PUBLISHED BY THE BOSTON COLLEGE OFFICE OF UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
Going Up!
INSIDE
DECEMBER 14, 2023 VOL. 31 NO. 8
PHOTO BY CAROLINE ALDEN
2x Around Headline Campus
Awards for Boston College Magaxxxxx. zine; BC women’s hockey coach xnow Headline a hall-of-famer. xxx.
Fourth-Year Offerings BC eyes more courses and co-curricular experiences geared toward seniors
3 New Initiative Tian to head Schiller Institute x Headline
Center on Earth Systems Science xxxxx. and Global Sustainability.
BY SEAN SMITH CHRONICLE EDITOR
8 BC Global
BC’s delegation to COP28 holds Zoom discussions with the University community.
BC Authors Describe a ‘Curriculum By Design’ BY PHIL GLOUDEMANS STAFF WRITER
In 2012, Boston College faced a dilemma in its efforts to revamp the University’s Core Curriculum, which had been largely unchanged for more than two decades. Many in the BC community supported Core improvements, but disagreed on the means to achieve this objective. To break the logjam, the University made a surprising decision: At the suggestion of Carroll School of Management Powers Family Dean Andrew Boynton, BC turned to Continuum, a local consulting firm with an expertise in design thinking, to assist in the Core renewal. It was an unprecedented move for a higher education institution, but bringing Continuum on board helped kick-start the process. Continuum representatives met with Core Renewal Committee members and key BC administrators, held in-depth interviews with faculty, students, and alumni, researched best practices at leading peer institutions, and worked with principal stakeholders on an overall vision and general goals for the Core. The effort took about three years, but ultimately the Core renewal proved successful. A recently published book, Curriculum
Continued on page 4
The University’s recent Week of Dance culminated in a two-night showcase of Boston College student dance organizations—including the BC Dance Ensemble, above—at Robsham Theater. The dance groups also held open workshops during the week. More photos on page 5.
The University plans to expand its offerings of senior-year courses and cocurricular experiences to help prospective graduates reflect on and evaluate their time at the Heights, and prepare them for life after Boston College. The Office of the Provost recently sent BC faculty members a call for proposals, titled “Enhancing the Fourth-Year Experience,” requesting ideas for courses and co-curricular programs and initiatives that encourage seniors “to synthesize their intellectual, personal, and ethical growth by connecting their academic and co-curricular journeys.” According to academic administrators, proposals will be reviewed and selected by the start of fall 2024 registration in April. Provost and Dean of Faculties David Quigley noted that during the process that led to the renewal of the undergraduate
Continued on page 3
A BC ‘Rink Rat’ Becomes an Innovator She didn’t even plan on coming to the Heights. But it turned out to be a perfect fit for engineering student and inventor Ashley Waldron BY KATHLEEN SULLIVAN STAFF WRITER
Ashley Waldron, a sophomore engineering major from Jackson, NJ, could affectionately be called a “rink rat.” With an older brother who played hockey, Waldron spent a lot of time in ice rinks. As a teenager, she worked at an ice rink and was the manager of her high school’s ice hockey team. She is currently one of the student equipment managers for Boston College’s men’s ice hockey team. Now, her knowledge of hockey, coupled
with her engineering mindset, has led her to design and create a new device being used by the top-ranked Eagles. Waldron’s device, currently called SaucerPost, is used by players when practicing their stickhandling and puck-passing skills. SaucerPost sits on the ice and has several slots around its outside that can accommodate a hockey stick shaft. This allows coaches to have a shaft secured on each end by the SaucerPost, resulting in the shaft being slightly elevated off the ice. The players can practice saucer passes by lifting the puck over the shaft. They can also practice passing the puck underneath the shaft and then flipping the puck over, as well as other drills. It is also possible to use multiple SaucerPosts to set up a series of linked shafts to configure a type of obstacle course. Waldron designed SaucerPost using Ashley Waldron ’26 Fusion 360, a software application by AuContinued on page 5
photo by lee pellegrini
2
Chronicle
December 14, 2023
Around Campus
Another Round of CASE Honors for Boston College Magazine Boston College Magazine has continued its run of success in the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) Circle of Excellence Awards. The University’s alumni publication won the 2023 CASE District 1 Award for its Winter 2022 and Fall 2022 issues in the categories of general excellence and writing. BCM’s award-winning features included the Winter 2022 profile “Investment Opportunities,” which focused on 2019 Carroll School of Management alumna Meagan Loyst, a champion of diversity in venture capital funds and who placed on Forbes’ 2022 30 under 30 list, and “The Odds Father” (Fall 2022), which profiled Carroll School of Management Professor of the Practice Richard McGowan, S.J., the “sin priest” who has spent his career studying humanity’s vices, namely alcohol, cigarettes, and gambling. The magazine also won writing awards for “Breathtaking” (Fall 2022), about Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences alumnus Gunnar Esiason ’13; “A Poet in Full” (Winter 2022), on Morrissey College alumnus C. Dale Young ’91; and “A OneMan Cast of Thousands” (Summer 2022), a profile of Carroll School alumnus P.J. Byrne ’96. CASE, in its announcement of the award winners, said that Boston College Magazine’s “creative and innovative ideas will serve as an inspiration to countless others in the months and years ahead.” Produced by the Boston College Office of University Communications, Boston
The Council for Advancement and Support of Education praised Boston College Magazine for “creative and innovative ideas [that] will serve as an inspiration to countless others in the months and years ahead.”
photo by lee pellegrini
College Magazine is published three times a year and delivered to nearly 200,000 households. The magazine has expanded its audience through digital storytelling with the e-newsletter BC Magazine Now, featuring online exclusive content, photos, a podcast, videos, and social media, as well as the magazine website [bc.edu/bcm]. BCM has earned several CASE Awards in recent years. The premier recognition program for educational advancement, CASE Awards showcase outstanding work in advancement services, alumni relations, communications, fundraising, and marketing, and recognize institutions whose talented
staff members advanced their institutions last year through innovative, inspiring, and creative ideas, according to the CASE website. The awards are open to professionals at CASE member colleges, universities, independent schools, and their affiliated nonprofits around the world. “It’s an honor to once again have the work of Boston College Magazine recognized by CASE,” said BCM Editor John Wolfson. “I thank the organization for these awards, and congratulate my colleagues [Deputy Editor] Lisa Weidenfeld, [Assistant Director of Marketing and Web Design] Keith Ake, [Staff Writer] Elizabeth Clemente, [Director of Photography] Lee
Hockey Coach Enters Hall of Fame Katie King Crowley, the Jane Rattigan Head Women’s Hockey Coach at Boston College and a former Team USA standout, was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame last week at the Westin in Boston. Under King Crowley, Boston College women’s hockey has accumulated 374 wins over the last 16 years for an average of 23 victories per season. BC remains the only Hockey East program—men’s or women’s—to finish in the top four of the league standings every season since 2010. King Crowley is a two-time American Hockey Coaches Association National Coach of the Year and a four-time Hockey East Coach of the Year. In her 16 seasons as head coach, King
ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT FOR UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
Jack Dunn
SENIOR DIRECTOR FOR UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
Patricia Delaney EDITOR
Sean Smith
Crowley has led the Eagles to six NCAA Frozen Fours, 11 NCAA Tournaments, five Hockey East regular season titles, three Hockey East Championships, and six Beanpot crowns. King Crowley was a standing member of the United States National Team from 1997 to 2006, and competed in the Four Nations Cup, World Championship Tournaments, and the first three Winter Olympics when women’s ice hockey was an official event. King Crowley won a gold medal in the 1998 Olympics, a silver medal in the 2002 Games, and a bronze in 2006. She took home five consecutive silver medals in the World Championships and a gold medal in 2005 with Team USA. —Boston College Athletics
CONTRIBUTING STAFF
Phil Gloudemans Ed Hayward Audrey Loyack Rosanne Pellegrini Kathleen Sullivan
Chronicle
PHOTOGRAPHERS
www.bc.edu/bcnews chronicle@bc.edu
Caitlin Cunningham Lee Pellegrini
Pellegrini, and [Senior University Photographer] Caitlin Cunningham, whose talent and hard work make the magazine what it is. We are grateful for the support we receive from the entire BC community.” “These latest CASE Awards confirm what we all know: that Boston College Magazine is one of the very best alumni magazines in the nation,” said Associate Vice President for University Communications Jack Dunn. “It is a tribute to John Wolfson and his talented team. We look forward to celebrating their continued success in the years to come.” —Christopher Kerwin is a sophomore in the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences Boston College women’s ice hockey coach Katie King Crowley at last week’s United States Hockey Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
photo by usa hockey
The Boston College Chronicle (USPS 009491), the internal newspaper for faculty and staff, is published biweekly from September to May by Boston College, with editorial offices at the Office of University Communications, 3 Lake Street, Brighton, MA 02135 (617)552-3350. Distributed free to faculty and staff offices and other locations on campus. Periodicals postage paid at Boston, MA and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: send address changes to The Boston College Chronicle, Office of University Communications, 3 Lake Street, Brighton, MA 02135. A flipbook edition of Chronicle is available via e-mail. Send requests to chronicle@bc.edu.
3
Chronicle
December 14, 2023
Tian to Direct Schiller Institute’s New Center BY PHIL GLOUDEMANS STAFF WRITER
The Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society has announced that Professor of Global Sustainability Hanqin Tian will serve as the inaugural director for the institute’s new Center for Earth Systems Science and Global Sustainability (CES3). The center’s charge is to help solve the impacts of climate change and aid in reaching the international goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial temperatures. Tian joined the Schiller Institute in fall 2022 and serves as one of its three core faculty members. His research and teaching concentrate on the broad area of climate and sustainability sciences, with the intention of advancing scientific understanding of the complex interactions among climate, ecosystems, and humans as a means of developing science-based solutions to climate change and sustainability challenges. “We expect CES3 to play a pivotal role in global efforts to tackle climate change and address sustainability challenges,” said Tian. “Our primary goal is to fill critical knowledge gaps in understanding the interconnectedness of the Earth and human systems within the climate-food-energywater-health nexus.” A December 5 event at Boston College’s
Hanqin Tian will head the Center for Earth Systems Science and Global Sustainability. photo by lee pellegrini
245 Beacon Street science facility formally celebrated the launch of CES3 and Tian’s appointment as well as the institute’s new alliance with the Global Carbon Project (GCP), which seeks to quantify global greenhouse gas emissions and their causes.
“The partnership with the GCP will expose BC’s faculty and students to cuttingedge research areas in earth system science and sustainable climate solutions,” said Tian, who previously served on GCP’s Scientific Steering Committee. “We are very pleased to announce our partnership with the Global Carbon Project as we kick off CES3,” said Laura J. Steinberg, the Seidner Family Executive Director of the Schiller Institute. “Our fledgling center reflects the institute’s mission to address critical societal issues in the areas of energy, health, and the environment, while the association with GCP enhances our capacity to advance the common good through research focused on pressing, critical global problems. We look forward to a fruitful collaboration.” Steinberg also announced that the institute plans to expand the ranks of Schiller core faculty to include two senior professors working at the interface of health and climate, and one senior social scientist focused on climate change or energy transition. The CES3 launch took place even as GCP researchers at the United Nations Climate Change Conference—known as COP28—in Dubai sounded a warning of the dangerous rise of planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions. At the Schiller Institute event, guest speaker GCP Execu-
tive Director Josep (Pep) Canadell lamented that, despite years of commitments from countries to slash emissions, carbon dioxide from oil, gas, and coal increased in 2023. “Carbon dioxide released from burning fossil fuels is expected to rise by 1.1 percent this year compared with 2022. Renewables alone will not solve the climate problem. There must be policies that ensure that fossil fuels actually go down.” Following brief presentations by Schiller Institute core faculty members Yi Ming, the Institute Professor of Climate and Society, and Jier Huang, associate professor of renewable energy and sustainability, faculty from multiple BC departments and schools delivered brief summaries of their relevant work, reflecting the Schiller Institute’s interdisciplinary approach. Among the topics were climate change and public health, carbon accounting, climate change and migration, and the ocean carbon cycle. Speakers included Philip J. Landrigan, M.D., director of BC’s Global Observatory on Planetary Health; BC Law Associate Dean for Faculty and Global Programs Katharine Young; Political Science Professor David Deese; and Earth and Environmental Sciences Associate Professor Jeremy Shakun, Assistant Professor Hilary Palevsky, Assistant Professor Xingchen (Tony) Wang, and incoming Associate Professor of Engineering Susan Pan.
Faculty Proposals for Senior-Year Classes Sought Continued from page 1
Core Curriculum, even as the working group focused on transformative academic experiences for first-year students, there was a sense that a complementary set of opportunities for seniors would be a longterm goal. “I am pleased to invite colleagues on the faculty and across campus to imagine new formative opportunities for our fourth-year students,” said Quigley. “The moment seems right to take stock of how we might even more intentionally engage with our seniors around questions of meaning, purpose, and values.” These new offerings are envisioned as building on the successes of the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences Capstone Program, which provides seniors and second-semester juniors an opportunity to review their undergraduate education and contemplate their upcoming long-term life commitments.
Seniors’ transition out of college is at least as significant as their transition into college, says Akua Sarr, and “BC needs to be more intentional about helping with that passage.” “This new initiative is intended to meet students’ great desire for a Capstone-like experience in their senior year, one which asks ‘What did you learn about yourself?’” said Vice Provost for Undergraduate Academic Affairs Akua Sarr. “There are numer-
ous programs and experiences available for first-year students, such as the Undergraduate Core Curriculum, Cornerstone, Portico, and various retreats, that help them think about their intellectual, personal, spiritual, and vocational development—but we don’t have a similar array for seniors. “Seniors should not be overlooked: Their transition out of college is at least as significant as their transition into college, and so BC needs to be more intentional about helping with that passage. Certainly, it would be great to expand Capstone, but we should think about what other opportunities we can create for seniors, whether it’s linked Core courses or more retreats, or other events and activities that take place outside the classroom.” Sarr said the call for proposals grew out of ongoing discussions in the Provost Advisory Council, which includes faculty and undergraduates, that led to the formation of a working group to address the need for senior-year reflection/discussion opportunities. “The sense was that the University should have a more extensive conversation about this,” said Sarr. The letter from the Office of the Provost presented two options for proposals and guidelines for each. Option “A” focused on courses that, “grounded in core Jesuit values of intellectual inquiry, moral and ethical discernment, and service to others,” inspire students to “develop a holistic understanding of themselves, their chosen field, and their adult lives and careers”; proposals that encourage interdepartmen-
tal, interdisciplinary collaborations “are strongly encouraged,” the letter said. Courses should meet at least three objectives: integration of knowledge; interdisciplinary perspective; reflective practice; ethical and moral discernment; collaboration for the common good; and personal and professional development. Among other criteria, proposals must explain how a course’s learning outcomes align with the University mission and reflect Jesuit principles and describe the methodology for assessing student learning and evaluating the course’s effectiveness. Option “B” calls for co-curricular experiences and programs—especially those built on collaborative efforts among faculty, administrators, staff, and external experts— such as dinner and conversation series, guest speaker series, workshops on specific topics, and off-campus experiences and
activities that prompt seniors’ reflection on “their intellectual, personal, and spiritual growth” and enable them to “make meaningful contributions to society.” Proposals should outline clear, measurable learning objectives, according to the document, including those related to faith and spiritual growth, leadership skills, community building, discernment and reflection, and applying knowledge to real-world challenges. “We’re very interested in seeing how faculty and people in, for example, Student Affairs or Mission and Ministry might team up,” said Sarr. “Whether working in an academic or non-academic context, everyone here has their own unique perspective on BC, and these can be very useful in helping seniors process their experiences.” Sarr noted that, depending on a proposal’s specific characteristics, funding or other resources will be available.
VP Yancey to Lead UConn Foundation Vice President for Development Amy Yancey, who has helped direct Boston College’s fundraising efforts since 2019, has been appointed president and CEO of the UConn Foundation, effective February 12. Yancey joined BC after having served in leadership roles at the University of Virginia, Pennsylvania State University, and University of Tennessee-Knoxville. During her tenure, she helped the University to achieve several years of record-setting annual giving. In October of 2022, she was appointed as acting senior vice president
for University advancement, succeeding James Husson; Andrew Davidson assumed the post last March. The University will begin a search in the coming weeks to seek Yancey’s successor. Boston College launched its $3 billion Soaring Higher capital campaign in September to raise money for key University priorities in academics, financial aid, and student life. Led by Davidson, the campaign has currently raised more than $1.13 billion towards its goal. —University Communications
4
Chronicle
December 14, 2023
How the Core Curriculum Renewal Unfolded ...and What It’s Meant for the BC Community Continued from page 1
“It’s not because we weren’t already heavily involved in the topic, but somehow—with this new group of students, new pedagogy, and new format—we developed another way to participate.” —Juliet Schor, with Prasannan Parthasarathi by Design: Innovation and the Liberal Arts Core, chronicles BC’s arduous journey to a new Core Curriculum and how it energized faculty, administrators, and students to view liberal arts education as an ongoing process of innovation. Edited by Boynton, Provost and Dean of Faculties David Quigley, and Rattigan Professor of English Mary Crane, director of BC’s Institute for the Liberal Arts—all of whom co-chaired the Core Renewal Committee—Curriculum by Design also features essays by BC faculty who have been teaching the new courses that resulted from the implementation of the revitalized curriculum. The faculty essays offer practical advice on the initial challenges of interdisciplinary and team teaching, problem- or projectbased learning, intentional reflection, and other innovative structures and methods of teaching enacted for the first time. While the framework of BC’s 42-credit Core was retained, faculty members, working in partnership, devised two fresh sets of courses that debuted in September 2015. Six-credit Complex Problem courses address a contemporary issue or controversy and are team-taught by two faculty members from different disciplines. Enduring Question courses are two, three-credit linked courses that focus on an inquiry of fundamental significance from diverse disciplinary perspectives; each class comprises
the same students. Both Complex Problem and Enduring Question courses entail faculty-student reflection sessions, which may involve group activities, guest speakers, or field trips off campus. Although the extent of innovation within individual courses varied, all crucially resulted from faculty from different departments discussing the curriculum, exchanging thoughts on teaching, and then developing the new classes. Sociology Professor Juliet Schor and her husband, Prasannan Parthasarathi, professor and chair of the History Department, collaborated on the Complex Problem course Planet in Peril: The History and Future of Human Impacts on the Planet, which the pair characterized as the best teaching experience either of them has ever had. “We think it’s because the engagement with the issue that we hoped to create for the students, also happened for us,” said Schor. “It’s not because we weren’t already heavily involved in the topic, but somehow—with this new group of students, new pedagogy, and new format—we developed another way to participate. Partly this was due to developing stronger and more substantive bonds with students than is typical, and partly because the course stretched and forced us to confront how much more we need to learn to confront
this problem. In the end, the deep and satisfying immersion that we hoped to develop for our students, also occurred for us.” According to Quigley, Boynton, and Crane, Enduring Question courses have proven to be easier to develop and teach than Complex Problem classes. Although students occasionally felt that a given pair of courses were not clearly connected, most faculty found ways and means to sharpen the link, and to highlight different disciplinary approaches to common readings, questions, and topics. Associate Professor of Music Daniel Callahan had never met Associate Professor of Theology Brian Robinette, but they found each other just before course proposals were due, and discovered common ground in their mutual interest in human attention, and how it could be exercised and focused. Their Enduring Question course, Aesthetic and Spiritual Exercises, is a joint exploration into the role of askesis— to focus with an athlete’s dedication—as key to human flourishing. “The class is designed to bring academic rigor together with personal appropriation,” said Robinette. “With a scholarly focus on the form, content, and history of Western aesthetic and spiritual practices, we invite critical inquiry into the forms of life they foster. It also highlights the phenomenological and experiential dimen-
sions of such practices, with the hope that students would discover them from the ‘inside.’ The shared pedagogical principle is that students will not really understand or critically evaluate the significance of aesthetic and spiritual exercises unless they experience it themselves. “Cultivating such attention, and the application of the senses through exercises, then reflecting on those exercises with others can seem odd and embarrassing to our freshmen. But by the end of the semester, it has become a habit, and one that they discuss and write about with considerable joy and without shame.” Quigley noted that when BC’s previous Core Curriculum renewal began in 1991, it had been a quarter-century since the last revision of the Core. “A decade into the work of Core renewal, I’m more convinced than ever that the work of curricular revision is the most important work that we are called to do as college faculty and academic administrators,” he said. “Those of us involved from the beginning agree that it remains very gratifying to see the ways in which hundreds of colleagues have, through their own work and commitment, brought the renewed Core to life. The engagement of University faculty, across fields, generations, and schools, has been perhaps the most inspiring outcome.”
“Cultivating such attention, and the application of the senses through exercises, then reflecting on those exercises with others can seem odd and embarrassing to our freshmen. But by the end of the semester, it has become a habit, and one that they discuss and write about with considerable joy and without shame.”
photos by lee pellegrini
—Brian Robinette, left, with Daniel Callahan
5
Chronicle
December 14, 2023
Engineering a New Way to Build Hockey Skills Continued from page 1
todesk, and then created it using the 3D printer in the maker space at BC’s 245 Beacon Street science building. Waldron estimates she went through about seven prototypes before arriving at the current version. It is stackable for easy transport and to allow for different shaft heights for the drills. It’s also a very sturdy device with an outer shell made of polylactic acid and an internal weight. Typically, stickhandling drills involve a set-up made of a couple of pucks taped to the bottom of each end of a hockey stick shaft to give the small elevation needed. The homemade system is common, used by beginners as well as collegiate athletes, but it has shortcomings—most notably an inability to stay in one piece. “I was talking with [Assistant Equipment Manager] Adam Krinsky about what we could do to improve the set-up. The guys use it often, especially in the offseason, but it’s breaking all the time. I said, ‘I have access to a 3D printer. I could talk to the coaches and come up with a design that we think would work and look good.’” Developing and building a solution with real-world application is something Waldron gets a charge out of as an engineering major. “I’ve always loved math and sciences,” said Waldron. “I knew from a young age that I wanted to do something in the STEM field.” When it came time to look at colleges, Waldron had her eye on several engineering schools—but not BC. Her mother convinced her to see the campus while they were visiting other Boston-area schools. (“Let’s just go see it. I’ve heard it’s gorgeous,” Waldon recalls her mom telling her.) While on campus, they joined a tour in progress, where Waldron learned that BC had just launched its Human-Centered Engineering (HCE) program in the fall of 2021. “I was blown away by the idea of human-centered engineering, something that I’d never heard of before,” said Waldron. “It was a risk because the program was so new, but also very exciting. I like that
BC Scenes Week of Dance
Boston College’s annual Week of Dance (November 27-December 2) ended with a two-night showcase at Robsham Theater that featured performances by student dance troupes including Sexual Chocolate (near right) and Fuego.
photos by caroline alden
Ashley Waldron ’26 used the 3D printer at Boston College’s 245 Beacon Street science building to make her SaucerPost device for the men’s hockey team. photo by lee pellegrini
you can take any form of engineering and figure out a way to do something that is of your interest but also is for others. The interdisciplinary nature of the program was a huge draw for me. I fell in love with BC and knew I needed to come here.” Through her Introduction to HumanCentered Engineering course, Waldron got certified to use the 3D printer, laser cutter, and sewing machine. In addition to the hands-on experience, engineering at BC also features a distinctly Jesuit component: reflection. The HCE Reflection course greatly appeals to Waldron. “That’s our time to focus on how we can be externally and internally whole people, men and women for others, by being conscious of our environment and how people live differently. It’s also about being conscious of ourselves and how we can manage our responsibilities.” Her favorite class so far has been Making the Modern World: Design, Ethics, and Engineering, taught by John W. Kozarich ’71 Chair of Engineering Glenn
Gaudette and Assistant Professor of the Practice Jenna Tonn. “The class was amazing. It was about the ethics and the history of engineering, with a focus on designing with intent. It taught us to learn from the mistakes of the past when designing for others. I had never really thought of history and engineering in that way.” When not in 245 Beacon St., Waldron spends most of her time in Conte Forum or traveling with the hockey team. “I’ve been around hockey my whole life, so I thought it would be a really cool opportunity to work with the hockey team,” said Waldron, who is in her second year with the program. Supporting a Division 1 team is a significant time commitment, said Waldron, one of five student equipment managers. “I’m there every day for as long as the players are—more if I’m doing laundry. Our job is to do whatever we can do to make sure that the players can get on the ice and play to the best of their ability. We take care of
everything off the ice, like sharpening their skates, so they don’t have to think about anything but playing. “Packing a bus for a road trip is a lot of work. There’s a lot more that goes into it than people realize. You need to be prepared for anything and everything. There’s not a lot of space under those buses. It’s like Tetris. It definitely takes everybody; it’s a big team effort. “I love working with the team. It’s been such a great experience. I’ve learned a lot about hockey, obviously, and equipment, but also about life, and being able to navigate things that are difficult or don’t go exactly the way that you want them to.” The players and coaches have given Waldron positive feedback on her creation. “The players have really taken to it. They love it and use it a lot in the shooting room.” SaucerPost has also piqued the players’ curiosity about its origin. “When I was working on my laptop trying to improve the design, the players would come over and ask me how I made it and how the software program works. It’s been really fun to give them a little insight into engineering.” A big fan of Waldron and her ingenuity is BC Trustee Susan Martinelli Shea ’76. Waldron is a Shea Family Pops Scholar and first met Shea in 2022 during a reception at the annual Pops on the Heights Scholarship Gala. “When Ashley told me that she was majoring in engineering, I started to cry,” said Shea, explaining that Waldron was the first BC engineering major she had ever met. “I told Ashley she was making history at Boston College.” In addition to seeing each other at the Pops concert each September, the pair has stayed connected through texting. “Sue’s an amazing person,” said Waldron. “She cares so much, not just about your education, but about you as a person. That comes across immediately. She wants to hear what you’re doing. She’s been an outstanding person to know.” “Ashley’s a superstar. She’s very, very special,” said Shea. “I feel so blessed that Boston College put her in my life.”
6
Chronicle
December 14, 2023
Coral Study Relevant for Ocean, Climate Changes BY CHRISTOPHER KERWIN SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
The Pacific Ocean’s western boundary current, which forms a critical regulator of sea surface temperature and weather patterns, has significantly strengthened as the planet warms, according to a new study, co-authored by Assistant Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences Xingchen (Tony) Wang and published in the journal Nature Geoscience. The study provides the first evidence that the western boundary current in the South Pacific has significantly strengthened during the 20th century in response to global warming, contributing to an intensified equatorial undercurrent, according to Wang, who uses stable isotopes to better document and understand the biogeochemical cycles in the modern and past oceans. Records drawn from coral samples also showed a pronounced recurring pattern of variable ocean-atmosphere climatic conditions—known as decadal oscillation—indicating that periods of enhanced western boundary current correspond to periods of increased sea surface temperatures in the eastern equatorial Pacific, according to the report, prepared by Wang, National Taiwan University’s Haojia Ren and her team, and collaborators from Taiwan’s Academia Sinica, University of California-Berkeley, University of Texas at Austin, and Hawai’i Pacific University. “This result confirms the significant role of the western boundary current in controlling the heat balance of the equato-
“More than 90 percent of the global warming heat has been absorbed by the ocean,” says Wang. “This means that the strengthening of the western boundary current has an effect on weather events that take place hundreds if not thousands of miles away.” photo by lee pellegrini
rial ocean, as predicted by climate models,” Wang said. The team examined the historical clues embedded in century-old coral, probing the chemical components of tropical coral’s skeleton for data on environmental and climatological conditions in the past, much like examining the rings that mark the year-by-year development of trees. The study, titled “Increased tropical South Pacific western boundary current transport over the past century,” explored how global warming has led to the strengthening of
the western boundary current in the South Pacific, which has had a significant effect on the broader global climate. Wang said that the team set out to better understand how the western boundary current has changed as the climate has warmed. The ocean acts as the largest heat reservoir in the Earth’s climate system, Wang said. “More than 90 percent of the global warming heat has been absorbed by the ocean,” Wang said. “The circulation of the ocean plays a key role in redistributing the ocean’s energy and in doing so, regulates global and regional climate. This means that the strengthening of the western boundary current has an effect on weather events that take place hundreds if not thousands of miles away.” He added, “The tropical Western Pacific Ocean is the largest warm pool in the world. It is particularly important for a climate phenomena known as El Niño.” The El Niño, declared by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to have officially arrived in June, has been closely associated with increased flooding and rain across the Americas and the Pacific. The western boundary current system in the tropical Pacific Ocean transports water into the equatorial region and regulates its sea surface temperature, influencing El Niño and La Niña (El Niño’s colder counterpart) activities. However, due to the limited availability of long-term observational data from satellites and instruments, it has been unclear whether the western boundary current is strengthening or weakening
in the context of global warming, Wang said. The researchers collected a century-long coral sample from the Solomon Sea and used a mass spectrometer to analyze the isotopic composition of nitrogen—namely the ratio of nitrogen-15 and nitrogen-14— preserved in the coral sample, which served as a proxy for western boundary current changes, according to the report. The coral records also showed a pronounced decadal oscillation, indicating that periods of enhanced western boundary current correspond to periods of increased sea surface temperatures in the eastern equatorial Pacific. Wang said the findings indicate that the continued strengthening of the western boundary current will keep playing a significant role in the global climate and the extreme weather events that have become increasingly common in the 21st century. “We were a bit surprised that the western boundary current has indeed strengthened under global warming,” said Wang. “It implies that the western boundary current will continue to play an important role in regulating tropical and global climate in the future. For example, enhanced western boundary current might make it easier to develop strong El Niño events, such as the one we are currently experiencing.” Wang said the next steps in this research will continue to use coral samples to study ocean circulation changes and how those changes interact with the climate system, both today and in the past. Christopher Kerwin is a sophomore in the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences
University, Trinity College Dublin Celebrate Partnership Fr. Keenan: Collaboration is part of BC’s goal to be ‘a flagship in international education’ BY SEAN SMITH CHRONICLE EDITOR
Boston College and Trinity College Dublin today wrapped up a celebration of their recently established partnership, closing out a four-day series of events in Dublin that included lectures and discussions with representatives from both institutions and a diversity of disciplines ranging from theology to law to political science to nursing. While there have long been small-scale collaborations between the two institutions, BC and Trinity pursued a formal, more expansive relationship over the past few years and last summer signed a Memorandum of Understanding that will provide “a basic platform for multiple engagements,” said Vice Provost for Global Engagement James Keenan, S.J. Fr. Keenan was among a number of BC administrators, faculty members, and students taking part in the celebration, held at Boston College Ireland—BC’s Dublin property—as well as Trinity venues.
Also present was School of Theology and Ministry Associate Professor Andrew Davis; Sullivan Professor of Irish Studies Guy Beiner, director of the BC Center for Irish Programs; Associate Professor of English Marjorie Howes; Political Science Professor Jonathan Laurence, director of the Clough Center for the Study of Constitutional Democracy; McIntyre Endowed Professor of Mathematics Solomon Friedberg; Mathematics Professor Martin Bridgeman; Ferris Professor of Physics Michael Naughton; Libby Professor of Law and Theology Cathleen Kaveny; BC Law Professor and Provost’s Distinguished Fellow Aziz Rana, the incoming Monan University Professor of Law and Government; Boston College Ireland Academic Director Michael Cronin; and Professor of the Practice in English Joseph Nugent, along with Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences juniors Cyrus Rosen and Samuel Peterson. Presentations included “Addressing ‘Democracy, Governance, and Education’ Today,” “Yeats, the Nobel Prize, and the Labour of Writing,” “Pathways to Holiness: Ethics and Early Christianity,” “Sensing Emigration: A Creative Colloquium,” “A Transatlantic Dialogue on Constitutional Law”—moderated via Zoom by BC Law School Associate Dean for Faculty and
Global Programs Katharine Young—as well as a joint BC-Trinity Maths Colloquium Series and a “research blitz” hosted by Connell School of Nursing Barry Family/Goldman Sachs Endowed Chair Christopher Lee that featured talks by Connell School and Trinity nursing and midwifery doctoral students. Founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I, Trinity is Ireland’s oldest university, divided into three faculties comprising 23 schools, offering degree and diploma courses at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Among its distinguished alumni are Nobel Laureates Samuel Beckett and Mairead Maguire; former presidents of Ireland Éamon de Valera and Mary McAleese; literary figures Oscar Wilde, Jonathan Swift, and Bram Stoker; philosopher Edmund Burke; and renowned politicians Robert Emmet and Wolfe Tone. The Trinity campus has been featured in such popular films as “Michael Collins,” “Circle of Friends” (starring Chris O’Donnell ’92), and “Educating Rita.” Fr. Keenan noted that many of the BC faculty in attendance—such as Bridgeman, Naughton, and Beiner—have longestablished ties with their peers in Trinity, underscoring the institutions’ common ground.
“This celebration was about our cultures, not just our universities,” he said. “The events that took place, and the general feeling of camaraderie present, showed the strength of a relationship that has formed over the years.” Fr. Keenan pointed out a larger context to the BC-Trinity partnership, which he said enables the University to “expand its footprint” in Dublin while strengthening its presence in that region of the world, which includes existing links with prominent institutions like University College Dublin and Queens College Belfast. Meanwhile, through its membership in the Strategic Alliance of Catholic Research Universities, BC has built partnerships with almost a dozen Jesuit and Catholic universities in Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, and Europe, leading to the formation of working groups of faculty doing research in areas such as climate change, health care, and migration. “One of BC’s longstanding goals is to be a flagship in international education, and especially in Jesuit education,” said Fr. Keenan. “That means recognizing and developing opportunities for collaboration in a multitude of disciplines and fields. A partnership with Trinity College Dublin is right in line with this objective.”
7
Chronicle
December 14, 2023
OBITUARY
Art Scholar Josephine von Henneberg, 94
Accomplished scholar of Italian Renaissance and Baroque art Josephine von Henneberg, a professor emerita of art history at Boston College whose tenure spanned nearly four decades, died on November 16 of complications from COVID. She was 94. Dr. von Henneberg, who joined what was then BC’s Fine Arts Department in 1963—only the second art historian hired by the University at the time— was a specialist in her field of Italian and Baroque art, with a focus on architectural history. Professor of Art History Stephanie C. Leone, chair of the Art, Art History, and Film Department lauded Dr. von Henneberg as a trailblazer who was held in high regard by her colleagues. “She was crucial to establishing the art history major in 1970 and developing the young department through her leadership as chair from 1965-1972 and 1973-1976, and professor of Italian art history until her retirement,” said Leone. “I didn’t have the privilege of teaching with her, but she became a mentor as I was starting my career at BC. I admired Josephine’s commitment to teaching and her intelligence, curiosity, and kindness. She always asked what I was working on and teaching, and I appreciated those conversations. Her generosity as a professor, scholar, colleague, and friend is a lasting legacy through the lecture series she founded to perpetuate the study of Italian art at Boston College.” In 1988, Dr. von Henneberg discovered a cache of 150 unsigned Renaissance architectural drawings in the Vatican Library and set out to trace the origins of these exquisite late 16th-century drawings of church arches, altars, and other fittings of grand public edifices. Her “treasure hunt,” as she called it, took her to museum archives in Florence, London, and Paris. She successfully identified many of the works’ artists and outlined her results in her 1996 book, Architectural Drawings of the Late Italian Renaissance: The Collection of Pier Leone Ghezzi in the Vatican Library. “It is a striking collection of drawings,” she told Boston College Chronicle in 1998. “It adds to what we know of the work of many important artists.” Dr. von Henneberg, who earned a doctorate from the University of Rome, also authored the book L’Oratorio dell’Arciconfraternita del Santissimo Crocifisso in Rome (1974), numerous articles in prominent international publications, and was the recipient of several grants. Upon her retirement in 2001, Dr. von Henneberg established the Annual Josephine von Henneberg Lecture in Italian Art, an endowed series that annually brings to campus esteemed historians of Italian art history to share innovative scholarship with the University community. In 2009, she and her husband Witold K. von Henneberg—an accomplished modernist architect to whom she was married for 62 years until his death in 2014— moved from Framingham, Mass., to Davis, Calif., where their daughter resides. Dr.
Josephine von Henneberg photo by lee pellegrini
von Henneberg then became a professor emerita in art history at the University of California-Davis, a position she held until her death. She remained active in her field as a professor emerita, and worked on architectural projects in Tuscany, Italy. Born Giuseppina Amatulli in Rome, she was known as “Pina” to her friends, according to her daughter, Krystyna von Henneberg, a writer and historian of modern Italy. “My mother believed passionately in helping students engage with art, architecture, and design in their everyday lives,” she said. “For her, everything was fascinating, if only one had the imagination and curiosity to really look. She sought to unravel the human sagas behind many projects that defined the Renaissance and Baroque eras. Her research aimed to humanize great works of art, and in doing so, reveal their inner spirituality. She took art appreciation out of the ivory tower, embracing artistic and technological genius wherever she found it, with wonder and delight.” Longtime colleague Jeffery Howe, a BC professor emeritus of art history who often team-taught with Dr. von Henneberg, praised her work and tenure. “She shared her knowledge and enthusiasm for the arts with her students and colleagues at Boston College for four decades. In that time, she published two groundbreaking books on Italian art based on her astute archival research in Italy, and many articles. Her lectures were richly informative and compellingly delivered. She was a generous and vibrant colleague and a great friend who will be deeply missed.” Howe, along with faculty members Pamela Berger and Susan A. Michalczyk, edited a festschrift in honor of Dr. von Henneberg upon her retirement, The Plume and the Palette: Essays in Honor of Josephine von Henneberg. “The range of local and international contributors testified to her distinguished reputation as a scholar,” said Howe, who also cited the admiration of her students, and a “belated thank-you note” sent to Dr. von Henneberg in 1998 by her former art history student James
Lehane ’69—who went on to be the executive assistant to the president of Boston College from 1997-2006. In it, Lehane recalled his freshman year as an inattentive student—and her justified frustration and eventual admonishment to him and his class cohort: “You people look but you don’t see,” he wrote. “I have replayed your words so many times…you gave me a gift of seeing and not just looking…I have thought those words and I have said them aloud, to my kids included as they were growing and learning.” Among other highlights of her rich personal and professional life, Dr. von Henneberg served in the late 1940s as the Italian Ambassador to the United Kingdom’s personal secretary, and along with other embassy staff was invited to tea with Queen Elizabeth II, according to Krystyna von Henneberg. She also served as a member of the Ladies Committee at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, was a founding member of the Danforth Museum, and
was an interpreter in Italian and French for the Kennedy family, and a guest at their Cape Cod compound. Krystyna von Henneberg described her mother as a polyglot: fluent in Italian, French, and English, with extensive expertise in classical Greek and Latin, and a working knowledge of Polish. In addition to her daughter and son-inlaw Luis Eduardo Guarnizo, Dr. von Henneberg is survived by her son William von Henneberg of Paris; grandchildren Arthur von Henneberg of Paris, Eva and Pablo Guarnizo of Davis, Calif., and great-grandchild Norah Nickell Guarnizo of Davis, Calif. In addition to her husband, she was predeceased by her sister Bice Amatulli. The family hopes to hold a memorial service next semester at Boston College. Donations in Dr. von Henneberg’s name to Garden in the Woods in Framingham, where she had resided with her husband, or to the Audubon Society, are appreciated, the family said. —University Communications
Nota Bene Earlier this fall, Boston College hosted the Northeast North America Regional Contest (NENA) as part of the International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC)—regarded as the oldest, largest, and most prestigious programming competition globally, and a true test of programming prowess. In the ICPC, teams of three tackle algorithmic challenges within a tight five-hour window, an experience that helps foster skills in collaboration, creativity, innovation, and performing under pressure. The Northeast North America region
consists of colleges and universities throughout Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York State (excluding New York City), Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland, and Labrador. Eighty-four teams across eight hosting sites participated in NENA, including 12 teams at BC: five representing Brown University, three each from MIT and BC, and one from Stonehill College. BC finished in seventh place at the site and ranked 23rd overall in NENA.
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. Assistant Director, Corporate Sponsorships Assistant/Associate Director, Leadership Giving Physician/Assistant Director, Sports Medicine Conservation & Preservation Manager Senior Research Associate Food Service Worker Emerging Technology Analyst
Public Safety Dispatcher Director, Annual Giving Programs Design & Prototyping Manager
Medical Assistant, University Health Services
Program Director, Master of Health Administration
Assistant Director, Residential Life and Student Engagement
Senior Assistant Director, Financial Aid Special Education Teacher
Admissions Assistant, School of Social Work
Assistant/Associate Director of Schools & Programs
8
Chronicle
December 14, 2023
BC Global
A Window on the Climate Change Summit Boston College delegation to COP28 shares its experiences with the University community BY ROSANNE PELLEGRINI STAFF WRITER
Members of the University community had an opportunity to hear firsthand about proceedings at the world’s largest international climate change conference, via interactive Zoom sessions with Boston College representatives at the recently concluded COP28. The December 4 and 11 “Dispatches from Dubai” events were held at BC’s Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society Convening Space at 245 Beacon Street. For the third consecutive year, the University was an official observer organization for the United Nations Climate Change Conference, or Conference of the Parties (COP). This highly influential annual global event—which began November 30 and ended yesterday—serves as the center of global climate change policymaking. “The ‘Dispatches from Dubai’ are part of a series of programs that the Schiller Institute is hosting to extend the University’s investment in sending our delegation to COP,” said Schiller Institute Seidner Family Executive Director Laura Steinberg. “The dispatches allow the full BC community to benefit from the delegation’s time at COP. While the conference receives plenty of media coverage, we see tremendous value in BC faculty and students being able to hear directly from their peers.”
“I’ve made connections and broadened my global perspective.” —Gabriella D’Angelo ’25 On December 4, an engaging group of eight undergraduates, School of Social Work Assistant Professor María PiñerosLeaño, and Lynch School of Education and Human Development Associate Dean Julia DeVoy shared their impressions of the first week of the conference, as well as their insights, interests, and takeaways. They attended high-level sessions with world leaders as well as smaller events tailored to specific topics, and debriefings by youth and research groups. The BC delegates also visited pavilions hosted by the countries in attendance, and enjoyed the experience of visiting Dubai. Gabriella D’Angelo ’25, an environmental geoscience and economics major, was struck by “the sheer amount of people who are also passionate about same things.” She called it “inspiring,” and has gleaned ideas for career options and ways to get
Boston College representatives at the United Nations Climate Change Conference held “Dispatches from Dubai” Zoom discussions with members of the University community. photo by lee pellegrini
more involved in sustainability issues. Her Boston College ID tag prompted an approach by a representative of a nonprofit Cape Cod-based wildlife fund, with whom she spoke and exchanged contact information in hopes of collaborating on campus events. “I’ve made connections and broadened my global perspective,” D’Angelo said. Human-centered engineering and economics major Leonard Alsleben ’26 had “preconceived notions” going into the conference, since it was held in Dubai and presided over by Sultan Al Jaber, chief executive of the United Arab Emirates’ state oil company, Adnoc. But given the focus on methane emissions, one of the most dangerous forms of greenhouse gas, Alsleben cited a pledge by 50 companies—representing half of global oil production—to reach near-zero methane emissions by 2030 as an “ambitious but promising goal.” Piñeros-Leaño, the group’s faculty lead—who also attended COP27—was especially pleased that one day had been specifically devoted to health, putting it “officially on the COP28 agenda.” Recounting a meeting which included United States Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, J.D. ’76, H ’14, former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates, and World Health Organization Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, “it struck me that health was seen in a holistic view, including mental health. A lot of work needs to be done in this area. “Gender also takes a primary role this year,” she added, “an effort to put women at the center of conversation, though decisions are still being made predominantly by males.” Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, she noted, highlighted the strength of women joining forces. “Dispatches” attendees were eager to pose questions to COP delegates (BC’s 20 representatives at Dubai were chosen
from a pool of some 300 applicants). One asked about the recurring discussion of the need for various sectors to work together on global crises—those in STEM, those with social science backgrounds, those in politics, and others—and how this could play out. In response, DeVoy underscored the important role of the Schiller Institute in fostering and facilitating such collaboration. “That’s the beauty of the Schiller Institute. These are complex problems and require multifaceted, multi-perspective, multimodal approaches. Engineers have to talk to social scientists, design thinkers have to
talk to entrepreneurs. You can’t just have policy makers make policy without talking to environmentalists, psychologists, and others. We have to have a transdisciplinary set of approaches. That’s the only way to make progress.” The session wrapped with two COP28 delegates headed to Dubai for the second week—among a group of four faculty members and six graduate students who participated in the December 11 dispatch—seeking advice from those who had navigated the first week. Practical tips included packing clothing appropriate for hot weather as well as comfortable walking shoes, and a recommendation of where to find the best coffee: the Colombian pavilion. Other members of the first-week delegates who participated in the first dispatch were seniors Anna Davis, Emily Forand, Gabriela Levitt, and Sophia Riordan, and juniors Jonathon Strang and Sancia Sehdev. Throughout COP28, BC delegates shared “day in the life” postings and photos on the Schiller Institute’s Instagram, bcschillerinst. “Coordinating the BC delegation to COP aligns beautifully with the Schiller Institute’s mission because the institute is the hub for interdisciplinary, cross-college activities on campus,” said Steinberg. “Climate change demands attention from each of us, and students and faculty from all schools and departments at BC are invited to join the delegation. Faculty and staff from many parts of the University make the final selection, a very difficult task when there are so many well-qualified, passionate applicants from BC who would like to attend.” The Advent season spirit was on display at Boston College as the fall semester neared its end. The University will be closed from December 25 to January 1; the spring semester begins January 16.
photo by caitlin cunningham