Boston College Chronicle

The Boston College

Chronicle Published by the Boston College Office of News & Public Affairs november 17, 2011 VOL. 20 no. 6

University Mourns Sophomore

INSIDE •Return to ‘Frozen Fenway,’ page 2 •Art for the young at BC, page 2 •Moore at home at BC again, page 3

Commonground participant Jackie Figueredo ’14 serving meals at Project Manna, a soup kitchen in Cambridge. (Photo by Frank Curran)

•Analyzing Catholic survey, page 3 •Richardson wins book award, page 3 •Economic justice, 25 years later, page 4 •ROTC cadets ponder past, future, page 5

•Kensinger on age and memory, page 5 •Atkinson joins BC public safety, page 6 •Thanksgiving for those who stay, page 6 •Welcome Additions to BC faculty, page 7 •‘Burst the Heart Open,’ page 8

This Is What Service Looks Like

Each year, BC students provide more than 375,000 volunteer hours to local communities. And they get back at least as much as they give

By Melissa Beecher Staff Writer

Boston College undergraduates have come of age in a time of economic turmoil. And with the financial crisis pushing local social services — food pantries and shelters especially — to the limit, students have answered the call through both University-organized and grassroots efforts.

BC students complete more than 375,000 hours of volunteer service throughout the year, according to the Office of Governmental and Community Affairs. Dozens of student-led organizations – including 4Boston, the Sons of St. Patrick

“I first got involved in 4Boston as a freshman because everyone gets involved in service at Boston College,” said Spencer, who is in the BC ROTC Program [see separate story on page 5]. “But my experience quickly became a very personal one.

I started here as a chemistry major and have actually changed my focus to double major in psychology and sociology because I want to pursue a career in social work.

“Over the past few years I have seen a consistent level of need, in a bad way. There is a high demand for the meals, more on the weeks that bad weather hits,” she said. “It can be emotionally demanding work, Continued on page 4

Connecting Societies and Cultures through Education BC’s Philip Altbach has made the study of higher ed his life’s work

By Ed Hayward Staff Writer

NOTICE: Boston College offices will close at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 23, for the Thanksgiving holiday.

and Commonground – also infuse Boston-based nonprofits with intangibles like enthusiasm, idealism and passion in what can be daunting circumstances.

Time and again, student leaders express how service to others has enriched their undergraduate experience.

One of the largest service organizations in the country, 4Boston is comprised of 350 students who commit four hours each week to service at various organizations in Boston. Anne Spencer ’12, a 4Boston Council member and representative to the Pine Street Inn, said that her participation in 4Boston altered the course of her life.

As a University of Chicago undergraduate and leader of the Student Peace Union in 1960, Philip Altbach traveled to England for a summer training program. There he noticed an eye-catching symbol printed on buttons being handed out by the British Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. So he

Lee Pellegrini

bought a bunch and took them back to Chicago.

“I thought it was cool – it was the peace symbol,” Altbach said.

“My friends at SPU liked them and we started printing our own buttons and handing them out. It was the first time Americans had seen the peace symbol and it caught on fast.

The rest is history.”

Even today, Altbach, the J. Donald Monan, SJ, University Professor of Higher Education at the Lynch School of Education, continues making connections between societies and cultures around the world.

During a career now in its fifth Monan Professor of Higher Continued on page 6 Education Philip Altbach

QUOTE:

Michael Racanelli, 20, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences from Brightwaters, NY, was found deceased in his off-campus apartment on Foster Street in Brighton on Nov. 14. A cause of death has not yet been reported by the Medical Examiner’s Office. Boston Police have ruled out foul play.

In a letter to the Boston College community, Vice President for Student Affairs Patrick Rombalski said, “Our thoughts and prayers go out to Michael’s family and his many friends.” He offered condolences to Michael’s parents, Michael V. Racanelli ’84 and Barbara Racanelli; brother Matthew, a member of the freshman class; sisters Lexie and Carly; cousins Anthony and Nicholas — a freshman and junior, respectively, in the Carroll School of Management; and Michael’s extended family.

Rombalski encouraged BC students to avail themselves of various campus resources, including the offices of Counseling Services (ext.2-3310), Campus Ministry (ext.2-3475) and Residential Life (ext.2-3060).

Members of the Student Affairs and Campus Ministry staff have reached out to Michael’s roommates, friends and fellow lacrosse players. They also visited residence halls the evening of Nov. 14 to be available for students.

Information regarding services for Michael Racanelli in his hometown on Long Island were not yet finalized at press time.

Vice President for University Mission and Ministry Jack Butler, SJ, said “At BC, we are a family and the death of one of ours is always painful and sad; however, the love and support found within our community is the very sign of God and the source of our comfort.”

—Office of News & Public Affairs

“While I know it is only ROTC so far, some of the things that you go through – like spending weekends out in the rain and cold – help you develop a special bond with the people that you serve with. I think any Army veteran will tell you that and I think it is a big part of being in the Army.”

—Robert Olp, Boston College ROTC cadet, page 5

T he B oston C ollege

Chronicle AR Caitlin Cunningham

people with the tools of selfexpression and decision-making necessary to lead healthy lives and to contribute to their communities.

Supported through the Arts and Social Responsibility Project, the BC group connects student artists, who wish to share their talents, with Boston-area youths. Members discuss issues regarding activism and art, work on art projects, and facilitate visual and performing arts activities for youths designed to enhance learning, solve problems and build community.

The visiting children on “Interactive Day” were from two of ASTEP’s placements: Laboure Center in South Boston, with which the BC group has been affiliated for nearly two years, and St. Columbkille Partnership School in Brighton, where it established an afterschool program this fall.

One of the Laboure Center leaders was enthusiastic enough about the event to send Kreager an e-mail: “I can’t tell you how happy we are with how it went!

They didn’t want to leave at the end of the field trip!”

ASTEP members plan to make the event, which began on a smaller scale last spring, a tradition each semester.

—Rosanne Pellegrini

Soprano Charlotte de Rothschild and harpist Danielle Perrett presented a concert Nov. 7 of English songs to complement the current McMullen Museum of Art exhibition “Making History: Antiquaries in Britain.”

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A group of local young art enthusiasts got an insight into college life when they visited Boston College last week.

Some 30 children aged eight to 13 from Boston-area schools were the guests of the BC student group Artists Striving to End Poverty at Boston College (ASTEP@BC) on Nov. 9 for “Interactive Day.” Enjoying a beautiful fall day, the youths toured Devlin Hall, which houses the McMullen Museum and Fine Arts Department, as well as the Robsham Theater Arts Center. They also gathered in Ignacio Hall’s first floor lounge for arts and crafts activities, theater games, and singing and dancing with BC student performing groups.

“We launched ‘Interactive Day’ so we could show the kids what college is like, to give them something to work towards,” said ASTEP co-president Steven Kreager ’12. “The kids were full of questions about the art we do on campus and what it is like to be a college student. I think we have really given them something to look forward to and strive for.”

ASTEP@BC is a college chapter of a national organization whose goal is to create change with art. With programming based on theater activities, its mission is to empower young

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Young at Art

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Two visitors to “Interactive Day,” sponsored by Artists Striving to End Poverty at Boston College. Some 30 children from the Boston area attended the event.

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The University’s annual United Way Campaign kicked off Monday, under the leadership of co-chairs Carroll School of Management Associate Dean Richard Keeley and McIntyre Professor of Economics Joseph Quinn.

Keeley and Quinn urged employees to consider making a contribution to the drive, and help the United Way continue to provide valuable assistance to the neediest.

“United Way aims to ensure that children are ready for school, young people have guidance and opportunities, and families have the financial stability to support their children’s development. And United Way is uniquely effective. No other organization has the mix of vision, expertise and influence that is required to deliver results against these goals. Your United Way contribution will not only help families weather the current crisis; it will also build a foundation for the future.”

Information on the BC United Way Campaign is available at http://bit.ly/ttg5Mh

John Quackenbos

november 17, 2011

2

It will be back to “Frozen Fenway” in January for the BC hockey team.

Tickets go on public sale tomorrow, Nov. 18, for a unique outdoor “Boston Rivalries” hockey doubleheader that will feature Boston College and cross-town rival Northeastern on Jan. 14 at Fenway Park.

The BC-Northeastern game will start at 6 p.m. following a 3 p.m. contest between local high school hockey powerhouses Boston College High School and Catholic Memorial.

Ticket prices will range from $5 for limited view seating to $50 for prime locations. Tickets will go on sale at noon Friday and can be ordered on-line at http://redsox.com/frozenfenway.

The “Boston Rivalries” twin bill will be a highlight of “Frozen Fenway 2012,” a two-week long hockey and skating event that will kick off the 100th anniversary celebration of Fenway Park.

Coach Jerry York’s Eagles took part in the first college hockey event at the famed Back Bay ball yard when they played Boston University in a night game on Jan. 8, 2010. That game was sold out in hours.

—Reid Oslin T he B oston C ollege

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: •The 40 Hour Famine—Senior Zachary Desmond organized “The 40 Hour Famine” on Nov. 9 and 10 to raise awareness of world hunger and spark action aimed at diminishing inequalities in the global food system.

The Boston College

Chronicle

Director of NEWS & Public Affairs

Cooking? It’s a SNAP

Jack Dunn Deputy Director of NEWS & Public AFFAIRS

A culinary showdown will take place later this month in the Eagle’s Nest, at which students will have a chance to compete in a cultural cuisine cook-off during a first-of-its-kind campus commemoration.

Sponsored by the Society of Native American Peoples (SNAP) as part of Native American Heritage Month — being observed for the first time at Boston College — the “So You Think You Can Cook” competition will be held on Nov. 28 from 6:30–8 p.m., in collaboration with the Chinese Student Association (CSA) and South Asian Student Association (SASA).

Participation is open to the University community, and no affiliation with the cultural clubs is necessary. The first 18 individuals who sign up will be randomly assigned to groups of six, with three teams overall.

“Our goal during Native American Heritage Month is to educate the BC community about Native American culture, and food happens to be a crucial aspect of that culture,” says Anita

Lum ’14, AHANA Caucus representative for SNAP. “For SNAP, participants will make ‘PowWow Tacos.’ The other two dishes are up to the choosing of their respective culture clubs. Contestants must follow the given recipes and replicate the dish to their best ability in an hour time frame.”

The idea for the event originated from the AHANA Caucus retreat this fall, Lum says, at which SNAP, CSA and SASA were encouraged to plan an original event that would encompass their respective cultures.

The cook-off is an opportunity to “acknowledge the collaborative efforts between these three different culture groups,” she said, “and see how unity is achievable even when the similarities between us may not be very obvious.”

For more information on “So You Think You Can Cook,” contact Paola Chavez ’12, SNAP director of Social and Political Affairs, at chavezp@bc.edu.

—Rosanne Pellegrini

Patricia Delaney Editor

Sean Smith Contributing Staff

Melissa Beecher Ed Hayward Reid Oslin Rosanne Pellegrini Kathleen Sullivan Eileen Woodward 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.

T he B oston C ollege

Chronicle november 17, 2011

After helping give girls in Africa a chance for education, Moore is back at Boston College

By Kathleen Sullivan Staff Writer

By Ed Hayward Staff Writer

Joy Haywood Moore is home, in more ways than one.

Just a few days into her new job as director of stewardship and donor relations in the University’s Advancement Office, Moore last week took the podium to deliver the keynote speech at the annual symposium of the Lynch School of Education, from which she graduated in 1981.

The topic was one at the heart of a career spent promoting and advancing education, particularly for young girls: the story of the past four years Moore spent in South Africa as interim and later as deputy head of the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls, launched by the famed television personality and executive in January 2007.

“The girls we admit to the school come from very impoverished – or as one girl once described it ‘very uneasy’ – backgrounds,” Moore said in an interview prior to her talk, which took place in the Yawkey Center’s Murray Room. “To be able to build up their self-esteem, their confidence, to instill a vision that they could become the leaders of the future South Africa is a huge task.

To help them aspire to those goals is what sets the academy apart.”

Moore arrived in Henley-on-Kip, South Africa, expecting to serve a six-month stint as an interim leader who would stabilize the school following allegations a staff member had abused students. Six months turned into four years as Moore and the leadership team righted the acad-

Joy Haywood Moore ’81, former deputy head for the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls, at last week’s Lynch School of Education symposium: “BC took care of me. So in returning to work here there is a sense of giving back and making those opportunities available to other students who are attending and will attend BC.” (Photo by Caitlin Cunningham)

emy, which serves nearly 400 girls in grades 7-12.

“I think I just got swept away and I knew after six months it just seemed like it was what I was supposed to be doing,” said Moore, who had previously served as the interim head of school at The Archer School for Girls in Los Angeles and Dana Hall School in Wellesley. “It was certainly a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

After four years away from her family – husband Robert, son Christopher, 22, and daughter Amanda, 19 – Moore finally came home.

“I just knew it was time,” said Moore, who grew up in Newton.

Her own experiences as a student at Dana Hall have made Moore a passionate advocate for girls’ education; she has served as a trustee for the National Coalition of Girls’ Schools.

“I’m a product of girls’ education,” she said. “It shaped me into the person I am today, gave me selfconfidence, self-esteem, a willingness to take risks smartly. As I look back, I see that my experiences at Dana Hall

were critical to my life and career and coming to BC as an undergraduate gave me further opportunities to grow as a person.”

Moore, who worked in advancement at BC shortly after graduating and followed that with positions at the University of San Francisco and University of California at Berkeley, said she’s thrilled to return to her alma mater.

“The experience I had in South Africa was so unique it would be hard to re-create, so I’ve put that in a treasure box on the mantle and decided to re-create myself a bit. I knew I wanted to make a difference in an organization where I believed in the mission and there’s a strong foundation of doing for others,” said Moore, who received an honorary degree from BC in 2010.

“When I was a student at BC, I received financial aid. BC took care of me,” Moore said. “So in returning to work here there is a sense of giving back and making those opportunities available to other students who are attending and will attend BC.”

Gary Wayne Gilbert

Richardson Earns Jesuit Book Award

Professor of English Alan Richardson has received a National Jesuit Book Award from the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities and the national Jesuit honor society Alpha Sigma Nu for his 2010 work, The Neural Sublime: Cognitive Theories and Romantic Texts.

The annual awards honor books published within the past three years in a designated discipline on the basis of scholarship, significance of topic to scholars across several disciplines, authority in interpretation, objectivity, presentation, and style. Ninetyeight entries from 20 Jesuit institutions were submitted for the 2011 awards, which were in the category of “The Humanities.”

The Neural Sublime, which won the Literature/Fine Arts award, uses cognitive neuroscience as an analytical tool to examine issues in British Romantic studies. Richardson ex-

Symposium Examines New Survey on Catholics

Alan Richardson

plores six intersections of Romanticism and the sciences of the mind and brain: the experience of the sublime and the neuroscience of illusion; the Romantic imagination and visual imaging; the figure of apostrophe and linguistic theory; fictional representations of the mind and “theory of mind” theory; depictions of sibling incest and neo-Darwinian theories of mental behavior; and representations of female speech and cognitive devel-

opmental psychology.

“I’m both honored and greatly encouraged in receiving the Alpha Sigma Nu book award,” said Richardson, a faculty member at BC since 1987. “My book belongs to an exciting and still emerging new field, cognitive literary studies, and I see this award as validating the efforts of a whole group of scholars and critics — including my English Department colleague Mary Crane — who have been working along with me to develop this new approach to reading and understanding literature.

“I feel that the study of literature in the 21st century needs to take the work of researchers and theorists in neuroscience, cognitive psychology, philosophy of mind, and related ‘cognitive’ fields centrally into account, and The Neural Sublime represents one step in this direction.”

—Sean Smith

Despite faltering confidence in their bishops, American Catholics still hold true to the core beliefs of their faith — the Resurrection, the call to help the poor, and the sacraments — according to a 2011 survey that was the topic of a recent daylong Church in the 21st Century Center symposium.

At the Nov. 2 event, Monan Professor of Theology Lisa Sowle Cahill and School of Theology and Ministry Assistant Professor Hosffman Ospino provided responses to the survey results, which were presented by the research team: William V. D’Antonio, a fellow at the Institute for Policy Research & Catholic Studies at the Catholic University of America; Mary Gautier, senior research associate at the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University; and Michele Dillon, professor and chair of sociology at the University of New Hampshire.

“The information and analysis of this national survey provide an important window into the attitudes and practices of the different generations of American Catholics and how the Catholic population is both remaining the same and continually changing. It was a significant event for the American Catholic Church and Boston College was proud to host it,” said Special Assistant to the President Robert Newton, C21 interim director.

The survey of American Catholics, the fifth in a series conducted every six years since 1987, touched on a wide range of issues, from Mass attendance, church teachings, spiritual beliefs and practices to the impact of the sexual abuse crisis, attitudes about parish leadership and changing demographics in the American Catholic Church. In general, the survey reveals that American Catholicism is a “rich blend of theological substance, doctrinal autonomy and institutional loyalty.”

According to the researchers, large majorities of Catholics surveyed say that a person can be a good Catholic without going to church every week (78 percent), and without obeying the Church’s hierarchy’s teachings on birth control (78 percent) or on divorce and remarriage (69 percent). In fact, one in three Catholics born between 1941 and 1993 believe that missing Mass is not a mortal sin.

Researchers say one reason why Catholics continue to re-

Frank Curran

A ‘Once-in-a-Lifetime Experience’

3

“Hispanic Catholicism,” said Asst.

Prof. Hosffman Ospino (STM), has an enormous potential to renew the life of the Catholic Church.”

main loyal to Catholicism while skeptical of some of its teachings and practices is they find many meaningful aspects to their faith — such as the Mass and the grace of the sacraments (84 and 80 percent, respectively). Three quarters of those surveyed said being Catholic is a very important part of who they are, and more than half said they would never leave the Church.

The fallout from the clergy sexual abuse crisis was evident in the survey results: More than 80 percent said the issue hurt the credibility of church leaders who speak on out social or political issues, and 77 percent said it has affected the ability of priests to meet the spiritual and pastoral needs of their parishioners.

Differences among Catholics’ attitudes and practices were evident primarily along generational lines and ethnicity. “Hispanic Catholics, as a whole, are more devout and more differential to church authority, than non-Hispanic Catholics,” said Dillon.

Hispanic Catholics make up an increasingly larger portion of American Catholics, constituting 45 percent of Millennial Catholics (born between 1987 and 1993).

“Hispanic Catholicism has an enormous potential to renew the life of the Church,” Ospino said.

“We need to invest in Hispanic Catholic youth and young adults, focusing on catechesis so Hispanic Catholics can know more about their religion and on leadership development. Right now Latinos/ Latinas are on the margins. We need to increase their involvement in the priesthood and lay ministry.”

For more about the survey, visit www.ncronline.org/AmericanCatholics Contact Kathleen Sullivan at kathleen.sullivan@bc.edu

T he B oston C ollege

Chronicle november 17, 2011

4

A Students-Eye View of Service Continued from page 1 but it is also incredibly inspiring.”

Spencer has worked at St. Francis House as well as the Pine Street Inn. She helps cook and serve meals, trains clients on Internet safety, or simply sits in as a partner for one client’s Crazy 8s games.

Summing up her experiences, Spencer recites the thematic quote of 4Boston this year, by Robert F. Kennedy: “It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.”

“I don’t think that you can go from a safe neighborhood, a great family to a good private high school, to a great private college, to a great career in business and have

any sense of the reality of others along the way to hand out supplies without experiences like this — to homeless men and women. experiences that challenge you and “The program was first started ask that you give of yourself,” said impromptu: A couple of guys sitSpencer. “However small you think ting around decided they wanted to the impact is that you make, it cre- be more charitable. They grabbed ates a ripple.” the stuff they had in their dorm While 4Boston is lauded as one rooms and went out to meet peoof the most successful service or- ple,” said Raminski. “Since then, ganizations on campus, it’s kept the same spirit. groups like the Sons of “We’re not try- Students provide the St. Patrick, a society of food and clothes that Catholic men dedicated to ing to solve the we give out to a group fostering a community of person, just be of people in need. virtue, character and faith, “The most imporhave quietly established there for them.” tant thing is the cona grassroots approach to —David Raminski versation. In talking helping the needy in Boswith them, you realize ton. that they do not get to Every Friday since 2006, a talk to people a lot,” said Raminski. small group meets in residence hall “The important thing is going out rooms or at Manresa House to in the spirit of Christian charity and make meals for the less fortunate. love to bring conversation to them Members like David Raminski ’12 and meet them where they are.” and Jonathan Petersen ’12 pack Petersen adds: “Normally you bags with sandwiches, fruit and walk around the city and not pay granola bars, then ride the MBTA any attention to them. But in D Line to Park Street, stopping speaking with them — many who have become our friends — you find that they are very impressive.”

“We’re not trying to solve the person, just be there for them,” said Raminski.

In that same spirit is Commonground, a program to engage students in an interfaith dialogue and provide service to the poor that was founded by Campus Ministry Interfaith Program Director Rev. Howard McLendon, Donald Chang ’12 and Jeff Joseph, a School of Theology and Ministry graduate student. Commonground participants spent the Columbus Day weekend as a time of service and reflection, providing muchLynch School of Education freshman Yanyi Weng talked with Ramon Ray while she and other BC students in the Commonground program volunteered needed help at Project Manna, a at Project Manna, a soup kitchen in Cambridge. (Photo by Frank Curran) soup kitchen in Cambridge started

Members of the Sons of St. Patrick, including (L-R) Daniel Ibarrola, David Raminski and Matthew Vigliotta, meet at the Manresa House kitchen to make meals to bring to some of Boston’s homeless. (Photo by Lee Pellegrini)

by the Mass. Ave. Baptist Church and Temple Emmanuel in Newton.

“Service to the community,” says Rev. McLendon, “is a real opportunity for people of different backgrounds to get to know each other beyond the differences. It proved to be a wonderful opportunity for interfaith discussion.”

Commonground certainly proved to be a transformative experience for Chang, who said his faith has been a subject of much reflection in recent years.

Born Catholic, Chang said he has taken the opportunity at BC to question and study a number of faith traditions – he became involved with BC Hillel, studied Buddhism, and participated in an interfaith dialogue event, where he met Rev. McLendon.

“In many ways, I wanted to find out what religion means. I saw so many other people so passionate about their faiths, I wanted to find out what I really believed and thought I could do that by engaging in a dialogue like this,” said Chang.

“What I came to find out through the service is that by hav-

ing the common goal – serving those in need — the different faiths came together and we no longer looked at each other in terms of religion,” said Chang. “It was beyond my expectations; an opportunity to learn about others – and myself — in that context.”

Chang said he and other Commonground participants were struck by evidence of the economy’s toll on the larger community.

The group met a homeowner who needed to utilize the soup kitchen so he could continue paying his mortgage, and an immigrant couple – both professionals – who were eating at the kitchen so they could save enough money to return to their home country.

“It was unexpected,” said Chang. “It was an experience that really made us focus on the bigger picture.”

Commonground will be held again on the weekend before the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

For more information on each of the groups and additional contact information, visit www.bc.edu/ chronicle.

Contact Melissa Beecher at melissa.beecher@bc.edu

Panel: 25 Years Later, Economic Justice Still Elusive

Friends and colleagues came to O’Connell House last week to say farewell to Anita Ulloa, who is retiring after 24 years at Boston College.

Ulloa, who was most recently director of employment in the Human Resources department, was among the first participants in the University Affiliates Program, an initiative to enhance the ability of AHANA staff to advance their careers at Boston College. (Photo by Lee Pellegrini)

Boston College’s Center for Human Rights and International Justice last week marked the 25th anniversary of “Economic Justice for All,” the US Catholic Bishops’ landmark letter on economic justice — even as a continuing national debate on inequality and poverty pointed up the elusiveness of economic justice.

The Nov. 8 event, held in the Yawkey Center’s Murray Room, featured theologian and former America magazine columnist John Donahue, SJ, and Mary Jo Bane, Bradshaw Professor of Public Policy and Management at the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government.

The two analyzed “Economic Justice for All” from theological, political, social and economic standpoints, and in the context of recent events such as the rise of the “Occupy” movement and newly released studies on poverty in America.

Introducing the event, University Professor in Human Rights and International Justice David Hollenbach, SJ, the center’s director, called the 1986 document “one of the Catholic Church’s most significant statements about economic justice.”

Fr. Hollenbach noted that with the current rate of unemployment and numbers of people living in poverty both higher now than 25 years ago, “many of the issues addressed in the letter continue to be relevant today.”

One hallmark of the letter was its cogent description of the “plastic, often elusive term ‘social justice,’” said Fr. Donahue, citing such phrases as “active, productive participation” in society, a “duty to organize economic and social institutions so people can participate with dignity,” and perhaps most of all, “an obligation to the poor and powerless.”

While there has been a growing

realization of “the chasm between the obscenely rich and the rest of the country,” Fr. Donahue said the poor “have fallen out of the dialogue” about inequality and poverty: “‘Poor’ is a four-letter word in politics,” he said.

Bane, assistant secretary in the US Department of Health and Human Services during the first Clinton administration, said the US must view the letter’s advocacy for social and economic justice on global, not just national, terms.

“This means an openness to a world economy where we are not dominant, or where we share technology and research innovations,” she said. “The US cannot, and should not, protect ourselves from global competition to the detriment of those elsewhere who have a chance for better lives.”

—Sean Smith

T he B oston C ollege

Chronicle november 17, 2011

OnVeterans Day, ROTC Cadets Reflect

By Reid Oslin Staff Writer

As the slow, mournful notes of “Taps” drifted across campus at the conclusion of the University’s 11th annual Veterans Day service last Friday, several senior class members of Boston College’s Army ROTC unit voiced anticipation and commitment to their own approaching military duty.

“The military has been a part of my family’s history,” says David Willner, an International Studies major and Rhodes Scholarship candidate whose father is a retired career Army officer. “I grew up in an Army family, living on Army bases. I have always respected the organization and seen the positive impact that it has on pretty much everyone who enters it.

“To me, there’s just something very welcoming about the United States Army in addition to the professional development that it gives you,” says Willner, who currently resides in Powder Springs, Ga., after living on Army posts in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Germany, among others, while growing up. “The Army gives you a great opportunity to do all sorts of things like travel and working with soldiers – which I hear is one of the best jobs in the world – as a platoon leader, which is something I hope to be in the near future.”

After he is commissioned as a second lieutenant during Commencement Weekend in May, Willner will join the Army’s engineer branch, where he expects to lead soldiers assigned to clear explosives and landmines from roads and travel routes in Afghanistan and other global hotspots.

Anne Spencer, a psychology and sociology major from Frederick, Md., who has also been nomi-

A FEW MINUTES WITH...

Elizabeth Kensinger Associate Professor of Psychology Elizabeth Kensinger, director of the Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Laboratory, has been lauded as a rising star in her field. As a graduate student, she began her pioneering work on how age and emotions influence the formation and retrieval of memories, and she has since conducted research supported by the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Mental Health and now, Boston College. Kensinger recently spoke with Melissa Beecher of the Chronicle about her research and the CAN Lab. To read the full interview, see online Chronicle at www. bc.edu/chronicle.

(L-R) ROTC cadets Robert Olp, David Willner and Anne Spencer following last Friday’s Veterans Day service. (Photo by Lee Pellegrini)

nated for a coveted Rhodes Scholarship honor by the University, will serve in the Army’s Medical Service Corps after receiving the gold shoulder bars of an officer. “I have always been a little independent,” says Spencer, the youngest of three children, “doing things my own way and making it work.”

Spencer says few members of her family had any military connection and were “a little shocked” at her decision to join ROTC in her freshman year. “But over the years they have come to understand my commitment and I think I have been able to impress them as to why I feel like I need to serve.

“It’s been a new experience for me learning to be a leader, learning to be in the military and learning the ins-and-outs of a community that is really not parallel to anything else,” she says.

Biology major Robert Olp of Wheaton, Ill., has received a delay of his active duty commitment to attend medical school. He will serve as an Army doctor after he attains his medical degree.

“It will be a few years before I

actually go on active duty,” says Olp, one of six children in his family. “As I have gone through the years, I have gotten quite comfortable with the [Army] program and liked the people that we were with.

While I know it is only ROTC so far, some of the things that you go through – like spending weekends out in the rain and cold – help you develop a special bond with the people that you serve with. I think any Army veteran will tell you that and I think it is a big part of being in the Army.”

While the financial incentives of an ROTC scholarship were helpful, Olp says, “four years later, when you look back on it, it’s only a small fraction of the benefits.

All of the experiences I have been through vastly outweigh the financial assistance. I’m really happy that I joined and excited for the future.”

Twelve current seniors are scheduled to be commissioned through the Boston College Army ROTC program in May. Contact Reid Oslin at reid.oslin@bc.edu

Lee Pellegrini

Russell Takes ROTC Command at BC Major Brandon L. Russell, who has served two combat tours as an Army helicopter pilot and tactical air traffic control director in Iraq, has been assigned as assistant professor of military science for the Boston College Army ROTC unit.

A native of Deckerville, Mich., and a 1997 graduate of the US Military Academy, Russell began his BC duties at the start of the academic year, succeeding Army Capt. Melissa Parish, who was reassigned to an Army combat unit after two years at BC. Russell, who also taught in the Boston University ROTC program from 2006-09, says the changing face of modern warfare has placed an added burden on young soldiers.

Q&A

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Major Brandon L. Russell

“Because of asymmetric warfare, our young lieutenants are now making decisions that before were made by colonels and generals,” he explains. “It’s not only a testament to their sacrifice, but these cadets – soon

to be lieutenants – are probably going to get to make some lifealtering decisions. By and large, the young lieutenants that come out of our ROTC programs, as well as West Point and Officer Candidate School, are making good and right decisions.

“What we are doing now in ROTC is a lot different than what we did 10 years ago,” he adds. “We can’t wait for mentorship to happen when they go on active duty. They are likely to be thrown right into a combat situation, so that mentorship has to happen now. The leadership training that we are doing here is much more intense – and intentional – than it used to be. They are hitting the ground running.”

—Reid Oslin

There are so many interesting things on the Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Laboratory website [www2.bc.edu/~kensinel], such as your work with memory in literature and film. Do people understand the concepts of memory better when speaking in terms of film or literature?

Memory is such a prominent theme in Caitlin Cunningham literature and film, and even in films and novels that seem to have no more than a grain of truth to them, some pieces often are connected to the science of memory.

For instance, it might seem hard to believe that there is any science behind the fiction of “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” but in fact there is fascinating research to suggest that the erasure or distortion of select memories may be possible. And the way that Joel is able to “run” from one memory to the next is a great metaphor for how our retrieval process works; we think of one event, which leads us to another, and another.

Okay, a very “101” question here: How is memory affected by emotion?

The “101” answer is that emotion enhances our memory, enabling us to remember experiences vividly and for longer durations of time. But the work in my laboratory has shown that the answer is more complicated and that the effect of emotion on memory depends on at least two things: the types of details a person is asked to remember, and whether the experienced emotion is pleasant or unpleasant in nature.

Memory does not operate in exactly the same way for negative and positive events, however. When we look at what people remember about, for example, seeing a car crash or seeing a million dollar check, we find that people remember the visual details of the negative items far better than the details of the positive items. A study conducted by graduate student Alisha Holland confirmed that these differences extend beyond the laboratory to real-life experiences: Individuals who felt negative about the outcome of the 2008 presidential election remembered more of its details months later than individuals who felt positive about the outcome. Negative emotion seems to encourage the retention of very precise details, whereas positive emotion seems to encourage the retention of more general themes.

Heading into an emotionally charged time of year – the holidays — what are some practical things that people can do to improve our memories?

Moments that are emotionally charged and personally relevant are likely to be remembered; so even if all the minutiae of a holiday celebration aren’t recorded, many of the who-what-where details are likely to become part of our memory stores. In fact, one of the best things we can do to remember an event is to think about the deeper significance of the event and to consider why it is important. This strategy works for older adults as well as for young adults.

Not all age-related changes in memory are bad, or at least they aren’t bad in all circumstances. For instance, although older adults do less well than young adults at remembering precise details, older adults do just as well, and sometimes better, than young adults at picking out the general theme or emotional tone of information. This might seem like a deficit if trying to remember the precise measurements in a recipe, but in many other situations it is beneficial to remember the big picture without getting bogged down in the details.

More at www.bc.edu/chronicle

T he B oston C ollege

Chronicle november 17, 2011

Atkinson Named Assoc.

Director of Public Safety Thomas E. Atkinson Jr., a former United States Secret Service supervisor for President Bill Clinton and most recently director of security and public safety for Boston’s Tufts Medical Center, has been named associate director of public safety and deputy chief of police at Boston College.

Atkinson, who holds degrees in criminal justice from St. Anselm’s College and Northeastern University, has an extensive background in law enforcement and public safety. In addition to coordinating all aspects of domestic and overseas security for President Clinton’s Secret Service detail from 1992-2002, he has been a criminal investigator for the US Coast Guard Investigative Service; director of worldwide corporate security for the Polaroid Corp.; and for the past five years has served as chief safety and security administrator for the 5,000-employee Tufts Medical Center campus.

“I am pleased that Tom has

joined our team,” said Director of Public Safety and Chief of Police John King. “His education, training and experience, coupled with his commitment to public safety and community policing, made him an outstanding candidate for this position. As Tom becomes acclimated to the BC community, he will gradually take on various responsibilities overseeing our Bureau of Community Policing and Patrol Operations.”

Atkinson, who began his duties at BC recently, said he was grateful for the “warm welcome and reception” he has received from the University community. “This is an exciting opportunity to bring my work experiences and training of the past 27 years to the department. Everyone is excited and motivated to move the department forward and strengthen the community policing and public safety programs for the Boston College community.”

—Reid Oslin

obituary

Richard Maffei, 88; Helped Found Full-time MBA Program at BC A funeral service was held Nov. 12 at the Eustis and Cornell Funeral Home in Marblehead, Mass., for former Carroll School of Management Associate Dean Richard B. Maffei, who co-founded the CSOM full-time MBA program. Dr. Maffei died on Nov. 7 at the age of 88.

Dr. Maffei joined the CSOM computer science faculty in 1967, during a period in which the school was broadening its graduate curriculum. The MBA program, which had begun on a part-time basis in 1957, consisted of 36 credit hours of courses and a thesis until 1965, when it expanded to a 54-60 credit curriculum.

In 1969, Dr. Maffei was appointed associate dean and director of the MBA program, and along with Assistant Dean Raymond Keyes and other faculty members began a study of the school’s graduate curriculum. As a result of their work, the school inaugurated a full-time, 54-credit program with 18 required courses and seven electives for the fall 1969 semester.

“This was his greatest contribution,” said CSOM Associate Professor David Murphy, a longtime colleague who praised Dr. Maffei as a “massively intellectual guy.

“Establishing a full-time MBA program was a very significant step for the Carroll School, and for Boston College,” said Murphy.

An MIT graduate, Dr. Maffei served in the US Navy and earned a doctorate in economics from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School.

In addition to BC, he taught at MIT and Dartmouth College.

Dr. Maffei retired from BC in 1998.

Dr. Maffei was pre-deceased by his wife Joyce. He is survived by his children Andy, Greg, Amanda, Eliza and Adam, brothers Gilbert and Arthur, as well as grandchildren and greatgrandchildren.

Burial took place at Waterside Cemetery in Marblehead.

Donations may be made in Dr. Maffei’s memory to the Kaplan Family Hospice House, 75 Sylvan Street, Suite B-102 Danvers, Mass. 01923.

—Office of News & Public Affairs

Studying Higher Ed Continued from page 1 decade, Altbach has traveled the globe as one of the foremost experts in international higher education.

Altbach plans to retire in 2013, reducing his workload while still maintaining a role at the Center for International Higher Education (CIHE), which he has directed since he joined BC in 1994.

Yet a quick glance at Altbach’s schedule over the past month shows no sign he’s slowed down: a new book published; a book launch in Washington, DC; a trip to China to deliver nearly a dozen lectures in four cities; back to Washington for a briefing; and finally returning to the home he shares with his wife of 49 years, Edith Hoshino.

It’s a career-long pace that his friends and colleagues say ensures Altbach knows just about everyone in the field, as well as their latest research.

“Phil is one of just a half dozen professors cranking out this extraordinary volume of research, writing, speaking and networking,” said SUNY Buffalo Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus of Higher and Comparative Education Bruce Johnstone. “Phil is extremely current and more than anyone else knows who is publishing, who is funding and where significant scholarship is going on in international comparative higher education.”

Altbach has authored or edited nearly 50 books on topics ranging from higher education to India’s publishing industry to student activism. His most recent, The Road to Academic Excellence: The Making of World-Class Research Universities, which he co-edited with Jamil Salmi, was published last month.

In addition to publishing commercially, many of Altbach’s

Lee Pellegrini

6

Universities, says Altbach, “are critical to societies, whether they’re in developing countries or developed, industrial nations. To have spent so much time learning about universities in America and other countries and picking up new perspectives has been exceedingly interesting and fulfilling.” books are distributed in paperback through CIHE, making the work accessible to cash-strapped scholars in all corners of the world. His coeditor Salmi says the emphasis on accessibility is one measure of Altbach’s dedication to the advancement of his field as a whole.

“Phil is a gentleman and a scholar,” said Salmi, a higher and tertiary education expert with the World Bank. “He’s deeply knowledgeable about comparative higher education across many topics. People look to him for advice and guidance. Yet Phil is a very humble person and very approachable. He doesn’t put himself on a pedestal.”

At the Center for International Higher Education, Altbach has developed a world-renowned clearinghouse of publishing, scholarship and commentary.

The center publishes the quarterly journal International Higher Education, with versions in English, Spanish, Russian and Chinese. The center’s website [www. bc.edu/research/cihe.html ] offers research and resources, podcasts, social media links, and the center blog, World View, which is hosted by the influential industry website Inside Higher Ed. In addition, the

site hosts the Higher Education Corruption Monitor, an online collection of news about diploma mills, research misconduct and administrative misbehavior, which Altbach says need to be exposed.

He also serves as an advisor to universities and higher education agencies in China, Russia and Saudi Arabia, bridging language and cultural divides to fulfill what he sees as a responsibility to help officials raise standards and operate schools, colleges and universities according to the best available practices.

“Over the course of almost 50 years, I’ve tried to contribute to understanding the nature of the university and how it affects human, economic and social development,” said Altbach. “These institutions are critical to societies, whether they’re in developing countries or developed, industrial nations. To have spent so much time learning about universities in America and other countries and picking up new perspectives has been exceedingly interesting and fulfilling. It’s what I care about and it’s what I feel is important.”

Contact Ed Hayward at ed.hayward@bc.edu

‘A Touch of Home’ for Thanksgiving at BC There will be a Thanksgiving dinner with all of the traditional fixin’s for members of the Boston College community who will be on campus for next week’s holiday.

The BC Dining Services catering division will serve a sumptuous holiday feast at the Player’s Club dining facility in Walsh Hall between 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. next Thursday for the small number of students who choose to remain on campus, studentathletes who have scheduled games over the weekend and University employees required to work the holiday shift. Between 60 and 80 people are expected to enjoy BC’s special Thanksgiv-

ing meal, according to Associate Director of Food and Beverage Michael Kann.

“We are especially grateful to the staff that volunteers to run the dinner,” says Kann, “because, they obviously are not at home to enjoy the holiday with their own families.”

Kann singled out catering chef Frank Cadle, a 36-year BCDS employee, who will prepare the holiday dinner and Amy Huang, a catering staff leader who will oversee the buffet-style serving of the food at the Thanksgiving feast. Other BCDS employees are also expected to volunteer to help with the meal preparation and clean-up, Kann says.

Feeding a group of this size is no small task, Kann notes.

The menu next Thursday will include 60 pounds of roast turkey with stuffing and gravy (about 10 birds); 40 pounds of roast beef; 25 pounds of baked stuffed cod; 30 pounds of garlic mashed potatoes; 10 pounds of rice pilaf; 12 pounds of mashed sweet potatoes; 15 pounds of roasted green beans; and a gallon of cranberry sauce.

For dessert, Kann’s catering team will serve up a dozen pumpkin, apple and pecan pies. “There are always a lot of pies,” says Kahn. “That gives it a real touch of home.”

—Reid Oslin

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Chronicle november 17, 2011

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WELCOME ADDITIONS Before joining the Mathematics Department, Associate Professor Dawei Chen worked as a research assistant professor at the University of Illinois-Chicago, where he earned a National Science Foundation grant for the study of the geometry of moduli spaces.

Chen earned his PhD from Harvard University and a BS in Mathematics from Peking University.

His research interests include algebraic geometry, especially the geometry of moduli spaces and applications to combinatorics, dynamics, number theory and mathematical physics. He has given talks throughout the world, including Seoul National University, Humboldt University of Berlin and in his native China.

Professor of History Heather Cox-Richardson came to BC after teaching at the University of Massachusetts, MIT and Harvard. Focused on 19th century American history at the undergraduate and graduate level, Cox-Richardson researches the transformation of political ideology from the Civil War to the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt. Her books include Wounded Knee: Party Politics and the Road to an American Massacre and West from Appomattox: The Reconstruction of America after the Civil War; she is currently writing a book on the history of the Republican Party. Cox-Richardson appeared in the PBS documentary “The Chinese in America” and is a contributing editor for the Historical Society blog [http://www.histsociety.blogspot.com].

Associate Professor of Economics Julie Mortimer, who most recently taught at Harvard and Northwestern, earned her PhD from the University of California-Los Angeles in 2001 before working as a senior consultant on tax policy and economics at Ernst & Young in Washington, DC. Her research addresses the role of digital technology for retailing and distributing products, and the impact it has on firm incentives, inter-firm relationships, and consumers. Mortimer has served as a faculty research fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research in Cambridge and the associate editor for the International Journal of Industrial Organization.

Lynch School of Education Assistant Professor Vincent Cho ’00 returns to his alma mater after completing his doctorate in educational policy and planning at the University of Texas at Austin. Cho’s research focuses on districts’ implementation of computer data systems and their implications for teacher practice. This research allows him to pursue interests relating to agency, sense making, organizational learning, and the management of school districts. In addition to serving as a policy analyst for Texas State Senator Judith Zaffirini, he has worked as an English teacher and assistant principal. Cho co-authored a chapter in the International Encyclopedia of Education and the Handbook on DataBased Decision Making in Education.

—Melissa Beecher Photos by Caitlin Cunningham and Gary Wayne Gilbert “Welcome Additions,” an occasional feature, profiles new faculty members at Boston College.

Symphonic Band Presents ‘Fall Festival’ The Symphonic Band of Boston College, conducted by David Healey, will present “A Fall Festival” on Nov. 29 at 8 p.m. in Gasson 100. The concert, which is free and open to the public, will feature works by American composers Eric Whitacre, Frank Ticheli and Clare Grundman. In addition to these works, the Symphonic Band will be performing “Greensleeves” and “Sleigh Ride” to put the audience in the spirit of the coming holiday season.

Newsmakers In recent postings on SmartMoney. com, Drucker Professor and Center for Retirement Research Director Alicia Munnell described how the US tax system is affected by the small share that total local, state, and federal taxes make up in Gross Domestic Product, and explained the differences between Social Security and a privatized alternative system in Texas.

eyda, in collaboration with scientists at MIT and the University of Oxford, has led to the development of an efficient and highly selective catalyst

BC BRIEFING

Advancing the work and family agenda may take large-scale organizational changes and perhaps new government policies — but change also will only occur when individuals make the right choices in those thousands of small moments that unfold over the course of their lives, explained Center for Work and Family Executive Director Brad Harrington in the Huffington Post.

Despite a heavy snowstorm, Matthew 25 — an organization directed by BC Law School Chaplain and Special Assistant to the Associate Dean for Students Frederick Enman, SJ, that provides rental housing for needy families — held an open house at its newest acquisition and renovation project, as reported by the Catholic Free Press.

The Tea Party and the Occupy movement disagree about the meaning of most fundamental notion in American politics — freedom — according to an essay in the Huffington Post by Prof. Kent Greenfield (Law), who also appeared on MSNBC to discuss his latest book The Myth of Choice.

Research by Vanderslice Millennium Professor of Chemistry Amir Hov-

for ring-closing olefin metathesis, one of the most widely used reactions in chemical synthesis, the team reported in Nature.

What is at stake in United States vs.

Mehanna is not just the fate of the defendant, but the US government’s approach to fighting terrorism, wrote Law School Drinan Professor George Brown in an op-ed for the Boston Herald.

Publications Prof. Maxim D. Shrayer (Slavic and Eastern Languages) led a team of scholars in publishing the complete annotated correspondence of Ivan Bunin and Nina Berberova. He also authored a monographic introduction to these writers’ correspondence which was published in Ivan Bunin: New Materials.

Asst. Prof. Seung-A Annie Jin (Communication) published the following articles:: “To disclose or not to disclose, that is the question: A structural equation modeling approach to communication privacy management in e-health,” Computers in Human Behavior; “It feels right. Therefore, I feel present and enjoy: The effects of regulatory fit and the mediating roles of social presence and self-presence in avatar-based 3D virtual environments,” Presence: Teleoperators and Vir-

Faculty Receive Technology Awards The University’s Academic Technology Advisory Board recently awarded grants to fund six projects designed to connect teaching and research with innovative technologies that enhance the experiences of undergraduate and graduate students as well as faculty at Boston College: •Lynch School of Education Assistant Professor Mike Barnett: TouchTree: “Increasing Participation in Environmental Science by Seeing the Value of the Forest and the Trees.”

•Graduate School of Social Work Assistant Professor Stephanie Berzin and Associate Professor Marcie Pitt-Catsouphes: “Technology for Social Justice: The Social Innovation Initiative.”

•Assistant Professor of History Jeremy Clarke, SJ: “Beyond Ricci: Digital Presentation of Jesuitana Collection.”

•Visiting Assistant Professor of Biology Colleen Hitchcock and former Adjunct Assistant Professor of Biology Serena Moseman-Valtiera: “Campus Tree and Carbon Inventory: An Interactive Website and Greenhouse Gas Sensors For Studies That Link Plant Ecology, Tree Demography and Phenology to Climate Change.”

•Associate Professor of Communication Ashley Duggan: “Digitizing the Process of Collecting, Editing, and Examining Behavioral Data.”

•Professor of English Paul Lewis: “Forgotten Chapters of Boston’s Literary History.”

The projects will be developed with the assistance of the Office of Instructional Design and eTeaching Services. Descriptions of the new projects as well as others selected since the start of the program in 2007 can be found at: http://www.bc.edu/content/bc/offices/atab/projects. html.

—Office of News & Public Affairs

tual Environments; “My avatar behaves well, and this feels right: Ideal and ought selves in video gaming,” Social Behavior and Personality: An International Journal; “Finding a home away from home: The use of SNSs

by Asia-Pacific students in the United States for bridging and bonding social capital,” Asian Journal of Communication.

Honors/Appointments The article “Plea Bargaining, Discovery, and the Intractable Problem of Impeachment Disclosures,” by Prof.

R. Michael Cassidy (Law), has been awarded the Association of American Law Schools’ Fred C. Zacharias Memorial Prize for Scholarship in Professional Responsibility.

Time and a Half Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences Clare Dunsford discussed her book, Spelling Love with an X: A Mother, A Son, and the Gene That Binds Them, at the Boston University Medical School master’s program in genetic counseling.

Economics Professors Tayfun Sonmez and Utku Unver presented “Altruistically Unbalanced Kidney Exchange” at the Market Design Working Group Meeting of the National Bureau of Economic Research, Cambridge.

Music Department chairman Prof.

Michael Noone presented “Fuentes de la polifonía de Tomás Luis de Victoria en la catedral de Toledo en el siglo XVI” at the International Tomás Luis de Victoria congress in Spain, and “Towards a critical edition of the complete works of Cristóbal de Morales (c. 1500-1553)” at a symposium organized by the Swiss National Science Foundation in Bern.

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/: Dean, Lynch School of Education Assistant Director, Admissions, School of Theology and Ministry Assistant Manager, Dining Services Administrative Assistant, Office of Campus Ministry Assistant Director, Center for Student Formation International Advising Assistant, International Student Orientation Legal Information Librarian, Law School Associate Dean, Academic and Student Services, Graduate School of Social Work

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Chronicle november 17, 2011

8

LOOKING AHEAD

An Exhibition That Is at the Heart of Irish Art Burns Library features both contemporary and traditional Irish works

By Rosanne Pellegrini Staff Writer

A special art exhibition featuring works by both contemporary and traditional artists from Ireland made its North American debut earlier this week at Boston College.

“Burst the Heart Open,” sponsored by the Center for Irish Programs and the Office of the University Librarian, opened Monday and is on display in the Burns Library Fine Print and Irish rooms through Jan. 14 [see www.bc.edu//libraries/ collections/burns.html for hours].

The exhibition showcases 34 paintings from the collection administered by Ireland’s Office of Public Works (OPW) in Dublin — which comprises several thousand Irish artworks and historical artifacts — and provides a contrast between some of the Irish art classics and the more recent genre of modern Irish art, with which many people are not familiar.

Among the paintings on display from Ireland are Brian Bourke’s “James Joyce,” Patrick Collins’s “Virgin River,” Grace Henry’s “Study,” Paul Henry’s “The Purple Sea,” Sean MacSweeney’s “Bog Pool” and Jack Butler Yeats’ “The

Ferry, Early Morning.”

The exhibition title was inspired by the Seamus Heaney poem “Postscript” and the lines: As big soft buffetings come at the car sideways and catch the heart off guard and blow it open “I think it is rewarding and highly appropriate for Boston College to be the venue for the debut of this important exhibition given that Boston College indisputably has the preeminent Irish studies program in North America,” says Center for Irish Programs Executive Director and University Professor of History Thomas Hachey.

The University is the exclusive Boston-area venue for the exhibition, which will tour cities across the country as well as in Ireland as part of the initiative “Imagine Ireland: A Year of Irish Arts in America,” supported by Culture Ireland [www. imagineireland.ie], the Dublinbased state agency for the promotion of Irish arts worldwide.

Curator Adrian Kelly’s intention, according to organizers, is “that the paintings might catch the viewer off guard and cause them to pause for a moment to consider the painting they stand before and that their hearts would be engaged by the artist’s vision.”

To complement the exhibition, holdings from Burns Library, selected by an exhibition committee

BC SCENES

(L-R) Undergraduate research assistants Robert Williams ’14 and Catherine Macek ’12, Irish Studies Librarian Kathleen Williams and Conservator Barbara Adams Hebard are among the co-organizers for the “Burst the Heart Open” exhibition (a sample shown at right), now on display at Burns Library through Jan. 14. (Photo

by Gary Wayne Gilbert)

led by Burns Conservator Barbara Hebard, also are featured.

These include paintings housed in the Irish Room by Robert George Kelly, Michael Augustin Power O’Malley, Frank McKelvey, Miceál Ó Nualláin, Margaret Clarke, Paul Henry, Seán Keating and Jack Butler Yeats.

In addition, synopses in display cases on selected pieces contextualize the exhibit with information about the artists, and other holdings on display also will be seen by

visitors, including books, harps and sculpture. A complementary exhibit of research materials relating to Irish painters, titled “Painter, Illustrator, Author: Irish Art in the Twentieth Century,” comprises volumes illustrated by artists whose paintings are on display.

The BC team’s charge, according to Hebard, was “to complement the exhibit with materials which will educate Boston College students and interested scholars in the process of conducting art research.”

Contact Rosanne Pellegrini at rosanne.pellegrini@bc.edu

THE WORLD IN ONE ROOM Photos by Caitlin Cunningham

Students enjoyed music, dance, games and other activities from around the world during “Global Passport Night,” held Monday in Walsh Hall to celebrate the beginning of International Education Week at Boston College. For a look at the week’s events, go to http://www.bc.edu/offices/oiss/iew.html.

They selected materials to connect the OPW paintings, Burns Library paintings, and resources available at the Burns and Bapst libraries.

OPW Senior Art Exhibitor Jacquie Moore, who was at Monday’s opening of the exhibition, says “Burst the Heart Open” demonstrates the continued passion for painting among the younger generation of Irish artists. “We are delighted that the Burns Library has engaged so energetically with us in this exhibition and taken the initiative to explore works from its own collection, that resonate with the works that have travelled from Ireland,” she added.

Organized by Culture Ireland and the OPW, the BC exhibition is supported by the President’s Office, the Center for Irish Programs and the Office of the University Librarian.

BC exhibition team members include: Bapst Art Librarian Adeane Bregman, Reference Librarian/Bibliographer Justine Sundaram, Irish Studies Librarian Kathy Williams, graduate student Andrew Kuhn, Book Builders of Boston intern Catherine Macek ’12 and Robert Williams ’14. Meaghan Madden, senior special collections cataloging assistant, selected books which are on display in the Fine Print Room.