Olivia DrakeAlthough Japan lacks large national environmental advocacy organizations, it has one of the best records of environmental policymaking in the world. Japan is one of the top producers of clean energy technology and hosted the global Kyoto Protocol that has set the standard for climate change policy worldwide. For the next 12 months, Mary Alice Haddad will use Japan’s experience of environmental activism to build a broader theory of civic participation. She will test and refine a theory through the examination of environmental politics and civic participation in China, Korea, Thailand, Taiwan and Singapore. Her research is supported by the…
For two years, music graduate student Garrett Field will live in Sri Lanka studying the lives, music, poetry and writing of three composers who influenced Jatika Gi, the Sinhala nationalist poetry-song. As a 2010 recipient of a Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad (DDRA) fellowship, Field will have the opportunity to complete his dissertation on Sunil Santha, W.D. Amaradeva, and Ananda Samarakone - whose careers, music, and poetry articulated different strands of Sinhalese nationalist thought. The fellowship comes with a $26,000 award. “The Jatika Gi artists played a significant role in the development of Sinhala cultural nationalism and thus served as…
David PesciDana Royer, assistant professor of earth and environmental sciences, has been awarded the Donath Medal by the Geological Society of America (GSA). The Donath Medal is presented to "a young scientist (35 years or younger) for outstanding achievement in contribution to geologic knowledge through research which marks a major advance in the earth sciences." Royer's research interests include global change, paleoclimatology, carbon cycle, paleoecology, paleobotany, plant physiology and light stable isotope geochemistry. He has done extensive studies which have established evidence on how plants affected ancient ecosystems, drawing parallels and evidence from current plant life and conditions. The presentation of the Donath…
The Greek Titan Metis was considered the goddess of wisdom and deep thought. Her name in Greek also means “wisdom combined with cunning,” a highly desirable personality trait to the ancient Athenians. This year, a group of Wesleyan students with a knowledge and interest in Classical studies, released their own collection of “cunning wisdom” in a publication titled Wesleyan Metis. The Metis editorial board draws on the abilities and creativity of Wesleyan students to showcase their best examples of undergraduate Classics writing. “Classical studies go far beyond ancient languages and, as evidenced by the essays in the journal, include studies…
Bill Holder If you’ve enjoyed attending Wesleyan events, chances are that you have Gemma Fontanella Ebstein to thank. As associate vice president for external relations, she has had an ever-evolving set of responsibilities, but one constant has been ensuring that events for alumni, parents and the campus community are first rate. Under her direction, for example, Wesleyan merged Commencement and Reunion weekends into one event that rapidly has become a valued Wesleyan tradition. “Gemma has great management instincts and I can absolutely count on her to get things done,” says Barbara-Jan Wilson, vice president for university relations. “We can’t have successful…
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David LowSarah Dashew ’94 has released her second album, Where I Belong (Whistlefoot Records), a 10-track set which deals with the themes of love, place, and belonging. The title track is a light, sweet love song with a spirited horn solo that sets an upbeat tone for the rest of the album. In addition to writing and performing song, Dashew also co-produced the project with Los Angeles-based producer Eric Peterson. Drawing upon influences as diverse as James Taylor and Prince, her unique style mixes elements of folk, pop, country and soul. She grew up sailing the high seas with her family…
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Barbara Juhasz, assistant professor of psychology, is the co-author of “Parafoveal processing in reading is reduced across a morphological boundary,” published in Cognition, 116, pages 136-142, in 2010.
Frank Kuan, executive director of the Center for Community Partnerships, received the inaugural Al Award from the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce Central Business Bureau (CBB) on June 3. The award is named after Middletown Deputy Fire Marshal Al Santostefano, who has been a member of the CBB for 25 years, and is given to a member of the CBB who provides service above and beyond what is required or expected. The CBB presents this award to one of its members each year. Kuan is a graduate of California State University at Fresno and began his career in Middlesex County as a counselor…