Online via Zoom, 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Presenter:  James O’Toole

In connection with the university's sesquicentennial celebrations of 2012-2013, Professor O'Toole was asked to write a new history of Boston College. That book, Ever to Excel: A History of Boston College, has now been published. Professor O’Toole will describe the process of researching and writing the university’s history, and will reveal some unexpected discoveries he made along the way.

Online via Zoom, 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Presenter: Marina Umaschi Bers

Dr. Bers will present her work by using the metaphor of playgrounds vs. playpens to understand the role of technology in children’s lives. Playgrounds are designed to promote exploration, discovery, and the development of motor and social skills. In contrast, playpens corral children into a safe, confined space. Although they are mostly risk-free, there is little imaginative play and problem-solving. Dr. Bers will show coding playgrounds with the two environments she created: the free Scratch Jr programming language and the KIBO robotic kit. She will review ideas from her recent book, in which she argues that coding is a new literacy — a way for children to express themselves and engage with the world and others. She will also discuss a pedagogical roadmap that encompasses the cultivation of character along with technical knowledge and skills. 

Online via Zoom, 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Presenter: Andrew Eschtruth

Many of today’s workers will lack the resources to retire at traditional ages and maintain their standard of living in retirement. Solving the problem is a major challenge in today’s environment in which risk and responsibility have shifted from government and employers to individuals. The presentation will explain the origin of the retirement income shortfall, which is caused both by increasing income needs – due to longer lifespans and rising health costs – and decreasing support from Social Security and employer-sponsored retirement plans. The discussion will cover several solutions for strengthening the retirement system, including shoring up Social Security’s long-term finances, making all 401(k) plans fully automatic, ensuring that everyone has access to a workplace-based retirement plan, making it easier to access home equity, and working longer.

Online via Zoom, 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Presenter: Jaime L. Waters

March is Women's History Month, an opportunity to acknowledge, commemorate, and celebrate the many contributions of women. This presentation includes a brief history of Women's History Month and then focuses on women in the Bible, highlighting traditions and themes that can inform and influence us all today. Studying biblical women in light of Women's History Month will offer new ways of understanding and appreciating the diverse accomplishments of women.

Online via Zoom, 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Presenter: Michael Cronin

St. Patrick's Day is an annual global celebration of Irishness, but where did it all begin and what does the day mean in the twenty-first century? This presentation will examine the history of St. Patrick's Day and in particular the American origins of the celebration. It will also explore how the celebration of Ireland's national day spread to become a global phenomenon which, in terms of national days or the days of patron saints, is unique in its reach. Finally, the lecture will highlight how the day has been leveraged by the Irish state to make a small nation globally visible. 

Online via Zoom, 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Presenter: Sunand Bhattacharya

For some time, Boston College has reflected on how its current and incoming learners will be better prepared as problem solvers for future human needs in a complex global society that is fueled with emerging technologies, while leveraging its Jesuit education values. This situation has presented a historically unprecedented opportunity for BC to develop and introduce ‘discipline agnostic’ human-centered, design-driven, problem-solving processes that have meaningful impact on those of most need, both now and in the future. 

Join this session to better understand how BC is strategically building upon its strengths and ongoing practices of progressive Jesuit education by catalyzing a culture of problem solving and innovation, using design driven processes and tools leading to added capabilities of design thinking.

Online via Zoom, 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Presenter: Kent Greenfield

This session will examine the current state of the Supreme Court, the most powerful judicial institution in the world. The discussion will be grounded in current and longstanding cases, and will examine the arc of the Court’s role in American law and politics from the early days of our nation until now. Does the Court need reforming?

Online via Zoom, 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Presenter: Gregory Kalscheur, SJ

Commitment to a core curriculum is a distinctive aspect of Jesuit education. This commitment finds its roots in the Ratio studiorum, the plan for studies in Jesuit schools whose definitive edition was promulgated in 1599. Our challenge today is not to repeat mechanically the methods of the Ratio, but to design and implement a core curriculum that is faithful to the history, tradition, and apostolic aims of Jesuit education while creatively engaging the present experience of students and faculty members. This presentation will describe the core curriculum renewal process that began in 2012, the current vision animating the Boston College Core Curriculum, the distinctive courses that exemplify that vision, and the student and faculty experience of the core as we have implemented our renewal process.