Attracting and Nurturing the Best Students

Class of 2018 Profile

Profile of the Class of 2018, Registered and Settled Through Fall 2014 Final (Official Mid-Semester)

Total Number of Entering Students, Fall 2014: 1,795

Male 35.4% (635)
Female 64.6% (1,160)

Top 10 Programs/Majors

Undeclared 423
Biology 173
Economics 167
Psychology 111
International Relations 91
Computer Science 76
Mathematics 69
Biology-Cell/Molecular/Genetics 68
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology 54
Neuroscience 51

 

Academic Accomplishment

The class entering in fall 2014 was the most accomplished academically in the College’s history.

Credentials Average Middle 50%
SAT Critical Reading 629 570-690
SAT Math 687 640–740
SAT Writing 655 610–700
SAT Composite 1970 1860–2060
ACT Composite 30 28-32
High School Rank in Class 89.9 --
High School GPA 3.64 --

 

Rank in Class
Top 5% 43.9%
Top 10% 67.5%
Top 15% 83.1%
Top 20% 90.9%
Top 25% 96.3%
Top 30% 99.2%
Top 50% 99.2%

 

The Class of 2018 demonstrates a wide range of ethnic diversity; 29% of the class identifies as international.

Ethnicity Number % of Class % of Domestic Known
African American 70 3.9% 5.7%
Hispanic 156 8.7% 12.7%
Native American 12 0.7% 1.0%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 3 0.2% 0.2%
Asian 298 16.6% 24.3%
Caucasian 687 38.3% 56.0%
International 517 28.8% --
Unspecified 52 2.9% --
Total: 1,795 100.0% 100.0%

 

Geography


Most domestic students who entered in fall 2014 are from the Northeast and California, with Massachusetts leading the way. The largest contingent of international students is from the People’s Republic of China (including Hong Kong) (347 freshmen).

Geography
# of states 47
% from out of state 86.0%


Top States
Massachusetts 251
New York 183
California 151
New Jersey 110
Pennsylvania 81
Connecticut 72
Florida 55
Illinois 42
Maryland 38
Georgia 29
Other states, D.C. 268
Territories, APO 7
Foreign address 508
Territories represented: PR, AF Pac
State(s) not represented: MS, ND, SD, WY


Region
New England 20.9%
Mid-Atlantic 23.0%
Midwest 5.6%
South 8.2%
Southwest 1.6%
West 1.8%
Pacific 10.1%
Other 28.4%



The majority of entering international students in Fall 2014 came from Asia, with the greatest number coming from China.

Geography
# of countries 51


Top Countries by Citizenship
China (Incl. Hong Kong) 347
Republic of Korea 35
India 20
Taiwan, R.O.C. 8
Japan 7
Thailand 7
Italy 6
Canada 6

 

First-Year Student Enrollment

The table below shows the intended majors of first-year students matriculating at CAS for fall 2013 and fall 2014.

Intended Majors
Program/Major 2014 2013
Total CAS 1,795 1,795
American Studies 1 2
Ancient Greek 0 0
Ancient Greek & Latin 1 4
Anthropology 11 7
Anthropology & Religion 0 2
Archaeology 16 13
Art History 9 7
Astronomy 3 2
Astronomy & Physics 14 9
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology 54 44
Biology 173 179
Biology—Ecology & Conserv. Biology 10 6
Biology—Cell/Molecular/Genetic 28 60
Biology—Quantitative 2 0
Biology—Behavioral 14 6
Biology—Neurobiology 32 31
Chemistry 38 37
Chemistry—Biochemistry 26 23
Chemistry—Teaching 0 1
Chinese Language & Literature 0 2
Classical Civilization 1 1
Classics & Philosophy 2 0
Classics & Religion 1 0
Comparative Literature 1 1
Computer Science 76 47
Earth Sciences 1 2
East Asian Studies 2 7
Economics 167 187
Economics & Mathematics 31 31
English 29 36
Environmental Analysis & Policy 5 3
Environmental Earth Sciences 1 0
Environmental Science 17 16
French & Continental Euro. Lit. 0 0
French Language & Literature 0 2
Geography 0 0
Geography—Human Geography 3 2
Geography—Physical Geography 1 0
Geophysics & Planetary Sciences 0 1
German Language & Literature 0 0
Hispanic Language & Literature 2 1
History 18 21
International Relations 91 103
Italian Studies 1 1
Japanese Language & Literature 1 1
Latin 2 1
Latin American Studies 0 1
Linguistics 10 5
Marine Science 13 11
Mathematics 69 65
Mathematics & Computer Science 11 3
Mathematics & Philosophy 3 4
Music 1 5
Neuroscience 51 52
Philosophy 5 5
Philosophy & Anthropology 0 0
Philosophy & Physics 1 4
Philosophy & Political Science 7 4
Philosophy & Psychology 4 6
Philosophy & Religion 0 0
Physics 41 32
Political Science 37 68
Predentistry 0 0
Prelaw 0 0
Premedicine 4 28
Preveterinary Medicine 0 0
Psychology 111 98
Religion 2 0
Russian & Eastern European Studies 0 0
Russian Language & Literature 1 0
Sociology 28 16
Undeclared 423 450
Accel. Program in Liberal Arts & Medicine 26 16
Accel. Prog. in Liberal Arts & Dentistry 0 5

 

Enrollments and Bachelor’s Degrees Awarded by Major, AY 2014/2015

The table below lists the number of enrolled students in each CAS major, and the total number of degrees awarded in each major, during academic year 2014/2015.

Major Fall 2014 Enrolled Students Degrees Awarded (AY 2015)
Psychology 782 266
Economics 842 224
International Relations 679 196
Biology 477 105
Political Science 287 92
Neuroscience 337 91
Computer Science 386 70
English 209 70
History 182 60
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology 247 55
Sociology 142 55
Mathematics 339 46
Environ Analysis & Pol 101 43
Bio Cell, Molec, Gentc 208 36
Anthropology 90 36
Philosophy 73 31
Economics & Math 122 27
History of Art & Architecture 74 27
Chemistry 118 23
Marine Science 60 23
Bio, Ecology & Consv 53 22
Linguistics 54 20
Physics 110 18
Medical Science 68 18
Biology w/ spec Beh Bio 51 14
Archaeology 48 12
Biology, Neurobiology 84 11
Architectural Studies 39 9
Hispanic Language & Literature 24 9
French Studies 21 9
Earth Sciences 21 9
Music 12 8
Chemistry: Biochemistry 40 7
Classical Civilization 25 7
Math-Computer Science 25 7
Japanese Language & Literature 22 7
Philosophy & Political Science 11 7
Religion 15 6
American Studies 9 6
Astronomy & Physics 32 5
Geophysics & Planet Science 13 5
Environmental Science 60 4
MENA Studies 17 4
Ancient Greek & Latin 13 4
Chinese Language & Literature 10 4
Spanish & Linguistics 12 3
Germanic Language & Literature 9 3
Comparative Literature 5 3
Latin American Studies 5 3
Philosophy & Psychology 12 2
East Asian Studies 12 2
Math & Philosophy 11 2
Italian Studies 7 2
Russian Language & Literature 5 2
Classics & Religion 3 2
Anthropology & Religion 6 1
Astronomy 5 1
Cinema & Media Studies 4 1
European Studies 4 1
Bio Spec Quantitive Bio 4 1
Independent Concentration 3 1
Classics & Philosophy 2 1
French & Linguistics 7 0
Japanese & Linguistics 7 0
Predental Science 5 0
Geography/Human 5 0
Asian Studies 4 0
Linguistics & Philosophy 3 0
Latin 2 0
Biology— Neuroscience 2 0
Math & Math Education 2 0
Philosophy & Religion 2 0
Environmental Earth Science 1 0
Italian & Linguistics 1 0
Teaching Chemistry 1 0
Philosophy & Physics 1 0
Geography/Physical 1 0
Modern Greek Studioes 1 0
Undeclared 717 0
Total Students 6,856 1,640

 

New Academic Programs

The College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences introduced the following majors, minors, and graduate degree programs during AY 2014/15:

  • BA/MA in Archaeology
  • MS in Computer Science with Specialization in Data-Centric Computing
  • PhD (and MA) in Biogeoscience (pending University-level review)

New Courses

In addition to these degree programs, CAS introduced new courses. Broken down by division, we introduced:

  • Humanities: 47 new courses;
  • Natural & Computational Sciences: 11 new courses;
  • Social Sciences: 21 new courses; and
  • Interdisciplinary: 2 new courses.

Courses displayed the vast range of study at CAS. A random sampling:

  • “Having” and “Being” Across Languages
  • Microbiome: Our Intimate Relationship with Microorganisms
  • Comparative Immigration and Racial Politics


Post-Graduation Destination Profile CAS Class of 2014

BU surveys its undergraduate degree recipients each year to learn about paths taken following graduation, including employment, graduate school, military service, and volunteer or service activities. View the PDF.

 

Strengthening the Graduate Education

GRS Registered MA/MFA/MS Students (by Department):

The following table lists fall 2014 admissions statistics for MA/MFA/MS programs.

Program # Applications % International # Admitted % Admitted # Accepted
African American Studies 8 12.5% 3 37.5% 2
Applied Linguistics 65 36.9% 13 20.0% 5
Biostatistics 56 46.4% 30 53.6% 4
Computer Science
(All Programs)		 483 92.3% 26 5.4% 13
Earth & Environment
(All Programs)		 134 53.7% 61 45.5% 9
Economics
(All Programs)		 625 85.3% 519 83.0% 105
English 78 7.7% 49 43.6% 8
History of Art & Architecture 110 20.0% 48 43.6% 8
International Relations
(All Programs)		 323 40.2% 209 64.7% 41
Mathematics & Statistics 1259 86.5% 60 23.2% 15
Psychology 228 21.1% 96 42.1% 31
Creative Writing (MFA) 389 13.4% 20 5.1% 19
Playwriting (MFA) 28 10.7% 6 21.4% 5
Total (All Programs) 3,160 54.2% 1,230 38.9% 274



Program Total Enrollment Fall 2014 AY 14-15 Graduates
African American Studies 2 2
Applied Linguistics 13 6
Biostatistics 9 6
Computer Science (All Programs) 36 23
Earth & Environment (All Programs) 15 13
Economics (All Programs) 132 69
English 4 10
History of Art & Architecture 17 8
International Relations (All Programs) 103 35
Mathematics & Statistics 18 5
Psychology 38 30
Creative Writing (MFA) 27 18
Playwriting (MFA) 10 5
Total (All Programs) 471 267

 

GRS Registered PhD Students (by Department):

The following table lists fall 2014 admissions statistics for PhD programs.

Program # Applications % International # Admitted % Admitted # Accepted
AMNESP 59 22.0% 10 16.9% 6
Anthropology 127 28.3% 10 11.0% 6
Archaeology 82 14.6% 9 11.0% 6
Astronomy 78 19.2% 24 30.8% 6
Bioinformatics 116 46.6% 21 18.1% 12
Biology 161 31.1% 14 8.7% 8
Biostatistics 150 68.0% 16 10.7% 7
Chemistry 261 38.3% 65 24.9% 21
Classical Studies 22 13.6% 7 31.8% 3
Computer Science 193 78.8% 23 11.9% 14
Earth Sciences 39 53.8% 5 12.8% 3
Economics 711 76.1% 85 12.0% 22
Editorial Studies 5 0.0% 4 80.0% 3
English 177 12.4% 11 6.2% 5
French Language & Literature 27 48.1% 10 37.0% 4
Geography 39 69.2% 6 15.4% 3
Hispanic Language & Literature 39 38.5% 10 25.6% 6
History 115 13.0% 11 9.6% 4
History of Art & Architecture 8 21.8% 12 15.4% 4
Mathematics & Statistics 302 49.3% 19 6.3% 8
MCBB 112 36.6% 4 3.6% 3
Musicology 32 12.5% 7 21.9% 4
Philosophy 214 25.2% 15 7.0% 7
Physics 263 52.5% 62 23.6% 17
Political Science 91 58.2% 16 17.6% 8
Psychology 865 10.1% 13 1.5% 11
GDRS 92 18.5% 9 9.8% 8
Sociology 127 40.2% 13 10.2% 5
Sociology & Social Work 40 40.2% 9 22.5% 4
Total (all programs) 4,617 39.4% 520 11.3% 218



Program Total Enrollment Fall 2014 AY 14-15 Graduates
AMNESP 41 6
Anthropology 39 6
Archaeology 45 8
Astronomy 32 1
Bioinformatics 58 8
Biology 63 11
Biostatistics 43 8
Chemistry 94 7
Classical Studies 19 2
Computer Science 61 2
Earth Sciences 25 3
Economics 130 24
Editorial Studies 18 2
English 42 7
French Language & Literature 17 2
Geography 32 9
Hispanic Language & Literature 23 -
History 38 6
History of Art & Architecture 47 5
Mathematics & Statistics 45 6
MCBB 34 4
Musicology 18 3
Philosophy 42 4
Physics 94 16
Political Science 54 12
Psychology 74 13
GDRS 62 13
Sociology 35 3
Sociology & Social Work 22 1
Total (all programs) *1,400 194

*Totals include programs no longer admitting students.

 

 

Enhancing a World-Class Faculty

New CAS Faculty, AY 2015/2016

Each year, the College of Arts & Sciences recruits leading scholars and researchers from around the world to grow the ranks of its faculty. The faculty members listed below arrived new on campus for the 2015/16 academic year, unless stated otherwise.

Anthropology

  • Christopher Schmitt, Assistant Professor of Anthropology Christopher Schmitt earned a dual bachelor’s degree in English literature and zoology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2003 and his PhD in biological anthropology at New York University in 2010. He then became a postdoctoral research fellow and visiting assistant project scientist at the University of California (UC), Los Angeles’ Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics until 2013, when he joined UC Berkeley’s Human Evolution Research Center as a postdoctoral scholar from 2014 to 2015. Over the past two years, Christopher has co-authored 10 papers in peer-reviewed journals, including Virology, Behaviour, and the American Journal of Physical Anthropology. His ongoing research centers around the genomics of growth and development, with a focus on the genetic and epigenetic determinants of activity patterns and obesity.

Biology

  • Jerry Chen, Assistant Professor of Biology (Starts 7/1/16) Jerry Chen received a BA with honors in molecular and cell biology from the University of California, Berkeley, and a PhD in biology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Before joining BU, he was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Zurich. In his postdoctoral work, Jerry studied the role of long-range cortical circuits in the sensorimotor cortex of mice performing whisker-based decision-making tasks. His aim was to understand the organization and function of these circuits across genes, development, and behavior. He helped to develop a novel multi-area two-photon microscopy that enables the simultaneous imaging of neuronal activity across distant mammalian cortical areas with cellular resolution. Jerry has developed an impressive publishing record that includes articles in Science and Nature magazines, and he is an experienced teacher.

Chemistry

  • Arturo Vegas, Assistant Professor of Chemistry Arturo Vegas works in the area of biomaterials by combining chemical and engineering principles to develop novel approaches for targeted therapeutics. He earned a BS from Cornell University in 2001 and his PhD in chemistry from Harvard University, and has been a postdoctoral research fellow at the David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology since 2008. Arturo’s PhD work in chemical biology involving synthesis and identification of selective novel biologically active molecules led to three first-author publications. His postdoctoral work resulted in 17 publications in prestigious journals, including Nature Materials and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Arturo’s future research goal is to apply chemical approaches to overcome challenges in biology, engineering, and medicine as a foundation for disease-focused multidisciplinary research.

Earth & Environment

  • Rachael Garrett, Assistant Professor of Earth & Environment Rachael Garrett received a BA magna cum laude in environmental analysis and policy and in history from Boston University, an MA in international and public affairs with a concentration in environmental science and policy from Columbia University, and a PhD in the Emmett Interdisciplinary Program in Environment and Resources from the School of Earth Science at Stanford University. She is currently engaged in a major collaborative research project on Amazon sustainability funded by the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation and performs interdisciplinary environmental and development analysis that deploys rigorous quantitative and qualitative methods. Rachael has strong links to Brazilian scholars and programs, and has expertise in global food and agriculture policy.
  • Dan Li, Assistant Professor of Earth & Environment (Starts 1/1/16) Dan Li was previously a postdoctoral scholar at Princeton University’s Program of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences. He received a bachelor of engineering in hydraulic engineering from Tsinghua University and a PhD in civil and environmental engineering from Princeton. His research focuses on the interface between climate, water, and society, particularly in urban environments. His expertise is broad and deep in the area of fluid dynamics and he is interested in boundary-layer meteorology. Dan has developed an impressive publication record, including 10 first-authored papers in top journals. He will teach a course on urban climatology as well as hydrology and boundary-layer meteorology.
  • Christine Regalla, Assistant Professor of Earth & Environment Christine Regalla received a PhD from the Pennsylvania State University in 2013. Her research is in the general area of tectonics, more specifically on plate boundary kinematics. Christine’s dissertation pursued Cenozoic forearc tectonics in northeastern Japan, including implications for subsidence. She was previously an assistant professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and was recently awarded a National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship. Although newly at PhD, Christine has an impressive publication record that stretches back to 2005 and her days as an undergraduate.
  • Diane Thompson, Assistant Professor of Earth & Environment (Starts 1/1/16) Diane Thompson is currently a postdoctoral fellow in the Advanced Study Program at the National Center for Atmospheric Research. She received her PhD in geoscience from the University of Arizona, and has a BS and MS in marine biology from the Florida Institute of Technology. Diane’s research focuses on tropical climate variability, particularly as it affects coral reef ecosystems. As such, her expertise spans the fields of marine ecology, geochemistry, and paleoclimatology. She is hoping to teach a large introductory course in environmental science or oceanography, and at more advanced levels she will teach paleoclimatology and marine biogeochemistry.

Economics

  • Raymond Fisman, Slater Family Professor in Behavioral Economics Raymond Fisman received his BA in economics and mathematics with honors from McGill University in 1993 and a PhD in business economics from Harvard University in 1998. He was on the faculty at Columbia University from 1999 to 2015, most recently as the Lambert Family Professor of Social Enterprise. Raymond is a major contributor to academic economics and an important public intellectual, with 38 papers in refereed journals—15 of them in either economics or finance top-five journals—as well as two popular economics books, numerous op-eds, and a monthly column in Slate magazine. He has written pathbreaking papers on political corruption, the role of cultural connections in economic development, and the way people make decisions about charitable donations.
  • Martin Fiszbein, Assistant Professor of Economics Martin Fiszbein received a BA in economics, magna cum laude, from Universidad de Buenos Aires in 2005 and an MA and PhD in economics from Brown University in 2010 and 2015, respectively. Martin is a creative empirical development economist with a strong combination of knowledge, technical skills, and unusual insights. His job market paper, for example, shows that agricultural diversity in a given US county in 1860 explains a nontrivial part of per capita income in that county in 2000. Martin has also written about colonization, what economic factors explain which countries were colonized, and the effects of inequality on unemployment. He has won teaching prizes at both Brown and Harvard University.
  • Stephen Terry, Assistant Professor of Economics Stephen Terry received a BA in economics, summa cum laude, from the University of Texas at Arlington in 2004; an MA in mathematics from the University of Oklahoma in 2007; and a PhD in economics from Stanford University in 2015. He is a macroeconomist with a focus on going from microdata and considerations to macroeconomic effects. Stephen has four publications: one in the prestigious (but unrefereed) proceedings of the American Economic Association meetings, one in a Federal Reserve Review, and two others in refereed journals. More significantly, he has another paper on a second round at Econometrica with his advisors, a submitted sole-authored paper, two papers submitted with various co-authors, and two other projects in progress, again with various co-authors. Stephen also won an Outstanding Teaching Assistant award at Stanford.
  • Geoffrey Carliner, Lecturer
  • Benjamin Koskinen, Lecturer
  • Andre Switala, Lecturer
    •

Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies

  • Julie Klinger, Assistant Professor of International Studies Julie Klinger received her BA in area studies and international development from Sarah Lawrence College and her PhD in geography from the University of California, Berkeley. She also received a certificate in Chinese studies from the Hopkins–Nanjing Center. Julie has been a visiting scholar in China, Brazil, and Germany. Her research interests are in the areas of rare Earth elements, mining, borders, resource frontiers, global trade, hinterland urbanization, transnational labor, extractive investment, agriculture, geopolitics, political economy, and ecology, with special focus on Brazil and China. She has already published, done many paper presentations, served as a consultant, and has solid teaching experience.
  • John Woodward, Professor of the Practice John Woodward comes to BU from the Central Intelligence Agency. He has had an extraordinarily diverse background within the intelligence community as an operations officer in overseas posts, policy analyst, designer of intelligence operations, and leader in the Directorate of Science and Technology. His career has spanned traditional intelligence gathering, intelligence law, and STEM-related work in biometrics and countering biological weapons proliferation and terrorism. John was instrumental in putting into place the Department of Defense’s battlefield biometrics program, from legal analysis and program design to training personnel in conflict theaters. His final posting was as director of the Intelligence Community Counter-Biological Weapons Program.

History

  • Ashley Farmer, Assistant Professor of History
    Joint appointment with African American Studies (Starts 7/1/16)     Ashley Farmer received a BA in French from Spelman College in 2006, an MA in history from Harvard University in 2008, and a PhD in African American studies from Harvard in 2013. She joins BU from a Provost Postdoctoral Fellowship at Duke University. Her dissertation, “What You Have Got Is a Revolution: Black Women’s Movements for Black Power,” examines one of the most challenging yet fascinating aspects of the Black Power Movement: the influence black women had on the shape and contours of the movement. Ashley has published two refereed journal articles, one book chapter, and two book reviews. She also just received a contract from the University of North Carolina to publish her dissertation. Her book is expected to constitute an important addition to the history of the Black Power Movement and the history of black women in the movement.
  • Andrew Robichaud, Assistant Professor of History Andrew Robichaud received his BA from Brandeis University, summa cum laude, in 2004 and his MA and PhD from Stanford University in 2010 and 2015, respectively. His dissertation, “The Animal City: Remaking Human and Animal Lives, 1820–1910,” uses aspects of urban, environmental, and cultural history to examine the treatment and presence of animals in American cities in the 19th century. His work makes a significant contribution to the literature and is suggestive about how natural, human, and animal rights were invoked and related to one another by 19th-century writers, officials, and reformers; how that changed over time; and how those changes related to the creation of public and private institutions that both regulated animals in the urban environment and governed their treatment.

History of Art & Architecture

  • Ross Barrett, Assistant Professor of History of Art & Architecture Ross Barrett received a BA in art history from the University of Notre Dame, an MA in art history and an MA in museum studies from Syracuse University, and a PhD in art history from Boston University in January 2009. He became an assistant professor and David G. Frey Fellow in American Art at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, in 2009, and moved to become an assistant professor of art history at the University of South Carolina in 2013. He is a specialist in American art and visual culture of the 19th and 20th centuries. Ross’ book, Rendering Violence: Riots, Strikes, and Upheaval in Nineteenth-Century American Art, will be published by the University of California Press this year. His co-edited volume with Daniel Worden, Oil Culture, will also be published by the University of Minnesota Press this year.
  • Sophie Hochhäusl, Assistant Professor of History of Art & Architecture Sophie Hochhäusl holds a PhD from Cornell University’s History of Architecture and Urban Development program, along with an MA from Cornell and an MArch from the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna. She was previously a visiting scholar at Columbia University. Her scholarly work centers on the history of modern architecture and urban culture, with an emphasis on science and technology as well as garden studies. Among other works, Sophie has published a book, Otto Neurath— City Planning: Proposing a Socio-Political Map for Modern Urbanism (Innsbruck University Press, 2011), an article in Architectural Histories, and a book chapter for Reading the Architecture of the Underprivileged Classes (Ashgate, 2014). Sophie has also written a children’s book on Viennese architecture.

Mathematics & Statistics

  • Solesne Bourguin, Assistant Professor of Mathematics & Statistics Sophie Hochhäusl holds a PhD from Cornell University’s History of Architecture and Urban Development program, along with an MA from Cornell and an MArch from the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna. She was previously a visiting scholar at Columbia University. Her scholarly work centers on the history of modern architecture and urban culture, with an emphasis on science and technology as well as garden studies. Among other works, Sophie has published a book, Otto Neurath— City Planning: Proposing a Socio-Political Map for Modern Urbanism (Innsbruck University Press, 2011), an article in Architectural Histories, and a book chapter for Reading the Architecture of the Underprivileged Classes (Ashgate, 2014). Sophie has also written a children’s book on Viennese architecture.
  • Siu-Cheong Lau, Assistant Professor of Mathematics & Statistics Siu-Cheong Lau received his PhD in mathematics from the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2011. In his thesis, he made major advances in the geometrical understanding of mirror symmetry in mathematical physics and in the mathematical theory of Calabi-Yau manifolds in algebraic geometry. Since July 2012, Siu-Cheong has been a Benjamin Peirce Fellow at Harvard University. He has written a series of 14 original research articles that have either already been published or are in press in the most prominent journals in pure mathematics, mathematical physics, and algebraic geometry. Most notably, throughout the course of his research on mirror symmetry, he has discovered deep new connections between an astonishingly diverse set of areas of mathematics and physics.
  • Thomas Enkosy, Lecturer
  • Haviland Wright, Lecturer
    •

Modern Languages and Comparative Literature

  • Liling Huang, Lecturer
  • Christine Kaden, Lecturer
  • Hongyun Sun, Lecturer
    •

Philosophy

  • Ann Cudd, Professor of Philosophy; Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences Ann Cudd received her BA in mathematics and philosophy at Swarthmore College in 1982. She also received an MA in philosophy in 1984, an MA in economics in 1986, and a PhD in philosophy in 1988, all from the University of Pittsburgh. Prior to coming to BU, she was a University Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at the University of Kansas (KU). Ann’s philosophical interests include social and political philosophy, philosophy of economics, philosophy of social science, decision theory, and feminist theory. Her research has long focused on themes of oppression, economic inequality, and gender. She has published over 50 articles and book chapters, and authored the books Analyzing Oppression (Oxford University Press, 2006) and Capitalism, For and Against: A Feminist Debate (Cambridge University Press, 2011), co-authored with Nancy Holmstrom. She also wrote four edited volumes on themes ranging from backlash to feminism to contemporary democracy. In 2001, Ann was awarded the William T. Kemper Teaching Fellowship, KU’s highest teaching award, and in 2005 she won the Mortar Board Outstanding Educator Award.
  • Marc Gasser, Assistant Professor of Philosophy Marc Gasser received his PhD in philosophy at Harvard University with a dissertation on Aristotle’s theory of perception. He earned his BS with general honors and special honors in philosophy, and minors in mathematics and classical studies, from the University of Chicago. Marc’s major areas of interest are in ancient philosophy and philosophy of mathematics, with further interests in early modern philosophy, epistemology, and mathematical logic. He has strong language skills (ancient Greek, Latin, German, and native French), was a writing fellow, and has won prizes for both his research and teaching.

Physics

  • Liam Fitzpatrick, Assistant Professor of Physics Liam Fitzpatrick received his BA in mathematics and physics from the University of Chicago and a PhD in physics from Harvard University. He then held a postdoctoral fellowship in high-energy theoretical physics at Stanford University. Liam’s work investigates how effective field theory and conformal field theory can be used to gain deep insights into a broad range of physics disciplines. These include astro-particle physics and cosmology, the behavior of metals near a quantum critical point, and the fundamental quantum nature of gravity.
  • Alexander Sushkov, Assistant Professor of Physics Alexander Sushkov received his PhD in physics from the University of California, Berkeley, in 2006, and subsequently held postdoctoral fellowships at Yale University and Harvard University. He works in the field of quantum metrology, exploiting the unique quantum mechanical properties of nitrogen-vacancy defect complexes in diamonds to probe the behavior of atoms and molecules with unprecedented precision. Potential applications are widespread, including structural measurements of single protein molecules, optical sensing of membrane potentials in cells, quantum information processing, measurement of spin dynamics in materials, and the search for a possible form of the unknown “dark matter” that apparently makes up most of the material universe.

Psychological & Brain Sciences

  • Joseph T. McGuire, Assistant Professor of Psychological & Brain Sciences Melissa Kibbe earned a BS summa cum laude in psychology, with a certificate in cognitive science, an MA in psychology, and a PhD in cognitive psychology with a certificate in cognitive science from Rutgers University. She held a postdoctoral fellowship at the Johns Hopkins University Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences. Melissa’s research focuses on infancy and the development of basic cognitive processes such as working memory, attention, and decision-making. Her research program explores how infants encode, store, and retrieve information about objects (e.g., color, shape, topology, group statistics, numerosity), and how they use that information to guide their behavior. Her research incorporates both behavioral and computational modeling methods. Melissa was trained by leading researchers in the field of cognitive development and has published in top psychological journals, including Psychological Science, Cognitive Psychology, and Journal of Vision. She has also been awarded various honors, including a merit scholarship from the Executive Women of New Jersey.
  • Erika Wells, Lecturer
    •

Romance Studies

  • Charles Chang, Assistant Professor of Romance Studies Charles Chang earned his BA from Harvard University and his MA and PhD in linguistics from the University of California, Berkeley. He also has an MPhil with distinction in English and applied linguistics from the University of Cambridge and spent two years as a research associate at the University of Maryland’s Center for Advanced Study of Language. Charles has a distinguished record of publication in top journals in the field, including two pieces in the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, two in the Journal of Phonetics, and another in Bilingualism: Language and Cognition. He is particularly interested in the ways in which individuals’ native languages both influence, and are influenced by, the phonological systems of heritage or later-learned languages.
  • Kirby Chazal, Lecturer
  • Maria De Avila, Lecturer
    •

Sociology

  • Neha Gondal, Assistant Professor of Sociology Neha Gondal received her BA in economics with first-class honors from the Shri Ram College of Commerce at the University of Delhi, an MA in economics from the London School of Economics, and an MA and PhD in sociology from Rutgers University. She was previously an assistant professor in the Department of Sociology and the School of Communication at Ohio State University (OSU), and was also affiliated with OSU’s Asian American Studies Program and Diversity and Identity Studies Collective. Neha has won numerous awards and prizes for her work in the fields of social networks, culture, organizations, and stratification. She is well trained in social science methodology, has taught statistics and research methodology at the graduate and undergraduate levels, and is published in major sociology journals.
  • Saida Grundy, Assistant Professor of Sociology
    Joint appointment with African American Studies     Saida Grundy received her PhD in sociology and women’s studies from the University of Michigan, a top-ranked department of sociology in the US. Before joining BU, she was a junior fellow at the Yale Urban Ethnography Project. Saida’s research focuses on the dynamics of social inequality of race, class, and gender, with a particular focus on African Americans. Her dissertation examines the role that institutions play in molding black men into middle-class professionals, contributing to our understanding of the dynamics of race and masculinity, class reproduction, and the black middle class. Her publications from this study include an article in the ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, titled “An Air of Expectancy: Class, Crisis, and the Making of Manhood at a Historically Black College for Men.”

Writing Program

  • Gavin Benke, Lecturer
  • Jessica Bozek, Lecturer
  • Tridha Chatterjee, Lecturer
  • Pary Fassahi, Lecturer
  • Jessica Kent
  • Michael O’Mara Shimek, Lecturer
  • Seth Blumenthal, Lecturer
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Stewarding Our Resources

CAS/GRS Budget

The College achieved a balanced, unrestricted expense budget of $111,212,274 at the close of the 2014/2015 fiscal year, compared with $109,335,221 the previous year.

This budget covered faculty salaries ($74,962,919), staff salaries ($13,973,865), student salaries ($11,452,864 for fellowships, internships, etc.), and operating expenses ($10,822,627).



Growing Our Capacity: The Campaign for CAS

The Campaign for CAS: 2015 Status Report

Thanks to the generosity of our many alumni and friends, the Campaign for CAS is making tremendous progress. As of the end of June, we were well ahead of our target for the year, although work remains for us to reach our final goal of $100 million for the College.

FY 15 GOAL VS. FY 15 TOTAL YTD
FY15 Goal $12,000,000
FY15 Total YTD $18,956,982
CAS Campaign Status
Campaign Goal $100,000,000
Campaign total as of June 30, 2015 $93,595,057
Percentage toward campaign goal 93.6%
Campaign Goals for FY 2016
Secure $13,000,000 in cash and pledges.
Cash Goal $10,000,000
Pledge Goal $3,000,000
Annual Fund Goal $1,000,000

Annual Report 2014/2015

  • From the Dean From the Dean
    From recruiting ever-better faculty and students to surging ahead in our capital campaign, academic year 2014/2015 was a year of great accomplishments.
  • A New Era Begins at CAS A New Era Begins at CAS
    On August 1, 2015, CAS welcomed its new dean, Ann Cudd. Dean Cudd brings her own unique energy and vision to CAS and GRS and is deeply committed to enhancing—and affirming—the value of a liberal arts education.
  • Improving Undergraduate Education Improving Undergraduate Education
    CAS once again attracted our most talented class of undergraduates ever. And we laid the groundwork to serve them even better, offering expanded academic opportunities and a comprehensive First-Year Experience program with over 800 first-year participants.
  • Strengthening Graduate Education Strengthening Graduate Education
    BU’s Graduate School of Arts & Sciences continues to see a dramatic increase in applicant quality and enrollment due to our new five-year PhD funding model that has heightened the attractiveness of our doctoral programs. New program initiatives have also resulted in more applicants to our master’s programs.
  • Enhancing a World-Class Faculty Enhancing a World-Class Faculty
    The quality of a university depends on the quality of its faculty, and hiring the best and giving them a strong start is crucial. In 2014/15, CAS hired 26 new professors across the humanities and social, natural, and computational sciences.
  • Conducting Pathbreaking Research Conducting Pathbreaking Research
    Discoveries and innovations at CAS help make BU one of the top 40 research universities in the world. Many fields of study at CAS are also highly ranked, including social sciences, physics, molecular biology and genetics, and psychology.
  • Deepening Our Global Mission Deepening Our Global Mission
    CAS is a major contributor to the international character of Boston University. The 2014–15 academic year was particularly eventful in this respect, being the inaugural year for the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies.
  • Creating Our Future: The CAS Strategic Plan at Halftime Creating Our Future: The CAS Strategic Plan at Halftime
    In 2010, the College of Arts & Sciences crafted a bold 10-year plan to enhance all aspects of what we do: advancing undergraduate and graduate education, research, global partnerships, and the College’s relationships with its alumni. Over the past five years, we have made great strides toward these goals.
  • Nurturing Connections with Alumni and Friends Nurturing Connections with Alumni and Friends
    The College continues to develop new opportunities to engage and connect with CAS alumni and friends. In 2014–15, more than 5,000 CAS alumni registered for events hosted by the BU Alumni Association, accounting for 25% of all BU alumni event engagement.
  • Growing Our Capacity and Stewarding Our Resources Growing Our Capacity and Stewarding Our Resources
    BU is in the midst of our first-ever capital campaign. As of June 30th, 2015, CAS has received more than $93,595,000 in gifts from its alumni, parents and friends. Collectively these supporters have made more than 20,000 gifts to the CAS campaign.
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