News
Dean Sandro Galea Leaving BU’s School of Public Health for WashU Opportunity
After a decade in Boston, he will start a public health school at Washington University in St. Louis.
Campus Protests; Antisemitism Definition; NIAID BTO
BU IN DC
Deans Sandro Galea of the School of Public Health and Scott Taylor of the Pardee School of Global Studies led a conversation on public health and global affairs for Washington-area BU alumni on May 2nd.
Keith Hylton of the School of Law participated in an Information Technology & Innovation Foundation webinar on the antitrust lawsuit against Apple on May 1st.
Jonathan Zaff of the Wheelock College of Education & Human Development addressed a Brookings Institution webinar on key trends among adolescents and young adults on April 29th.
Daniel Kleinman of Graduate Affairs attended the Board of Directors meeting for the Council of Graduate Schools on April 25th and 26th.
Ayse Coskun and Can Hankendi of the College of Engineering attended the National Science Foundation Sustainable Computing for Sustainability Workshop on April 16th and 17th.
LAWMAKERS ADDRESS STUDENT PROTESTS
On Tuesday, Republican leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives announced that several House committees would expand their investigations into antisemitism on college campuses following an increasing number of pro-Palestinian campus protests. The leaders of the House Energy & Commerce and Science, Space, & Technology Committees pledged to review whether institutions receiving funds from the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation are complying with federal rules prohibiting discrimination. The Education and the Workforce Committee announced that the presidents of UCLA, the University of Michigan, and Yale would be the next university leaders to testify before the committee about their response to antisemitism. President Joe Biden also weighed in, telling reporters on Thursday that "Dissent is essential to democracy. But dissent must never lead to disorder or to denying the rights of others so students can finish the semester and their college education."
HOUSE PASSES ANTISEMITISM BILL
The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Antisemitism Awareness Act (HR 6090) on Wednesday by a 320 - 91 vote. The bill would require the U.S. Department of Education to "take into consideration" the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's (IHRA) definition of antisemitism when it enforces federal anti-discrimination statutes. The Biden Administration currently considers the IHRA definition, which was first included in an executive order issued by the Trump Administration, and references it in its 2023 National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism. However, some believe the definition is overly broad because it includes criticism of Israel and its policies. Massachusetts Representatives Jake Auchincloss, Jim McGovern, and Ayanna Pressley voted against the measure, while the remaining six members of the Commonwealth's House delegation supported it. Senate leaders have not yet determined whether that body will vote on the measure.
NIAID SEEKS FEEDBACK ON STRATEGIC PLAN
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) at the National Institutes of Health is requesting feedback on the proposed research priorities and cross-cutting themes for its next strategic plan. The research themes include advancing knowledge about the immune system, host-pathogen interactions, and pathogen biology; understanding interactions between microbes and the immune system to develop countermeasures against infectious diseases; reducing HIV incidence; developing intervention strategies for asthma and immune-mediated diseases; and responding to significant biological incidents affecting public health. Feedback on the five-year plan is requested by May 27th.
Killers of the Flower Moon Author, and BU Alum, David Grann Will Be BU’s 151st Commencement Speaker
Class of 2024 celebrated at largest-ever Senior Breakfast.
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.