Sila Calderón Keynote

Sila Calderón, the first woman governor of Puerto Rico, speaks at Commencement. President Jon Westling says, "All but two of the governments on the two continents are led by men. It seems fitting, then, that the first female graduation speaker in the University's history should also be the first woman to lead her people. And it is with great pride that I announce that the speaker at the University's Commencement exercises in 2001 is Her Excellency Sila M. Calderón, governor of Puerto Rico."

"Image: a bird is one of the most amazing creatures in the universe. We marvel at its freedom to fly to the most far away places. Yet, we forget that for it to have that sense of unimpeded liberty, this tiny living thing is constantly battling much greater forces than itself: the wind, the rain, all kinds of tempests that threaten every part of its journey…Yet, it goes on…and on…and prevails against great odds. Be not afraid to lift your wings and let your spirits soar. Dream and do. Aspire and accomplish. Let that strength of character shine through. Enjoy life and, above all, be true to your soul."—Sila Calderón

Management of Variability Program

The high cost of health care places a great burden on the competitiveness of many major American manufacturing and other businesses. In response to cost-reduction pressures from corporate leaders, health care managers often respond in ways that negatively impact quality of care. Such responses fail to recognize a source of great waste in the health care delivery system: excessive variability in the processes used to provide care. The Management of Variability Program develops, implements, and evaluates methods to reduce this type of artificial management variability and better manage "natural" variability. The premise is that researching the reduction of process variability has as much potential for reducing costs and improving quality as approaches like cost-effectiveness analyses of new technologies, practice guidelines, and provider profiling. Its importance lies in the fact that individual institutions alone cannot support this type of research, even though its results will be of great benefit to individual institutions and the health care system as a whole.

International Center for East Asian Archaeology & Cultural History

The International Center for East Asian Archaeology & Cultural History (ICEAACH) opens to serve an international array of scholars and students pursuing the study of East Asian archaeology, art history, anthropology, history, religion, cultural heritage management, and related fields. An important aspect of ICEAACH's mission is to engage the public; it actively creates outreach and teacher training programs to more broadly promote academic research on East Asia’s cultural heritage to the public.

Institute for the Study of Human Resilience

The Institute for the Study of Human Resilience explores human resilience through research, practical application of our findings, and sharing information with affected people, their families, helping professions, and policy makers.

Institute for Business & Technology

The Institute for Business & Technology is founded to promote research and teaching related to business law issues generated by a technology-driven global economy.

Center for Neurorehabilitation

Comprised of a team of researchers and clinicians with expertise in rehabilitation and movement science, the Center for Neurorehabilitation conducts research and runs clinical and educational activities in a single location, all with the goal of directly impacting the quality of rehabilitation provided to persons with neurological disorders. The center offers physical therapy services for people with Parkinson's disease and other neurological diagnoses.

Center for Excellence in Teaching

The Center for Excellence in Teaching is established to promote and support exemplary teaching, facilitate the continued professional development of faculty as teachers, and introduce new faculty to the culture of excellence in teaching at Boston University. The center is a forum for exploring the methods, tools, and spirit of inquiry central to the teaching and learning processes. By cultivating teachers who transmit their own passion for an area of inquiry and curiosity about what remains to be discovered, the center encourages teachers to motivate students to participate actively in their own education and to guide them on their way to becoming lifelong learners.

"The purpose of this center is to assist faculty and teaching fellows with resources, encourage them to excel as teachers, and underscore the importance of excellence in teaching."—Provost Dennis Berkey

Student Village 1 Completed

Boston University completes construction of a new Student Village residence hall. The 817-bed dormitory allows the University to house more than 75 percent of the undergraduates who need housing, a longtime goal of the University.

Nickerson Field, Home of the Boston Breakers

Nickerson Field becomes home to the Boston Breakers, the first professional women’s soccer team in Boston. To accommodate the team, the field receives a makeover, including a new artificial surface, a renovated grandstand, and new lighting and sound systems. Due to financial constraints, the Breakers as well as the women’s soccer league later disband.

Tom Wolfe Keynote

Celebrated novelist, journalist, and commentator Tom Wolfe speaks at Commencement.

"In his novels, frequently compared to the work of Charles Dickens, Mr. Wolfe has led his readers through the thickets of greed and honor, love and suspicion, that sometimes seem to be the natural habitat of the modern American. There is no writer living today better prepared than Mr. Wolfe to cast a discerning eye on the world."—President Westling