ChronicleThe BosTon College

Chronicleapril 26, 2012 VOl. 20 nO. 16

Published by the Boston College Office of News & Public Affairs

OF NOTE:

INSIDE•Health coaches program, page 2

•Venture Competition, page 2•Heights wins Neiman award, page 3•Gabelli to receive honor, page 3

•Fr. Schaeffer steps down, page 5

•Nursing leader visits CSON, page 7

•Fr. Massaro accepts dean’s post, page 7

•Gaelic Roots to host Irish duo, page 8

•BC Private Industry Council, page 5

•Q&A with hockey coach York, page 5

•Arts Council awards, page 8

•Reynoldo Sylla wins Brown award, page 6

•Schlozman book receives honor, page 6

By Sean Smith ChroniCle editor

The plaza in front of O’Neill Li-brary, a major crossroad of activity and central gathering place at Bos-ton College, will have a vastly dif-ferent look to it this fall, with grass replacing much of the concrete and trees ringing the periphery.

The newly configured plaza also will be regraded, and contain a pedestrian walkway running di-agonally from the front of O’Neill Library toward the Quad between Gasson, Lyons, Devlin and Fulton Halls.

Work on the plaza begins the day after Commencement, May 22, and will be completed by the start of the fall semester, according to Facilities Management admin-istrators.

The summer project will repre-sent the most significant alteration to the plaza since it opened in 1984. The revamped, greener space will offer a more attractive location for both informal socializing and University events, such as the Mass

of the Holy Spirit and Commence-ment activities, or those organized by student groups, said Associate Vice President for Capital Projects Mary Nardone.

“This will serve to ‘soften’ the look of the plaza in front of O’Neill,” she explained. “But at the

By Sean Smith ChroniCle editor

The Boston College community opened its collective heart last week to one of its most beloved members: retiring Woods College of Advanc-ing Studies Dean and namesake James A. Woods, SJ.

Fr. Woods, stepping down af-ter 44 years, was honored for his renowned dedication and commit-ment in service to others — in particular his efforts to make edu-cational opportunities available to those in need — at a “Celebration of Gratitude” on April 17 in Conte Forum.

A crowd that included many of Fr. Woods’ colleagues and former students, along with other well-

wishers, gathered on the floor of Conte and in the adjacent stands to hear speakers praise his devotion to his vocation and Boston College. More than a few of the tributes included phrases that have become part of the Fr. Woods lexicon, no-tably “Couldn’t be better.”

“Fr. Woods is ‘excellent’ today,” quipped Professor of Communica-tion Marilyn Matelski, who served

Woods College Dean James Woods, SJ, at the event in his honor.

Continued on page 4

Continued on page 6Continued on page 3

University Says a Big ‘Thank You’ to Fr. Woods

A NEW LOOK FOR THE PLAZASummer project will include landscaping, reconfiguration for major campus spot

The plaza in front of O’Neill Library — as seen from Devlin Hall in photo at right —will look very different this fall. (Illustration by Stephen Stimson Associates)

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Lee Pellegrini

The annual Boston College Arts Festival begins today at noon, with numer-ous events and activities taking place around campus through Saturday. For complete details, see the festival website at www.bc.edu/artsfestival

By PatriCia delaney dePuty direCtor of newS

& PuBliC affairS

The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation has award-ed a 2012 fellowship to Professor of Slavic and Eastern Languages Maxim D. Shrayer, to support a research project designed to bring a new perspective to Holocaust studies through exploration of the experience of Jewish-Russian po-ets during World War II.

Guggenheim Fellowships rec-ognize advanced professionals in all fields who exhibit unusually distinguished achievement and exceptional promise for future accomplishments. This year, the prestigious awards were presented to a diverse group of 181 scholars,

artists, and scientists, chosen from nearly 3,000 applicants.

“I am honored and humbled by this recognition of my re-search,” said Shrayer, who joined the University in 1996. “I also regard it as a hopeful sign for the future of Russian and Soviet studies, of Jewish studies, and of Holocaust studies here at Boston College.”

“Maxim Shrayer’s work ex-plores the literatures of old worlds and new, and his writing helps us better understand a range of mod-ern cultures,” said College and Graduate School of Arts and Sci-ences Dean David Quigley. “It’s wonderful to see that the Gug-genheim Foundation now joins us in recognizing his original voice.”

Shrayer Is Selected for a Guggenheim Fellowship

•Jesuit networking conference, page 3•St. Columbkille and BC, page 4

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Chronicleapril 26, 2012

DIrEctor of NEWS & PublIc AffAIrS

Jack DunnDEPuty DIrEctor of NEWS

& PublIc AffAIrS

Patricia DelaneyEDItor

Sean SmithcoNtrIbutINg StAff

Melissa Beecher

Ed Hayward

Reid Oslin

Rosanne Pellegrini

Kathleen Sullivan

Michael Maloney

PhotogrAPhErS

Gary Gilbert

Lee Pellegrini

The Boston College Chronicle (USPS 009491), the internal newspaper for faculty and staff, is published biweekly from September to May by Boston Col-lege, with editorial offices at the Office of News & Public Affairs, 14 May-flower Road, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467 (617)552-3350. Distributed free to fac-ulty and staff offices and other locations on campus. Periodicals postage paid at Boston, MA and additional mailing offic-es. POSTMASTER: send address changes to The Boston College Chronicle, Office of News & Public Affairs, 14 Mayflower Road, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467.

Contact Chronicle via e-mail: chroni-cle@bc.edu.Electronic editions of the Bos-ton College Chronicle are available via the World Wide Web at http://www.bc.edu/chronicle.

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The Office of Health Pro-motion recently certified 34 health coaches to help bring their healthy living message to more BC students, with an additional 25 students being interviewed for possible inclusion on the health coach roster.

Developed by OHP Direc-tor Elise Tofias Phillips and her team, and launched this academ-ic year, the health coach program offers health education on a peer-to-peer basis. Health coaches undergo intensive training in a number of specialty areas, such as stress management, nutrition, prevention of relationship vio-lence, women’s health, bystander intervention, alcohol and drug education, sexual health and re-

lationship management. Once trained, the students engage their peers in health-related conversa-tions and help implement stu-dent-centered programming.

“We know through research that students who talk to other students are more motivated to make positive behavioral chang-es,” said Tofias Phillips of the coaching program. “This is a great way for students to help themselves with the aid of a peer mentor.

“Our coaches educate, moti-vate and refer peers to the help they need for a healthier life-style.”

According to Tofias Phillips, students interested in improv-ing their overall health can meet one-on-one with their respective coach. The two will develop a personal health plan, set goals, and determine ways to change behaviors and make lower-risk choices.

“The ideal health coach is a student who is interested in health topics, motivated, and dedicated to the idea of helping other students meet their health goals,” she said. “This program has really tapped into students’

interests and provides them with a new way to become involved.”

Health coach Natalie Thomas ’12 agrees.

“When I heard about the Of-fice of Health Promotion, I knew I wanted to get involved any way that I could. I am extremely interested in health and wellness and what it means to live out the Jesuit mission of developing the whole person, from balanced nutrition to being in a healthy relationship, and to the devel-opment of personal spirituality. The health coach program in particular offered the opportu-nity to explore these aspects of health and many more, as well as to educate my peers about what I had learned through training and

about various resources available on campus.

“With the guidance of Elise, this program has not only given me a great foundational knowl-edge base in an array of health concerns,” Thomas says, “but also the active listening and com-munication skills that it requires to truly motivate my peers to live healthy lifestyles. These are skills I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I’m sad to graduate after only just starting the program but I am so excited to see the Of-fice of Health Promotion take off in the coming years.”

Student involvement has been the cornerstone of the year-old Office of Health Promotion pro-gramming. Last year, the group developed “Healthapalooza,” a popular student health fair on O’Neill Plaza. Dozens of work-shops, support groups, medita-tion sessions and conversations have taken place over the semes-ter, and a “Spring Into Health” event is scheduled for April 30 on the Quad.

For more on Health Promo-tion programming, or to become a health coach, see www.bc.edu/healthpro

—Melissa Beecher

Namib Beetle Design won the sixth annual Boston College Venture Competition (BCVC), receiving a $10,000 prize to back a business plan that uses nov-el technologies to supply water to undeveloped regions of the world.

BCVC is a University-wide business plan competition de-signed to promote and support entrepreneurship at the under-graduate level at BC. With men-toring from experienced alumni, students develop and implement the skills necessary for starting successful businesses. Several ses-sions throughout the year offer additional coaching and advice from entrepreneurs, law partners, venture capitalists, and other ex-ecutives.

The team of BC seniors Miguel Galvez and Deckard So-rensen and Trinity University se-nior Andy McTeague, which has developed a method using nano-technology to efficiently collect water from condensation, came in first at the BCVC final event on April 11.

Pitching their custom de-signed, eco-friendly surfboards, Green Lightning Surfboards took

second place and a $3,000 prize. The team consists of juniors Brendon Emery and Brennan Smith and University of Mas-sachusetts-Boston students Mi-chael Emery and Kevin Schoen-thaler.

Maji Bottles, which plans to donate a portion of revenues from bottle and hat sales to re-solving the world’s drinking water crisis, finished third and received $2,000 in prize money. Maji’s team of Maxwell Ade ’12, Paul Veiga ’12, Alex Trautwig ’12 and Austin Nissly ’14 also won a $1,000 prize last Wednes-day at Boston College SEED, a subdivision of BCVC designed to foster social entrepreneurship.

The three top teams were chosen from among five teams selected as finalists. The panel of judges included: Greg Dracon, principal of .406 Ventures; Hugh Crean ’93, executive-in-residence at General Catalyst Partners; Lee Hower, partner for Next-View Ventures; General Cata-lyst Partners Managing Director David Orfao; Highland Capital Partners Partner Dan Nova ’83; and Professor of Physics Michael Naughton.

—Ed Hayward

Be sure to check out the Boston College Chronicle YouTube channel[www.youtube.com/bcchronicle] for video features on Boston Col-lege people, programs and events. New and upcoming videos include:•Boston College Parade of Champions 2012 —Thousands of ju-bilant fans filled the O’Neill Library Plaza the evening of April 10 to celebrate Boston College’s 2012 NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey title and watch the unfurling of the University’s fifth championship banner in the sport.•“Hope Amidst Bones”—Last summer, Seth Woody ’12 traveled to Rwanda to interview people involved in reconciliation and social justice efforts. These interviews, along with photos taken by Woody and his family, formed the basis of the exhibit “Hope Amidst Bones” that was on display recently in the Bapst Student Art Gallery.

Healthy attitudes

Senior Natalie Thomas is thrilled to be among the “health coaches” certified by the University’s Office of Health Promotion. (Photo by Lee Pellegrini)

A competition that’s all business

A panel with (L-R) BC Law School Dean Vincent Rougeau, University of Notre Dame Professor M. Cathleen Kaveny, Archdiocese of Boston Sec-retary for Social Services Fr. Bryan Hehir and moderator John Allen Jr. of the National Catholic Reporter discussed the topic of threats to reli-gious liberty in America, on April 18 in Robsham Theater. The Church in the 21st Century Center sponsored the event with the Law School and School of Theology and Ministry. (Photos by Justin Knight)

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as emcee for the event.In his invocation, Robert Far-

rell, SJ, a Woods College faculty member, called Fr. Woods “an inspiration to us all” and offered thanks for his “vision and vitality” over the past 44 years.

University President William P. Leahy, SJ, praised Fr. Woods’ “in-terior spirit” and “the sense of hope deep within him” as qualities that have characterized his work.

“The Woods College of Ad-vancing Studies reflects that spirit, and this has contributed immeasur-ably to the University’s mission,” said Fr. Leahy. “Fr. Woods is a true son of St. Ignatius, a man for others at Boston College.”

Fr. Woods, recovering from an illness, did not speak but was pres-ent on the speakers’ platform and at the reception after the program. His pre-recorded remarks, which were played on the Conte public address system, served as his response to the celebration.

“Your prayers and thoughts have sustained me over a lifetime,” said Fr. Woods in the recording. “I am fortunate to have such support to inspire and invigorate me each day.”

In his remarks, Fr. Woods praised the many “great students who always been part of my life. They teach me so much. They teach me that the world is made, and moved, by individuals. One person can help another — who in turn can help others — and by doing so, make a difference.”

Fr. Woods expressed gratitude to the Woods College faculty for creating “a dynamic learning en-vironment” and the Woods Col-

lege staff members with whom he worked over the years, singling out Mary Hennessy, David Lizotte and Cheryl Wright.

“Each individual in the office is supportive, and with an over-whelming desire to serve.”

Also receiving acknowledgement from Fr. Woods were the many benefactors and donors — includ-ing one of the guest speakers, Trust-ee Associate Robert M. Devlin — whose generosity has been a boon for the college.

“The strength I draw from you all,” Fr. Woods’ remarks concluded, “restores me and inspires me to grow.”

Devlin, who along with his wife Katharine made a $5 million gift in 2002 to name the College of Advancing Studies — formerly known as the Evening College — after Fr. Woods, recounted his personal and familial ties with his longtime mentor and friend. He lauded Fr. Woods for providing an invaluable path to education for many students lacking means or opportunities.

“He is a man with generous mind, heart and spirit, who has made dreams become real for thousands,” said Devlin, who add-ed: “How is the Woods College

doing? Couldn’t be better!”A special guest speaker, Harvard

Business School Cizik Professor of Business Administration Clayton Christensen, discussed the vital role religion plays in many facets of society, including in education. He credited Fr. Woods not only for helping promote the presence of faith, but for making it available through Jesuit and Catholic educa-tion to people who might not have access otherwise to higher learning of any kind.

“I hope that the example Fr. Woods has set in the Woods Col-lege is repeated across campuses,” he said.

The editor-in-chief and news editor of The Heights, the indepen-dent student newspaper of Bos-ton College, were honored with a prestigious Christopher J. Georges Award for Excellence in Student Journalism at the recent Neiman Foundation for Journalism annual ceremony at Harvard University.

Taylour Kumpf, a junior Eng-lish major from Columbus, Neb., and David Cote, a sophomore chemistry and theology major from Burlington, Conn., were se-lected from among several dozen top college and university newspa-pers for their news coverage of the Belfast Project, an oral history proj-ect on the Troubles in Northern Ireland. The BC pair finished sec-ond behind Princeton University for the award, con s ide r ed one of the most coveted in collegiate journalism. The Heights and the Daily Princetonian were the only newspapers recognized this year.

“It was a great honor for us to receive this award,” said Kumpf. “I am pleased to have our work rewarded, and to have an oppor-tunity to meet the Georges family, whose son was the namesake for this honor.”

Added Cote, “We are hon-

ored to receive recognition from an organization as prestigious as the Nieman Foundation. We at The Heights work extremely hard on the newspaper, and it’s very much appreciated to have our ef-forts rewarded by earning this type of award.”

In addi-tion to the 50 hours per week

that both students dedicate to the Heights, Kumpf finds time to vol-unteer as an admissions tour guide for prospective students, while Cote volunteers for Eagle EMS and serves as a researcher in the organic chemistry lab of Chemistry Assis-tant Professor Jeffery Byers. Kumpf is considering a career in journalism and publishing; Cote hopes to at-tend medical school.

—Jack Dunn

Legendary money manager Mario J. Gabelli, a Boston Col-lege parent and longtime Univer-sity benefactor, will be honored tonight at the 24th annual Boston College Wall Street Council Trib-ute Dinner in New York City’s Waldorf=Astoria.

Gabelli, who is chairman and CEO of GAMCO In-vestors, Inc., will be presented with the Presi-dent’s Medal for Excel-lence in recognition of his achievements, ex-emplifying the Boston College motto “Ever to Excel.”

The black-tie din-ner is expected to draw more than 1,000 guests and will feature an address by Gabelli as well as Presi-dential Scholar Jessica Seminelli ’12. The Wall Street Council co-chairs are T.J. Maloney ’75 and John V. Murphy ’71. Maloney and Univer-sity President William P. Leahy, SJ, will present the medal to Gabelli.

Gabelli is a founding member of the Boston College Wall Street Council, a network of more than 1,700 BC alumni, parents and friends who work in and repre-sent the financial community in New York. Through its annual din-

ners, the council has raised more than $25.6 million for BC’s Presi-dential Scholars Program. Boston College’s most academically gifted undergraduates are chosen for the Presidential Scholars Program, an extraordinary honors program that combines rigorous course work, community service, international

experience and intern-ships.

Since its inception, more than 200 Presiden-tial Scholars have gradu-ated, earning some of nation’s most prestigious academic awards, includ-ing Rhodes Scholarships, Fulbright Grants, Mar-

shall Scholarships, National Science Foundation Fellowships, Truman Scholarships, Beckman Scholar-ships, and many others.

Gabelli established the Gabelli Distinguished Presidential Scholar-ship and is a lead supporter of the Presidential Scholars Program. In addition, he has served as a Uni-versity Trustee and Trustee Associ-ate and has endowed the Mario J. Gabelli Professorship in Finance in the Carroll School of Manage-ment. In 1995, the residence hall at 80 Commonwealth Avenue was named in honor of Gabelli.

—Kathleen Sullivan

Heights Editors Win Honors from Neiman Foundation

Taylour Kumpf, left, and David Cote

President’s Medal for Gabelli

Continued from page 1

BC Fetes Retiring Fr. Woods

James Woods, SJ, watches a video tribute with (L-R) Harvard Professor Clayton Christensen, Woods College benefactor Robert M. Devlin and Uni-versity President William P. Leahy, SJ. (Photos by Jared Kirk Charney)

Robert M. Devlin speaks during the celebration for Fr. Woods.

Conference to Explore Jesuits and NetworkingJesuits and lay people will con-

vene at Boston College this Saturday for a three-day conference, represent-ing the first initiative to develop an international network to assist the mission of the Society of Jesus in the globalization era.

The “International Networking in the Society of Jesus” conference, organized by the Jesuit Institute along with the Graduate School of Social Work and the Center for Ignatian Spirituality, is in answer to the Society of Jesus’ 35th General Congregation’s call for more interna-tional and interprovincial collabora-tion, organizers say.

Some 30 Jesuits from five con-tinents are expected to attend, and will work to facilitate and maximize the Jesuits’ impact as a transnational

body with a universal mission. Also present at the conference will be lay people, who along with the Jesuits are from various levels of Jesuit gov-ernance and apostolic works.

Conference participants will con-sider various aspects of international networking, involving people from different regions and cultures and combining an academic approach with practical experience. Organizers expect the event will identify topics for further development and result in a website devoted to relevant Jesuit documents on networking and re-lated materials, including the partici-pants’ papers from the conference.

Speakers will include University President William P. Leahy, SJ, who will address the topic of mission, Carroll School of Management As-

sociate Professor of Information Sys-tems Gerald Kane, who will talk about organization, and Founders Professor of Theology James Keen-an, SJ, who will discuss spirituality.

Other Boston College-affiliated presenters and participants will in-clude Alberto Godenzi, T. Frank Kennedy, SJ, Michael Boughton, SJ, David Hollenbach, SJ, Gregory Kalscheur, SJ, Gustavo Morello, SJ, Rocio Calvo, Maryanne Loughry, RSM, Tomeu Estelrich, Jeremy Zipple, SJ, Jose María Segura, SJ, René Micallef, SJ, and Gonzalo Vil-lagran, SJ.

For a full list of speakers and other conference details, see the conference website at http://bit.ly/J4Ft6y.

—Kathleen Sullivan

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same time, the lawn is designed to still be able to handle — with perhaps some minor adaptations — the regular slate of events and activities taking place there.”

The first few weeks of the proj-ect will be “the most intense,” said Nardone, with the removal of most of the granite, brick and concrete on the plaza. Prior to the installation of a new lawn and concrete walkway, the current plaza terraces will be regraded so that the lowest level is even with the entrance to O’Neill Library, thus eliminating the set of stairs currently in place at the library’s entrance.

But perhaps the most striking change, administrators said, will be the addition of 20-foot tulip trees along the front of O’Neill Li-brary and 14-foot flowering pink cherry trees on the opposite side, near the east entrance to Gasson Hall.

“This will be a remarkable ‘be-fore and after,’ and in such a short time,” said Associate Director for Campus Grounds Gina Bellavia, who was involved in the design work.

The project will require fencing off the plaza for the summer, Nar-done said, meaning pedestrians will have to use alternate routes between the Middle and Lower Campus — walking around the plaza perimeter when traveling via the Higgins Stairs, the Com-monwealth Avenue Garage or the stairway connecting O’Neill to Maloney Hall.

“Admittedly, there will be a disruption in that the plaza has such a high volume of traffic,” she said. “But it will just be for the summer.”

Nardone added that the new-look plaza is part of a series of related projects in the University’s Master Plan that will create an integrated combination of archi-tecture and green space in the Middle Campus area. She cited the Stokes Hall project — which is rapidly nearing completion — and a planned landscape renovation for the Quad as other installments.

“These all are intrinsically im-portant in and of themselves,” she said, “and at the same time, the projects will help make for a uni-fying vision of Boston College,

By ed hayward Staff writer

Six years ago, St. Columbkille School in Brighton was in trouble.

Its enrollment was about 200 students and showed little signs of improving, and concerns abounded over the school’s academic resources and student services support. There was considerable doubt as to whether St. Columbkille — the last Catho-lic elementary school in Brighton — would survive.

But that was the year Boston Col-lege, along with the St. Columbkille Parish and the Archdiocese of Bos-ton, launched a unique partnership that has transformed St. Columb-kille. Today, five years after its official opening, the pre-K to grade 8 school — now known as St. Columbkille Partnership School — is being held up as a model turnaround story for struggling Catholic schools and is poised to expand in order to meet rapidly increasing demand.

Currently, the school enrolls nearly 350 children, mostly from the Allston and Brighton neighbor-hoods. In fact, St. Columbkille is experiencing an enrollment boom, particularly in the early grades, and has a waiting list, said William Gart-side, who became head of school in 2010.

At the other end of the grade spec-trum, this year five students gained entrance to Boston Latin School at

the highly competitive 9th-grade level and five students were accepted to Boston College High School.

“We are winning over parents on the criti-cal issues of academic excellence, faith for-mation and a sense of community, of which respect and discipline are the big pieces,” said Gartside, who joined the school after a dis-tinguished career at BC High.

The school has benefitted from financial and technical support from Boston College, which has funded upgrades to facilities, technology and materials. Teachers and students use Smartboards, desktop computers and laptops across all grades.

The Lynch School of Education has played a leading role by supply-ing a steady stream of student teach-ers, giving St. Columbkille’s teach-ers the opportunity to earn master’s degrees at no cost, and assisting with upgrades to the curriculum and sup-port services.

The school sees a steady stream of BC undergraduate volunteers, in-cluding participants in the 4Boston and Emerging Leaders programs, Theatre Department students — who have created an after-school drama program — and BC’s hockey

and basketball teams, which visit regularly to mentor students, said Gartside.

In addition, BC has hosted a suc-cessful summer day camp, led by St. Columbkille teachers, which offers approximately 200 children between the ages three and 12 a program of enrichment activities, recreation and arts.

“The partnership with the Uni-versity has driven home the issues of quality and excellence,” said Gart-side. “People seek you out when they realize that you and your partners are committed to academic excellence.”

When the partnership was estab-lished, it represented a new gover-nance model, one never used before in a Catholic school in America. The goal was to create a new national model for excellence in Catholic el-ementary education. Last month, when a team of researchers released

the first set of national standards for the operation of effective Catholic schools, St. Columbkille’s was held up as a model for its vibrant Catho-lic identity, sound management and outstanding curriculum.

The chairman of the school’s board of trustees, Peter McLaughlin ’59, a fellow at BC’s Roche Center for Catholic Education, said the suc-cess of the partnership school leaves him confident that Catholic schools in need of help have an example that can be followed and replicated.

“The thought at first was that we create a school that combines best practices in educational leader-ship, academic practice, student de-velopment and religious formation,” McLaughlin said. “If you do that and create a flagship Catholic school,

you offer a model of excellence for others. What we are doing here is exportable.”

But however much of an im-pression St. Columbkille has made nationally, its local impact is perhaps even more profound. The revitalized school has served as an inspiration to members of the St. Columbkille Parish, said pastor Rev. Msgr. Wil-liam P. Fay.

“It’s a tremendous thing that’s happening,” said Msgr. Fay. “There’s a wonderful connection between the parish and the school and there al-ways has been. There’s a deep con-nection between the school and the neighborhoods of Allston and Brigh-ton, which are principally where our students come from.”

one that people walking between Stokes and O’Neill will be able to appreciate.”

The team undertaking the project includes landscape archi-tecture by Stephen Stimson As-sociates, the same firm working on the Stokes Hall project, and con-struction management by Richard White Sons of Newton. Thomas Runyon, who headed up the re-cent Gasson Hall renovation, will serve as in-house project manager.

For news and updates on the project, see BCInfo [www.bc.edu/bcinfo].

Boston Mayor Thomas Menino will serve as honorary starter for the second annual Boston College “Race to Educate” road race to benefit the St. Columbkille Partnership School on May 5.

The event will begin at 10:30 a.m. in front of the Yawkey Athletics Center with a “Kids Run,” followed by the 5K race at 11 a.m. — walkers as well as runners may participate — and a post-race celebration.

Organizers describe the “Race to Educate,” the school’s signature fun-draiser, as an opportunity to bring together the Allston-Brighton, St. Co-lumbkille and Boston College communities to support and celebrate the mission of Catholic elementary education. This is the fifth-year anniversary of the St. Columbkille Partnership School, established through a collabo-ration between BC, the Archdiocese of Boston and the St. Columbkille parish [see separate story].

For more information on the “Race to Educate,” including registration and sponsorship, see www.thebcracetoeducate.com.

—Office of News & Public Affairs

Below, a view of the plaza from Linden Lane as it is now and as it will ap-pear after the project this summer. Work will begin May 22, the day after Commencement. (Illustration by Stephen Stimson Associates)

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Five Years On, High Marks for St. Columbkille-Boston College Partnership School

Boston College alumnus Eamonn Kelly, a science teacher at St. Columbkille Partnership School. (Photo by Lee Pellegrini)

Contact Ed Hayward at ed.hayward@bc.edu

Continued from page 1

Major Changes in Store for Plaza at O’Neill Library

Menino Will Start St. C’s Race

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Q&aA FEW MINUTES WITH...Jerry York

Boston College men’s ice hockey coach Jerry York ’67, MEd. ’70, recently led his team to its third national title in the last five seasons and fourth since he took over as head coach in 1994. After 40 seasons as a college head coach (including seven at Clarkson University and 15 at Bowling Green), York has 913 career victories – the most of any active coach – and five NCAA titles. He will likely surpass former Michigan State mentor Ron Mason (924 career victories) as the winningest coach in the history of the sport sometime next fall. Chronicle caught up with York as he worked though his daily exercise regimen on a sta-tionary bike in the Conte Forum weight room. [To read the full interview, go to online Chronicle at www.bc.edu/chronicle]

This is the fourth time you have coached BC to a national championship. Does winning ever get “old hat” after so much success?Never. They are all separate and they are all unique memories. You think of the 2001 championship in Albany, then all of sudden, you are in Denver in ’08 and Detroit in ’10 and now, it’s Tampa in ’12. There is none that is above any other – but each, in its own, is an unbelievable experience for everybody that was involved. Part of what makes them special is what winning a championship also means to your coaches, your players, the student body, the alumni and the “subway alumni.” We all take this ride that is an incredible experience for all of us. The most recent is the freshest in your mind, but they are all very, very special. They are memories that we all can share.The 2011-12 season is now in the books and the NCAA trophy is in the display case. Is it time to relax a little bit? I always say that when you win a na-tional championship, the season never ends. First, we had the celebration on campus [April 10], then in rapid fire, we made appearances at a Bruins playoff game, a Red Sox baseball game, and this year, with [Boston Celtics coach] Doc Rivers having talked to our team, we even expect to go to a Celtics’ playoff game. There will be a White House trip fairly soon, and our own Pike’s Peak Club banquet where we finish up our year in-house. All of that has become part of a “magical tour,” but that’s the kind of spring you really like to have. We’ll also be going to the American Collegiate Hockey Association convention in Florida, and of course, we are always conscious of recruiting – that process never ends. Hopefully, we’ll get in a few golf outings for our staff. We always look forward to hearing from the BC alumni who reach out to invite us to play.This year’s championship squad seems to have a great “team chemistry.” Is this the secret to success? I think to go after national titles, you’ve got to be very, very deep with your core group, but then you need a lot of “soldiers,” too. Team chemistry has always been a big part of what we are. Everybody knows the “Xs and Os.” We don’t “out-X and O” people – you just can’t do it. You can’t “out-technology” the other coaching staffs. What we do have is a terrific mindset that once you enter our program, you are an “Eagle,” and that’s way above any individual pursuits here, like All-America honors or Hobey Baker honors. Then there is that feeling that we share this with each other – we care for each other, kind of a cultural thing, a BC thing. That is what separates us from a lot of other teams. Other teams have gotten good players, and have mastered the Xs and Os, but our emotional involvement in winning games and chasing trophies is what drives our whole engine. You are a cancer survivor. Has this changed your outlook in any way?I’m in the recovery process – it has been six years this August [since undergoing surgery for prostate cancer]. My primary care doctor and my surgeon have both told me that I am clean and everything was a success. The biggest thing is that we caught it early and removed the prostate gland. The cancer was contained in that part of my body.

-Reid Oslin

By meliSSa BeeCher Staff writer

KimDuyen Ngo ’00 remembers high school as a difficult time. Hav-ing moved with her family from Vietnam to Charlestown when she was 12 years old, she got good grades but struggled to learn Eng-lish.

The Boston Private Industry Council helped change that. Es-tablished 31 years ago, PIC is a private-public partnership that con-nects private businesses, the Bos-ton Public Schools and institutions of higher education — including Boston College — with students and young adults looking for em-ployment opportunities. Through PIC, Ngo was able to land a job placement at Liberty Mutual, and it made a major difference for her.

“I was able to practice speak-ing in a professional setting, and worked with people who were pa-tient and helped when I didn’t un-derstand,” said Ngo, now a human resources assistant at BC and a co-supervisor for the Boston College PIC program, which has been ac-tive since 1985. “PIC was a turning point in my life.”

Each summer through PIC, Boston College hires high school students from the Boston Public Schools to work in departments across campus. Funded by the Pres-ident’s Office, the program pro-vides students with valuable work experience, computer skills and col-lege admissions information.

Ngo credits PIC for helping shape her future and paving her way, both to college and into the workforce, and relishes the oppor-tunity to help supervise the pro-gram at BC.

“I’ve really come full circle,” she

says with a laugh. “As a teenager, it can be lost on you. But look-ing back now, I realize the skills I gained there – filing data, ac-curately reporting data to analysts, having attention to detail – I use that every day.”

Office for Institutional Diver-sity Associate Director and PIC Program Supervisor Sidney Hol-loway works with Ngo and Human Resources Employment Special-ist Emmanuel Johnson to ensure PIC continues at BC. He urges University departments and offices to consider the benefits of a PIC placement and learn more about the program.

“We are struck by how many people don’t know about PIC here,” said Holloway. “We are re-ally hoping to raise awareness.”

Human Resources Information Technology Manager Bernadette Conley says seeing today’s PIC stu-dents at BC brings back memories of her own time in the program. A Dorchester native, Conley com-muted into Copley each day to work at the New England Mutual Life Insurance Company during her junior and senior years of high school. She was hired as a full-time file clerk after graduation.

“It was the early 1980s and I started to learn and help my col-leagues with computers. It was new and exciting. I loved it,” she re-members. “That experience helped me to gain valuable work history and got my foot in the door.”

Conley points out that the ad-vantages of PIC are far-reaching, both for the students and the em-ployers.

“The experience is invaluable, from a manager’s perspective. It can be a lot of work, bringing someone in who may not know what needs to be done, but after they find their niche, they are willing and anxious to learn and do what needs to be done,” she said.

“It is a win-win for workplaces and for kids who are motivated and grateful to get a chance.”

The Boston College Private Indus-try Council invites University offices and departments to consider a PIC placement. For more information on the PIC Program or to request a placement, contact Sidney Hol-loway, [sidney.holloway@bc.edu], KimDuyen Ngo [kim.ngo@bc.edu], or Emmanuel Johnson [emmanuel.johnson@bc.edu].

More at www.bc.edu/chronicle

A ‘Win-Win for Workplaces and Kids’PIC program offers job experience at BC for area high schoolers

BC Private Industry Council Supervisor Sidney Holloway with Human Re-sources staff members KimDuyen Ngo, center, and Bernadette Conley, both of whom were participants in PIC. (Photo by Lee Pellegrini)

Lee Pellegrini

Fr. Schaeffer Steps Down from Board of TrusteesRev. Bradley M. Schaeffer, SJ,

who had served on the Boston College Board of Trustees since 2004, resigned on April 19 after questions arose last week over his role in supervising Donald J. Mc-Guire, a former Jesuit convicted of child sexual abuse, while Pro-vincial of the Chicago Province of Jesuits from 1991-1997.

“As all in our community know, Boston College is a won-derful, caring institution of high-er education,” said Fr. Schaeffer in a statement. “I do not want to harm it or be a distraction.

Therefore, I am ending my ser-vice as a trustee today.”

A Boston Globe article on Mc-Guire, who was expelled by the Society of Jesus and is serving a 25-year federal prison sentence for child sexual abuse, criticized Fr. Schaeffer’s supervision of the former priest. Fr. Schaeffer has expressed regret for not having done more to prevent the abuse, saying in a statement released through the Chicago Province: “The 25 years that Donald Mc-Guire is serving in federal prison will never be enough to lessen the

anguish of the children and their families who were victimized by his reprehensible actions. While Provincial of the Chicago Prov-ince, I did my best to restrict him. I deeply regret that my ac-tions were not enough to prevent him from engaging in these hor-rific crimes.

“Today, we have learned from the past and implemented rigor-ous policies to keep children safe. I pray for justice and healing for the victims of Donald McGuire and all those who have suffered sexual abuse of any kind.”

—Office of News & Public Affairs

Contact Melissa Beecher at melissa.beecher@bc.edu

6

The BosTon College

Chronicleapril 26, 2012

Jim Noel, a junior defensive back from Everett, Mass., has been named winner of the 2012 Jay McGillis Memorial Football Scholarship.

The endowed scholarship, named for the former Boston College player who died from leukemia in 1992, is presented each year to the defensive back who best exemplifies the per-sonal qualities of McGillis, such as dedication, leadership be ex-ample, extraordinary competitive spirit and personal concern for family, friends and teammates.

Noel, a sociology major, has played in 35 games in his three-year varsity football career, mak-ing 78 tackles and five pass inter-ceptions.

—Reid Oslin

The American Association for Public Opinion Research has selected Voice and Equality: Civic Voluntarism and American Poli-tics, co-published by Moakley Professor of Political Science Kay L. Schlozman, for its 2012 book award.

AAPOR is, according to its website, “the leading association of public opinion and survey research professionals,” whose members are involved in a range of interests including election polling, market research, statistics, research methodology, health-related data collection and education. Through its annual book award, the association “recognizes influential books that have stimulated our thinking about the substance and study of public opinion.”

Published in 1995 by Schlozman, Sidney Verba and Henry Brady, Voice and Equality examines citizen participation in the political process along a variety of social, economic and ethnic backgrounds, through a survey of 15,000 individuals, including 2,500 personal interviews. Voice and Equality received the Ameri-can Political Science Association’s Philip Converse Award.

AAPOR will recognize Voice and Equality at its annual confer-ence May 19 in Orlando.

—Office of News & Public Affairs

By miChael maloney SPeCial to the ChroniCle

In his sophomore year, Car-roll School of Management se-nior Reynaldo Sylla volunteered at the West End Boys and Girls Club, little dreaming of the im-pact it would have, not only on the youths he worked with, but on his own growth as a person.

Children in the Boys and Girls Club get used to student vol-unteers coming and going, says Sylla, but find it difficult to form and maintain genuine relation-ships because of the continual changeover from one semester to the next. But Sylla decided he had a responsibility to be there as much as possible — and he hasn’t stopped showing up since he started.

“I was working part-time, working summers, just whenever I could,” Sylla explains proudly. “I was working an internship and then going from 6-10, 6-11 p.m., just to show that I am there to stay. I’m there to show them that I came from a similar situation and that college is not a stretch, getting a job is not a stretch, and that you can succeed at anything that you set your mind to.”

Sylla’s display of exceptional

leadership and service at the West End Boys and Girls Club is a ma-jor reason why he is this year’s re-cipient of the Dr. Donald Brown Award, which honors a senior for his or her extraordinary contri-butions to the greater AHANA community. The award, named for the University’s inaugural di-rector of AHANA Student Pro-grams, was presented to Sylla during Black Family Weekend (April 13-15).

Sylla grew up in the Boston neighborhood of Mattapan. His Haitian-born parents brought him and his two siblings to Bos-ton to give their children better educational opportunities, and Sylla made the most of his. De-spite diversity issues, academic setbacks and the challenges of living in a low-income area, Sylla graduated from Boston College High School and was accepted to Boston College.

Right away, he made his pres-ence known on campus in his freshman year, joining clubs such as the Haitian Association, the Multi-Cultural Leadership Expe-rience and the Dedicated Intel-lectuals of the People. The in-tellectual, personal and spiritual growth from this participation would lead him to volunteer at

the West End Boys and Girls Club the following year, and to undergo what he calls “a tre-mendous learning experience, for both the kids and myself.”

Beyond the Boys and Girls Club, Sylla took part in a service trip to Mississippi, which he has done three times now, most re-cently as the trip leader.

“It’s easy to get caught in the BC bubble, and just get involved with extracurricular things on campus,” Sylla says. “But when we left Massachusetts, and left that Boston bubble, you could see how much work needs to be

done in other places even within the United States.”

Although service has been an ongoing part of his BC life, Sylla says he didn’t realize the extent until the award presentation cer-emony.

“When I was given the Dr. Brown award, they gave me a certificate that had a list of ev-erything that I have done,” Sylla says, “and it wasn’t until I sat back and read it that I realized that I’ve been through so much here. BC just taught me to aspire not to be great, but to do great things.”

Sylla plans on continuing his work within the community, with the goal of merging his pas-sion for business and urban edu-cation. This fall, he will begin as a full-time business risk advisor at Deloitte & Touche LLP, as well as join the board of directors of Smith Leadership Academy, an inner-city charter school.

Noel Wins McGillis Honors

Schlozman Book Earns Award

Brown Award Winner Out to Show ‘You Can Succeed at Anything’

Through his project, tenta-tively titled “Jewish-Russian po-ets bearing witness to the Shoah, 1941-1946,” Shrayer hopes to highlight an important, yet unex-amined dimension of the world’s awareness of the Holocaust.

“Western scholarship and popular literature on the Shoah (Holocaust) still holds that speci-fied Jewish losses were totally ob-scured by Soviet historiography and silenced in Soviet media and culture,” Shrayer said. In his new research he examines the wartime Jewish-Russian poetry about the Shoah created and published in the Soviet Union.

Among the earliest texts about the Holocaust were poems by Jewish-Russian poet-soldiers — the majority of whom were com-bat officers and/or embedded journalists — bearing witness to the immediate aftermath of the killings, first in the occupied ter-ritories, and later in the death camps in Poland.

“It fell to Jewish-Russian po-ets to tell the Soviet people and the world that the Nazi atroci-ties, which the Soviet govern-ment tended to present as aimed at ‘peaceful civilians,’ were sys-tematic acts of genocide carried

out with the purpose of a total annihilation of the Jews,” said Shrayer, who co-founded the Jewish Studies Program at BC in 2005. “While it’s true that poetry is a special medium of language and of transmitting information, in the case of bearing witness to the Shoah, it is especially impor-tant to recognize how much of-ficial resistance these brave poet-soldiers encountered, and how they managed to say so much in a few words and lines.

“The heroes of my research paid a very high human and liter-

ary price for breaking the official silence,” he said. “In fact, under the conditions of harsh wartime censorship and of Stalinism, these poets spoke of the Shoah and of specified Jewish losses some 20 years before the subject entered the cultural mainstream in North America.”

Born in Moscow to a Jewish-Russian literary and academic family, Shrayer spent almost nine years as a refusenik before immi-grating to the United States. He has published three collections of Russian poetry, as well as numer-

ous poems, stories, and essays in both Russian and English. In 2007, his monumental two-vol-ume Anthology of Jewish-Russian Literature: Two Centuries of Dual Identity in Prose and Poetry won the National Jewish Book Award.

Other publications include the path-breaking critical studies The World of Nabokov’s Stories and Russian Poet/Soviet Jew. He also has edited and co-translated from Russian two books of fic-

tion by his father, David Shrayer-Petrov, as well as published a collection of short stories, Yom Kippur in Amsterdam, and the ac-claimed literary memoir Waiting for America.

He has previously received a number of fellowships, includ-ing from the National Endow-ment for the Humanities, the Rockefeller Foundation and the Bogliasco Foundation.

“Western scholarship

and popular literature

on the Shoah (Holo-

caust) still holds that

specified Jewish losses

were totally obscured by

Soviet historiography

and silenced in Soviet

media and culture.”

—Maxim D. Shrayer

“It’s easy to get caught in

the BC bubble, and just get

involved with extracurricu-

lar things on campus,” says

Sylla, describing his service

trip to Mississippi. “But

when we left Massachusetts,

and left that Boston bubble,

you could see how much

work needs to be done in

other places even within the

United States.”

Continued from page 1

Guggenheim Fellowship Will Aid Shrayer’s Holocaust Research

The BosTon College

Chronicleapril 26, 2012

7

NOTA BENE

JOBS

BC BRIEFING

The following are among the most recent positions posted by the De-partment of Human Resources. For more information on employ-ment opportunities at Boston Col-lege, see www.bc.edu/offices/hr/:

assistant Director, pre-award ad-ministration, Office of Sponsored programs program administrator, Center for Catholic Education

assistant Director, Field Educa-tion, Graduate School of Social Work

Field Education Specialist, Gradu-ate School of Social Work

Director of Development, College & Graduate School of arts and Sciences

assistant or associate Director, alumni participation & Market-ing, annual Giving

Senior app Systems administra-tor, information Technology - ap-plications Services

Senior/programmer analyst (Software Developer), Student & academic app. Srvs.

Teacher assistant, lynch School of Education - Campus School

assistant program Director, lynch School of Education - Campus School

program administrator, Center for Catholic Education

NewsmakersThe Boston Globe Magazine tapped Adj. Assoc. Prof. Richard Mc-Gowan, SJ (Economics), author of several books on the gaming industry, to assess the prospec t s of some major proposals for gam-ing in Massachusetts.

Philosophy and religion ask the same questions — and Christ ex-actly reverses the world’s concepts on all the most important points, said Prof. Peter Kreeft (Philoso-phy) in an interview with the Memphis Commercial Appeal in advance of his appearance as part of a Distinguished Catholic Lec-tors Series.

Graduate School of Social Work student Catherine Kirwan-Avila chronicled her ongoing discern-ment of the call to religious life in an essay for America magazine.

Sloan Center on Aging and Work Employer Engagement Specialist Samantha Greenfield appeared on the AARP program “E Street News,” where she discussed how employers have begun to embrace programs designed to recruit, re-tain and integrate older employers into the workforce.

Publ ica t ions Librarians Wanda Anderson, Margaret Cohen, Sarah Hogan, Enid Karr, Barbara Mento and Sally Wyman, along with former science librarian interns Rebecca Holzman and Myrna Morales, published “Science Librarian In-ternship as a Way to Get Started in eScience” in the first issue of the Journal of eScience Librarian-ship, a quarterly open access, peer-reviewed journal published by The University of Massachusetts Medi-cal School.

T ime and a Hal fProf. Maxim D. Shrayer (Slavic and Eastern Languages) presented “Ilya Selvinsky and the Price of

Bearing Witness to the Shoah” at “Jew-ish Life

and Death in the Soviet Union during World War II,” an interna-tional conference at the University of Toronto.

Assoc. Prof. Rachel Freuden-burg (German Studies) screened and discussed her documentary “FREYA” at the University of Connecticut and Wellesley Col-lege.

By Kathleen Sullivan Staff writer

Earlier this month, the Con-nell School of Nursing welcomed back one of its most accomplished alumni, as American Nurses As-sociation President Karen Daley MA ’04, PhD ’10 came to cam-pus to meet with faculty and stu-dents, and speak on the progress and challenges facing nurses as the American health care delivery system is transformed.

Daley’s April 10 visit was part of the Connell School’s Pinnacle Lecture Series, which brings a widely recognized nursing leader to the University to address issues at the forefront of health care today. As ANA head, Daley leads an organization representing the nation’s 3.1 million registered nurses.

Prior to her appointment at ANA, Daley worked as a staff

nurse at Brigham and Women’s Hospital for more than 20 years until a needlestick injury forced her to give up clinical nursing practice. She became an advocate for needlestick injury prevention and was among those invited to the Oval Office to witness President Bill Clinton sign the “Needlestick Safety Prevention

Act” into law in 2000. A Fellow of the American

Academy of Nursing, Daley has been honored as a Living Legend by Massachusetts Association of Registered Nurses and was rec-ognized as one of the 100 most influential people in health care by Modern Healthcare.

In addition to her lecture, titled “Leading the Charge: A Nursing Agenda in the Age of Health Care Reform,” Daley vis-ited with CSON faculty mem-bers and had lunch with under-graduates in the KILN (Keys to Inclusive Leadership in Nursing) program and graduate students who are Robert Wood Johnson fellows.

She also took part in class-room discussion for the Ad-vanced Practice Nursing within Complex Health Care Systems course taught by Associate Pro-fessor Pamela Grace.

Campus Minister Donald MacMillan, SJ, ’66, MDiv ’72 received the annual Robert M. Holstein “Faith That Does Justice” Award Tuesday night from the Ignatian Solidarity Network (ISN). The honor recognizes an individual who has demonstrated a significant contribution to leadership for social justice, grounded in the spirituality of Jesuits founder St. Igna-tius of Loyola.

Announcing the award, ISN cited Fr. MacMillan’s efforts to encourage students to adopt “his spirit of compassion and solidarity with the economically poor and marginalized, espe-cially people in Latin America.” These activities have included legislative advocacy for human rights in Latin America and promoting service in local and international immersion experi-ences.

“Fr. MacMillan has enlightened students’ minds and hearts, providing young people a tangible way to engage their Catho-lic faith and discover the presence of God in their life and the world around them.”

Graduate student Hidetaka Hirota was selected by the

Organization of American Historians to receive the 2012 Louis Pelzer Memorial Award, which is given annually for the best essay in American history by a graduate student.

Hirota was chosen for the award for his essay, “The Mo-ment of Transition: State Officials, the Government, and the Formation of American Immigration Policy,” which demon-strates that the federalization of immigration control was a more gradual and contingent process than historians have assumed. The essay is scheduled to appear in the March 2013 Journal of American History.

Julianne Malveaux ’74, MA ’76 announced that she will step down as president of Bennett College in Greensboro, NC, effective May 6. Malveaux, who will be given the title of president emerita, is credited with leading a $21 million capital improvements program that renovated existing facilities and erected four new buildings, increasing enrollment to historic levels, expanding alumnae involvement, and enhancing the curriculum with a focus on women’s leadership, entrepreneur-ship, excellence in communications and global awareness.

—Office of News & Public Affairs

School of Theology and Minis-try Professor Thomas Massaro, SJ, a noted moral theologian and ethi-cist, has been appointed dean of the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University, effective July 1. The appointment was announced earlier this month by Santa Clara Provost Dennis Jacobs.

Santa Clara’s Jesuit School of Theology, located in Berkeley, Ca-lif., is a preeminent international center for the culturally contextu-alized study of theology. It edu-cates and trains Jesuits, religious, ordained, and lay students from across the United States and from 40 countries for lives dedicated to ministry and scholarship.

Fr. Massaro is the author/edi-tor of five books and a regular contributor to America magazine. His teaching and writing interests include Catholic social ethics, eco-nomic justice and domestic and foreign policy. In 1997, he joined the faculty of Weston Jesuit School of Theology, which re-affiliated with Boston College in 2008 to form the School of Theology and Ministry.

—Office of News & Public Affairs

Karen Daley at CSON April 10.Boston College graduates pitched in for the Alumni Day of service on April 14. (Photo by Frank Curran)

Fr. Massaro to Head Santa Clara Theology School

ANA President Returns to Alma Mater

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8

The BosTon College

Chronicleapril 26, 2012

LOOKING AHEAD

BC SCENES

Fiddle-accordion duo Oisín Mac Diarmada and Seamus Begley will bring their brand of high-powered traditional Irish music to Boston College on May 2, in the final event of the 2011-12 Gaelic Roots Music, Song, Dance, Workshop and Lecture Series. The concert, which is free and open to the public, will take place at 6:30 p.m. in the Walsh Hall Func-tion Room.

Mac Diarmada is considered one of the finest young fiddle

players to emerge in the Irish music scene during the past de-cade or so. Begley, part of an ac-complished musical family, has a long and distinguished career as musician, singer and racon-teur. Mac Diarmada also is the founder of the popular band Téada, which Begley recently joined. The duo has recently released a CD, “Le Chéile/To-gether.”

The Gaelic Roots website is at www.bc.edu/gaelicroots.

—Sean Smith

By roSanne Pellegrini Staff writer

Boston College is set to begin its annual three-day Arts Festival today at noon, and tomorrow will pay tribute to some of its most accomplished student, faculty and alumni artists at the Arts Council awards celebration.

Highlighting Friday’s event — which takes place at 4 p.m. in O’Neill Plaza — will be the presentation of the Arts Council Alumni Award for Distinguished Achievement to Tony Taccone ’72, artistic director of Berkeley Repertory Theatre, one of the most prominent regional theaters in the country.

BC Theatre Department Chair Scott Cummings, who nominated Taccone for the award, calls him “one of the most important the-ater directors and artistic direc-tors working in the United States today.”

In addition to the arts award ceremony, Taccone will make two other appearances during the Arts Festival: this afternoon at 3 p.m. in a panel discussion on the challenges of artistic leadership in the current economic and cultural climate; and tomorrow at 2 p.m.

at “Inside the BC Studio,” where he will talk about his career in an interview-type format. Both events take place in Gasson 305.

“We are looking forward to Tony’s appearances, and hope that our students will be inspired by his accomplishments,” said BC Theatre Department Associate Professor and Arts Council Chair Crystal Tiala.

The Arts Council also will honor Music Professor Michael Noone with this year’s Faculty Award. Noone, who is the Mu-sic Department chairman, is an expert on Early Modern sacred music, with a special emphasis on Spain and Latin America. Accord-ing to Arts Council organizers, “Noone’s achievements as a choral

director reached a new height this year as his project of recording the complete works of Renaissance composer Tomás Luis de Victoria reached completion.”

Faculty and alumni recipients, organizers note, serve as an in-spiration for aspiring BC student artists. This year’s student award winners, who will be recognized for creativity, accomplishments and specific projects, include the following seniors:

•Aileen Bianchi, Film•Jennifer Brubaker, Studio Art•John Delfino, Theater•Kristin Drew, Music•Brenna Kelley, Music•Christie Mealo, Studio Art •Eileen Won, Jeffery Howe

Art History AwardUniversity President William

P. Leahy, SJ, and College and Graduate School of Arts and Sci-ences Dean David Quigley will present the awards. The ceremony will be followed by a reception and celebration with entertain-ment. For information, e-mail arts@bc.edu or call ext.2-4935.

For the full 2012 Arts Festival schedule, see www.bc.edu/artsfesti-val

Contact Rosanne Pellegrini at rosanne.pellegrini@bc.edu

Oisín Mac Diarmada, left, and Seamus Begley.

Irish Fiddle-Accordion Duo to Close Out Gaelic Roots Season

Michael Noone, winner of the Arts Council Faculty Award.

Arts Festival

BC Artists to Receive Honors Friday

Boston College hosted the Greater Boston Intercollegiate Undergraduate Poetry Festival on April 19 in the Yawkey Center Murray Function Room, where students selected by professors at more than 20 area colleges and universities read from their own poetry — including Boston College senior Katrin Tschirgi. (Photo by Caitlin Cunningham)

Cardinal Jaime Ortega, the Archbishop of Havana, Cuba, gave the annual Canisius Lecture for the Jesuit Institute on April 23. (Photo by Lee Pellegrini)