Campus News & Events

During WesFest, April 13-15, the Office of Admission invited all Class of 2020 admitted students and their families to visit Wesleyan and experience university life first-hand. The three-day celebration allowed admitted students to explore the diverse opportunities that a Wesleyan education has to offer. Activities included campus tours, an all-campus barbecue, student band performances, a Student Activities Fair, department open houses, daily fitness classes, student-to-student and parent-to-parent panels, an a cappella concert, opportunities to attend classes and academic department open houses, and much more! Alumni Keynote Speaker, Bozoma Saint John '99, head of global consumer marketing for Apple Music and…

Lisa Dierker, professor of psychology, director of pilot programs for the Center for Pedagogical Innovation, and Ishita Mukerji, the Fisk Professor of Natural Science, professor of molecular biology and biochemistry, professor of integrative sciences, were both honored at the 12th annual Women of Innovation Awards. Presented by the Connecticut Technology Council, the awards celebrate the energy, creativity and success of women and students from Connecticut's science and technology community. Both professors were honored in the category of Academic Innovation and Leadership. The celebration was held April 6 in Plantsville, Conn. Dierker was honored for her work developing a curriculum to introduce students to…

Registration for Wesleyan’s Reunion & Commencement Weekend is open! (Register online here prior to May 6.) From May 19-22, alumni, parents, students and families can participate in reunion gatherings, a festival on Foss Hill, WesSeminars, THIS IS WHY campaign dedications and celebrations, stargazing, a conversation with President Michael Roth ’78, a parade of classes, an all-campus college sing and campus party, the 184th Commencement Ceremony and much more. View the entire schedule of events online here. Classes celebrating their reunions are those ending in a "1" or "6," and the weekend celebrates the graduating class of 2016. All alumni planning to attend…

As a 2016 recipient of the Keasbey Scholarship, Claire Wright ’16 will continue her education at Oxford University after graduating from Wesleyan this May. While at Oxford, she will pursue an MPhil in Comparative Social Policy. “Throughout my time at Wesleyan I have become increasingly passionate both about international development efforts and gender equality initiatives," she said. Wright's senior thesis focused on medical, social and political implications of using PTSD-focused aid for survivors of sexual violence in postcolonial nations. "I wanted a course of study that would allow me to translate these theoretical, intellectual insights regarding responses to violence against women…

The 74th annual Midwest Political Science Association (MPSA) conference in Chicago April 7-10 was attended by several Wesleyan faculty members, students and recent alumni. The conference, held every April, is one of the largest political science conferences with more than 5,000 presenters from throughout the United States and around the world. It is traditionally held in Chicago's historic Palmer House Hilton. Assistant Professor of Government Erika Franklin Fowler, Assistant Professor of Government Logan Dancey, and Assistant Professor of Government Yamil Velez all presented research at the conference. They were accompanied by Joli Holmes '17, John Murchison '16, Grace Wong '18,…

On April 2, in a relentless rain, 20 Artists for World Peace volunteers—including Wesleyan Football Coach Dan DiCenzo and staunch members of the football team—loaded a 20-foot shipping container with $648,000 worth of medical equipment, eyeglasses, and other items. “It was great to see our guys help such a fine organization,” said DiCenzo. Jewelry artist Wendy Black-Nasta P’07, founder and executive director of Artists for World Peace (AFWP), had contacted the coach when she realized her group needed help. She had arranged for the shipping container, which arrived in the parking lot of Ace Hardware in Middletown, at 10 a.m. She…

Four Wesleyan students recently participated in the Five College Korean Speech Contest, and three went home with prizes. The contest was held April 1 at the University of Massachusetts–Amherst and included students from Amherst, Mount Holyoke, Smith and Hampshire colleges, and the University of Massachusetts–Amherst. The contest is sponsored by the Five College East Asian Language Program. Students in the Five College Consortium, and others in the New England area who are currently enrolled in Korean language classes, are eligible to participate, except for native Korean speakers or heritage learners. Participating students must write their own short speeches in Korean. Visiting…

Katja Kolcio, associate professor of dance, associate professor of environmental studies, and a group of students attended the Ukraine in Washington forum at the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., on March 30, where Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko delivered the keynote address. Poroshenko was in Washington for President Barack Obama's Nuclear Summit. The trip was funded by the Dean of Social Sciences and the Dean of Arts and Humanities. According to Kolcio, the highlight of the trip occurred when Poroshenko responded to a question posed by Misha Iakovenko '18 about the president's efforts to deal with corruption, and a recent article that appeared in the Kyiv Post by gas company…

Six Wesleyan students were inducted into the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) honor society this year. Helena Awad '16, Noah Hamlish '16, Selin Kutlu '16, Melanie Parziale '16, Julianne Riggs '17, and Zarek Siegel '16 were honored with this prestigious award for exceptional work in biochemistry and molecular biology. The ASBMB Honor Society recognizes exceptional undergraduate juniors and seniors who are pursuing a degree in the molecular life sciences for their scholarly achievement, research accomplishments, and outreach activities. The mission of the society is to advance the science of biochemistry and molecular biology through organization of scientific meetings, advocacy for…

The Gordon Career Center (GCC) recently began a new collaboration with HBX—Harvard Business School's CORe (Credential of Readiness Program), an online business fundamentals primer developed and taught by Harvard Business School faculty. Wesleyan students looking to gain basic business fundamentals can complete the program over the summer—in some cases, on the side with a summer job or internship. According to Rachel Munafo, the GCC's assistant director of public relations and communications, several alumni who have completed the program raved about its usefulness. The curriculum is appropriate for students across all majors, and is open to underclassmen, graduating seniors and recent graduates. (more…)

WESU, Wesleyan’s radio station, is hosting its annual Spring Record Fair in Beckham Hall on April 10. From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., vendors from across the greater Connecticut area will be selling rare records and CDs. Those in attendance will have the opportunity to not only browse through hundreds of records, CDs, posters, and T-shirts, but also enjoy WESU DJs spinning vinyl live. WESU is one of the oldest noncommercial radio stations in the United States. It offers a diverse mix of news and public affairs from NPR, Pacifica, and independent and local media sources on weekdays; weeknights and weekends…

Author, professor and LGBT activist Jennifer Finney Boylan '80 will speak at Wesleyan from 4:15–6 p.m. on April 21. The event will be held in Beckham Hall. The talk will open with a short reading from Boylan’s bestselling memoir, She’s Not There: A Life in Two Genders, as well as the anthology It Gets Better, and then open up into a discussion of gender and society. The talk touches upon Transgender 101 (a brief overview of the wide range of gender expression), and then moves outward to address the embracing of diversity in its many forms. The event concludes with an audience Q&A. (more…)

Class of 2020 Explores Wesleyan during 3-Day WesFest Celebration

Dierker, Mukerji Honored as Women of Innovation

Register for Reunion & Commencement Weekend May 19-22

Wright ’16 Recipient of Keasbey Scholarship

Faculty, Students, Alumni Attend Political Science Conference

Wesleyan Football Team Helps Artists for World Peace Pack for Health Mission in Tanzania

Wesleyan Students Win at Korean Speech Contest

Kolcio, Students Attend Ukraine in Washington Forum

Students Inducted into American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Honor Society

Gordon Career Center Begins New Collaboration with Harvard Business School

WESU Hosts Spring Record Fair April 10

Author, LGBT Activist Boylan ’80 to Speak at Wesleyan April 21