All News – Page 175

On Sept. 1, drummers and dancers representing several cultures led the incoming Class of 2021 in a performance on Andrus Field as students embodied dances from different world cultures during the “Common Moment” of New Student Orientation. This year’s first-year students learned Caribbean, modern, Brazilian, Indian, and West African dances from Iddi Saaka, Dance Department artist-in-residence, and other master teachers. The event culminated with a performance by Prometheus, Wesleyan's fire-spinning group. The Common Moment is sponsored by the Center for the Arts. A video and photos of the Common Moment are below: (Photos by Sandy Aldieri of Perceptions Photography) (more…)

Wesleyan is making determined efforts to hire individuals from historically underrepresented groups, which have resulted in significant advances lately. In 2017, 45 percent of staff hired (not including faculty) were of color — a dramatic increase from 26.4 percent the year before and the previous five-year high of 30.6 percent in 2014. Overall, 22.8 percent of staff identify themselves as of color. Julia Hicks, chief human resources officer, points out that increasing diversity in the workplace has been shown to improve organizational performance. Diversity fosters inclusive cultures where individual differences are respected, teamwork is promoted, and intercultural competence and respect…

Wesleyan President Michael Roth shared these remarks with the Wesleyan Community on Aug. 29: Dear friends, Welcome to our university’s 186th academic year! This fall marks my 10th year as president of Wesleyan. I’m using this occasion to try to look at our university with fresh eyes: What could we do better? What should we preserve, and what should we change? I look forward to feedback from all around campus and will be meeting with a wide variety of groups throughout the fall. In recent months, we’ve worked to strengthen the curriculum – hiring new faculty and preparing new programs…

In this Q&A, we speak with Rob Borman, grounds manager for Physical Plant. "The trees we are planting this year are creating the face of Wesleyan 100 years from now," Borman says. Offering a guided tour of the central campus, he noted recent plantings, the decision process behind those choices, and the history of what felled any previous trees on those spots. He also focused on present details, taking note of the health of the foliage—color and thickness—as well as any recent stressors, like extreme weather or insect-related events, which may be affecting these future giants of Wesleyan. Q: When did you…

Wesleyan University women's lacrosse head coach Kim Williams was honored by the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Association (IWLCA), as she was named the 2017 Berkshire Region Coach of the Year following a historic season. The regional coach of the year award is the second postseason accolade for Williams, who was also named the 2017 NESCAC Coach of the Year during the spring. In just her second year at the helm of the program, Williams led Wesleyan to its best season in program history. The Cardinals finished 11-6 overall and 7-3 in the ultra-competitive NESCAC, setting program records for overall wins and…

On July 13, Wesleyan's Campus Community Emergency Response Team (C-CERT) welcomed 11 new members to the group. Formed in September 2009, Wesleyan’s C-CERT members are trained to assist first responders, provide immediate assistance to victims, and organize volunteers at a disaster site. (more…)

The Mattabesset String Collective is a five-piece Wesleyan-affiliated acoustic ensemble playing an eclectic mix of bluegrass, blues, folk, mountain, country and rock, all in a string band style. The group’s name, Mattabesset, is the Algonquian name for the region that became Middletown. “Since our music reaches back into history, we thought it was appropriate. We were attracted to the term collective because it suggests the egalitarian nature of our enterprise,” said band member Marc Eisner, dean of the Social Sciences Division, the Henry Merritt Wriston Chair in Public Policy, professor of government, professor of environmental studies. The band performed July 29…

The Office of Human Resources announces the following hires, transitions and departures for May-August 2017. HIRES Patrick Bohan, Video Producer in Creative Services on May 1 Jeremiah Kenney, Public Safety Dispatcher on May 29 Erin Ogrean, Administrative Assistant in Academic Writing on May 30 Elizabeth Morrison, Admissions Coordinator in Graduate Liberal Studies on June 5 William Ollayos, Area Coordinator in Office of Residential Life on June 12 Heather Fox, Assistant Director, Wesleyan Events and Conferences on June 19 Robert Mirabal, Director of Student Accounts on June 19 Matthew Coyne, Assistant Football Coach; Defensive Coordinator and Linebackers in Athletics on July 6…

In this Q&A, we speak with Michelle Personick, assistant professor of chemistry, assistant professor of integrative sciences. Personick, who joined the faculty at Wesleyan in 2015, is interested in developing tailored metal nanomaterials that improve the clean production of energy and enable the efficient use of energy resources. Her work has recently been published in the journals Particle and Particle Systems Characterization and American Chemical Society Catalysis. Q: Professor Personick, how would you describe your main research interests? A: The main research areas in my group are controlling the shape and composition of noble metal nanocrystals, and exploring the use of these nanoparticles…

What might be most obvious about Tracey Stanley, an administrative assistant in the registrar’s office for 10 years (out of a 20-year total at Wesleyan), is that she is the on-campus go-to “mom” for many students—those she supervises in her office, those who appear at the registrar’s window looking lost, and those she mentors through AFCA, the Administrators and Faculty of Color Association, for which she has served as co-chair. Warm, outspoken, determined and with a strong protective instinct, Stanley also is a union steward. What colleagues might not know is that Stanley is an avid quilter. She began teaching…

This year, Wesleyan's four home football games each offer a highlight to draw fans from near and far to Corwin Stadium on Andrus Field. The first home game, Saturday, Sept. 23, against Tufts, is a night game — "The second home night game in Wesleyan's history," notes Athletic Director Mike Whalen ’83. "I'm thinking of it as our time to focus on Middletown, and we're reaching out to local high schools. Dario Highsmith ’20, a sophomore running back—an outstanding player—graduated from Middletown High. He's a former Gatorade High School Player of the Year, and someone to watch." On Saturday, Oct. 7,…

Building on the efforts of the previous committee, the 2016-2017 Title IX Policy Committee is busy reviewing and revising important processes, many of which coincided with recommendations made by a Victims Rights Law Center report. As a result: The name of the “One Policy” has changed to: Policy Prohibiting Discriminatory Harassment & Sexual Misconduct. With significant student input, the process for investigating and resolving student sexual misconduct complaints has been completely revised. You can learn more about the new process starting on page 25 of the Student Handbook. Sexual Violence Resources are linked inside WesPortal. They lead to a new Title IX website for students.…

Class of 2021 Participates in ‘Common Moment’ on Andrus Field

Wesleyan Makes Efforts to Hire Underrepresented Employees

Update from the President’s Office

Staff Spotlight: Borman Planting Trees for Wesleyan’s Next Century

Williams Named 2017 Berkshire Region Coach of the Year

C-CERT Welcomes 11 New Members

Faculty/Staff Band Mattabesset String Collective Performs

Staff on the Move May-August 2017

Faculty Spotlight: Michelle Personick

When the Stars Align: Stanley’s Most Challenging Quilt

4 Home Football Games Highlight Community, Athletes, Service, Alumni

Title IX Policy Committee Updates Processes