Olivia DrakeJoseph J. Fins ’82, M.D., chair of the Alumni Association, spoke to members of the Wesleyan Gamma Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa during Reunion & Commencement Weekend. His speech was titled "Minding Time." Membership for Phi Beta Kappa is conferred for high scholastic achievement. It is a delight to be here with you today to celebrate your induction into Phi Beta Kappa. Let me add my congratulations to those of The Faculty, President Roth and your friends and family. This is a memorable day in your life and it is good that you savour this accomplishment. A former professor of…
Students who received academic prizes, fellowships and scholarships, were honored at a reception May 5 in Daniel Family Commons. The awards and the recipients are: George H. Acheson and Grass Foundation Prize in Neuroscience Established in 1992 by a gift from the Grass Foundation, this prize is awarded to an outstanding undergraduate in the Neuroscience and Behavior Program who demonstrates excellence in the program and who also shows promise for future contributions in the field of neuroscience. Eric LaMotte 2009 Kai Xuan Keith Tan 2009 Alumni Prize in the History of Art Established by Wesleyan alumni and awarded to a…
Tesla Place, a "thunderous light project" by Pedro Alejandro, associate professor of dance, was performed May 10 and 11 on the Wesleyan campus. The dance, light and sound-based performance began outside Crowell Concert Hall and ended in the Center for the Arts Courtyard. The theme focused on the inventor/scientist Nikola Tesla (1856-1943). Tesla Place was created in collaboration with Marcela Oteiza, adjunct assistant professor of theater and faculty fellow; Paul Boylan; Sal Privitera, audio-visual technician; Adam Tinkle; graduate student Rod O'Connor; Dante Brown '09; Brittany Delany '09; Aaron Freedman '10; Spencer Garrod '09; Shayna Keller '09; and Samantha Sherman '09.…
The dance and music departments of Wesleyan hosted the West African Drumming and Dance Spring Concert showcasing the vibrancy of West African cultures through their music and dance forms. In West Africa, dance is life embodied in rhythm and movement. It celebrates and reinforces life and its various cycles. Right from conception to death, people in West Africa are called upon to honor and celebrate the different stages, achievements and successes of life, as well as to mourn and remember bitter experiences and losses, through music and dances. (Photos by Alexandra Portis '09)
Singapore-Malaysia Cultural Night was held April 23 in Beckham Hall. The first-ever event offered music, dance, drama, comedy, political satire and ethnic foods to introduce the Wesleyan community to the Singapore and Malaysian culture. Photos of the event are below. (Photos by Alexandra Portis '09)
Wesleyan jazz musicians have been tooting their own horns to the local community. During spring semester, the 20-member band has performed six times at public elementary, middle and high schools in Middletown. They work under the direction of vibraphonist-composer Jay Hoggard, adjunct associate professor of music. "It's good for the Wesleyan students to get out of their little shell of the universe according to Momma Wesleyan, go a few blocks away and play for young people who may or may not have been exposed to this type of music before," Hoggard says. "We're representing jazz and we’re representing Wesleyan." The…
The 177th Commencement Ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. on Andrus Field. The ceremony will be simulcast in the Memorial Chapel, Patricelli ’92 Theater, Crowell Concert Hall, and Tishler Lecture Hall (Room 150) at Exley Science Center, rain or shine. The ceremony also will be broadcast through a live video stream at http://condor.wesleyan.edu/openmedia/webcast/cast1.qtl. The latest version of Quicktime Player is required to view the webcast. The player can be downloaded for free, for both Windows and Mac, by clicking here. A high-speed internet connection is also necessary to view the broadcasts.
Q: Wendy, how many years have you worked at Wesleyan? A: I've worked at Wesleyan 10-and-a-half years. I started at WesShop and worked there two years. I've also worked at Summerfields, a half year at MoConn and a half year the Davenport Campus Center in food prep. I've worked here at Usdan in The Martketplace since it opened two years ago. Summerfields had a very homey atmosphere, but the best part about working here in Usdan is that I get to meet more students. Q: What hours do you work? A: I'm here 7 a.m. until 3 p.m. Monday through…
When one of Olin Library's books becomes tattered or torn, Preservation Services helps restore the book, making it again available for circulation. In April, the one-room shop located in Olin's basement received its own facelift. "We outgrew the space that we had," explains Michaelle Biddle, head of preservation services. "Our carpet was saturated with dirt and mold, and we needed more space and better lighting." The renovation included removing a wall between Preservation Services and a storage room formerly used by Special Collections and Archives. The storage area was merged with the current preservation lab, adding an additional 180 square…
Jan Naegele, professor of neuroscience and behavior, professor and chair of biology, was honored for her innovative work in bioscience by the organization “We Work For Health" overseen by the Connecticut Consortium of Independent Colleges on May 18. Congressman Joe Courtney presented a plaque to Naegele’s designee, Deborah Hall '11 at a ceremony in Cromwell, Conn.
Scott Plous, professor of psychology, received a $700,000 grant from the National Science Foundation for the Social Psychology Network. Plous founded the web-based presence in 1996. The grant will be used to transform the site into a full featured social networking service for visitors and its approximately 2,000 members across the world. For more information read the accompanying article in The Wesleyan Connection.