We are thrilled to share this redesigned, reimagined magazine with you. You’ll notice that the name has changed: Arts × Sciences isn’t just our new magazine, it is our identity, our unifying motto. We are a multiplier of knowledge and possibilities, providing vigorous multidisciplinary education and research that is of great value to society.
Our concept grew out of the college’s strategic planning process over the past few years. As we spoke with faculty, staff, alumni, parents, and students, we asked what they feel unites us as a college and what makes us distinctive. What emerged were two themes that truly represent the spirit, attitude, and voice of the College of Arts & Sciences: when arts meet sciences, the possibilities are boundless, and the endless pursuit of knowledge that changes the world.
These themes affirm our deep commitment to providing an outstanding liberal arts education and conducting exceptional disciplinary and interdisciplinary research, while also focusing on how we work together; foster diversity, equity, and inclusion; and engage with the world outside our walls.
Arts × Sciences isn’t just our new magazine, it is our identity, our unifying motto.
Our faculty are working across multiple disciplines, leading to new collaborations and research breakthroughs—like Earth & Environmental Sciences Professor Lucy Hutyra, who was recently named a 2023 MacArthur Fellow. You see this in our centers and institutes, like the Center for Philosophy & History of Science, which promotes interdisciplinary research into the historical, philosophical, ethical, and social factors that govern the theory and practice of science. The center’s new director, Rachell Powell, is featured in this issue.
We have launched new multidisciplinary majors like African American & Black Diaspora Studies; Archaeological & Environmental Sciences; and Holocaust, Genocide, and Human Rights Studies. We are home to innovative interdisciplinary graduate programs like BU URBAN (BU Graduate Program in Urban Biogeoscience & Environmental Health), which is featured in this issue. Our new Boston University president, Melissa L. Gilliam, embodies these values—as a scholar, a physician, an educator, and an academic leader, who earned her BA in English literature and MA in philosophy and politics before studying medicine and public health.
This new magazine demonstrates who we are, what we are most proud of, and what is happening at the college. We are a vibrant, dynamic, and diverse community where interdisciplinary collaborations are creating boundless possibilities for the future.
Happy reading!