News
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 Explores the Role of CREB Binding Protein in Cancer
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
Research Highlight: 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!
Real Audiences
Earlier this week, I had the pleasure of attending BUA’s annual Concerto Competition. Seven students performed solo pieces with piano accompaniment. Works ranged from Vivaldi, Popper, Glazunov, Mendelssohn, Bruch, Fauré, and Mozart. Our student soloists played the recorder, cello, piano, violin, and flute in front of several dozen friends, faculty, and family members. The performances were stunning; the students’ virtuosity evidenced years of practice, and I love that they chose – entirely voluntarily – to share their talents with this audience. The winner of the competition will perform the piece again, this time accompanied by the full BUA orchestra at our Spring Concert on May 3. There is real power in having students share their work with an audience. Knowing that somebody else will see, hear, appreciate, and learn from your work makes school assignments more than intellectually enriching exercises; they become purposeful in a different way. Our music and theater... More
Gratitude for our Faculty and Staff
With Thanksgiving a few days away, I want to pause to give thanks for the remarkable teachers and staff here at BUA. Every day I am struck by their contagious passion for their subjects; their pedagogical skill and creativity; their work ethic and desire to improve; and, most of all, how well they know these students and how deeply they care for them. These professionals have chosen this path – many having foregone more lucrative careers and ones that carry more status in a society that undervalues educators – because working with young people is a calling. There is tremendous fulfillment, joy, and purpose in helping guide and empower young people at this critical stage in their development. Our faculty and staff are the heart of the school, and I am deeply grateful for them. My hope this holiday season is that you find a moment to say thank you to... More
Veterans Day, Service, and Purpose
BUA classes will not meet tomorrow as we pause to mark Veterans Day as a community. Next week, we will also welcome back alumna Jenny Chen (BUA ‘00), who served for nine years as a physician in the United States Navy in postings around the world. Students will hear about Jenny’s path through BUA, where, like so many, she “found her people” and thrived under the mentorship of loving, inspiring teachers. Jenny will talk about her decision after medical school to serve her country, the fulfillment she found in that service, and how it has prepared her for her role now in emergency medicine as a civilian. I find it helpful for students to hear from graduates like Jenny – people who sat in the same seats – who have found purpose in service to others. For some, that sense of purpose comes through taking care of family or friends; for... More