News
For BU Custodian Victor Cabral, “This Job Is Never Done”
In our video, the 73-year old employee demonstrates what it takes to keep West Campus looking its best.
Disasters, Mexico City Policy, Better Boston
FACULTY EXPERT
Why Is the US So Unprepared for Natural Disasters?
BU School of Social Work researcher Darien Alexander Williams studies how climate change, disaster response, and urban planning intertwine with social justice and racism.
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT
Trump-Era Policy on Global Aid Curtailed Family Planning Services in Africa
A new BU School of Public Health study found that the Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance policy, formerly known as the Mexico City Policy, reduced the provision and use of contraceptives, as well as community health volunteer services, in African countries.
ON THE CHARLES RIVER
Building a Better Boston
Faculty and students are partnering with city and nonprofit leaders to improve the place where they work, study, and live.
THOUGHT LEADERS
In Case You Missed It...
BU Professors Dan Li and Lucy Hutyra were named to Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey's climate science advisory panel... The National Institutes of Health featured a crystal ribcage that allows scientists to see the inner workings of the lungs created by College of Engineering Professor Hadi Nia... BU master lecturer Regina Hansen explains why Hollywood is still so enamored with "The Exorcist" 50 years after its debut in The Conversation... College of Communication Professor Joan Donovan explains networked incitement, when political violence is orchestrated over social media, in The Conversation... Professors Joseph Rezek and Yuri Corrigan received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Accidental Death Rates among US Soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq Wars Differ by Age, Gender, and Time Since Deployment
A new study found that car accidents and accidental overdose accounted for the majority of these deaths. Car accidents were highest among military members immediately following their return from deployment, while the highest rates of fatal accidental overdoses occurred later in post-deployment life.
Video Mini Explainer: The Global Problem of Statelessness
Amid a refugee crisis, director of BU Center on Forced Displacement argues for a new approach to helping people not recognized by any country.
The Race to a Battery-Powered Future
Engineers at BU are figuring out how to make better, more sustainable batteries—a technology that is essential for clean energy.
Women Making History Today Give Voice to Past Trailblazers at Boston Women’s Memorial
BU’s Megan Sandberg-Zakian directs US Rep. Ayanna Pressley, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, and Mass. Attorney General Andrea Campbell.
Seeking Campus of “Dignity, Fairness, and Respect,” President Freeman Addresses Israel-Hamas War
In letter to BU community, interim leader outlines steps being taken to ensure a safe and secure campus.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s Civic Summit Draws a Crowd to BU
Event at Howard Thurman Center brought together more than 200 residents, civic leaders, and nonprofit advocates from across Boston.
Why Is the US So Unprepared for Natural Disasters?
New BU School of Social Work researcher Darien Alexander Williams studies how climate change, disaster response, and urban planning intertwine with social justice and racism.
Antisemitism, School Discipline, Defense Bill
BU IN DC
School of Public Health Dean Sandro Galea spoke with Congressional offices regarding a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report on addressing adolescent mental health and social media use on December 13th. Galea chaired the report committee.
Jennifer Gómez of the School of Social Work was a discussant during a webinar unveiling a new National Academies Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education report on addressing the retaliation resulting from harassment on December 13th.
BUZZ BITS...
- On Wednesday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution condemning the testimony of three university presidents delivered during a hearing on campus antisemitism by a 303-126 vote. The resolution asserted that the presidents of Harvard University and MIT should resign, as the president of the University of Pennsylvania has done. Six members of the Commonwealth's Congressional delegation voted against the resolution, while Massachusetts Reps. Bill Keating, Stephen Lynch, and Seth Moulton supported it.
- On Tuesday, the House Education and the Workforce Committee approved a bill that would pay for a new plan to allow low-income students to use Pell Grants for short-term career training programs by denying federal student loans to students attending colleges with substantial endowments. The American Council on Education led opposition to the endowment provision of the Bipartisan Workforce Pell Act (H.R. 6585). Several members of the committee expressed concerns about the impact of denying students access to federal aid and urged fellow lawmakers to fix the bill as it advances.
- Also on Tuesday, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee passed the Advancing Research in Education Act (S. 3392), which reauthorizes the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) at the U.S. Department of Education. The Committee adopted two amendments from Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) that would prohibit IES from funding educational institutions that promote antisemitism or receive funding from "nations of concern." Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-VT) indicated he will work to clarify the antisemitism amendment, which he described as overly broad.
BACHER-HICKS EDUCATES MA CONGRESSIONAL STAFF ON SCHOOL DISCIPLINE
On December 8th, Dr. Andrew Bacher-Hicks of the Wheelock College of Education & Human Development discussed his research on the school-to-prison pipeline during a Zoom discussion with staff for the Massachusetts Congressional delegation. Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley's (D-MA) office served as the honorary host for the event, which was organized by BU Federal Relations. Bacher-Hicks shared data on the connection between school discipline policies and a student's interactions with law enforcement later in life and provided policy recommendations for lawmakers. The staff asked about where to find more data on school discipline policies and how to make the data accessible to the public.
CONGRESS SENDS DEFENSE POLICY BILL TO PRESIDENT
This week, Congress sent its annual defense policy bill, the National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 2670), to the President for his signature. The measure guides the Department of Defense's (DOD) planned investments in microelectronics, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing. Notably, lawmakers removed problematic provisions that had been included in the version of the bill passed earlier this year by the U.S. House of Representatives, such as banning DOD support for so-called "gain-of-function" research, prohibitive cost-sharing requirements for research contracts, and expanded research disclosure requirements for principal investigators. President Joe Biden is expected to sign the bill into law shortly.
A Note To Our Readers: Happy Holidays! Beltway BUzz will pause publication due to Intersession and the Congressional District Work Period. We will resume in 2024.