BU Says Goodbye, Virtually, to STH Dean Mary Elizabeth Moore
Today the School of Theology will take to the online platform Zoom to honor retiring Dean Mary Elizabeth Moore (left), here with Elizabeth Hurd (STH’19). Photo by Dave Green
BU Says Goodbye, Virtually, to STH Dean Mary Elizabeth Moore
Also in our Coronavirus Wednesday Roundup: Governor orders schools to remain closed for the rest of the school year
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Celebrating STH Dean Moore on her retirement
The School of Theology will bid farewell today to Mary Elizabeth Moore, dean of STH, a professor of theology and education, and codirector of BU’s Center for Practical Theology. Moore, who is retiring, will be saluted for her contributions to the school, and for her legacy as a scholar, researcher, educator, administrator, church leader, peace-builder, and advocate for interfaith understanding. But the tributes will be virtual because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“From her work on feminism, ecological justice, and interfaith leadership to her many contributions in the fields of practical, process, Wesleyan, and contextual theology, it is scarcely possible to measure Dean Moore’s impact both on Boston University School of Theology and on theological education more broadly,” says Bryan Stone, E. Stanley Jones Professor of Evangelism, STH associate dean for academic affairs, and codirector of the Center for Practical Theology.
Read the BU Today story about Dean Moore’s retirement here.
Moore, who has led STH since January 2009, will be feted on the videoconferencing platform Zoom from 11 am to 3:30 pm, and the University community is invited to join by going to the celebration-of-retirement page and clicking the link.
The schedule for the Zoom webinar:
- 11 to 11:45 am: Worship service celebrating Earth Day and recognizing Dean Moore’s work in the area of environmental justice
- Noon to 1:30 pm: Community Panel, with tributes from the STH Student Association and speakers focused on Dean Moore’s work in practical theology, interfaith education, and contextual learning
- 2 to 3:30 pm: Faculty Panel focused on Dean Moore’s work on the future of theological education, delving into her work on dismantling racism, feminist/womanist/women’s voices, and ecological justice. President Robert A. Brown will introduce the event.
“Dean Moore has provided clear-headed, compassionate, and inspired leadership,” Jean Morrison, University provost and chief academic officer, wrote in announcing Moore’s retirement decision last fall. “Her passion for theological education and dedication to building a more just, peaceful, and sustainable world are apparent to all who have interacted with, and been impacted by, Dean Moore during her time at Boston University.”
A search committee has been working since last fall to find Moore’s successor.
Boston and Beyond News
Governor Charlie Baker orders public and private schools to stay closed
On Tuesday, the governor ordered Massachusetts schools to remain closed for the rest of the school year while virtual learning continues in homes across the commonwealth. Public and private schools have been closed since mid-March to avoid spreading the coronavirus, and the Massachusetts Teachers Association was among those urging the governor to make this call. “It’s the right thing to do, considering the facts on the ground,” Baker said. Students “cannot safely return to school and avoid the risk of transmitting this virus to others.” The order does not apply to residential special education schools. Nonemergency daycare centers will remain closed until June 29.
Getting back to business. Not business as usual
Regardless of what policymakers allow, says Greg Bialecki, former Massachusetts secretary of housing and economic development, the deciding factor will be consumer comfort. He said on BU’s National Public Radio station, WBUR, that some behaviors may be changing for good while people are cooped up. “Everybody’s been buying streaming services,” he said. “For health reasons, and just for consumer preference reasons, will people go back to watching movies in big movie theaters? We don’t know for sure. There’s going to be a lot of change and disruption in the medical industry. I think you’re seeing the rise of telehealth, in a big way. I think that may be a permanent change.”
…and the changes may include how we vote
Members of the Massachusetts congressional delegation, led by Representative Joe Kennedy III (D-Mass.) are calling on Beacon Hill to pass a statewide vote-by-mail law, reports WBUR, while urging Congress to fund efforts to expand voter access across the country. Kennedy is challenging US Senator Ed Markey (Hon.’04) (D-Mass.) for his Senate seat this fall. Kennedy and others cite last week’s Wisconsin election, where voters were forced to wait for hours in long lines that wrapped around city blocks, suppressing turnout and possibly spreading the coronavirus.
US & Global News
Home testing for the coronavirus
The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday said it had granted emergency approval to the first in-home test for COVID-19, a nasal swab kit that will be sold by LabCorp. The New York Times reports that patients will swab their own nose using a testing kit sent by the company and will mail it in an insulated package back to the company. The test, called the Pixel, will be available to consumers in most states, with a doctor’s order, the FDA said. The test will cost $119, according to LabCorp.
Food for thought
The Atlantic features an essay by a Trader Joe’s worker offering a different perspective on all the gratitude talk these days: “Calling Me a Hero Only Makes You Feel Better,” says the headline. “I work in a grocery store. All this grandiose praise rings insincere.”
Latest count of coronavirus cases
United States, 804,194; Massachusetts, 41,199.
News You Can Use:
Along with the deadly pandemic and the economic collapse, many of us face mundane new problems related to COVID-19, like our breath escaping around our face masks and making our glasses fog up. The New York Times is on it, with a detailed explanation of remedies, ranging from using pipe cleaners to stiffen up your mask or actually taping it to your nose. Not surprisingly, healthcare workers are the experts here. Fixing your mask is a good idea also because where breath escapes, the virus can get in.
Find BU Today’s latest coverage of the pandemic here. The University’s hotline for faculty, staff, students, and visiting scholars to call for referral of their virus-related medical concerns is 617-358-4990.