Bill Fisher

#THISISWHY On Giving Tuesday, Dec. 2, the Wesleyan community joined together in an unprecedented show of support for students. More than 2,000 Cardinals made gifts totaling more than $500,000 — far exceeding the original goal of 1,000 gifts for the day — and setting a record for the largest number of gifts Wesleyan has ever received in one day. The university thanks all the members of our community who made gifts, the hundreds of volunteers who gave their time and passion, and Catherine Klema P'13 and David Resnick '81, P'13 who provided an inspirational challenge: when Wesleyan reached its goal…

With his Wesleyan undergraduate and graduate students, Assistant Professor of Astronomy Seth Redfield studies exoplanets, the local interstellar medium, and stellar and exoplanetary atmospheres. He talks about the unique opportunity offered through his exoplanet program at Wesleyan, in which students at the undergraduate level participate in cutting-edge research. [youtube]http://youtu.be/PNP5Cgc10go[/youtube] #THISISWHY

Melody Oliphant '13, who double majored in neuroscience and behavior and history at Wes, is now a research associate in a neurogenetics lab at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York City. “I’m often awestruck at the seemingly limitless answers to the question, ‘What makes Wesleyan special?’ or ‘What excited me about Wesleyan?’ Yet, in some form or fashion, the answer always remains the same: the people, the sense of community. Throughout my Wesleyan experience, I participated in a disparate array of activities and academic pursuits ranging from environmental activism to my double major, from founding a sorority to participating in…

On the eve of the fourth season of HBO’s fantasy hit Game of Thrones, Wesleyan Visiting Writer in English Jim Windolf talks with series creators D.B. Weiss ’93 and David Benioff and novelist George R.R. Martin – on whose works the show is based – in Vanity Fair: “Based on ‘A Song of Ice and Fire,’ the epic series of fantasy novels by George R. R. Martin, the show seemed like an odd fit for HBO. But Benioff and Weiss believed it was in the tradition of The Sopranos,Deadwood, Oz, and other HBO shows in that it would breathe new life into a tired or…

On the eve of the fourth season of HBO's fantasy hit Game of Thrones, Wesleyan Visiting Writer in English Jim Windolf talks with series creators D.B. Weiss '93 and David Benioff and novelist George R.R. Martin – on whose works the show is based – in Vanity Fair: "Based on 'A Song of Ice and Fire,' the epic series of fantasy novels by George R. R. Martin, the show seemed like an odd fit for HBO. But Benioff and Weiss believed it was in the tradition of The Sopranos, Deadwood, Oz, and other HBO shows in that it would breathe…

Nataly Kogan '98 is the co-founder and "chief happiness officer" of Happier.com, a Boston-based happiness company. Kogan immigrated to the United States with her parents from the former Soviet Union when she was thirteen and spent two decades "chasing the big happy," as she calls it. But when even her achievements failed to make her truly happy, Nataly turned to science and became inspired to stop saying "I'll be happy when..." and start thinking "I'm happier now because..." Kogan was a student in the College of Social Studies and met her husband, Avi Grossman Spivack '99, while they were working…

Meet Wesleyan's scholar-athletes, and find out how their athletic pursuits play a key part in their Wesleyan education in this new video. Wesleyan's Athletic Department strives to be the most innovative and successful athletic program in the prestigious New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) and a leader at the national level. As an integral part of the overall educational process, athletics at Wesleyan are uniquely positioned to enhance a liberal arts education. Wesleyan coaches share the same goal as the entire Wesleyan community: to transform the lives of our students. [youtube]http://youtu.be/tRecCais9PA[/youtube]

On Oct. 22, 2013, in a historic San Francisco industrial space that once housed the printing plant of William Randolph Hearst, nearly 100 Wesleyan alumni and friends enjoyed an intimate and thought-provoking conversation with two of the nation's foremost voices on food and the food industry: Michael Pollan P'15 and Jonathan Bloom '99. The occasion was "Table Talk," an event underwritten by generous Wesleyan donors to help support financial aid; the place was The Box San Francisco, in the South of Market district. President Michael Roth welcomed guests to the event and introduced Pollan and Bloom. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adX_2JUPqzM[/youtube] Watch this video…

Brooks Kraft '87 has been named 2013 International Photographer of the Year, the top honor given by the International Photography Awards (IPA) in its annual competition. The award was announced at New York's Carnegie Hall during the 11th annual Lucie Awards ceremony recognizing the accomplishments of photographers working in editorial, advertising, journalism, fine art, fashion and beyond. The IPA's competition is one of the most ambitious and comprehensive in the photography world today; this year's field included more than 10,000 entries from 103 countries. Kraft received the top honor for his portfolio "The Last Days of Barack Obama’s Campaign," which…

Rick Gilberg '74, P'16, P'14 describes his Wesleyan education as a "game-changer." The son of working-class parents who never attended college, Gilberg was able to attend Wesleyan only with the support of a generous financial aid package. A religion major in the College of Letters, he says the opportunity enabled him to discover sides of himself he never knew existed. Gilberg is now a labor attorney in New York with two children attending Wesleyan. Watch the video below: [youtube]http://youtu.be/M4HH70Toq3s[/youtube] #THIS IS WHY

A neuroscience major who is also pursuing the writing certificate, Rama Nakib '16 comes to Wesleyan from Iraq. Around campus, she is a monitor in the Ezra and Cecile Zilkha Gallery, performs slam poetry, writes for the student-run blog Wesleying, and is known for her sewing and tailoring skills, which she shares with other students. After graduation, Rama wants to pursue a medical career while remaining involved in activism for women's rights in the Middle East. Watch this video and more on Wesleyan's Video @ Wesleyan site. [youtube]http://youtu.be/Jq1EesAwZFs[/youtube] #THISISWHY

In this video, Ethan Kleinberg, director of the Center for the Humanities, professor of letter, professor of history, talks with Hayden White, professor of comparative literature at Stanford University, about history, theory and the humanities. White is the former director of the Center for the Humanities at Wesleyan. Watch this video and many more on the Video @ Wesleyan website. [youtube width="640" height="420"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViG30Fkz2cI&feature=share&list=UUxYjyka74gKQqR_tJz8jB-A[/youtube] #THISISWHY

Record Support for Students on Giving Tuesday 2014

Redfield on Exoplanets and the Local Interstellar Medium

Oliphant ’13 on the Sense of Community at Wesleyan

Visiting Writer Windolf Interviews Game of Thrones Creator Weiss ’93

Visiting Writer Windolf on Game of Thrones and Creator Weiss ’93

Kogan ’98 Speaks on the Secret of Happier

Meet Wesleyan’s Scholar-Athletes

Alumni, Friends Attend Food Waste Conversation with Pollan ’15, Bloom ’99

Kraft ’87 Receives 2013 International Photographer of the Year Award

Gilberg ’74: Wesleyan Education was a “Game-Changer”

Neuroscience Major Nakib ’16 a Slam Poet, Blogger, Sewing Expert

Kleinberg Speaks with Former Humanities Director White about History, Theory