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Jeopardy! fans around the world are mourning the passing of longtime host Alex Trebek, who died on Nov. 8 at age 80. According to The New York Times, Trebek had hosted the show consistently since 1984, missing only one episode during that time—on April Fools' Day in 1997, when he swapped places with the host of Wheel of Fortune as a gag. Many Wesleyans had the opportunity to compete on Jeopardy! over the years. Below, some reflect on their experiences and share remembrances of Trebek. J.R. Mannetta '13 competed on Jeopardy! in January 2020. When you go on Jeopardy! you don't actually…

This fall, the introductory-level course PSYC 105: Foundations of Contemporary Psychology is being taught entirely online to 200 students due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After six weeks of remote lectures and interactive breakout sections via Zoom, Professors Steve Stemler and Sarah Carney who are team-teaching the course, hoped to break the "Zoom fatigue" routine and get their students physically interacting. So working together with the eight course TAs, they created a campus-wide psychological scavenger hunt. With the first wave of students participating on Oct 27, and other waves participating subsequently, more than 110 students participated in the activity in person,…

Teresita Padilla-Benavides, assistant professor of molecular biology and biochemistry, is the recipient of the Sistema Nacional de Investigadores (National System of Researchers) Award. Mexico established Sistema Nacional de Investigadores as a governmental agency in 1984 to promote the quantity and quality of research, especially in the sciences. SNI noted that Padilla-Benavides has 31 original manuscripts published, of which 15 were from the past four years, and she also taught several courses for high school and undergraduate students in Mexico and the U.S. Padilla-Benavides investigates the biological roles of transition metals in the development of mammalian cells. This fall, Padilla-Benavides is…

Alumni and staff who have met with success in the November 2020 elections include: Amy Bello, administrative assistant for the African American Studies Department, won her first term as a State House representative for Connecticut's 28th District. Bello, a Democrat, is serving on the Wethersfield Town Council and is the former mayor. Read more in this Nov. 5 Hartford Courant article or in this past Wesleyan Connection article. Michael Demicco ’80 won his second term serving as a State House representative for Connecticut's 21st District. Demicco, a Democrat, represents Farmington and Unionville, Conn. Read more here. Former two-term Democratic Colorado…

Associate Professor of Spanish María Ospina's collection of short stories, Azares del Cuerpo (Variations on the Body), was published in Spain in September 2020, after being previously published in Colombia, Chile, and Italy. The book also is forthcoming in the U.S. next summer by Coffee House Press. Azares del Cuerpo was reviewed in one of Spain’s most important national newspapers (El Mundo) on Oct. 30. Read more here. Ellen Thomas, Harold T. Stearns Professor of Integrative Sciences, Smith Curator of Paleontology of the Joe Webb Peoples Museum of Natural History, and University Professor in the College of Integrative Sciences, is the…

Taking place in a divided nation amidst a global pandemic, the 2020 election was marked by extraordinarily high levels of voting, with record-breaking early and absentee voting in many states. As of press time on the morning of Nov. 4, major news organizations were reporting that several battleground states still hung in the balance and neither candidate had secured the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win the election. On campus Nov. 3, approximately 600 students, faculty, staff, and local residents voted at Middletown's Voting District 14, located inside Beckham Hall in Fayerweather, according to Diana Martinez, assistant director of…

On Nov. 2, more than 65 students gathered at one of four locations on campus for a pre-election fireside chat and s'mores. "The event provided students an opportunity to socialize under the stars, meet new people, and showcased the compassionate and empathic community that Wesleyan can be," said Rabbi David Leipziger Teva, University Jewish Chaplain and director of religious and spiritual life. The event was sponsored by the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life (ORSL) and several student leaders from different campus communities. "Fire is a place for warmth, survival, and renewal. We're living in tumultuous times; join a caring…

By Annie Roach '22 and Olivia Drake MALS '08 After the whirlwind of 2020, Wesleyan students—many of them first-time voters—were particularly eager to exercise their right to vote in the presidential election. While several students cast absentee ballots in their home states weeks ahead of time, others voted in person on Nov. 3. Marangela James '24 decided to vote in person in Connecticut, here on campus at Beckham Hall. She registered at Wesleyan earlier this semester, when some students had set up a voter registration table in front of Usdan. “It was a little bit hard navigating how to vote…

Led by the Jewett Center for Community Partnerships (JCCP), the University launched its new Engage 2020 (E2020) Initiative last fall to deepen Wesleyan’s commitment to civic engagement. To date, 33 students have already received funding to support the development of their civic literacy and their preparedness to engage in political life through hands-on experiences such as working to register voters, issues advocacy, and volunteering on political campaigns. E2020 encourages participation regardless of political affiliation or stances on specific issues. Since the initiative's inauguration, Wesleyan has joined forces with colleges and universities across the U.S. to reaffirm the University's collective responsibility…

Four faculty, two alumni, and one graduate student participated in the virtual Society for Ethnomusicology Annual Meeting held Oct. 22–31. As part of a panel addressing contemporary musical issues in Iran, Bridgid Bergin MA '17 spoke about the Iranian Female Composers Association (IFCA), which was established in 2017 by three female-identifying Iranian composers: Anahita Abbasi, Niloufar Nourbakhsh, and Aida Shirazi. IFCA supports Iranian female-identifying composers by encouraging organizers and ensembles in Iran and beyond to commission and engage these composers in collaborations, while also discovering and mentoring young female composers who are fighting against all odds to become contemporary classical…

Angie Makomenaw, mental health education and prevention coordinator, joined Wesleyan's Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) in January 2020. She talks about her goals in this new position, the uniquely challenging circumstances affecting students' mental health, and how CAPS is reaching and supporting students during the pandemic. You are Wesleyan’s first mental health education and prevention coordinator. Please tell us about your role and what needs on campus you were hired to address. This position was created out of an understanding of the importance of prevention in mental health. I am accountable for organizing initiatives for the Wes community in the…

Wesleyan Jeopardy! Contestants Remember Longtime Host Alex Trebek

Psychological Scavenger Hunt Helps Alleviate Zoom Fatigue

Padilla-Benavides Honored by Mexican Government for Her Scholarship

Wesleyan Alumni, Staff Win Local, National Elections

Late Professor Cady Honored for Founding the Quartz Crystal Oscillator

Hot off the Press: Short Stories by Ospina; Research Articles by Thomas

Wesleyan Community Participates in Historic 2020 Election

Students Discuss Politics at Pre-Election Fireside Chat

Students Reflect on Presidential Election Voting Experience

E2020 Experiences Shape Students’ Views of the Election

7 Wesleyan Faculty, Alumni, Graduate Student Make Presentations at SEM Annual Meeting

Makomenaw Focuses on Resilience Building, Prevention in Student Mental Health