alumni

In 2018, author and journalist Pagan Kennedy ’84 became intrigued by news reports about rape kits and the backlog in processing them. The scandal of nearly a half million kits left untested fascinated her and was the start of a research journey that led to her most recent book, The Secret History of the Rape Kit: A True Crime Story (Penguin Random House). “The more I thought about it, the more amazing it seemed to me that this kit existed at all—that there was this nationwide, very elaborate system for collecting sexual assault evidence seemed to me kind of a…

By: Phuc Ngo ’26 President Michael S. Roth ’78 wrote a piece in Slate on recent decisions by other higher education institutions to take a position of neutrality on controversial issues. “We must not sacrifice academic freedom and a healthy civil society for the short-term gains of anticipatory compliance,” Roth said. Following his piece in Slate, The Washington Post ran an opinion piece highlighting Roth’s efforts to speak out against threats to higher education. “Leaders in higher educational institutions should stand up for their values. Not to pick a fight with Donald Trump or JD Vance. We should stand up…

By Eliana Fiore In an engaging lunchtime talk on Nov. 21, Matt Motta ’13, assistant professor of health law, policy, and management at Boston University’s School of Public Health, presented research findings indicating that one in three Americans harbor some degree of resentment towards scientists and other public health experts. Not only do anti-intellectual attitudes exist to that degree, but his research shows that Americans with these views may act on them. Motta, whose new book entitled Anti-Scientific Americans: The Prevalence, Political Origins, and Political Consequences of Anti-Intellectualism in the U.S. was published in September, defines anti-intellectualism as “the distrust and…

From across the country, thousands of Wesleyan alumni and family members came together for a weekend of community, connection, and conversation during Homecoming and Family Weekend (HCFW) from Nov. 1 to Nov. 3. HCFW activities kicked off on Friday with numerous opportunities for alumni, families, and students to attend classes, open houses, exhibits, and WESeminars—presentations that allow Cardinals to revisit the classroom and experience the pragmatic liberal arts that is the essence of Wesleyan. For many, it was first and foremost an opportunity to reconnect. Sueann M. Papertsian P’28, from New York, was looking forward to reuniting with her son,…

A few years ago, New York Times investigative reporter Hannah Dreier ’08 obtained a swath of data on the locations of children immigrating to the United States without their parents — a demographic easily targeted by unscrupulous employers. She dialed around in search of anything that could point to whether these children were working underage, but each call resulted in the same conclusion: no one claimed to know anything. So, she put down her phone, hopped on a plane, and traveled where the data pointed her. Within a day or two at each location, she found and interviewed migrant children…

By Sarah Parke The votes for the 2024 alumni-elected trustee election are in, and the University will add three new members to its Board of Trustees as three current members complete their terms. Joining Wesleyan’s Board of Trustees for a three-year term, effective July 1, are Livia Wong McCarthy ’81, Jayvan (“Jay”) Mitchell ’11, and Aaron Veerasuntharam ’14. Each year, Wesleyan alumni, including graduates from the senior class, elect three of their peers to serve on the Board. McCarthy, Mitchell, and Veerasuntharam will join a 36-member board that is responsible for ensuring the University fulfills its mission, sustains its values,…

Wesleyan University’s alumni have made worldly contributions near and far. Whether government officials, physicians, attorneys, schoolteachers, musicians — any career imaginable — the former students who crossed Denison Terrace have made an impact somewhere, somehow. From May 23 to 26, many of them returned to Wesleyan — a place they described as having a transformative effect on their lives — for Reunion. This year, classes of the ’4s and ’9s flocked to Middletown to meet friends old and new. “My four years at Wesleyan were truly a pivotal time in my life. I feel like it really helped expand…

Alumni from near and far came to Wesleyan for Reunion + Commencement Weekend 2024 to re-connect with friends and foster new relationships. All sorts of fun programming and events gave attendees ample time to rub elbows and engage with their alma maters. Here are some of the best photos from the Reunion celebration. All images by Meka Wilson:

As jazz albums go, Miles Davis’s Kind of Blue represents a high-water mark. The record came at a time of profound musical innovation: bebop had given way to hard bop, a more soulful version of jazz, but Davis wanted to simplify the music and send it in a new direction. The triumvirate of Miles, John Coltrane, and Bill Evans pushed the boundary of what musicians could do, creating a work of hushed magnificence, said James Kaplan ’73. Kaplan is the author of 3 Shades of Blue: Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Bill Evans, and the Lost Empire of Cool, a book…

In this continuing series, we review alumni books and offer a selection for those in search of knowledge, insight, and inspiration. The volumes, sent to us by alumni, are forwarded to Olin Memorial Library as donations to the University’s collection and made available to the Wesleyan community. Tyler Anbinder ’84, Plentiful Country: The Great Potato Famine and the Making of Irish New York (Little, Brown and Company) In 1845, a fungus began to destroy Ireland’s potato crop, triggering a famine that would kill one million Irish men, women, and children—and drive over one million more to flee for America. By…

The U.S. Department of State has released its list of Fulbright Program Top Producing Institutions for the 2023-2024 academic year and Wesleyan University has earned a spot for the fifth consecutive year. The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government's flagship international academic exchange program. Since 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided over 400,000 talented and accomplished students, scholars, teachers, artists, and professionals of all backgrounds with the opportunity to study, teach, and conduct research abroad. Fulbrighters exchange ideas, build people-to-people connections, and work to address complex global challenges. Six Wesleyan University students were selected for Fulbright awards for academic year 2023-24,…

Phoebe C. Boyer ’89, P’19, ’23’s long Wesleyan journey has taken her from being an undergraduate worker who helped at Board of Trustees meetings to her upcoming role as the University’s next Chair of the Board. Wesleyan’s Board of Trustees named Boyer as Chair of the Board for a two-year term beginning July 1, 2024. The decision was made during the Board’s November 18 meeting. “I am honored to assume this responsibility and look forward to continuing to contribute to the Board’s collaborative efforts in support of this extraordinary, and ever important institution,” Boyer said. “I am so grateful that…

Alum’s Book Reveals Untold History of Rape Kits

Wesleyan in the News: February 2025

Matt Motta ’13 Delivers Talk on Anti-Intellectual Beliefs and Politics

Celebrating Community at Homecoming and Family Weekend 2024

Dreier ’08 on Pulitzer Prize-Winning Investigative Series

Alumni Elect McCarthy, Mitchell, and Veerasuntharam to Board of Trustees

Alumni Reflect on Transformative Wesleyan Experience at Reunion

Gallery: Reunion Celebration 2024

True ‘Blue’: James Kaplan ’73 Documents a Key Collaboration in Jazz History

“You Just Have to Read This…”: Books by Wesleyan Authors Anbinder ’84, Hill ’93, and Olson ’97

Wesleyan Named Fulbright Program Top Producing Institution for Fifth Year in a Row

Phoebe C. Boyer ’89, P’19, ’23 Named Next Chair of the Board