Olivia DrakeMark Bailey, director of Development Communications for University Relations, helps set the stage for fundraisers, senior staff and the president to conduct important conversations with donors. Posted 08/07/07 Q: Mark, when did you come to Wesleyan, and why was there a need for a Development Communications director, and later a staff?A: I came to Wesleyan in March 2005 fresh from more than 20 years based in sunny Southern California. My mission as director of Development Communications is to lead development communications strategies and projects for University Relations, based on Wesleyans new strategic plan and increased fundraising efforts. This includes…
A formal dedication of the Suzanne Lemberg Usdan University Center will take place in the courtyard at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 7. Posted 08/07/07 For those of us on campus, there is no mistaking that construction is nearing completion on the Suzanne Lemberg Usdan University Center. As is the nature of a project of this scope, the building is continuing at a rapid pace in this final month in order to complete the building for new students arrival on August 28. Leading up to arrival day, quite a bit of detail work is being completed. Over the next two weeks, several…
As part of the new Quantitative Analysis Center (QAC)-sponsored apprenticeship program, Max Wu 08 worked with Steve Stemler, assistant professor of psychology and Cynthia Matthew, visiting assistant professor of psychology, on a project titled The Concept of Responsibility Within Organizational Structures." Posted 08/07/07 Students had the opportunity to attend daily classes, workshops and conduct research with Wesleyan faculty this summer as part of the new Quantitative Analysis Center (QAC) apprenticeship program. The 10 undergraduate students enrolled in the program took classes in the morning, usually taught by Manolis Kaparakis, director of the QAC, or by another Wesleyan faculty member. In…
Neuroscience and Behavior major Jeff Walker 08 speaks about his research titled Does inhibition lead to greater spike timing precision? during the Hughes Program in the Life Sciences Poster Session Aug. 3. Walkers faculty mentor is Gloster Aaron, assistant professor biology, neuroscience and behavior. Posted 08/07/07 In the United States, approximately 80,000 adolescents try cigarettes for the first time each day. Psychology major Michael Raymond 08 was curious to know why. As a fellow in the Hughes Program in the Life Sciences, Raymond had the opportunity to identify predictors of nicotine dependence onset in adolescents. He spent his summer working…
Valerie Gillispie, assistant university archivist, holds a rare book, which was featured on PBS's History Detectives in July. The book is stamped with the name and address of a 19th century female anarchist and possibly belonged to a deceased Wesleyan alumnus. Posted 08/07/07 In June 2006, a book was discovered in the Wesleyan stacks related to the Chicago Haymarket Tragedy marked with an unusual stamp on the cover. The book, written by August Spies, was titled Auto-Biography, and appeared to be stamped with the name and address of Lucy Parsons, a 19th century bi-racial anarchist who promoted better labor conditions.…
Posted 08/07/ 07 Last year, Suzanne OConnell, associate professor of earth and environmental sciences, attended a meeting with scientists from around the world. Out of the 40 participants, she was the only female. This was 2006, not 1973, and with an organization that had had a pretty good track record for involving women, she recalls. Its amazing to me that I was the only woman. It is this type of disparity that inspired OConnell, pictured at left, to undertake an initiative designed to retain more women in the geosciences. With support from a recent National Science Foundation award, OConnell co-created…
SNEAK PEEK: Rick Culliton, university center director and dean of campus programs, and Tim Shiner, director of student activities and leadership development, lead a private tour of the new Suzanne Lemberg Usdan University Center June 22. Pictured is one of the new dining areas. The newly-carpeted dining area on the third floor also has a lounge with a fireplace and a plasma television. Wesleyan Station's new student mail box center. Staircase between the ground and second floor. New student dining services. Main student lounge area. A student help-desk will be placed in the center of this room. A view from…
Todd Houle, Macintosh Specialist for Information Technology Services, says e-mail-related questions are the ones he gets asked most frequently. Posted 07/11/07 Q: Todd, when did you come to Wesleyan?A: I came to Wesleyan in the summer of 1997 as the Macintosh Specialist for the Information Technology Services Desktop Support Team. While different responsibilities have come and gone, Ive always been in our Desktop Support group. I also manage a couple of Mac servers such as our license server and file servers for a few departments.Q: Each academic and administrative department is assigned a Desktop Support Specialist. What departments do…
Marcello Simonetta, assistant professor of medieval studies, romance languages and literatures, is the curator of a recent exhibit Federico da Montefeltro and His Library, in New York through September. Pictured in Simonetta's hand, and below, are portraits of the Italian Duke da Montefeltro. Posted 07/11/ 07 In 1475, the fully-armored Italian Duke of Urbino posed for a self-portrait in the ductal library with his son at his side. This famous oil painting, pictured at right, containing a 500-year-old mystery, is the centerpiece of a current exhibit, curated by Marcello Simonetta, assistant professor of medieval studies, romance languages and literatures. Titled,…
Posted 07/11/ 07 All-American track and cross country runner Ellen Davis graduated in May, but more honors just caught up to her. Davis, pictured in the lead at right, was honored by the College Sports Information Directors Association of America (CoSIDA) in June as she was named a CoSIDA/ESPN the Magazine third-team Academic All-American after gaining first-team District I laurels in cross-country/track. The 10 first-team picks from each of the eight districts (80 total athletes voted upon by all the Sports Information Directors (SIDs) in their respective district) appeared on the national ballot with three squads of 15 named Academic…
Kim Savinelli, manager of restricted funds, oversees the accounting aspects of about 1,200 grants and monetary gifts given to Wesleyan for a specific - or restricted - purpose. Posted 07/11/07 When a donor specifies how his or her money should be spent at Wesleyan, Kim Savinelli makes sure the donors wishes are met. Savinelli, manager of restricted funds in the Office of Finance and Administration, insures that all special-case gifts, grants and endowments are spent properly. Restricted funds range from grants awarded by federal agencies to monetary gifts made by alumni for a specific purpose. Every gift needs to…
Posted 07/11/07 Q: Jeff, when did you come to Wesleyans Center for the Arts?A: I started my work as the CFAs events coordinator in the fall of 2005. Q: What is your role as an events coordinator? A: As events coordinator, my primary job is to help the Center for the Arts in planning the logistics and details of bringing high-caliber visiting artists and performing ensembles to Wesleyan, after they have been contracted. In this role, I help to make sure that our visiting performers have everything they need, so they can focus fully on their performances and residency activities…