Campus News & Events

In honor of Arbor Day on April 28, Wesleyan is celebrating the planting (or proposed planting) of more than 45 new trees on campus in 2017. Pale-pink blossoming cherry trees, a hardy pin oak, an endangered dawn redwood and a Chinese lobed-leaf Ginkgo biloba are among the new perennial plantings peppered across the Wesleyan landscape. Since trees become a permanent fixture, Grounds Manager Rob Borman takes many factors into consideration before tilling up any soil and planting roots. He notes the history of campus; the existing tree canopy; what trees will thrive in Connecticut’s climate; proximity to buildings, sidewalks and roads;…

Starting next fall, the Wasch Center for Retired Faculty will begin a two-year pilot program, "Wesleyan Emeritus College," to encourage thesis tutorials between undergraduates and retired faculty members. During this pilot, 11 retired faculty participants have been specifically approved to administer tutorials for credit by their parent departments. Richard Elphick, professor of history, emeritus, taught at Wesleyan from 1972 to 2015. His interests are African history, comparative imperialism, revolutions, theory of history, and the history of Christianity. “I would be interested in supervising theses focusing on the following areas: History of Christianity, Africa (especially South Africa), imperialism, World War I and II,…

Amid rising student interest, Wesleyan has announced a new interdisciplinary minor in Integrated Design, Engineering, and Applied Sciences (IDEAS), beginning in 2017-18. It will be hosted within the College of Integrative Sciences (CIS). The IDEAS minor will introduce foundational skills in engineering and design, and bring together existing arts, design, and applied science courses to create a more formal structure to guide students interested in these fields. According to Professor of Physics Francis Starr, a co-proposer of the minor and director of the CIS, “The new minor plays into Wesleyan’s unique capabilities and dovetails with Wesleyan’s commitment to prepare students…

Every Thursday morning, beginning at 6 a.m., Dalton Garver ’20 finds himself at Yale University engaged in physical training—ranging from weightlifting to running to core circuits. This is followed by marching practice, a review of Warrior Knowledge, and, on occasion, lectures from guest speakers about the Armed Services. Garver, of Fresno, Calif., is believed to be the first Wesleyan student to participate in the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) at Yale. He joined this semester, but first decided to do ROTC as a junior in high school after talking to his brother’s friend about his own experience in…

Wesleyan has joined 67 of the nation’s top colleges and universities in an alliance to substantially expand the number of talented low- and moderate-income students at America’s undergraduate institutions with the highest graduation rates. This growing alliance, called the American Talent Initiative (ATI), brings together a diverse set of public and private institutions united in this common goal. ATI members will enhance their own efforts to recruit, enroll, and support lower-income students, learn from each other, and contribute to research that will help other colleges and universities expand opportunity. “Bringing students of diverse backgrounds to campus enhances the learning experience…

Numerous Wesleyan faculty and students in the sciences attended the March for Science in different parts of the state and country on Earth Day, April 22. Laura Grabel, the Lauren B. Dachs Professor of Science and Society, professor of biology, professor of environmental studies, professor of feminist, gender and sexuality studies, spoke at the New Haven march. "I decided to march because science is being seriously threatened by the Trump administration," she explained. "Trump has not filled almost all of the science positions, has no science advisor, and is using little evidence-based thinking in his decision making. Some of his appointments are puzzling and…

Professor of Theater Ron Jenkins was a guest on the BBC program "Sunday" to discuss his new play, "Islands: The Lost History of the Treaty That Changed the World." The play, commemorating the 350th anniversary of the Treaty of Breda in which the Dutch ceded Manhattan in exchange for the tiny spice island of Rhun, premiered April 21 and 22 at Wesleyan's Center for the Arts. Jenkins' interview begins about four-and-a-half minutes in. Or, on the BBC page, scroll down and select the "Islands" chapter. "We're performing the actual text of the 1667 Treaty of Breda. In this treaty, if you look closely at the words, you'll…

President Michael Roth writes in The Washington Post about the Hungarian government's efforts to close down the Central European University (CEU), a leading private university founded by liberal Hungarian-born financier George Soros. CEU is accredited in the United States and registered in New York State, but has no U.S. campus. The Hungarian government has targeted the school by passing a law requiring universities to have campuses in the place where they are registered. The response has been mass demonstrations and even threats to suspend Hungary's European Union membership. Pointing to recent debates over free speech at American universities, Roth writes: While we in the United…

During the Edgar Beckham Social Justice Awards ceremony on March 23, seven students, one alumna and one staff member were honored for their dedication to social justice. The Edgar Beckham Social Justice Awards honor the late Dean Edgar Beckham, whose dedication to social justice continues to positively impact the Wesleyan community. The student-led planning committee aims to celebrate the students, faculty, staff and Middletown community members whose efforts align with the ideals that guided his work. The award recipients include: Foot in the Door Award, Melisa Olgun '20 Excellence in the Arts, Rachel Kaly '17 Excellence in Environmental Justice, Belén…

Professor of Government Giulio Gallarotti was a guest recently on "Best of the Valley/ Shore" on WLIS/WMRD to discuss "Current Challenges of American Foreign Policy." "Our economy is doing well, the stock market is strong. The Fed's been talking about raising interest rates, that's how well we're doing. And that hasn't happened in a long, long time," said Gallarotti by way of introduction. "There's a lot going on all over the world and Americans are involved all over the world because we're a global power." On recent tensions with Russia, he said: "I think it's always been a kabuki dance, even at…

Wesleyan has just introduced MyinTuition, a new online tool that gives families a fast, user-friendly way to gauge college costs while factoring in financial aid. It will be available for students applying to the Class of 2022 and beyond. By asking users six basic financial questions, MyinTuition is able to offer a good early estimate of the amount a family will need to contribute for one year at Wesleyan. The form takes about three minutes to complete, and provides a breakdown of the estimated costs paid by the family, work-study, and loan estimates, in addition to grant assistance provided by…

A team of Wesleyan students took second place with a 24.28 percent return in the 2017 Adirondack Cup, a stock picking contest for college students interested in the investment field. This is the sixth year that Wesleyan has fielded a team, and represented the best performance to date. The contest offers a unique setting for students to test their investment research skills using businesses not widely covered by analysts and the news media. Over 160 students from 22 colleges and universities participated in the contest this year, which focuses exclusively on "small cap" public companies, the expertise of the contest's…

Wesleyan Celebrates Arbor Day with 45 New Tree Plantings

Wesleyan Emeritus College Offers Theses Supervised by Retired Faculty

New Minor in Design, Engineering and Applied Sciences Announced

Garver ’20 Trains in Air Force ROTC

Wesleyan Joins Alliance to Expand Access to Lower-Income Students

Wesleyan Faculty, Students March for Science

Jenkins Interviewed on BBC About New Play ‘Islands’

Roth Writes on Hungary’s Attempts to Shut Down a Leading University

Students, Alumna, Staff Honored with Social Justice Awards

Gallarotti Discusses Rising Tensions Over Russia, North Korea on Radio Program

Wesleyan Introduces New Financial Aid Online Tool

Wesleyan Team Takes Second Prize in Investment Contest