Wesleyan Wins “Best in Show” at 2019 DataFest

A Wesleyan team took the top award—“Best in Show”—during DataFest on April 7. DataFest is a data analysis competition where students are presented with a large, complex, surprise data set and work over the weekend to explore, analyze, and present their findings to a panel of judges. Teams of 3–5 students work together and compete against other teams. This year, students from Wesleyan University, Yale University, the University of Connecticut, and Bentley University participated. Under the auspices of the American Statistical Association, the event is organized by Wesleyan’s Quantitative Analysis Center The winning team was made up of Anna Zagoren '20,…

Three Wesleyan students will conduct laboratory research in India this summer as recipients of the U.S. Department of Education’s Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language Program (UISFL) grant. Claire Glickman '21, Guadalupe (Lupita) Sanchez '20, and Jaye Jeong '20, will work at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) in Mumbai. Their grants are being administered by the College of Integrative Sciences, with support from the Fries Center for Global Studies. Wesleyan received the two-year $165,699 grant to support the teaching of Hindi and Urdu, the research of STEM faculty and students in India, and the increase of cultural programming related…

Wesleyan students and staff traveled to Johnsonburg, N.J., March 18-22 to participate in the fourth annual Office of Religious and Spiritual Life Interfaith Service Trip. The group had representation from the Protestant, Catholic, and Muslim communities. The student participants included Nacala Gadsden '21, Joy Adedokun '19, Fitzroy Pablo Wickham '21, Brynn Assignon '20, and Fatima Sepulveda '21. The trip was led by University Chaplain Rev. Tracy Mehr-Muska and Sandy Durosier '13, area coordinator for residential life. "The purpose of the trip was to engage in community service and learn about other faiths," Mehr-Muska said. The group stayed at the faith-based Johnsonburg Camp…

Vietnam native Jess Tran '21 grew up learning her native language alongside English, but it wasn't until her freshman year at Wesleyan that she decided to give a third language a try—Japanese. Tran, an economics major and College of East Asian Studies minor, immersed herself in the new language for two years. This month, she won a prize at the annual Consulate General of Japan in Boston Japanese Language Contest. The essay prompt was "What is Japan to me?" "In essence, I talked about how my initial admiration for certain aspects of Japan inspired me to think about how I can contribute to Vietnam—my home…

Helen Poulos, adjunct assistant professor of environmental studies, is the coauthor of two published papers in February. "Response of Arizona cypress (Hesperocyparis arizonica) to the Horseshoe Two Megafire in a south-eastern Arizona Sky Island mountain range," is published in the February issue of International Journal of Wildland Fire (Issue 28, pages 62-69). It is coauthored by Andrew Barton, professor of biology at the University of Maine at Farmington. This study documents the effects of the 2011 Horseshoe Two Fire in the Chiricahua Mountains of southeastern Arizona on Arizona Cypress. Two Wesleyan students, Hunter Vannier '20 and Michael Freiburger '21 assisted…

Six Wesleyan students were recently honored by Creative Writing at Wesleyan and the English Department. Caridad Cruz '21 is the recipient of the Sophie and Anne Reed Prize. Established by Leon Reed; his sons, S. Chadwick ’41 and Dr. Victor Reed; and his grandson Ted Reed ’70, the prize is named in memory of Sophie Reed and Anne Reed, for the best poem or group of poems. (more…)

"Pau," a feature-length film by Alexandre Leter ’21 will be premiering at the Cinéma Saint-André Des Arts in Paris on March 13. "It's a very engaged art-house and cinema that’s very supportive of young filmmakers," Leter said. “I sent them a DVD of the film last summer, and they agreed to show it." Leter, who is majoring in religion and minoring in film studies, started making "Pau" during his senior year of high school in Paris and finished the film during his freshman year at Wesleyan. The film follows "Pau," a young girl who begins to experience hallucinatory visions as…

Gabriel Snashall ’21 is a Posse veteran studying government and the author of a policy proposal that aims to introduce consumer transparency to the college application process. Similar to a dealership’s sheet on a car window that lists mileage and crash test ratings, Snashall designed a simple form that breaks down the important data on an institution that incoming students should know but often don’t, such as accreditation status and post-grad job placement rates. The proposal earned Snashall a fellowship with the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Student Veterans of America joint legislative group, which later garnered him support…

Three undergraduates and one graduate student received NASA Connecticut Space Grant Awards from the NASA Connecticut Space Grant Consortium (CTSGC). The CTSGC is a federally mandated grant, internship, and scholarship program that aims to inspire the pursuit of careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Astronomy and math major Nicole Zalewski '20 received a $5,000 undergraduate research fellowship to pursue her study on “Measurement of the Radar Properties of the Oldest Rocks on Venus to Constrain Mineralogy." Her advisor is Martha Gilmore, the George I. Seney Professor of Geology, professor of earth and environmental sciences, co-coordinator of planetary science, and…

On Feb. 27, Wesleyan celebrated the success of students in the Endeavor Foundation First-Year Seminar Essay Contest. Winners received $200 awards and a book, selected by their course instructor. A three-year, $225,000 grant from the Endeavor Foundation of New York has supported an expansion of the First Year Seminar Program. These seminars are writing intensive courses that introduce students to a variety of topics and writing associated with various disciplines. Students learn the methods used to collect, interpret, analyze and present evidence as part of a scholarly argument. Faculty teaching these classes highlight the type of writing associated with their respective…

For the past 60 years, a massive megafauna mammal thrived in crates buried in Wesleyan's tunnels and attics. This month, the creature, known as a Glyptodon, has emerged in Exley Science Center for public viewing. Although the armored armadillo-like animal became extinct more than 10,000 years ago, Wesleyan acquired a fossil cast in the 1870s, where it became a showpiece at the university's Orange Judd Museum of Natural Sciences. In 1957, the museum closed and thousands of artifacts, including the Glyptodon, were haphazardly stuffed into crates and boxes and hauled to multiple locations throughout campus. "After the museum closed, everything was scattered all…

In this recurring feature in The Wesleyan Connection, we highlight some of the latest news stories about Wesleyan and our alumni. Recent Wesleyan News Rolling Stone: "Bethesda Founder Christopher Weaver on the Past, Present and Future of Video Games" Christopher Weaver MALS '75, CAS '76, the Distinguished Professor of Computational Media in the College of Integrative Sciences, is profiled. 2. Transitions Online: "The Search for a New World Order, Then and Now" Peter Rutland, the Colin and Nancy Campbell Professor in Global Issues and Democratic Thought, writes that a century after President Woodrow Wilson promulgated his "14 points" to guarantee world…

Wesleyan Wins “Best in Show” at 2019 DataFest

3 Students Awarded Summer Research Grants in India

Students Volunteer at Nonprofits during Interfaith Service Trip

Tran ’21 Wins Japanese Language Essay Contest Prize

Poulos, Students Collaborate on 2 Publications

6 Students Honored for Creative Writing, Poetry, Essays

Film by Leter ’21 to Premiere in Paris

Posse Vet Snashall ’21 Proposes Higher Education Policy

Students Receive Research Awards from NASA

Students Honored for First-Year Seminar Essay Writing

Giant Glyptodon Emerges in Exley Science Center

Wesleyan in the News