Campus News & Events

More than 40 years have passed since Richard "Dick" Field P'09 laid eyes on a silkscreen titled Corpse and Mirror. "I enjoy seeing this. It's part of my past," Field said during a stopover at the Davison Art Center on Feb. 7. "It's like visiting an old friend." Corpse and Mirror, created by American artist Jasper Johns, is one of 23 prints donated to the Davison Art Center in December 2018 by the artist himself. Johns donated the images to Wesleyan in honor of Field, who served as the DAC's curator from 1972 to 1979. Johns, an 89-year-old artist, is known…

In this recurring feature in The Wesleyan Connection, we highlight some of the latest news stories about Wesleyan and our alumni. Recent Wesleyan News Wall Street International Magazine: "Tula Telfair: Reverie" Professor of Art Tula Telfair's new exhibition of landscape paintings, "Reverie," is presented Feb. 7 through March 30 at the Forum Gallery in New York. According to the article, "In the fourteen paintings that comprise 'Reverie,' she explores the inner reaches of her dreams and memories, taking us to places she has been or believes in so fully that she is able to portray and take the viewer to the…

On Feb. 8, President Michael Roth announced in a campus-wide email that Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Joyce Jacobsen will become the president of Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, N.Y., beginning July 1. In announcing Jacobsen’s appointment as president, Hobart and William Smith’s Board of Trustees Chair Thomas Bozzuto said, “President Jacobsen is a prominent scholar and an esteemed educator with a deep understanding of the interdisciplinary inquiry so vital to our mission here at Hobart and William Smith. In her work with students and colleagues in the academy, and with preeminent national and international…

The English Department awards two fellowships that support summer projects or graduate study. The deadline for application is 5 p.m. on April 1. Olin Fellowships are open to first-year students, sophomores, and juniors. Founded in 1854 by the mother of Stephen Olin (Wesleyan president 1839–41 and 1842–51) and later increased by gifts of Stephen Henry Olin (Class of 1866 and acting president 1922–23) and his wife, the Olin Fellowships are awarded in recognition of achievement in English to support independent research or creative writing. The fellowships are to be used for work in English outside the Wesleyan course structure. Such…

Forty-six Wesleyan students interested in finance, journalism, public health, tech, theater, and music had the opportunity to participate in a three-day immersive career exploration program over winter break. Spearheaded by the Gordon Career Center's Winter on Wyllys programming, the inaugural New York City Career Trek, held Jan. 16-18, allowed students to travel to New York City and meet and network with Wesleyan alumni at their places of work. Industry sites included: Citi and Bloomberg for finance; The New York Times and Hearst Communications for journalism; Atlantic Records and BtOVEN MUSIC for music; Pfizer and the National Hemophilia Foundation for public health;…

After a star forms, a dusty ring of space debris may begin orbiting around a star. These circumstellar disks are composed of asteroids or collision fragments, cosmic dust grains, and gasses. Astronomy graduate student Jessica Klusmeyer is interested in understanding the molecular composition of the debris disk gas. "It has important implications not only for our knowledge of debris disks but also for planet formation," she said. Klusmeyer joined more than 25 Wesleyan affiliates and shared her research during the 233rd American Astronomical Society Meeting Jan. 6-10 in Seattle, Wash. The American Astronomical Society (AAS) awarded Klusmeyer a Chambliss medal for her poster presentation…

All undergraduates are eligible to apply for a 2019 Wesleyan Summer Grant, which allows students to pursue no- or low-pay career-related summer experiences. Grant applications must be submitted before midnight on Feb. 28. Wesleyan Summer Grants are funding resources awarded through the Gordon Career Center. These resources include Wesleyan Summer Experience Grants, Patricelli Center for Social Entrepreneurship Grants, named grants, and others. View all the grant opportunities online here. To be considered for funding, the summer opportunity should be full-time for a minimum (or the equivalent) of eight weeks. Grant awards typically range between $4,000 and $5,000. For more information…

For his accomplishments in research and scholarship, the University of Minnesota's Department of Psychology is honoring Professor of Psychology Scott Plous with a Distinguished Alumni Award. Plous graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1980 with a BA degree in psychology, summa cum laude. He later completed a PhD in psychology and a postdoctoral fellowship at Stanford University. At Wesleyan, Plous's research focuses on judgment and decision-making, prejudice and discrimination, and the human use of animals and the environment. The University of Minnesota's alumni awards honor distinguished alumni from the undergraduate and graduate programs. Nominations are solicited from alumni, faculty,…

Wesleyan has announced that it will expand opportunities for incoming students under its Hamilton Prize for Creativity, which was established in the 2016–17 academic year in honor of Wesleyan alumni Lin-Manuel Miranda ’02, Hon. ’15 (writer/creator/original star) and Thomas Kail ’99 (director) of the international phenomenon, Hamilton: An American Musical. Over the past two years, more than a thousand students have submitted stories, poetry, songs, plays, and screenplays for consideration. A distinguished selection committee of Wesleyan alumni in the arts, headed by honorary chairs Miranda and Kail, reviewed submissions and chose one winner each year to receive a four-year, full-tuition…

In this recurring feature in The Wesleyan Connection, we highlight some of the latest news stories about Wesleyan and our alumni. Recent Wesleyan News The New York Times: "Anthony Braxton Composes Together Past, Present and Future" Anthony Braxton, the John Spencer Camp Professor of Music, Emeritus, is profiled. Among other ongoing projects, Braxton has spent much of the past four years working on his newest opera, “Trillium L,” which, he says, “is a five-day opera”—if it is ever performed. 2. Los Angeles Review of Books: "That Bit of Philosophy in All of Us" Tushar Irani, associate professor of philosophy, associate professor of letters,…

Wesleyan men's lacrosse head coach John Raba was inducted into the Middletown Sports Hall of Fame Jan. 24 at the Red Lion Hotel in Cromwell. Raba is one of 11 individuals and four teams inducted into the 26th class. "It is an absolute honor and privilege to be inducted into the Middletown Sports Hall of Fame," Raba said. "I feel blessed to be recognized with some of Middletown's finest. I feel extremely fortunate to have worked with so many great administrators, coaches, and players throughout the years. Without their support and effort, this honor would not be attainable!" Raba has…

More than 25 Wesleyan affiliates attended the 233rd American Astronomical Society Meeting Jan. 6-10 in Seattle, Wash. All current Wesleyan students who attended presented posters of their research. Campus attendees included: Bill Herbst, the John Monroe Van Vleck Professor of Astronomy and professor, integrative sciences; Roy Kilgard, associate professor of the practice in astronomy and associate professor of the practice, integrative sciences; Michael Henderson '19; Allison Quintana '19; graduate student Jessica Klusmeyer; graduate student Ismael Mireles; and graduate student Anthony Santini ’18. Alumni included Hannah Fritze ’18, Aylin Garcia Soto ’18, Prajwal Niraula MA ’18, Amy Steele MA ’14, Nicole Arulanantham MA…

Davison Art Center Acquires 23 Prints from American Artist Jasper Johns in Honor of Former Curator

Wesleyan in the News

Jacobsen Named President of Hobart and William Smith Colleges

Apply for an Olin or Winchester Fellowship

Alumni Lead Students on 3-Day Career Trek

Klusmeyer Receives a Chambliss Award for Astronomy Research

Applications for Wesleyan Summer Grants Due Feb. 28

Plous Honored with Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Minnesota

Wesleyan to Expand Hamilton Prize for Creativity

Wesleyan in the News

Coach Raba Inducted into the Middletown Sports Hall of Fame

Students, Faculty, Alumni Attend American Astronomical Society Meeting