Kate CarlisleIf anyone can appreciate humankind’s connection to the Earth, it’s a farmer. Essel Bailey ’66 grew up on farms in the South and Michigan, his early years shaped by the rhythms of planting and harvesting and his father’s careful stewardship of the land. The lessons of his farming boyhood stay with Bailey, a lawyer and executive in Ann Arbor, Mich., in his work with the Nature Conservancy and other groups, and informed, in part, his gift to Wesleyan’s College of the Environment. The nearly $3 million commitment from Bailey and his wife, Menakka, will endow a visiting professorship and bring…
John Frank ’78, P '12 believes in the power of a well-written sentence. So much so, he will tell you, that knowing how to write can make the difference between success and failure in life. He will also tell you that he learned to write, and write well, at Wesleyan. To Frank, a lawyer and investor in California, and his wife Diann Kim P’12, it was critical to ensure continued success for Wesleyan’s writing instruction, especially the Writing Certificate launched and overseen by his sister, Anne Greene. Their gift of more than $2 million will fund Writing at Wesleyan's Writing…
Olivia DrakeThe Wesleyan Institute for Lifelong Learning (WILL) is offering eight short courses and one, all-day program during the Fall 2013 semester. Enrollment will be open in early August. WILL uses the talents of current and retired faculty members, and local guest lecturers, to present a set of short, intellectually stimulating and lively courses to area residents. These courses are offered at minimal cost, are not part of a degree-granting program, and are designed to present topics of particular interest to members of the Wesleyan and local communities. Special one-day courses on particular topics will be offered once each semester. The…
Q: Coady, what are you majoring in and why did you choose Wesleyan? A: I'm double majoring in astronomy and physics. I had actually never been to Wesleyan before applying, but I had heard very good things from friends, and its reputation for being unconventional was very appealing to me. The clincher though was the very generous financial aid that the university offered me, without which I definitely would not be here. Q: Tell us about your efforts with the Long Lane Organic Farm. Why did you decide to become a student-farmer? A: After coming to Wesleyan, I fell in with…
Gail Winter, assistant director of the International Studies Office, received a Cardinal Achievement Award in July for “going above and beyond the call of duty” by proctoring an exam in the middle of the night. The exam was being given in Madrid, Spain at 9 a.m., and the course's professor required that a student at Wesleyan, who needed to take the text, be given the exam at the same time – 3 a.m., due to the time difference. This special honor comes with a $150 award and reflects the university’s gratitude for those extra efforts. Award recipients are nominated by…
Vera Schwarcz, the Mansfield Freeman Professor of East Asian Studies, professor of history, is the author of Ancestral Intelligence, published by Antrim House Books in 2013. She signed copies of her book and read selected poems at Broad Street Books on July 22. Photos of her book signing are below: (Photos by Eki Ramadhan '16) (more…)
To view up-and-coming CFA events visit this link. (Photos by Eki Ramadhan '16)
On July 29, a series of cotton-ball clouds hovered above Wesleyan's campus. (Photos by Olivia Drake) (more…)
The Wesleyan Open Golf Association donated $1,500 to Even Start, a federally funded program that gives families access to the training and support they need to create a literate home environment and to enhance the academic achievement of their children. About 50 Wesleyan employees, contractors, friends and families participated in the Wes Open Tournament, held July 13 at Banner Country Club in Moodus, Conn. All participants pay an entry fee which includes an 18-hole round, prizes and dinner. A portion of the fee is collected each year for a different charity in Middletown. The funds will support Even Start's Family…
Franklin Reeve, professor of letters, emeritus, passed away on June 28 at the age of 84. He spent four decades at Wesleyan. Lauded for his luminous intelligence, Reeve was not only an estimable academic, but also a noted poet, writer, translator, editor and critic. He was a juror for the National Book Awards, a consultant for Kirkus Reviews, and served on the governing board, as well as the first vice president, of the Poetry Society of America. The author of 31 books, Reeve possessed a passion for teaching the written word, too. A recipient of the Binswanger Prize and a…
Lisa Cohen, assistant professor of English, was recently shortlisted for the PEN/Jacqueline Bograd Weld Award for Biography for her book, All We Know: Three Lives. For more than 50 years, the PEN awards have honored many of the most outstanding voices in literature across such diverse fields as fiction, poetry, science writing, essays, sports writing, biography, children's literature, translation and drama. With the help of its partners and supporters, PEN will confer 16 distinct awards, fellowships, grants, and prizes in 2013, awarding nearly $150,000 to writers, editors and translators. The final winners and runners-up will be announced later this summer…