Around Campus

The Boston College Police Department wasn’t looking for any credit.

In the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings, BCPD did their job to make sure runners, spectators and students alike were all completely safe.  And just four days later, when the entire city went on lockdown while the suspect was on the loose in Watertown, the men and women of the BCPD worked tirelessly to keep the campus safe for the thousands who call BC home. 

During the lockdown, the BC baseball team was on a road trip against Wake Forest, and head coach Mike Gambino was watching the news unfold from his Winston-Salem, NC, hotel room.

“We heard about how they kept the dorms on lockdown, the campus closed, and didn’t let people on the campus,” Gambino said. “We just kept hearing those stories through the day and the next day and we knew we wanted to do something for BCPD.”

Gambino immediately called Assistant Athletics Director of Operations Matt Conway, and they worked on the details to hold a small pregame ceremony for the department in an upcoming game.

Recently, on a beautiful Friday afternoon, the entire Boston College police force was invited on the field for the national anthem prior to BC’s matchup with the University of Miami.  Each officer was presented with a BC baseball cap, and Lieutenant Thomas King was introduced to throw out the ceremonial first pitch.  Behind him, the rest of the BCPD officers looked on, all donning their new Eagles caps. 

“It was really cool that Lieutenant King threw out the first pitch,” Gambino explained. “And then our boys each walked out and shook their hands and thanked them.  It was really just a simple way for us to say thank you.”

They never asked for any acknowledgment, but it was clear that the officers of the BCPD were excited to be part of the ceremony, no matter how modest it may have been. While some officers reported back to the station for business as usual, others stayed for a couple innings of the game. 

“It was a special opportunity to show our appreciation to a group of people like BCPD who don’t really get the recognition they deserve unless a situation like this happens,” said freshman pitcher Jeff Burke.  “It was a simple thing we could do, but it was great to have the opportunity to thank them for keeping us safe.”

—Michael Maloney

Look for the BCPD-BC baseball exchange in the video “Boston College Remembers the Boston Marathon” on the BC YouTube channel.

Cindi Bigelow ’82, president and CEO of Bigelow Tea, capped a daylong career conference on “Leveraging Today’s Job Market,” held May 2 in Gasson Hall. Speaking informally with moderator Christine Caswell '89, BC Communication Department director of undergraduate studies, Bigelow described preferred characteristics of prospective employees and the keys to earning recognition and promotion within her organization. She also discussed her own career journey from her Boston College student days to her current role as head of Bigelow Tea, the national market leader of specialty teas.

Sponsored by the Alumni Association, the event drew 90 attendees – mostly alumni – who seek a job transition, a change in career fields or re-entry in the job market.

The program included information sessions, a panel discussion with corporate decision-makers, a presentation and Q-and-A session with Bigelow and a networking reception.

During Bigelow’s keynote session, “Advice from a CEO: Profile for Success,” she shared her insights on how to successfully navigate the job market and work your way up the ladder within your current position.

Founded in 1945 by her grandmother and headquartered in Fairfield, Ct., Bigelow Tea remains a family owned business and employs 330 people across three manufacturing facilities. Bigelow joined the company in 1984 and spent her first 20 years in virtually all areas before she assumed the presidency in 2005. Her diverse background and experience are credited for much of the company’s recent success.

In a presentation titled “Eat Your Lunch, Not Your Words,” BC Associate Vice President for Alumni Relations John Feudo '82, author of I’d Rather Eat Live Spiders: A Definitive Guide to Becoming a Successful Speaker, offered lunchtime tips on how effective communication can be the key to getting a new job, and how to balance eating and talking during a luncheon interview.

BC Career Center Associate Director Lou Gaglini spoke on “The Art of Compensation Negotiation – Creating a Win/Win.”

Alumni participants also included keynote speaker Transition Solutions Vice President and General Manager Donna Sullivan ’85 and Great Heights Coaching founder Kim Meninger '97. Other presenters included Reebok International Senior Director of Human Resources Lisa Cronan, Bay State Milling Vice President for Human Resources Valerie Hawkes, Suffolk Construction Chief People Officer Weber Torres and Transition Solutions Technology Director Barry Simpson and Senior Consultant Elizabeth Hayes. 

   —Rosanne Pellegrini

Colleagues and friends of Professor Emeritus James W. Skehan, SJ, helped him celebrate his 90th birthday at the Weston Observatory, where they announced the creation of a fund in his name to support graduate student research.

In 1958, Fr. Skehan founded the Department of Geology, a precursor to today’s Earth and Environmental Sciences Department, and in 1973 he launched the Weston Observatory.

Fr. Skehan is a renowned geologist whose research has focused on the history of the Avalon terrane, the geological micro-continent stretching from Long Island to Belgium upon which Boston lies. From 1973 to 1993, he directed the observatory, which monitors seismic activity around the globe.

He is the author of Roadside Geology of Massachusetts, a 400-page illustrated guide to the geological history and makeup of the Commonwealth. He followed that with Roadside Geology of Connecticut and Rhode Island.

The April 26 gathering at the observatory announced the creation of the James W. Skehan, SJ, Graduate Research Awards for students in the department and at the Weston Observatory. To date, the fund has grown to approximately $40,000.

Those who wish to contribute to the fund can contact Marilyn Bibeau at the Weston Observatory via email at marilyn.bibeau@bc.edu.