community service

To help medical personnel safeguard themselves during the coronavirus outbreak, two makerspace labs on campus are manufacturing much-needed protective masks using 3D printers. On April 1, Wesleyan donated its first set of 100 face shields to medical personnel at Middlesex Hospital in Middletown, and others to Wesleyan staff who must work on campus to support the remaining students. The mask, which offers a barrier from the spray of liquids, can be used with or without additional medical masks that cover the nose and mouth. "Our 3D printers have been running at full speed," said Francis Starr, professor of physics and…

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At the Assembly and Annual Meeting of the Wesleyan Alumni Association on May 25, seven alumni received Distinguished Alumnus Awards. Three Outstanding Service Awards were presented, along with the James L. McConaughy Jr. Memorial Award, which is given to a member of the community whose writing conveys “unusual insights and understanding of current and past events." Thomas Kail ’99, renowned and award-winning director and producer for theater, film, and television, delivered the keynote, “Finding Your People Matters the Most," tracing the path that led him to his current position through a dedication to service and surrounding himself with others who…

Wesleyan's student group, Cardinal Kids, led a six-part series of events throughout the month of February at the Wesleyan R.J. Julia Bookstore. Cardinal Kids is a teaching collective run by Wesleyan students, each adapting their on-campus work into fun, interactive lessons for children in grades 1–5. Throughout the month, Cardinal Kids provided a comic book–making workshop, two introductions to world art, a lesson on protecting the environment, a class on journalism and newspapers, and a DNA-extracting workshop. All lessons were taught alongside an accompanying book. On Feb. 21, Cardinal Kids' Meera Joshi '20 led "Get That DNA!" using the book Have a Nice…

Wesleyan University was named the No. 1 "Impact School" for 2019 by The Princeton Review. Wesleyan and the other 24 schools that made the list "were selected based on student ratings and responses to survey questions covering community service opportunities at their school, student government, sustainability efforts, and on-campus student engagement." The Princeton Review also took into account PayScale.com’s percentage of alumni from each school that reported having high job meaning. Since the Princeton Review created this category in 2015, Wesleyan has remained at the top of the list. "According to our Civic Action Plan, we wish to be an…

Wesleyan's Athletic Department hosted its fourth annual National Girls & Women in Sports Day celebration on Jan. 26 at the Freeman Athletic Center. Wesleyan coaches and student-athletes taught local girls in kindergarten through sixth grade about various sports, including track, soccer, softball, field hockey, volleyball, lacrosse, and more. In addition to the lessons, participants had the opportunity to watch a women's basketball game and a women's ice hockey game. The women's ice hockey team also hosted a "Skate with the Cardinals" where players welcomed fans and the girls to join them on the ice. Pizza was provided to all participants.…

Wesleyan Public Safety and Greek Life hosted a Stuff a Cruiser event Dec. 3–7 at Usdan's Huss Courtyard and Dec. 8 at Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore. The University partnered with the Middletown Fire Department by collecting donations to benefit local children in need during the holidays and throughout the year. Several members of Psi Upsilon also helped staff the event and Bon Appétit Management Co. provided free coffee vouchers for anyone who made a donation. “The Wesleyan community has been so generous during our Stuff a Cruiser event,” said Sgt. Kathy Burdick. “We've collected many toys and cash donations, and…

Alumni who have met with success in the midterm elections include: Democrat Alex Bergstein '88, who won a Connecticut State Senate race; Democrat Brian Frosh ’68, who won re-election as Maryland Attorney general; Democrat Matt Lesser ’10, who prevailed in Connecticut's State Senate race for the 9th district, which includes Middletown; Democrat Amy Martin ’99 is judge-elect for the Texas District Court 263; and Democrat Max Rose ’08, who won a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 11th Congressional District. An article in the Greenwich Time quoted Bergstein, post-victory, as saying, "'I am elated. I am humbled. I…

Ellen Paik ’16, an analyst at Goldman Sachs, teamed up with three colleagues to pitch New Story, an organization working on developing low-cost housing solutions via 3D printing technology, to Goldman Sachs’ CEO and Partnership Committee as part of the Analyst Impact Fund, a global firmwide competition. The prize: a grant to the finalist teams’ selected nonprofits. The event was broadcasted live online on Yahoo Finance (see Paik's team come in around 38 minutes). Paik’s group placed second in the global finals and earned New Story $75,000 in support of the organization’s 3D printing initiative. The grant will go towards building…

Five Wesleyan students determined to make life better for girls in rural African areas have received a prestigious $10,000 Davis Projects for Peace grant. Their start-up nonprofit, Rural Access, seeks to expand access to health and education in impoverished areas, while also raising awareness of pressing health issues. Among those is the need to address lack of menstrual hygiene products, which frequently keeps girls out of school and leads to high dropout rates, poverty, and other harmful outcomes. This summer, Rural Access will be working in Ethiopia and Guyana to make menstrual hygiene kits and distribute them to girls. The…

According to the National Cancer Institute, approximately 1 in 8 American women will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of their lifetime, and every day new cases of invasive breast cancer are diagnosed. On April 15, more than 40 teams from Wesleyan and the Middletown community participated in the inaugural Cardinal Community Classic, a 3v3 basketball fundraising tournament. All proceeds, totaling nearly $3,400, were donated to Middlesex Hospital's Comprehensive Breast Center to support local individuals affected by breast cancer. The event was spearheaded by men's basketball team member Jordan Bonner '19, whose aunt is a breast cancer survivor. Bonner recruited Lina Marzouk…

Wesleyan Labs Create, Donate Face Shields to Local Hospital

Middletown Public School Students Display Artwork at Wesleyan

Student-Athletes, Greek Life Help Public Safety with 2nd Annual Toy Drive

Alumni Honored for Distinguished Achievements, Outstanding Service at Annual Assembly, Meeting

Cardinal Kids Teaching Collective Hosts Interactive Lessons for Area Children

Princeton Review Ranks Wesleyan as Its No. 1 Impact School

Coaches, Student Athletes Teach Local Girls about Sports

Public Safety, Greek Life Stuff a Cruiser to Benefit Local Children in Need

Bergstein ’88, Frosh ’68, Lesser ’10, Martin ’99, Rose ’08 Enjoy Election Success

Paik ’16 Wins Goldman Sachs Funds for 3D-Printed Housing Nonprofit

Students in Rural Access Group Receive Davis Peace Grant

Cardinal Community Classic Raises Funds for Local Cancer Center