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On Aug. 15, Wesleyan unveiled a new Cardinal—a modern and bold bird that looks to our future while paying tribute to our past. The new Cardinal is being introduced in connection with the University’s core messaging project, which has been rolled out over the past year. It is part of an overall updated look and feel for Wesleyan Athletics, which captures the recent historic success of the program, and for the university as a whole. University Communications worked in close partnership with the coaching staff in designing the new Cardinal, and took input from faculty, staff, alumni, and students throughout…

The Summe Program for Research in the Sciences culminated with a research poster session in the lobby of Exley Science Center, with more than 100 students participating. The program, held May 29 to July 26, was open to frosh, sophomores and juniors currently enrolled at Wesleyan. Wesleyan science faculty members served as mentors for student research in their laboratories. In addition to the closing poster session, the students participated in weekly seminars and workshops, a symposium, and various social events. After the poster session, students displayed their posters in the hallways outside the introductory biology laboratories. (more…)

After a historic 2017-18 campaign that featured the University's first national team championship (men's lacrosse) and a record-setting five-time individual champion in tennis (Eudice Chong '18), the Cardinals raised the bar once again this past year with arguably the greatest all-around season in Wesleyan Athletics history. The 2018-19 campaign was highlighted by the women's tennis team winning the National Championship–becoming the first women's team ever at Wesleyan to claim a national title–while Ivie Uzamere '21 of the women's track and field team won the National Championship in the weight throw at the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships.…

This summer, award-winning actor, singer, producer, and new assistant professor of theater Maria-Christina Oliveras acted in the world premiere of Kiss My Aztec, a new musical on Latino history. Written by John Leguizamo and Tony Taccone, winners of the 2018 Special Tony Award for Latin History of Morons, the musical debuted May through July at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre. Performances will continue at La Jolla Playhouse starting Sept. 8. Oliveras became involved in the musical's developmental process in 2014, when it started out as a play and evolved over time. "I am a new works junkie. There is nothing like 'brain-childing' a piece…

This year's Shasha Seminar for Human Concerns, “Understanding Russia: A Dramatic Return to the World Stage,” will be held Oct. 11–12. It begins on Friday with a keynote address by Andrew Meier ’85, a former Moscow correspondent with Time. On Saturday, a full day of panel discussions led by Wesleyan professors and alumni who are leaders in their field will be available to registrants. The Shasha Seminar, an educational forum for Wesleyan alumni, parents, and friends, explores issues of global concern in a small seminar environment. Endowed by James Shasha ’50, P’82, the Shasha Seminar for Human Concerns supports lifelong learning and encourages…

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 1. Inside Higher Ed: 'Safe Enough Spaces' President Michael Roth is interviewed about defending free speech, inclusion on campus, and affirmative action, among other topics, in connection with the forthcoming publication of his new book, Safe Enough Spaces: A Pragmatist's Approach to Inclusion, Free Speech, and Political Correctness on College Campuses, due out Aug. 20 from Yale University Press. 2. The New York Times: "The World's Smartest Chimp Has Died" William Griffin Professor of Philosophy Lori Gruen writes in…

(Story by Kerisha Harris) For the sixth year in a row, the weeklong Wesleyan Girls in Science Summer Camp welcomed dozens of middle school-aged girls for a week of learning, exploration, and STEM-centered fun. From Aug. 5-9 inside Exley Science Center, the 32 campers in grades 4-6 spent the week learning about everything from how to extract DNA from a strawberry, to the parts of the brain, and even how to make (but don’t touch) an ice-cold comet. By Friday, the young scientists were excited to share all they had learned with their friends and families, and did so through a poster presentation and…

Among the Democrats who have joined the race to become the nominee for the party’s Presidential candidate are two Wesleyan alumni, both from Colorado: Michael Bennet ’87, Hon. ’12, and John Hickenlooper ’74, MA ’80, Hon. ’10. Bennet, who was appointed to the U.S. Senate in 2009, with a subsequent election to a full six-year term in 2010, had previously served as superintendent of Denver Public Schools. Prior to that, he was chief of staff to then-Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper. He was re-elected to the Senate in 2016. Hickenlooper, who had served as mayor of Denver, was elected governor of…

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 Hill: "Advice on Climate Policy for the 2020 Presidential Candidates" In this op-ed, Huffington Foundation Professor of Economics and Environmental Studies, Emeritus Gary Yohe and his coauthors write that they are encouraged by the "unprecedented attention being given to climate change among those vying for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination" and offer words of advice for creating an ambitious but credible climate policy. 2. AINT — BAD: "Isabella Convertino" The photography of Isabella Convertino '20…

Amin Abdul-Malik Gonzalez ’96 has been hired as Wesleyan’s new vice president and dean of admission and financial aid, President Michael Roth announced in an email to campus on July 17. He will begin in August. Gonzalez, who was a Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow and earned his bachelor’s degree in history at Wesleyan, previously worked in the University’s Office of Admission as an associate dean in the late 1990s and 2000s. In this role, he selected, trained, and supervised the senior interviewers; coordinated the University’s fall Ambassador Program and supported spring yield efforts; served on the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship…

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…

Hilary Barth and Andrea Patalano, both professors of psychology, have received a major grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to support collaborative research on numerical cognition. The three-year $1,091,303 grant, which is funded by NSF’s EHR Core Research program focused on STEM learning, includes support for Wesleyan student participation in the proposed research project, which will involve experimental studies of children’s and adults’ understanding of, and judgments about, number and quantity. The two labs collaborate frequently, and have been working jointly on another project for the past three years supported by an earlier NSF grant. The new project is distinct,…

Wesleyan Introduces New Cardinal

Undergraduates Share Summer Research

Wesleyan Celebrates Historic 2018-19 Athletic Season

Theater’s Oliveras Performs in World Premiere of Kiss My Aztec!

“Understanding Russia: A Dramatic Return to the World Stage” Topic of 2019 Shasha Seminar

Wesleyan in the News

Wesleyan’s Girls in Science Summer Camp Gets Young Scientists Excited about STEM

Wesleyan Boasts Two Alumni in Democratic Debates: Bennet ’87, Hon. ’12; Hickenlooper ’74, MA ’80, Hon. ’10

Wesleyan in the News

Gonzalez ’96 Named Vice President and Dean of Admission and Financial Aid

Meislahn Reflects on Challenges of Her Career as Dean of Admission

Barth, Patalano Receive $1.09M NSF Grant to Support Numerical Cognition Research