Olivia Drake – Page 92

With 2.25 million citizens behind bars, America incarcerates more people than any other country. The Wesleyan Center for Prison Education is proud to present the 15th Annual Shasha Seminar for Human Concerns: The Role of the University in the Era of Mass Incarceration. Join students, alumni, faculty, and leading experts from across the country on Oct. 14-15 to discuss this pressing issue and examine the university’s role in addressing it. Registration is open now. Speakers will lead panels on the following topics: Mass Incarceration and the University Curriculum, The Role of University-Produced Scholarship in Public Policy, College-in-Prison’s Effect on Incarcerated Students:…

The Center for the Arts hosted the Common Moment Sept. 2 on Andrus Field. As one of the culminating experiences of New Student Orientation, the Common Moment brought the Class of 2020 together as they experienced cultures and dance from around the world. Prometheus, Wesleyan's fire-spinning group, also performed during the Common Moment. Photos of the event are below and in this Wesleyan Center for the Arts photo gallery. (Photos by Sandy Aldieri of Perceptions Photography) (more…)

Michael Weir, professor of biology, professor of integrative sciences, received a grant worth $491,599 from the National Institutes of Health in September. Weir will use the award to better understand how ribosomes — the machines that make proteins — choose sequences in mRNAs (messenger ribonucleic acids) to start protein translation. "This is an ongoing challenge in biology and is of great importance for investigations of cell function," Weir said. Weir is testing the hypothesis that sequences downstream of the translation start codon of mRNAs can form transient base pairs with a conserved sequence in 18S ribosomal RNA (called the 530…

Frederick Cohan, professor of biology, professor of environmental studies, presented his research poster, "Genetic Sweeps by Whisk Brooms and Garage Brooms — the Role of Ecology" at the 16th annual International Symposium on Microbial Ecology, held Aug. 21-26 in Montreal. Cohan presented his models on the origins of bacterial species, in particular that the rate a bacterial group forms new species is determined by the foods it consumes. Microbial ecology is the study of microbes in the environment and their interactions with each other. The International Society for Microbial Ecology is the principle non-profit scientific society for the burgeoning field of microbial ecology and its…

The new school year ushers in a wide array of emotions for both new and returning students – from feelings of excitement over leaving home for the first time among first-year students, to anxiety and nostalgia over post-graduation plans among seniors. Amidst those emotions, students will face challenges in balancing their academic workload, socializing with friends, participating in extra-curricular activities, and maintaining family relationships — all within limited financial and time constraints. As the school year progresses, it may become increasingly challenging for students to strike a healthy balance across these various aspects of their university life. The unfortunate result for…

Inspired by Fete de la Musique, also known as World Music Day, the fifth annual MASH highlighted Wesleyan's student music scene on Sept. 9. The 5 1/2 hour concert, sponsored by the Center for the Arts, featured 22 bands performing at four different venues on campus including Olin Library, the North College Lawn, Center for the Arts and Foss Hill. Musical acts included Slavei, Hari, Slender James, Birchbark, Fortune Plays Sax, Anna Savage, Sneaky Boy, MEG, Dinomanic, Yer Trash, the good lonely, Mom, Rui Barbosa, BOSSY, Lo-Qi, McCleary McCleary, Going Up North for the Weekend, Slouch, The Highlanders, Jal & Locus, Chef and El Niño. Each band performed for about 20 minutes.

Victoria Pitts-Taylor, chair and professor of feminist, gender and sexuality studies, is the editor of Mattering: Feminism, Science and Materialism published by NYU Press in August 2016. Anthony Hatch, assistant professor of science in society, co-authored a chapter in the collection titled "Prisons Matter: Psychotropics and the Trope of Silence in Technocorrections." Mattering presents contemporary feminist perspectives on the materialist or ‘naturalizing’ turn in feminist theory, and also represents the newest wave of feminist engagement with science. The volume addresses the relationship between human corporeality and subjectivity, questions and redefines the boundaries of human/non-human and nature/culture, elaborates on the entanglements of…

This fall, Wesleyan welcomes 55 new faculty including 15 new tenured and tenure-track faculty, 33 visiting faculty and seven fellows. They come from top PhD programs throughout the country with expertise ranging from private protocols for computer networks to sleep and psychosocial adjustments to intersectionality of body size, race and gender. Three tenure-track faculty also are Wesleyan alumni. The 2016-17 group represents the most diverse class of new faculty to date. (more…)

Wesleyan welcomed more than 840 new, transfer, international and exchange students and their families to the Wesleyan community on Aug. 31. Nick Ticali ’20 left home in Long Island, N.Y. at 5:30 a.m. to make it to Wesleyan early. His sister, Allana, and father, Vinny, helped Nick move his belongings into his West College student residence. "I'm really excited about Wesleyan's interdisciplinary, cross-curriculum majors, because I want to study biology and theater," he said. Nick played varsity soccer in high school and may play club soccer at Wesleyan. Nancy Auerbach helped her daughter Dalia ’20 move to her room in Bennet Hall on Arrival Day. The…

Wesleyan's Student Academic Resources Peer Advisors are sophomores, juniors and seniors who assist new students with Wesleyan's faculty advising program and enhance student access to academic resources beginning with New Student Orientation and continuing throughout the year. Peer Advisors receive training, provide individualized peer advice and facilitate workshops for groups of students regarding metacognitive learning strategies, time management, public speaking, study and exam preparation strategies. In combination with other important advising resources (e.g., registration materials sent in the summer, the on-line advisee guidelines, residence hall meetings, etc.), Peer Advisors assist new students in preparing for their individual meetings with their faculty advisors. In addition,…

Wesleyan welcomed more than 140 international students and U.S. citizens living abroad to campus this week. On Aug. 30, they gathered for a group photo, dinner and skits. Sixteen percent of the entire Class of 2020 hail from 34 other countries including Austria and Belgium to Tanzania, Tunisia and the Ukraine. “This is the most truly global class in Wesleyan history with students of more than 50 nationalities who bring an incredible range of international, multicultural backgrounds and experiences to the Wesleyan community," said Nancy Hargrave Meislahn, dean of admission and financial aid. After arriving on campus Aug. 27-28, the Office of…

This fall, Wesleyan welcomes 32 new PhD and MA students, 22 new BA/MA students, nine foreign language teaching assistants and two new writing fellows to campus. Wesleyan offers Graduate Studies programs leading to the Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy degrees. Anne Burke, professor of biology, is the 2016-17 director of Graduate Studies, and Cheryl-Ann Hagner is director of Graduate Student Services. On Aug. 30, the new graduate students mingled with former graduate students and Wesleyan faculty at a welcome picnic held at Exley Science Center. Graduate Student Orientation was held Aug. 29-30. (Photos by Olivia Drake) (more…)

“The Role of the University in the Era of Mass Incarceration” Topic of 15th Annual Shasha Seminar Oct. 14-15

Class of 2020 Experiences Different Cultures, Dance Styles at Common Moment

NIH to Support Weir’s Research on Ribosome Protein Translation

Cohan Presents Research at Microbial Ecology Symposium

Tavernier Suggests Ways Students Can Establish and Maintain Healthy Sleep

Student Music Scene Celebrated at The MASH

Pitts-Taylor Edits Collection on Feminist Science Studies and the Brain’s Body

Wesleyan Welcomes 55 New Faculty

Wesleyan Welcomes Class of 2020 on Arrival Day (with photos and video)

Peer Advisors Enhance Student Access to Academic Resources

ISO Helps International Students Become Acclimated to Campus Life

Wesleyan Welcomes Graduate Students, TAs, Fellows