Olivia DrakeDana Royer, assistant professor of earth and environmental sciences, researched why pointy-leafed plants are more common in colder climates. Posted 04/01/06 Smooth or pointy is there a reason? If that question refers to a leaf, a study by a Wesleyan researcher may have an answer that includes some cold facts about sap flow and the weather. The study by Assistant Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences Dana Royer and featured in a recent issue of the International Journal of Plant Sciences looks at the characteristics of plants with pointy leaves versus smooth-leafed plants and finds the difference is more…
Cem Duruoz, private lessons teacher, just released his third CD, Desde El Alma Tango Classics." The Turkey native performs internationally. (Photo contributed by Steve Savage) Posted 04/01/06 Q: Cem, how long have you been a private lessons teacher of guitar for Wesleyans Music Department? A: I started to teach at Wesleyan in September 2003 right after finishing my advanced studies at The Juilliard School.Q: How many student guitarists do you teach at Wesleyan? A: I have about 10-12 students each semester. I am trying to increase the number of students, especially by encouraging good players to come to…
Roslyn Carrier-Brault, administrative assistant for the Chemistry Department, also works as a digital photography instructor at Green Street Arts Center. Posted 04/01/06 Q: What keeps you busy in the Chemistry Department?A: I never have two days that are the same and I enjoy the variety of my work. I work directly with the professors and students, and I have many skills and abilities that aid me to be flexible and detail oriented to whatever tasks comes my way. I work a lot with my computers and keep in touch with all that happens here at Wesleyan University through emails…
Posted 04/01/06 Wesleyan will commemorate its 175th anniversary of its institutional charter during the 174th Commencement Ceremonies May 25-28. Wesleyans charter was granted on May 26, 1831. John Hope Franklin, professor of history, emeritus at Duke University will give the principal address at commencement and will be awarded an honorary doctor of letters degree during the ceremony. In addition, Wesleyan will award honorary doctors of letters to Mary O. McWilliams '71, president of Regence BlueShield, pioneering alumna and trustee emerita. Franklin is an internationally-renowned historian, intellectual leader and lifelong civil rights activist. He has served on the National Council on…
Posted 04/01/06 In an ongoing initiative to increase connections between science and film at Wesleyan, a series of programs will be presented in April. This part of the series, arranged by Film Studies and Natural Sciences and Mathematics, is the last in the "Celebrating the Liberal Arts Tradition Through Film" program in which over 18 departments have participated.This is the fifth semester the Film Studies Department has hosted the series of seminars, lectures, screenings and discussions. Film was born out of science, and now science is being reborn through film, says Jeanine Basinger, the Corwin-Fuller Professor of Film Studies,…
Wesleyan's Fauver Field Residences received a First Place Award in the 2006 Connecticut Building Congress (CBC) Project Team Awards competition. It placed in the New Construction category and competed against other buildings, of which construction costs exceeded $10 million. Fauver's construction began in August 2004 and the student residences were completed in September 2005. The CBC requests that projects submitted in the competition be located in Connecticut and substantially completed during 2005. "We're honored Fauver is setting a positive example for other new constructions in the state," said Joyce Topshe, associate vice president of facilities. "A great deal of time…
FEMINIST POLITICS: Carolle Charles, associate professor of sociology from Baruch College, City College of New York, presents "From Confrontation to Negotiation: CONAP and a New Form of Doing Feminist Politics in Haiti" in the Center for African American Studies Lounge Feb. 27. Charles is the mother of Jane Charles-Voltaire '07. The well-attended event was sponsored by the the Center for African American Studies. (Photo by Olivia Bartlett)
Pictured at top, Alex Gorelick '09 performs during a WesGuitars meeting March 9. Pictured in back, from left, are Bolivian guitarist, Marcos Puña and Cem Duruoz, private lessons teacher of classical guitar and WesGuitar coordinator. Pictured below is WesGuitars member Sylvia Ryerson 09. (Click the speaker button to hear Gorelick playing Prelude No. 1 by Heitor Villa-Lobos) Posted 03/16/06 Sylvia Ryerson 09 came to Wesleyan with an interest in classic guitar, but no real ability to play the instrument. But after joining a new club called WesGuitars, shes already memorized pieces by Brazillian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos and Cuban conductor Leo…
David Phillips, senior class dean, talks to seniors about their personal challenges, academic records, postgraduate options, and academic goals. Posted 03/15/06 Sometimes a students academic problems are caused by something not-so-academic. As a class dean, David Phillips spends much of his time advising students - discussing academic, social, and personal challenges and achieving personal goals. Hell work with individual students, professors and even parents, to support students in their pursuit of a positive learning experience. "What I like about my job is that I get to deal with the whole student rather than just a particular aspect of a…
Nancy Healy, manager of Broad Street Books, says the shop's new cosmetic changes, like the new bookshelf behind her, are meant to create the ambiance of a small independent bookstore. Posted 03/15/06 Q: When were you hired to manage Broad Street Books and how is it going so far?A: I was brought on board in the last week of January. It has been an interesting and eventful month! I have spent this first month learning about the history of the store and getting to know my staff, as well as getting acquainted with Wesleyan. Things are going very well…
Posted 03/15/06 Five Wesleyan faculty members received Mellon Career Enhancement Grants for the 2006-07 academic year.Wesleyan, along with Amherst College, Grinnell College, Oberlin College, Pomona College, Reed College, Smith College and Williams College, are in the third year of a major collaborative grant from the Mellon Foundation to enhance faculty career development. Faculty members from each of the institutions compete for semester research leaves, summer stipend grants, and workshop grants designed to encourage and promote increased scholarly activity for the faculty of the eight institutions. Hilary Barth, assistant professor of psychology, and Abigail Hornstein, assistant professor of economics, received Mellon…
Drew Black, wrestling coach, stresses intelligence, power, quickness, superb conditioning, flexibility and a high degree of self-confidence with his Wesleyan athletes. Posted 03/15/06 Q: Youve been coaching wrestling at Wesleyan since 1998. What spurred your interest in the sport initially?A: It all started my freshman year of high school in Mahwah, N.J. My brother was a sophomore wrestler on the team. My intention was to go and play basketball at the vertically challenged height of 4-foot-9 and 75 lbs. The wrestling coach spoke to me in the locker room just before the wrestling season was about to begin and…