It is with great pleasure that we announce the promotions of seven faculty members. The following faculty were conferred tenure effective July 1, 2025, by the Board of Trustees at its most recent meeting: Royette T. Dubar, Associate Professor of Psychology Kyungmi Kim, Associate Professor of Psychology Valeria López Fadul, Associate Professor of History Alexis May, Associate Professor of Psychology Courtney J. Patterson-Faye, Associate Professor of Sociology Katie Pearl, Associate Professor of Theater Justin Craig Peck, Associate Professor of Government Please join us in congratulating all of them! Brief descriptions of their areas of research and teaching appear below: Royette…

The U.S. Supreme Court has the final say on any civil or criminal case that it hears, period. In the state systems, the high courts also make final determinations about law, but the way state supreme courts govern is not nearly as fixed as one might assume, said Associate Professor of Government Alyx Mark. In a new book, Mark set out to clarify the ways power is structured across state court systems. She undertook a significant investigation of each state’s civil court landscape and how they changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. She detailed her findings in Courts Unmasked: Civil Legal…

By Mahek Uttamchandani ‘26 On Saturday, Feb. 15, Wesleyan’s South Asian Student Association, Shakti, presented their annual Samsara performance. The showcase reached new heights with an impressive array of dances, musical performances, and even an emcee duo whose playful banter evolved into an unfolding stage romance. The night was a celebration of South Asian arts and culture in all their variety. From the Bollywood numbers performed by students in each class year to Nepali dances and fusion music acts, Samsara displayed a diverse range of performances, reflecting the vibrancy and tradition held by Wesleyan’s students. Kaustabh Vasudevan ’26, vice president…

When Martha Gilmore, dean of Natural Sciences and Mathematics and Joshua Boger University Professor of the Sciences and Mathematics, was in graduate school, she read a series of books detailing comprehensive knowledge of Venus. She recalled wondering how an individual gets to be the person writing that paper or that book chapter that serves as the scientific community’s foundational piece of knowledge on a particular topic. This year, she answered the question. The International Space Science Institute published Venus: Evolution Through Time, a collection of the preeminent papers on the current knowledge of how Venus formed, evolved, and reached its…

Architect and landscape architect Miho Mazereeuw ’96 has spent three decades researching how communities can proactively plan and prepare to rebuild vibrant cities after a disaster occurs, reducing their vulnerability and risk in a rapidly urbanizing world. In January 1995, when Mazereeuw was a junior at Wesleyan double majoring in Art Studio and Earth and Environmental Sciences, an earthquake struck Kobe, Japan, where her parents were living. “My father's workplace was destroyed,” said Mazereeuw, associate professor of Architecture and Urbanism and director of the Urban Risk Lab at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). “It started my exploration of trying to…

By: Mike Mavredakis and Phuc Ngo ’27 President Roth on Free Speech President Michael S. Roth ’78 has appeared in several media outlets in recent weeks calling for the defense of democracy, free speech, and academic freedom in the face of challenges from the federal government. Roth was quoted in The New York Times on March 14 for story on universities as a target following the detention of Mahmoud Khalil, a pro-Palestinian activist and former Columbia University graduate student. “We at universities have not done enough over the years to pay attention to those groups — conservative groups, religious groups…

Copper is essential for many key bodily processes—breathing, forming red blood cells and collagen, and keeping the immune system healthy. The body only requires trace amounts of the mineral in its cells, but an imbalance of copper can lead to serious neurological, cognitive, and muscular disorders, according to a recent paper published in the Public Library of Science (PLOS) by Assistant Professor of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry Teresita (Tere) Padilla-Benavides and co-authors. Researchers have identified a copper-binding protein, mCrip2, that plays an important role in skeletal muscle growth regulation and maintaining homeostasis in muscular cells. The research expands the understanding…

Kica Matos, president of the National Immigration Law Center and the Immigrant Justice Fund, began her talk about “Championing Immigrants’ Rights in the Trump Era,” with a few statistics. She noted it had been only 34 days since Inauguration and already the president had issued 10 anti-immigrant executive orders and 36 anti-immigrant policies. “More than one a day,” she said before an audience of students, faculty, and staff at Beckham Hall on Feb. 26. From there, Matos described the fast-changing landscape for immigrants and all Americans. She stated that the Administration was focused on three main priorities. They included radically…

Ian Bassin ’98, Executive Director of Protect Democracy, will deliver the commencement address during Wesleyan University’s 193rd Commencement ceremony on May 25, 2025. Bassin will receive an honorary degree alongside fellow recipients Lael Brainard ’83, P’22, who served as director of the National Economic Council under President Joe Biden, and Percival Everett, celebrated author and Distinguished Professor of English at the University of Southern California. "Wesleyan’s alumni and distinguished honorees have long exemplified the University’s founding principle of contributing to the good of the individual and the good of the world," said President Michael S. Roth. "At a time when…

You might not think of knitting as a form of programming, but it absolutely is, said Sonia Roberts, an assistant professor of Computer Science who is also a core member of the College of Design and Engineering Studies (CoDES) program. “It's a great way to get people introduced to computing,” said Roberts. She learned to knit as a child from her mother, who was looking for a way to get her energetic daughter to sit still. “I think it's also a fantastic way to introduce people to computational manufacturing, if for no other reason than that you can make useful…

For the sixth year in a row, Wesleyan has been recognized as one of the colleges and universities with the highest number of students selected for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government's flagship international academic exchange program. Since 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided over 400,000 talented and accomplished students, scholars, teachers, artists, and professionals of all backgrounds with the opportunity to study, teach, and conduct research abroad. Fulbrighters exchange ideas, build people-to-people connections, and work to address complex global challenges. Fulbright…

When artist Chris Domenick stood in the monumental Main Gallery of the Ezra and Cecile Zilkha Gallery, he observed the way light from the building’s windows worked with his new installation. “It's so cavernous and incredible and the light is so amazing,” he said. The moment marked a milestone—his first solo institutional exhibition, Private Figure, a show that combines floor- and ceiling-based lamps with wall works by the artist. The Zilkha Gallery, Wesleyan University’s home for contemporary art since 1973, is known for encouraging artists to take risks that may not be as welcome at more traditional gallery spaces. For…

2025 Faculty Tenure and Promotion Announced

New Faculty Book on Civil Courts Post-COVID

Samsara 2025: South Asian Arts Showcase

Book on Venus Features Studies from Gilmore Lab

Alum Talk on Disaster Preparedness

Wesleyan in the News: March 2025

Researcher Studies Role of Copper in Muscle Development

Expert Talk on Immigrant Rights and Democracy

193rd Commencement Honorary Degree Recipients

CoDES Faculty Debut Computational Knitting Machine

Wesleyan Named Fulbright Top Producer for Sixth Year

Chris Domenick, Parker Ito Reimagine Painting in Zilkha Gallery