Allbritton Center for the Study of Public Life

More than 100 alumni and other members of the Wesleyan community attended the Social Impact Summit, Nov. 13-14, on campus. The summit was sponsored by the Shasha Seminar for Human Concerns. Endowed by James Shasha ’50, P’82, the seminar supports lifelong learning and encourages participants to expand their knowledge and perspectives on significant issues. The event included keynote speakers with TED-style talks on the theme "The Change I Want to See," panel discussions, and workshops, as well as networking opportunities. “Social impact and entrepreneurship are deeply embedded in Wesleyan culture, and our students and alumni are known for creating significant…

#THISISWHY This year, four Wesleyan faculty are coordinating a year-long interdisciplinary project that enables students from an array of majors and academic disciplines to collaborate, create and work together as a learning community under the theme "Renaissance Projects: Reclaiming Memory, Movement and Migration." The Collaborative Clusters Initiative of the Allbritton Center enables faculty from a variety of departments and programs to develop a shared research project with a unifying theme. Cluster courses in 2015-16 provide perspectives from dance, music, English, and African American studies on the ways performance practices have engaged the past and present in the face of great…

The Allbritton Center for the Study of Public Life and Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted a visit of former Japanese Ambassador Ichiro Fujisaki on Oct. 13 in the Mansfield Center for East Asian Studies. Several Wesleyan faculty, students and visitors attended the program, "Walk in the U.S., Talk on Japan." Fujisaki served as the Ambassador from 2008-12. While at Wesleyan, Fujisaki met with various business and academic groups to talk about a number of issues facing Japan and its relationship with the U.S. His team made presentations on topics ranging from Abenomics to military policy, followed by a question-and-answer session. Photos of the program…

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…

The Wesleyan Writers Conference celebrated its 59th year by welcoming more than 60 new and seasoned writers and others interested in the writer’s craft to the Wesleyan campus June 10-14. Headed by Wesleyan Writers Conference Director Anne Greene, adjunct professor of English and director of Writing Programs, the conference featured seminars, workshops, readings, panel discussions and manuscript consultations led by Wesleyan faculty and other nationally known writers, editors and agents. Conference topics included the novel, short story, poetry, nonfiction, memoir, biography, journalism, writing for film and TV, new media, writing about food and travel, writing about science and medicine, preparing your work for…

On May 2, The Female Voice in Politics Conference brought notable and accomplished female politicians and leaders together at Daniel Family Commons in Usdan University Center to discuss the underrepresentation of women in U.S. politics and other issues facing women in the political arena today. Speakers included Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut; Connecticut State Sen. Toni Boucher; Dominique Thornton, former mayor of Middletown; Susan Bysiewicz, former Connecticut Secretary of State; Sidney Powell, attorney and author of Licensed to Lie; and Sarah Wiliarty, director of the Public Affairs Center, associate professor of government, tutor in the College of Social Sciences. The event was organized by Darcie Binder '15 and Kevin Winnie…

#THISISWHY On April 15, faculty and staff met to share their service- and project-based learning stories during an Academic (Technology) Roundtable lunch at the Allbritton Center for the Study of Public Life. A(T)R lunches are designed to promote conversation, cooperation and the sharing of information, ideas and resources among faculty members, librarians, graduate students and staff. Barbara Juhasz, director of service-learning, associate professor of psychology, associate professor of neuroscience and behavior, led the session, providing an overview of service-learning at Wesleyan as well as the variety of ways that service can be used as a pedagogical tool. Other speakers included Rob Rosenthal, director of…

Sara Seager, Class of 1941 Professor of Planetary Science and Physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, will deliver the Sturm Memorial Lecture at 8 p.m. on April 29. She will speak in CFA Hall on "The Search for Earth 2.0." Seager is a pioneer in the field of exoplanets, specifically in characterizing the atmospheres and searching for life on those distant worlds. Her talk will address the age-old question: "Are we alone?" (more…)

In honor of Earth Month, Wesleyan will host a series of speakers and films beginning April 14. At 4:15 p.m. on April 14, the College of the Environment will present a talk, "The Tiger in the Smoke: The Aesthetics of Fog in Post-War Britain c. 1945-55," by Lynda Nead, the Pevsner Professor of History of Art at Birkbeck, University of London. The talk will be in 41 Wyllys, Room 112. It is cosponsored by the Allbritton Center for the Study of Public Life; the Mellon Fund for Lectures in Ethics, Politics and Social Issues; Art History; History; and the Science in…

This month, the Allbritton Center for the Study of Public Life is presenting three linked panels in its Right Now! series titled "Drugs, Harm and the Campus." Drug Use @ Wes At 4:30 on April 7, Michael Whaley, vice president for student affairs, will moderate a panel discussion, "What are we doing about drugs at Wes and why?" Tanya Purdy, director of health education at WesWELL; Beth DeRicco, higher education outreach at Caron Treatment Centers; and Ashley Fine '15 will discuss education, support and policies at Wesleyan. The event will be held in PAC 002. (more…)

The Allbritton Center for the Study of Public Life welcomes "auto czar" Ron Bloom '77 to campus April 8. Bloom will speak on "We almost lost Detroit: A hopeful tale about cars, crises, cities and America," at 7:30 p.m. in PAC 001. After graduating from Wesleyan with a BA in history in 1977, Bloom received an MBA with distinction from the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration in 1985. After working as the assistant to the president for United Steelworkers, Bloom was appointed by President Obama be the senior advisor to the Secretary of the Treasury on the President’s Task Force on…

Wesleyan’s Center for Community Partnerships celebrated its 10th year anniversary on April 8. The CCP, located inside the Allbritton Center, serves the development of both the individual and the community and is guided by principles of mutual respect and shared responsibility. The different offices that combine to constitute the CCP are the Service-Learning Center, the Office of Community Service and Volunteerism, the Office of Community Relations, the Green Street Arts Center/PIMMS, and the Center for Prison Education. Each office within the CCP connects Wesleyan to surrounding communities. The Service-Learning Center integrates experiences outside the classroom with an academic curriculum taught…

Changemakers Convene at Wesleyan Social Impact Summit

Collaborative Cluster Provides Perspectives in Dance, Music, English, African American Studies

Former Japanese Ambassador Fujisaki Visits Wesleyan

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

Conference Teaches Participants about New Media, Fiction Writing, Journalism

Female Voice in Politics Conference Inspires Future Leaders

Faculty, Staff Share Service- and Project-Based Learning Stories

Seager to Deliver Sturm Memorial Lecture April 29 on “Search for Earth 2.0”

Earth Month Activities Include Speakers, Films

Allbritton Center to Present Three Panels on “Drugs, Harm and the Campus”

Obama’s “Auto Czar” Rob Bloom ’77 to Speak on Campus April 8

Center for Community Partnerships Celebrates 10 Years