A message from Dean of Arts & Sciences, Stan Sclaroff:

Dear PhD Graduates,

As I think about all of you – our soon-to-be, newest doctoral degree recipients – I am filled with appreciation and gratitude.

Appreciation and gratitude for your accomplishment as scholars. You have studied the work of scholars and scientists who have gone before you, and you have engaged in an original piece of scholarship yourself. You have grown and matured as scholars, as you have worked vigorously, with care and integrity, to produce new ideas, insights, and understanding that we, as a human community, did not know before. This is a magnificent accomplishment, and we are grateful for your contributions to knowledge and your commitment to its pursuit.

A message from Associate Dean of the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, Emily Barman:

On behalf of the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, I congratulate you on the completion of your PhD degree! Your dedicated pursuit and successful completion of this graduate degree is a significant accomplishment of which I hope you are very proud. You have been an integral part of this extraordinary academic community and you are joining a tremendous community of esteemed graduates of GRS. I wish you every success as you leave Boston University and move on to future endeavors.

Best,
Emily

We hope you will enjoy these well-wishes, congratulations, and words of thanks:

Congratulations! You’ve all worked so hard and deserve to celebrate :)

Jen Correia to Biology and MCBB PhD Graduates

Woohooo!!!! Congratulations, Tess!

You are an awesome role model for rocking the PhD with your life and sanity intact. I wish you some relaxation, long runs/hikes, and dog time. Looking forward to the day when we can all celebrate in person.

Nadia Chernyak to Teresa Harvey (Jan. 2020 Psychological & Brain Sciences PhD Graduate)

My grandfather immigrated to the U.S. in the 1950s to attend college. As a young man living in South Asia he came to pursue the dream of a good life in America. He was motivated by his sense of adventure, his interest in pursuing education and his efforts to make a difference in the world. After over half a year of writing and exchanging letters, he was accepted to a university in the U.S. and flew with a few hundred dollars, if that, in his pocket. Twelve years later, he earned his PhD in microbiology and went on to research and study infectious diseases in notable hospitals across America. As a young girl born and raised in suburban Chicago, I was always fascinated by his stories of coming to America and his path to graduating with the highest of degrees. He attributed his success to the opportunities that were made available to him by this country and the doors that were opened to him because of his persistent pursuit of education. I saw in him a tenacity to pursue his goals and be of service to others and that left a big impression on me.

Amina Chaudhary (Jan. 2020 Religious Studies PhD graduate) 

Words cannot describe how proud I am of you! We started this journey together from day one and honestly, I can’t imagine sharing that experience with anyone else! So many memories, so many laughs, so many tears…. and I wouldn’t trade any of them for the world! I know that you are destined to be one of the best organic chemistry professors this world has ever seen! Love you to the moon and back!

Reem Telmesani to Alexis Courtney (Sept. 2019 Chemistry PhD graduate)

Zhiteng–

Thanks for being a wonderful PhD student, working with me for many years on so many topics where I learned a good deal. You stimulated my classes as a PhD student and then you helped train some excellent PhD students as the TA in the graduate macroeconomics sequence. I learned, too, from your excellent research notes on many topics and your interesting dissertation. I hope that we’ll continue our exchanges in the years ahead. Just remember, I am just a Zoom meeting away…. I am not attaching a recording, but we can make one together if you like!

Best — Bob

Professor Robert King to Zhiteng Zeng (May 2020 Economics PhD Graduate)

To the brilliant, friendly, and supportive Romance Studies community: Thank you! / Merci! / Gracias! / Grazie! / Obrigada!

Stephanie Shiflett (Jan. 2020 Romance Studies PhD graduate) 

Mary-Mildred Boutin Stith, or Mimi as we at BU have known you,

you bring to whatever you do a rare combination: a character of wide-ranging intellectual curiosity, spunk, humor, tact, reverence for what’s not human, and not least, a kindhearted empathy for those who are.

Your generous, caring colleagueship has been cherished by your fellow students and faculty at BU in anthropology and area studies. You’ve become now a specialist on East Africa, coast to interior. With your fluent and eager use of the Swahili language, you have explored two different field sites in southern and northern Tanzania, among the other parts of that country you’ve come to know so well over the years. You have lived with, befriended, and earned the trust of people of many kinds, most notably African scientists, the main subject people of your vivid doctoral dissertation.

Professor Parker Shipton to Mary-Mildred Boutin Stith (May 2020 Anthropology PhD Graduate)

Alexis,

I am so proud of you and all of your accomplishments! I am excited to see what you have in store for your future, and can’t wait to see you teach and encourage students along the way! Xoxox

Alayna Westcom to Alexis Courtney (Sept. 2019 Chemistry PhD graduate)

I’m finally graduating! It took seven years, but who’s counting. The path to a Ph.D. had its ups and downs but I’m glad I stuck by it and am proud of having the degree in hand. A huge thank you to my committee members (Profs. Longman, Menchik, Ngom, and Haeri) for their countless advice and encouragement, as well as to everyone in the political science department for making this journey a little bit easier. Congratulations to all the newly minted Ph.Ds 2020!

Seulgie Claire Lim (May 2020 Political Science PhD graduate) 

Dear Economists,

Congratulations!! “Live Long and Prosper”

With my warmest wishes,
Mirtha

Mirtha Cabello to Economics PhD Graduates 

Congratulations to the new Economics PhDs this academic year, and a special shout-out to my students, Chelsea Carter and Gianluca Russo!

Professor Robert Margo to Economics PhD Graduates 

There are so many people I would love to thank, but I’ll try to keep it short and simple.

Thank you Mom, Derek, and my family for always supporting me, I really appreciate all of your love and help!  

Beeler Lab – how I miss my lab family so much! Thank you Aaron for helping me in any way possible and allowing me to grow as an educator. Special thanks to Long, Shiva, Han, Kristen, Edwin and my hoodmate Doug. I would also like to thank all my mentees, I really enjoyed and have grown from our experiences together. I also have to give an immense thank you to my best friend, lab wife for life, Reem. I can’t even imagine going through this program without you.

Huge thanks to my many education mentors that I have had the pleasure of working with, I appreciate all of your help and have been an amazing inspiration – special thank yous to Rebecca and John Snyder, as well as, Nick & Jean (CTL).

Thank you to my wonderful friends who listened to me and supported me throughout my journey. (BU) Randolph, Emily, Will, & Katie (Bay Path) Alayna, Chelsea & Nikki (TRHS) Alexa & Gabby.

Lastly, I would like to thank my boyfriend for supporting me through this process, I am so grateful for all of your help. 

Alexis Courtney (Sept. 2019 Chemistry PhD graduate)

Dear Ying,

Congratulations on finishing your Ph.D.! It has been wonderful seeing your progression from an undergraduate to Ph.D. recipient, and I have greatly enjoyed our time working together. I hope we can continue to collaborate in the future, and wish you all the best for your postdoc!

Best,
-Sam

Associate Professor Samuel Isaacson to Ying Zhang (May 2020 Mathematics PhD Graduate)

Julian,

Congratulations! You did a fantastic job. I wish we could celebrate in person. I have the champagne bottle sitting here waiting for you. All the best for your career in finance research!

Associate Professor Tarek Hassan to Julian Richers (May 2020 Economics PhD Graduate)

Justin, you are truly outstanding in your field!!!!!

Professor Curtis Runnels to Justin Holcomb (Anthropology)

To the Graduate Program in Religion PhD graduates:

Well done, Doctors!

Ryan Sullivan to GPR graduates

Huge congratulations, office (and other places) mate!

My time here has been great with you and hope yours was the same. It is exciting to see that your time and efforts paid off. Wish you all the best with the rest of your adventure as well and hope our roads cross soon.

Cheonghum Park to Gianluca Russo (May 2020 Economics PhD Graduate)

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everybody who helped me and accompanied me along the way at BU. I made it till the end because of your support, encouragement and friendship.

Very special thanks to: Professors Gene Stanley, Andre Vilela, Chao Wang, Kenric Nelson and all the members of the Center for Polymer Studies, for the opportunity of mutual learning and collaboration.

Thank you to Profs. Andrei Ruckenstein, Kevin Black, Claudio Chamon, Michael El-Batanouny for their help, generosity and patience. Thank you to the BU Physics Dept. for their constant support all these years.
A very special thank you to Mirtha Cabello, a true friend.

I thank all my Profs. and all of my colleagues, from whom and with whom I learned throughout this journey.

I very special thank you to Andres: for tolerating my idiosyncrasies all these years.

Thank you to my family and friends, for sticking with me through thick and thin!

I end with words more eloquent and beautiful than mine:
“O my God, let me remember with gratitude and confess to thee thy mercies toward me. Let my bones be bathed in love…”
– Saint Augustine of Hippo. Confessions.

Bernardo Zubillaga Herrera (May 2020 Physics PhD graduate)

Congratulations Nabeel!

I am so proud of you. It was a pleasure to be with you on this Ph.D. journey. I wish you (and Afifa) all the best.

Professor Abraham Matta to Nabeel Akhtar (Sept. 2019 Computer Science PhD graduate)

Sarah,

Prayers and blessings on your graduation and for your future.

Love,
Mom and Dad

Patrick & Dorothy Neville to Sarah Brazeau (May 2020 Chemistry PhD graduate)

Xiangyu,

you’ve done an amazing job during your time here at BU. I wish you the very best during your exciting new start at Xiamen!

Assistant Professor Stephen Terry to Xiangyu Feng (Economics)

Tess joon,

You made the years of graduate school more exciting and more worthwhile. I am so happy to have shared with you many hours of sitting in our corner office and working, chatting, laughing, telling random stories, complaining, dreaming, hanging out with Sky (and later Apollo), and living our own unique version of the PhD life. I know you are already doing great things and wish you even better things :) Once we stop distancing, we should celebrate this in person. Take care and hope to see you soon. Love you.

Telli Davoodi to Teresa Harvey (Jan. 2020 Psychological & Brain Science PhD Graduate)

Sending my congratulations to Dr. Aurora Kesseli, who successfully defended her PhD thesis, “The Effects of Metallicity and Magnetism on the Radii of M-dwarf Stars,” in the Department of Astronomy last August. While a graduate student, Aurora published three first-authored papers on the properties of M dwarf stars (the most common type of star in the Universe), and she spent six months working at NASA’s Infrared Processing and Analysis Center in Pasadena, CA. She is currently a postdoc at the University of Leiden in the Netherlands, working on exoplanet atmospheres. Congratulations on all of your successes Aurora! You are welcome to visit the Low-mass Star Group any time. Perhaps we can do an unofficial PhD hooding ceremony at Fenway Park when you’re back!

Assistant Professor Philip Muirhead to Aurora Kesseli (Sept. 2019 Astronomy PhD graduate)

John,

We couldn’t be more proud of you! You’ve worked so hard to get here and we celebrate that and the promising future that lies ahead for you. We’re thrilled to be able to call you doctor John now!

Steve, Jessica and Jenny Quirk to John Quirk (Jan. 2020 Physics PhD graduate)

Stephanie,

Mom and I are so proud of all you have accomplished in your academic career, culminating in earning your PhD! You are a blessing to us and such a wonderful Daughter!

Lots of love!
Mom and Dad

Steve Shiflett to Stephanie Shiflett (Jan. 2020 Romance Studies PhD graduate)

Congratulations, Dr. Li!

It is unfortunate that world circumstances prevent the ceremony we were anticipating, but my/our congratulations are not diminished by this fact. I expect there will be a future opportunity to celebrate your accomplishment in a more usual way. But, nevertheless, congratulations on your accomplishment and best wishes for the journey ahead!

Professor Paul Hagstrom to Pengfei Li (Jan. 2020 Applied Linguistics PhD Graduate)

Congratulations Fati!

So grateful for sharing this journey but, even more, fifth floor with you ;). Who will forget the chats in the corridor and every good excuse for that walk to Tatte? Hard to make a full count of the laughters, the cries, the ups and downs of the roller coaster this journey has been. Amazing seeing you spreading those wings and flying to a new adventure!

Giovanna Marcolongo to Fatima Aqeel (Economics)

Congratulations to all of you — such a pleasure to have worked with you over the years. All the best in your future plans!

Professor Dorothy Kelly to Romance Studies PhD graduates

Congratulations, Petra, on attaining your PhD.

You were a top-notch teaching fellow. I enjoyed having you at our weekly TF meetings, where you expressed important ideas. And you are a friend. As a founder of WEOrg (BU Women in Economics) you made important contributions to our department and its students. I wish you success in your job as an economics consultant.

With admiration,
Michael

Professor Michael Manove to Petra  Niedermayerova (Jan. 2020 Economics PhD Graduate)

From the first day I visited Boston University’s campus in 2012 as a prospective student, William Moore encouraged me in my inkling that analyzing the Mormon built environment could provide greater insights into American culture and religion. He proved to be an exceptional mentor, shepherding me through my first conference paper submission all the way to a final, and much improved, dissertation providing chapter-by-chapter edits along the way.

Claire Dempsey introduced me to the history and practice of historic preservation during my first two semesters of graduate school. She also directed me to look at National Park Service summer jobs; three consecutive summers interning with the Heritage Documentation Program in Washington, D.C. followed.

I am particularly grateful for the collegiate atmosphere at Boston University, with special fondness for the American Studies Program.

Samuel Palfreyman (May 2020 American Studies PhD Graduate)

You made it! I applaud all your hard work and wish you the best in the next stage of your life. And I can’t wait for stay at home to be over so we can play some games and drink some wine!

Margaret O’Connor to William Gasper (May 2020 MCBB PhD Graduate)

Congratulations!  I applaud all your hard work and wish you the best in the next stage of your life. It has been a pleasure being your roommate!

Margaret O’Connor to Kathryn Lesneski (Biology)

Congratulations, Gianluca!

Professor Daniele Paserman to Gianluca Russo (May 2020 Economics PhD Graduate)

Congratulations to our wonderful Economics PhD graduates!

I’ve learned so much from you over the past 5 years — especially the ones I’ve had the privilege of working with directly, but also the many that I have had in my classes and listened to in seminars. Please do keep in touch.

Ray Fisman

Professor Ray Fisman to Economics PhD Graduates

Congratulations, Whitney!

It has been a pleasure to work with you during your time at BU – both as you conducted your dissertation research, and as you helped to coordinate the IOC’s Urban Inequalities Workshop.

I am so excited about your new position, and look forward to following your research for years to come.

All the best,
Japonica

Professor Japonica Brown-Saracino to Whitney Gecker (Sociology & Social Work)

Congratulations, Taylor!

I am so sorry that we can’t celebrate your PhD graduation and your wonderful new job at the Mayor’s Affordable Housing Innovation Lab in person. It was terrific to work with you during your time at BU, and I am very excited to follow the exciting and very important work that you are doing for our city.

Congratulations!
Japonica

Professor Japonica Brown-Saracino to Taylor Cain (Jan. 2020 Sociology PhD Graduate)

History of Art & Architecture Department to all HAA PhD Graduates

Hearty congratulations to Cristina Onesta, eminent author of De l’esthétique des objets dans la littérature et le cinéma francophones contemporains.

—Jeffrey Mehlman
Head of French

Professor Jeffrey Mehlman to Cristina Onesta (May 2020 Romance Studies PhD Graduate)

Congratulations Tess!

I’m so proud of the difficult and innovative work that you did in the lab, and the collaborative and enjoyable atmosphere you created. And a special thank you for your support for me! (I tried to upload a picture of your defense and one of Sky – we’ll see if they are both accepted).

Cheers,
– Peter

Associate Professor Peter Blake to Teresa Harvey (Jan. 2020 Psychological & Brain Science PhD Graduate)

Hearty congratulations to Stephanie Shiflett, distinguished author of Confessional Fragments: Religious Belief Expressed Through Body Parts in Sixteenth-Century French Literature.

—Jeffrey Mehlman
Head of French

Professor Jeffrey Mehlman to Stephanie Shiflett (Jan. 2020 Romance Studies PhD graduate)

Congratulations on the achievement!

A message of congratulations to all PhD graduates from Professor Shyamsunder Erramilli

Congratulations, Amir Effat, Daniel Cuenca and Bente Schoen!

Best wishes for a bright, productive life.

Alicia Borinsky
Head of Spanish

Professor Alicia Borinsky to Amir Effat (Sept. 2019 Romance Studies PhD Graduate), Bente Shoen (Jan. 2020 Romance Studies PhD Graduate), & Daniel Cuenca (Sept. 2019 Romance Studies PhD Graduate)

Dear Lauren,

Together with Christopher and Ellen, I send warmest congratulations on the successful completion of your PhD in Editorial Studies. Only those who have undertaken this kind of work can truly know how demanding it is. Conducting archive research, stating the truth about texts and knowing how to state it, marshalling and making sense of copious and often complex information, organizing it intelligibly, maintaining consistency, and being relentlessly accurate: these are not easy accomplishments. A measure of this is the anxiety generated at every stage, and yet without anxiety there can be no great scholarship. You did work that was worth doing, and you were an ideal student. (Feel free to indulge in a bit of modest boasting.) Let’s meet in person when conditions permit. For now, as A. E. Housman once wrote to his publisher, if you ‘feel a sudden access of salubrity’ it’s because we’re drinking your health.

Professor Archie Burnett to Lauren Eckenroth (May 2020 Editorial Studies PhD Graduate)

First, I would like to thank my advisor Dr. Sofya Raskhodnikova for her wonderful mentorship over the course of my PhD and beyond. She is the best Guru one could ask for. I would also like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all my teachers for sharing their knowledge with warmth. I am grateful to the staff and faculty of BU, especially to those from the BUCS department. Last, but not least, I want to thank my friends and family, without whose presence and encouragement, my academic journey would have been impossible.

Nithin Mahendra Varma (Sept. 2019 Computer Science PhD Graduate)

Congratulations, Yeseul!

Professor Daniele Paserman to Yeseul Hyun (May 2020 Economics PhD Graduate)

Congratulations, Thea, on attaining your PhD.

You were a phenomenal teaching fellow, and I’ll always remember you at our weekly TF meetings. You are a clever theorist with fascinating ideas and a delightful person with an ever-present smile. I wish you success on your new academic job.

With admiration,
Michael

Professor Michael Manove to Thea How Choon (Economics)

Congratulations!

Professor Kim McCall to Biology and MCBB PhD Graduates

Special thanks to Mom, Dad, Dan, Victor, Julie & Fen!

My Dad earned his PhD from BU the year I was born and I’m thrilled and proud to be able to continue the trend. I’ve enjoyed my time as a Terrier immensely, and feel strongly that my department is one of the most supportive in the entire country, poised to be a true leader in the field for years to come. Thanks to BU!

Jason McCool (May 2020 Musicology PhD Graduate)

Congratulations, Fatima, on attaining your PhD.

You were a first-class teaching fellow, who I enjoyed having at our weekly TF meetings. In one of the first of those meetings, I opined that the division of the south-Asian subcontinent into India and Pakistan encouraged by Muhammad Ali Jinnah was a great mistake. You forcefully disagreed with passion and logical arguments, something that I’ll always remember. I wish you success in your new academic job at Colgate. I believe that you will turn out to be an important and creative development economist.

With admiration,
Michael

Professor Michael Manove to Fatima Aqeel (Economics)

Dear PBS PhDs,

Congratulations on your wonderful accomplishments! We are all proud of you and wish you the best in your new lives. As your Director of Graduate Studies I have signed your forms and bestowed research awards on some of you, and as a professor I have had many of you in my courses. Don’t be strangers– stay in touch. I’m looking at you: Seyede Sara Aghajari, Tessa Harvey, Charu Tuladhar, Dana Bruck-Segal, Joseph Carpenter, Lydia Chevalier, Jeannette Correa, Joshua Curtiss, Monica Kim, and (upcoming) Ilona Bloom and Megan Flom. We will remember you all fondly. Best of luck and congratulations!

Professor Alice Cronin-Golomb to Psychological & Brain Sciences PhD Graduates

Congratulations, Wendy!

It was a pleasure to be part of your dissertation committee. Cheers to this important milestone. Let the memories of these years remind you how far you have come! Wishing you the best of luck in the future.

Assistant Professor Chiara Margaria to Xun (Wendy) Xu (May 2020 Economics PhD Graduate)

Yi-Hsuan,

Congratulations (again) on your graduation. Hope you are doing well and thriving in your job!

Bart

Professor Bart Lipman to Yi-Hsuan Lin (Sept. 2019 Economics PhD graduate)

A special thank you to my advisor, Dr. Adam Smith, who made my Ph.D. journey an enjoyable one! My meetings with him were always a learning experience, and they were something I eagerly looked forward to. I have learnt a lot from Adam, not only in terms of research but in other aspects of life as well, and I’ll forever be grateful to him.

Om Dipakbhai Thakkar (Sept. 2019 Computer Science PhD Graduate) to Professor Adam Smith

Dear Dat,

What a wonderful student you have been! It has been a pleasure working with you, and I have learned a lot from you. Keep forging ahead, with the book, articles, and your career! I’m so glad that you’re off to such a good start with the postdoc.

Professor Robert Weller to Dat Nguyen (Anthropology)

Congratulations to all of the 2020 Bioinformatics PhD graduates: Hao Chen, Demetrius DiMucci, Yozen Hernandez, Jessica Keenan, Dan Lancour, Andy Rampersaud, Heather Selby, Arjan van der Velde, Yuqing Zhang and Yue Zhao!

Hopefully commencement will take place in the not too distant future, and we’ll all celebrate together. Until then, here’s a sneak peek of the annual commencement brunch slideshow.

We are so proud of all of you!!

Caroline, Dave, Johanna and Mary Ellen

Caroline Lyman to the 2020 Bioinformatics PhD graduates

So Hyun An,

Congratulations on graduation. It was a great experience working with you and seeing your progress. I hope all is well this year for you and your family.

Professor Marc Rysman to So Hyun An (Sept. 2019 Economics PhD Graduate)

Petra,

From that first day of math camp… to here! Who could have asked for a greater buddy to share this path with? So great to see you reaching the finish line ahead of everyone and see you starting a new adventure. Thanks for laughs, jokes, ever-so-long walks, coffees, pastries, movies, travels, salsa nights… Also, please, let’s get coffee soon. Congratulations buddy!

Giovanna Marcolongo to Petra Niedermayerova (Jan. 2020 Economics PhD graduate)

Eric,

I can’t begin to tell you how proud I am to have watched you grow from a wide-eyed and apprehensive first-grader

To a confidant and respected PhD.

It took 25 years of hard work and perseverance, but you did it! I can’t wait to see what the next 25 years bring. You have nowhere to go but up. I love you so much. Mom

Caroline Lyman to Eric Bullock (Sept. 2019 Geography PhD graduate)

Congratulations, Stephanie!

You have achieved another of your life goals! From the first time you bravely went abroad to experience the wonder of Europe to your tireless effort to complete your dissertation, you have remained focused and dedicated to your goal. The travel memories you gave your father and I every time you lived abroad will be cherished forever. You are a kind, loving and caring young woman. Your mark on the world will be a blessing to everyone. I am so VERY VERY proud of you!

Love, Mom

Ellen Shiflett to Stephanie Shiflett (Jan. 2020 Romance Studies PhD graduate)

Wendy,

Congratulations! Well done; great thesis. All the hard work and intelligence make a good dissertation in microeconomic theory.

All the best wishes for a brilliant career ahead! Congratulations again.

Professor Albert Ma to Xun (Wendy) Xu (May 2020 Economics PhD Graduate)

Hi Petra,

I was looking forward to catching up with you at the hooding ceremony. We’ll have to find another time.

Kevin

Professor Kevin Lang to Petra Niedermayerova (Jan. 2020 Economics PhD graduate)

Nathan,

I have absolutely loved working with you over the past four years! You were always incredibly supportive and positive and I truly appreciate how in line our values are. I loved all of your ideas and working with you on everything from wiring fans for my projects to running classes for Earth House to planning protests. I will miss working with you at BU, but I am not at all worried about staying in touch and continuing to work together going forward!

Sarabeth Buckley (Jan. 2020 Earth Science PhD Graduate) to  Professor Nathan Phillips

For my grandson,

You have always been kind and caring and a good friend. You have passion and focus and drive.
Those attributes helped make you a good athlete. For years, along with your intelligence, they
have contributed to your dedicated, creative, important work in your field. Work that is
designed for the benefit of humanity and the natural world.
I also salute your professors and colleagues: it seems as if you are part of a great team.
Kudos also to Caroline, your loving, patient, supportive fiancee.

Eric: I am very, very proud of you and I love deeply and forever.

Bubbe

Linda Siegel to Eric Bullock (Sept. 2019 Geography PhD graduate)

Congratulations Fati!

So grateful for sharing this journey but, even more, fifth floor with you ;). Who will forget the chats in the corridor and every good excuse for that walk to Tatte? Hard to make a full count of the laughters, the cries, the ups and downs of the roller coaster this journey has been. Amazing seeing you spreading those wings and flying to a new adventure!

Giovanna Marcolongo to Fatima Aqeel (Economics)

Congratulations on obtaining your Ph.D.! I know it has been a long and difficult road, but I hope the satisfaction at the end is worth it. Good luck in your future research!

A general message of congratulations to all PhD graduates from Assistant Professor Adam Guren

Youming,

Congratulations on graduation. It was a great experience working with you and seeing your progress. I am really excited to see what comes next!

Professor Marc Rysman to Youming Liu (Seot. 2019 Economics PhD Graduate)

It is an honor to earn my PhD in Sociology from Boston University. This was a very wavy, trying, and gratifying journey that was made possible by the support of so many others.

Thank you to the Graduate School and deans – for providing the resources and support we as students need to conduct our research, teach undergraduates, and work across disciplines. This foundation allowed me to embark on international fieldwork assessing trends in global health, gender, and labor.

I am so grateful to the Sociology department, a community of scholars who deeply care about addressing the inequalities of our social world. Faculty, you challenged me in the classroom; mentored me in research, teaching, and writing; and you fully invested yourselves in advising me, whether I was on campus or at an international field site collecting data. Thank you for how much you give and share – it is tremendous.

Rebecca Farber (Sept. 2019 Sociology PhD graduate)

Congratulations, Jake!

Assistant Professor Adam Guren to Jake Fabina (May 2020 Economics PhD Gradaute)

Congratulazioni Giangi!!

E adesso non resta che agguantare i sogni a due mani.

Caterina Qui to Gianluca Russo (May 2020 Economics PhD Gradaute)

Congratulazioni Doc!

Ma prima o poi lo finiremo di vedere il film di Verdone? Keep in touch (e non solo via radio, please!)

Giocanna Marcolongo to Gianluca Russo (May 2020 Economics PhD Graduate)

Congratulations, Dr. Carlino!

I have been so pleased to be on this journey with you. You made a significant impact upon our community. Best wishes for the next chapter!

Will

Professor William Moore to PJ Carlino (Jan. 2020 American Studies PhD graduate)

A little note, Cristina, to congratulate you for your accomplishments.

A defense is often a moment of both anticipation and anxiety; as you defended March 17, thus in the very first days of BU moving to remote learning and teaching, you would have had many grounds for being anxious about an online defense and this new format; about the fact that your friends could not be there; furthermore, that your family and friends in Italy were in total lockdown confinement, and that you might be worried for them and what was happening in Italy at the time. And yet you were totally focused, and your calm, most impressive to the point that soon, rather than a defense, it felt more like an intellectual conversation that we all enjoyed, discussing issues of ethics and aesthetics, and of artistic expressions. This was a beautiful moment, and I want to thank you for it— just as I want to thank you for the past five years. It’s been a joy—and a privilege—to work together.

Wishing you all the best in the next steps of your career,

Warmly,
Odile

Professor Odile Cazenave to Cristina Onesta (May 2020 Romance Studies PhD Graduate)

Professor Seulgie Lim!!!

I am so very very proud of you and all that you’ve accomplished. You continue to amaze and inspire me as a leader, a teacher, a scholar and a sister. I love you so very much, and not just cause you’re a PhD

Caeul Lim to Claire Seulgie Lim (May 2020 Political Science PhD Graduate)

Thank you, my family, friends, mentors, and colleagues, for believing in me and walking with me through this journey. 

After ups and downs of graduate school, I can truthfully say that I love doing what I do.

Hyun (Monica) Kim (Psychological & Brain Sciences)

Dear Giovanna,

Congratulations on graduating! Thank you for being a good friend and a helpful guide during the program. We hope to be able to celebrate in person your achievements very soon! In the meanwhile, we wish you the best and we want you to know that we’ll miss you here at BU.

Vitto & Silvia

Silvia Vannutelli & Vittoria Dicandia to Giovanna Marcolongo (Economics)

Congratulations on your graduation, Dr. Sarah!!

I am so proud of you and all that you have accomplished to get to this point. It was a hard and difficult journey to obtain your PhD, with many late nights, difficult presentations, and lots of studying. However, you were able to get through all of it so effortlessly and with great success. I love you so much and very excited to see where the next chapter of your life takes you.

Love, Brian

Brian Brazeau to Sarah Brazeau (May 2020 Chemistry PhD graduate)

I am very excited to be receiving my PhD in Chemistry! I am extremely grateful for my experiences during my PhD. My favorite experience was being able to travel to Aachen, Germany, to conduct research at RWTH Aachen. At BU, I was lucky to work with and learn from incredible people in my research group, the Doerrer group. I have many wonderful memories, including lab breakfasts/lunches, coffee runs, and celebrating the successes of my group members.

In particular, I want to thank my advisor Professor Linda Doerrer and all of my wonderful group members, especially Steph Beach-Molony and Jess Elinburg. Additionally, I would like to thank my family and friends, especially my parents, my sister and my husband Brian. This would not have been possible without your help and support.

Congratulations to all 2020 graduates! Best of luck to all of you!

Sarah Brazeau (May 2020 Chemistry PhD graduate)

Hello Economics PhD students.

This graduating class will be memorable because you are ending at a time of great turmoil and uncertainty due to COVID. I am happy to have come to know many of you, even if only drinking coffee, beer, or as a participant at one of your seminars. In recent years the quality of students, presentations and papers has kept getting better, which I look forward to seeing result in even more of you being stars in the future.

Professor Randy Ellis to Economics PhD graduates

Congratulations, Catherine!

Everyone at American Studies is so proud of you!

Professor William Moore to Catherine Martin (Jan. 2020 American Studies PhD Graduate)

Congratulations, Petra!

Professor Daniele Paserman to Petra Niedermayerova (Jan. 2020 Economics PhD graduate)

Dear Luisa,

Congratulations on successfully defending your Ph.D. dissertation and you did a truly fantastic job! You have always been such a motivated, intelligent, and diligent student, and it has been my great pleasure to work with you over the past three years! Your graduation is also a milestone for myself, since you are my first official Ph.D. student, and I am very proud of you!

I wish you all the best in your future endeavor!

Assistant Professor Wen Li to Luisa Capannolo (May 2020 Astronomy PhD gradaute) 

To Jesse Bruhn, Chelsea Carter, Yeseul Hyun, Gianluca Russo –

It has been amazing to get to know you over the years, see your work and research and grow into becoming real economists! Good luck on your journey and please stay in touch!

Associate Professor Johannes Schmieder to Jesse Bruhn (Sept. 2020 Economics PhD Graduate), Chelsea Carter (May 2020 Economics PhD Graduate), Yeseul Hyun (May 2020 Economics PhD Graduate), and Gianluca Russo (May 2020 Economics PhD Graduate)

Congratulations to all of you brave warriors!

It has been a long and arduous journey. But you have prevailed, thanks to your courage, dedication and talent. There is a new world in the making out there; what you have learnt should prepare you well to conquer the odds again.

It has been a pleasure to have been able to work with you and witness your progress over the past years!

Remember us and keep in touch.
Dilip

Professor Dilip Mookherjee to Economics PhD Graduates

Congratulations, Sam!

What an accomplishment! I am so proud to have been part of your journey. Your work will make a difference!

Professor William Moore to Samuel Palfreyman (May 2020 American Studies PhD Graduate)

Hi Siyi,

Big congratulations on your well-deserved graduation! It has been a real pleasure to be your advisor and coauthor. I hope we can keep collaborating in the future. We have to celebrate the next time we meet. Take care!

Ivan

Professor Ivan Fernandez-Val to Siyi Luo (Sept. 2019 Economics PhD Graduate)

First, I want to express my deep appreciation to my two readers, Linda Barnes and Nancy Ammerman. I could not have successfully finished my dissertation without her unending support, mentorship, and care. Nancy’s guidance and mentorship on the project was invaluable. I have learned so much from her scholarship and her thorough and insightful feedback since the early stages of my dissertation. I want to thank Dana Robert who chaired my committee. Her kindness and thoughtfulness have been deeply appreciated. I also want to thank Lance Laird who offered me valuable feedback during the defense.

Many BU faculty members have supported me during the doctorate program. Steven Kants has kindly supported my academic path in the job market and Diana Lobel has mentored me during my teaching fellowship. Jennifer Knust gave me helpful feedback on my project in the early stages and encouraged me to write well. My friendship with Eva Pascal has been invaluable with accountability in the process of completing my writing. My colleagues at Puget Sound have been very kind and supportive about my adjustment into my new job. I also want to thank the students that I have taught for several years. They always inspired me to teach ethics in a broken world. I sincerely hope that my teaching and research positively influence their lives and the people around them.

Most of all, I give my love and thanks to all of my family. My parents have immeasurably supported me with unconditional love, care, faith, and thoughtfulness. I deeply respect them as life-time role models. I am so blessed to have the best parents I could have ever imagined. Finally, I give thanks to God who has spiritually guided my academic journey and my everyday life.

Hajung Lee (Sept. 2019 Religious Studies PhD Graduate) to Dr. Linda Barnes (advisor), Dr. Nancy Ammerman (reader), Dr. Dana Robert (committee chair), Lance Laird (committee member)

Congratulations, Jake!

Professor Daniele Paserman to Jacob Fabina (May 2020 Economics PhD Gradaute)

Congratulations Dr. Brazeau!!!

I believe you are the only doctor in the family! We are very proud of you. Your hard work and persistence paid off. You should be very proud of yourself. You next stage in life is upon you. Carmela and I are happy we played a little part of it. Congratulations again to our favorite daughter-in-law!!

Scott & Carmela Brazeau to Sarah Brazeau (May 2020 Chemistry PhD graduate)

Eric,

Your hard work and excitement have brought you to such an incredible achievement in your professional journey. Congratulations, Dr. Bullock! I am proud beyond words! To have found a field that you not only love but that also creates so much positive and beneficial energy, is a true gift. Keep striving and pursuing such great interests!

Love, Dad

Allan Bullock to Eric Bullock (Sept. 2019 Geography PhD graduate)

I wanna thank my advisors, my friends in the program and all the faculty and staff in the department. It was hard. Sometimes it was much harder than I thought. BUT we also had a good time along the way and I have the evidence! (see pics)

Stay Woke,
G

Gianluca Russo (May 2020 Economics PhD Graduate) to Economics department faculty and PhD Students

Dear Chelsea,

Congratulations on graduating! We want to express our gratitude for founding WEorg, the Women in Economics organization for graduate students in the Economics Ph.D. With your determination and enthusiasm, you have sparked important conversations and kicked off exciting initiatives. Thank you! We wish you all the best!

The WEorg team

WEorg team to Chelsea Elizabeth Carter (May 2020 Economics PhD Graduate)

Colin,

I hope and trust that we will be able to have a real hooding ceremony next year. So this message is a little premature. But, since in anticipation of continued difficulties, we are honoring summer 2020 PhDs at this virtual celebration, I do want to say that is has been a pleasure watching you grow as an economist, develop a toolkit that has gone far beyond mine and taught me a great deal. You have been an important contributor to our group meetings. I trust that the people at Cornerstone know how they are.

I look forward to toasting you in person next May.

Professor Kevin Lang to Colin Shanks (Economics)

Dear Feyza,

There was a lot of excitement along the way, from tanks to epidemics, but you did it! I’m very proud of you, and so happy to have worked with you. Enjoy Chicago!

Best, Rob

Professor Robert Weller to Feyza Burak Adli (May 2020 Anthropology PhD graduate)

 Congratulations, Dr. Viens!

What an exciting accomplishment! Best wishes for the next chapter!

Will

Professor William Moore to Kate Viens (May 2020 American Studies PhD Graduate)

Congratulations Dr. Tuladhar!

You have been an outstanding doctoral student and I was so very fortunate to be your mentor. You are a careful scientist and a kind, generous colleague. Over these years you have grown into a leader and a skilled mentor of others in the lab. I am sad that I won’t get to hood you, but nothing can diminish my pride.

Associate Professor Amanda Tarullo to Charu Tuladhar (Psychological & Brain Sciences)

Congratulations Thea!

Thank you for those funny drawings on the whiteboard that put a smile on everyone who entered the office and, of course, for the solutions to real analysis problem sets as well as for your help and discussions when struggling with that crazy theory. But even more, thank you for being always so cheerful and happy! Good luck with your new adventure and keep in touch!

Giovanna Marcolongo to Thea How Choon (Economics)

To all newly minted PhDs in the Economics Department: Congratulations!

You have now reached the end of one exhilarating journey, and are ready to embark on a new one. We have seen you grow and mature, develop as researchers and independent thinkers. You have learned from us, but we have also learned a lot from you, and I am confident that we will continue to learn from you in the future, through scholarly research, policy making and public engagement. We are very proud of you. Congratulations!

Professor Daniele Paserman to Economics PhD Graduates

I owe a great deal of gratitude to Dr. Chantal Stern.

She has proven to be a mentor in my academic career and in my personal life. It was under her guidance that I was able to grow into the scientist I am now. BU is lucky to have her.

Allen Chang (Sept. 2019 Psychological & Brain Sciences PhD Graduate) to his advisor Professor Chantal Stern

Congratulations Jesse!

I hope this video message will be at least an imperfect substitute for an in-person hooding.

Professor Kevin Lang to Jesse Bruhn (Sept. 2019 Economics PhD Graduate)

Eric,

We are so proud of you and all the hard work, time, and dedication you’ve devoted to earning this amazing honor. Now we can officially say you’re the smartest person we know! …although we’ve secretly known that for awhile. Dr. E in the house!

CONGRATS!!!!!!!

xoxo Morgan, John, and Jack

Morgan Petriello to Eric Bullock (Sept. 2019 Geography PhD graduate)

Dear Gianluca,

Congratulazioni! Thanks for being a guidance and a precious friend. Needless to say, we are going to miss you a whole lot. We are very sad we can’t be celebrating physically with you, but this comes with the slight upside of not having to realise so much that you are leaving us. We wish you the most bright future on the sunnier side of the Atlantic, and we hope you are going to come visit us often but most importantly will invite us to escape from Boston weather and have fun in Barcelona. 

daje Roma daje!!!

Silvia e Vitto

Silvia Vannutelli & Vittoria Dicandia to Gianluca Russo (May 2020 Economics PhD Graduate)

Thank you BU for having contributed to my personal, intellectual and professional growth!

Cristina Onesta (May 2020 Romance Studies PhD graduate)

Dear all,

While it breaks my heart not to be able to do this in person, I want to congratulate all of you for what you are achieving today. It has been a long and sometimes hard path, but you got to the end!!! We are so proud of you! And we look forward to having you as colleagues in the profession. I personally have been honored to accompany you in the last months of your program, and to witness the strength, perseverance, and enthusiasm you put into finding your new professional home. I hope we will stay in touch, and that you will always have a good memory of your alma mater, Boston University.

Stefania

Associate Professor Stefania Garetto to Economics PhD Graduates

Monica,

I think you took more courses with me than any other student ever! And how many conferences and BBQs have we shared? You’ll always be special to me and I hope you’ll keep in touch. Congratulations and all the best going forward!

Alice

Professor Alice Cronin-Golomb to Hyun (Monica) Kim (Psychological & Brain Sciences)

Dear Petra,

congratulations on graduating! We want to express our gratitude for founding WEorg, the Women in Economics organization for graduate students in the Economics Ph.D. With your determination and enthusiasm, you have sparked important conversations and kicked off exciting initiatives. Thank you! We wish you all the best!

The WEorg team

WEorg team to Petra Niedermayerova (Economics)

Congratulations Sarah!!

I am super proud and always in awe of all you accomplish. Also, Mom and Dad always wanted a Doctor in the family, so thanks for taking off the pressure!

Stephanie Neville to Sarah Brazeau (May 2020 Chemistry PhD graduate)

Congratulations everyone on graduating! Although we can’t have an in-person ceremony, I hope you can celebrate all your hard work, accomplishments, and the journey you have been on for the past 5-6 years. Best of luck on your future endeavors!

Assistant Professor Jihye Jeon to Economics PhD Graduates 

I am enormously grateful for the unwavering support and guidance of my advisor, Dr. Dana Robert.

I also want to give thanks to the Center for Global Christianity & Mission–my intellectual and spiritual home at BU.

Eva Pascal (Set. 2019 Religious Studies PhD Graduate) to Professor Dana Robert

Congratulations, Jesse!

Professor Daniele Paserman to Jesse Bruhn (Sept. 2019 Economics PhD Graduate)

Congratulations Stephanie!

I am so impressed by all of your amazing accomplishments. You are such a fantastic inspiration, and I can’t wait to celebrate this milestone with you in person soon. Love you!

Summer

Summer Shiflett to Stephanie Shiflett (Jan. 2020 Romance Studies PhD graduate)