OCTOBER 2026

NEWS FROM THE SCHILLER INSTITUTE FOR INTEGRATED SCIENCE AND SOCIETY

WELCOME FROM DUNWEI WANG

Dear colleagues and friends,

Warm greetings from the Schiller Institute. We hope the first full month of the semester has been smooth and energizing. As we approach the mid‑point of this busy term, we would like to share several updates from our work across campus.

The first relates to the inaugural call for INSPIRE grants. An acronym for Interdisciplinary Network of Schiller‑led Projects in Research and Excellence, the INSPIRE program replaces the legacy SI‑GECS and SI‑RITEA initiatives and was launched this past spring. 

We received 16 proposals spanning a wide range of disciplines, including biology, chemistry, computer science, economics, engineering, physics, psychology/neuroscience, and sociology, from faculty in the Carroll School, the Lynch School, the School of Social Work, and the Connell School of Nursing.

These proposals underwent external review by a distinguished group of experts—endowed chair professors, senior academic administrators, and researchers from leading universities and national laboratories—reflecting a broad and accomplished pool of perspectives. Following this stage, our internal advisory board conducted its own review, considering both the proposals and the external evaluations. A panel convened in early September to deliberate. Based on these discussions, we are pleased to announce the first cohort of INSPIRE grantees. Please read on for highlights of these projects.

Selected by a campus-wide committee of faculty, administrators, and past delegates, our interdisciplinary COP31 delegation brings together student and faculty scholars representing four schools from across campus. As in past years, we will host events during COP that allow the campus community to connect with our delegates live while they’re in-country. 

Additionally, we would like to draw your attention to several other upcoming events that the Schiller Institute is helping to organize or host, including Research Connections on October 5, Research Day on October 13, and our next Catalyst Seminar on November 9. We hope you will join us!

Before closing, I would like to extend an open invitation. The Schiller Institute is committed to fostering collaborations that bring colleagues together across disciplines and spark new ideas. If you are interested in hosting seminars, workshops, or convenings aligned with our mission, we would be delighted to hear from you.

Dunwei Wang

Interim Seidner Family Executive Director, Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society

Vanderslice Professor of Chemistry

Stories of Impact: Boston College Case Studies in IP Protection, Partnership, and Research Put into Practice »

Join Siri Nilsson of the Office of Technology Transfer and Licensing (OTTL) as she walks through real-world BC case studies showcasing how researchers successfully protected their IP, forged strategic partnerships, and scaled their research for real-world impact. Learn how OTTL can help expand the scope and reach of your own work. Oct. 5 at 12 p.m.

This event is part of the Research Connections seminar series that provides professional development and networking opportunities for faculty. Originally developed and implemented by the School of Social Work and Connell School of Nursing, the series has been expanded BC-wide through a partnership with the Schiller Institute. Future sessions will focus on strategies to amplify the public impact of research, leveraging AI to support research, and how to engage with media and other communication venues. Please RSVP.

Catalyst Seminar Series »

Pedram Hassanzadeh, associate professor of geophysical sciences and director of the AI for Climate Initiative (AICE) at the University of Chicago, will present on his initiative of using AI-weather forecasting for assisting farmers in India. Please register to join us on Nov. 9.

COP31 Broadcast Events: Announcements from Antalya »

Interested in front-row insights from the foremost international climate conference? Join our COP31 delegates on Thursday, Nov. 12, and Thursday, Nov. 19 at 10 a.m. as they share their takeaways and experiences. Please register.

The Academic Entrepreneur: A Founder’s Playbook »

Hear firsthand what it takes to bring research into the world. Professor of Chemistry Abhishek Chatterjee offers a candid conversation about discovery, entrepreneurship, and university policy as he shares his experience spinning his lab’s discoveries into the startup BrickBio. Join us on Nov. 11.

Join Us for Boston College Research Day »

Nobel Laureate Moungi Bawendi and Science editor-in-chief Holden Thorp will give keynote addresses at the upcoming Boston College Research Day on Oct. 13, an engaging event celebrating BC’s interdisciplinary research excellence. Please register to attend.

Meet the First Cohort of INSPIRE Grantees »

We are thrilled to announce the inaugural cohort of INSPIRE grantee recipients, whose projects exemplify precisely the kind of integrated interdisciplinary projects and thinking the Schiller Institute champions. 

At the intersection of public health, environmental engineering, and biology, Catherine Hoar (Engineering) and Zoë Hilbert (Biology) are examining fungal species from sewersheds and sewage-contaminated waters. 

Alexis Grimaud (Chemistry) and Ken Burch (Physics) are addressing the rising energy demands of computing by assessing whether the chemistry that charges a lithium battery can help layered oxyhalides conduct electricity.

Rebekah Levine Coley (Lynch School of Education and Human Development), Summer Sherburne Hawkins (School of Social Work), and Joanna Venator (Economics) will evaluate how state abortion policies affect adolescents’ sexual risk-taking behaviors.

Ethan Baxter (Earth & Environmental Sciences) and Babak Momeni (Biology) aim to demonstrate the feasibility and investigate the limits of different strategies for bacteria-assisted extraction of rare earth elements from naturally available eudialyte ore.

Introducing Our COP31 Delegation »

We are thrilled to introduce this year’s COP31 delegation! Emerging from an extraordinarily competitive pool of 150 applicants for just 14 spots, this remarkable cohort of faculty, graduate, and undergraduate scholars spans law, engineering, education, nursing, data analytics, and environmental sciences, among others. To maximize their experience at the summit, delegates are engaging in prep meetings—including mock negotiations led by BC alum and former U.S. climate negotiator Catherine Goldberg ’16. 

We hope to see you at our COP programming soon! Get to know this year’s delegates and keep an eye out for upcoming events on our COP31 webpage.

New NSF Grant for Dunwei Wang »

Together with his colleague and longtime collaborator, Prof. Matthias Waegele (Chemistry), Dunwei Wang has recently received a new NSF award from the Chemical, Biological, Environmental, and Transport Systems (CBET) division to advance their work on the photocatalytic valorization of natural gas. The project aims to help shift the paradigm of today’s chemical industry, which remains energy‑intensive and often highly polluting, by developing cleaner pathways to convert natural gas into value‑added chemicals.

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