PUBLISHED BY THE BOSTON COLLEGE OFFICE OF UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
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Getting Along
STEM for All
South Korean Strife
Student Affairs hopes new initiative will encourage civil discourse.
BC grad’s nonprofit off to a promising start.
Q&A with International Studies’ Ingu Hwang.
PUBLISHED BY THE BOSTON COLLEGE OFFICE OF UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
Taking Steps
PHOTO BY SEHO LEE ’27
FEBRUARY 13, 2025 VOL. 32 NO. 11
Kirshner is Named BC’s First Giffuni Professor BY SEAN SMITH CHRONICLE EDITOR
The Dance Organization of Boston College (above) was among several student dance troupes that gave performances recently at Robsham Theater. More photos on page 5.
Professor of Political Science and International Studies Jonathan Kirshner, whose research and teaching draws on an expansive synthesis of international relations, political economy, the politics of money and finance, and politics and film, has been appointed as the inaugural Vincent Q. and Mary Ann Giffuni Professor at Boston College. The professorship was established by a gift from the Giffunis to recognize a faculty member whose study in the field of economics integrates with today’s relevant social issues. “I am delighted that Jonathan Kirshner will be serving as the inaugural Giffuni Professor,” said Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences Dean Gregory Kalscheur, S.J. “His early training in economics gives him a solid foundation for insightful
Jonathan Kirshner photo by caitlin cunningham
work in the field of international political economy. As a specialist in that field, with widely recognized multidisciplinary exper-
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‘What a Gift!’ First cohort of Boston College’s Companions program makes enthusiastic arrival on campus BY ELLEN SEAWARD SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE Last month, Boston College welcomed the inaugural 13-member cohort of the Boston College Companions: Fellows for Leadership and Service (BCC FLS), a yearlong fellowship program that combines academic study with elements of Ignatian spirituality. Through BCC FLS, accomplished individuals reflect together, explore new directions, and consider life’s next chapter amid BC’s culture of inquiry, excellence, and commitment to the common good. Fellows will spend the next year immersed in campus life at BC. In addition to participating in guided conversations, re-
treats, and a pilgrimage to Spain and Rome, Fellows will audit classes alongside BC students, choosing from offerings in law, business, the humanities, science, education, social work, and theology and ministry, among other disciplines. The first group of Fellows represents a wide range of professional backgrounds, including education, medicine, finance, law, human resources, religious services, information technology, and the nonprofit world. The 13, who are in their 50s, 60s, and 70s, come from Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Florida, Colorado, Texas, and California. About half of the Fellows have a degree from Boston College. While their motivations for joining
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Associate Director of Academic Programs and Special Projects Seth Meehan took members of the Boston College Companions: Fellows for Leadership and Service program on a campus tour, including the science facility at 245 Beacon Street. photo by lee pellegrini