Board of Trustees Green-Lights University’s Investments in Data Sciences
The board approved construction of the 19-story Center for Computing & Data Sciences, which will be the tallest building on campus and will bring the Hariri Institute for Computing and the mathematics and statistics and computer science departments under one roof. The trustees also approved formation of the Faculty of Computing & Data Sciences, which will serve as an interface between the traditional academic departments and faculty and students interested in computing and data sciences.
Comprehensive Campaign Final Tally: $1.85 Billion
Far surpassing its original goal of $1 billion, the campaign drew to a close in September, demonstrating the tremendous generosity and collective will of the BU community. More than 175,000 people donated to the campaign, which was launched to support financial aid, faculty and research, and facility improvements.
BU Leaps 13 Spots in Times Higher Education World University Rankings
London-based THE, a magazine and data analyst of higher education, assessed almost 1,400 institutions around the world. the University earned distinction on the global stage, advancing 13 spots to 61.
BU Advances in U.S. News & World Report Rankings
BU is on the move, up two spots to number 40 in the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings of National Universities. BU also climbed a notch in the magazine’s ranking of Most Innovative Schools.
BU Boosts Financial Aid to 100 Percent of Calculated Need
In a continuing effort to make a BU education affordable and create a more socioeconomically diverse campus, the University is expanding its financial aid program to meet the full need for all domestic students who qualify for financial aid, starting with the freshman class entering in fall 2020.
Questrom to Launch Online MBA via edX
The University is investing in the capability to deliver high-quality, large-enrollment online graduate programs, which could be key in the near future, says Jean Morrison, BU provost and chief academic officer. Created in 2012, the edX platform has more than 21 million registered users, representing every country in the world, who have enrolled in more than 75 million courses. The online MBA was designed from the ground up for the global online learner.
Karen Engelbourg Named Senior Vice President for Development & Alumni Relations
As vice president for development, Karen Engelbourg managed individual giving during the wildly successful $1.85 billion comprehensive campaign (the fundraising target was reset after gifts surpassed the initial $1 billion goal), overseeing a 90-person team. She was chosen as the next senior vice president for development & alumni relations as a result of a national search conducted by a six-member committee of trustees and senior leaders.
BU Establishes New Data Sciences Faculty Unit
The new Faculty of Computing & Data Sciences will bolster University efforts to hire and retain faculty across all disciplines that intersect with computing and data sciences. Another aim of the new unit is to facilitate educational and research programs that attract ambitious and accomplished undergraduate and graduate students and prepare them for careers of the future.
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.
