Meislahn Reflects on Challenges of Her Career as Dean of Admission

Nancy Hargrave Meislahn, vice president and dean of admission and financial aid, will retire in September following the arrival of the Class of 2023, the 20th class she admitted to Wesleyan. In this Q&A, she reflects on the main challenges, changes, and highlights of her accomplished Wesleyan career. (Read her retirement announcement in this past News @ Wesleyan article.) Q: You are the longest-serving dean of admission in Wesleyan’s history. How are you feeling ahead of your impending retirement? A: Definitely a bittersweet moment, but I’m ready. I’ve admitted 20 classes to Wesleyan and that should be enough—for me and…

In this recurring feature in The Wesleyan Connection, we highlight some of the latest news stories about Wesleyan and our alumni. Wesleyan in the News The New Yorker: "The Shapeshifting Music of Tyshawn Sorey" "There is something awesomely confounding about the music of Tyshawn Sorey [MA '11], the thirty-eight-year-old Newark-born composer, percussionist, pianist, and trombonist," begins this profile of Sorey, assistant professor of music. Sorey was recently featured in the Composer Portraits series at Columbia University's Miller Theatre. 2. The Register-Mail: "Video Slots Take Heavy Toll on Some Players" In this article exploring the expansion of video slot gaming in a region…

Alison Williams ’81 has been hired as Wesleyan’s new vice president for equity and inclusion/Title IX Officer, President Michael Roth announced in a campus email on March 26. Williams, who earned her bachelor’s degree in chemistry at Wes and later served as an alumni-elected trustee in the 1990s, will begin on July 22. She is currently the associate provost for diversity and intercultural education at Denison University. There, she is responsible for directing and supporting diversity, inclusion and equity initiatives across all sectors of the University, with a focus on faculty recruitment and retention and inclusive pedagogies. She also supports…

The following employees received Cardinal Achievement Awards in September 2018 through February 2019. These employees demonstrate extraordinary initiative in performing a specific task associated with their work at Wesleyan University. This special honor comes with a $250 award and reflects the university’s gratitude for their extra efforts. The recipients are: Hrissi Haldezos, associate director of student accounts, Student Accounts Office Gina Driscoll, associate director of alumni and parent relations, University Relations Noreen Angeletti, associate director, Student Accounts Office Robert Mirabal, director of student accounts, Student Accounts Office Penney Jade Beaubrun, assistant director for alumni and parent relations, University Relations Mary Kelly,…

At the University’s 187th Commencement on May 26, Wesleyan will present the Baldwin Medal, the highest award of the Alumni Association, to Barbara-Jan Wilson. For over 36 years, Wilson has been a stalwart in the Wesleyan administration and a driving force behind the University’s fundraising efforts. Beginning at Wesleyan in 1982 as the director of Career Planning, she moved on to serve as dean of Admission and Financial Aid in 1990, and then as vice president of University Relations from 1999 to 2018. Throughout that time, Wilson has been one of the University’s biggest champions and cheerleaders, boldly and convincingly…

As first announced in October 2018, Wesleyan has assumed leadership of the Center for Creative Youth (CCY) as an official program of the University. The first CCY camps under Wesleyan’s management will be offered in summer 2019. For 42 years, CCY was held on Wesleyan’s campus, but run by the Capitol Region Education Council (CREC). With state education cuts and the resulting financial strain experienced at CREC, CCY’s existence was in jeopardy. This transition to Wesleyan is not only the beginning of a bright new chapter for CCY, but the continuation of a beloved series. CCY is a four-week precollege…

The Office of Human Resources announces the following hires, transitions, and departures between August and December 2018: HIRES Matt Glasz, director for annual giving, on Aug. 1 James Huerta, associate dean of admission, on Aug. 6 Emma Walsh, assistant director for internships and campus recruiting in Gordon Career Center, on Aug. 6 Michael Acosta, study abroad advisor in the Fries Center for Global Studies, on Aug. 13 Christian Camerota, director of editorial content strategy and creation in University Communications, Aug. 13 Aracely Montes, administrative assistant in chemistry, on Aug. 14 Jessica Tyler, web specialist in University Communications, on Aug. 27…

On Dec. 3, Lisa Brommer was hired as associate vice president for human resources, succeeding Julia Hicks, who retired in September. Brommer comes to Wesleyan from Colorado College, where she was serving as interim director of human resources. In her work at Colorado College, she was known for creating professional development opportunities for staff, improving recruitment processes to ensure a diverse applicant pool, building leadership capacity at all levels, and putting systems in place to identify and retain top talent. Brommer received her BA at the University of Sioux Falls and her MA from the University of South Dakota and…

On Oct. 8, Christopher Olt joined Wesleyan as associate vice president for finance. Olt took on a role last held by Nate Peters before his promotion to vice president for the Office of Finance and Administration. Upon Peters's retirement, the leadership structure of Finance and Administration was reorganized, reestablishing this new role. Olt comes to Wesleyan with significant finance experience in education, most recently at Notre Dame High School of West Haven, where he was responsible for all aspects of finance, budget, and other operational areas including physical plant, information technology, campus safety, and risk management. He was previously a…

Nancy Hargrave Meislahn, vice president and dean of admission and financial aid, recently announced that she will retire. Meislahn will leave the University in September after the arrival of the Class of 2023, the 20th class she will admit to Wesleyan. Meislahn came to Wesleyan from her previous role at Cornell University in January 2000 and is the longest-serving dean of admission in Wesleyan history. Over the past two decades, she has overseen a period of enormous growth and progress in Wesleyan admissions. For the Class of 2004, the first class admitted under Meislahn, Wesleyan received fewer than 7,000 applications…

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The 2017-18 Middlesex United Way Wesleyan Employee Campaign brought in more than $100,000 in contributions, pushing Wesleyan's donations to more than $2 million since 2001. "This milestone—made possible by your generosity and the efforts of many volunteers across campus—is one we should all be proud of," said Clifton Watson, director of the Jewett Center for Community Partnerships and United Way campaign coordinator. "Our collective support will help ensure that the remarkably effective programs of the United Way will continue to provide critical services to residents across the region." This year, 360 Wesleyan employees, retired faculty, and authorized vendors (including 31 “Leadership Givers”…

Meislahn Reflects on Challenges of Her Career as Dean of Admission

Wesleyan in the News

Williams ’81 Named Vice President for Equity & Inclusion

Faculty, Staff Earn Cardinal Achievement Awards

Wilson to Receive Prestigious Baldwin Medal

Wesleyan Assumes Leadership of Center for Creative Youth

Employees on the Move

Brommer Hired as Associate VP for Human Resources

Olt Joins Finance and Administration as AVP for Finance

Meislahn to Retire as Vice President and Dean of Admission and Financial Aid

Employees Honored for Service to Wesleyan

Wesleyan’s United Way Campaign Surpasses $2M Mark