Campus News & Events

Jean Redpath, a Scottish-born singer who delighted audiences worldwide and was described by The Boston Globe as “something very close to Scotland’s folk singer laureate,” died Aug. 21 at age 77. She brought her musical talent and extensive knowledge of Scottish history to Wesleyan and the Middletown community as an artist-in-residence in the 1970s. According to her official website, Redpath arrived in the United States in 1961 with $11 in her pocket. (more…)

Registration is open through Sept. 12 for Family Weekend, Sept. 27-28, when Wesleyan families are invited to attend classes and WESeminars, take in concerts and sporting events, enjoy meals, tour campus and learn about student programs and services. Breaking from tradition, this year Family Weekend will be separate from Homecoming Weekend, because Homecoming occurs during Fall break. Register for Family Weekend here. A full schedule of the weekend’s events is available here. Highlights include a South Indian vocal performance as part of the Navaratri Festival at the Center for the Arts; the 22nd annual Dwight L. Greene Symposium, featuring a movie screening…

Steven Greenhouse ’73, P’08, will bring his years of experience in journalism back to Wesleyan this semester as the Koeppel Journalism Fellow. The longtime New York Times reporter, who covers labor and workplace issues, will teach “Journalism, Nonfiction Writing and the Search for Truth.” “It's an honor to be invited to teach at Wesleyan, but it also feels a little daunting because I've never taught a full course before,” Greenhouse said. “But I imagine that I've learned a thing or two about journalism and writing and editing since once upon a time, when I was editor of the Argus eons…

Two graduate students and two faculty attended the 248th national meeting of the American Chemical Society Aug. 10-14 in San Francisco, Calif. Chemistry graduate students Duminda Ranasinghe delivered a poster presentation on her research titled "Efficient extrapolation to the (T)/CBS limit" and an oral presentation on "Density functional for core-valence correlation energy." Chemistry graduate student Kyle Throssell presented two poster presentations on "Potential curves of selected radical thiol double additions to alkynes" and "Assessing weak interactions in small dimer systems with PM7." The students were accompanied by George Petersson, the Fisk Professor of Natural Science, professor of chemistry; and Michael…

Two drawings by James McNeill Whistler, part of the Davison Art Center’s collection of more than 100 Whistler works, will be shown in a new documentary on the life of the painter. The sketches, one in pencil and one in pen and ink, will be seen in “James McNeill Whistler & The Case for Beauty,” premiering September 12 on PBS. They represent just a small part of Wesleyan’s extensive holdings of works on paper by Whistler, one of the most important American artists of the 19th century. “Whistler was crucial in making the connection between the Impressionists and British art,…

Oneiry, in sixth grade and 11 years old, liked the tie-dye experiment, where learning about the light and color also resulted in cool take-home T-shirts. Genesis, a nine-year-old fourth grader, really enjoyed the liquid nitrogen demonstration, especially the ice cream she got to make with it. And Julia, at 10 in fifth grade, had a good time making "gak," a substance that's not quite solid and not quite liquid - and slimy and fun. They were among 10 Middletown girls between fourth and sixth grade who participated in a girls' science camp sponsored by the Green Street Arts Center Aug. 4-8. The session,…

Wesleyan welcomes 12 new faculty members this fall. They are: Amanda Belichick, adjunct assistant professor of physical education, head coach of women's lacrosse. Karl Boulware, assistant professor of economics. Janet Burge, associate professor of computer science. Claire Grace, assistant professor of art history. Roger Grant, assistant professor of music. Laura Grappo, assistant professor of American studies. Kerwin Kaye, assistant professor of sociology. David Kuenzel, assistant professor of economics. Ioana Emilia Matesan, assistant professor of government. Victoria Pitts-Taylor, professor and chair of feminist, gender and sexuality studies. Jesse Torgerson, assistant professor of letters. Camilla Zamboni, adjunct instructor in Italian.

Newly hired Sarah Jean Chrystler was hired as coordinator for special events on July 1. Nara Giannella was hired as digital media specialist on July 1. Frederick Ludwig was hired as assistant football coach on July 1. Susannah Capron was hired as civic engagement fellow on July 7. Huanan Li was hired as post doctoral research associate in Physics on July 7. Shannon Nelson was hired as Center for Prison Education coordinator/fellow on July 7. Benjamin Wohl was hired as assistant dean of admission on July 7. Joseph Hopkins was hired as boiler tender on July 9. Lindsay Rush was…

Wesleyan's Economics Department hosted the 2014 Workshop in Macroeconomics Research in Liberal Arts Colleges on August 5-6. The conference brought together about 40 macroeconomists from liberal arts colleges around the country to present and discuss research, and exchange ideas about research and teaching. It aimed to increase productivity of macroeconomists at liberal arts colleges. It was organized by Wesleyan's Bill Craighead, assistant professor of economics; Pao-Lin Tien, assistant professor of economics; Masami Imai, professor of economics, professor of East Asian studies; and Richard Grossman, professor of economics. The Allbritton Center for the Study of Public Life also provided support. Past years' conferences have been held…

From a journalist who launched a publishing start-up, to the multifaceted designer of the “Fremont Troll,” to a noted international lawyer, scores of Cardinals took time last year to share their “This Is Why” stories with Wesleyan. That loyalty – and the many gifts also shared by alumni, parents and friends – led to a stellar year in the university’s fundraising campaign. Generous donors gave a total of $44.3 million in gifts and pledges in fiscal 2014. The campaign raised $43.8 million in cash, more than any previous year. And $25 million went directly into the endowment. Currently, giving to…

Water is the most ubiquitous fluid on Earth, and plays a foundational role in life as we know it. And yet the complexity of this seemingly simple molecule remains a vigorously debated area of scientific research to this day. Writing in the most recent issue of Nature Physics, Professor of Physics Francis Starr provides a commentary on recent research to uncover the mystery of water's unusual properties. "We all learn as children that oil and water don’t mix," Starr writes. " If there was only one fluid – say just the water – then "unmixing" should not even be a possibility. …

New students interested in math and the sciences, who want to get a jump start on their college experience, are taking advantage of a new program this summer. The Wesleyan Physical Sciences and Mathematics Scholars Program will welcome 11 students from the Class of 2018 to campus for its debut summer session July 27-Aug. 1. An additional 11 students will participate online. “We’re really excited to put this program into place,” said Ishita Mukerji, dean of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. “One common variable among all these scholars is a very strong interest in science.” (more…)

Former Artist-in-Residence Redpath Remembered for Teaching Folklore

Registration for Family Weekend Open Through Sept. 12

New York Times‘ Steven Greenhouse ’73 Teaching Journalism as Koeppel Fellow

Graduate Students, Faculty Attend American Chemical Society Meeting

Two Whistler Drawings from DAC to Be Featured in PBS Documentary

Middletown Students Get Taste of STEM at Wesleyan

Wesleyan Welcomes New Faculty

Staff on the Move, July 2014

Wesleyan Hosts Macroeconomics Research Workshop

Cardinals Share Stories, Gifts As Campaign Nears $350 Million

When Water “Unmixes”: Starr Commentary Published in Nature Physics

Wesleyan Launches Pilot Pre-Frosh Math and Science Program