Corrina KerrFor this issue, we queried Laurie Nussdorfer, professor of history, letters and medieval studies and author of Brokers of Public Trust: Notaries in Early Modern Rome (published by The Johns Hopkins University Press in 2009). She supplied her answers in writing, of course. Q: How did the idea for the book begin? A: Daniel Rosenberg ’88 wrote a senior honors thesis in the History Department about the historiography of literacy (how historians had interpreted and investigated the ability of people to read in the past). I was one of the readers of this fascinating thesis, and it occurred to me…
"Practical Water" by poet Brenda Hillman was awarded a Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Poetry.
Hilary Barth, assistant professor of psychology, was recently awarded a five-year, $761,000 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to study “magnitude biases in mathematical cognition, learning, and development.” Barth will be conducting a series of studies with children and adults in the Cognitive Development Laboratory at Wesleyan to investigate abstract and perceptual magnitude biases. The grant, which begins this year, comes from the NSF’s Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) program. The program is only available to non-tenured faculty. Barth’s colleague Anna Shusterman was awarded a CAREER grant in 2009. “The psychology department is thrilled about Professor Barth's accomplishment,” says Lisa…
One works in translating languages; the other translates words into images. Together they are about to take audiences through a centuries-old world of lechers, louts and libertines, among others. Norman Shapiro, professor of romance languages and literatures, and David Schorr, professor of art, have been collaborating together for more than 20 years to bring ancient French verse and tales to life for an English-reading audience. Their most recent effort is a re-issue, La Fontaine's Bawdy: Of Libertines, Louts, and Lechers (2009 by the Black Widow Press), a book they will be discussing and signing at on May 5 at Broad…
Binge eating can cause depression, lead to excessive weight gain and potentially cause long-term damage in binge eaters. But a new study shows that a simple, self-guided 12-week program can decrease binge eating for up to an entire year – while reducing costs of treatment. Conducted by Ruth Striegel-Moore, the Walter A. Crowell University Professor of the Social Sciences, professor of psychology, and researchers at the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research and Rutgers University, the study was aimed at finding a way to effectively treat sufferers from this disorder that affects about 3 percent of people in the United…
In this issue, we ask 5 Questions to. . . Erika Taylor, assistant professor of chemistry and chair of the 35th Peter A. Leermakers' Committee. Q. How did you get involved in biofuel research? A.There seemed to be a compelling need for more scientists to look for alternatives to biofuel carbon sources beyond the ones that have already been researched, corn being a common, but problematic one. Q. Can you explain what lignin is? A. Lignin is the second most abundant polymer on the planet (the most abundant polymer is cellulose). Lignin is interwoven into trees, along with cellulose and…
This issue, we ask 5 Questions to...Lisa Dierker, chair and professor of psychology. Dierker provided us with some information on her research findings. Q. How did you become interested in researching adolescents who smoke? A: Early in my career, I was selected as a faculty scholar by the Tobacco Etiology Research Network. This network was a multidisciplinary initiative sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and was aimed at attracting junior scholars into the field in hopes of accelerating research into the causes and mechanisms by which experimentation with tobacco leads to chronic and dependent use. At that time, as…
Lisa Dierker, chair and professor of psychology, is the co-author of "Early Emerging Nicotine-Dependence Symptoms: A Signal of Propensity for Chronic Smoking Behavior in Adolescents," published in The Journal of Pediatrics, Jan 25, 2010.
Patricia Tully, who has been the interim university librarian since June 2009, was appointed the Caleb T. Winchester University Librarian on March 1. During her interim appointment, Tully has administered the Library with creativity and dedication and has shown the strong leadership needed in these challenging times. Tully earned her B.A. in philosophy and graduated magna cum laude from Williams College; she earned her M.L.S. degree from the University of Michigan. Tully brings a wealth of experience to Wesleyan, having served in both public and academic libraries. "Many of you have worked with Pat during her terms as associate university librarian…
Steve Stemler, assistant professor of psychology, is the co-author of "The socially skilled teacher and the development of tacit knowledge," published in the British Educational Research Journal, Feb. 24, 2010
J. Kēhaulani Kauanui, associate professor of American studies, associate professor of anthropology, delivered the keynote address during the Hawai'i American Studies Association Symposium March 11 at the Kamakakuokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies in Honolulu, Hawaii. Her lecture was titled, "A Sorry State: Hawaiian Nationalism and the Politics of Imperialist Resentment." Kauanui's talk was co-sponsored by the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
Sasha Rudensky '01, visiting assistant professor of art, is exhibiting her work in the "31 Women in Art Photography" exhibition at Affirmation Arts in New York City. The exhibit is open until April 10.