PUBLISHED BY THE BOSTON COLLEGE OFFICE OF UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
NOVEMBER 7, 2024 VOL. 32 NO. 6
Murphy Is Choice to Lead MCAS Grad School
Homecoming Spirit
INSIDE 3x Veterans Headline Day
Cybersecurity program director xxxxx. Kevin Powers is guest speaker.
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Patricia Palmer to speak on Ireland’s of Property.” x“Poetics Headline xxxxx.
6 ‘Undeclared’
BY SEAN SMITH CHRONICLE EDITOR
Christopher Higgins’ book touts value of formative education.
Eagles football fans filled Alumni Stadium on October 25 to see BC take on Louisville as part of Homecoming Week, a series of events and activities organized to foster a sense of community and pride at the University.
PHOTO BY CAITLIN CUNNINGHAM
“Our focus is to develop in students an understanding not only of how appropriate economic policies can support and sustain a country’s economic growth but also of how the gains from economic progress are not shared equally across societies.” —Economics Chair Robert Murphy
Christine Murphy, an accomplished researcher in chemistry who has held senior administrative positions for graduate education at Harvard and Princeton universities, recently joined Boston College as associate dean for academic affairs in the Graduate School of the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences (MCGS). As associate dean, Murphy oversees the instructional, advising, research, and other academic-related aspects of MCGS, which offers doctor of philosophy, master of arts, and master of science degrees through 16 programs in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences—ranging from biology, chemistry, and physics to English, clas-
photo by lee pellegrini
Inequality a Major Focus for Economics Dept. BY PHIL GLOUDEMANS STAFF WRITER
The message from William M. Rodgers III, vice president and director of the Institute for Economic Equity at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, was stark. “For a growing number of United States households, financial stability is nothing more than a pipe dream, no matter how hard their members work,” Rodgers told the audience at last month’s Boston College Economics Symposium, “Pathways to Innovation, Sustainable Productivity & Equitable Growth.” Rodgers’ talk centered on the approximately 42 percent of the U.S. population categorized by the United Way as “ALICE”—an acronym for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed—who “exist on a survival budget, including firefighters, teachers, police officers, and college graduates unable to land a job in their major.” While these families may not meet the federal benchmark of poverty, he said, they struggle “to afford basic expenses, are
forced to make impossible choices each day.” Even with a “continuous period of strength, labor market opportunity and amazing prosperity and growth, persistent and widespread wealth inequities remain, particularly within this group. Increases in child care—even prior to the pandemic— and health care are driving up the costs. “In every state, at least one-third of U.S. households are below the ALICE threshold.” The symposium at which Rodgers spoke, organized by part-time faculty member Brian Bethune, is one example of the Economics Department’s focus on both domestic and global inequality. BC is by no means the only academic institution to examine inequality, but Economics faculty
believe the University’s approach—notably from a Jesuit, Catholic standpoint—offers students a multifaceted understanding of the issue, and how to address it. “Our focus in both the graduate and undergraduate curricula is to develop in students an understanding not only of how appropriate economic policies can support and sustain a country’s economic growth but also of how the gains from economic progress are not shared equally across societies,” said department chair Professor Robert Murphy, who noted that Macroeconomic Theory—which primarily covers models of external and internal growth and development—is a required course not only at the undergraduate level
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There’s a strong sense of intellectual excellence, and a firm commitment to the betterment of others—a deeper moral compass today—that’s not seen in all institutions of higher education. –entrepreneur and benefactor john kozarich ’71, page 8
Christine Murphy photo by lee pellegrini
sical studies and theology, as well as economics and mathematics. She also provides leadership in areas such as financial aid, lab and library facilities, and student life. Even as she trains her focus on MCGS, noted Murphy, she keeps an eye on trends and issues in the wider landscape of graduate education, and above all, is mindful of its universal mission. “To me, it’s critical that graduate students’ contributions to teaching and research are recognized and supported,” said Continued on page 3