Olivia DrakeImam Mahan Mirza, University Muslim Chaplain leads Quran Study Circles, and Islam Hour and sermons with Wesleyan's Muslim community. Posted 10/01/05 Q: Mahan, when were you hired to be the new Muslim chaplain at Wesleyan?A: I was officially hired as of August 29, 2005.Q: Where did you grow up and when did you move to America?A: I grew up as the son of a fighter pilot in the Pakistan Air Force. My parents came from India into Pakistan when the country was divided in 1947. My grandparents are from various different parts of India. My first spoken language was…
At top, Mark Flory, assistant professor of molecular biology and biochemistry, lectures to a group during the Sixth Annual Biophysics Retreat for the Molecular Biophysics Program Sept. 15. At left, Maggie Chen, a Ph.D candidate in the Department of Chemistry explains her research titled Site-Resolved Dynamics and Energetics of a Ribosomal RNA during the Fall Retreat Poster Session, part of the biophysics program. Posted 10/01/05 The Sixth Annual Biophysics Retreat was held at the Wadsworth Mansion in Middletown on Sept. 15. Organized by David Beveridge, professor of chemistry, Manju Hingorami, assistant professor of molecular biology and Ishita Mikerji, associate professor…
In preparation of the new Suzanne Lemberg Usdan University Center, portions of the old Fayerweather Gymnasium are being removed. Demolition is more than 80 percent completed as of Sept. 6. Associated Building Wreckers tear the building apart, beam by beam, brick by brick. Construction crew members demolish what is left of the Fayerweather pool, built in 1913. Alan Rubacha, Construction Services consultant, is the project manager. The renovated Fayerweather Gymnasium will become Fayerweather Hall. The facility will host a ballroom, catering kitchen, theater, dance studio and storage. The new university center will be built on the right side of…
Posted 09/09/05, Updated 09.16.05 We The People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessing of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this, Constitution for the United States of America. Preamble to the U.S. Constitution We The People of Wesleyan University observed Constitution Day with a series of events Sept. 15-16. Wesleyans observance is part of a nation-wide observance the U.S. Department of Education has mandated for all educational programs in all…
Posted 09/09/05 Accessing creativity will be the topic of discussion during the fourth annual Shasha Seminar for Human Concerns Oct. 6-8 at Wesleyan. The Shasha Seminar is a wonderful example of Wesleyan's commitment to lifelong learning, says Linda Secord, director of alumni education. We expect this year's discussion of creativity to be stimulating, giving participants newly informed perspectives that they will take with them as they return to their personal and professional lives. Through a series of seminars and hands-on workshops, alumni, parents and friends will expand their understanding of the creative process and its impact on human endeavors. Past…
Michaelle Biddle, head of Preservation Services, uses a special tool to preserve a book in the Preservation Services in Olin Library. Biddle and her student technicians make page mends, reback books and remove mold from pages. Posted 09/09/05 Q: When were you hired at Wesleyan and what was your job title then?A: I was hired in 1983 as the assistant to the librarian. Initially, I was the clerk of the works for the $10 million library addition that was added in the mid-1980s. In 1988 I was asked to develop a preservation program for the librarys circulating collections. Now…
Mary Schreck Glynn, application technology specialist, created the telephone directory database, media database and the student summer registration system. Posted 09/09/05 Q: What does it mean to be an applications technology specialist?A: Basically, an applications technology specialist evaluates new technologies and creates and supports academic and administrative applications using new and proven technologies. All the applications are database related.Q: What is the purpose of these applications? A: The general purpose is to service the Wesleyan community by automating tasks and sharing information.Q: Can you give me a few examples of some of the tasks and information that have undergone…
Academic Commons, a Web site developed by two Wesleyan staff members and a staff member from Alma College launched in August. Posted 09/09/05 Colleagues from liberal arts colleges interested in technology-related issues can read original articles on the topic, share their own ideas and even collaborate with their peers on a Web site launched this month called Academic Commons (http://www.academiccommons.org). The site offers a forum for investigating and defining the role that technology can play in liberal arts education. The idea for the project came out of a series of meetings that took place at the Center of Inquiry…
Posted 09/09/05 Wesleyan University will offer Connecticut residents enrolled at colleges and universities in areas stricken by Hurricane Katrina the opportunity to take fall semester classes at Wesleyan, and Wesleyan students, faculty and staff have begun to coordinate other efforts for relief opportunities. The university has reached out to students from Connecticut who attend colleges in areas affected by the storm. These students may apply for status as visiting students and enroll in classes on a space-available basis. Wesleyan will work with families to ensure that their total costs do not exceed their existing commitments to the schools in which…
Posted 09/09/05 The University Recycling Committee has implemented a new campus-wide recycling system. Mixed paper, glass, metal, plastic, corrugated cardboard, batteries, printer cartridges and even old furniture can now be collected and recycled. Recycling is required by law in Connecticut, and is the obligation of every member of the Wesleyan community, says Bill Nelligan, the Wesleyan recycling coordinator and associate director of Environmental Health and Safety. We hope that the Wesleyan community will join this effort to make Wesleyan a leader in waste reduction and environmental responsibility. Nelligan says recycling saves resources, energy, reduces pollution, cuts generation of greenhouse gases…
Makaela Kingsley '98, associate director of Alumni Relations, Ciaran Escoffery '00 and Roxanne Williams '98 share a laugh during a previous Alumni and Parent Volunteer Weekend at Wesleyan. Posted 09/09/05 When Karen and Michael Haley sent their son, John 07, to Wesleyan in 2004, they were anxious to learn more about the community in which he would be spending the next four years. That year, they attended an Alumni and Parent Volunteer Weekend. They not only became informed, they became involved. We were so impressed that weekend with how cordially we were welcomed and made to feel a part…
At top, Wes-Haul volunteers Daniel Rubin 06 and Hanako Moondance 06 carry a refrigerator into freshman Jennifer Bunins room in the Fauver Field Residence during Arrival Day Aug. 29. At right, Ian Renner 08 helps carry students belongings into Clark Hall. Posted 09/09/05 U-HAUL? Not here. Leave that up to Wes-HAUL, a team of volunteers that welcomed new students to campus. They unloaded cars, carried belongings, directed traffic and answered questions during students Arrival Day Aug. 29. Wes-HAUL started five years ago as a small University Relations initiative and has evolved into a cross-university effort. More than 35…