Page 63

Wesleyan’s intellectually dynamic faculty, students, alumni, staff, and parents frequently serve as expert sources for national media. Others are noted for recent achievements and accolades. A sampling of recent media hits is below: April 21 Celebrity Net Worth - Meet The Under-The-Radar Immigrant Black Doctor Who Has Made A Half-Billion Dollar Fortune While Revolutionizing Alzheimer's Treatment. Features Dr. Herriot Tabuteau '89. Street Insider - Oaktree Real Estate News. Mentions Cary Kleinman '97, chief legal officer at Oaktree. Seven Days (Vermont) - Obituary: Karen Oelschlaeger, 1984-2021: Woman who died of cancer was grateful for Vermont's Death With Dignity law. Features Karen…

Associate Professor of Dance Katja Kolcio and Wesleyan President Michael Roth ’78 recently participated in an international virtual roundtable discussion hosted by the United Nations Recovery and Peacebuilding Programme. The roundtable, titled "Implementing a Somatic Methodology in the Ukrainian Rehabilitation System: Developing Stress Resistance in Ex-combatants, IDPs, and Residents of Eastern Ukraine" was held virtually on April 28. The purpose of the roundtable was to develop a resolution of joint coordination between the various ministries in Ukraine responsible for the psychological health of veterans. Kolcio and Roth spoke about the importance of the Vitality Project Donbas, a collaboration between Wesleyan…

Two-time Grammy Award-winning producer and Atlantic Records President of A&R Pete Ganbarg '88 will host a new Rock N' Roll High School podcast starting May 6. The series, presented by Warner Music Group, will feature legendary figures in contemporary music. The first three episodes star Grammy-winning composer, producer, arranger, and guitarist, Nile Rodgers; two-time Rock & Roll and Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee, Graham Nash; and Go-Go’s bassist and songwriter, Kathy Valentine. Following the premiere, new episodes will launch every other week. “It’s been an honor to sit down with each of these incredibly influential and uniquely talented individuals and…

Voting for the 2021 Alumni Trustee Election is now open. Each year, Wesleyan alumni elect three of their peers to serve on the University’s Board of Trustees for a three-year term. Nearly one-third of the Board is elected by the alumni body. "The alumni-elected trustee process is a remarkable and important way for alumni to demonstrate stewardship of our University," said Gina Driscoll, associate director of alumni and parent relations. "Choose the alumni candidates who can help influence the direction of the University." Watch for the Alumni-Elected Trustee email with your personal link to vote. View this year’s slate here.…

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically affected the Wesleyan community in a myriad of ways from student life to research to the way we teach and learn. This spring, Wesleyan's Special Collections & Archives, along with Academic Affairs, are hoping to build a historical record—and preserve for posterity—the stories, memories, messages, and creative works of the University's students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Postcards from a Pandemic Wesleyan's Special Collections & Archives has launched a "Postcards from a Pandemic" project, which aims to help future students and researchers understand what it was like to be a member of the Wesleyan community during…

Darshana Banka ’22 volunteers with the COVID-19 Action Coalition (COVAC-MA) a group of over 25 students and alumni (led by Amy Fogelman '97) who advocate alongside Massachusetts physicians for public health measures that will reduce the spread of the virus and save lives. Currently, Banka leads COVAC-MA’s Medium Research Team. Banka recently co-wrote an article about food insecurity during the pandemic as part of COVAC-MA’s outreach titled, “Hungry for Change: Food Insecurity During the COVID-19 Pandemic.” “The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated food insecurity for low-income individuals and changed eating behaviors for many Americans of different socioeconomic levels,” Banka wrote. “Because…

Ellen Thomas, Harold T. Stearns Professor of Integrative Sciences, is the co-author of five scientific papers. All are part of the output of international collaborations of which her Wesleyan-based research was a part, funded by the National Science Foundation over the last three years. “All the studies look at different aspects of the behavior of microscopic organisms in the oceans under past environmental stress, whether caused by the impact of the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs, or past episodes of global warming or cooling, and at the effect of different rates of environmental change on these life forms," she said.…

(more…)

In this continuing series, Annie Roach ’22, an English and Italian studies major from Middletown, Del., reviews alumni books and offers a selection for those in search of knowledge, insight, and inspiration. The volumes, sent to us by alumni, are forwarded to Olin Library as donations to the University’s collection and made available to the Wesleyan community. William Aspray ’73, MA ’73 and Melissa Ocepek (editors), Deciding Where to Live (Rowman & Littlefield, 2020) In the past year, our choice of residence has become more crucial than ever. In fact, the pandemic has caused many people to house-hunt, pack up…

A film produced by Dan Janvey '06 titled Nomadland was the recipient of a 2021 Oscar presented during the 93rd Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Awards on April 25. Nomadland not only won Best Motion Picture of the Year, but director/producer Chloé Zhao was the second woman to win the Best Directing Award and the first woman of color to win the award. Janvey, who majored in film studies at Wesleyan, shares the Best Picture award with co-producers Zhao, Frances McDormand, Peter Spears, and Mollye Asher. Janvey also produced the film Beasts of the Southern Wild, which was…

This month, the Center for the Arts is hosting three virtual opening receptions for 19 graduating art studio majors to showcase their work as part of the Senior Thesis Exhibition. Since Zilkha Gallery is only open to Wesleyan students, faculty, and staff during the pandemic, the virtual format allows alumni, parents, friends, and other members of the Wesleyan community to view the students' work. "We're hoping to create access—especially for those of you who are not on campus—to see these shows in person and see what [the artists'] work looks like in space and scale," said Benjamin Chaffee, associate director…

Four Wesleyan sophomores won consulting company Roland Berger’s annual Case for a Cause competition on Friday, April 9. The competition, which raises money for the Make-A-Wish-Foundation, gives students a space to apply their practical skills and simulate strategy consulting work. Asa Sakornpant '23, Natchanok (Pim) Wandee '23, Sarah Rizky Ardhani '23, and Ransho Ueno '23 belong to the Consulting Pathways Club and are all pursuing the data analysis minor through Wesleyan's Quantitative Analysis Center. Sakornpant, Ardhani, and Ueno are Freeman Asian Scholars and were sponsored by the Gordon Career Center to take part in the competition. (more…)

Wesleyan in the News

President Roth, Kolcio Speak at International U.N. Ukraine Roundtable

Ganbarg ’88 Hosts New Rock N’ Roll High School Podcast

Vote for 2021 Alumni-Elected Trustees

Share Your Wesleyan COVID-19 Experiences, Creative Works

Banka ’22 Co-Authors Article on Pandemic Food Insecurity for COVID-19 Action Coalition

Thomas Co-Authors 5 Studies on Oceanic Environmental Stress

Stewart Leads Annual Earth Rant in Honor of Earth Month

“You Just Have to Read This. . .” Books by Wesleyan Alumni Aspray ’73, MA ’73, Morris ’76, Roth ’70

Janvey ’06 Wins 2021 Oscar for Producing Nomadland

Art Studio Seniors Display Thesis Exhibitions from the Art Studio Program in the Zilkha Gallery

4 Students Win Case for a Cause Competition