News
Owen Bergstein, Resident Puzzle Master
For BUA sophomore Owen Bergstein ‘26, crossword puzzles are a way of life. Always an avid puzzler – like many BUAers – Owen does the New York Times crossword every day and estimates that he’s solved close to 1,000 puzzles since starting at BUA. But about two years ago, Owen took the leap from solver to creator and began to teach himself how to design his own puzzles. Tapping into a network of online and in-person crossword constructors, Owen found mentorship and guidance, and began to refine his puzzle-building technique. Reflecting on his process, Owen said: “ I started out constructing pencil-on-paper, but soon learned that there is helpful software that the pros use. Every crossword is either themed or themeless. For themed puzzles, you build a theme, generally based around what's called a ‘revealer,’ an answer in the grid that explains the gimmick going on in other answers. Then you... More
Our Alums
I’m just back from a trip to San Francisco visiting BUA alums with Mr. Stone. Over two days, we caught up with several dozen BUA graduates ranging from the class of 1997 to 2018. The trip confirmed a few things for me, aside from the fact that I am perhaps getting too old to function well after a red-eye flight. One is that our alums are doing remarkable and purposeful things with their careers, with a focus on technology given the location: launching a medical-technology company as part of the current Y Combinator startup accelerator cohort; pushing the boundaries of artificial intelligence in education; investing in next-generation cancer therapeutics; developing LiDAR systems for use in self-driving cars. They spoke not just of their passion, but also of the ways in which their work will impact society for the better. It gave me a lot of hope for the future. Another is... More
BUA Transit Club Lobbies MA State Senator Sal DiDomenico
On Tuesday, January 23, members of the BUA Transit Club were accompanied by chaperones Mr. Seth and Ms. Kelly on an exciting visit to the State House to enjoy a tour of the Senate and House chambers, as well as take part in an engaging and helpful discussion with State Senator and Assistant Majority Leader Sal DiDomenico about local public transportation concerns. Senator DiDomenico, representing the cities of Cambridge, Charlestown, Chelsea, and Everett, overheard numerous concerns and suggestions regarding the MBTA’s budget, reliability, and future plans. The senator was extremely impressed about how knowledgeable Transit Club members were, and encouraged all students to reach out to local representatives engaged in pushing transit infrastructure legislation; he hopes to include some of BUA students’ suggestions in his upcoming transit legislation.
What Do You Do For Fun?
As I was walking the halls recently, I passed a classroom during a free period where about a dozen students were looking up at a crossword puzzle projected on the screen. I popped in – I love crosswords too much to just walk by – and quickly discovered that I was in a new world. The students were working on a cryptic crossword puzzle, where each of the clues is a puzzle to solve – puzzles within puzzles. The whole room erupted when somebody got an answer; I didn’t contribute much, but it was fun to try it with them. After school that same day, I came across four kids playing chess on two boards side by side, with another handful of students and a teacher watching from the periphery. They explained that they were playing something called Bughouse Chess, a two-on-two version of the game where pieces taken by... More
Dora Mou ’27 Wins New York Times Essay Contest
Ninth-grader Dora Mou '27's essay, "My Two Primal Urges," was selected as one of 15 winners of the New York Times' 2nd annual Teen Tiny Memoirs contest. Teen Tiny Memoirs are 100-word narratives by teenagers about meaningful moments in their lives. Read Dora's winning essay here. Congratulations, Dora, on your fantastic essay and this incredible accomplishment!
Research Highlight: Robbie Mulroy ’24
BUA senior Robbie Mulroy's thesis project has the potential to impact the future of cancer research. For his senior thesis, Robbie '24 is investigating the role of the CREB binding protein (CBP) in cancer under the guidance of BU Biology Professor Dr. Trevor Siggers as well as BUA Biology Teacher Dr. Colleen Krivacek, who by remarkable coincidence happens to have expertise in this area. CBP is a cofactor that binds to transcription factors, which in turn bind to DNA to regulate when genes are expressed. The CREB binding protein regulates around 10,000 different genes; Robbie has been studying where and when CBP’s five binding regions bind to various transcription factors. Inspired by his BU biology courses, Robbie was motivated to better understand the inner workings of the human body on a genetic level, and to investigate CBP’s effect on the immune system and the relationship between CBP and tumor development. In the spring... More
Transit Club on the Move: Student Transit Advocates Make Riding the T a Varsity Sport
This week, a guest column from Ilias Benmokrane '24, founder and leader of the BUA Transit Club, appeared on the Mass Streetsblog. The column recaps the club's signature Transit Races, shares why it's important for students to be educated on the public transit resources available to them, and suggests improvement for the MBTA (there are many!). The goals of the BUA Transit Club include "instructing new students on how to use the Transit app to navigate through the city; discussing the history of transportation; and drafting proposals regarding safer and more convenient transportation to local agencies." The group even puts out a weekly newsletter with helpful information on transit closures and alternate routes! Congratulations to Ilias and the Transit Club on the publication of their first column. Read the full article here.
BUA Launches Demystifying Independent Schools Podcast
Boston University Academy is proud to share our first foray into the world of podcasting! The Demystifying Independent Schools Podcast debunks common misconceptions about independent schools – for example, that independent schools are not diverse, and that only the wealthy can afford an independent school education – and shares why independent schools are more affordable than many families think. On the podcast, education experts from BUA’s peer and feeder schools and our very own Head of School Chris Kolovos and Associate Head of School for Enrollment and Institutional Advancement Nastaran Hakimi discuss the value of an independent school education and why financial assistance is within reach of middle class families. In the first episode, independent school leaders across the country discuss the value proposition of independent schools; in the second episode, financial aid experts explain why broad socioeconomic diversity is in every independent school's best interest, and offer tips and tricks for... More
Zach Daniel ’25 Presents Paper at Materials Research Society Conference
On Tuesday, November 28, BUA junior Zach Daniel '25 presented a paper entitled "Potential Applications of Electrically Conductive Concrete" at the Materials Research Society's conference at the Hynes Convention Center. Zach's research, which he carried out in partnership with three other students from area schools, explored special concrete that conducts electricity for de-icing roads, controlling surface temperature, and turning heat into energy. Zach shares that, in conducting experiments for the project, "we made concrete samples with materials like carbon fibers, iron powder, and steel wool. Results showed that 5% iron powder and 15% steel wool worked well, but too much iron powder made the concrete weak.We also looked at adding materials that change from solid to liquid (PCM) to control temperature. The study found that PCM delayed temperature increase during heating. Additionally, we tried generating electricity from the heat in the concrete using a method called the Seebeck Effect. Results showed... More
Kaitlyn Tan ’26 Earns Accolades in Junior Fencing World Cup
Kaitlyn Tan '26 recently competed in her first Junior World Cup fencing meet in Lima, Peru, earning 6th place in the Cadet Foil event as the youngest amongst the top eight finishers. The Junior’s World Cup is a competition for women’s fencers who are 19 years old and younger. Last week, she also competed in another international Cadet competition in Germany, earning a bronze medal out of 236 international fencers aged 17 and under. Kudos, Kaitlyn, on these incredible accomplishments!