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Ethan Pravetz
The Uniter: Pairing “Gay” and “Fraternity”
School: College of Arts & Sciences and School of Education
In Brief: Merging seemingly disparate social elements to foster greater cultural consciousness and acceptance
Rachelle Rubin & Evelyn Liberman
Storytellers: Jewish Doctors and the Holocaust
Schools: College of Arts & Sciences and School of Public Health
Focus: Contextualizing the medical ethics Jewish doctors faced in Nazi ghettos and concentration camps
Sharrod McClusky
Born Leader: A Public Servant Comes into His Own
School: College of Arts & Sciences
In Brief: Hailing from one of the worst public schools in Atlanta, Posse scholar McClusky evolves into a campus leader
Shivani Ray
Mover and Shaker: India As Seen Through Dance
School: College of Communication
In Brief: Exposing the BU community to the cultural traditions and storytelling elements of Indian classical dance
Maureen Njung'e
Rhythm-maker: Representing Africa
School: College of Arts & Sciences
In Brief: Expressing herself through dance and sharing African culture on campus and beyond
Matthew Whitney
Healing Touch: Hands-on Physical Therapy in Ireland
School: College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College
In Brief: Undertaking a hands-on rehabilitation internship with the Irish Wheelchair Association in Dublin
Clever. Smart. Passionate. Focused. Enthusiastic. Motivated. BU students are all that and much, much more. Come say hello to some of them.
Every day, BU students are positing, formulating, testing, discounting, and discovering ideas—and just doing great work all the time. Take Theadora Swenson (CAS’12), for example. As part of her research on exercise, she painted various interactive activities in a medical building’s stairwell to encourage the clinic’s 200 workers to walk the stairs rather than ride the elevator. Or Kyle Allison (ENG’12), who won the annual Collegiate Inventors Competition for his discovery of a simple and inexpensive therapy for persistent infections.
Or any of the students at Kilachand Honors College. Although only a few years old, the College has quickly become a visible and vital cog in the University’s academic machine. It offers courses to BU’s highest-performing undergraduates who are enrolled in one of the University’s other schools and colleges but take a quarter of their credits through Kilachand Honors College. Indeed, its mission to “reinvent liberal education for the twenty-first century by combining traditional ideals with contemporary approaches” prompted Trustee Rajen Kilachand (GSM’74) to give $25 million to support the program, which is now the Arvind and Chandan Nandlal Kilachand Honors College, named in honor of his parents.
And it all begins with our freshmen, who keep moving the goalposts when it comes to academic excellence. This year’s freshman class was the smartest ever admitted to BU. Not to be outdone, this fall’s incoming Class of 2016 is even brainier, with an average GPA of 3.7 and composite SAT score of 2005. It’s really no surprise. The New York Times reported on a survey that BU conducted last year of 1,000 prospective students, their parents, guidance counselors, and BU freshmen. The results showed that applicants to BU are increasingly making their choices based on academic rigor, small class size, accomplished and challenging professors, and national rankings.
And when it comes to rigor, BU delivers the goods. Take, for example, Boston University’s Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP), which has supported the research of more than 1,500 students since 1997. This academic year alone, more than 200 scholarly pursuits were funded—from modeling the structure of space-time to treating social anxiety disorder to deconstructing Woodrow Wilson’s vision for world order. That number will soon swell: University Provost Jean Morrison announced that UROP’s funding would double next year, to more than $1 million.
From confronting diabetes in Belize to mastering Arabic through sign language, BU students are constantly pushing themselves.
BU Quidditch: “It’s Real.”
Affiliation: BU Quidditch Club, born from a love of the Harry Potter novels
In Brief: BU Muggles compete in the Quidditch World Cup on Randall’s Island, in New York City
Tory’s Story: Navigating College Without Sound
School: College of Arts & Sciences
In Brief: Archaeology buff, language lover, dancer—and BU’s only deaf freshman
Beyond the Classroom: Tackling Diabetes in Belize
Affiliation: College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College
Focus: A pilot initiative that saw BU undergrads test and educate a population devastated by diabetes
Outing Club: A Lust for Adventure, Some 65 Years Strong
Affiliation: BU Outing Club, founded in 1945, upwards of 100 members
Focus: From mountaineering to kayaking to day-hiking, students explore the natural world and form lifelong bonds
The Loss of Three Bright Lights: A Campus Mourns
Impact: The Boston University Community
In Brief: Deadly van crash in New Zealand stuns and then brings community together
Gordon Towne: Determining the Flight Formation of Bats
School: College of Arts & Sciences and College of General Studies
Focus: Developing 3-D flight simulation software, which has piqued the interest of biologists and DoD engineers
Thinking Outside the Classroom.
BU students don’t subsist on academics alone, of course. As always, BU was a hive of activity from the first day of school to the last. One of the bigger events of the year was October’s Scarlet Fever Spirit Day, during which students had a chance to show their esprit de corps, starting with a jam-packed, musical kick-off event at the Barnes & Noble @ BU. And then there was Beam Day. Pen-wielding Terriers all over campus came together to sign one of the huge girders being used in the new Center for Student Services at 100 Bay State Road, which was under construction this year and opened in August 2012.
Some other interesting student stories from this year: Our multicultural and international students are, literally, changing the face of the campus. Before the start of the academic year, the Center for English Language & Orientation Programs (CELOP) installed footbaths. Designed to accommodate Muslim students who must wash before prayer five times a day, the footbaths are a first for the University. Hinduism has also
become a burgeoning BU presence, with more than 350 students. The University has taken notice—this year, BU appointed its first Hindu campus minister.
In other extracurricular action, Nick Dougherty (ENG’12) founded Project Mailbox. Students donate small amounts of change that are awarded to a charity voted on by the community each month. In its first month, the organization raised $625.59 for Project Habitat, a charity that has provided support to the small town of Brimfield, Massachusetts, which was devastated by a rare tornado last June. It was a particularly fitting inaugural donation, since Dougherty purchased the namesake antique mailbox at the Brimfield Antique Show.
A diverse group of students with multiple talents and interests? Most certainly. Indeed, the only real commonality among them is how ridiculously capable they all are. After that, it’s anything goes.
Say hello to the future.
Jamie Lim (SAR’14)
Born in Japan. Japanese/Chinese-Malay by ethnicity. Lived in Tokyo, New York, Riyadh, and Singapore before coming to Boston.
Favorite thing about BU: The diversity of the students, in every aspect of the word. And the dining hall cookies.
Beth Luby (COM/CAS’14)
Enrolled in a dual degree program for public relations and political science.
Originally from Deerfield, Illinois.
What makes BU so great?
Location, location, location.
Emily Powell (SHA’14)
Majoring in hospitality administration. On her sophomore year in Kilachand Honors College: "The College is so beautifully cohesive that it proved to be most inspiring intellectually.”
BU student-athletes demonstrated superior performance on and off the field.
From formidable forces to amazing personal comebacks to a one-of-a-kind ultra-fan, BU athletics is the story of unbridled enthusiasm and unwavering commitment.
The Iceman Cometh: Brian Durocher
Affiliation: BU Athletics, Women’s ice hockey coach
In Brief: From Terrier hockey goalie to women’s ice hockey coach, Brian Durocher is a low-key legend
Soccer, Via Senegal: Dominique Badji
Affiliation: BU Athletics, Men’s Soccer; College of General Studies
In Brief: For the America East Rookie of the Year, soccer was the one constant during a difficult childhood
Battling Back From Cancer: Bailey O’Brien
Affiliation: BU Athletics, Diving; College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College
In Brief: Last year, the diver was diagnosed with end-stage melanoma. This May, she graduated cancer-free
The Mayor of Terrier Nation: Elliot Driben
Affiliation: BU Athletics, Number one ultra-fan
In Brief: A cheerful veteran of some 5,000 BU home and away games, Elliot Driben stands in a league of his own
Blood, Sweat, and A’s
For our team athletes, it’s just as important to ace a test as it is to score a goal. Indeed, members of BU sports teams are equally deft on either side of the “student-athlete” hyphenate. Which is why the biggest story out of Terrier Nation this year is such a slam dunk: No “A”? No play.
Beginning with the 2013/2014 academic year, the University will belong to the Patriot League, one of the few athletic leagues in the country that requires high academic achievement for student-athletes to participate in sports. The University joins American University, Army, Bucknell, Colgate, Holy Cross, Lafayette, Lehigh, and Navy as the ninth full member of the league, which, like America East (of which BU was a founding member in 1979), is a Division I conference. Division I is the highest competitive level recognized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
A stellar season for the women
One of the more memorable athletic events happened in April, when the BU Athletics Department held a weekend-long celebration commemorating two critical moments in women’s athletics: the passage, 40 years ago, of Title IX, and the 30th anniversary of NCAA championship play for female athletes. It was a fitting tribute for female student-athletes, especially this year, when so many teams had so much success.
Women’s soccer, in particular, had a great season, winning their fifth straight America East Conference title and appearing in their seventh consecutive NCAA tournament. Not only that, in November BU hosted its first-ever NCAA tournament game, during which women’s soccer defeated Harvard, 3–0, for its third-ever victory in the postseason. Add to that the fact that the team set a record for its longest winning streak (14) and most goals in a season (54) and you have the makings of a very memorable autumn.
But soccer wasn’t the only arena that saw women doing great things. Here’s a quick roundup of highlights:
- In swimming & diving, BU women won their seventh America East title and first conference crown since 2010.
- The women’s lacrosse team went unbeaten in conference play (6–0) for the first time since 2009 to clinch the America East regular season title.
- On the water, BU women’s crew captured its second gold medal in three years at the Head of the Charles; the Terriers placed first in the Club Four race.
- Three members of the women’s basketball team scored their 1,000th career point: Alex Young, Chantell Alford, and Mo Moran.
Big wins on the men’s side, too
From the pool to the track to the mat, BU men’s sports had an extremely successful year as well. Men’s swimming & diving earned their first America East championship since 2002 and fourth title overall. And men’s hockey posted the best road record in the nation: 11–4–1. Some other highlights:
- Men’s soccer repeated as America East regular season champions with their 11th overall title.
- For men’s wrestling, a late comeback resulted in a thrilling 21–16 victory over Iowa State on the first day of the season. In front of over 800 fans, the Terriers picked up the program’s first-ever win over a Big 12 school.
- On the men’s track & field team, junior R.J. Page was named Most Outstanding Track Performer at both the America East Indoor and Outdoor Championships. He won the Coaches’ Award at both meets for earning the most points of any male competitor.
Lina Cords (CAS’12)
Top America East Women's Soccer Scholar, First Team NSCAA Scholar All-American, Capital One Academic All-District Second Team Honors, and 2011 America East Defender of the Year. Oh, and she's also a biochemistry, molecular biology, and economics major.
Jenn Wakefield (CAS’12)
The women's hockey team captain earned consecutive WHEA Player of the Week honors, a place on the WHEA All-Star team, and Hockey East Tournament MVP.
R.J. Page (CAS/SMG’13)
He's really, really, really fast. Page broke the BU record in the 200-meter with a time of 21.34 seconds. He's quick in the classroom, too, taking the E. Ray Speare Award as BU's top male scholar-athlete.
Leading by example
It’s safe to say that Terrier Nation wouldn’t be as successful as it has been without some pretty superb coaches leading the way. Every year, BU coaches are recognized by their peers and their league for their hard work, dedication, and ability. Just this year, three sports earned America East Coaching Staff of the Year awards: women’s indoor track & field, men’s swimming & diving, and men’s soccer. (It was men’s soccer Head Coach Neil Roberts’s fifth win since 2001 and seventh overall.) Other coaching honors included:
- Men’s track & field: Assistant Coach Gabe Sanders was named Northeast Region Men’s Indoor Track & Field Assistant Coach of the Year.
- Women’s soccer Head Coach Nancy Feldman recorded her 300th career victory as a coach at the NCAA level, and men’s soccer Head Coach Neil Roberts earned his 300th career head coaching victory, all of them with Boston University.
Outstanding in our field
One of the most exciting developments this year is athletic shoe manufacturer New Balance pledging $3 million to help build a new and much-needed sports field that will greatly improve our athletic and recreational life on many levels.
New Balance Field will fill the BU-owned block surrounded by Babcock, Gardner, Alcorn, and Ashford Streets. The open-air facility will have a brick facade and stadium seating for 1,000, as well as a 350-space parking garage underneath. The field, currently under construction, will effectively double BU’s field capacity, making it possible to bring field hockey back to campus in fall 2013 and to add varsity sports, notably a men’s varsity lacrosse team, which will play its premier season the following spring at Nickerson Field.
In Their Own Voice
From smart minds come smart thoughts. See what BU students had to say about some of the hot topics of the year on YouSpeak.
YouSpeak: Favorite Memories
Subject: Reflecting on 2011-12
Quote of Note: “Take Back the Night was a positive response to a lot of struggles we had on campus.”
YouSpeak: Combating Piracy on the Internet
Subject: Regulating the Web
Quote of Note: “I do not think the federal government should control the Web.”
YouSpeak: Zombie Attack
Subject: Surviving the Undead
Quote of Note: “If you can survive a zombie attack, you can overcome small things you used to think were big.”
3.7
Students admitted to the Class of 2016 averaged a 3.7 GPA and ranked in the top 9% of their graduating classes.
100%
Amount that funding will increase for undergraduate research next year.
2406
Number of students who took advantage of a BU study abroad opportunity this year.
514
Number of student organizations officially registered with the Dean of Students.
107
Record-breaking number of Scarlet Keys presented to seniors this year for their exceptional leadership and commitment to service.
5774ft
Height of Mt. Adams, which the BU Outing Club climbed in New Hampshire’s White Mountains this winter.