Category: Campus
Boston University Removes the Myles Standish Name from Dorm
The executive committee of the BU Board of Trustees approved the name change on May 16. The dorm, on Beacon Street just outside of Kenmore Square, will be known by its address, 610 Beacon Street. The decision was made based on Standish’s history as a military leader of the Plymouth Colony in the early 1600s, during which he was known for his brutality toward members of local tribes.
Center for Computing & Data Sciences Wins Global Award for Interior Design
The dramatic exterior of the Center for Computing & Data Sciences and its fossil-fuel-free design have received widespread acclaim since it opened in December 2022. But its stunning interior had been overlooked until it won top honors in the education category of the annual architecture competition at the respected World Architecture Festival. The center was designed by KPMB Architects of Toronto.
BU Unveils Iconic Center for Computing & Data Sciences
City and University leaders cut a ribbon for the ceremonial opening of Boston University’s Center for Computing & Data Sciences, an architectural showpiece and a shining example of sustainable design. The Faculty of Computing & Data Sciences will work to use cutting-edge technology to build a better, more equitable world through learning and collaboration that crosses boundaries between disciplines.
BU’s New Robotics Lab Fosters Student Innovators
BU undergraduates and master’s students will explore robotics at a new College of Engineering lab. The $8.8 million, 2,000-square-foot Robotics and Autonomous Systems Teaching and Innovation Center, at the site of the former CVS at 730 Commonwealth Ave., will open in summer 2023.
Renovated Groce Pépin Culinary Innovation Laboratory Now Cooking
The renamed Groce Pépin Culinary Innovation Laboratory received more than $200,000 in renovations, the first in 30 years. The space boasts a new granite countertop, stainless steel stove, glass door fridge, and commercial sink station, along with five overhead cameras and wall-mounted monitors that enhance visibility of demonstrations, for culinary arts students on-site and online.
BU Distributes Federal Rescue Plan Money to Students
The University is distributing almost $21 million in federal aid to students financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The money comes from the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund, included in the American Rescue Plan enacted by Congress and President Joe Biden in March 2021.
School of Dental Medicine Celebrates Completion of Expansion and Renovation
The University celebrated the opening of the redesigned and expanded Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine. The three-year $115 million project incorporates state-of-the-art technologies in the education programs for future dentists and the treatment facilities they use to provide care for patients from nearby Boston neighborhoods. The updated and expanded patient treatment center is equipped with new dental chairs in 100 patient treatment spaces, digital radiography equipment, and a team of lab technicians to assist faculty and students.
First Day Back for Fully Residential Campus
September 2 marks the first day back to a fully residential campus for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic struck the country and emptied the campus in March 2020. In-person classroom instruction returns, student clubs and organizations can meet in person, workouts at FitRec can resume, and gathering with friends in University dining halls and at BU Athletics events is again possible. In an effort to stop the spread of COVID, masks and weekly COVID tests are still a part of everyday life.
Return to Campus on June 14
Campus repopulation at 50 percent capacity begins June 14. During a recent webinar-style Town Hall to prepare for the gradual return, President Brown acknowledged faculty and staff anxiety and emphasized the importance of vaccinations. The findings from the Committee on the Future of Staff Work were sent out in late June.
BU Declares Juneteenth an Official University Holiday
BU’s decision to add Juneteenth as an official holiday is part of an ongoing effort to make BU “the diverse, equitable, and inclusive community that best embodies our values,” President Robert A. Brown announced in a letter to the University. Juneteenth, long celebrated in the African American community, is traditionally observed on June 19, marking the day in 1865 when the last enslaved people in America—in Texas, where the holiday began—were told they were free.
