alumni achievements

When Taylor DeLoach ’13 was studying for her Master’s degree in education she went on a lot of school visits. “Alma del Mar Charter School felt different when I got there,” she recalls. From the all-staff huddles every morning to the parent focus groups, DeLoach says “there were great interpersonal relational dynamics between people.” You’ll hear the same sentiment from many of Alma del Mar’s teachers and staff. Since opening in 2011, Alma del Mar has become one of the highest-performing charter public schools in the region. Nearly a decade after her first year of teaching there, DeLoach has taken…

Growing up in suburban Iowa, Andrea Weires ’19 said she could not recognize the people she lived next to for over a decade. Despite being there for less than two years, the community she serves in for the Peace Corps in northwestern Dominican Republic is vibrant and full of welcoming faces. “In my Peace Corps site, people know, care about, and take care of their families and neighbors—which is often the same people,” Weires said. “The solidarity and care for community here is really inspiring.” Weires said a fellow former Wesleyan student told her to always smile at everyone she…

For a trio of Wesleyan alumni working in film, news of their being nominated for an Oscar arrived like a triumphant Hollywood ending—a result of hard work, passion, and deep commitment to their craft. The Wesleyan community will be cheering them on as the 95th Academy Awards ceremony airs on March 12. Sara Dosa ’05 directed the Oscar-nominated documentary “Fire of Love,” the story of French volcanologists Katia and Maurice Kraft, who spent their lives chasing eruptions and documenting what they found. Ben Procter ’96 was one of the three people nominated for the production design of the blockbuster “Avatar:…

Every exhibition presented in the Ezra and Cecile Zilkha Gallery establishes an idea–or an argument–of what art is, how art is made, who makes art, and what art does. “With every presentation, we attempt not to narrow the answers to any of those big questions,” said Associate Director of Visual Arts and Adjunct Instructor in Art Benjamin Chaffee ’00. “We think critically about the art that is shown and also how we’re framing it.” The most recent exhibition at Zilkha has created an interesting opportunity for juxtaposition. "Liquid Gold" includes a video installation and a sculpture by Assistant Professor of…

Andrew Meier ’85 admits that an important part of his work as a journalist and writer is “chasing ghosts.” The Morgenthau family – counselors to presidents, participants in international diplomacy and important players in the criminal justice system – have given him plenty to chase. "They were a family that was kind of invisible to most Americans … they were really integral for a hundred years at the highest level of American political power. I don’t know any family that can really match that,” Meier said. In his newest book, Morgenthau: Power, Privilege, and the Rise of an American Dynasty,…

On stage at the 2023 Golden Globe Awards on Tuesday night, Mike White ’92 gently ribbed the A-listers in attendance who’d turned down parts on The White Lotus. “I know you all passed—you all passed on this show,” White said to a chuckling audience. “So, yes, it’s very gratifying to have this moment.” It was a banner evening for White and The White Lotus, the acclaimed HBO dark comedy-drama about dysfunctional leisure-seekers on rapidly unraveling luxury vacations that he created, wrote, and directed. Cast by Meredith Tucker ’92, the second installment of the series received four 2023 Golden Globe nominations…

Bozoma Saint John '99's new memoir "The Urgent Life" has been named one of Oprah Daily's most anticipated books of 2023. "Marketing maven Saint John has experienced tragedies and triumph: From the death by suicide of her college boyfriend to her husband’s terminal cancer, Saint John gathers the strength to continue life with their daughter," according to Oprah Daily. Saint John is a member of Wesleyan's Board of Trustees. Wesleyan University was featured in a New York Times article about the possible ramifications if the Supreme Court overturns affirmative action in college admissions. Ellen Thomas, Harold T Stearns Professor of…

Are you already able to sing Lin-Manuel Miranda ’02, Hon. ‘15’s Hamilton word for word? Have you already binged Bradley Whitford ’81, Hon. ’20 in “The West Wing” and “A Handmaid’s Tale"? Have you read all of Amy Bloom’s books? So now where do you go next to get your Wesleyan creative fix? As winter curls around us, Wes grads and faculty have conjured a new batch of books, music, performances, and television shows to delight and challenge us as we get cozy over the chilly months. Here’s just a small sampling: “From Scratch” Tembe Locke ’92’s powerful memoir From…

The kernel for “ABCD,” the first professionally produced play written by playwright, director, and dramaturg May Treuhaft-Ali ’17, started as a 10-page class assignment the spring of her senior year at Wesleyan. “ABCD,” which premiered at the Barrington Stage Company in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, this summer, began as part of her coursework at Wesleyan with Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright Quiara Alegría Hudes (“In the Heights”) that focused on writing historical plays. The crosslisted Theater and English course “Writing History” was an intermediate-level playwriting workshop. Treuhaft-Ali examined plays that used different dramaturgical strategies to grapple with, question, and invigorate the historical record; and…

The votes are in! Luz Burgos-López ’09, Andrew Fairbanks ’90, and Kimberly King ’97 are the newest Wesleyan alumni to be elected to the University's Board of Trustees, and they will begin their three-year-term on July 1. Burgos-López, Fairbanks, and King join 33 other trustees who are responsible for making sure the University fulfills its mission, sustains its values, and appropriately balances its obligations to current and future generations. While many schools have some Alumni-Elected Trustee representation, Wesleyan is unique in that nearly one-third of the Board is elected by the alumni body. All alumni plus members of the class of…

Although English major Angela Mae Yee '97 had wanted to be a writer and photographer since she was in Kindergarten, her entrepreneurial spirit led her towards a career in radio, juice-pressing, selling fair-trade coffee—and even hair extensions. After college, Yee immediately went to work for the Wu-Tang Clan, assisting the CEO with payroll, benefits, and meeting with record label personnel. She then spent six years at SiriusXM Satellite Radio, and eventually created her own show, The Morning After with Angela Yee. And in 2010, she became a host of New York City's Power 105.1’s The Breakfast Club show, which currently…

When Diane Goldstein Stein ’81, P’16,’21 traveled to Guatemala for the first time in 2018, she became acquainted with a non-profit that empowers indigenous female artisans. The organization, MayaWorks, helps girls, women, and their families achieve self-confidence and economic stability through various financial and educational initiatives. “Seeing the gorgeous and colorful tapestries and other items that they handcrafted wowed me,” Diane said. But so did their kind-hearted, warming personalities. “They're making lunch for us [while] we're meeting their friendly, polite, and affectionate children. They melted my heart. And that was just the start.” In 2020, Stein, who had befriended many…

Wesleyan Alumni Chart Course for Student Success

Alumni Share Peace Corps Experiences

Three Wesleyan Alumni Nominated for Academy Awards

Open-Ended Questions: New Exhibit at the Zilkha Gallery

Q&A With Andrew Meier ’85, Author of “Morgenthau”

The White Lotus, Masterminded by Mike White ’92, Wins Two Golden Globe Awards

Wesleyan in the News: January 2023

Wesleyan Creates: Recommendations

“Take Big Risks:” Treuhaft-Ali ’17 on Playwriting and Her Premiere at Barrington Stage

Wesleyan Welcomes 3 New Alumni-Elected Trustees

Alumni Honored for Outstanding Service, Achievement in Their Professions

Alumni Collaborate on Tapestry of Music Benefit Concert for Guatemalan Women