Boston University Arts & Sciences

NASA’s Carruthers Geocorona Observatory has launched into space to capture images of Earth’s most distant atmospheric layer, carrying a BU-developed device on board as part of a mission led by a BU alum.

Read more here: https://bit.ly/3J5MvhU

How do tariffs hurt the dollar? | Brookings Roughly two thirds of countries on Earth stabilize their currency against the U.S. dollar. The relationship has benefits in both directions: Smaller countries enjoy better stability for their national...

How do tariffs weaken the U.S. dollar’s global power?

In a new Brookings podcast, BU economist Tarek Hassan explains how rising trade barriers could make the dollar a less “safe” and dominant currency worldwide.

Listen or read more here: https://bit.ly/3WGM5l2

Fewer Vermonters report religious affiliation in nationwide survey - VTDigger A Pew research survey found that 46% of Vermonters aren’t part of a religion, one of the highest rates of unaffiliated in the nation.

A Pew research survey found 46% of Vermonters identify as unaffiliated with any religion, marking a sharp drop in Christianity over recent years.

BU Sociologist Nancy Ammerman says this is due to less religious young people replacing religious older generations.

Read more: https://bit.ly/3IYYFJu

CAS Professor of Sociology Patrick Sheehan conducts research on start-up workplaces and the dynamics of “hype culture.”

Read more: https://bit.ly/3KIwzTd

NASA Space Weather Mission Blasts Off—with Device Created by BU Students on Board The observatory is on a mission to understand Earth’s most distant layer of atmosphere, a project led by a BU alum

Boston University alumni Lara Waldrop (CAS’97, GRS’04) and CAS Professor Emeritus John Clarke are helping lead NASA’s Carruthers Geocorona Observatory mission, which launched this week with a BU-developed device on board.

Read more: https://bit.ly/473nvAV

Clownfish and Anemones Are Disappearing Because of Climate Change A new study led by Boston University marine biologists reveals that heat waves are threatening the future of the fish made famous by "Finding Nemo"

A new study reveals that extreme heat waves are driving clownfish toward collapse.

The study spotlights a new paper by BU alumni Morgan Bennett-Smith and Professor of Biology Peter Buston in which they explore how destructive climate change is for marine life.

Read more: https://bit.ly/4gLb7Jj

Trump’s attacks on the ‘Blacksonian’ have a history in a century-old myth | Saida Grundy The United Daughters of the Confederacy set out to make slavery respectable again by promoting ‘the lost cause’

In a recently published article by The Guardian, Associate Professor of Sociology and African American & Black Diaspora Studies Saida Grundy examines Trump’s attacks on the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Read more: https://bit.ly/4pzqMPW

Opinion | ‘This May Be the Most Difficult Day in My Career’: Experts React to Trump’s Autism Remarks

"In some respects this was the most unhinged discussion of autism that I have ever listened to," said autism expert and Professor Emerita of Psychological & Brain Science Helen Tager-Flusberg in response to President Trump's recent news conference.

Read more: https://nyti.ms/4nd5wxC

Karen Seto (GRS’95, GRS’00) is one of the world’s leading experts on the effects of contemporary urbanization on the planet.

She will be honored this weekend, at BU's Alumni Weekend, as one of Arts & Sciences' 2025 Distinguished Alumni.

Read more about her career journey: https://bit.ly/4pF4hsM

Interning at NASA Fulfills a Lifetime Ambition for This CAS Student Aashi Parikh participated in the agency’s Student Airborne Research Program, learning how NASA scientists conduct research—and performing fieldwork of her own

This summer, Aashi Parikh (CAS’26) participated in the NASA’s Student Airborne Research Program, learning how NASA scientists conduct research—and performing fieldwork of her own.

Read more: https://www.bu.edu/articles/2025/bu-student-intern-at-nasa/

BU affirmed Kenneth Anderson (CAS’73)'s interest in science and biology. But it also introduced him to a new field: research. That exposure would lead to a decades-long career of life-changing contributions in cancer care.

Read more about his career journey: https://bit.ly/4nORxOA

Fewer Students Are Enrolled in Public School Than Before the Pandemic Research from BU indicates that COVID-era lockdowns continue to impact the makeup of public schools

Associate Professor of Education and Economics Joshua Goodman and PhD student Abigail Francis have recently discovered a decline in Massachusetts public school enrollment following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read more about the sharp declines: https://bit.ly/3IeGSxz

Mary Beth Leonard (CAS’84) didn’t set out to become a diplomat. But following her passion for the French language and a curiosity about the world beyond Worcester, Massachusetts, led her to a distinguished career in the U.S. Foreign Service.

Read more about her journey: https://bit.ly/3IfE830

This summer, Helena Shenk (CAS’26) spent her time on the Alaskan coastline, discovering how underwater noise from boats and harbors can affect fish communication, behavior, and survival.

Read more about her findings: https://bit.ly/46IxTxU

We will soon be able to talk with other species. Which will be first? todayheadline Could the bottlenose dolphin be the first non-human species to have its language decoded?tephen Frink/Getty Images; Shutterstock Sophie Cohen-Bodénès knew

Have you ever tried communicating with an animal?

In a recent article, Professor of Psychological & Brain Sciences Irene Pepperberg, revealed birds can understand concepts like numbers, shapes, and even zero, challenging what it means to “talk” across species.

Read more: https://bit.ly/4gDJcLi

Toddler irritability tied to gut microbiome diversity in the first weeks of life A new study has found that babies with more diverse gut bacteria at two weeks old tend to show more negative emotions as toddlers. The findings highlight how early-life microbial environments may infl...

Professor of Psychological & Brain Sciences Sarah C. Vogel found that infants with greater gut microbiome diversity at just two weeks old were more irritable and fearful as toddlers.

Read more about her study here: https://bit.ly/4naO9Ob

Biology undergraduate student Matteo Finnerty (CAS’27) is drawing attention to the decline of native bumblebee species at Boston’s Arnold Arboretum.

Learn more: https://www.bu.edu/articles/2025/bee-research-at-the-arnold-arboretum/

As It Turns 90, Social Security Is Showing Its Age. Boston University Economist Has a Fix Laurence Kotlikoff discusses how to avoid insolvency and keep “essential” program afloat

Professor of Economics Laurence Kotlikoff marks Social Security’s 90th anniversary with a sharp warning: the system is heading toward insolvency by 2033.

Read more: https://www.bu.edu/articles/2025/social-security-90th-anniversary/

“We’re in a true public health crisis,” said Research Assistant Professor of Psychology Ovsanna Leyfer in a recent LA Post article.

Leyfer emphasizes the growing mental health challenges facing Gen Z and calls for expanded access to interventions.

Read more: https://lapost.us/?p=74307

Scientists happened upon black goo on a ship — and discovered it was teeming with life | CNN A Great Lakes research vessel had goo leaking from its rudder shaft. Scientists later found it contained previously undiscovered microorganisms.

Are symbiotes real?

Assistant Professor of Biology Jeffrey Marlow, part of the team studying a mysterious goo found in the Great Lakes, says the microbes might be working together to engineer their environment.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/01/science/ship-goo-great-lakes-microbes

A group of people wearing hard hats.

Two smiling students in an office.

A person works at a fair beside an interactive poster which reads "Arlington is updating our Net Zero Action Plan."

A group of people converse on the sidewalk.

👨‍👩‍👦‍👦🧑‍🎓 The CELT Initiative puts #communities and students at the center of Massachusetts’ #CleanEnergy future. In a new article, current @bostonu.bsky.social CELT fellows share what they've learned. Read more — and apply to join the second fellow class:
www.bu.edu/igs/2025/09/...

The 60-Year-Old Intern Lorinda Visnick (CAS’87), who’s pursuing a career in public policy, just completed a summer internship at the Massachusetts State House

BU alum Lorinda Visnick (CAS’87) was no ordinary intern at the Massachusetts State House this summer. After 30-plus years working in computer programming, Visnick is switching careers to public policy and was the oldest intern in the building.

Keep reading ➡️ http://spr.ly/6044fvlF8

Warming winters are throwing off trees’ ability to take in carbon, according Eos.

Arts & Sciences Distinguished Professor of Biology Pamela Templer, who was quoted in the article, says less snow is harming trees.

Read more: https://eos.org/articles/warming-winters-sabotage-trees-carbon-uptake

Is AI Slowing Climate Progress? It’s Complicated Two BU experts studying grid solutions and sustainable energy transitions say that tech companies racing to build more AI could make data centers more energy efficient

“AI is going to dramatically improve the energy efficiency of some aspects of human existence,” said BU Professor Cutler Cleveland.

In a recent BU Today article, he explores AI’s dual impact on climate progress and acknowledges the technology’s energy demands.

Read more: www.bu.edu/articles/202...

“Declared Intention”: My Immigration Story, and Ours Like many Americans, I may only be one generation away from birthright citizenship—a concept that defined this country’s promise for so many immigrants.

In a recently published article in The Nation titled “Declared Intention”: My Immigration Story, and Ours, Professor Emeritus of Creative Writing Robert Pinsky reflects on his grandfather’s journey from Eastern Europe to Arkansas via the Galveston Plan.

Read more: www.thenation.com/article/soci...

Union Pacific Is in Talks to Merge With Norfolk Southern

Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern—two of the largest U.S. freight railroads—are considering a merger that would create the nation’s first coast-to-coast line.

But Boston University Professor Erik Peinert warns mergers shouldn’t replace real investment.

Read more: www.nytimes.com/2025/07/24/b...

Cell Systems Publication

How do bacteria organize? 🦠 @bostonu.bsky.social researchers reveal in Cell Systems that colony shape, metabolism & nutrients drive growth, diversity & striking rings. Learn more: spr.ly/63321AGQbb

@dsegre.bsky.social

A group of smiling students in front of the "IGS" wordmark.

What's it like to be an IGS Summer Fellow? 2025 fellow Sophia Tigges says, “I have made so much progress on my research, and my ability to concentrate on my work has led my project in an unexpected and exciting direction.” More from this year's class:

www.bu.edu/igs/2025/09/...

Using easily reproducible twig experiments to quantify curvilinear temperature responses of flowering and leafing times Premise Phenology—the timing of developmental events—is one of the most effective ways to study the impacts of climate change on plants and ecosystems. However, it remains unknown whether phenology ...

Selby Vaughn (CAS'24) was recently published in the American Journal of Botany and recognized with BU’s Alumni Award for Writing Excellence in the Natural Sciences for her study showing that Boston’s trees may be hitting their limit.

Read more: bsapubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

Arts & Sciences Distinguished Professor of Earth & Environment Lucy Hutyra and Earth & Environment Research Scientist Ian Smith, recently co-authored an article in The Conversation, exploring how cities can combat extreme heat.

Read more: lnkd.in/ds9BzGNR