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In this News @ Wesleyan story, we speak with Ian Rice from the Class of 2017. Q: Ian, where are you from and what is your major? A: I’m from Boise, Idaho and I’m double majoring in physics and film as well as getting a Writing Certificate. Q: Why did you decide to study abroad in Copenhagen through the Danish Institute for Study Abroad (DIS) in Spring 2015? A: I was very interested in Scandinavian culture, partially due to the modern portrayal of Scandinavia as a haven of progressiveness and equality as well as the incredibly high standard of living.…

Bethany Berger '90, professor at the University of Connecticut Law School, will lead Wesleyan's annual Constitution Day Lecture on Sept. 17. The topic is "Birthright Citizenship on Trial — Immigration and Indigeneity." Egged on by Donald Trump, the majority of Republican candidates have supported ending birthright citizenship. This talk looks at this 14th amendment right, its constitutional origins, and the different things it meant for American Indians and immigrants. Berger is the Thomas F. Gallivan, Jr. Professor at the University of Connecticut School of Law. She graduated from Wesleyan in 1990 with a major in government, and from Yale Law…

An essay by Ethan Kleinberg, professor of history, professor of letters, is the featured reading material for the H-France network's fall 2015 webinar on “Modern Intellectual History." H-France’s mission is to promote scholarly work and discussion on the history and culture of the Francophone world through digital form. Kleinberg also is director of the Center for the Humanities and executive editor of History and Theory. The H-France webinar will take place at 3 p.m. Sept. 18. Designed particularly for graduate students, H-France webinars are open to anyone. Participants are expected to read Kleinberg's essay prior to the seminar and consider related questions. (more…)

President Michael Roth spoke to families in Memorial Chapel on Arrival Day, Sept. 2. He urged students to explore parts of the curriculum beyond their comfort zone and to discover what they love to do, get better at it, and share it with others. "It’s an extraordinarily exciting time to be starting at Wesleyan,” he said. “There are tremendous resources across this place; there are people with extraordinary ideas.… Students should find the people from whom they can learn most deeply." Watch his remarks, which appeared on The Huffington Post homepage, below:

In this Q&A we speak with Kathleen Smith from the Center for Global Studies. Smith helps identify and cultivate a global perspective that is meaningful to students, alumni, and faculty across the university. Q: Welcome to Wesleyan! When did you start? A: My first day was Aug. 3, so I am still learning my way around campus! Q: As the associate director of fellowships, internships and exchanges for the Center for Global Studies (located in Fisk Hall), what is your mission when working with students? A: The role is a little bit of everything – fellowships, internships and exchanges – so I see myself as a resource…

For the third year in a row, Wesleyan will welcome members of the community and Wesleyan faculty, staff, students, alumni and families to Middletown Day—a day of family fun and athletic events on campus. The theme of this year’s event, taking place Sept. 26, is “Salute to Service, Honoring Our Veterans.” "We are excited to once again welcome Middletown families to campus, and honored to partner in saluting veterans from campus and the community," said Cathy Lechowicz, director of the Center for Community Partnerships. "It will be a celebratory day that highlights the assets of our campus and the community." The…

The campus planning project begun last January has resulted in a report. The planning team from Sasaki Associates, Inc. and Eastley & Partners, who worked with Wesleyan’s Facilities Committee and others during the spring semester, has recommended a set of five principles to guide campus development over the coming years. These principles have been developed through an online survey and discussions with faculty, staff and students about how they use the physical spaces on campus. Many of the conclusions were presented to the Board of Trustees and later to senior administrative staff in late May. The principles are designed to align the physical…

Professors Lisa Dierker and Jennifer Rose, along with Jalen Alexander BA/MA ’14,'15, are the co-authors of an article titled “It Is Complicated: Sexual Partner Characteristic Profiles and Sexually Transmitted Infection Rates within a Predominantly African American Population in Mississippi,” published in the May 2015 issue of Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Vol. 42, No. 5. Dierker is professor of psychology, director of pilot programs for the Center for Pedagogical Innovation. Rose is professor of the practice and research professor of psychology for the Center for Pedagogical Innovation and director of the Institutional Review Board for Academic Affairs. Alexander is co-chair of the…

Wesleyan’s student-run performance group Prometheus performed the art of fire-spinning and object manipulation during New Student Orientation activities this month. (Photos by Jonas Powell ’18/ The Wesleyan Argus) (more…)

This fall, Wesleyan welcomes Assistant Professor Joseph Coolon to the Department of Biology. Coolon comes to Wesleyan from the University of Michigan where he worked as an assistant research scientist and a postdoctoral fellow for the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Coolon has a BS in biology and PhD in biology from Kansas State University. His dissertation was titled “Ecological Genomics of Nematode Responses to Different Bacteria.” At Wesleyan, Coolon plans to have two primary research projects. The first project is aimed at understanding the major sources of variation in gene expression including changes in DNA sequence, responses to…

Three experts and a Wesleyan student will lead a panel discussion on “After Charleston: Next Steps for the Movement for Social Justice” at 8 p.m. Sept. 17 in Memorial Chapel. The event is sponsored by the Allbritton Center for Public Life. The talk will feature Clemmie Harris, visiting assistant professor of African American studies; Tedra James ’18; activist and filmmaker Bree Newsome and Connecticut Bishop John Selders. "The idea is to spur conversation with the audience about the killings in Charleston, reactions to killings, debate over the Confederate flag, and protests in Ferguson,” said Rob Rosenthal, director of the Allbritton Center for…

This month, Wesleyan will launch a new specialization on Coursera in the rapidly growing field of data science. The four-MOOC (massive open online course) sequence, together with a final capstone project, will offer learners a verified certificate of completion that they may share with prospective or current employers. Wesleyan’s specialization, Data Analysis and Interpretation, is one of more than 30 new business, computer science, and data science specializations starting on Coursera on Sept. 15. (Learn more on Coursera's blog.) Wesleyan is continually expanding its offerings on Coursera, and in January 2016, plans to introduce a new Creative Writing specialization. (more…)

Rice ’17 Studies Philosophy, Film and Music in Copenhagen

Immigration and Indigeneity Topic of Constitution Day Lecture Sept. 17

Kleinberg’s Essay the Featured Reading Material for Modern Intellectual History Webinar

President Roth Speaks to Families, Students on Arrival Day

Smith is New Associate Director of Fellowships, Internships, Exchanges

Wesleyan to Host Middletown Day, Honoring Veterans, Sept. 26

Campus Planning Exercise Yields 5 Principles for Future Development

Dierker, Rose, Alexander BA/MA ’14, ’15 Co-Author Article on Sexually Transmitted Infection Rates in Mississippi

Fire-Spinning Students Perform during New Student Orientation

Biology’s Coolon Studies Variation in Gene Expression

“After Charleston: Next Steps for the Movement for Social Justice” Topic of Sept. 17 Panel

Wesleyan Announces New Data Science Specialization on Coursera