The-Shame-cover-760x1184.jpg
Annie RoachSeptember 17, 20203min
In this continuing series, Annie Roach ’22, an English and Italian studies major from Middletown, Del., reviews alumni books and offers a selection for those in search of knowledge, insight, and inspiration. The volumes, sent to us by alumni, are forwarded to Olin Library as donations to the University’s collection and made available to the Wesleyan community. Makenna Goodman ’06, The Shame (Milkweed, 2020) In a letter to her children that she writes in case of an untimely death, Makenna Goodman’s protagonist Alma muses, “My great fear, which has kept me up nights for years, is that you will have…

Womens-Rights-Pioneers-Monument-4-760x633.jpg
Olivia DrakeAugust 18, 20202min
In honor of the centennial anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, when women won the right to vote, New York City will welcome a Women's Rights Pioneers Monument to its grounds on Aug. 26. Designed and sculpted by nationally-known artist Meredith Bergmann '76, the statue depicts and honors women’s rights pioneers Sojourner Truth, Susan B. Anthony, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. The statue will be located in Central Park and will be the first statue depicting real women in the park’s 166-year history. Currently, there are 23 statues of real men in Central Park; women are "represented" through fictional…

The-Imperfects-cover.jpg
Katie AberbachMay 18, 20202min
In this continuing series, we explore a selection of the latest books by Wesleyan alumni. The volumes, sent to us by the alumni authors themselves, are forwarded to Olin Library as donations to the University’s collection and made available to the Wesleyan community. Amy Meyerson ’04, The Imperfects (HarperCollins/Park Row Books, 2020) Generations of secrets loom large in this novel about the dysfunctional Miller family. When the eccentric family matriarch, Helen, passes away, the items she leaves behind—including a 137-carat diamond hidden in her bedroom—stir up old resentments, new tensions, and plenty of questions among her daughter and grandchildren. As…

Moezzi-headshot-760x507.jpg
Katie AberbachMay 12, 20204min
The timing of the release of The Rumi Prescription: How an Ancient Mystic Poet Changed My Modern Manic Life (Penguin Random House, 2020) was far from ideal. Officially out March 3, the new book by Melody Moezzi ’01 was barely in readers’ hands before social distancing restrictions were imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Moezzi was able to participate in a handful of events near her home in Wilmington, N.C. . . . and then the remainder were canceled or rescheduled in virtual form. However, The Rumi Prescription is the sort of book that people with extra free time on…

forneyhandwashing-760x998.jpg
Olivia DrakeApril 27, 20203min
A comical handwashing illustration by author, artist, speaker, and mental wellness coach Ellen Forney '89 appeared in the March 20 edition of The Washington Post and is used in the COVID Coach App, a mental health app from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. She's also offering it as a free printable download from her website. Forney says her how-to "Hand-Washing Like A Pro!" comic adheres to the the World Health Organization guidelines, but is "easier and funnier." "I got the idea for [the comic] after reading that people had trouble remembering the WHO-recommended method," she said. "It's useful…

Jun-27-2019-Sherlock-Biosciences-Rahul-Dhanda-web-res-760x507.jpg
Katie AberbachMarch 30, 20202min
A lack of fast, reliable diagnostic testing has played a major role in the rapid proliferation of cases of COVID-19. Rahul Dhanda ’95 and his team at Sherlock Biosciences are working furiously to change that, potentially shortening the testing’s time horizon to a matter of minutes. Dhanda is co-founder, CEO, and president of the engineering biology startup based in Cambridge, Mass., which is creating two different diagnostic tests for COVID-19—one rooted in CRISPR technology, the other in synthetic biology. The hope is that the tests can be released during the course of the current pandemic, Dhanda said, each with its…

tezen-760x762.png
Editorial StaffJanuary 28, 20202min
On Feb. 1, Francisco Tezén II '97 became the next president and chief executive officer of A Better Chance, a national nonprofit that places talented young people of color into the leadership pipeline through increased access to academically rigorous secondary schools. Tezén, a first-generation Peruvian-American, will lead the nonprofit when racial equity, educational opportunity, diversity, access and inclusion are at the forefront of our nation’s collective conscience. He was formerly the chief development officer at the Food Bank For New York City. “My parents, an immigrant father and a black mother from rural North Carolina, stressed the importance of education…

SwainMarchMiddletown-copy-760x570.jpg
Olivia DrakeNovember 18, 20194min
Human rights advocate Christopher Swain '90 returned to Middletown last week, carrying an Olympic-style torch during what will be a nearly 5,000-mile journey to the spot where the US-Mexico border begins at the Gulf of Mexico, and then on through the border states to San Diego. Swain, a parent of two, is participating in a March for the Kids, honoring the memory of the six children known to have died in federal custody. He is hoping to bring awareness of the children who have been separated from their families and imprisoned and lost at the border; to advocate for all…

maxresdefault-760x428.jpg
Olivia DrakeSeptember 30, 20193min
Three of the 26 "extraordinarily talented and creative individuals" to receive 2019 MacArthur Fellowships are Wesleyan alumni. Mary Halvorson '02, Saidiya Hartman '84, Hon. '19, and Cameron Rowland '11 each received a $625,000, no-strings-attached award by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Recipients of a MacArthur Fellowship, commonly known as the “genius” grant, are selected based on “exceptional creativity,” “promise for important future advances based on a track record of significant accomplishments,” and “potential for the Fellowship to facilitate subsequent creative work," according to the foundation. They join 17 other Wesleyan alumni and university affiliates named MacArthur Fellow…

alu_blane_2019_048-copy-760x506.jpg
Avery Kaplan '20September 29, 20194min
On Sept. 25, Jennifer Blaine '92 performed The Vicissitudes of Travel in Usdan 108. Hosted by the neuroscience and pre-med students of the MINDS Foundation and the Basal Gang, The Vicissitudes bridges the gap between medical science, mental health, and performance art. In the solo show performed by Blaine and co-written with Karen Getz, Blaine's portrayals of each member of a family comes to life against the sparse set that invites the audience's imagination to fill in the gaps. Terrified by the idea of losing her brother, "Sister" goes on a journey through her brother's brain surgery that blends visual…

Everytown-copy-760x507.jpg
Olivia DrakeSeptember 11, 20192min
Every day, 100 Americans are shot and killed and hundreds more are wounded as a result of gun violence.  Through an organization called Everytown for Gun Safety, four Wesleyan alumni are working with lawmakers to pass common-sense laws and policies that build safer communities and save lives while still respecting the Second Amendment. Everytown members research a range of vital issues surrounding gun violence and develop data-driven solutions. To date, Everytown has supported nearly six million mayors, mothers, police, teachers, survivors, gun owners, students, and everyday Americans to make their own communities safer. (more…)