Rev. Michael Davidson, S.J., director of the Thea Bowman AHANA and Intercultural Center (BAIC), and Yvonne McBarnett, director of the Montserrat Coalition, will switch positions at Boston College in 2023, according to a University release.
“The changes, senior administrators said, will enable both directors to utilize their extensive experience and student-mentoring skills in a way that best assists BC students,” the release reads.
In the University’s announcement on Thursday, Haub Vice President for University Mission and Ministry Jack Butler, S.J., said he looks forward to Davidson rejoining the Division of Mission and Ministry—where he worked as a campus minister from 2012 to 2018.
“I am pleased that he will be returning to our division to lead the Montserrat Coalition, where he can help even more of our students to find the academic, social, and spiritual support that will help enable their success,” Butler said in the release.
Montserrat’s website explains that the office, which is part of the Division of Mission and Ministry, seeks to support students with high financial need by ensuring they can access all areas of student life.
As the Montserrat Coalition’s new director, Davidson said he is excited to focus on students, especially those from financially modest backgrounds.
“As a Jesuit, I am charged by the Gospel to find God in all things and all people and to give selflessly, especially to those living on the margins of society,” Davidson said in the release. “I intend to create a space where students are loved, celebrated, and their voices are heard– regardless of their demographic differences.”
According to the BAIC’s mission statement, the purpose of the BAIC is to serve undergraduate AHANA+, multicultural, multiracial, and Options Through Education students. McBarnett said she is honored and humbled to become the new director of the BAIC.
“One of my goals will be to work on eliminating perceived barriers, so that the students can pursue their spiritual, social, and intellectual development here at Boston College,” McBarnett said in the release. “I am excited for the opportunity to continue on the journey of helping students and building bridges with my campus partners across the University.”
Before heading the Montserrat Coalition, McBarnett worked as an administrative assistant, counselor, and program administrator for the BAIC.
Vice President for Student Affairs Shawna Cooper Whitehead said McBarnett will be a good fit for the position given her past experience.
”Yvonne began her career at BC working in the BAIC, and this transition will give her an opportunity to return to a center that is critically important to our students,” Cooper Whitehead said in the release. “She has a wealth of experience and a unique ability to connect with people, particularly underrepresented and underserved students. She is an ideal fit for the BAIC.”
