fervent supporter. “I tell people that you just have to experience it. Relay was one of the most fun and moving experiences I have ever had at BC,” said Baush, recounting the Luminaria Ceremony, when candles or glow sticks are lit in memory or honor of all those who fight, or who have died of, cancer. “Every year, it is one of the most powerful moments of the night because you see just how many people this disease impacts,” said Baush. “I relay for all the people who have had cancer impact their lives.” For organizers like Osgood, that impact runs deep. Osgood’s mother is now cancer-free, but during Osgood’s first year at Boston College, her family

struggled through surgeries and treatment. With two younger brothers at home, Osgood felt torn between being at school and supporting her family. “Cancer has impacted my family in many ways. In 2010, we lost my Aunt Donna to breast cancer after a 10-year fight. It was the first time I had ever seen my father cry. A year to the day of her passing, my other aunt was diagnosed. And my mother was diagnosed with thyroid cancer,” said Osgood, a Lynch School of Education student. “So it has been a tough couple years.” Osgood said her work with Relay has been cathartic. “Being a part of Relay has helped get me through all this. I have seen cancer, from a caregiver’s perspective, and I know what an impact the disease can have, not just on the individual, but on the whole family.” “I don’t think I realized how many people cancer affects until I got onto a big campus, like BC. Here, you see that so many people have similar stories. And you do feel this sense of community – it’s amazing that an event like this can bring together so many people who want to help,” she said. Guarino says she takes hope from the many survivor stories. Guarino’s favorite high school teacher – who was given a bleak diagnosis of just five months to live – continues to thrive after 10 years. But Guarino is keenly aware that not everyone is so lucky: High school also marked a time when her brother’s best friend’s mother passed away from breast cancer. “On a personal note, it’s hard to see someone that you care so much about lose someone close to them,” said Guarino, a sociology and math major from Malvern, Pa. “That’s what initially drew me to Relay: a sense of community and something that everyone could relate to. I didn’t feel so isolated, so helpless against something I couldn’t fix myself. “The day after the event is when you get hooked. When you see it all come together and see what a great 12 hours it is, you just want to do more,” said Guarino. “It what keeps me coming back.” —Melissa Beecher

Members and friends of the University will gather on Feb. 24 to show their solidarity with those affected by cancer — and their support for efforts to combat the deadly disease — at the fifth annual BC Relay for Life. The 12-hour event begins at 6 p.m. in the Flynn Recreation Complex. Relay for Life is the American Cancer Society’s signature fundraising activity. Donors sponsor participants who commit to having a member of their team walk the athletic track continuously throughout the event. The event also features tributes to survivors and victims of cancers, and their families. [See bcrelay. org] Many people within the BC community have been touched by cancer, directly or indirectly. With Relay for Life approaching, Chronicle asked some of them to share their stories. No buffets or salad bars. No using communal bathrooms. No oncampus housing. No more than one roommate. This is what being a Boston College student again entails for Meghan Woody ’14, who brings along a surgical mask to wear, plus about a dozen bottles of hand sanitizers, for a typical day of classes. That’s how it is when your body’s immune system is practically non-existent, leaving you vulnerable to the simplest infection. “I have to be particularly careful this time of year, what with colds and flu going around,” says Woody, an Overland Park, Kan., native. “Even if it’s someone just with sniffles, I have to stay away, or I’m asking for trouble.” Woody isn’t looking for pity — just a life that’s something close to normal. The word “normal,” however, became a relative term the summer following her freshman year, when she was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. She missed the fall 2010 semester while recovering from chemotherapy, then returned to campus the following semester. But last June, Woody found out the cancer had returned (“Meghan, we have a problem,” Woody recalls her doctor telling her. “You might want to call your mother.”), and underwent a bone marrow transplant two days before she turned 21. Once again, Woody was forced to put her college plans to the side as she waited to see if the treatment worked — a 50-50 proposition. When the signs looked encouraging, she began making arrangements to resume her studies, and last month returned to BC. “During preparations for the transplant, I asked the medical staff, ‘How good would I have to do to come back to BC next semester?’” says Woody. “They said it probably wouldn’t happen until the fall of 2012. But I kept saying, ‘Look, I need to go back to school.’ Finally, my doctor said it was OK, and if he says it’s OK, I knew it was.” As a cancer survivor, Woody will be recognized at the Feb. 24 Relay for Life event, and earlier that day will see another, even more appropriate honor: a bone marrow registration drive organized by several of her friends. The drive — which is not officially part of Relay for Life — will take place at the Flynn Recreation Complex from 3-6 p.m.; there will be additional opportunities to sign up for the bone marrow registry during Relay for Life. It would be no surprise if Woody might be feeling a touch of déjà vu: Wasn’t it exactly a year ago she was preparing to take part in Relay for Life, rejoicing at the resumption of her BC studies? This time around, Woody seems perhaps more guarded in her optimism, even as she remains determined to pursue her degree.

“It’s been tough,” she acknowledges, “what with the restrictions because my immune system is weak” — a temporary result of the bone marrow transplant — “and that I get winded pretty easily. After spending your days not being able to do much more than watch TV, it’s a huge transition to go

never imagined. She also realizes that the first impression people may have of her is of “that girl who’s had cancer.” “Most of my friends know me well enough to have a fuller picture of me, as I am,” Woody says. At the same time, she adds, “it’s not necessarily a terrible thing to be known as ‘the girl Lee Pellegrini who’s had cancer,’ because it could be far worse — like being known as ‘the girl who died from cancer.’” Putting cancer in the past tense is not a given, Woody notes. At this point, she says, any complications ensuing from the bone marrow transplant are likely to be quality-of-life issues, rather than a matter of survival. But there is still a 25 percent she could relapse — and if that hapback into a society that idealizes good pens, she says, “there’s often not much health and ‘normal’ life.” they can do.” She sees a doctor at Beth But make no mistake, Woody is Israel Hospital every couple of weeks, glad to be back at BC and among her to have her progress monitored. friends again. She expresses gratitude It is possible sometimes, Woody toward those in the BC community says, for her to actually forget about who have given their support, like cancer. Not completely, though: former College of Arts and Scienc- “There’ll be something on TV that es Honors Program Director Mark mentions cancer. Or I’ll see a bruise on O’Connor and Academic Advising my foot and wonder if it’s a sign that Center Associate Director Elizabeth something’s wrong.” When she goes to Chadwick, who helped her tackle see her doctor, she says, “I pack a bag.” the red tape stemming from her two If Woody can divide her life into missed semesters. “before cancer” and “since cancer” peLike many cancer survivors, riods, there is one thing that straddles Woody grapples with a fundamental them both: her career goal. question: Does this disease define who “I wanted to be a doctor well before I am? Certainly cancer forced her to I got sick,” says Woody, who served confront critical issues and examine an internship at a hospital last year. her innermost beliefs and fears — “Having cancer has only strengthened sometimes via the blog she created my desire, because of the perspective [daysthatfeel.blogspot.com] after her I’ve gained. Now, I have to become diagnosis — with an intensity she a doctor.” —Sean Smith This year’s Relay for Life will mark the first appearance for a group of employees from the Office of Residential Life, who are honoring a late colleague while recalling their own experiences with cancer. Eighteen members of the ResLife staff are walking and fundraising as part of the “Too Inspired to be Tired” team, according to Duchesne Resident Director Katie Wostbrock, who is serving as team cocaptain. Over the semester break, the ResLife staff brainstormed about group activities that also would be philanthropic. Relay for Life was a natural choice, said Wostbrock, because everyone on the team has been affected by cancer in some way: Three members are survivors, and every other member has at least one relative who has battled cancer, explained Wostbrock, who lost two grandparents to the disease. The ResLife participants also are remembering colleague Ellen Hominsky, who worked at BC for 35

years and died from leukemia in 2010. She was “beloved by everyone,” said Wostbrock. So far, the “Too Inspired to be Tired” team has raised more than $500. They are continuing their fund-

Lee Pellegrini

raising efforts and are making plans for ways to raise money at the event itself. “I’m really excited for Relay,” said Wostbrock, a graduate student in the Lynch School of Education. “It’s a great way to raise awareness, as well as money.” Their team page is at http://bit.ly/ wwlaUv. —Kathleen Sullivan


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Chronicle

Pineda-Madrid

Continued from page 1 fering and any form of mass killing forces questions of faith and hope,” said Pineda-Madrid, the first theologian to write a book about the feminicide in Juárez. “Many theologians remarked after Auschwitz that Christian theology could not be done the same way. I don’t think we can look at the Christian faith and Christian theology in the same way in light of this incidence of feminicide in Juárez.” The feminicide in Juárez shows no signs of abating, says PinedaMadrid: In the first 10 months of 2011, 220 women are known to have been killed. “It is not simply a gunshot to the head. The women are raped. Their bodies are disfigured. It is a clear attack on gender.” Most human rights watchers, scholars and journalists trace the beginning of the feminicide to 1993, just prior to the start of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). According to PinedaMadrid, NAFTA precipitated two critical trends: The US-Mexican border became very porous, and hundreds of maquiladora factories — factories in Mexico manufacturing goods for US corporations — were established in Juárez. While a more accessible border suited business interests by easing the entry of maquiladora-made goods into the US for distribution, it also attracted drug traffickers looking to establish supply routes into the United States, explained Pineda-Madrid. “That shifted the climate in the city very dramatically. The violence in the city as a whole escalated.” Evidence indicates girls and women were killed for sport or as a way for drug cartels to mark their territory or celebrate a successful drug run across the border, she said. But not all of the blame for the changes in Juárez can be placed on the cartels and drug traffic, said Pineda-Madrid, pointing to other complex economic and social shifts. “When the maquiladora factories

Sloan Fellowships

Continued from page 1 Her proposal to the foundation focused on work researchers in her lab are doing to learn more about how RNA molecules adapt much more quickly than proteins to mutational change. Discoveries in this area could one day contribute to a growing body of research seeking to develop targeted antibiotics and other therapies. Ran is a theoretical physicist whose primary research interests lay in quantum condensed matter theory, in particular the discovery of novel properties that transcend the traditional understanding of matter. His work looks at the potential of materials such as high temperature

Lee Pellegrini

february 16, 2012

Nancy Pineda-Madrid, author of Suffering and Salvation in Ciudad Juárez.

came to Juárez, the owners hired women because they felt they were less likely to demand a just wage and more willing to work in conditions that were not ideal. Unlike men, they were docile and wouldn’t complain. So there is social tension in the household now, because men typically have been the breadwinners.” And because there are so many women, the factory owners can easily replace them when they become burned out. “There is this notion that women are disposable that leads to the devaluation of female lives,” said Pineda-Madrid. In Suffering and Salvation, Pineda-Madrid offers a “sharp critique of patriarchy, the underlying ideology which really sustains and supports a lot of what is going on. Patriarchy is a problem around the globe and what we are seeing in Juárez is its most horrific and extreme expression.” A turning point in the violence against women came in November 2001, according to Pineda-Madrid, when over two days the bodies of eight murder victims were deposited at a busy intersection. “That became a horrific example of the impunity that the perpetrators felt they had. As a result, many of the groups that had been protesting came together under one umbrella group called Ni Una Mas (Not One More).” superconductors, “frustrated” magnets and topological insulators. Wang’s research has focused on the science of clean energy conversion and storage. In particular, Wang’s experimental work has developed new nanostructures and sheds new light on how these novel materials’ influence their physical, particularly electrical, properties. Wang’s lab has developed a web-like Nanonet structure that provides added surface area and increased electrical efficiency. Wang’s Nanonets have made advances in harvesting hydrogen through a process known as water splitting, and demonstrated a potential role in the design of future generations of lithium-ion batteries. Wang, who earned his doctorate from Stanford

Hundreds of people carrying pink crosses participated in a 230mile march, called Exodo por Vida (Exodus for Life), from Chihuahua City to Juárez. At the end, the marchers erected a very large pink cross at the Paso del Norte Bridge that connects Juárez and El Paso, and hung white strips of paper bearing the victims’ names on a board. “I feel there was a theological connection clearly being made to the crucifixion of Jesus and the recognition that many women are being crucified through this feminicide.” Since then, says Pineda-Madrid, pink crosses have gone up all across Juárez; every time another body is found, a cross is erected with the name of the victim. “It’s making, I think, a radical statement linking female humanity to crucifixion in a way that jars the imagination. We don’t imagine crucifixion in this way. My theological interpretation is that there’s also a linking not only to the crucifixion but ultimately to the resurrection. There is an affirmation of life that extends beyond the suffering they know. They’re recognizing that these brutal deaths that their daughters have experienced are not the last word and ultimate meaning of their daughters’ lives.” But there is additional reason for concern in Juárez, according to Pineda-Madrid, as “the powers that be are trying to intimidate and silence those individuals — activists and journalists — who want to make the feminicide more publicly known. The violence against activists and resisters is making people in Juárez pull back and the hope now is that international pressure will be put to bear on the situation.” Pineda-Madrid sums up the message that is at the heart of her book: “Suffering brought on by collective evil, and our corresponding drive for release from such suffering, reveals that community is a necessary condition for the possibility of salvation.” Contact Kathleen Sullivan at kathleen.sullivan@bc.edu

University, has received numerous awards, including a National Science Foundation Career Award last year. Young, who joined the BC faculty in 2011, focuses on the psychology and neuroscience of moral judgment and behavior. Earlier this year, she was 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. Patricia Delaney, Deputy Director of News & Public Affairs, contributed to this story. The full version of this article is available via online Chronicle, at www.bc.edu/chronicle

Q&A

5

A FEW MINUTES WITH... James Keenan, SJ

Founders Professor in Theology James Keenan, SJ, has a wealth of scholarly interests and activities in areas such as fundamental moral theology, theological ethics, HIV/AIDS, and Church leadership ethics. A former Gasson Professor who joined the Boston College faculty in 2005, Fr. Keenan has served on the Church in the 21st Century Center task force on the Catholic Intellectual Tradition. Recently, Sean Smith of the Chronicle talked with Fr. Keenan about his newest task: directing the BC Presidential Scholars Program. The full interview is available via the online Chronicle [www.bc.edu/chronicle]. You’re now in your second year as director of the Presidential Scholars Program. What are the most important things you’ve learned about the program that you didn’t know before? What I know now is how important it is to have an assistant who anticipates, with professional sensitivity, the ongoing agenda that we have. My assistant, Jennie Thomas, is sensational. She keeps our activities well Gary Wayne Gilbert on track. I’ve also been surprised by the amount of time I need to dedicate to the program. My predecessor Dr. Dennis Sardella told me about this, but between meetings, letters of reference, trips, etc., I spend about 25 hours a week as director. The most exciting dimension of my work is the way faculty, particularly senior faculty, have accepted any number of invitations that I have extended for them to mentor or advise a student. I would say that in the past 18 months, we have been supported by about another 40 faculty who were not previously involved in the program. We know that Presidential Scholars are among the best students in the country academically, and they demonstrate the potential for leadership and service. But how do you experience them on a day-in, week-out basis? What kinds of everyday, personal qualities do you find these young people share? I think the Presidential Scholars know how much energy and wisdom I draw from them. I find the more I ask of them, the more they give. They are a very enjoyable group of people, with vision, energy, and drive. I think they are remarkably normal. Today’s undergraduates have a wild amount of expectations on them, and the Presidential Scholars certainly do. But, for the most part, they handle those expectations with a fair amount of maturity, solidarity, and humor. They are also very innovative. They are involved in most activities on campus and they are not afraid to step forward with new ideas and dreams. It’s quite exciting. I think BC is the better for having them. I know too that faculty are very happy with them. Anywhere I go on campus, one faculty member after another tells me about one or another Scholar. Similarly, through Development, we have reached out to Board of Trustees and Wall Street Council Members like John Murphy, Kathleen Corbet, T. J. Maloney, Mario Gabelli, Geoff Boisi and Robert Devlin who have long supported the program. They are getting to know the Presidential Scholars first hand now and I think that’s quite good. Do you feel that directing the Presidential Scholars Program has enhanced your own academic and professional life? Yes. As a scholar I often wonder, does anyone read what I write or accept the advice that I offer? I realize that I need to ask whether I effectively communicate. I think I’ve learned that lesson from this generation of intellectuals. A great idea means nothing if it is not effectively communicated.

More at www.bc.edu/chronicle


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Chronicle february 16, 2012

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By Kathleen Sullivan Staff Writer

Fifty-four Boston College undergraduates presented their scholarly research — on topics that included adoption in South Korea, Chinese migration in Far East Russia, French media coverage of the burqa controversy, and the progress Trustee Associate Randy Seidl ’85 during last week’s “Lunch with a Leader” session, of reconciliation in Rwanda — to the University community last week sponsored by the Winston Center for Leadership & Ethics. (Photo by Lee Pellegrini) at the sixth annual Undergraduate Research Symposium. Sponsored by the University Fellowships Committee, the symposium, which took place on Feb. 3 in eral arts education and the practical Fulton Hall, showcased scholarship By Ed Hayward business side left me much better supported by BC’s Advanced Study Staff Writer prepared than if I had just studied Grants program, as well as McIn a Fulton Hall conference business.” Nair Scholarship projects, research room, Hewlett-Packard Company He credited hands-on manage- published in undergraduate jourSenior Vice President Randy Seidl ment opportunities in student clubs nals, and other independent work. ’85 spent his lunch hour with a – including helping to start the BC Opening the symposium, organizer group of Carroll School of Man- Student Agencies and running the Vice Provost for Undergraduate agement students, sharing his own t-shirt and hat business then called Academic Affairs Donald Hafner lessons from life and business just as BC Marketing Agency – summer told the audience he hoped the Boston-area executives did when he jobs, and calling prospective donors event would be “fun and yet at the was an undergraduate. for BC’s Development Office as same time engage important issues Seidl, a leading executive crucial experiences in preparation for and look to the deeper questions of throughout his nearly 25-year ca- his distinguished and varied career in human existence.” reer and a University trustee for management and sales. After EMC, Delivering the keynote address, the past decade, said he tried to he served as chairman and CEO Assistant Professor of History Jeruse last week’s Winston Center for of Workgroup Solutions, co-foundemy Clarke, SJ, offered his views on Leadership & Ethics “Lunch with a ed GiantLoop, served as CEO of the purpose of research. ResearchLeader” session to answer questions Permabit and was senior vice presiers, he said, “want to tell people’s from students who are, in some dent and general manager of North stories, be it a four-year-old girl in cases, just a few months away from America for Sun Microsystems. the Salem Witch trial, or people graduating into the business world. Approximately 11 years ago, who binge eat, or the people buried “Whenever I come back to cam- Seidl was asked to serve on the in an abbey in Ireland. Because it pus to speak to students, I just try BC Board of Trustees. Currently matters. If my life matters and your to put things in a perspective that I a trustee associate, Seidl said he’s life matters, well, so do these people could relate to when I was in their grateful for the chance to advance we study.” shoes,” said Seidl, who runs HP’s the University. He encouraged the student reAmericas division for enterprise serv“It’s another opportunity to searchers to continue to be “preers, storage and networking technol- shape the University and to have pared, flexible and hard-working, ogy and services. “I try to let students my voice heard both internally and because that is how we end up know what I did well and what I externally,” he said. “It’s a special recovering these important stories could have done better. I like to hear honor.” and making the fantastic research them talk about what they want to Seidl’s BC ties extend to his famdo and answer any questions they ily: Philip, the oldest of his four chilmight have.” dren, is a junior in the Lynch School As a Carroll School undergrad, of Education, where his niece KendContinued from page 1 Seidl remembers listening to many all Grojean is a freshman. of the visiting speakers who came to A stalwart supporter of BC’s about myself.” Organizers at the Volunteer and campus, particularly John M. “Jack” Jesuit, Catholic mission, Seidl still Connors Jr. ’63, HD ’07, a found- draws inspiration from the motto Service Learning Center have led the flourishing partnership between Bosing partner of the national market- “Ever to Excel.” ing communications company Hill, “‘Ever to Excel’ speaks to always ton College and the Big Brother/Big Holliday, Connors, Cosmopulos trying to improve and grow to be Sister Program of Massachusetts Bay Inc. Seidl also drew inspiration your best,” said Seidl. “The Jesuit and the Big Sisters of Greater Bosfrom former Carroll School faculty mission’s roots in ethics and integ- ton. The program – called BC BIGS member Frank Ladwig, who taught rity are critical in this day and age. — has grown from just 12 pairs last a class called Personal Selling, and My BC education offered a solid year to 42 this year. Another 120 Associate Professor of Theology Fr. foundation in core values and it was students participate in after-school James Weiss, who taught the multi- great to be surrounded by people programs at local schools and comfaceted Perspectives course. who shared similar values – who munity centers across Boston each In an interview, Seidl empha- don’t necessarily have to follow the day. Every other week this semessized how he benefitted from the same religion – but who believe liberal arts core curriculum at the in spirituality and the perspective ter, a school bus arrives at McElroy center of the BC undergraduate ex- of ‘ever to excel.’ It is great to be Commons to deliver the children, perience, in addition to his courses surrounded by that during your un- all from the Franklin Field Housin management. dergraduate years. I will forever be ing Complex. BC BIGS organize a “I was ready for the world when grateful to Boston College for all it group event for all of them – science experiments in the Physics labs, step I graduated,” said Seidl, who shortly has done for me.” dancing or swimming in the Flynn after graduating became the 33rd Contact Ed Hayward at Recreation Complex. The trips to employee to join then-start-up ed.hayward@bc.edu Boston College are many children’s EMC Corp. “Combining the lib-

For Seidl, Campus Visit Is a Chance to Share Wisdom

BC BIGS

Lee Pellegrini

Symposium Touts Undergrad Research

Margaret Veroneau ’12 describes research she and Kelly Leonard ’12 undertook on binge eating and weight loss among college students.

that we celebrate today.” Five Connell School of Nursing students gave poster presentations in Fulton Common, addressing topics such as binge-eating, community health clinicals in Haiti, and the role of caregivers in unintended pregnancy situations. The other student scholars presented their projects in one of 13 panels organized by themes. Undergraduates were quick to credit faculty and others in the BC community who had assisted their research. Presidential Scholar Maggie Scollan ’14 discussed her participation in an archaeological dig of a 12th-century monastery in Trim, Ireland. A biology major with a minor in history, Scollan said the Advanced Study Grant-funded project fed her interest in osteoarchaeology, the analysis of human skeletal remains. She explained how analysis of bones at the site enabled archaeologists to determine the likely cause of death (tuberculosis) of one person and the occupation (swordsman or archer, due to ridges on the scapula) of another. Another Advanced Study Grant first, and only, exposure to college. VSLC Director Dan Ponsetto said the unprecedented growth of BC BIGS is a testament to the young men and women who are drawn to helping Boston youth. “When that bus pulls up and those kids come running off into the arms of their Bigs, it really is moving. These kids love being here on campus and they love spending time with their Bigs,” said Ponsetto. “Many of their parents don’t let the kids outside to play because it is too dangerous, so despite the fact that these kids come from the same neighborhood – sometimes just a couple doors down from one another – they don’t know one another.” “The most fun over this year has been watching the BC students grow into the role of mentors,” said Courtney Nichols, a 2014 graduate student in the School of Theology and Ministry, who manages the program. I think, for many of them, the first interaction with the Littles can be overwhelming and they were

winner, Carroll School of Management sophomore Max Cho, presented a comparison of the housing bubbles in the US, Japan and China, which represent the three largest economies in the world and three different phases of the bubble — past, present and future. Sophomore Narintohn Luangrath traveled to France to examine newspaper and magazine reportage on the burqa ban and on French and North African Muslims. An International Studies and philosophy double major, Luangrath found that while most coverage of the burqa ban “avoided words signaling support or condemnation of the ban, articles arguably contained ‘latent’ content, reflecting common French attitudes regarding religious expression in the public sphere and equality of the sexes.” Descriptions of research projects from this year and 2011 are available at http://www.bc.edu/content/bc/ offices/ufel/researchsymposium.html. Watch a video about the symposium at the Chronicle YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/bcchronicle. hesitant to set boundaries, but they have quickly acquired the ability to do that, to teach and become a support for the students.” Nichols is working to centralize the individual efforts of BC students who participate in Big Brother/Big Sisters. Because no formalized group on campus has existed until now, students have largely taken it upon themselves to become mentors. Students like Will Bracker ’12 have been the drivers behind programs like “Enlaces,” a mentoring program for Spanish speaking children at the West End House in Allston. Nichols said it is the VSLC’s goal to become a resource for all BC Big Brothers/Big Sisters mentors. “In the Jesuit tradition, we not only want to encourage service in the community, but reflection on that service,” said Nichols. For more information on BC BIGS contact Nichols, at courtney.nichols@ bc.edu. Contact Melissa Beecher at melissa.beecher@bc.edu


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WELCOME ADDITIONS As associate director of the International Studies program, Adjunct Assistant Professor Hiroshi Nakazato has helped design a new curriculum and international studiesspecific courses, and oversee thesis requirements for one of the University’s newest academic majors. Nakazato worked as a teaching fellow, lecturer and visiting professor in international studies when it was an independent major for students who petitioned on an individual basis. Nakazato holds a doctorate in political science from Boston College, along with a degree in political science and a postgraduate degree in religious studies from the University of Calgary. He has taught courses in international law, world politics and US civil-military relations, and is currently conducting research on “food politics” as a basis for a new classroom subject. Economics Adjunct Associate Professor Christopher Maxwell has applied a statistical modeling theory of economics as a basis for predicting athletic performance – the same approach being practiced by the new generation of Major League Baseball’s general managers. Maxwell, who taught microeconomics at Boston College from 198289, teaches or co-teaches such courses as Game Theory in Economics, Sports Economics, The Business of Sports, and Markets and Information (Dogs and Ponies, Bulls and Bears). A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania with master’s and doctoral degrees in economics from Harvard University, Maxwell was a senior manager with Charles River Associates. He returned to the BC faculty as a visiting scholar/ instructor before accepting his present appointment. Assistant Professor of English Julie Orlemanski specializes in medieval literature, the history of medicine, and literary and critical theory, and is teaching an Advanced Topic Seminar on the Middle Ages this semester. She has published several articles and is completing a book on medicine, embodiment, and narrative in late medieval England, titled Symptomatic Subjects: Bodies, Signs, and Narratives in Late Medieval England. Orlemanski earned a doctoral degree from Harvard University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia. Prior to joining the BC faculty, she was a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard’s Mahindra Humanities Center. —Reid Oslin and Rosanne Pellegrini Photos by Gary Wayne Gilbert and Lee Pellegrini “Welcome Additions,” an occasional feature, profiles new faculty members at Boston College.

Appalachia Volunteers Earn Responsible Scholars Grant

For the second time in three years, the Boston College Appalachia Volunteers Program has received a grant from the Responsible Scholars Alternative Spring Break Grants program of Liberty Mutual Insurance. The Appalachia Volunteers received $2,500 for their dedication to, and meaningful impact on, struggling regions throughout the United States. The Alternative Spring Break Grants program annually awards grants to 10 student organizations that engage in community work over their spring break vacation. With 500 volunteers working in 36 different locations within the Appalachian Region, Liberty Mutual noted in its announcement, “the Appalachia Volunteers of Boston College is the largest spring break service organization in the United States. “Now in its 33rd year, the Appalachia Volunteers Program is committed to participating in local service opportunities throughout the year that help ease the burden for those Americans who are impoverished and marginalized.” Other Alternative Spring Break Grant recipients represent Bryant University, Georgia Southern University, Illinois State University, Purdue University, Southwest Minnesota State University, University of California-Davis, University of Connecticut, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, and University of North Carolina. —Office of News & Public Affairs

Newsmakers Center for Work & Family Assistant Director Jennifer Fraone discussed some of the options for alternative work schedules as a “Work-Life Wednesday” guest on Fox News Boston. Islamic Civilization & Societies Director Prof. Ali Banuazizi (Political Science) offered his views on the conflict in Syria for an article in The New York Times. Assoc. Prof. Jonathan Laurence (Political Science) discussed with MSNBC the provocative or fearbased campaigns by nationalist groups in Western Europe that have risen on anti-immigrant or anti-Muslim sentiment. America magazine published an essay by McCarthy Professor of Catholic Systematic Theology Richard Gaillardetz as part of a series of articles commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council. Asst. Prof. David Olson (Law) published a piece in the Washington Examiner on a recent case before the US Supreme Court involving constitutional restrictions on granting copyrights. Center on Wealth and Philanthropy Director Prof. Paul Schervish (Sociology) was interviewed by CBS Boston about Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s recent comment that he’s focused on relieving the suffering of middle-class Americans hit hard by the bad economy, rather than on the poor.

Publications Prof. Khaled Anatolios (STM) published Retrieving Nicaea: The Development and Meaning of Trini-

tarian Doctrine and the chapter “The Canonization of Scripture in the Context of Trinitarian Doctrine” a in the Oxford Handbook of the Trinity. “Ancient Rhetorical and Epistolary Theory: Second Corinthians as Deliberative Discourse,” by Assoc. Prof. Thomas D. Stegman, SJ (STM), appears in Method and Meaning: Essays on New Testament Interpretation in Honor of Harold W. Attridge. Assoc. Prof. Andrea Vicini, SJ (STM), published “Theological Ethics, Medical Practice, and Health Care: To Promote a Greater and Better Justice” in Studia Moralia and “Human Genetics: Advances and Ethical Implications” in Vita Pastorale.

and Foreign.

Time and a Half Founders Professor in Theology James F. Keenan, SJ, presented “A Case for Professional Academic Ethics” at the Society of Christian Ethics, Washington, DC. Asst. Prof. Nancy Pineda-Madrid (STM) presented the following talks: “Feminicide, Practices of Resistance, and the Possibility of Salvation,” University of Portland (Oregon); “Mariology and Our Lady of Guadalupe,” Boston University; “La Guadalupe, The Bible, Pentecost,” annual meeting of the American Academy of Religion in San Francisco; “Alejandro García-Rivera’s Theological Cosmology and Its Roots in Pragmatism,” De Paul University; “Guadalupe: An American Pentecost,” College of Saint Scholastica (Minn.); and “‘Turning the Subject,’ Black Women’s Bodies and the Unsettling Contribution of M. Shawn Copeland,” Catholic Theological Society of America in San Jose, Calif.

BC BRIEFING Prof. John Baldovin, SJ (STM), edited and contributed five essays to A Commentary on the Order of Mass of the Roman Missal and wrote articles on the new translation for Liturgical Ministry and Liturgisches Jarbuch. Prof. Kevin Mahoney (GSSW) and GSSW doctoral program graduate S. Wade Taylor published “Being Gay at a Jesuit University: The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Resource Center at Georgetown University: A Case Study” in Conversations On Jesuit Higher Education. Adj. Assoc. Prof. Michael C. Keith (Communication) published a short story in the annual Lowestoft anthology Far-Flung

NOTA BENE Cawthorne Professor of Teacher Education for Urban Schools Marilyn Cochran-Smith last month received an honorary degree from Spain’s University of Alicante, alongside two other pioneering education scholars, Stanford University Professor Linda DarlingHammond and University of Wisconsin Professor Gloria LadsonBillings. University President Ignacio Jiménez Raneda praised CochranSmith and her colleagues for their unique international contributions to the field of education, particularly to teaching and teacher education in relation to issues of diversity, equity, and social justice. The three were the first female education scholars to receive honorary degrees from the university. Cochran-Smith spoke about the importance of teaching and the enormous expectations society holds for educators in the 21st century. “As we work on improving teacher quality in order to supply the labor force and meet the economic demands of the knowledge society in the 21st century, we must not forget that this is not the only, and perhaps not even the most important, goal of education,” she said. “We must also work on preparing future citizens to participate in democratic societies. We must focus on developing in all students the knowledge they need to deliberate, disagree, and to challenge the current structures of schools and society that perpetuate inequities.”

Prof. Solomon Friedberg (Mathematics) presented “Mathematicians and Public Policy: Examples, Caveats, Directions” at the conference “Matemáticos en la Educación Matemática Escolar: En la búsqueda de impacto en nuestra realidad educacional (Mathematicians and School Mathematics Education: Looking for impact in transforming our educational reality),” Santiago, Chile.

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/: Assistant Director, Student Services, International PhD Program, Graduate School of Social Work Senior Associate Director, Marketing and Communications, Auxiliary Services Assistant Director, Internships and Experiential Education, Career Center Manager, Grounds Maintenance Cashier/Line, Dining Services Lower Campus Administrative Assistant, Burns Library Assistant Coach, Women’s Soccer Assistant Director, Office of Health Promotion/Alcohol and Drug Education Assistant or Associate Director, School Development


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LOOKING AHEAD

Late February Full of Musical Moments By Rosanne Pellegrini Staff Writer

Gasson 100 will be the venue during late February for a number of free, public concerts that showcase a range of musical genres and campus groups, including two conducted by Director of Bands Sebastian Bonaiuto. At the first, this Saturday at 8 p.m., the University Wind Ensemble will present a celebration of “Symphonies.” The performance will feature compositions by Paul Hindemith, including “Symphony in B Flat” and “March from Symphonic Metamorphosis,” and Frank Ticheli’s “Symphony No. 2.” Instrumental and vocal jazz ensemble BC bOp! takes the stage at 8 p.m. this Monday, Feb. 20, as Bonaiuto leads the group in a performance of its new and traditional jazz repertoire, in preparation for an appearance at the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival in Idaho (Feb. 22-25). Last fall, the festival’s artistic director John Clayton chose BC among only 10 schools in the country at which to offer workshops prior to the 2012 event [see http://bit. ly/vfPBwi]. For information on these events, call ext.2-3018 or e-mail bands@bc.edu. The Music Department will sponsor four upcoming music

BC SCENES

File photos by Lee Pellegrini and Gary Wayne Gilbert

events, beginning on Feb. 23 with “Between Two Worlds: An Ottoman Musical Tapestry” by the DÜNYA Ensemble. The 8 p.m. concert, co-sponsored by the Islamic Civilization and Studies Program, will present folk, classical, religious and popular music of the Turkish, Sufi and Turkish-Jewish traditions. Music from Mozart’s “Coronation” Mass and American folk hymns and spirituals highlight the performance by the Univer-

sity Chorale, under the direction of Conductor John Finney, on Feb. 25 at 2 p.m. (Note: this concert will be performed in St. Ignatius Church.) The following day, Feb. 26, at 3 p.m., Finney also will conduct the BC Symphony Orchestra’s annual winter concert. On Feb. 28, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Music Sandra Hebert will direct two concerts by the Chamber Music Society, featuring performances by BC

students. A “Music in the Afternoon” performance will be held at 4:30 p.m., followed by a 7:30 p.m. concert. Information on Music Department concerts is available via the departmental website, http:// www.bc.edu/music. For information on other campus concerts, see www.bc.edu/events. Contact Rosanne Pellegrini at rosanne.pellegrini@bc.edu

ALL FOR A SONG Photos by Caitlin Cunningham

The Music Department presented “The Nightingale” — a family opera based on the Hans Christian Andersen tale — Sunday in Lyons Hall, an event that included audience participation. The producation was directed by Barbara S. Gawlick, with music by Andy Beck and Brian Fisher.

C21 Events to Focus on Sacraments The Church in the 21st Century Center spring 2012 series — which focuses on the centrality of the sacraments to Catholic life and faith — begins this afternoon with a presentation by Theology Professor Fr. Michael Himes on “Catholics: Why We Are a Sacramental People,” at 4:30 p.m. in Gasson 100. Next Thursday, School of Theology and Ministry Professor John Baldovin, SJ, an expert in historical and liturgical theology and guest editor of the Spring 2012 issue of C21 Resources, will address “Why Be Baptized in the Catholic Church?” at 5:30 p.m. in the Heights Room in Corcoran Commons. Writer and lecturer Paul Wilkes, author of the new book The Art of Confession, presents “Living the Sacrament of Confession” on Feb. 29 at 5:30 p.m. in Gasson 100. On March 8, Visiting Professor in Theology Liam Bergin will discuss “Why Confirmation Matters” at 5:30 p.m. in the Heights Room. Monsignor Bergin is a priest of the diocese of Ossory (Ireland) who served as rector of the Pontifical Irish College in Rome from 2001 to 2011. Other C21 presentations throughout the semester include: •Agape Latte featuring Vice President for Mission and Ministry Jack Butler, SJ, discussing “A Catholic Funeral: Comfort for the Journey Forward,” March 20. •A workshop led by STM Professors Daniel Harrington, SJ, and Thomas Stegman, SJ, on “John’s Gospel: Holy Week and Easter Themes,” March 23. •“Women for Others, Leaders for the Church,” a panel discussion moderated by Vice Provost for Faculties Patricia DeLeeuw, April 26. •Encounter Day for Hispanic Catholic Priests Working in New England (completely in Spanish), with Cardinal Jaime Lucas Ortega y Alamino, Archbishop of Havana, April 23. •“Why Get Married in the Catholic Church?” a panel discussion with married couples moderated by Director of Campus Ministry Fr. Tony Penna, April 30. For more information on these and other C21 events, see www.bc.edu/church21. —Kathleen Sullivan


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