Lauren RubensteinProfessor of Economics Richard Grossman recently presented the keynote address at a conference held at the Austrian National Bank. The presentation, made on March 11, was titled, "Interest rate cycles and implications for the financial sector: a long-term view." A summary is available here. The conference was jointly sponsored by Austria's central bank (the Oesterreichische Nationalbank), SUERF (the European Money and Finance Forum), and BWG (the Austrian Society for Bank Research).
Kari Weil, the University Professor of Letters, was a guest on WNPR's "The Faith Middleton Show" to discuss how our evolving understanding of animals should affect how we treat them personally and professionally. They began by discussing the announcement that Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey would stop using elephants in their circus performances within three years. "I think there is a fine line between use and abuse," said Weil."I don't think all use is abuse. I think animals depend on us, we depend on them. We can use certain animals for certain things, but when we're down to exploitive techniques like bull hooks…
Cynthia RockwellLaura Kurash ’13, a chemistry and Hispanic literature and culture major at Wesleyan—as well as women’s soccer standout with NESCAC Player of the Year honors—was highlighted in a “Meet a Wesleyan Student” video as an undergraduate. Now a second-year medical student at Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia, Kurash responded to a request for an update—what she enjoys now, what she misses from the Wes campus, assessing new academic rigors, and the ways that Wesleyan prepared her for these challenges: “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss Wes soccer almost every day,” Kurash said, although, ever positive,…
Olivia DrakeWesleyan’s Board of Trustees approved a resolution Feb. 28 to consider “environmental, social or governance factors” as part of the university’s investment process. The resolution speaks to concerns that students at Wesleyan and across the country have raised regarding investments in fossil fuel companies. Coal companies have been a particular focus because the burning of coal is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. The Board action – under consideration by its Investment Committee for some time – followed a meeting between the Investment Committee and the Committee for Investor Responsibility (CIR), composed of student, faculty and staff representatives. The…
President Michael Roth reviewed The End of College by Kevin Carey for The Atlantic. Though it might be tempting to dismiss the book as just another doomsday declaration about higher education, writes Roth, Carey's "call for more accessible student-centered universities is a powerful response to some of the real problems that beset these institutions today." Carey visits a handful of colleges and universities, including some--Harvard, Stanford, MIT--that admit fewer than 10 percent of applicants. "This dynamic of exclusivity is, Carey contends, about to change. Big time," writes Roth. Carey signs up for an online biology class from MIT, and proudly reports his test scores.…
Lori Gruen, professor and chair of philosophy, writes in Al Jazeera about the announcement this month by Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey that it would phase out the use of elephants in circus shows by 2018 in response to a "mood shift among our consumers." Gruen explores how this public change in attitudes came to be. She credits, in part, "the tireless animal activists who appear regularly, rain or shine, to protest when the circus comes to town." These activists highlight the cruel and unhealthy living conditions imposed upon the elephants, such as having their legs chained, lacking adequate exercise, and withstanding…
#THISISWHY Nearly everyone who attended Wesleyan has fond memories of time spent on Foss Hill. Whether it’s sledding in the winter, studying or lounging with friends on a sunny day, taking in a great concert, or engaging in a spirited political debate, Foss Hill has been a central part of the Wesleyan experience for generations of students. This year on April 2, Wesleyan will celebrate the inaugural Foss Hill Day. The theme of the day will be “Foss Hill: Our Common Ground,” and the university will share Foss Hill facts, student profiles and experiences of Foss Hill on social media and elsewhere.…
#THISISWHY In this News @ Wesleyan story, we speak with Brent Packer from the Class of 2015. Q: Brent, where are you from and what are you majoring in? A: I was born and raised in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Growing up nearby Amish farms and having tortoises, dogs and a semi-domesticated duck scampering around my house piqued my environmental interests. At Wesleyan, I’m a member of the College of the Environment with a double major in economics and environmental studies. Q: You are the founder of Potlux, an online community where collegiate sustainability initiatives are aggregated and shared. What is the…
The Exley Science Center’s first level, which underwent renovations earlier this year, has been outfitted with all new furniture, offering a variety of seating options. According to Brandi Hood, senior project coordinator with Construction Services, the lobby boasts 34 new lounge seats with end tables (each with USB and power outlets); four tables with 15 low-top study seats; six tables with 24 high-top café seats; and nine standing countertop kiosks for those looking to charge a cell phone or take a quick break. “This seating was chosen to provide a variety of comfortable, single and group seats, (more…)
A gaggle of geese grazed on a patch of grass March 10 on Andrus Field. Canada geese are year round residents in Connecticut. They look for wide open spaces to feed and breed. (Photos by Olivia Drake) (more…)
On Feb. 27, representatives from seven Wesleyan athletic teams visited Woodrow Wilson Middle School in Middletown to promote the anti-bullying message "if it's mean, then intervene" with about 300 seventh and eighth graders. The student-athletes worked with the school's RAM Pride Patrol program, which is run by seventh grade teacher and Wesleyan alumnus Anthony Albrech '08. Albrecht organized the participation by Wesleyan athletes with Jeff McDonald, assistant football coach. McDonald drafted 16 student athletes from the men's and women's lacrosse teams, men's hockey team, football, men’s tennis team, women’s basketball and men’s track to come to the school for two separate presentations.…
The Board of Trustees and volunteer leaders attended a reception Feb. 27 in the Career Center. About 100 alumni, students, faculty, staff and other guests participated in the event. (Photos by John Van Vlack) (more…)