BU Hub Starts in Fall 2018
Boston University’s incoming freshman class in 2018 will be the first class to register for the new BU Hub. This new University-wide general education program “ensures that all undergraduates, no matter their major, develop intellectual capacities that will teach them to thrive throughout their lives,” says Hub managing director Amanda Urias.
University Creates New Data Department
The new Analytical Services & Institutional Research department (ASIR), combining the institutional research department with information services and technology, will improve analysis of data sources relevant to the University, such as social media, devices connected to BU’s network, and digital scholarship and research. Universities are analyzing data more and more to better serve student needs and guide institutional strategic planning.
K. Matthew Dames Appointed New University Librarian
A nationally recognized scholar in copyright law and innovator in library sciences, new University Librarian K. Matthew Dames’ priorities include increasing access to scholarship and strengthening ties to Boston. He says the University’s desire to be a cultural institution at the center of Boston was one of the things that most attracted him about the job.
BU Awards Merit Scholarships to BPS Grads
For Thomas M. Menino and Community Service Award Scholars, BU grants four-year support to Boston public high school graduates matriculating at the University, covering the full cost of tuition without loans. More than a third of incoming Menino and Community Service scholars are the first in their families to attend college, and almost half of those are first-generation Americans.
BU Opens Lung Cancer Center on Medical Campus
A new Johnson & Johnson Innovation Lung Cancer Center on the Medical Campus, resulting from a partnership between the University and Johnson & Johnson Innovation, is aimed at speeding development of cancer interventions and cures. BU researchers will work closely with members of Johnson & Johnson’s Lung Cancer Initiative to develop biomarker-based early-screening tests for lung cancer, as well as therapeutics to arrest or eradicate the disease in its earliest stages.
Albie O’Connell Named New Men’s Hockey Head Coach
Once a Terrier, always a Terrier. As an undergrad, O’Connell (CAS’99) had 108 career points and led his team in scoring as captain his senior year. He played in two Frozen Fours and won a Hockey East title. Considered one of the NCAA’s top recruiters as a coach, O’Connell returned to BU in 2014. During his tenure as associate head coach, BU finished as the national runner-up in 2015, collecting the Beanpot and Hockey East titles. The Terriers reached the NCAA quarterfinals in 2017 and 2018. O’Connell calls his promotion to head coach “the opportunity of a lifetime.”
BU-Wheelock Merge to Create New College
BU and Wheelock College join to become the Wheelock College of Education & Human Development. BU’s newest college combines the doctoral programs and research capabilities of BU’s School of Education with the early childhood expertise of Wheelock’s School of Education, Child Life and Family Studies.
Noted Scholar of Inequality to Lead School of Law
Angela Onwuachi-Willig, renowned legal scholar and expert in racial and gender inequality as well as civil rights law, is named LAW dean. Drawn by BU’s history of access and diversity, Dean Onwuachi-Willig is expected to increase the school’s current focus on interdisciplinary scholarship, social justice, and public service.
US Rep. John Lewis to 2018 Grads: Be Bold and Courageous
Congressman John Lewis (Hon.’18) (D.-Ga.), BU’s 2018 Commencement speaker, urges BU graduates to “get out there and vote like you’ve never voted before.” Lewis, a legendary civil rights leader and one of the original 13 Freedom Riders, draws a standing ovation, saying “Be optimistic, don’t get lost in a sea of despair, but be bold, be courageous, and all will work out.”
MLK, 50 Years Later
The BU community reflects on the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (GRS’55, Hon.’59) 50 years after his death. Through a series of videos and essays compiled by BU Today, BU faculty, students, staff, and alumni discuss what Dr. King means to them.
