Campus News & Events

Wesleyan University has announced the distinguished members of its inaugural Hamilton Prize Selection Committee. The all-star committee, made up of Wesleyan alumni, will choose the first-ever recipient of the university’s newly established Wesleyan University Hamilton Prize for Creativity—a four-year full-tuition scholarship that will be awarded to the incoming Wesleyan student of the Class of 2021 whose creative written work is judged to best reflect the originality, artistry and dynamism embodied in Hamilton: An American Musical. (more…)

A new university bookstore will open in late spring on Main Street in Middletown and will be operated by RJ Julia Booksellers, the nationally known independent bookstore in Madison, Conn. The new bookstore will be located at 413 Main Street, near the intersection of Washington Street, and is expected to contribute significantly to Middletown’s thriving downtown. Popular restaurants, Kidcity Children’s Museum, and retail outlets are nearby. The 12,000-square-foot space will be renovated with an open concourse design. Work will begin in December and the opening is planned for late spring of 2017. “We’re committed to strengthening the ties between campus…

On Giving Tuesday, Nov. 29, members of the Wesleyan community joined together to support Wesleyan students. This was Wesleyan’s fourth year participating in the global campaign, which encourages people to support their favorite organizations during the holiday season. This year, Wesleyan’s Giving Tuesday goal was 3,000 gifts received between Nov.1 and Nov. 29. By the end of the day on Giving Tuesday, Wesleyan had received a total of 3,674 gifts. “Our sincere thanks to everyone who gave in support of students this year, including the Frank-Kim Family—John Frank '78, P'12, Diann Kim P'12, and Peter Frank '12—who generously inspired others to…

In its most recent meeting, the Board of Trustees conferred tenure on four faculty members including Tiphanie Yanique, associate professor of English; Jay Hoggard, professor of music; Ron Kuivila, professor of music; and Sumarsam, professor of music. Sumarsam also was appointed to the Winslow-Kaplan Professorship of Music. The appointments will be effective on Jan. 1, 2017. "Please join us in congratulating them on their impressive records of accomplishment," said Joyce Jacobsen, provost and vice president for academic affairs. Tiphanie Yanique is a widely published and highly regarded fiction writer, essayist and poet. She is the author of two novels, one children’s…

William Wistar "Wis" Comfort II, the Edward Burr Van Vleck Professor of Mathematics, Emeritus, died Nov. 28 at the age of 83. Comfort received his BA from Haverford College, and an MSc and PhD from the University of Washington (Seattle) and was an expert on point-set topology, ultrafilters, set theory and topological groups. He joined the Wesleyan faculty in 1967 after teaching at Harvard, University of Rochester and University of Massachusetts (Amherst). Comfort taught in the mathematics department for 40 years until his retirement in 2007, where he supervised 17 PhD theses and three MA theses. He was a key…

In May 2010, the Board of Trustees adopted Wesleyan 2020 as a tool for strategic decision making at Wesleyan. Reflecting the input of faculty, trustees, staff, alumni and students, and designed to be flexible, this framework for planning has assisted the University in making decisions about the allocation of resources since that time. Wesleyan President Michael S. Roth has provided an update, Beyond 2020: Strategies for Wesleyan, organized under the rubric of Wesleyan’s three overarching goals: to energize Wesleyan’s distinctive educational experience; to enhance recognition of Wesleyan as an extraordinary institution; and to work within a sustainable economic model while…

Next spring, May Treuhaft-Ali '17 will graduate from Wesleyan with a degree in theater, but that won't be her final curtain call. As a Mitchell Scholar, Treuhaft-Ali will have the opportunity to advance her studies on theater and performance at Trinity College in Dublin. The George J. Mitchell Scholarship Program is a nationally competitive award for U.S. citizens sponsored by the U.S.-Ireland Alliance. Named in honor of the former U.S. Senator's pivotal contribution to the Northern Ireland peace process, the Mitchell Scholarship is designed to introduce and connect future American leaders to the island of Ireland, while recognizing and fostering…

For the third year in a row, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded Wesleyan with a Regional Food Recovery Achievement Certificate for its efforts reducing and diverting food waste. Wesleyan is among 26 organizations and institutions to receive the honor in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine. This also is the third year Wesleyan has participated in the EPA's New England Food Recovery Challenge. "These organizations are showing that protecting the environment, saving money and feeding the hungry can go hand in hand,” said Curt Spalding, regional administrator of EPA's New England office. “It’s true year-round, but especially important to keep…

Ethnomusicology PhD candidate Maho Ishiguro MA ’12 was honored at the 2016 Society of Ethnomusicology Annual Meeting with the Nadia and Nicholas Nahumck Fellowship for her research titled "Seudati and the Social Contestation of Female Dance in Aceh, Indonesia.” The award is given to help support research on a dance-related subject and its subsequent publication, and consists of a $4,000 research fellowship and $1,000 award for publication. “This fellowship will allow me to continue doing my research on the topics of Acehnese dance and music forms, women's practice of performing arts, and changing socioreligious climate in the post-tsunami Aceh, from 2004…

The Wesleyan women's soccer team hosted a free kids' soccer clinic on Nov. 12 for ages 5-13 to benefit the Amazing Grace Food Pantry in Middletown. The event called Kicking4Hunger encouraged area children to donate a non-perishable food item in exchange for the free clinic. Around 25 kids from the Middletown area attended and were taught the basic skills of soccer — passing, dribbling, shooting — by members of the team. Senior captain Carly Swenson '17 spearheaded the second annual event, along with former player Tess Daggett-Edenholm. Swenson and Daggett-Edenholm started a program on campus called Athletes C.A.R.E (Creating Abundant…

This fall, Wesleyan students and staff took part in the Middletown Community Thanksgiving Project, an annual collaborative effort to provide Thanksgiving meals for families in need. Wesleyan was one of 70 community partners for the project, led by Fellowship Church in Middletown.

The Allbritton Center, Wesleyan's hub of civic engagement, is maintaining a calendar of campus and community events related to the recent presidential election and its aftermath. "In the wake of the historic 2016 presidential election, we believe that civic engagement — in its many forms — is more important than ever," said Civic Engagement Fellow Rebecca Jacobsen '16. The event listing is housed on the Allbritton Center's Engage blog. Inclusion of an event does not equal endorsement. To submit an event, email engage@wesleyan.edu. "We are committed to transparency, open discourse, and the safety and well-being of all our community members," Jacobsen…

Wesleyan Announces All-Star Hamilton Prize Selection Committee

Wesleyan to Open Bookstore on Middletown’s Main Street

Wesleyan Exceeds Giving Tuesday Goal

Board of Trustees Confers Tenure on 4 Faculty

Comfort Remembered for Teaching Mathematics 40 Years at Wesleyan

President Roth Presents Beyond 2020: Strategies for Wesleyan

Mitchell Scholar Treuhaft-Ali ’17 Will Continue Theater Studies in Ireland

EPA Recognizes Wesleyan for Reducing, Diverting Food Waste

Ishiguro Awarded Research Fellowship to Study Acehnese Dance

Women’s Soccer Hosts Clinic to Benefit Local Food Pantry

Wesleyan Students, Staff Participate in Middletown Community Thanksgiving Project

Allbritton Center Maintains Post-Election Calendar of Events