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At the University’s 187th Commencement on May 26, 2019, which coincides with the 50th anniversary of the historic Vanguard Class of 1969 and the founding of the African American Studies program at Wesleyan, Wesleyan will present three honorary degrees. Saidiya Hartman ’84, a groundbreaking scholar and cultural historian, will deliver this year’s Commencement address. Hazel Carby and Edwin Sanders II ’69 also will be honored. (more…)

"Pau," a feature-length film by Alexandre Leter ’21 will be premiering at the Cinéma Saint-André Des Arts in Paris on March 13. "It's a very engaged art-house and cinema that’s very supportive of young filmmakers," Leter said. “I sent them a DVD of the film last summer, and they agreed to show it." Leter, who is majoring in religion and minoring in film studies, started making "Pau" during his senior year of high school in Paris and finished the film during his freshman year at Wesleyan. The film follows "Pau," a young girl who begins to experience hallucinatory visions as…

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More than 40 years have passed since Richard "Dick" Field P'09 laid eyes on a silkscreen titled Corpse and Mirror. "I enjoy seeing this. It's part of my past," Field said during a stopover at the Davison Art Center on Feb. 7. "It's like visiting an old friend." Corpse and Mirror, created by American artist Jasper Johns, is one of 23 prints donated to the Davison Art Center in December 2018 by the artist himself. Johns donated the images to Wesleyan in honor of Field, who served as the DAC's curator from 1972 to 1979. Johns, an 89-year-old artist, is known…

Connecticut Magazine included Alicia Hernandez Strong ’18 in its 2019 list of “40 Under 40," recognizing her leadership in community activism. “With her firm convictions, Strong lives up to her name,” the magazine wrote. “I am honored to be included in Connecticut's '40 Under 40' Class of 2019. It is truly a testament to my hard work and dedication,” Strong said. At 21 years old, Strong became the youngest person nationally to be given the title of executive director of the Connecticut chapter of Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), where she worked for less than a year before leaving to…

In this recurring feature in The Wesleyan Connection, we highlight some of the latest news stories about Wesleyan and our alumni. Recent Wesleyan News Wall Street International Magazine: "Tula Telfair: Reverie" Professor of Art Tula Telfair's new exhibition of landscape paintings, "Reverie," is presented Feb. 7 through March 30 at the Forum Gallery in New York. According to the article, "In the fourteen paintings that comprise 'Reverie,' she explores the inner reaches of her dreams and memories, taking us to places she has been or believes in so fully that she is able to portray and take the viewer to the…

On Feb. 8, President Michael Roth announced in a campus-wide email that Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Joyce Jacobsen will become the president of Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, N.Y., beginning July 1. In announcing Jacobsen’s appointment as president, Hobart and William Smith’s Board of Trustees Chair Thomas Bozzuto said, “President Jacobsen is a prominent scholar and an esteemed educator with a deep understanding of the interdisciplinary inquiry so vital to our mission here at Hobart and William Smith. In her work with students and colleagues in the academy, and with preeminent national and international…

The English Department awards two fellowships that support summer projects or graduate study. The deadline for application is 5 p.m. on April 1. Olin Fellowships are open to first-year students, sophomores, and juniors. Founded in 1854 by the mother of Stephen Olin (Wesleyan president 1839–41 and 1842–51) and later increased by gifts of Stephen Henry Olin (Class of 1866 and acting president 1922–23) and his wife, the Olin Fellowships are awarded in recognition of achievement in English to support independent research or creative writing. The fellowships are to be used for work in English outside the Wesleyan course structure. Such…

Forty-six Wesleyan students interested in finance, journalism, public health, tech, theater, and music had the opportunity to participate in a three-day immersive career exploration program over winter break. Spearheaded by the Gordon Career Center's Winter on Wyllys programming, the inaugural New York City Career Trek, held Jan. 16-18, allowed students to travel to New York City and meet and network with Wesleyan alumni at their places of work. Industry sites included: Citi and Bloomberg for finance; The New York Times and Hearst Communications for journalism; Atlantic Records and BtOVEN MUSIC for music; Pfizer and the National Hemophilia Foundation for public health;…

After a star forms, a dusty ring of space debris may begin orbiting around a star. These circumstellar disks are composed of asteroids or collision fragments, cosmic dust grains, and gasses. Astronomy graduate student Jessica Klusmeyer is interested in understanding the molecular composition of the debris disk gas. "It has important implications not only for our knowledge of debris disks but also for planet formation," she said. Klusmeyer joined more than 25 Wesleyan affiliates and shared her research during the 233rd American Astronomical Society Meeting Jan. 6-10 in Seattle, Wash. The American Astronomical Society (AAS) awarded Klusmeyer a Chambliss medal for her poster presentation…

All undergraduates are eligible to apply for a 2019 Wesleyan Summer Grant, which allows students to pursue no- or low-pay career-related summer experiences. Grant applications must be submitted before midnight on Feb. 28. Wesleyan Summer Grants are funding resources awarded through the Gordon Career Center. These resources include Wesleyan Summer Experience Grants, Patricelli Center for Social Entrepreneurship Grants, named grants, and others. View all the grant opportunities online here. To be considered for funding, the summer opportunity should be full-time for a minimum (or the equivalent) of eight weeks. Grant awards typically range between $4,000 and $5,000. For more information…

For his accomplishments in research and scholarship, the University of Minnesota's Department of Psychology is honoring Professor of Psychology Scott Plous with a Distinguished Alumni Award. Plous graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1980 with a BA degree in psychology, summa cum laude. He later completed a PhD in psychology and a postdoctoral fellowship at Stanford University. At Wesleyan, Plous's research focuses on judgment and decision-making, prejudice and discrimination, and the human use of animals and the environment. The University of Minnesota's alumni awards honor distinguished alumni from the undergraduate and graduate programs. Nominations are solicited from alumni, faculty,…

Wesleyan Announces 2019 Honorary Degree Recipients

Film by Leter ’21 to Premiere in Paris

Bestiary Exhibit Explores Medieval Compendia of Animals

Davison Art Center Acquires 23 Prints from American Artist Jasper Johns in Honor of Former Curator

Connecticut Magazine Names Alicia Hernandez Strong ’18 in “40 Under 40”

Wesleyan in the News

Jacobsen Named President of Hobart and William Smith Colleges

Apply for an Olin or Winchester Fellowship

Alumni Lead Students on 3-Day Career Trek

Klusmeyer Receives a Chambliss Award for Astronomy Research

Applications for Wesleyan Summer Grants Due Feb. 28

Plous Honored with Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Minnesota