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Be the Change Venture (BCV), a nonprofit organization founded and led by Anthony Price ’20, has been chosen as a 2019 Changemaker Challenge Winner by T-Mobile and Ashoka. BCV was one of 30 winners selected from 300 applicants for the Ashoka-T-Mobile Changemaker Challenge, a yearly prize that supports young changemakers across the United States and Puerto Rico. BCV aims to train and empower young people to be workforce-ready. It works with youth aged 14 to 18 to help them develop soft and practical skills, find and obtain internship and job opportunities, and foster professional relationships with various career experts. The…

Sherman Hawkins, professor of English, emeritus, died on Dec. 3 at the age of 90. Sherman received BA degrees from both Harvard University and the University of Oxford and his PhD from Princeton University. He served in the US military at the conclusion of the Korean War. Arriving at Wesleyan in 1971 after teaching at Princeton, Bryn Mawr, and University of Rochester, he taught English here for 20 years until he retired in 1991. For decades, his essay on college as a green world experience was given to every freshman entering Wesleyan. “Sherman was an unforgettable colleague and presence at…

Wildfires can transform forest ecosystems to varying degrees, depending on fire severity. While low-severity wildfires change plant community composition by killing short-statured trees and understory plants, high-severity fires result in top kill of above-ground vegetation. This variation in wildfire effects can have major impacts on post-fire vegetation composition and water stress. Helen Poulos, adjunct assistant professor of environmental studies, received a $300,000 grant from NASA on Dec. 5 to examine how forests can permanently change in response to high-severity wildfire in southeastern Arizona. (more…)

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Along with other musicians around the world this week, Goth Girlfriend (Gaby Giangola '17) posted her "2019 Spotify Wrapped" overview to Instagram. Accompanied by the caption "gotta start somewhere, eh?," the photo summarizes the number of streams and listeners who tuned in to Goth Girlfriend's music on the streaming service this year. The caption encapsulates Goth Girlfriend's tireless ambition. The up-and-coming artist's music is self-described as banshee rap or alternative rock; her sound is raw and meticulous at the same time. The five tracks on her recent EP, Sex Sprain, mix guitar chords and hip-hop beats with punk vocals, and…

On Dec. 4, 15 students from the Class of 2020 were elected to Wesleyan's scholastic honor society, Phi Beta Kappa. To be elected, a student must first have been nominated by the department of his or her major. The student also must have demonstrated curricular breadth by having met the General Education Expectations and must have achieved a GPA of 93 or above. Wesleyan's Gamma Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa Society was organized in 1845 and is the ninth oldest chapter in the country. Phi Beta Kappa is the oldest surviving Greek letter society in America, founded in December 1776…

Wesleyan faculty frequently publish articles based on their scholarship in The Conversation US, a nonprofit news organization with the tagline “Academic rigor, journalistic flair.” On the release date of the new film The Aeronauts, Associate Professor of History Jennifer Tucker writes about how the first hot-air balloon trips in the 19th century transformed our views of the world and opened up a new "laboratory for discovery" for scientists interested in studying the atmosphere and meteorology. From their balloons, the first aeronauts transformed our view of the world Near the beginning of the new film “The Aeronauts,” a giant gas-filled balloon called the…

Catherine Rachel Ostrow-D'Haeseleer, adjunct instructor of French, died on Saturday, Nov. 23, at the age of 65. Ostrow-D'Haeseleer was born in Kananga in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). In the fall of 1983, she was asked to take over a French course for a professor who had to take an unexpected leave. With only a high school education, she immediately demonstrated the professionalism, commitment, and excellence as a teacher that characterized her entire career. After stints as both a part-time and full-time visiting faculty member, Ostrow-D'Haeseleer was hired as an adjunct lecturer in 1991 and taught at Wesleyan…

William "Bill" Francisco, professor of theater, emeritus, died on Friday, Nov. 22, at the age of 86. Francisco received his BA from Amherst College in 1955, and his MFA in directing from the Yale School of Drama in 1958. He joined the Wesleyan faculty as an artist-in-residence in 1974 and as an associate professor in 1975. He taught theater here for 28 years until he retired in 2002. Francisco was an active director throughout his career, working in theater, opera, television, and film. He directed productions off-Broadway, at Hartford Stage, Long Wharf Theatre, San Francisco Opera, and many other prominent…

(By Ann Bertini) Gemma Fontanella Ebstein is leaving her role as Wesleyan’s Associate Vice President for Advancement at the end of December, following a 30-year career at the University. During her tenure, Fontanella Ebstein has helped the Office of Advancement expand and foster lifelong alumni and parent loyalty and support for Wesleyan. An important part of this work has come through facilitating local and global events, and overseeing the merging of Reunion and Commencement weekends (2000) and Homecoming with Family Weekend (1995). Fontanella Ebstein also led University Communications and the Gordon Career Center through leadership transitions, and has helped cultivate…

grown, the café inside the Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore at 413 Main Street in Middletown, has announced that it will end its operations in that space. The Middletown location was the only Connecticut outpost of the USDA-certified organic fast-food chain. grown has operated inside the Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore since the bookstore opened in May 2017. The franchise is owned by Shannon Allen, a Middletown native. At Wesleyan, as at all of its locations, grown prides itself on catering to all diets and food sensitivities, and on serving inclusive, wholesome options for everyone. Its menu includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner,…

Fifty-three Wesleyan students explored the workforce firsthand during the Gordon Career Center's Fall 2019 Career Treks. Through five experiential learning trips, students directly connected with Wesleyan alumni and engaged with employers across a wide range of industries. During the fall 2019 semester, the Gordon Career Center’s team of career advisors facilitated career treks to local, Connecticut-based employers: ESPN, Hartford Hospital’s Center for Education, Simulation and Innovation (CESI), LEGO Systems, Inc., and Pfizer. Additionally, the GCC hosted a day trip for students to Boston to attend the Reach(OUT) LGBTQA+ Career Conference at Northeastern University. Alumni hosts included Rob King ’84, senior…

Venture by Price ’20 Wins 2019 Changemaker Challenge

Hawkins Remembered for Teaching English at Wesleyan for 20 Years

NASA Supports Poulos’s Wildfire Research

Student-Athletes, Greek Life Help Public Safety with 2nd Annual Toy Drive

Gaby Giangola ’17 Is Goth Girlfriend

15 Seniors Elected to Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society

Tucker in The Conversation: From Their Balloons, the First Aeronauts Transformed Our View of the World

Ostrow-D’Haeseleer Remembered for Teaching French at Wesleyan for 29 Years

Theater’s Francisco Directed International Productions, Interdisciplinary Workshops

Fontanella Ebstein Reflects on 30 Years at Wesleyan

grown Ends Operations in Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore

53 Students Participate in Career Trek 2019