Timeline | Boston University

2014

Learning, Research

University to Expand Big Data Expertise

The University Provost launches a data science faculty hiring initiative to bolster BU’s leadership in the burgeoning field and advance the University’s focus on interdisciplinary research. With more and more disciplines seeking to harness the power of data science, BU will hire up to six data scientists over the next three years in such areas as computer science, statistics, and systems engineering. Data scientists use mathematical models to analyze voluminous data and draw knowledge from it that can be used in a variety of applications, from health care and business to design and communications. The new faculty members will augment ongoing hiring in data-science-related disciplines.

2014

Campus, Research

New Center for Interdisciplinary Innovation

President Robert A. Brown announces a new, state-of-the-art Center for Integrated Life Sciences & Engineering (CILSE) to give science a more prominent address on the University’s main thoroughfare. Breaking ground in spring 2015, this $140 million, nine-story research facility, scheduled to open in 2016, will bring together life scientists, engineers, and physicians from the Medical and Charles River Campuses. The building will be dedicated to systems neuroscience, cognitive neuroimaging, and biological design. With shared, flexible lab spaces, meeting rooms, and other common areas, CILSE is being designed to encourage the kind of collaborative, interdisciplinary research that will be the hallmark of 21st-century science. The center will contain lab space for approximately 160 researchers, postdoctoral students, and staff, 270 graduate students, and additional space for future faculty.

2014

Campus, Learning, Research

Center for Systems Neuroscience

As brain science takes a prominent position on the nation’s research agenda, BU launches a new interdisciplinary research center to explore the roots of psychiatric diseases and neurological impairments. The Center for Systems Neuroscience (CSN) is led by Michael Hasselmo, a College of Arts & Sciences professor of psychological and brain sciences. The inaugural director, Hasselmo says the center’s researchers will work to further enhance the understanding of how brain systems mediate behavior. “We plan to build on the exciting research of neuroscience faculty at Boston University,” he says. “And we will foster new collaborations to generate experimental and computational advances in the field.”

2014

Commencement

Mass. Governor Urges Grads to Be Present for Others

At the University's 141st Commencement at Nickerson Field, Deval Patrick advises graduates that life’s journey is often more important than getting the answers and that real human connection requires intimacy. “Sometimes, the open-ended question is not about getting to the answer, but rather about the journey, and Google has little to do with that,” the governor said. “Real human connection, the nuance of empathy and understanding, is often more gradual and elongated than Twitter. It requires intimacy. And I worry that the demands of constant communication and infinite information through social media are crowding out intimacy.” The governor concluded his Commencement address by asking a promise of his listeners: “Sometime today, put your tablet or smartphone aside, look your Mom and Dad in the eye, and tell them that you love them. Hold your roommate’s hand and tell them you appreciate them for helping get you through to today.…Thank one of your teachers in person. Be present—and see what a difference it makes in your lives and the world.” His remarks earned a standing ovation from the graduates and guests.

2014

Campus, Learning

BU to Launch Joint MD/JD Program

Boston University will offer a joint Doctor of Medicine (MD) and Doctor of Law (JD) degree program starting in fall 2014, becoming only the second New England university, along with Yale, to offer the dual degree. The new program will be highly selective, initially accepting two students a year. Citing the increasing interaction between the fields of health and law and recent changes to government regulations and health policy, MED and LAW administrators believe that the program will appeal to students interested in health care administration, health care legislation, medical licensing, and intellectual property issues focusing on medical research.

2014

Campus, Learning, Research

EPIC Welcomes Industry to BU

Companies like Apple and GE are bringing high-tech facilities back home from overseas. While a positive development, the problem is now there aren’t enough engineers trained in highly technological methods. The Engineering Product Innovation Center (EPIC) helps fill that void. Funded through the University, ENG alumni and friends, and a $18.8M gift, the College of Engineering is transforming its curriculum so that all students, regardless of major, will graduate with a thorough understanding of how to develop new products, from concept and design through manufacturing and delivery. EPIC’s 15,000-square-foot space houses a computer-aided design (CAD) studio, demonstration areas, fabrication facilities, materials testing, and project management software. The facility has a flexible design and offers students supply chain management software, 3-D printers, robotics, laser processing, and around-the-clock digital access to the studio’s online resources. “We’re hoping to set a standard for the training of engineers for the future manufacturing economy in this country,” says EPIC Director Gerry Fine, an ENG professor of the practice.

2013

Campus, Community, Global, Learning

New Initiative on Urban Life

Outgoing Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino, whose leadership transformed Boston, joins the BU faculty as codirector of the Initiative on Cities (IoC), which will convene the best current and former leaders of cities to share with academics and scholars from around the world their practical knowledge of how urban areas drive growth. The IoC will be affiliated with BU’s Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future and Graham Wilson, a College of Arts & Sciences professor and chair of political science, will codirect the IoC. “Cities are the engines that drive regional growth,” says Menino. “Jobs, economic development, housing, and education all contribute to their success or failure, but it’s the leadership of those cities that makes the difference.”

2013

Campus, Sports

Let Games Begin on New Balance Field

Over the summer, West Campus students watch a tired brick building and a parking lot transform into a 110,000-square-foot athletic field and state-of-the-art underground parking facility, made possible by a $3 million donation from Brighton-based shoe manufacturer New Balance. Returning students discover the bright green New Balance Field, which is dedicated by the Board of Trustees in a ceremony on September 19. The new field essentially doubles BU’s playable green space and makes it possible to bring field hockey back to campus and to add men’s lacrosse to the roster of Terrier varsity teams, as well as to provide practice space for varsity teams and the more than 8,000 students who play intramural and club sports.

2013

Campus

BU Appoints First Chaplain for International Students

The Rev. Brittany Longsdorf starts in June as the University’s first chaplain for international students, embodying what she calls “a true spirit of hospitality that I think is theologically backed.” (Hospitality is both an injunction and a path to reward in the Bible, as exemplified in a story in Matthew’s Gospel, where Jesus offers God’s kingdom to those who welcome the stranger.)

2013

Campus, Leaders, Research

University Jumps in U.S. News & World Report Rankings

Boston University jumps 10 positions, from 51 to 41, in U.S. News & World Report’s annual ranking of the nation’s colleges and universities, and now appears on a short list of “Up and Comers,” chosen for their “promising and innovative changes in the areas of academics, faculty, student life, campus, or facilities.” The publication makes special note of BU’s robust undergraduate research program as well as its extensive study abroad opportunities, and it cites the undergraduate business and engineering programs as among the best.

2013

Community

Lu Lingzi Memorial Scholarship Honors Slain Student

Just days after the Boston Marathon bombing, BU Trustee Kenneth Feld (SMG’70), chair of the Campaign for BU, proposes establishing the Lu Lingzi Memorial Scholarship Fund. Thanks to support from more than 1,300 individuals across the globe, the scholarship fund named for Lu reaches its $1 million goal in record time. “This tragedy reflected the best and the worst of humanity,” says Senior VP for Development & Alumni Relations Scott Nichols. “You see this horrific, senseless terrorist act and then you see the response from total strangers worldwide.” The Lu Lingzi Memorial Scholarship Fund endows two scholarships for graduate students.

2013

Commencement

TFA’s Kopp Rallies Grads

Wendy Kopp developed the idea for a national teacher corps as her senior thesis. Just a year later, her vision became Teach For America, an organization that trains recent college graduates to teach in some of the nation’s most needy public schools.There’s no how-to guide for how to change the world,” Kopp said at BU’s 140th Commencement. “We are making progress today not because of a big idea, but because of a big commitment. Because we plunged in and embraced the journey of constant learning and improvement.”

2013

Campus, Learning

BU Joins Online Education Group edX

In May, BU joined edX, the Harvard- and MIT-led online learning platform that shares the University’s commitment to using technology’s benefits for students on campus as well as off. The partnership gives BU professors more flexibility in designing their courses and discerning which educational methods work best with students.

2013

Campus

Mayor Approves Master Plan

In May, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino (Hon.’01) signed off on the Charles River Campus Institutional Master Plan (IMP), clearing the way for a series of strategic changes on BU’s Charles River Campus that will reflect the University’s growth and prominence and improve its standing in the future.

2013

Campus, Community, Research

State OKs NEIDL Research Levels

In March, the Massachusetts Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs gave approval for BU’s National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories (NEIDL) to conduct research at Biosafety Level 3 (BSL-3) and Biosafety Level 4 (BSL-4). The Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) certificate clears the way for the issuance of final state permits for the project.

2013

Campus

Moody’s Upgrades BU’s Bond Rating

The rating agency recently raised the University’s bond rating to A1 from A2. The upgrade “reflects BU’s sustained improvement in its student market and research profile following years of strategic governance and leadership changes that have elevated BU to a more competitive position,” Moody’s wrote in a report on its decision. “The University is also beginning to generate philanthropic support more in line with its size and prominence and has launched its first-ever comprehensive fundraising campaign.”

2013

Global, Learning

Study Abroad Expands

BU offers programs in more than 30 cities on 6 continents across the globe, with concentrations ranging from anthropology to public health to finance. This year, 7 new programs were offered in locales such as Washington, DC, Zanzibar, Rio de Janeiro, Shanghai, Dakar, and Paris.

2013

Leaders

New SHA Dean

Arun Upneja takes over the reins at SHA after 15 years as associate dean for academic affairs at Pennsylvania State University’s Schreyer Honors College and professor of hospitality management at Penn State’s School of Hospitality Management, where he established new interactive honors programming for students and faculty.

2013

Campus

Record-Setting Applicant Pool

Some 52,532 students applied for admission at Boston University, a nearly 20% spike over last year’s record of 44,006 applicants. The University saw a 19% increase in applications from African American students and Hispanic and Latino students, and a 39% increase from international students.

2012

Research

Association of American Universities

BU was invited to join the Association of American Universities (AAU), an elite organization of 61 other leading research universities in the United States and Canada. "Boston University’s admission to the AAU is first and foremost an acknowledgment of the quality and productivity of our outstanding faculty,” says Jean Morrison, University provost and chief academic officer.

2012

Campus, Philanthropy

Campaign for Boston University Is Announced

The community holds a dazzling, celebratory gala to mark the formal announcement of the Campaign for Boston University—BU’s first major comprehensive fundraising effort. With an ambitious goal of raising as much as $1 billion for financial aid, faculty support, research, and facility improvements, the campaign will place the University on a list of just 53 universities that have attempted 10-figure fundraising initiatives. More important, it will help elevate the University’s academic standing, extend its global impact, and make the BU experience more accessible for students across the broadest possible socioeconomic spectrum.

2012

Campus, Philanthropy

Redstone Gives $18M to School of Law

The Viacom executive chairman’s gift will kick-start the construction of an addition to LAW’s main tower at the center of the Charles River Campus. The addition will bear the media giant’s name. “I feel a very close relationship with Boston University,” says Redstone (Hon.’94).

2012

Campus, Learning, Research

BU to Establish Autism Center of Excellence

The National Institutes of Health announces an award of $10 million to establish an Autism Center of Excellence (ACE) at Boston University. The five-year grant will fund research devoted to the least probed aspects of the increasingly common disorder—autism spectrum disorder—which remains baffling for scientists. With the NIH funds, the BU center, which will marshal researchers from several fields to study autism and language, is the first federally designated center in the nation established to address the critical needs of this largely neglected end of the autism spectrum.

2012

Campus, Philanthropy

Center for Student Services Opens

The University invests roughly $70 million in new summer construction, renovations, and technology upgrades. Among the most anticipated projects on the Charles River Campus is the Center for Student Services. The building is now home to six academic advising programs, including the Educational Resource Center, the Center for Career Development, and several College of Arts & Sciences programs, as well as a new dining hall that can accommodate more than 1,000 students.

2012

Sports

First Men’s Varsity Lacrosse Coach Named

Five months after announcing plans to establish a Division I varsity men’s lacrosse team, BU taps 11-year coaching veteran Ryan Polley as the new team’s head coach. Polley spent the last six seasons as an assistant coach at Yale. He helped the Bulldogs claim the 2012 Ivy League tournament title with wins over lacrosse powerhouses Princeton and Cornell, earning the team its first NCAA bid since 1992. BU currently has a club team, which plays in the Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association’s Pioneer Collegiate Lacrosse League, finishing this past season with a 2–10 record. Lacrosse was officially designated as a club sport in 1972.

2012

Sports

New Sports League

The University accepts an invitation to join the Patriot League, beginning with the 2013–2014 academic year. BU will leave the America East conference, of which it was a founding member in 1979. The University will be the ninth full member of the Patriot League, which, like America East, is a Division I conference. Division I is the highest competitive level recognized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). “We are very impressed by the academic quality of the institutions in the Patriot League and by the league’s commitment to student athletics while effectively competing at the NCAA Division I level,” President Brown says.

2012

Campus, Philanthropy

State-of-the-Art Med Dorm a Game-Changer

A nine-story building is now home to 208 medical students. The $40 million project was in the works for more than five years, since the MED dean’s advisory board decided to make it more afforable to attend BU’s medical program, which is among the 10 most expensive nationwide.

2012

Philanthropy

First Knox Professorship

The Robert and Jeanne Knox Foundation gives BU $2.5 million to create a professorship. School of Public Health Professor Jonathon Simon is named the inaugural Robert A. Knox Professor. Simon, who leads BU’s Center for Global Health & Development (CGHD), has spent a quarter-century battling childhood illnesses and death in the developing world. The focus on urban health, Knox says, is appropriate for big-city BU, “which in some ways has in its own DNA the problems of living in an urban environment.”

2012

Commencement

Google Chairman Addresses Grads

Eric Schmidt, executive chairman of Google, delivers the 139th Commencement address. “You can write the code for all of us,” Schmidt says. “You’re connected to each other in ways those who came before you could never have dreamed of.” While he has spent most of his life in the technology sector, Schmidt also urges students to have “real” conversations with friends and family. “Life,” he says, “is not lived in the glow of a monitor. Life is not a series of status updates. Life is not about your friend count. It’s about the friends you count on.”

2011

Campus, Community, Research

Green Light for Biosafety Lab

The Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs announces a draft decision allowing researchers to conduct lower-level biosafety research in BU’s National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories (NEIDL) on the Medical Campus in Boston’s South End. The first research scheduled for the state-of-the-art facility are two projects involving nonpathogenic tuberculosis.

2011

Campus, Global, Learning, Research

Global Urban Health Program Launched

The Center for Global Health & Development at BU launches a Global Urban Health program that will expand its research agenda addressing issues affecting global populations. The initiative, led by Professor Jonathon Simon, further establishes BU’s role as a major research university.

2011

Philanthropy

$25 Million Gift Largest in BU History

Rajen Kilachand (GSM’74), a Dubai-based global entrepreneur, pledged $25 million to support the Honors College, whose full name will become the Arvind and Chandan Nandlal Kilachand Honors College in memory of his parents.

“His magnificent gift will create an endowment for the Kilachand Honors College that will increase the quality of this innovative program and the range of opportunities it offers for all future generations of Boston University students. Equally as important as his gift, which is the largest in the history of the University, is his insightful understanding of the enduring importance of undergraduate education, both to him and to the University.” — Robert A. Brown

2011

Campus, Research

Rafik B. Hariri Institute

The Rafik B. Hariri Institute for Computing and Computational Science & Engineering begins its mission of creating a community of scholars “who believe in the transformative potential of computational perspectives in research and education.” The institute was initiated in 2010 with Trustee Bahaa Hariri’s (SMG'90) pledge of $15 million for interdisciplinary collaboration.

2011

Campus

Footbaths for BU’s Growing Muslim Population

Since 2007, the number of Middle Eastern students at the Center for English Language & Orientation Programs—many of them Muslim—has grown by 175 percent. Muslims are required to perform ablution—the washing of hands, face, and feet—before prayer, but until recently had no choice but to wash in bathroom sinks. The footbaths are a first for the University and considered cutting-edge compared to peer institutions nationwide.

2011

Learning, Research

New Residency in Addiction Medicine

BU is one of 10 institutions around the country to introduce an accredited residency program in addiction medicine.

2011

Commencement

Katie Couric Keynote

From morning TV host to pioneering evening news anchor and charity fundraiser, Katie Couric has traveled the length of American celebrity, a breadth of experience she drew on as the speaker at BU’s 138th Commencement.

“While getting out of your comfort zone can be, well, uncomfortable…today is just the first of many graduations in your life.” — Katie Couric

“It surprised even me, but I came to tears at the thought of having a commencement for our class...” — Class of 1970 Alum

2010

Commencement

Eric Holder Keynote

Eric H. Holder, Jr., Attorney General of the United States, delivers the University’s 137th Commencement address. The nation's top cop saluted the progress the country has made in areas such as race relations as he received an honorary Doctor of Laws, invoking both his status as the nation's first African-American attorney general and the fact that the country and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts have black chief executives.

“Today’s challenges spur tomorrow’s hope.” — Eric Holder

2009

Philanthropy

Leventhals Pledge $10M

Alan M. and Sherry M. Leventhal pledge $10 million to BU, a contribution intended to motivate substantial parallel gifts for student financial aid and professorships.

“Their timely gift, at a critical phase in the University’s history, will bolster our promise to raise the necessary funds to ensure access for qualified students and to enhance our world-class faculty.” — Robert Brown

2008

Leaders

BU Prof Wins Nobel Prize

Osamu Shimomura, a School of Medicine adjunct professor of physiology and a senior scientist emeritus at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Mass., is one of three winners of the 2008 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. His research on jellyfish has revolutionized the world of biology.

“If you find an interesting subject, go study it. Don’t stop. There is difficulty in any research—don’t give up until you overcome that.” — Osamu Shimomura

2008

Leaders

Jeffrey Hutter Dean of SDM

Jeffrey Hutter, professor of endodontics and the Herbert Schilder Chair of the endodontics department, is appointed dean of the Goldman School of Dental Medicine. Hutter hopes to continue many of the initiatives started under the leadership of the late Spencer Frankl, who was SDM dean for more than 30 years.

2008

Leaders

STH Appoints New Dean

Mary Elizabeth Moore is appointed dean of BU’s oldest school, the School of Theology. Moore’s research focuses on eco-feminist theology and spirituality, sacramental teaching, and reconciliation theory and practice, and she is an ordained deacon in the United Methodist Church.

2008

Leaders

Tom Fiedler Is COM Dean

The College of Communication welcomes back one of its own, appointing as the new dean Tom Fiedler, the former executive editor of the Miami Herald. Fiedler succeeds Tobe Berkovitz, who was named dean ad interim in September 2006 following the resignation of Dean John Schulz.

2008

Research

Concussion Research

The University launches the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy which links concussions to depression and dementia in athletes and soldiers. The center's research helps lead to significant rule changes in the National Football League and other professional sports.

2008

Commencement

Lawrence Lucchino Keynote

Commencement speaker Lawrence Lucchino, President and CEO of the Boston Red Sox, delivers an address titled, "Life is not about warming yourself by the fire, life is about building the fire."

“Perhaps most memorably, the Boston University Class of 2008 as freshmen and as seniors helped propel the Red Sox to two World Series Championships in your four years here in town. Unprecedented!” — Lawrence Lucchino

2008

Leaders

SED Names New Dean

Hardin L. K. Coleman, a leading University of Wisconsin–Madison educator and psychologist who specializes in preparing school counselors for culturally diverse settings, is named dean of the School of Education. He succeeds Dean ad interim Charles Glenn (SED'87).

2008

Research

1st Genetic On/Off Switch

Jim Collins, a biomedical engineering professor, applies dynamical systems theory to the workings of physiological systems to develop the world’s first genetic toggle switch. The switch, a molecular device that can turn genes off or on, gives researchers a chance to observe how genes interact with different cells throughout the body, in both healthy and diseased systems.

2007

Campus

Choosing to Be Great: BU Launches 10-Year Strategic Plan

The Strategic Plan, titled "Choosing to Be Great: A Vision of Boston University—Past, Present, and Future," sets goals to be carried out over the next decade, with an initial focus on augmenting the programs that are seen as BU’s current strengths and a longer-term plan for recruitment and expansion throughout all schools and colleges. While the College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, the College of Fine Arts, the School of Law, the School of Management, and the School of Medicine are all identified as key players in the early stages, broader goals include more research funding for students across the University and continued renovations of both residential and community facilities for use by students, faculty, staff, and alumni.

“The great strengths of Boston University are the breadth of excellence stored in its faculty, coupled with its focus on rigorous and well-delivered education. What has emerged is a plan that builds on this foundation, strengthens it, and leverages it to move toward a uniquely broad, but also collaborative University.”—Robert A. Brown

2007

Commencement

Steven Chu Keynote

Speaking to over 5,700 Boston University graduates and 20,000 guests at Nickerson Field at the 134th Commencement, alternative energy scientist and Nobel Laureate Steven Chu underscores that solving the energy problem is the most important challenge ahead. Chu cites that sustainable energy development as crucial to the world's future and counts on technology to mitigate effects of climate change.

“And now you will be able to invest this knowledge and experience not only in attaining your personal goals but in helping your community realize the ultimate promise of democracy: That the combined knowledge and experience of all the people can shape a more just and more secure society." — Steven Chu

2006

Commencement

Leslie Moonves Keynote

Commencement speaker Leslie Moonves, president and CEO of CBS Corporation, tells the crowd that although he lives his life by programming, the graduates should do as he says, not as he does.

“Don’t plan. Look on life not as a fully programmed schedule but as a search. Always keep your options, and your heart, open.”—Leslie Moonves

2006

Leaders

Lutchen Appointed Dean of ENG

Kenneth Lutchen has been a faculty member at BU since 1984. Before being named Dean of Engineering he was Chair of Biomedical Engineering from 1998 to 2006. He has published over 120 peer-reviewed journal articles and has advanced novel experimental, imaging, and computational-based methods for intracellular through whole-organ structure-function relations governing lung disease.

2006

Community, Leaders

George Bush appoints President Brown to Council of Advisors

Boston University President Robert A. Brown is appointed by President George W. Bush to the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (2006–2008). Bush reestablished the council in 2001 in an effort to maintain a steady stream of expert advice from the private sector and the academic community on a wide range of scientific and technical matters.

“It is an honor to be selected to advise the government in setting priorities in science and technology for the future of the country,” says Brown. “I view the continued development of our scientific capabilities, through education and new research, as critical to our nation’s standard of living and our economic future”—Robert A. Brown

2006

Campus, Learning

SHA Gets a New Home

The new SHA building is dedicated on September 27, 2006. The new SHA building is dedicated in style, with Boston University President Robert A. Brown as the keynote speaker. "The dedication opens the doors to a new era for the School."

2006

Leaders

Tenth President

Robert Brown is inaugurated as the tenth president of Boston University in April 2006.

2005

Commencement

Hamid Karzai Keynote

Hamid Karzai, President of Afghanistan, delivers the Commencement Keynote Address.

“Dear graduates, I say again, that your values must continue to guide you, as you embark on your new journey and assume greater responsibility. Our world will remain stratified and divided by exclusively narrowly defined interests unless you seek to build bridges of understanding and cooperation." — Hamid Karzai, President of Afghanistan

2005

Leaders

New MED Provost and Dean

Dr. Karen Antman is recognized internationally as an expert on breast cancer and other malignancies. Best known among oncologists for developing a standard treatment regimen for sarcomas, as well as her team’s research on blood growth factors, Dr. Antman comes to BU from the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

2005

Campus, Global, Learning, Research

Women’s Health Interdisciplinary Research Center

The Women's Health Interdisciplinary Research Center (WHIRC) promotes interdisciplinary research on women's health at the Medical Campus by bringing bench scientists, clinical investigators, and public health researchers together to determine collaborative research directions and obtain funds.

2005

Campus, Learning

The Institute for Athletic Coach Education

The Institute for Athletic Coach Education (IACE) in the School of Education at Boston University focuses on the need for education and training for youth sport coaches. The institute aims to provide present and future youth sport coaches with learning opportunities and resources to help them better understand their role and fulfill their responsibilities as leaders and educators in the community.

2005

Campus, Learning, Research

The Center for Reliable Information Systems & Cyber Security

The Center for Reliable Information Systems & Cyber Security (RISCS) promotes and coordinates research and education in system reliability and information security by emphasizing a multidisciplinary approach that includes fields as diverse as reliable and secure computations, engineering, economics, ethics, and law. Current research areas include cryptology, network and software security, software safety, economic and game-theoretic approaches to Internet computing, database security, robust monitoring, and fair and secure file sharing.

2005

Campus

Third BioSquare Building Addition

Boston University, Boston Medical Center, and developer Spaulding & Slye Colliers celebrate the opening of a new building at BioSquare in Boston’s South End. The eight-story, 160,000-square-foot laboratory is the third component of the two-million-square-foot biomedical research park, which at 14 acres is Boston’s largest.

“BioSquare is a thriving development, as this latest addition to its state-of-the-art biomedical research facilities affirms. Boston University is proud to partner with the City of Boston and with Boston Medical Center in helping to grow this important sector of our local and regional economies.” — Robert Brown, Boston University President

2005

Community, Learning

Tulane University Students Enroll for the Fall Semester

Boston University opens its doors to Tulane University students when they are unable to go back to school in New Orleans due to Hurricane Katrina damage.

2005

Campus, Philanthropy

BU Opens New Buildings

Agganis Arena and the Fitness & Recreation Center open. The Florence & Chafetz Hillel House opens as the center for Jewish life on campus. The Life Science & Engineering Building opens. Graduate housing opens at 580 Commonwealth Avenue.

2005

Community, Learning

Online Degree Completion Program Established

The University initiates its online undergraduate degree completion program, allowing those with an AA or the equivalent credits to earn a Bachelor of Liberal Studies in Interdisciplinary Studies.

2004

Commencement

J. Craig Venter Keynote

J. Craig Venter, a visionary scientist and entrepreneur who was a principal leader in the effort to decode the human genome, delivers the Commencement address at Boston University’s 131st Commencement exercises at Nickerson Field. More than 20,000 guests watch 5,776 students receive their degrees in the largest graduation ceremony in New England.

“New areas of science and subsequent advances are fraught with ethical and social issues with which we must all grapple. Healthy debate is good for society, however it can only happen in a science-literate world." — J. Craig Venter

2004

Campus, Research

Center for the Assessment of Pharmaceutical Practices

The Center for the Assessment of Pharmaceutical Practices opens with the overarching goal to promote the safe and effective use of medications for the nation's public health through research, education, and consultation. The Center offers opportunities for collaboration and development in research and education related to pharmaceutical practices. The center also has a number of educational programs and offers consultative services.

2004

Campus, Learning, Research

Center for Biomedical Imaging

The Center for Biomedical Imaging houses a new 3 Tesla Philips MRI scanner for functional, structural, and spectroscopic human and animal studies.

2004

Campus, Sports

Nickerson Field, Home of the Boston Cannons

The Boston Cannons of the Professional Men’s Lacrosse League set up home at Boston University's Nickerson Field; they remain here for three seasons. In 2007, they move to Harvard Stadium.

2004

Leaders

Board of Trustees Governance Changes

The Boston University Board of Trustees adopts sweeping governance changes in the areas of Board structure and term limits, conflict of interest, and Trustee qualifications. These new governance policies are a national model for colleges and universities.

2003

Commencement

George F. Will Keynote

George F. Will delivers the Keynote Address at Commencement.

“Today the principle that individuals should be judged on their individual merits, not on their membership in this or that group, is still under attack. The attack is against a core principle of an open society—the principle of careers open to talents. Today there are pernicious new arguments for treating certain groups of Americans as incapable of doing what Sam Lacy knew Jackie Robinson could do: compete."—George F. Will

2003

Learning, Research

Nutrition & Fitness Center

Located at Sargent College Clinical Center, BU’s Nutrition & Fitness Center (BUNFC) is established to expand a successful pilot nutrition and physical activity program developed for BU faculty and staff. Integrating the latest developments in scientific research and culinary art, BUNFC helps people achieve realistic health goals.

2003

Research

Institute for the Advancement of the Social Sciences

The Institute for the Advancement of the Social Sciences serves to advance the study of human affairs in all their variety, i.e., the study of human societies and cultures as they existed in the past and as they exist today through modern culture and nationalism.

2003

Research

Center for Global Christianity & Mission

The Center for Global Christianity & Mission at the Boston University School of Theology explores the most important development in Christianity during the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries: the shift of Christianity's demographic center to the southern hemisphere and parts of Asia. The total number of Christians worldwide continues to grow, even as the European and North American component of the world church has shrunk to less than one-third of the total.

“The center seeks to address several critical aspects of Christianity’s 'shift southward' in the twenty-first century. First, Christianity must be understood as a multi-cultural and global movement, an enduring theological tradition that finds new life in the lived realities of Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Second, the dramatic growth of world Christianity begs for analysis of the missionary dimension in all churches, as initiators rather than receptors of mission outreach. Third, growing churches are in need of theologically trained leaders, ranging from seminary professors, to grassroots leaders of indigenous churches. And finally, persons being educated to lead religious communities need to incorporate the understanding of these realities into their ministry and outreach."—Dana L. Robert and Prof. M. L. Daneel, Co-Directors

2003

Campus, Research

Center for Chemical Methodology & Library Development

The Center for Chemical Methodology & Library Development opens at Boston University. It is a new center funded by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) focused on the discovery of new methodologies to produce novel chemical libraries of unprecedented complexity for biological screening.

“The primary goal of CMLD is to build a better library, but ultimately the molecules housed there will be useful in medicine and in answering basic questions in biology. 'We’re not trying to set up a small pharmaceutical company here at BU,' says Schaus [library developer]. 'We’re actually interested in making compounds that you can use to study biological functions.'”—BU Bridge article

2003

Community

Hotel Commonwealth Opens

The Hotel Commonwealth opens on BU's campus in Kenmore Square. To promote the revitalization effort for Kenmore Square, BU signed on to the hotel project as a financial partner.

2003

Leaders

Ninth President

Dr. Aram Chobanian is named President ad interim and is named Boston University’s ninth president in June 2005.

2002

Commencement

Jon Westling Keynote

BU President Jon Westling tells the Class of 2002 to build on the nation's democratic institutions in his Commencement speech.

"If you want to continue to live in a free and tolerant society, you will have to do a lot more than praise the idea of diversity."—Jon Westling

2002

Campus, Learning, Research

Institute for Geriatric Social Work

The Institute for Geriatric Social Work is dedicated to strengthening the workforce for an aging society through educational innovation, workforce change, and research. Located at Boston University School of Social Work, IGSW builds upon the School's historical commitment to the field of aging and current strength in gerontological teaching, research, and training. Through innovative and wide-ranging education and training efforts, IGSW helps practicing BSW and MSW social workers—the large majority of whom have received little or no geriatric training—acquire the knowledge, skills, and tools necessary to meet the needs of older adults and their family members.

2002

Campus, Learning, Research

Elie Wiesel Center for Judaic Studies

The Center for Judaic Studies (later renamed the Elie Wiesel Center for Judaic Studies) coordinates with and supports all academic programs relating to Jewish studies and sponsors lectures, conferences, publications, and cultural programs featuring the films, theater, and music of Jewish studies. Wiesel (Hon.’74), a 1986 Nobel laureate for peace, BU’s Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the Humanities, and a UNI professor of philosophy and religion, has taught at the University since 1976. A recipient of 110 honorary degrees and more than 120 other honors, Wiesel has also received many awards for his writings, which include such nonfiction works as the autobiographical Night (1960), The Jews of Silence (1966), and Souls on Fire: Portraits and Legends of Hasidic Masters (1972).

2002

Campus, Learning, Research

Center for Memory & Brain

The Boston University Center for Memory & Brain (CMB) is established as a center of excellence in research, training, and teaching in the cognitive neuroscience of memory. The small core group of neuroscientists who compose the CMB complement each other in technical abilities and share the specific interest of characterizing brain mechanisms of memory. The center pursues complementary and collaborative studies aimed at describing the "circuit diagram" for memory in the human brain, teaches at all levels, and trains neuroscientists in this field.

2002

Campus, Learning, Research

Center for Integrated Space Weather Modeling

The Center for Integrated Space Weather Modeling (CISM) opens as a National Science Foundation (NSF) Science and Technology Center. The center's goal is to understand our dynamic sun-earth system and how it affects life and society

"We will not only do new science, but we will also build a robust and operationally useful forecasting tool for both civilian and military space weather forecasters and create novel education programs that will give students at all levels a better understanding of the geospace environment."—W. Jeffrey Hughes, Director

2002

Campus, Learning, Research

Center for Information & Systems Engineering

Information and systems engineering research at Boston University is strong and accomplished but also spread across departments, colleges, and schools within the University. The Trustees approve the new CISE in order to foster greater interactions among researchers speaking the same technical language across diverse application domains. CISE provides a home across departments for faculty and students interested in information and systems engineering methodologies and their relevance to application domains encompassing the analysis, design, and management of complex systems.

"As the communications, computing, and information revolution has taken hold, applications encompassing the analysis, design, and management of complex systems have focused research and education on information and systems engineering. Under the leadership of Boston University faculty across multiple departments, this interdisciplinary area has flourished." — David Castanon and Yannis Paschalidis, Co-Directors

2002

Campus, Community, Learning

Athletic Enhancement Center

A division of the Sargent College Clinical Center and an outgrowth of the BU Physical Therapy Center, the Athletic Enhancement Center (BUAEC) strives to improve athletic performance and prevent injuries in youth, high school, and adult athletes while also providing a training venue that allows young adults to develop life skills and positive character traits. The center is the Northeast's most complete athlete development facility. Programs are designed to increase strength, power, energy system resources, flexibility, and mental toughness, resulting in players who are stronger, quicker, and less at risk for injury.

2002

Campus

Student Village Construction Continues

John Hancock Student Village construction continues on the site of the former Commonwealth Armory.

2002

Campus, Sports

Track & Tennis Center

In October, Boston University’s Track & Tennis Center opens, providing a new athletic and recreation facility for the Boston University community. The 83,000-square-foot facility is designed to be one of the best such facilities in the country. Some features include four tennis courts, a fixed-bank 200-meter track, a 1,500-person seating capacity, and premiere space to hold national competitions. The facility also houses BU’s Track & Field and Tennis teams and is a practice venue for other Terrier athletic teams and organizations.

2001

Commencement

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

"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

2001

Campus

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.

2001

Campus, Sports

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.

2000

Commencement

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

2000

Campus, Global, Learning, Research

Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future

The Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future is established. Defined by its longer-range vision and not confined to any particular set of issues, the center seeks to identify, anticipate, and enhance the long-term potential for human progress through research, education, and outreach.

2000

Campus, Learning, Research

Editorial Institute

The Editorial Institute opens with the conviction that textually sound, contextually annotated material is central to the intellectual life of many disciplines. The institute promotes critical awareness of editorial issues and practices and offers training in proper editorial methods.

2000

Campus, Global, Learning, Research

Center for International Health & Development

The Center for International Health & Development (CIHD) is an applied research institution committed to changing society through research that treats health as a medical, social, and economic issue. CIHD works with developing and transitional country scientists to carry out policy- and program-relevant research on issues critical to their countries, helping them use the information generated to improve the health and well-being of their populations. To accomplish its mission, CIHD draws on a broad network of researchers from across Boston University, including the Schools of Public Health and Medicine, School of Management, College of Arts & Sciences, and College of Communication.

"Whether it is through our efforts to improve maternal and child health, confronting the two major scourges of HIV and malaria, or working with scientists, policymakers, and managers around the globe to deepen the evidence base for public health initiatives, the center's work is driven by a deep commitment to use the power of science to promote social change and improve the health of populations worldwide."— Dr. Jonathon Simon, Director of CIHD

2000

Campus

Student Village Breaks Ground

Student Village construction begins.

2000

Global, Learning

Journalism Study Abroad Program Established in DC

Boston University students travel to DC under COM’s Journalism Study Abroad Program, founded by Linda Killian (CAS’80, COM’80), a former editor at NPR’s All Things Considered. The program places students in the Washington bureaus of national news organizations such as ABC, NBC, NPR, the Boston Globe, and USA Today.

2000

Sports

Beanpot Record Established

The Boston University ice hockey team wins an unprecedented 6th straight Beanpot tournament.

1999

Commencement

Henry Kissinger Keynote

Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger focuses on leadership in his address to more than 5,400 graduates and 20,000 guests during the 126th Boston University Commencement.

"The task of any leader is to take a society from where it is to where it has never been, which is a lonely task, requiring much courage. That too is the challenge before us. And this is why John Silber has been such an inspiration to me."—Henry A. Kissinger

1999

Campus, Global, Research

Sherr Laboratory Formed

The Sherr Laboratory opens in the Department of Environmental Health at the Boston University School of Public Health. The laboratory employs state-of-the-art cellular and molecular technologies to research three specific areas of basic and applied science: Apoptosis, Breast Cancer, and Cancer/Amyloid Immunotherapy.

1999

Campus, Learning, Research

Institute for Astrophysical Research Formed

The Institute for Astrophysical Research (IAR) opens with a mission to promote and facilitate both research and education in astrophysics at Boston University. IAR members carry out research in a wide variety of astronomical fields including star formation, the interstellar medium, galactic structure, stellar variability, active galaxies, high-energy astrophysics, galaxy clusters, gravitational lensing, and dark matter. Graduate and undergraduate students are active, vital participants in IAR's research programs.

1999

Campus, Community, Learning, Research

Center for Cosmetic & Laser Surgery

The Center for Cosmetic & Laser Surgery opens at Boston University. Affiliated with both the Boston University School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center, the Boston University Center for Cosmetic & Laser Surgery has earned the highest reputation for providing outstanding cosmetic plastic surgery and cosmetic procedures. Its research efforts are constantly pushing forward the science of beauty by developing more effective and less invasive techniques.

1998

Commencement

Gary Locke Keynote

Commencement speaker Gary Locke (LAW'75), governor of Washington and first Asian-American governor in the country, told the 5,000-plus degree candidates who filled Nickerson Field on May 17 that they were the American dream personified. In 2009, US President Barak Obama chose Gary Locke as his new Secretary of Commerce, and he was sworn into office on March 26, 2009.

"Our family story is no different from the stories of every family here—whether you are a first-generation immigrant or a sixth. Your stories are made of similar journeys—journeys fueled by the American dream of freedom, hope, and opportunity. And this Commencement ceremony is what generation after generation of Americans and people all across the globe have dreamed of and sacrificed for."—Gary Locke

1998

Campus, Community

Learning Resources Network (LERNet) Starts Up

Many BU faculty members currently run educational and enrichment activities for middle- and high-school students to share the University's resources with them and stimulate their interest in various academic disciplines. LERNet is designed to serve as a resource center and clearinghouse to help with ongoing events and to assist faculty who are interested in planning new programs.

1998

Campus, Research

The Historical Society Opens

The Historical Society is an effort to reorient the historical profession and revitalize the teaching and broad dissemination of historical knowledge. The society embraces people of every ideological and political tendency and offers a place to debate those views in the context of historical study.

1998

Campus, Learning, Research

The Center for Congregational Research & Development

The Center for Congregational Research & Development bridges theology and congregational life through research, education, and networking. The work is oriented toward the discipline of practical theology and guided by critical reflection on the actual practice and lived faith of Christians in congregations around the world. The center was later renamed the Center for Practical Theology.

1998

Campus, Research

BioSquare 2 Breaks Ground

In April, BioSquare 2, a 192,000-square-foot building which will include research facilities for the School of Medicine, breaks ground. The building is dedicated in May 2000.

1998

Campus, Philanthropy

DeWolfe Boathouse

Construction begins on a new boathouse, which opens in the fall of 1999.

1997

Commencement

Juan Julio Wicht Rossel Keynote

Jesuit priest Juan Julio Wicht Rossel, S. J., addresses the graduating class at Commencement.

1997

Campus, Research

Quantum Aspects of the World Debuts

Quantum Aspects of the World offers a portal to Boston University courses, support materials, and tools to explore the quantum aspects of the world.

1997

Campus, Community, Research

MAVERIC

The Massachusetts Veterans Epidemiology Research and Information Center (MAVERIC) is established as one of three epidemiological research centers (ERICs) within the VA’s Cooperative Studies Program (CSP) to conduct observational, population-based research. It is affiliated with the Harvard and Boston University Schools of Medicine and Public Health. MAVERIC's mission is to improve the health of veterans and enhance health care delivery in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) by promoting the conduct of VA-based population research relevant to the needs of veterans; facilitating the transfer of vital epidemiological information to VHA providers and administrators; and educating the next generation of population researchers. In addition, MAVERIC has supported and participated in several national and local educational activities to develop clinical and scientific researchers practicing in the field.

1997

Campus, Learning, Research

Institute on Race & Social Division

The Institute on Race & Social Division opens in 1997 and operates for five years before shutting its doors in 2002.

1997

Campus, Learning, Research

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.

1997

Campus, Learning, Research

Center for Dynamics & Control of Smart Structures

The Center for Dynamics & Control of Smart Structures opens and operates for the next six years.

1997

Campus, Learning, Research

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.

1997

Leaders

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.

1997

Campus, Learning, Research

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.

1996

Commencement

Chancellor John Silber Keynote

Chancellor John Silber delivers the Keynote Address at Commencement.

1996

Leaders

Eighth President and Chancellor Named

Jon Westling is elected the eighth president of the University in June 1996, and is inaugurated in October. John Silber is named Chancellor.

1996

Campus, Learning, Research

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.

1996

Leaders

Seventh President Steps Down

John Silber became the seventh president of Boston University in 1971. In March 1994, he announced that he would step down on May 31, 1996, to become Chancellor.

1996

Campus, Community

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.

1995

Commencement

President John Silber Keynote

President John Silber addresses the graduating class at Commencement.

1995

Campus, Learning, Research

Mass Spectrometry Resource Center

The Mass Spectrometry Resource Center develops and applies mass spectral methods for biology and medicine with a primary emphasis on studies of oligosaccharides and glycoconjugates. The mission is to pursue sophisticated mass spectrometry in an environment with close interaction with life scientists and physicians. Resource faculty are members of the Department of Biochemistry and the Division of Graduate Medical Sciences at the Boston University School of Medicine.

1995

Campus, Learning, Research

Hearing Research Center

The Boston University Hearing Research Center (HRC) opens with twenty faculty members from six departments in four Boston University schools and colleges. The HRC was formed to develop and disseminate knowledge that will improve the nation's auditory health and allow the fullest utilization of the sense of hearing. Research in the Hearing Research Center combines theoretical and experimental studies of auditory processing to understand hearing in both normal and impaired auditory systems.

1995

Campus, Learning, Research

Elizabeth Bishop Wine Resource Center

The Elizabeth Bishop Wine Resource Center—which commemorates Elizabeth Bishop, a wine and culinary arts enthusiast who worked closely with Julia Child—is established for the study of wine and other spirits. The center aims to foster educational programs that explore all aspects of wine—viticulture, enology, wine history, economics, distribution and marketing, pairing wine with food, and the psychological, physiological, and cultural phenomena of wine consumption.

1995

Community

MED Receives Community Service Award

The School of Medicine receives the Award for Outstanding Community Service from the Association of American Medical Colleges for its work in Boston.

1995

Campus, Learning, Research

Fraunhofer Center

The Boston University Production Technology Collaboration and Fraunhofer Resource Center opens at 15 St. Mary’s Street, bringing together academic and industry-based scientists and engineers to offer access to the most advanced manufacturing technologies.

1995

Community, Research

Farouk El-Baz & the Million Man March

Professor Farouk El-Baz resolves the controversy about the crowd size in Washington, DC's "Million Man March" by estimating the number of participants in the march using the same computer techniques applied to counting sand dunes in the desert. He succeeds in conveying the excitement of scientific research and the importance of using advanced technology.

1994

Commencement

Ross Perot Keynote

Ross Perot, the Texas businessman who won 19 percent of the popular vote for President in 1992, addresses Boston University graduates at Commencement.

1994

Campus, Learning, Philanthropy

SMG Gets New Home

Construction begins on the Rafik B. Hariri Building of the School of Management; the building officially opens in October 1996.

1994

Community, Learning

Prison Education Program Continues

With the Crime Control and Prevention Act of 1994, Pell Grants for prisoners are eliminated, and as a result, universities withdraw their prison education programs. Only Boston University continues to operate in prisons, though since 1998 it has focused exclusively on undergraduate courses.

1993

Commencement

Reverend Dr. Johnny Ray Youngblood Keynote

The Reverend Dr. Johnny Ray Youngblood, a senior pastor at St. Paul Community Baptist Church in Brooklyn, New York, delivers the main Commencement address to more than 15,000 guests. Boston University confers 2,834 undergraduate and 2,440 graduate and professional degrees at the outdoor ceremonies.

1993

Campus, Learning, Research

The Scleroderma Center

Founded by the late Dr. Joseph Korn, former Chief of the Section and an internationally recognized researcher and clinical investigator in scleroderma research, the Scleroderma Center at Boston University School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center is a multidisciplinary program encompassing basic and clinical research and patient care. Dr. Korn’s vision of a comprehensive scleroderma center combining both excellent patient care and cutting-edge research continues in the BU Scleroderma Program today; thanks to research support, patients have many opportunities to participate in novel treatment approaches. The program’s efforts in patient care and research are mutually enhancing and sustaining.

1993

Campus, Learning, Research

University Joins Fraunhofer Society

Boston University enters into a cooperative agreement with a nonprofit consortium of 46 German research institutes known as the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft (Society).

1993

Leaders

Professor Saul Bellow

Saul Bellow, 1976 Nobel Prize winner for Literature, joins Boston University as a professor.

1993

Campus, Community, Learning

BU Academy Opens

Boston University Academy, a college preparatory school, opens under the guidance of President Silber.

1992

Commencement

Mario Vargas Llosa Keynote

Renowned Peruvian novelist and politician Mario Vargas Llosa delivered the Keynote Address at Commencement and urged more than 5,000 graduating Boston University students to go out into the world and make a difference by upholding liberty and fighting against discrimination and violence of all kinds.

"This great university, your alma mater, is an example of the best that our culture has to offer. It has equipped you to face great obstacles in many areas. Stand up to the occasion, and make the world a better place."—Mario Vargas Llosa

1992

Campus, Learning, Research

Center for Advanced Biotechnology

The College of Engineering establishes the Center for Advanced Biotechnology, which focuses on developing new methodologies and biological materials.

1992

Leaders

Nobel Laureate Derek Walcott

Derek Walcott, professor of English, wins the Nobel Prize for Literature.

1991

Commencement

Eduard A. Shevardnadze Keynote

Eduard A. Shevardnadze, the former Soviet Foreign Minister, told Boston University graduates during his Commencement Address that the Cold War had promoted a national psychosis in both the United States and the Soviet Union because "we were capable of destroying all life on Earth." As a result of having survived that War, "the Soviet and Americans are very close to each other spiritually in how they visualize common human horizons," he said, speaking through a translator.

1991

Campus, Learning, Research

Systems Research Center

The Systems Research Center (SRC) opens at the School of Management to promote better understanding of how information technology can be used to improve business performance and create new business opportunities; in 2001, the center becomes The Boston University Institute for Leading in a Dynamic Economy (BUILDE) to explore the effects of emerging information and related technologies on competitive markets and organizations. In 2008, BUILDE is renamed The Institute for Global Work (IGW) with a mandate to foster partnership between industry and academia, and as such works collaboratively with member companies, worldwide academic bodies, and think tanks to generate compelling research that motivates managers to think and work differently on a global scale.

"This Institute seeks to investigate how the reality of global connectivity will impact the way people live, work, and play. We will explore both the opportunities and challenges that arise as organizations seek to initiate innovation on a global scale. IGW faculty believe that the emergence of the global workplace will create enormous opportunities for those who develop the skills to lead in this global marketplace." — John Henderson, Director

1991

Campus, Learning, Research

BioSquare Discovery & Innovation Center

With over 700,000 gross square feet of space, The BioSquare Discovery & Innovation Center offers leading life sciences companies an unparalleled environment designed to foster and support discovery, innovation, and commerce.

1990

Commencement

Louis W. Sullivan Keynote

The Honorable Louis W. Sullivan, secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services and BUSM alumnus, addresses the graduates at Commencement.

1990

Campus, Learning, Research

Science & Mathematics Education Center

The Science & Mathematics Education Center strives to improve the quality of formal college and precollege science and mathematics learning, instruction, materials, and curricula, as well as to promote informal and public science education. The Center serves as an umbrella for the precollege and informal science and mathematics education programs already in place within the Boston University community, as well as for future research and development projects in these fields.

1990

Learning

Fast-Track Leadership Institute

The Leadership Institute opens at Boston University School of Management as a high-impact, fast-cycle learning initiative, designed and tailored to maximize the opportunities for executives to discover the new approaches and capabilities they will need to succeed and thrive in the new economy. The institute is designed primarily for managers who are moving into leadership roles with broader, cross-functional responsibilities. Those individuals who are seeking to develop the leadership skills necessary to implement strategies that keep their companies growing and competitive will most benefit from this program.

"While learning what it takes to succeed in the new economy is critically important, the real challenge is uncovering the models, behaviors, and assumptions that are no longer valid and accomplishing the un-learning of them. This can't be taught; it has to be seeded and experienced. The unlearning and learning should be cultivated by engaging leaders in the process of discovery, experimentation, and application."—Lucent Technologies, Director of Technology

1990

Campus, Learning, Research

Center for Computational Science

The Center for Computational Science opens to coordinate and promote computationally based research, foster computational science education, and support the expansion of computational resources.

1990

Campus, Learning, Research

Center for Advanced Genomic Technology

The Center for Advanced Genomic Technology, which evolved from the Molecular Engineering Research Laboratory (MERL) founded by Charles DeLisi in 1990 as a new interdisciplinary program in Boston University's College of Engineering, opens its doors.

1990

Campus, Learning

SAR Gets Its Own Building

Sargent College moves to its own building at 635 Commonwealth Avenue, the site of the former School of Nursing.

1989

Campus

Center for the Advancement of Ethics & Character

The Center for the Advancement of Ethics & Character serves as a resource for administrators, teachers, and parents as they seek to fulfill their responsibilities as moral educators.

1989

Learning

Executive Development Roundtable

Founded as an "incubator" for developing groundbreaking concepts and best business practices, The Executive Development Roundtable is a partnership between business and academia. EDRT’s members, who represent leading corporate, public, and nonprofit institutions, enjoy the strategic advantage of learning from and contributing to the latest applied research on how successful executives drive their organizations and why executive development remains a key competitive advantage in business today. EDRT provides a collegial and open environment in which upper-level leadership and executive development professionals can discuss best practice solutions, obtain industry-specific benchmarking tools, and obtain the overall professional development necessary to succeed.

1989

Campus, Commencement

Sesquicentennial Commencement

Sesquicentennial Commencement Speakers receiving honorary degrees are President of the United States George H. W. Bush and Francois Mitterrand, president of the French Republic. Also receiving an honorary degree at Commencement is First Lady Barbara Bush, and Chancellor Helmut Kohl of Germany at the Overseas Program's 25th anniversary commencement in Heidelberg.

1989

Campus

Sesquicentennial Celebration

Boston University celebrates its Sesquicentennial with over 40 events throughout the year highlighting the historic moments of the first 150 years since its founding. Special events during the year included: Founders’ Day formal opening symposium, numerous exhibitions, concerts, and conferences, gala dinner and reunion, School of Theology religious service, Boston University Symphony performance at Carnegie Hall, Sesquicentennial Commencement and special overseas commencement, as well as a Convocation of Presidents that included presiding heads of universities and colleges throughout the world.

1988

Commencement

Professor Carlo Rubbia Keynote

Nobel Laureate and Professor Carlo Rubbia delivers the keynote address at Commencement. Rubbia, together with Simon van der Meer, received the 1984 Nobel Laureate in Physics.

1988

Campus, Learning, Research

Center for Space Physics

The Center for Space Physics opens to explore and research space physics, including space plasma physics, magnetospheric physics, ionospheric physics, atmospheric physics, and planetary and cometary atmospheric studies. Students in astronomy, applied physics, and engineering conduct research through the center, which also serves as the coordinating mechanism for grants and has a 20-inch telescope at McDonald Observatory.

1988

Community, Learning

Chelsea School Project

At the request of beleaguered Chelsea officials, Boston University agrees to manage the city’s failing schools for 10 years, an unprecedented—and as yet unduplicated—move by a private university. The management plan, known officially as the Boston University/Chelsea Partnership, calls for sweeping changes in curricula, teacher training, school policies, and facilities. The goal: to make Chelsea schools "a model for excellence in urban education." The Boston University/Chelsea Partnership continued until 2008.

1988

Community

BU Student Food Rescue

The Student Food Rescue is founded by a group of Boston University student volunteers and becomes an integral part of the Boston University Community Service Center. Volunteers collect nearly 150,000 pounds of food annually from local restaurants, supermarkets, bakeries, grocery surplus facilities, and coffee shops each week and distribute it to area meal programs, food pantries, and shelters.

1987

Commencement

Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist Speaks to Graduates

Ignoring a sprinkling of protesters during Commencement, Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court William H. Rehnquist urges graduates to value and use their spare time wisely.

"Time is a wasting asset, and most of us realize it only too late to avoid spending a lot of it unwisely. Like any free-market economist, you ought then to look at what else might be done with the marginal few hours at the end of the week that aren't really necessary to earning a living."—William H. Rehnquist

"The new entrepreneurs are entrepreneurs without borders. They reach across industries, markets, and communities and cross language, cultural, geographic, political, and economic barriers to launch new businesses on new platforms to serve global markets. In doing so, they go above and beyond human imagination—empowering people, engaging societies, and breaking political and geographical boundaries to build sustainable, socially responsible enterprises that solve big problems."—Paul McManus, ITEC Director of International Programs and School of Management Executive-in-Residence

1985

Global, Leaders

World Leaders Forum Established

Under the direction of John Silber, Boston University inaugurates the World Leaders Forum, bringing international leaders and other key policy makers to campus to deliver addresses of political and social importance. Speakers receive an honorary degree from the University.

1985

Campus, Learning, Research

Center for Remote Sensing

Professor Farouk El-Baz founds and becomes director of the Center for Remote Sensing. The center uses satellite images and other data from airborne and ground sensors to study the Earth and its resources, particularly groundwater. This research includes monitoring environmental changes due to both natural processes and human activities.

1984

Commencement

Brand Blanshard Keynote

Philosopher and writer Brand Blanshard delivers the Keynote Address at Commencement.

1984

Campus, Learning, Research

NeuroMuscular Research Center

The College of Engineering establishes the NeuroMuscular Research Center (NMRC) to increase knowledge of motor control and improve the quality of health care for neuromuscular-impaired patients.

1984

Campus, Learning, Research

Data Coordinating Center

The Data Coordinating Center specializes in questionnaire and case report form design; implementing study protocols; data management; data entry; and statistical, database, and Web-based programming. Its staff of statistical programmers, database programmers, and data managers are experts in study design, developing computerized and Web-based data collection and tracking systems, quality control procedures, and statistical analysis methods. Data management systems can be custom-designed for projects that involve remote data entry using a Web browser or projects conducted online.

1984

Community, Learning

NNN Established

The School of Public Communication first hosts Neighborhood Network News, broadcast nightly on Boston Cable Channels 3 and 8.

1983

Commencement

Dan Rather Keynote

Dan Rather, journalist and news anchor of the CBS Evening News, delivers the Keynote Address at Commencement.

1983

Campus, Learning, Research

Institute for Jewish Law

Dedicated to conducting scholarly research, publishing material on Jewish law, and providing continuing education in this specialized field, the Institute for Jewish Law seeks to make publications available in English that focus on the analysis of contemporary issues using traditional Jewish sources. Neil Hecht, a tenured member of the law faculty, is the founding director of the institute, which has published over thirty volumes and conducts annual joint conferences with Harvard Law School on a variety of Jewish law topics.

1983

Campus, Learning, Research

Science Building Opens

The Arthur G. B. Metcalf Center for Science & Engineering is opened.

1982

Campus, Learning, Research

Institute for Literacy & Language

Started in 1982 and later renamed the Center for the Study of Communication & the Deaf, The Institute for Literacy & Language engages in both applied and theoretical research to benefit the Deaf and their families. Faculty and students focus on three major research themes: the acquisition of signed languages, the impact of language on the education of the Deaf child, and the developmental assessment of bilingual approaches to the education of Deaf children. Community services focus on projects assisting the hearing parents of Deaf children and on workshops and presentations to area agencies. The center has recently begun to create assessment instruments to determine ASL development in Deaf children.

1982

Commencement

Jim Wright Keynote

The Honorable Jim Wright, Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, delivers the Keynote Address at Commencement.

1982

Campus, Community, Learning

Huntington Theatre Company First Season

The Huntington Theatre Company begins its first season in collaboration with the Boston University Theatre.

1981

Commencement

President John Silber Keynote

President John Silber delivers the Keynote Address at Commencement.

1981

Campus, Research

Human Resources Policy Institute

The Human Resources Policy Institute (HRPI) is founded to study the latest developments in human resource management issues and serve as an information resource for the BU community. School of Management faculty, graduate students, and fellows partner with top-level human resources executives from member companies, discuss the latest trends, benchmark best practices, and sponsor faculty and doctoral-level research.

1981

Campus, Learning

Hotel & Food Administration Program

Metropolitan College prepares to open the Hotel and Food Administration Program, the predecessor of the School of Hospitality Administration. The program becomes a school in 1992.

1980

Commencement

William E. Simon Keynote

The Honorable William E. Simon, former Secretary of the Treasury, delivers the Keynote Address at Commencement.

1980

Campus, Learning, Research

Institute for the Classical Tradition

The Institute for the Classical Tradition is founded by Professor Meyer Reinhold. The International Society for the Classical Tradition, which is based at the Institute for the Classical Tradition, is also the editorial base of the Society's journal, the International Journal of the Classical Tradition (IJCT).

1980

Campus, Learning, Research

Center for Enterprise Leadership

The Center for Enterprise Leadership opens. A partnership of academics and senior executives dedicated to research, communication, and learning with respect to fundamental problems of product and service supply in a global economy, the center would operate for the next fifteen years.

1980

Community, Global, Sports

Miracle on Ice

The US Olympic Hockey Team wins the gold medal. Among the team members are four Boston University players: Captain Mike Eruzione, Jim Craig, Dave Silk, and Jack O'Callahan. The winning game is played on February 24, 1980. This game is known as the "Miracle on Ice" and is portrayed in the Disney movie Miracle.

1980

Community

Evergreen Program

The Evergreen Program offers the opportunity for older members of the community to attend Boston University lectures.

1979

Commencement

Edward M. Kennedy Keynote

The Honorable Edward M. Kennedy, Senator from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, delivers the Keynote Address at Commencement.

1979

Campus, Learning, Research

Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation

The Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation, a research, training, and service organization dedicated to improving the lives of persons who have psychiatric disabilities, opens. The center adheres to the most basic of rehabilitation values: First and foremost, a person with psychiatric disabilities has the same goals and dreams as any other person. Its mission is to increase the likelihood that a person with psychiatric disabilities can achieve these goals by improving the effectiveness of people, programs, and service systems.

1979

Campus, Learning, Research

Center for Energy & Environmental Studies

The Center for Energy & Environmental Studies is established as part of the College of Arts & Sciences to educate, research, and train in the fields of energy and environmental analysis. The center is multidisciplinary and problem-oriented; its educational programs are based on the philosophy that students need a solid training in traditional disciplines as well as a set of integrative courses that expose them to the broad and systematic nature of environmental problems. This approach also informs the center's research programs, which investigate some of the planet's most challenging environmental issues.

1978

Commencement

William Miller Delivers the Keynote

Federal Reserve Board Chairman G. William Miller delivers the Keynote Address at Commencement.

1978

Campus, Research

Anna Howard Shaw Center

The Anna Howard Shaw Center opens at Boston University to promote structures and practices that empower women and to honor diversity. Named after the Reverend Doctor Anna Howard Shaw (STH 1878), a Methodist minister, medical doctor, and suffragist, the center is designated as the women’s center for the Northeastern Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church ten years after its founding. Ecumenical, the center’s primary activities are in research, education, support, and advocacy.

"When Margaret Wiborg was hired as director of the Shaw Center in 1984, she fashioned her role as 'identifying the needs and finding the people and the money to do something about it.' One of the needs she identified was finding more role models for female students. 'Many women told me they had never had the opportunity to hear other women preach,' Wiborg says. That led to the creation of Women and the Word, the center's national preaching event, held each spring. Bishops, teachers, artists, and theologians serve as the primary leadership as women get to hear other women preach." — BU Bridge

1974

Campus, Learning, Research

The Gerontology Center

Created by School of Social Work professor Louis Lowy and School of Medicine professor F. Marott Sinex, the Gerontology Center is affiliated with the Geriatrics Section at Boston Medical Center and Boston University School of Medicine, and offers training opportunities in geriatric medicine and dentistry. School of Medicine Associate Professor Thomas Perls directs the world’s largest genetic study of people over 100 years old, and after analyzing the genomes of 308 centenarians and their siblings, discovers a “genetic booster rocket” for longevity. Amazingly, Perls and his researchers pinpoint a region on human chromosome 4 that is likely to contain a gene or genes associated with extraordinary life expectancy.

"With scientists at a company called Centagenetix in Cambridge, we’ve been working to find the gene that plays a role in life span."—ProfessorThomas Perls

1973

Commencement

Octavio Paz Keynote

Octavio Paz delivers the Keynote Address at Commencement.

1973

Commencement

Metcalf Cup and Prize First Awarded

The Metcalf Cup and Prize and the Metcalf Awards for Excellence in Teaching are first awarded. These teaching honors are created by an endowment from the late Dr. Arthur G. B. Metcalf, Chairman Emeritus of the Board of Trustees.

1973

Community, Philanthropy

Boston Scholars Program Initiated

The Boston Scholars Program is initiated and provides full-tuition scholarships and pre-college courses for local high school students.

1972

Commencement

John H. Knowles Keynote Address

President of the Rockefeller Foundation John H. Knowles delivers the Keynote Address at Commencement.

1972

Community, Learning

Prison Education Program

The Boston University Prison Education Program, founded by labor organizer, tenant activist, and poet Elizabeth Barker, offers its first credit-bearing college courses at MCI/Norfolk prison. The program strives to provide the means whereby, through education, students currently imprisoned can become informed, successful, and contributing citizens. Students who earn 30 to 60 credits can apply the credits towards a Boston University bachelor’s degree and even go on to pursue a master’s degree. In 1991, the Prison Education Program expands to include MCI/Framingham, the only penal institution in Massachusetts for women. Boston University continues to be nationally recognized for its contribution to the lives of prisoners in the program, and by extension, its contribution to the prisons they inhabit, the families they left behind, and the communities to which they will return.

1971

Campus, Leaders, Research

BU doctors become co-directors of the Framingham Heart Study

In 1971, Boston University doctors become co-directors of the Framingham Heart Study, a landmark series of physical exams and lifestyle interviews that began in 1948 with 5,209 residents of Framingham, Mass. After more than 60 years, the study is one of the largest and longest-running epidemiological research projects in the world.

1971

Leaders

John Silber Inaugurated as President

John Silber is inaugurated as President of Boston University; his inaugural address is entitled "The Pollution of Time." Silber succeeds in persuading the graduating class to wear academic dress and argues that the ceremony and its trappings are important symbols of tradition in defiance of the day's "instant culture."

1971

Campus, Learning

University Professors Program Created

The University Professors Program (UNI), an interdisciplinary program for gifted students, is created. The first course is taught in 1972.

1971

Sports

Men’s Hockey First NCAA Championship

The Terrier hockey team wins the NCAA Championship, its first of four over the next quarter-century.

1971

Learning

First Rhodes Scholar

Richard Taylor (COM'73) becomes Boston University’s first Rhodes Scholar.

1971

Campus, Sports

Brown Arena Opens

Walter Brown Arena opens.

1970

Campus, Learning, Research

Institute for Philosophy & Religion

A unique, interdisciplinary forum dedicated to studying issues at the intersection of philosophy, religion, and public life, the Institute for Philosophy & Religion is conceived by a group of philosophers (called The Personalists) who were among Martin Luther King, Jr.'s teachers when he was a PhD candidate at Boston University. Over the years the institute's programs reflect broad concerns such as promoting social justice, founding pluralistic societies, and exploring the deepest questions about life as reflected in theological and philosophical discourse. Established with the cooperation of three academic units of Boston University—the Department of Philosophy, the Department of Religion, and the School of Theology—the institute is envisioned as a home for serious philosophical and religious reflection and hosts a popular lecture series on issues that cross boundaries between academic disciplines and between scholars and the educated public.

1970

Campus

Creation of the Daily Free Press

In May, two newspapers merge to become the Daily Free Press as students respond to the Kent State shootings; final exams and graduation are cancelled. The "Freep," which captures the event in its first issue, currently enjoys the longest continuous run of any publication at the University.

1969

Community, Learning, Research

BU Marine Program

The Boston University Marine Program is founded at Woods Hole, Massachusetts.

1968

Campus, Learning, Research

Center for Educational Development in Health

The Center for Educational Development in Health is invited to move from the Harvard School of Public Health to the Health Policy Institute at Boston University. The CEDH team has taught courses on Educational Design and Evaluation at Harvard and Boston University since 1968 and authored several highly regarded, widely used texts on competency-based education and training.

"The wealth of this course is as a candle hidden under a bushel. I submit that this course should be known and readily available through the whole university as an 'inter-school' program….To briefly relate my personal experience, teaching is no longer arbitrary. Given a subject to teach, a lecture to present, a course to plan, there are logical and systematic approaches to these problems which firstly are student centered." — Elliott V. Miller, MD, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital

1967

Campus, Learning

Center for Science & Medical Journalism

The Center for Science & Medical Journalism at Boston University College of Communication is dedicated to improving the quality of science and medical journalism worldwide. Students and veteran journalists are trained to recognize, investigate, analyze, and explain scientific and medical findings and issues.

"Typically students in this program are very intelligent people with amazing backgrounds. Because of this, I always feel compelled to have my ideas very together when I come to class, especially if I'm presenting something. My classmates as much as my professors have pushed me to be a better student."—Steven Bedard, Class of '00, is now a content developer for WGBH Interactive, the online extension of WGBH-TV Public Television to Boston.

1967

Leaders

Sixth President

Arland Christ-Janer, a native of Nebraska, attended Carleton College and then the Yale Divinity School and the University of Chicago Law School. He served as an administrator at Lake Erie College in Ohio and St. John's College in Maryland and as president of Cornell College in Iowa until his appointment in 1967 to the presidency of Boston University. The first Boston University president who was not also a Methodist minister, President Christ-Janer took office at a time of social unrest. The week of his inauguration, the Students for a Democratic Society declared a Stop the Draft Week. Soon after, an African-American student organization issued a list of demands and staged a non-violent sit-in in the President's Office. President Christ-Janer agreed to all their demands, but campus demonstrations and radical student actions continued. After serving for three years, President Christ-Janer resigned in July 1970. Commencement that year had been canceled because of the threat of violent protests.

1966

Campus, Learning, Research

Mugar Library Completed

The Mugar Memorial Library is completed.

1966

Campus

Charles River Campus Completed

The consolidation of all the schools and colleges onto the Charles River Campus (except the schools of Medicine and Dental Medicine) is completed, ending a 28-year effort through the terms of two University presidents.

1965

Campus

Warren Towers Opens

Warren Towers opens.

1965

Campus, Learning

MET Established

Metropolitan College is opened.

1965

Commencement, Global

First Overseas Commencement

The first Overseas Program Commencement is held in Heidelberg, Germany in June. The program is the first to offer graduate degrees to members of the US Army in Europe.

1965

Firsts, Learning, Research

First Cancer Research and Teaching Lab Created

Boston University is the first university to combine a cancer research and teaching laboratory.

1964

Global, Learning

Overseas Program Begins

The Overseas Program offers its first course. The International Relations Program begins with 34 students in the spring of 1964. The first Boston University professor assigned overseas is Assistant Professor Stephen Anderson.

1963

Campus, Research

Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center

The Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center at Boston University seeks to capture and document history by collecting the manuscripts from individuals who play significant roles in the fields of journalism, poetry, literature and criticism, dance, music, theater, film, television, and political and religious movements. Renamed the Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center in 2003 to honor its founder, the center strives to preserve the documents and make them readily available to researchers while administering all legal copyrights and restrictions, and presenting extensive exhibitions, seminars, and tours for students, parents, alumni, various visiting groups, and members of the public.

1963

Campus, Learning

ENG Building Opens

The College of Engineering, successor to the College of Industrial Technology, opens a new building at 110 Cummington Street.

1963

Campus

GSU Opens

The George Sherman Union is opened; the cornerstone was laid in 1961.

1963

Community

MLK Jr Delivers “I Have a Dream”

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Boston University alumnus, delivers his famous “I Have a Dream” speech during the March on Washington, the then-largest civil rights demonstration in US history.

1963

Campus, Learning

School of Dentistry Opens

Boston University is the first university to open a graduate school in dentistry. In 1996, the School of Graduate Dentistry is renamed the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine after its founding dean.

1963

Campus, Learning

Astronomy Major Offered

Astronomy is first offered as a major, leading to the creation of the Astronomy Department in 1966.

1961

Campus, Learning

Six-Year Liberal Arts/Medical Degree Program Established

Boston University is the first university to establish a combined six-year liberal arts/medical degree program.

1961

Global, Learning

International Student Training at SED

The first US professional training for international student advisors is offered by the School of Education.

1959

Sports

First Seven Feet High-Jump

Boston University’s John Thomas becomes the first person to high-jump seven feet.

1958

Campus, Learning, Research

Law-Medicine Research Institute

Recognizing the widening scope of the medico-legal field, Boston University establishes the Law-Medicine Research Institute. A public service organization dedicated to defining health law and its role in public policy decisions and developing effective teaching modalities in health law at the graduate level, the institute is renamed the Center for Law & Health Sciences in 1970 to convey the field's expanding range. In 1977, the center's core faculty members move to Boston University Medical School to form the Health Law Section—later the Health Law Department—at the new School of Public Health. The department is renamed the Department of Health Law, Bioethics & Human Rights in 2003 and is the successor and current incarnation of the original Law-Medicine Institute.

1958

Campus, Learning, Research

Boston University Fights Cancer with Groundbreaking New Center

The Cancer Research Center, an innovative effort dedicated to research and discovery. The center's research activities are organized into four programs: three are laboratory-based (Tumor Immunology/Lymphoid Malignancy Research, Cell Cycle Control and Signaling Research, and Hormone-Responsive Cancers Research) and one is population-based (Population Science—Cancer Disparities). Investigators from across the board collaborate on these themes, allowing greater opportunity for interdisciplinary and translational research.

1958

Campus, Learning

Robert Lowell Poetry Workshop

BU hosts a most remarkable poetry workshop when Sylvia Plath, Anne Sexton, and George Starbuck gather for instruction by poet Robert Lowell, who began teaching at Boston University in 1954.

1956

Campus

BU Women’s Guild Established

The Boston University Women’s Guild is established in 1956 by Dean of Women Elsbeth Melville “to unite the women of Boston University in fellowship and acquaint them with the purposes and activities of the University.” The guild sponsors events to bring BU female faculty and staff together and to raise money for the Guild Scholarship Fund, awarded to female graduate students over the age of thirty.

1955

Leaders

MLK Jr Receives PhD

Martin Luther King, Jr., receives his PhD from Boston University. After receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, he presents his papers to the Special Collections (now called the Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center).

1954

Commencement, Sports

Harry Agganis Graduates

One memorable Sunday in June 1954, Harry Agganis hits a home run at Fenway Park for the Boston Red Sox and then races up Commonwealth Avenue to receive his Boston University degree. Known as the Golden Greek, Agganis is a Terriers football, baseball, and basketball standout who rejects an offer from football’s Cleveland Browns to play baseball with the Red Sox. Sadly, a vibrant young life and a promising future are cut tragically short a year later when Agganis dies of a massive pulmonary embolism at the age of twenty-six. Boston University is proud of the Agganis Arena in the Student Village, the most recent tribute to this extraordinary individual who left us far too soon.

1954

Campus, Learning

CFA Established

The School of Fine & Applied Arts, now the College of Fine Arts, opens; the College of Music is absorbed into the new school.

1954

Campus, Community, Sports

Braves Field Becomes Nickerson Field

The University purchases Braves Field, which will become the site of Nickerson Field, the Case Athletic Center, and the West Campus residences.

1953

Campus, Learning, Research

African Studies Center

The African Studies Center, a program making major contributions to our national capacity to acquire and disseminate knowledge about Africa and its affairs, opens at Boston University.

"Those of you who know the African Studies Center well are already aware that it is not a department or just a research center. It is a community that lives each day, actively welcomes newcomers each year, and nurtures a wider set of colleagues around the United States and across Africa. Our sense of ourselves is historical, but grounded in the everyday as well." — James McCann, Director Ad Interim

1953

Firsts, Leaders

First Black Dean Named

Howard Thurman is named Dean of Marsh Chapel, becoming the first black dean in a predominantly white University.

1952

Campus, Learning, Research

Acorn to Oak: The Danielsen Institute

The Danielsen Institute at Boston University opens in 1952 as a multidisciplinary mental health care clinic licensed by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. The Institute is also a training and service center accredited by the American Association of Pastoral Counselors, and offers internship training and continuing education accredited by the American Psychological Association. Albert Danielsen, whose generosity founded and sustains the Danielsen Institute, used the metaphor of an acorn growing into a giant oak to describe what he hoped the institute would become. It is a tree of deep and varied roots—the roots of Albert and Jessie Danielsen, the roots of leadership; the roots provided by Boston University. And from these strong roots grows a great tree that carries on the Danielsen mission of service and growth." — Carole R. Bohn, Executive Director

1952

Campus, Learning

CGS (Formerly CBS) Established

The Junior College, a program based on team-teaching that had formerly been a part of the College of General Education, is established. This school is renamed the College of Basic Studies in 1960 and the College of General Studies in 1992.

1951

Leaders

Fifth President

Harold C. Case becomes the fifth president of the University.

1950

Campus, Learning

STH Building Dedicated

1950

Campus, Community

WBUR-FM

WBUR-FM goes on the air at 4:00 p.m. on March 1, 1950, as a 400-watt non-commercial educational FM station licensed to Boston University. By 1971, WBUR had enough full-time employees to qualify for status as a public radio station and applied to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) for certification. In 1984, the station won three Associated Press (AP) Awards for news coverage. In May 1987, WBUR won the 1986 George Foster Peabody Award—the most prestigious national award for broadcasters—for Liberation Remembered, a four- part series on the Holocaust. Since then, WBUR has won the Peabody two more times, including an award for Car Talk in 1993.

1950

Campus, Learning

ENG Established

The transfer of the New England Aircraft School to the University leads to the establishment of the College of Industrial Technology, renamed the College of Engineering in 1963.

1949

Learning

Isaac Asimov Becomes a University Instructor

Isaac Asimov becomes a first-year instructor of biochemistry at the School of Medicine. Asimov, the scientist and author, was writing pulp science fiction stories in his spare time at his Somerville home while doing cancer research at the School of Medicine.

1947

Firsts, Learning

Public Relations Degree First Offered

Boston University is the first university to offer a college degree in public relations at its newly founded School of Public Relations. As related programs are added, this school changes names several times, becoming the College of Communication in 1984.

1946

Campus, Learning

School of Nursing Opens

The School of Nursing is opened. To the regret of many proud graduates, because of declining enrollment and the increase in subsidized nursing programs at state colleges and universities, it closes in 1988.

1943

Campus, Community

ROTC Arrives on Campus

The US War Department invites the University to become a contracting agency under the Army Enlisted Reserve Corps Pre-Induction Training Program, also known as ROTC.

1941

Commencement

Wonder Woman Makes Her Debut

Elizabeth Holloway Marston (Class of 1918) is the inspiration for the character Wonder Woman, who makes her debut in All-Star Comics. Her husband, William Moulton Marston, creates the character, who triumphs with love instead of fists or firepower. Photo courtesy and original Wonder Woman material courtesy of Moulton "Pete" Marston

1940

Campus, Learning

Instructional Materials Center

The genesis of the Instructional Materials Center goes all the way back to the fall of 1929, when Abraham Krasker, then a science teacher at Boston Latin School, was hired to offer an SED course called "Visual Education" to science teachers to train them in how to use educational film, still pictures, film slides, and lantern slides (the current technologies of the time) in teaching and learning science.

1940

Campus, Learning

SSW Created

The School of Social Work is created after the School of Religious Education and Social Service is split; the religious education division merges with the School of Theology. SSW had received provisional accreditation as a seperate school in 1939. Since its inception over ninety years ago, the School has valued differences among people as enriching the quality of life for all.

1938

Campus

Charles River Campus Opens

The Charles River Campus is inaugurated as the cornerstone is laid for the Charles Hayden Memorial Building, which houses the College of Business Administration.

1934

Campus, Community, Learning, Research

Aeronautical Engineering Established at Logan Airport

Captain Hilding Carlson and Lt. Arthur B. Metcalf are hired to start the Aeronautical Engineering Department, located at Logan Airport.

1933

Research

First Research Grant Awarded

The University receives its first research grant, $275 from the National Academy of Sciences to the School of Medicine.

1933

Leaders

First Female Judge Becomes a University Trustee

Alumna Emma Fall Schofield, Massachusetts’ first female judge, becomes a University Trustee. She is also the first female assistant district attorney and first female judge in New England. Photo courtesy of Marsh, Daniel L. and Clark, William H. The Story of Massachusetts. New York, The American Historical Society, Inc. [1938]

1931

Campus

The University Yearbook Expands

CLA yearbook The Hub expands to represent the entire University. The yearbook, a BU tradition for more than 100 years, becomes The Boston Comment in 1980 and is renamed The Bostonian in 1982.

1931

Campus

Founders Day Established

The birthday of the University’s first president, William Fairfield Warren, is celebrated as the first Founders Day on March 13.

1930

Campus

University Colors Become Official

Scarlet and White become the official colors of the University.

1930

Community, Leaders

BU Alum Named “Man of the Year”

Owen D. Young (Class of 1896), alumnus, international diplomat, and Boston University School of Law instructor, is named “Man of the Year” by Time magazine for the second time. Young is one of the chief architects of the Dawes Plan, which established the policy for German reparations following World War I. Young was also part of the 1929 committee that created the Young Plan for the fiscal rehabilitation of Germany, at the time considered to be a great diplomatic feat. Magazine cover courtesy of Time magazine.

"The great lawyer of the future will be the man who has the faculty for seeing right; the man who has the courage to tell what he saw; the man who has the stability to maintain what he said." — Owen D. Young

1929

Campus, Learning

Sargent College Acquired

Sargent College, a privately owned school of allied health founded by Dudley Allen Sargent in 1881, becomes part of Boston University.

1928

Campus

HER House Founded

The Harriet E. Richards Cooperative House, probably the first co-op house in the country, is founded at 328 Bay State Road.

1928

Campus, Community, Philanthropy

General Alumni Association Established

The General Alumni Association is established and fifty-one years later successfully revives the Scarlet Key, an award that recognizes seniors who have displayed exceptional leadership and dedication to the University.

1926

Leaders

Fourth President

Born on a Pennsylvania farm in 1880, Daniel Marsh attended a one-room schoolhouse and became a lay Methodist preacher before winning admission as a junior to Northwestern University. He won a scholarship to Garrett Biblical Institute and then earned a degree from the Boston University School of Theology in 1908. He served as a Methodist minister and administrator with a strong record of creating social welfare programs for the urban poor, until he was called to Boston University in 1925. As Boston University's fourth president, Daniel Marsh declared that Boston University would instill in students the spirit of "Useful Service for the Sake of Others." President Marsh succeeded in building the new campus that President Murlin had envisioned. He also incorporated Sargent College into the University, and founded the School of Social Work, the School of Nursing, the School of Public Relations (now the College of Communication), and the General College. Among his achievements was his success in guiding the University through severe financial stringency in the Depression and during World War II.

1924

Leaders

First Dean of Women Named

Lucy Jenkins Franklin is the first Dean of Women.

1922

Campus, Sports

Rhett the Terrier

Boston Terrier becomes the Boston University mascot after students choose him over a moose. The Boston Terrier was first bred in 1869, the year BU was chartered. The mascot is later named "Rhett" after the 1936 book/1939 movie Gone with the Wind because “no one loves Scarlett more than Rhett.”

1921

Leaders, Learning

US President Taft Was a Professor at BU

President William Howard Taft, who lectured on legal ethics at Boston University School of Law from 1918 to 1921, is appointed 10th Chief Justice of the United States following his tenure as the 27th US president (from 1909 to 1913). To date, he is the only person to hold both positions.

1921

Firsts, Learning

First Evening Courses in New England Offered

On January 4, 1921, the College of Liberal Arts offers New England’s first evening courses leading to AB and BS degrees.

1921

Campus

BU Brief Yearbook

The first yearbook for the School of Law, the Boston University Brief, goes to print. The publication shuts down 11 years later.

1920

Campus

Campus Property Purchased

Boston University purchases 15 acres between Commonwealth Avenue and the Charles River (now the Charles River Campus) to unify the schools and colleges on a single campus. The property is acquired for less than $4 per square foot for approximately $1.7 million.

1919

Campus, Learning

Predecessor of SSW Opens

The School of Religious Education and Social Service opens.

1919

Campus, Learning

PAL (Later CBA) Established

The College of Secretarial Science opens its doors; it becomes the College of Practical Arts and Letters in 1924 and is absorbed into the College of Business Administration in 1955.

1918

Campus, Learning

SED Established

The School of Education is established.

1918

Campus

SATC Arrives on Campus

The US War Department institutes the Student Army Training Corps (SATC), which brings with it the 8 a.m. class.

1918

Campus, Community

First ROTC Pass-in-Review

Pass-in-Review is a long-standing military tradition in this country. The dean of the College of Business Administration, Everett Lord, makes ROTC compulsory in 1918; the ROTC remains active at the University until 1970. The Army and Air Force ROTC units are reestablished at the University in September 1981 under former Dean of Students Staton R. Curtis, academic coordinator for Military Education. A separate Navy unit is established in 1982 and a Marine unit in 1986.

1917

Sports

Boston Terrier Named Unofficial Mascot

The Boston Terrier becomes Boston University’s unofficial school mascot.

1916

Campus

First University Newspaper: BU News

The Boston University News, the University’s first newspaper, is created as a laboratory exercise for the College of Business Administration (CBA) journalism class. Five years later, it becomes the official newspaper of Boston University.

1915

Campus, Learning

First Summer Term Held

The University holds its first Summer Term.

1913

Campus, Learning

SMG (Formerly CBA) Established

The College of Business Administration, later the School of Management, is established. Journalism courses are taught there until the School of Public Relations opens three decades later.

1911

Leaders

Third President

Boston University's third president was another midwestern Methodist minister from a rural background. Lemuel Murlin graduated from DePauw University in Indiana in 1891 and served as president of Baker University in Kansas from 1893 until assuming the Boston University presidency in 1911. President Murlin, like President Huntington, dreamed of a University "in the heart of the city, in the service of the city." In 1920, he purchased a large tract of land between the Charles River and Commonwealth Avenue hoping to unite on a permanent campus the colleges and schools scattered throughout Boston. His campaign to raise funds for the new campus, however, fell short and he resigned in 1924 to accept the presidency of his alma mater, DePauw University.

1904

Leaders

Second President

William E. Huntington becomes the second president of the University.

1904

Campus, Learning

Collegiate Life Course Requirement

William Marshall Warren, son of the University’s first president, becomes dean of the College of Liberal Arts and assistant professor of philosophy. Freshmen are required to take his course on “Collegiate Life,” which features questions about the campus and downtown Boston, and are expected to explore the city to discover its history and beauty.

1903

Leaders

First President Steps Down

William Fairfield Warren retires after serving for thirty years as the first president of Boston University, but he continues to teach and once again becomes the dean of the School of Theology.

1902

Community

Goodwill Industries Founded by STH Graduate

Boston University graduate Edgar Helms founds Goodwill Industries while teaching applied Christianity at the School of Theology. A branch of the store opens on campus in May 2008.

1896

Community, Global, Sports

LAW Student Competes in First Olympiad

Thomas Edmund Burke (Class of 1897) takes a six-week leave of absence from Boston University School of Law to compete in Athens at the first Olympic competition held since 393 A.D.

1891

Firsts

LAW Graduate Is First Female to Try Jury Case in Massachusetts

Anna Christy Fall graduates from Boston University School of Law, later becoming the first woman to try a case before a jury in Massachusetts. She wins the case and a $700 verdict for her client.

1885

Campus

The Hub Yearbook Established

The Hub becomes the CLA yearbook.

1882

Philanthropy

Trustee Scholarships Established

The Trustees establish 64 full-tuition scholarships—32 for men and 32 for women—through the bequest of Isaac Rich. The scholarships adhere to the principle of equal opportunity for men and women, rich and poor, as stated by William Fairfield Warren.

1881

Firsts

First Female LAW Graduate

Lelia Josephine Robinson becomes the first female graduate of Boston University School of Law and succeeds in getting a bill passed allowing women to join the Massachusetts Bar. In 1882, she becomes the first woman admitted to the bar in Massachusetts.

1877

Firsts

First PhD Awarded to a Woman

Boston University is the first university to award a PhD to a woman, Helen Magill White.

1877

Commencement, Firsts, Learning

First Japanese LAW Graduate

Takeo Kikuchi is the first Japanese graduate of Boston University School of Law.

1877

Commencement

First Commencement

The first general Commencement is held.

1877

Commencement, Firsts, Learning

First Black LAW Graduate

Emanuel Hewlett is the first black Boston University School of Law graduate and one of the first black degree recipients of a major US law school. Upon his death in 1929, the Supreme Court adjourns for the day, an honor reserved for the most respected members of the bar. Photo courtesy of "Crisis." New York, N.Y. Crisis Publication Company. Volume 36, Page 416. [1929]

1876

Campus

The Beacon Goes to Print

The Beacon, the first student publication, goes to print.

1876

Firsts, Research

Telephone Invented

In the first public demonstration, the telephone transmits sound to the Boston Athenaeum from Professor Alexander Graham Bell’s University office.

1876

Firsts, Learning

LAW Three-Year Degree Established

The School of Law becomes the first law school in the US to require three years of study for a degree.

1876

Firsts, Learning

First Agriculture Degrees Awarded

The first degrees in agriculture are granted by Boston University to students of the Massachusetts College of Agriculture, now University of Massachusetts at Amherst. The four-year curriculum includes courses in German, French, manual labor, and freehand drawing. Boston University continues to confer these degrees until 1912. Photo courtesy of Special Collections and Archives, W.E.B. DuBois Library, University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

1876

Firsts, Research

Centennial Exhibition Award

Alexander Graham Bell’s work on the telephone, completed while he was on a paid sabbatical from the University’s College of Oratory, earns the prize for science at the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia, which recognizes Boston University’s scientific pioneering. A year later, Bell becomes the first individual to receive an exclusive patent on the telephone.

1875

Global, Learning

First Study Abroad Program

Boston University students study abroad for the first time.

1874

Campus, Learning

GRS Predecessor Opens

The School of All Sciences, now the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, opens.

1873

Campus, Leaders

First President

William Fairfield Warren, Dean of the Boston Theological Seminary, becomes the first president of Boston University.

1873

Firsts, Learning

Women Admitted to MED

Boston University is the first university to admit women to a medical college.

1873

Commencement

MED Class Milestone

The first class of the School of Medicine includes students from Massachusetts, Kansas, California, South India, and Asia Minor.

1873

Campus, Learning

School of Medicine Established

Boston University acquires the New England Female Medical College and the School of Medicine is established.

1873

Firsts, Global

First Professor Exchange with Europe

Boston University is the first American university to exchange professors with European universities.

1873

Campus, Learning

CAS (Formerly CLA) Established

The College of Liberal Arts, now the College of Arts & Sciences, is established, the first fully coed liberal arts college in New England.

1873

Learning

Alexander Graham Bell’s First Lecture

Professor Alexander Graham Bell delivers the inaugural lecture for the School of Oratory, the first such institution in the country.

1872

Campus, Learning

School of Law Founded

Boston University School of Law is founded; it is the second School adopted into Boston University. The law school reforms the system of legal education in the US by requiring an admission exam, offering three-year courses, and being among the first to admit women and minorities.

1872

Campus, Learning

College of Music Established

The College of Music is established, the first degree-granting music school in the country. The New England Conservatory is founded by William Claflin, the son of BU founder Lee Claflin. The two programs share deanship, faculty and facilities, and grant joint degrees.

1871

Commencement

First School Named

The Boston Theological Seminary is renamed the School of Theology, the University's first school.

1869

Leaders

Trustees First Meet

The Trustees hold their first meeting.

1869

Campus

University Charter Established

Boston University is chartered by three businessmen, Isaac Rich, Lee Claflin, and Jacob Sleeper. The Boston Theological Seminary is the University’s first department.

1867

Campus, Firsts, Learning

Divisions Open to Women

Boston University is the first university to open all of its divisions to women.

1867

Campus

Boston Theological Seminary Rechartered

The Methodist General Biblical Institute is moved to Boston and rechartered as the Boston Theological Seminary.

1847

Campus

Newbury Biblical Institute Transferred and Renamed

The theology department of the Newbury Biblical Institute is transferred to Concord, New Hampshire, and renamed the Methodist General Biblical Institute.

1839

Campus

Newbury Biblical Institute Established

Delegates to a Methodist Episcopal conference meet in Boston to establish the Newbury Biblical Institute, later the School of Theology, the first school of Boston University. The Institute is housed in the Newbury Seminary, a secondary school in Newbury, VT.