PUBLISHED BY THE BOSTON COLLEGE OFFICE OF UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
A Bigger Picture
SEPTEMBER 26, 2024 VOL. 32 NO. 3
Healthy Enthusiasm
Class of 2028 composition reflects national trends in higher ed BY JACK DUNN ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT FOR UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
Boston College experienced level enrollment of traditionally underrepresented students in the Class of 2028, with a slight decrease in the number of Black students and a slight increase in the number of Asian American and Hispanic students over last year, according to preliminary data released last week by the Office of Undergraduate Admission. Specifically, the percentage of Black students in the first-year class fell from 7 percent to 6 percent, while the percentage of Hispanic students rose from 13 to 14.4 percent. Asian American enrollment increased to 16.2 percent from 14.6 percent last year. The University’s mixed enrollment results were consistent with many highly selective colleges and universities in the wake
of the 2023 United States Supreme Court ruling that ended the consideration of race as a factor in college admissions decisions. Overall, the Class of 2028 is one of the strongest academically in University history, with 90 percent of students ranked in the top 10 percent of their high school class and average SAT/ACT scores of 1484 and 34, respectively. This year, Boston College admitted just 15.9 percent of its 35,487 applicants and yielded a total of 43 percent—a testament to the University’s popularity among the nation’s best high school students. BC’s relative stability in maintaining a diverse class was due in part to the Office of Undergraduate Admission’s decades-long efforts to build strong relationships with community-based organizations and urban schools nationwide, and the University’s popularity among QuestBridge Scholars— a pool of high-achieving, low-income high
Continued on page 4
Record 79 Join BC Faculty New arrivals cite University’s formational mission as a big reason they came to the Heights
Salas-Wright Is First Barry Family Prof. in Social Work
BY SEAN SMITH CHRONICLE EDITOR
BY SEAN SMITH CHRONICLE EDITOR
Boston College School of Social Work Professor Christopher Salas-Wright, whose on-the-ground experiences in Central and South America shaped his expertise in Latin American crisis migration and mental health, has been named as the inaugural Barry Family Professor in Social Work. The Barry Family Professorship was established through a gift from University Trustee Steven M. Barry ’85 and his wife Tammy J. Barry ’85, M.Ed. ’87. The parents of two Boston College graduates, the Barrys are longtime BC benefactors who have supported the Connell School of Nursing, financial aid, athletics, the Wall Street Council Tribute Dinner, and Pops on the Heights, among other University priorities. Salas-Wright, who is the BCSSW assistant dean for doctoral education, earned
The Center for Student Wellness held its annual “WellFest” on September 18 in the Plaza at O’Neill Library, offering information on campus health and wellness resources—and the opportunity to get in a little exercise. photo by caitlin cunningham
Christopher Salas-Wright photo by caitlin cunningham
a doctorate from the school in 2012—he also holds a master’s degree from the Clough School of Theology and Ministry—and returned in 2020 as a tenured professor after teaching at the University of Texas-Austin and Boston University. His research on the experiences of stress and resilience among Latin American crisis migrants, and how such experiences influence mental health, has been key to the development of the crisis-informed theory
Continued on page 4
Aaron Stump has more than a few reasons to be enthused about having joined the Boston College faculty this past summer. He welcomes the opportunity to work at a top-level research university that also has “a strong commitment to humanistic values through its Jesuit heritage,” explained Stump, the John R. and Pamela Egan Chair of Computer Science. A researcher in programming languages and computational logic, Stump feels BC will be an ideal place to continue his work on software for computer-checked proofs, not only in mathematics and computer science but also theology. Then there’s the Computer Science Department’s current conversation about what a doctoral program might look like. Stump believes this could help increase the department’s stature and visibility while also attracting strong young scholars “to contribute to our research mission.” As a Catholic, Stump added, working at a university “that shares my values and faith commitments is a dream come true.” Stump is one of the 79 new full-time faculty members at Boston College this ac-
ademic year, including 12 with tenure and 35 who are tenure-track—a cohort whose arrival comes only two years after BC had welcomed what was then a record 62 new full-time faculty. The annual infusion of new faculty typically reflects institutional demographics, University and departmental priorities, new or recent trends in teaching and scholarship, according to BC senior administrators—and sometimes pure happenstance. Ultimately, these hires are a mutual expresContinued on page 5
INSIDE 2 Around Campus
BC increasing availability of AEDs on campus; Richardson to speak.
3 Theology Offerings
Department adds three minors, expanded major.
8 BC Global
University to host international forum on plastic pollution.