Eli Romero (GRS'13) dives in a reef tank that simulates the waters off the coast of Belize.
Graduate students in the College of Arts & Sciences learn that a critical component of their education is the need to apply what they learn to the benefit of their communities. The Graduate School's ability to impart that lesson improved significantly last April when it received a five-year, $2.8 million National Science Foundation grant to cultivate a new generation of scientists as both solid researchers and effective communicators.
The grant, awarded under the NSF GK-12 Fellows Program, supports the work of a team of BU professors in a project called GLACIER (GLobAl Change Initiative: Education and Research). Faculty members representing five departments (Geography & Environment, Biology, Earth Sciences, and Statistics) in CAS and Mechanical & Electrical Engineering in the College of Engineering will supervise 10 graduate fellows in yearlong placements in Cambridge or Brookline schools. The goal is to get these fellows working with public school teachers to improve lesson plans about a critical topic: global climate change.
The project is designed to apply the benefits of graduate-level education to a broad community of citizens to help them make informed decisions about the environment while helping future scientists develop multidisciplinary perspectives and strong analytical skills. GLACIER will strengthen the ties between Boston University and two partner school districts in Cambridge and Brookline, as well as enhance existing links to local museum, zoo, aquarium, and other field sites. GLACIER brings in faculty from Geography & Environment (Nathan Phillips, Robert Kaufman, Bruce Anderson, Crystal Schaaf), Biology (Les Kaufmann, Richard Primack), Statistics (Surajit Ray), Earth Sciences (David Marchant), Engineering (Michael Gevelber, Michael Ruane), and Education (Don DeRosa). The principal investigator for the project is Geography & Environment Professor Suchi Gopal.
Project GLACIER is representative of the creativity and focus on socially responsible research and education found throughout the Graduate School, demonstrating once again that investing in Boston University and the College of Arts & Sciences is investing in the community. To learn more about this project, see Global Change Reaches Middle School.
Sucharita Gopal, professor of geography & environment, with graduate fellows who will share their expertise at Cambridge and Brookline middle schools.
Thanks to programs like GLACIER, Boston University increasingly is recognized as a leading U.S. and international graduate research institution. This year, the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), published by the Center for World-Class Universities and the Institute of Higher Education of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China, ranked Boston University among the top 100 world universities. Seven CAS Graduate School (GRS) doctoral programs appear in the top 50 of the U.S. News & World Report rankings, including economics, which was ranked 24th in its field. French, English, bioinformatics and computational biology, mathematics, and biostatistics are ranked in the top 10 of their fields by the Academic Analytics data on faculty productivity as reported in the Chronicle of Higher Education.
During the 2009/2010 academic year, CAS faculty members were highly productive in their research and scholarly accomplishments, as indicated by the record levels of grant funding and the numerous papers published, talks presented, and awards received. The total dollar amount of new grants and contracts generated in Fiscal Year 2010 was $93,568,843, an increase of $7,891,115 (9.2 percent) over the previous year. Most notable were the Department of Earth Sciences, which increased the total number of awards from 25 to 36, and the Department of Computer Science, which increased total dollars from $1.5 million to $5.3 million.
Graduate Programs Enrollment
Registered students, fall 2009
(Data from Link list of GRS students)
| Rank | Program Name | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Economics programs | 255 |
| 2 | Psychology | 141 |
| 3 | International Relations | 116 |
| 4 | Physics | 101 |
| 5 | Chemistry | 98 |
| 6 | Biology | 82 |
| 7 | Biostatistics | 72 |
| 8 | Religious Studies | 69 |
| 9 | Political Science | 65 |
| 10 | Computer Science | 63 |
| 11 | Art History | 62 |
| 12 | English | 59 |
| 12 | Philosophy | 59 |
| 14 | Archaeology programs | 57 |
| 15 | American & New England Studies | 54 |
| 16 | Cognitive & Neural Systems | 53 |
| 17 | History | 52 |
| 18 | Mathematics | 43 |
| 19 | Astronomy | 38 |
| 20 | Geography | 36 |
| 21 | Molecular & Cell Biology and Biochemistry | 34 |
| 21 | Anthropology | 34 |
| 23 | Hispanic Language & Literature | 32 |
| 23 | Creative Writing | 32 |
| 25 | Applied Linguistics | 31 |
| 26 | Energy & Environmental Studies | 29 |
| 27 | Sociology | 26 |
| 28 | Sociology & Social Work | 24 |
| 29 | Neuroscience | 21 |
| 29 | Classical Studies | 21 |
| 31 | French Language & Literature | 19 |
| 32 | Earth Sciences | 17 |
| 33 | Editorial Studies | 14 |
| 34 | MBA & Management/MA | 13 |
| 34 | Music programs | 13 |
| 36 | No major | 11 |
| 36 | Preservation Studies | 11 |
| 38 | African American Studies | 4 |
| 39 | Biotechnology | 3 |
| 39 | MBA— Public Management/MA | 3 |
| 41 | Applied Anthropology | 1 |
| TOTAL | 1,968 |
Graduate Degrees Conferred, Academic Year 2009/2010
| Degree | MA | MFA | MA of MA/PhD | MA of BA/MA | MA/JD | Post-MA PhD | Post-BA PhD | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | 205 | 11 | 21 | 12 | 3 | 103 | 118 | 473 |
Graduate School Leadership
Until recently, stewardship of the graduate and research missions of CAS was combined in a single associate dean position. With the expansion of both the graduate and research missions, the demands of this office grew beyond the capability of a single individual. To address this situation, the office was divided into two distinct positions, the Associate Dean of the Graduate School, and the Associate Dean for Research & Outreach.
At the end of the 2009/2010 academic year, W. Jeffrey Hughes, professor of astronomy, was named Associate Dean of the Graduate School. A native of Wales, he received both his BSc and PhD in physics from Imperial College, London. He joined the Boston University faculty in 1978, where he was the founding director of the Center for Space Physics and has served as chair of the Astronomy Department and director of the Center for Integrated Space Weather Modeling.
Annual Report 2009/2010
From the Dean
In the past year the College of Arts & Sciences has gone from strength to strength.
Strengthening the Quality of the Faculty
The strength and reputation of Boston University and CAS as a world-class teaching and research institution rest on the quality of its faculty.
Attracting and Nurturing the Best Students
By maintaining high standards of academic quality and integrity and adhering to the best liberal arts traditions, CAS increasingly is regarded as a prime destination by intelligent and highly motivated students.
Strengthening the Student Experience: Focusing on Student Success
The College of Arts & Sciences works hard to attract great students and is committed to making sure they stay once they get here.
Strengthening Graduate Education
Graduate students in the College of Arts & Sciences learn that a critical component of their education is the need to apply what they learn to the benefit of their communities.
Enhancing The Research Mission In The College Of Arts & Sciences
The research trajectory of the College continued its upward climb this year.
Strengthening Our Connections to the Community and the World
In keeping with the collaborative teaching and research culture that exists across BU, CAS partners in many graduate programs across the University.
Managing Our Financial Resources
The current economic downturn has had a real impact on resource development initiatives at colleges and universities nationwide.
Nurturing Our Connections with Alumni and Friends
Strong, vital connections with alumni are critical to our being able to realize the goals we have indentified in our strategic planning and beyond.
Celebrating the Class of 2010
Seniors and their families, faculty, trustees, and other members of the BU community celebrated the 137th Commencement of Boston University at Nickerson Field on Sunday, May 16.
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