Genius Awards Articles

The 2008 Winners

By Jennifer Roach / Special Projects Editor
It has been a year of change and progress here on the Heights. Across all spectrums, from academics to athletics to activism, Boston College students, faculty, and staff have risen to and met the challenge of greatness. While each of their successes has been individual, their contributions to the University have been felt by each of us.

Seeing the efforts of so many people within the BC community striving to single-handedly make BC a better place, The Heights has decided to recognize their successes, presenting to seven individuals this year's Genius Awards. These awards acknowledge those whose accomplishments may have gone unnoticed or under recognized by the greater BC population, but nevertheless had an impact, helping to shape BC's reputation as an institution of excellence.

Jerry York

King of the Rink

By Nick Tarnoff / Heights Senior Staff
There are many successful and accomplished professors and professionals who teach and work at Boston College, but it would be hard to look past the man who patrols the bench at Kelley Rink as one of the most successful men on this campus. BC men's hockey coach Jerry York is at the top of the collegiate hockey world after coaching his squad to the 2008 national championship.

Adrienne Leslie

Capturing Life on Film

By Blair Thill / Associate Arts & Review E
Adrienne Leslie's documentary Eat Drink Talk Think sent shock waves through the Boston College campus on its way from Baldwin Awards nominee to Best Picture winner. The film chronicles a series of interviews with Dining Services employees who work the Late Night shift.

Michael Resler

Striving for die Excellenz

By Jennifer Roach / Special Projects Editor
Last spring, Boston College's German studies department asserted its preeminence not only in its tight niche on campus but also around the world when it was revealed that 13 BC students from the German major alone had received the coveted Fulbright Scholarship.

Cate Prefontaine

Putting the power in "girl power"

By Alexi Chi / News Editor
The word "feminist" can be a loaded term. One Boston College senior, though, breaks all the stereotypes that have been associated with the label. Self-proclaimed feminist Cate Prefontaine, A&S '08, didn't come to BC intending to devote her life to combating violence against women.

Zhifeng Ren

Making nano-sense

By Michelle Kaczmarek / Assistant Features Editor
Often when heat and electricity are thought of together, it is in the context of a month's rent. But for Zhifeng Ren, professor of physics at Boston College, the connection between the two is more than a conversation on utilities; instead, it has provided a unique way to think about and possibly change the way energy and efficiency are conceptualized.

Celso Perez

Bringing Sexual Ethics to the Table

By Jennifer Roach / Special Projects Editor
At a school that has had difficulty establishing and maintaining positive relationships with its gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender, queer or questioning (GLBTQ) community, Celso Perez, A&S '09, has been a true agent of change. As he enters his second year as president of the GLBTQ Leadership Council (GLC), his contributions to the fostering of a more unified and positive relationship between GLC and the school will continue to grow.

Hubert Walters

Voicing his faith

By Pilar Landon / Editor-in-Chief
For Hubert Walters, music isn't just a hobby. It's a passion, a way of life - a philosophy. As the 25-year director of the Voices of Imani, Walters - more affectionately known by his students simply as "Professor" - has shown hundreds just how powerful music can be.