Category: Leaders
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 Joins Universities Backing Harvard’s Research Funding and Government Control Court Case
Boston University joined 23 other schools in filing an amicus brief in federal court supporting Harvard University in its ongoing court battle following the Trump administration’s freezing of nearly $3 billion in federal research funding. BU has also joined several collective efforts advocating for government-funded research, noting its benefit to society and to the country’s competitiveness in the world.
Board of Trustees Welcomes New Members
Boston University’s Board of Trustees and the University Advisory Board have both added new members to their ranks. The Board of Trustees added six members and elected two members as Trustee Emeriti. The University Advisory Board added two new members and elected a new chair.
Melissa Gilliam Inaugurated as 11th President
Boston University celebrated Melissa Gilliam’s inauguration as the institution’s 11th president. President Gilliam addressed more than 2,000 students, faculty, staff, and dignitaries at Agganis Arena. The ceremony featured remarks via video from Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey as well as welcoming remarks from BU trustees, faculty, staff, and alumni.
Penny Bishop Appointed New Dean of BU Wheelock College of Education & Human Development
Penny Bishop, a leading adolescent development scholar, has been appointed as the new dean of Wheelock. Bishop, who was dean of the University of Maine College of Education and Human Development since June 2021, officially assumed her role at BU on August 1, 2024.
Melissa L. Gilliam, Boston University’s Eleventh President
Dr. Melissa L. Gilliam, a distinguished educator, scholar, research scientist, and physician, took office on July 1, 2024, as Boston University’s eleventh president. A national leader in faculty recruitment and student success and a champion of diversity and inclusion, Dr. Gilliam is also a professor of obstetrics and gynecology and of pediatrics.
President-Elect Melissa Gilliam Names New Provost, Fills Key Senior Staff Posts
President-Elect Melissa Gilliam has named three critical appointments to her leadership team. Gloria Waters will become the University’s provost and chief academic officer, Christopher Sedore will direct Information Services & Technology, and Christine Wynne will become chief of staff to the president.
Ethicist and Theologian Named MLK Professor of Religion & Black Studies
Emilie Townes, dean emerita of Vanderbilt’s Divinity School, will become STH’s new Martin Luther King, Jr. Professor of Religion & Black Studies effective July 1. According to STH, the professorship honors King (GRS’55, Hon.59) “by modeling the moral authority, prophetic vision of justice, peace, and love, ethical leadership, and global consciousness that he advocated for and embodied.” Townes’ scholarship delves into womanist and Black theology, as well as racial health disparities and environmental racism.
The Winners of the 2024 Metcalf Awards, BU’s Top Teaching Honors
Yuri Corrigan, a College of Arts & Sciences associate professor of Russian and comparative literature, has earned this year’s Metcalf Cup and Prize, the University’s highest teaching award. He was honored at the 2024 Commencement ceremony on May 19 alongside two other faculty members—Veronika Wirtz, a School of Public Health professor of global health, and Alexis Peri, a CAS associate professor of history—the recipients of this year’s Metcalf Awards for Excellence in Teaching.
Created in 1973, the Metcalf Cup and Prize and the Metcalf Awards for Excellence in Teaching are a gift from the late Arthur G. B. Metcalf (Wheelock’35, Hon.’74), a BU Board of Trustees chair emeritus and a former professor. The program gives $10,000 to the Cup and Prize winner and $5,000 each to the Metcalf Award winners. A University committee selects winners based on statements of the nominees’ teaching philosophy, supporting letters from colleagues and students, and classroom observations of the nominees.
BU Innovator Pioneers Devices in Astronomy, Microscopy
The director of the University’s cross-disciplinary Photonics Center, Thomas Bifano, is the 14th winner of the Innovator of the Year award, given to an “outstanding faculty member who has translated world-class research into an invention or innovation that benefits humankind.” A holder of 10 patents, Bifano is also chief technology officer of Boston Micromachines Corporation, a company he cofounded to develop and market deformable mirrors and other optics products.
As head of the Photonics Center—which is a hub for the study of light and development of technologies utilizing it—Bifano has helped many others nurture their own innovations. The center is home to 70 faculty research labs and the Business Innovation Center, which hosts tech, biotech, manufacturing, and medical devices start-ups and corporations.
