Dean of Arts & Sciences Announces the Inaugural Cohort of Arts & Sciences Term Distinguished Professors
Dean of Arts & Sciences, Stan Sclaroff, announced the inaugural cohort of Arts & Sciences Term Distinguished Professors today.
2024 Arts & Sciences Term Distinguished Professors
Deborah Carr, A&S Term Distinguished Professor of Sociology and CISS Director – Professor Carr has made the sociological study of health, aging and families crucial to policy makers nationally and internationally, fundamentally enlarging a perspective previously informed primarily by medical considerations. Her research focuses on death, dying, socioeconomic inequality in later life, family relationships, and experiences of stigmatized identities. Her three undergraduate textbooks have shaped the sociological education of students within and beyond BU, and her research has been cited over 17.3k times with an h-index of 63, ranking her among the top 2% of highly cited scholars worldwide. Her research findings have influenced social policy and informed governmental and international agencies, including the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, the National Institutes of Health, and the United Nations Department of Social and Economic Affairs.
Professor Carr’s dedication to teaching is evident in her consistently high course evaluations, and her mentorship extends to graduate students, earning her the ASA Aging/Life Course section Mentor Award. Professor Carr was recently elected Fellow of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, in April 2024. In addition to her academic achievements, she built BU’s Center for Innovation in Social Science from scratch into a vibrant reality that supports undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty. Her extensive service to professional organizations and advisory roles further underscores her commitment to advancing knowledge in the social sciences. Professor Carr’s nominators noted that she is superlative in every sphere: teaching, research, leadership, mentorship and service.
Lucy Hutyra, A&S Term Distinguished Professor of Earth & Environment and Director of the Biogeosciences Program – Professor Hutyra’s expertise in ecosystem ecology and urban ecology, particularly in carbon cycle science, has led to significant insights and advancements in understanding urban environmental processes. Her 2023 MacArthur Fellowship is a testament to the visionary nature of her research on carbon in urban systems. Her papers have been cited 16.5k times, and her h-index is 58. In her time at BU, she has been awarded 39 research awards, including the prestigious NSF CAREER award.
In terms of service, Professor Hutyra’s nomination emphasized her commitment to graduate education; she received a $3 million NSF grant for training graduate students and has won the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Graduate Education. Her mentorship efforts also earned her the Templeton Award for Excellence in Student Advising. Professor Hutyra’s has also served CAS and BU extensively over the years through a range of diverse initiatives, including collaborations with the department of Biology, the Campus Climate Lab, the Hariri Institute for Computational Science & Engineering, and the School of Public Health. The Selection Committee noted not only Professor Hutyra’s scholarly achievements but also her generosity, creativity, and commitment to education: “Given her track record, there is no question that Lucy will continue to be one of the most successful, engaged, and collaborative faculty members in CAS.”
Cheryl Knott, A&S Term Distinguished Professor of Anthropology and Associate Chair of Anthropology – Professor Knott is the founder and lead investigator of the 30-year Gunung Palung Orangutan Project, one of the longest-running and most influential programs in biological anthropology. Her research includes innovative non-invasive methods for hormonal and nutritional analysis, leading to significant insights into primate physiology, reproduction, and behavior. With 68 peer-reviewed articles and chapters and over 7,000 citations, Professor Knott’s research is internationally renowned as transformative and field-defining. Professor Knott is also lauded for her fierce dedication to anti-colonial research practices and conservation efforts. She is the PI on an astonishing number of significant projects and grants, including the Cabang Panti Research Station (now considered the “Model Research Station of Indonesia”) and the Gunung Palung Orangutan Conservation Program, which reaches over 7,000 students each year and has protected approximately 10,000 hectares of orangutan habitats.
Professor Knott has supervised or mentored nearly 100 undergraduate student researchers at BU, including 24 UROP projects and several senior theses. She has contributed significantly to enhancing undergraduate programs, serving as Director of Undergraduate Studies and Associate Chair of Anthropology. In graduate education, she supervised 12 BU graduate students and mentored many more from various institutions. She received the Templeton Award for Excellence in Student Advising in recognition of her impactful advising and mentorship. She also served on the BU HUB council, contributed to the CAS Strategic Plan, and supported academic integrity during the COVID-19 pandemic, receiving the prestigious “Learn from Anywhere Creativity and Sprit Award” for supporting her students and their learning during challenging times. She has also chaired and served on numerous other committees, demonstrating her commitment to faculty recruitment, retention, and the safety of fieldwork environments. In summary, Professor Knott has trailblazed an entire sub-field and she is guiding generations of students at BU and beyond to the future of biological anthropology, primatology, and conservation.
Andrei Ruckenstein, A&S Term Distinguished Professor of Physics – Professor Ruckenstein is renowned for his interdisciplinary research spanning physics, biology, and computer science. In physics, his pioneering work in correlated electron systems is widely acknowledged as fundamental to the field. His introduction of the marginal Fermi liquid theory challenged established paradigms and explained exotic properties of superconductors. His contributions outside of the field of correlated electrons includes proposing new models for gene transcription in bacteria and his current interdisciplinary research in computer science and cryptography. He has been recognized both nationally and internationally with the Senior Humboldt Prize, a Fellowship in the American Physical Society, and most recently, the NASA Pioneer Award & NASA Patch of the International Space Station Commendation.
In addition to his broad research contributions, Professor Ruckenstein is an impactful leader at the college and university level. He has served as Chair of Physics and as BU’s founding Vice President and Associate Provost for Research, securing over $100 million in project-directed funds. He has launched or restructured many centers, institutes, and programs at BU, including the Neuroscience Graduate Program, the Bioinformatics Graduate Program, the Neuroscience Undergraduate Major, the Cross-College initiative on Quantum Science and Engineering, and the Massachusetts Green High-Performance Computing Center, to name a just a few. He has an excellent record of teaching in a range of advanced physics classes for undergraduates and graduates. His dedication to interdisciplinary collaboration is evidenced by his newest course, which he is currently teaching through the Kilachand Honors College: a class for STEM and non-STEM students meant to facilitate a conceptual understanding of quantum physics through storytelling instead of through complex mathematics. His nomination was endorsed by a dozen colleagues, who called him a game-changing, institution-altering scholar and researcher.
Pamela Templer, A&S Term Distinguished Professor of Biology and Chair of Biology and Director of the Graduate Program in Urban Biogeoscience and Environmental Health – Professor Templer’s research spans forest ecology and biogeochemistry, focusing on the effects of air pollution, climate change, and urbanization on forest ecosystems. Her scholarship includes over 115 peer-reviewed articles, and she has secured over $6 million in research funds, including a prestigious NSF CAREER Award. Professor Templer has actively engaged in policy-making efforts, serving on committees such as the Massachusetts 2050 Decarbonization Roadmap and the U.S. National Committee for the International Union of Biological Sciences. She has been recognized for her leadership in the ecological community, serving as Vice President for Education for the Ecological Society of America and Chair of the ESA’s Task Force on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice.
Professor Templer integrates teaching, mentoring, and scholarly work to train students in addressing real-world challenges. She has received the Metcalf Award for Excellence in Teaching and the Provost’s Scholar-Teacher of the Year Award in recognition of her popular hands-on courses, such as Biology of Global Change and Forest Ecology. In addition to chairing the biology department, Professor Templer directs programs like the PhD Certificate Program in Biogeoscience and the Urban Biogeoscience and Environmental Health (URBAN) Graduate Program. Through a $1.2 million NSF Geopaths grant, Professor Templer built upon the success of the URBAN program to create a new training program at BU to bring together undergraduate and graduate students to learn the fundamentals of Biogeoscience and Environmental Health. She also leads initiatives like the Youth Alliance in Higher Education (YEAH) network and the Climate Leadership Academy, engaging students in international environmental diplomacy. These programs create a pivotal link between program and policy, preparing the next generation of ecological scientists to be leaders in their field. Professor Templer has put CAS on the map, and the Committee agrees with the very impressive list of co-signers on her letter of recommendation (which included other nominees for this award).
Overview of the A&S Term Distinguished Professorship:
Purpose: Created by the College in AY24 to recognize Arts & Sciences faculty members of international renown in any field, who have demonstrated a sustained record of excellence in research, teaching, and service.
Term: Five years of $30k/year research account; title held for duration of time at BU
Eligibility: Tenured Full Professor with distinguished research, teaching, and service record and international reputation
Nominations:
Dean sends Call for Nominations to all Arts & Sciences faculty
First call for nominations occurred in AY 23/24 for the award of up to five inaugural term professorships in Spring 2024
Subsequent calls for nominations will occur every two years
Selection Process and Committee Charge:
In November 2023, the College issued a call for nominations for the inaugural cohort of Arts & Sciences Term Distinguished Professorships. Twenty-three nominations were received, representing the most outstanding minds across the Arts & Sciences. In January 2024, the Dean convened a Selection Committee comprised of six senior CAS faculty members to review the nominees and advise on who should be selected as the inaugural holders of the A&S Distinguished Professorships. The Committee included:
Professor Andrea Berlin, James R. Wiseman Professor in Archaeology (Co-Chair)
Professor Ran Canetti, Wang Professor at Boston University (Co-Chair)
Professor Kevin Lang, Laurence A. Bloom Professor of Economics
Professor Donna Pincus, Feld Family Professor of Teaching Excellence
Professor John Porco, Samour Family Professor of Chemistry
Professor Nina Silber, Jon Westling Professor of History
The Committee followed a stringent process to manage conflicts of interest in reviewing the nominees. All members were required to disclose any conflicts beforehand and recuse themselves entirely from discussion of nominees with whom they had a conflict.
The Committee was asked to evaluate the candidates based on evidence of demonstrated, sustained excellence in research and scholarship, as well as important contributions to teaching and mentorship, and as a citizen of the department, College, and University. The committee was also asked to consider candidates who have high-profile awards and accolades, evidence of prominence in the field, excellence in public scholarship, and who will continue to be active scholars with accolades likely to come. Following their review of the nominees, the Committee provided the Dean with a report of their recommendations for selection.
Based on the Committee’s recommendations, the Dean approved the following five recipients in April 2024. The five-year term for the professorships will commence on July 1, 2024.
Congratulations to Professors Carr, Hutyra, Knott, Ruckenstein and Templer on their term distinguished professor appointments.