FEBRUARY 2023

NEWS FROM THE SCHILLER INSTITUTE FOR INTEGRATED SCIENCE AND SOCIETY

WELCOME FROM LAURA J. STEINBERG

Welcome to the first SchillerNow issue of 2023. At this time last year we had just completed moving into 245 Beacon Street. Since then, the Schiller Institute has launched new programs and courses, and we have hired three exceptional Core faculty. You met the first two last semester. We are excited to welcome our third Core faculty member, chemist Jier Huang, who is featured in this issue. Now that a couple of months has passed since COP27, some of our delegates are sharing how attending that prominent global policymaking event is shaping their scholarly work and their professional paths. 

While we are delivering a range of initiatives and our Core faculty is producing impactful research, we have increased our commitment to funding promising work of faculty across BC. We are continuing the popular SI-GECS program and have introduced a new grant program, SI-RITEA, which encourages external partnerships and research in the Global South. Faculty should review the deadlines and criteria included in the News for the Schiller Community below.

Faculty, students, staff, and partners beyond campus, I hope to see you at a Schiller event in the near future. We have included a handful of our upcoming events in the following sections.

Professor Laura J. Steinberg

Seidner Family Executive Director, Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society

FACULTY SOCIAL HOURS »

One thing we’ve learned is even with BC’s close-knit campus community, many faculty across BC’s schools look forward to faculty events aimed at facilitating connection and collaboration. In response, we are offering three more of Schiller’s popular faculty mixers from 4-6 p.m. on Monday, February 20, Wednesday, March 1 and Tuesday, April 4. Please sign up here. »

EAGLES SUSTAINABILITY COMPETITION »

The Schiller Institute, Carroll School, and Winston Center, in partnership with the UGBC's environmental and sustainability division, announce the Eagles Sustainability Competition. Register by February 20 to compete in teams for $5,000 in cash prizes. More details can be found here. »

THE FUTURE OF CLIMATE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY »

As part of BC's Lowell Humanities Series, Schiller is co-sponsoring a public talk featuring acclaimed science fiction author, Kim Stanley Robinson. On Wednesday, March 29 at 7 p.m. in Gasson 100, he will be presenting: “The Future of Climate, Technology, and Society.” »

COP EVENTS »

BC’s delegation to the UN’s COP27 climate change conference is leading several programs to share its insights. The first two events will be: Friday, February 24, 12-1 p.m. (student panel) and Monday, March 20, 4:30-6 p.m. (faculty panel). To learn more, check out the BC@UNCOP page. »

FACULTY LUNCH AND LEARN SERIES »

Join us for a new lunchtime seminar series for faculty and graduate students aimed at sharing methodological approaches and building collaborative, data-focused teams. Topics will include web scraping, geo-based data, and implementation science. More information can be found here. »

New Major: Global Public Health and the Common Good »

The recently launched major in Global Public Health and the Common Good, administered by the Connell School of Nursing in partnership with the Schiller Institute, will address some of the most pressing needs of our time. The program is directed by Professor Philip J. Landrigan, M.D. Read more »

Expert On The Cutting Edge of Solar Power Development Arrives at Boston College »

The Schiller Institute welcomes Jier Huang, a chemist and material scientist who develops cutting-edge materials to convert sunlight and carbon dioxide into clean energy. Read more »

UGBC Reps Plan Eagles Sustainability Competition for BC Campus »

Boston College student government, in collaboration with the Schiller Institute and other university partners, will host a competition for actionable sustainability solutions for the BC campus. BC’s spring competition was inspired by a similar contest hosted by Boston University during the fall semester, in which a BC team advanced to the semi-finals. Read more »

COP27 Opened Eyes and Minds of BC Delegation »

The 27th UN Climate Change Conference, also known as COP27, had a big impact on the Boston College students and faculty who attended. Hear from some delegates about what they saw and learned, and how the experience impacted their plans for the future. Read more »

New Internal Grants Program 

The Schiller Institute is excited to announce a new internal grants program: grants for Research in Targeted and Emerging Areas (SI-RITEA). The SI-RITEA program joins the Institute’s existing SI-GECS program. Proposals for both programs are due on February 27. More information and application instructions can be found on the Schiller Institute website.

New Schiller Institute Course

Schiller is offering a new course. Working for and with Communities: Community Engaged and Project Based Learning for the Common Good involves weekly interdisciplinary class meetings through the spring learning about community engagement, leadership, intercultural awareness, global inequity, design thinking, and project management. In the summer, students will travel to Siem Reap, Cambodia to work with and for communities in that area on sustainability-based projects. 

Collaboration with IECP: Seminar on Center-based Care 

The Institute of Early Childhood Policy is hosting a seminar: Do more hours in center-based care cause more externalizing problems? Findings from a cross-national replication study presented by Catalina Rey-Guerra and Henrik Zachrisson. This seminar will occur on Monday, February 27, 3-4:30 p.m. in the Schiller Convening Space (245 Beacon St, Room 501).

New LinkedIn page

The Schiller Institute is on LinkedIn! New content of interest to the BC community and beyond will be shared there. We would love to connect with you in that space. Follow us!

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