The Power of Faculty Support

Impacting Boston College students starts with a commitment to those that teach and guide them. Here’s how it can make a difference across campus and beyond.

By: Allison Donlan

THINK OF YOUR COLLEGE EXPERIENCE: are there any professors who stand out? Are there any you keep in touch with? From groundbreaking researchers doing work that redefines their field to practitioners relaying knowledge formed by decades of real-world experience, faculty members have significant influence on a student’s formation. Boston College is rich with these sorts of scholars and teachers who go above and beyond in shaping students into successful alumni. That’s why faculty support is among Boston College’s most critical priorities—to ensure we are able to continue to attract and retain the best and brightest.

The decision to establish an endowed professorship sets off a chain reaction with a wide-reaching impact. As supporters of BC faculty know well, it’s not simply about an individual professor.

When examining who benefits most, start with the obvious: the recipient of an endowed position. A professorship at BC rewards a scholar’s achievements and provides resources that bolster ongoing and future scholarship. Spurred by a donor’s philanthropic impulse, an endowed professor has the latitude to make new strides in the classroom and in their academic work.

In turn, countless students also benefit from faculty support. That’s because endowed positions not only draw successful and innovative teachers to campus but also often lead to more opportunities to assist on research projects, engage in fieldwork, and access the latest in technology or course materials.

Even beyond the Heights, the generosity of these donors makes an outsized difference. The work of Boston College faculty goes on to affect almost every imaginable discipline, from healthcare to the economy, theology to data science, and much more. The research and scholarship these professors produce has real-world impact, increasing BC’s institutional imprint domestically and around the world.

Whatever drives a donor to support faculty, choosing this philanthropic direction catalyzes academic careers, student success, institutional reputation, and scholarship as a whole—there’s no denying what faculty support achieves on and off campus. Following are but a few examples of generous benefactors and the accomplished BC professors they support.

THE COONEY FAMILY ASSISTANT PROFESSORSHIP

Established in 2008 by University Trustee Robert Cooney ʼ74 and his wife Loretta, Pʼ08, ʼ10, ʼ14

Held by Allison Curseen, English Department, Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences

BC knows the importance of a well-rounded education. In establishing the Cooney Family Assistant Professorship, we hoped to encourage passion for the subjects that will help students understand each other and themselves, to communicate effectively, and to approach the world with a variety of perspectives.”

—BOB AND LORETTA COONEY

Allison Curseen, Cooney Family Assistant Professor

Professor Curseen takes an interdisciplinary approach to African American and 19th-century American literature and culture, often incorporating performance studies, child studies, and media other than literature. She frequently mentors students both within and outside of the English Department and has served on several committees for the Morrissey College.

The O’Connor Chair in the Carroll School of Management

Established in 2008 by University Trustee David O’Connor ʼ86, Pʼ16, ʼ18

Held by Michael Pratt, Management and Organization Department, Carroll School of Management

My time at the Carroll School of Management had a profound impact on me. I had challenging professors and made lifelong friends. Together, they led to great opportunities. CSOM’s approach to business education is unlike any other, and the faculty are working on new and innovative ideas in their fields. But we need to continue to endow their positions at a greater pace in order to keep up with our elite academic competition.”

—David O’Connor

Michael Pratt, O’Connor Family Professor

Professor Pratt’s work tackles organizational challenges commonly faced by companies today, from building trust to cultivating meaningful work. His students consistently rank his classes highly and often keep in touch even after graduation. In 2022, he received the Coughlin Distinguished Teaching Award from the Carroll School.

The John E. Cawthorne Millennium Chair in the Lynch School of Education and Human Development

Established in 2003 by Joseph A. Mahoney ʼ69 and Barbara Staunton, P’02, and their daughter, Erin Cassin ʼ02

Held by Marilyn Cochran-Smith; Teaching, Curriculum, and Society Department; Lynch School of Education and Human Development

John Cawthorne truly represents the best qualities in an educator. We wanted to honor his accomplishments and leadership of the Lynch School, as well as to provide opportunities for current faculty to make their own mark in shaping the next generation of educators.”

—Joseph Mahoney

Marilyn Cochran-Smith, Cawthorne Professor of Teacher Education for Urban Schools

Professor Cochran-Smith is a widely published scholar of teacher education and has given talks all over the world. She has a particular focus on urban education and on social justice and equity in education, living up to the namesake of her professorship, John Cawthorne, former associate dean for students and outreach at the Lynch School.