Olivia DrakeJen Jurgen from University Relations, and Ali McFadzen, Margaret Neale and Shannon Sarver from the Financial Aid Office, received Cardinal Achievement Awards in January. The staff members were honored for demonstrating extraordinary initiative or providing outstanding service with regard to specific tasks in their department. This special honor comes with a $150 award and reflects the university’s gratitude for those extra efforts. Jen Jurgen, associate director of University Relations operations, was nominated for being a "a cheerful and responsive problem solver who provided invaluable help to administrative support of University Relations during a period of significant short staffing, and she hasn't hesitated…
On Jan. 11, a small explosion in Usdan University Center's mechanical room left several staff and students trapped inside with possible injuries. "We've got a situation," says Bill Nelligan, director of environmental health, safety and sustainability. "Please gather your gear and head to the basement." A group of six Wesleyan staff members, trained in light search and rescue techniques, quickly prepare for the task. They sport reflective vests, safety helmets, goggles and gloves, and carry a backpack equipped with flashlights, duct tape, first-aid kits, tools and blankets. Team leader Allen Alonzo, associate director of information technology auxiliary services, breaks the…
(Story contributed by Jim H. Smith) In this issue of The Wesleyan Connection, we ask “5 Questions” of Ashraf Rushdy, professor of English, professor of African American Studies and chair of the African American Studies Program. Rushdy is the author of American Lynching, a meticulously researched interpretive history of how lynching became a uniquely American phenomenon and how it has endured, evolved and changed over the course of three centuries. The book was published by Yale University Press in October 2012. Q: Scholars have been writing about lynching for more than a century now. There is a significant body of extant…
All Wesleyan students, faculty, and staff now have access to lynda.com, an online subscription library that teaches the latest software tools and skills through high-quality instructional videos taught by recognized industry experts. Using your Wesleyan username and password, (see instructions for accessing Lynda.com) the campus community can access more than 1,400 training videos on a broad range of subjects, including photography, design, music and video, home computing, animation, and web design and development. Acquire comprehensive training in popular applications such as Microsoft Office for both PC and Mac and Adobe Acrobat Professional. New courses are added every week. Wesleyan students,…
The Wesleyan Board of Trustees recently awarded tenure to two faculty members. They are: Lois Brown, professor of African American studies, professor of English, came to Wesleyan last fall from Mount Holyoke College where she was Elizabeth Small Professor of English. At Mount Holyoke, where she began teaching in 1998, she was awarded the Distinguished Teaching Award in 2004, and was director of the Weissman Center for Leadership and the Liberal Arts for five years. A literary historian, she focuses on culture, identity, race and gender in 18th and 19th century African American writing. She is author of three books…
Q&As with outstanding students is an occasional feature of The Wesleyan Connection. This issue we speak with Konnie Dominguez from the Class of 2015. Q: Konnie, what are you planning on majoring in and why? A: I'm planning on majoring in biology. With a bachelors in biology, I can continue to pursue a career in biological anthropology, specifically in paleoanthropology, the study of human fossils. I've had at least one class in science ever since the sixth grade and this year, I had three - biology, chemistry and neuroscience! Q: Are you involved in any extracurricular activities? A: Most of my free time, when…
Wesleyan's Center for the Arts announces the creation of the Madhu Reddy Endowed Fund for Indian Music and Dance at Wesleyan University. Reddy, a real estate agent with William Raveis based in Glastonbury, Conn., established the fund with a pledge of $100,000. During a ceremony on Dec. 14, Reddy presented an initial check for $50,000 to Pamela Tatge, director of the Center for the Arts, and David Nelson, artist in residence. “For more than 50 years, Wesleyan’s Music and Dance Departments and the Center for the Arts have been presenting the music and dance of India to the campus and…
Four Physical Plant-Facilities staff received a Cardinal Achievement Award in December. They are: Mike Conte, assistant director of mechanical trades; Dean Canalia, plumbing shop foreperson; Sean Kane, utility mechanic; and Philip Cotharin, temperature controls mechanic and EMS specialist. The staff members were honored for demonstrating extraordinary initiative or providing outstanding service with regard to specific tasks in their department. This special honor comes with a $150 award and reflects the university’s gratitude for those extra efforts. The award recipients are nominated by department chairs and supervisors. Nominations can be made anytime throughout the year. For more information or to nominate…
This spring, the Wesleyan Institute for Lifelong Learning (WILL) will host courses on opinion writing, Shakespeare's history plays under Elizabeth I, the basics of personal finance, experiencing eldership, exploring the Housatonic Valley and Middletown's architectural heritage. Now in its fifth semester, WILL's objective is to use the talents of current and retired faculty and qualified community members to present a set of short, intellectually stimulating and lively courses to the Wesleyan community and area residents. These courses are offered at minimal cost, are not part of a degree-granting program, and are designed to offer topics of particular interest to members of the…
Wesleyan alumni helped their communities by participating in the WEServe Week of Service, Jan. 20-26. Alumni all over the country worked side-by-side with fellow alumni, students, families and friends on special projects. WEServe follows the National Day of Service on Jan. 19, and honors Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on Jan. 21. "The concept was uniquely translatable to geographic areas of all sizes; unlike some of our events which require a critical mass to be successful, these community service projects could engage alumni, parents, and students in cities or towns with as few as one or two people from Wesleyan,"…
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