2015 – Page 36

Associate Professor of History Erik Grimmer-Solem’s research on a celebrated German general, known as an “anti-Nazi,” is continuing to have an impact on the ground in Germany today. Over the past year, Grimmer-Solem’s findings have ignited a public debate in the country over General Hans von Sponeck’s place in history—a debate which has now turned to the matter of a commemorative stone honoring him. Since World War II, von Sponeck had been celebrated in Germany with an Air Force base, city streets and other monuments named after him. All this has changed since Grimmer-Solem’s research shed new light on the…

In this issue of News @ Wesleyan, we speak to DeNeile Cooper from the Class of 2015. Q: DeNeile, as part of a GIS (Geographical information systems) service-learning project, you've been working on a interactive campus map project. What is the purpose of the map? A: We wanted to create an interactive map for the Wesleyan website that would allow Wesleyan parents, students and prospective students to navigate the campus in a more engaging manner. The interactive map not only illustrates every building on campus to-date, but color codes them according to their usage, for example, purple buildings represent dormitory halls,…

This month, the Allbritton Center for the Study of Public Life is presenting three linked panels in its Right Now! series titled "Drugs, Harm and the Campus." Drug Use @ Wes At 4:30 on April 7, Michael Whaley, vice president for student affairs, will moderate a panel discussion, "What are we doing about drugs at Wes and why?" Tanya Purdy, director of health education at WesWELL; Beth DeRicco, higher education outreach at Caron Treatment Centers; and Ashley Fine '15 will discuss education, support and policies at Wesleyan. The event will be held in PAC 002. (more…)

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(By Lily Baggot '15) Later this month, scholars from across the country will gather on campus for the Queer/Art/Poetics Conference. The conference, which will run from April 23-24, is sponsored by the Center for the Humanities and will address questions such as “What does theory do when it takes queer art seriously?” and “How does queer theory remain artful while unpacking the objects, strategies and politics of queer aesthetics?” (more…)

Christina Othon and Erika Taylor, along with physics graduate student Nimesh Shukla, Lee Chen ’15, Inha Cho ’15 and Erin Cohn ’15, are the co-authors of a paper titled “Sucralose Destabilization of Protein Structure” published in The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters, March 2015. Othon is assistant professor of physics and was PI on the paper. Taylor is assistant professor of chemistry, assistant professor of environmental studies. Sucralose is a commonly employed artificial sweetener that behaves very differently than its natural disaccharide counterpart, sucrose, in terms of its interaction with biomolecules. This research suggests that people may need to think about the impact…

#THISISWHY Wesleyan President Michael Roth hosted a reception for Cardinal Achievement Award recipients March 31 in Zelnick Pavilion. Since the program began in 2012, more than 78 employees have received an award. “I’m so glad I had the opportunity to thank our staff members for their exemplary achievements," Roth said. "Their dedication to Wesleyan and their willingness to go well beyond what is expected of them make Wesleyan an extraordinary institution. They are why!” (more…)

On April 2, the Wesleyan community celebrated the inaugural Foss Hill Day. The theme of the day was “Foss Hill: Our Common Ground." Foss Hill reminds Wesleyan students and alumni of their common purpose: supporting students and the future of liberal arts education at Wesleyan. On campus, Wesleyan hosted an information booth behind Usdan University Center. Staff passed out flying disks and other Foss Hill Day memorabilia, provided cake, games and raffle prizes. More than 860 members of the Wesleyan community contributed to the success of Foss Hill Day. Tom Kelly '73 provided a challenge grant to inspire others to give. "I want to…

(Story by Lily Baggott '15) Last spring, filmmaker David Fisher presented his film, Six Million and One, at the Wesleyan Israeli Film festival. After viewing Fisher’s film and presentation, Director of the Center for Jewish Studies Dalit Katz subsequently invited the filmmaker to teach a course as a scholar in residence this spring. Currently the Silverberg Scholar in Residence at the Center for Jewish Studies, Fisher teaches When Private Meets Public, a course focusing on Israeli documentaries. “[In this course,] I’m trying to decipher with my students the development and consequently the success of the Israeli documentary films worldwide,” Fisher…

Pianist, composer, educator and author Noah Baerman, visiting instructor in music and jazz ensemble coach, will present the Music Department Colloquium on April 22 as part of the 14th annual Wesleyan Jazz Orchestra Weekend.

View the talents of senior art studio majors during the 2015 Senior Thesis Exhibition at the Ezra and Cecile Zilkha Gallery through April 19. The gallery is open noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday and is free of charge. In the final year of study, each student develops a focused body of work, and mounts a solo exhibition in the Zilkha Gallery. This exhibition is the culmination of a two-semester thesis tutorial, and is developed in close critical dialogue with a faculty advisor. The exhibition is critiqued by the faculty advisor and a second critic, and must be passed…

Iranian-American Muslim feminist writer, attorney and activist Melody Moezzi ’01 will deliver the Noah Langholz ’14 Memorial Lecture at 7 p.m. April 7 in Daniel Family Commons. Moezzi, who earned a BA in philosophy, will speak about living with mental illness and the broader impact of stigma. Moezzi will share her experiences living with bipolar disorder from her unique perspective as an Iranian-American Muslim feminist writer, attorney and activist thriving despite, and because of, a serious mental illness. Moezzi also will speak on seeking help and cultural barriers to care, among other issues. She will also sign copies of her memoir, Haldol and Hyacinths: A Bipolar Life (2014), which will be available for purchase…

Grimmer-Solem’s Research Continues to Have Impact on the Ground in Germany

Anthropology Major Cooper ’15 Co-Creates Interactive Campus Map

Allbritton Center to Present Three Panels on “Drugs, Harm and the Campus”

“Divide and Conquer” Artwork Features Wesleyan, University in Baghdad

Humanities Hosts Queer Art Poetics Conference April 23-25

Othon, Taylor Students Published in Physical Chemistry Letters

President Roth Congratulates Cardinal Achievement Award Recipients

Wesleyan Community Celebrates Students During Foss Hill Day

Filmmaker Fisher is Silverberg Scholar in Residence at the Center for Jewish Studies

Baerman’s Ensemble Performs The Rock World Premiere During Wesleyan Jazz Orchestra Weekend April 22-25

Art on Display at Senior Thesis Exhibition

Moezzi ’01 to Speak on Living with Mental Illness April 7