Olivia DrakePosted 01/17/06 An unprecedented 14-year study by Wesleyan University researchers has revealed a phenomenon that may indicate the forming of new planets or perhaps even the existence of young planets orbiting young sun-like stars more than 1,600 light years away. The observations were presented at the American Astronomical Society (AAS) meeting in Washington, DC. on January 11 by William Herbst, the John Monroe Van Vleck Professor of Astronomy and chair the astronomy department (pictured at right), Gabriel Roxby 06, a Wesleyan undergraduate involved in the study, and Eric Williams, the systems manager of the Van Vleck observatory. The Wesleyan team…
Janine Lockhart, financial planner and analyst in the Office of Academic Affairs, finds the best options for meeting the demands of Wesleyans five-year financial plans. Posted 01/17/06 Q: Janine, so you're the financial planner and analyst in the Office of Academic Affairs. A: Yes, although I usually am introduced as the budget person since thats a more familiar concept for most people.Q: When did you come here?A: I came to Wesleyan and this position in July 2004. Several others held the position before me, including Sun Chyung, with whom I work closely in her current capacity as the budget…
Wesleyan head mens basketball coach Gerry McDowell, center, hangs out near the hoops with varsity players Eric Winters '08, left, and Jim Shepherd '07. McDowell has coached the team for 10 years. Posted 01/17/06 Q: When did you become the head mens basketball coach at Wesleyan, Gerry?A: I began coaching here in 1996, so this my 10th year at Wesleyan. Q: I understand you entered the season with a 113-103 record. Is it true you had a streak of seven consecutive winning seasons?A: Yes, it is true. However, our performance in the next game and our growth as a…
Steve Windsor, database administrator, suffers from repetitive strain injury and uses special ergonomic tools at work such as rubber-ball chair, a specially designed mouse, a headset and a touch-sensitive keyboard. Posted 01/17/06 Working on a computer all day can become a real pain in the neck (and the back and forearms and hands). Fortunately, a new ergonomics Web site created by Information Technology Services has several suggestions to keep bodies in balance. The site, http://www.wesleyan.edu/its/ergonomics/, offers advice on good working positions, stretches, workstation guidelines for health, an office ergonomics checklist and even the Occupational Safety & Health Administrations guidelines for…
Posted 01/17/06 Thanks to more than $920,000 in private donations, including one from a notable alumnus, Wesleyan will install a new synthetic turf field in hopes of having it ready for play this spring. The field will be located on the grounds of the former Long Lane School and provide a competitive playing surface for Wesleyans varsity lacrosse and field hockey teams, as well as foul-weather practice space for other varsity sports including football and soccer. Baseball and softball teams will also use the field for pre-season practice in late February when Bacon Field House becomes overcrowded. The field will…
Jen Carlstrom, Web Manager in the Office of University Communications, helps departments learn to update their own Web site information. Posted 01/17/06 Jen Carlstrom grew up sketching Disney cartoon characters, molding clay figurines and designing Christmas cards on her fathers computers. As she matured, so did Carlstroms love for art and technology, which has ultimately led to a career as Wesleyans Web manager. "Ive always loved drawing and using the computer to create arts projects, she recalls. Designing on the Web combines those two passions I've had since I was a child. Carlstrom, who came to the Office of…
College of Social Studies majors Angela Larkan 06 and Lindsey Reynolds 04 raise funds and awareness for orphaned pre-schoolers in South Africa through their non-profit organization, Thembanathi. Larkan's thesis at Wesleyan involved establishing a method of care for AIDS orphans using their school system. (Photos contributed by Maya Casagrande) Posted 01/17/06 Angela Larkan 06 was raised in an apartheid South African town knowing that she could have been born into a poor family just down the road. With an estimated one in three South African children expected to be orphans by the year 2010 due to the AIDS virus, Larkan…
AIDS AWARENESS: The Oasis Wellness Center of Middletown and the Green Streets Arts Center presented "Keeping the Promise: World's Aids Day and Beyond" at Olin Library Dec. 1. The event included an art show, singing, speakers who are HIV positive and a vigil. Students and community volunteers handed out HIV/AIDS health information and red ribbons in commemorating Worlds Aids Day. (Photo by Olivia Bartlett)
Posted 12/19/05 Professor Robert Brown, one of the founders of the Wesleyan World Music Program, died recently. Brown was one of the first students to receive a Ph.D. in ethnomusicology from University of California Los Angeles. He was appointed assistant professor in Wesleyans Music Department in 1961 and joined the tenured ranks of the faculty in 1966. Brown helped the department to grow rapidly to national and international prominence. He brought with him from UCLA a concept called "performance study group," a musical pedagogy that emphasizes the importance of direct contact between students and master musicians from around…
The new Wesleyan University Museum will provide a single secure, environmentally-controlled space to house valuable collections of art and materials. Pictured below is a cross section model of how the building will appear. The third-floor spaces will contain three gallery spaces and glass enclosed seating and study areas. Posted 12/19/05 Rick Segal '75 and Monica Mayer Segal 78 have donated $500,000 toward the new Wesleyan University Museum, which will be built on College Row through an extensive remodeling of the historic former squash building. The new museum building, now in its final planning stages, will make an important architectural impact…
Posted 12/19/05 Wesleyan recently elected 15 seniors to the Gamma chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the oldest national scholastic honor society. Election to the society is based on fulfillment of eligibility requirements, including a grade point average of 90 or above and nomination by the students major department. Phi Beta Kappa is limited to 12 percent of the graduating class each year. The newly elected students are: Claire Nilsen Blumenson, a government, psychology and sociology major from Cambridge, Mass., is interested in child advocacy as it relates to academic failure and juvenile delinquency. Blumenson completed a semester abroad in…
From left to right, Cecil Apostol '08, Kristina, Kimberly Greenberg , Bobby and Carolyn go over math problems at the Davenport Campus Center. Kristine, Bobby and Carolyn are students enrolled in the Middlesex Transition Academy, which meets at Wesleyan daily. Pictured below are Jesse, Jessica Markowitz '08, Bobby and Lauren. Posted 12/19/05 The pizza served at McConaughy Dining Hall is prepared by a new member of the Wesleyan community. As part of a cooperative educational program for individuals with special needs, 19-year-old Kristina is learning hands-on how to work in food services. I prep the dough, oil the pans, and…