Lynch School Professor Belle Liang named Ascione Faculty Formation Fellow

Belle Liang, a professor in the Counseling, Developmental, and Educational Psychology department at the Lynch School of Education and Human Development, has been named the inaugural Ascione Faculty Formation Fellow for outstanding teaching and scholarship to support the University’s commitment to formative education.

The Ascione Faculty Formation Fellowship is made possible by the generosity of Katheryn H. and Michael C. Ascione, both 1993 Boston College alumni, and the parents of two current BC undergraduates. Michael Ascione has been a member of the BC Board of Trustees since 2021.  The Asciones also serve as co-chairs of the BC Board of Regents.

“This honor is awarded to a faculty member who excels in research, teaching, and service across the University, with a particular focus on formative education,” said Provost and Dean of Faculties David Quigley, who noted that the fellowship’s donors strongly believe in the pursuit of distinctive faculty excellence at Boston College. “BC’s fellowships are important tributes that celebrate faculty members such as Belle Liang, whose work advances our mission in distinctive and powerful ways, and recognizes her record of achievement, along with the promise of future, significant impact.”

Liang’s recognition as the Ascione Faculty Formation Fellow coincides with her appointment as the University’s Mission and Ministry Faculty Fellow. In these dual roles, she will partner with colleagues in Mission and Ministry and Student Affairs to facilitate a deeper understanding of formative education, both on and off campus.  Her work will help support existing initiatives, and lead to the development of new programs and opportunities for students, faculty, and staff.  

Liang, who joined the BC faculty in 2001, is a licensed clinical psychologist, and an expert in mentoring and youth purpose. She is an American Psychological Association Division 17 Fellow; a recipient of a Distinguished Alumni Award from Indiana University-Bloomington; The Many Faces of Counseling Psychology Award from the APA’s Society of Counseling Psychology; and numerous honors for teaching and mentoring.

She founded The Purpose Lab at BC, which specializes in youth purpose intervention and research, and explores topics such as mentorship, vocational design, and whole person education across race, gender and socioeconomic backgrounds. Liang has published numerous peer-reviewed journal articles and chapters to advance the science and practice of mentoring, and cultivating purpose in schools and workplaces. In 2022, she co-authored How to Navigate Life: The New Science of Finding Your Way in School, Career & Beyond.

“Belle Liang is the perfect inaugural recipient of this fellowship generously provided by the Asciones,” said Stanton E.F. Wortham, the Charles F. Donovan, S.J., Dean of the Lynch School. “Across her career, she has worked on formative education, and how to foster holistic human development and a sense of purpose in young people. It’s wonderful that she is able to share this scholarly expertise with colleagues through her upcoming work with University Mission and Ministry and with others across the University.”