David PesciRichard S. Slotkin, the Olin Professor of English, Emeritus, has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Established in 1780 by John Adams and other founders of the nation, the Academy undertakes studies of complex and emerging problems. Its membership of scholars and practitioners from many disciplines and professions gives it a unique capacity to conduct a wide range of interdisciplinary, long-term policy research. Current projects focus on science and technology; global security; social policy and American institutions; the humanities and culture; and education. The current membership includes more than 250 Nobel laureates and more than 60…
In this issue we ask 5 Questions to...Dana Royer, assistant professor of earth and environmental sciences, who has a new study in the American Journal of Botany that examined flowering plant fossils in hopes of uncovering clues about the growth characteristics of some of these ancient angiosperms. Q. Your study looks at the structure of fossil flowering plants, also known as angiosperms, from more than 100 million years ago. What were you hoping to discover? A. Flowering plants are ubiquitous in most areas on Earth today. Over 90 percent of all plant species today are angiosperms. Given how important these…
Corrina KerrOne works in translating languages; the other translates words into images. Together they are about to take audiences through a centuries-old world of lechers, louts and libertines, among others. Norman Shapiro, professor of romance languages and literatures, and David Schorr, professor of art, have been collaborating together for more than 20 years to bring ancient French verse and tales to life for an English-reading audience. Their most recent effort is a re-issue, La Fontaine's Bawdy: Of Libertines, Louts, and Lechers (2009 by the Black Widow Press), a book they will be discussing and signing at on May 5 at Broad…
Olivia DrakeOn April 20, 2010, Wesleyan President Michael Roth '78 wrote a blog, declaring that the university will not be able to maintain McConaughy Hall. The building, constructed 1962 as "The Freshman Dining Hall" closed in 2007 following the opening of Usdan University Center. When I began my tenure as President of Wesleyan in the summer of 2007, I strolled over to my old Foss Hill room just across from the entrance to McConaughy Dining Hall. Standing in the circular driveway between my frosh dorm and the dining hall, I could almost hear the music that my roommate Richie and I blasted…
A student-created health care clinic in Kibera, Kenya, named for Johanna Justin-Jinich, receives grant from Newman’s Own Foundation Last year, two students from Wesleyan founded the first tuition-free school for girls in Kibera, Africa’s largest slum, located in Nairobi, Kenya. This year, they’ve teamed with three more Wesleyan students and medical experts to create a health care clinic on the same site. The Johanna Justin-Jinich Memorial Clinic of Kibera will be the first community-driven clinic in Kibera that specializes in women's health. The student-created Shining Hope for Communities non-profit organization will preside over the clinic’s construction and daily operation. Johanna Justin-Jinich…
Binge eating can cause depression, lead to excessive weight gain and potentially cause long-term damage in binge eaters. But a new study shows that a simple, self-guided 12-week program can decrease binge eating for up to an entire year – while reducing costs of treatment. Conducted by Ruth Striegel-Moore, the Walter A. Crowell University Professor of the Social Sciences, professor of psychology, and researchers at the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research and Rutgers University, the study was aimed at finding a way to effectively treat sufferers from this disorder that affects about 3 percent of people in the United…
As an archaeologist investigating 19th century sites in Zanzibar and Tanzania, it was impossible for Sarah Croucher to ignore the thousands of shreds of locally-produced and imported ceramics unearthed every day of excavations. For archaeologists, these materials are vital to interpreting the social history of 19th century Islamic colonialism in East Africa. "Many key questions remain uninvestigated, particularly in regard to how newly shared Zanzibar identities emerged during the 19th Century, which intersected with gender, religion, class and sexuality," Croucher explains. Croucher, assistant professor of anthropology, assistant professor of archaeology, assistant professor of feminist, gender and sexuality studies, has been…
The national health insurance legislation, colloquially known as “ObamaCare,” passed recently by the U.S. Congress and signed by President Obama is historic. However, almost as soon as it became law, several pundits, journalists and lawmakers – as well as law suits filed by the attorney generals from 18 states – began asking the same question: is ObamaCare constitutional? “If you are looking for a specific clause in the Constitution that explicitly authorizes the national government to regulate the subject of health care, then the answer is obviously no,” says John Finn, professor of government, who has written and commented widely…
Thanks to nine Wesleyan students, subsistence farmers in the small urban center of Nandaime, Nicaragua, will no longer struggle to grow crops during the dry season. Between March 7-14, the students transformed five plots of land into irrigated farms, which will allow a network of female farmers to grow extra vegetables in the summers and sell them at a cooperative. "Now they'll be able to supplement their diet with nutrient-rich foods and sell the excess food at the market for an additional source of income," says trip organizer Rachel Levenson '12. Levenson and her peers, Amanda Schwartz '12; David Harris…
In this issue, we ask 5 Questions to. . . Erika Taylor, assistant professor of chemistry and chair of the 35th Peter A. Leermakers' Committee. Q. How did you get involved in biofuel research? A.There seemed to be a compelling need for more scientists to look for alternatives to biofuel carbon sources beyond the ones that have already been researched, corn being a common, but problematic one. Q. Can you explain what lignin is? A. Lignin is the second most abundant polymer on the planet (the most abundant polymer is cellulose). Lignin is interwoven into trees, along with cellulose and…
Aliens abound on the movie screens, but in reality we are still trying to find out if we share our universe with other sentient creatures. SETI, the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, is our attempt to detect evidence of a distant technology, in pursuit of cosmic company. On April 13, astronomer Jill Tarter will speak on "Are We Alone?" as the 2010 Sturm Memorial Lecturer. Tarter is director of the SETI Institute's Center for SETI Research. In 2004 Time Magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world, and in 2006 Tarter became a National Advisory Board member for the…
Almost half of college students have experienced abuse in a relationship, according to a 2008 study. Abuse can range from cyber- stalking to beatings and rape. On April 27, Wesleyan University, The Hartford Courant and FOX CT will present a Key Issues Forum titled “The Person You Think You Know: Signs and Solutions of Campus Violence” at 6 p.m. in Beckham Hall. The forum will feature experts who will discuss relationship violence on campuses, including how to recognize danger signs and where to get help. The panelists are: Claire Potter, professor of American studies, professor of history, whose research interest…