Varekamp Presents Papers at Volcanic Lakes Meeting in New Zealand, Receives Award

Johan (Joop) Varekamp, the Harold T. Stearns Professor of Earth Science, presented three papers during the Commission on Volcanic Lakes (CVL) program held March 18-20 in Taupo, New Zealand. The papers were coauthored by Wesleyan students, graduate students, recent alumni, and faculty. The CVL is a scientific, nonprofit organization of the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth’s Interior (IAVCEI), connecting researchers that seek to understand how volcanic lakes relate to volcanic activity and their hazards. Varekamp, who also is the Smith Curator of Mineralogy and Petrology of the Joe Webb Peoples Museum of Natural History and professor of earth…

Three Wesleyan students will conduct laboratory research in India this summer as recipients of the U.S. Department of Education’s Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language Program (UISFL) grant. Claire Glickman '21, Guadalupe (Lupita) Sanchez '20, and Jaye Jeong '20, will work at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) in Mumbai. Their grants are being administered by the College of Integrative Sciences, with support from the Fries Center for Global Studies. Wesleyan received the two-year $165,699 grant to support the teaching of Hindi and Urdu, the research of STEM faculty and students in India, and the increase of cultural programming related…

On April 4, students from Wesleyan for Women and Children (WesWAC) attended a fundraiser dinner banquet for ABC Women’s Center at St. Clement’s Castle in Portland, Conn. They were accompanied by University Roman Catholic Chaplain Father Bill Wallace, Adjunct Professor of Spanish Octavio Flores-Cuadra, and several members of the community. ABC Women’s Center provides free and confidential pregnancy resources and services to women and families in the greater Middletown area. Since the nonprofit doesn't receive federal funding, all services are supported by individual contributions, donations, and fundraisers. The banquet's theme was Strong As She. Proceeds will help ABC with its new initiatives such as…

Wesleyan students and staff traveled to Johnsonburg, N.J., March 18-22 to participate in the fourth annual Office of Religious and Spiritual Life Interfaith Service Trip. The group had representation from the Protestant, Catholic, and Muslim communities. The student participants included Nacala Gadsden '21, Joy Adedokun '19, Fitzroy Pablo Wickham '21, Brynn Assignon '20, and Fatima Sepulveda '21. The trip was led by University Chaplain Rev. Tracy Mehr-Muska and Sandy Durosier '13, area coordinator for residential life. "The purpose of the trip was to engage in community service and learn about other faiths," Mehr-Muska said. The group stayed at the faith-based Johnsonburg Camp…

Two Wesleyan students were inducted into the 2019 American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) Honor Society in March. They are among only 33 students from around the country who were eligible to join the society this year. The inductees, Mackenzie Mitchell '20 and Edelina (Lina) Marzouk '19 are both majoring in molecular biology and biochemistry and the Science in Society Program. They are both members of the ASBMB Student Chapters, have a GPA of over 3.4 on a 4.0 scale, and have demonstrated exceptional achievement in academics, undergraduate research, and science outreach. The students were recognized by the Molecular Biology &…

During Wesleyan's second annual TEDxWesleyanU in April, a Wesleyan junior will have the opportunity to deliver a 10-minute talk alongside numerous distinguished alumni and guest speakers. As the inaugural TEDxWesleyanU Student Speaker Competition winner, Dylan Shumway '20 will share his talk titled "Small Moments" at the April 27 conference. "My talk focuses on how small interactions we have on a daily basis can impact our lives on a larger scale, and that we should utilize their impact to foster positive change," Shumway said. "Developing a TED talk was a fun and engaging challenge because it has allowed me to synthesize my…

On March 4, not three, but four student-run ventures received $5,000 seed grants from the Patricelli Center for Social Entrepreneurship (PCSE). The unrestricted funding is accompanied with training, advising, mentoring, incubator workspace, and other resources from the Patricelli Center. On March 1, six finalists pitched for a panel of judges in Allbritton 311. "As always, the competition was steep, and the judges had a tough time selecting grantees," said Makaela Kingsley ’98, director of the Patricelli Center for Social Entrepreneurship. "In fact, this year they decided to make a special donation to the Patricelli Center so we could offer four grants instead…

Helen Poulos, adjunct assistant professor of environmental studies, is the coauthor of two published papers in February. "Response of Arizona cypress (Hesperocyparis arizonica) to the Horseshoe Two Megafire in a south-eastern Arizona Sky Island mountain range," is published in the February issue of International Journal of Wildland Fire (Issue 28, pages 62-69). It is coauthored by Andrew Barton, professor of biology at the University of Maine at Farmington. This study documents the effects of the 2011 Horseshoe Two Fire in the Chiricahua Mountains of southeastern Arizona on Arizona Cypress. Two Wesleyan students, Hunter Vannier '20 and Michael Freiburger '21 assisted…

Six Wesleyan students were recently honored by Creative Writing at Wesleyan and the English Department. Caridad Cruz '21 is the recipient of the Sophie and Anne Reed Prize. Established by Leon Reed; his sons, S. Chadwick ’41 and Dr. Victor Reed; and his grandson Ted Reed ’70, the prize is named in memory of Sophie Reed and Anne Reed, for the best poem or group of poems. (more…)

In this recurring feature in The Wesleyan Connection, we highlight some of the latest news stories about Wesleyan and our alumni. Recent Wesleyan News Wall Street International Magazine: "Tula Telfair: Reverie" Professor of Art Tula Telfair's new exhibition of landscape paintings, "Reverie," is presented Feb. 7 through March 30 at the Forum Gallery in New York. According to the article, "In the fourteen paintings that comprise 'Reverie,' she explores the inner reaches of her dreams and memories, taking us to places she has been or believes in so fully that she is able to portray and take the viewer to the…

Two graduate students and three undergraduate students are recipients of Fall 2018 NASA Connecticut Space Grant Consortium (CTSGC) awards. They are among 39 students from 13 CTSGC academic affiliate institutions to be honored. NASA CTSGC is a federally mandated grant, internship, and scholarship program that is funded as a part of NASA Education. There are Space Grant Consortia in all 50 states, plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. Earth and environmental science graduate student Christina Cauley received an $8,000 Graduate Research Fellowship for her project “Chemistry and Biology of Giant Hydrothermal Mounds in Paulina Lake, Oregon." Her advisor is Joop…

In this recurring feature in The Wesleyan Connection, we highlight some of the latest news stories about Wesleyan and our alumni. Recent Wesleyan News 1. Los Angeles Times: "As the World Warms, Deadly and Disfiguring Tropical Diseases Are Inching Their Way Toward the U.S." In this op-ed, Professor of Biology Frederick Cohan and Isaac Klimasmith '20, both in the College of the Environment, write that infectious disease is a growing threat, resulting from climate change, that humans may find hard to ignore. Cohan is also professor, environmental studies and professor, integrative sciences. 2. Hartford Courant: "Trump's Immoral Response to Climate Report" Gary Yohe, the…

Varekamp Presents Papers at Volcanic Lakes Meeting in New Zealand, Receives Award

3 Students Awarded Summer Research Grants in India

Students Attend Banquet to Support Local Women and Children

Students Volunteer at Nonprofits during Interfaith Service Trip

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

Shumway ’20 Wins TEDxWesleyanU Student Speaker Competition

Student-Led Ventures Win $5,000 Entrepreneurship Seed Grants

Poulos, Students Collaborate on 2 Publications

6 Students Honored for Creative Writing, Poetry, Essays

Wesleyan in the News

5 Students Receive NASA Connecticut Space Grant Consortium Fellowships, Awards

Wesleyan in the News