2006 2005 2004 2003 2002
A simpler life:
Professor, Chairperson of Sociology Juliet Schor discusses consumer spending habits in an interview with the Observer-Reporter. Schor, author of three best-selling books on over-worked, over-consuming Americans, is a founding member of the Center for a New American Dream, an organization devoted to making U.S. lifestyles more sustainable.
Promoting social justice:
David Hollenbach, S.J., Director of Center for Human Rights and International Justice, Margaret O’Brien Flatley Professor of Theology, suggests ways to renew the Second Vatican Council’s call for the promotion of social justice. America magazine
Chemist receives recognition:
The American Physical Society has named Chemistry Professor Udayan Mohanty a Fellow in the Division of Biological Physics. Mohanty stated, “The success of my research that resulted in my election as a Fellow to APS is due to three factors: having the privilege to have collaborated with world class experimentalists such as BC Chemistry Professors Larry McLaughlin and Mary Roberts, and others outside BC; having few, but outstanding, graduate and postdocs over the past years; having colleagues like BC Chemistry Professors Scott Miller and Amir Hoveyda who have set the highest possible intellectual and teaching standards in the department.”
Citations noted:
Physics Professor Zhifeng Ren was among the 22 new entrants to ESI rankings in the October ISI Essential Science Indicators Report, which included data from 01/95 through 06/05.
He’s got book art covered:
An exhibition by Fine Arts Adjunct Professor Karl Baden of selections from his collection of photographic book covers, “Covering Photography: 55 books, 25 images” was featured in the Boston Globe.
Scientists report findings:
The Journal of Molecular Biology (JMB) published an article written by Professor of Chemistry Evan Kantrowitz and his research group, reporting their findings on understanding how cells regulate the rate of their metabolic pathways on the molecular level. Kantrowitz stated, “This fundamental understanding is vitally important because diseases like cancer occur when cells can no longer regulate themselves.” Kantrowitz is also credited for the graphic image on the Journal’s cover.
A Great Trifecta:
“After the Storm,” written by Associate Professor Andrew Sofer, was selected co-winner of the New England Poetry Club’s Gretchen Warren Award for best poem published by a member in the previous year.
Remembering a fine man:
Former Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences J. Robert Barth, S.J. has died after a recurrence of cancer. “He will be remembered with great affection as a priest, a scholar, a teacher, a Robsham thespian, a lover of poetry, a very successful and long-serving dean, a champion of the liberal arts, and a special patron of the fine arts,” said Dean Joseph F. Quinn. more | The Heights
Dedicated to Dad:
Goldwater Scholar Melanie McNally ’06, a budding neuroscientist whose research is inspired by her paralyzed father, is featured in the Boston Globe.
Sociologist wins award:
Assistant Professor of Sociology Natasha Sarkisian has received the 2005 Rosabeth Moss Kanter International Award for Research Excellence in Families and Work for her co-authored article "Explaining the Gender Gap in Help to Parents: The Importance of Employment," published in the Journal of Marriage and Family. Professor and Chairperson of Sociology Juliet Schor stated, “This is a wonderful award, whose purpose is to recognize high quality research, and particularly research which enhances the theoretical development of the field of work and family.”
Cape Ann quake recalled:
On November 18, 1755, a strong earthquake rocked Cape Ann, MA and well beyond, writes geophysicist and Weston Observatory Director John Ebel. Massachusetts Historical Society
Geography and Generosity:
A new report by BC’s Center on Wealth and Philanthropy (CWP), released at a Boston Foundation forum on 11/08, puts pay to the oft-reported characterization that the Bay State lags in charitable giving. Professor of Sociology Paul Schervish is the Director of CWP; Senior Research Associate John Havens is Associate Director. Boston Globe | Boston Business Journal | Associated Press | Full report | Boston Globe Editorial
Groundbreaking research receives recognition:
Chemistry Professor Paul Davidovits has been elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Professor and Chairperson of Chemistry David McFadden stated, “Paul was cited for his seminal contributions to confocal microscopy and for his groundbreaking studies in the chemistry of gas-liquid interactions at aerosol surfaces.” more
A well deserved honor:
Physics Professor Zhifeng Ren has been appointed a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Chairperson and Rourke Professor of Physics Kevin Bedell commented, “This is another well deserved honor for his work in nanomaterials and high temperature superconductivity.” more
Op-Ed:
Director of BC’s newly-launched Center for Human Rights and International Justice, Professor of Theology / Margaret O’Brien Flatley Chair, David Hollenbach, S.J., writes on human rights in Catholic thought for America magazine.
Ed vs. Joe vs. CBS:
A&S Honors Program faculty member Martha Bayles reviews 'Good Night and Good Luck,' a new film portraying the conflict between CBS newsman Edward R. Murrow and U.S. Senator Joe McCarthy. The Weekly Standard
The interview:
Illuminated verse Paul Mariani, Professor of English, award-winning poet, and the author of 14 books, accompanied by renowned book designer and illustrator Barry Moser, spoke with Boston College Magazine editor Ben Birnbaum about their new book Deaths and Transfigurations: New Poems. The collaboration features 39 poems by Mariani, in addition to Moser’s original engravings.
Using one’s imagination:
Radio in Culture and Society, a course taught by Michael Keith in the Communication Department, is highlighted by the “Chronicle of Higher Education.”
Matchmaking to save lives:
Economics Professor Tayfun Sonmez is among a group of economists using matching theory to boost patients’ prospects for finding compatible kidney donors. NSF Discovery
‘The authoritarian personality’ revisited:
A perspective piece by Alan Wolfe , Professor of Political Science; Director of The Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life, was high-lighted in the “Chronicle of Higher Education.”
Investigating patterns of medical communication:
The National Institute on Aging has awarded a multi-year $490K grant to Associate Professor of Sociology Eva Marie Garroutte to research medical communication needs of American Indian elders and their satisfaction with health care providers. more
Psychologist is recognized:
The American Psychological Society (APS) has awarded Fellow status to Psychology Professor Lisa Feldman Barrett.
The Rett Syndrome Research Foundation (RSRF) has awarded a grant to Biology Professor Thomas Seyfried. Seyfried, assisted by Assistant Professor Stephen Heinrichs (Psychology) and Associate Professor Richard McGowan, S.J. (CSOM) will be researching gene-environmental interactions in the metabolic control of Rett Syndrome in Mecp2 mice using a ketogenic diet.
Assessing the China threat:
After a period of calm in U.S.-Chinese relations, attention has returned to the military and economic rise of China and the challenges to American security, writes Professor Robert Ross in The National Interest.
Book review:
National Catholic Reporter deems English Professor Paul Mariani’s new book Deaths & Transfigurations to be “an honest, beautiful, and accessible collection of poems.” Boston Globe.
What's the strategy behind the Miers nomination?
Political Science Professor Marc Landy shares some insight on the Supreme Court nominee with Newhouse News Service.
Are today’s fears and anxieties very different than those during the Plague era?
Associate Professor Franco Mormando, originator of the exhibit “Hope and Healing: Painting in Italy in a Time of Plague, 1500-1800”, talks about his exhibit and himself during an in-depth interview with the Washington Post.
Looking toward the future:
How will current U.S. social and political trends affect the world in the decades ahead? Sociology Professor Emeritus Severyn Bruyn poses this question in the Christian Science Monitor.
Associate Professor Carlo Rotella (English) reviews “Only in America” for the New York Times.
Alan Wolfe (Professor of Political Science; Director of The Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life) and George Mason University’s Tyler Cowen debate a new book by Barbara Ehrenreich in Slate.
Director of the Center for Human Rights and International Justice, Theology Professor David Hollenbach, S.J. explores tensions between civic and religious allegiance on Australian Broadcasting Program’s The Religion Report. | Audio
When questioned about the economic impact from Hurricane Katrina, Associate Professor Robert Murphy (Economics) told the Boston Herald that the hurricane could generate uge economic activity—contingent upon gas prices.
Lessons of Summer:
An insightful editorial written by Associate Professor Laura Tanner reminds us that by allowing our youngsters the time and space for true recreational activity we’re equipping them for success in college and beyond, and quite possibly eliminating future academic burn-out. Wellesley Townsman
Professor Peter Ireland has accepted an invitation to be an editor of the B. E. Journals in Macroeconomics. Ireland stated, “I’m especially pleased to be able to play a role in advancing the new model for scholarly publishing adopted by the B. E. Press, involving quick turn-around, immediate online publication, and the tiered structure for accepting papers of varying quality.”
Research by Arts and Sciences Dean Joseph Quinn regarding raising the retirement age is cited in Robert Samuelson’s column in the Washington Post.
Senior economics major Gregory Wiles, editor-in-chief of the University’s new undergraduate research publication Elements, was interviewed for the Boston Sunday Globe’s Education section.
Most Americans, including many who make it their business to analyze public diplomacy, seem unmindful of the negative impression that America has recently been making on the rest of humanity via our popular culture, writes A&S Honors Program faculty member Martha Bayles in the Washington Post.
Weston Observatory Director; Professor of Geology and Geophysics John Ebel discusses the Cape Ann fault, one of four surprising places in the US where big earthquakes have happened - and could happen again. USA Weekend
Professor of Sociology Paul Schervish and John Havens discuss distribution of retirement income to self, family, and charity in the National Catholic Reporter. Schervish is the Director of Center on Wealth and Philanthropy and Havens is the Associate Director and Senior Research Associate.
Alan Wolfe, Professor of Political Science; Director of The Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life, takes a cautious look at author Rick Warren’s plans to lend a hand in Rwanda. Wall Street Journal
James Skehan, S.J. and John Ebel discuss how belief in science and God can co-exist. Boston Herald
Junk Food Nation: Who’s to Blame for Childhood Obesity?
An article co-authored by Professor Juliet Schor (Sociology) appears on the cover of the The Nation.
Thomas Simmons '07 is among a group of college students lending a hand this summer to low income middle-school students whose sights are set on college. The Miami Herald
“Hope and Healing: Painting in Italy in a Time of Plague, 1500-1800”
The Worcester Art Museum’s exhibit by co-curator Associate Professor Franco Mormando (Chairperson, Romance Languages & Literatures), received an outstanding review in the New York Times.
BC Biology major Melanie McNally ´06, winner of a Goldwater scholarship this year, is being recognized as one of the top student scientists in the country. As NECN reports, much of her drive to succeed stems from a life-changing family event. more
As the Catholic Church’s 20th World Youth Day in Cologne, Germany, nears, the Boston Globe Magazine interviewed young Catholics, amongst them Alison Bane ´07, about their faith and the challenges facing their church.
The split within the AFL-CIO will certainly not revitalize organized labor’s power in the short run, say observers like Sociology Professor Charles Derber. Christian Science Monitor.
The IRA’s latest move is analyzed by Associate Professor Kevin O'Neill (History), and theologian Raymond Helmick S.J., who has acted as a mediator between many of the principal figures in the Northern Ireland conflict.
A&S Honors Program faculty member Martha Bayles takes a look at the life and times of legendary soul artist James Brown in the Weekly Standard.
The identities of last week’s suicide bombers in London has experts questioning how much collective benchmarks play in predicting the extremism of a handful of angry people. “We definitely have a different dynamic going on here in the United States,” says Professor Peter Skerry in the New York Times, “I don't know that that necessarily means we’re out of the woods - it doesn’t take very much for a set of individuals to adopt attitudes that could lead to a terrorist act.”
At a national conference of university fund raisers Paul Schervish, Director for Center on Wealth and Philanthropy, was one of the keynote speakers discussing the changing motivations of major donors, and how to build, maintain, and evaluate a loyal alumni base. Chronicle of Higher Education
Boston Globe columnist Alex Beam recently interviewed Alan Wolfe, Professor of Political Science and Director of Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life, on whether a Mormon could be elected president? Boston Globe
Outpourings of grief, anger, horror, and defiance followed the London bombings, as did speculation over the identity and intent of those responsible. Professors Marc Landy and Jeanne Guillemin shared their thoughts on the bombings and the implications with The Office Public of Affairs.
Extremely impressed with Professor Thomas Oboe Lee’s “Pluto” movement at the Boston Landmarks Orchestra’s season opener, the Herald’s Ted Medrek stated, “It had a more modern sensibility and more musical depth than its illustrious predecessor. It made me wonder what Lee might come up with for a planet cycle all his own.” Boston Globe | Herald | Ted Medrek
At the Black Fatherhood Summit a panel of hip-hop insiders sought ways to stress the responsibilities of manhood, writes A&S Honors Program faculty member Martha Bayles in the Wall Street Journal.
The real question before the court:
Is the US heading for a constitutional revolution and returning it to the days when government was small and its authority weak? Alan Wolfe Professor of Political Science and Director of Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life writes in the Boston Globe.
Foucault’s Philosophy a Call for Ethical Behavior, written by Professor James Bernauer, S.J., sheds light on the mysterious world of Foucault. Bernauer discussed his book, which was recently translated into Turkish, with Zaman, Turkey’s first online newspaper.
A nanotech paper published by the American Physical Society journal Physical Review Letters offers a harbinger of research to come from a new electron microscope lab in Higgins Hall. Authors of the paper include Professor Zhifeng Ren, Associate Professor Jianyu Huang, Shuo Chen (doctoral student), Sung-Ho Jo (post-doctoral researcher), Associate Professor Ziqiang Wang, and Visiting Professor Daxin Han, all from BC’s Physics Department. BC Chronicle | Physics Dept.
Ellen Winner, Psychology Professor and author of “Gifted Children: Myths and Realities,” was a guest speaker on The Connection for a discussion about the potential problems prodigies often face once they become adults.
The Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Applaud An Educator Initiative offers members of the graduating class an opportunity to honor a person(s) who has touched their lives. Ann Marie Barry (Associate Professor, Communication), praised as being “a quiet guiding force” who has encouraged students to “explore the world in new ways,” was one of the educators to be honored by the Class of 2005.
When the BC Chronicle asked members of the faculty to name some books on their summer reading list, three A&S faculty members, Professor Paul Mariani (English), Associate Professor David Quigley (History), and Professor Carlo Rotella (English) named the following ... .
“Nobody Here but Us Liberals,” an essay written by Alan Wolfe, Professor of Political Science and Director of Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life, was published in the Sunday Book Review section of the New York Times.
The Dana Foundation, a private, philanthropic organization with interests in neuroscience, immunology, and arts education, has awarded Professor of Psychology Ellen Winner a two-year grant to extend her longitudinal study with Gottfried Schlaug on the effects of instrumental music training on children’s brain and cognitive development. more
The founding congress of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) was called to order on June 27, 1905, the year English Professor Suzanne Matson’s father was born into a family of immigrant unionist coal miners. Now as the IWW marks its centennial anniversary, Matson writes an op-ed in the Seattle Times about her father’s fond memories of the IWW members, commonly known as the “Wobblies.”
Chemistry Professor John Fourkas and Physics Professor Michael Naughton are combining two super-small building techniques with some amazing results. View video from NECN and Boston’s Museum of Science.
The William Foote Whyte Distinguished Career Award is being awarded to Professor Emeritus Severyn Bruyn. Professor Stephen Pfohl commented, “As I near the end of my work as Department Chairperson, it is with great pleasure that I announce that Severyn Bruyn, Professor Emeritus, has been named as 2005 recipient of the William Foote Whyte Distinguished Career Award, presented by the American Sociological Association’s section on Sociological Practice. This is great news for Severyn, our department, and Boston College.”
Fine Arts faculty member Aileen Callahan's expressionist / impressionist art work is part of the “Visions of Moby-Dick: 3 Contemporary Artists” exhibit being held in the Skylight Gallery at The New Bedford Art Museum. The exhibit continues the tradition of interpreting Moby-Dick visually, illuminating it in powerful, innovative and distinctly different ways. The Standard Times
Born To Buy:
The Commercialized Child and the New Consumer Culture, written by Professor Juliet Schor, was cited by The Hindu Business Line regarding the effect advertising has on children. Schor’s book details her research findings—“10 to 13-year-old Boston kids (her sample group consisted of 300 children) are extremely materialistic and entirely incorporated into ‘junk food’ and what she refers to as ‘junk culture’—a mixture of MTV, designer label clothes and too many toys.”
BC Alumnus, Patrick Leahy, has been named Acting Director of the U.S. Geological Survey by Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton. Leahy received his B.S. in '68 and his M.S. in '70. In '96 Leahy was awarded BC’s Alumni Association Award of Excellence in Science. | Quotes from Professors Chris Hepburn and James W. Skehan, S.J.
The American Psychological Association’s “Society for Personality and Social Psychology” has bestowed Fellow status to Psychology Professor Lisa Barrett. Fellow status is a prestigious honor bestowed upon APA Members who have demonstrated that their work has had a national impact on the field of psychology beyond a local, state, or regional level.
Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Dean Michael A. Smyer has been named as one of 16 Massachusetts delegates to the White House Conference on Aging. Smyer, nominated for the conference by U.S. Rep. Michael Capuano (D-MA), is an expert on geriatric mental health, and a past president of the American Psychological Association’s Division on Adult Development and Aging. | Office of Public Affairs | Conference information
Professor of English and author of Cut Time: An Education at the Fights Carlo Rotella discussed the state of boxing on NPR’s Talk of the Nation. BC Magazine
“Cambridge Now,” a poem written by Assistant Professor Andrew Sofer (English), placed 1st in the 2005 Iambs & Trochees national poetry contest. The poem will be published in Journal IV Issue 2 of Iambs & Trochees, the only American print journal publishing exclusively metrical verse.
Professor Stephen Brown (Theology) received a “Doctor Theologiae, honoris causa” degree in Helsinki during a three-day solemn Ceremony of Conferment, which takes place once every five years and follows a 360-year European tradition.
Professor John Fourkas (Chemistry) and his team have demonstrated that gold particles can be induced to emit light strong enough to allow the observation of single nanoparticles. Science Daily | Innovations Report
Vanessa Rumble, Associate Professor of Philosophy and Director of the Psychoanalytic Studies Program, has received the 2005 Phi Beta Kappa Teaching Award. Annually, students initiated into the Phi Beta Kappa are asked to nominate an outstanding teacher who has positively influenced their experience at BC, either in or outside the classroom, then based on the cumulative nominations from students over multiple years, a faculty member is selected for this prestigious recognition. BC Chronicle
Jina Moon '06 has received the University’s Asian-American scholarship. This prestigious award was established in 1995 by the BC Jesuit Community to recognize the accomplishments of students exhibiting the highest ideals and aspirations of BC and the Asian-American community. BC Chronicle
Professor Lisa Cahill (Theology) commented in the New York Times that a focus on semantics in controversial science issues may sidestep important moral questions.
Psychology Professor Lisa Barrett, whose research delves into the mysteries of emotional experience, was quoted in the Boston Globe regarding an experiment at Massachusetts General Hospital, tracking the state of mind of patients battling depression. Barrett’s Publications
Through an international service program Heather Speller '05 , and 17 other college students, spent three weeks in Africa offering optometry services to Tanzanians. While on this trip Speller and a group of hikers climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest free-standing mountain in the world. Belmont Citizen-Herald
In an article written by Jennifer Steinhauer, editor for the New York Times, Sociology Professor Juliet Schor’s comment, “The old system was keeping up with the Joneses, the new system is keeping up with the Gateses,” was selected for the NY Times ‘Quote of the Day.’
Ali Banuazizi, BC Psychology Professor and President of the Middle East Studies Association of North America, was interviewed by Bernard Gwertzman, NY Times Consulting Editor for Council on Foreign Relations, regarding former President Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.
Professor Jorge Garcia (Philosophy) will join the executive board of the nation’s preeminent philosophical society, having been elected to a three-year term on the Eastern Division Executive Committee of the American Philosophical Association.
Professor and Chairperson Kenneth Himes O.F.M. (Theology) wrote an article in the Boston Globe concerning the influence Benedict XVI might have on the academic freedom in Catholic universities.
Assistant Professor Shana Kelley (Chemistry) has been named a 2005 Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar. Chairman, Professor of Chemistry David McFadden stated, “The list of awardees and of their institutions testifies to the strength of Shana’s research program and to the competitiveness and reputation of BC’s Chemistry and Chemical Biology Programs.”
Vanderslice Professor T. Ross Kelly (Chemistry) was among seven Prize Professors showcased on WCVB-TV’s “Chronicle.” View segment. In 2004 Kelly was voted Teacher of the Year at Boston College by the students of Phi Beta Kappa, making him the first scientist to win this notable award.
Ellen Pyzik '05 was selected “Rose of Boston” in a recent Boston/New England competition. In August Pyzik will compete with 28 contestants in the International Rose of Tralee Festival held in Tralee, County Kerry, Ireland, a lighthearted competition to select a woman who reflects the inner beauty, character, and personality of modern young Irish women capable of representing the best of the global Irish community.
Mellon Fellowship:
Meghan Hammond '04, a doctoral student in English literature at NYU, has received a Mellon Fellowship, a prestigious grant awarded to exceptionally promising students pursuing advanced study in the humanities. Hammond credits the academic mentoring she received as an undergraduate from Assistant Professor Kevin Ohi (English), Professor Frances Restuccia (English), and Adjunct Assistant Professor Christopher Wood. BC Chronicle
Chairperson and Professor Cynthia Simmons (Slavic/Eastern Languages) has received an International Research and Exchanges Board Travel Grant (IREX) for travel to and research in Sarajevo, Tuzla, and Mostar, Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Professor Larry McLaughlin (Chemistry) has won (2) $1 million research grants. The first is from the National Science Foundation for a 5-year project titled “Functional Group Interactions in Protein-DNA Recognition” and the second is from the National Institutes of Health for a 4-year project titled “Probing dNTP/DNA Polymerase Interactions.” These projects continue his work on the biological chemistry of DNA. more ...
Kevin Shatzkin '05 has won the 113th annual Fulton Prize Debate at BC on April 26 and will have his name added to the wall in the Fulton Debate Room in landmark Gasson Hall alongside those of winners dating back to 1890. BC Chronicle
Melanie McNally ’06 and Elizabeth O’Day ’06 have been awarded Goldwater Scholarships, making this the 4th straight year BC students have received this prestigious award. Under Professor Daniel Kirschner’s (Biology) direction McNally is researching treatments for disorders of the nervous system, while O’Day is researching inhibitor compounds under the direction of Professor Evan Kantrowitz (Chemistry). BC Chronicle
Megan Rulison ´06 has won the National Award in Dramaturgy at the 37th annual American College Theater Festival at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. The Heights
Assistant Professor Shana Kelley (Chemistry) has been awarded a Keck Futures Initiative Grant, a competitive grant aimed to fill a critical missing link between research on bold new ideas and major federal funding programs which don’t currently provide grants in areas that are considered risky or unusual. This grant will enable Kelley, along with Professor Edward Sargent (University of Toronto), to conduct research on the properties of PbS semiconductor quantum dots built using DNA molecules, a novel class of hybrid inorganic bionanostructures.
Assistant Professor Franziska Seraphim (History) was a guest speaker on Talk of the Nation for a discussion on the re-telling of history—Japan’s role in World War II.
Professor Mark Reeder (Mathematics) finished 104th in the 2005 Boston Marathon with a time of 2:40:56, beating his 2004 record of 2:43.
Sister Mary Hinsdale (Associate Professor of Theology) discussed the Pope’s legacy regarding women and women’s issues on WBUR-FM’s “Here and Now.”
Associate Professor Sarah Babb (Sociology) has been awarded a prestigious Woodrow Wilson Fellowship for AY 2005/06. This award will enable Babb to pursue research on the complex ways in which global economic ideas rise and fall from historical prominence within a context of powerful multi-national economic and political institutions.
In dual Boston Globe Opinion pieces Associate Professor James Weiss (Theology) writes that the coming conclave offers an “extraordinary mixture of old precedent and new paradox” while Professor James Keenan, S.J. (Theology) says the voting cardinals need to consider the needs of a “restive and divided” church.
Professor John Paris, S.J. (Theology) discussed the ethics involved in the Schiavo case on CNN’s Lou Dobbs Tonight newscast.
Matthew List ’05 has won an Undergrad Research Award from the American Academy of Political and Social Sciences for his thesis on the calculation of Social Security benefits paid to elderly recipients, the second BC Economics major to win an Undergrad Research Award from the Academy in the past three years.
Habits Of Devotion, by Professor James O’Toole (History), is written about the Catholic religious practice in twentieth-century America. See book review in the Jesuit magazine America.
Associate VP for Research and Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Michael Smyer has been named chair of the Council of Graduate Schools Government Relations Group, an organization of higher education institutions engaged in graduate education, research scholarship, and the preparation of candidates for advanced degrees.
Professor Peter Gottschalk (Economics), co-author of one of the first papers on income volatility in the 1990’s, commented on the public’s reluctance toward President Bush’s Social Security Program. New York Times.
Meredith Stoffel ´06 is speaking out against a bill currently before the New York legislature that proposes to include a child’s weight and body mass index in their report cards. Stoffel stated, “Pitting kids against one another by labeling and grading them is not going to help. Perhaps there should be more of an effort to teach kids about the dangers of being unhealthy, rather than just pointing out that they are.” CBS News
Associate Professor Harry Rosser (Romance Languages and Literatures) commented in the Boston Globe, “The benefits of knowing a foreign language go way beyond career objectives.”
Several hundred BC students gathered on O’Neill Plaza for a memorial service celebrating Pope John Paul II’s public persona, his broad sense of humor, and his work promoting justice and peace. Boston Globe.
Professor John Paris, S.J. (Theology) discussed the Catholic Church’s end-of-life ethical issues with USA Today. Paris was also interviewed in The Christian Science Monitor regarding who makes the decision to end life-extending treatment when a patient leaves no written living will.
Drucker Professor Alicia Munnell (Center for Retirement Research) and A&S Dean Joseph Quinn offer comments to the media on the changing nature of retirement. New York Times | CBS MarketWatch | Newsday
Assistant Professor Jennifer Steen (Political Science) has found that US senators need more than big bucks to maintain their seats. The Washington Times
During a recent interview with the Boston Globe, Associate Professor Paul Gray (Sociology) discussed why the younger generation prefers music played on vinyl format versus digital format.
Professor Juliet Schor (Sociology) commented in the Los Angeles Times about the various ways marketers try to brand a product on a consumer’s mind.
Choice, a publication of the Association of College & Research Libraries, has selected Associate Professor John Houchin’s (Theatre) book, “Censorship of the American Theatre in the Twentieth Century” as one of the most significant theatre and dance books published during 2004. The book was also a finalist for the George Freedley Memorial Award, which honors the best English language work about live theatre published in the U.S.
Professor Ellen Winner (Psychology), a specialist in visual arts, as well as a psychologist who has studied gifted children, appeared on 60 Minutes to discuss Marla Olmstead, the 4-year-old girl whose paintings are selling for up to $24,000. View segment
Associate Professor Prasannan Parthasarathi (History) is co-author of an article that appeared in the Boston Globe regarding BU’s plan to construct a high security laboratory to undertake research on biological weapons.
For the second consecutive year Jonathan Lennon ´05 has been named to USA Today’s All-USA College Academic Team, an honor given to students who excel not only in scholarship, but also in leadership roles on and off campus. This year Lennon was selected for the third team; last year he received honorable mention. USA Today
Snow job:
BC economics students and A&S Dean Joseph Quinn help NBC’s Katie Couric offer “Today” show viewers a wintry primer on the Social Security dilemma. View segment.
Professor Richard Kearney (Philosophy) discussed desire and evil in the Christian and Jewish traditions during a recent lecture on WBUR’s “World of Ideas.”
Alan Wolfe (Professor of Political Science and Director of the Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life) discussed church and state in the U.S. on NPR’s The Connection.
Caitlin Becker ´05 published an article in America about her experience at the annual weekend protest at Fort Benning, GA.
Professor John Paris, S.J. (Theology) discusses the dispute between a mother and Texas Children’s Hospital over ending her terminally ill baby’s medical treatment. Paris teaches medical ethics at BC and has written extensively on the subject. Houston Chronicle
Associate Professor Amy Boesky (English) is head writer for the Beacon Street Girls, a realistic book series written about a quintet of seventh-grade girls facing everyday predicaments. “The girls are by no means perfect,” says Boesky. “The hope is that kids will end up identifying with their dilemmas.” Boston Globe
Richard Blake, S.J., Fine Arts Professor and Co-Director of BC’s Film Studies program, writes a review on Clint Eastwood’s “Million Dollar Baby.” America
Heather Speller ´05, a national finalist this past semester for both the Rhodes and Marshall scholarships, has never regretted her decision to enroll in BC’s Presidential Scholars Program. Speller remarked, “The Presidential Scholars Program has been an enormously positive component of my college career and has provided me with amazing opportunities and resources...” BC Chronicle
Professor William Gamson (Sociology) has been selected as 2005 Recipient of the Merit Award of the Eastern Sociological Society. This prestigious award is given to distinguished scholars who have made outstanding contributions to the discipline, the profession, and the ESS.
Currently a Dedham Town Meeting Representative, Peter McNulty ´07 is now seeking a position on the School Committee. McNulty stated, “It’s a great opportunity for a young fresh voice to help the town face many of its current and future educational challenges.”
Social Security stretched, strained by long retirements:
The golden age of retirement is in full bloom in the USA, and the nation has to deal with the economics of an aging population. One reasonable approach is to encourage later retirement for those able to work a few more years, says College of Arts & Sciences Dean Joseph Quinn in USA Today.
An independent study course crafted by Nicholas Bernier ´07 allows him to earn college credit while running for Charter Commission in his hometown of Swansea, reports the Providence Journal
Professor Richard Kearney (Philosophy) has been named this year to the Cardinal Mercier Chair in Leuven University, Belgium. This prestigious Chair is offered to an internationally distinguished scholar each year who delivers two public lectures and two university seminars. The titles of Kearney’s talks are: Narrating Desire: From Plato’s ‘Symposium’ to the ‘Song of Songs’; Narrative Terror: Philosophy after 9/11; Narrating Pain: Trauma and Catharsis; and Narrating the Sacred: A Poetics of Epiphany. The public talks will be broadcast on national and European television.
Associate Professor Carlo Rotella (English), author of Cut Time: An Education at the Fights, reviews “Million Dollar Baby,” the new boxing movie directed by Clint Eastwood. The Boston Globe
Weston Observatory Director John Ebel (Professor of Geology and Geophysics) comments about placing an advance warning system in the Indian Ocean, and the odds of a tsunami striking the East Coast. Boston Globe | AP | MetroWest Daily News | Nashua Telegraph | Springfield Republican