Lauren RubensteinVideo by award-winning WeSlam poet Lily Myers '15 has nearly 2 million views on YouTube
Bloom is interviewed about her research and writing techniques, advice for aspiring writers
This January, Winter at Wesleyan will offer students an opportunity to get a jump-start on the new year by taking a short, intensive course for credit or participating in programs at the Career Center. The Winter Session courses may be of particular interest to students seeking a lighter course load in a future term, or those working to graduate in three years. The faculty has approved four immersion-style courses, to begin Jan. 8: "Introduction to Computer Programming" (taught by Associate Professor of Computer Science James Lipton); "Sex, Drugs and Shopping: Decadence and Desire in Post-War American Fiction" (by Associate Professor…
Olivia DrakeHumanity is called to imagine an ethic that not only acknowledges but emulates the ways by which life thrives on Earth. How do we act, when we truly understand that we live in complete dependence on an Earth that is interconnected, interdependent, finite, and resilient? – The Blue River Declaration Every year, the College of the Environment gathers a group of Wesleyan faculty, scholars of prominence from outside Wesleyan and undergraduate students into a year-long academic think tank on a critical environmental issue. This year's theme is "Re-Envisioning the Commons." On Oct. 10, the group began engaging with the “Commons”…
For first-year students, leaving home and starting a new life at Wesleyan can be exhilarating—but it’s also a major adjustment. Students who find themselves in need of a little extra support now have the option to be matched with faculty or staff mentors to help ease the transition, thanks to a new program from the Office of Student Affairs and the Office of Diversity and Institutional Partnerships. The Connections Mentoring Program, which started as a small pilot in the 2011-12 school year, recently was expanded to any first-year student who wants mentoring. There are currently 49 mentors and 70 mentees,…
Fulbright Fellow Janette Suherli could attend graduate school anywhere in the world, but the Indonesian resident decided to persue her master's degree in astronomy here at Wesleyan. "I learned about Wesleyan when I was in high school, and now I'm here because the Astronomy Department offers a great research program with well-known faculty members. The research and learning environment encourages me to be better everyday," she said. Suherli, who came to Wesleyan this fall, is one of three international Fulbright recipients who chose to complete their graduate studies at Wesleyan. Christine May Yong of Malaysia, plans to be at Wesleyan…
For demonstrating sustainability commitments and sustainable leadership, Wesleyan received a silver rating by STARS (Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System), a program of The Association of the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). Wesleyan received the honor on Oct. 14 after successfully completing the institution's STARS Report, which includes all of the data submitted during the reporting process. See the full report online here. In November 2012, Wesleyan became a member of AASHE to recognize the importance of sustainability and commitments set forth in the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment. AASHE is a national organization that enables higher education institutions to meet…
This month, Wesleyan employees have the opportunity to help their local community by participating in the university's annual Middlesex United Way fundraising campaign. Wesleyan staff and faculty members already received informational packets and department representatives are collecting funds for the organization. "Although all of us have many organizations we support, our gifts to United Way raise Wesleyan’s collective voice in support of programs that help our Middlesex County neighbors in need," said Wesleyan President Michael Roth in an all-campus e-mail. "Wesleyan faculty and staff have long been known as contributors to this community endeavor – a tradition worthy of renewed…
In this issue of The Wesleyan Connection, we speak with Edgar Pliaskis from the Class of 2014. Q: Where are you from and what attracted you to Wesleyan? A: I was born in Vilnius, Lithuania and moved to the U.S. about 10 years ago. For me, Wesleyan was always a small school and away from a big city—a beautiful environment to earn a degree and make lifelong friends. Q: What are you majoring in and why? A: I am double majoring in economics and Italian. I picked Italian because I was always interested in languages—Italian is a very beautiful language…
Rob Rosenthal, the John E. Andrus Professor of Sociology, will serve as Director of the Allbritton Center for the Study of Public Life for a three-year term, beginning July 2014. Rosenthal has a distinguished history of initiating programs to integrate public life into the Wesleyan curriculum: He was the founding director of the Center for Service Learning, founding co-director the Center for Community Partnerships, and as Provost he instituted the Patricelli Center for Social Entrepreneurship and developed new programming within the Allbritton Center including the year-long "music in public life" initiative. Rosenthal served as provost from 2010-2013 and oversaw Wesleyan's reaccreditation process. Immediately…
Antonio Farias, currently Chief Diversity Officer at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, will become Wesleyan’s Chief Diversity Officer on Nov. 4. At the Coast Guard Academy since 2005, he chaired the Inclusive Excellence Council and worked with the highest level of leadership in the Coast Guard, developing a metrics-driven inclusion and diversity strategy for the Academy that eventually shaped strategy for the larger 47,000-member organization. He has developed retention programs for students of color, first-generation students, women, LGBT and students of various faith/non-faith backgrounds; implemented pre-orientation programs for first-generation students and students of color; and conducted inclusion and diversity workshops…
Ellen Thomas, research professor of earth and environmental sciences, was named the winner of the 2013 Association for Women Geoscientists Professional Excellence Award in the Academia category. This award recognizes exceptional women who have made distinguished contributions in their professions throughout their careers. "The Award Committee was especially impressed with the breadth and depth of your professional accomplishments, your commitment to mentoring, and the emphasis you have placed on outreach and other service activities during your career," wrote Aimee Scheffer, president of the AWG in Thomas' award letter. "Congratulations and thank you for being a positive role model to current and…