PUBLISHED BY THE BOSTON COLLEGE OFFICE OF UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
SEPTEMBER 17, 2026 VOL. 34 NO. 2
New Program to Provide Innovative Interschool Learning Opportunities Bridge Program brings together humanities, management, sciences BY JACK DUNN ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT FOR UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
In Community
photos by caitlin cunningham
Boston College held its annual Mass of the Holy Spirit—celebrated by University President John T. Butler, S.J. (right)—last Thursday in the Plaza at O’Neill Library, one of several large-scale events that took place at the Heights during the first half of September. See pages 6 and 8.
‘Awakening Psychology’s Moral Imagination’
$4.3m Grant Will Strengthen Psychological Humanities at BC BY THE OFFICE OF UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
A three-year, $4.3 million grant from the Kern Family Foundation will establish a major hub for the psychological humanities at Boston College, further solidifying the University’s position as the thought leader and principal mover in this space. Specifically, the grant will support a multi-tiered project to help address the current mental health crisis facing the nation. Titled “Awakening Psychology’s Moral Imagination” and housed within BC’s Center for the Psychological Humanities and Ethics (CPHE), the project seeks to bring psychology back into robust conversation with the humanities, and, by doing so, increase the discipline’s capacity to examine the deeper questions and ethical dilemmas at the heart of human existence. In the last century, the empirical and naturalistic side of psychology has risen in prominence and has yielded major advances, project administrators say. However, this rapid growth has at times been accompanied by a diminished appreciation of the more humanistic and ethical dimensions of human experience, an unintended result of psychology’s separation from phi-
losophy, theology, and other branches of the humanities. This initiative, administrators say, is a response to the current moment of cultural crisis when demand for mental health treatment is at an all-time high and troubling mental health trends persist, leaving hospitals overwhelmed, non-clinicians and AI tools thrust into counseling roles, and reports of despair and isolation climbing. “At a time characterized by profound anxiety and despair, it is imperative for the field of psychology, designed to care for sufferers and advance their well-being, to take up the moral, existential, and perennial questions at the core of life in a serious and meaningful way,” said CPHE Executive Director David Goodman, dean of BC’s Woods College of Advancing Studies and a licensed psychologist. “We need psychology to be the very best version of itself—a version attentive to the whole person, including the spiritual and ethical dimensions of our lives.” The project will directly address this aim by advocating for a morally rich, humanistic discipline that embeds character, virtue, and wonder into psychological training and practice, and by providing related pro-
Continued on page 5
Building off of its success in interschool and interdisciplinary collaboration, Boston College is launching a new academic initiative called the Bridge Program, in which students, known as Bridge Scholars, will probe the world’s great ideas, problems, and opportunities in custom-designed courses and co-curricular experiences that incorporate the perspectives of the humanities, management, and the sciences. The Bridge Program is open to BC undergraduates combining a concentration or minor in the Carroll School of Management with a major or minor in the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences, the Lynch School of Education and Human Development, or the Connell School of Nursing. Beginning this fall, sophomores who opt into the Bridge Program will attend a series of lectures, meetings, and other events across campus, maintaining a portfolio in which they will reflect on their experiences. In the spring semester, juniors interested in the Bridge Program will take a required course taught by faculty members Jenna Tonn (Engineering) or Michael Smith (Business Law and Society) that will focus on developing the wisdom and habits of mind needed to successfully navigate technological and social disruptions, culminating in a module and final project on artificial intelligence. Bess Rouse (Management and Organization) will serve as an inaugural Bridge Fellow and Michael Glass (History) will offer the junior course in fall 2027; the pair also helped to design the course. In the course, students will be introduced to methods and perspectives offered by different disciplines in the humanities, management, and sciences and will practice combining them in collaborative teams to develop skills and reflective practices that will help them make wise and informed decisions throughout their careers.
Those juniors will next year become the first Bridge Scholar seniors, when they will take either a new capstone interdisciplinary seminar or a project-based course. Beginning with the 2027-2028 academic year, the program will span the sophomore, junior, and senior years. Graduating Bridge Program students will be presented with a medal to be worn at Commencement, and their transcripts will recognize them as Bridge Scholars. They and their families will also be invited to a Commencement Weekend reception. This integrated and formative-based approach to learning makes Boston College an outlier in higher education, said Robert L. and Judith T. Winston Provost and Dean of Faculties David Quigley. “The modern university in many ways is organized to mitigate against such interschool collaboration,” said Quigley. “At most great universities, almost by design, the architecture is meant to prevent this kind of back and forth among students.” And yet, he continued, embracing the cross-pollination of disciplines is at the center of student formation, and of BC itself. “This process of designing the Bridge Program and now rolling it out is in service of the larger mission and vision of Boston College as a distinctive liberal arts university committed to formative education.” In 2017, Boston College began experimenting with a new approach to classroom learning and student formation that actively encouraged students to take courses outside of their respective undergraduate schools within BC. Students in the Carroll
Continued on page 4
INSIDE 2 Around Campus
Pops on the Heights; Clough School fall events.
3 Panel Discussion
BC to host forum on Lindsay Clancy murder case.
8 BC Arts
2013 alum Patrick Lazour is this year’s Monan Professor in Theatre Arts.
2
Chronicle
September 17, 2026
Around Campus
‘Transformative’ Pops on the Heights Gala Is Set for September 25 A high point of Boston College Family Weekend (September 25-27), the annual Pops on the Heights: The Barbara and Jim Cleary Scholarship Gala will once again bring together the University community to celebrate and support the transformative power of education. The perennially sold-out event will take place in Conte Forum on September 25 with an epic night of memorable performances by professional and student musicians. The gala raises essential financial aid funds for Pops on the Heights Scholars and paves the way for these Eagles to achieve their dreams, according to organizers. “The only thing better than the transformation Conte Forum undergoes for Pops on the Heights is the transformative experience thousands of Boston College students have enjoyed as a result of this event,” said Senior Vice President for University Advancement Andrew Davidson. “I’m continually amazed at the dedication and generosity of our benefactors and ticket holders who make it all possible. We are immensely grateful for their support.” A highlight of the evening will be featured artist Hugh Jackman, a Grammy Award winner acclaimed for his work across film, theater, and music. The most recent of his extensive film credits include “The Death of Robin Hood” and “Song Sung Blue.” Also taking part with Jackman is promi-
Highlights of this year’s Pops on the Heights include an appearance by multi-talented actor Hugh Jackman (far left) and the annual performance by the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra, led by conductor Keith Lockhart. photos by guy aroch (far left) and gretchen ertl
nent Broadway conductor Patrick Vaccariello, who has worked closely with him for two decades, and is music director of the annual Tony Awards. A mainstay of Pops on the Heights is the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra, which has entertained audiences in Boston and beyond under the leadership of conductor Keith Lockhart since 1995. Having led the orchestra in more than 2,000 concerts in his tenure to date, Lockhart has created programs that reach out to a broader and younger audience by presenting artists—both established performers and rising stars—from virtually every corner of the entertainment world. Other performers include the University Chorale of Boston College and the Scream-
ing Eagles Marching Band, under the direction of Riikka Pietiläinen Caffrey and David P. Healey, respectively. Student soloist Joseph Gilhooly, a Lynch School of Education and Human Development senior and theatre minor, is active in BC’s theater community as an actor and director. Gilhooly, who loves singing and sharing his passion for music, said he is “thrilled and honored to perform with the Pops.” In addition, Class of 2029 student performers Louise Miniter and Mark Moitoso will lend their vocal talents. The show starts at 8 p.m.; doors open at 6 p.m. and pre-show performances begin at 6:30 p.m. Boston College groups appearing include The Acoustics, B.E.A.T.S., The Bostonians, The Common Tones, The Dynamics, The Heightsmen, and The Sharps,
in addition to Renee Martel ’29 and Renee Salvo ’28. This year’s co-chairs are Rachel ’93 and BC Board of Trustees Chair Travis Rhodes ’93, P’27, ’29, ’30; Robin and Trustees Vice Chair Jim Carey ’88, J.D.’91, P’26; and Kim Gassett-Schiller and Trustee Phil Schiller ’82, P’24. Founded in 1993, the Pops on the Heights Scholarship Gala is the legacy of the late Barbara and James F. Cleary ’50, H’93, who shared a passion for philanthropy, higher education, and the arts. The event has become the University’s largest annual fundraiser, with more than $170 million raised, resulting in more than 3,900 scholarship funds for thousands of students. The Cleary children—Kara-Lyn ’84, M.A.’91; Kristin ’89, J.D.’93; and James Jr., P’18—continue their parents’ legacy as Pops benefactors. For more about Pops on the Heights, see pops.bc.edu. —Rosanne Pellegrini
Migration, Disability Wisdom, Hospitality Are Among the Topics at CSTM Fall Events Kicking off the Clough School of Theology and Ministry Continuing Education public events this fall will be a return to campus by 2021 alumnus Brian Strassburger, S.J., director of Del Camino Jesuit Border Ministries. Fr. Strassburger, leader of a small team of Jesuits who provide pastoral accompaniment, spiritual ministry, and humanitarian aid to migrants on the United StatesMexico border, will present “We Are the Body of Christ: An Ignatian Approach to Restoring the Humanity of Migrants” on September 30 at 6 p.m. in the Corcoran Commons Heights Room. His address will cover the dynamic of migration on the border as well as throughout the U.S., and center on how Catholics are called upon to accompany migrants facing exploitation, criminalization, and unlawful detention. This event will also be available via Zoom. The Pyne Memorial Lecture on MinASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT FOR UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
Jack Dunn
SENIOR DIRECTOR FOR UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
Patricia Delaney EDITOR
Sean Smith
istry with Persons with Disabilities will be given in a Zoom webinar format on October 8 at 6 p.m. by Rabbi Julia Watts Belser, professor of Jewish Studies at Georgetown University and author of the award-winning book Loving our Own Bones: Disability Wisdom and the Spiritual Subversiveness of Knowing Ourselves Whole. Her presentation, “A Conversation on Disability, Religion, and Loving Our Own Bones,” will address how disability wisdom is a powerful catalyst for reimagining religion. According to Besler, reading biblical texts through the prism of disability can help people challenge ableism and injustice and crack open potent new ways of thinking about God’s presence and power. The Pyne Memorial Lecture is generously supported by the Pyne Endowment Trust in memory of Professor Margaret E. Pyne, a lifelong advocate for persons with disabilities.
CONTRIBUTING STAFF
Nougoutna Norbert Litoing, S.J., director of the Center for Interfaith Studies in Africa at Hekima University College in Nairobi, Kenya, will present “The Fire That Welcomes: An African Theology of Hospitality” on October 22 at 5:30 p.m. in Simboli 100. Fr. Litoing will explore how African traditions of hospitality offer theological resources for addressing religious diversity, migration, and social fragmentation. In dialogue with Christian and Islamic traditions, he says that hospitality is more than generosity—it is a way of living that affirms the dignity of the stranger, fosters solidarity, and creates space for encounter with the sacred. His talk will also be available via Zoom. Annual Ministry Renewal Day (November 13) features a presentation at noon in the Corcoran Commons Heights Room by CSTM part-time faculty member L. Callid Keefe-Perry, director of vocational
Phil Gloudemans Ed Hayward Audrey Loyack Rosanne Pellegrini Kathleen Sullivan
Chronicle
PHOTOGRAPHERS
www.bc.edu/bcnews chronicle@bc.edu
Caitlin Cunningham Matthew Healey
discernment and ministerial readiness at Brite Divinity School in Texas. His talk, “Beyond Balance: Finding Vocational Equilibrium in Disorienting Times,” will explore “dynamic equilibrium” and how the shifting moral and spiritual landscape of ministry requires constant, responsive adaptation rather than rigid work-life boundaries. Keefe-Perry will discuss the idea of a “Moral Orienting System” to map ministers’ current realities, identifying which practices and commitments need adjusting to stay faithful, grounded, and renewed in their vocations. The event will be available via Zoom. Registration is required for in-person attendance and Zoom presentations and is available at www.bc.edu/content/bcweb/schools/stm/continuing-education/ featured-events.html. —Kathleen Sullivan
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.
Chronicle
September 17, 2026
3
BC to Host Sept. 29 Panel on Lindsay Clancy Case BY PHIL GLOUDEMANS STAFF WRITER
photo by caitlin cunningham
Siddhartan Govindasamy: “This is well-deserved recognition for our students and faculty, as well as people throughout the University who helped to establish this program.”
Human-Centered Engineering Program Earns Accreditation accreditation was always in mind when the University launched a Human-Centered Engineering program that integrated “the liberal Boston College’s bachelor’s degree proarts ethos that animates the Morrissey Colgram in Human-Centered Engineering has lege with a rigorous engineering curriculum” been accredited by the Engineering Accredi- that would meet the demanding technical tation Commission of ABET, a nonprofit standards required for accreditation. quality assurance organization. “For everyone whose dedication and Accreditation, which is retroactive to perseverance brought us to this moment, 2024, marks a significant milestone for the achieving this milestone is an occasion for engineering program, which the University celebration and gratitude,” said Fr. Kalscheur. launched five years ago. Through the accred- “I am particularly grateful for the leadership itation of academic programs, recognition of and tremendous hard work on the part of credentials and assessment of student learnGlenn Gaudette and the entire Engineering, ABET supports excellence in education ing Department faculty. I’m grateful for our worldwide. pioneering HCE students and their families “This is well-deserved recognition for who made the decision to participate in an our students and faculty, as well as people entirely new program, trusting that our vithroughout the University who helped to sion would be realized.” establish this program five years ago,” said Developing an engineering program from Professor of Engineering Siddhartan Govin- the ground up required a University-wide efdasamy, who is interim chair of the departfort to bring the discipline into BC’s worldment. “The department is aligned with the class traditional liberal arts curriculum, said University’s values and initiatives and that DeLuca Professor of Biology Thomas Chiles, makes it a very distinctive engineering prowho serves as vice provost for research and gram. academic planning. “Creating a distinctive engineering pro“ABET accreditation was the result of gram that is mission aligned for BC, is humany individuals—foremost the Engineering man centered, and at same time meets the faculty, but also University leadership and standards of ABET is a significant milestone support,” said Chiles, citing the contribuand notable stamp of approval.” tions of Winston Provost and Dean of FaculSought worldwide, ABET’s voluntary ties David Quigley and Fr. Kalscheur. “The peer-review process is highly respected accreditation process involved numerous because it adds critical value to academic faculty, departmental chairs, and administraprograms in the technical disciplines, where tive staff from across the University. Receivquality, precision and safety are of the utmost ing ABET accreditation after graduating our importance. ABET accreditation assures that first class is recognition of the innovative programs meet standards to produce graducurriculum and the impact of our graduates ates ready to enter critical technical fields in the world.” that are leading the way in innovation and Developed by technical professionals emerging technologies and anticipating the from ABET’s member societies, ABET criwelfare and safety needs of the public. teria focus on what students experience and “Being able to let the students know of learn. ABET accreditation reviews look at the accreditation through ABET is a tremen- program curricula, faculty, facilities and instidous experience because our students have tutional support and are conducted by teams done this together with us,” said inaugural of highly skilled professionals from industry, John W. Kozarich ’71 Chair of the Departacademia and government, with expertise in ment of Engineering and Professor Glenn the ABET disciplines. Gaudette. “Our students knew coming in ABET currently accredits 4,773 programs that as they were going through the proat 930 colleges and universities in 41 coungram, they were building it. They took own- tries and areas as of October 1, 2024. ership of the accreditation process, as did we More information about ABET, its memall. So this is very rewarding.” ber societies, and the accreditation criteria Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences used to evaluate programs can be found at Dean Gregory Kalscheur, S.J., said ABET www.abet.org. BY ED HAYWARD STAFF WRITER
Against the backdrop of the Lindsay Clancy murder trial that has gripped the nation and sparked passionate debate, Boston College will host a panel discussion on September 29 to examine some of the most compelling aspects of the case. M. Cathleen Kaveny, Darald and Juliet Libby Millennium Professor, will serve as moderator for the event, “Moral Evil, Mental Illness, and Criminal Responsibility: Questions Raised by the Lindsay Clancy Case,” which takes place 4:30-6:30 p.m. in Devlin 008. Kaveny—who has appointments in the Theology Department and BC Law School—will be joined by Connell School of Nursing Professor Ann Wolbert Burgess, an internationally recognized pioneer in the assessment and treatment of victims of trauma and abuse, and BC Law Professor and Sullivan Family Faculty Fellow R. Michael Cassidy, an expert on prosecutorial ethics who concentrates on criminal law, evidence, and professional responsibility. Other panelists are Robin Darling Young, the Ordinary Professor of Church History Emerita at The Catholic University of America, and Meg Kaveny, a licensed clinical social worker based in Portland, Ore., who collaborates with the Portland Police Bureau’s Behavioral Health Response Team, which pairs police officers with master’s-level clinicians. Clancy was charged with murdering her three young children at her Duxbury, Mass., home in January of 2023. Prosecutors and Clancy’s defense both agreed that she had fatally strangled the children, then cut her wrists and neck and leaped out of a window in an apparent suicide attempt. Clancy pleaded not guilty to three counts of murder. But the defense argued Clancy should not be held criminally responsible because she was suffering from postpartum psy-
On September 9, the University dedicated the integrated science building to John T. Hayden ’70 in recognition of his posthumous $55 million gift. A portion of the gift will also be used to establish the John T. Hayden Theatre Department Fund. Members of the Boston College community gathered as University President John T. Butler, S.J., blessed the facility and Hayden’s friends Oz Hanley ’70, Jerry Cambria ’70, and Matthew McEntee ’70 unveiled the building’s signage.
photo by michael manning
chosis, and her supporters claimed she was victimized by a health care system that often overlooks maternal mental health. After five grueling weeks of testimony and seven days of deliberations by a jury that ultimately remained deadlocked—the result of a lone juror among the panel’s nine women and three men resisting a unanimous verdict—the presiding judge declared a mistrial on September 4. At press time, it was unclear what the next step in the case would be. A hearing is scheduled on September 29—the day of the BC event—at which the defense will likely ask the judge to dismiss it, and prosecutors will tell the court if they plan to re-try the case or if they have reached a plea deal. “This tragic case raises broader questions of law, mental health, justice, and responsibility,” said Cathleen Kaveny, who focuses on the relationship of law, religion, and morality. “I hope this discussion will help people think more clearly about these questions, as well as about the strengths and weaknesses of our legal and medical institutions when it comes to individuals with severe mental illness.” Burgess will address the intersection between trauma, illness—including postpartum psychosis—and criminal behavior and also discuss the rights of victims, including children. Cassidy will clarify the nature and limitations of Massachusetts laws and practices at the margin of criminality and mental illness. Young will discuss the changing relationship of evil and sickness in Western Civilization cultures as it transitioned from demons to mental illness, and Meg Kaveny will offer her views on the challenges for law enforcement in responding to persons with mental illness. The event, which is free and open to the public, is sponsored by the BC Law School, the Connell School, and the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences. To attend, register at https://bit.ly/Boston-College-LindsayClancy-case-September-29
4
Chronicle
September 17, 2026
Bridge Program Stresses Interschool Collaboration Continued from page 1
School, for example, were encouraged to take humanities courses, while those in the Morrissey College were invited to sample business classes. The experiment exceeded all expectations, with roughly a third of BC’s 9,400 undergraduates currently pursuing a major or a minor outside their home school. The University hopes this popular interschool initiative, centered on academic collaboration, will eventually involve the majority of BC students, thereby educating undergraduates who have majored in, for example, finance and theology or in English with a minor in accounting. Building on that foundation, the Bridge Program will offer courses that help prepare students to address societal challenges in a time of rapid disruptive change, when wisdom, experts say, is most needed but can be least in evidence as people try to make quick decisions without complete information. Boston College leaders hope the Bridge Program will provide students with an advantage by educating intellectually versatile thinkers and problem solvers—with an understanding of the humanities, management, and the sciences—that job recruiters covet in college graduates. Quigley said he worked closely during the past three years with Morrissey College Dean Gregory Kalscheur, S.J., Carroll School John and Linda Powers Family Dean Andy Boynton, and Rattigan Professor of English and Institute for the Liberal Arts Director Mary Crane to plan the Bridge Program, which they view as a natural extension of the University’s success in renew-
Lynch Study Cites Education Across Formative Years as Key to Later Success BY PHIL GLOUDEMANS STAFF WRITER
A new study led by Lynch School of Education and Human Development Professor Eric Dearing found that experiencing educational opportunities in all stages of childhood and adolescence is the best predictor of higher educational attainment and earnings for disadvantaged American youth, as opposed to the impact of learning access during any single phase. The findings, published in a recent issue of Educational Researcher, point to the critical value of educational opportunities for children from low-income households across their formative years, an alternative belief to the widely held viewpoint of the exceptional importance of exposure during early childhood. “We found that experiencing educational opportunities in all phases—early childhood, middle childhood, and adolescence—is the ideal scenario,” said Dearing, a member of the Lynch School’s Counseling, Development & Educational Psychol-
Winston Provost and Dean of Faculties David Quigley says the new Bridge Program reflects “the larger mission and vision of Boston College as a distinctive liberal arts university committed to formative education.” photo by lee pellegrini
ing its core curriculum for all undergraduate students. “We’re very good at innovation here at BC,” Boynton said. “We used that capability with our core renewal effort more than a decade ago by designing popular Complex Problem and Enduring Question courses that are taught by senior faculty from various disciplines, and now we are using that innovative thinking with the Bridge Program. It reflects our ability to work together, to collaborate across schools, to think holistically about BC and the best possible educational experiences for our students.” Added Crane, “The Bridge Program is an important priority for Boston College because it offers students a new way to prepare ogy faculty who is the study’s principal investigator. “Experiencing just one educational opportunity in each stage increased a child’s odds of graduating with a four-year degree by more than threefold.” The researchers utilized the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development’s Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development—a 26-year longitudinal study of educational opportunity— with an exclusive focus on 226 children born into low-income households. They examined this cohort’s educational attainment and earnings at age 26 as a function of when the children experienced educational opportunities, observing both the unique predictive power of opportunities accrued within and across the three developmental stages. For early childhood, opportunities included living in an enriching home environment, attending a high-quality childcare facility and/or preschool, or residing in a socioeconomically advantaged neighborhood. For kindergarten through fifth grade, Dearing and his partners examined whether the children received high-quality elementary school instruction and participated in organized afterschool activities, in addition to the benefits of their home and neighborhood. The study then focused on the children’s adolescent years, specifically if they experienced upward family economic mobility in addition to the other
themselves for lives and careers in a complex and rapidly changing world. “It will help these students develop ‘Bridge thinking’: the practical habits of mind derived from integrating the humanities, management, and sciences that will give them an edge in solving complex problems. The program will also help students better articulate the unique benefits of an integrative and formative liberal arts education.” Fr. Kalscheur said that Bridge Scholars will develop skills that are more urgently needed than ever before. “The world needs this kind of educational effort, especially in this moment where AI is driving the conversation. I think the kind of formation that we are talking about is critical in an AI world, and BC is uniquely positioned to do this. It is grounded in our distinctive mission as a Jesuit, Catholic, liberal arts university.” The program’s architects say their success in starting the Bridge Program would not have happened without the willingness of BC faculty, including Glass and Christine
Eric Dearing photo by caitlin cunningham
positive factors. According to the researchers, educational opportunities in each development stage demonstrated positive and statistically significant associations with achieving education beyond high school. “Opportunities in early childhood and adolescence predicted increases in the probability of going beyond high school to gain some college education or a two-year degree, and opportunities in both early and middle childhood predicted increases in the probability of completing a four-year degree or more education,” noted Dearing and his
Rojcewicz (Business Law and Society) who worked with Tonn, Smith, and Crane to design courses and activities and take down some of the walls that have traditionally separated the academic disciplines in higher education. “We know that college students today have a different set of anxieties from previous generations,” said Boynton. “The Bridge Program will attempt to address these anxieties by increasing students’ aperture about how to see and understand the world, so that they will be more effective leaders, doctors, teachers, and citizens. Managers of any organization whether civic, for- or non-profit, need this integrative ability to succeed, and our faculty are well positioned to provide it.” The Bridge Program will launch with limited capacity but is expected to grow over time with new faculty hired to meet its needs. “One of the great satisfactions of the last decade or so has been the recognition from beyond campus that Boston College has something to say about curriculum innovation,” said Quigley. “The Bridge Program is an embodiment of that innovative spirit and our commitment to serve our students. “It will allow them to take full advantage of the richness of BC’s undergraduate schools—and to think about what it means to integrate the different experiences they have had in their majors, minors, and in the core curriculum—to expand their knowledge and understanding and best prepare them for the challenges that lie ahead.” To learn more about the Bridge Program, visit www.bc.edu/bridge. co-investigators, Henrik Daae Zachrisson of the University of Oslo and University of California-Irvine School of Education faculty members Andres S. Bustamante and Deborah Lowe Vandell. “While less than 50 percent of low-income children who experienced none of these opportunities in any stage was likely to pursue education beyond high school, this percentage was greater than 60 percent for those with just one opportunity during at least one stage.” Furthermore, more than 80 percent of disadvantaged children who experienced at least one opportunity in each of the three stages were likely to pursue education beyond high school, with approximately onethird of these children earning a four-year college degree, according to the team. “These correlational findings are among the first to point to the importance of educational opportunities during each development stage for outcomes in adulthood,” said Dearing, executive director of the Mary E. Walsh Center for Thriving Children at Boston College. “We believe these results can help inform the public about what we, as a society, should expect from educational policies that target a single state of development versus strategies that provide more opportunities for disadvantaged children throughout their foundational years.” The article co-authored by Dearing is available at journals.sagepub.com/doi/ full/10.3102/0013189X261463238
5
Chronicle
September 17, 2026
Kern Grant Continued from page 1
gramming and resources for current mental health professionals as well as the training of future practitioners. Boston College is well positioned to lead this shift, Goodman said, with its Jesuit educational mission rooted in the Ignatian principles of cura personalis—care for the whole person—and discernment, the act of determining the best course toward leading a life of meaning and purpose. In addition, the CPHE—a collaboration among the Woods College, Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences, Clough School of Theology and Ministry, and Lynch School of Education and Human Development—currently provides humanities-rich continuing education to an average of 3,000 clinicians per year while overseeing two book series, its annual international Psychology and the Other Conference, and regular contributions to popular media outlets like Psychology Today. The University also is home to the nation’s first undergraduate minor in the psychological humanities; a master’s-level program in Writing and the Human Condition [see bc.edu/bc-web/schools/wcas/ graduate/masters-programs/ma-writinghuman-condition.html] began this fall, and BC will soon launch its first doctoral program in clinical psychology (Psy.D.), grounded in psychological humanities principles. “We are grateful and excited to have this opportunity to expand the work we have been doing in the psychological humanities,” said Matthew Clemente, director of
Matthew Clemente, left, and David Goodman will lead a project that seeks to address the nation’s current mental health crisis. photo by matthew healey
research and curriculum at the CPHE and an assistant professor of practice in the Department of Formative Education at Boston College. “Because of the stature the field of psychology has attained in contemporary culture, we aspire to impact not only the discipline but broader understandings of personhood and how we relate to one another.” “The Kern Family Foundation team observed as Drs. Goodman and Clemente launched the CPHE with a seed investment from the John T. Templeton Foundation,” noted foundation president James C. Rahn. “We are proud to build on the Templeton investment and believe the CPHE and related endeavors can significantly reshape the training, continuing education, and practice of clinical psychologists across America.”
The cornerstone of the new project is Flourish, a multimedia platform that will serve as a central training hub and resource network for clinicians, educators, and related audiences such as clergy and academic faculty. Flourish will offer videos, podcasts, courses, discussion forums, a teaching commons, and professional certificate programs. It will also host a dedicated space for educators seeking course materials that draw from the deeply interdisciplinary and ethically rich work characteristic of the psychological humanities movement. Content for Flourish and outreach to its audiences will be driven by two fellowship programs: Psychological Humanities Fellows, composed of field leaders and scholars who design curricula and serve as movement ambassadors, and Cultural Imagination Fel-
lows, who will create public-facing content focused on civic imagination—the collective ability to pursue a common good. The project will advance its message beyond the Flourish platform through highprofile media partnerships with Harper’s and America magazines, Psychology Today, and Windrider Studios, as well as annual gatherings both in the United States and abroad. Building on an inaugural “Attention and Flourishing Conference” on art and character held in Spain earlier this summer, a follow-up event is already scheduled for Madrid in 2027. Gatherings planned for New York City will offer clinicians continuing education units centered on ethically engaged psychological discourse, while a Civic Imagination Forum will bring together senior leaders across business, education, philanthropy, government, and religious institutions to tackle societal issues such as addiction, polarization, and civic disengagement. Finally, the project will focus on enhancing clinical training and the cultivation of future leaders through the expansion of the CPHE’s continuing education offerings, and the creation of a Kern Fellows program, in which doctoral students in clinical psychology at Boston College will serve as student ambassadors and advance research at the intersection of the humanities and the field. “There is a growing movement within psychology wherein students and clinicians alike are seeking deeper roots beneath our formulations,” Goodman said. “We frequently hear from practitioners and aspiring psychologists a hunger for more dignifying and ethically rich approaches to understanding human suffering, identity, and potential. This project seeks to fortify and advance this movement and put Boston College at the center of such work.”
BC Researchers Put a New ‘Spin’ on High-Speed Processors BY ED HAYWARD STAFF WRITER
Artificial intelligence faces an energy crisis, stemming from a physical traffic jam inside modern computer chips, according to a Boston College-led research team. Processors must continually shuffle data, such as the billions of parameters in complex models, between separate computing and memory nodes. This traffic jam, famously known as the “von Neumann bottleneck,” hinders the speed and energy consumption of advanced processors. To tackle this problem, scientists are developing spintronics, which leverages the electron’s “spin,” or its intrinsic magnetic orientation, for more efficient devices. A long-sought milestone of this field is a single device, known as a “spin transistor,” that combines a magnetic bit with a semiconducting switch, allowing it to compute and store data simultaneously. “The major challenge is understanding how magnetism and electrical current interact in nanoscale devices,” said Professor of Physics Brian Zhou, whose group led the study. “We developed a single-spin quantum microscope to observe magnetic states inside atomically thin devices as they actively process electrical information.”
This quantum-enabled perspective allowed the team to introduce a conceptual shift in how magnetic transistors can be engineered. In a new study published in Physical Review Letters, the group demonstrated an architecture using the magnetic semiconductor, chromium sulfur bromide (CrSBr), that allows signals to be switched either by magnetism or voltage. “Traditionally, these devices require joining two different materials together: a magnet and a semiconductor,” said Professor Zdeněk Sofer, a materials synthesis expert at the University of Chemistry and Technology in Prague. “By engineering a single van der Waals crystal, CrSBr, that inherently possesses both semiconducting and magnetic properties, we eliminate losses at interfaces entirely.” Zhou’s research group fabricated the transistor using two-layer-thick CrSBr, placing laterally separated electrodes on opposite layers. Their unique construction forces current to travel both across and between the two magnetic layers. The device can be switched “on” and “off” either by changing the voltage on a nearby gate electrode or by changing the relative magnetic orientations of the two CrSBr layers, similar to a traditional complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) transistor, but with an added mag-
Brian Zhou photo by lee pellegrini
netic twist. To characterize the spin transistor, the researchers combined electrical measurements with a high-resolution quantum sensing probe, scanning nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center magnetometry. This specialized imaging technique maps the local magnetic field by tracking variations in the magnetic resonance of a single atomic defect. The quantum microscope vividly revealed the correlated magnetic and electrical behavior of the device: how spatial changes in the magneti-
zation modify the device conductance, and how gate voltage flips the magnetic layers between parallel and antiparallel states. A key factor that enhanced the performance of the developed spin transistor was the researchers’ ability to access “spacecharge-limited” conduction. Within this regime, the internal build-up and mutual repulsion of charges in the material alter the current-voltage relationship, causing it to display a power law scaling instead of the conventional linear, ohmic behavior. “The rapid power law scaling allows us to dramatically tune the conductivity,” said graduate student Thomas K. M. Graham, the lead author of the study. “Our device achieves an electrical on/off ratio of a million percent and a magnetic on/off ratio of 3,000 percent, the latter significantly higher than previous efforts.” By merging switching logic with a nonvolatile memory bit, the developed architecture paves the way for ultra-efficient, “instant-on” processors that do not need to fetch data from memory, alongside reconfigurable computing circuits that can be reprogrammed after manufacturing. To realize this potential, Zhou says researchers must continue to advance nanoscale imaging techniques and the electrical control of magnetic states.
6
Chronicle
September 17, 2026
Burns Scholar Trains Lens on Women in Irish Political History BY SEAN SMITH CHRONICLE EDITOR
For Senia Pašeta, who is the Burns Visiting Scholar in Irish Studies at Boston College this semester, the role of women in modern Irish political history is a font of considerable scholarship and a source of endless fascination. A professor of modern history at the University of Oxford, Pašeta studies the intersection of Irish women’s political and social activism with the Irish nationalism that took root in the late 19th century, and ultimately sparked Irish independence from Great Britain in 1922. These strands in Irish history are at once complementary and contrary, she says. “As the 19th century came to an end, you saw Irish women—with advances in access to education and greater roles in local government—become increasingly active in the nationalist movement,” explained Pašeta. “There were women like Constance Georgine Markievicz—better known as Countess Markievicz—and Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington who were prominent in areas like suffrage, social reform, and trade unionism. The Irish Women’s Franchise League, which was founded by Sheehy-Skeffington and her husband, and the paramilitary organization Cumann na mBan were very popular. But the Irish feminist and Irish nationalist movements were diverse and complex creeds, with various social and political agendas and shifting networks of supporters. “So, on the one hand, feminist ideas and activism were important to the evolution of modern Ireland. Yet for most of the
NSF Awards Three Grants to the Lynch School The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded supplemental grants to two previously funded projects anchored at the Lynch School of Education and Human Development, and a planning grant for a new interdisciplinary venture. An incremental award of $258,564 was appended to an original, three-year, $1.3 million grant from the NSF to engage lowincome families in a participatory educational program involving restorative gardening practices and artificial intelligence. Faculty from the Lynch School, and the Engineering and Sociology departments co-lead the project’s management team. In collaboration with the Louisiana School to Farm Program, and Boston, Waltham and Springfield (Mass.) public schools, the project has engaged 180 historically marginalized youth and their families from the Bay State and Louisiana in the design and construction of artificial intelligence-enhanced farming robots that enable youth to learn how to maintain a garden, and to use physical computing tools to manage the growth and production of nutritious food. Additionally, a $300,000 incremental NSF grant has been awarded to an interdisciplinary team from the Lynch School and
country’s history, the feminist movement and its agenda was considered in conflict with Irish traditions and institutions.” Pašeta will discuss her research on the continuity and transformation in Irish feminism at the fall Burns Scholar Lecture on September 30 in the Burns Library Thompson Room at 6 p.m. (preceded by a 5 p.m. reception). “From Suffrage to Sisterhood: A History of Feminism in Modern Ireland” is free and open to the public. A collaboration between the Irish Studies Program and University Libraries, the Burns Scholar Program brings academics, writers, artists, journalists, librarians, and notable public figures to campus for a semester or, in some cases, a full academic year. In addition to giving public lectures, Burns Scholars teach courses and work with the resources of the Burns Library in their ongoing research, writing, and creative endeavors related to Irish history, art, and culture. Pašeta’s publications include Modern Ireland: A Very Short Introduction, Irish Nationalist Women 1900-1918, and Before the Revolution: Nationalism, Social Change and Ireland’s Catholic Elite, 1879-1922. Her current book project scheduled for release next year, Political Women in Ireland, 1880-1918, is a more expansive survey of women’s multifaceted political activism, its historical foundations, and adaptation to wider political challenges. The opportunity to do research in Burns Library’s world-renowned archives of Irish history and politics, therefore, comes at an ideal time, she noted. “I am very grateful to BC for hosting me as the Burns Scholar,” said Pašeta, who the Engineering Department to help prepare high school STEM instructors to teach engineering in public school systems. Launched in January, the project—originally funded by a three-year, $3 million grant to BC (which received $1.6 million), Maine Math and Science Alliance, and Southern Alabama University—assists teachers in the instruction of transdisciplinary STEM training anchored in physical computing. “We are particularly pleased to receive these supplemental funds since the NSF has essentially ceased awarding grants for education-related programs,” said G. Michael Barnett, the Buehler Faculty Fellow and a professor of science education and technology at the Lynch School. “The additional funding will support the integration of AI into both programs to support teachers and students to collaborate with AI while also understanding the pitfalls to using AI.” Barnett also noted that the NSF has awarded the Lynch School a $49,000 planning grant for a new interdisciplinary project, “The Home-to-School AI Bridge: Democratizing AI Literacy through Physical Computing,” which will train parents, community members, youth, and researchers to use AI tools to develop solutions to problems in their community. Faculty from the Lynch School, Carroll School of Management and Engineering Department will co-lead the project. —Phil Gloudemans
Senia Pašeta photo by caitlin cunningham
is also working on a history of feminism in modern Ireland for the Royal Irish Academy and co-editing a Handbook of Women’s Suffrage in the UK. “Burns has an excellent collection on Irish women’s history, and I look forward to exploring it throughout the fall. This is all really like detective work: You never know what you might find.” Pašeta is teaching the undergraduate course Women in Ireland, 1880-1945: The Rights and Duties of Citizenship, which focuses on women’s participation in the political, cultural, and social life of Ireland from the late 19th century until the end of World War II. The class explores how Irish women were shaped by internal political developments as well as international ideas and movements, using secondary literature and materials such as pamphlets,
Honoring Welles
The annual Red Bandanna Football Game last Friday (in which BC defeated Rutgers) saw the University honor the memory of Welles Crowther ’99 and his courage on 9/11. On September 8, President Trump posthumously awarded Crowther the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor; it was accepted by Crowther’s mother, Alison (shown at right during Friday’s pre-game ceremony), and sister, Paige Crowther Charbonneau.
newspapers, letters, and interviews to survey themes including war, revolution, feminist activism, cultural expression, leadership, remembrance, and resistance. One of the more fascinating aspects of this period, according to Pašeta, is how Irish Catholic and Protestant women overcame sectarian differences and worked together on some important issues—albeit except the nationalism question—far more effectively than Catholic and Protestant men. “What’s also interesting is the continuity: Women learned quickly that while the politics might have changed after independence, the culture didn’t, so they went back to basics and resumed their activism, and you see some of these prominent names appearing again, like Markievicz and SheehySkeffington.” An Australian native born to Croatian parents, Pašeta started out as an English major and was drawn to the works of James Joyce, especially his short story “The Dead,” parts of which drew inspiration from Joyce’s personal relationships with the Sheehy and Skeffington families—in fact, the character of Miss Ivors is said to be based on Hannah Sheehy-Skeffington’s sister. “The scenes and dialogues in ‘The Dead’ are reflective of a growing middle class of Irish Catholics, which was fascinating to me, and I wanted to learn more about this world,” she said. “So now, I have my students read ‘The Dead’ to get a sense of the period on a more personal, everyday level.” Pašeta holds a doctorate from the Australian National University and was a junior research fellow at Merton College (Oxford) and the Irish Government senior scholar at Hertford College (Oxford).
photos by ariana cho
photo by lee pellegrini
OBITUARIES
Carole Hughes
Carole Hughes, a longtime Student Affairs administrator at Boston College who most recently served as director of graduate student life, and who earned professional recognition for her perspectives on women’s careers in student affairs, died on September 8. She was 65. A mass of Christian burial was held for Dr. Hughes yesterday at Trinity Chapel on Newton Campus. Dr. Hughes filled a diversity of positions during her 39-year career at the University, including assistant and associate (later senior associate) dean for student development, deputy Title IX coordinator, project coordinator in facilities for the Campus Master Plan, a founding member of the University Arts Council, and University harassment counselor. While her various posts entailed the administrative and organizational tasks typical of a major university, Dr. Hughes also interacted directly with students in various aspects of college life: discussing the Undergraduate Government of BC budget with candidates for UGBC offices; leading an initiative that encouraged students to take an interest in the civic life of their communities; hosting a discussion about issues raised by the controversial David Mamet play “Oleanna” after a campus performance; and serving as advisor to the campus radio station WZBC. In 1999, the BC Fulton Debating Society honored her as Fultonian of the Year, an award presented to the University community member who supports the society’s ideals. As senior associate dean of students, Dr. Hughes helped initiate the “House Calls”
7
Chronicle
September 17, 2026
photo by lee pellegrini
outreach program, in which pairs of BC faculty and administrators fanned out in first-year student residence halls to greet new undergraduates. She also served on the Disability Services Committee, which deals with accommodation and accessibility issues on campus. Dr. Hughes displayed a similar concern and care for her colleagues as well: During the COVID pandemic, she organized virtual coffee chats for the directors in Student Affairs to come together and support each other. “When she saw a need, she was always ready to step up,” recalled Vice President for Student Affairs Corey Kelly, who as an entry-level Student Affairs staff member was under Dr. Hughes’ supervision. “She had such a deep understanding of the work of Student Affairs and what it means to do that work in the context of the Boston College mission. She had a gift of sharing her experience, energy and relent-
less positivity with others, always seeking to lift others up and see them succeed. Carole perpetually met people where they were, never shying away from having hard conversations or addressing challenging situations.” Even while she tended to her various day-in/week-out responsibilities, Dr. Hughes pondered a larger context, as a woman in the field of student affairs. When she stayed at home for a couple of months after her second child was born, she recalled in a 2002 interview with Boston College Chronicle, she began to think more broadly about family and career issues. “More women are entering administrative positions in student affairs, and at an earlier age, than in the past and many of these women have young families. I was also interested in the challenges professional women face as they reach midcareer, usually around the time they have families.” So, at the 2002 National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) annual conference, Dr. Hughes organized a panel discussion, “Great Women Don’t Always Think Alike: Women in Student Affairs,” featuring presentations by eight women on what they considered turning points in their careers as student affairs professionals. NASPA is a leading organization for student affairs professionals, with 13,000 members at 1,400 campuses in 25 countries. Investing time and energy in one’s job is a universal issue, she told Chronicle, “but as a student affairs professional, you are concerned with the formation of students, even as you are seeking to define yourself. So as you move through other stages of your life, how else can you measure success other than being present for a significant number of hours beyond the conventional work week? How do you be a good model for younger staff and students? “Maybe it means being healthy, in
mind and body, or trying to find a balance between work and one’s family or personal life.” Inspired by the panel, Dr. Hughes went on to co-edit a book of essays, Roads Taken: Women in Student Affairs at Mid-Career, featuring reflections from more than 20 women on their personal and professional lives as administrators in the student affairs field. Dr. Hughes, who also penned an essay on her experiences as a working mother, wrote an introduction to the section titled “‘I’ve Arrived’: It’s the Journey, Not the Destination.” In 2022, NASPA named Dr. Hughes a Pillar of the Profession, an honor given to student affairs professionals who have provided significant service to NASPA through regional and/or national leadership roles; created a lasting impact on the institutions or organizations at which they have worked, leaving a legacy of extraordinary service recognized by a crosssection of institutional/organizational stakeholders; and/or have demonstrated sustained, lifetime professional distinction in the field of student affairs and/or higher education. A graduate of University of Massachusetts-Boston, Dr. Hughes earned a master’s degree in educational policy from Boston University. She also held a doctorate from the Lynch School of Education and Human Development—her dissertation was “College Students, Loneliness and Use of the Internet”—and a master’s degree from the BC School of Social Work. She worked as a licensed clinical social worker in the Greater Boston area. Dr. Hughes is survived by her daughters Julia A. Hughes and Olivia R. H. Bogiages; her sister Mary and brother John; and her mother Margaret (Cloherty) Hughes. She was predeceased by her father John J. Hughes. Read the full obituary at https://bit.ly/ Boston-College-Carole-Hughes-obituary
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. Third Cook, Corcoran Commons photos by lee pellegrini
Professor Emeritus of History Alan Rogers, a widely respected teacher and researcher whose scholarly interests focused on the United States Constitution and American legal history, died September 1. He was 90. During his tenure at Boston College, he served several terms as chair of the History Department before his retirement in 2020. Along the way, he held positions as a Fulbright lecturer at the University of Stirling in Scotland and at the University of Indonesia in Jakarta. See https://bit.ly/Boston-College-AlanRogers-obituary
Retired Adjunct Associate Professor of Theology Aloysius Muzzanganda Lugira died on August 27 at age 95, after a life built on scholarship, faith, family, cultural stewardship, and devoted service to humanity. A native of Uganda who joined the Boston College faculty in 1980, Dr. Lugira devoted much of his scholarly life to the study and interpretation of African religions and traditions. He authored 10 books, in addition to numerous scholarly articles and academic papers presented around the world. See https://bit.ly/Boston-College-AloysiusLugira-obituary
Director of Counseling Practicum Experience Teacher Assistant Director of Advocacy Programs Associate Director, Procurement Services
Associate Director of Media and Technology
Associate Director, Graduate Admissions & Financial Aid
Advancement Talent Assistant
Waitstaff
Life Skills Coordinator/Teaching Assistant
Assistant Director, Benefactor Events Staff Nurse Head Librarian, Educational Resource Center
Assistant Director, Field Education
Assistant Program Director, Montserrat Coalition Bartender
Assistant Director of Recruiting Programs
Director of Counseling Practicum Experience
Resident Director
Administrative & Events Assistant
8
Chronicle
September 17, 2026
BC Arts
Multi-talented Alum Returns to BC as Monan Professor BY ROSANNE PELLEGRINI STAFF WRITER
Patrick Lazour ’13, an accomplished writer, lyricist, and playwright, has returned to his alma mater as the 2026-2027 Monan Professor in Theatre Arts. This semester, Lazour is teaching a Musical Theatre Performance Workshop open to majors and minors in the Theatre Department. Students are learning about—and getting hands-on experience with—the skills needed to thrive in musical theater spaces while exploring all aspects of performance, particularly how to balance the many foci required to act, dance, and sing simultaneously. Lazour will also direct a new musical adaptation of William Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” which he wrote with his brother and professional collaborator Daniel Lazour. The production,
Patrick Lazour’13
featuring music by Mark Sonnenblick of KPOP Demon Hunters fame, debuts at the Robsham Theater Arts Center November 18-22 on the main stage [see related story]. “Patrick Lazour is exactly the kind of artist the Monan Professorship was designed to bring to campus,” said Theatre Chair Courtney Elkin Mohler, an associate professor. “The work he and Daniel have developed, at many of our nations’ most esteemed theatrical spaces, represents some of the most original thinking in musical theater right now. “I’m thrilled that our theatre majors and minors have the opportunity to learn directly from him this fall in an intensive workshop setting.” The Lazours’ musical “The Grand Room,” which was produced on campus with the Theatre Department when Patrick was a student, is one of a number of original musicals written by the brothers. These
include “We Live in Cairo” and “Night Side Songs,” both of which premiered at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge. Last year, the Lazours’ “Night Side Songs” and “The Lunchbox” each had high-profile productions at Lincoln Center for Performing Arts in New York City and Berkeley Repertory Theatre in Berkeley, Calif., respectively. Lazour, with his brother, is a recipient of the prestigious Jonathan Larson Grant and Richard Rodgers Award. The Monan Professorship in Theatre Arts was established in 2007 by a gift to Boston College in honor of the late University Chancellor and former President J. Donald Monan, S.J. The position, which also commemorates the late trustee E. Paul Robsham, enables the Theatre Department to bring nationally and internationally known professionals to Boston College to teach and work with undergraduate students.
Robsham Fall Season Includes Ibsen and Musical Take on Shakespeare The curtain rises on the Theatre Department/Robsham Theater Arts Center productions with an adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s play, “An Enemy of the People,” to be presented on the main stage October 1-4. In the play, respected physician and scientist Dr. Stockmann has discovered that the town’s famed medicinal health spa is being fed by poisoned waters. But instead of thanking Stockman for his findings and heeding his warning, the town’s power brokers—including Stockman’s brother, the mayor—dismiss his findings as “fake news,” and put a positive spin on the benefits of the health resort. This fall’s production is directed by Associate Professor of the Practice of Theatre Patricia Riggin, who adapted it with playwriting instructor Maggie Kearnan ’14, a
Boston-based playwright and theater artist whose plays have been produced on campus. Written in 1882, Ibsen’s work rings as true today as it did over a century ago and resonates with contemporary relevance, according to organizers. “This exciting new adaptation asks what a town owes its people when economic survival and environmental safety collide,” said Theatre Chair Courtney Elkin Mohler, an associate professor. “I hope audiences come ready to see just how little distance there is between Ibsen’s world and our own.” The following month will showcase the work of music theater writer Patrick Lazour ’13, the 2026-2027 Monan Professor in Theatre Arts [see separate story]. An alumnus of the Theatre Department,
Lazour will direct “A Midsummer Night’s Dream: A New Musical,” which runs from November 18-22. This adaption was written by Lazour and his brother Daniel, with whom he collaborates professionally, and features music by KPOP Demon Hunters songwriter Mark Sonnenblick with music direction by David McGrory. Based on the William Shakespeare play, the updated production is set in a place “not unlike the great state of Florida, where the country club abuts the everglades and everything is humid and everyone is every-so-slightly...strange,” according to the description. “This musical ‘Midsummer’ takes place on the eve of billionaire film producer Demetrius and District Attorney Hermia’s wedding of the century. The comedy, enchantment, and twisted emotional
BC Scenes Beginning Anew
PHOTOS BY MATTHEW HEALEY AND SEHO LEE ’27
The Boston College calendar was quite full during the first two weeks of September as the academic year got underway. Among other events were the Student Involvement Fair (left and left below), at which undergraduates could check out BC clubs and organizations; Taste of Off-Campus at Cadigan Hall (right), where local restaurants and eateries provided free samples for students, staff, and neighbors to enjoy; and the First Flight Processional for first-year students (above and above right) from Linden Lane to Lower Campus Lawn for the First Year Academic Convocation.
journeys of the Bard’s source material mixes with contemporary nonsense, and a whole lot of horns. All are welcomed in, including the audience, as words, dance and music fuse, and we find out just what twisted kind of ‘Fools These Mortals Be.’” “It is not every day student artists get the opportunity to work on a new musical in development with real pros,” said Mohler. “I hope audiences come ready to be surprised by what this incredible team of current and alum BC theatre students create.” For more on the productions, including performance times and ticket prices or other information, go to bc.edu/theatre. For tickets, see bc.edu/tickets or call ext. 2-4002. —Rosanne Pellegrini