Olivia DrakeFerocious Beauty: Genome premiered Feb. 3 and Feb. 4 in the Center for the Arts Theater. Posted 02/01/06 How we heal, age, procreate and eat may soon change because of genetic research happening right now. The world premiere of renowned choreographer Liz Lermans Ferocious Beauty: Genome explores this moment of revelation and questioning in an arresting theatrical work that combines movement, music, text and film. The world premier of Ferocious Beauty: Genome took place Feb. 3 and Feb. 4, in the Center for the Arts Theater. The piece is the result of an unprecedented partnership with scientists and…
James Taft, manager of systems and operations for Information Technology Services, helps keeps Wesleyan's accounts and servers running smoothly. Posted 02/01/06 Q: When did you come to Wesleyan?A: I started at Wesleyan in September 2003 as the manager of systems and operations.Q: Briefly summarize Wesleyans systems and operations. Are you, in a sense, the data center for the university?A: The systems and operations group maintains our user account directories and the technological infrastructure located inside our Data Center. Almost all of the central servers for the university, including Web servers, e-mail servers, database servers, file servers, application servers and…
Lisa Dombrowski, assistant professor of film studies, is a 1992 Wesleyan alumna, and is a specialist on film form, the American film industry and contemporary East Asian cinema. Posted 02/01/06 Lisa Dombrowski rarely watches a movie just once. Or twice. Or even 10 times. In fact, it often takes her more than 20 screenings to fully analyze a film. Each time I watch a film, Im looking at it for different reasons, explains the assistant professor of film studies. Ill watch it once to get the initial sense of the narrative, and the next time Ill count how many…
Stephen Devoto, associate professor of biology, neuroscience and behavior, studies vertebrate developmental patterns in zebrafish. Posted 02/01/06 A tiny fish popular with aquarium enthusiasts is poised to make a big splash in our understanding of muscle development. The results could have implications on the comprehension and perhaps treatment of muscular dystrophy, certain types of heart disease and other serious muscle-based ailments. These findings by Stephen Devoto, associate professor of associate professor of biology, neuroscience and behavior were recently published in the paper titled Generality of vertebrate developmental patterns: evidence for a dermomyotome in fish," in the January issue of the…
Posted 02/01/06 Laura Grabel, the Fisk Professor of Natural Science and professor of biology, is working with Connecticuts Stem Cell Research Advisory Committee on ways to save the state money on a research laboratory. Grabel along with scientists from Yale University and the University of Connecticut, believe at least one core laboratory could be established in the state. The scientists told a panel overseeing Connecticut's 10-year, $100 million stem cell research initiative that they are willing to collaborate and avoid repeating the same work and save money. They said they could share expensive equipment and conduct certain research with…
Posted 02/01/06 Richard W. Dick Couper died on Wednesday, Jan. 25 at a hospital in New Hartford, N.Y. Couper served on the Wesleyan University Board of Trustees from 1972 through 1983 and was elected as a trustee emeritus following his retirement from the Board. He was one of the longest serving trustees of his alma mater, Hamilton College, where he was the sixth generation of his family to attend. Couper served on the boards of more than 60 organizations throughout his life. He was president emeritus of the New York Public Library, having served as president and chief executive officer…
Posted 02/01/06 Editor's Note: The following article is written by Douglas Bennet, president of Wesleyan University. During the first week of January I represented Wesleyan at a two-day summit on international education hosted by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings. The summit brought together 120 college presidents to discuss concerns, opportunities, and initiatives related to study abroad for U.S. students and study in the U.S. for international students. Both President Bush and Mrs. Bush addressed the summit. The summit gave me the chance to reflect on Wesleyans role in international education. I was reassured that…
Posted 02/01/06 As part of Wesleyan's on-going efforts to provide staff education dedicated to diversity issues, the Office of Affirmative Action is sponsoring a workshop, "Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in the Academic Workplace, on Feb. 9. The workshop will be offered twice: at 9:30 a.m. in the Russell House, and at 1:30 p.m. in Woodhead Lounge. Each session meets for two hours and 15 minutes. This workshop will provide frameworks for understanding sexual orientation and gender identity in a more integrated way and offer participants in-community perspectives on work-related issues, explains Michael Benn, interim director of Affirmative Action. The…
THE FINAL TOUCHES: The Mansfield Freeman Center for East Asian Studies new west wing addition will open at the end of January. Construction began in August 2005. Construction crews work on the new seminar room, which overlooks the Freeman Center's Japanese garden. The seminar room will be used for classes up to 25 students, East Asian Studies' events, dinners, conferences and its Colloquium Series, Japanese Tea Ceremonies and tai chi classes. Patrick Dowdey, curator of the Freeman Center, and Shirley Lawrence, program coordinator, take a closer look at the new seminar room. (Photos by Olivia Bartlett) Patrick Dowdey stands in…
Jen Carlstrom, Web Manager in the Office of University Communications, helps departments learn to update their own Web site information. Posted 01/17/06 Jen Carlstrom grew up sketching Disney cartoon characters, molding clay figurines and designing Christmas cards on her fathers computers. As she matured, so did Carlstroms love for art and technology, which has ultimately led to a career as Wesleyans Web manager. "Ive always loved drawing and using the computer to create arts projects, she recalls. Designing on the Web combines those two passions I've had since I was a child. Carlstrom, who came to the Office of…
Posted 01/17/06 Thanks to more than $920,000 in private donations, including one from a notable alumnus, Wesleyan will install a new synthetic turf field in hopes of having it ready for play this spring. The field will be located on the grounds of the former Long Lane School and provide a competitive playing surface for Wesleyans varsity lacrosse and field hockey teams, as well as foul-weather practice space for other varsity sports including football and soccer. Baseball and softball teams will also use the field for pre-season practice in late February when Bacon Field House becomes overcrowded. The field will…
Steve Windsor, database administrator, suffers from repetitive strain injury and uses special ergonomic tools at work such as rubber-ball chair, a specially designed mouse, a headset and a touch-sensitive keyboard. Posted 01/17/06 Working on a computer all day can become a real pain in the neck (and the back and forearms and hands). Fortunately, a new ergonomics Web site created by Information Technology Services has several suggestions to keep bodies in balance. The site, http://www.wesleyan.edu/its/ergonomics/, offers advice on good working positions, stretches, workstation guidelines for health, an office ergonomics checklist and even the Occupational Safety & Health Administrations guidelines for…