Class of 2029 reflects the University’s continued success in meeting its recruitment goals
BY SEAN SMITH CHRONICLE EDITOR
Boston College continues to demonstrate success in recruiting and enrolling some of the nation’s most academically talented students, as evidenced by the current first-year class, according to senior administrators.
Ninety-three percent of the 2,479-member Class of 2029 ranked in the top 10 of their high school class, among the largest such figures in University history. BC admitted only 14 percent of the 39,686 applicants and yielded a total of 45 percent; both figures are believed to be records for the University.
Enrolled first-year students at BC averaged 1471 on SATs and 34 on ACT—another testament to the class’s academic strength—while the percentage of AHANA students in the Class of ’29 is 35 percent and eight percent of the class are international students.
Alongside these positive developments came another that was unexpected, and therefore all the more satisfying: an 11 percent rise in BC’s applicant pool for the
Class of 2029.
“Given the expected decrease in the American high school/college-age population, many colleges and universities have been bracing for, or experiencing, a decline in undergraduate applications,” said Dean of Undergraduate Admission and Financial Aid Grant Gosselin, “but BC clearly is an institution of great interest to prospective college students and their families.”
Higher education has been roiled in recent years, not only by recent political battles that have captured national attention, but vocal skepticism about the value and relevance of a college degree. Yet BC has been able to stand out in the landscape by touting its emphasis on formative education and the cura personalis that are staples of the Jesuit, Catholic tradition, said Gosselin.
“For all the conversations about the value of higher ed, the lifelong financial benefits associated with attending college are still a key consideration for many families,” he said. “But BC has always been about helping students identify a greater purpose, a means to have a fulfilling life,
Continued on page 5
As It Celebrates 25 Years, Boisi Ctr. Prepares for Change
Fr. Massa to step down as director at the end of the academic year
BY KATHLEEN SULLIVAN STAFF WRITER
The Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life, nationally recognized for exploring topics at the intersection of religion and politics, will mark its 25th anniversary on October 28 with an event structured around two panel discussions.
The first panel discussion, scheduled for 3-4:30 p.m., will be on “How Has the Relationship Between Religion and Politics Changed Over the Past Twenty-Five Years?” The second panel, running from 5-6:30 p.m., will focus on “How Has Religious Practice in the United States Changed in the Last Quarter Century?” Both panel discussions will take place in the Yawkey
Center’s Murray Function Room.
The first panel will feature Boston College Clough Center for the Study of Constitutional Democracy Director Jonathan Laurence, a professor of political science; Kim Daniels, director of the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life at Georgetown University; and National Catholic Reporter columnist Michael Sean Winters, a fellow of the Center for Catholic Studies at Sacred Heart University.
The second panel will feature David Gibson, director of Fordham University’s Center on Religion and Culture; R. Marie Griffith, former director of the John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics at Washington University in St. Louis; and Michael Murphy, who directs The Hank Center for the Catholic Intellectual Heritage at Loyola University Chicago.
Boisi Center Director Mark Massa, S.J., a professor of theology, will serve as the moderator for both panel discussions.
Named for its benefactors, Geoffrey T.
Boisi ’69 and his wife Rene (Isacco) Boisi ’69, the Boisi Center was established in 1999 to create opportunities where a community of scholars, policy makers, media, and religious leaders can connect in conversation and scholarly reflection around issues at the intersection of religion and American public life. The center is driven by the hope that such conversations can clarify the moral consequences of public policies in ways that help to maintain the common good while respecting America’s increasing religious diversity.
The Boisi Center’s inaugural director was political scientist Alan Wolfe, a noted public intellectual and author who served as director until 2016. When he stepped down from the directorship, he noted that BC is an excellent home for a place like the Boisi Center.
“A lot of programs in political science don’t ask the big questions in the way we do here, with a focus on faith, philosophy, and human tradition,” he told the
College Chronicle.
The Boisi Center hosts events such as conferences, public symposia, and lectures that bring leading theologians, church leaders, political scientists, and other scholars into conversation on topics related to
Continued on page 4
Boston
Vice President for University Mission and Ministry Casey Beaumier, S.J., celebrated a Candlelight Mass for students at “God in the Mods” night on on September 23 as part of Espresso Your Faith Week. The event was sponsored by Campus Ministry, the C21 Center, and the offices of Residential Life and Student Involvement.
photo
University Dedicates Prayer Garden on Brighton Campus
Site is a tribute to the generosity of longtime alumni benefactor Anthony Simboli
BY PHIL GLOUDEMANS STAFF WRITER
The St. Teresa of Ávila Prayer Garden, which memorializes a Carmelite nun and important religious reformer, was dedicated at ceremonies led by University President William P. Leahy, S.J., on September 25.
Donated by Gloria Simboli in memory of her husband Anthony, the 2,000-squarefoot garden—adjacent to the Clough School of Theology and Ministry at Simboli Hall on Brighton Campus—has as its centerpiece a nine-foot high, bronze statue of Spanish mystic Teresa of Ávila, OCD, who was the central figure in a movement of spiritual and monastic renewal of the Carmelite Orders for both women and men.
Depicted in the statue as holding a book and quill pen—symbolizing her writings— the saint, also called St. Teresa of Jesus, died in 1582 and was canonized by Pope Gregory XV in 1622, the same year that St. Ignatius of Loyola and St. Francis Xavier were named saints.
The striking figure was sculpted by Bolivian native Pablo Eduardo, the Gloucester, Mass.-based artist who also molded the statues of St. Thomas More on the Newton Campus and St. Ignatius near Higgins Hall.
“I’m delighted that we can gather on this occasion to dedicate the prayer garden of St. Teresa of Ávila,” said Fr. Leahy. “She, like many saints, offers an example, comfort,
of education and transforming lives. This brings everything together in one place in such a beautiful way that we could never have imagined.”
Anthony Simboli ’50, M.A. ’50, was a highly successful real estate developer and longtime University benefactor who grew up in Boston’s North End and was the first in his family to attend college. He commuted to BC, where he earned a bachelor of science degree in chemistry and master’s degree in philosophy. Simboli Hall was dedicated in his honor in 2015; he died in 2020.
“We are grateful to have been given this opportunity to provide a place of refuge where the presence of God can be felt by all,” said Patricia. “Is it too much to ask that the experience of a CSTM education and this prayer garden [can] help us find the precious things in our soul? We think not. And thus, to support the School of Theology and Ministry, is a great honor, and the reciprocal nature of giving is truly found here. I’m sure that’s why my father chose to make his contribution to CSTM, knowing how important it was as a foundational element of all the education that takes place at BC.”
and inspiration to the many students and faculty in the nearby Clough School who are engaged in a serious study of theological issues. My hope is that they will pause and consider the life of St. Teresa, and what she did to renew the Church in her day. It’s the same calling for us to renew the Church in our day.”
Following the dedication, Fr. Leahy presented a miniature model of the statue to Gloria Simboli, and a framed rendering of the garden to her daughter, Patricia.
“On behalf of our family, and especially
CONTRIBUTING STAFF
Phil Gloudemans
Jack Dunn SENIOR
Patricia Delaney
EDITOR
Sean Smith
Ed Hayward
Audrey Loyack
Rosanne Pellegrini
Kathleen Sullivan
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Caitlin Cunningham
Lee Pellegrini
my remarkable mother, we want to thank Boston College for giving us the opportunity to make such a stunning contribution to this life-giving school of theology and ministry,” said Patricia Simboli. “This sculpture and the prayer garden perfectly reflect my mother and father’s commitment to their faith, their appreciation for beauty in its many forms—especially yours, Pablo— and their shared vision of the importance
She underscored that her father’s faith gave him great optimism and hope throughout his life, and that he would have truly loved the garden and sculpture.
“It just reflects his aesthetic, and his love of beauty and how it could elevate people and humanity. Ultimately, that’s what he wanted: Everybody to reach their highest potential, and for humanity to elevate itself. We’ve done our little part here.”
September 26-28 was Family Weekend at Boston College—an opportunity for undergraduates’ families to get together for special events, including Pops on the Heights (see page 8), and of course, a few photos.
The St. Teresa of Ávila Prayer Garden, constructed earlier this year, is a donation by Gloria Simboli in memory of her husband Anthony. Below, Simboli’s daughter Patricia spoke at the September 25 dedication ceremony, along with University President William P. Leahy, S.J. photos by caitlin cunningham
Snapshot Family Weekend
PHOTO BY SEHO LEE ’27
Two Named Fellows at Institute for Advanced Study
BY PHIL GLOUDEMANS STAFF WRITER
Boston College faculty members Owen Stanwood—a historian of colonial America, the Atlantic world, and early modern global history—and Michael Noone, a Spanish Renaissance music scholar, have been selected for fellowships at the prestigious Institute for Advanced Study (IAS), an independent center for theoretical research and intellectual inquiry.
Chosen by the IAS’s permanent faculty through a highly competitive process and based on the preeminence and potential of their research, the new class of 259 postdoctoral scholars—representing 39 nations and more than 108 institutions—will pursue a range of individual and collaborative projects in association with the 48 permanent and emeriti professors during the 2025-2026 academic year.
Stanwood, a professor of history, is the author of The Empire Reformed: English America in the Age of the Glorious Revolution, which examined how fears of Catholicism galvanized and transformed AngloAmerican political culture during the late 17th century. The American Historical Review praised the book as “a fresh interpretation of the Glorious Revolution,” noting that “Stanwood’s masterful research and writing make an invaluable contribution to debate over this ever-intriguing event.”
His second volume, The Global Refuge: Huguenots in the Age of Empire— written during a previous IAS residency—focused on the global diaspora of French Protestant refugees, who scattered after Louis XIV revoked their right to freedom of worship in 1685, and settled in communities extending from South Carolina to South Africa, including the Caribbean and the Indian Ocean, significantly contributing to the development of the British and Dutch empires. The Global Refuge was the first ever in-depth exploration of the Huguenot migration through the 17th and 18th centuries.
Midwifery
1563-1700 was hailed as a “trailblazer” while his second volume, El Códice 25 de la Catedral de Toledo, revealed innovative codicological work that unveiled previously unknown works by leading composers of Spain’s Golden Age. A reviewer wrote that Noone had done a “signal favor for both the community of scholars and performers interested in the glories of Renaissance music.”
Noone has worked closely with Boston College Libraries on a series of digital humanities projects involving some of the rarest sources of sacred music held in the Burns Library. Standing at the intersection of faith, culture, and technology, the digital teaching and research resources to emerge from these projects are designed to be accessible to both specialists and the wider public, he said.
“You don’t need to be a specialist to be deeply moved by Renaissance music. As the current exhibition of Renaissance art in the McMullen Museum of Art proves, this is music and art that speaks to us as freshly today as it did in the past.”
Stanwood’s teaching topics range from colonial and revolutionary America to early modern Europe, and include EuropeanIndian relations, the settlement of Boston and New England, the history of Jesuits in North America, and the French Atlantic experience.
“I am beyond honored to be invited to the IAS a second time,” said Stanwood. “It is a singular place for reading, writing, and reflection, and the intellectual community is unmatched. It is also humbling to walk down the same halls as Albert Einstein, anthropologist Clifford Geertz, and all the other famous scientists and scholars who spent time there in the past.”
During his return to IAS, Stanwood will continue work on a book titled The Imagined Continent: Searching for Lost Worlds in Early North America, which focuses on European stories about lost Indigenous cities
and civilizations that routinely crossed the continent and the Atlantic Ocean from the time of Columbus to the era of the American Revolution.
Noone, a professor and former Music Department chair, focuses his research on Spanish Renaissance music with a strong emphasis on sacred melodies. Passionate about the interrelationship of music scholarship and performance, he is deeply concerned with the complex questions raised when compositions of the past are performed in the present.
His career has led him to teaching, research, and performance posts at universities in five countries on four continents, including as chair of music at the University of Hong Kong, and of the Austrian National University’s School of Musicology Noone’s first book, Music and Musicians at the Escorial Palace under the Habsburgs
At the IAS, Noone will be writing the first study of Susana Muñoz, an illiterate autodidact who came to dominate the printing of sacred music in Early Modern Spain.
“It is to the agency of this remarkable woman that we in the 21st century can enjoy the works of three of Spain’s greatest composers writing at the dawn of the Baroque,” Noone said, “But more than this, Muñoz established a printing dynasty that served as official academic printer for the universities of Salamanca and Alcalá at a time when this powerful new technology was changing lives through education.”
The Princeton, NJ-based IAS, founded in 1930, is dedicated to the support of fundamental research in the sciences and humanities. Among past and present faculty and members, 37 were Nobel Laureates, and many were MacArthur and Guggenheim fellows.
Expert Will Present Pinnacle Lecture Oct. 20
Holly Powell Kennedy, the Helen Varney Professor Emerita of Midwifery at the Yale University School of Nursing, will address how nurses and midwives can ensure accessible, high-quality care in the face of fewer resources and increasingly complex health care financing at the Connell School of Nursing’s fall Pinnacle Lecture on October 20 at 5 p.m. in the Yawkey Center’s Murray Room. Each semester, the Connell School brings an inspiring leader to campus to speak on an issue at the forefront of health care. Kennedy’s lecture is free and open to all Boston College students, faculty, staff, and alumni, as well as preceptors, practitioners, and scholars.
As the Dr. Maureen P. McCausland Pinnacle Keynote Speaker, Kennedy will
present “Meeting the Moment: Delivering Excellence in an Era of Health Care Scarcity.” The past president of the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM), she was honored in 2016 with the prestigious Hattie Hemschemeyer Award, ACNM’s highest honor. The choice of a nursemidwife as the invited speaker coincides with the Connell School’s launch earlier this year of its M.S. in Nurse-Midwifery program, which welcomed its first students in May.
Kennedy is an accomplished practitioner, educator, and researcher whose career has spanned multiple nursing disciplines—from nurse-midwifery to family health to critical care. Her research is focused on a greater understanding of the effectiveness and outcomes of specific
models of care during the childbearing years, especially in support of childbearing physiology. She was awarded a Fulbright Distinguished Fellowship to King’s College London in 2008 and is a Fulbright Specialist. She also is a retired colonel in the United States Army Nurse Corps Reserve.
In her talk, Kennedy will share practical strategies for enhancing clinical practice, advancing nursing education, and driving meaningful research, all while sustaining professional fulfillment in demanding times. Her lecture will be followed by an audience Q&A.
To register for the event, or learn more about the lecture series, go to bc.edu/pinnacle.
—Kathleen Sullivan
Prof. Owen Stanwood (History), left, and Prof. Michael Noone (Music) join an international group of scholars pursuing individual and collaborative projects at the IAS this academic year.
Fr. Massa Preparing to Depart Boisi Center Next Year
religion and culture. Wolfe established the annual Prophetic Voices Lecture, featuring a prominent person who has demonstrated moral courage or spoken about their faith in ways that inspire action.
Since 2017, the Boisi Center has been led by Fr. Massa, a religious historian and author of eight books, most recently Catholic Fundamentalism in America. He will step down as director at the end of this academic year and, following a visiting professorship at Fordham University in 2026-2027, will return to BC’s Theology Department to continue teaching, advising, and writing.
Fr. Massa has added two other series to the Boisi Center offerings: the Alfred and Melissa Di Leonardo Lecture, focused on American Catholicism, and the Nancy Marzella Lecture of Women and American Catholicism.
Fr. Massa also started the faculty seminar, where different interdisciplinary groups of scholars meet regularly on timely topics, such as citizenship in America, race and racism, economic justice, teaching theology in the modern academy, and Christian nationalism.
Reflecting on his tenure as director, Fr. Massa said that one of the highlights was the establishment of the popular Religion and Public Life minor, which draws students majoring in theology as well as other disciplines such as political science, history, and international studies. “The program has had very smart students involved in interesting projects,” he said.
He cited an example of a current student who traveled to the Harry S. Truman Library over the summer for a project examining 20th-century Protestant theologian Reinhold Neibuhr’s influence on General Douglas MacArthur’s governance of Japan after World War II.
According to Fr. Massa, one of the most significant contributions the Boisi Center has made in the last five years has been as a co-convener of the Way Forward conferences. The Boisi Center, along with the Hank Center for the Catholic Intellectual Heritage at Loyola University Chicago,
“I’ve been blessed by having really generous people working here with me,” says Fr. Massa of his tenure at the Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life. “I have met all kinds of interesting people, and the faculty has been great to work with. It’s been a great ride.”
Fordham University’s Center on Religion and Culture, and the Center for Catholic Studies at Sacred Heart University, have held an annual conference that brings Catholic Church leaders and theologians together in conversation. The Way Forward began as a means to advance Pope Francis’s vision for the Catholic Church. Over the years, dozens of cardinals, archbishops, bishops, and theologians have gathered for honest dialogue about issues such as the environment and synodality. The next Way Forward conference is slated to address artificial intelligence.
“I’m proud to say that there were more bishops at the last meeting than there were in the first session of the Council of Trent,” said Fr. Massa. “We put very smart people together for important conversations. It’s
one of the only places in the American Church where bishops listen to theologians and theologians actually listen to bishops.”
Fr. Massa added that he was pleased that the Boisi Center has been a good University citizen, cooperating and cosponsoring events with other groups on campus such as the Jesuit Institute, Church in the 21st Century Center, and International Studies program, among others.
He expressed his gratitude to four faculty members who have been especially supportive of the center: International Studies Program Director Erik Owens, who served as interim director during the 2016-17 academic year; the Center for ChristianJewish Learning Kraft Family Professor and Director Daniel Joslyn-Siemianatkoski; Associate Professor of Sociology Eve Spangler; and Libby Professor of Law and Theology Cathleen Kaveny.
He also credits “extraordinarily talented” administrative assistant Susan Richard and graduate research assistants Madeline Jarrett, Jack Nuelle, and Zac Karanovich for keeping the center running so efficiently.
“I’ve loved it,” said Fr. Massa of his time as Boisi Center director. “I’ve been blessed by having really generous people working here with me. I have met all kinds of interesting people, and the faculty has been great to work with. It’s been a great ride.”
The October 28 event is free and open to the public, but an RSVP is required. To respond, and to learn more about the Boisi Center and its programs, go to the center website at bc.edu/boisi.
Snyder Named Fellow of Geological Society of America
BY ED HAYWARD STAFF WRITER
Earth and Environmental Sciences Professor and Chair Noah Snyder, whose research has focused on how rivers respond to both natural and human-driven changes, has been named a Fellow of the Geological Society of America.
Society fellowship is an honor “bestowed on the best of the profession” by election at the spring GSA Council meeting, according to the association. Snyder and other members of the 2025 class of fellows will be formally recognized at the GSA Annual Meeting in San Antonio, Tex., on October 20.
“I am very grateful to the mentors and colleagues that have supported me throughout my career,” said Snyder. “To me, this recognition is a result of the enthusiasm that I get from working with Boston College students in the classroom, the lab, and the field.”
Colleagues praised Snyder, who joined the BC faculty in 2004, for his impressive portfolio of research, publications, and external funding, as well as his teaching and mentoring of students.
“Noah is an incredible scientist and collaborative leader at Boston College,” said fellow E&ES Professor Ethan Baxter, associate dean for STEM disciplines in the
Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences.
“Noah has developed a unique expertise to understand the evolution of river systems, including their response to tectonics over millions of years, and their response to human engineering practices over decades.
“His leadership of collaborative efforts, including the origins of our Environmental
Studies program and a major collaboration with the United States Army Corps of Engineers, highlight his commitment to bringing scientists and students together to solve critical environmental issues for the common good,” Baxter added.
GSA members are nominated by their peers in recognition of a sustained record of
distinguished contributions to the geosciences and the society through publications, applied research, teaching, administration of geological programs, contributing to the public awareness of geology, leadership of professional organizations, and taking on editorial, bibliographic, and library responsibilities.
One nominator, Dartmouth College Professor of Geography Francis Magilligan, said Snyder “has assembled a professional profile that would rival a more senior scholar. Through his research and publication record, his enviable record of external funding, his teaching and mentoring of students, and his dedication to GSA and an array of other professional organizations, Noah not only meets the high standards of being a Fellow of GSA but far exceeds those standards.”
Magilligan praised Snyder’s work in the subfield of landscape evolution modeling and the development and application of high-resolution airborne LiDAR measurement and modeling: “Noah’s work was foundational to the development of both sub-fields.”
Beyond his extensive portfolio of scholarship, Snyder has taken on a range of administrative and leadership roles, including department chair, and director of the Environmental Studies program.
Earth and Environmental Sciences Professor and Chair Noah Snyder, whom a colleague praises as “an incredible scientist and collaborative leader at Boston College.”
photo by caitlin cunningham
photo by gary wayne gilbert
Class of 2029 Characteristics Positive Sign for University
Continued from page 1
and to respond to the challenge of addressing problems in society. If you talk to students—current or former—they will tell you how much they appreciate the sense of community Boston College encourages.
“The message BC sends is that higher education shouldn’t just be about getting a job—though certainly that is an important facet of college. BC is committed to helping students bridge the gap between adolescence and adulthood, and to foster their emotional and spiritual as well as intellectual growth. And BC’s commitment to undergraduate need-based financial aid—including $190 million for this academic year—helps put this unique college experience within reach for our admitted students and their families.”
Boston College has long been a familiar place to Conor Forry, a member of the first-year class enrolled in the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences: His parents (“They turned out amazing”) and paternal grandfather all are BC graduates, and his brother John is a senior. A Dorchester native, Forry visited campus often growing up, and attending Boston College High School provided a solid introduction to the Jesuit education he is undertaking at the Heights. Still, while applying to BC was a foregone conclusion, he made no presumptions about his destination and applied to 14 other colleges.
Needless to say, he’s quite happy he got into his top choice.
“My goal is to be like my family, who are my role models,” he said, “and BC formed them.”
Forry has plunged right in during his first semester as a major in neuroscience. Enthusiastically, he ticks off some of the highlights thus far: the Brain, Mind, and Body class taught by Neuroscience and Psychology Senior Lecturer Gene Heyman; campus resources and programs such as the Thea Bowman AHANA and Intercul-
tural Center and the Compass Mentoring Program; and student organizations like BC Beats and the Haitian and Cape Verde student associations (he’s on the board of both).
And there are communities within communities, Forry noted: “A group of us have been going to the Rock Wall at the Margot Connell Recreation Center around the same time every week—nothing that we planned, it just happened—and now we have our own little informal ‘club.’”
As much as Forry already knew about BC, he’s been pleasantly surprised by some aspects of his life on the Heights. “It’s been incredible the amount of people who have reached out as mentors: not just faculty or staff, but older students. They offer me advice, or a place to go if I just want to sit and talk. John had told me how loving the BC community is, and he’s absolutely right.”
Scarlett Rocque, a Morrissey College first-year biology major from Peaks Island, Me., also had a family connection to BC, through her father, an alumnus. As a STEM student in a liberal arts setting, she said, he valued the necessary technical expertise he received at BC while also learning to think critically and write persuasively. But there was no expectation on his part, or hers, that she follow his path to the Heights and Rocque approached her college search with a completely open mind.
Rocque self-toured 15 campuses along the East Coast and came up with a list of her “ideal college” characteristics: “ a competitive school with rigorous academics, medium-to-large in size, with a traditional campus with accessibility to a city, and ‘big-time’ college sports.
“Boston College happened to be the last school on the list of those I visited then, and I was amazed to see it checked those boxes,” recalled Rocque, who afterwards sifted through student-posted videos, so-
cial media, and other online tools to get a better sense of BC before returning for an information session and student-led campus tour, during which she spoke with undergraduates.
“Through that whole process,” she said, “I was struck most by two aspects: the kindness that every single person associated with BC displayed, and the large number of students committed to service-oriented work. Where both of those are extremely important in my life, I determined then that BC was the school for me.”
As she learned more about BC, Scarlett Rocque ’29 was struck by two things: “the kindness that every single person associated with BC displayed, and the large number of students committed to service-oriented work. Where both of those are extremely important in my life, I determined then that BC was the school for me.”
After more than a month at the Heights, Rocque said she’s been struck by “the amount of thought and care BC has put in around students’ wellness-type needs.
“I get the sense that BC has made a point of anticipating the issues and concerns that hinder students’ ability to do their best here, and has worked hard to ensure that students have a ready way to deal with them before they become problematic.”
Ava Mariotti, an art history major with minors in management and theology from Jacksonville, Fla., who lives part-time in
Washington, D.C., had never even been to Boston until she visited BC the summer before her senior year of high school. She loved the look and feel of the campus, was impressed by the art history program, and—as someone who grew up riding horses—was pleased to find BC has a club equestrian team. Most of all, BC impressed Mariotti as a place where she could fully participate in the Catholic faith that has been central to her life: “I wanted to be in a college with a sense of community and friendship for everyone, while serving others around me.”
Like Forry and Rocque, Mariotti’s BC experience is off to a good start.
“I knew from orientation and Welcome Week that I would fit in well here, but I didn’t realize how many friends I’d make and how great of a community I’d find. I’ve met such amazing people in only a month. Everyone here is always willing to help and so friendly. I love the sense of community throughout the whole school, be it from my friends, the girls on the equestrian club, or just people I meet every day.”
PARKING ADVISORY FOR SATURDAY
a
Vehicles parked on campus Friday after 11 p.m. will be towed at the vehicle owner’s expense. On the day of the game, all vehicles must have an Athletics Department-issued football parking permit to park on campus. Note that parking is strictly prohibited on Commonwealth Ave. and Beacon St. adjacent to campus on the Saturday of home football games. All vehicles parked in these areas after 6 a.m. on the day of a home football game will be towed at the owner’s expense.
Vehicles may return to Chestnut Hill Campus parking areas three hours after the game ends. For complete information on game-related parking restrictions, go to the Parking and Transportation website [bc.edu/parking] or email transportation@bc.edu.
The Class of 2029 during last month’s First Flight processional en route to the First Year Academic Convocation. One student said his brother, a senior, had told him “how loving the BC community is, and he’s absolutely right.”
The Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Colloquium on September 30 in Gasson 100 featured the panel discussion, “America’s New Economic and Foreign Policy,” with faculty members (L-R) Lindsey O’Rourke, James Anderson, Farid Farrokhi, and Rosen Valchev.
photo by caitlin cunningham
The Office of Parking and Transportation has issued
campus parking advisory for this Saturday’s Boston College-Clemson game, which takes place at 7:30 p.m. in Alumni Stadium.
photo by caitlin cunningham
BC’s Kearney Bestows Honor on Retiring Irish President
BY ELLEN SEAWARD SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
Charles Seelig Professor of Philosophy Richard Kearney recently presented outgoing Irish President Michael D. Higgins with the Guestbook Project Award for Narrative Hospitality in recognition of his lifelong commitment to peace, reconciliation, and giving voice to the marginalized through poetry, prose, and statesmanship.
The award ceremony took place on September 26 in Dublin at Aras an Uachtaráin, the official residence for the Irish president.
Founded in 2009 by Kearney and Associate Professor of Studio Arts Sheila Gallagher, the Guestbook Project is an international nonprofit committed to the practice of “changing history by exchanging stories” in divided communities throughout the world. Its name reflects the fact that many Indo-European languages have the same word for “guest” and “enemy”—like the Latin hostis, which is the root word for both “hostility” and “hospitality”—and the belief that a courageous exchange of stories
can turn hostility into hospitality.
Over the last 15 years of its existence, the project has engaged young people from Boston College and such places as Northern Ireland, South Africa, Croatia, the Middle East, and the United States-Mexican border, in using digital storytelling to connect with strangers and adversaries. More than 100 video stories are available on the Guestbook website [guestbookproject.org], and the project has organized a dozen international conferences and published five books.
Higgins’ work as a person, poet, and president was an exemplar of such narrative hospitality, said Kearney: “In addition to his pioneering peace work as a national and international statesman, Michael D. Higgins has also authored many important books of prose and poetry exploring the ways in which we host strangers and outsiders—giving voice to the voiceless again and again.
“It was a huge honor to give him this award before he steps down as president in October after 14 years in the presidency, where he showed extraordinary moral
E&ES Graduate Student Is Selected for a NASA Fellowship
BY ED HAYWARD STAFF WRITER
Earth and Environmental Sciences graduate student Xinyi (Skylar) Yang has been awarded a three-year, $150,000 fellowship by NASA to support her doctoral studies through the Future Investigators in NASA Earth and Space Science and Technology (FINESST) program.
“I am deeply honored to receive this award and NASA’s support for my doctoral research,” Yang said. “This recognition affirms the importance of my work while also highlighting the excellence of our graduate program and research team at Boston College. Knowing that NASA values these efforts inspires me to push further and continue contributing to a better understanding of our changing planet.”
Yang’s proposal was among approximately 1,485 submitted, including 539 in the Earth Science Division, from which only 54 projects were selected for funding. Her graduate project, which will be developed into her doctoral thesis, is titled “Toward Accurate Fire Emission Estimation: Integrating NASA Satellite and Reanalysis Data with Machine Learning into a Terrestrial Biosphere Model.”
“Fires release greenhouse gases, smoke, and tiny particles that affect both the climate and human health,” Yang explained. “But current estimates of these emissions are often uncertain, because it’s hard to know exactly how much vegetation burns during each fire event. In many cases, these estimates come from fixed tables that don’t capture real-world variation, especially as climate change alters fire behavior.”
Her doctoral research combines field
data, NASA satellite observations, climate data, and machine learning to replace these fixed values with more dynamic and accurate estimates of burned vegetation, she said, and then applies them in a terrestrial ecosystem model to provide a clearer picture of fire emissions and their role in our changing world.
Yang works under the supervision of climate scientist Professor Hanqin Tian, who has a joint appointment in E&ES and the Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society.
“This is an exceptionally competitive and prestigious achievement,” said Schiller Institute Seidner Family Executive Director Laura J. Steinberg. “This is a strong testament to the excellence of our [E&ES] Ph.D. graduate program, the Schiller Institute, and the quality of Dr. Tian’s mentorship.”
imagination, spiritual courage, and intellectual leadership. His was a presidency of ideas. He thought in prose and governed in poetry.”
Higgins joins a distinguished list of past recipients, including Boston-area Irish music broadcaster and organizer Brian O’Donovan, novelist and Narrative 4 founder Colum McCann, and author and former United Nations High Commis-
Nota Bene
Professor of Music Ralf Yusuf Gawlick was a co-winner of the 2025 American Prize in Vocal Chamber Music—The Charles Ives Award in the professional division for his piece “O Lungo Drom (The Long Road),” an oratorio that casts the history of the Roma and Sinti. The work sets the words of 13 different Romani poets and writers in 10 languages and Romani dialects—contemporary texts that deal with the centuries-old history of this continuously persecuted ethnic minority in Europe and address both the painful
sioner Mary Robinson. As part of the ceremony, Kearney also presented Higgins with a signed copy of the Guestbook Project’s newest book, Hosting Earth: Facing the Climate Emergency, co-edited by Kearney in collaboration with Boston College alumni, Peter Klapes ’19, M.A. ’22 and Urwa Hameed ’22, a current BC Law student. Ellen Seward is a senior digital content writer in the Office of University Communications
and hopeful moments.
The oratorio had its world premiere in Berlin in October 2022; its United States premiere in April 2024 featured a concert at Boston College.
This award is given by The American Prize National Nonprofit Competitions in the Performing Arts and celebrates contemporary composers of vocal chamber music in the United States. Gawlick shared the honor with Younje Cho, a composer of instrumental and electroacoustic music.
The Office of University Advancement notes that National Estate Planning Awareness Week is October 20-26—an opportune time to update and organize important information in one convenient place. You’ll have peace of mind knowing you’re protecting your assets— and your loved ones. To get started, go to bc.edu/estateplan or call 877-304-SHAW for a free estate planning guide, compliments of the Boston College Office of Gift Planning.
Xinyi (Skylar) Yang
Seelig Professor Richard Kearney with Irish President Michael D. Higgins, whom Kearney presented with the Guestbook Project Award for Narrative Hospitality.
Jack Neuhauser, Former AVP and Carroll School Dean
John J. “Jack” Neuhauser, whose work as academic vice president and dean of faculties and faculty member, and as dean of the Carroll School of Management, contributed significantly to Boston College’s late-20th century ascent among the nation’s top universities, died on September 30. He was 82.
A funeral Mass for Dr. Neuhauser will be celebrated today at 10 a.m. in Saint Ignatius Church at Boston College. A private burial will be held at a later date in Guilford, Vt.
During Dr. Neuhauser’s tenure as AVP, BC cemented its place among the top 40 national universities as ranked by U.S. News & World Report. The University saw dramatic increases in external funding for research and sponsored projects—including a record $42.2 million in fiscal year 2004. Undergraduate applications rose, and in 2004 BC received the fourth-highest number of applications of any private university in the United States (22,451). Over the same period, the average SAT score of incoming freshmen increased from 1275 to 1317.
His six years as chief academic officer also saw the University’s first-ever Rhodes Scholars and growing numbers of students earning Marshall, Fulbright, Truman, and other post-graduate fellowship awards.
“I don’t think the institution can stand still,” he said in an interview with Boston College Chronicle at the outset of his stint as AVP. “Our choice is to continue down this path as a major American university, or to fall back to being a liberal arts college. The latter is just not tenable. The trick is to move forward while keeping those things that have made us unique: our Catholic and Jesuit character.”
Dr. Neuhauser—who joined the BC faculty in 1969—achieved similar success as dean of the Carroll School, where he served as founding chair of the Computer Science Department. The CSOM undergraduate program rose to top-40 status among U.S. business schools, as he recruited distinguished faculty members such as Wayne Ferson, Alicia Munnell, and Edward Kane (finance), Peter Wilson and Arnold Wright (accounting), and Larry Ritzman (operations and strategic management) to fill endowed chairs. He helped to redesign the M.B.A. program to promote ethical behavior and responsible management action, and to establish several joint degree programs within the University, including M.B.A.-M.S.W., M.B.A.-J.D. and M.B.A.-Ph.D. He was instrumental in creating the Boston College Chief Executives’ Club, a speakers’ club for business leaders that drew national acclaim.
When Dr. Neuhauser announced he would step down as AVP, University President William P. Leahy, S.J., praised his efforts “to enhance the faculty and academic program,” calling him “a dedicated University citizen who has served this institution exceedingly well.”
In 2007, Dr. Neuhauser was named as president of Saint Michael’s College in
“I don’t think [Boston College] can stand still,” said Dr. Neuhauser upon his appointment as academic vice president. “The trick is to move forward while keeping those things that have made us unique: our Catholic and Jesuit character.”
Vermont. He told Chronicle that leaving BC “will be the hardest thing I have ever done. My friends and my kids are largely in the area and this is an institution I have spent a lifetime coming to know. One just does not pick up stakes and head out of town. Most of what I have learned—and some would say not much—l’ve learned on these old stones from faculty, administrators, and staff, for all of whom I have great affection and respect.
“It has been a great blessing to be able to walk across campus and always know a person coming in the opposite direction, to find myself at an alumni event and have had a large number of the individuals in class, even to attend a budget committee meeting with old and wise friends in attendance. I’ve learned a lot here; I hope it is enough.”
Dr. Neuhauser stepped down as president of Saint Michael’s College in 2018. He was a graduate of Manhattan College and received master’s and doctoral degrees from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Former colleagues offered tributes to Dr. Neuhauser’s memory.
“Jack Neuhauser was appointed academic vice president at the end of my first year at BC, having been an important faculty member and dean for nearly 30 years before my arrival,” said Winston Provost and Dean of Faculties David Quigley.
“During his tenure in Bourneuf House, he built a strong team of academic leaders and modeled a way of leading academic affairs that inspired me and many of my faculty colleagues. His work in the Carroll School helped set the foundation for the University’s emergence as one of the nation’s great institutions of higher education.”
Professor of Economics Joseph Quinn,
who as a new faculty member met Dr. Neuhauser nearly 50 years ago, recalled him as “an enthusiastic mentor who evolved into a lifetime friend. Jack was a kind, gentle, and wonderful administrator, always people-oriented, who loved talking to and interacting with all—students, faculty, administrators, and trustees. The light and warmth of his attention and support was felt within and beyond the BC community.
“As one long-time friend put it, ‘He was a man of such innate dignity and judgment that it made you proud when his high beams shone on you.’ The loss of his generosity of spirit leaves all of us so much poorer.”
CSOM Powers Family Dean Andy Boynton, who was a student of Dr. Neuhauser as a BC undergraduate in the 1970s, remembered him as a “tough professor” who was “demanding but always fair.” As Boynton’s career progressed, Dr. Neuhauser would always “take the time to listen, help, and direct me.
“I loved Jack, and I’m so sad about his passing, but the amazing thing is, lots of people Jack touched at BC, and then St.
BC in the Media
Clough School of Theology and Ministry
Associate Dean Anthony Russo wrote a piece for America on recommitting to the sign of peace in a world at war.
Prof. Marc Landy (Political Science) discussed the United States government deadlock in an interview with Boston 25 News.
Boston College faculty members discussed First Amendment-related questions concerning protestors and the temporary
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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.
Construction Project Manager
Supervisor, Athletic Fields
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Michaels, are feeling just like I do right now. And they have similar stories to tell. I really think I’m speaking now not just from my heart, but from the heart of my then-School of Management friends and classmates, all of whom were touched in important, formative ways by Jack. His leadership was absolutely instrumental—as dean and then academic vice president— in lifting BC to its lofty height of academic excellence today.
“Jack will always be with me, will always be in the heart of many sons and daughters of Boston College, will forever live on this campus. Simply, Jack goes down in history as one of BC’s great persons, professors, and leaders.”
Dr. Neuhauser is survived by his children, Karen B. Neuhauser-Daley, Kenneth S. Neuhauser, and John J. Neuhauser; grandchildren, Katherine Dalton, Jack and Matthew Daley, and Charlie, Luke, Kaleigh, and Brennan Neuhauser; former wife Jane Audrey-Neuhauser; his siblings, Edward Neuhauser and Ginny DeLeo; and his longtime companion Lori Egan and her family.
—University Communications
suspension of ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”: Assoc. Prof. of the Practice Jeffrey Cohen (Law) spoke with The Washington Post and BC Law Associate Dean and Prof. Daniel Lyons offered comments to NBC Boston and Radio and Television Business Report.
Sacramento is betting on tiny homes to address the city’s homeless crisis. Prof. Lisa Alexander (Law) provided perspective on the situation to the Sacramento Bee.
Temporary Office Pool, Academic Advising
Staff Nurse
Administrative Assistant, Student Services
Director, Parent Development
Data & Access Assistant
Special Collections Curator
BC Global
Three Questions About Israel and Gaza
Associate Professor of Political Science Peter Krause, whose research interests include international security, Middle East politics, terrorism and political violence, nationalism, and rebels and revolution, discussed the current Israel-Gaza situation. [NOTE: Krause’s remarks reflect developments as of Tuesday morning, October 7]
•What are the key obstacles to Trump’s plan for a ceasefire in Gaza?
First, both the Netanyahu administration and Hamas feel that time is on their side. Netanyahu thinks the broader conflict with the Palestinians is not going to end anytime soon, Israel has significantly damaged Hamas, Iran, and Hezbollah, and for each day that goes by, the equation on the ground shifts in Israel’s favor. Ending this round of the conflict could break up his governing coalition, initiate a State Commission of Inquiry that could find him partially responsible for not stopping the October 7 attacks, and speed up his corruption trials. As for Hamas, the group points to the growing international condemnation of Israel for its conduct in Gaza and growing recognition of a Palestinian state. They argue that despite the high human cost, the Palestinian cause grows stronger each day. Once the fighting ends, Hamas will have to return all of the Israeli hostages—their key remaining point of leverage—and face marginalization in Gaza and near universal international pressure to disarm.
Second, even though this is being sold as a total deal—not a partial one—it still has phases built into it that the parties will reject or attempt to twist in their own interest. Hamas will resist returning all of the hostages right away without significant Israeli pullback from Gaza that is guaranteed by the United States and others. The withdrawal timeline remains unclear from Trump’s initial plan, as are the exact conditions for Israel’s withdrawal and who decides when they have been met. Netanyahu and his coalition partners do not want to withdraw from Gaza, period, and so they will hope and/or claim that various conditions have not been met
Peter Krause: “It’s tough to imagine how control would be shared by Israel, an international ‘Board of Peace’ led by Trump, a local governing authority run by Tony Blair, Palestinian technocrats, and the Palestinian Authority. How are they all going to make decisions and coordinate, especially when they disagree—which will (regularly) happen?”
photo by caitlin cunningham
so they can remain on all of Gaza’s borders, at least.
Third, who will control Gaza “the day after”? This is as much a sticking point with Europe and MENA [Middle East/North African] states as it is with Israel and Hamas. Trump’s 20-point plan differs from other plans in how much and how quickly the Palestinian Authority will be involved in governing Gaza. Trump’s plan names many actors with overlapping security and economic portfolios, which will take some time to hash out—this is far from a finalized plan. As written, it’s tough to imagine how control would be shared by Israel, an international
“Board of Peace” led by Trump, a local governing authority run by Tony Blair, Palestinian technocrats, and the Palestinian Authority, which is supported by security forces funded and trained by Arab and European states. How are they all going to make decisions and coordinate, especially when they disagree—which will (regularly) happen?
There are many other obstacles including humanitarian aid, militant groups in Gaza like Islamic Jihad that will oppose a deal and may still hold some Israeli hostages, and far right Israeli ministers who have a variety of strategies to prevent Israel from agreeing and/or following through on its commitments—but the three points above are crucial to understand and overcome.
•What is the likelihood of eventually achieving a two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians?
It depends on the timeline. In the short term, the likelihood of achieving a twostate solution is close to nil. There is more international support for it than ever before, but less support (and belief in its possibility) than ever among the populations that matter most—the Israelis and Palestinians. Israelis and Palestinians were already significantly disillusioned with the peace process over the previous three decades; the past two years have made things far worse. It’s true that you can still find a majority of Israelis and Palestinians who support a two-state solution in some polls depending on the framing, but there is tremendous mistrust, anger, and a belief that the other side would never hold up their end of the bargain.
Now, if this round of conflict ends, you see elections and leadership change among Israelis and Palestinians, and each population starts to grapple with how the other population isn’t going anywhere and they don’t want to repeat the last two years ever again? Then, I think we could see renewed momentum for a two-state solution in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza, not just outside of it. Right now, though, significant numbers of Israelis and Palestinians are indulging in their
diametrically opposed visions of one-state solutions in which they will have a state, the other side will not, and many of the people on the other side will leave. If and when those visions (illusions?) fail to be realized, the two-state solution may return as the least bad option.
•What impact, if any, will the recent wave of recognitions of a Palestinian state have on the situation?
The impact of the recognitions of a Palestinian state will somewhat depend on the answers to the prior questions. If a ceasefire is soon achieved and carried out—and especially if a path is agreed to towards a twostate solution—then I think most states who recently recognized Palestine will not take major additional steps against Israel.
The longer the conflict endures, however, the more that countries in Europe and elsewhere who have recognized a Palestinian state will take steps like cutting off arms sales to and purchases from Israel, restricting trade in Israeli goods from the West Bank or even from Israel writ large, cutting ties with Israel in sports and culture, and bringing more international court cases and sanctions against Israel for its actions against people and territories these countries now consider to be part of another sovereign state.
Many of these countries have also tied the next steps in their recognition of Palestine— such as the opening of embassies—to reform of the Palestinian Authority, which would be the “government” gaining the recognition at the moment. In some sense then, the wave of recognition can act as carrot and stick for both Israeli and Palestinian leaderships.
Finally, it is important to note that the recognitions are not stand-alone events, but rather political decisions that come as a result of massive domestic criticism of Israel’s actions within those countries. The global shift in public opinion away from Israelis and towards Palestinians will have significant ramifications for security, trade, and diplomacy regardless of the recognition process.
—Phil Gloudemans
BC Scenes
Pops on the Heights
The 33rd annual Pops on the Heights: The Barbara and Jim Cleary Scholarship Gala, which took place September 26 in Conte Forum, featured performances by the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra along with special guests Dan + Shay (near right) and student performers, including Elena Skirgaudas ’27 (shown with Boston Pops conductor Keith Lockhart). The event raised $12.3 million for Boston College financial aid scholarships.
