Olivia DrakeMoney from the Wesleyan Campaign helped to fund a variety of initiatives, including new facilities and refurbished facilities like this computer resource center in The Exley Science Center. Posted 02/23/05 In October 2000, Board of Trustees Chairman Alan M. Dachs '70 made a pledge to the Wesleyan community: "I promise you that when you contribute to the Wesleyan Campaign, your gift will produce results and ensure Wesleyan's legacy for the next generation and generations to come," he said. His promise is already being fulfilled. Five years and $281 million dollars later, Wesleyan has renovated dozens of classrooms, added 20 new…
"Wesleyan University: In a New Light" is photographed by William Mercer, a 1964 alumnus. The book is for sale at Broad Street Books. Posted 02/23/05 Wesleyan as it appears every day, Wesleyan as you remember it, and Wesleyan as you've never seen it before. Those are the images and words that fill "Wesleyan University: In a New Light," a new book produced by University Relations and the Office of Communications. Rich with the colors, activities, and faces that populate the campus, the book features 150 high quality images taken during the 2003-2004 academic year by photographer William Mercer '64.…
Posted 02/23/05 Are traditional teaching methods keeping pace with the increasingly diverse population of college students nationwide? Or worse are college faculty shying away from balanced teaching or research on race and ethnicity issues altogether because of the incendiary nature of the topics? These are just some of the issues that were discussed at a seminar titled Effective Teaching in Racially Diverse Classrooms, February 28 in the Admission Offices McKelvey Room. The presenter, Franklin A. Tuitt, Ph.D., has done many seminars on the subject of race in the college classroom, as well as extensive research in the subject. This includes…
The Fauver Field Residence Complex, due to open in September, will house up to 269 students. Posted 02/23/05 This September, when Wesleyan begins its new academic year, students will move into a new living facility: The Fauver Field Residence Complex. The residences will mark a new step in Wesleyan's recent history; specifically, the university will be able to accommodate close to 100 percent of its students in university-owned housing. The Fauver Field Residence Complex consists of two buildings that together will house up to 269 students including 165 frosh, which will allow virtually all frosh to live in proximity…
Assistant post office manager Jerry Winzer hand sorts mail inside Wesleyan Station. Posted 02/23/05 After working 28 years at Middletown's U.S. Postal Service, Gerard "Jerry" Winzer decided to it was time to retire. Winter, he learned, is not the ideal time to call it quits. "November was a bad time to retire," the 62-year-old says. "I wasn't too crazy about just hanging around. I needed to keep busy." To beat the winter blues, Winzer took up a part-time position at Wesleyan Station delivering mail. Part-time evolved into full-time work, and, this year, the assistant post office manager will celebrate…
Robin Zup, a medical aide with the Health Services Department, is a Certified Medical Assistant and helps students seek medical care off campus. Posted 02/23/05 Q: What does it mean to be a medical aide? A: I really do not like the title medical aide. My actual title that I have earned through schooling is a Certified Medical Assistant. I have been trained both in clinical and administrative areas. Q: What are your responsibilities? A: I have many responsibilities here at the health center. Since I really enjoy working with numbers, I have been given the role of handling all of…
Michael Calter teaches organic chemistry and researches synthetic organic chemistry, which deals with making complex, useful organic molecules from simple starting materials. Posted 02/23/05 Michael Calter joined the Chemistry Department as an associate professor of chemistry in June 2004. Calter completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Vermont and earned his Ph.D at Harvard University in the chemistry department. His dissertation was titled "First Total Synthesis of the Macrolide Antibiotic, Bafilomycin A1." At Wesleyan, Calter teaches organic chemistry and researches synthetic organic chemistry, which deals with making complex, useful organic molecules from simple starting materials. "I'm…
Ronald Kuivila, '77, adjunct professor of music, smiles from the Grand Teton in Wyoming. Posted 02/23/05 Q: When did you join the Music Department at Wesleyan? A: I joined the department as an artist in residence in the early 80s and converted to adjunct associate professor in the early 90s. As an artist in residence, I was expected to teach three courses a year and maintain an active professional profile as an artist and composer. As an adjunct professor, I am expected to teach four courses a year, participate in committee work, and maintain an active professional profile. Most…
Ulrich Plass studies German literature and continental philosophy with an emphasis on aesthetics. Posted 02/23/05 Ulrich Plass joined the faculty in the German Studies Department as an assistant professor in 2004. He teaches language courses as well as classes on a range of other topics that fall under the interdisciplinary rubric "German Studies." Plass completed his bachelor's degree from the University of Hamburg in Germany, received a master's degree from the University of Michigan and completed his Ph.D at New York University with a thesis on the essay form in Theodor Adorno's "Notes to Literature." Plass…
Carol Scully, director of Foundation and Corporate Relations seeks grants for the university from local and national foundations, corporations and private agencies. Posted 02/23/05 When University Relations decided to spearhead a comprehensive campaign drive seven years ago, they needed someone to work with corporations, foundations and private funding agencies. Carol Scully was their leading lady. As director of Foundation and Corporate Relations, Scully helped Wesleyan raise more than $30 million from 219 funding sources for the recently completed Wesleyan Campaign. Most of these donations range between $10,000 and $3 million. Weve been quite successful, she says, modestly. But…
Matthew Sharpe, assistant professor of English, is the author of "The Sleeping Father," which will be part of Norwalk's "One Book, One Community" celebration. Posted 02/23/05 More than 20 publishers rejected the manuscript for "The Sleeping Father." But one small independent publisher, Soft Skull Press, decided to take a chance. Since then, "The Sleeping Father" has earned critical praise, won the 2004 Independent Publishers Award for fiction in 2004 and been part of the "The Today Show Book Club." In April it will receive one more distinction: the town of Norwalk will kick off its first "One…
Jessica Pfund, '05 and Phillip Resor, assistant professor of earth and environmental sciences, observe one of Middletown's few remaining agricultural sites. Posted 02/23/05 It started out with little more than an idea, some old aerial photos and a handmade map. Several months and a lot of hard work by three dedicated people later the result may provide a whole new way to evaluate and influence the look and growth of towns in Middlesex County for years to come. Not bad considering it all started out as a question from an inquisitive undergraduate. The undergraduate, earth and environmental sciences major…