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…

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…

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…

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…

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…)

Connecticut Magazine included Alicia Hernandez Strong ’18 in its 2019 list of “40 Under 40," recognizing her leadership in community activism. “With her firm convictions, Strong lives up to her name,” the magazine wrote. “I am honored to be included in Connecticut's '40 Under 40' Class of 2019. It is truly a testament to my hard work and dedication,” Strong said. At 21 years old, Strong became the youngest person nationally to be given the title of executive director of the Connecticut chapter of Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), where she worked for less than a year before leaving to…

(By Bill Holder) When a progressive marketing and communications agency that has major Democratic organizations as clients—and ran the digital marketing operations for Barack Obama and Hilary Clinton—decides to expand into the corporate world, one company you might not expect to be on the list is McDonald’s. Yes, that’s the purveyor of hamburgers founded by the famously conservative Ray Kroc. But times change, and when McDonald’s wanted to tell the world about its new practices to improve environmental sustainability, the company turned to Bully Pulpit Interactive and founding partners Andrew Bleeker ’07 and Ben Clark ’99. In doing so, McDonald’s…