Kate Carlisle – Page 3

A July NASA report that a huge solar storm narrowly missed Earth in 2012 – avoiding catastrophic damage to energy, transportation and communications systems – has caused a media stir and some worry among Earthlings. What’s more, other recent reports say that Earth is overdue for a devastating storm of the kind known as a “Carrington event” after an 1859 storm that disrupted telegraph signals and caused other damage in a still-nascent industrial world. Named for 19th-century English astronomer Richard Carrington, it was the largest of its kind on record. A similar event now, in a world dependent on digital…

A broad, pragmatic liberal education is more important now than ever, President Roth says

From a journalist who launched a publishing start-up, to the multifaceted designer of the “Fremont Troll,” to a noted international lawyer, scores of Cardinals took time last year to share their “This Is Why” stories with Wesleyan. That loyalty – and the many gifts also shared by alumni, parents and friends – led to a stellar year in the university’s fundraising campaign. Generous donors gave a total of $44.3 million in gifts and pledges in fiscal 2014. The campaign raised $43.8 million in cash, more than any previous year. And $25 million went directly into the endowment. Currently, giving to…

Water is the most ubiquitous fluid on Earth, and plays a foundational role in life as we know it. And yet the complexity of this seemingly simple molecule remains a vigorously debated area of scientific research to this day. Writing in the most recent issue of Nature Physics, Professor of Physics Francis Starr provides a commentary on recent research to uncover the mystery of water's unusual properties. "We all learn as children that oil and water don’t mix," Starr writes. " If there was only one fluid – say just the water – then "unmixing" should not even be a possibility. …

Terrance Williams '02 runs one of the best youth basketball programs in the nation

Roberts '77 makes history as the newly elected executive director of the NBA Players Association

New students interested in math and the sciences, who want to get a jump start on their college experience, are taking advantage of a new program this summer. The Wesleyan Physical Sciences and Mathematics Scholars Program will welcome 11 students from the Class of 2018 to campus for its debut summer session July 27-Aug. 1. An additional 11 students will participate online. “We’re really excited to put this program into place,” said Ishita Mukerji, dean of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. “One common variable among all these scholars is a very strong interest in science.” (more…)

Lori Gruen, chair and professor of philosophy, professor of environmental studies, professor of feminist, gender and sexuality studies, has been elected a fellow of the prestigious Hastings Center. The 45-year-old center, an independent bioethics research institute, addresses ethics in the areas of health, medicine and the environment. “I’m delighted to be elected a fellow of the Hastings Center,” Gruen said. “The research publications (from Hastings) are cutting edge, and have been an integral part of my teaching.” Gruen is coordinator of Wesleyan Animal Studies and director of the university’s Ethics in Society project, which aims to develop and foster teaching,…

Grandmothers used to warn youngsters against being “a jack of all trades, and a master of none,” and with good reason, at least in the animal kingdom, according to research by Mike Singer, associate professor of biology, associate professor of environmental studies. Singer’s decade of research in the ecosystems of Connecticut forests reveals that caterpillars with finicky feeding habits avoid predation from birds, whereas those that feed generally on many plants become meals for baby birds. The “specialist” bugs are much better at survival. Singer and five collaborators published these findings in the prestigious Proceedings of the National Academy of…

In the fall of 2008, Andrew Olivieri felt like he was staring down four years of uncertainty, dissatisfaction and "wasting my parents' money." A senior at the Bronx High School of Science, where most graduates are expected to attend college, Olivieri just didn’t feel ready. But the Army life had always attracted him, as a path that led to maturity, a work ethic, and an opportunity to be part of something larger than himself. "I wanted to be a part of history, and contribute to it," Olivieri said. "I never wanted to be one of those people who just say,…

The Board of Trustees has asked President Michael Roth to propose a plan for the future of fraternities at Wesleyan, following a discussion at their spring meeting May 22-23. On his blog, Roth said he would deliver a plan to the board soon, ideally before the start of the next semester but at the latest before the next board meeting in November. His thinking has changed since his first year at Wesleyan, when he wrote about his support for Greek life, Roth said. “Six years of hearing about high-risk drinking at fraternities and dealing with fallout from highly publicized incidents…

A violent sex offender walked away from the Connecticut Valley State Hospital

Solar Storms a Wake-Up Call, Redfield Says

President Roth Defends Liberal Arts

Cardinals Share Stories, Gifts As Campaign Nears $350 Million

When Water “Unmixes”: Starr Commentary Published in Nature Physics

Williams ’02 Runs “Grass-Roots” B-Ball Program

Michele Roberts ’77 Makes News as New NBPA Chief

Wesleyan Launches Pilot Pre-Frosh Math and Science Program

Gruen Elected Fellow of Hastings Center

Singer’s Study Reveals that Finicky Feeders Avoid Bird Predation

Army Veteran Olivieri to Join Class of 2018 through Posse Foundation

Trustees, Roth Discussing the Future of Wesleyan Fraternities

Police Alert Community to At-Large Sex Offender