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When Martha Gilmore, dean of Natural Sciences and Mathematics and Joshua Boger University Professor of the Sciences and Mathematics, was in graduate school, she read a series of books detailing comprehensive knowledge of Venus. She recalled wondering how an individual gets to be the person writing that paper or that book chapter that serves as the scientific community’s foundational piece of knowledge on a particular topic. This year, she answered the question. The International Space Science Institute published Venus: Evolution Through Time, a collection of the preeminent papers on the current knowledge of how Venus formed, evolved, and reached its…

Architect and landscape architect Miho Mazereeuw ’96 has spent three decades researching how communities can proactively plan and prepare to rebuild vibrant cities after a disaster occurs, reducing their vulnerability and risk in a rapidly urbanizing world. In January 1995, when Mazereeuw was a junior at Wesleyan double majoring in Art Studio and Earth and Environmental Sciences, an earthquake struck Kobe, Japan, where her parents were living. “My father's workplace was destroyed,” said Mazereeuw, associate professor of Architecture and Urbanism and director of the Urban Risk Lab at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). “It started my exploration of trying to…

By: Mike Mavredakis and Phuc Ngo ’27 President Roth on Free Speech President Michael S. Roth ’78 has appeared in several media outlets in recent weeks calling for the defense of democracy, free speech, and academic freedom in the face of challenges from the federal government. Roth was quoted in The New York Times on March 14 for story on universities as a target following the detention of Mahmoud Khalil, a pro-Palestinian activist and former Columbia University graduate student. “We at universities have not done enough over the years to pay attention to those groups — conservative groups, religious groups…

Copper is essential for many key bodily processes—breathing, forming red blood cells and collagen, and keeping the immune system healthy. The body only requires trace amounts of the mineral in its cells, but an imbalance of copper can lead to serious neurological, cognitive, and muscular disorders, according to a recent paper published in the Public Library of Science (PLOS) by Assistant Professor of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry Teresita (Tere) Padilla-Benavides and co-authors. Researchers have identified a copper-binding protein, mCrip2, that plays an important role in skeletal muscle growth regulation and maintaining homeostasis in muscular cells. The research expands the understanding…

You might not think of knitting as a form of programming, but it absolutely is, said Sonia Roberts, an assistant professor of Computer Science who is also a core member of the College of Design and Engineering Studies (CoDES) program. “It's a great way to get people introduced to computing,” said Roberts. She learned to knit as a child from her mother, who was looking for a way to get her energetic daughter to sit still. “I think it's also a fantastic way to introduce people to computational manufacturing, if for no other reason than that you can make useful…

For the sixth year in a row, Wesleyan has been recognized as one of the colleges and universities with the highest number of students selected for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government's flagship international academic exchange program. Since 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided over 400,000 talented and accomplished students, scholars, teachers, artists, and professionals of all backgrounds with the opportunity to study, teach, and conduct research abroad. Fulbrighters exchange ideas, build people-to-people connections, and work to address complex global challenges. Fulbright…

When artist Chris Domenick stood in the monumental Main Gallery of the Ezra and Cecile Zilkha Gallery, he observed the way light from the building’s windows worked with his new installation. “It's so cavernous and incredible and the light is so amazing,” he said. The moment marked a milestone—his first solo institutional exhibition, Private Figure, a show that combines floor- and ceiling-based lamps with wall works by the artist. The Zilkha Gallery, Wesleyan University’s home for contemporary art since 1973, is known for encouraging artists to take risks that may not be as welcome at more traditional gallery spaces. For…

Alumnus, professor, and civil rights attorney Theodore M. Shaw ’76 returned to Wesleyan on Feb. 11 to deliver the 2025 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Luncheon keynote address. During his talk, Shaw reminisced about his time at the University, shared highlights of his career, and offered his thoughts about the current political moment. Standing at the podium, Shaw paused to honor the Hall’s namesake, Edgar Beckham, who was the first African American dean at the University. He also recalled that as a student he had played pickup basketball in the same space which was once known as the small…

In Professor of Physics Francis Starr’s Lab, researchers focus on studying the complexities of soft matter and materials. One target of their investigations are phase change materials, or substances that can transition from one state to another, similar to common transitions between a solid and liquid, but in this case the material can very rapidly switch between two different solid phases. In a recently published paper, Starr and his student co-authors developed a novel model to simulate a phase change that could one day have an impact on such practical matters as how quickly our smartphones process data. For their…

The Africana Research Collective, a group of faculty, students, and recent alumni, journeyed to Southern Louisiana for a hands-on research experience focusing on the intellectual and cultural history of the African diaspora. This was the collective’s second ever trip after an inaugural research excursion to the Dominican Republic in 2022. This particular trip was organized around the theme of “agency,” which can be tentatively defined as “someone’s or something’s capacity to produce an intended or unintended effect,” said Assistant Professor of African American Studies Garry Bertholf. This four-day, cross-institutional research collaboration brought together undergraduate fellows from Wesleyan’s Bailey College of…

While Professor of Philosophy Stephen Angle was on sabbatical in Beijing, China in 2016-2017, he wanted to find a way to directly engage fellow experts on and advocates of Confucianism. He attended conferences and met with other Confucianists before coming up with the idea of organizing a series of dialogues about the meaning of Confucianism today. The dialogues—eight in all—culminated in Angle’s latest book Progressive Confucianism and its Critics: Dialogues from the Confucian Heartland. To Angle’s knowledge, the dialogues—most of which took place at Renmin University in Beijing—were the first of their kind to put Chinese Confucians, most of whom…

The Wesleyan community has demonstrated a commitment to the University’s sustainability goals. Undergraduate participation in sustainability in coursework, workshops, and research incorporating environmental justice is on the rise, as is the University’s engagement with Middletown on sustainability efforts. In 2023-24, 1,717 students, or 55 percent of undergraduates, engaged in one or more internships, courses, research projects, leadership experiences, workshops, or volunteer activities related to sustainability. This is an increase of 160 students from 2022-23, according to an annual progress report on the University’s Sustainability Strategic Plan. “It’s been exciting to see a continued increase in student engagement with sustainability both…

Book on Venus Features Studies from Gilmore Lab

Alum Talk on Disaster Preparedness

Wesleyan in the News: March 2025

Researcher Studies Role of Copper in Muscle Development

CoDES Faculty Debut Computational Knitting Machine

Wesleyan Named Fulbright Top Producer for Sixth Year

Chris Domenick, Parker Ito Reimagine Painting in Zilkha Gallery

Theodore Shaw ’76 Gives Annual MLK Talk

Starr Lab Develops New Model to Study Novel Phase Change Material

Africana Research Collective Visits Louisiana

Angle’s New Book Debates Critical Questions About Confucianism

Campus Sustainability Work on the Rise