A celebration of interdisciplinary research, innovation
Moungi Gabriel Bawendi, the 2023 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, and Holden Thorp, editor-in-chief of Science, the leading academic journal published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, will co-keynote Boston College’s Research Day on October 13, a celebration of interdisciplinary research and innovation—and a prelude to the inauguration of John T. Butler, S.J., as the University’s 26th president on the weekend of October 15-17.
Co-keynote speaker Moungi Gabriel Bawendi, the 2023 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry.
The daylong event, co-hosted by the Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society and the Office of the Vice Provost for Research and held in Hayden Hall, will also spotlight the breadth of scholarship within the BC community through presentations by Associate Professor of Physics Qiong Ma; Louise and Jim Vanderslice and Family Professor of Chemistry James P. Morken; Connell School of Nursing Assistant Professor Patricia Underwood; and BC School of Social Work Assistant Professor Ed-Dee G. Williams.
Winston Provost and Dean of Faculties David Quigley will deliver opening remarks for a showcase of the University’s rich history of working across disciplines to develop new knowledge that produces a real-world impact.
Co-keynote speaker Holden Thorp, editor in chief of 'Science,' the leading academic journal published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
“Research at Boston College is thriving in both excellence and breadth,” said Interim Seidner Family Executive Director of the Schiller Institute and Professor of Chemistry Dunwei Wang, the Margaret and Thomas Vanderslice Chair holder. “What excites me most is the growing momentum toward collaboration: Faculty are reaching across traditional boundaries, linking natural sciences with social sciences and the humanities to address the pressing problems of our time. With AI becoming an integral part of the research enterprise, our community is poised to advance knowledge in ways that were unimaginable just a few years ago.”
Bawendi, the Lester Wolfe Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology—best known for his advances in the chemical production of high-quality quantum dots—will present the morning’s keynote address. Thorp, whose afternoon speech is titled “Doing Science During Turmoil: Keep Going and Check Carefully,” is currently on leave from George Washington University where he is a professor of chemistry and medicine while serving as the editor-in-chief of the Science family of journals.
The event will close with a panel discussion on the implications of AI to research and teaching at BC and beyond, featuring BC Law School Professor Natalya Shnitser, the David and Pamela Donohue Faculty Fellow; Peter F. Drucker Chair Sam Ransbotham of the Carroll School of Management; Lynch School of Education and Human Development Augustus Long Professor Marina Bers; and Associate Professor of Psychology Stefano Anzelotti.
“The event will bring together the Boston College community to learn more about the innovative research being conducted across different disciplines by faculty, students, and post-docs, and provide opportunities to exchange ideas and forge new collaborations,” said Vice Provost for Research and Academic Planning and Deluca Chair of Biology Thomas Chiles, who will moderate the panel.
Research Day is open to the University community and public. For more information, and to register: bc.edu/schiller.