Olivia DrakeAbigail Hornstein, assistant professor of economics, studies corporate performance. Posted 09/09/05 Abigail Hornstein has joined the Economics Department as an assistant professor. Hornstein received her bachelors degree in Chinese language and history; her masters degree in economics and international business from New York University Stern School of Business; and her Ph.D in economics and international business from the New York University Stern School of Business. Her dissertation examined the capital budgeting decisions of multinational enterprises. She examined U.S. firms in the 1990s to determine if effective capital budgeting is associated with where a firm invests. I found that effective…
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…
Going . . . Construction crews demolished sections of the old Alumni Gym, also known as "the Cage" July 20 through Aug. 5. The new Suzanne Lemberg Usdan University Center building will be constructed in this location. (Photos by Olivia Bartlett) Going . . . Going . . . Going . . . Going . . . GONE.
Michael Singer, assistant professor of biology, discovered that the wolly bear caterpillar, Grammia geneura, ingests medicinal plants when sick. Posted 08/17/05 When tiger moth caterpillars get a bug, they do what a lot of us do - ingest some medicine and hope it provides a cure. These findings by co-investigators Michael Singer, assistant professor of biology, and Elizabeth Bernays, regents professor emerita of entomology at the University of Arizona, appear in the July 27 issue of Nature. During a study of the caterpillars of two types of tiger moths, known as Grammia geneura and Estigmene acrea, Singer and Bernays…
Posted 08/17/05 A picture may be a worth a thousands words, but what is its value in the college classroom, especially if the picture is digital? This will be among the issues considered by a new digital image study spearheaded by Wesleyan University and the Center for Educational Technology. The six-month study will examine how digitized images of all sorts are used by faculty at 34 elite teaching and research institutions. The hope is that by assessing current practices in the classrooms, methods for more effective use of these images can be identified and implemented. "There is also an opportunity…
Members of the Committee on Planetary and Lunar Exploration (COMPLEX) met at Woodhead Lounge July 20-22. Martha Gilmore, assistant professor of earth and environmental sciences, (pictured second from left in the first row) coordinated the meeting. Posted 08/17/05 Martian oceans, solar system exploration and telescopic studies of Neptune were all topics of discussion during a planetary committee meeting at Wesleyan.The Committee on Planetary and Lunar Exploration (COMPLEX) met at Wesleyans Woodhead Lounge July 20-22. COMPLEX advises the National Academies Space Studies Board on the entire range of planetary system studies that can be conducted from space as well as on…
Olga Bookas, procurement specialist, negotiates prices and purchases mailing equipment, furniture, paint, light bulbs, and even window shades for the university. Posted 08/17/05 Q: When were you hired in Financial Services as a procurement specialist? A: I started working at Wesleyan in January 2005.Q: Please explain what a procurement specialist means.A: I am responsible for negotiating and developing contracts with vendors. Some of my purchasing duties include processing purchase orders for furniture, lease copiers, cell phones. I also meet with Wesleyan colleagues to determine their purchasing requirements and then I meet with vendors to ensure that they are reliable…
At top, Ricardo Morris, director of the Green Street Arts Center, is developing classes for the centers fall semester. At right, Morris enjoys a snack with participants of the Free Lunch Program inside the center in Middletowns North End. Posted 08/17/05 When Ricardo Morris taught English in public schools, he refused to let his students simply read Beowolf. The class would feast, dance and listen to 10th century music all before opening the epic narrative. His unconventional teaching methods, however, werent appreciated beyond the classroom. I was sent to the principals office far more than any of…
Steven Stemler, a new assistant professor of psychology, will teach Psychological Statistics this fall. Posted 08/17/05 Steve Stemler has joined the Psychology Department as an assistant professor. In an era of increasing specialization, Stemler says he admires Wesleyan for recognizing the importance of training undergraduate students to value the diversity of knowledge accumulated across different fields of study. There is a tremendous value to studying such topics as classical languages, hard sciences, social sciences and the arts simultaneously, he says. I believe that a liberal arts education results in a well-rounded person who will be capable of seeing broad…