Boston College Connell School of Nursing Professor Ann Burgess is a trailblazing forensic and psychiatric nurse who has worked with the FBI and helped pioneer the criminal profiling of serial killers. A new book, Expert Witness: The Weight of Our Testimony When Justice Hangs in the Balance (Grand Central Publishing, 2025), delves into her role as a trauma expert in some of the biggest criminal court cases in the last 30 years. Written by Burgess and CSON Associate Director of Marketing and Communications Steven Matthew Constantine, Expert Witness takes readers from the women’s movement of the 1970s to the #MeToo movement of the 21st century to capture how revolutionary one voice can be. Publishers Weekly called Expert Witness a “fascinating memoir.” Burgess and Constantine previously collaborated on the book A Killer by Design, which inspired the Hulu docuseries “Mastermind: To Think Like a Killer.”
Expert Witness Ann Burgess
Posted in Boston College Authors
Tagged Connell School of Nursing, crime, forensics, memoir
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Lainey from Lovelace Academy
Boston College alumna Marie Benedict has teamed up with author Courtney Sheinmel for a new historical adventure for middle school readers titled The Secrets of Lovelace Academy (Aladdin, 2025). Their book is about Lainey Philipps, a young girl who lives in a London orphanage until a chance encounter leads to an invitation to attend the prestigious Lovelace Academy. Lainey’s life of drudgery has hardly prepared her for the aristocratic airs and cutthroat academic ambition of the other girls. Terrified she’ll be cast out of the academy, Lainey grabs at a chance to prove herself by traveling to Switzerland to meet a female scientist crafting a groundbreaking theory. Benedict is the bestselling author/co-author of several historical novels, including The Queens of Crime, The Only Woman in the Room, The Mystery of Mrs. Christie, and The Personal Librarian, among others.
‘The People’s Hospital’
Physician and author Ricardo Nuila will talk about his acclaimed book, The People’s Hospital: Hope and Peril in American Medicine, at Boston College on September 10 at 7 p.m. in Gasson 100. The People’s Hospital details the stories of five uninsured Houstonians unable to access healthcare who ultimately receive care at Ben Taub Hospital, where Dr. Nuila works. The People’s Hospital was selected as a semi-finalist for the Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction and named one of the Best Books of 2023 by Amazon, Kirkus Reviews, and The Washington Post. Nuila is an associate professor of medicine, medical ethics, and health policy at Baylor College of Medicine. His features and essays have appeared in Texas Monthly, The New York Times Sunday Review, The Atlantic, and The New England Journal of Medicine. His short fiction has appeared in The Best American Short Stories, McSweeney’s, Guernica, and other magazines. Nuila’s lecture is presented by the Lowell Humanities Series and is cosponsored by the Park Street Corporation Speaker Series. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required.
Tinker Bell
Bestselling author Jen Calonita, a Boston College alumna, has published the second installment of The Enchanters book series: Tinker Bell (Random House/Disney, 2025). Filled with adventure, intrigue, and romance, Calonita’s novel reveals the untold story of Tinker Bell and her connection to Peter Pan and the Lost Boys. Calonita is the author of more than 40 books for teens and young adults. Her books have sold more than a million copies and have been translated into 15 languages. The Enchanters book series, which debuted in 2024 with Calonita’s Fairy Godmother, focuses on the untold origins of Disney’s beloved magic makers.
‘Casual Monsters’
Townshend University is an elite school with driven students, brilliant professors, and an unfortunate secret. Beneath the soaring spires and voluminous library is an enchanted vault where an unspeakable evil has been safely imprisoned…until last Thursday. That’s the premise of Casual Monsters, the latest fantasy novel from indie author and Boston College alumnus Chuck Abdella. A high school history teacher, Abdella is also the author of a book series called The Outcasts.
Dublin to Dingle
In 2023, Boston College graduate David H. McGrath set out to walk across Ireland, from Dublin on the east coast to the west coast, specifically Skellig Michael, the location featured in the Star Wars movie franchise. He captured his adventure in the new book, 500,000 Steps Across Ireland: From Dublin to Dingle on Foot, which details his month in Ireland and the people and places he saw along the way. McGrath is a writer, standup comic, and adventurer. This summer, he returned to Ireland and walked from Shannon to Derry, raising money for a local cancer center and the Irish Cancer Society.
‘The Making of an Educator’
Described as a “must-read for anyone working in or interested in education today,” the latest book from Boston College Lynch School of Education and Human Development Research Professor Andy Hargreaves offer insights into critical issues in education, including teacher autonomy, evidence-based practice, early career struggles, intellectual bias, and the impact of mentors. In The Making of an Educator (Crown Publishing 2025), Hargreaves charts the first 15 years of his career as a teacher, researcher, academic, and collaborator with schools. It was period of time (early 1980s) Hargreaves calls the Great Education Shift, which brought an end to an era defined by public investment, pursuit of equality, commitment to educating the whole child, and support for a strong and highly qualified teaching profession. The Making of an Educator was published in the United Kingdom over the summer and is available for pre-order in the United States. Hargreaves has dedicated his life to working with teachers and schools to make learning and teaching more engaging, fulfilling, and collaborative. He is an author or editor of nearly 40 books and one of the most cited education scholars in the world today. In addition to his r0le at BC, Hargreaves is a visiting professor at the University of Ottawa and honorary professor at Swansea University.
‘Be Unapologetically Impatient’
Have you ever asked “Why?” and been met by a response like: “That’s just the way we do things here.” According to Christina Cipriano, who holds a Ph.D. from the Boston College Lynch School of Education and Human Development, it’s time to be unapologetically impatient. Cipriano calls unapologetically impatient—the activation of intrinsic motivation, emotional intelligence, and gratitude—the mindset required to change “the way we do things.” In her new book, Be Unapologetically Impatient, Cipriano seamlessly weaves together decades of scientific evidence and infectious storytelling to illuminate and interrupt conventions across education, medicine, and industry. The mother of a son with a rare disease, Cipriano draws on relatable experiences navigating hurdles embedded in everyday living. Her book provides scripts, tools, and framing that are usable for everyone. Cipriano is an associate professor of applied developmental and educational psychology at the Yale Child Study Center in the Yale School of Medicine and director of the Education Collaboratory at Yale University. She has been published in professional journals as well as in popular media outlets such as the Washington Post and New York Times.
Harvey Girls
Juliette Fay—a Boston College graduate and author known for her “well-drawn characters and vibrant historical backdrops” (Library Journal)—transports readers to 1920s America with her new book, The Harvey Girls (Gallery Books/Simon & Schuster, 2025). The novel tells the stories of Charlotte Crowninshield and Billie MacTavish, two very different women, each carrying a secret. The women meet when they are hired on the same days as Harvey Girls, waitresses who serve in America’s first hospitality chain on the Santa Fe railroad. The novel received a starred review from Library Journal. Fay is a bestselling author of historical and contemporary fiction. Her other novels include Shelter Me, The Half of It, and City of Flickering Light.
BC grad’s debut novel
A young woman must confront her abuser in She Used to Be Nice (Alcove Press/Penguin RandomHouse, 2025), a debut novel from 2015 Boston College graduate Alexia LaFata. The book tells the story of Avery, whose rapist resurfaces as the best man at her best friend’s wedding. As maid of honor, Avery can’t avoid him. As the wedding nears, Avery must decide whether to finally tell her truth or risk spiraling toward a darkness she may never be able to recover from.
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