Campus Life – Page 4

President Michael S. Roth ’78 joined Middletown High School students in a discussion of his new book “The Student: A Short History” on Thursday, Oct. 5 at RJ Julia Bookstore. In addition to Roth’s talk, MeshEd led a writing and tutoring workshop entitled the “Art of the Personal Essay.” MeshEd, an organization that provides project-based learning curriculum and professional development for teachers, also offers afterschool programs at Middletown High School through its Aspiring Young Learners Initiative. Roth discerned a common theme through examining the relationships of Confucius, Socrates, and Jesus with their students, and diving into what it has meant…

In the wake of the horrific attack on Israel and the subsequent war in the region, members of the Wesleyan University community are gathering to denounce the attacks on civilians and to support those unmoored by these events. “When last Saturday I denounced the Hamas attacks on Israel, I was not fully aware of their horrific brutality. And the news has only grown darker…We learn from one another while we share this beautiful campus. University climates can, of course, change, but I am proud that so far our students, faculty and staff have offered one another support," said President Michael S.…

Wesleyan’s annual Navaratri Festival celebrated the diversity of Indian music and dance from October 5 through October 8, 2023. "Over its 47 years, our festival continues to widen representation, to expand the classical canon of Indian arts and who is allowed to perform it, and to rigorously engage with South Asian culture through a creative lens," said Fiona Coffey, Associate Director for Programming and Performing Arts. Coffey mentioned Wesleyan’s new major as part of the Global South Asian Studies program, which offers students opportunities to explore the cultures connected to the region through a diverse set of disciplines. ”We're incredibly excited…

Professor of Government Sonali Chakravarti connected the 1970 Black Panther trials held in New Haven to important jury reforms taking place in Connecticut today. Chakravarti delivered her lecture on the subject, entitled “The Black Panther Trials in New Haven and the Power of the Jury,” at the Faculty and Staff Lunch Talk held on October 5. She outlined a brief history of the Black Panther Party in Connecticut and the facts behind two trials surrounding the 1969 murder of Alex Rackley, a 19-year-old Floridian who had been sent to help the Panther chapter in New Haven. The Black Panther Party…

Continuing its efforts to improve the affordability and accessibility of higher education, starting in the fall of 2024, Wesleyan University will no longer include loans as part of its financial aid packages. The University will meet all students' demonstrated financial need without the burden of borrowing. Having already eliminated loans for highly aided students, this should help middle-income families eligible for financial aid find Wesleyan more affordable. “We are improving the University’s financial aid offerings to be able to build and maintain a dynamically diverse community, including socioeconomic diversity,” President Michael S. Roth ’78 said. Over the past several years the…

Robyn Autry, Associate Professor of Sociology and Director of the Allbritton Center for the Study of Public Life; Hari Krishnan, Professor of Dance; and Francis Starr, Foss Professor of Physics, Professor of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry and Professor of Integrative Sciences, have received the 2023 award for excellence in research. The awards—going to those who demonstrate excellence in their research, scholarship, and contributions to their field—were announced at the first faculty meeting of the year, held in early September. Autry, recipient of the faculty research prize in the social sciences, is a strong voice in the study of racial identity,…

As Wesleyan University comes up on the final moments of its most recent round of campus improvements, eyes are already turning towards the future. Staff and faculty members are working alongside members of the Board of Trustees to chart the future course of the University’s infrastructure. “Every other month we are meeting to talk about the progress of our campus planning … we are in the very early stages of this work,” said Alan Rubacha, Assistant Vice President, Construction and Infrastructure. Rubacha said the committee is working in three different areas—energy and infrastructure, academic and administrative facility needs, and residential…

Wesleyan University will be participating in a research project to explore the potential—and pitfalls--of generative artificial intelligence as a teaching and research tool. Wesleyan joins 19 other universities, including Carnegie Mellon University, Princeton University, University of Chicago, University of Connecticut, Stony Brook University, Temple University, Bryant University, Duke University, Concordia University, and Yale University on the two-year research project led by Ithaka S+R, a not-for-profit organization that helps the academic community evaluate and use digital technologies. “Together the partners in the Making AI Generative for Higher Education will assess the immediate and emerging AI applications most likely to impact teaching,…

There are not many places a student could go to find out about the birding scene on campus, hear about where to go to learn improv comedy, find their fellow student investors, or work to expand reproductive rights. The Student Involvement Fair on Sept. 8 on Huss Lawn was just the place to seek out each of these interests and their accompanying communities, or just try your hand at a game of chess with the chess club. To accompany the many academic events available each semester, Wesleyan is home to over 300 student-run groups, clubs, organizations, and activities. Students have…

President Michael S. Roth ’78 and Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Nicole Stanton recently announced the faculty members who, in recognition of their career accomplishments, have been appointed to endowed professorships, effective July 1, 2023: Merve Gul Emre, former distinguished writer-in-residence, received the Shapiro-Silverberg University Professorship of Creative Writing and Criticism, established in 2008. James W. McGuire, professor of government, received a John E. Andrus Professorship of Government, established in 1981. Brian Hale Northrop, professor of chemistry, received the E. B. Nye Professorship of Chemistry, established in 1908. Dana Royer, professor of Earth and environmental sciences, received the…

Wesleyan University has been selected to host a Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence from India to teach new courses and to help incorporate more international perspectives into the chemistry curriculum during the 2023-2024 academic year. Prof. Pawan K. Sharma, an expert in organic synthesis and medicinal chemistry at Central University of Haryana, Mahendergarh and earlier Dean of Research and Development at Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, was selected for the Fulbright award by the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. The Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence Program brings visiting scholars from abroad to U.S. colleges and universities, helping the institutions internationalize their curricula, campuses and surrounding communities, and diversify the…

Merve Emre, Shapiro-Silverberg Professor of Creative Writing and Criticism, believes the function of criticism is to model a passionate form of thinking. Her new lecture series will put that passion on display through a series of conversations with writers working at the top of their profession. The series, called “The Critic and Her Publics,” features writers from The New Yorker, New York Times Magazine, N+1, and other leading publications. The lineup includes Andrea Long Chu, Maggie Doherty, Moira Donegan, Hannah Goldfield, Lauren Michele Jackson, Jo Livingstone, Anahid Nersessian, Sophie Pinkham, Doreen St. Felix, Parul Sehgal, Carina del Valle Schorske, and…

Roth Speaks to High School Students at RJ Julia

“Sickening Violence”

Wesleyan Celebrates 47th Annual Navaratri Festival

Lecture Explores Impact of 1970 Black Panther Trials on Connecticut Juries

No Loans: Wesleyan University Removes Barriers to Affording Higher Education

Three Faculty Recognized for Excellence in Research

Campus Construction Updates: Fall 2023

Wesleyan to Participate in Generative AI Research Project

Wesleyan Students Flock to Fall Involvement Fair

University Announces Endowed Professorships, New Faculty Leadership

Wesleyan Selected to Host Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence

New Lecture Series Explores the Passion of Criticism