Boston College Chronicle October 10, 2024

PUBLISHED BY THE BOSTON COLLEGE OFFICE OF UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS

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Around Campus

Campaign Update

BC Arts

Holy Family sculpture undergoing repairs; BC named a Mass Save Climate Leader.

Soaring Higher is halfway to its $3 billion goal.

Dawn Meredith Simmons is the new Monan Professor in Theatre Arts; Robsham Theater fall line-up.

PUBLISHED BY THE BOSTON COLLEGE OFFICE OF UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS

OCTOBER 10, 2024 VOL. 32 NO. 4

‘A Classroom Full of Powerful Lessons’ BC Prison Education Program holds first graduation ceremony

BY ALIX HACKETT SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE

(L-R) Joel Vasquez, Gregory Saunders, and Alex Delgado, the first graduates of the Boston College Prison Education Program, celebrated their milestone at a September 23 commencement ceremony held at the Shirley, Mass., correctional facility. photo by lee pellegrini

Continued on page 4

OTE Renamed as McCroryFrancis Scholars Program

Ctr. for Retirement Research Head Alicia Munnell to Step Down Alicia H. Munnell, the founding director of the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College (CRR), has announced that she will step down from her position on December 31, after more than two decades of leadership.

Munnell, who holds the Peter F. Drucker Chair in Management Sciences in the Carroll School of Management, is recognized as one of the nation’s most influential experts on retirement income policy. Before coming to Boston College, she served as a member of the President’s Council of Economic Advisers and Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Economic Policy. Previously, she spent 20 years at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, where she became senior vice president and director of research. She will remain with the CRR as a senior advisor.

In 2019, Boston College launched the Prison Education Program (PEP), offering 16 incarcerated students at a mediumsecurity correctional facility in Shirley, Mass., a chance to take college-level courses with BC instructors. On September 23, the PEP hosted its first-ever commencement ceremony inside the prison yard at MCIShirley, awarding diplomas to three graduates before an emotional crowd of students, family members, and supporters.

“I’m so impressed with all three of you,” said Associate Professor of the Practice Cherie McGill, who teaches philosophy in

the PEP, which has admitted 80 students across five cohorts, becoming the largest higher education prison program in the Commonwealth. “You’ve worked hard for an education, which is so much more than a degree, and you’re walking away today with genuinely impressive intellectual depth.”

Dressed in caps and gowns, the three graduating students—Alex Delgado, Gregory Saunders, and Joel Vasquez—formed a miniature procession as they entered the commencement tent to a band playing “Pomp and Circumstance.” They were trailed by more than 30 current PEP students, who showed their support through-

BY JACK DUNN ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT FOR UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS

Drucker Professor Alicia Munnell, founding director of the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College. photo by caitlin cunningham

Deputy Director Andrew Eschtruth, who has been with the organization since its inception, will become the next CRR director, supported by senior researchers Jean-Pierre Aubry, Anqi Chen, Laura

Continued on page 6

Options through Education (OTE), a Boston College summer enrichment program for students who have overcome significant economic or educational disadvantages, will be renamed the McCroryFrancis Scholars Program in honor of two prominent alumni, Floyd McCrory ’77, P’04, and Keith Francis ’76, P’10, ’14, who were committed to enhancing access and opportunity for AHANA students at BC. Vice President and Pine Manor Institute for Student Success Executive Director Joy Moore, who conceived the change, said the program will continue to invite accepted first-year students to attend a seven-week summer session on the Chestnut Hill Campus and provide them with support throughout their four years. The new

name, Moore said, will pay tribute to two graduates whose commitment helped improve student diversity at Boston College.

McCrory died in 2022, Francis in 2011.

“Floyd McCrory was a proud Boston College alumnus and member of the Alumni Association’s Board of Directors who was tireless in his efforts to help AHANA students attend BC,” said Moore.

“He died young, but his life serves as a fitting example for our students to follow.

“Keith Francis was a well-respected student and gifted student-athlete who is considered BC’s all-time greatest track and field star. As an undergraduate and later a BC Trustee, he was equally dedicated to enhancing the college experience for students of color. Keith also died far too young, but he continues to serve as an inspiration and role model for today’s students.”

Moore said that renaming OTE after

Continued on page 3

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Chronicle

October 10, 2024

Around Campus

Gone — But Only Temporarily The Holy Family sculpture overlooking Commonwealth Avenue on the Brighton Campus, which was carved from the massive trunk of an oak tree, is currently being treated for a carpenter ant infestation.

Despite regular treatments to deter insect activity, landscapers discovered telltale damage during an inspection this summer, said Landscape Planning Director Regina Bellavia. They contacted artist Ken Packie, who recommended bringing the sculpture to his workshop in western Massachusetts for repairs. In addition to cleaning out and replacing rotten wood, Packie will seal the exterior surface to protect it from pests.

Since its unveiling in 2021, the sculpture has also developed deep cracks caused by sun exposure, said Bellavia, which will be repaired by Packie as well. The sculpture is expected to be back in place this fall.

This is the first time the statue has been removed from its original base—it was carved on-site by Packie who specializes in

The Holy Family sculpture was unveiled in 2021 on Brighton Campus, overlooking Commonwealth Avenue.

wood sculptures, most inspired by nature.

At the time, he called the assignment the most “ambitious” of his career both because of its size and deeper meaning.

“Everything about this subject matter is so important,” he said. “I’m not trying just to emulate the form; I’m trying to think about what it means to everybody.”

The project emerged as a way to salvage the trunk of a 100-year-old oak tree, which was in failing health and posed a danger to passing pedestrians and motorists. The artwork gave the tree a second life, said Bellavia, and her team is working to ensure it lasts another century.

“It’s a little tricky and not something we’ve had to deal with before,” she said.

“There’s so many variables—and with natural materials there’s only so much in your control.”

—Alix Hackett is a senior digital content writer in the Office of University Communications

photo by caitlin cunningham

University Is Selected as a 2024 Massachusetts Climate Leader Boston College is one of 19 Massachusetts organizations named a 2024 Climate Leader by the Sponsors of Mass Save for ongoing efforts to curb energy use, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and guide the Commonwealth to a net-zero future.

According to the Sponsors of Mass Save, this year’s cohort of Climate Leaders is assisting Massachusetts in leading the nation in energy efficiency and meeting the Healey-Driscoll administration’s ambitious 2050 climate goals by reducing environmental impacts and lowering energy costs.

Mass Save is a collaborative of Massachusettsbased electric and natural gas utilities and energy efficiency service providers, including Berkshire Gas, Cape Light Compact, Eversource, Liberty, National Grid, and Unitil.

“Each 2024 Mass Save Climate Leader has demonstrated how Massachusetts is paving the way toward decarbonization and a net-zero future,” said Tilak SubrahASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT FOR UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS

Jack Dunn

SENIOR DIRECTOR FOR UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS

Patricia Delaney EDITOR

Sean Smith

manian, vice president of energy efficiency and electric mobility at Eversource. “The sponsors of Mass Save are proud to recognize the commitment shown by this year’s winners to achieving their climate and energy efficiency goals. We will continue to match the dedication of these leaders in sustainability as we collectively strive toward a decarbonized future.”

The 2024 Climate Leaders represent a range of industries and sectors, including museums, schools, grocery, health care, and hospitality, such as Moderna Inc., Siemens Healthineers, Munters Corp., and Roche Bros. Supermarkets. BC was one of three institutions of higher education so honored, including University of Massachusetts-Lowell and Bristol Community College.

“Boston College has had a strategic partnership with Eversource, a Mass Save Partner since 2011, during which time we have received technical support and signifi-

CONTRIBUTING STAFF

cant rebates for optimizing energy efficiency in new and existing buildings,” said Terence Leahy, director of the BC Engineering and Energy Management department.

“With this support, we have been able to offset significant electrical load through various energy conservation measures including installing energy efficient lightemitting diode (LED) lighting; replacing aged building heating and cooling systems with high-efficiency systems; and optimizing building management sequences. Being recognized as a Mass Save 2024 Climate Leader is an honor for the entire commu-

The Office of University Advancement notes that National Estate Planning Awareness Week is October 21-27—an opportune time to update and organize important information in one convenient place. To get started, go to bc.edu/estateplan or call 877-304-SHAW for a free estate planning guide, compliments of Boston College’s Office of Gift Planning.

Phil Gloudemans Ed Hayward Audrey Loyack Rosanne Pellegrini Kathleen Sullivan

Chronicle

PHOTOGRAPHERS

www.bc.edu/bcnews chronicle@bc.edu

Caitlin Cunningham Lee Pellegrini

nity.”

He noted that BC’s leadership has committed to energy conservation by designing new buildings to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design silver standards, a worldwide green building certification program.

The University was also recognized for receiving an Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education STARS gold rating, which reflects the significant effort by all campus departments.

—Phil Gloudemans

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 University Communications, 3 Lake Street, Brighton, MA 02135 (617)552-3350.

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Chronicle

October 10, 2024

Soaring Higher Is Halfway to $3 Billion Goal

BY JACK DUNN ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT FOR UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS

Boston College has surpassed the halfway mark in its $3 billion Soaring Higher campaign, nearly one year to the day after its launch.

In a letter to donors acknowledging the milestone, the campaign co-chairs said that the campaign had raised $1.5 billion to date, including a record annual total of $336 million in gifts and pledges last fiscal year.

“In the past six months alone, we celebrated the naming of the Clough School of Theology and Ministry, announced a gift to name the Seidner Department of Finance in the Carroll School of Management, and welcomed the first class of Messina College students, all of which was made possible by philanthropic commitments from the BC community,” said cochairs University Trustee René Jones ’86, and his wife, BC Regent Brigid Doherty ’96, P’25; Trustee Chair John F. Fish and his wife Cyndy; Trustee Patti Kraft and

her husband Jonathan P’24; Trustee Philip Schiller ’82 and his wife Kim GassettSchiller; and Trustee Marianne D. Short NC’73, JD’76, and her husband Raymond Skowyra Jr., P’05.

“The Soaring Higher campaign benefits every part of campus, and your support has made the difference this year.”

The campaign, the most ambitious in University history, aims to raise money for key priorities in academics, financial aid, and student life, including $1.15 billion to enhance teaching and scholarship across BC’s nine schools and colleges, $1.1 billion to boost financial aid for low- and middleincome families, and $750 million to support priorities in formative education, campus ministry, service immersion, and intercollegiate sports. Thus far, Soaring Higher has received donations from rough-

ly 83,000 BC alumni, parents, students, and friends.

Senior Vice President for University Advancement Andrew Davidson attributes the campaign’s success to date to Boston College’s palpable institutional momentum, which has inspired the BC community to support this historic initiative.

“The campaign’s priorities resonate with our alumni and parents because they see how important they are to Boston College and its students, faculty, and staff,” said Davidson. “I have witnessed firsthand the deep passion our community members hold for BC. This campaign enables them to align their passion with Boston College’s greatest needs and hopes for the future.”

Funds raised through Soaring Higher will enable the University to double the number of endowed faculty chairs and fel-

lowships, strengthen faculty research, and support curricular innovation, while also helping BC to maintain its commitment to need-blind admissions and meeting the full demonstrated need of undergraduate students. It will also increase student internships, graduate fellowships, and support for international study, while providing resources for the construction and renovation of campus facilities, creating additional space for teaching and student-faculty interactions.

Since the launch of Soaring Higher, Boston College has hosted donor events in New York City, Chicago, and San Francisco, with fall events scheduled for Philadelphia and Los Angeles, as well as Dublin and London.

“We are thrilled with the direction of the Soaring Higher campaign and pleased that so many of our alumni have participated to date,” said Davidson. “Our goal is to achieve 60 percent alumni participation over the life of the campaign, on our way to meeting or exceeding our target of $3 billion. It is a very exciting time for Boston College.”

For more about the Soaring Higher campaign, see campaign.bc.edu

OTE Program Will Be Renamed for Two Alumni Continued from page 1

two alumni who were student leaders in the then-titled Boston College Black Talent Program, and adding “scholars” to the title, amplifies the strength of the program and the talents of the students who are selected to attend.

“The McCrory-Francis Scholars Program is an appropriate next step in the long and evolving history of AHANA and first-generation student enrollment at Boston College,” said Moore. “OTE has provided academic support, guidance, and encouragement to BC students during the last 45 years. It is time to launch the next chapter in BC’s history with a new name and enhanced academic programming, reflective of the caliber of student we are attracting.”

OTE was launched in 1979 by the former Office of AHANA Student Programs as an academic support program for a racially diverse group of 35-40 first-year students with demonstrated “determination, leadership, talent, and potential.” Its summer classes in English and math helped students prepare for the rigors of the BC curriculum, while familiarizing them with the campus and its academic support resources.

With the creation of BC’s Pine Manor Institute for Student Success in 2020, OTE, Learning to Learn, BC First, and the McNair Scholars Program were placed under the Pine Manor Institute’s umbrella, along with new initiatives Messina College and The Academy for students in grades 8-12. Renaming OTE as the McCroryFrancis Scholars Program is another strategic move to advance BC’s longstanding and highly successful academic support programs.

photo by gary wayne gilbert

Keith Francis, left, and Floyd McCrory have been lauded for their commitment to enhancing access and opportunity for AHANA students at BC. Renaming Options for Education after the two alumni, said Vice President and Pine Manor Institute for Student Success Executive Director Joy Moore, “is an appropriate next step in the long and evolving history of AHANA and first-generation student enrollment at Boston College.”

BC Trustee Associate Steve Pemberton ’89, H’15, M.S.’19, who was responsible for helping to admit the OTE class during his years as an assistant director of Undergraduate Admission at BC, said that naming the McCrory-Francis Scholars Program after Floyd McCrory and Keith Francis is an ideal way to honor two

exceptional alumni whose volunteer work helped make BC’s present-day diverse student body possible.

“I grew up in New Bedford, Mass., where Keith was a track and field legend, and got to know and work with him and Floyd during my time in Admission,” said Pemberton. “They both worked in Washington, D.C., after graduating from Boston College and would organize bus trips for AHANA students who lived in the D.C. area so they could visit BC and get a sense of the possibilities that a college education offered. They were pioneers in the effort to enhance diversity at BC and are most deserving of this recognition.”

Added John Mahoney ’79, M.A.T. ’85, who retired last year as vice provost for enrollment management at Boston College, “Floyd and Keith saw a commitment to AHANA student recruitment in the Admission Office and decided as young alumni to devote themselves to it.

Through the D.C. Bus Rides, as they were called, they worked with Undergraduate Admission staff Richard Escobar and later Steve Pemberton to identify 35-40 predominately Black high school juniors who were interested in attending a highly selective university and organized an annual fall visit, which was funded by our office.

“During the four-day visit, the prospective students lived in the residence halls with host students, attended classes

and presentations, and took in a football game before returning to their homes in Washington. Through their efforts, they provided an invaluable service for high school students that was not available to them when they themselves were applying to college.”

Moore said that the number of McCrory-Francis Scholars will remain at its present enrollment of 20-25 annually, due in part to the increasing number of first-generation and financially challenged students Boston College attracts through QuestBridge, a non-profit program that helps high-achieving, underserved students earn admission and scholarships to 52 of the nation’s best colleges and universities, and Messina College, a residential, two-year associate’s degree program for first-generation students which opened this summer.

This year, Boston College enrolled more than 130 QuestBridge Scholars, placing second among the 52 members in the number of National College Match students enrolled, while Messina College welcomed 110 students in its inaugural class.

“Given the growing number of students served by these new initiatives, some adjustments to existing programs were necessary,” said Moore. “We are successfully attracting talented students from diverse backgrounds to all our programs and generating excitement and enthusiasm in the process. Boston College is making bold moves and backing them up with resources.”

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October 10, 2024

PEP Holds First Graduation Continued from page 1

out the ceremony with cheers and shouts of encouragement.

Former New England Patriots cornerback Devin McCourty surprised attendees by delivering a commencement address via Zoom, encouraging the graduates to use their diplomas as a starting point, and set an example for the students coming up behind them.

“You are now in a position of leadership, both in attitude and performance,” he said.

“You’re kicking the doors off the hinges so everyone else can walk though, and I can’t wait to see what you become.”

Other speakers included BC Provost and Dean of Faculties David Quigley and Woods College of Advancing Studies Dean David Goodman, both of whom teach courses in the program, followed by BC Prison Education Program Ignacio Chair Patrick Conway and Department of Correction Interim Commissioner Shawn Jenkins.

All three graduates also delivered heartfelt remarks, reflecting on their experiences and the meaning of a liberal arts education.

Saunders, the class valedictorian, described a phone conversation with his father after he was accepted to the program five years ago.

prison.

A smaller community of PEP students is also forming on BC’s Main Campus, where 10 formerly incarcerated students have enrolled at the Woods College. Many credit the program with giving them the skills and confidence to pursue higher education after their release.

“I continue to think that we are building something truly special with this program that can continue to serve as a model nationally for what is possible when a university is committed to providing high quality education within carceral settings,” said Conway, who has led the program since 2021 and was recently appointed the inaugural Ignacio Chair of the Prison Education Program [see separate story on this page]. “We haven’t taken shortcuts.”

At the graduation, Delgado reflected on his journey from gang leader to Boston College alumnus. Since he is serving a life sentence without parole, Delgado has committed to putting his PEP education to use behind bars, helping to organize a restorative justice working group with the University of Massachusetts-Boston, serving on the advisory board for the National Institute of Justice, and becoming vice-chairman of the American Veterans in Prison group.

“I’m sorry for the pain I caused you,” Joel Vasquez said to his mother. “I hope today I have finally made you proud, that your dream that was deferred has finally been fulfilled.”

“I told him I was studying the liberal arts and he said, ‘How are you going to make money with that?’” Saunders recalled.

“For my father, education was instruction—you’re supposed to learn how to do something. But knowing how something works is not the same as knowing why something works. I told my father, ‘I’m going to learn the why.’”

Vasquez, who organized a PEP event celebrating 9/11 hero Welles Crowther ’99, received the Social Justice Award for his contributions to the PEP community.

With his mother and sister in the audience, he reflected on his childhood, crimes, and non-traditional educational journey, invoking poet Langston Hughes’s notion of a “dream deferred.”

“I’m sorry for the pain I caused you,” he said to his mother, who wore a Boston College shirt and held back tears throughout the ceremony. “I hope today I have finally made you proud, that your dream that was deferred has finally been fulfilled.”

The PEP offers a mix of liberal arts and modern business courses in subjects ranging from literature and the social sciences to public speaking and entrepreneurship.

Students spend roughly 10 hours a week in class, and outside of that time they remain busy with assignments and group projects, office hours and tutoring sessions, and extracurricular activities like an inter-cohort debate. Every fall, a new cohort is admitted through a competitive admissions process, growing the PEP community inside the

“Knowledge precedes action,” he said.

“Thank you, BC, for helping me to become a freedom fighter.”

After collecting their diplomas, the graduates mingled with students, family members, and supporters from BC and the Department of Correction, posing for photos and enjoying the festive atmosphere before returning to their cells. In conversation, all three expressed gratitude to the program and its supporters, as well as pride in their status as BC alumni. The admiration was mutual.

“I’ve been lucky to teach in a range of settings and to be educated in kind by a wonderful mix of students,” said Quigley.

“As anyone who has taught in this program knows well, teaching here opens one to a classroom full of powerful lessons and one rich with possibilities. The liberal arts, here at Shirley, are a matter of immense power.”

Goodman echoed those sentiments in his remarks, challenging the graduates to live fully and resist over-managing their own experiences.

“The rigorous and world-transforming work of a liberal arts education is to open us up and point ever expansively to something greater,” he said. “It’s not to assist in making life more manageable, but rather more true, good, and beautiful. I certainly hope this is what you’ve found during your BC education.”

Alix Hackett is a senior digital content writer in the Office of University Communications

BC Prison Education Program Ignacio Chair Patrick Conway congratulated Alex Delgado on earning his degree at last month’s graduation ceremony. photo by lee pellegrini

Conway Named Ignacio Chair of BC Prison Education Program Patrick Conway has been named the inaugural Ignacio Chair of the Boston College Prison Education Program (PEP), a newly named and endowed directorship established through a generous gift by anonymous donors.

Conway, who holds master’s and doctoral degrees from Boston College, was appointed as PEP director in 2021. A former criminal defense investigator, Conway has spent more than a decade teaching in prison education programs. His research explores the nexus between institutions of higher education and prison systems, and has been published in The Review of Higher Education, Teaching in Higher Education, Educational Policy, and the Harvard Educational Review, among other outlets.

He currently serves as a board member of the New England Commission on the

Snapshot

Future of Higher Education in Prison, working in partnership with the New England Board of Higher Education and the Educational Justice Institute at MIT to help shape the future of college-in-prison in New England.

“This milestone appointment recognizes Patrick’s significant contributions to the field of prison education nationally, and his accomplishments in advancing excellence within BC’s own program,” said Provost and Dean of Faculties David Quigley. “The name ‘Ignacio’ ties the work we’re doing at Shirley directly to the Jesuit, Catholic dimensions of our mission, and for that I am enormously grateful. An endowed directorship provides essential support that will enable Patrick and his colleagues to continue strengthening our distinctive approach to prison education.”

—Alix Hackett PHOTO BY SEHO LEE

Espresso Your Faith Week

A “Candlelight Mass and Pizza” event was held in St. Joseph’s Chapel as part of last month’s Espresso Your Faith Week, the campus-wide celebration of faith at Boston College sponsored by the Church in the 21st Century Center and Campus Ministry.

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October 10, 2024

Study Shows Impact of Educational Opportunities

BY PHIL GLOUDEMANS STAFF WRITER

The number of educational opportunities that children accrue as they mature are strongly linked to their educational attainment and earnings in early adulthood, according to new research led by co-author Eric Dearing, executive director of Boston College’s Mary E. Walsh Center for Thriving Children, and a professor in the Lynch School of Education and Human Development.

The results indicate that the large opportunity gaps between low- and highincome households from birth through the end of high school—at home, in early education and care, at school, in afterschool programs, and in their communities— largely explain differences in educational and income achievement between students from different backgrounds.

These findings are derived from a 26year longitudinal study recently published in Educational Researcher, a peer-reviewed journal from the American Educational Research Association (AERA). The research team led by Dearing is the first to directly document opportunities and opportunity gaps as they accrue across early childhood, middle childhood, and adolescence in multiple key areas of child development.

Using a 12-point index of opportunities, the authors found that approximately two-thirds of children from low-income

Eric Dearing: “For the first time, we are able to directly measure how large opportunity gaps are and how seriously they impact outcomes of low- and high-income students.” photo by caitlin cunningham

households experience no more than one opportunity between birth and high school. Most high-income youth experience six or more opportunities.

The strength of the relationship between opportunities and early adult outcomes was strongest for low-income children. Moving from zero to four opportunities increased the odds of low-income

Presidential Search Committee Seeks BC Community Input The Boston College Presidential Search Committee, composed of members of the Board of Trustees Executive Committee (with the exception of University President William P. Leahy, S.J.,) has invited members of the BC community to offer comments about opportunities and challenges facing Boston College, as well as qualities desired in the next president.

Board of Trustees and Search Committee Chair John F. Fish said that such input would be helpful in identifying qualified Jesuit candidates for the BC presidency, with the goal of naming a successor in the spring of 2025. Fr. Leahy announced in June that he will step down as president in the summer of 2026.

“For a successful presidential search and to safeguard BC’s institutional stability, momentum, and continuity during a period of leadership change, I believe we all have to be mindful of certain responsibilities and decisions,” said Fish. “In particular, the board has a fiduciary duty to protect and enhance Boston College’s mission, heritage, and culture as a Jesuit, Catholic university, increasingly known and trusted to help address critical issues in American higher education, the Catholic Church, and wider society.

“As affirmed during the June Board of Trustees meeting, we have launched our search by first focusing on identifying, recruiting, and electing a Jesuit with neces-

sary credentials, experience, temperament, and commitment to succeed Fr. Leahy.

Leadership of the Society of Jesus has assured the search committee that such qualified Jesuits would be made available for consideration by the executive committee.”

The search committee invites BC community members to email their responses to the following questions: •What do you regard as key opportunities for Boston College now and in the coming decade, and what should the board and University leaders do in response?

•What do you judge to be critical challenges facing Boston College today and in the next 10 years, especially in maintaining Boston College’s mission, heritage, and culture as a Jesuit, Catholic university?

•What qualities and potential attributes will be essential in BC’s next president?

Fish asked that responses to the questions be emailed by November 5 to BC.Pres.Search@bc.edu. The emails will remain confidential.

“We look forward to reviewing the input and recommendations from the BC community,” said Fish. “We welcome your thoughts as we proceed in the important work of selecting the 26th president of Boston College.”

—University Communications

children graduating from a four-year college from approximately 10 percent to 50 percent and increased annual salaries by about $10,000 per year.

The authors found that the opportunity gap was a more powerful predictor of educational attainment than early childhood poverty.

“For the first time, we are able to directly measure how large opportunity gaps are and how seriously they impact outcomes of low- and high-income students,” said Dearing. “These gaps are very large and appear to be a primary explanation for large gaps in attainment for children born into low- versus high-income households.”

The study was part of the National Institutes of Health’s NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development, in which 814 children from low-, middle-, and high-income families were followed from birth through age 26 with frequent gold standard measurements of their developmental contexts and experiences from

early childhood through adolescence, between 1991 and 2017.

For educational institutions and their leaders, Dearing stressed that educational initiatives that tackle children’s lives inside and outside of the classroom offer uniquely powerful chances to narrow cumulative opportunity gaps.

“Beyond what schools are able to do, narrowing gaps in attainment will likely require comprehensive public policies that offer systemic changes to the children’s chances of educational opportunities,” he said.

In addition to Dearing, the research was conducted by Andres S. Bustamante, an associate professor at the University of California-Irvine School of Education; Professor Henrik D. Zachrisson, Center for Research on Equality in Education at the University of Oslo; and Deborah Lowe Vandell, a Chancellor’s Professor of Education Emerita at the UCal-Irvine School of Education.

Global Public Health, Tufts Med School to Offer M.P.H. Degree

BY ED HAYWARD STAFF WRITER

A new partnership between Boston College’s Program for Global Public Health and the Common Good (GPHCG) and Tufts University Medical School will allow students to pursue an accelerated Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) degree at the medical school, starting as soon as their junior year, said Professor of Biology Philip Landrigan, M.D., founding director of the Global Public Health program.

“We are really excited about this collaboration with Tufts Medical School, which will allow Boston College to offer our Global Public Health and the Common Good students and others the opportunity to start a Master of Public Health degree while they are still undergraduates,” said Landrigan. “We look forward to seeing our students take advantage of this incredible educational opportunity and go on to make a difference in the world of public health.”

He said the unique degree program is designed to foster academic excellence and provide BC students with unparalleled opportunities to advance their education and careers in public health. A recent information session drew approximately 40 students. There are nearly 200 GPHCG students, including 45 majors.

Seniors interested in the program must submit an application to Tufts by October 15 this year. Sophomores and juniors can apply by April 1. The program is also open to students who are not pursuing a major or minor in public health at BC. “An M.P.H. solidifies the knowledge of public health that a student gains as

an undergraduate,” Landrigan said. “It can prepare students to go in multiple directions: medical school, advanced nursing education, doctoral studies in public health, or direct entry into the workforce, such as the Massachusetts Department of Public Health or the Boston Public Health Commission.”

Students will be able to earn up to 12 credits toward the 42-credit program during their junior and senior years. The program also allows for accelerated completion, enabling students to earn the master’s degree in as little as one year. The degree requirements include completion of two eligible three-credit GPHCG courses, which count toward both the BC bachelor’s degree and the Tufts M.P.H. At Tufts, students must complete two eligible M.P.H. courses either in-person or online.

BC’s participation in the Boston Higher Education Consortium ensures that tuition for the Tufts courses will not entail added cost to BC undergraduates. Credits from the courses will be counted towards the M.P.H. degree once the student has graduated from BC and matriculated into Tufts.

Initial discussions about such a degree program began nearly 10 years ago, led by BC School of Social Work Professor Summer Hawkins, now associate director of the Global Public Health program. Those discussions were rekindled in recent years and led to the creation of the partnership, Landrigan said.

For additional details on the application procedures and eligibility criteria, see the Global Public Health and the Common Good page at the Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society website [bc.edu/ schiller] or email publichealth@bc.edu.

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Chronicle

Beyond the Numbers

There’s been a big uptick among economics majors completing honors theses since the course underwent a significant redesign

BY PHIL GLOUDEMANS STAFF WRITER

The number of Boston College economics majors completing honors theses has nearly doubled in the last two years, following the redesign of the Economics Department’s Senior Honors Thesis course by Associate Professor Michael D. Grubb in collaboration with Chair Robert Murphy.

Given that economics is perennially among the University’s most popular undergraduate majors—with 1,278 students in 2023-2024—“this enhancement of the program is a significant achievement,” said Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences Dean Gregory Kalscheur, S.J. According to Fr. Kalscheur, in 2022, Grubb and Murphy assumed administration of the course—a yearlong independent research project focused on answering each student’s own question—converting it from primarily an internal endeavor to a seminar with regular meetings featuring presenters from within and outside the department, including from the BC Libraries staff, all designed to enhance the development of research skills.

The course, which always included regular meetings with a faculty advisor for guidance, is now offered in two sections to accommodate a larger enrollment and to offer more flexibility for students’ schedules. Successful course completion earns six credits and fulfills major requirements for two upper-level electives.

Approximately 35 students enrolled in the revamped course in each of its first two years.

In previous years, class meetings primarily served as an opportunity for end-of-the semester presentations; now the students

October 10, 2024

ment to the advice from faculty advisors.

Later in the semester, class time is devoted to writing sessions during which participants trade their respective thesis prospectus drafts with classmates for constructive feedback.

“Most students find these opportunities to interact with their classmates as one of the most engaging aspects of the course,” Grubb added.

“Through this restructuring, one key element is unchanged: the yearlong, one-on-one mentorship with a faculty advisor.

What we have altered is the inclass experience.”

—Michael Grubb photo by lee pellegrini

meet throughout the fall semester to provide greater support as they conduct their research. Grubb and Murphy said the additional class time builds community among the participants; introduces them to research resources across campus; and provides opportunities to share research methods and tools that will aid them in their thesis research and throughout their career.

“Through this restructuring, one key element is unchanged: the yearlong, oneon-one mentorship with a faculty advisor,” said Grubb. “What we have altered is the in-class experience.”

During the first half of the fall semester, enrollees provide updates on their respective projects and invite peer comment as they face challenges or barriers, a feature that Grubb noted is an invaluable comple-

Murphy said that even if a student isn’t considering attending a graduate program or a professional school, completing a senior thesis represents a singular accomplishment that showcases research skills and demonstrates perseverance to potential employers.

“The senior thesis will probably be the longest, hardest, and yet most rewarding single academic project in a student’s undergraduate career,” he said, emphasizing that one of the profound benefits is the guidance and encouragement from a faculty mentor as they learn the skills to achieve it. “It’s the kind of task that a student will likely repeatedly face in the future as they work to change the world in whatever realm they choose.”

Natalie Almonacid ’22, who wrote her senior thesis on “The Great Unequalizer: The Impact of COVID-19 Policies on Racial and Ethnic Groups’ Employment Outcomes,” characterized her experience as

having “fulfilled my curiosities and helped me learn more about the research process.

“After taking numerous economics courses, one thing I knew I wanted to accomplish before graduating was to write a senior thesis,” said Almonacid, a McNair Scholar and now an analyst in the antitrust and competition practice at Boston’s Charles River Associates. “The impact of COVID-19 and its multidimensional nature inspired me to further examine the pandemic’s effect on different populations, leading my thesis to investigate how it impacted different racial and ethnic groups, and whether it exacerbated inequality.

“Despite some obstacles, my thesis allowed me to pursue my interests, improve my data skills, and engage in a process where I completed my own independent research. Writing a senior thesis was one of the most rewarding and challenging experiences I had during my four years at BC.” John Hayfron-Benjamin ’23, whose thesis was titled “Hidden Diversity: Measuring the Income Gap Between African Americans and Nigerian Americans,” described his treatise as the most demanding and satisfying academic pursuit of his undergraduate experience.

“While writing a thesis isn’t easy, your advisor helps make it feel possible,” said Hayfron-Benjamin, now an associate consultant at Boston Consulting Group.

“Professor [Geoffrey] Sanzenbacher spent hours with me in his office and on Zoom, providing advice on the next steps. The most beautiful thing about writing a thesis is that it is the one body of work that you can say is absolutely yours. There are often challenges and roadblocks along the way, and overcoming these obstacles is half the value of the experience. The other half is that this project ends up being a culmination of all you have learned about economics during your time in BC. “It really feels like you are circling back and bringing every previous class with you into one project, which is the most amazing feeling in your final year. I cannot recommend the thesis enough.”

“The success of the center can be traced directly to the tremendous backing of Boston College, which has been with us every step of the way. BC, with its commitment to both scholarship and service, is the perfect environment for policy research.”

—Alicia Munnell

Munnell to Stay On at the CCR as Senior Advisor Continued from page 1

Quinby, and Gal Wettstein.

Established in 1998, the CRR produces academic research and policy briefs to assist decision makers in both the public and private sectors on the critical issue of retirement security—a topic of growing importance to an aging population. In addition, the center trains new scholars in the field and broadens access to valuable data sources.

Provost and Dean of Faculties David Quigley thanked Munnell for her contributions to the field of retirement research and for building a nationally recognized research center at Boston College.

“Alicia Munnell is a distinguished economist whose scholarship has had a profound and lasting impact on strengthening the United States retirement system and household financial security through-

out her career in government service and during her past quarter-century here at Boston College,” said Quigley. “She arrived at Chestnut Hill with a compelling vision for her new center and went on to build the CRR into the nation’s leading research center on retirement policy. Her legacy includes the exceptional team she has created to carry on the CRR’s mission, and her mentoring of a generation of scholars around the world who are refining our understanding of the economics of aging, retirement, and lifelong financial health.”

Munnell praised the University for supporting the center during the past two decades.

“The success of the center can be traced directly to the tremendous backing of Boston College, which has been with us every step of the way,” said Munnell. “BC,

with its commitment to both scholarship and service, is the perfect environment for policy research.”

Munnell says that she has positioned the CRR for the future by attracting talented individuals who are passionate about the center’s mission and a senior leadership team who, on average, have been with the CRR for more than a decade and are all prominent voices in their areas of expertise.

“Andrew Eschtruth brings a wealth of substantive knowledge and organizational experience from working at the CRR for 25 years, helping it grow from a small start-up to a nationally recognized institution,” said Munnell. “He has extensive experience in managing relationships with funders and the media, as well as keen insights from his years as a policy analyst in the federal government focused on the

challenges posed by an aging population.

“Jean-Pierre Aubry continues to lead the CRR’s state and local policy research unit, while Anqi Chen heads up the CRR’s work on savings and household finance.

Laura Quinby serves as the point person for studies on employee benefits and labor markets and Gal Wettstein leads efforts on health, health care finance, and insurance issues.”

Munnell says that the CRR’s senior research team will also assume more responsibilities in shaping the center’s research program, expanding development activities, and mentoring junior researchers.

“The CRR is in good hands,” said Munnell. “I am confident that it will continue to thrive for decades to come.”

—University Communications

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Chronicle

October 10, 2024

BC in the Media The twists and turns of researching a new book always lead somewhere new, wrote Prof. Elizabeth Graver (English), author of the award-winning novel Kantika, in an essay for The Boston Globe about searching for family.

(L-R) National Science Foundation grant recipients Helen Zhang, Luke Perreault, Glenn Gaudette, Ali Salifu, G. Michael Barnett, and Avneet Hira. photo by caitlin cunningham

Engineering, Lynch School Teaming Up to Work with High School STEM Instructors

BY PHIL GLOUDEMANS STAFF WRITER

An interdisciplinary Boston College team from the Engineering Department and the Lynch School of Education and Human Development has been awarded a three-year, $600,000 grant from the National Science Foundation that will help prepare high school STEM instructors to teach engineering in public school systems.

The project aims to assist teachers who primarily serve students from underrepresented and underserved backgrounds, and who are from STEM-minoritized groups.

Launching in January, the initiative draws upon emerging trends in cellular agriculture—the process of using cell cultures to produce cultivated products instead of whole organisms—and STEM education to address secondary school teachers’ limited or non-existent engineering backgrounds, and their likely hesitancy to teach concepts with which they lack fluency.

Glenn R. Gaudette, the John W. Kozarich ’71 Chair of the Engineering Department, said that BC researchers and educators in the Human-Centered Engineering program will work with the STEM educators to conduct cellular agriculture investigations “while developing the pedagogical skills related to making, building and engineering design that is applicable to the classrooms and schools in which they teach.”

According to principal investigator Avneet Hira, an assistant professor of engineering and the Sabet Family Dean’s Faculty Fellow, the teachers will be immersed in pioneering research in a transdisciplinary learning environment, in which they will apply engineering, science, and learning science concepts to co-design and test engineering lesson plans for their students.

“This form of cooperative effort will help researchers better understand teachers’ and students’ attitudes toward cellular agriculture, sustainability concepts, and STEM careers, which will, in turn, support their future work in cellular agriculture,” she said.

G. Michael Barnett, a Lynch School professor in the Teaching, Curriculum, and Society Department, said “the field of cellular agriculture offers many opportunities for secondary education teachers and their students to engage in cutting-edge bioengineering research while working on sustainability related projects.”

According to Engineering Assistant Professor Ali Salifu, cellular agriculture—also known as “cell ag”—utilizes biotechnology, tissue engineering, and synthetic biology to create new ways to produce proteins, fats, and tissues.

“It’s a potential ethical alternative to factory farming since cells can be sourced and grown without killing donor animals,” he said. “Cell ag also reduces the environmental impact of food production by lowering emissions, and land and water use, and it can lead to healthier alternatives in the food, beverage, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries.”

The most well-known cellular agriculture concept is cultured (or cultivated) meat, which is produced by culturing animal cells in vitro on edible “scaffolds” that support and direct cell growth, according to Luke Perreault, a core fellow and visiting assistant professor of engineering.

Looking ahead, Lynch School Senior Research Associate Helen Z. Zhang said “the stakeholders, partnerships, and evaluation activities will help the project and participants develop new knowledge about high school-university partnerships, particularly for emerging STEM research fields.”

A Pew survey shows that although Pope Francis’s popularity has dropped throughout Latin America in the last decade, significant majorities of Latin American Catholics still view him favorably. Comments on this by Prof. Gustavo Morello, S.J. (Sociology), for Religion News Service, were noted in National Catholic Reporter.

Speaking on WebMD’s “Health Discovered” podcast, Global Public Health Program Director Philip Landrigan, M.D., discussed ways in which people can make a difference at home, in their community, and in the broader society. He also spoke about the presence of microplastics in the

olfactory bulbs of human brains in an interview with MedPageToday.

Donald Trump is vowing to take what he describes as wokeness out of America’s schools if he is elected president. Several common practices might be subject to scrutiny, according to O’Neill Professor of American Politics R. Shep Melnick, who spoke with The Wall Street Journal.

Prof. Emeritus Richard Clifford, S.J. (CSTM), published an essay in America on the roots of Christian anti-Semitism, and on the relationship between Catholic and Jewish people today.

Center for Retirement Research Senior Research Economist Laura Quinby offered insights on retirement income and inflation to The Wall Street Journal.

Nota Bene John Baldovin, S.J., a professor of historical and liturgical theology in the Clough School of Theology and Ministry, received the Msgr. Frederick McManus Award from the Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Comissions at its annual meeting last week in Pittsburgh.

Jobs The following are among the recent positions posted by the Department of Human Resources. For more information on employment opportunities at Boston College, see www.bc.edu/jobs or scan the QR code at right.

Research Assistant, TIMSS and PIRLS Estate Planning Fellow, ILH&PR Development Assistant Director, Finance & Operations Associate Director for Research, RPCA Administrative & Records Assistant Middleware Systems Administrator Temporary Office Pool Physical Security Technician Campus Minister for Liturgical Arts Director, Center for Isotope Geochemistry Associate Director, Campus Ministry

Proposal Development Specialist Custodian III, Monday-Friday Assistant/Associate Director, Athletics Stewardship and Donor Engagement Vocal Director Assistant Director of Fiscal and Grant Administration Football Recruiting Specialist

Director of Digital Content & Strategy

Director, Research Information Systems & Education

Liaison Librarian for Nursing

Bartender

Concessions Stand Manager

8

Chronicle

October 10, 2024

BC Arts

Trailblazer Simmons Is Monan Prof. for 2024-25

BY ROSANNE PELLEGRINI STAFF WRITER

Dawn Meredith Simmons, a 2023 Elliot Norton award-winning director, producer, playwright, arts administrator, cultural consultant, and educator, has joined Boston College’s Theatre Department this academic year as the Monan Professor in Theatre Arts.

Through her artistic practice, Simmons has long been a trailblazer in fighting racism and encouraging diversity in the theater community. She is the co-producing artistic director of Front Porch Arts Collective, a Black theater company committed to advancing racial equity in Boston through theater.

Founded to inspire, empower, and create a platform for underrepresented artists in Boston and New England, “our namesake signifies a communal spirit, inspiring us to serve communities of color and produce art that is inclusive of all communities

Dawn Meredith Simmons

and welcoming to all audiences, to inspire a more tolerant and inclusive Boston,” according to its website [frontporcharts.org].

“We are so excited to have Dawn Meredith Simmons as this year’s Monan

Professor,” said Theatre Department Chair and Professor of the Practice Luke Jorgensen. “She brings a wealth of energy and experience to our students, as one of the cofounders of the Front Porch Arts Collective. She is an experienced arts administrator who is serving as a source of real-world information for our students in Theatre Management. She also has been directing everywhere in Boston, with several shows in the past few years. In her class, students are taking a fresh look at ‘MacBeth.’”

Her Devising class this semester provides students with the opportunity to work collaboratively to interpret the theme of identity in William Shakespeare’s “MacBeth.” The class explores how lived experience, social location, and other factors “can shape the telling/retelling of classic text when done with curiosity and intention,” according to the description.

This interpretation—based on the experiences, artistic impulses, and ideas of the class contributors—will culminate in a

new script inspired by “MacBeth,” which Simmons will direct. The play will be performed next March 20-23 as part of the department’s 2024-2025 production season.

Simmons’s work has been presented

by Huntington Theatre, SpeakEasy Stage Company, Wheelock Family Theatre, Lyric Stage Company, JAG Productions, among others.

The Buffalo native received a bachelor’s degree in English Literature from the University of Buffalo, and went on to study playwriting at Boston University.

The Monan Professorship in Theatre Arts was established in 2007 by a gift to Boston College in honor of the late University Chancellor and former BC President J. Donald Monan, S.J. The position, which also commemorates the late trustee E. Paul Robsham, enables the Theatre Department to bring nationally and internationally known professionals to Boston College to teach and work with undergraduate students.

David Byrne Play, Classic ‘Pippin’ on Robsham Fall Slate “Secret Life of Humans”—praised by The Guardian as “ambitious, intelligent, and moving...[with] thriller-like precision with real visual flair”—will launch the fall Boston College Theatre Department/ Robsham Theater Arts Center main stage productions.

The play, directed by Associate Professor of the Practice of Theatre Patricia Riggin, will be performed from October 17-20.

Weaving together a mysterious locked room, an awkward Tinder date, ethical dilemmas, and the history of mankind, “Secret Life of Humans” offers perspective on where we’ve come from, where we are now, and where we’re going, Riggin explained. Inspired in part by Jacob Bronowski’s “The Ascent of Man,” a documentary series televised in 1973, Byrne’s play asks the audience to ponder important questions: Is humanity continuing to

ascend or did it veer off-track long ago?

“Secret Life of Humans”—written by award-winning stage and television writer and director David Byrne—debuted in the 2017 Edinburgh Festival Fringe and in 2018 ran off-Broadway. The play “sees theater as a place to tell stories and interrogate myths; one where we can use our imaginations to make the future. Which may just save us,” according to The Guardian. Now artistic director of the Royal Court in London, Byrne was the founding artistic and executive director of the New Diorama Theatre, a comedy writer whose work, “The Party,” was optioned by the BBC, and one of The Stage’s 100 most influential people working in theatre.

The musical comedy “Pippin” will be presented from November 20-22 and 24, directed by Theatre Department Chair and Professor of the Practice Luke Jorgensen.

BC Scenes

Pops on the Heights

The 32nd annual Pops on the Heights: The Barbara and Jim Cleary Scholarship Gala took place in Conte Forum on September 27, featuring performances by the Goo Goo Dolls (near left) and Sofia Burke ’25.

PHOTOS BY SCOTT EISEN

With music by Stephen Schwartz (best known for “Wicked”), “Pippin” is a humorous allegory about growing up, and a cautionary tale about empty promises.

Told by a traveling troupe of actors led by the captivating Leading Players, the story concerns a young prince and heir to the throne who is searching for his life’s purpose. Pippin tries war, dating, and politics, only to discover that true happiness is more complicated than he thought.

“Pippin” opened on Broadway in 1972 with some 2,000 performances before closing after five years. The original production, directed and choreographed by the legendary Bob Fosse, earned 11 Tony Award nominations and won five.

“One of the things that attracted me to ‘Pippin’ is the story of a young person trying to find his place in the world,” Jorgensen said. “Like our students, Pippin is seeking his authentic self and trying his

hand at a number of callings. He follows a call to adventure and runs off and joins the circus.”

The RTAC performance features musical direction by David McGrory and will showcase students in the Theatre Department’s dance minor. “It seemed like a wonderful show to highlight our amazing dance talent,” said Jorgensen. “I wanted an opportunity to bring our dancers and actors together in an amazing spectacle.

‘Pippin’ will be a family friendly explosion of dance music and magic.”

For more on fall Theatre Department/ Robsham Theater Arts Center main stage productions, including performance times and ticket prices or other information, go to bc.edu/theatre. For tickets, see bc.edu/ tickets or call ext. 2-4002.

—Rosanne Pellegrini