NASA’s Blue Ghost Mission to Deliver First BU-Engineered Device to the Moon
A telescope created by Brian Walsh, an associate professor of mechanical engineering, and his team, will be hitching a ride on NASA’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 lander. The Lunar Environment heliospheric X-ray Imager (LEXI) will be the first BU-created device to land on another planetary body. “LEXI will image, for the first time, the boundary of Earth’s magnetic field,” Walsh says, and how it deflects solar wind and charged particles emanating from the sun.
BU Helps Massachusetts Expand Access to AI Computing
Boston University will play a major role in the AI Hub, a Massachusetts entity that will drive collaboration in cutting-edge artificial intelligence among state government, academia, and business. The Massachusetts Green High-Performance Computing Center (MGHPCC)—a 12-year-old supercomputing facility that opened with funding from BU and others—will provide “leading-edge, AI computing infrastructure in support of the AI Hub.”
Naming Ceremony for BU’s Duan Family Center for Computing & Data Sciences
The Duan family, which includes the parent of a BU alum, has given a gift to name the University’s Duan Family Center for Computing & Data Sciences and endow fellowships there for distinguished faculty and PhD candidates. The gift will also support research initiatives at the center, especially those led by early-career investigators.
Kilachand Fund Boosts Projects on Antiviruses, Brain Imaging, and Antibiotic Resistance
Three projects won awards from the Rajen Kilachand Fund for Integrated Life Sciences & Engineering. One project attempts to “solve the design, manufacturing, and delivery challenges of antibodies.” The others are pursuing ways to improve neuroimaging and to counteract antibiotic resistance.
Board of Trustees Welcomes New Members
Boston University’s Board of Trustees and the University Advisory Board have both added new members to their ranks. The Board of Trustees added six members and elected two members as Trustee Emeriti. The University Advisory Board added two new members and elected a new chair.
Italy Gives $21 Million to BU’s CARB-X
Italy awarded CARB-X (Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator) $21 million to help advance new antibiotics, vaccines, and rapid diagnostics for infections that don’t respond to existing treatments. CARB-X is based at the Boston University School of Law.
Biopharma Company GSK and BU Collaborate on Lung Disease Treatments
A new collaboration between the global biopharma giant and researchers from BU’s Center for Regenerative Medicine (CReM) and Boston Medical Center could bring hope to millions around the world with lung diseases. Together, they aim to use CReM-developed lung cells to better understand pulmonary fibrosis and identify new ways to halt or slow the progression of this and other lung diseases.
Graduate Student Workers Union Ratifies Contract
After a seven-month strike with impacts felt across the University, BU’s Graduate Student Workers Union approved a three-year contract. The contract was ratified with 87 percent in favor and 13 percent opposed. The union has approximately 3,000 master’s, professional, and doctoral degree students who assist faculty with teaching and research.
BU Biomedical Engineer Wins NIH Research Award
Alexander A. Green, an associate professor of biomedical engineering, has been named a 2024 National Institutes of Health Director’s Transformative Research Award winner. By tracking the forces involved when cells interact, as in cell-based cancer therapies, Green aims to learn how to control cell behavior and develop potent disease treatments.
Residence Life Union Approves Three-Year Contract
Boston University’s Residence Life Union ratified a three-year contract that will pay a stipend of $1,700 per semester to residence assistants (RAs)—a first for BU. Approval by the union ensures the continuation of the University’s provision of free housing to all RAs. All RAs will also receive free meals, which were previously available only to those based in dormitories.
