Campus News & Events

When the GOVT: 296 Japanese Politics class was learning about environmental policy, course instructor Professor Mary Alice Haddad brought her students out of the Hogwarts Classroom and to the Center for the Arts Green for their Oct. 22 class. "Using our environment to learn the material was particularly appropriate," said Haddad, John E. Andrus Professor of Government, chair and professor of East Asian studies. With social distancing in mind, Haddad taught the lesson through kinesthetic learning—learning with your body. She learned about this technique from her experience with Wesleyan's Creative Campus Initiative, which pairs performance artists with non-performance faculty for…

Three Wesleyan faculty were honored with the Wesleyan Prize for Excellence in Research in October. The third annual prize is similar to the Binswanger Prize for Excellence in Teaching, but is presented to members of the faculty who demonstrate the highest standards of excellence in their research, scholarship, and contributions to their field. Each recipient received a plaque and citation as well as research funds for their award. This year's recipients include: Division I, Sumarsam, Winslow-Kaplan Professor of Music; Division II, Lori Gruen, William Griffin Professor of Philosophy; and Division III, Bill Herbst, John Monroe Van Vleck Professor of Astronomy.…

Philosophers in the ancient world, in both the East and the West, typically viewed the practice of philosophy as an activity aimed at changing one's orientation to the world and, thus, how one lives one's life. Some of these thinkers developed views that still appear to have contemporary relevance, but many of them also held beliefs that we recognize today as not only outdated but also deeply misguided. Given these blind spots in their thinking, should ancient philosophy be "canceled"? That was the question up for consideration in a midterm debate held on Oct. 22 as part of PHIL 210:…

For her exemplary contributions to research in the geological sciences and for being an instrumental mentor to young people of color, Professor Marty Gilmore received the 2020 Randolph W. “Bill” and Cecile T. Bromery Award from the Geological Society of America. Gilmore, George I. Seney Professor of Geology, professor of earth and environmental sciences, and co-coordinator of Wesleyan's Planetary Sciences program, was nominated for the award by Jim Head, the Louis and Elizabeth Scherck Distinguished Professor of Geological Sciences at Brown University. "Few individuals have done more for expanding diversity in the geosciences than Dr. Gilmore," Head said. She "leads…

Ellen Thomas, Harold T. Stearns Professor of Integrative Sciences, Smith Curator of Paleontology of the Joe Webb Peoples Museum of Natural History, and University Professor in the College of Integrative Sciences, is the recipient of the 2020 Joseph A. Cushman Award for Excellence in Foraminiferal Research. At Wesleyan, Thomas investigates oceanic benthic foraminifera (eukaryotic unicellular organisms) as proxies for the impact of changes in environment and climate on living organisms on various time scales. This fall, she's teaching the courses Research Frontiers in the Sciences and Mass Extinctions in the Oceans. Brian Huber, president of the Cushman Foundation for Foraminiferal…

Next month, Wesleyan will host its annual Admission 101 for Wesleyan Families to help high school juniors and families prepare for the college application process. This virtual event will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 21, and from noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 22. Co-sponsored by the Office of Admission and Office of Advancement, this event offers information on interview techniques, discovering campus life through the experiences of Wesleyan students, and making the transition from high school to college. (more…)

During the 2020-21 Wesleyan Winter Session, students can complete a full-semester course in 16 days while developing close relationships with faculty and fellow students. The seventh Wesleyan Winter Session will be held exclusively online this year, with an expanded curriculum. For the first time, students can choose from a short session, Jan. 4–20, 2021, or a long session, Jan.4–Feb. 2, 2021. Students who enroll in short session may take one course; students who enroll in long session may enroll in up to two courses. More than 20 courses will be offered this winter including Introduction to Programming, Enlightenment and Science,…

Wesleyan parents, alumni, faculty, staff, and students gathered together virtually Oct. 16–17 to celebrate Wesleyan's 2020 Homecoming and Family Weekend. Participants were treated to popular WESeminars, live campus tours, a Parents' Assembly, two symposiums, and more, all from the comfort of their own homes. (Videos of the events are online from Friday and Saturday.) Screenshots of the various events are below. (more…)

Katja Kolcio, director of the Allbritton Center, associate professor of dance, received a $64,745 grant from the United Nations Recovery and Peacebuilding Programme (UN RPP) this month to evaluate the impact of somatic methods on psycho-social wellness in the context of the armed conflict in Donbas, Ukraine. "Somatic methods, which are the basis of this project, are movement-based methods that hone body-mind connection in the interest of promoting self-awareness and wellness," Kolcio explained. The Vitality Donobas Project is a collaboration between Kolcio and the Development Foundation (DF), an NGO dedicated to psycho-social relief, formed in Ukraine during the Maidan Revolution.…

A new album created by pianist and composer Noah Baerman, director of the Wesleyan University Jazz Ensemble, features more than 80 minutes of performances honoring his friend and former student, vocalist Claire Randall '12, who was murdered in December 2016. Love Right, produced by Resonant Motion, Inc. (RMI) Records, showcases songs written by Baerman alongside more than 40 Wesleyan-affiliated instrumentalists and singers who navigate a broad multitude of musical styles. It was released on Oct. 9 and is Baerman's 11th album. "Love Right is by far the most stylistically eclectic thing I've ever done," Baerman said. "I've incorporated different styles…

Assistant Professor of Computer Science Sebastian Zimmeck is leading a major initiative to help consumers gain greater control of their personal data online. On Oct. 7, Zimmeck and his collaborator, Ashkan Soltani of Georgetown Law, as well as a group of partner organizations that includes The New York Times, The Washington Post, Mozilla, and the parent company behind WordPress.com and Tumblr, among others, announced the beta launch of the Global Privacy Control (GPC), a new effort to standardize consumer privacy online. As Zimmeck explains it, privacy regulations introduced in recent years such as the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and…

Wesleyan's careful planning, creative problem-solving, and exemplary adherence to safety protocols have resulted in the campus community staying together this semester. For the third week in a row, Wesleyan has 0 reported cases of COVID-19. "This is a proud and happy moment for us all," said Wesleyan President Michael Roth '78 in a recent Public Health Update. "At the same time, it is a precarious moment. We understand that the pandemic is still with us and that the public health context can change at any time." With these considerations in mind, Wesleyan will hold Thanksgiving Recess from Wednesday, Nov. 25…

Students Explore Japanese Politics through Movement

Sumarsam, Gruen, Herbst Honored with Faculty Research Prizes

Philosophical Debate Serves as Living a Good Life Course’s Midterm

Gilmore Receives Bromery Award from the Geological Society of America

Thomas Honored for Excellence in Foraminiferal Research

Prepare for the College Application Process Through Admission 101 Program for Families

Wesleyan Winter Session Offers Expanded Options for Study; Registration Opens Nov. 3

Cardinals Celebrate 2020 Homecoming and Family Weekend Virtually

Kolcio Receives Grant from the United Nations Recovery and Peacebuilding Programme

Baerman, Wesleyan Community Pay Tribute to Randall ’12 with New Album, Love Right

Zimmeck Spearheads Launch of Important Online Privacy Tool

Adherence to Safety Protocols Results in Safe and Successful Fall Semester