Students – Page 33

This spring, a research team from Wesleyan traveled to Death Valley National Park to explore the ways bacteria diversifies in extreme environments. Death Valley, located about 130 miles west of Las Vegas, is a below-sea-level basin known for being the hottest place on earth and driest place in North America. The average rainfall is less than 2 inches, annually. "National parks are ideal for research, in general, because the land is protected indefinitely from commercial development," said team leader Fred Cohan, professor of biology, professor of environmental studies. "Death Valley is a nice model system for exobiology because of its extreme…

This year, students in Associate Professor of History Jennifer Tucker’s class, Seeing a Bigger Picture: Integrating Visual Methods and Environmental History, had an opportunity to share what they learned in an unusual format. They produced an hour-long radio program, which debuted on WESU 88.1 FM on Memorial Day. It will air again on the station this summer, and can be heard on wesufm.org or on SoundCloud. The course introduces students to key landmarks in the visual history of environmentalism and environmental science, from the 18th century to the recent past. The class studies the power and the limits of visual…

On May 27, the Class of 2017 Freeman Asian Scholars were honored at a reception in Daniel Family Commons. Scholars, their families, friends, advisors and alumni attended the event. The Freeman Asian Scholarship Program provides expenses for a four-year course of study toward a bachelor’s degree for up to 11 exceptional students annually, one each from the People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. During the event, the nine graduating Class of 2017 scholars spoke briefly about their time at Wesleyan and post-graduation plans. Other speakers included Tracey Gardner…

For the third consecutive year, Eudice Chong '18 of the women's tennis team was named the Division III Honda Athlete of the Year nominee for tennis, as announced by Executive Director Chris Voelz of the Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA) presented by Honda. "This past season has been a crazy ride, with our team trying to make small steps each day to improve our chances of coming up on top every match," said Chong, the three-time NCAA Individual Singles Champion as well as the 2017 Individual Doubles Champion. "The camaraderie we have in our team is what keeps our team focused…

Lili Kadets '17, Haneah Kwon '17, Arnelle Williams '17, and Mika Reyes '17 delivered "Senior Voices" addresses on May 27 in Memorial Chapel. Anthony Hatch, assistant professor of science in society, assistant professor of sociology, assistant professor of African American studies, delivered the faculty reflection. Below are the text of their speeches: (more…)

On May 27, 77 members of the Class of 2017 were inducted into Wesleyan’s Gamma Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa Society, the oldest national scholastic honor society. They join 14 others who were initiated in fall. To be elected, a student must first have been nominated by the department of his or her major. He or she also must have demonstrated curricular breadth by having met the General Education Expectations, and must have achieved a GPA of 93 and above. The inductees and their majors include: Joie Akerson, neuroscience and behavior; Taiga Araki, biology, government; Eric Arsenault, chemistry, physics; Jeremy…

An all-star committee of Wesleyan University alumni, chaired by Hamilton writer/creator and former star Lin-Manuel Miranda ’02, Hon. ‘15 and director Thomas Kail ’99, has selected the recipient of the inaugural Wesleyan University Hamilton Prize for Creativity: Audrey Pratt of Needham, Mass. Pratt's submission, a short piece of fiction titled, "Thorns, Black and White," was selected from among more than 600 entries. Pratt will receive a four-year full-tuition scholarship to Wesleyan, worth as much as $200,000. “The selection committee was blown away by the range and quality of the submissions we reviewed,” Miranda said. “Audrey's story stood out as exceptional, but all of the…

Emma Porrazzo ’19 has received a U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) to study Chinese in Suzhou, China this summer. According to the CLS program website, the scholarship is part of a U.S. government effort to expand the number of Americans studying and mastering critical foreign languages. “CLS scholars gain critical language and cultural skills that enable them to contribute to U.S. economic competitiveness and national security.” Porrazzo is among approximately 550 American students at U.S. colleges and universities to receive the scholarship this year. “Critical languages” are defined as those that are less commonly taught in U.S.…

Students who received academic prizes, fellowships and scholarships were honored at a reception May 10 in Daniel Family Commons. Among the awardees were Mira Klein ’17, who received the White Fellowship for government and the Robert Schumann Distinguished Student Award for demonstrating academic accomplishment and excellence in environmental stewardship; Page Nelson '17, who received the Alumni Prize in the History of Art; Eric Meyreles '18, who received a Miller Summer Internship Grant to pursue an internship related to a potential business career; Ainsley Eakins '18, who received the university's Social Activist Award; Sofi Goode '17, who is the recipient of the Wilde Prize…

On May 4, the Department of Physical Education and Athletics hosted its fifth annual scholar-athlete dinner and awards program. The 170 student-athletes in attendance distinguished themselves through both their outstanding work in the classroom and their accomplishment in athletic competition. During the event, Mike Whalen '83, director of athletics, served as master of ceremonies and presented the Maynard Awards; Wesleyan President Michael Roth '78 provided comments from the administration; Dan Lynch '80, P'11, P'14 presented the Athletic Advisory Council Award; Rob Harbison '17 and Molly Schassberger '17 spoke on behalf of the scholar-athletes; and alumnus John Driscoll '62 led the…

This spring, Wesleyan has awarded six Wesleyan students with a Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship. The fellowship is the centerpiece of the Andrew Mellon Foundation’s initiatives to increase the presence of traditionally underrepresented groups in the faculty ranks of institutions of higher learning in the U.S. Fellows participate in the program during the last two years of undergraduate study and receive a monthly stipend to offset work study requirements, modest research funds, and additional summer research funding as part of the fellowship. Upon successful completion of graduate study, Mellon Mays Fellows also receive up to $10,000 to assist in repayment of student…

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Biology Team Samples Drought-Tolerant Bacteria in Death Valley

Environmental History Class Produces Radio Program

Class of 2017 Freeman Asian Scholars Celebrated at Reception

Chong ’18 Repeats as DIII Honda Athlete of the Year Nominee for Tennis

Kadets, Kwon, Williams, Reyes Deliver Senior Voices, Hatch Gives Faculty Reflection

77 Seniors Inducted into Phi Beta Kappa

Wesleyan Awards Hamilton Prize for Creativity to Incoming First-Year Student

Porrazzo ’19 to Study in China as Critical Language Scholar

Students Honored with Academic Prizes, Fellowships, Scholarships

Student-Athletes Honored at 5th Annual Dinner, Awards Program

6 Students Awarded Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowships

French Students Offer a Glimpse of Wesleyan’s History