emeritus faculty

Eugene Klaaren, associate professor of religion, emeritus, died Oct. 18 at the age of 78. Klaaren taught at Wesleyan from 1968 until he retired in 2006. Klaaren's courses introduced students to central Christian thinkers in the history of theology and philosophy, from Martin Luther to Soren Kierkegaard, John Calvin to David Hume and Jonathan Edwards, and Friedrich Schleiermacher to Friedrich Nietzsche. (more…)

Nine members of the Wesleyan faculty retired during the 2014-15 academic year. They include John Carr III, professor of theater (1984-2014); James Donady, professor of biology (1972-2015); Richard Elphick, professor of history (1971-2015); Brian Fay, the William Griffin Professor of Philosophy (1971-2015); Gale Lackey, adjunct professor of physical education (1978-2015); Laurie Nussdorfer, the William Armstrong Professor of History (1986-2015); George Petersson, the Fisk Professor of Natural Science (1973-2015); Vera Schwarcz, the Mansfield Freeman Professor of East Asian Studies (1975-2015); and Ann Wightman, professor of history (1981-2014). On May 23, the faculty gathered for a reception. Several faculty also held their…

Jason Wolfe, professor of biology emeritus, died Dec. 23 at the age of 73. Wolfe joined the Wesleyan faculty in 1969 after receiving his BA from Rutgers University and his Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, and completing two post-doctoral fellowships at Kings College, University of London, and Johns Hopkins University. He taught cell biology, human biology, biology of aging and the elderly, and structural biology at Wesleyan for 39 years. In his research, Wolfe asked big questions about how reproduction and aging are regulated. With funding from NIH and NSF, he produced a consistent and enviable body of work published…

Thomson Whitin, the Chester D. Hubbard Professor of Economics and Social Science, Emeritus, died Dec. 9 at the age of 90. Whitin had already achieved distinction when he joined the Wesleyan faculty as a professor of economics in 1963. He graduated from Princeton University in 1943 and served as an officer in the U.S. Navy during World War II on the aircraft carrier the Bonhomme Richard. Having obtained a doctorate in economics from Princeton University, and teaching there until 1952, he joined the faculty of M.I.T. as an assistant professor. While on leave from M.I.T. from 1956–58, he served as…

James Reid, professor of mathematics, emeritus, died Oct. 27. An authority on algebra, Reid joined the Wesleyan faculty in 1969 as associate professor, becoming professor of mathematics in 1971. Previously, he had held faculty positions at Syracuse University and Amherst College, and he also had served as a research associate at Yale University. He obtained his PhD from the University of Washington, where he was an instructor. Reid published in scholarly journals throughout his career, presented numerous invited lectures, and was an adviser for 14 PhD students, 11 master’s degree students, and six undergraduate honors theses. Among his colleagues, he…

Franklin Reeve, professor of letters, emeritus, passed away on June 28 at the age of 84. He spent four decades at Wesleyan. Lauded for his luminous intelligence, Reeve was not only an estimable academic, but also a noted poet, writer, translator, editor and critic. He was a juror for the National Book Awards, a consultant for Kirkus Reviews, and served on the governing board, as well as the first vice president, of the Poetry Society of America. The author of 31 books, Reeve possessed a passion for teaching the written word, too. A recipient of the Binswanger Prize and a…

The following Wesleyan faculty members retired in May 2012: John Biddiscombe Director of Athletics (1988–2012) Adjunct Professor of Physical Education (1985–2012) Adjunct Associate Professor of Physical Education (1978–1985) Adjunct Assistant Professor of Physical Education (1974–1978) M.Ed., Slippery Rock University Joseph Bruno Professor of Chemistry (1996–2012) Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost (2006–2010) Associate Professor of Chemistry (1991–1996) Assistant Professor of Chemistry (1984–1991) Ph.D., Northwestern University Howard Needler Professor of Letters (1981–2012) Associate Professor of Letters (1973–1981) Assistant Professor of Letters (1969–1973) Ph.D., Columbia University Wallace "Pete" Pringle Professor of Chemistry (1987–2011) Associate Professor of Chemistry (1975–1987) Assistant Professor of…

This issue we ask "5 Questions" of Dick Miller, the Woodhouse/Sysco Professor of Economics, Emeritus, who retired from active teaching in 2006. Next fall, he’ll be back in the classroom with a liberal arts spin on the uses and abuses of financial accounting. Q: In the fall, you'll emerge from retirement to teach ECON 127, "Introduction to Financial Accounting," a type of course that's rarely been offered at Wesleyan. Why this course, why now and why you? A: The Economics Department has recognized that we need an accounting course in our curricular offerings, but we have difficulty in getting a visitor to…

Franklin D. Reeve, professor emeritus of letters, is the author of The Puzzle Master and Other Poems, published by NYQ Books, August 2010. “For nearly 50 years, [Reeve] has found in nature both a refuge from human imperfection and an exquisite rejoinder to it," acccording to Amazon.com. "Whether that imperfection be the war in Afghanistan, worsening economic inequality, or even the ridiculous pretense of a thoroughly professionalized poetry, Reeve makes of aesthetic perception a kind of subjunctive faith. With its elegant short lyrics and long dramatic poem, which reworks the Daedalus-Icarus myth by situating it on a Caribbean island and…

Wesleyan was selected to host the Association of Retirement Organizations in High Education (AROHE)’s Fifth international Conference on “Purpose and Passion in Retirement: Models and Best Practices” Oct. 14-17 at Usdan University Center. AROHE, the first national and international association of retiree organizations, is committed to advocating for, educating, and serving retired faculty and staff in higher education. AROHE brings together the talent, knowledge and experience of retired faculty and staff to improve their quality of life and that of the community and institutions through creating new models of retirement. Faculty and faculty emeriti from around the country led sessions throughout the…

Paula Paige, adjunct professor of romance languages emerita, won the online Gordon Award for Flash Fiction, sponsored by Our Stories Literary Magazine, for a story titled "Moshiach is Here." Although she’s been writing fiction for a long time, this is her first publication. She was long-listed for the Fish International Fiction Prize, and received Honorable Mentions in the “New Millennium Writings” winter competition of 2009 and in the 2010 Richard Bausch Short Story Prize. She was Writer in Residence at the Camargo Foundation in Cassis, France, in 1991. A segment of the story follows: "The garage on 87th disgorged a big…

All programs sponsored by the Wasch Center are open to the public. For more information on upcoming events visit the Wash Center web site.

Klarren Remembered for Introducing Students to Religious Thinkers

9 Faculty Retire in 2014-15

Professor Emeritus Jason Wolfe Remembered for Mentoring, Cell Biology Research

Professor Emeritus Whitin Dies at Age 90

Professor Emeritus Reid Remembered for Being a Pedagogical Innovator

Professor Emeritus Reeve Remembered for Long, Varied Career at Wesleyan

Biddiscombe, Bruno, Needler, Pringle Retire from Wesleyan

5 Questions With . . . Dick Miller on Keeping Track of the Money

Reeve Author of Poetry Collection

Retirement Association Hosts Annual Conference at Wesleyan

Paige Receives Gordon Award for Flash Fiction

Wasch Center Begins Spring Program Series