Lauren RubensteinAhmed Badr '20, who was born in Iraq and came to the United States as a refugee in 2008, was profiled recently on NPR. According to the story, Badr used writing to figure out what it meant to be an Iraqi-American kid: Over time, Badr realized that writing on his personal blog helped other people understand who he was and where he came from. "There was this feeling of empowerment that was just overnight, all of sudden people were interested in my story," Badr says. "... And so with that in mind, two years passed, and I thought, 'OK, well this…
Olivia DrakeOn May 20, the Wesleyan Student Veterans Organization (WESVO) hosted a two-hour formal reception to honor the U.S. and foreign service graduating veterans and show appreciation for faculty and staff that have aided in the accomplishments of the student veterans. "There is a huge disparity in the number of veterans with college degrees and an even larger gap between veterans that attend community colleges versus elite universities," said veteran Marsella Andrews '20. "These veterans have worked extremely hard to graduate so we wanted to give them special recognition." Among those celebrated were Wesleyan Posse Foundation Veteran Scholar and U.S. Navy veteran Ky…
Khalil Johnson, assistant professor of African American studies, is the recipient of a National Association of Education Spencer Postdoctoral Fellowship for the 2017-18 academic year. The National Academy of Education/Spencer Postdoctoral Fellowship Program supports up to 30 early career scholars working in critical areas of education research. These $70,000 fellowships support non-residential postdoctoral proposals that make significant scholarly contributions to the field of education. Johnson, who will be on scholarly leave for the 2017-2018 academic year, will work on a manuscript for his book project, which examines the intersections between education and settler-colonialism in the United States. He also plans to…
Assistant Professor of Government Ioana Emy Matesan discussed the recent terror attack in Manchester, England on CBS Connecticut. Matesan said the big question on her mind is the nature of the perpetrator's connection to ISIS. At this time, not much is known about the perpetrator's background. We know from terrorism studies that there is no single profile to explain "why an individual would join a terrorist group or why they would undertake a terrorist attack, so there are so many possible paths to radicalization. That story we do not know yet," she said. "The other interesting question that we're not exactly sure…
Gary Yohe, the Huffington Foundation Professor of Economics and Environmental Studies, rebuts an op-ed on Fox News in which U.S. Senator Rand Paul argues for the United States to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement. Writing on the site Climate Feedback, Yohe explains that Paul's opinion relies on the flawed claim that the agreement would do little to slow climate change and would cost American jobs. Yohe breaks down Paul's assertions regarding anticipated global warming—both with and without the agreement—as well as the Senator's predictions that the agreement would cost the country 6.5 million in lost jobs and $3 trillion in lost GDP. Yohe contends…
On May 23, Wesleyan celebrated the opening of the new Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The store, located at 413 Main Street in Middletown, was packed with Wesleyan faculty and staff, city and state officials, members of the Middlesex Chamber of Commerce and other community members, and those who worked to transform the 13,000-square-foot space into a gorgeous bookstore and café. Guests milled about and explored the store’s offerings while sampling small bites provided by Grown™ café. Brief remarks were delivered by Wesleyan President Michael S. Roth, RJ Julia owner Roxanne Coady, and Grown™ owner Shannon Allen,…
AFCA, the Administrators and Faculty of Color Alliance, celebrated with the seniors of color during a luncheon and reception in their honor May 23 in Daniel Family Commons. AFCA members also presented the seniors with stoles for commencement. "This annual luncheon is an opportunity for the seniors to chat and chew and mix and mingle with AFCA members, while sharing their Wesleyan experiences," said AFCA co-chair Tracey Stanley, administrative assistant in the Office of the Registrar. "We wish our seniors the best of luck!" Fifty-five students and 15 AFCA members attended the luncheon. AFCA’s mission is to create a supportive…
From May 17-19, the Fries Center for Global Studies hosted the Wesleyan University — Social Sciences in China Press Forum on Globalization. The 18 conference participants — all faculty or research fellows — hailed from universities and academies in China, Germany and the U.S. Participants from Wesleyan included Lisa Dombrowski, professor of film studies; Don Moon, the Ezra and Cecile Zilkha Professor in the College of Social Studies, professor of history; William “Vijay” Pinch, professor of history, professor of environmental studies; and Paula Park, assistant professor of Spanish. (more…)
The Food Recovery Network recently named Wesleyan's Dining Services "Food Recovery Verified" for donating unsold surplus food to a local charity. The Food Recovery Verified (FRV) program recognizes and rewards food businesses of any type that are working to fight waste and feed people through food recovery. Now in its sixth year, Wesleyan's student-run Food Rescue organization donates its unsold food from Usdan's Marketplace, Summerfields and Pi Cafe to the Eddy Shelter in Middletown, which provides emergency shelter and meals for single adults. Food Rescue is an Office of Community Service program under the supervision the Jewett Center for Community Partnerships.…
On May 12, the Wesleyan Refugee Project hosted its spring event titled “The Rule of Law in Yemen,” in Beckham Hall. Representatives from Adalah, Yemen’s first legal NGO that provides international support and promotes respect for human rights, spoke at the event. “The Rule of Law” provided discussion and critical analysis on the legal implications of the conflict in Yemen. Since 2011, Yemen, already the poorest country in the Middle East, has experienced loss of life, famine and internal displacement. (more…)
An all-star committee of Wesleyan University alumni, chaired by Hamilton writer/creator and former star Lin-Manuel Miranda ’02, Hon. ‘15 and director Thomas Kail ’99, has selected the recipient of the inaugural Wesleyan University Hamilton Prize for Creativity: Audrey Pratt of Needham, Mass. Pratt's submission, a short piece of fiction titled, "Thorns, Black and White," was selected from among more than 600 entries. Pratt will receive a four-year full-tuition scholarship to Wesleyan, worth as much as $200,000. “The selection committee was blown away by the range and quality of the submissions we reviewed,” Miranda said. “Audrey's story stood out as exceptional, but all of the…
This month, Wesleyan's Green Street Teaching and Learning Center received an $8,000 grant from the Petit Family Foundation to support the 2017 Green Street Girls in Science Summer Camp. The Girls in Science Summer Camp is open to all children going into grades 4, 5 and 6. Children perform experiments and explore chemistry, electronics and physics with Wesleyan faculty. Campers will meet college student mentors, learn about science careers, create scientific posters, and share what they learn with family and friends at a Science Showcase. The camp will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. from Aug. 7-11 at…