The Boston College
Chronicle
october 4, 2007-vol. 16 no. 3
Finance Now Top
Program of Choice at BC
Trend spotlights Jesuit,
Catholic tradition in
business education
By Sean Smith
Chronicle Editor
HIGHLIGHT REEL—Conductor John Williams — who has composed his share of many memorable movie
soundtracks — led the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra in accompanying a short film of great moments in Boston
College history (such as the Doug Flutie “Hail Mary” pass of 1984) during the 15th annual Pops on the Heights concert last Friday in Conte Forum. BC’s largest single fund-raising event, Pops raised a record $2 million this year and
has awarded 522 scholarships to 251 needy students since it was established. (Photo by Rose Lincoln)
A Healthy Approach to Learning
She ran a health care
program out of an old
ambulance; now she’s
on a different journey
By Kathleen Sullivan
Staff Writer
Many college students make
road trips over their summer vacation, but it’s a safe assumption
that none were like the one taken
by senior Stacy Brown, who traveled the hot and dusty roads of
rural New Mexico in a customized ambulance.
Over the summer, Brown, a
premed student enrolled in the
College of Arts and Sciences Honors Program, launched Vecinos
Sanos/Healthy Neighbors, a nonprofit foundation offering mobile
medical testing in and around
Santa Rosa, NM, Brown’s home
town.
Brown had a donated ambulance refurbished by an autobody
shop and stocked it with medical
testing supplies. She drove out to
rodeos, county fairs and shopping
areas to provide free health care
checks. Brown and her team of
medical volunteers took family
histories, checked blood pressure,
glucose and cholesterol levels, and
measured body mass index.
“Heart disease and diabetes are
major health issues today,” said
Brown, whose father is a doctor
INSIDE:
with a family practice in Santa
Rosa. “Preventative health care is
so very important, but is lacking
for many people in this area.”
The screenings only required a
finger prick test, and results were
delivered in about five minutes.
Individuals who needed followup care were referred to a health
care provider.
ing supplies, training and filing
paperwork for official non-profit
tax status. She received $5,000 in
funding from Guadalupe County
Hospital in Santa Rosa. Brown
says she was able to undertake
this project in part thanks to
a non-profit summer internship
grant she received from BC’s Career Center.
For what is believed to be the
first time in University history,
more Boston College students are
majoring in an area of study — finance — that is not offered by the
College of Arts and Sciences, BC’s
oldest and largest undergraduate
division.
According to statistics compiled recently by the Office of
Student Services, 855 students are
enrolled in the BC Carroll School
of Management with a concentration in finance — Carroll School
students do not declare majors,
but rather choose concentrations
in particular fields — compared to
826 who are majoring in communication through A&S. The 855
students concentrating in finance
is a 25-year high.
At the same time, A&S currently boasts its highest known enrollment to date, 6,041 students.
[For more on the University’s
fall 2007 enrollment, see the sidebar on page 4.]
Student Services administrators, as always, caution that the
figures represent a “snapshot” of
student enrollment, and that the
By Patricia Delaney
Deputy Director of
Public Affairs
At the first screening at a
county fair, Brown said about
100 people were tested. “The
tough cowboys were the worst
patients,” recalled Brown with a
chuckle.
Brown’s summer was a crash
course in the logistics of starting
up a non-profit, including securing funding, budgeting, obtain-
Casinos in the Bay State? Q&A
with Fr. McGowan (page 3)
Before Brown returned to BC
this fall she arranged for a medical
student to continue the mobile
medical testing work of Vecinos
Sanos/Healthy Neighbors.
Brown has now gone from
the dusty country roads of the
Southwest to the dusty texts of
1470-1660 Spain. The Hispanic
Continued on page 5
Towers on the Heights: O’Connor
offers concise BC history (page 5)
Continued on page 4
Catholic Ed. Leadership
Initiative Is Launched
Lynch School, IREPM
to collaborate on
graduate-level programs
Stacy Brown ’08 with the donated ambulance she used this past summer to run
her mobile medical testing service in New Mexico.
numbers typically fluctuate over
the course of the academic year.
Administrators and faculty say
the milestone is nonetheless a significant one, albeit not unforeseeable, since finance is consistently
one of the more popular areas
of study among BC undergrads
— in fact, it was the second most
enrolled at this time last year.
Yet although trends in BC undergraduate majors are often enlightening and revealing, say the
administrators and faculty members, one thing is constant: the
University’s Jesuit, Catholic liberal
arts tradition. A student concentrating in finance, they point out,
receives the same foundation at
BC as a student majoring in communication, philosophy, biology,
education — or any area.
“Any field of study tied closely
to real-world practice — whether
communication, the sciences or
finance — benefits tremendously
from the rich tradition of Jesuit
and Catholic liberal arts education
as mediated through the core,”
says CSOM Dean Andrew Boynton.
The rise in students concentrating in finance is seen as reflecting
national trends within academia,
the financial services market
and the college-age population.
CSOM administrators and faculty
Boston College is expanding
its efforts to address critical issues facing the Catholic Church
through the launch of three
new graduate-level programs in
Catholic educational leadership,
jointly administered by the Lynch
School of Education and the Institute of Religious Education and
Pastoral Ministry (IREPM).
The new programs integrate
studies in school or university administration at the Lynch School
with coursework in Catholic theology, spirituality, scripture and
pastoral ministry at IREPM.
The initiative is designed to
train graduates to provide the
effective, mission-based leadership needed to secure the future
of Catholic educational institutions in light of the decreasing
number of priests and nuns, the
traditional administrators of such
programs.
“We’re responding where we
can to the most urgent needs of
the Church,” said Prof. Thomas
Groome (Theology), director
of IREPM, which last year announced a partnership with the
Carroll School of Management
to offer the nation’s first graduate
degree program in church management, to address the growing demand for business-trained
leaders in the Church.
“As numbers of the clergy and
other religious orders decline, we
Continued on page 3
Church in the 21st Century Center
sets fall schedule (page 6)
T he B oston C ollege
Chronicle
october 4, 2007
AROUND
CAMPUS
Lee Pellegrini
Genesis of a scholar
A spirited Mass
The University’s annual Mass
of the Holy Spirit on Sept. 19
(above) was one to remember, at
least as far as Vice President for
University Mission and Ministry Joseph Appleyard, SJ, is concerned.
“The prayers of petition after
the homily were delivered by administrators and students from
Jewish, Muslim, and Christian
Life of Ryan
“He always put the student
first.”
That’s how Acting Dean of
Student Development Paul Chebator summed up the 31-year Boston College
career of Associate Dean
D. Michael
Ryan, right,
who retired
recently and
was feted by
more than
100 friends
and
colleagues at a reception in his honor
on Sept. 26.
“It’s funny that Mike always
tried to establish a persona as the
‘Dean of Mean,’” laughed Chebator as he recalled Ryan’s long-time
duties as disciplinarian in ODSD.
“But once students sat down and
met with him, they quickly realized that he was far from that.”
Ryan, a 1967 Boston College
graduate, served 10 years as an
Army Ranger – including two
tours in Vietnam – before returning to the University as a member
of the Alumni Association staff.
He joined ODSD as an assistant
dean in 1979 when he also helped
re-form the Army ROTC program at Boston College and has
served as the University’s liaison
to ROTC since that time.
In addition to his administrative position at BC, Ryan has been
an accomplished historical reenac-
faiths and they used texts from
their own traditions,” he notes.
“We’ve not done this at a Mass
before, in my memory. Part of
the prayers in Hebrew and Arabic were actually chanted, which
made it all the more special an
occasion.”
Fr. Appleyard also praised the
homily by Assoc. Prof. Fr. Michael Himes (Theology): “It was
tor at the Minuteman National
Park in Lexington and with colonial militia and historical groups
throughout Eastern Massachusetts
for more than 30 years.
At last week’s reception, Ryan’s
career at Boston College was also
hailed by Acting Vice President
for Student Affairs Sheilah Shaw
Horton; Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies Donald Hafner;
Vice President for Human Resources Leo Sullivan; Army Lt.
a brilliant exposition of how the
Spirit of God is present in a university — calling us to remember
our past but also, by our searching
for knowledge and intelligently assimilating it, to discover what the
future will be. And he pointed
out that whether we start from a
religious faith or not, we all have a
role in and contribute to this task
because it’s a human challenge.”
—Public Affairs
Col. John McClellan Jr., ROTC
battalion commander; Army SFC
Michael McGurk, senior military
instructor of the Boston College
ROTC unit; and Joseph Al-Shanniek ’09, who worked with Ryan
as part of the University’s Benjamin A. Mays Mentoring Program.
Among the gifts presented to
Ryan was an Army ROTC unit
guidon and a pewter tea set crafted in Concord in the 1800s.
—RO
Boston College parents and other family members took part in a “real-time”
survey Friday afternoon in Robsham Theater during a Parent’s Weekend
presentation of campus technology by Associate Academic Vice President
for Technology Rita Owens and Research Assoc. Prof. Eric Strauss (Biology),
director of the Environmental Studies Program. The survey was intended to
demonstrate generational differences in use of technology. Audience members responded to questions with the iClicker system, which records and
displays answers as cumulative bar graphs. (Photo by Rose Lincoln)
It is a part of health care that’s
only going to grow in the coming
years, say Connell School of Nursing administrators. Now, the school
has an additional opportunity for
its graduate students to explore the
field of geriatric nursing, thanks
to a new partnership with Genesis
HealthCare Corp.
One of the nation’s largest longterm care providers with more than
200 skilled nursing centers and assisted living residences in 13 states,
Genesis earlier this year established
a loan forgiveness program at BC
that provides financial assistance to
CSON graduate students interested
in geriatric nursing.
Recently, the Connell School
announced that Mary Ann Breen
’94 has been named the inaugural
recipient of the Genesis HealthCare
Scholarship. Breen, who is enrolled
in CSON’s Adult Health Gerontological Nurse Practitioner master’s
program, will receive up to $25,000
toward tuition in exchange for a
two-year work commitment at a
Another Top
Honor for
The Heights
For the second year in a row,
Boston College’s independent
student newspaper The Heights
has been named as a finalist for
the Associated Collegiate Press
Pacemaker Award.
The ACP included The
Heights among the top 25
non-daily newspapers at fouryear universities in the United
States. Among other papers
selected as Pacemaker finalists are The Northeastern News
(Northeastern University), The
Tech (Massachusetts Institute
of Technology), the Loyolan
(Loyola Marymount University), The GW Hatchet (George
Washington University), Chicago Maroon (University of
Chicago), The Maneater (University of Missouri-Columbia),
The Creightonian (Creighton University) and The Flat
Hat (College of William and
Mary).
According to ACP — which
began the awards in 1927 —
the criteria for the award are
coverage and content, quality
of writing and reporting, leadership on the opinion page,
evidence of in-depth reporting,
design, photography, art and
graphics.
Pacemakers are selected by
the staff of a professional newspaper in the host city of the
ACP/CMA National College
Media Convention. This year’s
convention will be Oct. 24-28
in Washington, DC.
—Office of Public Affairs
Genesis HealthCare facility following her graduation.
“We are delighted to have
Mary Ann Breen as our first Genesis Scholar,” said CSON Associate
Dean for Graduate Studies Patricia Tabloski. “Mary Ann is bright
and energetic and has all the right
characteristics for a career as a gerontological nurse practitioner. The
Genesis Scholarship will allow Mary
Ann to pursue full time study and
achieve her career goals.”
Breen, a Somerville native, has
for the past 12 years worked as a
staff nurse and community health
nurse in the Boston area. Most
recently, she was a clinical nurse
at Program of All-Inclusive Care
for the Elderly (PACE), a program
designed to assist low-income frail
elders who are at risk for nursing
home placement to remain at home
independently.
“I am honored to be chosen as
the recipient of the Genesis HealthCare Scholarship,” said Breen. “I
look forward to using my Boston
College education to serve the elders
in our community.”
—KS
The Boston College
Chronicle
Director of Public Affairs
Jack Dunn
Deputy Director of
Public AFFAIRS
Patricia Delaney
Editor
Sean Smith
Contributing Staff
Reid Oslin
Rosanne Pellegrini
Kathleen Sullivan
Eileen Woodward
Photographers
Gary Gilbert
Lee Pellegrini
The Boston College Chronicle
(USPS 009491), the internal newspaper for faculty and staff, is published
biweekly from September to May by
Boston College, with editorial offices
at the Office of Public Affairs, 14
Mayflower Road, Chestnut Hill, MA
02467 (617)552-3350. Distributed
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The Boston College Chronicle, Office of Public Affairs, 14 Mayflower
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Electronic editions of the Boston
College Chronicle are available via
the World Wide Web at http://
www.bc.edu/chronicle.
T he B oston C ollege
Chronicle
october 4, 2007
New Leadership Program
in Catholic Education
Continued from page 1
have to ask ourselves: Who is
going to carry on a genuinely
Catholic educational enterprise?
Who is going to sustain the Catholic identity of our schools?” said
Groome.
The mission of the new programs, he said, is to turn out a
new generation of Catholic school
principals, administrators, presidents and other leaders, who most
likely will be lay, but must be
equally trained in educational administrative leadership and Catholic spirituality.
“If Catholic schools are to remain truly Catholic, their leaders
will have to be grounded in both,”
said Groome, who is author of
a number of books on Catholic
life and teaching, including What
Makes Us Catholic: Eight Gifts
for Life and Educating for Life:
“The key to this program
is that it can provide that
breadth of training needed
by the future leaders of
Catholic education.”
—Thomas Groome
A Spiritual Vision for Every
Teacher and Parent.
“The key to this program
is that it can provide that
breadth of training needed by
the future leaders of Catholic
education,” he said.
In preparing graduates to
assume leadership roles in
Catholic schools from the
kindergarten through higher
education levels, the Boston
College program is believed to
be the only one in the nation
to offer integrated spiritual
and administrative instruction
across the educational spectrum.
In addition, said Lynch School
Dean Joseph O’Keefe, SJ, “no
other school in the country has a
program to prepare higher education administrators that focuses
on religiously affiliated colleges
and universities. That really is a niche for us.”
A particular advantage
of the program is that it
can be crafted to suit a
student’s individual needs
and background. A priest
who might be seeking
enhanced skills in school
administration could follow a curriculum more
concentrated in the Lynch
School, while a lay administrator could focus more
on coursework based at
IREPM.
At the K-12 level, the
M.Ed. in Religious Education with a Catholic
School Leadership Concentration is designed for
those who have experience
in educational administration, but
little formal background in Catholic theology or ministry, while
the M.Ed. in Educational Administration and Catholic School
Leadership is more suited to those
with less experience in administration, offering the coursework
Advising, Support Programs
Move to Office of Provost
University President William
P. Leahy, SJ, announced today
that three of Boston College’s
academic advising and support
programs will be transferred
from the Division of Student
Affairs to the Office of the Provost, effective this month.
The programs being transferred are Learning Resources
for Student Athletes, the Office
of International Students and
Scholars and the Learning to
Learn program. In addition, the
Office of the Vice President of
Student Affairs and the Provost’s
Office will have a shared role in
the academic advisement and
support programs of the AHANA Student Programs office.
Fr. Leahy stated that the reorganization recognizes the im-
portant academic role of each of
these programs. “This change
will build on the programs’ past
successes by enhancing and facilitating their coordination with
other academic advisement and
support programs at Boston
College,” said Fr. Leahy.
He noted that these changes
also reflect the commitment
by the University, through its
strategic plan, to make Boston
College a leader in liberal arts
education by enlarging the concept of academic advising and
by exploring innovative ways of
integrating academic and academic support programs that are
vital to the undergraduate liberal
arts experience and to student
formation.
—Office of Public Affairs
Q&A:
Lee Pellegrini
Massachusetts
Confronts
Casino Issue
As the Massachusetts Legislature,
along with the public and media,
contemplates a proposal allowing casinos in the state, Chronicle asked Adj.
Assoc. Prof. Richard McGowan, SJ
(CSOM), author of the forthcoming book Dividing the Spoils: States and the
Gambling Industry, for his analysis on the issue.
“No other school in the
country has a program to
prepare higher education
administrators that focuses
on religiously affiliated colleges and universities.”
—Joseph O’Keefe, SJ
and supervised clinical experiences
required for licensure in Massachusetts.
At the post-secondary level, the
program offers an M.A. in Higher
Education with a concentration in
Catholic University Leadership.
The combined resources of
the Lynch School, the top-ranked
school of education at a Catholic university, its new Center for
Catholic Education, and IREPM,
world-renowned for its formation of lay and religious ministers
to serve the changing needs of
the Church and its people, make
BC’s program uniquely qualified
to shape the next generation of
Catholic education leaders, said
Fr. O’Keefe.
The initiative also is strongly
rooted in the University’s commitment to social justice, he said,
noting that Catholic schools have
a long history of service to disadvantaged students.
A noted authority on Catholic schools, especially those that
serve low-income children in urban centers, Fr. O’Keefe is currently a conducting national study
of inner-city Catholic elementary
schools, with a focus on student
demographics, staffing and structure.
The exigencies facing the nation’s parochial schools, many
of which are struggling or have
already closed due to declining
enrollment, diminished financial
support or other difficulties, tend
to be particularly acute in the
inner-cities or other low-income
areas, he said.
“I would like to see this program produce an infusion of new
leadership, a cadre of educators
who will provide fresh ideas for
our nation’s Catholic schools, especially those that serve underrepresented populations,” Fr.
O’Keefe said, “as well as vibrant
administrators for our Catholic
colleges and universities.”
What is the likelihood that the casino proposal will pass?
This is certainly the first time that a Democratic governor has supported
casino gambling. The unions are also giving Gov. Patrick’s proposal their
full support. The proposal is trying to hand out “goodies” to everyone.
There is a promise of property tax relief as well as funds to repair roads
rather than raising tolls. The State Senate has always been in favor of additional gambling, so the one body that could stop the governor’s proposal
is the House. There will be tremendous pressure for the House to change
its previous negative votes on casino gambling. It will be interesting to see
how House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi handles the pressure to fund these
good causes.
What is the potential for economic growth through the establishment
of casinos — and what is the downside of that growth, in terms of social
problems?
Gov. Patrick’s proposal of three destination casinos is quite unique in
its claim to emphasize economic growth. Certainly, destination casinos
that provide a full range of entertainment offer the possibility of economic
growth for an area that is either densely populated or has the possibility
of drawing people to that area. Obviously, any Boston-area casino would
certainly contribute to the economic development of that area, especially
the Suffolk Downs proposal.
Whether or not three casinos could be sustained is debatable, however.
Yes, there are any number of people who leave Boston for the Native
American casinos in Connecticut, but if there were a casino in Boston why
would they need to go to Southeastern Massachusetts? The other site further west of Boston might be feasible, especially if it is built near the I-495
and I-90 intersection.
As for the social problems, clearly, as gambling opportunities become
more available the incidence of gambling problems and addiction go up.
But one could also argue that Massachusetts is already paying for the addiction of its citizens who are currently visiting the Native American casinos.
The other problem with measuring the social costs of gambling is the high
rate of co-morbidity: addicted gamblers have a high incidence of addiction
to other types of behavior such as use of alcohol and drugs. The state needs
to set aside additional funds to help with problem gambling and not merely
write off a segment of our population.
Would there be a negative impact on the Massachusetts Lottery?
Like most products, the lottery faces a product life cycle. Clearly, the
lottery is at least in its mature phase if not on an outright decline. So while
casino gambling might hurt any attempt to revive sales, it probably will not
contribute to the lottery’s decline. Lottery sales are highest in the winter
months, while casinos in the northeastern US have their best months in
the spring and fall. Lottery players and casino gamblers are in most cases
distinct markets.
We all know about Massachusetts’ “Puritan roots” – this legacy has often been cited in discussions about gambling. Have state residents’ views
on gambling and acceptance of it changed significantly over the years?
Massachusetts residents seem to have long forgotten their Puritan
heritage. In the latest survey of residents, 65 percent are in favor of casino
gambling — 46 percent strongly favor, while 19 percent somewhat favor;
33 percent are opposed to casino gambling — 20 percent somewhat oppose
and 13 percent strongly oppose. These figures are fairly consistent over age
groups and even educational level.
So why is this the case? I would venture that most Massachusetts residents have an ethic that values a virtue that the Puritans did not, namely
“tolerance.” It would appear that nearly two-thirds of the state assumes
that as long as an action does not harm another person then it ought to be
permitted. The light from the “City on the Hill” has become individualistic
beams, rather than the concentrated beam of the common good.
How do you rate media coverage of the casino/gambling issue?
For the most part, it is quite good. The reporters I have dealt with try not
to obscure the complexity of the issues involved. The need for economic
development and revenue for governmental programs has to be balanced
with the concern of those who will become addicted to gambling.
Another problem that reporters face is that often the research on gambling is highly ideological, both for and against gambling. It is often quite
difficult for them to determine fact from opinion.
T he B oston C ollege
Chronicle
october 4, 2007
Finance Most Popular
Among BC Undergrads
Continued from page 1
cite such factors as the growth of
industries such as mutual funds,
hedge funds and investment banking, and the presence of BC alumni
in the financial services field.
As an academic program, Finance Department chairman
Griffith Family Millennium Professor Hassan Tehranian says finance
is “intellectually vigorous and practical. It requires an understanding
of economic theory and issues, as
well as capital markets, and that
means students have to learn to
think, reason and reflect.”
And that, says Tehranian and
his CSOM colleagues, is where the
ethos of BC comes in. Inside the
Finance chairman Hassan Tehranian
says the program is “intellectually
vigorous and practical...students have
to learn to think, reason and reflect.”
(Photo by John Gilooly)
Rose Lincoln
classroom and out, students concentrating in finance are given ample exposure to the Jesuit-Catholic
perspective, and not just through
the basic core curriculum.
“[Carroll School Associate Dean
Richard Keeley] and I personally
encourage our students on a regular basis to broaden themselves at
BC by earning minors and majors
within A&S,” says Boynton.
But values “are more ‘caught’
than ‘taught,’” adds Boynton,
quoting Theology Department
chairman Assoc. Prof. Fr. Kenneth Himes. “We regularly invite
to campus ethical, principled and
accomplished alumni — including Bob Winston, Charles Clough,
Peter Lynch and Kathleen Corbet,
to name a few — so they can meet
with students and explore ‘just and
ethical practice’ in the realm of finance and business generally.”
Patrick Twomey, a senior from
Andover, Mass., with a finance
concentration and a major in economics, says “the Jesuit-Catholic
dynamic has absolutely been the
cornerstone of my BC and finance
experiences.”
Twomey cites the two-year
seminar on the Western Cultural
Tradition, with its focus on philosophy and theology, as having enriched his business-oriented courses. In addition, Twomey notes
that his enrollment in the CSOM
Honors Program brought about a
valuable service opportunity with
Haley House, a non-profit bakery
in Boston.
“Honors Program students have
been working with Haley House
management to increase productivity and stimulate demand through
marketing and new revenue channels. It is such a great experience
to apply what we have learned in
the classroom to the real world
and make a difference in the community.”
Having launched the Winston
Center for Leadership and Ethics,
CSOM plans a further strengthening of its student formation efforts,
notes Boynton, and is devising a
semester-long required course on
ethics and leadership for all Carroll
School freshmen.
Keeley sums up the philosophy
the Carroll School takes in educating students in finance and other
management fields: “A technician
knows the how of doing a particular task. A professional knows the
why. As a professional school, the
Carroll School requires that students have a broader understanding of the context in which business and management operate.
“That understanding is achieved
through the exposure to Jesuit,
Catholic thought and practice. So
when a finance major leaves here,
it is as a professional who has been
taught the value of service, intellectual curiosity and education of the
whole person.”
MUSICAL EXPRESSION—John Williams conducts the Boston Pops
at last Friday’s Pops on the Heights concert.
Lee Pellegrini
Vanderslice Professor T. Ross Kelly prepares a demonstration for his Organic Chemistry class.
For CH23101, It’s SRO
Kelly’s Organic Chemistry course continues to pack ’em in
If it’s Friday morning, you
can count on a capacity-plus
crowd in Devlin 008 for another
session of class CH23101 —
Organic Chemistry, taught by
Vanderslice Professor of Chemistry T. Ross Kelly.
Kelly has a particularly challenging charge: engaging the
hundreds of organic chemistry
students each semester in what
traditionally has been considered
one of the most difficult of undergraduate subjects.
In past years, Organic Chemistry has seen enrollment averaging in the mid-200s, so administrators were surprised at this
year’s uptick by 20 percent.
“Devlin 008 is our largest
classroom,” said Student Ser-
vices Director Louise Lonabocker.
But this year’s enrollment of 307
has topped its number of seats by
three, she says.
“We saw the course enrollment was up to 305 at the start
of the semester, but we assumed it
would change during Drop/Add
period,” Lonabocker said. “And it
did — only it went up.”
The scholar charged with keeping the attention of the 300-plus
audience (in which women students outnumber men 166-141)
of budding chemists and physicians is himself a nationally recognized scientist — one of many senior faculty members at BC who,
while holding impressive research
credentials, remain committed to
teaching undergraduates.
Kelly’s achievements in the
lab are considerable: he was the
first to synthesize the anti-cancer
agent fredericamycin A; he created a molecular “brake” which
can stop the rotation of a certain
molecule; and he earned global
headlines with the prototype of
a molecular paddle wheel that
was among the world’s smallest
motors.
He also has won honors
such as Teacher of the Year by
BC’s student Chapter of Phi
Beta Kappa and the American
Chemical Society’s Arthur C.
Cope Scholar Award, which acknowledges a career that combines cutting-edge research with
excellent teaching.
—Patricia Delaney
Communication Still Tops in A&S;
CGSON, Pre-Med Program Show Growth
Communication remains the
most popular major in the College of Arts and Sciences for the
eighth consecutive year, followed
by English (720 students), political science (713), biology (662)
and history (588).
Communication Department
chairwoman Assoc. Prof. Lisa
Cuklanz says communication — a
popular field of study in colleges
and universities across the country
— is “clearly relevant to students
and their lives outside of college.”
BC communication majors, she
says, enjoy the mixture of handson courses like video production
as well as those that take a more
classical liberal arts approach, such
as Communication Criticism and
Mass Communication Theory.
“It is no accident that Boston
College, as a Catholic Jesuit institution, has a large communication
department while many of our
non-Catholic neighbors in New
England do not,” says Cuklanz.
“There is an important historic
link between Jesuit thinkers and
scholars of rhetoric, and the abil-
ity to express oneself in verbal
argumentation has always been
valued. Today, we offer many
courses that focus on theory and
critical thinking in relation to
contemporary media and culture.
These courses are a natural part of
a liberal arts tradition.”
In the Carroll School of Management, marketing (351) and accounting (311) have attracted the
most students after finance, while
the majority of Lynch School of
Education students are majoring
in human development (322) — a
25-year high — elementary (203)
and secondary (153) education.
Student Services also reported
the number of majors for biochemistry (140) and physics (73)
are the highest in 25 years. Slavic
and Eastern Languages (40) recorded a 25-year standard last year
and has done so again this fall.
Two medical-related trends of
note also emerge in the Student
Services report: the number of
undergraduates enrolled in the
University’s pre-medical programs
has risen 60 percent since 2000,
and now stands at nearly 1,500;
and the Connell Graduate School
of Nursing has enrolled the most
students, 251, in its history.
Connell School Associate Dean
of Graduate Programs Patricia
Tabloski said the increased enrollment is encouraging at a time
of nursing shortages, and higher
demand for nurses at the bedside
and for advanced practice nurses to direct and evaluate health
care delivery. She notes that the
school’s new programs for pediatric nurse clinical specialists and
palliative care could be factors in
drawing applicants.
“We have been piloting different strategies for student recruitment, upgraded our Web page
and recruitment materials, and
have recently selected two grad
student recruiters who work with
our office, talking with interested applicants and inviting them
to campus. So far it has worked
out very well and we hope and
trust our numbers will continue
to grow.”
—Sean Smith
T he B oston C ollege
Chronicle
october 4, 2007
Are Colleges Failing Their Civic Duty?
By Reid Oslin
Staff Writer
American college students? Or is
the study, and its conclusions, less
of a scientific instrument than a
polemic? History and political science faculty members at Boston
College offered differing views.
Prof. Marilynn Johnson, History
Today’s college students don’t Department chair:
The field has been changing draknow much about history, according to a recent national study, matically in the past 30 years or
and colleges aren’t doing much to so. That has changed the kind of
knowledge that students are being
improve their civic literacy.
The Intercollegiate Studies In- exposed to.
ISI, which is a conservative orstitute’s National Civics Literacy
Board last fall administered a test ganization with an “old-school”
on American history, government, approach to education, has been
beating the
international relations
same old drum
and market economy
about “back
to more than 14,000
to basics“ for
freshmen and seniors
many
years
at colleges and uninow. It is very
versities across the namuch a reaction. The 60-question
tion to the
multiple-choice test
in
ranged from “Which “We are teaching things like changes
battle brought the slavery, civil rights and im- the historical
American Revolution migration history, women’s profession in
to an end?” to “What history, and as a result, we the last three
is federalism?”
don’t spend as much time decades. They
Freshmen aver- on say, Civil War battles or have been opaged a score of 50.4 Washington’s foreign policy posed to the
per cent on the quiz, as historians once used to.” b r o a d e n i n g
of the history
while seniors checked
—Marilynn Johnson c u r r i c u l u m
in at 54.2 per cent
for some time
– both failing grades
now.
in traditional marking systems.
We are teaching things like slavIs this an accurate reflection
of the civic knowledge among ery, civil rights and immigration
Boston College History, At a Glance
New O’Connor book
offers quick, easy read
to visitors, newcomers
By Reid Oslin
Staff Writer
A concise and easily readable
history of Boston College, written
by University Historian Thomas
O’Connor, will be published early
in 2008.
O’Connor’s book, Towers on
The Heights, promises to give
campus newcomers and visitors a
quick and interesting read on the
background, traditions and key
events that have shaped the University that we know today.
“In recent years, I have been impressed by newcomers to campus
who have little or no knowledge
about Boston, Boston College or
Jesuit education in general,” says
O’Connor, a former professor of
history and author of 15 previous
books, many of them focusing on
the history of Boston and its citizens. “I feel that it is our responsibility to provide that background
and information.”
O’Connor states that his newest book is not a substitute or
replacement for The History of
Boston College, a scholarly and
highly-detailed 550-page volume
written by the late University Historian Charles F. Donovan, SJ, in
1990. “This is a supplement to his
work,” he says. “Fr. Donovan’s
University Historian Thomas O’Connor
(Photo by Lee Pellegrini)
book is a research volume. [Towers] is designed to be a brief, popular, paperback, narrative account,
to be read before people come to
the campus or while they are touring or visiting the campus.
“I wanted something a parent
could bring on the airplane in
Los Angeles and by the time they
get to Boston they could have
some idea about Boston College,”
O’Connor notes.
“It’s not so much for people
‘inside’ who already know about
Boston College, but for the people
who are ‘outside,’ including new
faculty members.”
O’Connor’s book focuses on
the key periods of growth and
change throughout the Univer-
sary choice that has to
between them. In some
places, also, the people
in charge seem to believe
that studying America
too much implies that
America is somehow better than other places –
an unthinkable thought
crime.
“White guys with
wigs” – that’s what the
founding means to many
people, and that may explain the results of this
survey.
be made
political philosophy. I don’t think
it’s politically
empowering
if you know
what Plato’s
Republic is
about. On
the
other
hand,
I
think
“I don’t think it’s politically
that
kind
of
empowering if you know
intellectual
what Plato’s Republic is
about. On the other hand, I rigor that is
think that kind of intellectual involved in
rigor that is involved in tak- taking seriing seriously Plato’s Republic ously Plato’s
is good for students and good Republic is
good
for
for citizens.”
Moakley Professor of
students and
—Kay Schlozman good for citiPolitical Science Kay
Schlozman:
zens.
The perception that this genEducation enhances every one
Assoc. Prof. Dennis Hale (Politieration is not as politically engaged, of the factors that is associated with
cal Science):
That half or fewer of respon- and entering the electorate at low- political participation. People who
dents could answer questions about er levels of political participation have high levels of education tend
American history or institutions than their predecessors – including to have attitudes that reinforce their
“boomers” like me civic involvement – they believe
does not surprise me.
What explains these “‘White guys with – I think is correct that they are interested in politics,
that they can make a difference in
results? Some of it is wigs’ – that’s what and it is of concern.
But there are lots politics, that they think it is their
a deliberate slighting of the founding means to
American history and many people, and that and lots of different democratic duty to do so.
I think that the foundation beinstitutions in favor of may explain the results things, each of which
adds a little bit to a hind this particular study has a
studying other parts of of this survey.”
citizen’s propensity little bit of an axe to grind. I am
the world, and some—Dennis Hale to take part in [the concerned about the overall probhow this decision has
political process]. lem, and do not necessarily take it
become weighted with
And how much you that their particular approach is the
political meaning.
know is a small part solution.
There are fights in
To take the ISI test, go to www.
many schools about whether to of it, to the extent to which this
teach “global civilization” or Ameri- particular test would measure that. americancivicliteracy.org/resources/
can history, as if there is a neces- There were a lot of questions about quiz.aspx
history, women’s history, and as
a result, we don’t spend as much
time on say, Civil War battles or
Washington’s foreign policy as historians once used to.
I would argue that we need to
change the curriculum to keep up
with the demands of the world as
we know it.
I also think that the fact that
so many of the schools on their
list – including a lot of Ivy League
schools and what many of us would
consider some of the best universities in the country – are failing according to their standards, I think
suggests that there may be something a little off with the tool that
they are using.
sity’s history, ranging from the
founding of the school in 1863
and its move to the Chestnut Hill
campus in 1913 to the tumultuous times of the 1970s when the
then largely regional institution
wrestled with financial crises and
student unrest that forced a reconsideration of management and
curriculum standards.
He traces the resulting emergence of Boston College into a
national university, as well as the
University’s recent campus growth
and enhanced reputation as a major Catholic and Jesuit institution
of higher learning.
Towers on The Heights is being
published by the Office of Marketing Communications and will
be distributed through the Office
of Undergraduate Admission, the
University Advancement Office,
the Boston College Alumni Association, various administrative
offices and the University Bookstore.
“In a couple of hours you will
be able to get the entire scope of
Boston College history — all the
people, all the events, just without
the detail that you would find
in Fr. Donovan’s book,” notes
OMC Executive Director and
Special Assistant to the President
Ben Birnbaum.
“I think there is a need for it
and I think it is going to be an
enormous best seller,” Birnbaum
says.
Lee Pellegrini
Faculty mull report of
‘civic illiteracy’ among
US college students
Stacy Brown at work as an undergraduate research assistant. “Translation is
much more of an art form than people realize,” she says, discussing her project
with Assoc. Prof. Elizabeth Rhodes (Romance Languages). “It is very subtle.”
Translation: A Great Student
Continued from page 1
Studies major is in her third year
as an undergraduate research assistant for Assoc. Prof. Elizabeth
Rhodes (Romance Languages
and Literatures). Their research
examines the ways in which the
published versions of saints’ lives,
such as Mary Magdalene, changed
from the late 15th century to mid17th century.
The published works, written
in a Gothic Spanish, are “primitive and hard to read,” explains
Rhodes.
Says Brown, “Professor Rhodes
taught me how to read and translate Gothic Spanish. It is like solving a puzzle. Translation is much
more of an art form than people
realize. It is very subtle.”
Brown’s work has involved
“everything from the technical to editing to translating” said
Rhodes. Brown has worked with
one-of-kind texts from the Library
of Congress and British Library.
“She is an excellent student and
has done a great job.”
Last spring, Brown received a
Romance Languages and Literatures Book Prize for outstanding
achievement in a departmental
class. She is melding her interests
in medicine and Hispanic culture
for her honors thesis that will
center on curanderas, Latina folk
healers.
Last week, Brown learned that
she had been awarded a $5,000
grant from Pfizer Inc.
T he B oston C ollege
Chronicle
october 4, 2007
Postings
Are We Rome? author Murphy to
speak Oct. 16
Vanity Fair Editor-at-Large Cullen
Murphy will discuss his new book,
Are We Rome?: The Fall of an Empire
and the Fate of a Nation, on Oct. 16
at 7:30 p.m. in the Yawkey Athletic
Center Murray Conference Room.
Following Murphy’s talk, Assoc.
Prof. Seth Jacobs (History) and Asst.
Prof. Timothy Crawford (Political Science) will offer comments.
For more information, call ext.29296 or e-mail winston.center@
bc.edu.
Discounts available to
BC employees
Boston College employees are eligible to receive discounts and special
promotions from selected area businesses and institutions.
These include Apple Computers,
Dell Computers, Boston Celtics,
Museum of Fine Arts, Museum of
Science and Tweeter Direct. More
information is available at www.
bc.edu/offices/hr/resources/discountprograms.html.
The Human Resources Department
invites employees to offer comments
and suggestions regarding the discount program by sending e-mail to
hr@bc.edu.
Music events on Oct. 18
Three music events will take place
on campus Thursday, Oct. 18. At 4:15
p.m. in Gasson 100, the Music in the
Afternoon series will present “Cantos de España,” with Clara Sandler
(soprano) and Lyubov Shlain (piano)
performing music of Turina, Albeniz
and de Falla. Call ext.2-6004 or email concerts@bc.edu.
At 7 p.m. in Connolly House, Boston
University professor Sally Sommers
Smith will give a multimedia presentation on the traditional music of
Newfoundland as part of the Gaelic
Roots series. Call ext.2-3938 or email irish@bc.edu.
At 8 p.m., the Music at St. Mary’s
series in St. Mary’s Chapel will
feature the music of J.S. Bach performed by violinist Dana Maiben and
harpsichordist Arthur Haas.
All events are free and open to the
public.
“Religion, Politics and Society”
conference
The Political Science, Philosophy
and Theology departments, with support from the Bradley Foundation,
will present the conference “Religion, Politics and Society: Two Revolutions, Two Visions, A Franco-American Dialogue” on Oct. 19 and 20 at
St. John’s Hall, St. John’s Seminary,
adjacent to the University’s Brighton
Campus. The event is dedicated to
the memory of Prof. Ernest Fortin, AA
(Theology).
A highlight of the conference will
be the keynote lecture given by
Pierre Manent, a professor at the
Centre de Recherches Politiques
Raymond Aron, on Friday, Oct. 19, at
4 p.m.
The conference’s Saturday schedule
includes a 1 p.m. panel discussion,
“Religion in Public Life in the United
States in the Light of Fortin’s Critique
of Catholic Social Thought,” with
Prof. Robert Faulkner (Political Science), Harvard Law School Professor
Mary Ann Glendon and University of
Scranton Professor Brian Benestad.
For more information, call ext.24144 or e-mail geesh@bc.edu.
C21 Center Announces Events for Fall Semester
This fall the Church in the
21st Century Center, in collaboration with the Institute of Religious
Education and Pastoral Ministry,
hosts campus visits from two cardinals whose lectures will inaugurate
a year-long series, “Building up the
Body of Christ: What does it take
to create a great Catholic community?”
Tonight, Boston Archbishop
Cardinal Sean O’Malley, OFM
Cap, will attend, and respond to,
a talk by Marco Impagliazzo, a
professor at University of Perugia who is international president
of the Community of Sant’Egidio
— an international Catholic lay
movement dedicated to prayer and
friendship with the poor. Impagliazzo will speak on “A Church
of All, Especially a Church of the
Poor,” a topic taken from a Pope
John XXIII radio address 45 years
ago.
On Oct. 16, Cardinal Theodore
McCarrick, Archbishop Emeritus
of Washington DC, will present
“The Parish of Tomorrow: Storefront or Megachurch?” Both the
Oct. 4 and Oct. 16 lectures will
take place at 7 p.m. in Gasson
Hall 100.
The C21 Center’s robust schedule of fall semester events includes
lectures, workshops, presentations
and discussions, many offered in
collaboration with other University groups, and targeted to undergraduates, graduate students,
faculty and alumni, as well as to
the public.
“With about 25 events sponsored or cosponsored for the fall,
Boston Archbishop Cardinal Sean O’Malley, OFM Cap, will be at Boston College
tonight for the Church of the 21st Century Center event “A Church of All, Especially
a Church of the Poor.” (File photo)
the C21 Center won’t miss a beat
during the transition to a new
permanent director,” said Special
Assistant to the President Robert
Newton, who is serving as C21
Center interim director. Newton
directed the C21 initiative for its
first three years and has been chairman of its C21 Steering Committee for the past five years.
Newton expects a smooth transition and anticipates a vibrant
C21 Center agenda for 2007-08.
“Our collaboration with the Institute of Religious Education and
Pastoral Ministry on their continuing education series, ‘Building up
the Body of Christ,’ anchors the
fall program.
“In addition to the successful series for undergraduates and alumni
from past years, we have added
Veritas et Vinum, a social/conversation series for graduate and professional students that will feature
prominent BC faculty and admin-
istrators telling their stories, and
what being at a Jesuit, Catholic
university means to them.” Provost
and Dean of Faculties Cutberto
Garza, Vice Provost of Faculties
Patricia DeLeeuw and Monan Professor Lisa Cahill will be the first
presenters in the series, co-sponsored with the Office of Graduate
Student Life, which kicks off Oct.
12.
The popular Agape Latte program, co-sponsored with Campus
Ministry, continues its offerings
of informal lecture and discussion
around C21 themes. Upcoming
speakers include Vice President and
Special Assistant to the President
William B. Neenan, SJ, on Nov. 6
and Adj. Assoc. Prof. Brian J. Braman (Philosophy) on Dec. 4.
The Alumni Association and
C21 Center also are presenting the
Advent Alumni Series at the BC
Club, with presentations on “Ignatian Spirituality at Work,” by Prof.
Initiative Explores Constitutional Democracy
Two members of the Political
Science faculty have begun an
initiative to explore the history
and character of America’s unique
form of government.
Prof. Marc Landy and Assoc.
Prof. Dennis Hale are the founders of the Initiative for the Study of
Constitutional Democracy, which
was formally launched at a Sept.
27 event in McGuinn Auditorium
featuring a lecture by Hugh Heclo, the Clarence J. Robinson Professor of Public Affairs at George
Mason University and a leading
expert in the fields of American
and comparative politics.
Landy and Hale say the initiative will encourage scholarship
and discussion on “the unusual
combination of constitutionalism and popular government that
has typified the American regime
since the founding.
“Constitutional democracy
aims to do what older traditions
of political inquiry would have
thought unlikely if not impossible:
to merge the rule of law – settled,
stable, even conservative – with
the most broadly popular government in history – often unsettled,
populist, and rambunctious.”
The immediate focus of the
initiative, say the founders, is a
lecture series that will “pull together a community of scholars
Marc Landy, left, and Dennis Hale flank Hugh Heclo, who spoke at the Sept. 27 official launching of the Initiative for the Study of Constitutional Democracy. Landy
and Hale are the initiative’s co-founders and directors. (Photo by Gary Gilbert)
and concerned citizens who share
an interest in constitutional democracy.”
Interviewed recently, Hale said
the initiative was a longstanding
idea that has been given particular
impetus from events of recent
years. “The problem of constitutional democracy appears in a lot
of different contexts, whether we
are talking about regime change in
Iraq or rewriting the marriage laws
in Massachusetts.
“We are excited by the fact
that because this subject is so rich
in possibilities, we have a pretty
wide field from which to pick.
We can look for scholars who
are traditional constitutional law
scholars, for example, as well as
people who study the problem
of constitutional government in
Africa or the Middle East. We can
bring in speakers who talk about
how institutions work, what constitutional federalism means, what
constitutionalism means in the
face of major challenges like terrorist attacks.
“At a bare minimum, this initiative will result in lots of very
interesting talks.”
—Sean Smith
James F. Keenan, SJ (Theology),
Nov. 27 and Dec. 11.
Other events this month include: lectures on “Culture, Conflict, and Catholic Studies” (Oct.
9) and “Faith, Reason, and Culture
in Christianity and Islam” (Oct.
18); panel discussions on “Catholic Faith and Cooperation in a
Pluralistic Society” (Oct. 11) and
“Handing On an Inclusive and Just
Faith: Parents Reflect” (Oct. 22). A
presentation, “In Dialogue — Lay
Pastoring of the Parish: Prospering
the Mission,” part of the “Building
up the Body of Christ” series, takes
place on Oct. 24.
November events include a
panel discussion on “Handing on
the Faith: Catholic Education in
the 21st Century — A Global
Perspective” (Nov. 5) and a lecture
on “The Hopes and Challenges
of Parish Leadership in the 21st
Century” (Nov. 28). A Dec. 1
workshop will focus on “An Effective Model for Leading Church
Locally.”
For more information on The
Church in the 21st Century Center and its events, visit the center
Web site at www.bc.edu/church21
or call ext.x2-0470.
—Office of Public Affairs
Persian Gulf
Expert to Give
Talk Oct. 18
Author, scholar and foreign
relations expert Banafsheh Keynoush will offer her unique
professional and personal insights on the explosive Persian
Gulf region at a campus lecture
on Oct. 18.
Her talk, “Iranian-Saudi Relations and the Prospect for
Peace in the Persian Gulf,” will
be held at 4:30 p.m. in Devlin
008.
A native of Iran, Keynoush
has 20 years of professional experience as a Farsi and English
simultaneous interpreter. She
has served as a translator for
three Iranian presidents and,
since 2004, to Iranian Peace
Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi
for her numerous speaking
and book tour engagements in
North America; she also translated Ebadi’s book on refugee law. Keynoush works as a
CNN Farsi-English interpreter
and is a contributing editor
to the work for the United
Nations High Commission on
Refugees.
Keynoush turned her dissertation into a book that examines the foreign relations of
the region’s two most powerful
states, Iran and Saudi Arabia,
from the Gulf War to present. She has consulted for a
number of Iranian NGOs on
human rights, women’s issues,
and refugee rights.
For more information, call
ext.2-4170 or e-mail baileyk@
bc.edu.
—Office of Public Affairs
T he B oston C ollege
Chronicle
october 4, 2007
PEOPLE
•Asst. Prof. Jennifer Steen (Political Science) spoke with the
Washington Post regarding Mitt
Romney’s partially self-financed
‘hybrid’ campaign. The piece also
was picked up by CBSNews.com.
•The Boston Globe published an
op-ed by Prof. Elizabeth Graver
(English) reflecting on the recent
spate of toy recalls.
•Prof. Thomas Seyfried (Biology)
discussed with Time magazine
the use of ketogenic — low-carb,
high-fat — diets as a preventive
measure against cancer.
•University Chancellor J. Donald Monan, SJ, who chaired the
Massachusetts Visiting Committee on Management in the Courts
that issued its recommendations
in 2003, and Michael B. Keating,
chair of the Court Management
Advisory Board formed the fol-
E x L i br i s
lowing year, reviewed improvements in the system’s efficiency in
a Boston Globe op-ed.
ton Post about classroom tactics
to keep the attention of students
brought up on technology.
•Center on Aging & Work CoDirector Michael Smyer was a
panelist on the PBS broadcast of
“Life (Part 2),” a series “by and
about the whopping 26 percent of
the American population who are
55 and older.” Smyer appeared
on the episode titled “Adapting to
Change.”
•An interview with Prof. Maxim
D. Shrayer (Slavic and Eastern
Languages) was featured in the
new documentary “Nabokov:
The Happiest Years,” directed by
Mariya Gershteyn.
•Comments by Boisi Center forReligion and American Public
Life Director Prof. Alan Wolfe
(Political Science) on the debate
over cultural canon were cited
by the New York Times. He also
discussed the Mitt Romney presidential campaign with the Washington Post and the rise of atheism
with ABC News.
•Assoc. Prof. Seth Jacobs (History) was quoted by the Washing-
Spotlighting recent
faculty publications
Challenges of an Aging Society:
Ethical Dilemmas, Political Issues.
Co-edited by Center on Aging & Work
Co-Director Michael A. Smyer and Rachel
Pruchno, former director of the Boston
College Initiative on Aging program, now
professor at the New Jersey Institute for Successful Aging, University of Medicine and
Dentistry of New Jersey.
Smyer: “This book emerged from a
Jesuit Institute Seminar on Aging and
Ethics. What made that seminar and this
book so much fun was gathering scholars
from different disciplines — theology,
philosophy, economics, political science
— who usually don’t engage the ethical issues of aging together.
“With support from a National Institute on Aging conference
grant, we hoped to raise the ethical issues that are emerging for our
aging society: what are the responsibilities of each generation for other
generations? how do we balance individual autonomy and family
responsibility?
“These issues are not merely academic debating points. Candidates
in the upcoming presidential campaigns will be addressing some of the
topics in this collection: Social Security, Medicare’s drug benefits, and
the changing patterns of work and retirement facing Baby Boomers.”
Nota Bene
The East Carolina Alumni Association of East Carolina University
has selected Rev. Hubert E. Walters, a part-time faculty member at
Boston College who is musical director of the University’s Voices of
Imani gospel choir, as a recipient of one of its four Outstanding Alumni
Award recipients for 2007. In 1965, Rev. Walters became the first African-American to receive a graduate degree from then East Carolina
College. He will be recognized at the East Carolina Alumni Association
Alumni Awards Ceremony on Oct. 26. [An article on Rev. Walters was
published last fall in the East Carolina alumni magazine and can be
viewed at www.ecu.edu/cs-admin/mktg/east/Walters-Fall-2006.cfm.]
Augustus Long Professor of Counseling Psychology Janet Helms
has been chosen to receive the 2008 American Psychological Association Distinguished Contributions to Research in Public Policy Award.
Helms, who is director of the Boston College Institute for the Study
and Promotion of Race and Culture, is president-elect of the APA Division 17, the Society for Counseling Psychology.
Publications
•Assoc. Prof. Elfriede Fursich
(Communication)
published
“Development Broadcasting in
India and Beyond: Redefining an
Old Mandate in an Age of Media Globalization” in Journal of
Broadcasting & Electronic Media.
•Prof. Jorge Garcia (Philosophy)
published the following: “Racial
or Ethnic Diversity?” in Race or
Ethnicity? (editor); “Being Unimpressed with Ourselves: Reconceiving Humility,” in Philosophia;
“Health versus Harm: Euthanasia
Boston College Hockey Coach Jerry York (center) holds the plaque signifying his
being honored by the Francis Ouimet Scholarship Fund with the 2007 Spirit of Golf
Award at a banquet held last month in The International Restaurant in Boston. Proceeds from the event created a permanently endowed scholarship in York’s name
for a Ouimet Scholar attending Boston College. Standing with York are event cochairs and Ouimet Fund directors Tom Martin, left, and Jim Logue, both former BC
hockey players and 1961 alumni; Logue is a member of York’s coaching staff.
and Physicians’ Duties,” in Journal of Medicine & Philosophy; and
“The Doubling Undone? Double
Effect in Recent Medical Ethics,”
in Philosophical Papers.
•Prof. Emeritus J. Enrique Ojeda
Coley Fulbright Study
Researches At-Risk Behavior
With funding support via the
Fulbright program, Assoc. Prof.
Rebekah Levine Coley (LSOE)
is studying how behaviors such
as substance use, risky sexual
activity, and lack of adequate
exercise, nutrition, and weight
control contribute substantial
health risks for youth in developed countries.
Coley, the recipient of a Fulbright Senior Scholarship, is
conducting her research at the
University of New South Wales
in Sydney, Australia. She is one
of only 20 American Fulbright
Scholars traveling to Australia
this academic year.
Her goal is to better understand the prevalence, precursors
and policy response to the three
sets of health risk behaviors
among Australian youth, both
across that country and as compared to the United States.
“Australia has similarities
with the United States in economic and behavioral well-being, but also has notable policy
and cultural differences — an
interesting combination for indepth comparisons,” she said.
“The Social Policy Research
Centre at University of New
South Wales is a top research
center with excellent facilities,”
she said, adding that the Fulbright award provides opportunities for collaboration and
data collection with researchers,
policy makers and practitioners
involved in the promotion and
prevention efforts, necessary for
cultural understanding.
“My research will compare
levels of health risk behaviors in
Australian and American youth,
and assess cultural and envi-
Lee Pellegrini
Newsmakers
Rebekah Levine Coley
ronmental contributors to such
behaviors,” said Coley. “It will
also assess health risk prevention
and health promotion policies
targeting youth.”
Coley previously has been
the principal investigator on
a number of research projects
funded by the W.T. Grant
Foundation and the National
Institute of Child Health and
Human Development, as well
as the co-recipient of the Social
Policy Award from the Society
for Research in Adolescence.
She was one of the principal researchers in a longitudinal
multidisciplinary study following more than 2,400 low-income children and their families
in Boston, Chicago and San
Antonio to determine the longterm implications of welfare
reform and economic disadvantage on urban children and
families. She also was author of
a recent study that highlighted
the importance of low-income
non-resident fathers’ continued
involvement in the lives of their
teen-aged children.
—Office of Public Affairs
(Romance Languages) published
“Montalvo y el modernismo hispanoamericano” in Kipus: Revista
andina de letras, and “Jorge Carrera Andrade” in Historia de las
literaturas del Ecuador.
Honors/Appointments
•Assoc. Prof. Alec Peck (LSOE)
was elected to a four-year term
as president of the Council for
Children with Behavior Disorders
(CCBD), a 5,000-member special
education advocacy and professional organization working on
behalf of children and youth with
serious emotional disabilities.
•Beth Clark, director of Instructional Design and eTeaching Services, has been appointed to the
board of directors for NERCOMP
(Northeast Regional Computing
Program), a consortium of more
than 150 higher education institutions in the Northeast that
develops programming to provide opportunities for continued
learning and innovation in information technology and higher
education.
Jobs
The following are among the most
recent positions posted by the Department of Human Resources.
For more information on employment opportunities at Boston College, see www.bc.edu/offices/hr/
Cashier, BC Bookstore
App. Server Administrator, Information Technology, Internet
Strategy
Customer Service Representative,
Human Resources Department,
Employment Office
Collaboration Systems Manager, Information Technology, Internet
Strategy
Financial Aid Associate, Student
Services
Assistant Director, Center on Aging & Work
Compensation Analyst or Senior
Compensation Analyst, Human
Resources
T he B oston C ollege
Chronicle
october 4, 2007
LOOKING AHEAD
READINGS • LECTURES •
DISCUSSION
October 4
•“Shakespeare and the Cause of
English Catholicism” with Clare
Asquith, 4:30 p.m., Higgins 300.
Call ext.2-2303 or e-mail taylor@
bc.edu.
•“A Church of All, Especially a
Church of the Poor,” with Marco
Impagliazzo, 7-9 p.m., Gasson
100. Call ext.2-8057 or e-mail lambmb@bc.edu.
•Lowell Lectures Humanities Series: “The Art & Science & Practice, Practice, Practice of Cartooning,” with Robert Mankoff, 7:30
p.m., Devlin 101. Call ext.2-3705
or e-mail paul.doherty.1@bc.edu.
October 5
•“Peter Lombard’s Sentences: Are
They Original? Does It Matter?”
with Giulio Silano, University of
St. Michael’s College, University of Toronto, 4 p.m., Cushing
001. Call ext.2-0436 or e-mail
brownst@bc.edu.
October 6
•“Culture, Conflict, and Catholic Studies,” Mark S. Massa, SJ,
Fordham University, 4:30 p.m.,
McGuinn 121. Call ext.2-0470 or
ghosn@bc.edu.
October 10
•“When the Sahara was Green”
with Farouk El-Baz, Boston University Center for Remote Sensing, 4:30 p.m., Devlin 008. Call
ext.2-8491 or e-mail jane.vecchi.1@bc.edu.
•Panel discussion: “Into Great Silence: A Panel on Monastic Life”
with Pat DeLeeuw, Boyd Taylor Coolman, Will Morales and
James Weiss (moderator), 7 p.m.,
Devlin 101. Call ext.2-4576 or
carlisll@bc.edu.
•“Geophysical Prospecting for the
Great City Shang: The Making of
a B Movie” with David B. Cist,
Geophysical Survey Systems Inc.
7-9 p.m., Boston College Weston
Observatory, 381 Concord Road,
Weston, Mass., call ext.2-8300
or e-mail weston.observatory@
bc.edu.
October 11
•Panel discussion: “Catholic Faith
and Cooperation in a Pluralistic
Society: Navigating Conflicts Between Conscience and the Law,”
with Edward A. Hartnett, M.
Cathleen Kaveny, James F. Keenan, SJ, and Rev. Russell E. Smith,
4 p.m., Law School East Wing.
Call ex. 2-6850 or e-mail gregory.
kalscheur.1@bc.edu.
•“Author Meets Critics: A Theology of Public Life” with Charles
Mathewes, Ronald Thiemann,
Rev. David Hollenbach, SJ, and
Erik Owens, 4:30 p.m., Gasson
305. Call ext.2-1860 or e-mail
richarsh@bc.edu.
MUSIC • ART • PERFORMANCE
October 9
•“Jazz: The Jackson Pollock Connection” with Thomas Oboe Lee,
Adam Birnbaum ‘01 and The
Fringe, 8 p.m., Gasson 100. Call
ext.2-6004 or e-mail concerts@
bc.edu.
October 10
•Traditional Irish ceilidh, with live
music and social dancing (instruction given), 6:30 p.m., Gasson
100. Call ext.2-3938 or e-mail
irish@bc.edu.
•Performance: “Metamorphoses,”
directed by Luke Jorgensen, 7:30
p.m., Robsham Theater, through
Oct. 14. Call ext.2-4002 or e-mail
PRINCIPI@bc.edu.
ATHLETICS
October 5
•Women’s Soccer: BC vs. Duke,
7 p.m., Newton Campus Soccer
Field.
•Women’s Hockey: BC vs. Rensselaer, 7 p.m., Conte Forum.
October 6
•Football: BC vs. Bowling Green,
noon, Alumni Stadium.
October 7
•Women’s Soccer: BC vs. Wake
Forest, 1 p.m., Newton Campus
Soccer Field.
October 12
•Women’s Volleyball: BC vs. Miami, 5 p.m., Conte Forum.
•Women’s Hockey: BC vs. Colgate, 7 p.m., Conte Forum.
UNIVERSITY EVENTS
October 8
•Columbus Day. All University
offices closed.
ONGOING EXHIBITIONS
•“Somewhere A Voice is Calling:
American Irish Musical Interpreters, 1850 - 1975,” O’Neill Library
Lobby, through Oct. 26. E-mail
sweeneec@bc.edu.
•“Pollock Matters,” McMullen
Museum of Art, through Dec. 9.
Call ext.2-8100, e-mail artmusm@
bc.edu or see www.bc.edu/artmuseum.
WEEKLY MASSES
•St. Joseph Chapel (Gonzaga Hall
- Upper Campus) 5 p.m. and
9 p.m.; Trinity Chapel (Newton
Campus) 5 p.m. and 9 p.m., St.
Ignatius Church, Lannon Chapel
- Lower Church, 9 p.m., Heights
Room, 10:15 p.m., St. Mary’s
Chapel (Spanish Mass) 7:30 p.m.
For more on BC campus events,
see events.bc.edu or check BCInfo
[www.bc.edu/bcinfo] for updates.
BC SCENES
ART OF PERSUSASION
Victoria Yu ’09 passes out fortune cookies to passersby during the recent Student Activities Day held on the Campus Green. Various
student organizations were on hand to inform and recruit prospective new members. (Photo by Lee Pellegrini)
Oct. 9 Concert Plays on
Pollock-Jazz Connection
Jackson Pollock changed the face of modern art with his innovative
abstract expressionist paintings and daring technique. Abstract art has
often been compared to music, and jazz was an important stimulus to
Pollock’s creative process.
The Pollock-jazz relationship will be the theme of a concert taking
place this Tuesday, Oct. 9, that will feature two Boston College-affiliated musicians: Prof. Thomas Oboe Lee (Music), a prolific composer
and jazz flutist; and Adam Birnbaum ’01, who is emerging as one of the
top young performers in jazz piano.
Sponsored by the Music Department, “Jazz: The Jackson Pollock
Connection” is being presented in conjunction with the McMullen
Museum of Art’s groundbreaking exhibition, “Pollock Matters.” The
concert will take place at 8 p.m. in Gasson 100.
Joining Lee and Birnbaum will be the local jazz trio The Fringe for
a program that will provide dynamic examples of the interplay between
music, emotional expression and art. The performers will play music
by the post-bop jazz players of the mid 1950s, such as Miles Davis, Lee
Morgan, Sonny Rollins, Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane.
For more information, call ext.2-6004. Admission is free.
—Office of Public Affairs
Geological Find a Key
to Solution for Darfur?
Boston College will host a lecture on Oct. 10 by Boston University geologist Farouk El-Baz, one of a team of scientists who discovered an underground lake in Sudan’s war-torn Darfur region — a
discovery he says could help ease conflict in the troubled province.
El-Baz’s talk, “When the Sahara Was Green,” will take place from
4:30-6 p.m. in Devlin 008 and is being presented by the Office of the
Provost along with BC’s Center for Human Rights and International
Justice, Geology and Geophysics Department and Middle Eastern
and Islamic Studies Program.
Earlier this summer, El-Baz, the director of BU’s Center for Remote Sensing, and his colleagues found the lake — approximately
the size of Massachusetts — using radar. Their discovery raised hopes
that the availability of more water will greatly improve living conditions in Darfur and ease the conflict between Arab nomads and ethnic African farming communities that has killed more than 200,000
people and affected at least four million others.
El-Baz helped launch a humanitarian initiative with the Sudanese
government, “1,000 Wells for Darfur,” to create new groundwater
resources.
For more information on the El-Baz lecture, call ext.2-8491 or
e-mail jane.vecchi.1@bc.edu.
—Office of Public Affairs
Panel, Film Screening to
Explore the Monastic Life
Robsham Theater will be the setting Oct. 18 for the Boston premiere
of “Into Great Silence,” a film chronicling life at the Grand Chartreuse,
one of the world’s most ascetic monasteries.
The screening will take place at 7 p.m., and is free and open to the
public.
Director Philip Gröning was invited to spend six months at the
monastery, located in the French Alps, where he captured rarely-seen
rituals of Carthusian monks. Despite its unconventional style — no
narration, interviews or musical score and very little dialogue — the
film has received critical praise as a meditative and poetic work and won
a Special Jury Prize at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival.
Boston College also will host an Oct. 10 panel discussion on monastic life that will serve as a prelude and companion piece to the
documentary. Participants will be Vice Provost for Faculties Patricia
DeLeeuw, a scholar of medieval religion; Asst. Prof. Boyd Taylor Coolman (Theology), who studies Christian theology; and Will Morales,
director of Boston’s Youth Enrichment Services and past participant in
The Learning Channel’s “The Monastery.” Prof. James Weiss (Theology) will moderate the discussion.
The events are sponsored by Boston College Magazine, C21 Online,
the Theology Department, the Film Studies Program and the Weston
Jesuit School of Theology. For information, e-mail carlisll@bc.edu or
call ext.2-4576.
—Office of Public Affairs