Olivia DrakeJuly 29, 20137min
While their classmates spend the summer growing business contacts at off-campus internships, 10 Wesleyan students hope to cultivate something equally lucrative – sustainable agriculture. The “dirt in the nails” days are long but satisfying at Wesleyan's Long Lane Organic Farm, a student-run organic farm that gives students a place to experiment and learn about sustainable agriculture. Sustainable agriculture integrates three main goals - environmental health, economic profitability, and social and economic equity. This summer, the students are cultivating two acres of land, the biggest plot they've ever farmed. They're growing cucumbers, radishes, tomatoes, tomatillos, squash, asparagus, basil, broccoli, lettuce, blueberries…

Olivia DrakeJuly 29, 20134min
A flock of feathery friends will soon join the student staff at Long Lane Farm. Each year since 2006, Wesleyan's Architecture II course, taught by Associate Professor of Art Elijah Huge, has accepted a commission to work on a project, traditionally for a nonprofit organization. Past projects have included the Wesleyan Sukkah, a wildlife-viewing platform for the Audubon Society, and a pavilion for the Connecticut Forest and Parks Association at its headquarters. This year, the idea for the project came from Long Lane Farm and Bon Appétit: to design and build a chicken coop that would enable Bon Appétit to serve…

Lauren RubensteinJuly 29, 20134min
Miss the start of MOOC-mania earlier this year? Good news—it’s not too late to check it out! Wesleyan’s next round of massive open online courses (MOOCS) is starting on Coursera in the coming weeks. A brand new MOOC, “Social Psychology,” will be offered by Professor of Psychology Scott Plous starting Aug. 12. The course has generated enormous interest, with more than 170,000 students currently enrolled. “The goal of the course is to explore some entertaining and intriguing psychology findings that students can use to improve their lives, relationships, and work. More than 40 organizations have contributed free readings, video clips…

Kate CarlisleJuly 29, 20132min
Wesleyan’s Microgrid Project – which would allow the university to keep the lights on even during a massive power outage – was one step closer to reality last week with the award of a state grant for work on a specialized engine. The grant, for $694,000, will pay to connect Wesleyan’s natural gas Combined Heat and Power (CHP) reciprocating engines to the campus electrical grid. “The new microgrid will supply power to the campus 24-7,” said Joyce Topshe, associate vice president for facilities. “In the event of a power outage, the microgrid will power the campus in 'island mode,' enhancing…

Natalie Robichaud ’14July 29, 20133min
In January 2014, the Dance Department will move from its space in the Center for the Arts to a new studio and office space on Cross Street. This will allow Dance Department faculty and students to be closer to the Bessie Schönberg dance studio on Pine Street. Construction at 160 Cross Street commenced July 9 with asbestos abatement and demolition of the interior finishes and walls. Interior framing begins Aug. 5. According to Alan Rubacha, director of Physical Plant, construction will be completed this fall. Dance Department faculty and students are currently using two studios and other shared spaces. Some dance faculty are…

Olivia DrakeJuly 29, 20133min
Wesleyan's 2013 Summer Session offered students a unique opportunity to complete semester-long courses in only five weeks. Courses spanned the curriculum, including gateway courses and special two-course Thematic Institutes, which are only available during the summer. All courses followed the Wesleyan tradition of small classes, which allow for closer relationships with faculty and fellow students as well as immersive study and a concentrated focus. This summer, one session ran from May 29 – June 27 and the other from July 1 – July 30. The first session included 12 courses while the second session included eight courses, two of which…

Kate CarlisleJuly 29, 20133min
If anyone can appreciate humankind’s connection to the Earth, it’s a farmer. Essel Bailey ’66 grew up on farms in the South and Michigan, his early years shaped by the rhythms of planting and harvesting and his father’s careful stewardship of the land. The lessons of his farming boyhood stay with Bailey, a lawyer and executive in Ann Arbor, Mich., in his work with the Nature Conservancy and other groups, and informed, in part, his gift to Wesleyan’s College of the Environment. The nearly $3 million commitment from Bailey and his wife, Menakka, will endow a visiting professorship and bring…

Kate CarlisleJuly 29, 20132min
John Frank ’78, P '12 believes in the power of a well-written sentence. So much so, he will tell you, that knowing how to write can make the difference between success and failure in life. He will also tell you that he learned to write, and write well, at Wesleyan. To Frank, a lawyer and investor in California, and his wife Diann Kim P’12, it was critical to ensure continued success for Wesleyan’s writing instruction, especially the Writing Certificate launched and overseen by his sister, Anne Greene. Their gift of more than $2 million will fund Writing at Wesleyan's Writing…

Olivia DrakeJuly 29, 20133min
The Wesleyan Institute for Lifelong Learning (WILL) is offering eight short courses and one, all-day program during the Fall 2013 semester. Enrollment will be open in early August. WILL uses the talents of current and retired faculty members, and local guest lecturers, to present a set of short, intellectually stimulating and lively courses to area residents. These courses are offered at minimal cost, are not part of a degree-granting program, and are designed to present topics of particular interest to members of the Wesleyan and local communities. Special one-day courses on particular topics will be offered once each semester. The…

Olivia DrakeJuly 29, 20138min
Q: Coady, what are you majoring in and why did you choose Wesleyan? A: I'm double majoring in astronomy and physics. I had actually never been to Wesleyan before applying, but I had heard very good things from friends, and its reputation for being unconventional was very appealing to me. The clincher though was the very generous financial aid that the university offered me, without which I definitely would not be here. Q: Tell us about your efforts with the Long Lane Organic Farm. Why did you decide to become a student-farmer? A: After coming to Wesleyan, I fell in with…

Olivia DrakeJuly 29, 20132min
Gail Winter, assistant director of the International Studies Office, received a Cardinal Achievement Award in July for “going above and beyond the call of duty” by proctoring an exam in the middle of the night. The exam was being given in Madrid, Spain at 9 a.m., and the course's professor required that a student at Wesleyan, who needed to take the text, be given the exam at the same time – 3 a.m., due to the time difference. This special honor comes with a $150 award and reflects the university’s gratitude for those extra efforts. Award recipients are nominated by…