Staff

It started with Akansha Singh’s ’23 babysitter in India, Rashmi, who struggled to find a job after completing school. Rashmi married at 17 and had a child, a daughter she does not plan on educating because of the lack of job opportunities available, Singh said. After working at a non-profit that educated women in rural areas of India for a year after high school, Singh (insert major) realized this experience was more pervasive than she initially thought. Around 67 percent of educated women in rural India are not employed, according to a 2015 United Nations report. Because of this, Singh…

The statistics on sexual abuse are staggering. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 1 in 4 women and 1 in 6 men report experiencing rape or sexual abuse before they turn 18. “This means that a significant portion of young adults entering college have already been impacted by sexual violence,” said Amanda Carrington, Wesleyan’s Associate Director for Sexual Violence Prevention. The numbers are not much better while at college. About 1 in 5 female students, and 1 in 16 male students experience sexual violence through physical force, violence, or incapacitation while in college, according to the Rape, Abuse &…

President Michael S. Roth ’78 authored a review of “Unearthed: A Lost Actress, a Forbidden Book, and a Search for Life in the Shadow of the Holocaust” by Meryl Frank for The Wall Street Journal. The memoir details her research into her family’s history and a book inherited from her aunt, Mollie, which depicts the brutal murder of Jewish performers by Nazis—including one of her cousins. Roth told The New Yorker that reading storied texts with specific lens’ geared toward re-affirming your own beliefs is like “shooting fish in a barrel.” He spoke on the topic for a piece on Hillsdale College’s…

Former Miami Herald publisher Alberto Ibarguen ’66, Hon. ’11, P ’97 announced he is stepping down as the president and CEO of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation—a philanthropic organization that has invested in media, arts, and culture. President Joseph R. Biden nominated Lt. Gen. Michael Cederholm ’88 to be the new commander of I Marine Expeditionary Force, one of the three main Marine forces, according to Marine Corps Times. An aviator by training, Cederholm has served as deputy commandant for aviation since July 2022, according to his official bio. Neuroscientist Michael Greenberg ’76 was one of three winners of the Lundbeck…

One of Wesleyan’s hallmarks is its ability to foster conversation, difference of opinion and creativity. It’s a place where thinking one way isn’t always the way. The experience of Wesleyan is unique, it’s open and it’s broad. It’s a community, but it’s also individual. Despite its nuances, it shares a few universal fixtures that most other universities have too. It has stately buildings with hallways lined with classrooms, its students can be seen rushing from lectures to library study rooms, and if you listen closely enough you can hear the faint beeping of construction vehicles backing up in the distance.…

The U.S. Department of State announced that Wesleyan University is a Fulbright Program Top Producing Institution for the 2022-2023 academic year. This is the fourth consecutive year Wesleyan has appeared on the list. “Fulbright is interested in Wesleyan’s commitment to thinking about how what happens in an academic setting interacts with the real world and how that can be mobilized in a positive way,” Erica Kowsz, Assistant Director for Fellowships at the Fries Center for Global Studies, said in a previous interview. The list of Fulbright Top Producing Institutions for 2022-2023 was published in early February. “Thanks to the visionary leadership of these institutions, administrators, and…

By Maia Bronfman ‘24 Diana Martinez, associate director of the Jewett Center for Community Partnerships, held around 100 one-on-one interviews to plan the Growing Power event on February 18 at Usdan University Center, a day devoted to community building and criminal justice reform. Residents from across Connecticut attended workshops on campus on gardening, Black herbalism, fishing, chicken-keeping, and leadership. “All it takes is one generation to disconnect, all it takes is one generation to get it back,” Martinez said about sustainable land-use and community practices. In a morning session, Kristianna Smith, Stacey Barka, and Erin Livensparger taught a Gardening 101…

Yellow and blue balloons were fastened to each of the pillars of Zelnick Hall, but Friday’s gathering of students and faculty acknowledging that it had been one-year since Russia invaded Ukraine was not a celebration. It was a marking of one year of strife and tragedy. For Associate Professor of Dance Katja Kolcio it’s been a year of wondering if her relatives who live in Ukraine are still alive. She has not heard from some relatives since this past January. Kolcio said that February 24 “marks a year of Ukrainian bravery, steadfastness, and strength.” “I'm just continuously reminded that, sadly,…

As we begin a semester with aspiration and joy, we also want to take a moment to reflect on the waves of loss that have afflicted many in our community. Yesterday’s earthquake on Turkey and Syria is only the latest in a series of tragedies. From mass shootings to killings by those supposed to protect, from war and international conflict to the continued toll of the COVID-19 virus, every week brings news that can feel devastating. We are writing today to acknowledge the distress, anger, and grief felt by many in the Wesleyan community. These events take their toll; for…

Wesleyan University’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. commemoration, held February 3, was a moment for hard truths about racial justice in the United States and inspiration for where we might go as a nation. The annual commemoration concluded Equity and Inclusion Week and launched a series of events to recognize Black History Month. The MLK Commemoration, hosted by Demetrius Colvin, director of The Resource Center, featured a recollection of King’s special relationship with Wesleyan. The civil rights leader visited campus four times and was an honorary degree recipient in 1964. In addition, Black Raspberry, an all-Black student musical group, offered…

Both Shaykh Jamir Meah and Rev. Tracy Mehr-Muska have taken unusual personal journeys to get to their roles as Wesleyan University’s newest chaplains – experiences make them uniquely poised to serve the campus community. Rabbi David Leipziger Teva, director of the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life, said Meah and Mehr-Muska’s recent additions to the team will allow the department to offer more and a wider variety of programming, including opportunities to improve inter-faith literacy on campus and help with students’ mental health and well-being. “We want to make sure that there is a support system for students’ religious and…

In a time when the wounds of racial injustice continue to be raw in America, Wesleyan University’s Black History Month programming hopes to represent the complexity, struggles and joys of the African American experience. “We explicitly want to highlight the importance of the Black joy we are living,” said Demetrius Colvin, director of The Resource Center. “There is so much death, sadness, and trauma. We have to honor that. But an important aspect to the joy and sorrow is how people are surviving, resisting, and thriving.” The University will celebrate the month with gallery exhibits, film screenings, performances, and celebrations.…

Student, Two Staff Members Receive 2023 Peter Morgenstern-Clarren ’03 Awards

Wesleyan Recognizes Survivor Solidarity Month

Wesleyan in the News: April 2023

Wesleyan in the News: March 2023

Public Affairs Center, New Science Building Construction on Schedule

Wesleyan Again Named Fulbright Program Top Producing Institution

From Q-Tip Pollination to Strategy Caucuses: Jewett Center Hosts Workshops

Wesleyan Recognizes One Year Mark of the War in Ukraine

Dealing With Tragedy: Wesleyan Offers Support Services

Wesleyan Honors the Life and Work of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

New University Chaplains Join Campus Community

Wesleyan Honors Black History Month