Campus News & Events

Mike Robinson, assistant professor of psychology, assistant professor of neuroscience and behavior, and his students are interested in what makes individuals react differently when they catch a whiff of freshly-baked brownies or another sugary treat. These Pavlovian cues associated with junk food can trigger cravings to eat and increase the amount of food consumed. People who are more susceptible to the motivational effects of these cues may have a higher risk for over consuming readily available junk food and becoming obese. Furthermore, the overconsumption of junk food may itself heighten attraction to food cues. But what causes some people to…

When the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) announced the names this month of 939 athletes among its conference member schools who earned the distinction of academic all-NESCAC during the winter 2014-15 season, Wesleyan celebrated its largest pool ever in winter with 89 student-athletes. These student-athletes, sophomores and above, meet the criteria of being significant contributors to their teams while achieving a cumulative GPA of 3.35 or higher. The student-athletes play in the following winter sports: men's and women's basketball, men's and women's ice hockey, men's and women's swimming and diving, men's and women's squash, men's and women's indoor track and wrestling. Some highlights from this season's group…

The NESCAC has announced the 2014-15 winter recipients of the All-Sportsmanship awards for each of the 11 member colleges. In total, eight Wesleyan athletes have been recognized with one in each of the eight winter sports (men's and women's basketball, men's and women's ice hockey, men's and women's swimming and diving, and men's and women's squash). They are James Albrecht '15 (men's ice hockey), Liz Baumgartner '15 (women's swimming and diving), Mike DeLalio '15 (men's squash), Bridget Doherty '16 (women's squash), Bryan Galvin '15 (men's basketball), Cara Jankowsi '15 (women's ice hockey), Cherkira Lashley '15 (women's basketball), Travis Williams '15…

Wesleyan's vegan fare continues to impress voters and critics: collegemagazine.org has named the school the ninth best vegan campus nationwide, and Wesleyan is looking to reach the final round in the People's Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) "March Madness"-style voting contest. According to collegemagazine.org: Wesleyan not only boasts its history of social justice activism, but also a wide range of mouth-watering vegan foods. Veggie chicken red curry is just one of these fine meals. Let your senses run wild with Bon Appétit, the campus’ food supplier. Their navy bean soup, garden burger and steamed parsnips will have you running back for more. Even…

Jeanine Basinger, the Corwin-Fuller Professor of Film Studies, and Jeremy Arnold ’91 will hold a public talk on "Films and Facts: Whose Responsibility?" at 12:30 p.m. March 27 at the Turner Classic Movies (TCM) Classic Film Festival. The schedule of the film festival can be found here. Hollywood's alleged disregard for the facts of history is year after year the subject of heated media debate. From the early days of the silent era to this year's Oscar race, charges of historical inaccuracy have fueled great conversations about factual reproduction, creative license, propaganda and audience responsibility. Jeanine Basinger and Jeremy Arnold will continue the tradition by discussing the fascinating question…

Professor of Economics Richard Grossman recently presented the keynote address at a conference held at the Austrian National Bank. The presentation, made on March 11, was titled, "Interest rate cycles and implications for the financial sector: a long-term view." A summary is available here. The conference was jointly sponsored by Austria's central bank (the Oesterreichische Nationalbank), SUERF (the European Money and Finance Forum), and BWG (the Austrian Society for Bank Research).

Wesleyan’s Board of Trustees approved a resolution Feb. 28 to consider “environmental, social or governance factors” as part of the university’s investment process. The resolution speaks to concerns that students at Wesleyan and across the country have raised regarding investments in fossil fuel companies. Coal companies have been a particular focus because the burning of coal is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. The Board action – under consideration by its Investment Committee for some time – followed a meeting between the Investment Committee and the Committee for Investor Responsibility (CIR), composed of student, faculty and staff representatives. The…

#THISISWHY Nearly everyone who attended Wesleyan has fond memories of time spent on Foss Hill. Whether it’s sledding in the winter, studying or lounging with friends on a sunny day, taking in a great concert, or engaging in a spirited political debate, Foss Hill has been a central part of the Wesleyan experience for generations of students. This year on April 2, Wesleyan will celebrate the inaugural Foss Hill Day. The theme of the day will be “Foss Hill: Our Common Ground,” and the university will share Foss Hill facts, student profiles and experiences of Foss Hill on social media and elsewhere.…

The Exley Science Center’s first level, which underwent renovations earlier this year, has been outfitted with all new furniture, offering a variety of seating options. According to Brandi Hood, senior project coordinator with Construction Services, the lobby boasts 34 new lounge seats with end tables (each with USB and power outlets); four tables with 15 low-top study seats; six tables with 24 high-top café seats; and nine standing countertop kiosks for those looking to charge a cell phone or take a quick break. “This seating was chosen to provide a variety of comfortable, single and group seats, (more…)

On Feb. 27, representatives from seven Wesleyan athletic teams visited Woodrow Wilson Middle School in Middletown to promote the anti-bullying message "if it's mean, then intervene" with about 300 seventh and eighth graders. The student-athletes worked with the school's RAM Pride Patrol program, which is run by seventh grade teacher and Wesleyan alumnus Anthony Albrech '08. Albrecht organized the participation by Wesleyan athletes with Jeff McDonald, assistant football coach. McDonald drafted 16 student athletes from the men's and women's lacrosse teams, men's hockey team, football, men’s tennis team, women’s basketball and men’s track to come to the school for two separate presentations.…

Mateusz “Matt” Burgunder ’15 recently competed in the 2015 Ski Mountaineering World Championships in Verbier, Switzerland where the U.S. National Ski Mountaineering Team finished in 10th place overall. This was Burgunder's fourth time competing for the U.S., participating in three events. Competitors race by climbing up and skiing down mountains at a rate of approximately 3,000 feet per hour. The 2015 Ski Mountaineering World Championships, hosted by the International Ski Mountaineering Federation, were held Feb. 6–12. More information about the U.S. Ski Mountaineering Association and the 2015 World Championships can be found online. See photos of Burgunder's events below: (more…)

This month, Wesleyan's men's basketball team was crowned NESCAC champs and played in the NCAA Division III Championship for the first time in history. However, the team came up short at Nationals after losing to Skidmore in a first-round game March 6. The field of 62 teams in the NCAA championship was announced March 2. Wesleyan’s team claimed the NESCAC title after defeating Amherst 74-70 in overtime on March 1. Wesleyan led most of the game but had to fend off several Lord Jeff rallies to secure an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championship. In that game, Jack Mackey ’16 broke…

Robinson Studies Individual Differences in Reactions to Junk Food

89 Cardinals Named Academic All-NESCAC

8 Student-Athletes Recognized with NESCAC All-Sportsmanship Awards

Wesleyan’s Vegan Cuisine Continues to Impress

Basinger, Arnold ’91 Talk About Classic Movies on TCM

Grossman Presents Keynote at Austrian National Bank Conference

Board Resolution Speaks to Social Impacts of Investments

Support Students on Foss Hill Day April 2

Exley Offers New Study Space for Students

Student Athletes Promote Anti-Bullying at Local Middle School

Burgunder ’15 Competes in Ski Mountaineering World Championships

NESCAC Win Sends Cardinals to NCAA Championship