Steven J. Healy Named Chief of Police
by Sarah Fishleder '00
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Steven J. Healy, the current Associate Director of Public Safety at Syracuse University, has been named Wellesley College's new Director of Public Safety and Chief of Police. His first day here will be Oct. 18. Healy's appointment was announced by Barry Monahan, Assistant Vice President of Administration. Monahan has served as Acting Chief of Police since former Chief Frank Urbano left the College in August to pursue business interests. Monahan said students, faculty, and staff members who served on the search committee agreed that Healy was the clear choice to oversee safety at Wellesley. At Syracuse, Healy managed the Public Safety Services Division which included: patrols, crime prevention and investigations, the residence hall security program and the department's communications center. Healy is described by colleagues at Syracuse as being "a people-focused, high-energy problem solver, who has the communication skills and creativity to be a strong leader." Monahan said these attributes emerged during the three campus visits Healy made during the selection process. During a recent phone interview, Healy said that once on campus, he plans to meet with members of the administration, faculty, and student body to learn about the campus culture. By listening to many different voices, Healy said he hopes to lead a "professional, full-service public safety agency," that is respectful of the needs of all members of the community. Picture of Healy with this caption underneath: NEW CHIEF OF POLICE. Steven J. Healy is described by colleagues at Syracuse University as being "a people-focused, high-energy problem solver, who has the communication skills and creativity to be a strong leader."
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by Peter Schworm
Special to the Illuminator
A Chinese television production crew shot scenes at Wellesley College last month for an upcoming docu-drama mini-series "My Hometown," that depicts three generations of several renown Chinese families' lives. "It's the first time a Chinese TV production crew has come to the area," said Rick Widmer, the project's assistant director.
Widmer and the production staff spent several days on campus scouting indoor and outdoor locations where they later filmed scenes with six main actors in the series. "This will be broadcast to every inch of China" in several installments, Widmer said.
The third-generation characters (the episodes and scenes involving the first two generations have already been filmed) come to the United States in the 1930s and 40s to study at Harvard, MIT, and Wellesley. Series producer Xiao-ti Zou said the story traces the friendships and romances these students forge in America, and how they evolve into the famed scholars, writers, and scientists of China.
"It shows the conflicts the characters are having - whether to return to their homeland, whether to fall in love with an American, their struggles with love and career," Widmer said, who noted that the Chinese Revolution, led by Mao-Tse Tung, is taking place as the characters study abroad. The program is directed by Yiran Liu, whose straightforward style and focus on plot and character development has earned him a following among older, more conservative Chinese, Widmer said.
"He has a literary, rather than a film, background," said Widmer, a Somerville native who worked in Beijing in television for four years, "so he concentrates on people's lives in his stories, not stylistic shots."
Widmer noted that the Chinese government's economic reforms intended to make televisions cheap enough so that virtually all citizens - even those living in tent cities - could afford one. The majority of Chinese only watch local cable stations or the national CCTV, although some residents have satellite dishes that can pick up western channels such as CNN.
The character who attends Wellesley College is based on Bing Xin, whom producer Xiao-ti Zou called one of the most respected Chinese authors of this century. Xin, whose writings were aimed primarily at young adults and were translated into English for U.S. readers, became a revered figure in China later in her life, Zou said.
In a separate production, the staff has been asked by the Bing Xin Study Association to produce a documentary on Xin's life to celebrate the 100th anniversary of her birth. Xin was interviewed extensively for the project before her death last year, Zou said.
Zou and the staff have thus far been unsuccessful in finding a classmate of Xin to talk about the campus environment in the early 1920s, but were planning to interview Wellesley professors of Chinese history and literature, while also filming parts of the campus that Xin alluded to in her writings and letters.
"Some of her most important work was written on the shores of this lake," Zou said through a translator, gesturing toward Lake Waban. Zou said that Xin named Lake Waban "something very beautiful," which Widmer translated loosely as "Lake Tranquility."
Both programs will air during CCTV's "golden time," the Chinese equivalent of prime time, Zou said. Zou was unsure when the shows would air, but she said completing "My Hometown" was a top priority because it is being funded by the government to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the People's Republic of China, and thus needs to air before the year's end.
Some of Bing Xin's most important work was written on the shores of Lake Waban. The author called the lake 'something very beautiful' which translates loosely as 'Lake Tranquility.'
The full text of this article originally appeared in the 9/30/99 issue of the Wellesley Townsman. It is excerpted here with permission.
Working@Wellesley Workshops
This fall, Wellesley employees will have the opportunity to learn alongside colleagues from Babson College during career development workshops sponsored by the Human Resources (HR) offices of the two institutions. A variety of full- and half-day programs will be held at Babson through Nov. 30. Those interested in attending should speak with their supervisors soon to reserve a space. The programs will address such topics as: Change Management, Giving and Receiving Feedback, Managing Upward, Negotiating a Better Way in the Workplace, Project Management, Supervising Student Workers and more. For a complete list of workshops and times, visit the HR web site at: www.wellesley.edu/HR/
'Celebrating 65' Series
Concludes
The final session in the three-part "Celebrating 65" lunchtime series will be held Tuesday, Oct. 12, from 12:30-1:30 p.m. in the Library Lecture Room of Margaret Clapp Library. The topics covered will be "Retirement and Health Care: Thinking It Through: HMO? Indemnity? Medigap?"
Developed by Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, the seminars are designed to provide retirement information to employees contemplating retirement. The program is open to employees of all ages but is especially beneficial to employees between the ages of 55 and 64.
Satellite Teleconference Oct. 22 to
Feature Investment Experts
From online stock trades to global cash flows, the way people manage money today is changing fast. How do you build and protect assets now? Do last year's strategies still make sense today?
Friday, Oct. 22, the College will host "Financial Strategies for a New Century: Tips from America's Experts," a free live national teleconference sponsored by TIAA-CREF and aimed at helping employees better understand the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. The teleconference will give participants the chance to ask questions and learn from some of America's most noted investment experts:
NBC News Correspondent Cassandra Clayton will moderate the discussion, which will focus on:
Inflation and deflation, electronic trading, asset allocation, Y2K impact, active vs. index funds
Whether you're concerned about saving for retirement, your children's college education or a new home, this program will make financial decision-making easier.
Work/Life Planning and Balance Workshop
Balancing work with life areas of home and self is a challenge. Through discussion and exercises, this workshop will help participants assess the current balance of work, home, and self, gain awareness of priorities, and address strategies for improving life balance. The program is presented by Warm-Lines and led by Margaret Hannah, M.Ed. To register, call x3202, or email cmacphee@wellesley.edu before Nov. 5.
Free Flu Shots
There is a shortage of flu serum this year and, for a time, its availability to Wellesley College employees at the work place was in doubt. Human Resources, however, is pleased to announce that Harvard Vanguard and HPHC have allocated a limited supply to be administered free of charge during Benefits Information Day, Nov. 12. The shots will be given on a first-come, first served basis, and are available only to College employees.
In order to secure the flu shots, however, other complimentary services previously provided by Harvard Vanguard and HPHC had to be foregone. There will be neither blood pressure testing, diabetes screening, nor body fat analyses offered this year. Complete details will be provided in the upcoming Benefits Issue of the HR Illuminator Extra.
Reminder: Members of Harvard Vanguard can also receive free flu shots at their health center. Members of HPHC's HMO and PPO can obtain flu shots at their doctors' offices at the cost of a regular co-pay.
Save the Date Nov. 12 -- Benefits
Information Day
Open Enrollment begins Monday, Nov. 15 and runs through Tuesday, Nov.
30. Detailed rate and benefit plan information for 2000 will be
published in an upcoming issue of the HR
Illuminator Extra.
Important Notice about Health Insurance Premiums
As you may know from recent media coverage, many health insurance providers are raising premiums at rates higher than in previous years. The past two years, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care (HPHC) has increased Wellesley College's premiums by 2.7 percent and 8 percent, respectively. This year, however, HPHC will be increasing its HMO premiums by 14 percent. While the HPHC increase is significantly higher than in years past, it is a lower percentage increase than what is being experienced at other companies and institutions. Wellesley's policy of contributing 80 percent toward the total cost of health insurance premiums for its employees remains unchanged. In other words, Wellesley will pay 80 percent of the 14 percent increase; employees will cover the remaining 20 percent of the increase. Similarly, HPHC PPO premiums also will increase by 14 percent. The College will again pick up 80 percent of the cost, employees 20 percent.
In addition, in an effort to address escalating pharmaceutical costs (18 percent in the past year), Harvard Pilgrim will transition all of its pharmacy benefits to a new three-tier benefit structure effective January 1, 2000. The standard three-tier pharmacy benefit will include generic, brand/formulary and brand/non-formulary drugs. Members who use third-tier (brand/non-formulary) medications will receive a letter listing their affected medications and, if available, any covered lower-tier alternatives. All members will receive new Harvard Pilgrim identification cards and a brochure detailing the three-tier pharmacy benefit.
The cost of dental insurance will also increase. Delta Premier will increase 11 percent. DeltaCare, which was introduced to union employees in conjunction with Delta Premier, will increase by 7.1 percent.
DeltaCare is a DMO (dental maintenance organization) with a network of dentists that works much the same as a medical HMO. This plan will be available to all employees for the new plan year.
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Dear colleagues: Human Resources and the Office for Public Information do not always receive notification from outside sources about the accomplishments of Wellesley's staff and faculty. We rely on you&emdash;individual staff and faculty members&emdash;to let us know about awards, certifications, special projects, and other items of note. Similarly, we encourage academic chairs and supervisors from all departments to share with us the accomplishments of your team members. Please email your items to elawson@wellesley.edu or mail them to: Illuminator, Public Information, 230 Green Hall. Questions, call x2421. We look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Eloise
McGaw, Director of
Human Resources
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Barbara Beltz, Biological Sciences, has received a grant from the National Science Foundation for her research with colleagues at Harvard titled "Multidisciplinary Collaborative Research: Amines and Agonistic Behavior in Crustaceans."
The National Science Foundation has awarded a two-year grant to Joanne Berger-Sweeney, Biological Sciences, to support her research, "RUI: Spatial Processing and the Development of the Hippocampus."
Judith Black, Art, has been named a finalist in the Artist Grants Program for Photography sponsored by the Massachusetts Cultural Council.
Stephen Marini, Religion, received a fellowships research grant from the Earhart Foundation for his work, "The Government of God: Religion and Politics in Revolutionary America."
Sally Merry, Anthropology, received a three-year grant from the National Science Foundation to support her research, "Deterritorialized Ethnography: Gender Violence and the Anthropology of Globalization."
James O'Gorman, Art, will chair the annual Historic Deerfield/Wellesley College Symposium on the History of American Culture. Held in Deerfield, this year's focus will be "The Material Culture of New England."
Laura Risk, Music, recently released a recording, "Celtic Dialogue," a collection of Scottish fiddle folk music.
Susan Silbey, Sociology, has been appointed a Hearing Officer for the Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers and the Chair of the American Sociological Association Task Force on Hate/Bias Acts on College and University Campuses. At the 1999 meeting of the ASA, Silbey was given an award for Distinguished Contributions to Undergraduate Sociology.
Ann Trenk, Mathematics, has received an American Postdoctoral Research Leave Fellowship from the American Association of University Women for her work, "Tolerance Digraphs and Generalizations of Weak Ordered Sets." Together with a colleague from Cornell University, Trenk has also received a Research Opportunity Award from the National Science Foundation for their work, "Computational Optimization Research Center."
On September 25, Elizabeth Varon, History, delivered the keynote address on women's contributions to the Union and Confederate war efforts at a meeting of the Civil War Roundtable of Greater Boston. About 70 or so members of the roundtable, one of the oldest and largest such organizations in the country, were in attendance.
David Ward, Italian, received a Fellowship for College Teachers by the The National Endowment for the Humanities for his work, "Piero Gobetti's Italy."
Faculty and staff: Please email your Colleagues in the News items to elawson@wellesley.edu or mail to: Public Information, 230 Green Hall. Questions, call x2421.Thank you. &emdash; The Editors
The 31-member Campus Center Planning Committee, appointed by President Diana Chapman Walsh and chaired by Trustee Ellen Gill Miller '73, has begun its effort to gauge the community's need for a campus center at Wellesley. Will Reed, Vice President for Finance and Administration, and Patricia Byrne, Vice President for Planning, are supporting the collaborative effort that includes faculty, staff, alumnae, trustees, and students. Together, the committee's charge is to assess the programming needs, possible locations, and overall costs of such a project. After the completion of this planning &emdash; which will continue through the Fall semester &emdash; the Board of Trustees will decide, on the President's recommendation, whether and where to build a campus center.
Community members are invited to participate in this discussion by filling out a brief email survey currently available on FirstClass. The survey asks if a campus center should be built, and, if so, what characteristics should be considered essential. Later in the semester, a sample group will be sent a second, more detailed survey that incorporates issues currently being identified.
Another measure being taken to get the Wellesley community involved in the campus center discussion is the photojournal project being coordinated by planning committee member Belle Liang, Office of Institutional Research. Liang has provided student, faculty, and staff volunteers with 15-exposure disposable cameras to photograph scenes of campus life and landscape that hold personal meaning. These images are being arranged into annotated photojournals that address such questions as: where do you feel "at home" on campus? what places do you care about or are important to you? where on campus do you spend most of your time? where do go off-campus to do things which you would prefer to be able to do on campus?
There will be a public display of the photojournals later this month. In addition, the project will be available for online viewing via First- Class. Formal discussions of the photojournals in focus groups will be organized to further clarify what a campus center would include if it is to be built.
By Pam Gentile
Project Manager
Pendleton Hall
Last spring a planning committee, chaired by Dean of the College Lee Cuba and comprised of members of faculty and staff from departments in Pendleton East, began working with CBT Architects of Boston to plan extensive renovations of the building. The centerpiece of the ambitious project will be the transformation of the current Pendleton East Room 112 into a multi-level Social Science Research Center. This innovative space will include a lounge, meeting rooms, research labs and computer clusters.
In an effort to improve instructional and public spaces throughout the building, classrooms will be renovated and equipped with audio-visual systems. Seminar rooms, computer classrooms, auditoriums, flexible classrooms, case-method rooms and a video-teleconferencing facility are planned. It is hoped that these open, user-friendly spaces will foster collaborative projects across disciplines among members of the College community. The projected budget for this renovation is $15 million and will be discussed and voted on by the Board of Trustees at its October meeting.
Green Hall
Currently, Green Hall is the site of a number of small renovations aimed at meeting departmental and organizational needs. A new Post Office window is under construction as part of a reorganization that will move mail-processing duties to the Distribution Center in mid-October. In mid-November, the Copy Center will relocate to the renovated Post Office space. The ground floor of Green Hall, including the current site of the Copy Center, will be transformed into office space for the Resources Department, with the expected completion date of January 1, 2000.
A committee of faculty and staff from Green Hall is being formed to plan a building-wide renovation. The first task of the committee is to establish a mission statement and a facility program for the project. The committee is to be chaired by Will Reed, Vice President for Finance and Administration.
Houghton Memorial Chapel
Later this month, another one of the stained glass windows will be removed from Houghton Memorial Chapel for a thorough restoration. Designed and completed by the LaFarge Studios in the early part of this century, the stained glass window will be repaired and restored by a local company, Serpentino Studios of Needham. Reinstallation is scheduled for late spring, 2000.
Wintersession offers
chance to teach,
explore eclectic interests
For those who stay on campus for the semester break, teaching or attending a Wintersession class offers a wonderful opportunity to explore a new interest. Instructors choose their own subjects, contents, scheduling and format for their classes. In the past, courses have included Making Sushi 101, Beaded Jewelry Making, Japanese Animation, Investing and Finance 101, and How to Make a Homepage.
Faculty, staff, and students who will beon campus during some or all of this year's semester break which runs from Jan. 4-25, are encouraged to submit course proposals to the Schneider Center Office. Proposals should include: instructor's name, dorm or office address, phone number, the number and length of class sessions, and locations and dates of where and when the class will meet. Locations can be booked through Special Events, House Council, etc.
Deadline for submissions: Monday, Oct. 18. There is a stipend of $80 for courses that enroll eight or more students and meet for at least three hours during Wintersession. Course descriptions will appear in the Wellesley News as a supplement the week of Nov. 10. For more information call x2672, or email fmadzar@wellesley.edu.
Theater Season Opens with Boston Premiere
of 'The Memory of Water'
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Last season's West End smash hit 'The Memory of Water' by Shelagh Stephenson will make its Boston debut on the Wellesley College stage Oct. 28. Hailed by London critics as an "enormously entertaining bitter sweet comedy," this play explores the shifting dynamics of family relationships as three sisters converge on the family home in the wake of their mother's death. As the sisters prepare for the funeral, conflicting memories of their mother surface, leading to dramatic and often hilarious outcomes. The production is directed by Nora Hussey, Theatre Studies, and features performances by Wellesley students as well as male actors from the Greater Boston theatre community. Set and light design are by Ken Loewit. Performances are Oct. 28 at 7 p.m., October 29 and 30 at 8 p.m., and October 30 and 31 at 2 p.m. in the Ruth Nagel Jones Theatre in Alumnae Hall. Tickets are $10 general admission, $5 senior citizens, students, and Wellesley personnel. Free for Wellesley and MIT students with ID. Call x2000 for reservations. The theater is handicap accessible.
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The 1999 Charitable Giving Campaign to benefit Rosie's Place, Oxfam America, Community Works and the United Way of Massachusetts Bay will kick off Tuesday, Oct. 19, and run through Friday, Nov. 19. Last year, 437 members of the community contributed to the Campaign, raising a total of $82,697 for the four agencies. The goal this year is to increase that number.
The Campaign starts with a luncheon at the College Club for the volunteers who are representing the various departments on campus. Those interested in volunteering should contact any one of the Campaign members listed below.
The Campaign will culminate Friday, Nov. 19, with a College-wide raffle that, in previous years, has included such items as personalized calligraphy, baked goods, plants, music lessons, show tickets, and gift certificates. To donate a prize, please contact Eileen Devine, Public Information, or Carol MacPhee, Human Resources, by Friday, Nov. 12.
Campaign Committee members: Kristen Anderson, Budget Office; Eileen Devine, Public Information; Carol MacPhee, Human Resources; Marilyn Melville, Philosophy; and Lindy Williamson, English. Co-chairs: Mary Pat Navins, Office of the Dean of the College, and Carolyn Slaboden, Human Resources.
All invited to
REFLECTIONS ON WELLESLEY
during Family Weekend, Oct. 22-24
REFLECTIONS ON WELLESLEY will present its first event of the year Friday, Oct. 22, during Family Weekend. Professors will team with alumnae and students to discuss the importance of student/faculty collaborations at Wellesley. Professor Adele Wolfson, Faculty Director of the Science Center, will serve as moderator. The pairings will include:
The event will begin at 3 p.m. in Collins Cinema. Sponsored by the Committee for Lectures and Cultural Events, REFLECTIONS ON WELLESLEY is a year-long series of events in anticipation of the College's 125th anniversary. For more information contact Susan Pinto, Manager of the 125th Anniversary, at x2380, or via email: spinto@wellesley.edu.
Editor-in-Chief: Mary Ann Hill, mhill@wellesley.edu
Managing Editor: Betsy Lawson, elawson@wellesley.edu
Editorial Staff: Eileen Devine
The Illuminator is the published monthly during the academic year by Wellesley College's Office for Public Information, a division of Resources and Public Affairs, 230 Green Hall, 106 Central Street, Wellesley, MA 02481. Issues are published the first week of every month during the academic year, except for combined issues in September/October and January/February. Special Family Editions are also published.
Please submit editorial content to the above listed mailing address or e-mail: elawson@wellesley.edu
[ Return to Public Information home page ]
Betsy Lawson elawson@wellesley.edu
Office for Public Information
Date created: October 28, 1999
Last updated: November 16, 1999
Page expires: August, 2000
