Lecture Series - Online
Please join us as BC Beyond Lifelong Learning presents our Fall 2026 Lecture Series!
The purpose of this series is to provide lifelong learning opportunities with Boston College faculty and administrators on a wide variety of topics, including health, retirement, politics, spirituality, education, law, social issues, the arts, and more. We are pleased to offer a series of lectures and conversations each Fall and Spring semester to Boston College alumni, friends, and community members.
Fall 2026 Lecture Series - Online
Wednesdays and Thursdays
11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. ET
- Online participants are required to have a computer with video and audio capability.
- Please note: all registrants are required to log in to Zoom prior to accessing the Zoom link for the program. Instructions on how to create a Zoom account can be found here.
- All programs offered online via Zoom will be recorded; recordings will be available to registrants for two weeks following each lecture.
- These programs have a maximum capacity to allow for participant engagement.
Registration:
Register for individual lectures for $15 each or register for the entire lecture series for $90.
Register
Register early to avoid disappointment!
Wednesday, September 30, 2026
Online via Zoom • 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Title: What Makes Education “Catholic” - at Boston College?
Presenter: Thomas Groome
From its beginnings in 1863 to our time, Boston College has prided itself in being a Catholic university in the Ignatian/Jesuit tradition. But what does this mean for the whole curriculum of the University, or is BC limited to having a Theology department and an active campus ministry? This lecture will explore the ways in which Boston College’s entire curriculum, across nine schools, can be committed to the core values of Catholic faith and the Ignatian spiritual tradition, and yet “welcome all” - kata holos - by shaping students’ very being toward fullness of life for all.
Wednesday, October 14, 2026
Online via Zoom • 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Title: Why Our Country Should Split Up (And How To Do It Peacefully)
Presenter: Kent Greenfield
This lecture delivers the highly provocative yet carefully reasoned case for secession, arguing that the fractures within the US run so deep, rendering our politics so dysfunctional, that the best way to heal is to initiate a nonviolent national divorce between the blue and red states. The truth is that our nation is broken. More divides us than unites us, and our constitutional framework is accelerating those divisions, making them impossible to cure. Americans already sense this reality. We are frustrated, angry, fearful, and pessimistic about our current condition. More Americans believe we are in the middle of a constitutional crisis than in a democracy. The solution to this maddening impasse is peaceful secession. Once we get through the dissolution, both sides will be better off.
Thursday, November 5, 2026
Online via Zoom • 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Title: Building a Design Commons: Design Studies at BC
Presenter: Carissa Henriques
How might we help Boston College students navigate complex problems, collaborate across disciplines, and test their ideas amidst uncertainty? In this lecture, you will hear about the new interdisciplinary Design Studies Minor as well as a broader initiative at Boston College, The Design Commons Collective, that engages our community through design-driven processes for problem solving, research through design, hands-on prototyping, and experiential learning. The Design Studies Minor builds on the strengths of a Jesuit, liberal arts education, allowing students the opportunity to bring to bear the depth of their own discipline and merge design thinking processes to add a people-centered process for listening with empathy, framing better questions, testing ideas, reflecting on consequences, and acting for the Common Good.
Wednesday, November 18, 2026
Online via Zoom • 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Title: Preventing & Managing Diabetes Beyond Clinic Walls: A Blueprint for Shared Innovation
Presenter: Tam Nguyen
In just a few generations, type 2 diabetes has gone from a relatively rare disease to America’s seventh leading cause of death. Today, more than one in 10 Americans live with diabetes; at least 100 million more are prediabetic. In response to this crisis, public health officials have often tried to offer a one-size-fits-all approach, but the intervention that helps one community may not meet the needs of another. As a result, many of America’s most vulnerable people are effectively denied access to lifesaving care. Professor Nguyen believes that one way to expand access is to tailor treatment programs to the unique culture and circumstances of each community. Her research focuses on Vietnamese American communities, since diabetes rates are rising faster among Asian Americans than any other group.
Wednesday, December 2, 2026
Online via Zoom • 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Title: Hospice and Palliative Care: Compassion for All
Presenter: Karen Bullock
This presentation will discuss the difference between hospice and palliative care, with a focus on compassionate care for all. Participants will learn about different types of serious illnesses and advance care planning as an ongoing process of thinking about, discussing, and documenting preferences for future medical care. The primary focus is on having meaningful conversations with family members and other loved ones.
Wednesday, December 16, 2026
Online via Zoom • 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Title: Why Do People Unretire and How Common is It?
Presenter: Geoffrey Sanzenbacher
As a society, we often think that retirement is permanent. But many people will "unretire" at some point in their lives, returning to work after a spell of being out of the labor force. How common is this phenomenon? And why do people do it? This lecture will provide up-to-date information on the share of the workforce that is unretiring and some key explanations for this behavior. It will provide insight into the share of people unretiring out of financial need versus for other reasons, such as missing work. The lecture will also offer some surprising insights into who, specifically, unretires.
Lifelong Learning Program Testimonials
-“I found every one of the lectures well presented and interesting… The variety of topics is important. I am very impressed with the quality of professors at BC.”
-“I welcome the lectures you offer because it keeps me updated on many topics as well as connected to Boston College. Learning is a lifetime adventure.”
-“I thought all the lecture topics and all the speakers were excellent. I liked the range of topics, the preparation of the speakers, the clear presentations, the information provided, and the opportunity for questions. I believe that I came away with new knowledge and perspectives.”
-“The speakers all had great presentations and the attendees had great comments and questions!”
About the Presenters
Program Pricing
General Admission
General Admission for the Lecture series is as follows:
Register for individual lectures for $15 each or register for the entire series for $90.
No discounts are available.
General Information:
You must be 18 years old to participate in the BC Beyond Lifelong Learning Lecture Series. All sales are final; we are not able to offer refunds. Registrations may not be transferred to another person or to another course, workshop, or program.
Online registration is required to participate in the program. The fee for individual lectures is $15 each; the fee for the entire lecture series is $90 to be paid by debit or credit card. Registrations will be processed upon receipt of payment. Payment is due in full in order to enroll.