Olivia DrakeBOOK SIGNING: Ethan Kleinberg, associate professor of history and letters, held a book signing event Oct. 26 at Broad Street Books. Kleinberg is the author of Generation Existential; Heideggers Philosophy in France, 1927-1961, which focuses on the initial reception for Heideggers philosophy had on those who encountered it. (Photo by Olivia Bartlett)
Tsampikos Kottos, assistant professor of physics, teaches classical dynamics this fall. Posted 11/16/05 Tsampikos Kottos research field is so narrow he often has to measure it in nanometers. Kottos, who joined the Physics Department as an assistant professor in August, is an expert in mesoscopic physics, non-linear dynamics and theory of quantum chaos. Mesoscopic systems, such as semiconductors, metal wires, small metal grains or semiconductor quantum dots, can range in size from 1/1000 of a millimeter to one nanometer. Kottos, who came to Wesleyan from Germany, has a bachelors of arts in physics, a masters of arts in solid-state…
At top, fifth grader Taylor Spencer learns about the hydrogen make-up of vinegar, club soda and ammonia with Manju Hingorani, assistant professor of molecular biology and biochemistry at Spencer Elementary School Nov. 10. (Photo by Olivia Drake) Posted 11/16/05 When 18 fifth graders from the Spencer School in Middletown came home on Nov. 10 and were asked, What did you do in school today? they had a few ready answers: We extracted DNA from wheat germ, checked hydrogen levels in household products and stripped-away pigments from M&M candies. Probably a little different from the responses parents had heard the day…
Dan Michaud has been appointed as the interim associate vice president for Human Resources to manage a new department including Payroll, Benefits and Human Resources. Posted 11/16/05 A recent reorganization of services has combined the Human Resources Department with the Payroll and Benefits Offices. The reorganization became effective on Wednesday, Nov. 9 and was announced by John C. Meerts, interim vice president for finance and treasurer and vice president for Information Technology Services. The intent is to create a single, one-stop office that handles compensation, benefits, personnel information, transactions and recruitment. "By merging the two areas we've created a more…
Lennie Sweeny, top, and Maureen Tosto, left, have worked for Wesleyan's Campus Dining Services for more than 35 years combined. Sweeny works as a cook in Summerfields and Tosto is a cashier at the Davenport Campus Center. Posted 11/16/05 Q: What is your job title?Lennie Sweeny (LS): Second cook. I do the prep work for the first cooks. Theyre the ones who are in charge of everything. You could call me the soup lady, because I make all the soups and chili.Maureen Tosto (MT): Im a cashier.Q: How many years have you worked in food services?LS: Ive been…
Brandon Buehring, area coordinator for Residential Life, helped develop a campus-wide anti-racism discussion board. He also works with the student residents of West College, Clark Hall and Fauver Apartments. Posted 11/16/05 Growing up in southern Texas, Brandon Buehring was taught by his elders, teachers and textbooks that he was living in a post-Civil-Rights-movement racial utopia. Meanwhile, all of his Mexican-American classmates, whose family trees stretched down at least three centuries in to Americas soil, were struggling with the states educational system and government. They were treated, he explains, like invaders. At the time, Buehring chose to believe that these…
Francisco Rodríguez, assistant professor of economics and Latin American studies, worked as the chief economist of the Venezuelan National Assembly prior to coming to Wesleyan. Posted 11/16/05 In the recent Summit of the Americas in Argentina, Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez openly defied President George Bush by reportedly declaring that the meeting would mark the end of Bushs push for free-trade era in Latin America. However, the meeting marked another step in the contentious relationship that Chávez has staked out with the American president. According to Assistant Professor of economics and Latin American Studies, Francisco Rodríguez, this increasingly vocal and confrontational…
The McNeil family will celebrate Thanksgiving in their new home built by more than 250 students, faculty and staff and community volunteers. Posted 11/16/05 Wesleyan University and Northern Middlesex Habitat for Humanity formally welcomed Jennifer McNeil and her family into their new home on 34 Fairview Avenue on Nov. 13. Wesleyan donated the four bedroom, white colonial to Habitat for Humanity last year and faculty, staff, students and other members of the Wesleyan community assisted with the home's renovations. McNeil is looking forward to cooking Thanksgiving dinner next week with extended family members and her five children, Darryl, Tyquan,…
Posted 11/02/05 Gary Yohe, the John E. Andrus Professor of Economics, wasnt surprised to learn that Hurricanes Katrina and Wilma were churning in the Gulf of Mexico. But along with scientists across the globe, the economist was surprised by how quickly the storms intensified into catastrophic proportions. The unpredictability of what these storms and global warmings possible effect on their intensity and increased frequency is what Yohe, a climate change economist, has been studying along with scientists for nearly 25 years. Climatologists, biologists, and climate modelers often collaborate with Yohe as they contemplate what could happen in certain scenarios. They…
Donna Wright, women's ice hockey head coach, learned to play hockey on a pond. Posted 11/02/05 Q: How many years have you been the womens ice hockey head coach? A: I began my coaching career at Wesleyan in September 1995. I was hired as the head womens hockey coach and assistant lacrosse coach. Because the position was not an adjunct faculty position at that time, I also took a part-time position in the Physical Plant as a network desktop support person. It enabled me to be at Wesleyan full-time.Q: When does the season begin and end? A: Our season…
Posted 11/02/05 Kelly Greenhill joined the Government Department as an assistant professor in July. Greenhills current research focuses on non-traditional coercion, counterinsurgency operations and barriers to conflict resolution. Such research has appeared in a variety of books and journals, including Security Studies, International Migration, and Polity. This semester, Greenhill is teaching a course on civil wars and international conflict management and another on geography and international conflict. In the spring, she will teach an introductory international relations course, as well as another that offers a more in-depth exploration of international relations theory. I was attracted to Wesleyan for myriad reasons,…
Lisa Gates, dean of the class of 2007, holds a photograph of her class inside her office in North College. Gates monitors the academic performance of 760 students. Posted 11/02/05 Steering students toward success is Lisa Gates top priority. As dean of the class of 2007, shes constantly helping students meet or exceed their academic goals on the way to graduation. Gates meets with many of her 760 students during the academic year. As a class dean, she is responsible for monitoring the academic performance of her class and ensuring students are making appropriate progress toward earning their degrees.…