Olivia DrakeMatthew Kurtz, assistant professor of psychology, teaches behavioral neurobiology. Posted 09/19/07 Matthew Kurtz has joined the Psychology Department as an assistant professor. Kurtzs research focus is on developing cognitive and social-cognitive training programs for improving neurocognitive and psychosocial function in patients with schizophrenia. Hes interested in implementing functional brain imaging probes, neuropsychological tests and real-world employment outcomes as measures of change. Hes co-teaching Behavioral Neurobiology this fall. Kurtz comes to Wesleyan from The Neuropsychiatry Research Center, part of the Institute of Living in Hartford where he was a research scientist. There, he studied neurocognition, brain imaging and rehabilitation in…
Posted 09/19/07 For the past three years, Ron Jenkins has shared his office with a 10-foot-long Balinese dragon. But recently, his fire-breathing friend has found a temporary home inside the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. The professor of theater, who uses the dragon as a teaching tool on Balinese theater, lent his mythological model, pictured at right, to the museum last May. The dragon is part of an exhibit titled Mythic Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns & Mermaids, which is on exhibit in New York through January 6, 2008. The dragon is a mythical creature that embodies the…
Sarah Croucher, assistant professor of anthropology, comes to Wesleyan from the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom, where she directed several archeological excavations. Posted 09/19/07 Sarah Croucher has joined the Department of Anthropology as an assistant professor. She is teaching Introduction to Archaeology and Historical Archaeology of the Modern World this fall. Croucher comes to Wesleyan from the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom, where she was a teaching fellow in the Archeology Department. There, she taught courses which included the theory and philosophy of archaeology and archaeological field practice. Croucher grew up in Kenilworth, Warwickshire. Wesleyan…
Posted 09/17/07 Though music by singer-songwriter Woody Guthrie still influences American songwriters to this day, a Wesleyan Ph.D candidate in ethnomusicology is hoping to draw attention to the influence of Guthries tunes and ideas world-wide. On Sept. 28, Jorge Arévalo Mateus, left, will present "Global Woody," a public program that focuses on Woody Guthrie's enduring musical and cultural legacy as it spreads internationally. Arévalo Mateus is curator of the Woody Guthrie Archives in New York, N.Y. Guthries American folk songs have long had the capacity to resonate with audiences beyond the U.S., however his international re-emergence seems to have taken…
Antoinette Zosherafatain 10, pictured in the front row, second from the right, and Katie Boyce-Jacino 10, pictured in the back row, second from the right, proposed a "Malaria Awareness Week" campaign for the United Nations Foundation. As national finalists, they had the opportunity to attend a retreat at the United Nations Foundation offices July 16 and 17. Posted 09/17/07 Every 30 seconds, a child living in sub-Sahara Africa dies from malaria, a virus caused by mosquitoes. Two Wesleyan sophomores want to bring awareness of the preventable disease to campus, and save lives through various activities and fundraising. Antoinette Zosherafatain 10…
With a snip of red and black Wesleyan ribbons, the Suzanne Lemberg Usdan University Center officially opened Sept. 7 following a dedication ceremony. The three-story, triangular brick building houses airy dining facilities for students, faculty and staff, Wesleyan Station post office, ample meeting spaces, the box office, student organization offices, retail space, and café. A rear terrace provides a high-up view of Andrus Field, Olin Library, Foss Hill and College Row. "Today, after several years of planning and over two years of construction we have the opportunity to share our appreciation to the entire Usdan family and many of the…
Posted 09/17/07 Stephen D. Crites, the Hedding Professor of Moral Science and professor of philosophy, emeritus, died Sept. 13 of prostate cancer. He was 76 years old. Crites was born in Elida, Ohio and graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University, where he majored in philosophy and concentrated in music. He earned a Bachelor of Divinity degree from Yale and a Ph.D. in philosophical theology also from Yale University. He was ordained to the Methodist ministry. Prior to joining the Wesleyan faculty, Crites was pastor of Grace Methodist Church in Stonington, Conn. and taught at Yale Divinity School and at Colgate University.…
Posted 09/17/07 Deciphering codes and genomes, DNA replication and biological catalysis are among topics to be discussed during the 8th Annual Molecular Biophysics Program on Sept. 20 at Wadsworth Mansion in Middletown beginning at 10 a.m. The event is open to the public. This years keynote speaker is Stephen J. Benkovic, the Evan Pugh Professor and Eberly Chair in Chemistry at Penn State University. Benkovic will speak on DNA replication. Benkovic is one of the leading mechanistic enzymologists in the world, noted for the versatility of his research. His work on the chemistry of biological systems has made important contributions…
Posted 09/06/07 Adriana Cohen Rostoker 08 always had a curiosity about how the body works. This summer, she had the opportunity to get a closer look as she worked with physicians and researchers on a rare type of cancer syndrome. As a 2007 Alvan T. and Viola D. Fuller American Cancer Society Junior Research Fellow, Cohen Rostoker was awarded a $4,000 grant from the American Cancer Societys New England Division to complete a 10-week fellowship. She applied for the fellowship last year, seeking an opportunity to learn more about the molecular basis and function of cells. I have always been…
Posted 09/06/07 Nine Connecticut mathematics teachers were named PIMMS Fellows on July 11 following 15 months of study directed through the PIMMS (Project to Increase Mastery of Mathematics and Science) Mathematics Leadership Academy (MLA) and a summer intensive program in 2007. This group the first to earn the distinction since 2001 will join more than 650 others awarded the title since the inaugural Vanguard Mathematics and Science Fellows of 1984. The MLA project, directed by PIMMS in partnership with the Hamden and Ansonia Public schools, was initiated in Spring 2006, with training provided during the summer and throughout…
President Michael Roth has begun an online weblog, or blog, for the Wesleyan community. Posted 09/06/07 Wesleyans new president has barely settled into his office and home, but has already started something will further engage him with the Wesleyan community. President Michael Roth has begun a blog. Titled Roth on Wesleyan, the blog will be updated periodically with Roths views on Wesleyan and related topics. He also welcomes comments from readers. The blog can be found at: http://www.roth.blogs.wesleyan.edu.
Kate Ten Eyck, art studio technician for the Center for the Arts, teaches students how to properly use mechanical equipment. Posted 09/06/07 Early in life, Kate Ten Eyck developed a knack for understanding how things work. As a teen, she learned to fix cars, reconstructed a sewing machine and enthusiastically studied human anatomy. While she went on to pursue a career in the arts, she never lost her natural curiosity for mechanics. In the Center for the Arts and the Art and Art History Department, where she has worked since 2000, Ten Eyck meshes her passions for art, teaching…