alumni – Page 32

Marine scientist and author Ellen Prager '84 came to the Exley Science Center on Oct. 8 to talk about her recent research and writing. Discussing her book Sex Drugs and Sea Slime: The Ocean's Oddest Creatures and Why They Matter, she entertained a crowd of Wesleyan students and faculty with stories from her work in the Galapagos and as researcher at the Aquarius undersea laboratory off Key Largo, Fla. Lately, Prager has ventured into the realm of children's fiction in order to spread awareness about the ocean's most pressing issues. Her most recent children's book, The Shark Whisperer, was published in May…

#THISISWHY “Alexander Hamilton. My name is Alexander Hamilton.” When Hamilton writer and star Lin-Manuel Miranda ‘02 sang his first line to an audience packed to the rafters with Wesleyan alumni, faculty, staff, students, and friends, the crowd erupted in thunderous applause. Even Miranda couldn’t stifle a smile. More than 1,300 members of the Wesleyan community descended on the Richard Rodgers Theatre in New York City on October 2 as Wesleyan hosted a sold-out benefit performance of Hamilton, written by and starring Miranda (who just last week received a MacArthur Fellowship, popularly known as a MacArthur “genius grant”), and directed by…

Read more about Berger here and past Constitution Day speakers here.

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Jody Sperling '92 will present a dance performance, Bringing the Arctic Home, at the JCC in Manhattan on June 20-21. The event includes the premier of Ice Cycle, a collaboration with Alaskan-born composer Matthew Burtner, a specialist in the music of snow and ice. The weekend features three performances, a kids' workshop, and two climate-themed panel discussions. Tickets and more information are available here. See the Bulletin at Wesconnect for Sperling's posting about this event, and to get her special discount code for the Wesleyan community. Read more about Sperling in this story in the Wesleyan magazine.

Alumni, students, their families, faculty and staff are invited to attend Wesleyan's Summer Sendoff gatherings, happening around the globe throughout the summer. Generously hosted by alumni and parents, these casual receptions are the perfect opportunity to welcome Wesleyan’s newest students and their families to the community. Sendoffs will be held in the following locations this summer: Washington, D.C., June 25; Denver, July 14; Chicago, July 19; San Francisco, July 19; Beijing, July 26; Mamaroneck, N.Y., July 30; Seattle, Aug. 1; Seoul, Aug. 1; West Hartford, Conn., Aug. 4; Boston, Aug. 6; Atlanta, Ga., Aug. 11; Nashville, Tenn., Aug. 13; New York City, Aug. 18; Philadelphia, Aug. 20; and Los Angeles, date to be determined. For more information, including registration, visit the Summer Sendoff website. Watch a video about Summer Sendoffs here,…

During Reunion & Commencement Weekend May 21-24, all classes ending "5" or "0" held reunion dinners and receptions. View all reunion photos in the Wesleyan Flickr gallery. (more…)

Wesleyan University’s Board of Trustees has elected Donna Morea ’76, P’06 as Chair of the Board for a two-year term beginning July 1, 2016. The election took place at the Board’s meeting on campus May 22. Morea will succeed Joshua Boger ’73, P’06, P’09, who will step down in June 2016 after 7 years as Chair. “The Board asked Joshua to continue his leadership through the conclusion of the capital campaign and he has graciously agreed,” said Shonni Silverberg ’76, chair of the Board’s Governance Committee. “He and his fellow Board members felt it would be advantageous to elect his…

#THISISWHY On April 17, more than 30 alumni, parents and community members and 80 student-athletes participated in an Alumni Athletics Mentoring Workshop in Beckham Hall. As part of the program, mentors met with female student-athletes to speak about career options. Student-athlete Melissa Leung '16 has first-hand knowledge of the workshop's value. "At last year's event, I met my mentor, Clare Colton '12," says Leung, who attended the event for the second year in a row. "Clare provided resume and email etiquette advice and connected me with Jim Citrin (P'12 P'14), senior director of Spencer Stuart, who created an internship position for me with…

Jeanine Basinger, the Corwin-Fuller Professor of Film Studies, and Jeremy Arnold ’91 will hold a public talk on "Films and Facts: Whose Responsibility?" at 12:30 p.m. March 27 at the Turner Classic Movies (TCM) Classic Film Festival. The schedule of the film festival can be found here. Hollywood's alleged disregard for the facts of history is year after year the subject of heated media debate. From the early days of the silent era to this year's Oscar race, charges of historical inaccuracy have fueled great conversations about factual reproduction, creative license, propaganda and audience responsibility. Jeanine Basinger and Jeremy Arnold will continue the tradition by discussing the fascinating question…

Laura Kurash ’13, a chemistry and Hispanic literature and culture major at Wesleyan—as well as women’s soccer standout with NESCAC Player of the Year honors—was highlighted in a “Meet a Wesleyan Student” video as an undergraduate. Now a second-year medical student at Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia, Kurash responded to a request for an update—what she enjoys now, what she misses from the Wes campus, assessing new academic rigors, and the ways that Wesleyan prepared her for these challenges: “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss Wes soccer almost every day,” Kurash said, although, ever positive,…

Scientist Prager ’84 Speaks to Students about Marine Research, Books

Hamilton Benefit Raises $1.6M for Financial Aid at Wesleyan (with photos)

Berger ’90 Lectures on “Birthright Citizenship” during Constitution Day

Weaver MALS ’75, CAS ’76 Discusses Ways Science, Entertainment, Education Overlap

Jody Sperling ’92 Performing ‘Dancing in the Arctic’ in NYC, June 20-21

Alumni, Parents Host Summer Sendoffs for Students Around the Globe

Alumna’s Drawing On Display in Fayerweather

Alumni Reunite for Receptions, Dinners During R&C Weekend

Donna Morea is Chair-elect of the Board of Trustees

Mentors Share Experience with Female Student-Athletes

Basinger, Arnold ’91 Talk About Classic Movies on TCM

Kurash ’13: Update from Medical School