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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…

Wesleyan's campus was stuck with a snowstorm on Dec. 1-3. Photos of campus are below: (Photos by Olivia Drake) (more…)

As part of International Education Week, the African Student Association hosted Taste of Africa on Nov. 15 in Beckham Hall. The event brought together students from different parts of the African continent and the diaspora to cook meals and showcase artifacts that are symbolic of their culture and identity. Participants shared, celebrated, honored, and educated the Wesleyan community about the diversity and richness of Africa, which transcends borders and continents. Taste of Africa was co-sponsored by the Fries Center for Global Studies and Resource Center and was held in collaboration with student groups Ujamma, Caribbean Student Association, Haitian Student Collective,…

Steven Greenhouse ’73, P’08, author of Beaten Down, Worked Up: The Past, Present, and Future of American Labor, spoke in the College of Letters Library on October 29 to a group that included Professor of History Ron Schatz's class on American Labor History on Oct. 29, in the College Of Letters Library. His topic was "White Collar, Blue Collar and Gig Workers: What is the Future of American Labor?" The lecture was sponsored by the History Department and the College of Letters. Greenhouse is a former New York Times labor reporter, and a review by Zephyr Teachout of Greenhouse's book…

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 CNN: "What the ‘Woke Student’ and the ‘Welfare Queen’ Have in Common" "Every age seems to need a bogeyman, some negative image against which good people measure themselves," writes President Michael Roth '78 in this op-ed. Roth compares today's bogeyman, the "woke" college student, with those of past eras—the "welfare queen" and "dirty hippie"—and seeks to build understanding and dispel negative misperceptions of activist college students. "The images of the welfare queen and of the woke…

Two Wesleyan McNair Fellows recently participated in the largest multidisciplinary and multicultural STEM diversity event in the country. From Oct. 31–Nov. 2, Elizaveta "Liz" Atalig '21 and Ekram Towsif '21 joined more than 4,000 peers at the 2019 SACNAS (Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science) conference in Hawaii. For more than 45 years, SACNAS has served as an inclusive organization dedicated to fostering the success of Chicano/Hispanics & Native Americans, from college students to professionals, in attaining advanced degrees, careers, and positions of leadership within STEM. Attendees of the three-day conference are immersed in cutting-edge scientific…

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

Students Brave Campus’s First Snowstorm

African Culture, Identity Showcased at Taste of Africa

Greenhouse ’73, P’08 Lectures on the Past and Future of American Labor

Wesleyan in the News

McNair Fellows Present Research at Diversity in STEM Conference