Pianist/Composer Baerman Directs the Wesleyan Jazz Ensemble

In this issue, we speak to Noah Baerman, director of the Wesleyan Jazz Ensemble. Baerman is a teacher, jazz pianist, composer, and author. He is also founder and artistic director of the nonprofit Resonant Motion, Inc. (RMI). Q: You've directed the Jazz Ensemble at Wesleyan for 11 years. Was there an ensemble before you? A: Wesleyan’s history of jazz is intense, and perhaps its most significant architect was the great Bill Barron, which I’ve always found kind of cosmic given that his “little” brother Kenny (now 74 and an NEA Jazz Master) was my own mentor. The group I direct runs parallel…

In this Q&A, we speak with Assistant Professor of East Asian Studies Scott Aalgaard. Originally a native of British Columbia, he joined Wesleyan after completing his doctorate at the University of Chicago. Affiliated with Wesleyan's College of East Asian Studies, his courses this year included Pop Music Revolutionaries, Japanese Women's Writing, and The Everyday in Modern Japan. Q: Tell us a bit about your background. A: I’ve been on the move for most of my life. I grew up in a small resource town on Vancouver Island, off the west coast of Canada; we had a sister city in northern Japan,…

“This is the history of right here,” said Visiting Assistant Professor of African American Studies Jesse Nasta ’07, speaking of his work with Black Middletown Lives, his service-learning class. “We venture deep, but no farther than two blocks.” He and his class of 13 students are doing firsthand archival research on individual projects, documenting the lives of those African Americans who lived in the area now called “The Beman Triangle,” after the most prominent black property owner in that five-acre patch of land bordered on one side by Knowles Avenue to the corner where Neon Deli now stands at…

In this recurring feature in The Wesleyan Connection, we highlight some of the latest news stories about Wesleyan and our alumni. Recent Wesleyan News Variety: "Entertainment Education Report: The Best Film Schools in 2018" Wesleyan is highlighted as one of the best schools to study film. An exceptional group of filmmakers, including Joss Whedon '87 and Michael Bay '86, have cited Jeanine Basinger, the Corwin-Fuller Professor of Film Studies, as a major influence on their understanding of film. 2. Hartford Courant: "New Bike Share at Wesleyan Offers Speedy Transport for Students" Sustainability Director Jennifer Kleindienst discusses Wesleyan's new partnership with San Francisco–based start-up Spin to…

In its most recent meeting, the Board of Trustees promoted eight faculty. Their promotions will be effective July 1, 2018. The Board conferred tenure to Kathleen Birney, associate professor of classical studies; Greg Goldberg, associate professor of sociology; Ruth Johnson, associate professor of biology; Melanie Khamis, associate professor of economics; Marguerite Nguyen, associate professor of English; Sasha Rudensky, associate professor of art; Victoria Smolkin, associate professor of history; and Ao Wang, associate professor of East Asian studies. Brief descriptions of their areas of research and teaching appear below: Kathleen Birney Professor Birney is a Mediterranean archaeologist whose research focuses on understanding interactions…

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In this Q&A, Assistant Professor of Government Justin Peck speaks about his research interests, teaching at Wesleyan and road-tripping across the United States. (Brandon Sides ’18 contributed to this article.) Q: Professor Peck, what are your primary areas of research? A: My dissertation attempts to explain when and why post-WWII Congresses enacted legal constraints on executive authority. And that's now my primary area of research; the second area of my research concerns when and how the Republican Party’s position on civil rights issues has changed since the Civil War. Q: What are your current projects? A: I'm working on a book…

In this Q&A, and in honor of Veterans Day on Nov. 11, Retired Military Officer Teaching Fellow Robert “Bob” Cassidy speaks about his military career, thoughts on the Iraq invasion and teaching at Wesleyan. (Brandon Sides ’18 contributed to this article.) Q: How did you acquire your teaching fellowship at Wesleyan? A: I received a Retired Officer Teaching Fellowship (ROTF) through the Chamberlain Project, which supports fellowships at some of the nation’s top liberal arts institutions. Fellows are required to work on building relationships and understanding between the U.S. Armed Services and civilian institutions and to contribute to the richness and diversity of students’ educational experiences. We…

For this year’s First Year Matters program, incoming new students read Claudia Rankine’s Citizen: An American Lyric during the summer before their arrival on campus. Rankine, a noted poet and author, had been on campus for Commencement 2017, when she received an honorary degree and addressed the graduating class. On Sept. 1, Rankine was back at Wesleyan to address the Class of 2021, offering insights into the development of the book. She also entered into a discussion with first-year students, taking questions from the audience, who gave her snaps of approval throughout her talk and a standing ovation at the…

The Theater Department has begun fall semester with a new chair who combines an impressive list of creative accomplishments with deep and varied experience as an academic administrator. Kathleen Conlin, Frank B. Weeks Visiting Professor of Theater, has held tenured faculty positions at the University of Texas at Austin, Ohio State University, and the University of Illinois in Champaign/Urbana. While juggling the varied demands of an academic career, she also served for 22 seasons as associate artistic director and stage director at the Utah Shakespeare Theater. “I love being around young people who are not narrowly defined and are actively…

This year, Wesleyan welcomes 11 new tenure-track faculty, one professor of the practice, and 45 visiting faculty and fellows. The new junior faculty who start this year include: Scott W. Aalgaard, assistant professor of East Asian studies Aalgaard holds BA and MA degrees from the University of Victoria, and MA and PhD degrees from the University of Chicago. His dissertation, titled “‘Homesick Blues’: Crisis, Critique, and Collectivity in Modern Japanese Cultural Production,” traces critical voices in literature, music, and everyday life in modern and contemporary Japan. His areas of research include critical practice in Japan, contemporary Japanese culture, modern and contemporary Japanese literature…

Pianist/Composer Baerman Directs the Wesleyan Jazz Ensemble

East Asian Studies’ Aalgaard Aims to Amplify Voices That Challenge, Reshape Our Own Stances upon the World

Nasta ’07 Presents Beman Triangle Research at CAAS

Wesleyan in the News

Board of Trustees Confers Tenure on 8 Faculty

A Black Phoenix Rising Art Experience Premiered at Zilkha

Panel Addresses “Islamophobia in the Age of Trump”

American Political Development Expert Justin Peck Joins Government Department

Col. Cassidy Is Wesleyan’s First Retired Military Officer Teaching Fellow

Rankine Hon. ’17 Addresses First-Year Students on ‘Citizen’

As Theater Department Chair, Conlin Says Students Leave Strengthened to Generate New Work

Wesleyan Welcomes 57 New Faculty in 2017-18