Olivia Drake – Page 120

Manju Hingorani, professor of molecular biology and biochemistry, is serving as the rotating program director at the Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences (MCB) at the National Science Foundation in Washington, D.C. Her rotation concludes in August and she will resume teaching next fall. The MCB supports quantitative, predictive and theory-driven fundamental research and related activities designed to promote understanding of complex living systems at the molecular, subcellular and cellular levels. MCB gives high priority to research projects that use theory, methods and technologies from physical sciences, mathematics, computational sciences and engineering to address major biological questions. Typical research supported by MCB integrates…

Restorative justice practices, such as victim-offender mediation, family group conferencing, programs for juvenile offenders, and community policing, emerged to give victims and their surrounding communities greater agency than traditional criminal procedure provides to resolve conflict and address its consequences. As a 2015-16 Watson Fellow, Isabella Banks '15 will travel to countries where restorative justice has had success, acting as a participant-observer in these practices. Banks will interview individuals involved and evaluate the capacity of restorative alternatives to heal those affected by crime and reduce recidivism within each cultural context. "In doing so, I hope to come closer to envisioning a…

Cloudy sky at Wesleyan, March 18. (more…)

The Allbritton Center for the Study of Public Life welcomes "auto czar" Ron Bloom '77 to campus April 8. Bloom will speak on "We almost lost Detroit: A hopeful tale about cars, crises, cities and America," at 7:30 p.m. in PAC 001. After graduating from Wesleyan with a BA in history in 1977, Bloom received an MBA with distinction from the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration in 1985. After working as the assistant to the president for United Steelworkers, Bloom was appointed by President Obama be the senior advisor to the Secretary of the Treasury on the President’s Task Force on…

The Office of Human Resources reported the following new hires and departure for February 2015. Newly hired Michele Matera was hired as office assistant in the President’s Office on Feb. 16. Joseph Buchino was hired as an athletic facility maintenance person on Feb. 23. Departure Dashaun Outlaw, public safety officer

#THISISWHY Jennifer Opalacz, assistant director of alumni and parent relations, was recently presented with a Cardinal Achievement Award for her efforts in taking on greater responsibility for several high-profile, time sensitive projects that were critical to the success of the University Relations team. Opalacz also stepped up to take on additional project ownership for a team member who was out on leave. “Jen is among the most conscientious, organized, and upbeat individuals with whom I’ve worked. She is well deserving of a Cardinal Achievement Award,” said Thomas Diascro, director of alumni and parent relations. Lisa LaPlant, assistant to the president, was recently presented with a…

The NESCAC has announced the 2014-15 winter recipients of the All-Sportsmanship awards for each of the 11 member colleges. In total, eight Wesleyan athletes have been recognized with one in each of the eight winter sports (men's and women's basketball, men's and women's ice hockey, men's and women's swimming and diving, and men's and women's squash). They are James Albrecht '15 (men's ice hockey), Liz Baumgartner '15 (women's swimming and diving), Mike DeLalio '15 (men's squash), Bridget Doherty '16 (women's squash), Bryan Galvin '15 (men's basketball), Cara Jankowsi '15 (women's ice hockey), Cherkira Lashley '15 (women's basketball), Travis Williams '15…

Johan "Joop" Varekamp, the Harold T. Stearns Professor of Earth Science, professor of earth and environmental sciences, was elected to be chair of the Geology and Public Policy Committee (GPPC) of the Geological Society of America (GSA). The group prepares position statements for GSA (e.g., on fracking, climate change). Varekamp has already made six congressional visits in March, visiting the offices of Senators Richard Blumenthal, Elizabeth Warren, Ed Markey and Representative Rosa DeLauro. He does similar work as chairman of the board of the Connecticut Fund for the Environment / Save the Sound. Varekamp also was elected to be the chair of the LimnoGeology (‘lakes’) division…

Johan "Joop" Varekamp, the Harold T. Stearns Professor of Earth Science, professor of earth and environmental sciences, is the author of two chapters in Volcanic Lakes, published by Springer Science+Business Media, 2015. He worked on the chapters during his sabbatical in Bristol, U.K., in 2013. Varekamp's chapters are titled "The Chemical Composition and Evolution of Volcanic Lakes" and "Volcanic Lakes." Five other authors also contributed to the "Volcanic Lakes" chapter. Volcanic lakes are natural features on the planet. The changing water compositions and colors of these lakes over time provide insights into the volcanic, hydrothermal and degassing processes of the underlying…

Wesleyan’s Board of Trustees approved a resolution Feb. 28 to consider “environmental, social or governance factors” as part of the university’s investment process. The resolution speaks to concerns that students at Wesleyan and across the country have raised regarding investments in fossil fuel companies. Coal companies have been a particular focus because the burning of coal is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. The Board action – under consideration by its Investment Committee for some time – followed a meeting between the Investment Committee and the Committee for Investor Responsibility (CIR), composed of student, faculty and staff representatives. The…

#THISISWHY In this News @ Wesleyan story, we speak with Brent Packer from the Class of 2015. Q: Brent, where are you from and what are you majoring in? A: I was born and raised in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Growing up nearby Amish farms and having tortoises, dogs and a semi-domesticated duck scampering around my house piqued my environmental interests. At Wesleyan, I’m a member of the College of the Environment with a double major in economics and environmental studies. Q: You are the founder of Potlux, an online community where collegiate sustainability initiatives are aggregated and shared. What is the…

A gaggle of geese grazed on a patch of grass March 10 on Andrus Field. Canada geese are year round residents in Connecticut. They look for wide open spaces to feed and breed. (Photos by Olivia Drake) (more…)

Hingorani Serves as NSF Program Director for the Biosciences

Watson Fellow Banks ’15 to Study Restorative Justice Practices in 4 Countries

Cloudy Sky at Wesleyan

Obama’s “Auto Czar” Rob Bloom ’77 to Speak on Campus April 8

Staff on the Move February 2015

Opalacz, LaPlant Honored with Cardinal Achievement Awards

8 Student-Athletes Recognized with NESCAC All-Sportsmanship Awards

Varekamp Elected Chair of Geology, Public Policy Committee

Varekamp Authors 2 Chapters in Volcanic Lakes Book

Board Resolution Speaks to Social Impacts of Investments

Packer ’15 Creates Online Community to Unify Collegiate Sustainability Movement

Geese Graze on Andrus Field