Himeka CurielProfessor Emeritus of History Donald Meyer passed away on May 27 at the age of 94. Meyer received his BA from the University of Chicago in 1947 after taking a three-year hiatus to serve in the United States Army (1943–1946), and then went on to complete his MA and PhD from Harvard University. He taught at Harvard for two years and UCLA for twelve years before arriving at Wesleyan in 1967. Meyer was a social and intellectual historian who published three books and numerous articles over a long and productive career. According to colleague Nat Greene, “He was an expert in offering a vigorous…
The Office of Human Resources announces the following hires, transitions, and departures for January–April 2018. HIRES John Lundell, athletic facility maintenance, on Jan. 2 Johanna DeBari, director of survivor advocacy and community education, on Jan. 3 Lee Walsh, postdoctoral research associate in physics, on Jan. 17 Kara Murphy, development research analyst in University Relations, on Jan. 22 Clifton Watson, director of the Jewett Center for Community Partnerships, on Feb. 5 Dennis Hohne, video producer in University Communications, on Feb. 12 Nafeza Kingston, facility and events manager in Usdan Campus Center, on Feb. 12 Matthew Magenheim, senior investment associate in the…
If you’ve logged into WesPortal recently you may have noticed a banner advertising “Project Refresh.” The link leads to a survey asking for feedback on programs, projects, or processes that “may no longer be necessary, or perhaps could be done more effectively” with the end goal of making working at Wesleyan “more effective, efficient, and enjoyable.” The survey is just the first phase of Project Refresh, with plans for additional rounds of idea generation and collaboration (at all levels both within and across departments) as well as possible focus groups to further refine ideas in the fall. For now, the…
Three outstanding employees were honored with Cardinal Achievement Awards during the past few months. Smith Kidkarndee, psychotherapist, Counseling and Psychological Services; Cathy-Lee Rizza, assistant director of student accounts, Student Accounts Office; and Gladys Rodriguez, administrative assistant, Registrar's Office were recognized for demonstrating extraordinary initiative in performing a specific task associated with their work at Wesleyan. This special honor comes with a $250 award and reflects the University’s gratitude for their extra efforts.
Associate Professor of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry Rich Olson and members of his lab have uncovered the structural basis for how the bacterial pathogen responsible for cholera targets carbohydrate receptors on host cells—an important finding for the future development of treatment strategies against infectious bacteria. In their paper "Structural basis of mammalian glycan targeting by Vibrio cholerae cytolysin and biofilm proteins," published in the Feb. 12 issue of PLoS Pathogens, Olson and his team—Swastik De PhD '16; graduate students Katherine Kaus and Brandon Case; and Shada Sinclair '16—looked at Vibrio cholerae, an aquatic microbe responsible for cholera, a potentially life-threatening…
Susanne Fusso, professor of Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies, has been awarded the 2017 AATSEEL Award for Excellence in Post-Secondary Teaching from the American Association for Teachers of Slavic and East European Languages. Fusso, who teaches 19th- and 20th-century Russian prose and poetry as well as Russian language, was nominated for the award by her former students. The honor was presented as part of the President's Awards Ceremony at the AATSEEL conference held on Feb. 2 in Washington, D.C. The annual conference focuses on "the aesthetic, creative and communicative aspects of Slavic cultures" and features workshops and panel discussions with experts…
Recognize the Wesleyan faculty who have had a lasting impact on your academic and personal development by nominating them for the 2018 Binswanger Prize for Excellence in Teaching! Juniors, seniors, graduate students and Graduates of the Last Decade (GOLD) are invited to nominate up to three professors for 2018 Binswanger Prizes, which will be awarded during Wesleyan's Commencement Ceremony on May 27. The deadline for nominations is Feb. 12, 2018. NOMINATE NOW. The Binswanger Prize is made possible by gifts from the family of the late Frank Binswanger Sr. Hon. ’85 and underscores Wesleyan’s commitment to its scholar-teachers who are responsible for the university’s…
J. Kehaulani Kauanui, professor of American studies and anthropology, chair of American studies and director of the Center of the Americas, spent part of winter break in Qatar. She was there to present her research on “Settler Colonialism and the Politics of Occupy Wall Street: Indigeneity and the 'Other' 1%” for a panel on "Against Exceptionalism." Kauanui joined a global roster of leading scholars in American studies, Middle Eastern studies and other closely related fields who were invited to speak as part of a conference held Jan. 8–11 at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies with support from the Qatar…
In this Q&A, we speak with Amy Bello, administrative assistant for the Center for African American Studies and newly elected mayor of the Town of Wethersfield. Q: How long have you been at Wesleyan? A: Five years. I started in November 2012 as a temp at the Wasch Center for Retired Faculty. Q: What do you do here now? A: I work as an administrative assistant for the Center for African American Studies (CAAS), the African American Studies Program (AFAM) and the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program (MMUF). I have a beautiful office on High Street and am lucky to be…
Melanie Khamis, assistant professor of economics and assistant professor of Latin American studies, has co-authored a new paper published in the December 2017 issue of Labour Economics. The paper, titled "Women make houses, women make homes," examines the effects of historical labor market institutions and policies on women’s labor market outcomes. To conduct the research, Khamis and her colleagues studied the “rubble women” of post–World War II Germany, who were subject to a 1946 Allied Control Council command that required women between the ages of 15 and 50 to register with a labor office and to participate in postwar cleanup and…
A new article by Visiting Assistant Professor in Computer Science Kelly Thayer and students in her Spring 2017 Scientific Computing class is challenging conventional metrics used in allosteric signaling—the regulation of an enzyme by a binding molecule at a site other than the enzyme's active site. “What’s special about allostery is that a molecule called an allosteric effector binds at one location, and the change happens somewhere else,” Thayer explained. “What we were trying to understand was: How does that signal get across?” (more…)
Wesleyan’s 2017–18 United Way Campaign capped off another successful year, posting the highest numbers—both in participation and in amount pledged—since 2012. According to Campus Coordinator Paul Turenne, more than 400 Wesleyan employees, retired faculty and authorized vendors (including 38 “Leadership Givers” pledging $1,000 or more) participated. Together they donated a total of $122,150 in support of United Way programs in Middlesex County and throughout the state. Contributing to this year’s increased giving was the implementation of lessons learned from previous years, including moving campaign dates earlier (Oct.1–31) in order to avoid competing with other fundraising initiatives and streamlining the donation…