Olivia DrakeTsampikos Kottos, professor of physics, and Yaxin Li '19 are the coauthors of an article titled "Coherent Wave Propagation in Multimode Systems with Correlated Noise" published in the April 18, 2019 issue of Physical Review Letters. In this study, the coauthors utilize a random matrix theory approach to unveil a physical mechanism that shields wave coherent effects in the presence of disorder (noise).
More than 110 Wesleyan students, faculty, alumni, and local guests participated in the second annual Power of Language Conference, April 26-27 at the Fries Center for Global Studies. The event was open to the entire Wesleyan community. The two-day event featured six panels that focused on: Creative Language Learning, Crossing Time and Border through Translation, Language and Society, Language in Curriculum, Arabic in the U.S., and Polyphony through Literature. "The presentations ranged from class final projects (such as a comic version of Dante’s Inferno, reimagined at Wesleyan) to senior theses (such as the challenges of translating early modern Spanish into…
Meera Joshi ’20 is the recipient of an American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) Undergraduate Research Award for her work on the DNA mismatch repair system. The $1,000 award will support her research titled "Exploring the Dynamics of Msh2-Msh6 Binding to Holliday Junction Through ATPase Activity. Her advisor is Ishita Mukerji, professor of molecular biology and biochemistry. Joshi's research focuses on a DNA mismatch repair protein called Msh2-Msh6 that initiates the repair of DNA mismatches after replication in eukaryotes. This is a highly conserved process from bacteria to humans and has implications for human health. "We are particularly interested in…
Lauren RubensteinWesleyan faculty frequently publish articles based on their scholarship in The Conversation US, a nonprofit news organization with the tagline, “Academic rigor, journalistic flair.” In a new article, Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences Suzanne O'Connell writes about her work on board the JOIDES Resolution research vessel in the Scotia Sea, drilling for sediment core samples to study how much and how fast the Antarctic ice sheets melted between 2.5 to 4 million years ago, the last time atmospheric CO2 was at the same level as today. (Read more about O'Connell's experience in this AAAS article.) 60 days in Iceberg Alley, drilling…
College-aged individuals are at an increased risk for mental health issues, as well as poor sleep. There is a rich body of research on the negative consequences of poor sleep for cognitive, physical, and mental functioning. Furthermore, several studies provide support for the importance of three basic psychological needs (autonomy, competence, and relatedness) for optimal mental well-being. Less well understood, however, is the issue of “directionality” between basic psychological needs and sleep as students transition across semesters. “In other words, it is not clear whether an individual’s perceived fulfillment of these basic psychological needs predicts improvements in sleep later on;…
Wesleyan's Olin Library is now home to a collection of 33 titles donated by the Consulate General of India, New York. On May 1, Consul Sandeep Chakravorty visited campus and participated in a formal dedication of the "India Corner." Housed in the Smith Reading Room, these volumes, representing India’s rich history and culture, and covering the country’s linguistic and geographical diversity, join the library's other robust holdings in Indian history, culture, and politics as well as Wesleyan’s rich heritage in Indian music, dance, and theater. Among the donations are Introduction to the Constitution of India by Durga Das Basu; Sufi Lyrics by…
Nate Gillman ’20, a computer science and mathematics double major from Maryland, is the recipient of a 2019 Barry Goldwater Scholarship. He's one of 496 college students in the country to receive the award. The Goldwater Scholarship is awarded to sophomores and juniors who show exceptional promise of becoming the next generation of research leaders in the fields of mathematics, natural sciences, and engineering. The scholarship provides up to $7,500 a year to help cover costs associated with undergraduate tuition, mandatory fees, books, and room and board. Gillman knew he wanted to study math—specifically analytic number theory—after enrolling in a calculus…
Benjamin TraversWesleyan students and alumni impact the world in so many ways. As you explore the journeys we’re sharing this spring and reflect on your own, we hope you’re inspired to help the next generation of Cardinals take flight. View the journeys of Charles Bonar ’19 and Jessica Chukwu '11 online here.
On April 29, the HIST 269 (Modern Britain: From Empire to Quagmire, 1688–Present) class visited Wesleyan's Special Collections and Archives to present five-minute talks about their final research projects. The class is taught by Jennifer Tucker, associate professor of history. At the beginning of the semester, each student chose a book from Special Collections and was required, for the assignment, to write a 20-page critical introduction to the book for modern audiences. The students shared their projects with Susan Kent, a professor from the University of Colorado at Boulder, who specializes in modern British history, focusing on gender, culture, imperialism, and politics.…
On April 27, seven prominent thought leaders including Wesleyan alumni, two medical doctors, and local politicians shared their ideas during the second annual TEDxWesleyanU Conference held in Beckham Hall. In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. (more…)