Category: Firsts
Boston University Ranks 41st in Time’s Inaugural Ranking of World’s Top Universities
Time—in partnership with consumer data company Statista R—ranked Boston University 41st in its list of the World’s Top Universities of 2026, the publication’s first such ranking. BU’s global footprint, measured by both its economic impact and its community of international students and scholars, drove the impressive showing in Time’s compilation of the 100 top universities.
President Gilliam Outlines Her “North Star” Vision for the University’s Future
In her first Presidential Address, Boston University President Melissa Gilliam laid out a bold vision for the future of BU—one that draws upon the institution’s long history of innovation, collaboration, and openness and its strength in interdisciplinary, convergent research—to point the University in a direction that will enable it to meet the current moment and to excel for generations to come.
BU Women’s Hockey Heads to Belfast for Inaugural Women’s Friendship Series
The Boston University women’s hockey team rang in the new year abroad, traveling to Belfast, Northern Ireland, to play in the inaugural women’s Friendship Series—the only NCAA Division I women’s ice hockey tournament held outside North America. The Friendship Series celebrates the official sister-city relationship between Boston and Belfast, blending elite hockey with cultural and community engagement.
Success! BU Telescope Lands on the Moon Aboard NASA’s Blue Ghost Mission 1
In a historic first for the University, the BU-developed LEXI (Lunar Environment heliospheric X-ray Imager) telescope is operating from the lunar surface and will image Earth’s magnetic shield. The X-ray emission data LEXI captures will advance our understanding of the relationship between Earth’s magnetic field and the sun’s solar wind. The telescope is attached to NASA’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 spacecraft, which blasted off from Florida on January 15, 2025 and touched down on March 2, 2025.
Inaugural Class of BU Computing & Data Sciences Majors
The Faculty of Computing & Data Sciences graduated its first class of undergraduates. There are 190 students enrolled in CDS’ undergrad degree program and 10 in the CDS PhD program. The new MS in Data Science program is accepting applications for fall 2023. Associate Provost for Computing & Data Sciences Azer Bestavros said he expects 60 to 70 students to receive their BS in the next academic year, with an average of 120 to 150 in subsequent years.
BU Declares Juneteenth an Official University Holiday
BU’s decision to add Juneteenth as an official holiday is part of an ongoing effort to make BU “the diverse, equitable, and inclusive community that best embodies our values,” President Robert A. Brown announced in a letter to the University. Juneteenth, long celebrated in the African American community, is traditionally observed on June 19, marking the day in 1865 when the last enslaved people in America—in Texas, where the holiday began—were told they were free.
MED Class of 2020 to Make History with Early Graduation
Lending new credence to the school’s informal motto, “frontline medicine,” MED’s Class of 2020 will graduate a month earlier than scheduled so these new MDs can do their part to combat the coronavirus pandemic—and without the glory and ritual of an in-person convocation. Instead, they will graduate remotely, with a virtual—and memorable—ceremony conducted via Facebook Live.
Men’s Basketball Upsets Colgate, Wins First-Ever Patriot League Championship
Boston University Men’s Basketball clinched a 64-61 victory over Colgate University, winning the 2020 Patriot League Tournament, their first championship since joining the league in 2013. Third-seeded BU defeated the top-seeded Raiders in a thrilling game on Colgate’s home court and is slated to advance to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2011.
BU’s First Computational Artist-in-Residence Reinvents Invention
Francisco Alarcon, BU’s inaugural computational artist-in-residence, works with ENG and CFA students to explore the use of software algorithms, graphic design, fabrication tools, and cutting-edge robotics to create multidisciplinary artwork projects. This new residency is a partnership between the BU Arts Initiative and the Hariri Institute, with additional support from Innovate@BU, CFA, the School of Visual Arts, and BU Spark!
First Woman Named BU’s Innovator of the Year
ENG’s Xin Zhang won the faculty award for “world-class research into inventions and innovations that benefit humankind”—for her work with metamaterials: small-scale structures that react to electromagnetic or acoustic stimulation. From improving the resolution of MRI scans to building better pressure sensors for oil wells to developing noise-filtering technology, Zhang’s discoveries offer real-world applications.
