Campus News & Events

Wesleyan President Michael Roth recently spoke about "Why Liberal Arts Education Matters" as part of the 92nd Street Y (92Y) American Conversation series. 92Y connects people all over the world through culture, arts, entertainment and conversation. In the Oct. 15 episode, New York Times op-ed columnist Frank Bruni interviews Roth about the contentious debate over the benefits—or drawbacks—of a liberal education. In the interview, Roth, who is author of Beyond the University, Why Liberal Education Matters, makes the case for the great American tradition of humanistic education. Watch a video of the conversation below: Roth also discussed “The Future of Education” at…

Assistant professor of Astronomy Meredith Hughes and eight colleagues have found evidence of magnetic fields in stardust – an indication that magnetic fields are important in the process of planetary system formation, according to a new paper in the journal Nature. The discovery is another step in work by Hughes and other astronomers to understand how celestial bodies are formed. It is known that magnetic fields in the “accretion disks” of stars play a dominant role in the star formation process. Using data from an observatory near Bishop, Calf., Hughes and her colleagues were able to spot signs of magnetic…

Wesleyan's Athletics Department welcomed five notable former athletes and one coach into the seventh class of Wesleyan's Athletics Hall of Fame Oct. 17. The inductees include Joe Barry Morningstar ’39; Cochrane Chase ’54; Marion Stoj, M.D. ’74; Thomas Vincent Reifenheiser III ’94; Sarah Hann, DVM '95; and J. Elmer Swanson, track and cross country coach. Chase, a tremendous football and wrestling talent, was unable to attend the event. The Wesleyan University Athletics Hall of Fame grew out of the collaborative work of the Athletics Advisory Council (AAC), founded in the fall of 2006, and the Wesleyan administrative. Though the inventory of…

WESU 88.1 FM will host a Fall Record Fair from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 26 in Beckham Hall. Dozens of vendors from across the Northeast will be selling vinyl records, CDs, posters, T-shirts and more. WESU DJs will sell WESU gear and records to support the station. The station also is seeking donations to be sold at the event. (more…)

The Office of Human Resources reported the following new hires and departures for September 2014: Newly hired Janani Iyer was hired as a research assistant/lab coordinator in the Psychology Department on Sept. 2. Ilona Bass was hired as a research assistant/lab coordinator in the Psychology Department on Sept. 2. Paul Wilson Cauley was hired as a researcher in the Astronomy Department on Sept. 8. Franklin Huynh was hired as a senior budget analyst in the Office of Financial Planning on Sept. 15. Michael Schramm was hired as assistant director of the Wesleyan Fund on Sept. 15. Luigi Solla was hired an associate…

On Oct. 24, the Dance Department and Center for the Arts present "To Not Forget Crimea: Uncertain Quiet of Indigenous Crimean Tatars," a panel discussion and the Fall Faculty Dance Concert by Associate Professor of Dance Katja Kolcio. While international media and political leaders are ignoring the situation in Crimea, this event draws public attention to the widespread violation of the Tatars' human rights and the degree to which the Russian Occupation has forced them out of their ancestral homeland. The evening will begin with a free panel discussion, "Indigenous Ukrainian Perspectives of Crimea Post Russian-Invasion," from 6 to…

It's a long rivalry. Wesleyan and Amherst have played nearly every year since 1913, missing just three seasons during World War II. They first met on the gridiron in 1882, with Wesleyan prevailing. The teams will battle for the 120th time during Wesleyan’s Homecoming, Oct. 18. A webcast of the game is available here. One aspect of the game is unmistaken. It represents the second straight year both teams bring identical 4-0 records into the encounter. A Wesleyan triumph would add significant historical perspective to the proceedings. Having ended an 10-year skid versus Amherst last season with a 20-14 road…

Gina Athena Ulysse, associate professor of anthropology, participated in "Imagining and Imaging the Caribbean,” the inaugural conference of Columbia’s Greater Caribbean Studies Center, on Oct. 18. Ulysse discussed "Writing in the Caribbean Diaspora" with fellow panelists Cuban writer and artist Orlando Luis Pardo Lazo (Brown University) and Kittian-Brittish novelist Caryl Phillips (Yale University). Other topics included "The Greater Caribbean as a Geo-Historical and Cultural Region," "Writing about the Caribbean from National Perspectives" and "Photographing the City in the Greater Caribbean." The event concluded with a Caribbean concert.

Vera Schwarcz, the Mansfield Freeman Professor of East Asian Studies, professor of history, is the author of a new book titled Colors of Veracity: A Quest for Truth in China, and Beyond, published by the University of Hawai'i Press in November 2014. In Colors of Veracity, Schwarcz condenses four decades of teaching and scholarship about China to raise fundamental questions about the nature of truth and history. In vivid prose, she addresses contemporary moral dilemmas with a highly personal sense of ethics and aesthetics. Drawing on classical sources in Hebrew and Chinese (as well as several Greek and Japanese texts), Schwarcz…

On Oct. 7, students enrolled in the course HIST 269: Notes from a Small Island — Modern British History, 1700 - Present, visited the Yale Center for British Art. The class, taught by Alice Kelly, visiting assistant professor of history, toured the center's two current exhibitions, "Sculpture Victorious: Art in an Age of Invention, 1837–1901" and "Figures of Empire: Slavery and Portraiture in 18 Century Atlantic Britain." "Seeing history through a different lens — art and sculpture — really aided their understanding of some of the class readings, and we were able to find a number of similarities, particularly in the…

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., came to Wesleyan Oct. 6 to hear students’ concerns about sexual violence, survivor support and penalties for perpetrators. This was one of a series of listening sessions the senator is conducting around the state. In his discussions with students he shared details of legislation he has proposed to provide better frameworks on campuses for handling sexual assault cases. Under the bill, colleges and universities would be required to identify confidential advisors and implement minimum training standards. Financial penalties would be imposed on schools that do not comply. The listening session was held just days after the…

For the second year in a row, Wesleyan will welcome its neighbors to campus for fun, food and football during Middletown Day, Oct. 18. Starting at 11 a.m., the public can enjoy family entertainment (face painting, balloon art, a bounce house for little visitors, and a DJ), along with free popcorn and food for sale from Wesleyan athletic teams. Plenty of Wes alumni also are expected at Andrus Field for the Homecoming football game versus Little Three rival Amherst College. Kickoff is at 1:30 p.m. and Middletown residents will be admitted to the game for free with ID. The mighty…

Roth Speaks about Liberal Arts Education in 92Y Interview

Hughes Finds Magnetic Fields in Stardust; Study Published in Nature

6 Inducted to Wesleyan’s Athletic Hall of Fame

WESU Seeking Donations for Fall Record Fair Oct. 26

Staff on the Move, September 2014

Crimea, Tatar Rights Explored at Panel Discussion, Multimedia Performance

Wesleyan Battles for Homecoming Victory Against Amherst Oct. 18

Ulysse Panelist at Columbia’s Caribbean Conference

Schwarcz Addresses Moral Dilemma, Ethics in China in Colors of Veracity

British History Class Takes Field Trip to Yale’s British Art Center

Senator Blumenthal Speaks With Students on Assaults; Wesleyan Releases Report

Wes Welcomes Neighbors to Middletown Day Oct. 18