The Boston College
Chronicle Published by the Boston College Office of News & Public Affairs summer 2014 Edition
INSIDE
Lynch School Program to Certify Bilingual Educators
HEIGHTS GREETING
•Read Aloud Program marks 20 years, page 2
TDLL program will be first of its kind in the state By Ed Hayward Staff Writer
•Walk Across Campus still gaining in popularity, page 2
•Ismay is first Cooney Family Asst. Prof., page 3 •Hard-earned degree, honors for Woods College grad, page 4
•Hoveyda receives the Eni Award, page 4 •BC among winners in Catholic Press Association book awards, page 4 •Alan Rogers on religious exemption for use of prayer to heal children, page 5 •Q&A: Woods College Interim Dean Fr. Burns, page 5
•Carrabba is Community Service Award winner, page 6 •Gilman Scholarships aid foreign study for juniors, page 6 •Obituary: Alice Jeghelian, page 6 •Waddock chosen for lifetime achievement honor, page 7 •Teaching management to non-management students, page 8
In Memoriam: William B. Neenan, SJ
‘Goodbye, Friend’
Crowded in amongst the pews of St. Ignatius Church were former colleagues and students, fellow priests and academics – but whatever their titles or backgrounds, they had known the joy of being called “friend” by William B. Neenan, SJ. Fr. Neenan, who died June 25 after more than three decades of administrative leadership and pastoral care at Boston College, was remembered July 1 at a funeral Mass in a packed St. Ignatius. Mourners paid tribute to the beloved Jesuit from Iowa, celebrated for his many accomplishments in key posts at BC – including academic vice president and dean of faculties – but also for his uniquely personal touch throughout the University community, exemplified by his trademark “Hello, friend” greeting to acquaintance and stranger alike. In interviews on the day of the Mass, some of those friends spoke fondly of the man and his impact on BC. “The ability to be funny and also be serious might seem incongruous, but Fr. Neenan brought these two qualities together in a wonderfully synergistic way,” said Associate Professor of Psychology Joe Tecce. “He could tell a joke and kid around, but then in the next minute, he would talk to you with great seriousness about some aspect of BC policy.” Said Diane Fahey, an administrative assistant in the President’s Office, “He made everyone who worked with him that much happier. Always a smile, and he made you smile, whatever the circumstances.”
EVP Keating to Step Down After 2014 Fall Semester By Jack Dunn Director of News & Public Affairs
Monan Professor of Law Daniel Coquillette recalled when his daughter attended her BC freshman orientation, where the guest speaker was none other than Fr. Neenan, who was AVP at the time. “He got up and said, ‘I’m Fr. Bill Neenan, and I just want to sit and talk with you.’ In 10 minutes, everyone was in love with him. I thought how marvelous it was that here was an institution where the AVP takes time out of his day to go and talk with about 30 freshmen. “But that was how Fr. Neenan saw this school – as one student, one staff member, one faculty member, one administrator at a time.” In his various roles at BC – he also was Gasson Professor and dean of the College of Arts and Sciences prior to being named AVP – Fr. Neenan “allowed so many to be part of his life, and brought many people together,” said University President William P. Leahy, SJ, in his eulogy at the Mass. Continued on page 6
QUOTE:
Gary Gilbert
•International PhD program is renewed, page 3
Members of the Class of 2018 got an introduction to Boston College, and each other, at a First Year Experience session Monday. (Photo by Caitlin Cunningham)
Lee Pellegrini
•Frates writes about his ALS struggles, page 2
The Lynch School of Education will launch a program in September to certify bilingual education teachers who work in schools offering dual-language immersion classes where English- and Spanishspeaking students develop fluency in both languages across their academic subjects. The Teaching Dual Language Learners (TDLL) Certificate Program is the first to be offered in Massachusetts and builds on the Lynch School’s strengths in bilingual education. The school already offers a certificate in Teaching English Language Learners (TELL) for educators in programs that offer English-only “sheltered” immersion instruction to students.
“Our goal is to establish the dual-language certificate as a natural extension of the TELL program, with a focus on preparing elementary teachers for teaching positions in dual-language immersion programs,” said Lynch School Associate Professor Patrick Proctor, an expert in English language learners, who developed the program with his Lynch School colleagues. The new certificate is intended to support teachers and principals in an area largely devoid of state oversight since Massachusetts voters supported a 2002 ballot initiative that outlawed so-called “transitional” bilingual education programs, Proctor said. The vast majority of students who are learning English are now taught in “sheltered” immersion classes. Continued on page 8
Patrick J. Keating, Boston College’s executive vice president since 2001 and a key figure behind the University’s successful strategic planning and campus development efforts, announced recently that he will step down from his position at the end of the fall semester. Keating, a respected administrator who leads the areas of facilities management, finance, human resources, information technology, student affairs and planning and assessment, has agreed to stay on as a consultant to the provost, beginning in April of 2015. He will also serve as a professor of the practice in higher education in the Lynch School of Education, and continue to oversee Boston College-Ireland and the Irish Institute programs. During his 13 years as executive vice president, Keating assisted University President William P.
Patrick J. Keating
Leahy, SJ, through a period of extensive campus growth, including the construction of Stokes Hall, the renovation of Gasson and St. Mary’s halls, and the design of the new student residence hall at 2150 Commonwealth Avenue, among other projects. He also coordinated many important technology improvements, ranging from the data center at St. Clement’s Hall to the implementaContinued on page 3
“We all supported each other. I felt like I needed to set the tone and be a role model, especially when the going got tough.” –Anissa Lane, a single mother and Woods College of Advancing Studies grad, page 4
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Chronicle summer 2014
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A ROUND
C AMPUS
WALK ACROSS CAMPUS’ HEALTHY OUTLOOK
Note of appreciation from St. Columbkille Partnership School for Boston College’s Read Aloud Program, which recently marked its 20th anniversary.
TWO DECADES IN THE BOOKS Last month, the Read Aloud Program marked 20 years of sharing the wonders of books with students in Brighton schools. Under the aegis of the Office of Governmental and Community Affairs, Read Aloud sends Boston College faculty members and staff on weekly visits to classrooms in Boston schools to read a story or book to the students. During 2013-14, 60 employees participated in the program. On June 25, Read Aloud volunteers gathered at Walsh Function Room for a year-end celebration that featured a talk by guest speaker Frances Driscoll MEd ’63, author of The Swan Boat Ride. Each volunteer was presented with a copy of Driscoll’s book at the celebration, courtesy of the Boston College Bookstore. “Boston College has a long tradition in the city of Boston and the Read Aloud Program is an important avenue for BC to connect with the local community. As a BC alumna, I was honored to present my book to the volunteers of the program,” said Driscoll. “[Read Aloud] has allowed me to follow my passion while fitting perfectly into my busy schedule on campus,” said Capital Giving Staff Assistant Macala Lamour, who reads to fourth-graders at Thomas Edison K-8 School. “I read the kids a book called The Meaning of Life, by Bradley Trevor Greive, that my dad gave me for a graduation present. They loved the funny pictures of animals with thought-provoking questions underneath, and I used it to explain to them why it is important to go after the things you love.” Jamie Beth Mihaich, an assistant controller, said she mostly read
non-fiction books to her third grade class at St. Columbkille Partnership School. “I read books about Ted Williams, Albert Einstein, Thomas Moran, William Kamkwamba and Henry Knox.” Even though the children knew the books were non-fiction, said Mihaich, “they would still inevitably ask me ‘Is that person really real?’ at the end. I loved when they did this, as I could tell their wheels were turning. I also treasure the moment when they asked if I could be their substitute teacher someday, this confirmed for me we were connecting, which felt great.” Read Aloud organizer Laura Bitran, staff assistant for Governmental and Community Affairs, noted that many volunteers stay on: Readers Syed Khan, Burton Howell, Paul Karamourtopoulos and Deborah Augusta have been with the program since its inception, while another dozen employees are veterans of 10 years or more. Another reader, Ruth Chobit, was an integral part of the program for 18 years before retiring and starting a Read Aloud program on Cape Cod. Bitran also praised Employee Development Assistant Director Carole DiFabio, BC Bookstore Director Bob Stewart, Educational Resource Center Head Librarian Margaret Cohen and Boston Partners in Education for their contributions. “Through Read Aloud, BC faculty members and staff have touched the lives of thousands of kids,” Bitran said. For information on volunteering in Read Aloud, contact Laura Bitran at ext.2-4787 or laura.bitran@ bc.edu. –Kathleen Sullivan
Director of NEWS & Public Affairs Jack Dunn Deputy Director of NEWS & Public AFFAIRS Patricia Delaney Editor Sean Smith
Contributing Staff Melissa Beecher Ed Hayward Sean Hennessey Rosanne Pellegrini Kathleen Sullivan Michael Maloney Photographers Gary Gilbert Lee Pellegrini
Health-minded Boston College employees came together earlier this summer at the Flynn Recreation Complex to celebrate the conclusion of another successful Walk Across Campus (WAC), the University’s popular fitness program. The spring semester WAC, which ran from April 1-May 31, drew more than 1,400 administrators, faculty and staff on more than 90 teams. WAC began as an individual event several years ago through Campus Recreation and in the fall of 2012 was incorporated into HEALTHY YOU, BC’s health-and-wellness campaign. Participants, who each receive a Fitbit pedometer to track their progress, form teams to provide one another with support and encouragement. “Walk Across Campus has exceeded our expectations for the way in which it’s engaged our community,” said Acting Vice President for Human Resources Robert Lewis, pointing to the increase in registration from the 2013 spring WAC (about 1,200 participants, 67 teams). “BC has embraced it in a big way. WAC has built friendship and camaraderie while fostering healthy habits.” Lewis noted that spring WAC participants had collectively taken 587,046,254 steps, racking up 263,251 miles (more than 10,000 times the distance of the Boston Marathon) and 16.5 million active minutes in the process – according to the American Heart Association, adults may gain as many as two hours of life expectancy for every hour of regular vigorous exercise. At the June 13 WAC celebration, which featured food, snacks and games, “CSON Insane” – one of four teams comprised of Connell School of Nursing employees – was announced as the top finisher among teams, having amassed more than 12.2 million steps and 5,879 miles. The individual winner was Lead Carpenter Giovanni Buonopane of Conte Force Team, who had the most steps (3,264,628), total miles (1,491) and active minutes (53,701). Both also were the top finishers in the fall 2013 WAC. CSON Insane represents a more fervent approach to WAC. Members must commit to meeting the
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team’s minimum daily step requirement of 15,000 – compared to the AHA benchmark of 10,000 – and can expect to hear from teammates if there’s any slacking. But the team’s members say the investment of time and effort is worth it, not only for the exercise, but the sense of accomplishment and good-natured competition WAC engenders
It’s been so good for the Connell School community, which has always been a caring, nurturing kind of place – but now so even more.” Lewis said that future plans for the program include encouraging WAC participants to join in charitable events like the Race to Educate benefit for St. Columbkille Partnership School.
Lynch School of Education Admissions Assistant Anne Nunziata, right, and Lynch School Associate Director for Graduate Student Services Patricia Stamper took part in recreational activities at the June 13 celebration marking the end of the spring Walk Across Campus program. (Photo by Caitlin Cunningham)
among BC colleagues (teams from Facilities were identified as particularly stalwart adversaries). “Walk Across Campus honestly changed my whole way of working,” said Clinical Associate Professor M. Colleen Simonelli, the team’s acknowledged leader and guiding light. “Instead of just phoning or e-mailing someone, I’d walk to where they were. Or a bunch of us would hold walking meetings.
“It would be great to see a whole contingent of BC people doing Race to Educate, or Walk for Hunger, or other such events,” he said. “That’s taking the Walk Across Campus concept beyond Boston College, strengthening our ties to the greater community.” Information on Walk Across Campus and HEALTHY YOU is available at www.bc.edu/healthy-you. –Sean Smith
FRATES SHARES STORY Two years ago, Director of Boston College Baseball Operations Pete Frates ’07 was diagnosed with ALS, also called Lou Gehrig’s disease, after the famous baseball player whose tragic struggle with ALS helped bring it to public attention. This past July 4, 75 years to the day that Gehrig, forced to retire because of ALS, made his farewell speech at Yankee Stadium – containing the immortal line, “I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the Earth” – Frates shared his story on the CNN.com Bleacher Report. Frates, who typed the post using an eye-tracking device, describes his experiences and delivers an appeal to support research on ALS. “My dream is for this article to be found by someone in a Google search one day – much like the one that linked my symptoms to ALS – and for he or she to wonder how anyone ever could have died from something treated so easily,” writes Frates, who notes that he and his wife are expecting their first child in September. See the article at http://bit.ly/1pJHbkc. 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.
A flipbook edition of Chronicle is available via e-mail. Send requests to chronicle@bc.edu.
T he B oston C ollege
Chronicle summer 2014
BC-Santander agreement extends innovative program in social welfare By Sean Smith Chronicle Editor
A Boston College program that aims to build global expertise in social welfare has been renewed for three years, following an agreement with Santander Universities, a division of Santander Bank, NA. University President William P. Leahy, SJ, and Roman Blanco, president and CEO of Santander Bank US, formally extended the BC-Santander agreement at a July 8 signing ceremony attended by BC and Santander representatives. Under the agreement, Santander will continue its support for the University’s international doctoral program in social welfare, headquartered in the Graduate School of Social Work. “Our perspectives are enlarged [through the program], and we acquire a greater awareness of the world around us,” said Fr. Leahy at the ceremony. Established in 2011, the social welfare program enables BC to form partnerships and exchanges with Jesuit, Catholic universities in Latin America, Spain and elsewhere in the world to advance and professionalize the field of social welfare. The program offers research-driven knowledge, experience-based insight, and field-tested skills to address the unique issues faced by students’ respective countries or communities. Participants in the PhD program split time between the partner university and BC, taking formal courses and producing scholarly material. In the final phase of the program, partici-
pants complete a final dissertation that deals with a social problem in his or her home country. The program’s first two students, both from Mexican universities, were at BC during the past academic year; a second cohort is slated to arrive on campus in the fall, and a third has been admitted to the program. Fr. Leahy and other speakers at the July 8 event underscored the program’s benefits not only to students and the partner institutions, but also the social
tions,” said Blanco, who praised the “unique” doctoral program for “bringing together varying perspectives, providing valuable training and experience to make change where it is needed.” GSSW Dean Alberto Godenzi said the social welfare doctoral program reflects the school’s “special attention to transformation on a global scale.” Noting the rise of the Latino population in the US, he said that the opportunity for BC to gain a better understanding of language and
University President William P. Leahy, SJ, shakes hands with Roman Blanco, president and CEO of Santander Bank US, at a July 8 signing ceremony to extend BC’s international social welfare doctoral program, headquartered in the Graduate School of Social Work. (Photo by Lee Pellegrini)
welfare field. Perhaps most importantly, they noted, the program helps talented professionals develop skills and practices they can take back to their respective countries – a departure from the much-criticized “brain drain” model of the past. “These individuals will be teachers,” said Fr. Leahy, “and the multiplicity of a teacher’s impact on those around him or her cannot be overstated.” The BC-Santander agreement symbolizes “the promise and the power of international connec-
culture in Latino countries and societies “is a major benefit to us all.” In addition to Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City and Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Occidente (ITESO) in Guadalajara, the program’s partner institutions now include Universidad Alberto Hurtado in Santiago, Chile, and conversations are continuing with other schools, Godenzi said. Contact Sean Smith at sean.smith@bc.edu
“Boston College...has benefited immensely from Pat Keating’s wisdom, judgment, and commitment since he became executive vice president.” -University President William P. Leahy, SJ
Keating to Leave EVP Post in December
Continued from page 1 tion of open source administrative systems, and initiated planning and assessment functions that have reduced costs while sustaining growth. “I have been in higher education for 40 years, including 13 great years at Boston College, and I am ready to step down from my day-to-day role as EVP,” said Keating. “I believe it is a good time for me and the University to bring in someone new. Boston College is in great shape, and under Fr. Leahy there is a strong leadership team in place, so I feel that the time is right to make this move.” Fr. Leahy praised Keating for
his leadership and invaluable contributions to Boston College during his years as EVP. “The Boston College community has benefited immensely from Pat Keating’s wisdom, experience, judgment, and commitment since he became executive vice president in 2001,” said Fr. Leahy. “He has provided strong, caring leadership to key administrative areas and invested himself in advancing BC. I especially valued his ability to work effectively with a broad range of faculty, administrators, students, trustees, and benefactors.” Keating said he is looking for-
ward to the upcoming semester and to working on projects that are important to the Strategic Plan and Institutional Master Plan. “I am excited to break ground on the new residence hall and to complete the programming and design of a new recreation complex, as well as to continue our development of an overall University compliance program and phase II of our Master Plan. “BC is a great place, and I look forward to the next six months and to transitioning to my new role in the year to come.” Contact Jack Dunn at jack.dunn@bc.edu
Ismay Is Inaugural Cooney Family Assistant Professor By Sean Smith Chronicle Editor
Assistant Professor of History Penelope Ismay, who researches the social history of modernity in Britain, has been named the Cooney Family Assistant Professor. Her first academic year at Boston College just completed, Ismay is the latest faculty member to be appointed to an endowed assistant professorship as part of a new initiative to support junior faculty research and early-career development. She joins Buehler Sesquicentennial Assistant Professor David Miele of the Lynch School of Education, White Family Sesquicentennial Assistant Professor of Political Science Jennifer Erickson and Donohue Assistant Professor in Business Law Natalya Shnitser, whose appointments were announced earlier this year. The new assistant professorship was made possible through a gift by University Trustee Robert J. Cooney ’74, partner in the Chicago law firm Cooney & Conway, and family. “I am very honored and humbled to be the inaugural holder of this professorship,” said Ismay, who came to BC after serving as a visiting scholar at the Center for British Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. “At a time when many institutions are foregoing long-term investments in people, Boston College is going the other way. The University’s commitment to the humanities and support for junior faculty is incredibly clear and strong. “I’m also deeply grateful to the Cooney family for its generosity. I have no doubt that their gift will change my career. But, in a larger sense, it is another signal that the liberal arts are highly valued at Boston College.” “Penny Ismay is just the kind of talented young scholar we intended to support with this gift,” said Cooney, a trustee since 2010 who serves on the board’s Committee on Mission and Character. “We look forward to seeing her scholarship develop and we’re excited about the impact we know she’ll make on her students.” Ismay holds master’s and doctoral degrees from UCal-Berkeley, and her academic and professional honors include a Mellon Fellowship in Humanistic Studies, an Institute of European Studies Dissertation Fellowship, and an Anglo-American Fellowship at Pembroke College in Cambridge, England. This past semester, she taught The Secret History of the Economy in Britain, 1600-1900.
Lee Pellegrini
International PhD Program Is Renewed
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Penelope Ismay
“Penny Ismay has been a brilliant addition to the History Department, building on our longstanding strength in British history,” said Provost and Dean of Faculties David Quigley, a colleague of Ismay in the History Department. “Her research on the social and cultural history of early-modern Europe is wonderfully original, and her teaching is already earning rave reviews from our undergraduates.” Ismay’s research centers on the advent of modern society in 18th and 19th century Europe, with a particular focus on Britain. The last few decades have seen historical scholarship shift to other, previously less-scrutinized areas of the world and Ismay feels the critiques that came out of emerging from this scholarship open up the possibility for a fresh perspective on British/European history as well. A recent study by Ismay examines the role of friendly or mutual assistance societies – viewed as precursors to modern insurance and the welfare state – in helping foster a sense of community, and shared responsibilities, in Britain during that transitional period. A native of Berkley, Mich., Ismay followed an unlikely path to academia. She earned her bachelor’s degree in history from the US Naval Academy, and was part of the first class of female graduates to serve in integrated naval operations aboard combat ships, spending five years at sea with two tours to the Persian Gulf as officer of the deck on a destroyer and an aircraft carrier. “I’m very happy to be at BC, where there is tremendous collegiality, and to be part of a young, dynamic department where everyone’s doing interesting things. I love being in a place where the importance of history is understood and appreciated.” Read the full article at http://bit.ly/1kx5R7F
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Hoveyda Is Honored for Research in Hydrocarbons By Ed Hayward Staff Writer
Vanderslice Millennium Professor of Chemistry Amir Hoveyda, one of the world’s preeminent organic chemists, has received a 2014 Eni Award for New Frontiers in Hydrocarbons from an international panel of world-class scientists assembled by the Enrico Mattei Foundation of the Italian energy giant Eni SpA. Hoveyda and other leading researchers were honored June 17 at a ceremony in Rome, hosted by Italian President Giorgio Napolitano in the official presidential palace, the historic Quirinale. Hoveyda received a gold medal and a prize valued at a p p r o x i m a t e l y Amir Hoveyda $270,000. The Eni Awards recognize leading researchers in the areas of energy and sustainable chemistry, part of an effort by Eni, which employs 82,300 people in 85 countries, to promote innovation in energy research. “I am humbled,” said Hoveyda, a 24-year faculty member at BC. “This is further testimony to the dedication, creativity and industriousness of more than 100 selfless doctoral, post-doctoral and undergraduate scholars who have asked and addressed scientific questions in my laboratories since 1990 at Merkert Chemistry Center. This is first and foremost applause for their accomplishments.” Hoveyda was honored in the “downstream” category for transformations of hydrocarbons drawn from raw materials. There were more than 1,400 applications submitted to the Eni committee, which awarded four prizes and recognized the work of three doctoral researchers. Hoveyda joins an illustrious group of scientists who have receive the Eni, including Nobel laureate Sir Harold Kroto of the University of Sussex, and US researchers including MIT’s Gregory Stephanopoulos, UCBerkeley’s Enrique Iglesia, Cal Tech’s Frances H. Arnold and Craig Venter of the Institute for Genomic Research. Hoveyda’s research focuses on designing new catalysts for chemical synthesis that are sustainable, easy and cost-effective to access and generate valuable products
of exceptional purity with high efficiency. His research group develops transformations crucial to advances in the life sciences and medicine. The 2014 Eni Scientific Award Commission cited Hoveyda’s development of catalysts capable of synthesizing complex molecules with unique steric properties, specifically distinct spatial arrangements of their main chain atoms. Hoveyda catalysts produce high purity compounds used in pharmaceuticals, fine chemicals and Lee Pellegrini agrochemicals, with applications that extend into advanced materials and polymers. The connections to energy lie in the development of exceptionally efficient catalysts with high turnover ratios in a short amount of time, involving the use of non-precious and abundant elements that convert readily available renewable materials into highly valued molecules humans rely upon. “Such catalysts do not demand heating or cooling, or the energy required to promote such reactions,” Hoveyda said. “They do not require expending our non-renewable resources, which demand substantial time and energy to mine, and generate minimal amounts of environmentally harmful waste and reduce the energy costs of disposal. Catalysts and catalytic chemical reactions that depend on renewable resources and abundant elements are, without a doubt, a critical part of our future.” Provost and Dean of Faculties David Quigley commended Hoveyda for his most recent honor. “The Eni Award, among the most prestigious honors in energy science, is fitting recognition of Professor Hoveyda’s scientific achievements, which place him at the forefront of hydrocarbons research,” said Quigley. “Catalysts developed in his Boston College lab are helping to drive innovation among researchers in pharmaceuticals, fine chemicals and agrochemicals. Furthermore, he seeks solutions that minimize environmental costs and maximize renewable resources. I congratulate Amir for this well-deserved honor in recognition of his scientific accomplishments.” Contact Ed Hayward at ed.hayward@bc.edu
Anissa Lane celebrated her graduation in May with daughter Alenzia and son Steve. (Photo courtesy of Anissa Lane)
‘This Year Has Been a Blessing to Me’ Woods College grad balances family, school, work and service By Rosanne Pellegrini Staff Writer
Graduating summa cum laude in May from the Woods College of Advancing Studies — and overcoming many challenges along the way in pursuit of higher education — Anissa Lane has earned bragging rights. But impressive academic achievement aside, she says her work through BC’s Volunteer and Service Learning Center is her number one accomplishment. “This year has been a blessing to me,” Lane said. Following the excitement of Commencement, Lane recently received accolades for her apprenticeship with the Beautiful Girls program (at Boston’s Washington Irving Middle School, via the Citizen Schools organization), which provides mentoring to foster selfesteem and reinforce the importance of education. She was presented with both the Local Chapter Award and, from the White House, The President’s Volunteer Service Award. To reach her ambitious goals, she has effectively balanced her work, school and home life. As a single mother, she heads a household of three generations that also includes her son and daughter, her daughter’s fiancé, and her young granddaughter. “The words that I live by are Ad astra per aspera – ‘To the stars through adversity,’” says Lane, who adds that WCAS students “embody work-life balance.” Despite inherent challenges at home, especially with the adults all pursuing education while also working, “we all supported each other. I felt like I needed to set the tone and be a role model, especially when the going got tough.” Putting her children’s education first, she had waited to pursue her degree until after her son finished private school and began college. Despite financial challenges, she sought a full course load at WCAS — and with the help of the school’s namesake and longtime dean James A. Woods, SJ, now retired — re-
ceived aid enabling her to enroll and study communication. “It has been a distinct honor and an absolute pleasure to know Fr. Woods. He is the gem of Boston College and I am forever in his debt,” she said. Lane initially balanced classes while working in management 50plus hours weekly at Genzyme Genetics. When she was laid off in 2012, she focused on academics and engaged in volunteer work. One of her professors and mentors, Communication Professor Emeritus Dorman Picklesimer Jr., called Lane the top student in his 2012 Interpersonal Communications class, and said that success was mirrored in all her courses. “She is a natural leader who possesses admirable communicative talent — both oral and written,” he wrote in a letter of recommendation for her graduate study. “The honors she received, including being inducted into Alpha Sigma Nu, the Jesuit Honor Society, are due to her dedication to learning.” He went on to describe Lane as “one of the brightest, most positive and perceptive persons I have ever
known. She has a deep desire to build on the foundation she has attained at Boston College and now desires to improve her knowledge by enrolling in a course of study at the highest level.” This fall, the native Bostonian — who has lived for more than two decades in Chestnut Hill and Newton — will go on to pursue graduate work in communication studies at Suffolk University. As Lane embraces the next chapter in her studies, she remains dedicated to serving and inspiring others. Through Citizen Schools, she will mentor a new volunteer and assist in rewriting the curriculum for future “Beautiful Girls” apprenticeships. Of BC’s academic resources, and her WCAS experience, she says, “What resonated in my heart and was often repeated to me by many of my professors was: ‘Please stay in touch. I want to know how your story ends.’ I have received nothing but love and support from my professors. “I went into every class expecting the best from them and in turn I offered them, the very best of me.”
BC Authors Win Catholic Press Association Book Awards Several Boston College books were honored with awards from the Catholic Press Association of the US and Canada at the organization’s annual gathering. Theology Professor Kenneth Himes, OFM, received the firstplace award in the category of social teaching for his book Christianity and the Political Order. Also receiving a first-place prize for Scripture/popular studies was Encountering Jesus in the Scriptures, published by BC’s Church in the 21st Century Center and edited by the late School of Theology and Ministry Professor Daniel Harrington, SJ, and STM Research Professor Christopher Matthews. In addition, Visions of Hope: Emerging Theologians and the Future of the Church was awarded first place in the category of works related to the 50th anniversary of Vatican II. The book is based on a conference organized by graduate students of the Theology Department and School of Theology and Ministry and edited by Kevin Ahern, who received his doctoral degree from BC in 2013. Handbook of Roman Catholic Moral Terms by School of Theology and Ministry Professor James Bretzke, SJ, took second place in the category of reference books. –Office of News and Public Affairs
T he B oston C ollege
Chronicle summer 2014
Religious Exemption and the Law By Sean Smith Chronicle Editor
America’s ongoing debate over the relationship between religion, individual rights and government has heated up this summer, as evidenced by reaction over US Supreme Court decisions in the Hobby Lobby and women’s health clinic “buffer zone” cases. A new book by Professor of History Alan Rogers explores a previous chapter in this continuing imbroglio: attempts to prosecute parents who use prayer and spiritual healing to treat their children’s medical problems. In The Child Cases: How America’s Religious Exemption Laws Harm Children, Rogers looks at seven high-profile cases in the 1980s and ’90s – including one in Massachusetts – involving Christian Scientists who refused to seek medical treatment for their children. (A handful of other religious groups also rely solely on prayer to heal illness.) The Christian Science parents claimed that the First Amendment’s free exercise clause, and religious exemptions in the 1974 federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, shielded them from intervention or prosecution by authorities. In all cases, the parents were able to avoid conviction and imprisonment, whether through appeal, pleading guilty to a reduced charge, or other legal grounds. The religious exemption question reflects a quintessentially American dilemma, says Rogers: the struggle to balance individual rights with the state’s obligation to enforce laws. The oft-contentious conversation on government’s role in society takes on more layers when elements of religion, privacy and family are added, as Rogers illustrates in the book. “It’s the beauty, and burden, of America,” says Rogers. “We have long been a nation of new beginnings. People came here to have the freedom of religious expression, and throughout our history people have started new religions, from Christian Scientists to Mormons to Seventh-day Adventists. “Our constitution offers legal protection to believe in whatever you want – but our legal history has held that you can’t always act on your belief, especially if it’s potentially harmful to others, and especially if they are children.”
For his book, Rogers used court records and media archives to reconstruct highly detailed narratives of the five cases, including that of two-year-old Robyn Twitchell of Hyde Park, Mass., who in 1986 died of a bowel obstruction a medical expert testified could have been prevented. Robyn’s parents David and Ginger were indicted for manslaughter, setting off some four years of legal parrying by the prosecution and defense as to whether the Twitchells’ refusal to seek medical attention for their son constituted willful neglect and abuse, or a carefully considered exercise of strongly-held religious values.
Lee Pellegrini
Historian examines controversy over use of prayer to heal children
including Catholics and mainstream Protestants – denounced Christian Science’s claims of healing via prayer. “One thing Christian Scientists had in their favor during that era was that medical science was not particularly advanced,” says Rogers. “In those cases, the defense’s argument would be ‘Could a doctor do any better than prayer?’ and often the answer was ‘No.’ “In the 1980s and ’90s, after decades of advances in medical science and health education, that was a harder sell. Yet even in this supposedly more enlightened age, Christian Scientists were able
“Our constitution offers legal protection to believe in whatever you want – but our legal history has held that you can’t always act on your belief, especially if it’s potentially harmful to others, and especially if they are children.” –Alan Rogers
The 54-day trial in 1990 ended with the Twitchells’ conviction of involuntary manslaughter, for which they were sentenced to 10 years of probation, with the provision that they obtain regular medical check-ups for their three surviving children and seek medical help in the event of serious illness. The state Supreme Judicial Court set aside the conviction on grounds of due process in 1993. Here, as in the book’s other chapters, Rogers interpolates the social, political and media activity, on both a state and national level, by supporters and detractors of religious exemption as argued by Christian Scientists. For example, the same year the Twitchells’ conviction was overturned, Massachusetts repealed the religious exemption law they had cited in their defense. Rogers notes that the spiritualhealing issue goes far back in American history, with a rash of similar cases taking place in the early 20th century. In response, he says, medical, legal and child welfare professionals voiced support for state laws to protect children from abuse and neglect, while various commentators –
to find support for their position.” Rogers points to the Christian Science Church’s political influence as helping limit the scope and breadth of child abuse laws while pushing for religious exemption clauses in individual states, as factors that mitigated successful prosecution of cases like the Twitchells. Faced with what they perceived to be governmental intrusions on religious liberty, some religious groups chose to side with Christian Scientists, while within the church itself disagreements or concerns over spiritual healing were shunted aside. “It’s a complex story which can’t, and shouldn’t, be told in broad strokes of a church-versusstate framework,” says Rogers. “These cases are gripping and heartbreaking, and the inescapable fact is, these kids died of illnesses that could’ve been treated or prevented. Whatever the legal or political circumstances, that is a tragedy we cannot ignore.”
Contact Sean Smith at sean.smith@bc.edu
Conversations with Boston College’s Academic Deans
5
DIALOGUE
JAMES BURNS, SJ WOODS COLLEGE OF ADVANCING STUDIES
Looking back at the 2013-14 academic year, what were some of the highlights for the Woods College community? One significant event was our annual GradLee Pellegrini uation Dinner in April, which honored the 2014 Woods College graduates. We were privileged to have WCAS alumnus Boston Mayor Marty Walsh as the featured speaker to address the nearly 200 graduates, alumni, friends and family in attendance. He spoke beautifully about his own experience as a student in the WCAS. Those attending commented on how inspiring they found his remarks. We were also very pleased to see that our overall enrollment numbers for the fall and spring experienced a significant uptick, in part related to many more day students seeking the benefits of the evening classes as well as our other unique offerings. There have also been significant changes in the delivery of the University Summer Session. The program is administered by the interim dean of the Summer Session and staff – who happen to be the same interim dean and staff of the Woods College. Over the spring, extensive work was done in collaboration with department chairs and the deans of the College of Arts and Sciences and Carroll School of Management to review all program offerings for summer. In addition, we were able to institute a new program for graduate students, the Dean of the Summer Session Teaching Fellowship. The focus of the fellowship is on teaching and completion of the fellow’s dissertation; it includes a mentoring component and is aimed at advanced PhD students. The fellows selected receive a generous stipend, teach two courses in the Summer Session and attend a variety of workshops on pedagogy, non-traditional learning methods, instructional design and e-teaching, mission and identity, and take part in a weekend dissertation writing retreat. This year’s competitive application process brought the first cohort of five students from the English, Theology, Philosophy, Political Science and Sociology departments. It has been very well received so far and we hope to expand it next year. What do you see as the most important challenges for the Woods College in continuing to fulfill its mission? To create and maintain vital undergraduate and applied graduate programs which meet the demands of today’s workplace. Our efforts in these areas focus on increasing our presence in the arena of post-traditional learning, thereby increasing enrollments and generating new revenue streams. This is an important yet challenging environment in which the WCAS is competing. To do so, we will continue to rely on the exceptional support of the University leadership and all of our wonderful partners. Of course, this also requires proper resourcing, directed at our forward movement through these new initiatives, especially including moving fully into the on-line learning environment. Talk about some of the more significant trends you’ve noticed in the Woods College student population. We have seen that the average age of students at WCAS has dropped over the past decade or more, from around 35 years old to closer to 25 today. This trend is likely to continue as traditional college-age students continue to express interest and enroll in the Woods College programs. They, along with our non-traditional learners, appreciate the WCAS flexibility and affordability. Our approach focuses on encouraging our Woods College students to continue to grow and develop to “be more” in all they do. We are also fully committed to offering scholarships to those students at any age who are economically disadvantaged. In addition, we offer significant scholarships to those non-traditional-aged students who are returning to, or beginning, college after age 25. Our partner in this latter venture is the Osher Foundation, which has supplied significant funding to support these students. You were first appointed as interim dean at Woods about two years ago: What impressions have you formed of the college? Every day I am delightfully reminded of the complete dedication of our staff and faculty. These individuals are devoted to a WCAS student population that is here to become “more,” to live “Magis.” I see it every day in many and varied ways, whether in the students I meet and advise, in faculty meetings, in team meetings, in meetings with parties outside the University who are very interested in what we are doing, and in working with our partners from around the University. –Sean Smith
Read the full interview at http://bit.ly/1jy3ua6
T he B oston C ollege
Chronicle summer 2014
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Continued from page 1 “He would’ve been thoroughly delighted at this gathering today, and the opportunity to exchange greetings and stories.” Fr. Leahy – to whom Fr. Neenan served as a special assistant for the past 16 years – said Fr. Neenan was the epitome of the “faithful priest” referred to in The Bible (1 Samuel 2:35). “He drew from his Catholic roots in Sioux City, striving to know the mind of God,” said Fr. Leahy, “and to bring people to the faith.” Professor Emeritus of Theology Robert Daly, SJ, who had shared quarters with Fr. Neenan in the Jesuit community residence Roberts House, said the steady flow of tributes and condolences attested to the impact of Fr. Neenan’s “35-year love affair with Boston College, and everyone and everything associated with it.” Fr. Daly described Fr. Neenan, particularly in his later years, as “an apostle of Boston College. That’s not just a happy metaphor. Those words describe his vision, his mission in life, which was to preach the good news about Boston College far and wide, with an enthusiasm and effectiveness that puts the rest of us to shame.” Professor of Economics Joseph Quinn, in his eulogy, said Fr. Neenan was “someone who lived every day of his life to the fullest,” wheth-
Frank Curran
Remembering a Friend
Carrabba Wins 2014 Commty. Service Award By Kathleen Sullivan Staff Writer
William B. Neenan, SJ, speaking at a 2007 Agape Latte event.
er leading a committee discussion, hosting Holy Thursday lunch, taking part in an alumni event, visiting BC students in the Abbey Theatre summer program in Ireland, or telling his many stories in groups small or large. “We are blessed that Fr. Bill walked and talked – and talked and talked – among us,” concluded Quinn. “Goodbye, friend.” –Sean Smith See also: •BC Community Gathers to Say Farewell to Beloved BC Jesuit [http://bit.ly/1k02pm5] •Boston College Mourns Beloved Jesuit VP William B. Neenan, SJ [http://bit.ly/1lOATI2]
Juniors Earn Gilman Scholarships Four Boston College rising juniors will participate in study-abroad programs this fall — traveling to Ecuador, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Austria — through prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarships. A fifth student was selected as an alternate. Also via Gilman awards, two members of the Class of 2015 were selected for summer grants to study in Cambodia and Ireland, and a third student was chosen as an alternate for study in Italy. “It is an accomplishment that 65 percent of those who applied were awarded the Gilman scholarship,” said Christina D. Hatzipetros, assistant director for international development in BC’s Office of International Programs. “In an increasingly global workplace, employers look for students who can communicate and work successfully in an international environment. At the Office of International Programs we are deeply committed to providing personalized guidance to ensure that students of all backgrounds and academic interests have an opportunity to study abroad.” Gilman Scholars receive from $2,500 to $5,000 to apply towards their study-abroad program costs. The program aims to diversify the population of students who study abroad, and the countries and regions to which they travel, by supporting undergraduates who might not otherwise participate in these opportunities due to financial constraints. This year’s BC Gilman Scholars and their destinations are: Amilia James, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Ecuador; Ha Rim Kim, University College London, United Kingdom; Joanna Saikali, Bocconi University, Italy; Elizabeth Cai, University of Vienna, Austria. [Alternate Tedros Alemayehu applied to study at the University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.] As part of the Gilman application process, students are required to submit a follow-up project proposal, for completion on campus when they return from their international study programs. For more on the Gilman Scholarships, see www.iie.org/Programs/Gilman-Scholarship-Program. In addition to study-abroad opportunities funded by Gilman awards, 28 travel grants were awarded through BC’s McGillycuddy-Logue Center for Undergraduate Studies to Summer 2014 program participants, as well as 69 grants to undergraduates who will study abroad through Boston College programs during the 2014-15 academic year. –Office of News & Public Affairs
Read the full article at http://bit.ly/1nECWU7
Marianne Carrabba capped her long Boston College career – marked by a conscientious attention to students’ needs – with the 2014 Boston College Community Service Award. The award, sponsored by the Office of Governmental and Community Affairs, is given each year to a University employee whose actions exemplify the Jesuit spirit of service to others. Carrabba – who retired this summer after 45 years at BC, most recently as assistant director for off-campus housing in the Office of Residential Life – was presented with the honor by President William P. Leahy, SJ, at the University’s annual employee recognition dinner on May 29. Carrabba helped students, as well as new faculty and staff, secure off-campus housing, and consistently went above and beyond that job description to make sure newcomers found not just a place to live, but a home. Colleagues describe her as humble, selfless, kind and empathetic, with a knack for turning a negative experience into a positive one. Her day-to-day duties included welcoming international students to Boston College, and to life in
Community Service Award winner Marianne Carrabba with University President William P. Leahy, SJ. (Photo by Lee Pellegrini)
the US. After working diligently to find them housing, Carrabba would check in regularly to make sure they were acclimating to America successfully. “It would not be shocking to see her driving up and down Commonwealth Avenue with her car loaded to deliver needed furniture, household items and food to students who do not have a lot of money or transportation,” wrote Facilities Services Assistant Director Catherine O’Connor in her letter of nomination for Carrabba. O’Connor, who has known Carrabba for 25 years, added that Carrabba’s weekend plans often included taking a student shopping or stopping by with a meal because they didn’t feel well. “All those little things mean so much,” said Carrabba, a self-described “problem-solver.” Reflecting on her career, she emphasized the importance of having a personal conversation with each person who came into her office so she can find them the best housing match. “It’s important to see to
their individual needs.” Her interpersonal skills extended to the long-standing relationships she cultivated with landlords and realtors, with whom she would sometimes bargain to accommodate short-term leases or to negotiate fees and rents, according to O’Connor. The most challenging housing issues arose from international students and other special cases, such as transfer students or new faculty and staff, said Carrabba. “Students come from Chile or China and they need a furnished apartment. Or other students or faculty need a place but only for the fall. It always works out in the end.” Carrabba, a Revere native who now lives in Brighton, has watched seven nieces and nephews graduate from BC, including her goddaughter Michela Falzone in May. Looking back on her many decades of service, she said, “I got to meet nice and interesting people every day. Every day there was a new challenge, but that was the fun of it. I had the most amazing journey.”
obituary
Alice Jeghelian, 85; Led Affirmative Action Efforts
Alice Jeghelian, a retired long-time administrator who helped lead Boston College’s institutional efforts in affirmative action and discriminatory harassment, died on June 21. She was 85. Dr. Jeghelian was studying for her doctorate in counseling and psychology at BC in the late 1960s, a time when the University – like many colleges throughout the US – was experiencing student unrest amidst political and social changes. A nursing counselor, Dr. Jeghelian was asked by the administration to serve as its liaison in discussions with students about issues of concern to them – a role she had played earlier as assistant dean for women at Northeastern University. BC President Seavey Joyce, SJ, appointed her to a committee to examine in particular the role of women at the Heights. In 1971, Dr. Jeghelian was chosen to direct BC’s new Office of Affirmative Action, created to develop “a plan to provide equal opportunity in both employment and education.” She formulated an affirmative action program for the University that was approved by the Board of Trustees in 1973, and that year she was appointed as special assistant to the president with a specific focus on
affirmative action. Among her tasks was to coordinate BC’s compliance with Title IX, the 1972 federal statute prohibiting discrimination in educational programs and activities on the basis of sex. Dr. Jeghelian assumed the title of director of professional development in 1985, and her office became aligned with the Office of Human Resources. She continued to work on issues and initiatives related to the growing presence of women and persons of color in the University. Long an advocate for child care facilities on campus, Dr. Jeghelian chaired a committee – formed by the University’s Affirmative Action Council, of which she was director – that in 1984 proposed building a day care center; four years later, the Boston College Children’s Center opened its doors. In 1990, University President J. Donald Monan, SJ, appointed Dr. Jeghelian to chair a committee charged with revising BC’s policy on discriminatory harassment; she had headed the committee that drafted the original policy in 1982. As part of the new guidelines, Fr. Monan announced in October of 1991 that Dr. Jeghelian would be the University’s first harassment counselor, to assist faculty, staff or students experiencing
problems related to sexual, racial or other forms of harassment. Dr. Jeghelian retired from BC in 1994 after 25 years of service, and moved to Florida, where she worked as a mediator in small claims court, sang in a local chorus and painted in watercolor. A native of Boston, Dr. Jeghelian earned a bachelor’s degree in English at Mount Holyoke College and a master’s degree from Harvard University. After working in clerical positions at Harvard and MIT, she returned to Mount Holyoke as assistant director of admissions before going onto Northeastern and BC. She is survived by her brother, Leo Jeghelian; sister, Jaye Howes; two nieces and a nephew; and three great nieces and three great nephews. A private memorial service was held June 27 at Breslin Funeral Home in Malden, Mass., followed by interment at Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Arlington. Donations in Dr. Jeghelian’s memory can be made to Anna Maria Island Chorus and Orchestra [www. amicco.org]. –Office of News & Public Affairs
Read the full article at http://bit.ly/1qrn0n4
T he B oston C ollege
Chronicle summer 2014
The International Symposium on Cross Sector Social Interactions has presented Carroll School of Management Galligan Professor of Strategy Sandra Waddock with a lifetime achievement award for her pioneering work in cross-sector collaborative research. Waddock, whose research in the field began 30 years ago, is only the second person to receive this honor from the symposium. “I was surprised, humbled, and amazed to see that I was considered to be a pioneer,” said Waddock, who also is the Carroll School Scholar of Corporate Responsibility. “I just thought I was doing this really cool stuff. I don’t think any of us regard ourselves as pioneers. What we do is we find something that’s really interesting to look at, or is a puzzle, or that’s important, and that very few other people are interested in, and we go after it.” Waddock was one of the few researchers in the 1980s that undertook collaborative research focusing on public-private sector partnerships, where difficulties are inevitable. “Collaboration research inher-
Seguin Is Deputy AD Director of Athletics Brad Bates recently announced the appointment of Jaime Seguin ’99 as deputy athletics director. Seguin, who was deputy athletics director/ senior woman administrator at the University of MassachusettsAmherst, will oversee internal operations and administration at BC. “Jaime is a rising star in collegiate athletics and we are very fortunate that she has agreed to come ‘home’ to her alma mater,” Bates said. “She has a proven track record as an outstanding administrator and will play an integral role in the day-to-day operations of our department.” Seguin joined the UMass staff in 2004 as assistant athletics director for business and personnel after spending four years at the University of Hartford, the last three as the assistant AD for business and finance. She handled all fiscal matters for UMass athletics for the past decade and recently shifted focus to the oversight of the student-athlete service units, including student-athlete academic services, athletic training and strength and conditioning. She also oversaw the Campus Recreation department. Seguin received her bachelor’s degree in economics and psychology from BC before and her master’s degree in sport management from UMass in 2000. –Boston College Athletics
ently involves dealing with what are called ‘wicked problems’: intractable, complex, and indeterminate issues for which different stakeholders have different definitions – and, importantly, different proposed solutions,” she said. “Coming to resolution and making progress on such wicked problems, if it is to be done well, demands multi-sector collaboration. That is why the progress the field has made is so important.” Where Waddock’s early research involved business engagement with schools that were trying to resolve the education crisis, nowadays her attention centers on large system change – such as in economic, business and world social systems – and sustainability. Waddock, whose 10th book is due out later this year, says values, norms, and visions are what hold a system together and it is this core that needs to be targeted to make changes. “How did smoking and drinking become less acceptable? People got up and said, ‘This is not good for us.’ They said it in ways that others began to understand, and so we began to change our values. So
Lee Pellegrini
Lifetime Achievement Honor for Waddock
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Newsmakers Boston College faculty members offered their views and analysis on the recent US Supreme Court session, which produced several highly anticipated, and highly controversial, decisions. Prof. Kent Greenfield (Law) discussed the session on WGBH’s “Greater Boston” and the court’s Hobby Lobby ruling in particular on New England Cable News’ “Broadside” and Marketplace Radio, and in an op-ed for the Boston Globe; also weighing in on the Hobby Lobby decision were Libby Professor of Law and Theology Cathleen Kaveny in Commonweal and Assoc. Prof. Brian Quinn (Law) in Dow Jones Marketwatch and the Boston Herald; comments by Assoc. Prof. Daniel Lyons (Law) on the Aereo ruling were cited by the Boston Globe’s “BetaBoston” and Worcester Telegram and Gazette.
article included remarks by First Year Experience Director Rev. Joseph Marchese and a photo showing Vice President and University Secretary Terrence Devino, SJ, leading an information session. With the Social Security Administration struggling amidst cutbacks to assist the growing numbers of Baby Boomers with requests for help with benefits, Sloan Center on Aging and Work Research Fellow Philip Moeller published a piece in Money outlining steps to help people find the information they need.
BC BRIEFING
Sandra Waddock
if we think about coming together around big issues like sustainability, we need to reframe how we understand it as a wicked problem and what it means to us as individuals: How would we begin to change the thinking on climate change so that it becomes less acceptable for companies to pollute, or for us to over-consume?” The lifetime achievement award included a $1,000 check, which Waddock donated to the Pine Street Inn. –Sean Hennessey
NOTA BENE The Boston College Theology Department and School of Theology and Ministry were a significant presence at this year’s annual meeting of the Catholic Theological Society of America (CTSA), held recently in San Diego. Joseph Professor of Catholic Systematic Theology Richard Gaillardetz completed his year as CTSA president and gave the presidential address, “The Francis Moment: A ‘Kairos’ for Catholic Ecclesiology.” David Hollenbach, SJ, who holds the University Chair in Human Rights and International Justice and served on the CTSA board of directors from 1982-84, was elected vice-president and over the next two years will assume the posts of president-elect and then president. In addition, STM Professor Mary Jo Iozzio was elected to the CTSA board for a two-year term. Professor of Theology M. Shawn Copeland, a former CTSA president, received the Ann O’Hara Graff Memorial Award for her work in theology from the Women’s Consultation on Constructive Theology. The CTSA meeting also featured presentations of papers by Fr. Hollenbach; Canisius Professor James Keenan, SJ; Theology Associate Professor Boyd Coolman, Assistant Professor Andrew Prevot and part-time faculty member Elizabeth Antus; STM Professor Rev. Richard Lennan, Associate Professor Dominic Doyle, Assistant Professor Ernesto Valiente and students Brad Rathrock and Cathal Doherty, and theology graduate students Katie Grimes and David Turnbloom. Theology Associate Professors Mary Ann Hinsdale, IHM, and Brian Robinette and STM Associate Professors Margaret Guider, OSF, and Andrea Vicini, SJ, served as session moderators, and theology graduate student and Flatley Fellow Kate Ward provided assistance to Gaillardetz throughout the event. The CTSA is the principal association of Catholic theologians in North America. With a membership of more than 1,300, the CTSA is the largest professional society of theologians in the world. Active members of the society hold the doctorate in theology or a related discipline. The purpose of the CTSA is to promote theological research in the Roman Catholic tradition that is attentive to contemporary problems faced by the Catholic Church and the world.
Joseph Professor of Catholic Systematic Theology Richard Gaillardetz was interviewed by National Catholic Reporter on the question of what influence the experiences and opinions of lay Catholics would have on Catholic bishops during their global meeting at the Vatican on family life issues. Sloan Center on Aging and Work Director Marcie-Pitt Catsouphes discussed retention strategies for older workers with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Overhauling the Department of Children and Families won’t be enough to ensure the welfare of Massachusetts children, Assoc. Prof. Tiziana Dearing (GSSW) wrote in WBUR’s “Cognoscenti,” advocating for preventative approaches instead of spending on remediation after a crisis occurs. Assoc. Prof. S. Adam Brasel (CSOM) spoke with WRKO “Financial Exchange” and the Boston Herald about the recalls of at least 8.4 million more General Motors vehicles, which he said underscores a deepening safety crisis that could do irreparable harm to the company’s image if it continues. Writing in America, Law School Dean Vincent Rougeau suggested that developing a humane, fair immigration policy would be a fitting way to honor the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act, in a nation that is quickly moving beyond black and white. Boston College’s parent orientation was highlighted in a frontpage feature on such programs that ran in the Boston Globe; the
Honors/Appointments Prof. Jeffrey Cohen (CSOM) has assumed the title of senior editor for the journal Auditing: A Journal of Practice and Theory, published by the American Accounting Association (AAA).
Time and a Half Center for Human Rights and International Justice Director David Hollenbach, SJ, presented the commencement address at, and received an honorary degree from, St. Joseph’s University.
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: Administrative Assistant, Office of International Programs Staff Psychologist, University Counseling Assistant Director, Strategic Sourcing Procurement Services Associate Vice President/Dean of Students Bakery Manager, Dining Services Associate Director, Major Giving, Development Associate Director, School Development, University Advancement Director, Joseph E. Corcoran Center for Real Estate and Urban Action, Carroll School of Management Assistant Coach, Baseball Team Teacher/Early Childhood, Children’s Center Faculty Support Assistant, Law School Assistant Director, Graduate Student Life Associate Director, Residential Life Research Technician, Biology Department
T he B oston C ollege
Chronicle
A Catalyst for Learning Business
Carroll School launches summer program for non-management undergrads By Sean Hennessey Staff Writer
The Carroll School of Management has launched a new summer program offering non-management students an opportunity to learn a thing or two about business. The Carroll School Summer Management Catalyst Program is an intensive 10-week full-time curriculum that aims to “develop a solid and broad foundation in the functional areas of management.” Classes began May 21 and will run until July 31. The program is in response to the demand for business classes at BC, which has intensified because the Carroll School no longer accepts internal transfers. The 32 students in Catalyst, primarily sophomores and juniors, are taking courses that cover business management, accounting, finance, marketing, operations, ethics, and strategy, along with a workshop in Excel. Candidates for the program must have taken at least one course or received advanced placement credit in math and are evaluated based on academic standing and extracurricular activities. While credits earned via Catalyst do not count toward students’ GPAs and graduation requirements, academic courses taken in the program receive grades and appear on transcripts. They may also be used to waive Carroll School core business course requirements for purposes of taking higher-level management courses. “The idea here is to give students a flavor for what management classes are,” says Carroll School Associate Professor Billy Soo, Accounting Department
BC SCENES
chairman and director of the Catalyst Program. “It also increases their ability to apply for businessrelated jobs. In the past they might have been turned down because a hiring manager said, ‘Oh, you don’t know anything about accounting or finance or marketing.’ So Catalyst is a means for them to strengthen their resumes, certainly
nance), Brad Hudson (marketing), Joy Field (operations management), Richard McGowan, SJ (strategic management), Craig Brown (Excel) and Tom Wesner (business law). “They’re all what I would call all-star faculty – all highly rated,” says Soo. In addition to classes, Catalyst
Lee Pellegrini
summer 2014
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(L-R) Lynch School of Education faculty members Mariela Paez, Anne Homza, Patrick Proctor and Maria Brisk, who helped create the Teaching Dual Language Learners (TDLL) Certificate Program.
LSOE Program Is First in Mass.
Kate Hall leads a class in the Carroll School of Management Summer Management Catalyst Program. (Photo by Lee Pellegrini)
when they apply for internships and full-time jobs. “And students who are just starting out wondering, ‘Is management for me?’ can get that sense in a condensed time period.” “The Catalyst Program is another effort to build a bridge between the Carroll School and the other schools on campus, in particular the College of Arts and Sciences,” says Carroll School Dean Andy Boynton. “The program will immerse students into the world of management and be an extremely valuable experience, regardless of their program of studies or career trajectory.” Faculty members, and the classes they are teaching, for Catalyst are Ed Taylor (accounting), Kate Hall (management), Sarah Cabral (Portico), Mike Barry (fi-
offers a career development component to help students compete in the workplace. “We’re bringing in banks, professional service firms, marketing firms and others to help answer students’ questions like, ‘Who are the employers out there? Who is recruiting at BC? What kind of jobs do they offer?’” says Soo. “So it’s really an integrated experience. Catalyst is not just classes, but also about giving students a sense of what it’s like in the business world and what their opportunities are.” For more on the Carroll School Summer Management Catalyst Program, see http://www.bc.edu/ schools/csom/undergraduate/catalyst. html. Contact Sean Hennessey at sean.hennessey@bc.edu
Continued from page 1 “The way the law is written, it is extremely difficult for schools to comply with the intent of the ballot measure,” said Proctor. “Additionally, bilingual education wasn’t completely eliminated with the passage of the ballot initiative. As a result, bilingual programs are alive, but I wouldn’t say they are well.” Educators face a number of regulatory gray areas as a result of the limits imposed by the language of the initiative, Proctor said. Through the new certificate, Lynch School faculty hope to set a standard for teacher preparation in the dual-language arena. Dual-language – sometimes called two-way immersion – educational programs are bilingual learning environments in which teachers deliver instruction in English approximately half of the time, and the other half in a second target language, most commonly Spanish, Proctor said. Dual-language schools serve about 7,600 elementary students statewide, Proctor said. But the success of two-way immersion in select districts has fueled a renewed interest among school leaders. During last year’s campaign, Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh said the Boston Public Schools need to explore solutions – including
dual-language programs – to better educate English language learners, who make up nearly one-third of the city’s 57,000 K-12 students. Proctor said he expects a first group of about eight certificate candidates, each pursuing their master’s of education in elementary education at BC. In addition to course work, the certificate candidates will student-teach part-time during the fall semester, then fulltime during the spring semester at dual-language schools in Framingham and Somerville. Proctor and his Lynch School colleagues Professor Maria Brisk, Associate Professor Mariela Paez, Assistant Professor of Practice Anne Homza, Director of Practicum Experiences Fran Loftus and Assistant Director Melita Malley, and Director of Urban Outreach Initiatives Catherine Wong developed the certificate program. Faculty in the Department of Teacher Education, Special Education and Curriculum and Instruction and the Lynch School’s Education Policy Committee approved the program. “We’re trying to set BC up as a regional hub of support for teachers responsible for English Language learners in the broadest possible settings,” Proctor said.
MORE HALL, NO MORE
More Hall, a familiar Lower Campus landmark for decades, was razed earlier this summer in preparation for the construction of a new residence hall at 2150 Commonwealth Avenue. The building, scheduled to be ready for occupancy in fall 2016, will house 490 students. For information and updates about this project, see http://bit.ly/1zC6s27.
Photos by Lee Pellegrini