Olivia DrakeMarch 3, 20145min
(Story contributed by Emma Davis '17. The full interview appears in the Feb. 21 issue of The Wesleyan Argus) Tracie McMillan is Wesleyan's Koeppel Journalism Fellow and author of The American Way of Eating: Undercover at Walmart, Applebee's, Farm Fields, and the Dinner Table, a New York Times Bestseller. Her recent work appears in Best Food Writing 2013 and she has received a James Beard Award, the Sidney Hillman Prize, the James Aronson Award for Social Justice Journalism and other national awards for her writing about food, consumers's choices and other social issues. Q: How did you become a reporter? A: I became a reporter after interning at the…

Olivia DrakeMarch 3, 20143min
Mike Conte, associate director in Physical Plant, recently was presented with a Cardinal Achievement Award for his expert handling of serious building emergencies during the winter holiday break, which occurred at all hours. "We are grateful to Mike for going above and beyond the call of duty by responding to an unusual number of late night and weekend emergencies during the especially cold winter break this year," said Joyce Topshe, associate vice president for facilities. Stacy Baldwin, project coordinator in Physical Plant received a Cardinal Achievement Award for her work in advance planning for the winter adverse weather conditions. In November, 2013 Stacy proposed that the…

Olivia DrakeMarch 3, 20142min
The Cardinal Fit team "NoCoTen" is participating in a group walk this week. Team members, most from Academic Affairs, will wear their 100 percent polyester shirts during the walk, each sporting his or her own number. The team members are: #1, Ruth Weissman, provost and vice president for academic affairs, the Walter A. Crowell University Professor of the Social Sciences, professor of psychology; #2, Joyce Jacobsen, the Andrews Professor of Economics, dean of the social sciences and director of global initiatives, interim director of Allbritton Center, professor of economics, tutor for the College of Social Studies; #3, Joy Vodak, assistant…

Olivia DrakeMarch 3, 20142min
Four Wesleyan faculty and five alumni participated in the annual convention of the Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies (ASEEES) in Boston, Nov. 21-24, 2013. Wesleyan attendees included Peter Rutland, Colin and Nancy Campbell Professor in Global Issues and Democratic thought, professor of government, professor of Russian and Eastern European studies, tutor in the College of Social Studies; Victoria Smolkin-Rothrock, assistant professor of history, assistant professor of Russian, Eastern European, and Eurasian studies, tutor in the College of Social Studies; Priscilla Meyer, professor of Russian, Eastern European and Eurasian studies; Bill Trousdale, associate professor of physics, emeritus; and Russian…

Olivia DrakeMarch 3, 20142min
Several Wesleyan faculty and graduate students attended the 68th Ohio State University International Symposium on Molecular Spectroscopy held in Columbus, Ohio in 2013. Stewart Novick, Herbert Pickett and Stephen Cooke, and graduate students Smitty Grubbs Ph.D '10, Daniel Obenchain and Brittany Long made presentations. Novick, chair and professor of chemistry, and Grubbs presented a talk on “Microwave Spectra and Structure of H2 - CuF: Overview of the Complexes of Hydrogen with Metal-Containing Diatomics." Novick, Grubbs and Obenchain presented “Observation of a Moderate Strength Interaction of Hydrogen with a Coinage Metal Halide: The Rotational Spectrum and Structure of the p-H2-CuCl and o-H2-CuCl Complexes." Novick,…

Olivia DrakeMarch 3, 20141min
University Relations and the Career Center hosted "Creating Connections" on Feb. 28.  Students of all class years and interests were matched with Expert Advisors (recruiters and hiring managers as well as alumni and parent volunteers) for brief, one-on-one sessions.  Students introduced themselves and their backgrounds, and practiced their networking and presentation skills. Expert Advisors used their experience and expertise to critique what they heard and offered valuable insights on how the presentation might have been more effective.  This structured speed-networking event  allowed advisors to meet several students in a short period of time, and allowed Wesleyan students to build professional relationships and…

Olivia DrakeMarch 3, 20142min
J. Kehaulani Kauanui, associate professor American studies, associate professor of anthropology, participated in two recent conferences. During the Transnational American Studies Conference, held at the Center for American Studies and Research, American University of Beirut, Jan. 6-9, Kauanui co-organized a roundtable on “Pinkwashing and Transnational Alliance: Challenging Settler Colonialism in Palestine/Israel, the United States, and Canada." She also organized a panel on “Redwashing: Israeli Claims to Indigeneity and the Political Role of Native Americans," and presented a paper on “The Politics of Recognition: Indigeneity, Sovereignty, and Redwashing." During the American Studies Association annual meeting held in Washington, D.C., Nov. 21-14,…

Olivia DrakeMarch 3, 20141min
Elizabeth Willis, the Shapiro-Silverberg Professor of Creative Writing, professor of English, recently presented several poetry readings and talks. She read poetry at Hobart & William Smith College on Feb. 28; Ithaca College, Feb. 25; Maison de la Poesie, Paris, Jan. 22; the University of Toulouse, Jan. 16; at "Oh Sandy!: A Remembrance," Industry City in Brooklyn, N.Y on Nov. 10, 2013; and at Naropa University, July 9, 2013. Willis spoke on "Everybody's Autodidacticism: American Poetry and the Democratic Ideal" at the Conference on "Modernist Revolutions: Paradigns of the New and Circulations of the Word in American Poetry" at the University of Toulouse Jan. 16-17; and on "Notes on…

Olivia DrakeMarch 3, 20141min
Lauren Caldwell, assistant professor of classical studies, presented a paper on rhetoric and paternal authority in the Roman Empire at the conference "Lire la déclamation latine," Feb. 14  at Université Paris IV - Sorbonne. She also gave a lecture on Roman ideas about justice and natural growth at "Ancient Law, Ancient Society: A Conference in Honor of Bruce W. Frier," Oct. 26, 2013 at the University of Michigan.