Category: Firsts
Inaugural Class of BU Computing & Data Sciences Majors
The Faculty of Computing & Data Sciences graduated its first class of undergraduates. There are 190 students enrolled in CDS’ undergrad degree program and 10 in the CDS PhD program. The new MS in Data Science program is accepting applications for fall 2023. Associate Provost for Computing & Data Sciences Azer Bestavros said he expects 60 to 70 students to receive their BS in the next academic year, with an average of 120 to 150 in subsequent years.
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.
MED Class of 2020 to Make History with Early Graduation
Lending new credence to the school’s informal motto, “frontline medicine,” MED’s Class of 2020 will graduate a month earlier than scheduled so these new MDs can do their part to combat the coronavirus pandemic—and without the glory and ritual of an in-person convocation. Instead, they will graduate remotely, with a virtual—and memorable—ceremony conducted via Facebook Live.
Men’s Basketball Upsets Colgate, Wins First-Ever Patriot League Championship
Boston University Men’s Basketball clinched a 64-61 victory over Colgate University, winning the 2020 Patriot League Tournament, their first championship since joining the league in 2013. Third-seeded BU defeated the top-seeded Raiders in a thrilling game on Colgate’s home court and is slated to advance to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2011.
BU’s First Computational Artist-in-Residence Reinvents Invention
Francisco Alarcon, BU’s inaugural computational artist-in-residence, works with ENG and CFA students to explore the use of software algorithms, graphic design, fabrication tools, and cutting-edge robotics to create multidisciplinary artwork projects. This new residency is a partnership between the BU Arts Initiative and the Hariri Institute, with additional support from Innovate@BU, CFA, the School of Visual Arts, and BU Spark!
First Woman Named BU’s Innovator of the Year
ENG’s Xin Zhang won the faculty award for “world-class research into inventions and innovations that benefit humankind”—for her work with metamaterials: small-scale structures that react to electromagnetic or acoustic stimulation. From improving the resolution of MRI scans to building better pressure sensors for oil wells to developing noise-filtering technology, Zhang’s discoveries offer real-world applications.
Questrom School of Business Appoints New Dean
Susan Fournier, a marketing and management professor at BU for 13 years and leading international expert on brand marketing, becomes the next dean of the Questrom School of Business. Dean Fournier is the first woman to lead the school. As dean, she says, she will work to increase interdisciplinary programming, ensure Questrom’s financial security, and offer coursework aligned with both students’ and employers’ needs.
NEIDL Receives First BSL-4 Pathogens
Boston University’s National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories (NEIDL) has begun work with its first Level-4 pathogens, the Ebola and Marburg viruses. Ebola has become a global public health threat, infecting and killing thousands during the 2014 outbreak. There is no available FDA-approved vaccine or therapy for Ebola, or the related Marburg virus. NEIDL researchers are excited to begin work with these pathogens, which could speed the development of remedies.
BU Hub Starts in Fall 2018
Boston University’s incoming freshman class in 2018 will be the first class to register for the new BU Hub. This new University-wide general education program “ensures that all undergraduates, no matter their major, develop intellectual capacities that will teach them to thrive throughout their lives,” says Hub managing director Amanda Urias.
BU-Wheelock Merge to Create New College
BU and Wheelock College join to become the Wheelock College of Education & Human Development. BU’s newest college combines the doctoral programs and research capabilities of BU’s School of Education with the early childhood expertise of Wheelock’s School of Education, Child Life and Family Studies.
