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Frederick Cohan, professor of biology, professor of environmental studies, presented his research poster, "Genetic Sweeps by Whisk Brooms and Garage Brooms — the Role of Ecology" at the 16th annual International Symposium on Microbial Ecology, held Aug. 21-26 in Montreal. Cohan presented his models on the origins of bacterial species, in particular that the rate a bacterial group forms new species is determined by the foods it consumes. Microbial ecology is the study of microbes in the environment and their interactions with each other. The International Society for Microbial Ecology is the principle non-profit scientific society for the burgeoning field of microbial ecology and its…

The new school year ushers in a wide array of emotions for both new and returning students – from feelings of excitement over leaving home for the first time among first-year students, to anxiety and nostalgia over post-graduation plans among seniors. Amidst those emotions, students will face challenges in balancing their academic workload, socializing with friends, participating in extra-curricular activities, and maintaining family relationships — all within limited financial and time constraints. As the school year progresses, it may become increasingly challenging for students to strike a healthy balance across these various aspects of their university life. The unfortunate result for…

Inspired by Fete de la Musique, also known as World Music Day, the fifth annual MASH highlighted Wesleyan's student music scene on Sept. 9. The 5 1/2 hour concert, sponsored by the Center for the Arts, featured 22 bands performing at four different venues on campus including Olin Library, the North College Lawn, Center for the Arts and Foss Hill. Musical acts included Slavei, Hari, Slender James, Birchbark, Fortune Plays Sax, Anna Savage, Sneaky Boy, MEG, Dinomanic, Yer Trash, the good lonely, Mom, Rui Barbosa, BOSSY, Lo-Qi, McCleary McCleary, Going Up North for the Weekend, Slouch, The Highlanders, Jal & Locus, Chef and El Niño. Each band performed for about 20 minutes.

Victoria Pitts-Taylor, chair and professor of feminist, gender and sexuality studies, is the editor of Mattering: Feminism, Science and Materialism published by NYU Press in August 2016. Anthony Hatch, assistant professor of science in society, co-authored a chapter in the collection titled "Prisons Matter: Psychotropics and the Trope of Silence in Technocorrections." Mattering presents contemporary feminist perspectives on the materialist or ‘naturalizing’ turn in feminist theory, and also represents the newest wave of feminist engagement with science. The volume addresses the relationship between human corporeality and subjectivity, questions and redefines the boundaries of human/non-human and nature/culture, elaborates on the entanglements of…

Recent works by Ben Charles Weiner ’03, a New York-based artist, are on display at Mark Moore Gallery in Los Angeles. Artdaily.org praised the works in this exhibition, Textures of You, as “lush yet uneasy,” noting that Weiner was inspired by synthetic body enhancement products and used a hyperrealistic technique to create the paintings. Read the full article here. In a recent conversation with The Wesleyan Connection, Weiner explained the workflow and artistic style he used for these paintings. “Formally, my approach to painting these subjects takes inspiration from the stock textures used in graphic design and CG rendered imagery.…

In 2010-11, when Matthew Ball ’08 was stationed in the Tora Bora region of Nangarhar province, serving in the 4th Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division, he and the other soldiers relied on Qismat Amin, then only 19 years old, for both information and communication with the local Afghan residents. Now a Stanford law student, Ball is on a personal mission: To fulfill what he views as his duty to the young interpreter who worked with him during his deployment. "There's a really strong bond that a lot of soldiers have with interpreters—they're crucial members of the team. ... There…

This fall, Wesleyan welcomes 55 new faculty including 15 new tenured and tenure-track faculty, 33 visiting faculty and seven fellows. They come from top PhD programs throughout the country with expertise ranging from private protocols for computer networks to sleep and psychosocial adjustments to intersectionality of body size, race and gender. Three tenure-track faculty also are Wesleyan alumni. The 2016-17 group represents the most diverse class of new faculty to date. (more…)

Wesleyan welcomed more than 840 new, transfer, international and exchange students and their families to the Wesleyan community on Aug. 31. Nick Ticali ’20 left home in Long Island, N.Y. at 5:30 a.m. to make it to Wesleyan early. His sister, Allana, and father, Vinny, helped Nick move his belongings into his West College student residence. "I'm really excited about Wesleyan's interdisciplinary, cross-curriculum majors, because I want to study biology and theater," he said. Nick played varsity soccer in high school and may play club soccer at Wesleyan. Nancy Auerbach helped her daughter Dalia ’20 move to her room in Bennet Hall on Arrival Day. The…

Wesleyan's Student Academic Resources Peer Advisors are sophomores, juniors and seniors who assist new students with Wesleyan's faculty advising program and enhance student access to academic resources beginning with New Student Orientation and continuing throughout the year. Peer Advisors receive training, provide individualized peer advice and facilitate workshops for groups of students regarding metacognitive learning strategies, time management, public speaking, study and exam preparation strategies. In combination with other important advising resources (e.g., registration materials sent in the summer, the on-line advisee guidelines, residence hall meetings, etc.), Peer Advisors assist new students in preparing for their individual meetings with their faculty advisors. In addition,…

John Bonin, the Chester D. Hubbard Professor of Economics and Social Science, and his former student Dana Louie ’15, are authors of a new paper published in Journal of Comparative Economics titled, “Did foreign banks stay committed to emerging Europe during recent financial crises?” In the paper, Bonin and Louie investigate the behavior of foreign banks with respect to real loan growth during times of financial crisis for a set of countries where foreign banks dominate the banking sectors. The paper focuses on eight countries that are the most developed in emerging Europe and the behavior of two types of banks:…

On Aug. 24, Colombia’s president signed a peace deal with FARC rebels, ending the world’s longest running conflict. For insight on the accord, PBS NewsHour anchor and correspondent Hari Sreenivasan turned to Cynthia Arnson ’76, director of the Latin American Program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Noting that the text of the accord is complex, covering more than 250 pages and five basic agreements—agrarian reform, upcoming FARC political engagement, illicit economies (including drug trafficking), transitional justice, and terms of disarmament—Arnson added, “And as with any peace accord, the real test comes when it’s time to implement, and the…

Laura Walker ’79, New York Public Radio CEO, was recently interviewed by Fortune on the topic of women in the podcasting industry. She discussed how she got her start in radio, what business school was like for women in the 1980s, and why more women are needed in podcasting. Walker discussed the motivation to help start Werk It, WNYC’s annual festival for women in podcasting, which is funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to get more women involved in podcasting. “I think that many women are natural storytellers and aren’t fearful of mixing the personal and the factual. I…

Cohan Presents Research at Microbial Ecology Symposium

Tavernier Suggests Ways Students Can Establish and Maintain Healthy Sleep

Student Music Scene Celebrated at The MASH

Pitts-Taylor Edits Collection on Feminist Science Studies and the Brain’s Body

Solo Show by Weiner ’03 at Los Angeles Gallery

Army Veteran Ball ’08: “Afghan Translator Deserves Special Immigrant Visa”

Wesleyan Welcomes 55 New Faculty

Wesleyan Welcomes Class of 2020 on Arrival Day (with photos and video)

Peer Advisors Enhance Student Access to Academic Resources

Bonin, Louie ’15 Co-Author Paper in Journal of Comparative Economics

Arnson ’76 Offers Insight into Colombia’s FARC Peace Deal for ‘PBS NewsHour’

Walker ’79 Interviewed By Fortune on Women In Podcasting