Associate provost and CIO named

Boston University named a provost for undergraduate research and its first chief investment officer at the end of the spring 2007 semester as part of President Robert Brown’s academic plan. When BU’s endowment reached the billion-dollar mark earlier this year, the university hired a CIO to manage the investments. Andrei Ruckenstein, a former Rutgers University physics professor, joined the BU faculty this summer as an associate provost and vice president of research. Ruckenstein is also co-director of the BioMaPS Institute for Quantitative Biology and president of the Aspen Center for Physics.

COM graduate killed in Iraq

The son of a vocal anti-war BU professor was killed in Iraq by an explosive device May 14. First Lieutenant Andrew Bacevich, a 2003 College of Communication graduate, was one of five killed in the attack. Bacevich’s father, College of Arts and Sciences international relations professor Andrew Bacevich, wrote an op-ed piece in the May 27 Washington Post comparing his son’s duty as a competent soldier to his duty as a good citizen.

First female CAS dean appointed

BU named the first female dean of CAS on May 16. The appointment of Victoria Sapiro, the former vice provost at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, ended a year-long search to replace former CAS dean Jeffrey Henderson, who had served since July 2002. “A lot of us who are the first think that the best thing is that no one will ever have to do this again,” Sapiro said about being the first female CAS dean. “It will be normal some day.”

BU will use emergency-response system

In response to the April 16 Virginia Tech massacre, BU announced plans to create a mass-communications system to contact students and staff in case of an emergency. The “Send Word Now” system, which uses text messaging, voicemail and email, is designed to contact subscribers in less than 10 minutes. Incoming students are required to register their cellphone numbers with BU, and current students are encouraged to do so on the Student Link website.

Measles diagnosed at BU

Two weeks after a BU summer session student was diagnosed with measles, some students were still not allowed to attend classes because they failed to submit proof of vaccination. Most students provided documentation they were immune to the disease after a university-wide mandate required them to do so, university officials said. Student Health Services offered opportunities for students to get free vaccinations for the disease after the initial diagnosis. SHS will enforce immunization requirements for incoming and returning students in the fall.

Brown cuts UNI

President Brown will replace the University Professors Program with a school-wide honors program starting in fall 2008. The new program will be similar to UNI, providing teachers from a wide range of disciplines and allowing students to choose topics from different colleges. The change will serve a larger number of students, Brown said. “By moving resources to support an all-university honors program, we can better serve more of the exceptional students at Boston University who are interested in both disciplinary and inter-disciplinary degree programs,” Brown said in an email to The Daily Free Press. Brown’s decision to disband UNI followed a recommendation from former President Aram Chobanian. Current and incoming UNI students will continue with their scheduled classes for the next two years.

Body of BU employee found in Charles River

The body of a BU employee was recovered in the Charles River about two hours after a witness reported seeing it fall from the BU Bridge on July 26. The Cambridge Fire Department arrived at the scene five minutes after the incident was reported. Dean of Students Kenneth Elmore confirmed the body was that of a longtime Facilities Management employee.

Abroad students OK after Peru quake

Students studying abroad during the second half of summer in Peru survived the 8.0 earthquake that shook the South American country on the evening of Aug. 15. Students said they were distressed about lack of communication from BU for nearly 5 hours after the quake, but the International Programs Office attributed this to problems with phone lines. The earthquake damaged many parts of the country, killing about 500 people and injuring more than 1,500.