All News – Page 180

Writing in Inside Higher Ed, President Michael S. Roth responds to a recent Pew Research Center survey showing a sharp partisan divide in how Americans view higher education. While 58 percent of Republicans and right-leaning independents say colleges are having a negative impact on "the way things are going in the country," 72 percent of Democrats and left-leaning independents see colleges as positive. (more…)

(By K Alshanetsky '17) Composer and musician Simon Riker ’14 showcased the original musical comedy Me Prometheus: Caveman Love Story at this year’s NY Summerfest Theatre Festival over the weekend. Conceived by Riker in 2010 and written in collaboration with friend Emerson Sieverts, the absurd full-length show about the prehistoric discovery of fire was produced first at Wesleyan and again at William and Mary. This summer, Me Prometheus appeared in its third live iteration with four sold-out shows on the New York Theatre Festival stage. In an article for the Times Square Chronicles, Riker is described as a “composer, music director, singer, and…

Adweek named Michele Roberts ’77, executive director—and first female leader—of the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA), to its “30 Most Powerful Women in Sports” list, which features outstanding executives, athletes and journalists, among others. Previously an attorney with Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, Roberts began her career as a public defender in Washington, D.C. In the June 26 article, Adweek’s Tim Baysinger noted that Roberts would be negotiating across the table from league commissioner Adam Silver when the two worked on a new collective bargaining agreement—and Roberts would be trying to avoid a lockout, something her two predecessors were…

Gary Yohe, the Huffington Foundation Professor of Economics and Environmental Studies, writes in HuffPost that the Trump Administration must acknowledge and factor in the effects of climate change when it tackles American infrastructure. (more…)

In June, the Cardinal community joined together to gain an additional $1 million for financial aid for students during Wesleyan’s $1 Million Cardinal Challenge. This year’s Cardinal Challenge was funded through the generosity of the members of Wesleyan’s Board of Trustees, who pledged $500 for financial aid for every gift of any amount to any Wesleyan cause received during the month of June, for a total of up to $1 million. The challenge inspired 2,300 gifts from alumni, parents and friends—securing the additional $1 million for financial aid and bringing a $64 million fundraising year to a successful close. (more…)

Assistant Professor of Government Yamil Velez and Grace Wong '18 are the authors of a new paper, "Assessing Contextual Measurement Strategies," published May 17 in The Journal of Politics. According to the paper's abstract, "Contextual scholars have explored the impact of residing in racially and ethnically diverse environments on political attitudes and behavior. Traditionally, the literature has employed governmental administrative units such as counties as proxies for citizens’ social contexts. Recently, these measures have come under attack by scholars desiring more personalized measures. This article evaluates the performance of two personalized measures of intergroup context and finds that census-based measures are…

Ben Oppenheim ’02, a consulting scientist with Metabiota, a start-up focusing on epidemiological modeling and epidemic risk preparedness, was recently invited to participate in a workshop at the National Academy of Medicine. As a result, Oppenheim and his colleagues wrote an article published in Lancet Global Health titled "Financing of International Collective Action for Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness," based on these meetings. Also writing for the Brookings Institution, Oppenheim further explored the challenges of responding to global outbreaks, offering a four-point plan to protect the global poor during pandemics, with co-author Gavin Yamey. "Post-Ebola and Zika, there's been increasing worry—and debate—about how to prepare…

David Lubell ’98, founder and executive director of Welcoming America, was recently named the 2017 recipient of the prestigious Charles Bronfman Prize, which “recognizes young humanitarians whose work is inspired by their Jewish values and is of universal benefit to all people.” Welcoming America is a non-profit organization that helps communities across the United States become inclusive to immigrants and refugees. Created in 2009, the organization has developed an award-winning social entrepreneurship model, using a local approach to ease tensions and build understanding between new and long-time residents. As rapid demographic shifts are changing communities, Lubell's nationwide network helps newcomers of various backgrounds…

Laura Walker ’79, P'21, president and CEO of New York Public Radio, was named to Crain’s Most Powerful Women list for 2017. “Presiding over the largest public radio station group in the U.S., Laura Walker reaches 26 million listeners every month through the eight stations in her WNYC portfolio,” Crain’s Matthew Flamm wrote. “Dependent on grants and listener contributions—Walker has grown revenue by 68% over the past decade—WNYC has the freedom to explore sensitive issues on air and on demand.” (more…)

Wesleyan's newest students and their families are welcomed to the Wesleyan community during a series of Summer Sendoffs June 20 to Aug. 25. Alumni and parents are hosting the events at various locations around the world. All members of the Wesleyan community are invited to attend the casual socials. Pictured below are photos from a few of the gatherings: (more…)

Scattered throughout campus are remnants of not only Wesleyan's history, but world history. After the closing of the Wesleyan Museum in 1957, thousands of specimens in many collections were displaced, often haphazardly, to nooks, crannies, tunnels, attics, storage rooms, and random cabinets at Exley Science Center, Judd Hall, and the Butterfield and Foss Hill residence complexes. Many of these specimens haven't been accessed in 60 years. "Sadly, few people are aware that Wesleyan has these unique resources," said Ellen Thomas, the University Professor in the College of Integrative Sciences and research professor of earth and environmental sciences. "The collections have not been…

"Tyshawn Sorey Defeats Preconceptions," proclaims the The New Yorker headline on a profile of Wesleyan's newest assistant professor of music, Tyshawn Sorey MA '11, who will join the Wesleyan faculty this fall. "The prodigious multi-instrumentalist and composer transcends the borders of jazz, classical, and experimental music." (more…)

President Roth Examines Campus Intellectual Diversity in an Age of Polarization

Riker ’14 Presents Musical Comedy at Summerfest

Roberts ’77 Makes AdWeek’s ‘Most Powerful Women In Sports’ List

Yohe Writes Infrastructure Planning Must Factor in Climate Change

$1 Million Cardinal Challenge Reaches Its Goal

Velez, Wong ’18 Author Paper in ‘The Journal of Politics’

Oppenheim ’02 Urges Cooperation, Preparation for Pandemic Threats

Lubell ’98 Honored for Humanitarian Work

Walker ’79, P’21, WNYC CEO, Named to Crain’s Most Powerful Women List

New Students Welcomed to Wesleyan at Summer Sendoffs

Students Catalog Wesleyan’s Lost Fossil Collections

The New Yorker Profiles New Wes Faculty Member Sorey MA ’11