Boston College welcomes record 79 new full-time faculty members

Aaron Stump has more than a few reasons to be enthused about having joined the Boston College faculty this past summer.

He welcomes the opportunity to work at a top-level research university that also has “a strong commitment to humanistic values through its Jesuit heritage,” explained Stump, the John R. and Pamela Egan Chair of Computer Science.

A researcher in programming languages and computational logic, Stump feels BC will be an ideal place to continue his work on software for computer-checked proofs, not only in mathematics and computer science but also theology.

Then there’s the Computer Science Department’s current conversation about what a doctoral program might look like. Stump believes this could help increase the department’s stature and visibility while also attracting strong young scholars “to contribute to our research mission.”

As a Catholic, Stump added, working at a university “that shares my values and faith commitments is a dream come true.”

Stump is one of the 79 new full-time faculty members at Boston College this academic year, including 12 with tenure and 35 who are tenure-track—a cohort whose arrival comes only two years after BC had welcomed what was then a record 62 new full-time faculty.

The annual infusion of new faculty typically reflects institutional demographics, University and departmental priorities, new or recent trends in teaching and scholarship, according to BC senior administrators—and sometimes pure happenstance. Ultimately, these hires are a mutual expression of confidence by both parties: For the new faculty member, that BC will be an atmosphere in which to thrive, professionally and personally, and fulfill one’s vocation; for BC, that the new faculty member will grasp, and appreciate, the elements of its Jesuit, Catholic legacy.

“When we had our reaccreditation six years ago,” said Vice Provost for Faculties Billy Soo, “the head of the review committee—Donna Shalala [a cabinet member in the Carter and Clinton administrations]—wrote in her summary that it was evident how well BC faculty understand the University’s mission. This has long been a vital characteristic of Boston College, and one that has only gotten stronger over the years.

“The word has gone out: Our mission is formative education, to help our students become better citizens of the world, and this obviously resonates with the people who want to join our faculty.”

Among the new additions to BC faculty are the first four full-time hires in Messina College, which opened this past summer, plus a fifth who has a joint appointment with the Computer Science Department. The Economics Department is welcoming an unprecedented six new colleagues, while five new tenure-track faculty have joined the BC Law School, and the four-year-old Engineering Department has added three, after having hired four last year.

 Each spring, BC’s academic deans assess their respective school’s teaching needs—based on such factors as expected faculty retirements or departures and growth of specific majors—and share these with the Office of the Provost, which takes a holistic view using metrics like student credit hours to help determine how many new faculty a school can recruit. Search committees are formed with current faculty members to identify and interview three finalists for each position.

Of course, not everything goes according to plan, notes Soo. Prospective faculty candidates may turn down offers for various reasons: Perhaps they see more attractive opportunities in the private sector, for example, or they’re simply not fond of the New England climate.

“But this year, we were very successful on new hires, such as in Economics, which is a good surprise,” he explained. “And where a few years ago we saw a significant number of retirements or departures that were probably pandemic-influenced decisions, in this recent cycle the number dropped.

“All you can do is to try and stay ahead of the curve, but we feel very positive about the state of our faculty as we look toward the future.”

A major task for Soo and other academic administrators is to ensure that new faculty understand the nature of a Jesuit, Catholic university: Their orientation includes a talk by representatives from the University Mission and Ministry division on the role of cura personalis in the BC community.

“We want faculty to know one another, and to become familiar with the greater University,” he said. “It’s important for them to see that formation is not just for students, but for themselves, and that their well-being is about more than their work.”

That message seems to resonate among the new arrivals.

Carroll School of Management Assistant Professor Angela Ma said she was impressed by the strength and creativity of the school’s Seidner Department of Finance, to go with the BC Jesuit, Catholic mission. She describes the environment as welcoming and “can-do.”

“I am already experiencing the abundance of resources and support at BC,” said Ma, whose research interests are in corporate finance and financial intermediation. “Everything feels thoughtfully designed to empower my development as a researcher and teacher. For example, I’m teaching undergraduate corporate finance this semester and drawing from the wealth of experience of other faculty. It’s rewarding to work with the undergraduate students who show up with great questions and to experience real-time resonance between teaching and research.”

Connell School of Nursing Associate Professor Anna-Helena Klarare was struck by “the University-wide vision of working for the common good and supporting students in reaching their goals” she saw at BC and a “longstanding tradition of excellence in nursing, paired with vision and innovation for the future” at the Connell School. She believes the school is a perfect fit for her work in organizing health care—with nurses at the forefront—to meet needs of people experiencing vulnerabilities, such as health disparities or life-threatening illness.

“I have found a strong, supportive community that believes in me and one that provides resources for me to be successful,” said Klarare. “I just love the community of thinkers, with the thought-provoking seminars and hallway discussions I’ve had so far.”

In BC Law, Assistant Professor Yan Fang said she saw a school committed to “helping junior faculty become the best versions of ourselves, both as scholars and educators,” and felt strongly that joining its faculty would be a boon for research on how legal actors and institutions adjust to changes in their informational environments and the impact of those changes on enforcement systems.

“Having BC as my intellectual home will give me rich opportunities to engage with colleagues and students eager to explore the social and moral implications of technological change,” said Fang.

Faculty photo credits: Yan Fang and Aaron Stump: Caitlin Cunningham; Anna-Helena Klarare and Angela Ma: Lee Pellegrini)