faculty achievements

South Dakota State University (SDSU) recently named a studio in honor of Jeanine Basinger, the Corwin-Fuller Professor of Film Studies and special advisor to the president. Basinger has a bachelor's and a master's degree from SDSU and is a former resident of Brookings, S.D. The South Dakota Public Broadcasting (SDPB) Jeanine Basinger Studio, located on SDSU's Brookings campus, enables professional, high-quality sound for guests and interviews. The Basinger Studio was funded by Brookings residents Barb and Van Fishback. “We are pleased to recognize SDSU Distinguished Alumna and world-renowned film educator and author Jeanine Basinger with the new SDPB Basinger Studio," said Barb and…

For her efforts creating and fostering STEM initiatives that support women in science, Laura Grabel, the retired Lauren B. Dachs Professor of Science and Society, was selected as a Women of Innovation finalist by the Connecticut Technology Council in March. She is one of 50 finalists in the state. Grabel, who also is a retired professor of biology, is an accomplished scientist engaged in understanding how the fertilized egg can become a complex organism. This spring, she is teaching Reproduction in the 21st Century. In addition to publishing dozens of academic articles and a book on ethical stem cell research, Grabel fosters…

Wesleyan's Board of Trustees conferred tenure to eight faculty members, effective July 1. They include: · David Constantine, associate professor of mathematics · Megan Glick, associate professor of American studies · Kerwin Kaye, associate professor of sociology · Jeffers Lennox, associate professor of history · Maria Ospina, associate professor of Spanish · Justine Quijada, associate professor of religion · Lily Saint, associate professor of English In addition, one faculty member was promoted to full professor: · Nicole Stanton, professor of dance Brief descriptions of their areas of research and teaching appear below: David Constantine's research examines the relationship between dynamics and…

For his accomplishments in research and scholarship, the University of Minnesota's Department of Psychology is honoring Professor of Psychology Scott Plous with a Distinguished Alumni Award. Plous graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1980 with a BA degree in psychology, summa cum laude. He later completed a PhD in psychology and a postdoctoral fellowship at Stanford University. At Wesleyan, Plous's research focuses on judgment and decision-making, prejudice and discrimination, and the human use of animals and the environment. The University of Minnesota's alumni awards honor distinguished alumni from the undergraduate and graduate programs. Nominations are solicited from alumni, faculty,…

Karl Boulware, assistant professor of economics, presented a paper at the Allied Social Science Associations (ASSA) Annual Meeting on Jan. 4. The three-day meeting was attended by more than 13,000 economists, who gathered to network and celebrate new achievements in economic research. Boulware's paper, titled "Labor Market Conditions and Charges of Discrimination: Is There a Link?" examines whether the degree of labor market conditions affects the frequency of claims of discrimination based on race, sex, age, national origin, color, and disability. "Our findings have implications for how macroeconomic policies might be used to promote equal opportunity in the labor market,"…

Hirsh Sawhney, assistant professor of English and coordinator of South Asian Studies, recently participated in Tata Literature Live! The Mumbai LitFest. The ninth annual event was held Nov. 15–18 in Mumbai and was attended by more than 100 participants from around the world. At the festival, Sawhney participated in a panel discussion about the way in which outsiders write about India, and how outside perspectives have shaped both Euro-American and South Asian perspectives on India. "A lot of this conversation focused on the undying legacy of empire, and we had a nuanced conversation about issues of representation and authenticity, a discussion…

Four poems, translated by Distinguished Professor of Literary Translation and Poet in Residence Norman Shapiro, appear in the November 2018 Vol. III edition of the international esoteric journal, Better Than Starbucks!. This poetry magazine is edited by American poet and translator Michael Burch. The poem below, titled "You ..." is translated from the French of Cécile Périn and appeared in The Gentle Genius of Cécile Périn. (Copyright © 2016 by Norman Shapiro and Black Widow Press.) You … When you were but the merest tot, Babbling in cowering awkwardness, When you were only fresh-begot, Flesh of my flesh, I loved you less…

For his contribution to the field of ethnomusicology and music scholarship, Sumarsam, the Winslow-Kaplan Professor of Music, was recently named an honorary member of the Society for Ethnomusicology (SEM). The encomium was presented by Wesleyan alumna Maria Mendonca MA '90, PhD '02, during the 63rd SEM General Membership Meeting, Nov. 17, in Albuquerque, N.M. Sumarsam was commended for his scholarship on gamelan and wayang performance traditions, which inspired the SEM membership, explained Gregory Barz, president of the Society for Ethnomusicology. "Your mentorship of countless students and colleagues, both directly and by example, is held in high esteem, and the ways that…

As an inaugural Onassis Foundation Teaching Fellow in Culture and Humanities, Andrew Szegedy-Maszak, the Jane A. Seney Professor of Greek, will have the opportunity to teach Greek history to incarcerated students through Wesleyan's Center for Prison Education (CPE). Starting during the spring 2019 semester, Szegedy-Maszak will teach an adapted version of his Wesleyan course CCIV 231: Greek History to men at the Cheshire Correctional Institution. "I was surprised and very honored when I heard that I was awarded the fellowship," said Szegedy-Maszak. "This class will be a survey of ancient Greek civilization over about 1,000 years, from the Bronze Age to the…

Lori Gruen, William Griffin Professor of Philosophy, is the editor of the book Critical Terms for Animal Studies, published by the University of Chicago Press in October 2018. Gruen also wrote the book's introduction and a chapter on empathy. In addition, she invited Kari Weil, University Professor of Letters, to write a chapter on difference. Animal studies is a rapidly growing interdisciplinary field devoted to examining, understanding, and critically evaluating the complex relationships between humans and other animals. Scholarship in animal studies draws on a variety of methodologies to explore these multifaceted relationships in order to help us understand the ways…

A play translated by Elizabeth Jackson, adjunct associate professor of Portuguese, was performed at Yale Cabaret Oct. 25–27. The play, titled "Agreste (Drylands)," is a Brazilian tale of love and loss, desire and death, ignorance and violence, written by Brazilian playwright Newton Moreno. Based on true events, "Drylands" is a poetic narrative set in Brazil’s suffocating and desertified northeast. Three storytellers share with the audience their accounts and reenactments of a moving love story between two young farm workers that unravels in perplexing ways, as their intimacy becomes the subject of local gossip, and the memories of their relationship are ransacked by…

On Oct. 20, Wesleyan held its inaugural Liberal Arts + forum in Shanghai, China. This year, the forum focused on film education and U.S.-China film collaborations, and featured discussions between three alumni in the entertainment industry; President Michael Roth; and Scott Higgins, director of the College of Film and the Moving Image. Each year, the forum will highlight a different area of liberal arts education for an audience of prospective families, alumni, and the general public in China. The centerpiece of this public event, which was attended by approximately 80 people, was a panel discussion featuring Jon Hoeber '93 and…

Public Broadcasting Studio in South Dakota Named in Honor of Jeanine Basinger

Grabel Named a Connecticut Women of Innovation Finalist

Wesleyan Confers Tenure to 8 Faculty, 1 Promoted

Plous Honored with Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Minnesota

Boulware Presents Paper on Labor Market Conditions at Economics Meeting

Sawhney Speaks at Tata Mumbai LitFest

Shapiro Featured in Poetry Magazine Better Than Starbucks!

Sumarsam Named Honorary Member of the Society for Ethnomusicology

Szegedy-Maszak Receives Onassis Fellowship to Teach Greek History to Incarcerated Students

Gruen Edits, Weil Contributes to Critical Terms for Animal Studies Book

Jackson Translates Second Play from Brazilian Playwright Newton Moreno

Inaugural Liberal Arts + Forum in Shanghai Focused on Film Education, Collaborations