Lauren Rubenstein Read the following words in your head: Incense Lemon Kick Though it may be happening on a subconscious level, all these words share an important feature: They all evoke a sensation or perceptual experience in the mind of the reader. Incense brings to mind a particular scent; lemon, a tart taste in the mouth; and kick activates a part of the brain responsible for motor behavior. Research suggests that these mental reactions occur very quickly—within fractions of a second—after reading a word. In the Eye Movement and Reading Lab at Wesleyan, Barbara Juhasz, assistant professor of psychology, assistant professor…
Olivia DrakeDuring the 2012-2013 academic year, Wesleyan will celebrate and study the sounds, words and spirit of music in public at the local, national and transnational levels through concerts, workshops, gatherings and courses, all designed to cross disciplines and to engage both the campus and regional communities. Wesleyan's new Music and Public Life series, presented by the Center for the Arts and Music Department, has a global scope and features performances and lectures by scholars and artists from nine different countries. Events during the fall semester include the New England premiere of “Voices of Afghanistan” (Sept. 28) and concerts by Noah…
David PesciIn this issue of The Wesleyan Connection, we ask “5 Questions” of William "Vijay" Pinch, professor of history. Pinch spent five weeks this summer interacting with maritime scholars and working in the archives and library at Mystic Seaport. Q: What were you studying at Mystic Seaport this summer? A: From June 25 to to July 27, I was privileged to be a student in a "summer institute" at Mystic Seaport, focused on "The American Maritime People." The institute is usually pitched to graduate students, but every few years it is offered to college and university faculty with support from the National…
"Common Ground 2012," the 4th annual Middletown International Film Festival, kicks off Oct. 11 with a screening of My Voice (Nha Fala), a 2002 film in Portuguese directed by Flora Gomes. The film will be shown at 7 p.m. at Wesleyan's Film Studies Department. Five more films from around the world will be aired as part of the festival. They are: Thursday, Oct. 18 at Russell Library Seraphine (French, 2008) Directed by Martin Provost Thursday, Oct. 25 at Russell Library The Concert (Russian, 2009) Directed by Radu Mihaileanu Thursday, Nov. 1 at Wesleyan Film Studies Poetry (Korean, 2010) Directed by Chang-dong Lee Thursday,…
Thirsty for money? Build a Wesleyan water station and win a $1,000 cash prize! As a part of its commitment to becoming a bottled water-free campus, Wesleyan is seeking alternatives to hydrate the campus community at outdoor events. The Sustainability Office, Center for the Arts, The Patricelli Center for Social Entrepreneurship, and the College of the Environment are co-sponsoring a student competition to design a mobile water station, which will be used at Reunion & Commencement, Homecoming/Family Weekend, and other outdoor events. (more…)
Wesleyan will host the 13th annual Molecular Biophysics and Biological Chemistry Retreat Sept. 27. The public is invited. Bertrand García-Moreno, professor and chair of the Department of Biophysics at John Hopkins University will deliver the keynote lecture at 4:15 p.m. He will speak on "Molecular Determinants of Electrostatic Effects in Proteins." García-Moreno investigates the relationships between protein structure, function, energetics, and dynamics with an emphasis on electrostatic properties that govern the actions of proteins in all biological processes. His research on ionizable groups buried in the hydrophobic interior of proteins provides fundamental insights into their special chemical properties and critical…
Laura Grabel updated a state legislature committee on her lab's research into stem cell therapies for epilepsy
Q&As with outstanding students is an occasional feature of The Wesleyan Connection. This issue we speak with Catherine MacLean from the Class of 2014. Q: Catherine, what are you majoring in at Wesleyan, and why? A: I am a biology and science and society double major. I have been fascinated by biology for quite a long time, so I was pretty sure I wanted to study it when I came to Wesleyan. I am very interested in the way that such basic low-level structures can combine synergistically to give rise to an organism and the complexity of life. The combination…
David Hall, grounds and events manager, received a Cardinal Achievement Award in August. Hall was honored for demonstrating extraordinary initiative or providing outstanding service with regard to specific tasks in his department. This special honor comes with a $150 award and reflects the university’s gratitude for those extra efforts. The award recipients are nominated by department chairs and supervisors. Nominations can be made anytime throughout the year. For more information or to nominate a staff member for the award, visit the Human Resources website and scroll down to Cardinal Achievement Award under “Forms.” Recipients will continue to be recognized in The Wesleyan Connection.
Melvin "Mel" Strauss, adjunct professor of music, emeritus, died Sept. 5 following a prolonged illness. During his time at Wesleyan, Strauss directed and conducted the University Orchestra and Concert Choir and also served as director of the Private Music Lessons Program, which he helped to rejuvenate. Born in Newark, N.J., in 1929, Strauss earned his bachelor of arts degree in humanities from Rutgers University, and his master of arts degree in musicology from New York University. Subsequently, Strauss worked with Leonard Bernstein at Tanglewood (then the Berkshire Music Center), and it was through Strauss's involvement at Tanglewood, with the Boston…
(more…)
Wesleyan hired the following new employees in July, August and September: Alexis Sturdy joined the Office of Community Partnerships on July 2. Joseph Giaimo joined University Relations on July 2. Jennifer Kleindienst joined the Office of Finance and Administration on July 2. Nicola Bennett joined University Relations on July 16. Scott Houser joined the Financial Aid Office on July 16. Evan Carney joined the Office of Admission on July 23. David Baird joined Information Technology Services on Aug. 1. Rachel Ludwig joined the Physical Education Department on Aug. 1. Rachel Cross joined the Office of Admission on Aug. 1. Robert…