New College of Communication Dean Mariette DiChristina
The first woman to lead Scientific American, a globally respected publication since its founding in 1845, Mariette DiChristina (COM’86) was also the executive vice president of its parent company, Springer Nature, overseeing Nature and related journals. As editor in chief and senior vice president of Scientific American, she increased digital traffic by more than 500 percent and won a National Magazine Award.
Stan Sclaroff Named Dean of Arts & Sciences
Stan Sclaroff has distinguished himself in a number of leadership roles since joining the CAS faculty in 1995. An internationally respected scholar, he founded the computer science department’s Image & Video Computing group, studying machine learning, human-computer interaction, and computer vision (which seeks to automate functions performed by the human visual system). He served as dean ad interim of CAS—the largest of BU’s 17 schools and colleges—since 2018.
National Academy of Sciences President Tells Grads Truth Still Matters
Commencement speaker Marcia McNutt (Hon.’19) was the first woman elected president of the National Academy of Sciences and the first female editor in chief of the Science journals. She has led responses to global catastrophes such as earthquakes in Japan and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. McNutt is a vocal critic of “junk science”: “Whether the issue is healthcare, economics, education, or immigration, your University education arms you with the skills to determine who and what to trust.”
Kenneth Elmore Named a Pillar of Higher Education
Associate Provost and Dean of Students Kenneth Elmore (Wheelock’87) is among 17 professors and administrators nationwide who have been named Pillars of the Profession by the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators, a Washington, D.C., student affairs organization. The award honors educators of “sustained professional distinction” and “significant lifetime contributions,” as recognized by colleagues, students, or friends.
Women’s Hockey Wins Beanpot
The women’s ice hockey Terriers won the 41st Women’s Beanpot Tournament, their first Beanpot championship since becoming a varsity team in 2005. BU seized the title with a 3-2 sudden-death overtime win over the Harvard Crimson.
A New Venue in a New Hotbed for Culture
WBUR, Boston’s National Public Radio station, housed at Boston University, opens a new cultural events space. In an area that is fast becoming a hotbed for the arts, CitySpace—on Comm Ave near the College of Fine Arts and new Joan & Edgar Booth Theatre—will produce up to 200 programs a year, including debates, interviews, readings, theatrical performances, and family programming, with all events streamed live and archived for on-demand access.
New Coach, New Attitude for Women’s Basketball
Marisa Moseley (CAS’04) was a defensive star and team captain who, in 2003, helped lead the Terriers to their only NCAA tournament appearance. Moseley, who coached with Geno Auriemma at UConn, is the first alumna to lead BU’s program. To her, excellence begins with instilling a sense of pride and meaning in everything the players do, no matter how trivial.
BU Boosts Effort to Recruit Low-Income Students
BU joins American Talent Initiative (ATI), an alliance of colleges and universities with a shared commitment to improve opportunities for accomplished students from low- and moderate-income households. ATI hopes to expand its membership to all US colleges and universities with six-year graduation rates consistently above 70 percent.
Trustee Richard Cohen’s Challenge Bolsters Need-Based Financial Aid
Cohen (CGS’67, Questrom’69) pledges to match, dollar for dollar, new or increased gifts for need-based undergraduate financial aid—doubling their impact—up to a total of $1 million. Donors who take the Cohen Challenge help the University in its ongoing quest to make undergraduate education affordable for all students.
Alum Pardee Pledges Another $25 Million for Global Studies
Five years after donating $25 million to endow the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies, Frederick Pardee (Questrom’54, Hon.’06) committed additional support for developing the next generation of global leaders through education and research. His gift could pave the way for a stand-alone building for the school he helped to create.
