Olivia DrakeSeptember 9, 20054min
  At top, Wes-Haul volunteers Daniel Rubin ’06 and Hanako Moondance ’06 carry a refrigerator into freshman Jennifer Bunin’s 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…

Olivia DrakeSeptember 9, 200510min
Kevin Butler, assistant dean of Student Services, is the contact person for students with physical differences and co-advisor of the Student Judicial Board.   Posted 09/09/05 Q: When were you hired at Wesleyan?A: I was hired in fall of all 2004 and started in January 2005 as the assistant dean of Student Services.Q: What led you to working at Wesleyan?A: I have excelled in conflict resolution and judicial affairs at several institutions. I thought it would be interesting to advise a student judicial board, which is something I hadn’t done before.Q: And what is your role with the Wesleyan Student…

Olivia DrakeSeptember 9, 20058min
Manny Cunard, director of Auxiliary Operations and Campus Services, works from his new office on Pine Street.   Posted 09/09/05 When Manny Cunard came to Wesleyan two and a half years ago, several services were in need of structure. Others needed to be invented. “I resolve problems,” says Cunard, director of Auxiliary Operations and Campus Services. “That’s what this job is all about. You have to be committed to problem solving to provide the best services for Wesleyan’s students, staff and faculty.” Cunard is responsible for such operations such as the campus bookstore, dining services, the House Sale Program, laundry…

Olivia DrakeSeptember 9, 20058min
Dave Hall, grounds and special events manger, stands in front of an old elm tree planted along College Row. Wesleyan once had hundreds of elms on its property, and now only a few remain. The rest have fallen prey to old age or disease.   Posted 09/09/05 When Dave Hall takes a daily stroll across Wesleyan’s campus, he has no destination in mind. He simply enjoys the luscious landscape. It is, after all, his masterpiece. As manager of Wesleyan’s grounds and events, every tree, shrub, flower garden and grassy knoll is part of his canvas. “Most people walk through campus…

Olivia DrakeSeptember 9, 20054min
Abigail 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 bachelor’s degree in Chinese language and history; her master’s 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…

Olivia DrakeAugust 17, 20054min
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 Wesleyan’s 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…

Olivia DrakeAugust 17, 20059min
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…

Olivia DrakeAugust 17, 200510min
  At top, Ricardo Morris, director of the Green Street Arts Center, is developing classes for the center’s fall semester. At right, Morris enjoys a snack with participants of the Free Lunch Program inside the center in Middletown’s 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, weren’t appreciated beyond the classroom. “I was sent to the principal’s office far more than any of…

Olivia DrakeAugust 17, 20054min
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…

Olivia DrakeAugust 17, 20055min
At left, Hughes Associate, Mellon Fellow and Earth and Environmental Sciences Major Maya Gomes '06 discusses her research with interested onlookers during the 17th annual Hughes Summer Research Program Poster Session Aug. 5. Gomes' poster was titled "Understanding the Genesis of Jarosite in Qualibou Caldera, Saint Lucia as an Analogue for Mars."   Posted 08/17/05 Chimpanzee studies, eating behaviors, mice brains and even sperm banks were topics of research presented at the 17th annual Hughes Summer Research Program Poster Session Aug. 5 at the Exley Science Center. After 10 weeks of intense research, 49 Hughes Fellows presented their projects. Hughes…

Olivia DrakeAugust 17, 200510min
Heather Minetti, adult fitness program coordinator, climbs Last Dollar Pass at 11,000 feet during a trip from Telluride, Colorado to Moab, Utah this summer.   Posted 08/17/05 Q: How do you apply your love for exercising and fitness enthusiasm into your position as the Wesleyan Adult Fitness Program coordinator? A: I feel very fortunate to be a part of the Wesleyan community. Here, we are surrounded by a very diverse and interesting staff and an administration that actively supports and views opportunities for personal wellness as a benefit that should be available to all. Within walking distance from all corners…