The Wesleyan Connection

Dan Koepf, analyst programmer and project leader, was one of 26 Wesleyan employees who celebrated 20, 25, 30 or 40 years of service at the university during an Employee Service Recognition Luncheon on Oct. 20 in Beckham Hall. Koepf was honored for his 30 years of service in Information Technology Services.

From left, Pearlina Jackson, library assistant in Olin Library; celebrated 40 years of service with her husband, Bill. Second from right is Roberta Raczka, library assistant in the Science Library, who celebrates 20 years. At far right, is Robert Weber, journeyman electrician, who celebrates 40 years.

Cynthia Rockwell, associate editor of Wesleyan Magazine, was honored for her 20 years of service in the Office of University Communications.

Donna Thompson, director of the Upward Bound Program, celebrates 20 years of service.

Wesleyan President Michael Roth mingled with employees during the lunch.

Susan Lastrina, accounting specialist in the Biology Department, celebrates 40 years working at Wesleyan.

Nick David, working foreperson-material handling, celebrates 25 years in Physical Plant-Facilities.

Linda Shettleworth, administrative assistant in the Astronomy Department, attended the luncheon with Ed Moran, chair of the Astronomy Department, associate professor of astronomy and director of the Van Vleck Observatory. Shettleworth celebrates 25 years at Wesleyan.

Wesleyan President Michael Roth speaks on "The Humanities and Their Aftermath: Three Tales of Protection, Sophistication, and Connection" during the Center for the Humanities 50th Anniversary Conference Oct. 9 in Russell House. President Roth was one of several speakers who discussed the pursuits, temporalities, obligations and limitations of the humanities of the 21st century.

Victor Gourevitch, professor of philosophy, emeritus, delivered comments following President Roth's talk. Founded in 1959, the Center for Humanities is among the oldest in the United States.

Sean McCann, professor of English and American studies, speaks on "Ordeals of Liberal Humanism: The Center for the Humanities and the Cold War University."

Ethan Kleinberg, associate professor of history and letters (pictured); introduced McCann and the topic of liberal humanism. Elizabeth Traube, professor of anthropology, and Richard Stamelman, director of The Montgomery Foundation at Dartmouth College, professor of French, emeritus at Williams College offered comments on McCann's talk.

In front, from left, Demetrius Eudell, associate professor of history, associate professor of African American studies, director of the Center for African American Studies; Jerry Wensinger, the Marcus L. Taft Professor of German Language and Literature and Professor of the Humanities, emeritus; Helen Reeve, professor emeritus from Connecticut College; and Joe Rouse, the Hedding Professor of Moral Science, professor and chair of the Science in Society Program, professor of philosophy; were among the conference's attendees. Eudell also led a talk titled "After the Humanities? Or After the episteme?: Toward a Humanism Made to the Measure of the World."

Four faculty guests from other universities spoke during the conference, including Nancy Armstrong, the Gilbert, the Louis and Edward Lehman Professor of English at Duke University.

Pictured in foreground, Cary Nelson, president of the American Association of University Professors and the Jubilee Professor of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, led the keynote discussion on "The Last Humanist and the Perfect Storm: The Budgetary and Ideological Threats to Life as We Have Known It."

Lori Gruen, associate professor of philosophy, associate professor of feminist, gender and sexuality studies, listens to a talk by Cary Nelson. Gruen also presented her paper titled "Humanities' Others" during the conference.

Wes Pep, a newly-formed student organization, brings excitement, enthusiasm, and passion to the various Wesleyan sport games. WesPep members, bottom row, from left, are Tamar Charles '11, Gelihsa Arjoon '11, Malik Ben-Salahuddin '13, Jessica Clark '12, Teju Adisa-Farrar '13, Roynan Krebs '10 and Chantaneice Kitt '13.

AhDream Smith ’12 founded WesPep in 2008. She and fellow WesPep members support Wesleyan athletics by making banners and leading Wes fans in cheers and chants.

Wesleyan FootBallas!

Wesleyan President Michael Roth joins the WesPep group during the Sept. 26 football game against Tufts.

Bryce Hollingsworth '13 partook in WesPep festivities by painting his face red for the Sept. 26 game.

Tufts Who ???

WesPep is in the process of starting a e-mail list serv. Meanwhile, anyone interested in joining WesPep can contact Smith at afsmith@wes or WesPep secretary Jessica Clark at jaclark@wesleyan.edu. (Photos contributed by AhDream Smith '12)

Former Wesleyan Trustee Ethan Bronner '76 speaks inside Memorial Chapel Oct. 7. Bronner currently the Jerusalem bureau chief of The New York Times.

As an editor, Bronner worked on a series of articles about Al Qaeda that were awarded a Pulitzer Prize for explanatory journalism.

Anne Greene, director of Writing Programs, director of the Wesleyan Writers Conference, adjunct professor of English, introduced the Bronner lecture. The event was part of the Writing Program's Distinguished Writers Series.

Bronner concluded his talk with a Q&A session with the audience. (Photos by Stefan Weinberger '10)

The Office of Admission received a solar panel installation in September. According to Peter Staye, associate director of utilities management, the Admissions building uses about 110,000 kWh annually. The panels create electricity at a maximum output of 3 kW and will produce about 3,000 kW hours annually towards that annual usage.

John Nordeman '99 and Matthew Rudey '99, co-owners of renewable energy company Just Energy (JE), installed the solar panels. Wesleyan has a contract with JE to purchase all the electricity the system produces for the next 10 years. Just Energy was founded in March 2008 with a vision of reducing energy expenses for commercial customers while also helping the environment. (Photos by Olivia Bartlett Drake)

The Mansfield Freeman Center for East Asian Studies hosted a Children's Program Oct. 4. The event provided an introduction to the exhibition, "Enlightening Images: Buddhist Art Work."

The center's curator, Patrick Dowdey and curatorial assistants provided hands-on learning activities.

The event was part of the Freeman Center's Outreach Program for teaching about East Asia. For more information, call 860-685-2330. (Photos by Stefan Weinberger '10)

Anne Greene, director of Writing Programs, adjunct professor of English, introduces the Writing Programs' Fall Faculty Reading series Sept. 23 in Russell House.

Deb Olin Unferth, assistant professor of English, reads from her work. Unferth is the author of a collection of stories, Minor Robberies, and a novel, Vacation, both published by McSweeney’s. Her work has appeared in Harper’s, 3rd Bed, Fence, and other publications. She has received a Pushcart Prize, a Creative Capital Grant from the Warhol Foundation, and in 2009 the Cabell First Novelist Award.

Poetry and nonfiction by Lisa Cohen, assistant professor of English, have appeared in numerous journals, including Ploughshares, Lit, Barrow Street, GLQ, Fashion Theory, Bookforum, The Boston Review, and Voice Literary Supplement. She is currently completing a group biography of three early 20th century figures—the fashion professional Madge Garland, the fan and collector Mercedes de Acosta, and the eccentric scholar Esther Murphy.

Elizabeth Willis, the Shapiro-Silverberg Associate Professor of Creative Writing, is the author of four books of poetry: Second Law, The Human Abstract, Turneresque, and Meteoric Flowers. Her work has been selected for the National Poetry Series and her awards include the Boston Review Prize, an award from the Howard Foundation, a Walter N. Thayer Fellowship for the Arts, and a grant from the California Arts Council. (Photos by Stefan Weinberger '10)

Wesleyan's Interfaith Justice League sponsored the third-annual Fast-a-Thon Oct. 1 in Beckham Hall. They agreed to fast for the day, and donate their unused meals or student meal points to the local soup kitchen, Amazing Grace Food Pantry. The day-long fast concluded with a "break-fast" banquet.

More than 1,360 students participated in the event, raising $17,061.91 for the food pantry.

Participants were given a Fast-a-Thon T-shirt for participating.

Wesleyan President Michael Roth speaks to students prior to the "break-fast."

Muslim Chaplain Marwa Aly speaks about fasting.

From left, Laura Grabel, the Lauren B. Dachs Professor of Science and Society and Professor of Biology stands with Jessica Gerstle, the filmmaker of The Accidental Advocate, and Laura Stark, assistant professor of science and society and assistant professor of sociology. Stark arranged for the film about one family's personal journey with stem cell research and politics to be screened in the Powell Family Cinema on Oct. 7.

Grabel, at right, speaks to Gerstle during a reception that followed the screening. (Photos by Stefan Weinberger '10)