Olivia DrakeAt top, Lori Gruen, associate professor of philosophy, explains "The Chimp Project" from her office in Russell House. She and Hughes Fellow Shayla Silver-Balbus '06 (pictured at left) studied chimpanzees in Ohio this summer. Posted 10/01/05 Lori Gruen spent this past summer with curious students of an unsuspecting kind chimpanzees named Emma and Harper. Gruen, an associate professor of philosophy and co-chair of the Wesleyan Feminism, Gender and Sexuality Studies Department, formally known as the Womens Studies Department, studied the chimpanzees at the Ohio State University Chimpanzee Center where she continues to gather information for an upcoming book on…
Posted 10/01/05 James van Benschoten Dresser, '63, P'93, chairman of Wesleyan's Board of Trustees, will be among the kick-off speakers of a new "First Friday" series being sponsored by the Center for Community Partnerships. The event is open to the Wesleyan community and will be held from 4 to 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7 at 167 High Street. The series will feature presentations on the first Friday of every month and has been created by the Center for Community Partnerships for members of the Wesleyan and Middletown communities who are interested in town-gown collaborations. Dresser's talk, titled "If These Walls…
Pictured are Kay and Morton Briggs. Briggs, professor emeritus of romance languages and literatures, died Sept. 25. He worked at Wesleyan for 42 years. Posted 10/01/05 Morton W. Briggs, a Wesleyan faculty member for over 40 years, died Sept. 25 at Middlesex Health Care Center at the age of 90. Born in 1915 in Millbrook, N.Y., he was graduated from Cornell University in 1937. He studied at the Sorbonne in Paris and obtained masters (1939) and doctoral (1944) degrees from Harvard University. He joined the Wesleyan faculty in 1943 and attained the position of professor of romance languages in 1956…
In preparation of the new Suzanne Lemberg Usdan University Center, portions of the old Fayerweather Gymnasium are being removed. Demolition is more than 80 percent completed as of Sept. 6. Associated Building Wreckers tear the building apart, beam by beam, brick by brick. Construction crew members demolish what is left of the Fayerweather pool, built in 1913. Alan Rubacha, Construction Services consultant, is the project manager. The renovated Fayerweather Gymnasium will become Fayerweather Hall. The facility will host a ballroom, catering kitchen, theater, dance studio and storage. The new university center will be built on the right side of…
Mary Schreck Glynn, application technology specialist, created the telephone directory database, media database and the student summer registration system. Posted 09/09/05 Q: What does it mean to be an applications technology specialist?A: Basically, an applications technology specialist evaluates new technologies and creates and supports academic and administrative applications using new and proven technologies. All the applications are database related.Q: What is the purpose of these applications? A: The general purpose is to service the Wesleyan community by automating tasks and sharing information.Q: Can you give me a few examples of some of the tasks and information that have undergone…
Michaelle Biddle, head of Preservation Services, uses a special tool to preserve a book in the Preservation Services in Olin Library. Biddle and her student technicians make page mends, reback books and remove mold from pages. Posted 09/09/05 Q: When were you hired at Wesleyan and what was your job title then?A: I was hired in 1983 as the assistant to the librarian. Initially, I was the clerk of the works for the $10 million library addition that was added in the mid-1980s. In 1988 I was asked to develop a preservation program for the librarys circulating collections. Now…
Posted 09/09/05 Accessing creativity will be the topic of discussion during the fourth annual Shasha Seminar for Human Concerns Oct. 6-8 at Wesleyan. The Shasha Seminar is a wonderful example of Wesleyan's commitment to lifelong learning, says Linda Secord, director of alumni education. We expect this year's discussion of creativity to be stimulating, giving participants newly informed perspectives that they will take with them as they return to their personal and professional lives. Through a series of seminars and hands-on workshops, alumni, parents and friends will expand their understanding of the creative process and its impact on human endeavors. Past…
Posted 09/09/05, Updated 09.16.05 We The People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessing of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this, Constitution for the United States of America. Preamble to the U.S. Constitution We The People of Wesleyan University observed Constitution Day with a series of events Sept. 15-16. Wesleyans observance is part of a nation-wide observance the U.S. Department of Education has mandated for all educational programs in all…
Abigail Hornstein, assistant professor of economics, studies corporate performance. Posted 09/09/05 Abigail Hornstein has joined the Economics Department as an assistant professor. Hornstein received her bachelors degree in Chinese language and history; her masters degree in economics and international business from New York University Stern School of Business; and her Ph.D in economics and international business from the New York University Stern School of Business. Her dissertation examined the capital budgeting decisions of multinational enterprises. She examined U.S. firms in the 1990s to determine if effective capital budgeting is associated with where a firm invests. I found that effective…
Dave Hall, grounds and special events manger, stands in front of an old elm tree planted along College Row. Wesleyan once had hundreds of elms on its property, and now only a few remain. The rest have fallen prey to old age or disease. Posted 09/09/05 When Dave Hall takes a daily stroll across Wesleyans campus, he has no destination in mind. He simply enjoys the luscious landscape. It is, after all, his masterpiece. As manager of Wesleyans grounds and events, every tree, shrub, flower garden and grassy knoll is part of his canvas. Most people walk through campus…
Manny Cunard, director of Auxiliary Operations and Campus Services, works from his new office on Pine Street. Posted 09/09/05 When Manny Cunard came to Wesleyan two and a half years ago, several services were in need of structure. Others needed to be invented. I resolve problems, says Cunard, director of Auxiliary Operations and Campus Services. Thats what this job is all about. You have to be committed to problem solving to provide the best services for Wesleyans students, staff and faculty. Cunard is responsible for such operations such as the campus bookstore, dining services, the House Sale Program, laundry…
Kevin Butler, assistant dean of Student Services, is the contact person for students with physical differences and co-advisor of the Student Judicial Board. Posted 09/09/05 Q: When were you hired at Wesleyan?A: I was hired in fall of all 2004 and started in January 2005 as the assistant dean of Student Services.Q: What led you to working at Wesleyan?A: I have excelled in conflict resolution and judicial affairs at several institutions. I thought it would be interesting to advise a student judicial board, which is something I hadnt done before.Q: And what is your role with the Wesleyan Student…