PUBLISHED BY THE BOSTON COLLEGE OFFICE OF UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
JANUARY 29, 2026 VOL. 33 NO. 10
Wang Chosen As Interim Head of Schiller Institute BY ED HAYWARD STAFF WRITER
Winter hit the Heights with a vengeance in the last part of January—first on Martin Luther King Jr. weekend (above), providing a pair of students with raw materials for a snowman, then with a massive storm on Sunday that prompted the University to close on Monday. photo by caitlin cunningham
A Positive Progress Report Organizers upbeat on recently launched AMDG program BY KATHLEEN SULLIVAN STAFF WRITER
Some 300 young people from across the country are participating in the first year of a pilot program run by Boston College that seeks to promote the renewal and expansion of Catholic faith practices for participants by means of a yearlong immersion in faith exploration and service through Jesuit spirituality. The program, AMDG (short for Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam, the Latin version of the Jesuits’ motto “For the Greater Glory of God”), is being operated under the aegis
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of BC’s Institute for Advanced Jesuit Studies and supported through a $10 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. through its National Youth and Young Adult Initiative on Faith and Service. The participants come from Boston College and 24 other Jesuit institutions— high schools, colleges/universities, and parishes—across 18 states. “Though each participant has a different background and experience, what ties them together is an openness to Catholic belief and practice,” said AMDG Program Director William Healy. According to organizers, AMDG is about providing both breadth and depth of experience. “There’s so much beauty in Catholic faith practices,” said Healy. “We’re trying to give everyone an encounter with the rich varieties of ways to engage in the faith: liturgical, sacramental, prayer, pilgrimage, communal, contemplative, and service based. For those participants who may already engage in many of these practices, we want to offer a way and a space to go deeper in their belief, practice, and understanding of what it means to be a person of generosity and service in the world.” AMDG participants began their year on campus last July where they took part
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Professor of Chemistry Dunwei Wang, whose research has focused on creating sustainable platforms for energy conversion and resource use, has been named the interim Seidner Family Executive Director of the Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society, Boston College announced last week. Wang, who holds the Margaret A. and Thomas A. Vanderslice Chair, brings to the position more than 20 years of experience as an educator and researcher in the field of materials science and energy research. “Professor Wang’s two-decade career as a Boston College faculty member has been distinguished by cutting-edge research, engaging teaching, and thoughtful mentorship to undergraduate and graduate students,” said David Quigley, the Robert L. and Judith T. Winston Provost and Dean of Faculties. “His service as Chemistry Department chair over the past six years was characterized by visionary leadership and a collaborative spirit, which led him to be an important part of the Schiller Institute community since its launch.” Wang’s appointment follows inaugural
Vanderslice Professor of Chemistry Dunwei Wang photo by caitlin cunningham
Schiller Institute Director Laura J. Steinberg’s decision to step down from the post she held for six years and return to research and teaching when she returns from a sabbatical at the end of this year. Wang, who joined the BC faculty in 2007, said he is excited to help guide the Schiller Institute through the next phase of its growth as a hub of innovative research,
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Leaving ‘a Lasting Legacy’ Feb. 7 concert at Jordan Hall will be a grand finale for BC Bands’ longtime leader Sebastian Bonaiuto BY SEAN SMITH CHRONICLE EDITOR
When you’re a college band director like Sebastian Bonaiuto, your job entails major tasks such as running rehearsals, selecting and arranging pieces of music for performances, and putting together a concert schedule. Then there are the little things, like onthe-spot instrument repair. As Bonaiuto walked through the Boston College Bands facility in Conte Forum one recent afternoon, he was hailed by a student requesting his help: A small part in the valve assembly of her mellophone (the marching band version of a French horn) was coming loose and needed refastening. She handed Bonaiuto a small hammer, which he used to very gently tap down the part in question.
Problem solved, at least for now. “If that part loosens too much, it allows dust and moisture to collect inside, which is not good for the valve,” he explained. “But you have to be careful how you tighten it. That’s why the hammer I use has a head made of rawhide instead of metal, because there’s less chance of causing a dent or other damage. “Of course, it doesn’t always work,” he added with a smile. “But this time it did, anyway.” For 36 years, Bonaiuto—whose current title is ensemble director—has managed details large and small in running a comprehensive bands program for BC undergraduate and graduate students (BC faculty and staff take part, too, depending on the specific ensemble). Accomplished and novice musicians alike participate in
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