Corrina KerrIn 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…
Olivia DrakeAliens 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…
The Wesleyan Film Studies Department and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences are hosting the 2010 Independent Filmmaker Series through April 29. The series features a different film and guest speaker every week. The program consists of a diverse array of films and speakers which showcase the very best in contemporary independent cinema. All shows in the series begin at 8 p.m. in the Center for Film Studies' Goldsmith Family Cinema. They are free of charge and open to the public. April 8: Writer/director Courtney Hunt will speak after a viewing of her film, Frozen River. April 15:…
David PesciThe Wesleyan Argus will host a speakers series during April that will feature outstanding alumni in journalism. The first event, "Investigative Journalism and its Future," will be presented by Jennifer B. Kim, business reporter for The Boston Globe at 4 p.m. April 9 in Allbritton 311. Other presentations, all of which will begin at 4 p.m., include: - “Behind the Glossies: The Filtering of Fashion from Conception to Publication” by Michelle McCool ’95, Fashion Director, Cosmopolitan, April 16 in Allbritton 311. - “History is News That Stays News: How News Writing Impacts the Historical Record” by Gerard Koeppel ’79, Author, Bond of Union: Building…
This summer, Wesleyan's Project to Increase Mastery of Mathematics and Science (PIMMS) will offer professional development workshops on alternative energy technologies for Connecticut science teachers. On March 25, the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund (CCEF) awarded PIMMS a contract to design and administer the workshops under CCEF’s Learning for Clean Energy Innovation (LCEI) program. Two workshops will be held at Wesleyan, and others will be held at other locations around the state. In addition to administering the workshops, PIMMS will update the program’s solar energy lessons, incorporating operating data from solar panels on schools and other buildings and explaining the important links between energy…
Jim Greenwood, research assistant professor of earth and environmental sciences, holds a slide with a moon rock sample that contains water. The water was found in the mineral apatite, which he and his team were able to identify in the sample. (Photo by Olivia Bartlett Drake)Soon after the Apollo spaceflights to the moon, experts examined the rocks brought back by the astronauts and declared with certainty that the moon was a dry, waterless place. Forty years later, James Greenwood begs to differ. Not only does he have proof, his findings strongly suggest that some of the lunar water he found…
Bill HolderDuring the academic year, the Wesleyan Board of Trustees maintains an ongoing process of tenure case consideration. During its most recent review, the Board awarded tenure to two faculty effective July 1, 2010. Matthew Kurtz, associate professor of psychology, was appointed assistant professor of psychology at Wesleyan in 2007. Previously, he has held appointments at the Institute for Living in Hartford, Trinity College, Hartford Hospital, the University of Pennsylvania, the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation and Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center. He has been awarded numerous grants from the National Institute of Mental Health, Hartford Hospital and NARSAD. His research focuses on schizophrenia,…
This issue, we ask 5 Questions to...Lisa Dierker, chair and professor of psychology. Dierker provided us with some information on her research findings. Q. How did you become interested in researching adolescents who smoke? A: Early in my career, I was selected as a faculty scholar by the Tobacco Etiology Research Network. This network was a multidisciplinary initiative sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and was aimed at attracting junior scholars into the field in hopes of accelerating research into the causes and mechanisms by which experimentation with tobacco leads to chronic and dependent use. At that time, as…
A presentation titled, “After Climategate: Rethinking Climate Science and Climate Policy” will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 25 in PAC 001. Admission is free and open to the public. The panel discussion will feature Gary Yohe, Woodhouse/Sysco Professor of Economics and senior member of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC); Joe Rouse, chair of the Science in Society Program, Hedding Professor of Moral Science, professor of philosophy; Suzanne O’Connell, associate professor of earth and environmental science, director of the Service Learning Center; and Paul Erickson, assistant professor of history, member of the Science…
For the next three years, the National Science Foundation (NSF) will support gene expression research led by Scott Holmes, associate professor of molecular biology and biochemistry. On March 2, the NSF awarded Holmes a $599,832, three-year grant for his studies on "Epigenetic Silencing of Gene Expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae." Gene expression refers to the observable characteristics generated on a molecular level by a particular sequence of DNA or gene; epigenetic controls are essential in maintaining the specific patterns of gene expression that distinguish hundreds of distinct cell types in skin, muscles and other types of tissue. "I’m thrilled to get…
Ethics leader and law professor Lawrence Lessig will speak on "Speech and Independence: The Wrongs of Corporate Speech," during the 19th Annual Hugo L. Black Lecture on Freedom of Expression. The event is at 8 p.m. April 7 in Memorial Chapel. Lessig is professor of law at Harvard Law School and the director of the Edmond J. Safra Foundation Center for Ethics. As director, Lessig is leading a five-year project studying “institutional corruption” relationships which are legal, even ethical, but which weaken public trust in an institution. Prior to Harvard, Lessig was a professor at Stanford Law School, where he…