Olivia DrakeWilliam Wistar "Wis" Comfort II, the Edward Burr Van Vleck Professor of Mathematics, Emeritus, died Nov. 28 at the age of 83. Comfort received his BA from Haverford College, and an MSc and PhD from the University of Washington (Seattle) and was an expert on point-set topology, ultrafilters, set theory and topological groups. He joined the Wesleyan faculty in 1967 after teaching at Harvard, University of Rochester and University of Massachusetts (Amherst). Comfort taught in the mathematics department for 40 years until his retirement in 2007, where he supervised 17 PhD theses and three MA theses. He was a key…
More than 100 members of the Wesleyan community attended “Hamilton on the Road: Chicago” Nov. 22 at the PrivateBank Theatre in Chicago. The event included a pre-show reception hosted by alumnus David ’78 and Mimi Olson and a first run performance of Hamilton, the Tony-award winning musical from Lin-Manuel Miranda ’02 and Thomas Kail ’99. Photos from the event appear in this Wesleyan Flickr album.
Next spring, May Treuhaft-Ali '17 will graduate from Wesleyan with a degree in theater, but that won't be her final curtain call. As a Mitchell Scholar, Treuhaft-Ali will have the opportunity to advance her studies on theater and performance at Trinity College in Dublin. The George J. Mitchell Scholarship Program is a nationally competitive award for U.S. citizens sponsored by the U.S.-Ireland Alliance. Named in honor of the former U.S. Senator's pivotal contribution to the Northern Ireland peace process, the Mitchell Scholarship is designed to introduce and connect future American leaders to the island of Ireland, while recognizing and fostering…
For the third year in a row, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded Wesleyan with a Regional Food Recovery Achievement Certificate for its efforts reducing and diverting food waste. Wesleyan is among 26 organizations and institutions to receive the honor in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine. This also is the third year Wesleyan has participated in the EPA's New England Food Recovery Challenge. "These organizations are showing that protecting the environment, saving money and feeding the hungry can go hand in hand,” said Curt Spalding, regional administrator of EPA's New England office. “It’s true year-round, but especially important to keep…
The Wesleyan women's soccer team hosted a free kids' soccer clinic on Nov. 12 for ages 5-13 to benefit the Amazing Grace Food Pantry in Middletown. The event called Kicking4Hunger encouraged area children to donate a non-perishable food item in exchange for the free clinic. Around 25 kids from the Middletown area attended and were taught the basic skills of soccer — passing, dribbling, shooting — by members of the team. Senior captain Carly Swenson '17 spearheaded the second annual event, along with former player Tess Daggett-Edenholm. Swenson and Daggett-Edenholm started a program on campus called Athletes C.A.R.E (Creating Abundant…
David Kuenzel, assistant professor of economics, is the author of a new paper published in the European Economic Review titled "WTO Dispute Determinants." In the paper, Kuenzel investigates what factors drive the decisions of World Trade Organization member countries to engage in trade disputes with each other. "Understanding the determinants of the dispute pattern is crucial, since the WTO can only function properly if its dispute settlement mechanism is equally accessible to all member countries," Kuenzel said. The paper presents a new theory and empirical evidence to show that trade policy flexibility, which is defined as the difference between the…
The Allbritton Center, Wesleyan's hub of civic engagement, is maintaining a calendar of campus and community events related to the recent presidential election and its aftermath. "In the wake of the historic 2016 presidential election, we believe that civic engagement — in its many forms — is more important than ever," said Civic Engagement Fellow Rebecca Jacobsen '16. The event listing is housed on the Allbritton Center's Engage blog. Inclusion of an event does not equal endorsement. To submit an event, email engage@wesleyan.edu. "We are committed to transparency, open discourse, and the safety and well-being of all our community members," Jacobsen…
On Nov. 12, the Wesleyan community honored local veterans, as well as students, faculty, staff, alumni and parents who served in the military at "Salute to Service: Honoring Our Veterans." The event was held prior to Wesleyan's last football game vs. Trinity College for the “Battle of the Birds." Wesleyan treated the veterans, including Wesleyan's Posse Foundation Scholars, and their families to a brunch in Daniel Family Commons. Speakers included Wesleyan President Michael Roth; Antonio Farias, vice president for equity and inclusion; City of Middletown Mayor Daniel Drew; and veteran and Wesleyan alumnus Tim Day '59. Following the program, Wesleyan's…
On Nov. 24, dozens of low-income Middletown families will enjoy a Thanksgiving Day feast courtesy of a local food pantry and the Jewett Center for Community Partnerships at Wesleyan. From Oct. 31 to Nov. 18, four Wesleyan students, three alumni and JCCP staff are hosting Middletown Community Thanksgiving Basket Project registration at Amazing Grace Food Pantry in Middletown. Families who sign up will receive a baked turkey and traditional fixings on Thanksgiving Day. In addition, the JCCP is hosting a Stuffing and Gravy Drive (jars or cans) from now until Nov. 18. Boxes are placed in North College, Usdan, Olin, Freeman Athletic Center and Allbritton. Wesleyan volunteers…
Five Doris Duke Conservation Scholars spent the past summer researching sustainability, environmental justice and policy, agriculture, water ecology and ecosystem productivity. As Doris Duke Scholars, Kelly Lam ’19, Gabby Vargas ’18, Emily Murphy ’18, Olivia Won ’18 and Ryan Nelson ’19 received two summer experiential learning and research opportunities at the University of Michigan and the University of Washington. They will return next summer to complete the second segment of their research program. Kelly Lam '19 conducted her research on farms and orchards in the greater Ann Arbor, Mich. area through the University of Michigan School of Natural Resources & Environment.…
(more…)