News
Research Highlight: Armaan Mehta ’26 Presents at Materials Research Society Conference
Earlier this month, BUA senior Armaan Mehta '26 presented a poster at the Materials Research Society's fall meeting and exhibit at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston. Armaan's poster, entitled "Stress Evolution During Low Energy Ar+ Bombardment of Si," focused on stress evolution during low energy Argon bombardment of Silicon. Armaan explains: "Stress evolution is seen as a possible cause of nano-ripples, a feature seen when a Silicon sample is bombarded with Argon. To determine whether stress is the cause of the nano-ripples, we used a real time MOSS system (multi-beam optical stress sensor) and then used an Atomic Force Microscope to inspect the sample. So far, our research suggests that the nano-ripples are independent of stress as the ripples are anisotropic (only in the x direction) whereas the stress is isotropic (in both x and y directions)." Armaan "became interested in this project because the nanopatterns that are formed are... More
Alumna Sophia Tang ’25 in the International Journal of High School Research
Alumna Sophia Tang '25 published a peer-reviewed article titled “Specific Genetic Factors in PTSD and Comorbidities” in the October 2025 issue of the International Journal of High School Research. Sophia's research identifies several genes and genetic pathways linked to PTSD and related disorders and suggests the possibility of customized pharmacological treatments based on these findings.
Exams in Several Flavors
Today is the last day of BUA classes. It has been a very good semester, and students’ attention has understandably turned to preparation for next week’s exams. We believe that exams play an important role. They provide students the chance to practice synthesizing months of material and to demonstrate long-term retention of key ideas. Exams are also helpful data points for teachers on how students are learning and how teachers might adjust for the coming semester and future years. Exams may conjure a singular image of students in long rows for multi-hour, high-stakes tests. The reality is more diverse. Our teachers have created a number of different ways for students to show what they know. There is certainly a place for sit-down, written exams; classics and most of our math classes will offer those. English and history teachers have adopted in-person, one-on-one interviews to supplement the periodic essays and other assessments. More
Student Voice
In place of our usual all-school meeting this week, leaders from our Student Council organized community-wide town hall meetings. StuCo representatives led sessions of about 25 students each to hear about their experiences and solicit ideas for how we can further strengthen the BUA community; we’ll review those ideas together later this winter and report back at a school meeting. Another round of town halls is in the works for the spring, and I hope this becomes a new school tradition. This year, we are also running several small ad hoc working groups, where teachers, staff, and students collaborate on important school policy questions – one focused on our daily schedule and another on our learning-management system. Those groups make recommendations to the full faculty and staff and have a real impact on the life of the school. Schools are better when students – the experts in what the school experience... More
What I’m Grateful For
With Thanksgiving days away, we turn our attention to gratitude. Brimming donation boxes from the 9th-grade food drive adorn the lobby. Tuesday’s all-school meeting will feature short talks by a handful of juniors and seniors who will tell the community about something they are grateful for. It is good for the soul to pause, reflect, and share the blessings we enjoy. I’d like to take a moment here to express my personal gratitude to this community. I often share (brag, really) with colleagues at other schools that our parent community is like no other. Like their children, our parents value learning, challenge, and growth for their own sake, even in a society that tends to focus too narrowly on college lists and grade outcomes. They trust the school and our extraordinary teachers in a way that has become all too rare. Our students, too, are one of a kind. I have... More
Odyssey: Fall 2025
BUA is proud to share the fall 2025 edition of Odyssey: The Magazine of Boston University Academy. In this issue you will find: Expanding the Frame: A History Curriculum for Today by Dr. Jim Davis A Problem-Based Math Curriculum, Built from the Ground Up by Mr. Srdjan Divac and Mr. Zane Ranney Building Belonging through Celebration by Dr. Monica Alvarez A Room of Their Own: Opening of the New Student Commons Young Alumni Spotlights BUA Impact Report Alumni Class Notes ...and more! Look for a hard copy arriving in your mailbox shortly, or read the digital version here!
Being of Service
We paused as a community on Tuesday to mark Veterans Day. There are a number of alumni of this school who have devoted their careers to serving our country in branches across the military. Several have returned to BUA over the years to speak to our students and share their journeys. We are grateful for their service and the example they set. Service takes many forms, but all forms center around a fundamental truth: service to others – our families, friends, community, a stranger, a cause – is where we find purpose in our lives. Decades of psychological research confirms a central thesis of Viktor Frankl’s seminal work, Man’s Search for Meaning, based on his experience as a prisoner in Nazi concentration camps during WWII: humans yearn for and are motivated by the feeling of contributing to something bigger than ourselves and being of service to others. That sense of purpose... More
Lyahnnette Morales ’27 Honored at MA State House
BUA is proud to share that on October 22, 2025, Lyahnnette Morales '27 was honored at the Massachusetts State House for earning the Silver Medal at the 2024 IDO World Tap Dance Championships and for representing her state and country on the world stage once again. The recognition came just a few hours before she boarded a flight to Prague, Czech Republic, where she competed as part of Team USA in the World Tap Dance Adult Formation and Adult Small Group Divisions. Lyahnnette reflects on her success: "Being chosen to represent the United States multiple times has been one of the greatest honors of my life not just because of the performances, but because it represents discipline, dedication, and the courage to keep showing up with excellence. Dancers from more than 30 countries come together in Prague to celebrate our artistry and unity through the universal language of dance. Beyond competition, I... More
Through the Eyes of Our Alums
BUA’s Alumni Council met recently. The group is made up of 22 graduates from across the decades of the school’s life who volunteer to help build community among fellow graduates, encourage alumni engagement with the school, and offer advice and perspective on today’s BUA. We are grateful for their leadership. At one point in the meeting, the conversation turned to the ways the school has evolved over time. Voices around the table appreciated the dramatic expansion in financial accessibility. Due to the extraordinary generosity of our donors, financial aid now extends far beyond tuition to defray the costs of textbooks, laptops, school social events, college applications, and other pieces – all critical to being a full member of the community. Council members noted with gratitude other ways in which the school has become more diverse in addition to socioeconomics; BUA today much more closely resembles the world our students are entering... More
Community through Sports
Our soccer and cross country teams are wrapping up strong seasons this week. Congratulations to all of our student athletes and coaches. Special kudos to our boys varsity soccer team for bringing home the league championship in a great game yesterday evening at Nickerson Field. It was, as they say, a dark and stormy night. Goal kicks traveled either 10 or 50 yards depending on the direction of the wind. Routine shots became dangerous for goalkeepers as the ball skidded over the soaked turf. The boys kept their focus and pulled off a great win. I was struck by the number of fans who showed up in the monsoon. Parents arrived in the stands with umbrellas, long coats, and hot cider. Students came too – finding spaces on the sidelines and under eaves of a nearby building. It was a festive atmosphere, despite the weather. This was just a week... More