News
A Broken System
FACULTY EXPERTS
A Broken System
BU School of Law faculty explain how policymakers can advance criminal justice reform beyond the FIRST STEP Act.
Take a step
COMMUNITY RESOURCE
Mayors Talk Transportation
Mayors interviewed for the annual Menino Survey conducted by the BU Initiative on Cities say their cities are unsafe for pedestrians and cyclists -- but cars still rule. See more surprising results
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT
How Global Warming Helped Ignite Australian Wildfires
BU ecologist Michael Dietze talks about why the bushfires are so much worse than previous years and whether Australia’s plants and animals can recover.
Get his take
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT...
The NIH Director's Blog highlights research by Naomi Ko of the BU School of Medicine on how insurance status impacts racial disparities in cancer diagnosis... Jessica Stern of the BU Pardee School of Global Studies interviews war criminal Radovan Karadzic in her book excerpt in The New York Times... James Bessen of the BU School of Law discusses how automation is changing labor markets in a Brookings Institution podcast... Connor Wood of the BU School of Theology explains why copying others allows humans to flourish in The Conversation.
An Interactive Discussion on the State of Investigative Journalism Today
The BU Alumni Association held a conversation with BU alumni journalist powerhouses Kevin Merida and Kimbriell Kelly on January 22, 2020, at NPR Headquarters in Washington, DC.
Eric Kolaczyk Named New Director of BU’s Hariri Institute for Computing and Computational Science & Engineering
“Data science and computing are now embedded in the human experience and informing everything we do,” CAS math professor says
Eric Kolaczyk has earned an international reputation for his work across bioinformatics and computational neuroscience. Photo by Cydney Scott.
Eric Kolaczyk, a College of Arts & Sciences professor of mathematics and statistics, whose work across bioinformatics, computational neuroscience, and even social work has earned him an international reputation, is the new director of Boston University’s Rafik B. Hariri Institute for Computing and Computational Science & Engineering.
It’s a pivotal appointment for BU. Kolaczyk replaces founding Hariri Institute director Azer Bestavros, a William Fairfield Warren Distinguished Professor and a CAS professor of computer science, who was recently appointed associate provost of the University’s new Faculty of Computing and Data Sciences. These moves come as BU launches a major push into the burgeoning fields of computing and data sciences with the recent groundbreaking for the dramatic 19-story Center for Computing & Data Sciences, which will be the largest building on the Charles River Campus.
“The building is huge,” Kolaczyk says. “It’s a statement in and of itself of BU’s commitment and the intent behind it that we are at a point where we can say we are building it. It’s going to do wonders by vertically integrating math and computing and statistics and the faculty for computing and data sciences.” And, he adds, “data science and computing have gone from being arguably narrow to now being embedded in the human experience and informing everything we do.”
The days when computing and data science were a niche subject that few students wanted to pursue, and that business and industry took only a passing interest in, are long gone, Kolaczyk says. Today business strategies literally revolve around data, and students are coming to college with an expectation that their education will prepare them for that new world.
“Students in the United States and internationally are tremendously savvy now,” he says. “They come in knowing about, and wanting to have, data and computing be key parts of their undergraduate experience. And graduate students want even more. This should certainly should give BU an added edge in recruitment.”
Kolaczyk is “one of BU’s top innovators and intellectual leaders,” says Jean Morrison, BU provost and chief academic officer, and one of his great strengths is looking forward in his work. “His ability to look to the future and understand the evolving landscape, to recognize and grow the strong assets we have in place, and to achieve great results through collaboration make him a superb fit for this role.”
Morrison has previously noted that the University’s investment in the field is supported by surging interest from the student body: BU saw a 23 percent increase in teaching credit hours for math and statistics from the 2006–2007 to the 2016–2017 academic year and computer science saw a 266 percent increase.
“The work that Eric has carried out at the interface of statistics, computer science, engineering, and mathematics, as well as with a host of domain areas,” says Gloria Waters, vice president and associate provost for research, “will help him build on the tremendous success the Institute has had in fostering collaborative research that connects the faculty across the University and further lead to establishing the Hariri Institute as an internationally recognized center of excellence.”
Students in the United States and internationally are tremendously savvy now. They come in knowing about, and wanting to have, data and computing be key parts of their undergraduate experience.
What excites him about his new role, Kolaczyk says, is that it comes at a time when BU, and the Greater Boston region, is thriving in the digital landscape, where data and computing are at the core of virtually every business and every industry.
“BU is in an exciting period of time, and so is the United States in general, and schools are scrambling to put in place strong presences in computing and data science,” he says. “BU is ahead of the game with its new building, and the Hariri Institute has a tremendous history already.”
Kolaczyk has been a member of the BU faculty since 1998. He was previously director of his department’s Program in Statistics and is the founding director of the MS in Statistical Practice program and its statistical consulting group. He is recognized internationally for his work and is the author of three books and dozens of widely cited journal articles. He earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Chicago and holds an MS and a PhD in statistics from Stanford University.
He is a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and an elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Institute of Mathematical Statistics, the American Statistical Association, and the International Statistical Institute. In 2018, he was named a Data Science Faculty Fellow through BU’s Data Science Initiative.
A Chicago native, the 51-year old Kolaczyk has two college-age daughters. Asked how he relaxes when he’s not immersed in all things data and computing, he says with a laugh that he has a personal passion: “I keep my sanity by training in tai chi. I trained in martial arts for 30 years, and I lead a small group at Marsh Chapel in tai chi.”
Kolaczyk will report to Waters in his new role as Hariri director. “He will build on the Institute’s success in fostering collaborative research that connects faculty across the University,” Morrison says, “and support the faculty in undertaking major research initiatives and cutting-edge research.”
Kolaczyk says he can’t wait to get started. “I am excited for the challenge of elevating the Hariri Institute to a national level,” he says.
Author, Doug Most is a lifelong journalist and author whose career has spanned newspapers and magazines up and down the East Coast, with stops in Washington, D.C., South Carolina, New Jersey, and Boston. He was named Journalist of the Year while at The Record in Bergen County, N.J., for his coverage of a tragic story about two teens charged with killing their newborn. After a stint at Boston Magazine, he worked for more than a decade at the Boston Globe in various roles, including magazine editor and deputy managing editor/special projects. His 2014 nonfiction book, The Race Underground, tells the story of the birth of subways in America and was made into a PBS/American Experience documentary. He has a BA in political communication from George Washington University. View his profile
BUzz Bits
BU IN DC
Diane Baldwin, Ryan Russell, and Michael Vergoni of Sponsored Programs and Kathryn Mellouk of Research Compliance attended a Federal Demonstration Partnership meeting on January 8 through 10.
Roscoe Giles of the College of Engineering gave a presentation on transitioning from exascale computing at a meeting of the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Scientific Computing Advisory Committee on January 13.
Camron Bryant of the BU School of Medicine attended the Genetics and Epigenetics Cross-Cutting Research Team meeting at the National Institute on Drug Abuse on January 13 and 14.
Brian Jack and Clevanne Julce of the School of Medicine met with Congressional staff and federal officials to discuss maternal health disparities on January 14.
School of Social Work Dean Jorge Delva attended the Society for Social Work and Research annual meeting from January 15 through 19.
Kevin Outterson of the School of Law spoke at a Duke Margolis Center for Health Policy workshop regarding the market for antimicrobial drugs on January 16.
BUZZ BITS...
- The Congressionally-chartered Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) announced that Dr. Nakela Cook will become its executive director on April 15. Dr. Cook is currently the senior scientific officer and chief of staff at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute at the National Institutes of Health.
- The U.S. Department of Education has consolidated several of its student aid websites into one redesigned StudentAid.gov. The new site is designed to streamline information for learning about and applying for federal aid programs.
- A subcommittee of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee held a hearing on Wednesday about the Office of Science at the U.S. Department of Energy. Director Chris Fall updated the subcommittee on the agency's research priorities in the year ahead.
EVENTS NEWS YOU CAN USE
The popular Research on Tap series hosted by BU Research returns this semester, bringing groups of BU faculty together to give four-minute microtalks on their research. The gatherings are curated by a host faculty member and followed by a wine and cheese reception where investigators can interact with potential research collaborators. BU Industry Engagement will host the first talk of the semester, featuring BU researchers who have worked with industry partners to further their research and advance innovation. The event will take place on the Medical Campus on January 30 from 4 to 6 p.m.
RSVP today
GRANTS NEWS YOU CAN USE
The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Public Scholars program is accepting applications through February 5. The grant competition supports the creation of nonfiction books in the humanities that are aimed at a broad, public audience. This year, the NEH has also added a new initiative focused on advancing civic education and celebrating the nation's 250th anniversary. The Public Scholars web site includes a one-hour webinar and sample application narratives.
You’re Invited: What Mayors Need Now
BU IN DC
You're Invited: What Mayors Need Now
Join the BU Initiative on Cities for the release of a survey on the transportation and mobility needs of the nation's mayors on January 21. RSVP today
NOTABLE ALUMNI
Investigative Journalism in Today's Era
The BU Alumni Association invites you to a discussion with Kevin Merida (COM '79) of ESPN and Kimbriell Kelly (COM '98) of The Los Angeles Timesat National Public Radio headquarters on January 22. Join the discussion
COMMUNITY RESOURCE
Helping High Schoolers Apply to College
With the College Advising Corps, recent BU graduates help first-generation applicants navigate the college application process.
See what they advise
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT...
Rebecca Ingber of the BU School of Law explains how Congress can stop war with Iran in The Atlantic... Marilyn Augustyn of the BU School of Medicine discusses new guidelines on diagnosing autism spectrum disorder with The New York Times... Rachel Nolan of the BU Pardee School of Global Studies describes the translation crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border in The New Yorker... BU political scientist Katherine Levine Einstein talks about how neighborhood meetings shape housing policy on Vox's The Weeds podcast... Rena Conti of the Questrom School of Business laments the amount of unused prescription drugs issued under Medicare in Axios.
Congressional Outlook For 2020
BU IN DC
Wheelock College of Education & Human Development Dean David Chard addressed the Annual Principal Investigators Meeting at the Institute of Education Sciences on January 9.
Andrew Bacevich of the Pardee School of Global Studies spoke about his new book at Politics and Prose Bookstore on January 8.
Ioannis Paschalidis of the College of Engineering and Daniel Fulford of Sargent College attended a National Science Foundation workshop on smart and connected health on January 6 and 7.
CONGRESSIONAL OUTLOOK FOR 2020
Congress returned to Washington this week with a short list of priorities to achieve before this fall's election season begins. The higher education community is anticipating action on the following items:
- Debate over the annual spending bills that determine federal agency budgets. The amount of money available for research and student aid is expected to be constrained by the spending caps set by last year's bipartisan budget deal.
- Updates to the laws that set policies for the National Science Foundation, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and research programs at the U.S. Department of Energy.
- Consideration of measures designed to protect research from inappropriate foreign interference, particularly as Congress works on the annual National Defense Authorization Act.
A possible Senate impeachment trial and the looming fall election will limit the number of legislative days available, so Congress may not make progress on all its pending agenda items.
BUZZ BITS...
- Steven Walker announced that he will step down as director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), effective today. Deputy Director Peter Highnam will serve as acting director until a permanent replacement is named.
- The White House issued its final plan for implementing the federal data strategy. This is the first phase of a comprehensive, ten-year process to help federal agencies better utilize the valuable data they collect.
- The National Science Foundation (NSF) issued a Dear Colleague letter urging social, behavioral, and economic scientists to pursue NSF funding opportunities relevant to graduate education.
EVENTS NEWS YOU CAN USE
Come learn how to incorporate data analysis about books, articles, and other publications in your research at a SciVal bibliometrics database workhshop hosted by BU Research on January 22 from 3 to 5 pm. SciVal is one of the leading sources of bibliometric data for academic institutions, and is free for the BU community. This workshop will provide an overview of SciVal, its potential applications, and a practical understanding of how to use the database, including practice time to investigate your own topics and ask questions with an expert on hand.
Coming Soon: Research, Student Aid Increases
BU IN DC
Elaine Nsoesie of the School of Pubic Health gave a talk on using artificial intelligence to promote food safety at the U.S. Food & Drug Administration on December 13.
COMING SOON: RESEARCH, STUDENT AID INCREASES
This week, both chambers of Congress passed two spending bills which will fund the federal government for the remainder of fiscal year 2020, which began on October 1. Federal research agencies and student financial aid will see significant increases over this year, including:
- National Institutes of Health: $41.7 billion, a 6.6% increase
- National Science Foundation: $8.3 billion, a 2.5% increase
- NASA Science: $7.1 billion, a 3.4% increase
- Department of Energy Office of Science: $7 billion, a 6.3% increase
- Department of Defense Basic Research: $2.6 billion, a 2.9% increase
- National Endowment for the Humanities: $162.3 million, a 4.7% increase
- Institute of Education Sciences: $623.5 million, a 1.3% increase
- Pell Grants: $6,345 maximum award, a $150 increase
- Federal Work Study: $1.2 billion, a 4.4% increase
President Donald J. Trump plans to sign the measure into law today.
TRUMP ANNOUNCES CHOICE FOR NSF DIRECTOR
On Thursday, President Trump announced his intent to nominate Dr. Sethuraman "Panch" Panchanathan as the next director of the National Science Foundation (NSF). Dr. Panchanathan is currently the the executive vice president and chief research and innovation officer at Arizona State University. He is also a member of the National Science Board (NSB), having been appointed by former President Barack Obama. Panchanathan's nomination will need to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate in order for him to replace Dr. France Córdova, whose term expires in spring 2020.
BUZZ BITS...
- The President announced his intent to nominate Dr. Neil Jacobs to be the next administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Dr. Jacobs joined NOAA as assistant secretary of commerce for environmental observation and prediction last year and has served as the agency's acting administrator for several months.
- Dr. Catherine Marsh has been named the director of Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA), which oversees research programs for the national security community. Dr. Marsh has previously served in senior scientific roles at both the Central Intelligence Agency and IARPA.
- The National Aeronautics and Space Administration announced last week that Robert Pearce is the new associate administrator for the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate. Mr. Pearce is an engineer who has worked at NASA since 1990.
A Note to Our Readers: Beltway BUzz will not publish during intersession. Happy Holidays and see you in the new decade!
12 Breakthroughs That Wowed Us in 2019
From climate science to fake news, these discoveries are sure to keep making waves in the next decade
2019 will go down in history as the year that an international team of researchers, including two BU astronomers, captured the first image of a black hole. Photo courtesy of Event Horizon Telescope.
Still looking for a New Year’s resolution to guide you into 2020? If so, here’s some food for thought: Earlier this year, Boston University clinical researchers found that optimism could boost people’s chances of reaching the age of 85 by over 50 percent. But that’s not the only discovery from 2019 that’s sure to keep making waves in 2020 and beyond. From memory manipulation, to plastic pollution, to a real-life mute button, and a portable device that can instantly diagnose Ebola, here are the top 12 breakthroughs that Boston University researchers made in 2019:
1. CTE Risk
For the first time, BU researchers can quantify just how damaging football play is to the brain. In a study of the brains of 266 deceased former amateur and professional football players, researchers at the BU Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) Center, led by Ann McKee, found that every year of playing American tackle football increases a person’s risk of developing CTE by 30 percent. For every 2.6 years of play, a person’s risk of developing CTE doubles. In a critical distinction between many previous CTE studies, the analysis included dozens of brains of former football players who did not have CTE.
Building a Carbon Free Boston
ON THE CHARLES RIVER
Building a Carbon Free Boston
BU President Robert A. Brown and Boston Mayor Martin Walsh broke ground on the most energy efficient large building in the city's history. Learn how we did it
COMMUNITY RESOURCE
BU Offers Discounted Tuition to Boston Public School Teachers
Boston Public School employees will receive scholarships equal to 33% of their tuition for graduate and certficate programs at the BU Wheelock College of Education & Human Development. Spread the word
NOTABLE ALUMNI
Photographing Trump's Washington
Sarah Silbiger (COM '18) has a front row seat to history as a member of the White House press pool. See what she sees
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT...
Join the BU Alumni Association on January 22nd for a panel discussion on investigative journalism at National Public Radio headquarters... Eugene Declercq of the BU School of Public Health says the Texas health care system harms pregnant women in Vox... Three BU School of Law alumni are tackling criminal justice reform at the American Civil Liberties Union... Paola Sebastiani of the BU School of Public Health discusses how protein in the blood may affect aging on National Public Radio... Sheila Cordiner of the BU College of General Studies explains why children need to read more diverse books in The Conversation.
Congress, NSF Act on Scientific Security
BU IN DC
James Bessen of the School of Law spoke about automation and the labor market at a Brookings Institution event on December 12.
Associate Provost for Computing and Data Sciences Azer Bestravos spoke at a meeting of the National Science Foundation Computing & Information Science & Engineering Advisory Committee on December 12.
CONGRESS, NSF ACT ON SCIENTIFIC SECURITY
On Wednesday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill (S. 1790) that would create a federal task force to coordinate efforts to protect federally-funded research from foreign espionage. The U.S. Senate is expected to pass the measure quickly, and the President has indicated he will sign it. Separately, the National Science Foundation released the findings of a highly anticipated study on security threats in the federal research enterprise. The report found that open international collaborations are essential, and that most breaches in scientific integrity can be adequately addressed through existing research integrity frameworks. The Congressional and NSF actions are meant to assuage policymakers' concerns about inappropriate foreign interference in American science.
BUZZ BITS...
- On Tuesday, Congress passed the FUTURE Act (H.R. 5363), which allows the Internal Revenue Service to share student aid applicants' tax data with the U.S. Department of Education in order to simplify the federal student aid application. President Donald J. Trump is expected to sign the bill into law shortly.
- The President issued an executive order on Wednesday to require federal agencies to use the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of anti-Semitism when enforcing the Title VI anti-discrimination statute. The U.S. Department of Education is expected to use this change to intervene more frequently in cases alleging anti-Semitism on college campuses.
- Senators Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Mitt Romney (R-UT) have jointly formed a bipartisan Senate working group on student athlete compensation. Murphy said the working group will address "inequities in this broken [college athletics] system."
GRANTS NEWS YOU CAN USE
The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Science has released a $5 million opportunity in its biological and environmental research program for “Computational Tool Development for Integrative Systems Biology Data Analysis." The program aims to develop new computational approaches that can integrate large, disparate data types from multiple and heterogeneous sources generated by DOE’s systems biology research. The research will focus on data from plants and microbes relevant to DOE missions in energy and environment, including laying the scientific groundwork for cost-effective production of biofuels and bioproducts. Pre-applications are due by January 31.