Olivia DrakeOctober 8, 20091min
Wesleyan's Humanitarian Free and Open Source Software project (HFOSS) was featured in New Scientist magazine Oct. 3. In June, students from Wesleyan and Trinity College in teamed up with representatives from municipal and volunteer agencies including the American Red Cross, The Salvation Army and Catholic Charities USA to design a virtual emergency response center named Collabbit. The system could be used by relief agencies to coordinate their aid efforts in the aftermath of a disaster when speed is crucial. Collabbit is the handiwork of HFOSS. It acts as central repository for information, sending out project updates to workers via RSS…

Olivia DrakeOctober 8, 20091min
Michaelle Biddle, head of preservation services, presented a lecture titled "Saving Nigeria's Islamic Manuscript Heritage" Sept. 17 at Columbia University. Biddle has studied Islamic manuscripts all over the world. In March 2008, Biddle went on a five-week sabbatical under a U.S. Ambassador's Cultural Preservation Fund Grant to survey Northern Nigerian private and public collections of Islamic Manuscripts. These manuscripts are similar to those in Timbuktu, a World Heritage Site. Her survey resulted in recommendations for the preservation and conservation of the manuscripts. She returned to Nigeria in August 2008 training two local conservation teams: one in Sokoto, the home of…

Olivia DrakeOctober 8, 20092min
Rich Olson joined the Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry as an assistant professor. Olson is an expert on X-ray crystallography and biophysical characterization of soluble/membrane proteins. He specifically studies the structure and function of membrane proteins in the nervous system, immunological molecules in the nervous system and structural biology of pathogen virulence factors. This semester, he is teaching a course titled "Receptors, Channels, and Pumps: Advanced Topics in Membrane Protein Structure and Function," and an individual undergraduate research tutorial. When applying to Wesleyan, Olson says he was looking for an institution that would provide a balance between teaching and…

Olivia DrakeOctober 8, 20094min
Q: Jen, when did the ITS Print Shop move to the Usdan University Center and what were the benefits of this move? A: The ITS Print Shop closed on July 16 and opened on July 17 with a new name. We are now Cardinal Print and Copy. We have enjoyed a very loyal following with many of the departments across campus but new customers always seemed surprised to discover who we were and what we could do. Our new location solves that problem and is more convenient for most members of the Wes community. Q: What are your thoughts on…

Olivia DrakeOctober 8, 20092min
A service in tribute to Stanley Lebergott, the Chester D. Hubbard Professor of Economics and Social Sciences, Emeritus, who passed away on July 24, will be held at 11 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 18. The service will be in the Daniel Family Commons in the Usdan University Center and will be followed by a reception. The Lebergott family invites friends and colleagues who may have photographs or remembrances of Stan to bring them to the service. Lebergott began his career as a public servant, working for 20 years in the U.S. Department of Labor, the International Labor Office, and the U.S.…

Corrina KerrOctober 7, 20091min
Laura Stark, assistant professor of sociology and Science in Society, is screening a new documentary on stem cell research policy, called "The Accidental Advocate". All members of the Wesleyan community are welcome to view the film, which explores one person's desire to learn more about the complex—and highly politicized—world of stem cell research. "The filmmaker and her father (a paralyzed former physician who is the protagonist in the documentary) are scheduled to discuss the film, as well," Stark says. The screening begins at 5 p.m. in Film Studies 190 (Powell Family Cinema) on Wednesday, Oct. 7. Please note that the…

David PesciOctober 7, 20091min
Wesleyan students involved in The Humanitarian Free and Open Source Software (HFOSS) project have teamed with students from other institutions to create disaster management software for several volunteer agencies, including The American Red Cross, The Salvation Army and Catholic Charities USA. The free software provides a virtual emergency response center that these organizations can use immediately after a disaster to help manage aid and logistics. The Wesleyan HFOSS group, along with analogous groups from Trinity College and Connecticut College, also received part of an $1.3 million grant to create more software of this type. Wesleyan's HFOSS group is supervised by…