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Mark Slobin, the Winslow-Kaplan Professor of Music, was honored April 16 with “Ideas on the Move,” a conference celebrating his career and many accomplishments. Slobin will retire from Wesleyan June 30. Slobin is an ethnomusicologist who has written extensively on the subject of East European Jewish music and klezmer music, as well as the music of Afghanistan. The daylong event featured talks by alumni from as far back as 45 years. Topics included “Mark’s Metaphors: Visual Poetics, Pedagogy and Theoretical Clarity;” “ONCE Upon a Time: Mark Slobin’s Experimental Ethnomusicology;" “How Mark Slobin Became an Ethnomusicologist;" and “Growing Up With Mark." A concert, featuring Irish,…

In April, the Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program presented scholarships to five Wesleyan undergraduate students. As Doris Duke Scholars, Olivia Won ’18, Emily Murphy ’18, Ryan Nelson '19, Gabby Vargas '18 and Kelly Lam '19 will receive two summer experiential learning and research opportunities at the University of Washington and the University of Michigan. The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation initiated the Conservation Scholars programs at several universities across the country in 2013 with the intention of attracting and training members of under-represented communities in the field of conservation. Over the course of their two years in the program, the scholars…

On the weekend of April 15-16, the CFA theater was home to the spring faculty dance concert, Storied Places. In addition to the dance, which was choreographed and directed by Chair and Associate Professor of Dance, Associate Professor of African American Studies, and Environmental Studies Nicole Stanton, the performance also featured original compositions and musical direction by Adjunct Professor of Music and African American Studies Jay Hoggard ’76. Adding a further layer of texture was narrative text, written and performed by Chair and Class of 1958 Distinguished Professor of African American Studies, Professor of English and Feminist, Gender and Sexuality Studies, and…

Bozoma “Boz” Saint John ’99, head of global consumer marketing for Apple Music and iTunes, wowed attendees at WesFest—admitted students and their parents— as keynote speaker. The eldest daughter of Wesleyan ethnomusicology graduate Dr. Appianda Arthur PhD ’77, Saint John spoke on Wesleyan's powerful influence on her life today. Her father, recalling his formative years at Wesleyan and the lively intellectual community, had encouraged her to attend Wesleyan. Although her desire to rebel figured in early in the decision process, she ultimately chose Wesleyan. “My father was so excited when I decided Wesleyan was the school for me, but he…

An article in the journal Sapiens highlights the current work of anthropologist Ruth Behar in "Lifting the Emotional Embargo With Cuba." Working with poet Richard Blanco, the two are "cultivating reunion and reconciliation among people and cultures that have been estranged for decades," said author Barry Yeoman. Cuba is part of both the poet's and the anthropologist's identities. While Blanco grew up hearing about Cuba from his ex-pat community in Miami, Behar was born in Havana, Cuba. Her parents were of Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jewish descent who moved the family to New York City after the Cuban revolution. As a child in…

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Spring is in the air this April. Buds and blooms are making appearances throughout campus. (more…)

(By Mike O'Brien, Director of Athletic Communication) On April 18, Chicago Cubs Executive Vice President and General Manager Jed Hoyer ’96 spoke to the news site MLB Trade Rumors about his career and his time at Wesleyan. When asked what led him to choose Wesleyan, Hoyer responded: “The over-arching goal of my college search was to combine three factors – great academics, the ability to continue playing baseball, and a campus environment that would broaden my limited horizons. I looked at a lot of different schools and the best combination of those factors was Wesleyan. In hindsight, I was less…

This month, Wesleyan is celebrating its progress toward a sustainable campus and is about to embark on an exciting new project – the creation of a solar farm that will supply 1.2 million kilowatt hours of clean renewable energy each year and expand the university’s use of solar energy by six-fold. “The solar farm will be a highly visible sign of our progress, but our commitment to sustainability is embedded in everything we do,” said Jennifer Kleindienst, sustainability director at Wesleyan. Energy use has the greatest impact on Wesleyan’s carbon footprint, and efficiency and conservation programs, as well as expansion…

During Earth Month Wesleyan is celebrating its progress toward a sustainable campus. “From planning to composting, from university-wide utilities to low-flow showerheads, we are reducing our carbon footprint and creating a culture of sustainability," said Jennifer Kleindienst, sustainability director at Wesleyan. With leadership from Kleindienst, Wesleyan has developed a Sustainability Action Plan – a broad commitment to sustainability that is the result of more than a year of effort from over 130 students, faculty and staff. The plan is intended to guide the university’s efforts in this area over the next five years. “Wesleyan as a whole can contribute to…

As soon as the last winter storm smelted away, students involved with Wesleyan's Long Lane Farm were already planting seeds, weeding, tilling fields, staking plots and harvesting winter-hardy herbs, wild garlic and fresh chicken eggs. The student-run organic farm is devoted to allowing students a place to experiment and learn about sustainable agriculture. In addition to weekly meetings, students run public work days every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., which are open to Wesleyan students and community members. The produce grown on Long Lane is sold at the Holden Farmer’s Market, donated to Amazing Grace Food Pantry, or served to students in Usdan.…

Slobin Honored for 45 Years at Wesleyan

5 Undergraduates Receive Doris Duke Conservation Scholarships

Stanton, Hoggard, Brown: ‘Storied Places’ Unites Dance, Music, Text of Collaborative Cluster

Apple Music’s Saint John ’99 Recalls Formative Wes Moments in WesFest Keynote

‘Sapien’ Highlights Behar ’77 for Anthropological, Poetic Collaborations with Cuba

PhD Candidate Frayne Speaks on Designing Dendritic Polymers

Spring Blooms, Buds on Campus

Siry Speaks on Energy and Modern Architecture

Chicago Cubs Executive VP, GM Jed Hoyer ’96 Discusses His Wesleyan Experience

New Solar Farm, Panels Help Generate Electricity on Campus

Wesleyan Launches Sustainability Action Plan during Earth Month

Garden Season Starts Early at Long Lane Organic Farm