In November, associate professor  Laurie Johnston had the opportunity to meet Pope Francis. Johnston was in Rome attending a first-of-its-kind conference, "Prospects for a World Free from Nuclear Weapons and for Integral Disarmament." Sponsored by the Vatican, the event included 11 Nobel laureates, top UN and NATO officials, and leading scholars.

Associate professor of theology & religious studies Jon Paul Sydnor's blog for Daily Kos explores the benefits of classroom learning vs. online learning. "Here, students become leaders in causes they didn't know about in high school. They room with international students," he writes. "They volunteer at organizations throughout Boston. They meet the authors of the books they read. They are placed in challenging internships at Merck next door. Elsewhere, they intern as student teachers, student nurses, and student lab techs."