Olivia DrakeA paper written by Associate Professor of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry Rich Olson and his former students was designated as an "Editor's Pick" by the Journal of Biological Chemistry. Only 2% of the approximately 6,600 papers published each year in the journal receive this designation. Titled "The 1.9 Å crystal structure of the extracellular matrix protein Bap1 from Vibrio cholerae provides insights into bacterial biofilm adhesion," the paper, published on Oct. 4, explores how bacteria "glues" itself to surfaces in the environment. The co-authors include Alison Biester '19, Ethan Chupp '18, Jianyi Lu '17, Charlie Visudharomn '17 and Katherine Kaus PhD…
Lauren RubensteinIn this recurring feature in The Wesleyan Connection, we highlight some of the latest news stories about Wesleyan and our alumni. Wesleyan in the News 1. CT Post: "Former Wesleyan Provost is First Woman President at Hobart and William Smith Colleges" Joyce Jacobsen, formerly Wesleyan's provost and senior vice president for academic affairs and the Andrews Professor of Economics, was inaugurated Oct. 18 as the first woman president of Hobart and William Smith Colleges. At the ceremony, the chairman of the HWS Board of Trustees said: “Dr. Jacobsen enters the presidency of Hobart and William Smith at a time of…
Michael O'BrienJohn Raba, head coach of the Wesleyan men's lacrosse team and adjunct professor of physical education, has been inducted into the Connecticut Lacrosse Hall of Fame for the Class of 2019. "It is an honor and privilege to be inducted into the Connecticut Chapter of US Lacrosse Hall of Fame," said Raba. "I am extremely thankful to the Connecticut Lacrosse Foundation and all of its members for this honor. I feel blessed for what the game of lacrosse has done for me and the relationships that it has allowed me to have. I look forward to serving the lacrosse community…
By grounding oneself in the present moment, mindfulness can help create a free, calm, and content space without any judgment. Tyla Taylor '21, the mindfulness intern for Wesleyan's Office of Religious and Spiritual Life, is working to share the practice of mindfulness with the campus community and beyond. "Our minds are often going at full speed planning the next move, and the one after that," Taylor said. "For me, mindfulness is paying attention to whatever is happening in the present moment, with compassion and non-judgment. From my own practice, I've seen how it's made me a kinder friend, a more…
On Oct. 16, Richard Grossman, chair and professor of economics, discussed the latest unemployment numbers and current state of the economy with Todd Feinburg at WTIC in Hartford. This month, the national unemployment rate has fallen to a new low—3.5%. "Historically, and certainly for the last 10 years, the number peaked at 10% after the financial crisis, and it's been working its way down ever since," Grossman said. "That doesn't mean all is wonderful if you're in the labor force. There's a lot of other things going on ... people working part-time who would like to be working full-time ...…
On Oct. 3, Christiaan Hogendorn, associate professor of economics, presented a paper titled "Unequal Growth in Local Wages: Rail versus Internet Infrastructure" for the City College of New York's Economics Department. David Schwartz ’17 co-authored the paper. And on Oct. 12, Hogendorn presented a paper titled "The Long Tail of Online News Visits” at the 17th Media Economics Workshop in Braga, Portugal. The paper was co-authored by Hengyi Zhu ’15 and Lisa George of Hunter College. He also served as a discussant for a panel on Network-Mediated Knowledge Spillovers in ICT/Information Security.
On Oct. 17, the Wesleyan Weather Station recorded a dramatic drop in atmospheric (barometric) pressure—a drop so severe it compared to one from Hurricane Sandy in November 2012. Between 2 a.m. on Oct. 16 and 2 a.m. on Oct. 17, the pressure dropped from 1020 to 980 millibars, resulting in what meteorologists refer to as bombogenesis or a "bomb cyclone." Bomb cyclones are defined by a drop of more than 24 millibars of pressure over less than 24 hours, and here, the pressure dropped 40 millibars. During Hurricane Sandy the pressure also dropped to 980 millibars. "We've looked through the…
Charles Barber, writer-in-residence in letters, is the author of a new book that tells the dramatic story of William Juneboy Outlaw III. Formerly the head of a major cocaine gang in New Haven, Outlaw turned his life around and now is an award-winning community advocate, leading a team of former felons who negotiate truces between gangs on the very streets that he once terrorized. Barber wrote Citizen Outlaw: One Man's Journey from Gangleader to Peacekeeper, published Oct. 15 by HarperCollins, in collaboration with Outlaw. The two gave a WESeminar and book signing on Nov. 1 at Russell House as part…
Elan Abrell, a fellow in animal studies and philosophy, will be a panelist at 92nd Street Y’s first-ever Food Summit on Nov. 9. The Summit will explore the future of what and how we eat and will include some of the most dynamic and influential figures in the culinary world. Guests will discuss how food brings us together, the future of cookbook publishing, mental health in the food industry, how immigrant chefs continue to transform American cuisine, and much more. Abrell's panel will focus on the topic of "Meat: The Future." He will join experts from the fields of anthropology,…
As the 2020 presidential election season heats up, the Wesleyan Media Project (WMP) is providing important analysis on campaign advertising for researchers and the media alike. Over the summer, Associate Professor of Government Erika Franklin Fowler, co-director of WMP, worked with undergraduate students and others to accelerate the analysis of digital political advertising, which has seen enormous growth this year over previous cycles. In the early summer, WMP hosted a mini-hackathon to begin the process of analyzing political ads on Facebook. They worked with summer students through the Quantitative Analysis Center (QAC), and with Assistant Professor of Computer Science Saray…
Wesleyan faculty frequently publish articles based on their scholarship in The Conversation US, a nonprofit news organization with the tagline “Academic rigor, journalistic flair.” In this article, professor emeritus of government John Finn, a constitutional scholar, examines how anti-abortion and pro-gun "sanctuary" towns popping up across the country are challenging how we understand the power of federal law and its role in the states and the lives of Americans. Finn was also recently interviewed on KJZZ about sanctuary cities (he comes in around 5 minutes). Sanctuaries protecting gun rights and the unborn challenge the legitimacy and role of federal law In June…