Reunion and commencement 2023

Alumni from years ending in 3 and 8 gathered on Wesleyan's campus in Middletown from May 25 to 27 for the annual Reunion celebration at Reunion & Commencement Weekend. From WESeminars to the annual Alumni Assembly to a picnic on Foss Hill, the Wesleyan alumni community was on full display.

Wesleyan’s Alumni Association gathered in Memorial Chapel for its annual meeting on May 27, electing new officers and honoring some of the University’s most influential graduates. The event began with remarks from Alumni Chair David Hill ’86, who welcomed alumni back to their alma mater for Reunion Weekend and took a moment to acknowledge David Knapp ’49, the eldest registered alumnus in attendance. Three incoming Alumni Association officers were approved by the assembly for the 2023 slate: Ellen Glazerman ’84 P’26; Melvin Acevedo ’99; and Key Session ’17. “As we ask these volunteers to step into their leadership roles, I…

On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence—a document written by a group of five men. Five months later, five different people gathered at the College of William & Mary to form Phi Beta Kappa, the oldest academic honor society in the United States. Now 246 years later, 93 new and current members from Wesleyan’s student body—78 nominated from the spring semester and 15 inducted last fall—packed into the Memorial Chapel on May 27 to be inducted into the honor society. They join an estimated total of over 500,000 living members. Throughout Phi Beta Kappa’s history,…

In the last semester of the 1960s—a decade that’s since become a shorthand for a longer era of social, political, and cultural change—385 undergraduates comprising the Class of 1973 matriculated into Wesleyan. Among them were 50 Black and Latinx students, more than double the number of students of color admitted to comparable institutions. Months later in a January 1970 cover story, the New York Times Sunday Magazine chronicled the University’s strides in those early years of affirmative action in higher education with what some say was an undue dose of derision. “We, the Black, white, Latino, Asian, and women alums,…

In his Commencement Address to the Class of 2023, President Michael S. Roth ’78 spoke about the power of education in fostering civic engagement, building community, and beating back the tides of fear and division. “By exploring the complexities of the world, students and teachers practice making connections that are intellectual and emotional,” Roth said. “And today, when crude parochialism is encouraged under the guise of group solidarity, it is more important than ever for schools like Wesleyan to promote citizenship by helping students increase their powers of aversive thinking, critical feeling, and the sympathetic imagination.” Roth made the following…

In speaking to the Class of 2023, Larry McHugh, who was named an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters at Wesleyan’s 191st Commencement Ceremony, celebrated the longstanding connections—educational, economic, and social—between the University and the greater Middletown community. “Wesleyan is not only an outstanding educational institution but also an economic powerhouse, not only in generating jobs, but by using many of our businesses for products and services in our region which really creates more jobs and taxes for our city,” McHugh told the audience. McHugh was president of the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce for 39 years before retiring in 2022,…

Annette Gordon-Reed, who was named an Honorary Doctor of Letters at Wesleyan’s 191st Commencement Ceremony, lauded the University’s Class of 2023 as part of a generation of young people who are realizing their political potential—and in this fragile moment in history, she challenged them to go further. "Your activities have provoked responses. Lean into that," Gordon-Reed said. "And I don't just mean by voting, which I definitely think you should do, of course. But think about the other ways citizens participate. Maybe even run for office." Gordon-Reed is a writer, speaker, and the Carl M. Loeb University Professor at Harvard,…

Donna S. Morea ’76, P’06, who was named an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters at Wesleyan’s 191st Commencement Ceremony, found her calling in the tech industry. But, as she told the Class of 2023, it’s okay if the path to the right career isn’t clear at first. “Don’t despair if you don’t know what you're going to do with your life this very moment. And don't ever be afraid to explore and discover. So often, our failures lead to our successes.” Morea is an internationally recognized executive in the IT services and software communities. She is currently the CEO of…

Benjamin D. Levin ’23, the Class of 2023 Commencement Speaker at Wesleyan’s 191st Commencement Ceremony, shared the lessons from his University experience: in an environment where people are free to be themselves without fear of judgment, they are empowered to shed their insecurities and embrace their interests. “This sort of open, honest, kind, passionate student body is what allows each of us to actually figure out who we are,” Levin said. “Because when you’re constantly worrying about what other people think, you can’t take risks and actually leave your comfort zone. It’s the passion and openness of the other students…

Jennifer Finney Boylan ’80, who was named an Honorary Doctor of Letters at Wesleyan’s 191st Commencement Ceremony, implored the Class of 2023 to face a world constantly in flux with a spirit of compassion. “What I learned is that greeting the world with love doesn’t mean sitting around with a dopey smile on your face while the world burns around you,” Boylan said. “For love to prevail it is necessary to greet the world with fierceness, to push back against injustice with both relentlessness and joy, wisdom, and ferocity.” Boylan is a writer, teacher, and activist, who has fused her…

Wesleyan’s past, present, and future came together on campus for a weekend of parties, seminars, and performances during the University’s annual Reunion and Commencement weekend, taking place May 25 through 28. Over 2,300 alumni from the Classes of the ’3s and ’8s mingled with families and seniors about to complete their Wesleyan experience, sharing stories of their undergraduate exploits and recalling treasured Wesleyan memories. “I’m here to see my friends and revisit campus. It’s nice to be back here,” said Alana Rodriguez ’13 as she lined up for the annual Parade of Classes. Her classmate, Genelle Faulkner ’13 saw it…

With an eye towards a bright future, the graduates of Wesleyan University’s Class of 2023 took their first steps out into the world on Sunday. At its 191st Commencement, held on Sunday, May 28, Wesleyan University conferred 756 Bachelor of Arts degrees, 11 Doctor of Philosophy degrees, 39 Masters of Arts, one Master of Philosophy in Liberal Arts, 13 Masters of Arts in Liberal Studies, and four Bachelors of Liberal Studies. The University also recognized four inspiring leaders with honorary degrees—Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Annette Gordon-Reed, who delivered the Commencement address; Jennifer Finney Boylan ’80, award-winning author, professor, and transgender activist; Larry McHugh,…

Gallery: Alumni Celebrate Annual Reunion

Alumni Honored for Distinguished Achievements, Outstanding Service at Annual Meeting

Students Inducted Into Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society

In “Two Nations Now One,” the Class of ’73 Reflects on a Pivotal Era for Wesleyan

President Michael S. Roth ’78: Effective Teachers Empower Students to Become Better Citizens

Larry McHugh: “Wesleyan Makes Middletown a Better Place to Live and Work”

Annette Gordon-Reed: “Navigating the Road Ahead”

Donna S. Morea ’76, P’06: “Your career is a journey, not a destination”

Ben Levin ’23: “Pushed and challenged by passionate people”

Jennifer Finney Boylan ’80: “A Day of Change”

Alumni Gather for Reunion and Commencement Weekend 2023

Wesleyan University Celebrates 191st Commencement May 28