Olivia DrakeIshita Mukerji, dean of the Natural Sciences and Mathematics division, is one of 50 local scientists to be elected to the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering. Mukerji also is professor of molecular biology and biochemistry and is an expert on fluorescence and vibrational spectroscopy. Mukerji is the 10th Wesleyan faculty to be elected into the academy. She will be introduced at CASE's 39th annual meeting and dinner on June 5 at the Crowne Plaza in Cromwell, Conn. Election to the Academy is on the basis of scientific and engineering distinction achieved through significant contributions in theory or applications, as…
Mike SembosThe Dance Department now has a studio/office space of its own, having opened new digs in a converted church at 160 Cross Street Feb. 28 with a grand opening gala. Artist-in-residence, African dancer/drummer Iddi Saaka gave the inaugural performance at an intimate reception attended by dance majors and some early alumni from the program (which first took shape in the late '60s and early '70s as an extension of the Theater Department). “We finally have our own space, our own building, our own entity,” said Hari Krishnan, assistant professor of dance. “Statistically, more than 40 percent of students at Wesleyan have…
Lauren RubensteinRegistration is now open for the 58th annual Wesleyan Writers Conference, one of the nation's leading programs, to be held on campus June 11-15. Both experienced writers and new writers are welcome. This is a time to start a new project or develop your current work with the help of the conference's faculty, distinguished writers who work closely with participants. Manuscript consultations and publishing advice are key parts of the program. Participants may attend daily seminars in the novel, short story, poetry, and nonfiction (including memoir and literary journalism), and the program also includes guest speakers, readings, workshops, panel discussions and…
Bill HolderAt its meeting on March 1, Wesleyan’s Board of Trustees voted to increase tuition and residential comprehensive fees by 2.2 percent for the 2014–15 year, reflecting the second year of a new policy to link tuition increases to inflation. The increase is based on the three-year national CPI average of June 30, 2013, the latest full fiscal year available. The Board adopted a three-year average in order to reduce year-to-year fluctuations in tuition increases. “We’re committed to keeping Wesleyan affordable for all our students,” said President Michael Roth. “We’re holding down our tuition increases, ensuring that our students graduate not burdened…
(Story contributed by Emma Davis '17. The full interview appears in the Feb. 21 issue of The Wesleyan Argus) Tracie McMillan is Wesleyan's Koeppel Journalism Fellow and author of The American Way of Eating: Undercover at Walmart, Applebee's, Farm Fields, and the Dinner Table, a New York Times Bestseller. Her recent work appears in Best Food Writing 2013 and she has received a James Beard Award, the Sidney Hillman Prize, the James Aronson Award for Social Justice Journalism and other national awards for her writing about food, consumers's choices and other social issues. Q: How did you become a reporter? A: I became a reporter after interning at the…
Mike Conte, associate director in Physical Plant, recently was presented with a Cardinal Achievement Award for his expert handling of serious building emergencies during the winter holiday break, which occurred at all hours. "We are grateful to Mike for going above and beyond the call of duty by responding to an unusual number of late night and weekend emergencies during the especially cold winter break this year," said Joyce Topshe, associate vice president for facilities. Stacy Baldwin, project coordinator in Physical Plant received a Cardinal Achievement Award for her work in advance planning for the winter adverse weather conditions. In November, 2013 Stacy proposed that the…
The Cardinal Fit team "NoCoTen" is participating in a group walk this week. Team members, most from Academic Affairs, will wear their 100 percent polyester shirts during the walk, each sporting his or her own number. The team members are: #1, Ruth Weissman, provost and vice president for academic affairs, the Walter A. Crowell University Professor of the Social Sciences, professor of psychology; #2, Joyce Jacobsen, the Andrews Professor of Economics, dean of the social sciences and director of global initiatives, interim director of Allbritton Center, professor of economics, tutor for the College of Social Studies; #3, Joy Vodak, assistant…
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Four Wesleyan faculty and five alumni participated in the annual convention of the Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies (ASEEES) in Boston, Nov. 21-24, 2013. Wesleyan attendees included Peter Rutland, Colin and Nancy Campbell Professor in Global Issues and Democratic thought, professor of government, professor of Russian and Eastern European studies, tutor in the College of Social Studies; Victoria Smolkin-Rothrock, assistant professor of history, assistant professor of Russian, Eastern European, and Eurasian studies, tutor in the College of Social Studies; Priscilla Meyer, professor of Russian, Eastern European and Eurasian studies; Bill Trousdale, associate professor of physics, emeritus; and Russian…
Several Wesleyan faculty and graduate students attended the 68th Ohio State University International Symposium on Molecular Spectroscopy held in Columbus, Ohio in 2013. Stewart Novick, Herbert Pickett and Stephen Cooke, and graduate students Smitty Grubbs Ph.D '10, Daniel Obenchain and Brittany Long made presentations. Novick, chair and professor of chemistry, and Grubbs presented a talk on “Microwave Spectra and Structure of H2 - CuF: Overview of the Complexes of Hydrogen with Metal-Containing Diatomics." Novick, Grubbs and Obenchain presented “Observation of a Moderate Strength Interaction of Hydrogen with a Coinage Metal Halide: The Rotational Spectrum and Structure of the p-H2-CuCl and o-H2-CuCl Complexes." Novick,…
University Relations and the Career Center hosted "Creating Connections" on Feb. 28. Students of all class years and interests were matched with Expert Advisors (recruiters and hiring managers as well as alumni and parent volunteers) for brief, one-on-one sessions. Students introduced themselves and their backgrounds, and practiced their networking and presentation skills. Expert Advisors used their experience and expertise to critique what they heard and offered valuable insights on how the presentation might have been more effective. This structured speed-networking event allowed advisors to meet several students in a short period of time, and allowed Wesleyan students to build professional relationships and…