Health & Disability Research Institute
The Health & Disability Research Institute (HDR), a campus wide, interdisciplinary focal point for health and disability research at Boston University, officially opens. HDR expands upon the scope and strengths of its predecessor, the Center for Rehabilitation Effectiveness at Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences, and offers rich opportunities for graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, and junior faculty working to develop their research programs in the area of health and disability.
Center for Dynamics & Control of Smart Structures
The Center for Dynamics & Control of Smart Structures opens and operates for the next six years.
Center for BioDynamics
The Center for BioDynamics, a multidisciplinary, interdepartmental center whose mission is to advance training and research at the interfaces among dynamical systems, biology, and engineering, opens its doors.
Robert Pinsky Named US Poet Laureate
The Library of Congress names Robert Pinsky, Boston University professor of English and creative writing, the 39th United States Poet Laureate; he is reappointed for a second term in 1998. In 1999, Pinsky becomes the first poet laureate to be asked to serve a third term. His final term is completed in 2000.
Photonics Center
The Boston University Photonics Center opens on June 13. The center, located at 8 St. Mary’s Street, is an $80 million state-of-the-art facility dedicated to working with industry partners to develop new products based on photonics—the practical use of light.
Chancellor John Silber Keynote
Chancellor John Silber delivers the Keynote Address at Commencement.
Jon Westling, Eighth President
from 1996–2002
Jon Westling was raised in Yakima, Washington, and graduated from Reed College in Oregon. He received a Rhodes scholarship and studied history at St. John’s College, Oxford University. He served Boston University for more than two decades in a number of positions, including provost, before his appointment as president in 1996. During his tenure, he set six consecutive records for University fund-raising, opened a new complex of apartment-style dormitories, and initiated a dozen major building projects, including new science buildings and recreational and athletic facilities. He emphasized the importance of academic standards in admissions, streamlined bureaucracy in creating the University Service Center, and set a new tone of campus collegiality.
Center for Anxiety-Related Disorders
The Center for Anxiety-Related Disorders (CARD) opens to study the nature of emotional disorders and to develop and provide effective treatment for adults and children.
Boston Medical Center
Boston University and the City of Boston announce the merger of Boston University Medical Center Hospital and Boston City Hospital, creating the Boston Medical Center.
President John Silber Keynote
President John Silber addresses the graduating class at Commencement.
