Fr. Boyle to speak at annual event for first-year students.
Page 4
While You Were Away Boston College news from the summer of 2025
Page 12
Three for the Show McMullen
hosts a trio of exhibitions this fall beginning next week
new arrival at Boston College led the way to her belongings as she and other first-year students moved onto campus last week, assisted by undergraduate volunteers in the Office of Residential Life’s Welcome Wagon program. More photos on page 7.
“We’re engaging in technology and AI every day as citizens,” says Computer Science Chair George Mohler. “Students receiving a formative education need to be versed in how that technology works.”
University Convocation
Fr. Leahy: BC Has Tools to Weather Higher Ed Challenges
BY SEAN SMITH CHRONICLE EDITOR
At a time when American higher education is roiled by changing demographics, a fraught and combative political climate, and increased public skepticism over the value of a college degree, Boston College senior administrators expressed confidence at yesterday’s annual University Convocation in Robsham Theater that BC is poised not only to survive but thrive.
“Boston College has certainly not been immune from these new realities,” said University President William P. Leahy, S.J., “but it has come through them relatively unscathed.”
Fr. Leahy, along with Executive Vice
BC to Launch Ph.D. in Computer Science Next Year Ring Is First Short & Skowyra Prof. at
BY ELLEN SEAWARD SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
The Boston College Computer Science Department will offer a new doctoral program that will welcome its first cohort of doctoral candidates in the fall of 2026—a move that will expand the department’s research capacity while helping ensure that the rapid, revolutionary change associated with computer science is driven toward social good, according to Associate Professor Sergio Alvarez, the program director.
The five-year doctoral program was approved by the Board of Trustees in August. With recruitment efforts under way for the first cohort of five students, the goal is to expand to 25 total doctoral students, said Fitzgerald Professor George Mohler, the department chair. Computer science is among the top 10 most popular majors at BC,
with 533 undergraduate students, and according to csrankings.org, the department is highly ranked within its areas of research focus, including a top 60 rank nationally in the theory of computation.
Although the Computer Science Department has existed at BC for decades—it first began in the 1970s in the Carroll School of Management before moving to the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences in the 2000s—Alvarez and Mohler say that, now more than ever, the time was right to launch a Ph.D. program.
“Computer science, including but not limited to artificial intelligence and machine learning, has transformed contemporary life,” said Alvarez. “Additionally, algorithms have become an important element of the language that scientists use to
BC Law
BY PHIL GLOUDEMANS STAFF WRITER
Dr. Thomas F. Carney Distinguished Scholar Diane M. Ring, an international and corporate taxation expert and former Boston College Law School interim dean, was named the inaugural holder of the school’s Marianne D. Short and Ray Skowyra Professorship, announced Odette Lienau, the Marianne D. Short, Esq., Dean.
“I’m simply thrilled that Diane will be the inaugural holder of this eminent professorship,” said Lienau. “She is an excellent, prolific, and internationally renowned scholar and teacher in tax who has been such a respected and important member of our faculty and the legal community for many years. She has served in several leadership roles, including associate dean of faculty and as interim dean [from July
President Michael Lochhead and Provost and Dean of Faculties David Quigley, each offered their traditional state-of-Boston College assessment from academic, financial, operational, and other vantage points while also providing a larger, general context for these trends.
Making his final Convocation address as University president, Fr. Leahy—who will retire next summer and be succeeded by John T. Butler, S.J.—noted the federal government’s aggressive actions against higher education institutions including research grant suspensions, and delay, denial, or cancellation of visas for international students and scholars. Amid these and other pressures, such as the declining
2021-January 2023] before I was hired. I am deeply grateful to Marianne Short and Ray Skowyra for their generosity and leadership in establishing this chair.”
A BC Law faculty member since 2007 who has held associate dean positions for faculty and for academic affairs, Ring focuses her research, writing, and teach-
Museum
Diane M. Ring photo by christopher soldt
Point of Entry
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PUBLISHED BY THE BOSTON COLLEGE OFFICE OF UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
Lee Pellegrini, Longtime BC Photographer
Office of University Communications
Director of Photography Lee Pellegrini, who captured the life and times of Boston College in untold thousands of images over the course of nearly five decades, died on August 19. He was 75.
Mr. Pellegrini and his camera were a constant presence at signature annual University events, such as Commencement Exercises, the Mass of the Holy Spirit, Laetare Sunday, and the Student Involvement Fair, as well as important conferences, celebrations, and other functions—among them the University Mass held at Fenway Park in 2012 to launch BC’s Sesquicentennial Celebration.
But he also photographed smaller-scale gatherings and scenes that were the stuff of everyday BC campus life: students cramming for exams in O’Neill Library; faculty conducting class; researchers hard at work in their labs; Buildings and Grounds crews clearing snow from sidewalks or giving the campus its spring cleaning; performing arts groups on stage at Robsham Theater or the Arts Festival; Dining Services staff preparing and serving meals.
Another valuable task Mr. Pellegrini performed was taking portraits of BC administrators, faculty, and staff for Boston College Magazine, Boston College Chronicle, and other publications, or for school- and department-specific uses.
“Lee was a consummate professional who loved his work and excelled at capturing BC’s most memorable moments through his photographic gifts,” said Associate Vice President for University Communications Jack Dunn. “He was a true University citizen, but he was an even better husband, friend, and colleague. When I would tell Lee how grateful I was to him for all that he did, he always responded, ‘I am grateful to BC for letting me do it. I love what I do.’ That was Lee. We will miss him dearly.”
Mr. Pellegrini’s tenure at BC began in 1977 as staff photographer in what was then the Office of Communications and, after an eight-year interval—during which time he continued to do occasional work for the University—resumed in 1996 in the Office of Publications and Print Marketing (which later formed part of the present Office of University Communications). He became director of photography for the OUC in 2019.
Four years after Mr. Pellegrini first arrived at BC, Robsham Theater opened, and would prove to be among his most enduring subjects: He is said to have pho-
ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT FOR UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
Jack Dunn
SENIOR DIRECTOR FOR UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
Patricia Delaney
EDITOR Sean Smith
artistic discussions about photography—including advice to one colleague who was shooting his daughter’s engagement party.
“As a writer, you spend a lot of time talking about stories with photographers,” said OUC Senior Digital Content Writer Alix Hackett. “Most of my memories of Lee are of him sitting across from me in my office, with one leg crossed, holding a legal pad and jotting down stories, subjects, ideas for locations. He would always start by asking me about my kids.
“Lee was generous and thoughtful. Often, after he had edited photos from a shoot, he would ask me to forward specific ones to the subject or their family, just in case they wanted them. He cared about people a lot, and whenever we were on assignments together, people were happy to see him. He was truly just a joy to work with.”
tographed every theatrical performance there, even during the period he wasn’t a BC employee. In recent years, his photos of Robsham events have been utilized for the large decorative banners that are displayed in the theater’s windows.
When he first arrived at BC, photography involved shooting rolls of film that had to be methodically processed in darkrooms, then making prints from the finished negatives using an enlarger and photo-sensitive paper. But digital photography was on the rise by the turn of the century, and Mr. Pellegrini’s tools of the trade soon involved computers and programs like Photoshop.
Artistic ability and technical prowess weren’t the only qualities that made Mr. Pellegrini a successful, and invaluable, photographer, noted colleagues. For one thing, he needed to be an effective archivist to maintain and search the ever-growing store of images he and his fellow photogs accumulated, in case there was a need for a campus scene from an earlier era, or a shot of a long-departed member of the University community.
Perhaps most of all, as he himself would attest, being a photographer required a certain amount of diplomacy and no shortage of patience. Some people would simply be
CONTRIBUTING STAFF Phil Gloudemans Ed Hayward
Audrey Loyack
Rosanne Pellegrini Kathleen Sullivan
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Caitlin Cunningham Lee Pellegrini
uncomfortable about being photographed or had strong—and unworkable—ideas about what the finished product should look like. Or an event he’d been tasked to cover might turn out to be significantly different than advertised, and thus difficult to capture.
“Lee just always seemed to find a way,” said Chronicle Editor Sean Smith. “If we had a late-breaking story that needed a photo with it, he’d usually manage to arrange a shoot in time. Or he’d look through his files, or back issues of the paper or other publications, to find an image that we could use and just get it done. Sometimes, he’d arrange to shoot a campus event, only to find that there just weren’t a lot of good optics. But Lee would usually come away with something that worked.
“As an editor, it was tremendously reassuring to lay out what I needed and to have him say, ‘You’ll get it.’”
Regular planning meetings with Mr. Pellegrini were valuable in mapping out anticipated photographic needs for Chronicle and other publications or projects. But these were hardly business-only affairs, say colleagues: Conversations would turn to life outside the office, families, fun excursions, politics, cooking, and sometimes general
Mr. Pellegrini’s guidance and experience were foundational for younger colleagues. “Lee knew where every ray of sunshine fell on BC’s campus,” said Director of Creative Video Services John Walsh, who joined OUC in 2017. “He treated us young video/ photo staff as equals and offered nothing but quiet patience, encouragement, and support. He quickly became a revered mentor and friend of mine, always sharing words of wisdom or humorous stories. Lee taught me how to appreciate the ebbs and flows of the academic year; he modeled how to approach each new academic year’s photography opportunities with the same vigor and enthusiasm he always had for his craft.
“He was a gift to me, our office, Boston College, and beyond.”
At the 2024 Arts Festival, Mr. Pellegrini was honored by the Boston College Arts Council with the Faculty/Staff Arts Award for his many contributions to campus arts.
A native of Leominster, Mass., he graduated from Boston University.
Mr. Pellegrini is survived by his wife of 31 years, Rosanne L. Pellegrini, a senior media relations officer in OUC. He also is survived by his brother, Dean, and sisterin-law, Jude; sister-in-law Tina Lafiosca and her husband, Rob Stiratelli; brother-in-law Daniel Lafiosca and his wife, Karen; Katie McCadden and her husband, David, and Kristina Lafiosca; and great-niece and -nephew, Milly Rose and Alasdair McCadden. He was predeceased by his parents, Lucio (Lou) and Marion B. Pellegrini.
No memorial services are planned and burial will be private.
—University Communications
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.
Lee Pellegrini originally joined the University in 1977; he was named director of photography in the Office of University Communications in 2019.
photo by gary wayne gilbert
Fr. Boyle to Speak at First Year Academic Convocation
BY KATHLEEN SULLIVAN STAFF WRITER
Jesuit priest Gregory Boyle, S.J., a bestselling author and the founder of Homeboy Industries—the world’s largest gang intervention, rehabilitation, and reentry program—will be the featured speaker at Boston College’s First Year Academic Convocation on September 4 in Conte Forum.
Academic Convocation welcomes first-year students into BC’s academic community and launches Conversations in the First Year, which engages the University’s newest students in an intellectual and reflective dialogue through a common text. According to organizers, “the shared experience embodies the richness of the Catholic intellectual tradition at Boston College, which calls us to examine our faith and experience in conversation with others in order to pursue the greater glory of God.” Established in 2004, Academic Convocation is organized by the Office of First Year Experience, a division of University Mission and Ministry.
Fr. Boyle will speak on themes of his latest book, Cherished Belonging: The Healing Power of Love in Divided Times, the common text for the Class of 2029.
Cherished Belonging invites readers to seek a community of kinship, “God’s dream come true,” where there is no “us” and “them,” just “us.” Fr. Boyle writes “Cherishing is tenderness in action.” He adds “The positivity of our warm hearts moves us forward and advances us toward a community of cherished belonging.”
Convocation
Continued from page 1 college-age population, many colleges and universities are contemplating, or enacting, hiring freezes, lay-offs, and budget cuts.
Although BC has weathered these storms, said Fr. Leahy, the effects of inflation and rising operational costs are not inescapable, and the University is in the process of reducing expenses by five percent during the next two years. “I am grateful to all those who have helped identify and implement budget savings,” he said. “It’s not easy, but very necessary now.”
BC’s progress in the last five decades has solidified its reputation as “an institution with vision, stability, and momentum, and is more needed today than ever and wants to respond to upcoming challenges and opportunities,” said Fr. Leahy, pointing to core strengths such as BC’s mission and heritage, institutional culture, strategic planning and assessment, and proximity to Boston.
Fr. Leahy also outlined the upcoming presidential transition: Beginning in January, Fr. Butler—currently on sabbatical— will start working closely with Fr. Leahy and attend University-related meetings and functions, until he formally assumes the presidency in the summer.
Lochhead said fiscal year 2025 saw another strong operating performance
photo by caitlin cunningham
Fr. Boyle is a Boston College alumnus, having received a M.Div. in 1984 from the Weston Jesuit School of Theology, which reaffiliated with the University in 2008 to form the Clough School of Theology and Ministry. CSTM honored Fr. Boyle with its Alumni Distinguished Service Award in 2021. He began Homeboy Industries while serving as a pastor for Dolores Mission Church in Los Angeles. For more than 30 years, Homeboy Industries has helped formerly gang-involved and previously incarcerated individuals who seek to change
for BC, driven by such factors as undergraduate enrollment, interest income, and endowment return—he noted that the endowment was valued earlier this year at $4.3 billion, an all-time high for the University’s balance sheet.
Lochhead gave an update on campus facilities, including current construction projects such as Newton East—located across Centre Street from Newton Campus— which will be the future location of the BC School of Social Work when the project is finished (its estimated completion is in the spring of 2027), and the Catholic Religious Archives building on Brighton Campus, adjacent to the Theology and Ministry Library, due to open next year. He also noted recent work at the Eagle’s Nest in McElroy Commons and Messina College on the Brookline Campus, including renovations in the administration building at the West and East Village residence halls.
A major renovation of Carney Hall is anticipated to begin in 2028, noted Lochhead; during the past summer, construction started at several campus locations in anticipation of “offloads” from the Carney project. Planning continues for projects in McElroy Commons and Conte Forum, he said, and details will be forthcoming.
Lochhead also touched on the 10-year progress of the EagleApps project, which provides a “one-stop shopping” platform to manage academic and enrollment activities
the arc of their lives. It serves thousands of people, providing free services that include educational, mental health, recovery, legal services, job training, tattoo removal, and more.
Fr. Boyle is also the author of Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion and The Whole Language: The Power of Extravagant Tenderness, among other titles. In 2024, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Preceding Fr. Boyle’s talk will be the First Flight Procession, which begins at 6 p.m. with the gathering of new students— including first-year undergraduates, new Messina College students, and transfer students—on Linden Lane, where senior leaders of the University will challenge the students to follow the charge of St. Ignatius to “Go set the world aflame.” The torchlit
student procession that follows is repeated by the students on their Commencement day.
University President William P. Leahy, S.J., and First Year Experience Director Christopher Darcy will address the audience at Conte Forum, ahead of Fr. Boyle’s presentation. The event is open to the University community.
“A Jesuit education presents students with the unique opportunity to embrace their gifts, talents, and experiences,” said Darcy. “Through formative experiences inside the classroom and outside, the hope is for students to discern, reflect, and act on what they’ve learned and experienced. The convocation allows our students to be present in a way that challenges their intellectual, spiritual, and social selves.”
Annual Mass of the Holy Spirit Takes Place Sept. 4
University President William P. Leahy, S.J., will celebrate the annual Mass of the Holy Spirit with homilist Fr. Tony Penna, special assistant to the Vice President for University Mission and Ministry, on September 4 at noon on the Plaza at O’Neill Library.
Classes will be canceled on that day from noon to 1:15 p.m. In case of inclement weather, the Mass will be moved to Conte Forum.
All members of the University com-
for students, faculty, and administrators. Through 14 registration/billing cycles to date, he said, the system has provided substantial risk mitigation and a modern technology platform, one which enabled BC to successfully integrate Messina College into the student information system.
Expressing his appreciation for all those who have worked to make BC an elite institution, Lochhead said fiscal year 2026 will “entail some difficult decisions and trade-offs. Our focus continues to be on remaining an accessible and affordable university, especially for lower-income families.”
In his remarks, Quigley reviewed highlights from the previous academic year, among them the opening of Messina College; the graduation of the first cohort of students in the Human-Centered Engineering program, and in the University’s Prison Education Program at MCI-Shirley; the recruitment of yet another outstanding first-year class; and the continuing campus conversations on the benefits and dangers of generative AI.
He also noted the volatility in American higher education that flared this past spring in the wake of presidential actions that affected the status of international students and scholars, as well as funding for sponsored research. BC was not spared, he added: Visas for 10 graduate students and one undergraduate were rejected, and
munity are invited to attend the Mass, a traditional opening of the school year at Jesuit institutions dating back to the Middle Ages. The festive liturgy serves to welcome new members into the Boston College community, renew friendships, and invoke the presence of the Holy Spirit for the year to come.
The Mass of the Holy Spirit is organized by the Office of Campus Ministry in the Division of Mission and Ministry. —University Communications
administrators and faculty are trying to navigate the changed research landscape. Echoing Fr. Leahy’s and Lochhead’s remarks about operating budget restraints, Quigley said faculty hires will be limited this year and next—but he noted that BC has welcomed another coterie of talented faculty members for 2025-2026.
Shifting his focus, Quigley spoke about challenges and opportunities facing Boston College, and higher education in general, for the remainder of the decade. Despite the questions facing many American colleges and universities, he said, BC—a well-run institution with a well-defined mission—has every reason to continue its success. The University’s strengths in formative education in particular positions it for the development of ethical leadership and conversations about the intersection of faith and culture.
He cited the vision of past BC founder John McElroy, S.J., and Thomas Gasson, S.J., who served as president from 19071914, as a signpost for the University.
“They saw Boston College as a place to bring our talents, our interests, and our passions in service to others,” he said. “We should continue to think about how we can best take up that invitation and make the most of it.”
Gregory Boyle, S.J., M.Div. ’84 is an author as well as founder of Homeboy Industries.
WHILE YOU WERE AWAY
Boston College News from the Summer of 2025
Fr. Beaumier Is Haub VP for Mission & Ministry
Vice President and University Secretary Casey C. Beaumier, S.J., was named Haub Vice President for University Mission and Ministry, succeeding Jack Butler, S.J., who will become the 26th president of Boston College in the summer of 2026.
During his 19 years at Boston College, Fr. Beaumier has been an active and popular presence on campus who is well known among BC students. In addition to his role as vice president and University secretary, he has been director of the Institute for Advanced Jesuit Studies (IAJS) and teacher in the Capstone Program since 2014, resident minister in Fenwick Hall since 2008, and a member of the Steering Committee of the Church in the 21st Century Center (C21) since 2013. He has led Kairos, Manresa, and 48 Hour retreats for undergraduates, and provided spiritual direction programming for students, faculty, and staff. He has also directed the Ever to Excel summer immersion program for high school students since 2016.
In announcing the appointment, University President William P. Leahy, S.J., said Fr. Beaumier’s extensive knowledge of the University and commitment to its mission has prepared him for his new role.
“Fr. Beaumier knows Boston College
Burch Named Rourke Prof.
Professor and Chair of Physics Kenneth Burch, a leading researcher in condensed matter physics, was named the John H. Rourke Professor of Physics.
Burch, who joined the Boston College faculty from the University of Toronto in 2013, succeeds Professor of Physics Kevin Bedell, the inaugural Rourke Chair holder.
“As a researcher, teacher, departmental leader, and stalwart participant in the work of the University, Ken exemplifies the sort of faculty excellence we hope for at Boston College,” said Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences Dean Gregory Kalscheur, S.J. “I am grateful for all he has done for his students and the Physics Department, and I look forward to his future accomplishments.”
The chair was created by a $3 million bequest from the late siblings John ’41 and Mary Rourke, the long-time owners of Rourke’s Pharmacy in Brighton Center near BC. At the time of the gift, it was the largest bequest in the University’s history.
“I am extremely honored and grateful to join the growing list of endowed chairs at BC that represent such a high level of scholarship and service,” said Burch. “I have very big shoes to fill, given Kevin’s accomplishments as the inaugural holder of the professorship. I am also excited about the opportunity to try high risk/high re-
well and has been involved in many aspects of the University, including teaching, residential life, and pastoral activities,” said Fr. Leahy. “I am confident that he will continue building on the many successful programs of University Mission and Ministry developed by Fr. Butler and his team.”
As part of divisional reorganization, the Center for Student Formation will move to
ward projects with a source of reliable support not tied to specific projects.”
Burch’s work focuses on quantum materials, optical spectroscopy, and biosensing. His research has resulted in more than 100 publications, with many papers in highimpact journals such as Nature, and his work has been supported by numerous organizations, including the National Science Foundation, Air Force Office of Scientific Research, National Institutes of Health, and the Department of Energy.
In addition to his scholarly work, Burch welcomes students from across the University, and beyond, to satisfy their interests in fundamental physics and devices with societal impacts—whether as a physics major, or to simply expand their knowledge.
—Ed Hayward
the Office of the Provost and Dean of Faculties, and C21 and IAJS will become units of University Mission and Ministry.
Fr. Beaumier said he is excited to lead the effort to promote Boston College’s mission as a Jesuit, Catholic university.
“As vice president for University Mission and Ministry, I want to keep inviting members of our community to deepen their knowledge of Boston College’s culture and heritage,” said Fr. Beaumier. “Our commitment to mission and formative education makes BC distinctive among American colleges and universities.”
As vice president and University secretary since 2017, Fr. Beaumier served as the liaison to the Nominations and Governance Committee of the Board of Trustees and a member of various University committees. In directing IAJS, he has promoted understanding of the history, spirituality, and pedagogy of the Society of Jesus through the Institute’s courses, workshops, publications, and symposia. His efforts helped Boston College to earn a $10 million grant from the Lilly Endowment’s National Youth and Young Adult Initiative on Faith and Service in 2024.
In his role as Haub Vice President for University Mission and Ministry, he
will lead a division that promotes spiritual growth and integration on campus through faith programs, retreats, service and immersion trips, and various outreach initiatives. He will serve as director of Campus Ministry, and supervise the Center for Ignatian Spirituality, Intersections, Montserrat, and the Volunteer and Service Learning Center.
“BC has a very lively sense of mission that people appreciate and want to be a part of,” said Fr. Beaumier. “Having the chance to participate in retreats, volunteer service, mentorship, and spiritual conversation is something that nurtures the interior life of our community members. I intend to further encourage those opportunities.”
Fr. Tony Penna will remain in Campus Ministry in a part-time role, and Vice President and Executive Assistant to the President Kevin Shea will assume the duties of University secretary.
In addition, IAJS Associate Director Matthew Schweitzer will become associate vice president for University Mission and Ministry, and Lynch School of Education and Human Development Professor and IAJS Research Scholar Cristiano Casalini will serve as IAJS academic director.
—Jack Dunn
BCDS Earns High Honors
Boston College Dining Services was a big winner at the National Association of College and University Food Services (NACUFS) Awards this summer, taking the organization’s grand prize and two other high honors as well
BCDS received the Grand Prize for Catering Program of the Year, as well as gold and bronze Loyal E. Horton Dining Awards for, respectively, Catering Program of the Year and Most Innovative Dining Program. The Horton awards recognize colleges and universities nationwide for their innovative dining concepts and successful implementation. In addition, each year NACUFS selects a particular category—this year being Catering Program of the Year—to showcase for the Grand Prize.
Founded in 1958, NACUFS is the first association focused solely on food service in higher education, with members in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and beyond.
“Winning the Grand Prize for our catering program is an immense honor, and it’s all thanks to the tireless efforts of our incredible team,” said Director of Dining Services Beth Emery, who traveled with Associate Director of Food and Beverages Frank Bailey and Assistant Director of Catering Operations Scott Powers to receive the awards at the NACUFS National Conference in Salt Lake City. “We
couldn’t be prouder of their menu innovation, impressive food presentations, and ability to delight customers.”
BCDS administrators say the initiatives that earned the grand prize reflected the department’s commitment to the community dining experience and variety through innovative and forward-thinking strategies.
They note that Executive Chef Phyllis Kaplowitz has spearheaded the rewriting of BC Catering’s menu offerings, which are divided into two operations: Heights Catering, providing a blend of classic flavors and contemporary culinary elements, featuring menus and packages that showcase a combination of both familiar and refined tastes; and Heights Express, convenient catering for small-scale events with a streamlined ordering system.
During the 2024-2025 academic year, Heights Catering served some 2,500 events and delivered more than 750 Heights Express orders to the BC community.
BC Dining has received numerous silver and gold NACUFS nutrition and sustainability awards, including a grand prize in 2015 when Heights Catering was honored for its work at the Pops on the Heights scholarship gala, as well as the grand prize for last year’s Nutrition Awards.
—Audrey Loyack
Casey Beaumier, S.J.
photo by lee pellegrini
Kenneth Burch
photo by gary wayne gilbert
Clough Ctr. Salute to the Constitution Kicks Off 2025-26
BY SEAN SMITH CHRONICLE EDITOR
Boston College’s Clough Center for the Study of Constitutional Democracy begins its 2025-2026 season next week with the fourth annual “What the Constitution Means to Us” event, featuring journalist Shannon Bream, host of “Fox News Sunday,” as well as faculty and student speakers.
“What the Constitution Means to Us” will take place on September 4 at 5 p.m. in the Yawkey Athletics Center Murray Room. Inspired by the Pulitzer-nominated Heidi Schreck play, and in the spirit of Constitution and Citizenship Day, this event provides the Boston College community with an opportunity to reflect on our Constitution.
The forum will set the tone for another year of colloquia, discussions, lectures, and other programming that reflects the Clough Center’s mission to promote interdisciplinary reflection on constitutional government in the United States and throughout the world. The unifying theme for events and activities during 2025-2026 is democratic resilience: “the capacity of democratic institutions and peoples to endure economic strain, demographic shifts, stark cultural and political polarization, and numerous other challenges,” according to the center. Among the questions to be explored are: which institutions promote
“History teaches us that democracy is precarious and reversible,” said Professor of Political Science Jonathan Laurence, director of the Clough Center. “Instead of a shared commitment to constitutional order, our media are awash in punditry and ‘hot takes’ which exacerbate polarization. The Clough Center’s program features incisive scholars and public figures who have dedicated their careers to understanding what makes democracy resilient.”
Other highlights of the year include:
•The Clough Center Fall Colloquium on October 9, with BC Behrakis Professor in Hellenic Political Science Robert Bartlett and Barnard College Professor of Political Science Sheri Berman.
•“The Quest for Democracy in North Africa,” on November 6, with former Tunisian Prime Minister Youseff Chahed— who drew praise for his efforts in fighting against terrorism, battling corruption, and navigating severe economic challenges— and Mohammed Hashas, a scholar of modern and contemporary thought at the University of Rome.
photo by nick welsh
long-term democracy; how do ideas and values shape and support democratic rule; when are democratic governance and individual rights mutually reinforcing—and when must the one give way to the other?
Chahed is one of two visiting scholars at the center for the academic year, noted Laurence: The other is former North Atlantic Treaty Organization official Andres Mosquera, who served almost 25 years as deputy director, then director of NATO’s Office of Legal Affairs. During this time, he supported the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and
represented Spain at the International Telecommunications Union.
•The Clough Distinguished Lecture, “We the People,” on December 3 with Jill Lepore, the Kemper Professor of History at Harvard University and a staff writer for The New Yorker
•The Clough Center Spring Symposium (March 19 and 20), featuring a keynote address by 2024 Nobel laureate Daron Acemoglu. The Killian Professor of Economics at MIT, Acemoglu shared the Nobel Prize in Economic Studies with James A. Robinson and Simon Johnson, with whom he collaborated on comparative studies of how political and economic institutions affect a nation’s development. Other participants will include New York Times columnist Ross Douthat, former American Civil Liberties Union President Nadine Strossen, and political scientist Steven Levitsky, a professor of government at Harvard University.
•The Clough Distinguished Lecture on May 5, with Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem. This event is co-sponsored with the Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life. Times, locations, and other details for these events will be available at the Clough Center website [bc.edu/bc-web/centers/ clough.html].
The Clough Center was established in 2008 through a donation by Gloria Clough CGSON ’96, and Charles Clough ’64, a former University trustee.
Lynch School Set to Introduce Transformative Education Lab
BY PHIL GLOUDEMANS STAFF WRITER
Capitalizing on its national leadership in formative education, this fall the Lynch School of Education and Human Development will launch the Transformative Education Lab, which will serve as a hub for the school’s multiple programs, initiatives, and research in whole-person education—and as a nationwide platform for boosting this holistic, character-driven approach to learning.
“As the challenges confronting higher education intensify, so too do the concerns about how best to prepare America’s youth to develop as whole people and lead flourishing lives,” said Stanton E.F. Wortham, the Charles F. Donovan, S.J., Dean of the Lynch School. “The solution lies in a commitment to education that goes beyond narrow outcome measures and strives to develop the whole person by focusing not only on the mind, but the heart and soul. At Boston College, the answer is formative education.”
Wortham envisions the lab serving as a convenor of conferences, webinars, and symposia focused on cutting-edge developments in the field; a publisher of scholarly and practitioner-oriented reports that summarize both new research and inventive practice; and an online content creator that provides timely, relevant, and compelling information on the topic.
“The Transformative Education Lab knits together distinctive Lynch School-based for-
mation programs such as our department of Formative Education, the Purpose Lab and the True North application, and the Mary E. Walsh Center for Thriving Children and its City Connects program, to form a powerful and unparalleled collection of knowledge and resources that sets the Lynch School apart as a countrywide leading light in whole-person education,” said Wortham.
Deoksoon Kim, a Lynch School professor in the Teaching, Curriculum, and Society department, and a City Connects research team member, will lead the lab, which will be supported by a post-doctoral student. The steering committee includes key faculty with relevant expertise from the Lynch School and the broader University.
She noted that the lab will host an inaugural conference at the Lynch School in fall 2026, and that it plans to award modest grants to practitioners and scholars who are doing exemplary work in formative education.
According to Wortham, the establishment of the Transformative Education Lab builds on a series of Lynch School-hosted, groundbreaking formative education events over the past decade that established the Lynch School as a base for work on whole person education, and which molded the lab’s foundation.
In the fall of 2017, the school presented “The Whole Child; One Vision, Three Events”—a trio of pioneering convenings on student development across intellectual, emotional, spiritual, and ethical dimen-
sions—which covered topics of interest to professionals working with K-12 students, as well as those who focus on undergraduates, such as integrated student support, measurement and evaluation, and wholechild practice.
In November 2019, the Lynch School
hosted “Formative Education: Mapping the Terrain,” which explored student formation practices across the University, with comment and participation from other institutions.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, with the transition to virtual learning, the Lynch School published a practice guide to online formative education titled “Cultivating Wholeness, Purpose, and Community in a Virtual Environment,” which offered a set of pedological strategies to foster holistic student development in both in-person and online environments.
Boston College’s commitment to formative education is rooted in the University’s identity as a Jesuit, Catholic institution and a leader in the liberal arts. Since its founding in 1863, BC has developed pedagogical and developmental practices that help students integrate the intellectual, social, ethical, and spiritual dimensions of their lives to discern what the world is calling them to become, and to use their gifts to serve others.
“While formative education is not exclusive to Boston College and other Jesuit universities, the Lynch School—and BC overall—has invested substantial time and resources integrating formation into the fabric of the University,” said Wortham. “Given that commitment, depth, and experience, the lab is well positioned to serve as an authoritative source and useful hub on all major aspects of formative education.”
“Fox News Sunday” host Shannon Bream will speak at the Clough Center for the Study of Constitutional Democracy’s annual event on the United States Constitution.
Prof. Deoksoon Kim will lead the Lynch School Transformative Education Lab.
photo by lee pellegrini
Doctorate in Computer Science to Launch in 2026
Continued from page 1
express their theories. Because of our mission to advance the common good, Boston College is called upon to engage in this revolution directly.”
Added Mohler, “We’re engaging in technology and AI every day as citizens. Students receiving a formative education need to be versed in how that technology works.”
The doctoral program will specialize in two broad research areas, artificial intelligence and machine learning, and the theory of computation. These areas consolidate the department’s research strengths and look to the future of computer science: As Alvarez noted, AI, machine learning, and data science are key to the sophisticated algorithms that are increasingly pervasive in society, while the theory of computation provides a foundational framework for algorithms generally.
BC Computer Science faculty are highly interdisciplinary in their research and have had remarkable success in developing research at the highest level: using machine learning to study climate impacts on agriculture, improve health care outcomes, and extend the range of techniques available to the natural and social sciences, for example, and employing data visualization to aid in the democratization of information. Now, Alvarez and Mohler are eager to see how the addition of graduate students, who will participate in research beginning in their first year, will expand the department’s research capabilities and interdisciplinary collaborations.
They expect the program to have a re-
verberating impact across the department because, as Mohler pointed out, graduate students connect faculty, undergraduates, research, and teaching. “Our graduate students will work with faculty to further research efforts, and they will also serve in the classroom as teaching assistants and research mentors to help provide a cuttingedge CS education to our undergraduates.”
With the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics projecting a faster-than-average growth rate of 26 percent for computer and information scientists over the next 10 years, the new doctoral program will prepare students for successful, meaningful careers in academia and industry alike, according to the Computer Science Department. Career paths range from consulting and software development to faculty positions and research.
Morrissey College Dean Gregory Kalscheur, S.J., said the addition of the doctoral program will also support student formation.
“The language and power of computation and the astounding growth of artificial intelligence tools affect research across disciplines and influence almost every aspect of life in our world today,” said Fr. Kalscheur. “A Ph.D. program will allow us to deepen our scholarly engagement at both the undergraduate and graduate levels with the social and ethical implications of developments in the world of computer science.”
Information about the doctoral program in computer science is available at https://bit. ly/Boston-College-CompSci-PhD
Ring Named to New Law Chair
Continued from page 1
ing on information exchange, tax leaks, corruption and taxation, international tax relations, the sharing economy and human equity transactions, and ethics in tax practice.
“It’s such an honor to hold this new chair, established by such deeply engaged members of the law school community,” said Ring. “Through the establishment of this chair, Marianne Short and Ray Skowrya signal not only their ongoing commitment to the intellectual life of the law school but also to BC Law’s vision for making an impact through research and teaching.”
Ring’s scholarship and expertise have been globally recognized at a crucial moment in the regulation and reconsideration of both the national and the transnational tax regimes. During the past academic year, she was invited to publish a chapter in the British Tax Review; she served as a visiting international tax professor at Tokyo’s Meiji University; and delivered a keynote address for the London School of Economics’ International Inequities Institute & Open Ownership Symposium on Systems of Financial Secrecy. Ring has co-authored three casebooks in taxation: Federal Income Taxation of
Corporate Enterprise, Introduction to US International Taxation, and Ethical Problems in Federal Taxation, in addition to numerous articles and chapter contributions. Her forthcoming co-authored book is titled Compliance, Avoidance, and Evasion in Taxation: The Role of Professional Enablers.
Previously, Ring was an assistant professor at Harvard Law School, and an associate professor at the University of Florida’s Levin School of Law. Before entering academia, she practiced at the firm of Caplin & Drysdale in Washington, D.C., specializing in international tax and the taxation of financial instruments. Ring also clerked for Judge Jon O. Newman of the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.
A graduate of Harvard University and Harvard Law School, Ring has served as a consultant to the United Nations on developing country tax base protection and treaty administration, and as the United States National Reporter for International Fiscal Association Conferences on the Debt Equity Conundrum and on Double Nontaxation. A renowned teacher of tax, she has served as chair for the Tax Section Committee of Teaching Taxation of the American Bar Association.
Woods College Kicks Off Master’s Degree Program in Sports Analytics
BY PATRICIA DELANEY SENIOR DIRECTOR FOR UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
Data-driven strategies and business models are now the hallmarks of every industry, and sports is no exception.
From analyzing stats on player performance to understanding fan behavior, today’s sports industry relies on the interpretation, evaluation, and effective use of the vast amount of data generated by technology systems. Managers, directors, and other executives are expected to understand the fundamentals of sports analytics, and all industry professionals require grounding in this area to reach positions of authority.
In response to this heightened demand, the Woods College of Advancing Studies this fall is introducing an M.S. in Sports Analytics degree program, which will offer a comprehensive focus on all aspects of athletics data analysis. Graduates of the program will be able to apply their skills across a sports organization, from assessing drivers of performance to providing sales forecasts.
The program will build on the success of the school’s existing master’s programs in sports administration and applied analytics, allowing students to benefit from a proven educational approach that includes exposure to real-world experience from working professionals, as well as strong industry connections in Boston, a city known for its sports culture.
Both full- and part-time students will be able to complete the hybrid program fully online, fully on-campus, or in any mix of the two.
“Our new M.S. in Sports Analytics program clearly responds to market needs,” said Woods College Dean David Goodman. “Our research reveals a demand for strong data analytics skills within the sports industry. Given our robust graduate programs in both sports administration and applied analytics, Woods College is particularly qualified to meet that need.”
“Analytics are vital to the evaluation, design, and implementation of sports programs across the industry,” said M.S. in Sports Administration program director Patricia Raube Keller, who will direct the new program. “Data is front and center in daily operations, marketing, revenue generation, customer interaction, staff management, budget decisions—even player recruitment
and play strategies. Sports organizations want to be able to use data effectively. They want to employ professionals who can translate data into actionable strategies.”
Students, however, typically don’t learn these skills at the undergraduate level, and many industry workers do not learn them on the job, she said. The M.S. in Sports Analytics program will fill that gap, equipping students to use AI algorithms, machine learning, and data assessment to enhance player performance and recruitment, create winning game strategies, increase fan engagement, forecast sales and revenues, evaluate marketing efforts, support athlete health and wellness, and assist in regulation compliance.
“And, importantly,” Raube Keller added, “our program will also educate students to use data in making informed, ethical decisions.”
“We have built a very successful and rigorous set of programs in our M.S. in Applied Economics and M.S. in Applied Analytics,” said Aleksandar Tomic, associate dean for strategy, innovation, and technology at the Woods College, who directs both. “I’m really excited about bringing these to a new realm, and collaborating with Dr. Keller and this new program to develop graduates who can not only contribute to and improve their sports organizations, but also push the envelope on the tools used in that industry.”
As with all Woods College graduate programs, the M.S. in Sports Analytics curriculum will be strengthened by contributions from industry leaders, who will provide expertise and experience serving as advisory board members, participating in course development, and acting as teaching faculty in their respective areas. Students also will have access to academic and career support, and grounding in communication and other non-technical skills needed to succeed outside of the classroom.
The new program is an ideal choice for students with a bachelor’s degree who have a strong interest in sports management and data science or working professionals who view a master’s degree as a means to advance or change their careers within the sports industry, Raube Keller said.
For both, she said, “this program is a strong step toward that dream job in sports.”
Details on enrollment and other aspects of the program are available via the Woods College website [bc.edu/wcas]
Patty Raube Keller directs the M.S. in Sports Analytics degree program.
photo by lee pellegrini
BC’s Center for Christian-Jewish Learning Hits the 25-Year Mark
BY KATHLEEN SULLIVAN STAFF WRITER
The Center for Christian-Jewish Learning at Boston College, one of the nation’s leading institutes for Christian-Jewish dialogue and scholarship, is marking its 25th anniversary this academic year.
Among the events being held in celebration of the milestone will be a lecture next month by the center’s founding director and a conference on the field of ChristianJewish relations.
Established in 2000 through a gift from late Boston College alumnus John M. Corcoran ’48, the Center for ChristianJewish Learning (CCJL) is dedicated to fostering the growth of new and mutually enriching relationships between Christians and Jews.
According to Kraft Family Professor and Director Rev. Daniel Joslyn-Siemiatkoski, who has served as CCJL director since 2022, the center’s first priority is its educational mission to the students of Boston College. Both he and CCJL Associate Director Professor Rabbi Ruth Langer teach a core theology course called Christianity and Judaism in Dialogue, in addition to other courses.
The center also offers fellowships to students, a stipend in support of a yearlong research project that contributes to Christian-Jewish dialogue and interfaith understanding.
“We’re really trying to nourish undergraduate interest in the field,” said JoslynSiemiatkoski. “For example, we’ve supported a student looking at Christian and Jewish approaches to the migrant crisis and another who proposed an exhibit on local Catholic-Jewish relations for a Holocaust museum in Boston.”
“We consider the education of future Christian leaders in the consequences of Christian rethinking of its relationship with Judaism to be a very important service that we can offer,” said Langer, a professor of Jewish Studies who has been with the center since its launch and served as interim director from 2020 to 2022.
“We have been a resource for the Jewish students at BC, working with Hillel on its programming and with Campus Ministry on its multi-faith endeavors.”
The work of the center is also about advancing scholarship on the pressing issues in Christian-Jewish relations today.
“Boston College has been able to contribute significantly to the growth of the academic study of Christian-Jewish relations,” said Rabbi Langer. “The center was key in the formation of a North American community of discourse among those involved in Christian-Jewish dialogue. It also hosts a listserv which is an important vehicle for sharing thoughts and dialogue, maintaining relationships, and working together on current issues. These [efforts] have been critical in keeping the relationships alive and the dialogue going even as the religious bodies themselves have had to move their resources and personnel elsewhere.
“The center has also been a partner in a number of international research teams with multi-year projects on complex matters, producing two books and with another in the works.”
Each year, the center hosts a Corcoran Visiting Chair in Christian-Jewish Relations, an eminent scholar who comes to campus to conduct research, offer a public lecture, and teach a class. The Corcoran Visiting Chair for 2025-2026 is Dror Bondi, a senior research fellow and lecturer at the Schechter Institute in Israel and a leading scholar on 20th-century Jewish philosopher Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel.
The center also presents lectures, sponsors conferences, and publishes the open-access, peer-reviewed journal Studies in Christian-Jewish Relations [ejournals. bc.edu/index.php/scjr].
On September 9, the center’s anniversary year will kick off with a lecture by Philip A. Cunningham, the inaugural CCJL executive director (2000 to 2007), who is a professor of theology and co-director of the Institute for Jewish-Catholic Relations of Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. He will deliver the 13th Annual John Paul
II Lecture in Christian-Jewish Relations titled “The Presence of the Holy in the Other: A Spirituality of Christian-Jewish Relations in Polarized Times.” The lecture will be available in person and via Zoom, beginning at 5 p.m.
This year marks the 60th anniversary Nostra Aetate, a groundbreaking declaration from the Second Vatican Council that addressed the relation of the Catholic Church to non-Christian religions, notably condemning anti-Semitism and rejecting the notion that the Jews killed Jesus. Cunningham’s presentation will explore the spiritual significance of this historic development and its meaning in today’s context of polarization and war.
Other noteworthy events during the CCJL’s anniversary year include a private consultation with the next generation of Jewish theologians and communal leaders on November 20 to discuss the legacy of Dabru Emet, a landmark Jewish statement on relations with Christianity.
During March 15-17, the CCJL will host an international group of scholars for a conference on “Mapping the Field of Christian-Jewish Relations.” According to Joslyn-Siematkoski, the interdisciplinary conference is designed to incubate the development of the academic field of Chris-
tian-Jewish relations. The event is being supported by a grant from the Institute for the Liberal Arts.
“I often tell people who ask about the center that it’s really generational work,” said Joslyn-Siemiatkoski. “Whatever we’re doing right now, we’re building off of what came before. Nostra Aetate shaped how so many Christians thought about Christian-Jewish relations. Jews responded [with Dabru Emet]. Where we are now is because of what previous generations have done. And so the work of the center today is continuing this generational work.”
According to organizers, the conference participants will analyze the range of subjects, disciplines, and methods that exist with the fields’ contemporary expression and name and examine the ethical and moral concerns that frequently motivate scholars’ work in it.
“The work of dialogue is necessarily responsive to current events. At the same time, that response relies on a network of relationships that allow trusting conversation across differences. It is crucial that we continue building these relationships and integrate new and younger participants into our conversations,” said Rabbi Langer. “We will be able to bring the wisdom gained from the past 25 years that will help us prioritize areas still needing further scholarly attention.”
Joslyn-Siemiatkoski, who notes that CCJL lectures and other events, offered via webinar and made available via YouTube, have drawn audiences from not only the United States, but Canada, Israel, and throughout Europe. Interest in CCJL goes beyond scholars to include clergy and lay people who are seeking to enhance Christian-Jewish relations in their own communities, he added.
“We wouldn’t be here without the vision of the Corcoran family in establishing the center and the support from our generous donors, lay people—Catholics and Jews—who have invested in our work,” said Joslyn-Siemiatkoski, who also cited the center’s success as a testament to BC’s stewardship and a legacy of University President William P. Leahy, S.J.
To register for the John Paul II Lecture or explore other center offerings, see the CCJL website at www.bc.edu/cjlearning
The Center for Christian-Jewish Learning’s founding executive director Philip Cunningham, returns on September 9 to kick off the center’s 25th anniversary year.
BC Scenes
Welcoming BC’s Newest Students
PHOTOS BY CAROLINE ALDEN
(L-R) Last week was an eventful one for members of the Class of 2029, as they moved into their residence halls, received a formal welcome from author Arivee Vargas Rozier-Byrd ’05, J.D. ’08, H ’22 in Conte Forum, and attended the Opportunities Fair.
Putting Their Diplomas to Work
Ninety-six percent of 2024 BC alums are employed, enrolled in graduate school, or engaged in a fellowship or volunteer experience
BY ALIX HACKETT SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
The transition from college to the real world hasn’t seemed to faze the Boston College Class of 2024.
Within six months of collecting their diplomas, 96 percent of graduates were employed, attending graduate school, or engaged in a fellowship or volunteer opportunity, according to survey results released by the Boston College Office of Institutional Research & Planning and the BC Career Center.
The findings reiterate the power of a Boston College liberal arts education to equip graduates with skills employers seek, while helping them identify careers that suit their talents and interests.
“Watching our most recent alumni pursue their goals, whether it’s through jobs, service, or graduate programs, is especially gratifying,” said Vice Provost for Undergraduate Academic Affairs Akua Sarr. “Their success is a reflection of both their academic and personal growth while at Boston College.”
According to the survey, 75 percent of graduates entered the workforce, representing a broad range of industries from health care to education. The majority (35 percent) chose jobs in financial services while 17 percent work in health care and the sciences at prestigious institutions like Children’s Hospital Boston and the DanaFarber Cancer Institute. Thirteen percent pursued careers in consulting, business, or entrepreneurship, and another seven percent are employed in the technology and
engineering sectors.
A majority of students (71 percent) said they utilized resources offered by the Career Center to secure their employment. Many took advantage of the center’s robust networking platforms to connect with potential mentors and employers and used their Handshake accounts to find job listings.
“We encourage students to see career development not just as a path to employment, but as part of a larger journey of selfdiscovery,” said Joseph Du Pont, associate vice president for career services and integrated learning. “We help students reflect on their gifts, explore how they might use them in service to others, and pursue work that aligns with their values and aspira-
tions.”
Of the 19 percent attending graduate school, approximately two-thirds (72 percent) are pursuing master’s degrees and 12 percent are pursuing a J.D. The top areas of study are business (25 percent); science, technology, engineering, and math (18 percent); law (13 percent); and education (12 percent). The most popular graduate schools include Boston College, Columbia, Yale, University of Chicago, and Cornell.
A smaller portion of graduates (2 percent) have chosen to pursue fellowships or volunteer opportunities. The most popular volunteer commitments include the Peace Corps, Jesuit Volunteer Corps, and AmeriCorps.
Left, members of the Class of 2024 at their Commencement Exercises. Seventy-five percent of the graduates have joined the workforce and many said they utilized resources offered by the Career Center to secure their employment.
photo by caitlin cunningham
In determining their post-graduation plans, many students drew from formative experiences like internships, leadership positions, or research projects with faculty members. Eighty-five percent of survey respondents participated in an internship during their time at BC, and 71 percent spent time doing community service or volunteer work outside of class.
“A Jesuit education invites students to look inward and ask who they are called to be in the world,” said Du Pont. “Whether through internships, research, service, or on-campus work, our students discover what gives them joy and purpose—and that clarity often shapes the meaningful work they pursue after graduation.”
The findings reported by the Office of Institutional Research & Planning represent 79 percent of the Class of 2024. Most data was collected through an online survey sent to graduates between May and December of last year. The rest was obtained from National Student Clearinghouse, Boston College data, and public data.
To read the report, go to bit.ly/BC-Class-of2024-outcomes
Alix Hackett is a senior digital content writer in the Office of University Communications
Morrissey College Inaugurates Grad Student Orientation Program
The Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences Graduate School (MCGS) introduced a new, centralized student orientation program this academic year, hosting a daylong event on August 21 that included panel and small group discussions as well as campus tours.
Various University academic and nonacademic offices hosted resource sessions at the orientation: “Wellness and Disability” featured representatives from Disability Services, University Health Services, University Counseling Services, and the Murray Center for Student Wellness; the Center for Teaching Excellence and Connors Family Learning Center presented “Teaching and Learning”; the Career Center offered a session on professional development; and the Office of Financial Aid gave an overview of finances and health insurance, with assistance from Gallagher Student Health & Special Risk insurance agency. University Libraries also provided an overview of its academic and research services.
At the end of the day, the newly arrived graduate students attended a Campus Resource Fair—with tables staffed by campus offices such as Health Services, OffCampus Housing, and Recreation—and reception.
While the Office of Graduate Student Life provides an online orientation program for all the University’s approximately 5,000 graduate and professional students, and BC’s other graduate schools organize their own welcomes, MCGS—home to 28 different master’s and doctoral programs in a range of disciplines such as classical studies, English, geology, history, psychology and neuroscience, and theology, among others—had not held an all-school event in some years, according to administrators.
Student orientation is not a one-sizefits-all proposition in higher education.
Graduate schools and programs can’t follow the undergraduate model, since they’re dealing with students who are older, are likely to already be in the workforce, and may have started families. Their on-campus experience and engagement are thus markedly different than those of undergrads, note BC administrators—but no less vital to their graduate education experience.
“We wanted to offer something that would address the particular considerations, interests, and concerns of students according to their individual field and degree program,” said MCGS Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Christine Murphy. “But at the same time, we felt it was important to drive home the point that
they all are part of a larger community— not only Morrissey College but Boston College. And within that community are people who can help them with academic, professional, career, or personal needs.”
Added Director of Graduate Student Life Carole Hughes, “Our University-wide graduate and professional student orientation, which has been online since the pandemic, has proved to be an excellent
resource for incoming grad students. But BC’s individual graduate schools know the importance of connecting with their new students on as personal a level as possible. Christine and her staff did a great job in putting together an orientation for the MCGS students across all disciplines, and it will help to create a strong community.”
—Sean Smith
Morrissey College graduate students visited Bapst Library as part of at last week’s orientation session.
photo by caroline alden
Grant Supports ‘Human-Centered’ AI Education
BY PHIL GLOUDEMANS STAFF WRITER
The National Science Foundation has awarded a two-year, $200,000 grant to the Boston College Engineering Department to develop, implement, and study a new approach to artificial intelligence education grounded in Human-Centered Algorithm Design (HCAD), which integrates technical, ethical, and social considerations into the process of designing algorithmic systems.
The principal investigator for “Research Initiation: Human-Centered AI Algorithm Design for Engineering Students’ Professional Formation” is Ferrante Family Assistant Professor of Engineering Bryan Ranger, whose Biomedical Imaging and Instrumentation Lab develops ultrasound imaging and AI technologies for health using human-centered design, advancing engineering education.
“This project will support the development of new teaching strategies that will assist engineering students’ engagement with the ethical, social, and human dimensions of AI,” said Ranger, a member of the Global Public Health and the Common Good Program faculty who also has a courtesy appointment in the Connell School of Nursing.
“By designing and testing innovative ways of teaching that help students connect their technical education with realworld impact, the initiative will support the development of engineers who are thoughtful, responsible, and prepared to contribute to the public good, which aligns with growing national efforts to strengthen the AI workforce and ensure that students and educators are prepared to thrive in a rapidly evolving digital society.”
Ranger noted that the project, which begins November 1, will also address the goals of the NSF’s Research Initiation in Engineering Formation program that call for expanded education, teacher training, and ethical awareness in the field of AI by training a faculty member who is new to engineering education research by building their skills and collaborations needed to study and improve how engineers are taught about AI.
According to co-principal investigator, Assistant Professor of Engineering and Sabet Family Dean’s Faculty Fellow Avneet Hira, the project will be executed in three phases: development of modular
instructional materials suitable for integration into both introductory and advanced undergraduate engineering courses; implementation of these materials in courses at BC; and the use of design-based research methods to iteratively study and refine the curriculum.
“The research will examine how students understand and apply HCAD concepts, how their perceptions of engineering and AI evolve, and how different elements of the curriculum influence engagement,” she said. “Mixed-methods data collection will include surveys, interviews, classroom observations, and analysis of student work, and the findings will contribute to the
Woods, BC High Announce a Dual Enrollment
The Woods College of Advancing Studies and Boston College High School have agreed to a dual enrollment partnership that will provide BC High juniors and seniors with early access to college-level coursework and a head start on their academic journeys via the Woods College.
Through the program, eligible BC High juniors and seniors will have the opportunity to enroll in up to two Woods College courses while at BC High at a discounted tuition rate. Courses are taught by distinguished Boston College faculty and are available in flexible online, evening, and hybrid formats, making it easier for students to balance their high school commitments with advanced learning. Credits earned through this program may be transferred to Woods College should students choose to continue their studies there after graduation, providing a seamless transition to higher education.
This partnership is a natural extension of the longstanding relationship between Boston College and BC High, two Jesuit institutions with a shared heritage dating back to 1863. For generations, both have been dedicated to forming young people of
competence, conscience, and compassion, committed to academic excellence and service to others.
“We are thrilled to deepen our historic relationship with Boston College’s Woods College through this new partnership,” said Boston College High School President Grace Cotter Regan ’82, M.A. ’08, P’12.
“Our shared Jesuit values call us to provide transformative educational opportunities for our students. This dual enrollment program will allow BC High students to challenge themselves academically, experience college-level learning, and continue their formation as leaders who will make a difference in the world.”
Alison MacDonald, vice president for educational strategy at BC High, echoed this enthusiasm: “This partnership is a testament to our shared commitment to academic excellence and the holistic development of our students. By offering BC High students access to college courses, we are not only preparing them for future academic success but also nurturing the intellectual curiosity and ethical leadership that are hallmarks of Jesuit education.”
“We are confident that BC High stu-
growing body of knowledge on engineering education, AI instruction, and pedagogical design for integrated STEM learning.”
Hira explained that project outcomes will include publicly available curricular materials, empirical evidence on how students engaged with human-centered design approaches in technical contexts such as when building AI-based algorithmic systems, and guidance for adapting the HCAD framework to other institutions with varying missions, sizes, and student populations.
“My research group and collaborators in engineering and STEM education are excited to provide mentored experience in research design, qualitative and quantitative methods, and dissemination to support Professor Ranger’s advancement in engineering education research,” said Hira, who also has a courtesy appointment in the Lynch School Department of Teaching, Curriculum, and Society. “I’m also looking forward to learning about HumanCentered AI from Bryan and his group. Through these efforts, the project aims to improve the quality and reach of AI education and help shape a generation of engineers who are equipped to design technologies that responsibly serve society.”
Ranger underscored that AI is rapidly transforming the world, and is changing how people learn, work, and connect.
“From health care and transportation to education and public services, AI systems are shaping how people make decisions and influencing everyday experiences,” he said. “As these technologies become more integrated into daily life, it’s essential that engineers are prepared not only to build them, but also to understand and anticipate their broader societal impacts.”
Partnership
dents possess the academic ability, maturity, and intellectual curiosity required to excel in college-level coursework,” said Woods College Dean David Goodman.
“Their preparation and commitment to learning make them well-suited for this
Nota Bene
Red Paulin, a graduate assistant with City Connects at the Mary E. Walsh Center for Thriving Children, received two awards for papers he submitted to national conferences.
His presentation at the May 2 Eastern Evaluation Research Society, “Understanding Response and Nonresponse Bias: An Investigation Using Statewide K-12 School Principal Survey Data,” earned him one of three Student Awards given at the event.
At the 80th American Association for Public Opinion Research Conference, held May 14-16, Paulin won the Burns “Bud” Roper Fellow Award—given to researchers in survey or public opinion research who are early in their careers—for
opportunity, and we look forward to welcoming them into our classrooms as they continue to challenge themselves academically.”
—University Communications
his research work, “Challenges and Solutions in Assessing Nonresponse Bias in a K-12 School Principal Survey.”
Paulin, who is studying for a master of science degree in applied statistics and psychometrics in the Lynch School of Education and Human Development, works with survey researchers on the Research & Evaluation team at the Walsh Center. His award-winning papers were grounded in a study being conducted by the Walsh Center with the support of the Institute for Education Sciences.
Paulin was recently featured along with three other graduate assistants in a video about their time working at the center; the link is available at youtu.be/ rYeBpxV31oE.
Engineering faculty members Bryan Ranger and Avneet Hira. photos by caitlin cunningham
Fall Lowell Humanities Series Begins Sept. 10
Distinguished speakers in such fields as public health, history, journalism, poetry, and art will visit campus this fall under the auspices of Boston College’s Lowell Humanities Series, which begins on September 10.
“The speakers are notable for how they bring canonical approaches—philosophy, poetry, history—to urgent topics in the present,” said Professor of History Sylvia Sellers-García, who directs the series. “In a time when almost every issue seems to be recast by the politics of the moment, I hope that audiences will find clarity, wisdom, and meaning in the lectures of these remarkable thinkers.
“To mention only a few, Ricardo Nuila’s work on public health, Tiya Miles’s histories of the environment, and Caitlin Dickerson’s Pulitzer-winning journalism on deportation, all bring deeply researched, thoughtful attention to some of our most pressing issues,” she added.
LHS events, which are co-sponsored by various BC departments, programs, and initiatives, all begin at 7 p.m. and take place in Gasson 100 unless noted otherwise:
September 10: Ricardo Nuila—Dr. Nuila’s stunning debut The People’s Hospital: Hope and Peril in American Medicine, which details the stories of five people unable to access health care in his hometown of Houston, was a semi-finalist for the Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction and named one of the Best Books of 2023 by Amazon, Kirkus Reviews, and The Washington Post. His work and research on the use of arts and humanities in medical practice have been supported by the Association of American Medical Colleges, and he has received numerous fellowships for his writing. Dr. Nuila’s features and essays have appeared in The New York Times Sunday Review and The Atlantic, among others. His short fiction has appeared in The Best American Short Stories, McSweeney’s, and other magazines. (Co-sponsored by the Park Street Corporation Speaker Series)
September 18: Melissa Lane (Devlin 110)—Princeton University’s Class of 1943 Professor of Politics, Lane is an associated faculty member in classics and philosophy whose honors include the Phi Beta Kappa Teaching Prize. She has held a Guggenheim Fellowship, as well as fellowships and visiting professorships at numerous institutions. Her most recent monograph, Of Rule and Office: Plato’s Ideas of the Political, was awarded the 2024 Book Prize of the Journal of the History of Philosophy, and her 2012 book Eco-Republic continues to be influential. Lane has been on BBC Radio Four and published in periodicals in the United States and internationally. (Supported by a grant from the Institute for the Liberal Arts at Boston College)
September 24: Doireann Ní Ghríofa—Poet/essayist Ní Ghríofa’s most recent prose work, A Ghost in the Throat, has been sold in 20 languages and was a book of the year choice by The Guardian, The Irish
Times, NPR, The New York Times, Irish Book Awards, and Foyles Nonfiction; won the James Tait Black Prize for Biography; was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award; and shortlisted for the Rathbones Folio Prize, among other accolades. Ní Ghríofa also is the author of acclaimed books of poetry, explorations of birth, death, desire, and domesticity. She is the recipient of a Lannan Literary Fellowship, the Ostana Prize, a Seamus Heaney Fellowship, and the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature. (Co-sponsored by the Irish Studies Program)
October 8: Tiya Miles—The Michael Garvey Professor of History and Radcliffe Alumnae Professor at Harvard University, Miles is the author of eight books, including four prize-winning histories about race and slavery in America. Her latest biography is Night Flyer: Harriet Tubman and the Faith Dreams of a Free People. National Book Award winner All That She Carried: The Journey of Ashley’s Sack, a Black Family Keepsake, was a New York Times bestseller and named a best book of the year by prominent outlets. Her other nonfiction works include Wild Girls: How the Outdoors Shaped the Women Who Challenged a Nation, Tales from the Haunted South, and Ties That Bind. Miles has written for prominent publications, authored the novel The Cherokee Rose, and consulted at historic sites and museums on representations of slavery, African American material culture, and the Black-Indigenous intertwined past. (Co-sponsored by the History Department, American Studies, African and African Diaspora Studies, Women’s Studies, Environmental Studies, the Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life, and the Forum for Racial Justice in America)
October 22: Poetry Days Presents Philip Metres—Metres’s 12 books include
Fugitive/Refuge, Shrapnel Maps, The Sound of Listening: Poetry as Refuge and Resistance, Sand Opera, and I Burned at the Feast: Selected Poems of Arseny Tarkovsky. His poetry, translation, essays, fiction, criticism, and scholarship have garnered fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, Lannan Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Ohio Arts Council, and Watson Foundation. A recipient of the Adrienne Rich Award, three Arab American Book Awards, the Lyric Poetry Prize, a Pushcart Prize, and the Cleveland Arts Prize, he is a John Carroll University professor of English and director of its Peace, Justice, and Human Rights program. (Co-sponsored by the Boston College Poetry Days Series)
October 29: Caitlin Dickerson—An award-winning investigative reporter and feature writer for The Atlantic, Dickerson won the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for explanatory reporting. Over nearly 15 years in journalism, she has also been awarded a Peabody, Edward R. Murrow, Livingston, and SilversDudley Prize for her writing and reporting. Working for The New York Times and National Public Radio. Dickerson has reported on immigration, history, politics, and race in four continents and in dozens of American cities. She is currently writing a book about the systemic impact of deportation on American society. (Co-sponsored by the Winston Center for Leadership and Ethics)
November 5: Justine Kurland (Devlin 110)—Kurland is an artist known
for her utopian photographs of American landscapes and the alternative communities, both real and imagined, that inhabit it. Her early work comprises photographs taken during cross-country road trips that counter the masculinist mythology of the American landscape, offering in its place a radical female imaginary. Her work has been exhibited at museums and galleries in the United States and abroad and is included in permanent collections of, among others, the Whitney Museum of American Art, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum of Art, Museum of Modern Art, Carnegie Museum, Getty Museum, Museum of Fine Arts in Montreal, and San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. (Co-sponsored by the Art, Art History, and Film Department)
The Lowell Humanities Series is sponsored by the Lowell Institute, the Institute for the Liberal Arts at Boston College, and the Office of the Provost and Dean of Faculties.
All events are free and open to the public. Registration via Eventbrite is required for in-person attendance. To register for events, and for more information on the series and speakers, go to www.bc.edu/ lowell.
—University Communications
Speakers for the fall 2025 Lowell Humanities Series. Top row (L-R): Caitlin Dickerson, Doireann Ní Ghríofa, Justine Kurland
Bottom row (L-R) Melissa Lane, Ricardo Nuila, Philip Metres
At right, Tiya Miles
photo credits: earl wilson (dickerson), al higgins (ní ghríofa), sameer a khan (lane), heidi rolf (metres), stephanie mitchell (miles)
OBITUARIES
Robert O’Neill
Robert K. O’Neill, who served as the John J. Burns Librarian from 1987 until his retirement in 2013, died on August 11. He was 80.
Dr. O’Neill led efforts to enlarge Boston College’s special collections, through acquiring collections of literary and cultural importance, such as W.B. Yeats, Samuel Beckett, Graham Greene, Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill, and Jane Jacobs. He published several books and numerous articles, mainly in the field of library science.
Among other projects, he assisted the Boston College Alumni Association Veterans’ Committee in publishing a leatherbound Remembrance Book that permanently lists the names of Boston College servicemen who died in military conflicts dating back to World War I.
In 1991, he was honored by the American and Irish governments for playing a key role in an international sting operation that broke up a stolen antiquities ring. The operation led to the successful recovery of priceless artifacts that were returned to its rightful place: Ireland. He received a framed citation from FBI Director Sessions for his role in the operation, which was presented to him at Boston College by the leadership of the Boston FBI Office.
Dr. O’Neill also received the Order of Bernardo O’Higgins in 2010 from the President of the Republic of Chile in recognition of the library’s sponsorship and support of an ongoing exhibit celebrating the 200th anniversary of Chile’s independence.
A native of Lowell, Mass., Dr. O’Neill earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Merrimack College, a master’s degree in European history from the University of
Michael Moore
Services were held on June 4 for Michael Moore, a retired associate professor of psychology in the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences whose dedication to students inside and outside of the classroom earned him recognition from Boston College. Dr. Moore, who was 80, died on May 30.
A specialist in child and young adult development, Dr. Moore joined BC in 1977. During his 45-year tenure, he served as director of undergraduate education for the University, and as Psychology Department chair and assistant chair. Among his scholarly interests were parent-child interactions, emotional development, cognitive development, sports psychology, and children’s participation in organized sport.
It was Dr. Moore’s eagerness to build a rapport with students that defined his BC career. Widely praised for his teaching—including classes such as Cognitive Psychology, Self-Help Literature, Learning Theories, Advanced Developmental Psychology, and the Courage to Know first-year student seminar—and advising, he also found more informal ways of engagement, notably by hosting small groups of students for dinner at his home or a day trip to his Cape Cod
Arizona, and a master’s degree in library science and doctorate in early modern European history from the University of Chicago. He served in the Army National Guard of Arizona and United States Army Reserves from 1968 until 1971, when he was honorably discharged as a Specialist Four.
Prior to BC, he worked as director of the Cunningham Memorial Special Collections Library at Indiana State University and director of the Indiana Historical Society Library in Indianapolis.
Dr. O’Neill is survived by his wife, Helen; his children Kathleen, Kevin, Kerry, Daniel, MaryAnn, and Timothy; six grandchildren; brothers Ted and Pat; and sisters Michaelene and Elena. He was predeceased by his sisters Suellen and Maura.
A funeral Mass for Dr. O’Neill was held in Gilbert, Ariz., on August 22.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Manuscript Society Richard Maass Research Grant: The Manuscript Society, P.O. Box 25, Grand Isle, VT 05458. —University Communications
house.
In 2006, the University selected him for a Distinguished Teaching Award. “Michael’s lectures are a work of art,” wrote one faculty colleague in nominating Dr. Moore. “He conveys his own enthusiasm about the issues to his students, treating each of them as a curious, intelligent social scientist. Michael’s dedication to and passion for teaching and undergraduate education is unequalled. He is truly one of our best and most dedicated teachers.”
Read the full obituary at bit.ly/michaelmoore-bc-obituary
NOTE: The obituary for Dr. Moore
Richard Nielsen
Professor of Management and Organization Richard P. Nielsen, a longtime Carroll School of Management faculty member who was a nationally recognized leader in the teaching, study, and advocacy of professional and business ethics, died on May 28. He was 79.
Dr. Nielsen, who joined Boston College in 1981, saw ethics not simply as an individual code of conduct, but a means to promote positive holistic change and improve the lives of those around them.
In 1985, Dr. Nielsen published the paper “Alternative Managerial Responses to Unethical Strategic Management,” one of the first to examine the relationship between ethics and management, and what managers can do about unethical organization behaviors. Dr. Nielsen related the experience of a plant manager who was concerned because his company planned to cut costs and ignore anti-pollution laws. When the manager urged the owner to reconsider, he was told that complying with the regulations would cost too much; either the plant would have to close—putting several thousand people out of work—or it would have to ignore the pollution regulations.
Ultimately, the manager was able to nego-
‘Moral
tiate with other plant managers and engineers to find a solution that permitted affordable adherence to pollution laws and allowed the plant to remain open.
Ideally, said Dr. Nielsen in a 1985 interview with Boston College Biweekly, talking and problem solving together will enable an organization to find optimal solutions. But negotiations don’t feel “natural” to us, and when faced with the stress due to actual or potential conflict, he said, our impulse is to “attack or run away.
Read the full obituary at bit.ly/richardnielsen-BC-obituary
Formation in Higher Ed’ Sept. 5
Leading scholars in character education, psychology, theology, and philosophy of education will gather at Boston College for the symposium “Moral Formation in Higher Education,” on September 5 from 2-5 p.m. in the Yawkey Athletic Center Murray Room.
The event, free and open to the public, will feature panel discussions from 2-3:15 p.m. and 3:45-5 p.m. This interdisciplinary exchange will form the basis of a forthcoming special issue of the Journal of Moral Education
“Moral Formation in Higher Educa-
Jobs
The following are among the recent positions posted by the Department of Human Resources. For more information on employment opportunities at Boston College, see www.bc.edu/jobs or scan the QR code at right.
Construction Project Manager
Supervisor, Athletic Fields
Assistant Director, Global Field Education
Senior Budget Financial Applications Analyst
Manager, Research Computing
Classroom Technology Specialist
Public Safety Dispatcher
Assistant Director of First Year Formation & Engagement
ran
an incorrect photo. Chronicle regrets the error.
Network Systems Engineer
tion” is being presented by the Lynch School of Education and Human Development’s Department of Formative Education, with support from the Office of the Provost, the Initiatives in Formative Education, the Lynch School Dean’s Office, and the Institute for the Liberal Arts.
A reception will follow.
Confirmation of attendance is requested. For a registration link, contact the Department of Formative Education at lsehd-dfe@bc.edu.
—University Communications
Chemical Purchasing & Compliance Specialist
Concert Manager
Special Education Teacher
Director, University Health Services
Temporary Office Pool, Academic Advising
Manager, Systems Engineering
Administrative Assistant, Rappaport Center
photo by lee pellegrini
which
in the Chronicle summer edition contained
photo by gary wayne gilbert
BC Arts
McMullen to Host Trio of Exclusive Exhibitions
BY ROSANNE PELLEGRINI STAFF WRITER
The McMullen Museum of Art at Boston College will present three exclusive exhibitions this fall, which showcase medieval and Renaissance Italian paintings from a renowned private collection—many unseen publicly since the 19th century—and, from the museum’s permanent collection, outstanding Belgian landscape paintings and photographs from the 1950s and ’60s by the late Nobel Prize-winning theoretical chemist Martin Karplus.
The exhibitions will be on display from September 2 through December 7. BC community members will receive an email invitation from the McMullen to attend a virtual opening event, focusing on the “Medieval|Renaissance” exhibition.
Also featured in the Daley Family Gallery will be a new, large-scale acquisition by Spanish artist Ela Fidalgo and contemporary works on paper by influential American artists Jim Dine and Frank Stella, all from the museum’s permanent collection.
•“Medieval|Renaissance: A Dialogue on Early Italian Painting”: The closing centuries of the Middle Ages in Italy witnessed profound transformations in the art of painting. New techniques gave way to an expanded repertoire of formats and artistic styles; patronage systems and workshop practices evolved in tandem with reassessments of the merit of authorship; and long-standardized criteria for value and authenticity in representation were steadily redefined. These paradigm-shifting developments—exemplified in Early Italian painting—ramified into the academic study and connoisseurship of the 19th and 20th centuries, creating a blurry line between the
tus of art history, said. “The artists associated with the School of Tervuren shared the renewed passion for landscape painting that grew from Romantic and scientific interpretations of nature, building on the deep roots of Belgian and Flemish art history.”
Major support for “A Fresh Vision” has been provided by Boston College and the Patrons of the McMullen Museum.
•“Martin Karplus: Moments and Monuments”: This exhibition presents 52 digital prints of photographs taken by Martin Karplus (1930-2024) during his travels across Europe and the Americas in the 1950s and 1960s, which capture scenes that are both timeless and fleeting. These images reflect Karplus’s remarkable eye for color and composition, offering a window into the postwar world as seen by a deeply humanistic and inquisitive mind.
medieval period and early modernity that has proven difficult to shake.
“Medieval|Renaissance” foregrounds this distinction, exhibiting 19 rarely shown works from the Frascione Collection in Florence, Italy, founded in 1893. Featuring devotional icons, altarpiece panels, narrative scenes, and portraits from the late 13th through early 16th centuries, the exhibition charts innovations in the craft and conceptualization of painting in Italy after 1300. These paintings represent a liminal epoch between the later Middle Ages and the Early Renaissance, whose works and artists are shared—even “claimed”—by two divergent art historical fields, “medieval” and “Renaissance,” with their own cultures, questions, and interpretive methods.
“We thank the Frascione Collection for generously enabling the McMullen to present to visitors these fine and remarkably well-preserved Italian works for study, teaching, and scholarly research,” said Inaugural Robert L. and Judith T. Winston Director of the McMullen Museum Nancy Netzer, a professor of art history. “We hope this exhibition inspires new discoveries and deepens the ongoing dialogue about the divide between the Middle Ages and early modernity.”
Curated by Assistant Professor of Medieval Art John Lansdowne and Professor of Renaissance Art History Stephanie C. Leone, the exhibition invites viewers to contemplate the works through two distinct art historical lenses and from either side of a long-standing and long-debated disciplinary divide.
“Medieval|Renaissance” has been underwritten by BC with major support from the Patrons of the McMullen Museum.
•“A Fresh Vision: Landscape Painting in Belgium after Romanticism; The School of Tervuren in an International Context”: “A Fresh Vision” celebrates a recent gift of 36 outstanding paintings from the School of Tervuren from Charles Hack and the Hearn Family Trust, a gift that establishes the McMullen as home to the leading collection of 19th-century Belgian
landscape painting in North America. The exhibition explores the School of Tervuren, a group of Belgian artists who, in the second half of the 19th century, turned their gaze to the quiet forests and fields near Brussels. “A Fresh Vision” examines how artists rejected academic convention and the growing spectacle of modern urban life to embrace the natural world as a source of truth, beauty, and renewal. Also on display are seven French, American, and Dutch works from the McMullen collection.
“This exhibition celebrates a recent landmark gift to the McMullen by inviting our visitors to explore some of the finest examples of 19th-century Belgian Romantic/realist landscape painting, presented in dialogue with their French, Dutch, and American counterparts,” said Netzer.
The exhibition also demonstrates how the Tervuren painters were influenced by the French Barbizon painters to blend Romantic sensibility with realist technique, capturing the nuances of light, weather, and terrain in a modern, expressive style. Painting outdoors—enabled by the recent invention of paint tubes, and motivated by Romantic poetry and new scientific concepts of nature—they brought a fresh immediacy to landscape painting.
Though loosely defined, the School of Tervuren represents a vital chapter in the international evolution of modern landscape. Like their contemporaries in Barbizon and Giverny in France, Skagen in Denmark, and the Hudson River Valley of New York, these artists believed in portraying nature as they saw and felt it, in the moment. This exhibition places Belgian landscape painting in conversation with wider European and American movements, inviting visitors to experience the power of place—and of painting—as a quiet yet radical form of resistance and renewal.
Curator Jeffery Howe, a professor emeri-
A Vienna native, Karplus emigrated to the United States with his family in 1938, going on to study chemistry and physics at Harvard and earn a doctorate at the California Institute of Technology. Karplus began developing his photographic skills in 1953 during his postdoctoral studies in Oxford, traveling throughout the UK and continental Europe, shooting in Kodachrome slide film. Though he had no plans to exhibit his work at the time, his natural photographic eye and his curiosity about the people and places he visited combined to produce work of charm and depth. He continued taking pictures while building an illustrious career in theoretical chemistry that would be recognized with a Nobel Prize in 2013.
Prior to his death, Karplus and his wife Marci made a significant gift of 134 digital prints to the McMullen of works from the first two decades of his photographic practice. These include some of his earliest surviving images from Oxford and London, France, Italy, the Netherlands, and the then-newly formed republic of Yugoslavia. A second group of works documents his travels across the Americas, with vivid images from the Southwestern U.S., Mexico, Peru, and Brazil.
Curator John McCoy, McMullen Museum assistant director of multimedia and design services described Karplus as “a photographer with a natural gift for color and composition. He also happened to visit many fascinating sites all over the world, always with an interest in people engaged in the business of life.”
Major support for the exhibition has been provided by Boston College and the Patrons of the McMullen Museum.
For updates and all other exhibitionsrelated information, as well as general information about the museum, see the McMullen website at mcmullenmuseum.bc.edu.
Samples from the fall McMullen Museum of Art exhibitions: above, “Girls Along Skyline,” Martin Karplus; below, “A View of Niagara Falls,” John Frederick Kensett; bottom, “Madonna and Child,” Master of the Scandicci Lamentation.
