Research Centers and Institutes II
Elie Wiesel Center for Judaic Studies
Institute for the Study of Muslim Societies and Civilizations
Center for Nanoscience and Nanobiotechnology
Neuromuscular Research Center
Center for Philosophy and History of Science
Institute for Philosophy and Religion
Center for Polymer Studies
Center for Remote Sensing
Science and Mathematics Education Center
Center for Space Physics
Center for Transportation Studies
RESEARCH CENTERS AND INSTITUTES I
ELIE WIESEL CENTER FOR JUDIAC STUDIES
Director Steven T. Katz
The Boston University Elie Wiesel Center for Judaic Studies coordinates and supports all academic programs relating to Judaic studies at the University. The services and programs of the center are available to Judaic studies concentrators in the Department of Religion and all others interested in the subject area.
Advising
Judaica concentrators are assigned members of the Judaica faculty as advisors, who help students formulate their concentrations in accordance with department requirements. Students considering a Judaic studies concentration are encouraged to make an appointment with the center director to discuss their plans.
Courses, Library Enhancement, and University Programs
The center seeks to coordinate all courses in Judaic studies at Boston University. Its ambition is to provide a broad-based, academically rigorous curriculum in the most important areas of Jewish history, literature, and thought. In addition to supporting the University teaching program in Hebrew language study, the center actively works to support the enhancement of relevant library resources and to sponsor relevant lectures, conferences, and publications in Judaic studies. The center is committed to the support of all types of research in Judaic studies.
Special Events
The center hosts special events of high quality and interest to further the integration of Judaic studies into the life of the University and the community at large. These include programs in film, theatre, and music, all of which contribute to the cultural life of the University.
INSTITUTE FOR THE STUDY OF MUSLIM SOCIETIES AND CIVILIZATIONS
The following list reflects the 2007/2008 faculty.
Director Herbert W. Mason (HI/RN/UNI)
Associate Director Thomas Barfield (AN)
Faculty
Kecia Ali Assistant Professor of Religion, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, Stanford University; MA, PhD, Duke University
Betty S. Anderson Assistant Professor of History, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, Trinity College; MA, PhD, University of California, Los Angeles
Thomas J. Barfield President, American Institute of Afghanistan Studies; Professor of Anthropology, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, University of Pennsylvania; MA, PhD, Harvard University
Fredrik Barth Professor of Anthropology, College of Arts & Sciences. PhD, Cambridge University
Cynthia J. Becker Assistant Professor of Art History, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, University of New Orleans; MA, PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Houchang E. Chehabi Professor of International Relations and History, College of Arts & Sciences. Licence, Université de Caen; Diplôme, Institut d’Etudes Politiques; MA, PhD, Yale University
André de Quadros Director, School of Music, College of Fine Arts; Artistic Director, Boston University Tanglewood Institute. BA, University of Bombay; GD in Movement and Dance, University of Melbourne; MEd, La Trobe University
Charles F. Dunbar Professor of International Relations. BA, Harvard University; MIA, Columbia University. Former Ambassador to Qatar and Yemen.
Emine Fetvaci Assistant Professor of Art History, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, Williams College; MA, PhD, Harvard University
Irene L. Gendzier Professor of Political Science, College of Arts & Sciences (Comparative Politics). AB, Barnard College; MA, PhD, Columbia University
Thomas F. Glick Director, Institute for Medieval History, Graduate School; Professor of History and Geography, College of Arts & Sciences. AB, Harvard College; MA, Columbia University; PhD, Harvard University
Erik Goldstein Chair, Department of International Relations. Professor of International Relations, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, Tufts University; MA, MALD, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy; PhD, University of Cambridge
Shala Haeri Director, Women’s Studies Program; Assistant Professor of Anthropology, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, Boston State College; MA, Northeastern University; PhD, University of California, Los Angeles
Husain Haqqani Director, Center for International Relations. Associate Professor of International Relations, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, MA, University of Karachi
Robert Hefner Professor of Anthropology, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, MA, PhD, University of Michigan
Nazli Kibria Associate Professor of Sociology, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, Wellesley College; MA, PhD, University of Pennsylvania
Frank Korom Associate Professor of Religion and Anthropology, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, University of Colorado; MA, PhD, University of Pennsylvania
Charles Lindholm Professor of Anthropology, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, MA, PhD, Columbia University
Diana Lobel Assistant Professor of Religion, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, Oberlin College; MTS, Harvard Divinity School; PhD, Harvard University
Herbert W. Mason University Professor and William Goodwin Aurelio Professor of History and Religious Thought, College of Arts & Sciences. AB, AM, PhD, Harvard University
Roberta Mícallef Assistant Professor of Turkish. BA, Oberlin College; MA, PhD, University of Texas, Austin
Mohammad Rafique Mughal Professor of Archeology and Heritage Management, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, Gordon College; MA, University of the Punjab; PhD, University of Pennsylvania
Augustus Richard Norton Professor of International Relations and Anthropology, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, MA, University of Miami; PhD, University of Chicago
Sunil Sharma Senior Lecturer in Persian, Department of Modern Foreign Languages and Literatures. BA, New York University; PhD, University of Chicago
Nancy Smith-Hefner Associate Professor of Anthropology, College of Arts & Sciences. PhD, University of Michigan
Merlin Swartz Professor Emeritus of Religion, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, Eastern Mennonite College; BA, Goshen College; PhD, Harvard University
Sassan Tabatabai Instructor, Core Curriculum. BA, MA, PhD, Boston University
Jenny B. White Associate Professor of Anthropology, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, City University of New York; MA, Hacettepe University (Turkey); PhD, University of Texas, Austin
Diana Wylie Professor of History, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, Goucher College; MLitt, University of Edinburgh; PhD, Yale University
Courses
Members of the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences humanities and social science faculty offer a broad range of courses focusing on the Muslim civilizations of the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas. A concentration in Islamic Studies is possible within the MA and PhD programs offered through the Division of Religious & Theological Studies. For complete descriptions of the courses listed below, refer to departmental sections of this bulletin or visit www.bu.edu/smscinst.
CAS AN 547 Topics: Muslim Societies and Islamic Civilizations
CAS AN 548 Topics: Muslim Societies and Islamic Civilizations
GRS AN 707 Turkey and Middle East Perspective
GRS AN 717 Power and Society in the Middle East
GRS AN 718 Southeast Asia: Tradition and Development
GRS AN 720 Women and the Muslim World
GRS AN 755 Religious Fundamentalism in Anthropological Perspective
GRS AN 760 The Nomadic Alternative
GRS AN 784 Anthropological Study of Religion
GRS HI 827 Early Medieval Spain
GRS HI 892 The Middle East
GRS HI 893 History of Northern Africa
GRS HI 903 Directed Study in African History
GRS HI 905 Directed Study in Middle Eastern History
CAS IR 503 U.S. Foreign Policy in the Middle East (meets with CAS PO 570)
CAS IR 504 The Persian Gulf/Arabian Peninsula
CAS IR 507 The Muslim and Western Worlds—Prospects of a “Clash of Civilizations”
CAS IR 508 Islamic Political Movements and U.S. Policy
CAS IR 509 Islam in Middle East Politics (meets with CAS PO 573)
CAS IR 511 The Middle East Today
CAS IR 586 Islam in South Asian Politics
GRS IR 706 The Iranian Revolution and Its Impact on the Middle East
GRS IR 707 Political Reform in the Middle East
GRS IR 757 Transnational Shi’ism
GRS IR 762 Turkey and the European Union
GRS IR 897 History of Modern Iran, 1900–Present (meets with GRS HI 897)
GRS LY 781 Contemporary Arabic Cultures
CAS PO 560 Politics and Society in North Africa and the Middle East
GRS RN 640 The Quran
GRS RN 641 Islamic Mysticism: Sufism
GRS RN 643 Global Islam
GRS RN 644 Islam and the West
GRS RN 647 Islamic Philosophy and Theology
GRS RN 675 Culture, Society, and Religion in South Asia (meets with GRS AN 775)
GRS RN 735 Women, Gender, and Islam
GRS RN 745 Islamic Law
GRS RN 991, 992 Directed Study in Islamic Studies
CAS RN 993, 994 Directed Study in Classical Arabic
CENTER FOR NANOSCIENCE & NANOBIOTECHNOLOGY
Director Professor B. B. Goldberg
Deputy Director Mario Cabodi
Associate Directors M. S. Ünlü, J. Wong
Boston University has formed the Center for Nanoscience & Nanobiotechnology (CNN) to advance academic and technological research and development by extending discoveries in nanoscale materials and platforms toward applications that examine and seek to understand and manipulate biological systems. The Center serves as a hub for nanoscience researchers from the Charles River and Medical campuses and builds interdisciplinary research and training. The Center connects scientists and engineers from disparate disciplines with each other in seminars, meetings, joint visitor programs, interdisciplinary courses, industrial collaborations, and seeded projects.
CNN has three core functions: first, to develop interdisciplinary research and education in nanoscience and nanobiotechnology; second, to develop and run an industrial liaison program that partners researchers with external companies for mutual benefit; and third, to connect researchers to resources for technological commercialization. CNN and affiliated faculty are also involved in outreach activities, organizing hands-on activities, discussions, and panels around nanoscience for grade school students and working with local organizations and museums.
NUEROMUSCULAR RESEARCH CENTER
The following list reflects the 2007/2008 faculty.
Director Carlo J. De Luca
Faculty
Carlo J. De Luca Director, NeuroMuscular Research Center; Professor of Biomedical Engineering; Research Professor of Neurology. BASc, University of British Columbia (Canada); MSc, University of New Brunswick (Canada); PhD, Queen’s University (Canada)
Gerald L. Gottlieb Research Professor and Supervisor, Motor Control Laboratory, NeuroMuscular Research Center. BS, MS, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; PhD, University of Illinois
Joseph F. Jabre Research Professor, NeuroMuscular Research Center; Associate Professor of Neurology, School of Medicine. BS, Christian Brothers (Lebanon); MD, St. Joseph University (Lebanon)
S. Hamid Nawab Research Professor, Neuromuscular Research Center; Professor of Electrical Engineering; Professor of Biomedical Engineering. SB, SM, PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Serge H. Roy Research Professor and Supervisor, Muscle Fatigue Laboratory and Electrophysiology Laboratory, NeuroMuscular Research Center; Research Associate Professor of Physical Therapy, Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. BS, New York University; MS, ScD, Boston University
Conrad Wall, III Adjunct Associate Professor, NeuroMuscular Research Center. BS, MS, Tulane University; PhD, Carnegie-Mellon University
The NeuroMuscular Research Center (NMRC) was established as an independent unit at Boston University in October 1984. The NMRC charter focuses on advancing and disseminating knowledge in the fields of biomedical engineering, neuroscience, rehabilitation medicine, and related fields by the application of principles of natural sciences, life sciences, and mathematics. The mission of the NMRC is focused on increasing our knowledge of motor control and improving the quality of health care for neuromuscularly impaired patients.
The NMRC brings together faculty, students, and staff from the College of Engineering, the School of Medicine, and Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. This interdisciplinary mingling provides an environment where novel concepts germinate. The center regularly attracts researchers from around the world.
The NMRC is organized into seven laboratories: Design Laboratory, L. Donald Gilmore, Lab Supervisor; Electrophysiology Laboratory, Serge H. Roy, Lab Supervisor; Electromyography; Motion Analysis Laboratory, Motor Control Laboratory, Gerald L. Gottlieb, Lab Supervisor; Motor Unit Laboratory, Carlo J. De Luca, Lab Supervisor; and Muscle Fatigue Laboratory, Serge H. Roy, Lab Supervisor. Each laboratory is supervised by a Boston University faculty member with a scientific staff composed of research associates, research assistants, and graduate students.
For more information, call or write the director, Dr. Carlo J. De Luca, NeuroMuscular Research Center, 19 Deerfield Street, Boston, MA 02215; 617-353-9757.
CENTER FOR PHILOSOPHY AND HISTORY OF SCIENCE
The following list reflects the 2007/2008 faculty.
Director Alfred I. Tauber
Affiliated Faculty
Alisa Bokulich Assistant Professor of Philosophy, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, Washington State University; PhD, University of Notre Dame
Peter Bokulich Associate Director of CPHS; Assistant Professor of Philosophy, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, University of California, Berkeley; PhD, University of Notre Dame
Tian Yu Cao Associate Professor of Philosophy, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, Peking University; PhD, University of Cambridge
Charles P. DeLisi Metcalf Professor of Science and Engineering, College of Engineering; Professor of Biomedical Engineering. BA, City College of New York University; PhD, New York University
Juliet Floyd Associate Professor of Philosophy, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, Wellesley College; PhD, Harvard University
Thomas F. Glick Professor of History and Geography, College of Arts & Sciences. AB, Harvard College; MA, Columbia University; PhD, Harvard University
Michael A. Grodin Professor of Health Law, Sociomedical Sciences, and Community Medicine (Medical Ethics), Schools of Medicine and Public Health; Adjunct Professor of Philosophy, College of Arts & Sciences; Director, Program in Bioethics. BS, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; MD, Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Stephen Grossberg Chair, Department of Cognitive & Neural Systems; Director, Center for Adaptive Systems; Wang Professor of Cognitive & Neural Systems
Jaakko Hintikka Professor of Philosophy, College of Arts & Sciences. Candidate Philosophy, LIC. Philosophy; PhD, Helsingen Yliopisto (Finland)
Akihiro Kanamori Professor of Mathematics, College of Arts & Sciences. BS, California Institute of Technology; PhD, University of Cambridge (England)
John J. Stachel Professor Emeritus of Physics, College of Arts & Sciences. BS, City University of New York, City College; MS, PhD, Stevens Institute of Technology
Alfred I. Tauber Director, Center for Philosophy and History of Science; Professor of Medicine and Pathology, School of Medicine; Professor of Philosophy, College of Arts & Sciences. BS, Tufts University; MD, Tufts University School of Medicine
The center is devoted to post-graduate research, special conferences of scholars, public education, and publication in the philosophy and history of the sciences. The Boston Colloquium for Philosophy of Science offers frequent public lectures on a wide range of topics in the conceptual and historical foundations of the natural and social sciences, logic, and mathematics. Emphasis is on epistemological, metaphysical, and methodological issues raised within the sciences, as well as on the social relations of science, its ethical implications, and its relation to the humanities. Closely related is the Center for Einstein Studies. Research conferences are held periodically to stimulate interdisciplinary discussions and investigations. The center has been host to visiting research associates from 35 countries.
Publications derived from the Boston Colloquium and other work of the center include major contributions to Boston Studies in the Philosophy of Science, Kluwer Academic Publishers.
The programs of the Boston University Center for Philosophy and History of Science are an important resource for graduate students.
For further information, please contact Professor Alfred I. Tauber, Director, 745 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA 02215; 617-353-2604; e-mail: atauber@bu.edu; website at www.bu.edu/philo/centers/cphs/.
INSTITUTE FOR PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGION
The following list reflects the 2007/2008 faculty.
Director M. David Eckel
Affiliated Faculty
Peter L. Berger Director, Institute on Culture, Religion & World Affairs; University Professor Emeritus; Professor Emeritus of the Sociology of Religion, School of Theology; Professor Emeritus of Religion and Sociology, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, Wagner College; MA, PhD, New School for Social Research
M. David Eckel Director, Institute for Philosophy & Religion; Associate Professor of Religion, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, MA, Oxford University (United Kingdom); BA, PhD, Harvard University
Charles L. Griswold Jr. Chair, Department of Philosophy; Professor of Philosophy, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, Trinity College; MA, PhD, Pennsylvania State University
Ray L. Hart Dean, School of Theology; Professor of Religion and Philosophical and Systematic Theology, College of Arts & Sciences and School of Theology. BA, University of Texas; BD, Southern Methodist University; PhD, Yale University
Steven Katz Director, Elie Wiesel Center for Judaic Studies, Graduate School of Arts & Sciences; Professor of Religion, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, Rutgers University; MA, New York University; PhD, University of Cambridge (England)
Robert C. Neville Professor of Philosophy, Religion, and Theology, College of Arts & Sciences and School of Theology. BA, MA, PhD, Yale University
Alan M. Olson Professor of Religion and Philosophy, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, St. Olaf College; MDiv, Luther Theological Seminary; PhD, Boston University
Elie Wiesel Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the Humanities; University Professor; Professor of Philosophy and Religion, College of Arts & Sciences and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. LittD (hon.), Jewish Theological Seminary; LHD (hon.), Hebrew Union College, Boston University, Yale University, Brandeis University, University of Notre Dame
The Institute was established in 1970 as a cooperative venture of the University’s Department of Philosophy, Department of Religion, and School of Theology. The purpose of the institute is threefold. It sponsors a series of lectures on topics of interdisciplinary interest where philosophy, theology, and religion meet. It publishes Boston University Studies in Philosophy and Religion. It also draws on the considerable resources of scholarship within Boston University relating to philosophy and religion to enhance the curriculum of the Division of Religious & Theological Studies in the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences.
For further information contact Professor M. David Eckel, Director, Institute for Philosophy & Religion, 745 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215; 617-353-3067; e-mail: ipr@bu.edu; website at www.bu.edu/ipr/.
CENTER FOR POLYMER STUDIES
The following list reflects the 2007/2008 faculty.
Director H. Eugene Stanley
Associate Director William Klein
Faculty
Rama Bansil Professor of Physics, College of Arts & Sciences; Assistant Professor of Physiology, School of Medicine. BSc, MSc, University of Delhi (India); PhD, University of Rochester
Antonio Coniglio Research Professor of Physics, Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. PhD, Università degli Studi di Napoli (Italy)
William Klein Associate Director, Center for Polymer Studies, Graduate School of Arts & Sciences; Professor of Physics, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, PhD, Temple University
Sidney Redner Professor of Physics, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, University of California, Berkeley; PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Kenneth J. Rothschild Professor of Physics, College of Arts & Sciences; Associate Professor of Physiology, School of Medicine. BS, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
H. Eugene Stanley Director, Center for Polymer Studies, Graduate School of Arts & Sciences; University Professor; Professor of Physics, College of Arts & Sciences; Professor of Physiology, School of Medicine. BA, Wesleyan University; PhD, Harvard University; PhD (hon), Bar-Ilan University (Israel); PhD (hon), Eötvös Lorand University (Hungary); PhD (hon), University of Liège, 2001; PhD (hon), University of Dortmund, 2001; PhD (hon), University of Wroclaw (Poland), 2004
Visiting Scholars and Research Associates
Preben Alstrom PhD, Kobenhavns Universitet (Denmark)
Carlos Argolo PhD, Universidade Rio Grande do Norte (Brazil)
Yossi Ashkenazy PhD, Bar-Ilan University (Israel)
Marcia Barbosa PhD, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil)
Marc Barthelemy PhD, Université Paris (France)
Pedro Bernaola PhD, University of Granada (Spain)
Lidia Braunstein PhD, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata (Argentina)
Sergey Buldyrev PhD, Leningrad State University (Russia)
Armin Bunde PhD, Justus Liebig-Universität Giessen (Germany)
Viktor Chukanov PhD, University of Moscow (Russia)
Pierre Cizeau PhD, Université Paris (France)
Jose Cressoni PhD, Imperial College (England)
Luis Cruz-Cruz PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Rodolfo Cuerno PhD, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (Spain)
Mohamed Daoud PhD, Université Paris (France)
Ivan Fittipaldi PhD, University of Cambridge (England)
Giancarlo Franzese PhD, Università di Napoli (Italy)
Kensuke Fukuda PhD, University of Tokyo (Japan)
Alfons Geiger BS, PhD, Universität Fridericiana Karlsruhe (Germany)
Shlomo Havlin PhD, Bar-Ilan University (Israel)
Hans Herrmann PhD, Universität zu Köln (Germany)
Masaki Hoshiyama PhD, University of Tokyo (Japan)
Greg Huber PhD, Boston University
Plamen Ivanov PhD, Boston University
Naeem Jan PhD, University of Cambridge (England)
Pablo Jensen PhD, Université de Lyon (France)
Woo-Sung Jung PhD, K.A.I.S.T., Korea
Jan Kantelhardt PhD, Justus Liebig University, Giessen (Germany)
Janos Kertesz PhD, Budapesti Müszaki Egyetem (Hungary)
Peter R. King PhD, University of Cambridge (England)
Paul Krapivsky PhD, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (Russia)
Pradeep Kumar PhD, Boston University
Brigita Kutnjac-Urbanc PhD, Univerza v Ljubljani (Slovenia)
Youngki Lee PhD, Korea University (Korea)
Philipp Maass PhD, Universität Hamburg (Germany)
Rosario Mantegna PhD, Università degli Studi di Palermo (Italy)
Martin Meyer PhD, Justus Liebig-Universität Giessen (Germany)
Sava Milosevíc PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Sasuke Miyazima PhD, University of Osaka (Japan)
Stefano Mossa PhD, University of L’Aquila (Italy)
Jon Nagler PhD, University of Brewen (Germany)
Johann Nittmann PhD, Universität Wien (Austria)
Gerald Paul PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Chung-kang Peng PhD, Boston University
Thadeu Penna PhD, Universidade Federal Fluminense (Brazil)
Vivienne Plerou PhD, Boston College
Manuel Marqués Ponce PhD, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (Spain)
Michael Rosenblum PhD, Moscow State University (Russia)
Bernard Rosenow PhD, Würzburg University (Germany)
Sri Sastry PhD, Boston University
Daniel T. Schmitt PhD, University Ulm (Germany)
Verena Schulte-Frohlinde PhD, Freie Universität Berlin (Germany)
Francesco Sciortino PhD, Università degli Studi di Palermo (Italy)
Luciano Rodrigues da Silva PhD, Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Fisicas (Brazil)
Robin Speedy PhD, University of London (England)
Dietrich Stauffer PhD, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (Germany)
Borko Stosic PhD, Univerzitet u Beogradu (Serbia)
Toshi Tanizawa PhD, University of Tokyo (Japan)
Jose Teixeira BS, PhD, Université de Grenoble (France)
Constantino Tsallis BS, PhD, Université de Paris (France)
Tamas Vicsek PhD, Budapesti Egyetem (Hungary)
Kazuko Yamasaki PhD, University of Tokyo (Japan)
The center is devoted to research, academic programs, special conferences of scholars, and a range of publications in polymer studies. Each year, a series of public seminars brings speakers from over 20 countries to the Boston University campus.
The primary interest of the Polymer Center is understanding polymer systems on a fundamental microscopic level. To this end, it focuses on describing the basic spatial configurations assumed by polymer molecules. This information can then be used to predict the macroscopic behavior of polymer materials. The center’s work involves the development and application of modern methods of statistical mechanics: series, Monte Carlo, and renormalization group. In addition, there is a considerable effort devoted to understanding the percolation problem and its application to various physical systems, e.g., polymer elastomeric networks and fluid flow through porous media.
The experimental program is largely concerned with studying the structure of polymers at the molecular level, primarily using the techniques of Raman and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy to probe the molecular structure and molecular conformation of polymers. Particular emphasis is placed on the application of this technique to polymer gels and to biological polymers.
Another area of active investigation concerns structural studies of biological polymers, and of natural and model cell membrane systems.
Recently, the center has come to play a leading role in the applications of advanced technologies to the integrated teaching of science and mathematics in secondary schools. Using a mixture of hands-on experiments and computer simulations, the student is led along a path of exploration designed to involve him or her in discovering recent results in statistical science, fractals, and polymer physics.
Courses and seminars in polymer studies and in biophysics are offered at both graduate and undergraduate levels in the College of Arts & Sciences and in the School of Medicine. The center also sponsors a series of international exchange programs involving visiting professors from all over the world.
For further information, contact the Director, Professor H. Eugene Stanley, 590 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215; 617-353-2617.
CENTER FOR REMOTE SENSING
The following list reflects the 2007/2008 faculty.
Director Farouk El-Baz
Faculty
Farouk El-Baz Director, Center for Remote Sensing; Research Professor of Remote Sensing. BSc, Ain Shams University (Egypt); MS, Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy; PhD, University of Missouri, Rolla
Affiliated Faculty
Thomas J. Barfield Chair, Department of Anthropology; Professor of Anthropology, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, University of Pennsylvania; MA, PhD, Harvard University
Duncan M. FitzGerald Associate Professor of Earth Sciences, College of Arts & Sciences (Sedimentology, Coastal Processes, Marine Geology). BA, University of New Hampshire; MS, Texas A & M, University; PhD, University of South Carolina
Mark Friedl Associate Professor of Geography (Physical Climatology, Remote Sensing, Geographic Information Systems), College of Arts & Sciences. BS, McGill University (Canada); MA, PhD, University of California, Santa Barbara
Eman Ghoneim Research Assistant Professor, Center for Remote Sensing (Geomorphology, Physical Geography). BA, MSc, Tanta University (Egypt); MPhil, PhD, Southampton University (U.K.)
Sucharita Gopal Professor of Geography, College of Arts & Sciences. MSc, MPhil, Madras University (India); PhD, University of California, Santa Barbara
Magaly Koch Research Associate Professor, Center for Remote Sensing (Geology, Remote Sensing, Geographic Information Systems). MS, Universität zu Köln, (Germany); PhD, Boston University
Xiaowen Li Research Professor of Geography. MA, MS, PhD, University of California, Santa Barbara
Richard W. Murray Associate Professor of Earth Sciences, College of Arts & Sciences (Paleoceanography, Marine Biogeo-chemistry). AB, Hamilton College; PhD, University of California, Berkeley
Ranga B. Myneni Professor of Geography, College of Arts & Sciences. PhD, University of Antwerp (Belgium)
Mutlu Ozdogan Research Associate. BS, Istanbul University; MS, North Carolina State University; MA, PhD, Boston University
Cordula Robinson Research Associate Professor, Center for Remote Sensing (Remote Sensing, Geology, Groundwater). BSC, Durham University, (England); PhD, University College London (England)
Guido D. Salvucci Chair, Department of Earth Sciences; Associate Professor of Earth Sciences and Geography. BS, New York University; BE, The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Arts & Sciences; MS, PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Crystal Schaaf Research Associate Professor, Center for Remote Sensing, College of Arts & Sciences (Remote Sensing, Meteorology). SB, SM, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; ALM, Harvard University; PhD, Boston University
Alan Strahler Chair, Department of Geography; Professor of Geography. BA, PhD, Johns Hopkins University
James R. Wiseman Director, Center for Archaeological Studies; Professor of Archaeology, Classics, and Art History, College of Arts & Sciences. AB, University of Missouri; AM, PhD, University of Chicago
Curtis Woodcock Professor of Geography, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, MA, PhD, University of California, Santa Barbara
The Boston University Center for Remote Sensing was established in 1986. It is an interdisciplinary facility sponsored by the Departments of Anthropology, Archaeology, Earth Sciences, and Geography & Environment. The center is designed to provide the following three primary objectives: interdisciplinary research that uses remotely sensed data; undergraduate and graduate education in remote sensing and Geographic Information Systems (GIS); and training for professionals in several fields in the application of remote sensing techniques and GIS methodologies. Initial funding was provided by Boston University and was followed by program support from the W. M. Keck Foundation of Los Angeles, California.
Research at the center concentrates on the applications of satellite images to the study of the environment of the earth. Research was conducted on forests, wetlands, agricultural areas, and arid lands. Multi-year projects in support of groundwater exploration and use in agriculture were conducted in Turka, Egypt, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.). In addition, projects through UNESCO and NSF relate to the applications of remote sensing to archaeological investigations at numerous world heritage sites.
The center also conducts specialized training for mid-career professionals as part of capacity building programs. This is commonly requested and supported by government agencies. For example, special training programs have been designed for geologists and mapmakers from Jordan and the U.A.E. Training is conducted at the facility in Boston University. In addition, the center has hosted Fulbright Scholars and EU-funded scholars seeking training in remote sensing and GIS. The center also organizes workshops on remote sensing applications in cooperation with NSF and the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World (TWAS) in Triente, Italy.
The center is housed in a renovated facility at Boston University, adjacent to the Stone Science Building. In addition to offices for faculty and support staff, the center has a research laboratory as well as a photo archives room. In 1992 and 1997, the center was awarded a grant by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to establish a new computer facility. This Center of Excellence Award has dramatically increased the resources and capabilities of the center for both teaching and research. The center is served by the Stone Science Library, with a collection of books and journals on remote sensing and related fields.
The center is equipped with servers and Sun and Dell workstations. The main server is a Linux-based server-storage system-a Dell Opteron with 6Gb of RAM and 5 Tb of storage. Researchers have access to ten Sun workstations—9 Sun Ultra 10’s and one Sun Ultra 1-along with 5 Dell Precision workstations for applications requiring windows. In addition to these in-house facilities, researchers and students have access to the Center for Excellence in Remote Sensing Laboratory, which houses 3 Sun servers and 13 Windows workstations.
Image processing software includes PCI Geomatica, ENVI, ERDAS Image, IDL, and Image Processing Workbench (IPW). Geographic Information Systems software includes ARCINFO, ARCGIS, GRASS and the SPLUS statistical package. Space is available on several servers for storing image files and map sets used in the center’s applications software.
The center’s combination of hardware and software provides a powerful and diverse environment for image processing and GIS research and education.
The center’s other facilities include multiple photo-quality inkjet printers, multiple black and color laser printers, and an HP Designjet 800ps plotter, capable of printing media up to 42 inches across and 20 feet long. The center’s photographic archive includes images of the moon and planets as well as photographs of the earth obtained by NASA missions. Ground sensors at the center include an electromagnetic conductivity meter, ground penetrating radar, a multispectral camera, a proton magnetometer, a spectral radiometer, and a tethered blimp.
The Center for Remote Sensing is staffed by the director, a computer resources manager and software specialist, and an administrative assistant. All research activities are conducted by faculty members, research associates, and graduate students enrolled in affiliated departments.
SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS EDUCATION CENTER
The following list reflects the 2007/2008 faculty.
Director Kenneth Brecher
Affiliated Faculty
Gerald L. Abegg Professor Emeritus of Education, School of Education. AB, AM, Washington University (Missouri); PhD, University of Nebraska
Paul Blanchard Associate Professor of Mathematics, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, Brown University; PhD, Yale University
Kenneth Brecher Director, Science and Mathematics Education Center; Professor of Astronomy and Professor of Physics, College of Arts & Sciences. BS, PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Robert L. Devaney Professor of Mathematics, College of Arts & Sciences. AB, College of the Holy Cross; PhD, University of California, Berkeley
Dan Dill Professor of Chemistry, College of Arts & Sciences (chemical physics). BA, Boston University; SM, PhD, University of Chicago
Howard Eichenbaum Chair, Department of Psychology; Professor of Psychology, College of Arts & Sciences. BS, PhD, University of Michigan
Carol S. Findell Clinical Associate Professor of Education, School of Education. BA, MST, University of New Hampshire; EdD, Boston University
Marvin I. Freedman Professor of Mathematics, College of Arts & Sciences. BS, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; MA, PhD, Brandeis University
David Fried Professor of Mathematics, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, MA, University of Chicago; PhD, University of California, Berkeley
Peter Garik Associate Professor of Education, School of Education. BS, State University of New York, Stony Brook; MS, PhD, Cornell University
Roscoe Giles Associate Professor of Physics, College of Arts & Sciences; Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering, School of Engineering. BA, University of Chicago; MS, PhD, Stanford University
Elizabeth A. Godrick Professor of Biology, College of Arts & Sciences (cell biology). AB, Bucknell University; MA, PhD, Boston University
Bennett B. Goldberg Chair, Department of Physics; Professor of Physics, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, Harvard University; MS, PhD, Brown University
Carole E. Greenes Professor of Education, School of Education. AB, University of Michigan; EdM, EdD, Boston University
Stephen Grossberg Chairman, Department of Cognitive & Neural Systems; Director, Center for Adaptive Systems; Wang Professor of Cognitive & Neural Systems; Professor of Mathematics, Psychology, and Biomedical Engineering, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, Dartmouth College; MS, Stanford University; PhD, Rockfeller University
Glen Richard Hall Associate Professor of Mathematics, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, Carleton College; PhD, University of Minnesota
Standish C. Hartman Professor Emeritus of Chemistry, College of Arts & Sciences (biochemistry). SB, SM, PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Morton Z. Hoffman Professor Emeritus of Chemistry, College of Arts & Sciences. AB, City University of New York, Hunter College; MS, PhD, University of Michigan
Judith Schickedanz Professor of Education, School of Education. BS, MS, PhD, University of Illinois
Mary H. Shann Professor of Education, School of Education. BS, MEd, PhD, Boston College
H. Eugene Stanley Director, Center for Polymer Studies, Graduate School of Arts & Sciences; University Professor; Professor of Physics, College of Arts & Sciences (condensed water theory); Professor of Physiology, School of Medicine. BA, Wesleyan University; PhD, Harvard University
Glenn Stevens Professor of Mathematics, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, University of California, Santa Barbara; PhD, Harvard University
George O. Zimmerman Professor Emeritus of Physics, College of Arts & Sciences. BS, MS, PhD, Yale University
The aim of the center is to improve the quality of formal college and precollege science and mathematics learning, instruction, materials, and curricula, as well as to promote informal and public science education. The center is addressing these issues by (1) drawing on the faculty resources of all of the appropriate schools and colleges within the University to develop and improve curricula and materials, and to explore the uses of new technologies in helping students to learn science and mathematics; (2) serving as a resource to elementary and secondary schools by designing and offering enrichment, development, and training programs for current and prospective precollege science and mathematics teachers; and (3) developing joint ventures with local, state, national, and international science, mathematics and technology-related groups including universities and other nonprofit institutions, as well as private corporations.
The center serves as an umbrella for the precollege and informal science and mathematics education programs already in place within the Boston University community, as well as for future research and development projects in these fields. Schools that are working with the center include: the College of Arts & Sciences, in which faculty members are engaged in science and mathematics curriculum development projects; the School of Education, which is recognized for its current science teacher training programs; the College of Communication, which awards a master’s degree in science and communication for science and technical writers; the College of Engineering, which conducts research and development in such areas as computer graphics; the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences which, in collaboration with the School of Education, awards a Master of Arts in Teaching for mathematics and science teachers; and other schools within the University whose faculty are interested in developing technology-mediated instruction and curriculum materials.
Current sources of national education funding support large-scale curriculum reform and materials development programs. However, studies suggest that many teachers do not know how to effectively use the materials that are already available. Therefore, other major programs are focusing on the professional growth of current precollege science and mathematics teachers, as well as the development of prospective new precollege science and mathematics teachers. Institutes, seminars, and programs have been offered through the center to attract more teachers to science and mathematics education and to update the knowledge and enhance the skills of those currently teaching science in the precollege setting. These activities also promote improved linkages between precollege teachers and University faculty in science, mathematics, and engineering.
The center has developed cooperative educational research and development projects with other local, state, and national resource centers and corporations. Examples of such organizations involved in science, mathematics, and technology education are: the New England Aquarium, the Boston Museum of Science, the Boston Children’s Museum, the Educational Development Center (EDC), the Technical Education Research Center (TERC), and the Concord Consortium.
For further information about the center, please contact Kenneth Brecher, Director, 605 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215; 617-353-7100.
CENTER FOR SPACE PHYSICS
The following list reflects the 2007/2008 faculty.
Director Supriya Chakrabarti
Associate Director Joshua Semeter
Faculty
Sunandu Basu Research Professor of Astronomy & Space Physics, College of Arts & Sciences. BSc, Calcutta University (India); AM, Boston University
Supriya Chakrabarti Director, Center for Space Physics; Associate Professor of Astronomy, College of Arts & Sciences. BE, University of Calcutta (India); MS, PhD, University of California, Berkeley
Jiasheng Chen Research Assistant Professor. BS, Peking University; MS, Chinese Academy of Sciences; PhD, University of Delaware
John Clarke Research Professor of Astronomy & Space Physics, College of Arts & Sciences. BS, Denison University; MA, PhD, Johns Hopkins University
Timothy Cook Assistant Research Professor of Astronomy & Space Physics. BA, Johns Hopkins University; PhD, University of Colorado
Nancy Crooker Research Professor of Astronomy & Space Physics, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, Knox College; MS, PhD, University of California, Los Angeles
Theodore Fritz Professor of Astronomy, College of Arts & Sciences. BS, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, MS, PhD, University of Iowa
Charles Goodrich Research Professor of Astronomy & Space Physics, College of Arts & Sciences. BSc, PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Michael Mendillo Professor of Astronomy, College of Arts & Sciences. BS, Providence College; MA, PhD, Boston University
William Oliver Associate Professor of Electrical, Computer, and Systems Engineering, College of Engineering. BEE, MS, Auburn University; PhD, University of Illinois
Meers Oppenheim Associate Professor of Astronomy, College of Arts & Sciences. BS, PhD, Cornell University
Joshua Semeter Associate Director, Center for Space Physics, Graduate School of Arts & Sciences; Assistant Professor of Electrical, Computer, and Systems Engineering, College of Engineering. BS, University of Massachusetts, Amherst; MS, PhD, Boston University
George Siscoe Research Professor of Astronomy & Space Physics, College of Arts & Sciences. BS, PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Harlan Spence Professor of Astronomy, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, Boston University; MS, PhD, University of California, Los Angeles
Nathan Schwadron Associate Professor of Astronomy & Space Physics. BA, Oberlin College; PhD, University of Michigan
Research Associates
Jeffrey Baumgardner Senior Research Associate. BA, MA, Boston University
Yakov Dimant Research Associate. MS, Novosibirsk State University (Russia); PhD, Lebedev Institute of Physics (Russia)
Marina Galand Research Fellow, Physics, Engineering. Diploma, DEA, University of Strasbourg (France); PhD, University of Grenoble (France)
Carlos Martinis Research Associate. BA, University en Fisica; MA, PhD, Boston University
Luke Moore Research Associate. BS, University of Arizona; MA, PhD, Boston University
Ingo Muller-Wodarg Research Fellow. MSc, PhD, University College (United Kingdom)
Jonathan Nichols Research Associate. PhD, University of Leicester
Duggirala Pallam-Raju Research Fellow. MSc, Osamania University (India); PhD, Physical Research Laboratory (India)
Henry Rishbeth Research Fellow. BA, MA, PhD, University of Cambridge (United Kingdom)
Steven Smith Senior Research Associate. BS, MS, PhD, University of Canterbury (New Zealand)
Jody K. Wilson Senior Research Associate. BS, Ohio State University; MS, PhD, University of Colorado, Boulder
Paul Withers Senior Research Associate. BA, MS, Cambridge University (England); PhD, University of Arizona
Staff
Eric Beiser Project Coordinator. LCI, BS, Boston University
Erin Buck Administrative Assistant
David Ellsworth Proposal Development Administrator
Michael Golightly Deputy Project Scientist (CRATER). BS, U.S. Naval Academy
Paul Jung Mechanical Engineer. BS, Boston University
Brian Larsen Instrument Suite Scientist (RBSP-ECT). BS, Linfield College; MS, PhD, Montana State University
Clara Narvaez Staff Research. BA, Boston University
Kristin Sacca Project Coordinator, CRaTER.
Sonya Sherman Assistant Director. BS, MBA, Almeda University
Joei Wroten Research Staff. BS, University of Michigan
The Center for Space Physics provides a focus for research and graduate training in space physics at Boston University. It is an interdisciplinary center that includes faculty from the College of Engineering and the College of Arts & Sciences/Graduate School of Arts & Sciences.
The primary research aim is to understand the physical processes that govern the behavior of the atmospheres and plasma environments of Earth, Sun, and other solar system bodies. The tenuous upper atmosphere and plasmas surrounding the planets are a rich, natural laboratory in which to study how matter behaves at the very low densities and often very high temperatures found in space. Disturbances in space affect spacecraft, upset communications, and disrupt electrical power grids. Members of the center study the causes of these disturbances and our ability to predict them. Faculty members of the center conduct research programs that study the Earth’s mesosphere, thermosphere, ionosphere, and magnetosphere, as well as the solar wind and the coupling between these regions. Additional activities include interests in cometary plasmas, planetary atmospheres and magnetospheres, and the interplanetary medium. Research programs carried on in the center include efforts in theory, numerical modeling, observation, and data analysis. Members of the center are involved with various NASA and other rocket and spacecraft missions producing flight instruments and analyzing data. Our energetic-particle sensors on the POLAR spacecraft are providing excellent data. Our experimental research enterprise has reached a new high—we have been awarded three new space missions including an experiment called Cosmic Ray Telescope for the Effects of Radiation (CRaTER), aboard the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), NASA’s return mission to the Moon (see the cover). This took advantage of a new opportunity at NASA, where a return to the moon and the study of Mars became two research priorities in response to the President’s agenda for space. Center members built and launched a small research satellite named TERRIERS (Tomographic Experiment Using Radiative Recombinative Ionospheric EUV and Radio Sources). Faculty and students also make extensive use of the Millstone Hill Incoherent Scatter Ionospheric Radar (located near Boston), as well as other IS radars in Greenland, Puerto Rico, and Peru. Center facilities include state-of-the-art optical instrumentation capable of a wide range of ground-based applications in low-light-level imaging, tomographic spectroscopy, and a ground-based network of magnetometers for studies of high latitude phenomena.
For more information about the center, contact Supriya Chakrabarti, Director, Center for Space Physics, 725 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215; 617-353-5990.
CENTER FOR TRANSPORTATION STUDIES
The following list reflects the 2007/2008 faculty.
Director T. R. Lakshmanan
Faculty
Lata Chatterjee Research Professor of Geography & Environment, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, MA, PhD, Calcutta University (India); PhD, Johns Hopkins University
John R. Harris Professor of Economics, Institute for Economic Development, Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. MA, PhD, Northwestern University
Syed A. Hasnath Master Lecturer, Department of Geography, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, MA, Rajshaki University (Bangladesh); MPP, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Dhaka; MSC, University of Wales (England); PhD, Boston University
Ralph Hingson Chair and Professor, Department of Social & Behavioral Sciences, School of Public Health. ScD, MPH, Johns Hopkins University
T. R. Lakshmanan Executive Director, Center for Energy & Environmental Studies; Director, Center for Transportation Studies; Professor of Geography, College of Arts & Sciences. BSc, MA, University of Madras (India); PhD, Ohio State University
Ian Sue Wing Assistant Professor, Geography & Environment, College of Arts & Sciences, Center for Energy & Environmental Studies. BA, BE, Dartmouth College; MSc, Oxford University; PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
N. Venkatraman Associate Professor of Management Information Systems, School of Management. PhD, University of Pittsburgh
Joan Walker Assistant Professor, Department of Geography, College of Arts & Sciences. BS, University of California at Berkeley; MS, PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Center for Transportation Studies advances scholarship in transportation studies at Boston University by promoting and facilitating multidisciplinary research and by providing programs of education, communication, and service. Areas of research include economic, environmental, and public safety aspects of transportation; development and operation of public transportation systems; and the dynamics of transportation choice by households and firms. Research projects are currently or recently funded by the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Transit Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, the National Science Foundation, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
In addition to conducting externally funded research projects, the center sponsors seminars, workshops, and special-purpose courses on a variety of transportation topics. Associated faculty members provide a number of courses on transportation to graduate and undergraduate students through the Department of Geography.
While the Center for Transportation Studies does not offer separate graduate degrees, students wishing to pursue post-graduate study in transportation may apply for MA and PhD programs in the Department of Geography where they can work under the supervision of associated faculty members.
Published by Trustees of Boston University
One Silber Way
Boston, MA 02215
19 December 2008
Boston University
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