Frank Kuan, director of community relations, stands outside the Center for Community Partnerships. Posted 02/23/05 Q: Community Relations collaborates initiatives between the university and the greater Middletown community. How does this benefit Wesleyan and the community?A: I would echo President Bennet’s sentiment: what is good for Middletown is good for Wesleyan, and vice versa. Wesleyan is a key employer and economic generator in Middletown. Under President Bennet’s leadership, Wesleyan has taken a proactive approach to town-gown relations – of course, the leadership of the City of Middletown has also reciprocated on this positive connection. One of our most recent efforts…

  Matthew Sharpe, assistant professor of English, is the author of "The Sleeping Father," which will be part of Norwalk's "One Book, One Community" celebration.   Posted 02/23/05 More than 20 publishers rejected the manuscript for "The Sleeping Father." But one small independent publisher, Soft Skull Press, decided to take a chance. Since then, "The Sleeping Father" has earned critical praise, won the 2004 Independent Publishers Award for fiction in 2004 and been part of the "The Today Show Book Club."   In April it will receive one more distinction: the town of Norwalk will kick off its first "One…

  Carol Scully, director of Foundation and Corporate Relations seeks grants for the university from local and national foundations, corporations and private agencies.   Posted 02/23/05 When University Relations decided to spearhead a comprehensive campaign drive seven years ago, they needed someone to work with corporations, foundations and private funding agencies. Carol Scully was their leading lady. As director of Foundation and Corporate Relations, Scully helped Wesleyan raise more than $30 million from 219 funding sources for the recently completed Wesleyan Campaign. Most of these donations range between $10,000 and $3 million. “We’ve been quite successful,” she says, modestly. “But…

  Ulrich Plass studies German literature and continental philosophy with an emphasis on aesthetics.   Posted 02/23/05 Ulrich Plass joined the faculty in the German Studies Department as an assistant professor in 2004. He teaches language courses as well as classes on a range of other topics that fall under the interdisciplinary rubric "German Studies."   Plass completed his bachelor's degree from the University of Hamburg in Germany, received a master's degree from the University of Michigan and completed his Ph.D at New York University with a thesis on the essay form in Theodor Adorno's "Notes to Literature."   Plass…

  Ronald Kuivila, '77, adjunct professor of music, smiles from the Grand Teton in Wyoming.   Posted 02/23/05 Q: When did you join the Music Department at Wesleyan? A: I joined the department as an artist in residence in the early 80s and converted to adjunct associate professor in the early 90s. As an artist in residence, I was expected to teach three courses a year and maintain an active professional profile as an artist and composer. As an adjunct professor, I am expected to teach four courses a year, participate in committee work, and maintain an active professional profile. Most…

  Michael Calter teaches organic chemistry and researches synthetic organic chemistry, which deals with making complex, useful organic molecules from simple starting materials.   Posted 02/23/05 Michael Calter joined the Chemistry Department as an associate professor of chemistry in June 2004. Calter completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Vermont and earned his Ph.D at Harvard University in the chemistry department. His dissertation was titled "First Total Synthesis of the Macrolide Antibiotic, Bafilomycin A1." At Wesleyan, Calter teaches organic chemistry and researches synthetic organic chemistry, which deals with making complex, useful organic molecules from simple starting materials.   "I'm…

Robin Zup, a medical aide with the Health Services Department, is a Certified Medical Assistant and helps students seek medical care off campus.   Posted 02/23/05 Q: What does it mean to be a medical aide? A: I really do not like the title medical aide. My actual title that I have earned through schooling is a Certified Medical Assistant. I have been trained both in clinical and administrative areas. Q: What are your responsibilities? A: I have many responsibilities here at the health center. Since I really enjoy working with numbers, I have been given the role of handling all of…

Assistant post office manager Jerry Winzer hand sorts mail inside Wesleyan Station.   Posted 02/23/05 After working 28 years at Middletown's U.S. Postal Service, Gerard "Jerry" Winzer decided to it was time to retire. Winter, he learned, is not the ideal time to call it quits. "November was a bad time to retire," the 62-year-old says. "I wasn't too crazy about just hanging around. I needed to keep busy." To beat the winter blues, Winzer took up a part-time position at Wesleyan Station delivering mail. Part-time evolved into full-time work, and, this year, the assistant post office manager will celebrate…