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By: Phuc Ngo ’27 President Michael S. Roth ’78 was interviewed on MSNBC’s “The Beat” on Feb. 28 in a segment about the Trump administration’s call for colleges and universities to end diversity, equity, and inclusion-related programs. Roth implored viewers to continue to have conversations with those who disagree with them and to practice democracy. “We will learn more from each other if we have different points of view and different life experiences,” Roth said. The Washington Post spoke with Roth about the new administration’s ‘race-neutral policies.’ “It is a time of intense fear throughout the entire sector,” commented Roth. …

Copper is essential for many key bodily processes—breathing, forming red blood cells and collagen, and keeping the immune system healthy. The body only requires trace amounts of the mineral in its cells, but an imbalance of copper can lead to serious neurological, cognitive, and muscular disorders, according to a recent paper published in the Public Library of Science (PLOS) by Assistant Professor of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry Teresita (Tere) Padilla-Benavides and co-authors. Researchers have identified a copper-binding protein, mCrip2, that plays an important role in skeletal muscle growth regulation and maintaining homeostasis in muscular cells. The research expands the understanding…

Kica Matos, president of the National Immigration Law Center and the Immigrant Justice Fund, began her talk about “Championing Immigrants’ Rights in the Trump Era,” with a few statistics. She noted it had been only 34 days since Inauguration and already the president had issued 10 anti-immigrant executive orders and 36 anti-immigrant policies. “More than one a day,” she said before an audience of students, faculty, and staff at Beckham Hall on Feb. 26. From there, Matos described the fast-changing landscape for immigrants and all Americans. She stated that the Administration was focused on three main priorities. They included radically…

Ian Bassin ’98, Executive Director of Protect Democracy, will deliver the commencement address during Wesleyan University’s 193rd Commencement ceremony on May 25, 2025. Bassin will receive an honorary degree alongside fellow recipients Lael Brainard ’83, P’22, who served as director of the National Economic Council under President Joe Biden, and Percival Everett, celebrated author and Distinguished Professor of English at the University of Southern California. "Wesleyan’s alumni and distinguished honorees have long exemplified the University’s founding principle of contributing to the good of the individual and the good of the world," said President Michael S. Roth. "At a time when…

You might not think of knitting as a form of programming, but it absolutely is, said Sonia Roberts, an assistant professor of Computer Science who is also a core member of the College of Design and Engineering Studies (CoDES) program. “It's a great way to get people introduced to computing,” said Roberts. She learned to knit as a child from her mother, who was looking for a way to get her energetic daughter to sit still. “I think it's also a fantastic way to introduce people to computational manufacturing, if for no other reason than that you can make useful…

For the sixth year in a row, Wesleyan has been recognized as one of the colleges and universities with the highest number of students selected for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government's flagship international academic exchange program. Since 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided over 400,000 talented and accomplished students, scholars, teachers, artists, and professionals of all backgrounds with the opportunity to study, teach, and conduct research abroad. Fulbrighters exchange ideas, build people-to-people connections, and work to address complex global challenges. Fulbright…

When artist Chris Domenick stood in the monumental Main Gallery of the Ezra and Cecile Zilkha Gallery, he observed the way light from the building’s windows worked with his new installation. “It's so cavernous and incredible and the light is so amazing,” he said. The moment marked a milestone—his first solo institutional exhibition, Private Figure, a show that combines floor- and ceiling-based lamps with wall works by the artist. The Zilkha Gallery, Wesleyan University’s home for contemporary art since 1973, is known for encouraging artists to take risks that may not be as welcome at more traditional gallery spaces. For…

Alumnus, professor, and civil rights attorney Theodore M. Shaw ’76 returned to Wesleyan on Feb. 11 to deliver the 2025 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Luncheon keynote address. During his talk, Shaw reminisced about his time at the University, shared highlights of his career, and offered his thoughts about the current political moment. Standing at the podium, Shaw paused to honor the Hall’s namesake, Edgar Beckham, who was the first African American dean at the University. He also recalled that as a student he had played pickup basketball in the same space which was once known as the small…

A film adaptation of Associate Professor of Theater Edwin Sanchez’s play Unmerciful Good Fortune has begun production with Concord Studio. Actress Rosario Dawson will play a lead role and is a producer on the project, according to Deadline. “I think it's about the quality of life versus the quantity of life and who gets to decide that,” Sanchez said. “And how sometimes the people we love need more from us than maybe we're ready to give.” Unmerciful Good Fortune is a story about a high-profile lawyer, Maritza Cruz, who is pulled into a peculiar case of a young waitress, Fatima,…

By: Phuc Ngo ’27 Sixty countries are represented in Wesleyan’s community, and over 70 languages spoken. This rich diversity of language and culture is the focus of the third annual Power of Language Week (POL) at Wesleyan. From Feb. 13 to 21, the Fries Center for Global Studies, in partnership with the Office of International Student Affairs, the Resource Center, and several academic departments, is hosting a series of events that celebrate the history of language and multilingual students—from language learners to heritage speakers to international students. “Language is something that we use not only to communicate, but to convey…

In 2018, author and journalist Pagan Kennedy ’84 became intrigued by news reports about rape kits and the backlog in processing them. The scandal of nearly a half million kits left untested fascinated her and was the start of a research journey that led to her most recent book, The Secret History of the Rape Kit: A True Crime Story (Penguin Random House). “The more I thought about it, the more amazing it seemed to me that this kit existed at all—that there was this nationwide, very elaborate system for collecting sexual assault evidence seemed to me kind of a…

By: Rose Chen ’26 In the summer of 2024, Oleksandra Volakova ’27 received a Wesleyan Summer Grant to travel to Poland, where she documented the impacts of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and interviewed refugees from the war. She then returned to her hometown of Kremenchuk in eastern Ukraine, and decided to continue the project by travelling around the country and hearing from other survivors throughout the region. On Feb. 5, Volakova shared her research “Three Years of Full-Scale War: How Ukrainians Continue to Resist and Stay Hopeful” during a talk at the Wasch Center for Retired Faculty. “As a…

Wesleyan in the News: March 2025

Researcher Studies Role of Copper in Muscle Development

Expert Talk on Immigrant Rights and Democracy

193rd Commencement Honorary Degree Recipients

CoDES Faculty Debut Computational Knitting Machine

Wesleyan Named Fulbright Top Producer for Sixth Year

Chris Domenick, Parker Ito Reimagine Painting in Zilkha Gallery

Theodore Shaw ’76 Gives Annual MLK Talk

Film Adaptation of Sanchez Play in Production

Preview – Power of Language Week 2025

Alum’s Book Reveals Untold History of Rape Kits

Ukrainian Student Shares Stories of Survival