By
Dennis Sardella
SCHOOL: College of Arts and Sciences
DEPARTMENT: Chemistry
Founding director, Presidential Scholars Program (1990-2010)
Joined BC: 1967
“The experience of founding and directing the Presidential Scholars Program has been simultaneously gratifying and challenging. I am extremely grateful to have been entrusted with the responsibility of building the program from the ground up, since it allowed me to play a role in bringing to BC students of exceptional ability, and to work closely with them throughout their undergraduate years. Their varied academic disciplines (everything from humanities to business to science) required me to broaden my own perspective beyond science and to become more of a generalist, and I take great pride in their achievements. It brought me into contact with faculty and administrative colleagues all across the University — for whose friendship, support and cooperation I am especially grateful — and has afforded me a far richer and more comprehensive appreciation of Boston College than I could have dreamed.”
Paul Doherty
SCHOOL: College of Arts and Sciences
DEPARTMENT: English
Joined BC: 1964
“I arrived at Boston College in September, 1964. Carney Hall opened that fall, so my career is roughly coterminous with that building, which will be closed next year for rehab. Over the years, I taught a variety of courses, the basic ones of course, and elective courses in James Joyce, Shakespeare, American short story, and more recently, courses in writing non-fiction. I served two separate three-year terms as chair of the English Department. For a period of 10 years during the 1990s, I directed the Lowell Humanities Series, which, then and now, invites significant writers, scholars and public figures to speak on campus. “The administration of Boston College has always treated me with kindness and generosity; I hope to have been worthy of its support.”