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"The title character is, of course, a Wesleyan graduate," says author Heidi Mastrogiovanni ’79, of her debut comic novel, Lala Pettibone's Act Two (Amberjack Publishing, 2017). The novelist herself is also a comic actor, an animal welfare advocate and a screenwriter—and her second novel, sequel Lala Pettibone: Standing Room Only, will be available in August. To celebrate, she and a fellow Amberjack author—with similarly titled books, both with a reference to a second act—visited bookstores and venues across the country to talk about the writer's life and the ways in which a book written by a female is perceived, welcomed and marketed. In…

J. Kehaulani Kauanui, professor of American studies and anthropology, chair of American studies and director of the Center of the Americas, spent part of winter break in Qatar. She was there to present her research on “Settler Colonialism and the Politics of Occupy Wall Street: Indigeneity and the 'Other' 1%” for a panel on "Against Exceptionalism." Kauanui joined a global roster of leading scholars in American studies, Middle Eastern studies and other closely related fields who were invited to speak as part of a conference held Jan. 8–11 at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies with support from the Qatar…

In this recurring feature in The Wesleyan Connection, we highlight some of the latest news stories about Wesleyan and our alumni. Recent Wesleyan News 1. President Michael Roth publishes op-eds in The Washington Post titled, "We can't let cynics ruin college," and "What is college for? (Hint: It's not just about getting in.)." He also sat for an "On Leadership" interview with The Chronicle of Higher Education. 2. The Conversation: "The dangerous belief that white people are under attack" Assistant Professor of Psychology Clara Wilkins writes about her research on perceptions of reverse discrimination in light of recent societal trends. 3. Marketplace: "Here comes the tax bill…

Assistant Professor of Music Tyshawn Sorey MA '11, a MacArthur "Genius" Award-winner, and Distinguished Fellow in the College of the Environment Allison Orr, artistic director of Forklift Danceworks, have been chosen as 2018 fellows by United States Artists (USA), an organization that illuminates the value of artists to American society. Sorey and Orr will each receive a $50,000 unrestricted award as part of the honor. Read more about Tyshawn Sorey's MacArthur "Genius" Award Read more about Allison Orr's work teaching dance and movement to local children A total of 45 recipients were announced for the annual awards, which recognize achievements and innovation across nine disciplines,…

In this Q&A, we speak to Jasmine Cardi, who joined the Access Services staff at Wesleyan's Olin Library on Jan. 7, 2013 (“Five years already!” she says). Now the weekend and evening supervisor, she provides support to the departments of Interlibrary Loan (ILL), Olin Reference, Reserves/E-Reserves, and Olin Circulation. With her arrival, the ILL office was able to lengthen their hours until 10 p.m. some evenings, offering availability for those geared to later study nights in the library. Q: What do you like best about working for Interlibrary Loan? A: I love seeing all the books we get from around…

In 2017, the Wesleyan Library began overseeing two programs. The Wesleyan Museum, which houses the university's archaeology and anthropology collection, has moved under the library's oversight. These materials, located in the Exley Science Center, contain a broad variety of unique items, including Middle Eastern artifacts, historical materials from 18th- and 19th- century Middletown, missionary-collected objects from South America and Native American pieces including pottery and jewelry. Jessie Cohen is the manager of the collection. The collection will eventually be discoverable through the library’s online catalog (OneSearch) so students and faculty will have the opportunity to find and physically work with…

Wesleyan’s operating budget in the last fiscal year included a total of $206 million in expenditures, with $210 million in revenue. Most of the university’s revenue (68 percent) comes from student charges, while the endowment, private gifts and government grants account for most of the rest. The operating budget lies behind everything Wesleyan does, and we’ve asked Nate Peters, vice president for finance and administration, to explain some of its highlights: Q: What is Wesleyan’s projected total operating expenditure in the current fiscal year, and what has been our annual rate of increase? What are the primary drivers of that…

The Office of Human Resources announces the following hires, transitions and departures for Sept.—December 2017. HIRES Kenichi Abe, postdoctoral research associate in Earth and Environmental Sciences, on Sept. 1 Jennie Setaro, psychotherapist in the Counseling Center, on Sept. 5 Katherine Williams, lab coordinator in psychology, on Sept. 5 Wesley Close '15, assistant dean of admission, on Sept. 11 Demetrius J. Colvin, director, Resource Center, on Sept. 11 Joseph Dorrer, energy manager in Physical Plant, on Sept. 18 Lauren Borghard, associate director of annual giving, on Sept. 25 Pamela Ann Mulready, alcohol & other drug specialist in Davison Health Center, on Oct. 9 LeRoy General, development…

To help to protect yourself, your family, and Wesleyan University from malicious cyber activity, all employees will be asked to take new security awareness training. The online training video is approximately 20 minutes long and will be available through the WesPortal under the Security section. More information will be available through e-mail later this month.

The Office of Human Resources hosted its annual Employee Service Recognition Luncheon Nov. 1 in Beckham Hall. All employees who are celebrating their 20th, 25th, 30th and 35th year working at Wesleyan were honored at the lunch by President Michael Roth. The event concluded with a celebratory cake-cutting and a Wesleyan and world trivia game. (more…)

The following employees received Cardinal Achievement Awards during the past few months for their efforts in demonstrating extraordinary initiative in performing a specific task associated with their work at Wesleyan. This special honor comes with a $250 award and reflects the university’s gratitude for their extra efforts: NAME TITLE DEPARTMENT Noreen Angeletti Assistant Director Student Accounts Office Jennifer Bomar Faculty Resource Specialist Academic Affairs Marianne Calnen Associate Director of Gift Planning University Relations Jennifer Curran Director, Continuing Studies and Graduate Liberal Studies Program Graduate Liberal Studies Program Matthew Elson Unix Systems Administrator Information Technology Services Gladys Fountain Payroll Administrator, NRA…

In this Q&A, we speak with Amy Bello, administrative assistant for the Center for African American Studies and newly elected mayor of the Town of Wethersfield. Q: How long have you been at Wesleyan? A: Five years. I started in November 2012 as a temp at the Wasch Center for Retired Faculty. Q: What do you do here now? A: I work as an administrative assistant for the Center for African American Studies (CAAS), the African American Studies Program (AFAM) and the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program (MMUF). I have a beautiful office on High Street and am lucky to be…

Mastrogiovanni ’79, Lala Pettibone and the Writing While Female Tour

Kauanui Presents “Politics of Occupy Wall Street” Research in Qatar

Wesleyan in the News

Sorey MA ’11 and Orr Awarded Artistic Fellowships

Library Access Services Assistant Jasmine Cardi: International Books and Local Clients

Library Oversees Wesleyan’s Archaeological Collections, Visual Resource Center

Peters Discusses Highlights of Wesleyan’s Operating Budget

Employees on the Move

Cybersecurity Awareness Training Coming in Late January

Wesleyan Employees Honored for Service to the University

20 Employees Honored with Cardinal Achievement Awards

Bello Balances CAAS Support and Mayoral Responsibilities