News
How High-Level Lawsuits Are Disrupting Climate Change Policies
BU researchers are pushing for changes to international treaties to better protect the planet after finding fossil fuel companies are increasingly suing countries for billions over climate policies.
Immigration & the Economy, Prison Education, Alzheimer’s Cure
FACULTY EXPERT
Do Immigrants and Immigration Help the Economy?
With immigration dominating politics and voter concerns, BU economist Tarek Hassan's research shows immigration boosts local wages and that having neighbors of foreign descent can reduce prejudice.
ON THE CHARLES RIVER
BU Marks 50 Years of Changing Lives Behind Bars
The University's Prison Education Program is feted at a milestone anniversary event.
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT
Can We Find a Cure for Alzheimer’s Disease?
BU researchers are taking on this daunting question through a variety of approaches—and studying how to care for a growing population of people with the disease.
THOUGHT LEADERS
In Case You Missed It...
Cathie Klapperich of the BU College of Engineering explains why more women are needed in engineering and design in order to ensure reproductive justice in STAT... Sociologist Deborah Carr wrote an op-ed for CNN about what we can learn from The Golden Bachelor divorce... Yahoo Finance reported on research by Mark Williams of the BU Questrom School of Business showing that Massachusetts outmigration dramatically increased over the last decade... BU President-elect Melissa Gilliam was named one of the most influential Bostonians by Boston Magazine... Political scientist Katherine Levine Einstein tells Vox that a criminalizing approach to homelessness may be more expensive than long-term preventative planning.
American Academy of Arts & Sciences Welcomes Five BU Members
Sociologist Deborah Carr, author Jhumpa Lahiri, journalist Kevin Merida among those honored.
Title IX; First Gen Students; DARPA BTO
BU IN DC
President ad interim Kenneth Freeman attended the Association of American Universities spring meeting between April 14th and 16th.
Kevin Gallagher, Rishikesh Ram Bhandary, Marina Zucker-Marques,Tim Hirschel-Burns, and Maureen Heydt of the Global Development Policy Center participated in several panel discussions during the 2024 International Monetary Fund/World Bank Group Spring Meetings on April 18th and 19th.
Graduate students Kelley Anderson, Cheyanne Frosti, and Akemi Ito attended the American Association for the Advancement of Science Catalyzing Advocacy in Science and Engineering workshop and discussed science policy with Congressional offices between April 14th and 17th.
Mary Churchill of the Wheelock College of Education & Human Development delivered a keynote address at the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges Annual Conference on April 11th.
ADMINISTRATION RELEASES FINAL TITLE IX RULES
The Biden Administration issued new Title IX regulations last week, updating the federal rules which govern gender equity in educational settings. As expected, the final rules expand the scope of Title IX protections to include sexual orientation, gender identity, and pregnancy status. The regulations also give schools more flexibility in how they adjudicate sexual misconduct cases, reversing changes instituted by the Trump Administration in 2020. The new policies will take effect in August 2024.
WHEELOCK HOSTS POLICY EVENT
BU Wheelock College of Education & Human Development hosted "Class Dismissed: When Colleges Ignore Inequality and Students Pay the Price," an evening devoted to conversations around higher education success for first-generation students, at the Library of Congress last week. Anthony Jack, associate professor of higher education leadership and inaugural faculty director at the Newbury Center, delivered the keynote speech to an audience of policymakers and BU alumni. Following the keynote, Wheelock Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives & Community Engagement Mary Churchill moderated a panel discussion that included Dr. Kortne Edogun-Ticey, deputy director of the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Black Americans, and Dr. Wil Del Pilar, senior vice president at The Education Trust.
BUZZ BITS...
- BU alumnus Dr. Michael Koeris is the new director of the Biological Technologies Offices at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Koeris previously served on the faculty of the Keck Graduate Institute and in leadership roles at several life sciences startup companies. He earned his doctorate in biomedical engineering from BU.
- The Air Force Research Laboratory recently announced that Dr. Kevin Geiss is the new leader of the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR). AFOSR is the basic research arm of the Air Force. Geiss assumed the role in March 2024.
- Republicans on the House Education and the Workforce Committee criticized Columbia University's approach to addressing antisemitism during a hearing last week featuring the University's president and the co-chairs of its board. The Committee is planning a May hearing to discuss antisemitism in elementary and secondary schools next.
Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA)(Hon. ’21) Visits BU Questrom
Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (Hon. '21) spoke to a BU Questrom School of Business class on Tuesday, April 23, 2024.
Anonymous $1M Gift Bolsters American & New England Studies Program
It will create a Public Humanities Fund to support PhD students with research projects, internships.
Class Dismissed: When Colleges Ignore Inequality and Students Pay the Price
Professor Anthony Jack from the BU Wheelock College of Education & Human Development hosted a panel discussion about first-generation student success in Washington, DC on Thursday, April 18, 2024.
First-Gen Students, Framingham Heart Study, Classroom Air
YOU'RE INVITED
Class Dismissed: When Colleges Ignore Inequality and Students Pay the Price
Join Boston University Professor Anthony Jack and officials from the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Black Americans and The Education Trust for a conversation about first-generation student success at the Library of Congress on Thursday, April 18th.
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT
Framingham Heart Study: 75 Years of Lifesaving Research
House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Monica Bertagnolli recently celebrated the 75th anniversary of the iconic study operated by Boston University and funded by the NIH. The nation's longest-running epidemiological study has improved the world's heart health.
COMMUNITY RESOURCE
Can Cleaner Classroom Air Help Kids Do Better at School?
In a collaborative project with Boston Public Schools, a BU environmental health researcher is studying ways to improve indoor air quality in classrooms with funding from the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds.
THOUGHT LEADERS
In Case You Missed It...
Sarah Bagley of the BU Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine and the Boston Medical Center testified before the Senate Finance Committee on opportunities to improve substance use disorder care... Joan Donovan and Michelle Amazeen of the BU College of Communication addressed a National Academies workshop on solutions to counter disinformation in social media... Timothy Longman of the BU Pardee School of Global Studies speaks with Nature about what we have learned from the genocide in Rwanda thirty years ago... David Jernigan of the BU School of Public Health explains how curbing liquor sales hours cut crime rates in a Baltimore neighborhood in U.S. News and World Report.
MA Research Universities; IES Director; Language & Culture
BU IN DC
Joyce Wong of the College of Engineering addressed the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) Annual Event on March 24th and 25th. Wong is the president of AIMBE.
Deborah Carr of the Center for Innovation in the Social Sciences addressed a National Institute of Aging workshop on the Impacts of Extreme Weather Conditions and Disasters on Older Adult Health on March 26th. She served on the workshop steering committee.
Heather Schoenfeld and student Meghann Lucy of the College of Arts & Sciences advocated for federal investments in social and behavioral science during the Consortium of Social Science Associations Advocacy Day on April 8th and 9th.
Sarah Bagley of the Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine testified before the Senate Finance Committee on opportunities to improve substance use disorder care on April 9th.
Leslie Dietiker of the Wheelock College of Education & Human Development discussed investments in education research with federal officials during a meeting of the LEARN Coalition on April 10th.
Joan Donovan and Michelle Amazeen of the College of Communication addressed a National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine workshop on "Evolving Technological, Legal and Social Solutions to Counter Disinformation in Social Media" on April 10th and 11th. Donovan co-chaired the workshop planning committee.
MA RESEARCH UNIVERSITIES ADVOCATE FOR STUDENTS, SCIENCE
In a memorandum sent to the Massachusetts Congressional delegation earlier this month, BU, Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Tufts University urged lawmakers to invest in student aid and research. The memo shared the institutions' joint federal budget priorities, which include funding for Pell Grants, the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the National Endowment for the Humanities, among others. In particular, the schools implored elected officials to reverse the harmful cuts to the NSF and to continue prioritizing college access programs such as the Pell Grant and Federal Work Study as Congress kicks off the appropriations cycle for fiscal year 2025.
BUZZ BITS...
- The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced that Dr. Kathleen Neuzil has been named director of the Fogarty International Center and NIH associate director for international research. Neuzil currently leads a center on vaccine development and global health at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore. She is expected to replace Acting Director Peter Kilmarx in May 2024.
- Dr. Matthew Soldner is now serving as acting director of the Institute of Education Sciences at the U.S. Department of Education. He replaced Mark Schneider, whose five-year term expired. Until a nominee for IES Director is named by the President and confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Soldner will also continue as the agency's Chief Evaluation Officer, a role he has held since 2018.
- Cyndee Landrum was appointed acting director of the Institute for Museum and Library Services while the agency waits for a nominee to be named by the President and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Landrum has been deputy director of the agency's Office of Library Services since 2019. She replaces Crosby Kemper, whose five-year term expired in March.
GRANTS NEWS YOU CAN USE
An "Overview of Federal Funding Opportunities for Foreign Languages and Culture Initiatives" written by Lewis-Burke Associates is now available on the Federal Relations website. The document provides a select catalog of funding opportunities for foreign languages and culture initiatives offered by federal agencies. It covers programs that aim to foster cultural understanding and global cooperation by supporting language learning and exchange initiatives between the United States and international educational and research communities.
Framingham Heart Study: Celebrating 75 Years of Research
On Monday, April 8, 2024, House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Monica Bertagnolli celebrated the 75th anniversary of the iconic study operated by Boston University and funded by the NIH.