News

Cleaner, greener plastics from wood

BC chemists use light to convert abundant lignin into plastic that can be continually recycled.

Macy Faculty Scholar

The Macy Foundation will support Connell School of Nursing Associate Professor Andrew Dwyer's project to address disparities in genomic healthcare.

Health hazards of plastic: From cradle to grave

Global Observatory on Planetary Health Director Philip Landrigan, M.D., present a sweeping new report on hazards at every stage of plastics' life cycle.

The science behind memory

In a new book, Professor and Chair of Psychology and Neuroscience Elizabeth Kensinger points out surprising facts about how memories work.

BC scientists develop unprecedented catalytic approach

A team of researchers report on the new process in the journal Nature Chemistry.

BC-led team develops technique to see Weyl photocurrent flow

Quantum sensors can be used to reveal a surprising new mechanism for converting light into electricity in Weyl semimetals, the team reports.

BC social economist named AAAS fellow

The American Association for the Advancement of Science recognizes Juliet Schor for distinguished contributions to her field.

Stock running low? Consumers want to know

New research from a Boston College professor finds online retailers benefit by announcing low product availability.

A satellite image of a dead zone in the Northern Gulf of Mexico

The origins of ocean 'dead zones'

An international team looks back 12 million years for clues about these vast areas where no life can survive.

Influential scientists

BC researchers David Broido and Hanqin Tian are among 2022’s Highly Cited Researchers.

245 Beacon Street celebration

Nobel laureate Paul Romer keynotes an event to formally open BC’s new integrated science building.

light bulb with chalkboard of equations in the background

Schiller Institute grants

Awards will support collaborate research projects by faculty and researchers across the University.

First Institute Professors

Prominent climate scientists Yi Ming and Hanqin Tian are the first Institute Professors of the Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society.

What causes type 1 diabetes?

A BC researcher identifies a gut microbe that could accelerate the autoimmune disease.

BC physicist named CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar

Assistant Professor Qiong Ma is among 18 early-career scholars recognized for exemplary research.

Jurassic Shark?

Not exactly. But "Megatooth" sharks devoured prey at will about 40 million years after dinosaurs went extinct, a BC researcher shows.

Air pollution’s deadly toll in Massachusetts

Boston College’s Global Observatory on Planetary Health is first to reveal town-by-town pollution levels and health impacts.

Study explores threats to emerging adults

A new study by BC School of Social Work researchers cites violence as the most significant threat.

A particle discovery

Detected by BC researchers, the axial Higgs mode, and materials that contain it, could help answer persistent questions in particle physics.

Using AI to study autism

New discoveries by BC researchers could help identify causes of Autism Spectrum Disorder, and lead to personalized interventions.

Pollution’s deadly toll continues unabated

A report by Boston College researchers and colleagues from The Lancet Commission on Pollution and Health.

Shifting energy

A team of researchers from Boston College and China confirm predictions about the quantum behavior of exotic magnets.

New research findings link gut microbes with pancreatic function

More than 37 million Americans suffer from diabetes. Findings by BC researchers and colleagues could revolutionize their treatment.

A graphic showing people talking to one another

The power of positive peer pressure

An interdisciplinary team of Boston College researchers will explore how social norms can be leveraged to promote virtuous behavior.

Tracking the opioid epidemic

A new, penny-sized sensor developed by researchers from BC, BU, and Giner Labs uses wastewater to measure opioid use at the local level.

Boston College to partner on study of hazards from plastics

An international team will survey health risks posed across the continuum of plastic production, use, and disposal.

BC study shows rise in adolescent handgun carrying

Researchers at Boston College's Lynch School find uptick particularly among white, rural, and higher income teens.

BC research report looks at Medicare and prescription drug costs

A Center for Retirement Research brief explored the financial implications of Alzheimer's drug Aduhelm.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers awards $6.2M grant to BC research team

A four-year partnership will examine water quality in watersheds and along coastlines in three U.S. regions.

Predicting the future of COVID

Boston College biologists develop a computational model to detect emerging Coronavirus strains.

What happens when you ban sale of flavored tobacco products?

BC researchers will study the effect of state policies on young people's use of the products.

An image showing electrons on the surface of a kagome superconductor

Exotic metals

BC research reveals new insights on the unique properties and phenomena of 'kagome lattice' superconductors.

Air pollution’s deadly toll

BC Global Observatory uncovers air pollution's striking economic and human cost in Africa's first continent-wide survey.

Liquid-like electron flow

Boston College researchers reveal a novel metal where electrons flow with fluid-like dynamics.

NSF grant will support deeper understanding of ocean ecosystems

The $25 miillion grant will establish a new interdisciplinary center composed of universities, including Boston College, and marine biology labs.

Study will probe link between work and well-being

A $1.7 million grant supports two long-terms projects by BC School of Social Work researchers.

Cottrell Plus SEED Award

The award to physicist Ziqiang Wang recognizes singular exceptional endeavors and supports high impact research.

Reconsidering early plant life

New research from BC paleobotanist Paul Strother helps explain the evolution of land plants from freshwater algae.

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Spotty superconductivity

A high-temp superconductor reveals new insights into how it enters the nematic state, a BC-led research team reports.

Schiller Institute awards inaugural grants

Fifteen grants will support collaborative projects by faculty and researchers from across Boston College.

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High-energy physics

BC physicists' discovery of the 'layer Hall effect' in a unique material could lead to ultra-efficient electronic advances.

Trust, but verify

Machine learning systems need informed (i.e., human) oversight, say Carroll School of Management researchers.

Peer pressure

A BC-led study finds social networks play a powerful role in adoption of clean cooking fuel in India.

"Coping with Defeat"

New from political scientist Jonathan Laurence, the book addresses Sunni Islam, Roman Catholicism, and the modern state.

Finding the 'missing link'

The discovery of a billion-year-old fossil offers new insight into animal evolution, BC researcher says.

Scientists detect Pleistocence permafrost thaw

Permafrost thawed as recently as 400,000 years ago, when temperatures were not much higher than today, BC researchers report.

Lynch School team scrutinizes teacher prep

Researchers examine preparation at new graduate schools of education not affiliated with colleges or universities.

Secondhand smoke heightens oral cancer risks

Exposure could hike risk by 51 percent, researchers including BC Global Observatory on Pollution and Health co-director report.

A new leaf

A spinach leaf proves to be an edible scaffold for lab-grown meat, Professor of Engineering Glenn Gaudette reports.

Research project to focus on urban Catholic schools

The NCEA-Boston College collaboration will provide a vision for urban Catholic education for the next 20 years.

A long look at logos

New research from BC's Carroll School of Management shows logos are an indispensible tool for influencing consumers.

The impact of trauma

The BC School of Social Work initiative integrates teaching, fieldwork, and research into one holistic program.

Seeds of gender salary gap sown early

BC psychologist's study is first to identify a gap in negotiation style among children.

BC physicist wins NSF CAREER Award

Two National Science Foundation grants will support Brian Zhou's research and teaching in quantum science.

For the birds

BC biologist contributes to a milestone in avian research.

money and clock graphic - Tumisu via Pixabay

$2.9 million grant for retirement research

Social Security Administration award will fund projects including study of the pandemic's impact on older workers.

The case for masks

A BC Law prof's new book presents science-based advice for life during the pandemic.

'The babysitter of last resort'

Early results of a pandemic study show kids' increased screen time can be an indicator of family distress.

The toll of air pollution in India

Pollution-related deaths numbered 1.67 million in a single year, according to a report led by BC researchers.

'Reserve system' for equitable COVID vaccine allocation

BC economists and colleagues develop a mechanism to ensure vulnerable communities receive a fair share.

Learning from man’s best friend

BC's Canine Cognition Center studies how dogs think—and what that says about humans.

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Finding fault

A BC professor exposes the hidden history of human-induced earthquakes.

Formative education in action

BC faculty research projects explore what it means to educate the whole person.

New Calderwood University Professor in Islamic and Asian Art

Emine Fetvaci is a prominent scholar and teacher whose research areas include Ottoman, Mughal, and Safavid art and architecture.

Understanding pediatric celiac disease

A Mathers Foundation grant will support research by BC biologist Emrah Altindis that links gut microbes to autoimmune diseases in children.

Oceans in peril, humans at risk

Widespread ocean pollution threatens the health of more than three billion people, an international scientific coalition led by BC researchers reports.

Studying the ocean's history

A BC researcher uses deep-sea corals to unlock secrets of past rapid carbon dioxide increase.

What happens when child soldiers return home?

Theresa Betancourt's research could help change the way we treat trauma in under-resourced regions of the world.

Measuring the COVID effect

BC researchers launch new KidsTalk app to study the pandemic's impact on children's language development.

Building connections

BC's Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society—a much-anticipated locus of interdisciplinary work—is developing its first initiatives.

The 'gig' economy

It showed promise. What went wrong? A new book by BC sociologist Juliet Schor sheds light on the sharing economy.

Advancing Research and Scholarship Day

This year's event focuses on teaching and research related to COVID-19.

'Migration Narratives'

A new book co-authored by Lynch School Dean Stanton Wortham explores a Mexican migrant community’s growth in an American town.

The politics of school reopenings

A BC researcher finds local political conditions play a big role in whether K-12 public schools offer in-person classes this fall.

Investment during lockdown

A new app was a powerful trading tool for individuals stuck at home due to the pandemic, a BC finance professor reports.

Studying remote work

Sociologist Wen Fan's NSF-funded project examines the experience of remote work and the sustainability of the work-from-home model post-COVID.

Inspired by nature

Boston College chemists use a multi-catalyst system to convert greenhouse gas carbon dioxide into methanol.

Incentives to give the gift of life

Boston College economists Tayfun Sönmez and Utku Ünver work to increase life-changing plasma donations to coronavirus patients.

A population in peril

BC School of Social Work and Harvard Global Health Institute outline a crisis among asylum seekers at the U.S.- Mexico border.

Pandemic quiets the earth

BC researcher Alan Kafka and an international team reveal COVID-19 shutdowns markedly reduced Earth’s seismic “noise.”

Closing the opportunity gap

Lynch School researcher says "critical consciousness" can bridge disparity between low-income youth and more privileged peers.

Dual honors for BC sociologist

Sarah Babb's research earns awards from two sections of the American Sociological Association.

illustration: atomic landscape of chromium halides

A new spin on magnetism

A new approach by BC researchers creates synthetic layered magnets with an unprecedented level of control over their magnetic properties.

Young children studying (Klimkin - Pixabay)

Grant supports DREME Network

Heising-Simons Foundation funding supports the research and resource development initiative focused on math education for young children.

Up in the air

BC’s Global Observatory on Pollution and Health will study air pollution-related deaths and disease in Massachusetts.

Air pollution interventions

A global research report co-sponsored by BC's Schiller Institute identifies the top five actions to benefit both health and climate.

A new approach to math learning

U.S. Department of Education awards Lynch School team $1.4-million to support study of math learning for low-income students.

APSA Pritchett Award winner

Professor Ken Kersch is honored for his work on book on development of conservative constitutional thought.

Positive youth development

BC, Tufts researchers extend a landmark study of how adolescents thrive.

Father and son (Pixabay freestockphotos)

The evolution of 'dad'

A BC researcher and international colleagues reexamine the origins of human fatherhood.

NSF CAREER award

National Science Foundation funding will support study of the brain mechanisms that fuel recognition and understanding.

In sickness and in filth

Biases against the physically unclean extend to the sick, holding implications in the COVID-19 era, researchers find.

Targeting infections

BC scientists develop a prototype sensor to rapidly identify a bacterial species and its antibiotic-resistance.

The Coronavirus equipment crisis

Boston College and MIT economists develop a matching mechanism to help medical authorities ration crucial equipment.

Pandemic policy analysis

BC Law faculty track the quality of legislation and directives around the COVID-19 outbreak.

Bottle drive

A nursing faculty member is on a mission to improve care for infants and toddlers who struggle with feeding.

Outstanding Book Award winners

All nine collaborators honored by the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education are Lynch School faculty or alumni.

Banking on others

Carroll School of Management professors propose a 'win-win' strategy for mainstream banks to thrive in 'banking deserts.'

Paying a price for public access

Making private business premises available to the public may brew problems, BC finance researchers find.

BC ranked 10th worldwide in theology, divinity, & religious studies

2020 QS World University Rankings are based on academic and employer reputation and global research impact.