Olivia DrakeRon Jenkins, professor of theater, was featured in the June 23 issue of ODE Magazine in an article titled "Laughter can set people free." Jenkins argues that laughter is a survival tactic for people under siege. “For ages, comedy has been used as a liberating tool for people, especially in oppressive regimes, to confront, ridicule and criticize the powerful," Jenkins says in the article. Jenkins recalls how he began his study of laughter: "When I was in pre-medical school, I was trying to help a child with autism who never made eye contact and who never spoke, [except to] repeat…
An injured woman lays limp on the floor of Woodhead Lounge. She’s conscious, but immobile. “Can you squeeze my fingers?" asks Barb Spalding, associate director of campus fire safety. "Oh, yes, you still have good strength. It appears all your pain is on the left side.” Spalding, who was giving a “head-to-toe assessment” on acting accident victim Christine Cruz, safety coordinator, was training for Wesleyan’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program. In the event of a real disaster, crisis or common emergency, Spalding will be prepared to assist first responders, provide immediate assistance to victims, and organize spontaneous volunteers at…
Tadd Gero ’08 died Aug. 17 from a resistant strain of pneumonia. Gero graduated as a theater major after transferring from Simon's Rock College. While on campus he was involved in campus activities including reporting for The Wesleyan Argus. Upon graduation, Gero worked as a reporter for The Independent Newspaper in Hudson, N.Y. and continued his involvement with theater. A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Oct. 3 at Time & Space Limited, 434 Columbia Street, in Hudson, N.Y. The family has asked that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to TSL, P.O. Box 343, Hudson, NY…
Patrick Tynan, who spent the 2008-09 season as assistant men's lightweight crew coach at Yale University, has been named faculty head coach of women's crew at Wesleyan on July 1. Tynan steps into the position occupied by Beth Emery from 1988 through 2008 and covered on an interim basis by Brian Dawe in 2008-09. "The opportunity to be a head coach in the NESCAC, which is probably the most competitive league for women's rowing in Division III, was a big attraction to me,"Tynan says. "When I met some of the athletes on the team through the interview process, I knew…
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Billy Weitzer, a former senior associate provost at Wesleyan, pokes fun at Ravi for his "paperless desk" and organizational skills. He held up a photo, describing it as "Ravi's garage at home."
Tsampikos Kottos, assistant professor of physics, Joshua Bodyfelt Ph.D '09 and Mei Zheng '10 are the co-authors of "Probing Localization in Absorbing Systems via Loschmidt Echos" published in Physical Review Letters, 102, 253901 in 2009.
Lisa Drennan ’09 signed a professional volleyball contract in Europe and will play for a team in Brondby, Denmark for the 2009 season. Drennan closed out her Wesleyan volleyball career in 2008 with her second NESCAC Player of the Year honor as well as second-team AVCA Division III All-America laurels. Also named a second-team CoSIDA/ESPN the Magazine Academic All-American in 2008, Drennan ranked among the top five players in Division III for average kills per set for three straight seasons (2006, 2007 and 2008) while leading the NESCAC each of those years as well. She ended her Wesleyan career ranked…
Richard Slotkin, the Olin Professor of English Emeritus, is the author of the book, No Quarter: The Battle of the Crater, 1864 published by Random House on July 21. No Quarter is a dramatic recount of one of the Civil War’s most pivotal events — the Battle of the Crater on July 30, 1864. At first glance, the Union’s plan seemed brilliant. A regiment of miners would burrow beneath a Confederate fort, pack the tunnel with explosives, and blow a hole in the enemy lines. Then a specially trained division of African American infantry would spearhead a powerful assault to…
Edward Moran, chair and associate professor of astronomy, director of the Van Vleck Observatory, received a grant from the National Science Foundation for his research titled "Black Holes in the Milky Way's Backyard." The grant, worth $275,164, will be applied over three years. The award, presented on Aug. 26, is funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Charles Sanislow, assistant professor of psychology, received a $349,939 grant from the National Institute of Health for his research titled "Cognitive Control in Borderline & Trauma Psychopathology." The grant, awarded Aug. 24, will be applied over two years. It is a continuation of a six-year grant transferred from Yale University.