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.
BU Data Platform Will Help Massachusetts Track, and Work to Close, Wage Gaps
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts selected Boston University to develop a data platform that will underpin new wage equity legislation in hopes of closing the Massachusetts wage gap. To help in the creation of aggregate wage reports, a group of researchers within the Faculty of Computing & Data Sciences has developed an encrypted program that anonymizes demographic and salary information as well as enables anyone to query the database to see high-level trends.
Renowned Virologist Robert A. Davey to Lead NEIDL, BU’s Infectious Diseases Research Hub
Internationally renowned virologist Robert Davey has been named interim director of Boston University’s National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories (NEIDL). Davey is a BU Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine professor of virology, immunology, and microbiology. Davey says his priorities as interim director are to sustain NEIDL’s momentum, help it navigate new challenges in the research landscape, and strengthen its leadership in high-impact science and public health preparedness.
“Empathy Is Essential,” BU Commencement Speaker Emily Deschanel Tells 2025 Graduates
At the 152nd Commencement, actor, environmentalist, and activist Emily Deschanel (CFA’98, Hon.’25) urged graduates to embrace empathy for others and for themselves. Addressing the largest crowd in 30 years, one of the largest graduating classes in BU’s history, and the first Commencement overseen by President Melissa Gilliam, Deschanel told the Class of 2025: “Go out into the world, confident that you have the tools to pursue excellence.”
Wheelock’s Tina Durand Wins 2025 Metcalf Cup and Prize, BU’s Highest Teaching Honor
Tina Durand, a clinical associate professor at Wheelock College of Education & Human Development, received the Metcalf Cup and Prize, Boston University’s highest award for excellence in teaching during the 152nd Commencement. Durand’s research and teaching focus on the classroom environment, including the development of ethnic/racial consciousness and advocacy among adolescents.
NIH Awards $15M to BU-Led Effort to Diagnose CTE During Life
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded $15 million to a major study led by Boston University CTE Center researchers. This new study will focus on examining potential biomarkers to help doctors accurately diagnose CTE—chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a neurodegenerative disease—in living patients. Among those volunteering for the study is the retired National Football League quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, who first played at Boston College and went on to an 18-year NFL career.
Pulmonologist Darrell Kotton Is BU’s Innovator of the Year
Darrell Kotton, a physician, scientist, and founding director of the Center for Regenerative Medicine at Boston University and Boston Medical Center, has been named Innovator of the Year for his work in pioneering lung disease treatments with stem cell technology and accelerating scientific discovery with open-access resources. Kotton is the David C. Seldin Professor of Medicine at the Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine.
BU Launches Open-Source Infectious Diseases Monitoring Tool Powered by AI and Human Experts
Boston University researchers and collaborators at Boston Children’s Hospital are launching a new AI-powered platform to monitor and analyze infectious diseases threats around the world. This tool—called the Biothreats Emergence, Analysis and Communications Network (BEACON)—is slated to become a global hub for critical information about emerging outbreaks.
Guggenheim Fellowships Awarded to Six BU Researchers and Scholars
Six BU researchers and scholars have received Guggenheim Fellowships. BU’s 2025 Guggenheim Fellows include artist Lynne Allen, writer and scholar Louis Chude-Sokei, astronomer Merav Opher, physicist Anders W. Sandvik, historian Bruce J. Schulman, and historian Quinn Slobodian. Given annually by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, the awards program supports exceptional mid-career individuals with a proven record of excellence and the potential to achieve more.
BU’s 11th Giving Day Raises Record-Setting $4.5 Million
More than 12,000 alumni, students, parents, faculty, staff, and friends from 53 countries and all 50 states contributed to 750 causes across the University during Giving Day. This annual event is BU's largest fundraising day, and this year it shattered previous records, bringing in half a million dollars more than in 2024.
