Department Awards
department of mathematics
The Sally Award
The Paul J. Sally, Jr. Distinguished Alumnus prize is awarded annually to a graduating senior (or seniors) who has shown true, academic distinction in a demanding program in Mathematics.
The award is endowed by Professor Sally himself, who graduated from Boston College in 1954, and received his Masters' degree from Boston College in 1956. After a short teaching career in area high schools and at Boston College, Professor Sally completed his Ph.D. at Brandeis in 1965 and joined the faculty in the Department of Mathematics of the University of Chicago where he remains active today.
Professor Sally's research has been in the areas of harmonic analysis and representation theory, which concern the understanding of complicated mathematical problems whose behaviors exhibit natural symmetries. They are central areas of modern mathematics.
Professor Sally has served on the Board of Trustees of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, and participated in the Association of Members of the Institute for Advanced Study. He has served on and/or chaired a number of committees for the National Science Foundation and the American Mathematical Society.
The 2011 award was won by Edward (Michael) Belfanti. He was presented with the award at the Department Ceremony on Thursday, May 5. A second, formal presentation was made by Professor William Keane at the A&S Awards Ceremony on Sunday, May 22. Mike received Departmental Honors in mathematics. His preparation included six courses at the graduate level, and he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. Currently he is pursuing a Ph.D. in mathematics at Ohio State University.
Previous winners of the Paul J. Sally, Jr. Award
2000
Anya Kuznetsova
Peter Rankel
2001
Allison Morabito
2002
Jacek Nowacki
2003
Tak-Lun "Koopa" Koo
2004
Melissa Maisch
Matthew Sequin
Paul Wenger
2005
David Goett
Stephanie Maniscalco
2006
Scott L. Gentile II
2007
Alex C. Landraitis
2008
Brendan Keenan
2009
Thomas R. Runyon
2010
Conor P. Schlick
The Bennett Award
The Department annually presents the Albert A. Bennett award to a graduating mathematics major who has demonstrated a high level of achievement in mathematics and who aspires to teach mathematics.
This award was initiated by former Department Chair, Father Stanley J. Bezuszka, S.J. in honor of his colleague and mentor, Albert A. Bennett, who earned undergraduate and graduate degrees at Brown University and a Ph.D in Mathematics at Princeton University. He enjoyed a lengthy distinguished career teaching mathematics at Brown University. After his retirement from Brown he taught at several institutions including Boston College, where for nine years he was engaged in teaching in a masters in mathematics program for secondary teachers.
Dr. Bennett published many texts and articles in algebra and logic, his fields of specialization. He also had a keen interest in applied mathematics and, during World Wars I and II, he served in the Army as a ballistics expert. It was his dedication to helping teachers deepen their mathematics content knowledge at Boston College that inspired the award that bears his name.
Jennifer E. Meunier and Allison M. Rosshirt were selected as the recipients of the 2011 Albert A. Bennett award. They were presented with the award at the Department Ceremony on Thursday, May 5. A second, formal presentation was made by Professor Margaret Kenney at the LSOE Awards Ceremony on Sunday, May 22. Both Jen and Allie double majored in Secondary Education and Mathematics, and have remained at Boston College to complete Master's degrees in Education.
Previous winners of the Bennett Award
1980
Margaret Mary Napolitano
1981
Stephanie Kay
Kevin Andrew O'Laughlin
1982
Diane Duffy
Jennifer Sulla
1983
Robert Clancey Powers
1984
Antone R. Costa Jr.
1985
Barbara Marie Helmes
1986
Mary Frances Mangraviti
1987
Aimee Ann Walker
1988
Jennifer Marie Fish
1989
Susan Elizabeth Lerro
1990
Thomas Kelleher
1991
S. John DiBartolo
1992
Christopher Ryan Hawkins
1993
Stephanie Ruggiano
1994
Theresa M. Tucci
1995
Sarah E. Quebec
1996
Joseph A. Donahue
1997
Emily F. Gallagher
1998
Alyson B. Foley
Jennifer L. Roche
1999
Thomas J. Doherty
2000
Ana B. Monteiro
2001
Theresa A. Cojohn
2002
Emily K. Harvey
2003
Thomas M. Smith
2004
Rebecca E. Stern
2005
Mark Russo
2006
James K. LaJoie
2007
Elizabeth Rini
2008
Colleen A. Sampson
2009
Rebecca F. Wentzel
2010
Vittoria M. Macadino
Pi Mu Epsilon
The Department annually inducts undergraduate majors and a handful of graduate students into Pi Mu Epsilon, an honorary national mathematics society.
Pi Mu Epsilon was founded on May 25, 1914 at Syracuse University. It is a non-secret organization and is dedicated to the promotion of mathematics and recognition of students who successfully pursue mathematical understanding. Pi Mu Epsilon also sponsors a journal devoted to topics in mathematics accessible to undergraduate students.
Our Chapter is named Massachusetts Zeta, since we are the sixth Chapter instituted in Massachusetts. Other Chapters have been inaugurated at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, College of the Holy Cross, Bridgewater State College, University of Massachusetts at Lowell, and Boston University.
We've put together a list of all students inducted into our local Chapter, including students inducted in May, 2010.