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Three Wesleyan alumnae returned to campus Oct. 26 to speak to junior and senior earth and environmental science majors about “What to do with an E&ES Degree After Wes?” The panel included Lori Oakes-Coyne ’92, senior recruiter for Environmental Resources Management, Inc. in Boston; Maria Osorio ‘92, assistant commissioner of operations for New York City; and Emma Kravet ’09, education director for the Connecticut Forest and Park Association. Professor of Earth and Environmental Science Suzanne O’Connell organized the program to assist students in preparing for post-Commencement life. "Our alumni are incredibly loyal,” she notes, “And one way they help the…

Michele Barnwell ’89 spent the summer filming a political documentary, Party Girls: Exploring Politics in America, a film that “follows a small group of millennial women of color who travel the country engaging in the politic process.” The documentary aims to air around Election Day 2016 as both an independent film and a six-part web series through PBS affiliate ITVS. Barnwell, director and producer, traveled across the United States following six students as they prepare to vote for the first time this November. Barnwell’s aim is to make this a bi-partisan project and will feature “real conversations on immigration, mass incarceration,…

Mike Robinson, assistant professor of psychology, is a co-author of a paper titled “The impact of junk-food diet during development on ‘wanting’ and ‘liking’.” The paper was recently published in The Behavioral Brain Research Journal. His co-authors include Wesleyan alumni Ellen Nacha Lesser ’15, Aime Arroyo-Ramirez ‘16, and Sarah Jingyi Mi ’16. The research looked at the developmental impacts of a chronic junk-food diet throughout development and how it blunts pleasure and affects motivation. The study found that chronic exposure to a junk-food diet resulted in large individual differences in weight gain (gainers and non-gainers) despite resulting in stunted growth as compared to chow-fed…

Kali Gross, professor of African American studies, details the 1887 crime of the disembodied torso found near a pond outside Philadelphia, and the subsequent, scandal-driven trial of Hannah Mary Tabbs and George Wilson, in her most recent book Hannah Mary Tabbs and the Disembodied Torso: A Tale of Race, Sex, and Violence in America, published February 2, 2016. Gross explains in an editorial published on her website, her use of “detectives' notes, trial and prison records, local newspapers, and other archival documents to reconstruct this ghastly who-done-it true crime in all its scandalous detail and in doing so, gives the…

Students enjoy the first snowfall of the season, Oct. 27.

Wesleyan, in conjunction with the New England Sickle Cell Institute and the Citizens for Quality Sickle Cell Care (CQSCC) will host a benefit dinner for Sickle Cell awareness and research on Nov. 10. The event will take place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Daniel Family Commons. The event is organized by Praise Owoyemi '18 and Shardonay Pagett '18. "Our goal is to bring more awareness and provide up to date information about this illness, as well as raise money to go towards Sickle Cell research," Owoyemi said. Guest speakers will share their experiences on the ways Sickle Cell…

Wesleyan inducted its eighth class to the Athletics Hall of Fame on Oct. 21. The class features Bill Brooks '49, P '71, Jenna Flateman Posner '04, Alexis Keeler '02, Peter "Kosty" Kostacopoulos, Don Russell, and the 1994 Wesleyan women's soccer team. "All of this year's inductees have very impressive credentials and are well deserving of this recognition," said Director of Athletics Mike Whalen '83. "It was particularly gratifying for me to have Don Russell and Peter "Kosty" Kostacopolous inducted as both were at Wes during my time as a student-athlete. There were a large number of former student-athletes who played…

This fall, the African American Studies Program hired its first core faculty members. They include Kali Nicole Gross, professor of African American studies, and Khalil Anthony Johnson Jr., assistant professor of African American studies. Wesleyan opened the Afro American Institute in 1969 and offered minimal courses on African American history. In 1983, students could major in African American studies, but it wasn’t until 2008 that the university created the African American Studies Program. Now the program is poised to make institutional history by African American Studies gaining departmental status, which would put Wesleyan on par with other top-tier universities and colleges.…

Laura Patey, associate dean for student academic resources, was featured in the newest book of the series, A Peace of My Mind: American Stories, by award-winning photographer and author, John Noltner. In his book, Noltner drove 40,000 miles across the country to ask people the simple question, “What does peace mean to you?” This resulted in the stories of “58 people from diverse backgrounds, who share stories of hope, redemption, and forgiveness, paired with compelling color portraits.” Patey’s personal story highlights the peace she has finally found with embracing her own identity, with a focus on her experience adopting her…

Davenport Study Grant recipient Anna Bisikalo ’17, a Russian, East European, and Eurasian studies major, recently completed a six-week internship at Transitions Online (TOL), a nonprofit media organization based in Prague, Czech Republic. During her internship, Bisikalo published a series of articles, including her most recent article, “Art and Politics Do Mix.” Bisikalo's internship was five days a week at the TOL office. "The office was English-speaking, but I did use my Ukrainian and Russian language skills for the articles I wrote,” she explained. “I wrote daily articles about new stories from the region, often focusing on ones that are…

The rain couldn't dampen the Wesleyan spirit at Homecoming and Middletown Day 2016! On Oct. 21-22, more than 2,000 alumni, students, families and members of the Middletown community flocked to campus with umbrellas and hoodies to participate in team tailgating, campus tours, alumni meetings, family activities and five athletic contests. The highlight of Homecoming was a 20-0 football win over Little Three rival Amherst on Oct. 22.

The fourth annual Middletown Day took place during Wesleyan’s Homecoming on Oct. 22. Middletown Day is an annual, family-friendly event that is open to the local community. Middletown residents are invited to come to campus and celebrate the various connections between Wesleyan and the Middletown area and cheer on the Cardinals in several athletic events. Guests were treated to popcorn, hotdogs, balloon creations and face paintings. The event was sponsored by the Jewett Center for Community Partnerships and University Relations. Photos of Middletown Day 2016 are below: (Photos by Gabi Hurlock '20 and Olivia Drake) (more…)

Alumnae Speak to Students about Careers in Earth and Environmental Science

Barnwell ’89 Explores Voting, Millennial Women of Color in Upcoming Documentary

Robinson Lab Researches the Effects of Junk Food Diets

Gross Uses Detective Notes, Archival Documents to Write Disembodied Torso

Let it Snow!

Benefit Dinner to Raise Awareness of Sickle Cell

Wesleyan Inducts 8th Athletics Hall of Fame Class

AFAM Program Welcomes Its First Core Faculty

Patey Featured in A Peace of My Mind, a New Collection of Stories

Bisikalo ’17 Completes Writing Internship in Prague at Media Organization

Football 20-0 Win Highlight of 2016 Homecoming (with Photo Gallery)

Local Community Participates in 4th Annual Middletown Day