reunion and commencement

Honorary Degree Recipient Michael Price made the following remarks during the 183rd Commencement Ceremony May 24: My children would say this is an awesome moment. For me, being on this platform amongst such a distinguished assemblage is somewhere between exhilaration and terror. I now know how an actor feels on opening night, excited, honored and hoping not to fall off the stage. President Roth and the Wesleyan Community, thank you for this very special honor. To the class of 2015, I am thrilled and grateful to share this day with you, and to be in the company of Beverly Daniel…

Wesleyan President Michael Roth made the following remarks during the 183rd Commencement Ceremony May 24: Members of the board of trustees, members of the faculty and staff, distinguished guests, new recipients of graduate degrees and the mighty class of 2015, I am honored to present some brief remarks on the occasion of this commencement. On this Memorial Day Weekend, I begin by asking us all to take a moment to remember the men and women who have died while serving in the American armed forces. In recent years, military conflicts far from our own shores have cost the lives of…

Marissa Castrigno '15 made the following remarks during the 183rd Commencement Ceremony May 24: I feel immensely lucky to be able to stand here and see so many people that I love all in one place – so many people that love each other all in one place. My favorite college memory was on this very balcony two years ago when I sat with my best friend on its wide ledge and we spoke candidly for the first time about those private things that motivate and shape each of us. In that moment, among others during my first year here,…

During the 183rd Commencement ceremony, President Michael Roth awarded the Binswanger Prize for Excellence in Teaching to three faculty, and the Raymond E. Baldwin Medal to an alumnus. Three outstanding teachers are recognized annually with the Binswanger Prize for Excellence in Teaching. This year, President Michael Roth honored Michael Calter, David Schorr and Gina Athena Ulysse for their excellence in teaching. The prizes are made possible by gifts from the family of the late Frank G. Binswanger Sr., Hon. ’85, and underscore Wesleyan’s commitment to its scholar-teachers, who are responsible for the university’s distinctive approach to liberal arts education. (more…)

Several members of the Class of 2015 decorated their graduation regallia for the 183rd Commencement Ceremony May 24. (Photos by Rick Ciaburri and John Van Vlack) (more…)

Graduating seniors picked up diplomas and gifts, presented by the Alumni Association in North College on May 22. (Photo by Laurie Kenney) (more…)

The Wesleyan community has established a tradition of celebrating Reunion and Commencement together, ensuring a large and convivial gathering of alumni, students, families, faculty, staff and friends of the university. Beginning with the arrival of alumni, family, and friends on May 21 and culminating with the 183rd Commencement ceremony at 11 a.m. May 24, Wesleyan will offer a wide array of educational and recreational programs, including many opportunities to celebrate the achievements of the Class of 2015. This year’s schedule includes class reunions, WESeminars, academic department open houses, the 100th anniversary of the parade of classes, campus tours, an all-college picnic and festival,…

On May 25, Wesleyan conferred 733 bachelor of arts degrees; 26 master of arts degrees; 44 master of arts in liberal studies degrees; 3 master of philosophy in liberal arts degrees; and 14 doctor of philosophy degrees. The entire Reunion & Commencement photo gallery is online here. Read the story here. (more…)

All Wesleyan alumni, students, parents, faculty, families and friends of the university are welcome to attend Reunion & Commencement Weekend May 22-25 on campus. The weekend is chocked-full of events including class reunions, WESeminars, academic department open houses, campus tours, an all-college picnic and festival, an All-Campus Party featuring mamarazzi and Illegalize, and the 182nd Commencement Ceremony led by commencement speaker Theodore Shaw '76. The full schedule is online here.

Embrace the contradictions and tensions within yourself and between yourself and others, and accept that they will never go away. This was the advice Joss Whedon ’87 shared with the Class of 2013 at the 181st Commencement Ceremony on Sunday, May 26. “The best thing is not just the idea of honest debate, the best thing is losing the debate, because it means that you learn something and you changed your position. The only way really to understand your position and its worth is to understand the opposite. That doesn’t mean the crazy guy on the radio who is spewing…

During Wesleyan's Commencement Ceremony on May 26, Wesleyan President Michael Roth awarded Joss Whedon ’87, Majora Carter ’88 and Jim Dresser ’63 with honorary degrees. Joss Whedon ’87 Joss Whedon is an award-winning writer, director and producer and delivered the commencement address on May 26. He is the force behind such popular television shows as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, and the 2012 superhero blockbuster film, The Avengers. The son and grandson of successful television writers, Whedon was raised in New York and studied film at Wesleyan. After graduating, he landed his first TV writing job on the show Roseanne. He developed a script for the 1992…

Wesleyan President Michael Roth '78 made the following remarks during the Wesleyan Commencement Ceremony: "Members of the board of trustees, members of the faculty and staff, distinguished guests, new recipients of graduate degrees and the mighty class of 2013, I am honored to present some brief remarks on the occasion of this commencement. During your four years here, Wesleyan has been largely isolated from many of the troubles of this world. While you have been students, the United States has been engaged in wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and on this Memorial Day Weekend, I begin by asking us all…

Remarks for Honorary Degree Recipient Michael Price

President Roth Makes Remarks to the Class of 2015

Greetings for the Senior Class from Marissa Castrigno ’15

Calter, Schorr, Ulysse Honored with Binswanger Prizes; Dachs ’70 Receives Baldwin Medal

Graduating Seniors Adorn Caps

Seniors Pick Up Diplomas

Gatherings, Celebrations During Reunion & Commencement Weekend May 21-24

733 BA Degrees Awarded during 2014 Commencement

Class Reunions, WESeminars, Commencement at R&C Weekend May 22-25

785 Undergraduates Receive Degrees at Wesleyan’s 181st Commencement

Whedon ’87, Carter ’88, Dresser ’63 Receive Honorary Degrees

President Roth Makes Remarks at Commencement Ceremony