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The American Association of Teachers of Slavic and East European Languages (AATSEEL) honored Nataliya Karageorgos, assistant professor of the practice in Russian, East European, and Eurasian studies, with the Best 2020 Slavic and East European Journal Article (SEEJ) award. Karageorgos' article, titled "'A List of Some Observations': The Theory and Practice of Depersonalization in T.S. Eliot and Joseph Brodsky," was published in the Fall 2019, Volume 63, Issue 3 of SEEJ. Karageorgos' article argues that Joseph Brodsky’s use of depersonalization owes a lot to Brodsky’s readings of T.S. Eliot, and that Eliot’s role in Brodsky’s evolution has thus far been…

Joseph Siry, Kenan Professor of the Humanities, professor of art history, is the author of Air-Conditioning in Modern American Architecture, 1890–1970 (Penn State University Press, February 2021). According to the book's abstract, Air-Conditioning in Modern American Architecture, 1890–1970 documents how architects made environmental technologies into resources that helped shape their spatial and formal aesthetic. In doing so, it sheds important new light on the ways in which mechanical engineering has been assimilated into the culture of architecture as one facet of its broader modernist project. Tracing the development and architectural integration of air-conditioning from its origins in the late 19th century…

Gabe Snashall '21 and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies Helen Poulos are the co-authors of "Oreos Versus Orangutans: The Need for Sustainability Transformations and Nonhierarchical Polycentric Governance in the Global Palm Oil Industry," published in the Feb. 22 issue of Forests. According to the paper's abstract, "While the myriad benefits of palm oil as a food, makeup, and cleaning product additive drive its demand, globally, the palm oil industry remains largely unsustainable and unregulated. The negative externalities of palm oil production are diverse and devastating to tropical ecosystem integrity and human livelihoods in palm oil nations. Given the current…

A new film by Aaron Matthews '93 and Jennifer Mittelstadt ’92 will be released March 2 on Apple TV, Amazon, Google Play, and other digital streaming platforms. The film, titled The War and Peace of Tim O’Brien, follows the renowned author of The Things They Carried and Vietnam veteran Tim O’Brien, as he struggles to write one last book. The documentary dives deep into the meaning and impact of war, as well as the effect of America’s forever wars on civilians and soldiers. It also gives an in-depth look into the creative process from the perspective of one of America’s…

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the public has relied on dynamic visualizations in the form of maps and apps to keep up-to-date with the spread of the disease on both local and global scales. And with the use of geo-enabled apps, individuals can locate COVID-19 testing and vaccination sites, order groceries and other goods online, find uncrowded outdoor spaces, and track and even map the number of available medical resources in area hospitals. "All of these services are available due to geographic information systems (GIS)," said Kim Diver, associate professor of the practice in earth and environmental sciences. "By using spatiotemporal visualizations, we…

Several Wesleyan faculty and alumni have been featured in national media outlets recently. They include: The Conversation — “Trump’s acquittal is a sign of ‘constitutional rot’: partisanship overriding principles” by Professor Emeritus John Finn. Democratic Underground — "I've Studied Terrorism for Over 40 Years. Let's Talk About What Comes Next” by Professor Emerita Martha Crenshaw. Thrive Global — "Being kind to yourself is one of the most important qualities you can develop for success." Mentions Happier Inc. founder Nataly Kogan ’98. All About Jazz — Guillermo E. Brown: Freedom Of Music, mentions Wesleyan University and Guillermo Brown ’98. News 8…

Erica L. Ball ’93 is a historian and the Mary Jane Hewitt Department Chair in Black Studies at Occidental College, who specializes in 19th and 20th-century African American history. Her second book, Madam C.J. Walker: The Making of an American Icon (Rowman & Littlefield, 2021), tells the life story of one of the most influential women in American history. Throughout the biography, Ball unravels Walker’s importance as a hair- and skin-care trailblazer, a philanthropist, and an activist. Annie Roach '22, editorial student assistant, recently interviewed Ball about Walker and the process of writing the book. Annie Roach '22: What first…

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Rosemary Ostfeld '10, MA '12, visiting assistant professor of environmental studies and public policy, was named to Connecticut Magazine's 2021 "40 Under 40" list. The 32-year-old from East Lyme, Conn., is the founder of Healthy PlanEat, a new sustainable food-tech startup that helps farmers who use sustainable growing practices sell their farm-fresh goods (whether fruits or veggies, cheese or oysters) directly to local customers. Farmers using Healthy PlanEat—which enthusiastic members of the community helped start via a crowdfunding campaign—can upload inventory, set distribution options, and manage incoming orders. Customers can purchase food to pick up at the farms themselves, at…

After graduating from Wesleyan last May, Zoe Garvey '20 had plans to conduct research at a local hospital, but the COVID-19 pandemic hindered that plan. As an aspiring physician who is taking a gap year before enrolling in medical school, Garvey began browsing the Wesleyan Alumni Directory, looking for any potential, comparable leads. "I wanted to see if any Wesleyan alumni who were physicians would be able to offer me opportunities to work with them during my year off," she said. And that's when she connected with Dr. Robert Abel Jr. from Wesleyan's Class of 1965. Abel, Garvey learned, was…

Four members of the Class of 2021 are recipients of NASA Connecticut Space Grant Consortium awards. Kimberly Paragas '21, Ben Martinez '21, Molly Watstein '21, and Mason Tea '21 each received a $5,000 Undergraduate Research Fellowship for their ongoing research. They're among only seven students statewide to receive the honor. "I have never seen an institution be so successful at these very competitive grants, and was so proud and impressed by the student applicants," said Seth Redfield, associate professor of astronomy. Paragras is working with Redfield on her project titled "Gas Giant Atmospheric Mass Loss." According to the abstract, "Atmospheric mass…

Karageorgos’ Paper on T.S. Eliot and Joseph Brodsky Honored by AATSEEL

Siry’s Book on Air-Conditioning in Modern American Architecture Published

Study by Snashall ’21, Poulos Published in Forests

Film on Author Tim O’Brien by Matthews ’93, Mittelstadt ’92 to be Released March 2

Students Use GIS-Based Maps, Apps to Study the Effects of the Pandemic

Wesleyan in the News

Canada Geese Graze and Greet Wesleyan Students

“You Just Have to Read This…” An Interview with Madam C.J. Walker Author Erica L. Ball ’93

Campus Community Celebrates the Life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Ostfeld ’10, MA ’12 Named a “40 Under 40”

Garvey ’20, Abel ’65 Collaborate on Mind-Eye Connection Research

4 Seniors Receive NASA Undergraduate Research Fellowship Awards