PUBLISHED BY THE BOSTON COLLEGE OFFICE OF UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
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Around Campus
Fulbright Fellowship
BC Scenes
A multifaceted conversation on Ukraine; junior wins “Bring It to the Heights” for second time.
Ashley Duggan to conduct research on interpersonal communication, health, and relationships.
University formally dedicates Pete Frates Center on Brighton Campus.
PUBLISHED BY THE BOSTON COLLEGE OFFICE OF UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
MARCH 31, 2022 VOL. 29 NO. 13
A Troubling Portent BC Center for Retirement Research report says Aduhelm saga shows Medicare needs more negotiating power on drug costs BY SEAN SMITH CHRONICLE EDITOR
(L-R) University community members Scott Olivieri, Jack Bracher, and Emma Frazier are gearing up to run the Boston Marathon in support of the Boston College Campus School. photo by caitlin cunningham
Running with Care BC marathoners raising funds in support of the Campus School BY LUCAS CARROLL SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
Watching buses full of students leave the Boston College Campus School at the end of a recent work day, Lynch School of Education and Human Development graduate student Emma Frazier, a part-time teacher’s assistant at the school, couldn’t help but smile. “I care so much about it and the students and the staff—they’re just so awesome and they make it easy to care about,” said Frazier, who helps support the innovative school for young people with extensive disabilities alongside 196 other Boston College students and a full-time staff of 40 teachers, therapists, and nurses. “We’re
kind of like another team on BC’s campus, and I think that’s something to be celebrated. We’re part of the community, and that’s really special.” On Patriot’s Day, Frazier and two other members of the BC community— Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences senior Jack Bracher and Scott Olivieri ’90, M.A. ’15, Ph.D. ’18, director of web services in the Office of University Communications—will put their love for the Campus School into action by running the Boston Marathon to raise money for the school. “I think it’s a really special way to do my first marathon,” said Frazier, “and I can’t imagine doing it any other way.” During the Campus School’s 50 years
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The recent controversy over Alzheimer’s treatment Aduhelm—criticized for its high cost and dogged by questions about its effectiveness—should serve as a warning to Americans about the limits of Medicare to make drugs affordable to those enrolled in the federal insurance program, according to a report by the Boston College Center for Retirement Research. Titled “Medicare’s Finances and the Aduhelm Saga,” the CRR brief called for policymakers to give Medicare more power to negotiate prices for medications it covers, given the likelihood that other expensive drugs will emerge in the future. “Congress needs to change the rules of the road, so that these much-needed products do not bankrupt the Medicare program or individual beneficiaries,” wrote the study co-authors, CRR Director Alicia Munnell and Research Associate Patrick
Hubbard. Aduhelm generated hopes in the public and medical community alike when it was developed several years ago under the name aducanumab by Biogen Inc., but disappointing results from initial trials of the drug dampened enthusiasm. Biogen nonetheless restarted the Federal Drug Administration approval process in 2019, claiming that analysis of a larger dataset showed higher doses of aducanumab reduced clinical decline among patients in early stages of Alzheimer’s. Even though tests still failed to show conclusively that it worked, and an advisory committee overwhelmingly voted against approval, last June the FDA greenlighted aducanumab to be manufactured under the name Aduhelm. Another aspect of the Aduhelm controversy emerged: its cost of $56,000 a patient per year. In the wake of weak sales of the product, Biogen cut the price to $28,200. But as the CRR report noted, Aduhelm Continued on page 8
Kairos Reaches a Milestone BC’s popular retreat program to celebrate quarter-century BY KATHLEEN SULLIVAN STAFF WRITER
Boston College will mark the 25th anniversary of the formative and wildly popular Kairos retreat program on April 10 with a celebration in Gasson 100 at 3:30 p.m. featuring remarks from Sam Sawyer, S.J. ’00, M.Div. ’14, who served as a student leader for BC’s first-ever Kairos retreat,
as well as reflections from students and alumni connected to Kairos. The anniversary event, which will coincide with the 230th and 231st Kairos student groups’ return from their weekend retreat, will begin with a Mass at 2 p.m. in Trinity Chapel on Newton Campus, concelebrated by Fr. Sawyer. Sponsored by Campus Ministry, Kairos
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We can alter the life trajectory of a child. When you put the right conditions in place around children, and teachers know this, we can do that. Children don’t fail. We, the adults, fail children. – kearns professor mary walsh, page 5
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Around Campus
BC Faculty Panel Offers Interdisciplinary Conversation on Ukraine A March 21 panel discussion with five Boston College faculty members took a long, and wide, view on the compelling and tragic events in Ukraine. “Ukraine: In War, In Peace, In History” brought together a mix of expertise and interests across disciplines: Political Science faculty members Professor Gerald Easter and Professor of the Practice Paul Christensen; Associate Professor of Mathematics Maksym Fedorchuk; and, from Eastern, Slavic, and German Studies, Professor and Chair Franck Salameh and Lecturer Curt Woolhiser. Interviewed after the event, Salameh, who served as moderator, pointed to the remarks by Woolhiser as an example of the value in looking beyond purely political and international-relations aspects of the Ukraine-Russia conflict. He praised Woolhiser for giving a “fascinating crash course” in the history of Slavic languages and the place of Russian and Ukrainian in that family of languages, and how each influences collective identities and memories in the Slavic ethnoreligious space. “I think his shedding light on the specific functions of Russian and Ukrainian, and the social, ethnic, cultural, and political meaning those languages convey to— and through—their users,” said Salameh,
“makes it easier to truly understand what drives, politically, [Russian President] Putin and his opponents, and the political history of that region.” Professor of Russian, English, and Jewish Studies Maxim D. Shrayer, who organized the event but was unable to participate, summed up the rationale behind the discussion. “The former USSR was a country of great national, ethnic, and cultural diversity, best understood through interdisciplinary lenses. Today’s Ukraine, too, is a
Snapshot
PHOTO BY CAROLINE ALDEN
Revived
Boston College Dance Ensemble held its annual performance at Robsham Theater on March 18. This year’s show was titled “The Revival.”
ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT FOR UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
Jack Dunn
SENIOR DIRECTOR FOR UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
Patricia Delaney EDITOR
Sean Smith
CONTRIBUTING STAFF
Left, Curt Woolhiser spoke during the “Ukraine: In War, In Peace, In History” panel discussion, at which a student wore a traditional Ukrainian headdress. photos by caitlin cunningham
nation of significant diversity of languages, cultures, religions, and ethnicities, and the war has united its people against Russia’s neo-colonial aggression. “Three of my four grandparents were born in Ukraine,” added Shrayer. “I feel a vital connection with the country and her people, and this terrible war has affected
Bastien Wins ‘Bring It to the Heights’ Stencia Bastien, right, a junior in the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences, was the winner of the 17th annual “Bring It to the Heights” competition, held March 3 at Robsham Theater. Bastien’s singing ability also led to her first-place finish in the 2020 edition. The “American Idol”-inspired competition— formerly called Sing it to the Heights, but renamed to emphasize its new inclusion of a variety of talent performances, such as card tricks—raised $1,712 to support afterschool programs and student tuition at Saint Columbkille Partnership School, a Catholic elementary school in Brighton operated by the Saint Columbkille Parish, the Archdiocese of Boston, and Boston College. The event, which features a judges panel of Boston College Jesuits—Donald MacMillan, S.J., and School of Theology and Ministry students Sean Hagerty, S.J., and Damian Torres-Botello, S.J., served this year—has the dual aim of providing support for Saint Columbkille and showcasing the talents of Boston College students.
Christine Balquist Phil Gloudemans Ed Hayward Rosanne Pellegrini Kathleen Sullivan
Chronicle
PHOTOGRAPHERS
www.bc.edu/bcnews chronicle@bc.edu
Caitlin Cunningham Lee Pellegrini
me profoundly. The war in Ukraine has already created the biggest refugee crisis Europe has seen since World War II. It has elicited a wave of anti-Russian sentiments. It is important that we remember that the culprits are Putin’s regime, his henchmen and generals, and not Russian people or Russian culture.” —Sean Smith
photo by tim correira
“The Emerging Leader Program and Saint Columbkille Partnership School has a long history of a positive relationship and bond,” said Dylan Gay, a graduate assistant in the Office of Student Involvement who co-organized the event, who added that ELP students serve Saint Columbkille by supporting their afterschool programs. —Christine Balquist
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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Duggan Earns Fulbright Fellowship in Medicine BY SEAN SMITH CHRONICLE EDITOR
Professor of Communication Ashley Duggan has been awarded a senior-level Fulbright Fellowship in Medicine, and will serve as a senior scholar with the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. The fellowship will enable Duggan, a faculty member at Boston College since 2004, to build on her distinctive interdisciplinary research as a social scientist who explores the intersections among interpersonal communication processes, health, and relationships. During her Fulbright year, which begins in 2023, she will work with the Centre for Positive Psychology and Health, which she notes is the only such research center in the world housed uniquely within health sciences. “The Fulbright Fellowship in Medicine is the culmination of more than two decades of international, interdisciplinary research and leadership that links relationship science and human communication studies to lifestyle medicine,” said Duggan, citing two recent endeavors of particular relevance: the partnership she created between the International Communication Association and ICCH: European Association for Communication in Healthcare, and her current fellowship with the Association of Departments of Family Medicine and the North American Primary Care Research Group.
Professor of Communication Ashley Duggan will serve as a senior scholar with the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. photo by caitlin cunningham
“The partnership and fellowship both serve to connect the scientific study of relationships and human communication research to health care research. Now, I will have the opportunity to connect what I’ve been doing at BC with a focus on behavior and relationships for human flourishing with lifestyle medicine, formally bringing together social science and health care. Given what we’ve all seen and experienced in the past few years with COVID, the importance of combining these disciplinary perspectives
Bruce Honored by Council for Exceptional Children Lynch School of Education and Human Development Professor Susan M. Bruce, right, whose career has focused on how students with severe disabilities communicate, was named the recipient of the 2022 Distinguished Service Award from the Division of Visual Impairments and Deafblindness of the Council for Exceptional Children. The annual award, bestowed since 1984, recognizes remarkable contributions and exemplary leadership and commitment to the field of education and rehabilitation of students with visual impairments and deafblindness. Bruce, who joined the BC faculty in 2001 and chairs the Lynch School’s Teaching, Curriculum, and Society department, has spent more than 35 years teaching and consulting in adult services, schools, and university settings that serve children and adults who are blind/visually impaired or deafblind. Her major research interest is communication development and intervention, particularly how deafblind learners develop symbolic expression. She has conducted numerous action research studies on assessment, and published more than 60 peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and policy papers primarily focused on individuals who are blind/ visually impaired or deafblind. “For several decades, Susan Bruce has been at the forefront of research on visual impairments and deafblindness,” said Stan-
photo by caitlin cunningham
ton E.F. Wortham, the Charles F. Donovan, S.J., Dean of the Lynch School. “It’s wonderful to see her important contributions recognized with this lifetime achievement award from a preeminent organization in the field.” Bruce is a past recipient of the Virginia M. Sowell Award for outstanding contributions in deafblindness/multiple disabilities from the Association for the Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired. The Council for Exceptional Children is the largest international professional organization dedicated to improving the success of children and youth with disabilities and/or gifts and talents. —Phil Gloudemans The University has announced it is extending voluntary asymptomatic COVID-19 testing at the Margot Connell Recreation Center until May 17. See bc.edu/forward.
is obvious.” The essence of her research, Duggan explained, is this: Humans tend to see illness and other health issues as abnormal, even antithetical to our existence. But the way in which humans respond to illness and health issues, and especially how we communicate with one another about them, is fundamental to understanding what makes us human. “What interests me is that place where the biomedical meets the lived experiences of people,” said Duggan, whose appointment in family medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine enables her research on human communication processes to be integrated into the teaching and practice of clinical work in primary health care. “Who we are as relational beings is tied to how we understand health and illness. It’s vital to facilitating a long-term dialogue between health care communication and health carerelated decision making.” Boston College is a perfect fit for such scholarship because of its curricular and formational emphasis on the human condition—not to mention its proximity to Boston, a “mecca of health care,” said Duggan, who teaches in the University’s medical humanities minor and recently received an inaugural grant from the Schiller Institute for
Integrated Science and Society, where she has offered classes on subjects such as promoting trust in health care and the positive and negative aspects of telemedicine. Her students include not only communication majors but pre-med program participants and those with an interest in public health. “At the core of this area of inquiry is the idea of recognizing people like they have value, no matter who they are,” she said. “How do we get at the stories in health care, and whose stories get told? The patient? The care provider? The patient’s family? All those perspectives are important and should be treated as such.” Duggan noted that the Fulbright required a minimum of 15 years of demonstrated leadership in medicine, and past recipients of the fellowship include David Sklar, who founded the journal Academic Medicine, and Mark Ebell, an international leader in evidence-based medicine research. “I’m gratified to have been selected for this honor, on a personal as well as professional level,” she said. “Being at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland is a very exciting prospect, and I feel it will lead to some very fruitful and fulfilling collaborations that build on rich relationships between Boston College and Ireland.”
Strong Performances by Grad Programs in US News Rankings The Carroll School of Management, Lynch School of Education and Human Development, and Connell School of Nursing saw improvements this year in the 2023 “Best Graduate Schools” rankings released on Tuesday by US News & World Report. The Carroll School’s full-time M.B.A. program rose three places in the rankings to 41st overall, while the part-time M.B.A. program improved five places to 30th. The Lynch School rose two places in the rankings to 19th, the highest placement of any Jesuit or Catholic school of education in the United States. The Connell School’s nursing master’s program rose 21 places in the rankings, returning to its 2021 placement of 27th a year after it had fallen out of the top 30 due to unusually high volatility in last year’s survey. The School of Social Work placed 11th overall this year, a slight drop from its previous 10th place ranking, but the highest overall ranking of the University’s graduate and professional schools. BC Law fell in this year’s survey to 37th from 29th, attributable largely to multiple ties among law schools ranked above it. This year’s rankings also included graduate programs in the natural and social sciences, which are ranked every four years by US News. Among the highlights: Economics was ranked 27th; Psychology improved two places to 51st; Chemistry was ranked 55th; Mathematics was newly ranked 59th; and Physics improved three places to 68th. Several BC graduate programs were
also cited in this year’s specialty rankings category. In the Carroll School of Management, Accounting improved six places to 12th; Finance retained its position at 13th; Business Analytics was newly ranked 21st; and Marketing placed 29th among business schools. In addition, four Lynch School programs finished in the top 20 in specialty rankings, including: Student Counseling and Personnel Services (11th); Elementary Education (14th); Higher Education (15th); and Curriculum and Instruction (19th). In the Connell School, the Family Specialties program improved to 10th overall, and the Nursing Anesthesia program retained its 22nd placement. Among the graduate programs in natural and social sciences, BC had three new specialty placements: Macroeconomics (18th); Algebra, Number Theory, and Algebraic Geometry (20th); and Organic Chemistry (21st). “Even as we all recognize their limitations, the annual graduate and professional program rankings provide useful data about emerging areas of excellence at Boston College and help us make decisions about how we can continue to strengthen our offerings,” said Provost and Dean of Faculties David Quigley. “Deans and department chairs are interested in the ways in which our peers around the nation assess our approach to graduate education, and pleased that our programs continue to be recognized among the very best in higher education.” —Jack Dunn
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Kairos Hits 25 Years Continued from page 1
(Greek for “God’s Time”) is a student-facilitated weekend spiritual retreat that allows for intentional reflection on relationships with God, self, and others. Kairos is open to students of all faith backgrounds and experiences. Since its inception, some 10,000 BC students have participated in a Kairos retreat. “The fact that I’m a Jesuit today has a fair bit to do with Kairos,” said Fr. Sawyer. “That I was able to spend a significant part of my undergraduate career at BC doing ministry and helping other people encounter God through the retreat is a big part of what helped me recognize this was my vocation in a broader sense.” “For many BC students, Kairos is the first affective engagement they have with the Ignatian tradition of BC,” said Campus Minister Marissa Papula, who oversees Kairos with support from graduate assistant Ally Clapp, a M.Div. student in the School of Theology and Ministry. “For every student, no matter their faith tradition, Kairos offers emotional resonance and spiritual ac-
cessibility. We are truly Catholic, but also catholic—universal. There is something for everyone.” “Boston College is rich with extracurriculars and programs for students, but one of the key markers of BC is the Kairos retreat,” said Kairos student co-director Diana Hadjiyane ’22, a philosophy and psychology major from Long Island, NY. “Kairos is focused around developing space for people to come in with their vulnerabilities and come out knowing they have inherent belovedness and they can bring that into the world in a beautiful and tangible way,” she added. “A sense of community is found [at Kairos] and it opens people up to embracing community in other areas of their lives and seeing God or love in new and exciting ways. It reinvigorates people to see the beauty of the world and the life they were given.” Another student co-director, Quinn Cunningham ’22, a philosophy and finance major from Arlington Heights, Ill., said Kairos has changed his outlook. “I try
Winston Ctr. to Host John Kasich Former Ohio Governor and two-time Republican presidential candidate John Kasich, whose career has defied easy categorization in America’s partisan political arena, will speak at Boston College as part of the Winston Center for Leadership and Ethics Clough Colloquium on April 7 at 4 p.m. in the Yawkey Center. A member of the United States House of Representatives for 18 years, where he served on the House Budget Committee, Kasich made his first presidential run in 2000. After working in the private sector from 2001-2009—including as an executive for Lehman Brothers—and hosting a show on Fox News, Kasich reentered politics in Ohio’s 2010 gubernatorial election and defeated incumbent Ted Strickland. His national profile rose during his two terms as governor, which included clashes with public sector employees and especially teachers’ unions, his decision to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, his battle against the state’s opioid addiction crisis, and his passage of several antiabortion laws. However, even as Kasich has drawn liberal and Democratic criticism for his views and actions, he also has held positions at odds with many conservatives and Republicans through, among other things, his acceptance of same-sex marriage after the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision; his support for improved policing standards after controversial police-involved shootings; and his call for restrictions on sales of AR-15 style rifles. Kasich also became an increasingly entrenched opponent of Donald Trump during and after the 2016 presidential campaign. He refused to extend his support for Trump after withdrawing from the race, became a frequent critic of the Trump presidency, and expressed support for the 2019 impeachment inquiry against Trump.
Former Ohio Governor John Kasich
He spoke at the 2020 Democratic National Convention in support of Joe Biden. In 2019, Kasich made his debut as a senior political commentator for CNN, and last year co-launched the podcast “Kasich & Klepper” with Jordan Klepper of “The Daily Show,” which explores American life, culture, and politics. He is the author of New York Times best-sellers Courage is Contagious; Stand for Something: The Battle for America’s Soul; Every Other Monday; and Two Paths: America Divided or United. His most recent book, released in 2019, is It’s Up To Us: Ten Little Ways We Can Bring About Big Change. The Clough Colloquium was established through the generosity of Charles I. Clough ’64 and Gloria L. Clough, M.Div. ’90, M.S. ’96. Offered twice a year, the colloquia feature leaders from all fields and backgrounds at both the national and international levels who share lessons and insights from their personal and professional journeys. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, email winston.center@bc.edu. —University Communications
A group of Kairos leaders at the 2017 Red Bandanna Run. “Kairos is an invitation to encounter our worthiness,” says one former participant in the program, which will mark its 25th anniversary on April 10. photo by christopher huang
to see people the way God sees people. For me, that means recognizing that people are good and giving people grace and patience in everyday life. I try to lead with love when I meet someone.” In addition to Cunningham and Hadjiyane, the other co-directors for 2021-2022 are Connor Cademartori, Joe Ebbert, Lauren Moberley, and Mary Jane Tague. Junior Christine Lenahan was familiar with Kairos even before she set foot on the Heights. She went on a Kairos retreat offered by her Jesuit high school, Scranton Prep, and later served as a Kairos student leader there. She knew she wanted to stay a part of the Kairos community as a college student. She began leading Kairos retreats at BC during her sophomore year. “We are all bonded by the fact we’re students, but we come from different backgrounds and experiences, and Kairos is a chance to listen to other people and break down that wall we put when we get to college,” said Lenahan, an English and philosophy major. “You come to understand love in a way you never could have possibly known it.” In her remarks to retreatants at the closing ceremony, Papula says she often talks about the metrics that BC students think measure worthiness—GPA, social media followers, or hours in the gym—and how those metrics that are earned or yearned for have nothing to do with a person’s inherent holiness. “Kairos is an invitation to encounter our worthiness,” said Sarah Hansman ’18, who recalled that she came to BC with impossibly high expectations that led to burnout, anxiety, and loneliness. “For me, Kairos was a detox from comparison of ‘success’ check lists: our resume, transcript, or instagrammable friend group. It was rest amidst the chaos and a gentle reminder that my worthiness was not dependent on my success. “Kairos provides an opportunity to encounter the brokenness, hurt, and shame in ourselves and others and see that we are still beloved, not despite our flaws but with them.” BC’s Kairos program began in 19961997 as a grassroots initiative of the nascent Ignatian Society, a group of BC students who were graduates of Jesuit high schools. They had experienced Kairos
during high school and wanted their BC classmates to be enriched by Kairos too. Led by Kelly Muldoon Graham ’99 and Chris Boscia ’98, M.A. ’00, with financial support from University President William P. Leahy, S.J., and other BC Jesuits, a team of seven undergraduates conducted the first Kairos retreat in April, 1997. “There’s a hunger for college students to have the big conversations,” said Boscia. “It’s perfect that it takes place at a Jesuit school because that’s what they’re all about—reflection. “What I like about the format of Kairos is that’s it’s a religious experience and an experience of spiritual growth that’s grounded in the Catholic tradition, but is open and uses language that could help a person of any faith or no faith grow in their faith.” Added Boscia: “At its core, BC wants to foster spiritual growth and religious commitment amongst its students, Catholic or not. Kairos is a wonderful vehicle for that.” “At the heart of Kairos is this: The love of God for you can be known through the love of other people and your love for them,” said Fr. Sawyer, who continued his involvement with Kairos after graduation, serving as a retreat director and then later, during studies at STM, as a Jesuit companion. Boston College offers exponentially more Kairos retreats than any of its Jesuit peer institutions, according to organizers. Typically, there are 12 Kairos retreats during the academic year, each with 45 retreatants, seven student leaders, two adult directors, one student director, and a Jesuit companion. Despite this robust offering, interest in Kairos among BC students far outpaces available slots, according to Papula, who said the waitlist for Kairos— known as the Kairos lottery—is more than 2,200 students. The spirit of Kairos is intended to live on well after the weekend retreat ends. Retreatants are given a Jerusalem cross and are urged to “live the fourth”—meaning to live out the promises made on the final day of the retreat. Retreatants are challenged to bring the light of love from the retreat to places on campus and in the world that are in need of enduring hope, and Papula says she tasks Kairos participants to “lead fuller, freer lives of bold love.”
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March 31, 2022
Boston Visit Affirms City Connects’ Irish Links BY ED HAYWARD STAFF WRITER
Ireland’s Minister for Education Norma Foley toured Boston’s John Winthrop Elementary School earlier this month to learn more about a Boston College program that supports teachers and students at the Dorchester school and now works with 10 schools in Dublin. “I’m in awe of the work you’re doing,” Foley told the Winthrop staff and their partners from BC’s City Connects program as they described how the evidencebased initiative helps provide a range of services to the school’s more than 200 students. City Connects works with the Winthrop and seven other Boston Public Schools. Program coordinators, like the Winthrop’s Nicole Marques, collaborate with principals, teachers, and counselors to assess students’ strengths and needs and help provide supports—including tutoring, afterschool programs, clothing, meals, and health services—to reduce the barriers to improved academic achievement. Sitting in the school’s temporary library, Foley heard from Winthrop Principal Leah Blake McKetty, who started her job 10 years ago when the Winthrop was a “turnaround” school with test results in the lowest one percentile of Massachusetts schools. A decade later, the Winthrop has climbed to the 14th percentile, though McKetty said there is more work to do. City Connects “has been an amazing resource for us,” McKetty said. “It’s been integral to helping our students, helping our families, helping our teachers, at all levels and really just supporting not just our students but our overall school community.” So far this school year, City Connects has helped the Winthrop deliver 1,484 services to students and families. All told, City Connects serves 45,000 students annually in 139 public, charter, and Catholic schools in Massachusetts and six other states. Typically, the predominantly urban schools lack the resources of their suburban counterparts. City Connects began work two years ago with 10 schools in Dublin’s North East Inner City initiative, which are among those struggling schools provided additional services and resources by Ireland’s pioneering Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS). Partnering with Mary Immaculate College in Limerick, City Connects worked during the pandemic to initiate its program in alignment with Irish educational regulations. In the current year, City Connects has provided 4,777 services and enrichment opportunities to 1,800 students in Dublin, according to Tracie Tobin, a Limerick-based teacher and principal leading the implementation of City Connects in Ireland through her work with Mary Immaculate College. Tobin called the City Connects approach “invaluable” to principals and teachers in the Dublin schools the program partners with.
(L-R): City Connects Director Mary Walsh with Winthrop Elementary School community liaison Anthea Lavergne, Ireland’s Minister of Education Norma Foley, City Connects Winthrop School coordinator Nicole Marques, and Winthrop Elementary School Principal Leah Blake McKetty during Foley’s visit to Boston earlier this month. photo by justin knight
“In the 18 months that City Connects has been on the ground in Dublin, it has become successfully embedded in both schools and community organizations,” said City Connects founder and director Mary Walsh, the Daniel E. Kearns Professor in Urban Education and Innovative Leadership at BC’s Lynch School of Education and Human Development. “This is a testament not only to the program, but to our outstanding partners in Ireland.” There is the potential for City Connects to expand its work in Ireland. Earlier this month, Foley’s office announced the expansion of the number of schools in the DEIS program. Programs like City Connects are
suited to provide services in schools that need extra help. Walsh launched the program 20 years ago based on research in child development and learning that recognized students’ inschool performance is affected by in-school and out-of-school factors, such as hunger, homelessness, trauma, and stress. Groundbreaking research by Walsh and her colleagues from BC and other universities showed that students in City Connects schools, when compared to peers who never received City Connects servuces, demonstrated gains in academic achievement that were similar in magnitude to the harmful effects of poverty. The long-term
studies have shown that students who received City Connects services in elementary school experience decreased drop-out rates and higher rates of completing college or other post-high school programs. “We can alter the life trajectory of a child,” Walsh told Foley and others at the Winthrop. “When you put the right conditions in place around children, and teachers know this, we can do that. Children don’t fail. We, the adults, fail children.” In February, through an anonymous $10 million gift, the BC center that operates City Connects was renamed the Mary E. Walsh Center for Thriving Children in honor of Walsh’s groundbreaking work. Following her visit to the Winthrop— part of a series of events the minister attended during a multi-day series of appearances in Massachusetts surrounding St. Patrick’s Day—Foley praised the work that BC and Mary Immaculate College are doing to support students in Dublin’s neediest schools. “We were just so thrilled to get the opportunity to see the work on the ground today,” Foley said during a discussion about City Connects held at BC later in the day. “It was a wonderful example of what it should be and how it actually is operational. It is one thing to see it on paper but another to see it delivered effectively in a school community. I’m a strong believer myself that whatever challenges a child has, whatever needs a child has, a child also brings enormous strengths. We are very proud of the work that is being done and very appreciative of your work with Mary Immaculate College and [BC’s] expertise and talent as well and the collaboration we have seen here today.”
Sports Star Hamm to Speak at BC April 12 Sports legend Mia Hamm, who won two Olympic gold medals and two Women’s World Cups as a member of the United States women’s national soccer team, will speak at the Council for Women of Boston College Colloquium on April 12 at 6 p.m. in the Margot Connell Recreation Center. The event celebrates the 50th anniversary of Title IX, a landmark civil rights law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in schools or educational programs. Following the talk, Patti Phillips, CEO of Women Leaders in College Sports and founder of Women Leaders Performance Institute, will moderate a Q&A with Hamm. The event is free and open to the public. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Widely considered the best women’s soccer player in history, Hamm once held the record for international goals scored. She was twice awarded the ESPY for Female Athlete of the Year and twice named FIFA Women’s Player of the Year. Retiring from professional soccer in 2004 after an illustrious 17-year career, she was elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame three years later. In 2012, ESPN named her the
Mia Hamm
greatest female athlete of the past 40 years. Hamm continues to serve as an inspiration to young girls looking to rise to the pinnacle of the sporting world. She has maintained an active presence within the soccer community and has served as an
outspoken advocate for Title IX and gender equality across sporting lines. In 1999, she established the Mia Hamm Foundation, a national non-profit dedicated to raising funds and awareness for those in need of a marrow or cord blood transplant and to the development of more opportunities for young women in sport. Hamm is also a part owner of Major League Soccer’s Los Angeles Football Club and the expansion franchise, Angel FC of the National Women’s Soccer League. Established in 2002, the Council for Women of Boston College is dedicated to furthering the roles of women as leaders and active participants in the University and seeks to help shape the University’s future and to support its mission through the engagement of the women of Boston College. In 2015, the council and the BC Institute for the Liberal Arts launched the CWBC Colloquium, which hosts exceptional thought leaders to consider contemporary issues through the lens of women’s leadership. For more on CWBC events and programs, see bc.edu/cwbc. —Kathleen Sullivan
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March 31, 2022
BC Campaign for Financial Aid Proves Popular BY PHIL GLOUDEMANS STAFF WRITER
Boston College’s “Be a Beacon Campaign for Financial Aid” has proven to be so successful, it’s outgrown its organizers’ expectations. Launched in October 2020 with the express purpose of bolstering the University’s commitment to need-blind admissions for undergraduate students—particularly propelled by the pandemic-driven economic hardships experienced by so many families— Be a Beacon quickly met its $125 million target. Campaign leaders reset the goal to $200 million in April of last year, and when that objective was reached, upped it to $250 million by this May 31. “We raised the goal and extended the campaign in response to the overwhelming support of our donor community and the continued needs of our students, recognizing there was still significant momentum and desire to support this financial aid campaign beyond the original goal,” said Vice President for Development Amy Yancey. “We are deeply grateful to our champions of financial aid who have made the dreams of Eagles today, and for generations to come, a reality.” BC is one of only 21 United States private colleges and universities whose admis-
sion policy is need-blind—admitting students on the merit of their applications, not on their ability to afford tuition—and which also meets the full demonstrated financial requirements of all qualified undergraduates. Announcing the campaign in the fall of 2020, University President William P. Leahy, S.J., noted that financial aid and endowed scholarships were more critical than ever, as adverse economic conditions and loss of family income had made it increasingly difficult for deserving applicants to enroll at BC. His call was answered: More than 30,000 donors have contributed to date, providing the resources to award more than 3,355 scholarships so far. “Connecting with scholarship students has been one of my most rewarding BC experiences,” said University Trustee Susan Martinelli Shea ’76, co-chair of Be a Beacon. “For my Be a Beacon co-chairs and me, it was important to not just personally support the campaign, but to encourage others to give as well. I’m very proud of our fundraising success, and even prouder of how many members of our BC community, including every single University trustee, have answered the call to support our students. Financial aid donors are truly beacons, making the path to BC a little brighter for our Eagles.”
In addition to Shea, a Board of Regents co-chair, the other BC trustees serving as campaign chairs are: Board of Regents Co-chair Marc P. Seidner ’88, John F. Fish, and Philip W. Schiller ’82. The selection of the word “beacon” in the campaign’s title was strategic, explained Senior Vice President for University Advancement James Husson. “We have used ‘beacon’ and its related imagery of shining a light in many of our materials since the ‘Light the World’ campaign, including naming our advancement publication Beacon, so it was a fitting metaphor for how donor support illuminates a path for our students, and calls our community to ‘be’ the beacon that our students need,” said Husson. To reinforce the message at the Be a Beacon campaign’s public launch event, University Trustee Steve J. Pemberton ’89, M.A. ’19, H ’15—author of A Chance in the World and The Lighthouse Effect: How Ordinary People Can Have an Extraordinary Impact in the World—shared his deeply personal story of a childhood “lost in the gaps of the foster care system,” how he found a home at BC, and then reminded attendees of the powerful impact scholarships can have on students’ lives. While every donor has their own reason
to give and every gift has its own story, explained Yancey, there is a common thread: a faith in the power of a BC education to transform not only individuals but the world, and a conviction that this opportunity belongs to everyone. For BC Trustee Michael C. and Kate Ascione, both Class of 1993 members, their gift reflected a commitment to the greater good: “It is our personal responsibility, an expression of Jesuit values and our mission to serve others, to work to provide access to a BC education for all. Our world needs well-formed citizens who are steeped in their education and have a reflective view of their identity and purpose.” Jennifer and Steven Capshaw ’93 share a similar belief in the power of student formation to promote change and cited it as their motivation to give. “At BC I learned there are things in life more important than yourself,” said Steven. “BC challenges young adults to use their talents in service of others, making the world a better place. We want to help close the gap to make these opportunities available to those who work just as hard but have fewer resources.” For more about the Be a Beacon Campaign for Financial Aid, go to beabeacon.bc.edu.
Marathoners Say Long Run Is Worth It to Help BC Campus School Continued from page 1
of existence, hundreds of students, faculty, and alumni have taken on the 26-mile run for the same cause. “We rely on the support of generous donors to help provide the therapeutic equipment and technology that our students deserve,” said Jennifer Miller, the Campus School marketing and outreach manager. “Everyone wants us to succeed, and the more awareness we can spread about the school, the better off we are in terms of donations and students who come through to support all of our efforts.” Bracher, the Undergraduate Government of Boston College president, decided to run the marathon to support the Campus School last year, seeing it as an opportunity to help a worthy cause while fulfilling a lifelong dream of taking part in the marathon. “The Campus School is an organization that could use the support and also represents the best of the community,” he said. “It’s been really a privilege to be able to see the work that they do firsthand.” For Olivieri, supporting the Campus School and its students is a family tradition. His father, retired Boston College Computer Science Professor Peter Olivieri, helped pioneer Eagle Eyes, a revolutionary technology utilized by many of the Campus School’s early students, and his daughter volunteered at the school during her own time as a BC undergraduate. “My dad would say to me: ‘Hey, there’s a person in there—they just can’t communicate,’” said Olivieri. “So, with Eagle Eyes, students who had severe disabilities could use a mouse to write and communicate in ways they never could have done. It has always been kind of part of my family’s legacy.
I grew up around this campus, and you’d be hard pressed to find anything about BC that is more emblematic of the Jesuit values and mission than the Campus School.” Last week, the three marathoners were welcomed at the Campus School by smiling students with homemade signs for a pep rally in their honor. For the trio, now entering their final weeks of training, it was an opportunity to remember what it’s all about. “Our little contributions are really just a way to amplify the need and the message that they have. It’s one day, but we hope it has a measurable impact on the resources that are able to flow into the school,” said Olivieri. “They did these little races where Jack, Emma, and I would race against the students. “Spoiler alert: They torched us every time,” he added with a laugh. Don Ricciato ’71, M.A. ’73, Ph.D. ’00, who served as Campus School director for three decades before retiring in 2017, organizes credentials for the school’s marathoners every year. “Anything that is going to help the students, families, and our staff I’m very passionate about, so to be involved in this event has been really important to me,” he said. “If you hear of any graduate student that has an experience at the Campus School, they talk about it being life-altering. Regardless of whether they’re going to work with individuals with disabilities, I believe it just helps them in terms of being better citizens. They understand the many people we have as part of our humanity, and recognize the support that this population needs, and they recognize what an extraordinary place the Campus School truly is.”
Ricciato said he can’t wait to see Frazier, Bracher, and Olivieri take on Heartbreak Hill: “It’s so nice to see everyone come running by, and you know what drives them obviously is that they’re running for everyone in the Campus School community.”
For more information on the Campus School Boston Marathon fundraiser and to donate, see bc.edu/csmarathon Lucas Carroll is a senior in the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences
‘Mile 21’ Offers Marathon Day Events Against the backdrop of the historic Boston Marathon on April 18, acclaimed recording artist Jason Derulo will headline a concert on campus exclusively for Boston College students. His performance is the featured event in special BC “Mile 21” daylong student programming spearheaded by the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs. In an email announcement, Associate Vice President for Student Engagement and Formation Tom Mogan—describing the Boston Marathon as holding “a special place in the history of the City of Boston and Boston College”—outlined programming planned with campus partners including the Campus Activities Board, Undergraduate Government of Boston College (UGBC), BC Athletics, and Campus Ministry that is “designed to celebrate Marathon Monday and to bring out the best of our community.” A popular singer, songwriter, and dancer who has sold more than 30 million singles, Derulo will take the stage at 10 a.m. in the Mods parking lot. The concert is free for BC students with a ticket and BC ID. A Breakfast Bingo event kicks off the day from 8 a.m.–10 a.m. on Maloney Lawn, with game prizes including an iPad. BC Mile 21 T-shirts will be given out while supplies
last, beginning at 8 a.m. A Field Day will take place from noon to 2 p.m. on Maloney Lawn, with a DJ, contests, games, food trucks, and more. Students are encouraged to support Marathon participants throughout the day at a BC Mile 21 Cheering Section on Commonwealth Avenue. University community members among the runners will be Vice President for Student Affairs Shawna CooperGibson; Matt Razek, Office of Student Involvement associate director of student programming; and UGBC President Jack Bracher ’22 [see story on page 1]. Students also can attend the Boston Red Sox-Minnesota Twins game at Fenway Park with discounted $5 tickets; bus transportation leaves campus at 10 a.m. “We are beyond excited about our Mile 21 programming,” said Cooper-Gibson. “In meetings with students, there was a real need to enhance social experiences on Marathon Monday, and Student Affairs, along with campus partners from Athletics and Campus Ministry, took up the charge.” For more details, go to the BC Mile 21 website at www.bc.edu/content/bc-web/offices/student-affairs/events/mile-21.html. —University Communications
OBITUARIES
BC in the Media
Robert Newton; Led Many Initiatives A Mass of Christian Burial was held last Friday at St. Ignatius of Loyola Church for Robert R. Newton, a mainstay of the Boston College administration for four decades, who died on March 19. He was 86. Arriving in 1980 as associate dean of faculties, Dr. Newton went on to play a leadership role in key Boston College initiatives, including four University-wide planning efforts, the 1990 revision of the Boston College Core Curriculum, regional accreditation and NCAA certification processes, establishment of the School of Theology and Ministry, development of the University’s comprehensive assessment plan, and creation of the Church in the 21st Century Center and C21 Online (now STM Online: Crossroads). Early on, Dr. Newton took part in or led projects and programs typical for the academic infrastructure of a major university, such as the implementation of computerassisted registration and seeking ways to increase enrollment in BC’s summer school. But he also was involved in expansive efforts to study BC’s engagement with a changing world and its adherence to the Jesuit, Catholic mission. During the mid-1980s, Dr. Newton chaired the UPC “Goals for the Nineties” initiative that envisioned how BC could achieve “distinctive excellence” in the years leading to a new century, such as strengthening research and improving coordination between Student Affairs personnel and faculty and academic administrators; goals and challenges for individual schools also were included in the report. An outgrowth of that planning effort was another major undertaking in which Dr. Newton participated: a comprehensive review of the BC Core Curriculum, which had undergone only minor changes since its introduction in 1971. The result, introduced in 1991, was a more integrated core, and the establishment of a core director and committee empowered to review existing core courses and approve new ones. Dr. Newton was appointed as associate academic vice president in 1991 and, 10 years later, as special assistant to University President William P. Leahy, S.J., who in announcing the appointment praised Dr.
photo by lee pellegrini
Newton for his “abundant skills and wide knowledge of Boston College and a range of academic issues.” One of Dr. Newton’s most high-profile and vital undertakings was helping coordinate the Church in the 21st Century— known as “C21”—a project launched in fall 2002 aimed at assisting the Catholic Church in exploring the issues emerging from the clerical sexual abuse crisis. The University sponsored conferences, discussions, and other events that brought scholars, priests, authors, and journalists to campus, offering views on such subjects as pastoral care, Church governance, child abuse, ethics, and Church history. Catholics and non-Catholics alike attended the events, some of them to overflow capacity, and the initiative attracted considerable interest from the media. A graduate of the University of Scranton, Dr. Newton earned a master’s degree from Yale University and a doctorate in education from Harvard University. He served as headmaster of Regis High School in New York City and later taught at the University of San Francisco. He is survived by his wife of 39 years, Karen von Kunes Newton; his son, Ryan von Kunes Newton; his daughter, Alexis von Kunes Newton; his siblings Charles Newton, Marianne Scanlan, and Noel Kuschke; and many nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers, donations in Dr. Newton’s memory may be made to the Boston College Fund [www.bc.edu/bc-web/offices/ alumni/giving.html] or the Belmont Chapel Foundation (address a check to Belmont Chapel Foundation, 30 Warner Street, Newport, RI 02840). —University Communications Read the full obituary at bit.ly/robert-rnewton-obituary
John ‘Jack’ Joyce; BC Club Co-Founder A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated at St. Ignatius of Loyola Church on Monday for John (Jack) Joyce ’61, M.B.A.’70, H. ’16, co-founder and chairman of the Boston College Club, former Alumni Association president, and McMullen Museum of Arts patron who died on March 19 at age 87. Mr. Joyce, a Navy veteran who attended BC on the GI Bill, pursued a successful 55year career in the financial services industry before retiring two years ago. In 1998, he and fellow BC alumni Jack MacKinnon and Owen Lynch co-founded the Boston College Club at 100 Federal Street in
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Boston’s financial district as a gathering place for alumni, faculty, staff, parents, and friends, and to foster social and business relationships. The BC Club has donated more than $7 million to BC, funding some 100 scholarships for inner-city students to attend Boston College. Interviewed in 2003, Mr. Joyce said, “I have made a lifelong commitment to give back in any way I can. Whether it is time, talent, or treasure, that’s what I really feel I have an obligation to do.” Read Mr. Joyce’s full obituary at www. currentobituary.com/obit/264430. —University Communications
Boston College School of Social Work Salem Professor in Global Practice Theresa Betancourt, director of the Research Program on Children and Adversity, discussed the impact of the Russian invasion on Ukrainian children in an interview with WHYY Radio Times.
Slavic & German Languages; English) discussed the sanctions and chess during the Cold War in an interview with The New York Times. A Jewish ex-Soviet whose family history is rooted in the region, Shrayer reflected on the war in Ukraine for Jewish Journal.
Seelig Professor of Philosophy Richard Kearney was among experts who spoke with the Canadian Broadcasting Co. on how the work of French thinker Gaston Bachelard has inspired poets, artists, architects, philosophers, and others.
The Canadian Broadcasting Co. interviewed Prof. David Blustein (LSOEHD) on changing attitudes toward work in Canada during the pandemic.
In a WalletHub Q&A, BC Ireland Academic Director Mike Cronin spoke on the enduring popularity of St. Patrick’s Day in the United States and the economic impact of postponed parades on host cities. Asst. Prof. Richard Sweeney (Economics) provided insights to Marketplace Radio on domestic oil refining vs. the importing of foreign oil. President Volodymyr Zelensky has become an embodiment of Ukraine’s fierce resistance to the Russian invasion. Prof. of the Practice Paul Christensen (Political Science) and Prof. Seth Jacobs (History) offered their insights on Zelensky to The Boston Globe. Boston College School of Social Work faculty member Sr. Maryanne Loughry talked about her nearly four decades of work in global humanitarian assistance and the enduring relationship between the Jesuit Refugee Service and Boston College, in a Q&A with JRS Insider. The international federation of chess is taking steps to distance itself from Russia. Professor of Russian, English, and Jewish Studies Maxim D. Shrayer (Eastern,
Assoc. Prof. James Smith (English), a member of the Irish Studies faculty and co-author of the forthcoming book Redress: Ireland’s Institutions and Transitional Justice, spoke about his research with the Irish Times, Irish Examiner, and Irish Independent. Research shows that Americans work 25 percent more hours than their counterparts in Europe. Why? And is it worth it? Prof. Christine Neylon O’Brien (CSOM) weighed in for a WalletHub Q&A. Joe Rogan is the closest thing to a mass cultural product in the podcast world. How did it happen? To answer the question, Assoc. Prof. Matt Sienkiewicz (Communication) co-authored an essay for The Conversation. Canisius Professor of Theology James Keenan, S.J., the University’s vice provost for global engagement, wrote on the subject of global engagement in a piece for National Catholic Reporter. In separate Q&As with MoneyGeek, Prof. Pablo Guerron (Economics) discussed factors for consumers to consider when choosing homeowner’s insurance and renter’s insurance.
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.
Assistant/Associate Director, Alumni Operations
Help Desk Specialist
Speech/Language Pathologist
Technology Consultant
Compliance Assistant
Program Director, Ever to Excel
Assistant Director, Biology Labs
Business Analyst
Construction Project Manager
Administrative Assistant
Staff Psychologist or Social Worker
Academic Advisor, Undergraduate Programs
Lead Teacher, Pine Manor College
Assistant Director, Member Services Director, Catholic Religious Archives Program Email Marketing Specialist
Costume Shop Supervisor Campus Minister
Nurse Practitioner Student Services Associate Post-doctoral Research Fellow (multiple positions)
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What Aduhelm Flap Reveals About Medicare Continued from page 1
only slows the rate of cognitive decline from Alzheimer’s, rather than curing or reversing it, meaning that patients would have to continue taking it for many years. The calculus for Medicare and its enrollees is therefore grim, said Munnell and Hubbard. “With an annual price of $28,200 and one million recipients, Medicare’s bill for Aduhelm would be $23 billion (Medicare pays 80 percent, and beneficiaries pay 20 percent in copayments). Aduhelm expenditures would have amounted to about twothirds of what Medicare Part B currently spends on all drugs and eight times what it spends on the current most expensive drug, Eylea [which treats macular degeneration].” A $23 billion increase would require a 5.4 percent rise in Part B premiums, and the costs would only rise as the number of Alzheimer’s patients swell—and even more so if a competitor offered a clearly effective drug at the original $56,000 a year price, they pointed out. Meanwhile, the CRR report noted, the Social Security Act limits Medicare’s ability to negotiate drug prices by restricting the Secretary of Health and Human Services from interfering in negotiations between drug manufacturers and drug plan sponsors. In fact, Medicare often pays more than the list price in the short term: For most Part B drugs, it reimburses 106 percent of the average sales price (ASP) to United States purchasers outside the federal government. For new drugs, such as Aduhelm, where no ASP is available, Medicare pays 103 percent of the wholesale acquisition cost—that is, the list price— until ASP data are available. Some legislation has been introduced that would allow Medicare to negotiate prices, but only in specific circumstances, noted the authors, and a new drug with
“While we have done some things right,”says Munnell, “our retirement system is in much worse shape than it should be.”
photo by jared leeds
no customers like Aduhelm would not be covered. Munnell, who is the Drucker Professor of Management Sciences in the Carroll School of Management, discussed the CRR report with Chronicle last week. The controversy about Aduhelm received a lot of media coverage, but that feels like it was a long time ago, especially as other events have moved to the fore. Did CRR see this paper as a means to reset the discussion and address aspects of the Aduhelm issue that had received less attention? Munnell: Our study was intended to draw attention to the potential vulnerability of Medicare’s finances to expensive new drugs, given that the program has no authority to negotiate prices. The Aduhelm saga underscored this vulnerability because the drug has both an extremely high price tag and would potentially be available to a very large group of Medicare beneficiaries. One clear sign that Medicare itself recognized the unusual nature of this risk was that it hiked the program’s Part A premiums for this year by 14.5 percent, partly as a preemptive move in case the drug did become widely available. The paper notes the longstanding problem of Congress not granting Medicare some authority to negotiate prices.
How long has this been a problem, and why hasn’t Congress seen fit to act? Munnell: The program has never had the authority to use its substantial purchasing power to negotiate prices, which has led to some financial concerns in the past. For instance, in the early 2010s, a new Hepatitis C drug was approved, and spending on that drug increased program drug costs substantially above their previous level. In that case, the drug required only a single course of treatment to cure the disease, so the financial burden was limited. In the case of Aduhelm, however, patients receiving the drug would require it indefinitely, as it is not designed to cure the disease, only to slow its progression. In terms of Congress’ failure to act, it is very difficult to get legislation passed on almost anything these days. Moreover, this case raises the general tension between providing maximum financial incentives to drug companies to invest in innovative products and providing reasonably-priced drugs to the public. My view is that the system is tilted too far toward providing unlimited incentives to the drug companies. Medicare already faces substantial future cost pressures as the population ages, even without sky-high prices for drugs that could potentially be used by millions of beneficiaries, requiring huge pre-
BC Scenes
mium increases and co-payments. Setting Aduhelm and Medicare in a wider context: As a nation, in general, how effectively has the U.S. anticipated and acted upon retirement/aging issues— better than we might think, or worse? Are there some factors that are simply beyond our control to manage? Munnell: The short answer is that while we have done some things right, our retirement system is in much worse shape than it should be. On the plus side, we have Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, which together keep millions of retirees out of poverty and provide reasonably good health insurance coverage for most people, two key ingredients for enjoying a financially secure retirement. However, these programs face significant funding challenges as the population ages. One area where we could do much better is providing easy access to workplace-based retirement savings plans. At any given time, only about half of the workforce is covered by a plan and many people move in and out of coverage over their careers, ending up at retirement with insufficient financial resources to maintain their standard of living. Here, an easy answer is available: Require all employers who do not offer a plan to simply participate in a national auto-IRA plan that would require them only to automatically enroll their workers in the plan, with no contributions by the employer. An additional way that government could help, at the state level, is to set up property tax deferral programs that allow most senior homeowners to easily defer their property taxes, freeing up funds to support either occasional large expenditures or dayto-day needs throughout retirement. For more on the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College and their publications, see bc.edu/crr
PHOTOS BY CAITLIN CUNNINGHAM (BELOW, FAR LEFT)
Frates Center Dedication Boston College formally dedicated its baseball and softball facility on Brighton Campus in the name of late BC baseball captain Pete Frates ’07 last Saturday. Members of the Frates family attended, along with William V. Campbell Director of Athletics Patrick Kraft and University Trustee Associate John L. Harrington ’57, M.B.A. ’66, H ’10, P ’82, ’89, ’94, former Red Sox CEO and namesake of the Harrington Athletics Village at Brighton Fields, where the Pete Frates Center is located.
University President William P. Leahy, S.J., with John Harrington.
Julie Frates ’12, wife of Pete Frates, and their daughter Lucy.
(L-R) Andrew Frates, Julie Frates ’12, Lucy Frates, Nancy Frates '80, John Frates '80, and Jennifer (Frates) Mayo '04.