The 2026 Boston College Summit will take place on Wednesday, January 14 from 5pm to 7pm in Gasson 100.听

Keynote Speakers


Belle Liang

Belle Liang

Dr. Belle Liang is a Professor of Counseling, Developmental, and Educational Psychology at Boston College鈥檚 Lynch School of Education and Human Development. Her research focuses on cultivating purpose and belonging as systemic drivers of equity and well-being in schools and workplaces. She serves as the inaugural Ascione Fellow and Faculty Fellow in University Mission and Ministry, where she connects her scholarship to campus-wide initiatives supporting holistic and justice-oriented development in educational and professional settings.

For over two decades at Boston College, Dr. Liang has led research-practice partnerships funded by the National Science Foundation, the Walton Family Foundation, and others. Her work includes the design of evidence-based curricula, tools, and technologies that foster inclusive, purpose-driven cultures in schools and organizations. She has authored over 100 scholarly publications and is co-author of How to Navigate Life: The New Science of Finding Your Way in School, Career, & Beyond, a widely adopted book that translates purpose research into accessible tools for students, educators, and communities.

Her contributions to psychology, teaching, and mentoring have earned her numerous honors, including the Distinguished Alumni Award from Indiana University鈥揃loomington. She is also a Fellow of the American Psychological Association (Division 17). Across all her roles, Dr. Liang bridges research and practice to help diverse communities thrive鈥攂y transforming not only how individuals develop, but how systems support their sense of purpose and belonging.


Aziz Rana

Aziz Rana

Aziz Rana is the J. Donald Monan, S.J., University Professor of Law and Government. He joins Boston College from Cornell Law School, where he was the Richard and Lois Cole Professor of Law.

His research and teaching center on American constitutional law and political development. In particular, Rana鈥檚 work focuses on how shifting notions of race, citizenship, and empire have shaped legal and political identity since the founding of the country.

His first book,听The Two Faces of American Freedom听(Harvard University Press) situates the American experience within the global history of colonialism, examining the intertwined relationship in American constitutional practice between internal accounts of freedom and external projects of power and expansion.听His latest book,听The Constitutional Bind: How Americans Came to Idolize a Document that Fails Them听(University of Chicago Press, 2024), explores the modern emergence of constitutional veneration in the twentieth century -- especially against the backdrop of growing American global authority -- and how veneration has influenced the boundaries of popular politics.

Rana has written essays and op-eds for such venues as听n+1,听Dissent,听The Boston Review,听The Washington Post,听The New York Times,听听New Labor Forum,听Jacobin,听The Guardian,听The Chronicle of Higher Education,听The Nation,听Jadaliyya,听Salon, and听The Law and Political Economy Blog.听He has articles and chapter contributions published or forthcoming with听Yale听and听Oxford University Presses,听The University of Chicago Law Review,听California Law Review,听UCLA Law Review,听Texas Law Review, and the听Yale Law Journal Forum, among others.

Rana is an editorial board member of听Dissent,听The Law and Political Economy Blog,听Just Security, and听The Journal of American Constitutional History. He is also a Life Member of the Council of Foreign Relations and a Non-Resident Fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft.

鈥婬e received his A.B. from Harvard College听summa cum laude听and his J.D. from Yale Law School. He earned a Ph.D. in political science at Harvard University, where his dissertation was awarded the University's Charles Sumner Prize.


Rachel Spooner

Rachel Spooner

Rachel Spooner is an Associate Professor of the Practice in Business Law at the Carroll School of Management at Boston College. Rachel teaches Business Law, the Carroll School鈥檚 Portico course, and Securities Regulation to undergraduate students. She also has experience teaching Executive and MBA students. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy Studies from Duke University and received her JD from Georgetown University Law Center. After clerking for the Honorable William C. Conner in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, Rachel worked in the Trial Department of Goodwin Procter LLP for five years, focusing on commercial, securities, and bankruptcy litigation, as well as engaging in extensive pro bono work for prisoners, indigent criminal defendants, and on a death penalty case.

Rachel is also the author of听Tales from a Professor鈥檚 Office: An Insider鈥檚 Guide to Thriving in College, a book that offers students practical advice on how to navigate the challenges of college life, from academic strategies to personal development. In connection with the book, she regularly speaks to high school students and families about college preparation, trains university advising staff on best practices for student success, and serves on panels for university administrators, focusing on enhancing the first-year student experience.

Wednesday, January 14

PROGRAM SCHEDULE

5:00 p.m.

Dinner and Conversation

5:15 pm听

Welcome & Opening Keynote
Summit Planning Team & Dr. Belle Liang

5:30 p.m.

Reflection and Table Discussion

5:50 p.m.

Dr. Aziz Rana: Leadership & Social Justice

6:00 p.m.

Reflection and Table Discussion

6:20 p.m.听

Dr. Rachel Spooner: Maximizing the Collegiate Experience

6:30 p.m.

Reflection & Table Discussion

6:50 p.m.

Liz Payne '26: Closing Remarks

2026 Student Summit Planning Team

Kayla Edwards

Kayla Edwards

Graduate Director



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Kayla Edwards

Kayla Edwards

Graduate Director

Liz Payne

Liz Payne

Student Co-lead



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Liz Payne

Liz Payne

Student Co-lead

Caroline Vestel

Caroline Vestel

Student Co-lead



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Caroline Vestel

Caroline Vestel

Student Co-lead

2026 Advisory Council

Abby Black
Office of Student Involvement

Christine Burke
Office of Student Involvement

Paola Cisneros Lau
Student Affairs

Katie Dalton
Women鈥檚 Center

Rachel Greenberg
Career Center

Roatha Kong
Office of Student Involvement

Yvonne McBarnett
Thea Bowman AHANA and Intercultural Center

Andy Petigny
Thea Bowman AHANA and Intercultural Center

Leah Spencer
Alumni Relations

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