Boston College Chronicle November 10, 2022

PUBLISHED BY THE BOSTON COLLEGE OFFICE OF UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS

NOVEMBER 10, 2022 VOL. 30 NO. 6

Financial Aid Fund to Honor Fr. Stegman

BY JACK DUNN ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT FOR UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS

Sharyl Thompson and Pedro Garcia are among the members of the Auxiliary Services team whose efforts at “getting things done” have drawn praise from department leadership. photos by lee pellegrini

BC’s “Hidden Heroes” Auxiliary Services’ best work has been on display during pandemic

BY MEGHAN KEEFE SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE

Associate Vice President for Auxiliary Services Patricia Bando’s office is not the easiest to locate. Housed in 129 Lake Street on Brighton Campus, Bando’s workspace is at the end of a circuitous walk up three flights of winding stairs and a long loop around the third floor.

Bando may operate out of sight of much of the University community, but she is more interested in pointing out the work her Auxiliary Services colleagues accomplish each day, though many of them may be similarly overlooked or underappreciated. Specialists in the art of “getting things done,” these administrators and staff work to make sure that their labors blend into the background, creating an appearance of effortlessness.

“We have so many good people who have just been so rigorous in their work,” Bando said, “and they don’t get any recognition.”

The COVID-19 pandemic brought many alterations to Boston College’s complex ecosystem—everything from the campus shuttle bus service operation to the daily cleaning and maintenance of University buildings to how BC students and faculty order food. Administrators and staff in Auxiliary Services worked tirelessly to implement such changes with as little disruption as possible, according to Bando, who believes this behind-the-scenes diligence of the department’s “hidden heroes” deserves notice and appreciation.

When the pandemic began affecting factory production and supply chains, it was Assistant Director for Procurement &

Continued on page 8

Q&A: Natana DeLong-Bas

Iranian Protestors’ Desire for Freedom “Greater Than Their Fear of the Regime” Protests have rocked Iran since the September 16 death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in police custody, three days after she was arrested by the morality police in Tehran for allegedly violating the Islamic Republic’s strict dress code for women.

There were reports that officers battered the Kurdish woman with a baton; the police claimed she suffered a heart attack.

More than 200 protestors have reportedly been killed by security forces during

the fierce government crackdown, and hundreds of women and girls—often removing and burning their hijabs in defiance of the authorities—have been arrested. The protests have continued across Iran despite efforts to detain not just the protestors but also men and teenage boys, and Iranian public figures, who have expressed their support; meanwhile, rallies in the United States and Europe have proclaimed

Continued on page 6

A student financial aid fund has been established to honor the legacy of former School of Theology and Ministry (STM) Dean Thomas D. Stegman, S.J., whose leadership and commitment to promoting academic excellence within a nurturing community inspired students, faculty, and alumni across all corners of the University.

The Dean Thomas D. Stegman, S.J., Financial Aid Fund was established through a lead gift from Carroll School of Management graduates Kenneth “Ken” Mostello ’79, M.S. ’93 and Michelle Maglaty Mostello ’79, and four other families who have contributed anonymously. Once the fund has secured $250,000 in cash gifts, it will begin to provide a graduate fellowship for an STM student each year.

The fellowship addresses a key priority for Fr. Stegman, who during his six years as dean sought to make the STM experience accessible to all qualified students, regardless of financial need. Currently, 100 percent of the STM’s master’s degree students receive some level of financial aid.

The graduate fellowship also fulfills a desire of the Mostellos to support a school that they call “the soul of the University,” by adding an endowed fellowship to the Mostello Family Financial Aid Fund they established in 2010.

“As Michelle and I look back at our years at Boston College, the education we received was invaluable, but the faith formation we were blessed with was priceless and everlasting,” said Ken Mostello. “We have the Jesuit community and spiritual luminaries like Tom Stegman to thank for continuing that tradition for a new generation.

“Knowing how selfless Tom is, it is important to us that he have a legacy, but it is equally important for the STM and for the University. As I recall from my years at the Heights, it is ultimately a very few special people who inspire you and that is what you take away and recall years later. So,

Former School of Theology and Ministry Dean Thomas Stegman, S.J. photo by tony rinaldo

we are happy to lay the cornerstone on this scholarship in Tom’s honor.”

STM Dean Michael McCarthy, S.J., said that the graduate fellowship will be of great assistance to STM students, while also honoring the legacy of his friend and predecessor.

“From my first conversations with Tom about the STM, he stressed the importance of finding ways to increase financial support for lay students, ensuring that access to graduate theological and ministerial

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INSIDE 3 Spirit of BC Strong

Jennifer Castro ’26 is this year’s BC Strong Scholarship recipient.

4 Equal Access?

Economist Mariana Laverde looks at BPS school-choice program.

5 “Cultivating Talent”

BC hosts conference on Hispanic educators and Catholic schools.

QUOTE

We want students to think more broadly—about not just being politically active, but being global citizens.

–women’s center director katie dalton, page 2

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November 10, 2022

Around Campus

New Direction, and Partnerships, for Civic Engagement Efforts at BC The 2022 midterm elections have come and gone, and if recent trends hold, Boston College undergraduates likely went to the polls in greater numbers than in previous elections of the past decade.

Boston College participates in the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement (NSLVE) conducted by the Institute for Democracy & Higher Education at Tufts University. According to the most recent NSLVE report, the registration rate of eligible BC students increased from 65.7 percent in 2014 to 79.6 percent in 2018 and 86.9 percent in 2020, and the Election Day voting rate, or yield, of registered students likewise grew: 24.2 percent in 2014; 47 percent in 2018 and 83 percent in 2020.

The overall voting rate—or percentage of eligible students voting on Election Day— went from 15.9 percent in 2014 to 37.4 percent in 2018 to 72.2 percent in 2020.

Colleges and universities have long encouraged and assisted students in taking part in the political process, such as through holding voting registration campaigns or hosting panel discussions on key issues of the day. For the past six years at BC, the Student Affairs division has organized such activities through its Civic Engagement

Initiative (CEI), aimed at helping students think about how they can make a difference in the civic life of their communities—both political and non-political—or on a larger scale.

Recently, the CEI has undergone a transition from being a purely Student Affairsrun operation to partnering with other offices and departments across campus.

Among those represented on the committee are Boston College Libraries, the BC School of Social Work, Connell School of Nursing, Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences, Lynch School of Education and Human Development, Campus Ministry, Veterans Programs and Services, the Volunteer and Service Learning Center, Office of Governmental and Community Affairs, Montserrat Coalition, and Office of University Communications.

Administrators said that the CEI, instead of creating or organizing civic-related resources or programming, now focuses more on directing students to those already existing or available. Most importantly, they added, the CEI is expanding efforts to help undergraduates realize the full implications of the phrase “civic engagement”—and that it doesn’t end with Election Day.

STM Offers MOOC on Synodality The School of Theology and Ministry’s Formación Continua, the continuing education program offered in Spanish, has launched a free, multi-language massive open online course (MOOC) on building a synodal Church that has drawn more than 65,000 participants worldwide.

The course, Common Discernment and Decision-Making in a Synodal Church, is offered in five languages (Spanish, English, Portuguese, Italian, and French) and is designed to teach Catholics the theology and practice of synodality.

Synodality, the focus on the upcoming Synods of Bishops [www.synod.va/en.html], is what Pope Francis has called “a style, it is a walk together, and it is what the Lord expects from the Church of the third millennium.” Synodality deepens the ecclesiology of the People of God developed at the Second Vatican Council and asks the laity, priests, bishops, and religious to listen to each other and discern a path forward that generates reconfiguration of relationships, communicative dynamics, and structures in the current institutional Church.

According to Formación Continua DiASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT FOR UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS

Jack Dunn

SENIOR DIRECTOR FOR UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS

Patricia Delaney EDITOR

Sean Smith

rector Félix Palazzi, the goal of the course is to educate the general public and instruct parish and ecclesial community leaders on theological formation and the practice of communal discernment/decision-making in the Church.

Common Discernment and DecisionMaking in a Synodal Church has drawn participants from more than 25 countries.

The countries with the most participants are Spain, Mexico, Brazil, and the United States.

One of the instructors is STM Associate Professor of the Practice and Professor Extraordinarius Rafael Luciani, an appointed expert on the theological commission of the General Secretariat for the Synod. He recently authored the book Synodality: A New Way of Proceeding in the Church.

The first phase of the course went live in July, and is still available online. The second phase will begin January 25. The course is asynchronous and participants can complete all elements of the course in their own time. To learn more or to register, see formaciononline.bc.edu/en/courses/synodaldiscernment.

—Kathleen Sullivan

CONTRIBUTING STAFF

Interim Associate Director for Student Organizations and Programming Kyle Neary said, “Most of our students are participating civically here: voting in the UGBC elections, for instance, or doing service, or belonging to a campus organization. But that doesn’t always translate to being active members in their communities, of being men and women for others: ‘When you move to a new place after BC,’ we’re asking them, ‘how and where can you make a difference?’”

“We want students to think more broadly—about not just being politically active, but being global citizens,” said Women’s Center Director Katie Dalton. “The idea is to get them to reflect on what they do in the context of BC —through PULSE or Arrupe or Appalachia Volunteers, for example—and link it to civic engagement.”

In its earlier years, the CEI sought to bring students into election-year dialogue by organizing or co-organizing campus events, such as public viewings of the presidential and vice-presidential debates, and panel discussions and lectures on election-related topics; on Election Night 2016, the CEI held a reception in Vanderslice Hall so students could watch and discuss the results.

Snapshot

First-Gen Celebration

PHOTO BY FRANK CURRAN

Boston College observed the National First-Gen College Celebration on Tuesday, honoring members of the University community identifying as first-generation college students or graduates. Activities included “Sending Love Home,”above, an opportunity for students to write letters to parents and other family members about their college experiences. The event was held as part of BC’s First-Gen Week, which ends tomorrow.

Christine Balquist Phil Gloudemans Ed Hayward Rosanne Pellegrini Kathleen Sullivan

Chronicle

PHOTOGRAPHERS

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

Caitlin Cunningham Lee Pellegrini

But as Dalton noted, a recent search of the online University Calendar by CEI administrators found 85 campus events identified by the hashtag “#civicengagement.”

“There are already many of these kinds of events on campus, so rather than add to that, we said, ‘Let’s get students to the things that are already happening.’”

A major challenge for CEI outreach is that students’ methods of accessing information are constantly changing, and administrators are trying to stay up to date—such as utilizing TikTok videos to offer reminders about voting. Meanwhile, BC is continuing its collaboration with the website Turbovote to provide students with election information and materials and assisting them in registering to vote.

Invariably, CEI administrators say, some students encounter election-related issues— confusion over absentee ballots, for example, or where they’re supposed to vote—that are at the heart of the initiative’s purpose.

“We just want to be sure students have the details they need, or know where they can get them,” said Neary.

—Sean Smith

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BC Strong Scholarship Winner Shares Inspirational Story

BY JACK DUNN ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT FOR UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS

Jennifer Castro ’26, a marketing major in the Carroll School of Management, has been awarded the 2022 Boston College Strong Scholarship, which each year celebrates a student with a permanent physical disability who has overcome adversity.

Castro, from New Fairfield, Conn., was born without a left arm below the elbow after developing amniotic band syndrome in her mother’s womb. She was named the sixth recipient of the scholarship, which was established by a group of 2005 BC graduates to honor their friend and classmate, Patrick Downes and his wife Jessica Kensky, who were wounded in the Boston Marathon bombings in April of 2013.

At the October 25 ceremony at 245 Beacon Street, Director of Undergraduate Admission Grant Gosselin, who selected Castro for the scholarship, said she epitomized the spirit of “BC Strong.”

“Each year after reviewing all of our applicants, we identify students who meet the qualifications of the BC Strong Scholarship and then bring them before the committee,” said Gosselin. “This year was different.

Jen came to us through Early Decision, and after I got to meet her and her parents and talk about her goals, we decided not to wait. She is an individual who is incredibly talented both academically and athletically, and who fits everything the scholarship is about. I am pleased that she has shared her gifts and talents with the BC community since her arrival this fall.”

Castro shared her inspirational story of growing up facing the everyday challenges of her disability—from riding a bike to tying her shoes—and the pain of being viewed as “different” at an age when every child wants nothing more than to blend in.

“As I would walk in my mother’s shadow, I always seemed to pass the little boy or girl who would tug on their own mother and say in a loud whisper, ‘Mommy, what’s wrong with that girl’s arm?’”

She ultimately learned to embrace her condition with the help of a loving family and supportive community to become a star athlete in lacrosse and basketball,

BC Scenes

A Cappella Showcase

Student singers were out in force Saturday night at the A Cappella Showcase held in Robsham Theater.

Jennifer Castro ’26, the 2022 BC Strong Scholarship winner (second from left), and current scholarship recipient Ansel-Ikaei Kufta ’24 are flanked by Jessica Kensky and Patrick Downes ’05, who presented the honor to Castro at a ceremony on October 25. photo by patrick mills

captaining her high school basketball team at the Canterbury School in New Milford, Conn.

“My parents and older brothers have always supported me and taught me that I could accomplish anything I set my mind to,” said Castro. “As a result, I wanted to focus on what I had and not what I did not have. I would not change a thing because I wouldn’t be the person I am today without the obstacles I faced.”

Castro credits the Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Camp, which she was selected to attend at age nine, for giving her confidence after being in the company of 30 Wounded Warrior veterans and mentors who taught her the Wounded Warrior motto: “Life without a limb is truly limitless.”

“At camp, I was immediately broken out of my shell by the Wounded Warriors and the 19 other kids who faced the same issues I had dealt with all of my life,” she said. “For the first time, I felt like I was not alone.”

Castro also credits the Canterbury School for providing a supportive commu-

nity that enabled her to excel both in the classroom and in athletic competition, and to become a mentor for young kids with disabilities.

“I wanted to focus on what I had and not what I did not have. I would not change a thing because I wouldn’t be the person I am today without the obstacles I faced.”

—Jennifer Castro ’26

“After high school ended, I was afraid that I would never again experience the warmth that the Canterbury community provided me. However, here at BC, I have been welcomed into one of the best places I could be by a community that is just as warm. I can’t wait for my next chapter to unfold at Boston College.”

Downes praised Castro as an individual who exemplifies the mission of the BC Strong Scholarship.

“Jen’s infectious spirit, resiliency in the face of obstacles, and determination to care for others breathes fresh inspiration into the mission of the BC Strong Scholarship,” he said. “When you are in her presence you just know she is special and that she will leave a lasting imprint on any community she is a part of.”

Downes and Kensky, who were joined at the ceremony by BC Strong founders Kevin Collins ’05 and Elizabeth Stowe Fennell ’05, also presented BC Strong certificates to the current scholarship recipients AnselIkaei Kufta ’24 and Cathryn Cheevers ’23, whose award ceremonies were not held due to COVID-19 restrictions.

“After Jess and I were injured, my dearest friends got together to see how we could take the spirit of what we had received and spread it throughout the BC community,” said Downes. “We have been the recipients of so much love, and we have challenged a lot of people to think differently about how we can make the communities we live in more welcoming, inclusive, and celebratory of all people. We wanted to bring that spirit here to BC, and each year we are so inspired by the BC students who are chosen for this scholarship.

“It has been so exciting to see how the scholarship has also sparked new conversations and initiatives around making the Heights more accessible and welcoming to all, and we know there is so much more to come.”

Vice Provost for Enrollment Management John Mahoney said the scholarship and the examples set by its recipients have helped to improve the entire campus community.

“The BC Strong Scholarship has succeeded in doing three important things: It has raised in a profound way our awareness regarding disabilities, helped Boston College to make progress on accessibility, and welcomed great students to BC, including those we are recognizing today,” said Mahoney. “We have seen the momentum.

There is tangible progress that has been made, and it is only going to get better.”

PHOTOS BY ZEKE COLEMAN

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BC Economist Scrutinizes Boston’s School-Choice Program The concept of school-choice programs “has a lot of good things about it”, says Mariana Laverde, “but clearly we can’t assume choicebased systems will solve everything.”

BY SEAN SMITH CHRONICLE EDITOR

For more than three decades, centralized school-choice programs have been touted as a means to equalize access to high-performing schools across racial and income groups.

But a study by Boston College economist Mariana Laverde finds that such a system has had limited success in promoting educational equality in Boston Public Schools (BPS).

Laverde, an assistant professor in her second year at BC, found that white prekindergarten children are more likely to be assigned to higher-achieving schools than Black and Hispanic students. Moreover, the study points out that cross-race school achievement gaps under the BPS choice system are no lower than would be the case if students were assigned to schools on the basis of their neighborhood of residence.

While it may seem a discouraging revelation for a school system in the midst of considerable turmoil—BPS narrowly avoided a state takeover this past summer and hired its fifth superintendent in 10 years—the study’s results point to a larger issue hardly specific to Boston, according to Laverde, a researcher in the economics of education and applied market design.

“Because school-choice programs disconnect neighborhoods and schools, the theory goes, that will reduce segregation in the school system, improve the match quality between school and student, and also make the system’s high-quality schools accessible to children from under-represented groups,” she explained. “Based on the analysis, the impact of choice systems in equalizing access to high-performing schools is limited, for reasons that may not be readily apparent or are beyond the capacity of the school-choice program to address.

“Choice has a lot of good things about it, but clearly we can’t assume choice-based systems will solve everything.”

photo by lee pellegrini

For Laverde, the BPS study represents a classic use of market design, a discipline focusing on the development and behavior of certain markets, especially those that operate outside of archetypal financial-based scenarios. For example, in private education, the amount of tuition a student is able or willing to pay is a key determinant in what school he or she attends. But given that public education is free, she said, “how do we decide which student goes to which school? How do we set the assignment rules for this market in such a way as to make everyone as happy as possible?”

One option is to uniformly assign children to schools that are closest to their neighborhoods, said Laverde. Among the advantages of this system are a short travel from home to school for students and a reinforced sense of community among the families in the district. But neighborhoodassigned schools tend to replicate residential segregation and perpetuate educational inequality, Laverde pointed out, which runs counter to their mission as mandated by law.

In theory, a choice-based system—where

families are asked to rank their school preferences—will reduce segregation within the given school system while enabling students from lower-income households, which tend to be Black or Hispanic, to attend highperforming schools. So why hasn’t that been the case for Boston Public Schools?

A key factor in parental preferences for their children’s school—in Boston and elsewhere—is its proximity to home. Some parents may not have flexible schedules that allow them to take their children to schools farther away, or may be concerned that their children face longer commutes in school buses. For these parents, said Laverde, a lower-achieving school that is closer may be preferable than a more distant higher-achieving school—and given that these parents tend to be low-income and Black or Hispanic, this invariably causes cross-race gaps in access to such schools, as is the case in BPS. Even though the system prioritizes students for assignment based on their proximity to schools, and white students tend to live closer to higher-achieving schools, the assignment algorithm does not contribute in a meaningful way to the observed gap, Laverde found.

Analyzing data from families’ schoolchoice applications and DOE statistics on school characteristics from 2010 to 2013, Laverde constructed different models to identify possible factors affecting access to high-performing schools. In models where the residential location of students was changed (for example, if Black or Hispanic students lived in neighborhoods near high-achieving schools), the gap in school achievement between minority and white students was reduced by about 50 percent.

Eliminating the proximity priorities and the school choice menu restrictions had a negligible impact on distribution of school achievement by race, which indicated rules are not an important driver of the gap— and instead, pointed to longer home-school distances as the main cause for differences in access between minority and white students, Laverde said.

“There are important policy implications here,” she said. “Even though choice systems give all families the option to sort into the city’s best schools, gaps in access to high-achieving schools will persist if families face different costs in accessing those schools. This also implies that competitive pressures within the school system are lowered, reducing the potential for system-wide improvements in quality.”

There are limitations to the scope of her study, Laverde notes. It doesn’t predict how, or if, access to high-achieving schools would be different if school locations changed or if the achievement level at a particular school were to increase. Neither scenario can predict families’ housing choices and their demand for the hypothetical school, she explained, which will determine the equilibrium distribution of distance to high-achieving schools by race.

Nor is the study intended to imply a deliberate or conscious effort to shortchange equal access to high-performing schools, Laverde said: It is simply a lens onto the “market” of school choice as it pertains to BPS. “There is nothing specific that points to a flaw in BPS. The bottom line is, even under a choice system, some of the residential segregation patterns will permeate the school assignment. The idea that school districts are solely responsible for solving segregation and inequality in schools is erroneous. Instead, these policy objectives should include the joint effort of housing and transportation authorities, to name a few.”

Immigration Expert Shah Joins BC Law School Faculty

BY PHIL GLOUDEMANS STAFF WRITER

Bijal Shah, whose research lies at the intersection of administrative law, structural constitutionalism, and critical theory, with a focus on the dynamics of immigration and interagency coordination, has joined the Boston College Law School as an associate professor and a Provost Faculty Fellow.

Shah, who was a visiting professor of law at University of California Berkeley School of Law last spring, is teaching administrative and criminal law. Previously, she was an associate professor of law at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University, and an acting assistant professor at New York University School of Law. “I am thrilled to join the Boston College Law School community,” said Shah.

“It’s an honor to be part of a faculty that is collegial and accomplished in equal parts, and to work with such a thoughtful and

committed group of students. As a scholar of constitutional, administrative and immigration law, whose work is grounded in the realities of bureaucracy, I am excited by the Law School’s interest in and support of my data-driven, critical, and reformist approach.”

Shah’s scholarship can be found in publications such as the Harvard Law Review, Stanford Law Review, Yale Journal on Regulation, and the Minnesota Law Review, among others. In addition, she is the chair emeritus of the Association of American Law Schools Section on Legislation & Law of the Political Process.

Prior to entering academia, Shah served as associate general counsel for the Department of Justice/Executive Office for Immigration Review, drafting immigration regulations and national policies on behalf of the attorney general, White House, and Congress. Earlier in her career, she worked as a Presidential Management Fellow in the Department of Homeland Security

Bijal Shah photo by allison anne johnson

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. She also served stints in the Department of Justice, Homeland Security headquarters, and the State Department.

Shah earned a juris doctorate from Yale Law School, a master’s degree in public administration from the Harvard University

Kennedy School of Government, and a bachelor’s degree from Brandeis University. While at Yale, she was senior editor of the Yale Law Journal and a Kirby Human Rights Fellow. Before entering law school, Shah was an investment banker at UBS PaineWebber.

“Given the growing enthusiasm at Boston College for diversity and inclusion, I am looking forward to applying my expertise in these areas to build institutional capacity at the Law School and beyond,” she said. “And as a native of Massachusetts, I am delighted to move my young family back home.”

“We are delighted to welcome another outstanding scholar to our faculty,” said BC Law Interim Dean Diane M. Ring, the Dr. Thomas F. Carney Distinguished Scholar.

“Bijal Shah’s expertise in constitutional, administrative, and immigration law deepens our strength in these areas, and she will serve as a wonderful resource and mentor for our students.”

Summit Eyes Role of Hispanic Educators in Catholic Schools

BY PHIL GLOUDEMANS STAFF WRITER

The Boston College Roche Center for Catholic Education and School of Theology and Ministry hosted a groundbreaking conference this fall on the role of Hispanic educators in Catholic schools, drawing more than 125 Catholic school leaders, theologians, and researchers.

“Cultivating Talent: A National Summit on Hispanic Educators in Catholic Schools” (October 2-4) was the first major initiative stemming from a report co-authored by Roche Center Executive Director Melodie Wyttenbach and STM Associate Professor Hosffman Ospino, chair of the school’s Department of Religious Education and Pastoral Ministry, and supported by the Crimsonbridge Foundation.

The pair and their team conducted a comprehensive, yearlong study of Hispanic leaders and teachers in United States Catholic schools which detailed the context, framework, process, findings, and results of a pioneering overview of a critically important sector of the Catholic education workforce. With more than 29 million Hispanic Catholics in the U.S.—who represent 42 percent of the nearly 70 million Catholics in the nation—the future of Catholicism and the Catholic schools that serve the Church will be significantly defined by the Hispanic population, said Wyttenbach.

“This summit brought together various stakeholders in the world of Catholic education to review and discuss the results and analysis of the national study,” she said, “and to envision strategies to support Hispanic teachers and leaders, as well as the Catholic schools where these educators serve.”

Participants heard from leaders in the field and engaged in meaningful dialogue on topics including the value of affinity mentoring programs, the role of Hispanic ministry partnerships, vocational calling and theological grounding of Hispanic educator discernment, and the assets immigrant educators bring to their role strengthening the Catholic school system.

Opening day keynote speaker Amanda Fernandez, the chief executive officer and co-founder of the Belmont, Mass.-based Latinos for Education—the first Latino founded and led national organization solely dedicated to creating leadership pathways for emerging Latino leaders in education—said that Latino educators “tell us that when they feel isolated as teachers of color in their schools, they begin to doubt their purpose and value.

“This often makes them either leave the profession or move on to schools where they can see themselves and feel seen,” she said. “Establishing professional learning networks and affinity groups for Latinos and other teachers of color are critically important tactics that can be done immediately to create a system of support.”

One example of cultivating Hispanic talent was presented by Elena Sada, director of the Roche Center-based TWIN-CS Network, a national collaboration of 24 dual-language Catholic schools that share research, ideas, techniques, and resources to support students in becoming bilingual, biliterate, and bicultural. In consultation

Fund Named for Fr. Stegman Established Continued from page 1

studies is within reach for all applicants,” said Fr. McCarthy. “Since I was named dean, it has become more clear to me how much the future of the Church depends on the formation of dynamic lay leaders. So I’m delighted at the creation of the Dean Stegman Financial Aid Fund, not only as a way of advancing the work of the STM but establishing Tom’s legacy and honoring his clear intentions.”

Director of Development for Schools and Programs Amanda Angel, who has led the school’s fundraising efforts, said that individuals can contribute to the Dean Stegman Financial Aid Fund as a way of paying tribute to a beloved dean.

“Fr. Stegman was made aware of the establishment of the fund at a dinner this summer, and I know he was moved by the news,” said Angel. “We can begin offering the graduate fellowship once we reach $250,000 in contributions received. Our goal is to continue to raise money so that one day we will be able to offer multiple Stegman Fellowships each year.”

Fr. Stegman, who served as dean from

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2016-2022, is an internationally respected New Testament scholar and expert on the Pauline letters. A popular dean and teacher and the author of six books, he is credited with building a close-knit, caring academic community of students, faculty, and staff while elevating the STM to the upper echelons of global rankings. He stepped down from the deanship in June due to complications from glioblastoma, an incurable form of brain cancer.

“I am honored that this fund has been established to assist students at the STM, and grateful to the Mostellos and the other donors for their friendship and generosity,” said Fr. Stegman. “Providing access to a STM education for people from all socioeconomic backgrounds has been a priority for me and all of the school’s deans.

I am pleased that this fellowship will help present and future generations of STM students.”

Information on how to contribute to the Dean Thomas D. Stegman, S.J., Financial Aid Fund can be found at bc.edu/ honorstegman.

Melodie Wyttenbach: “We have a great opportunity to embrace the cultural and linguistic richness of this community and create pathways for Hispanic educators to thrive.” photo by caitlin cunningham

with TWIN-CS regional coaches, school leaders, and teachers, Sada guides the design and refinement of curriculum and assessments; develops the program’s annual summer dual language academy; and works to strengthen the schools’ Catholic identity, school culture, academic excellence, and operational vitality.

“Our TWIN-CS Network allows students’ identities to thrive with Spanish as the dominant language of instruction in primary grades, and where multilingualism and multiculturalism are celebrated,” she said, noting that the network’s popularity is rising nationally, particularly due to the opportunity for students to connect more authentically and broadly in an increasingly globalized world.

The second day’s keynoter, Philadelphia Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez, shared personal stories of encountering racism and discrimination, but underscored how the Hispanic Catholic community has endured

and flourished. He emphasized that Catholic parishes and schools should be authentic places of welcome for this thriving, faith-filled community, where languages of diverse backgrounds are centered, and cultural traditions celebrated, but that more could be done.

Ospino said that strengthening the presence of Hispanic children and families is a priority for Catholic schools, as well as increasing the presence and support of Hispanic teachers and leaders in these institutions.

“Evidence suggests that Hispanic teachers and leaders play a significant role in transforming school culture, making Catholic schools places where Hispanic children thrive and find themselves at home. However, when Hispanic teachers and leaders were asked who had motivated them to become Catholic school educators, it was their friends, relatives, and teachers who were far more frequently cited than pastors and other church leaders. We must change that if we really believe that Catholic schools are at the service of evangelization.

Pastors, bishops, and other ecclesial leaders need to be more proactively cultivating Hispanic teachers and leaders to serve in these institutions.”

Wyttenbach said the Roche Center and STM will continue to collaborate on researching the diversification of Catholic educator pipelines, and expand programming to support teacher and leadership development of culturally sustaining schools.

“Boston College plays a leading, national role in the transformation of our Catholic school system. Recognizing the shifting demographics of our country, we have a great opportunity to embrace the cultural and linguistic richness of this community and create pathways for Hispanic educators to thrive.”

Beiner to Present Lecture Nov. 16 Award-winning historian Guy Beiner will give his inaugural lecture as the Craig and Maureen Sullivan Millennium Professor of Irish Studies at Boston College on November 16 at 5:30 p.m. in the Burns Library Thompson Room. The event is free and open to the public.

Beiner, who was appointed as the Sullivan Chair in 2021 and serves as director of the University’s Center for Irish Programs, will present “Paddies in Space: Irish Studies in the 24th Century”—his examination of science fiction depictions of the Anglo-Irish conflict in popular culture that reveal how imagining the future draws on cultural traditions from the past, and what this suggests about current attitudes toward the prospect of the reunification of Ireland.

Beiner’s unique expertise in memory studies has earned him honors such as a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship and the National University of Ireland Irish Historical Research Prize—the latter one of four major international awards he received for his 2018 book Forgetful Remembrance: Social Forgetting and Vernacular Historiography of a Rebellion in Ulster.

“Memory is not only about recalling who we were in the past,” said Beiner, “it is also about our identity in the present, with an

Guy Beiner photo by caitlin cunningham

eye towards where we see ourselves in the future.”

During Beiner’s tenure as Sullivan Chair, Irish Studies has hosted events commemorating key events in Irish history, including Bloody Sunday (the 1972 killings of protestors in Northern Ireland by the British Army) and the 1922-1923 Irish Civil War, as well as a conference on novelist, playwright, and satirist Flann O’Brien.

Preceding Beiner’s talk at 4:30 p.m. will be a reception in the Burns Library Irish Room.

—University Communications

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international solidarity with the demonstrators, who frequently chant “women, life, freedom,” and “death to the dictator” (Ayatollah Ali Khamenei).

Natana DeLong-Bas, an associate professor of the practice in the Theology Department, recently spoke with Chronicle staff writer Phil Gloudemans about the current Iranian protest movement and the context for the government’s repression. The past president of the American Council for the Study of Islamic Societies, she is an expert on Islam and Christianity, comparative scripture, women and gender, Islamic law, the environment, extremism, and Arabian Gulf countries.

Iran has had a number of significant uprisings, including the revolution that brought the Islamic Republic into power in 1979; the 2009 Green Movement to protest massive fraud in presidential elections; the 2019 uprising over rising gasoline prices, and now the protests that erupted since the death of Mahsa Amini. What is new or different about today’s demonstrations compared to the past?

DeLong-Bas: First, there are no clerics involved and the protests are neither religious nor anti-religious in nature. Religion has been carefully, and I think intentionally, excluded, even though the issue that sparked the current demonstrations—an assault on a woman for “improper” veiling—is understood to be a reflection of the state’s religious commitment. The protests are focused on “Women, Life, Freedom,” all of which are interconnected in protesting a totalitarian regime. A major aspect of these protests has been the centrality and visibility of women—as victims and as voices—claiming the right to personal autonomy. Finally, unlike the past, today’s ongoing protests, from demonstrations to sit-ins, are leaderless and seem to be organic and spontaneous, yet far-reaching in impact, visibility and resonance.

The majority of the protesters seem to be under the age of 25. Iranian sources indicate that the average age is 15, and the women who have died at the regime’s hands range from ages 16 to 22. Other than their youth, what defines these protestors?

DeLong-Bas: What is so poignant about these protests is the fact that so many of the victims—those killed, arrested, and detained—are so very young. Protest images frequently highlight young girls and young women, apparently of high school and university age, stripping off and setting fire to their veils, and cutting their hair, as demonstrations of their claims to personal autonomy. Children as young as 10 are seen carrying posters and placards, demonstrating their support for the protesters.

These young people literally represent the country’s future, and they are taking charge of their destiny even though they are too young to have government representation.

In a country where culture is largely rooted in obedience to age and power, and submission of individual to collective identity, the fact that so many young people are banding together as an alternative col-

lectivity sends a strong message about the refusal to abide by rulings they have had no voice in legislating. Rather than accepting powerlessness in favor of the powerful, these youth are finding ways to make their voices heard. The question that remains is not just whether anyone is listening, but whether any alternative outlets for fulfilling youth demands and the desire for a stake in determining Iran’s future will be offered outside of joining with existing powers in policing and denouncing others.

How would you characterize the chances that today’s protest movement will result in some significant, long-lasting changes to the Iranian government’s rule?

DeLong-Bas: The issue of a “proper” hajib has proven to be the match that’s lit the ticking time bomb of a population frustrated with a regime that not only fails to meet people’s expectations, but is also mired in a mindset that doesn’t resonate with large portions of the citizenry dissatisfied with the unnecessary restrictions on their personal autonomy and life choices— everything from clothing and personal appearance to the freedom to attend soccer matches. Those who protest are not necessarily demanding the overthrow of the government; instead, they are insisting that the regime hear their voices and grievances.

If there is a turning point, it will be if and when the state’s arms of violence—the police, military, and courts—question their orders, which is already transpiring among some members of the Basiji (morality police) since Mahsa Amini’s death, who have expressed distress with directives to fulfill arrest quotas for “improperly” dressed young people or who appear in “morally questionable” ways in public places. If the state’s enforcement mechanisms refuse to carry out draconian measures, particularly against Iranian youth, it could spark real change.

Even as Iran has restricted and slowed Internet access to blunt dissent, alternative forms of civil disobedience have emerged. President Ebrahim Raisi, an ultraconservative cleric who insists on hajib rule enforcement, has accused the protestors of misusing Amini’s death to destabilize the country. What do you think of his claim, and do you anticipate any short- or long-term changes by Raisi to quell the unrest?

DeLong-Bas: Blaming social media and youthful impulsivity for creating social unrest, rather than scrutinizing long-standing and widespread frustration with repression, and the limited freedom of expression, has been the regime’s standard tactic to deny the legitimacy of popular demands. Accusations of destabilization tend to lead to criminal charges of treason, sedition, and even terrorism, resulting in more draconian regime responses, as we are seeing now with sham trials that conclude with death sentences.

None of that is helpful in terms of addressing the issues that have led to so much unrest. Use of civil disobedience is nothing new in Iran; Iranians have long proven to be creative in expression of grievances,

November 10, 2022

Natana DeLong-Bas: “Any government that demonstrates ongoing willingness to arrest, detain, and kill its own children and youth cannot reasonably expect the population to be obedient to it.”

photo by lee pellegrini

frustrations, and pointing to the absurdities of daily life restrictions in nonviolent ways.

But peaceful protests only last so long when no tangible results are produced.

While nothing is inevitable because human choice is always involved in decisionmaking, the lack of positive government response increases the likelihood of turns to violence, and responding to it with more hostility. No one wins in that scenario.

The Biden administration has condemned Iran’s brutality and subjugation of its citizens, and imposed sanctions.

Will those measures decrease or end the violence? If not, are there any external forces that could sufficiently influence the Iranian government to ease the conservative Islamic dress and behavior rules that have governed daily life for Iranians since the 1979 revolution?

DeLong-Bas: Regime brutality against protesters is increasing over time and is a serious concern, particularly because many of those who have been killed and violently arrested and detained are children—a show of control by a regime desperate to hold onto its power through repression and hostility against its own people. The regime clearly expects its iron-fist rule to stir fear and quell the protests, but the government is missing the protesters’ points: Their desire for personal freedoms and autonomy is greater than their fear of the regime; that there is power in numbers; and that they will continue to express their defiance.

I don’t see the violence or the protests coming to an end without some form of resolution, and that solution needs to come

from within Iran on the basis of what the Iranian people want for themselves. The most important support external powers can provide is to back the Iranian people by assuring that any measures undertaken to apply pressure to the Iranian government do not have a negative impact on the general population, which is already under tremendous economic stress.

Clashes between Iranian security forces and protesters were reported in Saqqez, Amini’s home city, after crowds gathered near her grave on October 26 to mark the 40-day mourning period observed under Islamic tradition since her death. Will this religious milestone end the protests? If not, what can be expected to follow?

DeLong-Bas: A number of analysts have noted that this 40-day marker could have brought an end to mourning specific to Amini, but the clashes that resulted made it clear that the government persists in repressing any expression of human emotion, thereby ruling out any possibility of an end to the protests. The reality is that many people have been killed during these demonstrations, and the 40-day mourning clock starts anew with each death. If the government wants an end to protests of regime killings, the regime needs to stop killing people. Any government that demonstrates ongoing willingness to arrest, detain, and kill its own children and youth cannot reasonably expect the population to be obedient to it. The moral conscience of any human being demands respect for the life and dignity of children.

Barnes-Jewish Hospital Chief Operating Officer and Chief Nurse Executive Angelleen Peters-Lewis, Ph.D.’06, right, spoke with Connell School of Nursing student Sasha DuBois prior to giving the school’s fall Pinnacle Lecture on November 1. photo by justin knight

OBITUARY

Nota Bene

Robert Mauro, Led University’s Global Leadership Institute Robert Mauro, who contributed to the rise of Boston College’s international profile as director of the University’s innovative Global Leadership Institute (originally the Irish Institute), died on October 31. He was 46.

Dr. Mauro joined BC in 2011, bringing his experience as a political scientist and academic administrator who had done extensive work in Irish social and political relations. As director of the Irish Institute— launched in 1998 and formerly known as the Center for Irish Management—he oversaw the design and implementation of its highly acclaimed political, educational, and corporate exchange programs for leaders from Ireland and Northern Ireland, offered as a means of helping build lasting peace and prosperity. The institute also held conferences, seminars, and meetings, supported by funding from Congress, and in collaboration with the United States State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

Three years later, the institute began expanding its geographical scope, offering leadership training to professionals from around the world—notably the Middle East and North Africa—in areas of business, management, social sciences, and natural sciences. In the summer of 2014, the inaugural Global Leadership Institute (GLI) program welcomed M.B.A. students from the Gulf University of Science and Technology in Kuwait for a session on international business development. A cohort of Brazilian business professionals attended the second GLI program, on innovation and social media.

In an interview that year with the Boston College Chronicle, Dr. Mauro cited several factors for the institute’s new direction, particularly shifts in America’s geopolitical priorities and the world’s regional economies.

Once the 1998 Northern Ireland peace agreement was in place, he noted, the U.S. turned its attention to other parts of the world, or to matters at home, and resources for work such as that being done by the institute were simply not as available.

“Situations and needs never stay constant in this field. There are certain realities we have to face, which are that some resources and opportunities are simply not present in the way they once were. So we’ve asked ourselves, ‘Are there elements of the Irish Institute’s model that are appropriate, and can succeed, outside Ireland and Northern Ireland?’ We believe the answer is ‘Yes.’” Exemplifying this new direction, in 2016, the GLI hosted a leadership program for Kuwaiti youths and formed a partnership to assist Bahrain-based Arabian Gulf University in developing a doctoral program in innovation management. Other GLI initiatives included a program to assist in the professionalization of Mexico’s police force.

But the institute retained its ties to, and interest in, Ireland in the midst of various political and economic changes, including Ireland’s emergence as a landing place for major technology firms and the advent of Brexit.

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Robert Mauro photo by lee pellegrini

In 2018, the GLI hosted policymakers, legal experts, academics, developers, and others involved with cybersecurity in government institutions, the private sector, law enforcement, and advocacy groups from Ireland and Northern Ireland for an 11-day program in Washington, D.C., and Boston.

In collaboration with the Consulate General of Ireland in Boston, the institute held a series of fireside chat-style events in which Dr. Mauro discussed current events and trends with prominent Irish governmental and business figures.

Such activities reflected the GLI’s view of Ireland as both a “transatlantic bridge” connecting the U.S. with Europe and a rising global leader in its own right. As Dr. Mauro explained in a 2020 Chronicle interview, these and the institute’s other endeavors helped cultivate a highly favorable impression of the University in Irish circles.

“BC has a reputation of being able to find resources, bring people together, and get things done,” he said.

“Bob Mauro brought together leaders in academia and the private and public sectors on both sides of the Atlantic over the past 12 years, and he was an indispensable leader for Boston College in both the Republic of Ireland and in the North,” said Provost and Dean of Faculties David Quigley. “His global collaborations opened new possibilities for our students and faculty, and he was always eager to explore new horizons. His many friends around the world will long remember his legacy in the programs he launched and the partnerships he enabled.”

“Bob worked diligently to build bridges between communities in Ireland, Northern Ireland, the United Kingdom, and here in the United States,” said Robert Savage, a professor of the practice in the History Department and member of the Irish Studies faculty. “Throughout his tenure at BC, he earned a well-deserved reputation for developing innovative programming and bringing politicians, civil servants, educators, and business people together to encourage meaningful dialogue and partnerships. He was a wonderfully warm, imaginative, and engaging man who will be missed by all of us in Irish Studies.”

Dr. Mauro is survived by his wife, Barbara Pyke, his daughters Dara and Tess, and his parents and sister.

—University Communications Read the full obituary at: on.bc.edu/RobertMauro

The National Communication Association (NCA) Interpersonal Communication Division has chosen Professor of Communication Ashley Duggan to receive the Gerald R. Miller Outstanding Book Award for her 2019 book Health and Illness in Close Relationships.

Synthesizing empirical evidence and associated theoretical constructs from the literature on health/illness in close relationships, Duggan compares foundational assumptions of research on relational processes and research on health and illness. Using this approach, she provides a cohesive, cross-disciplinary understanding of relevant theoretical and empirical issues and why health/illness provides a unique context for understanding close relationships.

This latest professional honor for Duggan follows her selection earlier this year for a senior-level Fulbright Fellowship in Medicine. During 2023, she will serve as a senior scholar with the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, working with the Centre for Positive Psychology and Health.

The NCA advances communication as “the discipline that studies all forms, modes, media, and consequences of communication through humanistic, social scientific, and aesthetic inquiry.” Its Interpersonal Communication Division seeks to stimulate research and scholarship, develop and disseminate instructional methods and materials, facilitate discussion, and organize events related to interpersonal communication.

Professor of Music Ralf Yusuf Gawlick’s new oratorio “O Lungo (D)rom (The Long Road)” had its world premiere in the renowned Konzerthaus Berlin on October 23, featuring distinguished soloists Johanna Zimmer (soprano), Georg Gädker (baritone), László Racz (cimbalom), and the Alban Berg Ensemble Wien. 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 and hopeful moments.

“O Lungo (D)rom (The Long Road)” was the musical centerpiece of an international conference, “Commemoration of the Holocaust against the Sinti and Roma: Current Developments and Challenges,” sponsored by the Central Council of German Sinti and Roma; it was organized for the 10th anniversary celebration of the inauguration of the Memorial to the Sinti and Roma Victims of National Socialism. Keynote speakers included FrankWalter Steinmeier, president of the Federal Republic of Germany, and the oratorio’s dedicatee Romani Rose, chairman of the Central Council of German Sinti and Roma.

Graduate Student Life Director Carole Hughes was named as a Pillar of the Profession by the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA), a student affairs organization of more than 13,000 members at 1,400 campuses in 25 countries. The NASPA Foundation Pillar of the Profession awards honor student affairs professionals who have provided significant service to NASPA through regional and/or national leadership roles; created a lasting impact on the institutions or organizations at which they have worked, leaving a legacy of extraordinary service recognized by a cross-section of institutional/ organizational stakeholders; and/or have demonstrated sustained, lifetime professional distinction in the field of student affairs and/or higher education.

During her 28-year career at Boston College, Hughes has served as assistant and associate dean for student development, deputy Title IX coordinator, project coordinator in facilities for the Campus Master Plan, a founding member of the University Arts Council, and University harassment counselor, among other roles. Her publications include a co-edited a book of essays, Roads Taken: Women in Student Affairs at Mid-Career, inspired by a panel discussion on women and student affairs careers she co-organized at the 2002 NASPA annual meeting.

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.

Admission Associate Staff Psychologist or Staff Clinician UI/UX Designer/Developer Director, Institutional Planning Senior Events Specialist Assistant Director, Continuing Education

Administrative Assistant, Law School Associate University Librarian Senior Network Systems Engineer Systems Librarian Development Assistant

Staff Nurse

Assistant Manager, Dining Services

Director, Cleanroom Facility

Report Developer

Associate Director, First Year Experience

Public Safety Dispatcher

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Auxiliary Services Steps Up During COVID Continued from page 1

Vendor Relations Caroline Brokamp and Director of Operations and Procurement Thomas Williams who ensured that Boston College’s dining experience would maintain its standard level of excellence. The two “not only sourced alternate products, but made sure that we could get them here,” explained Director of Finance and Business Services Robert Goyette, emphasizing the office’s dependence on the pair and praising their navigation of such unforeseen circumstances and their abilities to make modifications in BC’s dining sectors appear seamless.

The Human Resources department went above and beyond their job descriptions to reinvent Boston College’s new normal. Human Resources Manager Beth Burns never once worked from home throughout the pandemic, said Bando. Burns “saw it as her part to come in…to be proactive.”

Employee Relations Officer Marcela Norton shared this level of commitment, said Bando. At a time of widespread concern about COVID, Norton and Burns were unstinting in their efforts to quell their staff members’ anxieties through their creation of COVID protocols.

“They were on the front lines of helping employees,” said Bando—boosting staff morale and meeting the personal needs of their teams when circumstances called for such support. “They kept things running.”

(L-R) Caroline Brokamp, Gabriel Parker, and Marie-Laure Siri all photos by lee pellegrini

Sharyl Thompson, BCDS general manager for McElroy Commons, has been involved in numerous forms of outreach, including the Every Bite Counts program to aid those who are food-insecure in neighboring communities and an initiative through the Boston Private Industry Council to give high school students employment opportunities—many of which led to full-time hires.

“For some, going to work is a chore, for others a means to an end,” said Thompson.

“On reflection, looking at my Boston Col-

Beth Burns, left, and Marcela Norton

Norton, who earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Boston College, attested that working through COVID was one of the “toughest and most challenging times” in her experience with the University. Such demanding circumstances have not diluted her appreciation of working at BC, nor her passion for service and impactful interaction in her job.

“Each workday can be different: One moment I may be answering questions and helping employees, the next moment dealing with a complaint,” said Norton, who co-chairs the Romero Scholarship Committee and sits on the steering committee for Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month celebrations. “My goal is to promote a positive work environment for the department and to make certain that our employees feel valued and respected.”

lege employment journey, I do so with one particular word that resonates: opportunity.

While the work has been challenging to say the least, I am honored to have had the opportunity to play an instrumental role in the professional development of numerous BC Dining college employees.”

Auxiliary Services senior management also lauds the leadership and dedicated service of Pedro Garcia, Dining Services production manager for Newton Campus, who has more than four decades of experience at BC. Fiscal Manager Jane Hasselback and Assistant Director of Finance & Business Systems Marie-Laure Siri, who Bando affectionately deems the “two-lady team,” recognized the financial challenges coming Boston College’s way in the pandemic’s wake and fought to get ahead of such

crises. The pair were placed in many different roles as their department numbers dwindled and responsibilities piled up.

Goyette applauds their flexibility. “No one ever took the attitude of ‘not my job,’” he said. Bando echoed Goyette’s praise: “They were the heroes back here. They didn’t complain.”

Transportation and Parking Manager Gabriel Parker is another member of the Auxiliary Services team who thrived under the extensive demands created by COVID, noted Goyette. “We had to add buses, we had to make space on the buses, we had to have monitors who had to be standing out there…[Parker] had a lot of pressure on bus services.”

This line of work takes the proverbial village to succeed, said Bando, and Parker exemplifies such a perspective: He cannot put himself in the spotlight without mentioning all those who make his work possible.

Parker’s dedication and excitement was clear when asked for a comment on his experience at Boston College. (“I could write pages on this,” he exclaimed.) Originally working in a more corporate sphere of the parking industry, Parker found he was drawn to the emphasis that BC places on collaboration and the cultivation of an “open and honest” work environment.

While he acknowledged that “people tend to only notice parking and transportation services when they aren’t operating perfectly,” he is grateful for the immense effort put in by his team and external partners each day. A true team player, he is “proud” to be a part of the BC community and tremendously grateful for all those who work alongside him.

Brokamp said her team has navigated “some of the most challenging and complex problems the industry has faced. Just as people experienced food shortages and inflation at the grocery store, we came into work day in and day out trying to solve those problems, ensuring the students got the best possible ingredients and services.”

She credited Assistant Buyers Cindy Yen and Mary Keady for ensuring “we received food every day and that our team always

found a chance to smile and celebrate the smallest of victories.”

Reflecting on the past few years, Brokamp noted other pandemic-related challenges, such as redesigning dining halls for social distancing and coordinating donations to local shelters of “thousands of pounds of food in storage” left in the wake of students’ departure from campus in the spring of 2020. Overcoming obstacles was rewarding, she said, “but my favorite part was the people that I did it with. My colleagues in Dining and Facilities, Cindy and Mary, and the other members of the Auxiliary Services team, are the magic of BC. They have taught me lifelong lessons about teamwork, collaboration, and how to find a smile on the toughest days.”

Bando’s Auxiliary Services colleagues have appreciated her efforts to uplift the department, and are quick to say she deserves recognition more than anyone.

Bando, Norton said, changed the landscape of BC Dining: “We had a leader who cared and wanted our students to have the best dining experience.” She added that Bando’s leadership saw the introduction of comprehensive training programs and revolutionized lines of communication, creating an environment which enabled her coworkers to flourish.

The fact that Auxiliary Services employees’ efforts often go unnoticed does not correlate with the quality of their work, say Bando and Goyette.

“The processes that students encounter and use every day—and can, if it becomes routine, take for granted—don’t happen by themselves,” said Goyette.

“What we do is not magical,” Bando said. “There are real people who put blood, sweat, and tears, and a lot of thought into the process of getting things done.

“The most important thing that this team can get back from the BC community is a ‘thank you,’ and just the recognition that all of their accomplishments and the work they put into finishing a task are appreciated.”

Meghan Keefe is a junior in the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences