Wesleyan held its 174th commencement ceremonies May 28. Posted 05/28/06 Wesleyan University commemorated its 175th anniversary of its institutional charter during the 174th Commencement Ceremony on Sunday, May 28. Wesleyan’s charter was granted on May 26, 1831. Undergraduate degrees were conferred on 742 students. In addition, nine students received Ph.Ds, 29 students were awarded master’s degrees, and 64 Graduate of Liberate Studies degrees were conferred. Video clips of Wesleyan's 174th Commencement can be found at: http://www.wesleyan.edu/newsletter/campus/0506commencementvideo.html. In his commencement address Wesleyan President Douglas J. Bennet reflected on the long and storied history of the institution and said this class had…

Posted 05/28/06 The following iare John Hope Franklin's commencement remarks presented during Wesleyan 174th Commencement Ceremonies on May 28. Franklin is professor of history, emeritus at Duke University.A video clip of Franklin's speech can be found at: http://condor.wesleyan.edu/openmedia/ur-media/video/comm_06/FranklinSansIntro.mov. Mr. President, Members of the Board of Trustees, the administration and faculty, members of the graduating classes, parents, friends, members of the Middletown community, ladies and gentleman. Mr. President, I will be brief. This is a glorious, memorable, exciting occasion and each time that I have the opportunity to participate in this ritual, even after my 50th anniversary of receiving my own…

Beth Redington, project coordinator, teaches Connecticut teachers how to implement Microsoft PowerPoint presentations into their classroom instruction during the Leadership Academy in Mathematics Program May 19 in Exley Science Center. Posted 05/28/06 Jennifer DaPonte, a mathematics teacher from Flood Middle School in Stratford, Conn. went back to college May 19 to learn advanced geometry and ‘story problems.’ “I’m here to learn more about specific topics that relate to my school’s curriculum,” DaPonte says. “It would be helpful to learn how to better teach geometry, statistics, data analysis and general problem solving skills.” DaPonte is one of 50 middle and high…

Glenn Adams ’06, at top, is Wesleyan's leading lacrosse player, scoring 90 goals and 117 assists for 207 points. Charlie Congleton ’07, at bottom, is the team’s goalie. Both were named All-Americans this year. Posted 05/28/06 A year ago, the Wesleyan University men’s lacrosse team posted a 13-6 record and made its first trip to the NCAA Division III tournament, winning its first game before falling in the quarter-finals to eventual tournament runner-up Middlebury College. This year’s team went one step further, reaching the NCAA Division III semi-finals, and came within an overtime goal of a trip to the national…

Dave Pompei, Central Power Plant foreperson, checks one of three chillers the university owns. Wesleyan is being aggressive in its energy conservation efforts. Pictured at right is a view inside one of Wesleyan's three boilers. Wesleyan will be installing a new cogeneration system that will replace the use of one boiler in the summer. Posted 05/28/06 Wesleyan is pulling the plug on high energy usage. Something as simple as unplugging the office coffee machines for the weekend can save Wesleyan thousands of dollars a year, says Peter Staye, associate director of utilities management in Physical Plant. Although the burners are…

Posted 05/27/06 The following is President Douglas J. Bennet's 174th Commencement Remarks presented during Commencement Ceremonies May 28.A video clip of President Bennet's speech can be found at: http://condor.wesleyan.edu/openmedia/ur-media/video/comm_06/PresRemarks.mov. Last weekend Midge and I attended a commencement at a different institution. The graduate in question was a niece who had chosen not to attend Wesleyan for obvious reasons. It was a glorious affair, as this commencement will be, but it reminded us of the value of brevity…so I will be brief. First, let me echo enthusiastically Jim Dresser and Pacho Carreno’s welcome to you, and thanks to your families and…

Edgar F. Beckham was Wesleyan's first African-American dean of the college. In 1991 he received Wesleyan's Raymond E. Baldwin Medal for service. Posted 05/25/06 Edgar F. Beckham, one of the nation's most influential and beloved leaders in higher education, died Wednesday in Middletown at the age of 72. He was a resident of North Haven. As the first African-American dean of the college at Wesleyan University, Beckham led efforts to build understanding that diversity is integral to excellence in American education. While he served as dean, Wesleyan University became a national model for excellence in education for students of diverse…

Wesleyan students received 145 awards during the Academic Awards and Prizes Reception at the Russell House May 9. The event was organized by the Dean's Office. (Photos by Olivia Drake)   Posted 05/18/06 Two-hundred-and-fifty-eight Wesleyan students were the recipients of 145 awards during the Academic Awards and Prizes Reception at the Russell House May 9. Thirty-three of these students received more than one award. The graduating class of 2006 had 175 recipients, the class of 2007 had 78 recipients, the class of 2008 had 24 recipients, and the class of 2009 had 12 recipients. Ten graduate students, eight alumni, two…

Posted 05/16/06 After attending a digital image workshop, six Wesleyan staff members are seeing picture-perfect. During the April 24 North East Regional Computing Program conference at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass., participants had the opportunity to learn about digital image resource development, meeting the image demands of scholars in a changing environment, using digital maps in the classroom, creating and managing institutional digital image collections and visual storytelling among other topics. “The hope is that by assessing current practices in the classrooms, methods for more effective use of these images can be identified and implemented,” says…