Welcome to The Bridge , the newsletter of the Office of Global Engagement.

The motto of our office is Faciamus cum sociis pontes , "Let us build bridges with our partners." We hope you will begin to partner with us by subscribing.

Our Welcome Picnic

In September, the Office of Global Engagement and Student Affairs hosted a welcome picnic for the international community.
photo credits: Caitlin Cunningham

Global Scholars Lecture Series

Promoting Child Development in Settings of Severe Adversity

The Office of Global Engagement and the Office of International Students and Scholars are pleased to announce the inaugural lecture for our Global Scholars Lecture Series.
Dr. Sarah Jensen will be giving a lecture entitled "Promoting child development in settings of severe adversity". This will be a hybrid event.

Dr. Jensen is a Research Scientist working with Professor Theresa Betancourt at the Research Program on Children and Adversity at Boston College School of Social Work. Her research seeks to delineate the role of early psychosocial and biological experiences in shaping children’s cognitive, emotional, and neurological outcomes. Her current work focuses on a coaching-based parenting intervention to promote healthy child development and prevent violence in families facing severe poverty in Rwanda.

Hovey House Library | October 6, 2021 | 4:30 - 6:00 PM

In Memoriam

Dr. Marian St. Onge, was a long-time leader in the Boston College community and greatly extended its global outreach through her travels and building strong partnerships.

      Dr. St. Onge arrived at Boston College in the early 1970s as a graduate student. She served in many different roles during her long BC tenure, including Coordinator of the French Language Program, Director of the Women's Studies Program, and the founding Director of the Center for International Programs and Partnerships (today's Office of Global Education).

      Beyond Boston College, Marian was President of the Massachusetts Foreign Language Association and, as an active researcher and writer, was the recipient of several fellowships and awards including grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, The American Association of Teachers, and the Pi Delta Phi French Honor Society. In Spring 2006, she served as Michael Dukakis Visiting Professor in International Affairs at the American College of Thessaloniki, Greece.

      In retirement, Dr. St. Onge wrote poetry and was working on a biography of the Rev. Louis Favre, a Catholic priest and resistance leader during World War II. 

      Dr. St. Onge, “loved her granddaughters profusely” says her son Andy. Her granddaughter described her as "independent, confident, classy, and strong”.

      One of her two sons, Andy, said his mother possessed an “intellectual curiosity, a passion for learning and knowledge, and that curiosity was contagious". 

New Leadership and New Team Members

Since the return to campus this Fall, the Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS) and the Office of Global Education (OGE) continue their important work supporting   international students and scholars coming to BC and students studying abroad. We would like to welcome new team members in these offices and congratulate others on their recent promotions.

Larry Pickener

Director, Office of Global Education

Nicole Piechocki

International Student Advisor, OISS

Laura Graham

International Advising Assistant, OISS

"They come with a wealth of experience working with international students... They have been critical in welcoming our hundreds of new international students over the past few weeks."

-Adrienne Nussbaum

Associate Dean and Director, OISS

Pat O'Donnell, Asst. Director, OGE

"Pat's promotion reflects several years of his contributions to our office's mission. Pat has become a valuable mentor to new staff and voice within our office."

- Larry Pickener

Austen Carpenter , Program Manager, OGE

Samantha Lee , Program Manager, OGE

"Both have brought valuable insights to our office as graduate assistants. I think they each bring a fresh perspective to our office and our students."

-Larry Pickener

BAIC Kicks Off Hispanic, Latinx Heritage Month

From The Heights — The Thea Bowman AHANA and Intercultural Center (BAIC) filled the Gasson 100 banquet room with color and dance during the annual celebration in late September. Fr. Olayo-Méndez gave a keynote address and discussed the need for his community to confront injustice and unify with other people in the world. The celebration included a performance from Fuego del Corazon, BC’s Latin dance team, alongside the off-campus dance group Bajucol Colombian Folklore Dance Company. Afterwards, students lined the atrium as BAIC staff served delicious food.

The Thea Bowman AHANA and Intercultural Center supports the undergraduate community—with a particular focus on AHANA (people of African, Hispanic, Asian, and Native American descent), multicultural, multiracial, and OTE students—in navigating college life and fulfilling their potential.

Early Bird Registration EducFrontiers Conference

The 2nd International Conference on Educational Frontiers will occur November 19-20, 2021. This conference is hosted by the Boston College Lynch School and our partner, Ateneo de Manilla Gokongwei Brothers School of Education and Learning Design. The theme is "global education experiment: lessons that inspire the future." In this conference, education professionals come together to confront issues and questions about education policies and practices in pandemic and post-pandemic times. Early-bird registration ends on October 22nd. View the link above to see more details. 

Book Launch Event

Social Justice and the Sacred:
Exploring the thought of St. Alberto Hurtado, SJ

The Office of Global Engagement is hosting a discussion and reception to celebrate the book Social Justice and the Sacred: Exploring the thought of St. Alberto Hurtado, SJ . Join us for conversation with editors Scott FitzGibbon, Sohn Gavin, SJ, and Fernanda Soza about the life and thought of Alberto Hurtado, who was a monumental figure in the history of the Americas and a 20th century Chilean saint. Masks are required.

Tuesday, October 12 in the Connolly House from 4:30-7:00

BC Safe App Launch

Boston College has released a mobile application called BC Safe in order to ensure the safety of BC students, faculty, and staff both on campus and while traveling or studying abroad.

This app will replace the previous BC Mobile Safety App as a major resource for keeping our BC community members safe while they study abroad. The app not only provides notification of international safety concerns, it also contains a plethora of resources including emergency contact numbers, travel advisories, US Embassy information, and instructions on how to sign up for international health insurance and travel safety programs. You can even use it to look up the weather!

BC Lynch x Trinity Meet Up

The Lynch School of Education and Human Development Faculty will be engaging in a Virtual Collaboration with Trinity College Dublin School of Education Faculty, Thursday 7 October, 1pm Boston time/ 5pm Irish time .

The purpose of this event is to make connections with our international peers. The theme of the event is Global Perspectives in Education and we will have faculty speakers from each school giving an introduction to their work in the areas of inclusive leadership, special education, and curriculum (design or practices). 

This Zoom event will be open to faculty colleagues at the Lynch School. If you are interested in attending, RSVP to the event coordinator, Dr. Margaret Flood, a Visiting Fulbright Research Scholar from Ireland ( floodmb@bc.edu ).

Dan Corrou, SJ on the Refugee Crisis in the Middle East

Jesuit Refugee Service–Middle East and North Africa (MENA) serves displaced people in Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, and Syria – accompanying them through some of the most challenging times in their lives.

Join JRS–USA with Fr. Dan Corrou, SJ, JRS–MENA Regional Director, to learn more about the ongoing issues and needs in the Middle East region, JRS’s approach to respond, and what you can do to help. This free event begins at 7 pm and will be Thursday, October 14th in Gasson Hall, room 100. 

International Education Week

International Education Week (IEW) emphasizes the importance of increasing knowledge and awareness of the world's many cultures, people, and languages.

Under the direction of the Office of International Students and Scholars, the Office of Global Education, and the Office of Global Engagement, this week will consider the theme: "Healing Along the Faultlines: Enduring Crisis; Maintaining Resilience; Strengthening Engagement; Ensuring Justice ". The events will run Nov 8-12th. 

We would love to collaborate with you. Anyone interested in planning or hosting an event should e-mail us: iew@listserv.bc.edu.

Support for International Graduate Students

Co-sponsored by OISS, the Office of Graduate Student Life, and University Counseling Services, Far From Home is a group that provides a safe space for international graduate students to share and discuss adjusting to life in the US, academic stressors, family issues, and more. Discussions are led by a member of University Counseling Services. This session runs bi-weekly starting on Wednesday, September 22, 12:00 pm. For more information, please email  bcis@bc.edu .

Ignatius 500 Series: The Conversions of Saint Ignatius

As part of the Ignatius 500 Lecture Series, José Garcia de Castro SJ, Professor in the Theology department at University Comillas, Spain, will present "The Conversions of Saint Ignatius ". Lunch will be provided. This event will include lunch and be held in Murray Function Room 426 at 12 pm on October 5th.

Follow our twitter for future opportunities to engage with our partner schools and their events!