Olivia DrakeQ: Jane, you are Wesleyan's first Fellow in Journalism, a position endowed by a member of the class of 1979. What class will you teach this spring? A: I’ll teach a small seminar called “The Journalist as Citizen." We’ll explore the many ways journalism has affected democracy and civic life in America. Mostly, we’ll write and write. For that reason, this isn’t just a class for aspiring journalists – it’s for anyone with an interest in public life who wants to improve his or her writing. Q: You graduated from Wesleyan, cum laude, in 1977 and earned a master's degree…
John Bonin, the Chester D. Hubbard Professor of Economics and Social Science, tutor in the College of Social Studies, led the Presidential Address during the Allied Social Science Association American Economic Association meetings in Atlanta, Ga. Jan. 3-5. As outgoing president of the Association for Comparative Economic Studies (ACES), Bonin spoke on "From Reputation Amidst Uncertainty to Commitment Under Stress: A Decade of Foreign-owned Banking in Transitioning Economies." He focused on the experiences of 10 transition countries (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Serbia and Russia) regarding the reforming, or developing, of their banking sectors. In all…
This issue we ask 5 Questions of ... Michael Singer, assistant professor of biology. Q: Professor Singer, you are known around campus for being "the bug man," or more specifically, "the caterpillar man." What is your interest in entomology? A: I’m generally interested in insects because of their diversity in form, function, and habits. Contrary to many people, I find most kinds of insects quite beautiful. They also have endless stories to tell. I’m particularly interested in a species of woolly bear caterpillar called Grammia incorrupta because of its polyphagous feeding behavior. (Polyphagous means that it eats many different kinds…
In 70 C.E., Roman Emperor Vespasian and his son, Titus, sacked the city of Jerusalem, destroying the Jewish temple. To commemorate the success of quelling the Jewish Revolt, the Romans minted a series of nearly 50 "Judea Capta" (Captured Judaea) coins in gold, bronze and silver to remind the Roman Empire of its victory. Most of these coins depict a Roman soldier or leader, outfitted in military attire, and a mourning female Jewish woman, seated under a palm tree or trophy. On Jan. 14, Jewish Chaplain Rabbi David Teva Leipziger Teva, director of religious and spiritual life, donated a silver…
Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell and the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) recently commended Elijah Huge, assistant professor of art, on his efforts with the Mattabeseck Audubon Society. Rell presented the Audubon Society with GreenCircle Award. The Society was experiencing problems at their Helen Carlson Wildlife Sanctuary in Portland, Conn. with beavers who had changed the site so that access was a serious challenge. The Audubon Society welcomed Huge and his Wesleyan students to solve the problem. They designed and constructed a sustainable project under adverse conditions. They created a split frame viewing station consisting of a lower floating…
Gina Ulysse, associate professor of feminist, gender and sexuality studies, associate professor of anthropology, associate professor of African American studies, writes about "Avatar, Voodoo and White Spiritual Redemption" in a Jan. 11 Huffington Post article. In the article, she writes, "New age spirituality with its purported openness may incorporate some African based religious practices especially from Latin America, but (Haitian) Voodoo remains stigmatized therein especially in interfaith circles. Although a growing number of initiates are whites, few multi-denominational churches dare to acknowledge it. Cultural specificities aside, Vodou shares core features spirits, nature, ceremonies and offerings -- with other mystical religions. Avatar…
John Paoletti, the Kenan Professor of the Humanities, professor of art history, emeritus will be the MacGeorge Fellow at the University of Melbourne in November and December 2010, a position that involves lecturing and teaching at the university, located in Victoria, Australia. Paoletti recently lectured on Michelangelo's David at Notre Dame and Rutgers and on Medici patronage at the Metropolitan Museum. He was the guest of the Medieval and Early Modern Seminar at Stanford in January, and in mid-February, he will be a speaker in a three-day international symposium at the Victoria and Albert Museum celebrating the reinstallation of their…
Jodi McKenna, head coach of women's hockey, is taking a leave from Wesleyan to coach the U.S. Olympic women's ice hockey team at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada. The games open Feb. 14. In a Jan. 10 Hartford Courant article titled "Career Path Continues to be Covered with Ice," McKenna says, "It's not something, when I got into coaching, that I would even conceive of, being in this situation. It became more of a possibility the more I became involved in the national program." McKenna was named an assistant coach in May, right before her Wesleyan players went home…
John Bonin, the Chester D. Hubbard Professor of Economics and Social Science, tutor in the College of Social Studies, gave the invited keynote address titled "From Reputation Amidst Uncertainty to Commitment Under Stress: A Decade of Foreign-Owned Banking in Transitioning Economies" at the London Metropolitan Business School Center for International Capital Markets Conference in September 2009. The conference's topic was "20 Years of Transition in Central and Eastern Europe: Money, Banking and Financial Markets."
Nine students were named Johnston Trust Scholars for the 2009-10 academic year by the The James M. Johnston Trust for Charitable and Educational Purposes of Chevy Chase, MD. Harvey Gram ’27 was a friend and colleague of Mr. Johnston and was a longtime trustee (of the Trust). Harvey Gram, a devoted donor to Wesleyan (lobby of Olin is dedicated to Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Gram), was instrumental in steering scholarship funds to Wesleyan, initially to help Wesleyan become co-educational. After Harvey Gram died, his son, Colonel W. Dunbar Gram P ’83, took his seat on the board and currently serves…
B. "Balu" Balasubrahmaniyan, adjunct instructor of music, spoke on Carnatic music during a lecture demonstration Dec. 23 at the Madras Music Academy in Chennai, India. Balasubramanian discussed the musical piece, Gopalakrishna Bharati's Nandanar Charithiram - its tunes, story and the compositions. It was first published in 1861 by a French collector. In 1932, M.S. Ramaswamy brought it out with tunes. There are a number of notations found for the songs. A.M. Chinnasamy Mudaliar published it with notations for 42 songs. Of them, 17 are original. Balasubramanian was featured in the Jan. 8 edition of The Hindu in an article titled "On the…