Campus News & Events

On March 5, the Connecticut Supreme Court reversed the 2017 trial court’s judgement in Kent Literary Club v Wesleyan. This judgment had imposed damages on the university, requiring Wesleyan to contract with the owners of the Delta Kappa Epsilon (DKE) residence to house students. Wesleyan officials said they are pleased by the Connecticut Supreme Court’s decision and hoped that it would put an end to the matter, though they noted that the fraternity may choose to continue its litigation. In fall of 2014, after receiving much input from the campus community and consulting with the Board of Trustees, Wesleyan announced that…

Ninety-nine thousand and counting. That's how many times Wesleyan students, faculty, and staff have stuck, swiped, and swirled cotton swabs in their nasal cavities over the past seven months at the Wesleyan COVID-19 testing facility, with hopes for that negative result indicating no presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA. "Implementing an effective testing program was essential to returning for in-person learning," said Associate Vice President/Dean of Students Rick Culliton, who spearheads Wesleyan's Curricular Contingency Planning Task Force (CCPTF). "Our number one priority is keeping the campus community safe. Having accurate, timely test results has been critical to identifying and containing any cases…

The following faculty were conferred tenure, effective July 1, 2021 by the Board of Trustees at its most recent meeting: David Kuenzel, associate professor of economics; Michelle Personick, associate professor of chemistry; and Olga Sendra Ferrer, associate professor of Spanish. In addition, one faculty member was promoted, effective July 1, 2020: Valerie Nazzaro, associate professor of the practice in quantitative analysis. Brief descriptions of their areas of research and teaching appear below: David Kuenzel’s scholarship focuses on international trade and economic growth. In his research, he analyzes nations’ trade policies, trade flows, and economic growth in connection with the policies…

Wesleyan has announced the speaker and honorary degree recipients for its 189th Commencement. The date of Commencement was previously announced as May 30th; however, given current pandemic conditions, the University is reviewing other options for the last week of May. The University is currently planning to hold the ceremony in-person on Wesleyan’s Middletown campus, though off-campus guests will be restricted to virtual attendance given the ongoing threat posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. More details about the ceremony and a definitive date for Commencement will be announced by the end of March. Reginald Dwayne Betts, an award-winning poet, memoirist, and teacher,…

Do political views and anxiety play a functional role in combating COVID-19? According to a recent study by Ori Cantwell '22, the answer is yes. Cantwell, a psychology major, presented his recent study "Yes We (Anxiously) Can: Liberal Ideology and Anxiety Predict Social Distancing during the COVID-19 Pandemic" during the virtual 22nd Annual Convention of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology Conference, held Feb. 9–13. "We found that in a sample of over 10,000 American adults, anxiety partially mediated the relationship between liberal ideology and social distancing," Cantwell explained. "Liberals were more anxious than conservatives, and people were most…

Feb. 23 Forbes - How To Become Rich Without Selling Your Soul. Quotes Alok Appadurai '00, founder and CEO of UpliftMillions.com. Feb. 24 E! News - Don't Throw Away Your Shot to Learn More About Lin-Manuel Miranda's Love Story. Mentions Lin-Manuel Miranda '02, Hon. '15. The Middletown Press - Veterans Corner: Learn the history of the Greater Middletown Military Museum. Mentions agreement with Wesleyan University, which provides interns to help preserve and document the museum's collection. Closer - Barbara Stanwyck's Triumph Over Tragedy: How She Survived a Lifetime of Pain to Become a Star. Quotes Jeanine Basinger. Feb. 25 Yardbarker…

The American Association of Teachers of Slavic and East European Languages (AATSEEL) honored Nataliya Karageorgos, assistant professor of the practice in Russian, East European, and Eurasian studies, with the Best 2020 Slavic and East European Journal Article (SEEJ) award. Karageorgos' article, titled "'A List of Some Observations': The Theory and Practice of Depersonalization in T.S. Eliot and Joseph Brodsky," was published in the Fall 2019, Volume 63, Issue 3 of SEEJ. Karageorgos' article argues that Joseph Brodsky’s use of depersonalization owes a lot to Brodsky’s readings of T.S. Eliot, and that Eliot’s role in Brodsky’s evolution has thus far been…

Joseph Siry, Kenan Professor of the Humanities, professor of art history, is the author of Air-Conditioning in Modern American Architecture, 1890–1970 (Penn State University Press, February 2021). According to the book's abstract, Air-Conditioning in Modern American Architecture, 1890–1970 documents how architects made environmental technologies into resources that helped shape their spatial and formal aesthetic. In doing so, it sheds important new light on the ways in which mechanical engineering has been assimilated into the culture of architecture as one facet of its broader modernist project. Tracing the development and architectural integration of air-conditioning from its origins in the late 19th century…

Gabe Snashall '21 and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies Helen Poulos are the co-authors of "Oreos Versus Orangutans: The Need for Sustainability Transformations and Nonhierarchical Polycentric Governance in the Global Palm Oil Industry," published in the Feb. 22 issue of Forests. According to the paper's abstract, "While the myriad benefits of palm oil as a food, makeup, and cleaning product additive drive its demand, globally, the palm oil industry remains largely unsustainable and unregulated. The negative externalities of palm oil production are diverse and devastating to tropical ecosystem integrity and human livelihoods in palm oil nations. Given the current…

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the public has relied on dynamic visualizations in the form of maps and apps to keep up-to-date with the spread of the disease on both local and global scales. And with the use of geo-enabled apps, individuals can locate COVID-19 testing and vaccination sites, order groceries and other goods online, find uncrowded outdoor spaces, and track and even map the number of available medical resources in area hospitals. "All of these services are available due to geographic information systems (GIS)," said Kim Diver, associate professor of the practice in earth and environmental sciences. "By using spatiotemporal visualizations, we…

Several Wesleyan faculty and alumni have been featured in national media outlets recently. They include: The Conversation — “Trump’s acquittal is a sign of ‘constitutional rot’: partisanship overriding principles” by Professor Emeritus John Finn. Democratic Underground — "I've Studied Terrorism for Over 40 Years. Let's Talk About What Comes Next” by Professor Emerita Martha Crenshaw. Thrive Global — "Being kind to yourself is one of the most important qualities you can develop for success." Mentions Happier Inc. founder Nataly Kogan ’98. All About Jazz — Guillermo E. Brown: Freedom Of Music, mentions Wesleyan University and Guillermo Brown ’98. News 8…

Rosemary Ostfeld '10, MA '12, visiting assistant professor of environmental studies and public policy, was named to Connecticut Magazine's 2021 "40 Under 40" list. The 32-year-old from East Lyme, Conn., is the founder of Healthy PlanEat, a new sustainable food-tech startup that helps farmers who use sustainable growing practices sell their farm-fresh goods (whether fruits or veggies, cheese or oysters) directly to local customers. Farmers using Healthy PlanEat—which enthusiastic members of the community helped start via a crowdfunding campaign—can upload inventory, set distribution options, and manage incoming orders. Customers can purchase food to pick up at the farms themselves, at…

Connecticut Supreme Court Reverses Trial Court DKE Decision

Staff Work Behind the Scenes to Create a Successful COVID-19 Testing Operation

4 Faculty Receive Tenure, Promotions

Wesleyan Announces Its 2021 Honorary Degree Recipients

Cantwell ’22: Liberals Are Anxious About COVID-19 And They Social Distance More

Wesleyan in the News

Karageorgos’ Paper on T.S. Eliot and Joseph Brodsky Honored by AATSEEL

Siry’s Book on Air-Conditioning in Modern American Architecture Published

Study by Snashall ’21, Poulos Published in Forests

Students Use GIS-Based Maps, Apps to Study the Effects of the Pandemic

Wesleyan in the News

Ostfeld ’10, MA ’12 Named a “40 Under 40”