PUBLISHED BY THE BOSTON COLLEGE OFFICE OF UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
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Around Campus
New Director
Q&A
Bone marrow drive results in two matches; Rosengart to talk about conservatorships; Lunar New Year at the McMullen (right).
Jonathan Laurence becomes head of BC’s Clough Center for the Study of Constitutional Democracy.
BC Law Rappaport Visiting Professor—and “sherpa”—Doug Jones discusses the Supreme Court and American politics.
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FEBRUARY 17, 2022 VOL. 29 NO.10
Undergrad Applications Set Another BC Record
The Shape of Dance
BY SEAN SMITH CHRONICLE EDITOR
The Dance Organization of Boston College presented its showcase “Electric” at Robsham Theater on February 5, with appearances by Synergy and The Heightsmen. photo by caroline alden
Perseverance Rewarded BC grad Derrick Evans leads successful effort to establish museum honoring African American community BY PHIL GLOUDEMANS STAFF WRITER
Boston College alumnus and former part-time faculty member Derrick C. Evans finally realized a dream in December— but it wasn’t his dream alone. Evans, who earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from BC, was present for the December 11 opening of the first civil rights and labor museum dedicated to African Americans in Gulfport, Miss., located in the historic settlement of Turkey Creek, Evans’ hometown.
For more than 10 years, Evans, his relatives, and neighbors fought powerful corporate interests and politicians, and withstood the dual devastation of Hurricane Katrina and the pollution of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Their intent was not only to preserve structures and artifacts of a community established in 1866 by emancipated African Americans, but to achieve self-determination and environmental justice. Evans’ indefatigable efforts to protect the historic district and ecologically sensi-
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Having received the most undergraduate applications in its history this winter, Boston College is set to enroll a first-year class that furthers the University’s efforts to promote diversity as well as academic excellence, and provide higher-educational opportunities for underrepresented students, according to Director of Undergraduate Admission Grant Gosselin. As of last week, there were 40,484 applicants for the Class of 2026, compared to last year’s total of 39,877—which represented a record at that time for BC and a 36 percent increase over the applications total for the Class of 2024. Such results are gratifying, said Gosselin, but as he has reiterated throughout the
success of recent years, setting impressive benchmarks is not the intent of BC’s undergraduate admission program. He points instead to the success of various components that represent the key to a successful long-term strategy in line with the University’s enrollment goals. One facet is BC’s Early Decision (ED) application program, introduced in 2019 to meet the growing preference of high school students and enroll more applicants for whom BC was a first choice—students can apply November 1 for a December 15 notification (ED I) or January 1 for a February 15 notification (ED II). This admission cycle has seen a 37 percent rise over last year in ED to 4,428 applications, and approximately half the Class of 2026 has enrolled via ED.
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Study of Hispanic Educators Offers Valuable Insights BY KATHLEEN SULLIVAN STAFF WRITER
A Boston College research team’s groundbreaking study of Hispanic educators in United States Catholic schools offers insights into the experiences of these teachers and school leaders and suggests pathways to increase the presence of Hispanic educators in Catholic schools—a critical issue given that more than 40 percent of the U.S. Catholic population is Hispanic. The interdisciplinary study—the first of its kind to take an in-depth look solely
Melodie Wyttenbach and Hosffman Ospino photo by caitlin cunningham
at this particular sector of Catholic school educators on a national scope—was led by School of Theology and Ministry Professor Hosffman Ospino and Melodie Wytten-
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I wanted to challenge viewers’ expectations of what it means or looks like to be a baseball player, and reveal Samrath’s daily testament to his faith as he stands in front of his locker. – john walsh on his “keeping the faith” video, page 5
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February 17, 2022
Around Campus
Marrow Drive Yields Two Matches
BC Scenes
A five-minute pause on their way across campus last fall has brought two Boston College students one step closer to becoming life-saving stem cell donors. In November, nearly 800 students joined the Global Stem Cell and Bone Marrow Registry during a sign-up drive organized by the Project Life Movement, a nonprofit dedicated to saving the lives of patients suffering from leukemia, lymphoma, and sickle cell disease. The odds of being matched with a patient are about 1 in 1,000, according to the Project Life website, but in less than three months’ time, two Eagles have gotten the call. Currently, both students are undergoing further testing to confirm the matches, said Undergraduate Government of Boston College President Jack Bracher ’22, who was instrumental in organizing the November event. If all goes well, they will schedule a three- to four-hour procedure to donate their peripheral blood stem cells, which will be used to help save the lives of two patients with leukemia, one of them a four-year-old girl. By law, the students’ names are kept confidential throughout the donation process.
To celebrate Lunar New Year, the McMullen Museum of Art, in partnership with the Asian Caucus, Chinese Students Association, Korean Students Association, Taiwanese Cultural Organization, and Vietnamese Student Association, presented New Year’s food from various countries, games, and opportunities to make New Year’s decorations.
Bracher knows the feeling of being matched with a patient—after joining the registry five years ago, he received a call last summer asking him to donate. Soon after, the patient went into remission, but Bracher decided to give back in another way. He worked with the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and the Project Life Movement to coordinate another sign-up drive on campus. Joining him at the event was former BC and NFL star Luke Kuechly ’15, a national ambassador for Project Life and one of Bracher’s personal heroes. Together, they recruited students to swab their cheeks and join the registry, educating them on the process and potential impact. The turnout was one of the highest in Project Life history, a fact that didn’t surprise Bracher, who described the event as a natural fit for Boston College. “I don’t think there’s a better representation of being men and women for others than doing something like joining the registry,” he said. —Alix Hackett is a senior digital content writer in the Office of University Communications
PHOTOS BY CAITLIN CUNNINGHAM
Lunar New Year
BC Law Alumnus to Speak About Career and Conservatorships Mathew S. Rosengart J.D. ’87, a national leader in advocating for the rights of vulnerable populations, particularly in the area of legal conservatorships, will speak at the Boston College Law School Dean’s Distinguished Lecture at noon on Monday in East Wing Room 120. A partner in the law firm Greenberg Traurig LLP specializing in white collar litigation and media and entertainment cases, Rosengart represented Britney Spears in the lawsuit that ended her 13-year conservatorship in November. The case shined a light on United States laws surrounding these court-ordered arrangements, and how they can sometimes exploit otherwise vulnerable clients whose medical conditions prevent them from managing their own finances and daily lives. In a press briefing following Spears’ conservatorship hearing, Rosengart stated, “What’s next for Britney—and this is the first time this could be said for about a decade—is up to one person: Britney.” In addition to Spears, Rosengart has represented high-profile clients such as
ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT FOR UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
Jack Dunn
SENIOR DIRECTOR FOR UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
Patricia Delaney EDITOR
Sean Smith
Mathew S. Rosengart J.D. ’87 will give the BC Law Dean’s Distinguished Lecture this coming Monday.
Sean Penn, Winona Ryder, Steven Spielberg, Eddie Vedder, Keanu Reeves, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and professional athlete Jimmy Butler, as well as corporations Ve-
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rizon and Facebook. Previously, he was a supervisory assistant U.S. Attorney and U.S. Justice Department Trial Attorney, a law clerk in the New Hampshire Supreme Court to future Supreme Court Justice David H. Souter, and an adjunct professor at Fordham Law School. U.S. District Judge Robert J. Conrad, Rosengart’s supervisor at the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, described him as “one of the sharpest lawyers I’ve ever met at the Department of Justice,” and called his judgment “impeccable.” Rosengart has a long list of awards and acknowledgements, including “Top 100 Lawyers in the State of California”; the National Law Journal Sports & Entertainment Trailblazer Award; Los Angeles Business Journal “Leader of Influence: Litigators & Trial Attorneys”; Variety’s “game-changing” attorneys in the entertainment industry; Hollywood Reporter top 100 “Power Lawyers”; Justice Department Special Achievement Award for Meritorious Acts of Service; and the Federal Bar Younger Lawyer Award. He is a cum laude graduate of the BC
Christine Balquist Phil Gloudemans Ed Hayward Rosanne Pellegrini Kathleen Sullivan
Chronicle
PHOTOGRAPHERS
www.bc.edu/bcnews chronicle@bc.edu
Caitlin Cunningham Lee Pellegrini
Law School, and earned a bachelor’s degree from Tulane University. This is a hybrid event; a Zoom streaming option is available for those who cannot attend in person. Register for the Zoom session at bccte.zoom.us/webinar/ register/WN_KU5myqKGQRutiz_RlXj_ TA. —Phil Gloudemans
Docent Tours at McMullen The McMullen Museum of Art is offering free docent tours of its current exhibition, “Martin Parr: Time and Place,” every Sunday from 2-3 p.m. Meet in the Museum Atrium. No prior registration is required. If you would like to schedule a separate, private tour, contact the museum at least two weeks in advance. Go to bc.edu/ artmuseum for more information.
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.
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February 17, 2022
Laurence Takes Reins at the Clough Center Jonathan Laurence, newly-appointed director of the Clough Center for the Study of Constitutional Democracy, says the center is a venue “for critical conversations that run the gamut from undergraduate research presentations to debates with prominent intellectuals and politicians.”
BY SEAN SMITH CHRONICLE EDITOR
Professor of Political Science Jonathan Laurence, who has researched and written about the sometimes volatile mix of politics and religion in Western Europe, Turkey, and North Africa, has been appointed as director of the Boston College Gloria L. and Charles I. Clough Center for the Study of Constitutional Democracy, which seeks to reinvigorate and reimagine explorations of constitutional democracy in the 21st century. Laurence succeeds BC Law Professor Vlad Perju, the center’s director since 2012. “I inherit a robust center with an impressive public profile,” said Laurence, who praised the work of Perju and the center’s inaugural director, Professor of Political Science Kenneth Kersch. “The Clough Center has an important convening function on campus. It is known as a venue for critical conversations that run the gamut from undergraduate research presentations to debates with prominent intellectuals and politicians. “Ken and Vlad brought together cohorts of our brightest and most enthusiastic students. I aim to build on the vibrant graduate workshop and to continue their tradition of drawing participants from across Boston College and attracting some of the most interesting minds in the world to Chestnut Hill.” Established in 2008 through a donation by Gloria Clough CGSON ’96, and Charles Clough ’64, a former University trustee, the Clough Center promotes interdisciplinary reflection on constitutional government in the United States and throughout the world through campus and virtual events featuring distinguished scholars and experts—among them BC faculty—from a variety of fields and professions. Recent discussions have included “The Biden Presidency,” “Racial Justice & Democracy,” and “Privacy and Democracy: Threats and Opportunities in the Digital Age.” Laurence said future programming
photo by lee pellegrini
themes would include the importance of the press and media in constitutional democracies; religion and democracy in Europe and the Middle East; the place of civic education; and the role of culture and the arts in constitutional democracy. The center also supports BC students to facilitate their research and participation: Fellows across the University receive competitive Civic Internship Grants for their uncompensated work at government, nonprofit, and other civic institutions in the U.S. and abroad; Graduate Fellows are a group of doctoral students who participate in writing workshops and help guide the center’s programmatic direction. “The Clough Center for the Study of Constitutional Democracy offers a platform for Boston College faculty and students to explore democracy and its discontents, and it has benefited from Vlad Perju’s superb leadership over the last decade,” said Provost and Dean of Faculties David Quigley. “Jonathan Laurence is an acclaimed political scientist and will bring his wide-ranging comparativist interests to the work. I look forward to working close-
ly with him as the Clough Center engages with many of the most pressing problems of our time.” Laurence said the Clough Center’s role is especially critical today, given national and international developments since its opening. “We have seen mainstream political actors—in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and here in the U.S.—drift from democratic rules and norms. There is a troubling embrace of a narrow-minded conception of majority rule, one with less respect for political opponents and less common ground. “It isn’t enough to say, as Churchill put it, that democracy is the ‘worst form of government, except all those other forms that have been tried.’ Liberal democracy has clear advantages and we need a positive formulation to compete with authoritarian models.” Laurence, who joined the BC Political Science faculty in 2005, is the author of Coping with Defeat: Sunni Islam, Roman Catholicism and the Modern State (2021), which examined the historical parallels between the Roman Catholic Church and the Islamic Caliphate in their struggles to govern territories and populations—and then to offer spiritual services—from Europe and the Middle East to the immigration hubs of the U.S. “Both religions suffered three similar upheavals and challenges: the end of empires, the rise of the modern national state, and significant outward migrations from the ‘home base’ of the religious tradition,” he said in a 2021 interview with Boston College Chronicle. He also explored issues of comparative religions and politics in Europe, Turkey, and North Africa in The Emancipation of
Europe’s Muslims: The State’s Role in Minority Integration and Integrating Islam: Political and Religious Challenges in Contemporary France, co-authored with Justin Vaïsse. For Coping with Defeat, he undertook research in Vatican and Ottoman Archives and interviewed senior officials responsible for Islamic affairs or public religious education in Turkey and North Africa. He also spoke with interior and foreign ministry officials in various European capitals responsible for relations with ministries of Islamic and religious affairs in the Middle East. A local affiliate of the Center for European Studies at Harvard University, Laurence won the American Political Science Association’s Harold D. Lasswell Prize in 2006 for the best dissertation in public policy, and APSA’s prizes for best book in migration and citizenship and best book in religion and politics in 2013. He is a former fellow of the American Academy in Berlin, Wissenchaftszentrum Berlin, the Transatlantic Academy at the German Marshall Fund, Norwegian Research Council, LUISS University-Rome, Sciences Po (Paris), and the Brookings Institution. Laurence has provided commentary for numerous media outlets, including NPR, CNN, MSNBC, BBC, WGBH, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, The Washington Post, Christian Science Monitor, La Repubblica (Italy), Le Monde and La Croix (France), and Die Zeit (Germany). He earned a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University, a C.E.P. from Sciences Po (Paris), and a Ph.D. from Harvard. “I know the promises that U.S. democracy has delivered on, but I also have a healthy awareness of its shortcomings and injustices,” said Laurence. “Living in other political cultures also taught me that democratic values and rights must be exercised to avoid atrophy. Each model—including our own—is most persuasive when it lives up to the promise of its founding principles.” For more about the Clough Center for the Study of Constitutional Democracy, see bc.edu/bc-web/centers/clough.html.
Favorable Trends in Undergraduate Applications Continue Continued from page 1
“Interest in Boston College is at an alltime high, evidenced not only by the overall application total, but also by the rise in Early Decision applications,” said Gosselin. “By nature of their ED applications, these students have determined BC to be their top-choice college and the best fit for their academic and personal aspirations.” Also encouraging, he said, is the increase, from 50 to 75, in enrollees through QuestBridge College Match, a nonprofit program that helps high-achieving, lowincome students gain admission and scholarships to the country’s top-ranked colleges and universities; additional QuestBridge applicants will be admitted in the Regular Decision period. This was BC’s second year participating in QuestBridge, he noted, which augurs well for the future—and in
fulfilling BC’s objective of bringing firstgeneration and low-income students to the Heights. Related to this, Gosselin reported that among the applicants to the Class of 2026, 39 percent come from AHANA backgrounds. “I’m enormously proud of Boston College’s increased investment in our QuestBridge partnership, which is further strengthening our commitment to diversity, access, and equity. The students we’ve enrolled through QuestBridge thus far will impact our community in meaningful ways.” Although BC, along with many other colleges and universities, was test-optional for the 2021-2022 admission cycle, 45 percent of applicants submitted test scores.
The average SAT score among applicants is 1452, 33 for ACT. Public high school students account for 62 percent of Class of 2026 applicants, while private and independent school applicants are 23 percent of the total, and students from Jesuit or Catholic high schools represent 15 percent. Gosselin said the return to in-person admission programming at BC contributed to the growth in interest this year. “Despite the challenges presented by the pandemic, we welcomed a record number of prospective students to campus last summer. Programming continued in full force this fall, and the members of the Student Admission Program have done a remarkable job showcasing their student experience. Visitors have been impressed
with BC’s commitment to in-person learning and co-curricular opportunities during this challenging moment in time.” The University’s continued growth in academics and facilities made an impact on campus visitors, said Gosselin, citing the cutting-edge Complex Problems and Enduring Questions classes in the undergraduate Core Curriculum as well as new programs in Human-Centered Engineering and Global Public Health. “The opening of 245 Beacon Street also impressed many prospective students and families,” he added. “This collaborative, academic research center will be a centerpiece of student innovation to address the world’s challenges for decades to come.”
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February 17, 2022
Study Highlights Key Role of Hispanic Educators Continued from page 1
bach, executive director of the Roche Center for Catholic Education at the Lynch School of Education and Human Development. The study is a follow-up to the 2016 Boston College report “Catholic Schools in an Increasingly Hispanic Church: A Summary Report of Findings from the National Survey of Catholic Schools Serving Hispanic Families,” which unpacked the value that Hispanic families and students bring to U.S. Catholic schools and looked at ways Catholic schools could strategically engage, support, and be more hospitable to Hispanic Catholics. According to the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA), nine percent of teachers and leaders in U.S. Catholic schools are Hispanic. Ospino and Wyttenbach’s report, “Cultivating Talent: A Summary Report of Findings from the National Study Examining Pathways to Increase the Presence of Hispanic Teachers and Leaders in Catholic Schools,” is based on a sampling of more than 300 of these educators, about equally divided between teachers and school leaders, representing 71 dioceses/archdioceses across the country. The research was conducted over the course of 2021, starting with an online survey, followed by focus groups and one-on-one interviews. “This report looks at the talent of Hispanic teachers and leaders and the valuable assets they bring to the community,” said Wyttenbach. “Hispanic educators bring new life and new light to our schools, with the gifts of biculturalism, bilingualism, and the ways that they act as bridge-builders for many in the community. “We want to help amplify how their representation really helps to renew our Catholic schools and the Catholic Church in many ways,” she added. “One of the things we highlight in this report is that we see, in Hispanic school teachers and leaders, an instance in which the Hispanic community is beginning to shape the structures of the Catholic Church,” said Ospino. “Hispanic educators are bringing in their own experience, biculturalism, and bilingualism to shape not only the
identity of Catholic schools but also the sensibilities that inform that curriculum and the witness of Catholic schools today.” For Wyttenbach, some of the more significant findings from “Cultivating Talent” were related to the depth of Hispanic teachers and leaders’ education and their commitment to Catholic education. More than half of Hispanic Catholic school teachers and 89 percent of Hispanic Catholic school leaders hold master’s degrees. Thirty-three percent of Hispanic Catholic school leaders have doctoral degrees. Hispanic teachers have 13.7 years of teaching experience, mostly in a Catholic school context. Hispanic leaders in Catholic schools report being in their current role for about nine years and working in the Catholic school system for 16 years on average. About 40 percent of Hispanic teachers and 27 percent of Hispanic leaders in Catholic schools are immigrants, representing nearly every Spanish-speaking nation and mirroring the backgrounds of students and families in their community. Ospino noted that 85 percent of study participants attend church regularly and are involved in church life. “They have a real deep desire to serve in Catholic schools, and I think that is a vocational calling motivated by their faith,” said Wyttenbach. “It’s so impactful to think about the teacher who can model the faith for their students and their families that they serve. So, for those of us involved in Catholic education, how can we help to center that and help Hispanic educators shape the church and the future of the church through their vocational ministry?” “Hispanic teachers are advocates,” added Ospino. “They understand many of the dynamics facing Hispanic families. With Hispanic teachers and leaders at the center, they can speak to these experiences and concerns and say it’s not just about one or two families, but it’s everybody’s concern.” Ospino and Wyttenbach also spoke to the important role Hispanic teachers and leaders play in terms of representation. “We
Valerie Lewis-Mosley ’79, co-founder of Boston College’s “AHANA” acronym, spoke at the opening celebration for Black History Month on February 3 in Gasson 100. photo by caitlin cunningham
need teachers who are from underrepresented communities, so the children from those communities can see themselves one day serving in that capacity,” said Ospino. “That’s powerful.” The “Cultivating Talent” report also looked at areas of growth necessary to further support and retain Hispanic teachers and leaders in Catholic schools. “One point that needs highlighting is the importance of promoting Hispanic teachers to positions of leadership,” said Ospino. “It’s not enough to have Hispanic teachers teaching math or Spanish or science or religion. How do we make sure that they end up as vice principals, principals, and eventually superintendents? One way is being intentional by promoting them and supporting them. And that’s where universities, dioceses, and philanthropic organizations can play a major role.” “What struck me was how many Hispanic teachers and leaders spoke about alienation, loneliness, and tokenism,” said Wyttenbach. “We need to cultivate a sense of belonging and embrace and welcome these educators as they struggle with feeling culturally unrepresented.” Wyttenbach and Ospino said that they hope their report is a resource for conversation and discernment about how to cultivate Hispanic talent in Catholic schools. Cop-
ies of the report are being sent to bishops, Catholic school superintendents and other school leaders, researchers who are working on Catholic schools, and philanthropic organizations and other key leaders throughout the country. The researchers have recorded a podcast for NCEA and the study will be highlighted and discussed at NCEA’s national conference in April. In October, Boston College will host a national summit that will bring together stakeholders in the world of Catholic education to discuss the implications of this study. “Our findings demonstrate convincingly that Catholic schools in the U.S. are and will be further enriched by the presence and contributions of Hispanic teachers and leaders,” say the researchers. “As we plan for a stronger future for Catholic education in our country, we must make a renewed commitment to invest and cultivate talent within the Hispanic community. Now is the time.” Roche Center staffers on the study’s research team were John Reyes, Elena Sada, and Michael O’Connor. Lynch School doctoral candidates Jeremy Alexander and Kevin Holbrook and STM student Katie Ward also contributed to the study. Financial support was provided by Crimsonbridge Foundation. For more on the study, go to https://bit.ly/ cultivating-talent-report.
CTE Exec. Director Grooters to Lead U.S. Organization for Educational Developers Center for Teaching Excellence Executive Director Stacy Grooters has been elected as incoming president of the Professional and Organizational Development (POD) Network in Higher Education, a national organization for educational developers such as those working in university teaching centers. Grooters was chosen by the organization’s Core Committee to serve a three-year term—as president-elect, president, and then past president—beginning in June. The POD Network is North America’s largest educational development community, supporting more than 1,500 members representing several hundred colleges and universities throughout the United States and more than 30 countries. “The POD Network has been invaluable to me as I have come to understand the field, to do my own work, and to connect with others,” said Grooters, who became CTE executive director in 2020. “Its culture of collaborative leadership has really helped inform my own development as a leader.” Since joining the POD Network in 2006, Grooters has presented at the organization’s annual conferences, received two grants, and held leadership roles such as chair of the diversity committee. As Grooters prepares to step into her new role, she identifies promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the organization as one of her top priorities. “One of the reasons I chose to put myself up for this leadership position at this point is because right now, POD is hav-
Stacy Grooters photo by caitlin cunningham
ing a lot of really important conversations around diversity, equity, and inclusion in the organization,” said Grooters. “POD has always seen questions of inclusion, access, and diversity as core to its identity, but like a lot of organizations, it’s still figuring out how to do that. I’m really excited to be able to step in and help make sure that we follow through on that effort and that we make meaningful change from it.” Woods College of Advancing Studies Dean Karen Muncaster praised Grooters on her appointment. “It’s so impressive that Stacy Grooters has been appointed as the new president of the POD Network, which is one of the largest and oldest organizations dedicated to educational development in the world. It not only reflects well on Stacy and the esteem in which she is held by the members who represent hundreds of colleges and universities, but it highlights the importance of quality, evidence-based teaching at BC.” —Christine Balquist
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February 17, 2022
Q&A: Doug Jones
Ready to Serve, Ready to Guide As the United States Supreme Court confirmation process ramps up toward a selection and public hearings to replace retiring Associate Justice Stephen G. Breyer, President Biden has tapped former Alabama Senator Doug Jones, the current Jerome Lyle Rappaport Distinguished Visiting Professor at Boston College Law School, to guide Biden’s pick through the rough-and-tumble public airing of the candidate’s judicial record and personal life. The so-called Senate “sherpa”— so named for the Tibetan mountaineers well known for their ability to navigate across hazardous terrain—Jones, a Democrat, served in the Senate from 2018 to 2021, and was characterized by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) as “an individual who is well thought of on both sides of the aisle.” As U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama, Jones successfully prosecuted the 1963 Birmingham church bombing case. Chronicle posed some questions to Jones prior to the launch of the confirmation process. What was your reaction when the White House asked you to serve as the guide for President Biden’s Supreme Court nominee during the Senate confirmation process? Did you have any forewarning that the request was in the offing? Jones: I was of course both flattered and honored. I have known the President for a long time and to be asked to serve in such a position, especially this one with such historic implications, is quite humbling. All of this happened quite quickly follow-
ing Justice Breyer’s announcement that he was resigning, so I had little forewarning. Are you comfortable with the term “sherpa,” which has been used to describe your role in navigating what The New York Times has characterized as a “treacherous path”? Is there a better, more accurate term to describe the role? Jones: I realize that the term has been criticized by some, but it has been used in Washington for many years and not just for Supreme Court nominees. Generally, all major executive branch nominees have one or more guides during their confirmation process. I certainly hope that the nominee’s path to confirmation is not one that is “treacherous.” During your January 25 Rappaport Center for Law and Public Policy community address, you stated that “the greatest threat to the ideas that created this country is coming from within, from the very deep divisions we see in Americans that are only growing deeper,” but the best way forward is through dialogues instead of monologues. Would you expand on ways that leaders and the citizenry could begin to talk more collaboratively and reduce the divisiveness that exists today? Jones: First of all, it is important that our political leaders not view every issue, every policy, as one driven by the advancement of political power for themselves or the loss of power by someone else. Our elected officials are there to serve, not to just get re-elected. But citizens also play an
Rappaport Visiting Professor Doug Jones speaking at BC Law School last month. photo by vicki sanders
important role by demanding that service, not just political outcomes. The best way to make this happen is for folks to follow the advice of Atticus Finch, the fictional lawyer in To Kill a Mockingbird, and walk around in another person’s skin and see things from their point of view. Critics of the U.S. Senate contend that for many years, the chamber has not been a field of fair democratic play; it’s paralyzed by its own internal rules and insulated from the popular will by a 230-year-old formula for unequal representation. Are those criticisms accurate? Will your BC Law seminar, “The U.S. Senate Today: How It Works; Why It
BC Video Earns National Notice A compelling video illustrating the power of faith and identity by Office of University Communications Director of Creative Video Services John Walsh ’17, M.B.A. ’21 resonated with a wide audience, as evidenced by its more than 300,000 views to date. Now it’s garnered important industry recognition, having been selected as a finalist—the only higher education entry among a national pool of eight finalists—and earning an honorable mention in the Ragan Communications and PR Daily’s annual Video, Visual & Virtual Awards. “Keeping the Faith” tells the story of Eagles pitcher Samrath Singh ’22, believed to be the first observant Sikh to ever play Division 1 baseball. The video went viral after its launch last summer as an accompaniment to a Boston College Magazine Now piece. In his own powerful words, Singh describes how his faith aligns with Boston College’s Jesuit values. “It’s a true honor to be a finalist and to be recognized for one of the most meaningful projects I’ve worked on to date,” said Walsh. “I love video production and the opportunity to tell compelling stories that impact others, like this portrait of Samrath
A still from John Walsh’s video “Keeping the Faith” about Samrath Singh ’22.
Singh. It’s also meaningful to create content recognized in the Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion category. A thoughtful approach and keen awareness of diversity in video storytelling is extremely important to me, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to tell this story, which illustrates the power of faith and identity.” Singh embodies the University’s commitment to cura personalis, care of the whole person, Walsh added. “As he references in the video, wearing a turban is like wearing his heart and his faith on his sleeve, and his testament to his faith is powerful when he stands on the mound to deliver a pitch.”
Walsh—whose work has previously won an honorable mention in Ragan/PR Daily video awards and a Gold Excellence Award from CASE District I—explained his approach to the project: “From a visual perspective, the opening sequence is the best way to understand the goal of the video. Lit dramatically, I wanted to ‘reveal’ Samrath’s faith as it progresses from his cleats and uniform to his necklace, beard, and turban. I wanted to challenge viewers’ expectations of what it means or looks like to be a baseball player, and reveal Samrath’s daily testament to his faith as he stands in front of his locker. “As Samrath says, in addition to be-
Doesn’t,” address these challenges? Jones: I am not convinced that it is the 230-year-old formula where all states get two senators as it is the rules of the Senate that have evolved over time. The Senate rarely engages in the kind of dramatic debates we have seen in the past. Floor speeches are essentially political speeches, not debates. It is absurd in my view that the filibuster rule is now so perfunctory that 60 votes are required for passage of almost every piece of legislation. My view is that we can and should make the Senate more productive, produce more collaboration, and return the Senate to its original form as “The world’s most deliberative body.” And yes, we will examine all of this in class. You’ll be presenting a talk on February 28 about the 1963 Birmingham church bombing, which took the lives of four girls. What did resolving this case after so many years mean to you, professionally and personally? Jones: Everything. It is just that simple. It is difficult to put into words but it changes you as a person and as a lawyer by deepening your commitment to equality and to the fundamental rights and dignity of all people. —Phil Gloudemans Jones’ lecture, “Justice Delayed, Not Justice Denied: The Prosecutions of the 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing,” will take place February 28 at 3 p.m. in East Wing 115B on Newton Campus, and in virtual format. To attend in person, register at bit.ly/rappFeb28-inperson; to attend virtually, register at bit.ly/rapp-Feb28-virtual.
ing a brother, son, and baseball player, ‘being Sikh is quite literally who I am.’ I wanted to ensure viewers walked away with that message and a strong portrait of this thoughtful, genuine, and multifaceted person.” Creating content for higher education is rewarding, Walsh added, because it offers storytelling opportunities across so many different categories, including academics, athletics, arts, sciences, and human-interest pieces. As a result of the video and BCM piece, Singh was invited to share his story on ABC News’ “Good Morning America” and with other news outlets. “It is a tremendous privilege to have ‘Keeping the Faith’ viewed by so many people,” he said. “Knowing that my story has the opportunity to impact others is amazing. Being recognized with this honor means the world to me and I hope that everyone will embrace their individuality.” Ragan Communications “recognizes those who create and cultivate best practices,” its website notes; its award programs celebrate the most successful campaigns and initiatives. The Diversity, Equity & Inclusion award category honors submissions that showcase how organizations champion diversity and foster atmospheres of acceptance, illustrating how diversity and inclusion are part of an organization’s mission. View “Keeping the Faith” at bit.ly/bcmkeeping-the-faith —Rosanne Pellegrini
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After 41 Years of Fixing, Franks Bids BC Farewell BY SEAN SMITH CHRONICLE EDITOR
Mother Nature decided to give Facilities Services lead mechanic Michael Franks one last, little send-off ahead of his retirement from Boston College on February 4: a major blizzard that pounded Eastern Massachusetts over the last weekend of January, which meant plenty of overtime for Franks and his coworkers as they kept campus operations running (with an encore of an ice storm on February 4). But when you’ve worked someplace for 41 years, you tend to take things in stride, whether it’s long hours, rough weather, or assorted aches and pains. On his next-to-last day working the 6 a.m.-2 p.m. shift at the Service Building Garage, Franks contentedly reflected on his four decades at the Heights, where in addition to helping keep the University’s fleet of 150 service vehicles—plus landscaping equipment and the Conte Forum Zamboni machine, among other things—in working order, he was the driving force behind a regular early-morning oncampus hockey scrimmage. “It was a hard decision to retire,” he said, sitting in his office, where four jumpcharging units lined the window sill, a wall calendar sported a photo of a red 1960 BMW 507, and on a nearby shelf sat a table lamp with the figure of an eagle forming part of the base. “I like the job, and I think I still do it well.” Part of the challenge to doing the job was keeping up to date on the mechanical or technological changes in the service vehicles and other equipment. “But it’s also, of course, a very physical job: lifting 100-pound tires, pushing a heavy machine forward, fixing things in an awkward position,” added Franks, who sustained a significant back injury a few years ago. Add it all up, he said, and it seemed like the time had finally come to bid farewell to BC—not without regret. “I’ll miss the people here the most,” said Franks. “You can’t please everybody, obviously, but the people at BC are the best. We do a good job, we work hard, and we do our part to help make BC run.”
Franks may not have been born a mechanic, but he certainly became one early on. As teenagers, he and a friend cultivated a little business fixing bikes for neighborhood kids. He just had a knack for taking things apart, figuring out how they worked, and putting them back together; the more he did it (along with some instruction and training), the better he got, and the more he could do. “I can fix anything,” he deadpanned, “except a broken heart.” Forty-one years ago, Franks had a very different, and quite urgent, fix-it situation. He and his wife Debi had only recently welcomed the first of their three daughters when the car repair shop where he’d been working let him go. Fortunately, there was a place nearby that held the promise of jobs with health insurance and other benefits to support a growing family: Boston College, “a five-minute commute from my house,” he said. Applying for a housekeeping job, he recalled, “they told me I was over-qualified.” But Facilities Services administrator Don McGuinness saw Franks as an ideal fit for the third mechanic slot. His four decadestint at BC was underway. Franks had been at the University for several years when he got the idea for what would become an ongoing BC community activity, one that involved his other passion. Franks had played hockey throughout his youth, even attending the instructional camp in Ontario run by Boston Bruins legend Bobby Orr, and still loved the game. Why not, he thought, start a regular “morning skate” in the McHugh Forum, which at the time was home to BC hockey? The Athletic Association was amenable to the idea (“I had an ace-in-the-hole: I was the one who fixed the Zamboni machine,” said Franks), and before long the morning skate sessions were drawing upwards of 30 participants. Among them was a slender, middleaged Jesuit named J. Donald Monan, S.J., who happened to be the president of Boston College. “Fr. Monan was great to have around. He absolutely loved to skate,” said Franks, who recalled a warm encounter with Fr. Mo-
February 17, 2022
“I’ll miss the people here the most,” said Facilities Services lead mechanic Michael Franks, who retired on February 4. photo by caitlin cunningham
nan—by then retired as president—at the 2001 Frozen Four tournament in Albany, NY, where BC won the national championship. Another regular at the skate, which continued when the Conte Form Kelley Rink replaced McHugh, was Ferris Professor of Physics Michael Naughton, who had played hockey as a student at St. John Fisher College in western New York. Naughton’s introduction to the Kelley Rink session, and to Franks, was a memorable one, and he learned why Franks—whose position was defenseman—had earned the nickname “The Wall.” “I was trying a little too hard,” said Naughton, “so Mike brought me down to earth.” “I gave Mike a bit of a wake-up call,” confirmed Franks with a smile. It was, however, all meant in good, competitive fun, and the two Mikes became fast friends. “Mike is one of those people I hope BC never runs out of,” said Naughton. “He’s been a solid part of the institution, someone who seemed to know everybody—a universal person who doesn’t bother about status. Those are the people you want to have around.”
Another aspect of his BC career Franks valued was getting to know the students who worked part-time in Facilities Services. “I had parents who told me that their kid learned so much from me that it was like an extension of their classes,” he said. “I was just glad to do whatever I could to make their time at BC a good one.” Franks’ immediate post-BC plans include travel: He and Debi were set to take off to Cancun right after his last day, and are weighing a trip to Italy in the summer. A repairman can never truly retire, he acknowledges, so he expects to have a project or two come his way. He envisions a house on Cape Cod, maybe another in Florida—both with a detached garage so that he has plenty of space for tinkering. Most importantly, he also has six grandchildren (enough to field a hockey team), and looks forward to spending time with them. As he mused on the future, the present interrupted: “Hello?” a voice reverberated through the garage. “Can someone help me?” Franks went off to see what was going on, and returned several minutes later. “A handicapped van’s having some problems with its door,” he said, looking through his tools until he found the one needed, and went out to make yet another repair.
Mary Roberts Named Fellow of Distinguished Scientific Society Chemistry Professor was named last year. Emeritus Mary Roberts “The society covers a has been elected a fellow of wide range of biological the American Society for disciplines and I am pleased Biochemistry and Molecular to have been selected as a Biology (ASBMB), part of member of the 2022 class a select group of 28 distinof fellows,” Roberts said. “I guished scientists recognized may be retired, but I am still for outstanding accomplishworking up data and writing ments in research, education, up results and having fun.” mentorship, and service to Roberts, who earned a photo by gary wayne gilbert the scientific community. Ph.D. in chemistry from Roberts, still an active scholar followStanford University, has focused her reing her retirement in 2017 after 30 years at search on two primary areas: defining how BC, is a member of just the second class of membrane components control certain fellows selected from the society’s 12,000 enzyme activities and how this affects cell members. An inaugural class of 30 fellows signaling; and understanding how cells and
microorganisms respond to stress by adjusting their small molecule pools. Roberts was named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2007 and in 2008 received BC’s Distinguished Senior Research Award. The National Science Foundation and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation also recognized her work. In 2006, Roberts was among the faculty who assisted in the launch of the Women in Science and Technology (WST) program, which brought high school-age female students to campus to study with BC undergraduates and faculty. WST has since encouraged other pre-collegiate initiatives in the sciences.
“We are pleased to learn that Mary is elected to the fellows of ASBMB. This recognition is well deserved,” said Chemistry Department Chair Dunwei Wang, the Margaret A. and Thomas A. Vanderslice Professor in Chemistry. “It speaks not only of her outstanding scientific contributions in the field of biochemistry, but also of her significant service to the community. She will remain a role model and inspiration for our faculty and students.” The fellows will be recognized April 3 at the 2022 ASBMB Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, held in conjunction with the Experimental Biology conference. —Ed Hayward
OBITUARIES
BC in the Media
Jean McKeigue, 75; Led Community Affairs for 15 Years Jean Sullivan McKeigue, who as Boston College’s director of community affairs from 1988 to 2003 was at the forefront of efforts to build and maintain positive relations between the University and its host communities, died on February 4. She was 75. Ms. McKeigue was the primary liaison between BC and local neighborhoods, including municipal government offices, civic groups, and other agencies, and was involved in outreach programs and initiatives aimed at strengthening University ties with area residents. It could be a demanding role. Ms. McKeigue’s job entailed fielding complaints about off-campus student behavior or parking-related issues, and taking part in discussions with area residents and officials concerned about University capital projects, notably the expansion of Alumni Stadium and a proposal to replace McElroy Commons with three interconnected structures that included a new humanities building and student center. But Ms. McKeigue was instrumental in marshalling the University’s institutional support for ways to improve lives, as evidenced by the Boston College Neighborhood Center, which provides resources for local residents, community groups, and social service agencies; the Food for Families program, a joint effort by Boston College and the Greater Boston Food Bank to supply needy residents at Brighton’s Commonwealth Housing Development with monthly bags of nutritionally balanced groceries; and an extended services program—including career counseling, health services, and recreational activities—at Allston’s Gardner Elementary School (now the Gardner Pilot Academy). The Office of Community Affairs also administered the popular Read Aloud
Prof. Liane Young (Psychology) discussed how we understand—or fail to understand—the minds of other people in a segment of the NPR series “The Hidden Brain.”
Jean Sullivan McKeigue photo by gary wayne gilbert
Program, which continues to send BC employees to read books to children at nearby elementary schools, and was a key partner in developing the University’s annual Arts Festival. Ms. McKeigue came to BC with a strong background in school-community relations, having served for four years—one as president—on the Boston School Committee. During her tenure, she negotiated with 13 unions, worked with community organizations to promote private and public collaboration with the public schools, initiated reforms and reorganizations, worked with state legislators and local community leaders in every neighborhood, and chaired the superintendent search committee. Ms. McKeigue also had personal and familial connections to the University, as a graduate of Newton College of the Sacred Heart—which was subsequently acquired by Boston College—and as the daughter of William “Billy” Sullivan Jr. ’37, a former publicity director for BC and founding owner of the Boston (later New England) Patriots; her siblings Patrick, Charles, and Nanci also graduated from BC. A celebration of her life is planned for the spring. —University Communications For the full obituary, see bit.ly/jean-mckeigueobituary
Sandra Mott, 79; CSON Faculty A memorial service was held on February 12 at Memorial United Methodist Church in Beverly for Sandra Ruth Mott, a retired associate professor in the Connell School of Nursing and an expert in the field of pediatric nursing, who died on January 21. She was 79. Dr. Mott taught at Boston College from 1979 to 2011, during which time she chaired the Connell School’s Department of Maternal and Child Health. She was president of the Society of Pediatric Nursing from 2006 to 2008 and a member of the Pediatric Nurses Certification Board from 2005 to 2011. Dr. Mott was the lead editor of Nursing Care of Children and Families: A Holistic Approach, which received the Pediatric Nursing Book Award in the Clinical Issues category in 1985 and the American Journal of Nursing Books of the Year Award in 1986-1987 and again for the second edition in 1990. She
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was an active member of the Eastern Nurses Research Society, Massachusetts Association of Registered Nurses, and Sigma Theta Tau International, Alpha Chi Chapter. In further continuing her lifelong commitment to advancing science, she donated her body to Harvard Medical School. Prior to joining the Connell School faculty, Dr. Mott taught at Simmons College and directed the affiliate program at Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Boston, where she had served as assistant head nurse of the clinical research center. She is survived by her husband, Stephen; her son Adam; her daughters Rachel Mott Keis, M.D. and Sarah Lavelle; her sister Lois Hoisington; and seven grandchildren. In addition to her parents, Dr. Mott was predeceased by her brother, Steven Goossen. For the full obituary, see bit.ly/3swrQXU
The pandemic has magnified many of the problems of time poverty—especially for caregivers and the poor, Woods College of Advancing Studies Associate Dean and M.S. in Applied Economics program director Aleksandar Tomic told the BBC. At a National Black Catholic Congress virtual forum, theology doctoral students Chanelle Robinson, a Trudeau Foundation scholar, and Byron Wratee discussed church teaching on ecology and their experiences related to environmental racism. The event was covered by National Catholic Reporter. School districts that serve the nation’s most vulnerable children don’t have the financial resources to rebound from natural disasters, according to a recent Government Accountability Office study. Assoc. Prof.
Betty Lai (LSOEHD), whose research focus is in this area, commented on the report in an interview with UPI. Prof. Rev. Richard Lennan (STM) discussed the clergy abuse crisis in Australia during a recent panel event, covered by Catholic News Service, on the handling of the crisis in the United States and elsewhere. Prof. Kent Greenfield (Law) weighed in for a Newsweek story on Justice Stephen Breyer’s retirement announcement and the future of the Supreme Court. In a video for Faculti, Prof. of the Practice Can Erbil (Economics) explained how to teach the fundamentals of inequality in economics. How to incorporate math into everyday interactions with children? Prof. Eric Dearing (LSOEHD) shared his insights in an edition of the podcast “Parenting Understood.”
Grant to Support Altindis’ Diabetes Study Assistant Professor of Biology Emrah Altindis has received a $110,000 grant from the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) to support his research into Type 1 diabetes, or T1D. “I am honored to receive this prestigious JDRF Innovative Grant that is specifically designed to support highly innovative research projects to better understand T1D,” Altindis said. “We are grateful for this support and happy to see that our work on pediatric T1D is now recognized by the main foundation, JDRF, in the field.” The funding will support his lab’s work on a “high-risk, high-impact” project exploring the link between gut microbes, viral infections, and T1D onset, he said. The project is an outgrowth of the lab’s recent discovery of microbial insulins. The project will involve the use of genomic se-
quencing technologies to examine whether microbes stimulate onset of T1D, he said. There are more than 1.5 million T1D patients in the United States, according to the American Diabetes Association. “Because we do not understand the disease dynamics and cannot identify the main trigger(s) of the disease, there is no way to prevent new cases or cure T1D,” Altindis said. Altindis hopes the project will contribute an important missing element in the knowledge of the role of microbes in T1D. Confirming a new link between gut antigens, microbial insulins, and T1D could advance the development of new therapies, such as vaccines, antibiotics, or probiotics for prevention and treatment of the disease. —Ed Hayward
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.
College Service Center
Space & Data Planner
Development Assistant
Asst./Assoc. Director, Sports Medicine, Football
Resource Acquisitions Assistant
Program Director, Ever to Excel
Resident Director
Business Analyst Staff Nurse Assistant General Manager, Catering Assistant Registrar Director, Catholic Religious Archives Program Fiscal & Grant Administrator, Morrissey
Assistant Dean for Clinical Placement, Connell School of Nursing Campus Minister
Assistant Director, Biology Labs Health Care Assistant Lead Teacher, Pine Manor College Laboratory Safety Specialist Student Services Associate Post-doctoral Research Fellow (multiple positions)
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February 17, 2022
Evans Puts Values to Work in Uplifting Community Continued from page 1
tive estuary were depicted in the documentary “Come Hell or High Water: The Battle for Turkey Creek,” by filmmaker Leah Mahan, which won the Audience Award for Documentary Feature when it premiered at the New Orleans Film Festival in October 2013. “This small building effectively reflects and conjoins the complex environmental, cultural, social, and civil rights history and heritage of my community, state, and nation,” said Evans at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. “It reflects many decades of seen and unseen advocacy for fair wages, workers’ rights, job safety, public health, equitable development, environmental justice, and community restoration.” His involvement in the salvation of Turkey Creek is one of many examples of Evans’ dedication to justice as an educator, historian, and activist. At BC, he was a charter member of the Charles F. Donovan Urban Teaching Scholars program, which prepares K–12 teachers in urban schools through a curriculum that prioritizes critical inquiry, social justice education, and community building. He taught American history and social studies at the Phillis Wheatley Middle School in Roxbury for 10 years, and undergraduate history, social sciences, and humanities courses at Roxbury Community College and Harvard University’s Radcliffe College. He lived on Roxbury’s historic and closely knit Wakullah Street, owns property there today, and rents or shares his residences with former “Donovans”—the nickname for members and alumni of the Donovan Scholars program, housed in the Lynch School of Education and Human Development. In 1997, he and a coalition of educators, Episcopal clergy, and community activists founded the independent, Dorchester-based Epiphany School in response to a critical need for a high-quality, full-service, and tuition-free middle school targeting Boston’s most economically disadvantaged families. As an adjunct faculty member at BC from 1992 to 2005, Evans taught United States civil rights history, using “Eyes on the Prize,” the award-winning PBS documentary that recounts the fight to end decades of discrimination and segregation, as his primary teaching tool. Motivated by the desire to conserve and restore the culture, ecology, and self-determination of his ancestral community and watershed, Evans founded Turkey Creek Community Initiatives (TCCI) in 2003—a decision that would prove prescient two years later. After Hurricane Katrina hit in August of 2005, Evans eschewed his fall semester teaching plans and instead organized an emergency supply run to his hometown. Leading a convoy of three 26-foot trucks filled with gallons of water, barrels of gasoline, canned food, building materials, and generators, Evans and four BC students (including two Donovan Scholars) distributed supplies to his relatives and neighbors, including his 70-year-old mother, after arriving in the flooded, storm-torn coastal
Derrick Evans ’90, M.A.T. ’94 speaks to visitors from Boston College on the porch of the YaryanPhoenix Museum, headquarters of his nonprofit Turkey Creek Community Initiatives. photo by david m. goodman
plain. That fall, TCCI began to coordinate much of the ongoing relief work to achieve an equitable, multi-sector recovery across the Gulf Coast. One year later, he bought an abandoned, dilapidated, and termite-infested dwelling in the neighborhood for $10,000. At the time, he didn’t realize that he now owned the former paymaster’s office for what was the last relic of the area’s oncebooming forest industries, which included sawmills, and creosote and turpentine factories. “I knew it had to be historic,” Evans told the Biloxi, Miss., Sun Herald. “Most people would’ve torn it down. I didn’t.” In 1909, Ohioan Homer Yaryan, inventor of a process to extract turpentine and rosin from pine stumps and wood knots, chose the Gulfport area for his operation because of its bountiful pine supply, and its rail and water accessibility. The plant—often referred to by locals as “the knot plant” or “the Yaryan”—offered steady, albeit dangerous employment for local Black laborers, eager to find work. The company was later sold and the plant renamed Phoenix Naval Stores. A 1943 plant explosion killed 11 workers, including nine African American men from the Turkey Creek area; only the paymaster’s office survived because of its fire-resistant concrete outer walls and roof. Evans recently discovered that coincidently, his great-grandfather had acquired and then moved the heavy building a few hundred yards from its original location to the parcel he now owned. Gulfport twice condemned the paymaster’s office following Evans’s purchase, and he considered tearing it down, but once he understood the building’s history, and how it symbolized the exploitation of the environment, and African American workers locally and nationally, he led the restoration campaign. “It was almost predestined that what has happened would happen,” said Evans in an interview with the Sun Herald. “God’s
hand was in it.” During the Katrina recovery, architectural historians, structural engineers, and federal agency representatives concluded that Turkey Creek’s rich history and environmental resources were endangered by both neglect and Gulfport’s development priorities following its annexation in 1994. This realization was no surprise to Evans, who had been a relentless advocate for Turkey Creek’s preservation, a community three decades older than the rapidly encroaching city. In 2007, Turkey Creek was named to the National Register of Historic Places, and eight years later, the paymaster’s office was listed as one of the state’s “10 Most Endangered Historical Places” by the Mississippi Heritage Trust. In 2018, a $500,000 African American Civil Rights grant to the Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain via the National Park Service, funded the restoration of the iconic old building, overseen by Evans and the community that considers it emblematic of their kinship, pride, tenacity, and future. The Yaryan-Phoenix Museum—as it is formally known—is TCCI’s physical home and a repository for the history of the
Black workers who toiled in Mississippi’s forest industries at low pay and great risk. Like a mini-monument, it serves as a witness to the perseverance of African Americans who survived slavery and Jim Crow segregation, forever anchoring a community that can trace its lineage to five family surnames, one of which is Evans. Ever the historian, Evans noted during the December 11 ceremony how fitting it was that the paymaster’s office, with its once segregated entrances and ownership by a company named Phoenix, has risen from the proverbial ashes like the mythical bird symbolizing renewal and rebirth. The director of TCCI, Evans is a managing advisor to the Gulf Coast Fund for Community Renewal and Ecological Health and co-founder of Bridge the Gulf, a community media project to elevate the voices of Gulf Coast communities striving for justice and sustainability. Nonetheless, he remains inextricably connected to Boston, fighting gentrification and stewarding the Wakullah Street community. His Boston, and BC, connections were evident at the ceremony. Among those attending were Lynch School administrators David M. Goodman, Yasmin Nunez ’97, and Ashana Hurd ’03, a former Donovan Scholar; current Donovan Scholars Nyree Smith ’22 and Seraj Sidibe ’22; Eva Hickman-Maynard ’97, former assistant director of affinity programs at BC and a former Epiphany School trustee; and Carol Hurd Green, an associate dean in the College of Arts and Sciences while Evans was an undergrad there and former director of the Donovan Scholars program. “It is so rare to see courage in action,” said Goodman, reflecting on the event. “It takes extraordinary strength and love to carve out an ethical and responsive way of living in community. We witnessed this very thing in Turkey Creek and it was an exceptionally moving experience. Derrick’s work makes us proud and inspires.” “One of the Donovan Scholars program’s core values is uplifting and transforming our community,” said Hurd. “We talk a lot about the importance of using one’s knowledge, not just for one’s gain, but rather harnessing it to better and uplift the community. Derrick Evans is a living example of what we value.”
Tools on display in the museum, the former site of a plant for extracting turpentine and rosin from pine stumps and wood knots.
photo by nyree smith