A synopsis of media accounts mentioning Wellesley, its faculty, students and alumnae

[Archives] [January 2009] [February 2009] [March 2009] [April 2009] [May 2009] [June 2009]
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November 2009

"Best Bets of Things To Do West of Boston"
The Boston Globe
November 5, 2009
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2009/11/05/best_bets_of_things_to_do_west_of_boston_nov_5_8/

Children and parents are invited to join an afternoon of gallery activities with Wellesley College faculty artist Daniela Rivera and student artists during Family Day, in conjunction with Christine Hiebert’s “Reconnaissance: Wall Drawings“ installation in the  Davis Museum and Cultural Center.

"Wellesley College Theatre to Present John Murrell's 'Waiting for the Parade'
The Wellesley Townsman
November 5, 2009
http://www.wickedlocal.com/wellesley/news/x880806900/Wellesley-College-Theatre-to-present-John-Murrell-s-Waiting-for-the-Parade

Wellesley College students will perform "Waiting for the Parade," a play about five women working for the war effort in Calgary, from Nov. 12 through Nov. 15. The article notes that "the director of theater and theater studies, Nora Hussey, brings the production to vivid life with the Wellesley production team: musical direction led by Eric Hamel, set and light design by technical director, Ken Loewit, costume design by Nancy Stevenson, sound design by George Cooke and choreography by Wellesley College senior, Kit Arnold."

"Getting Serious About Your House and the Market"
The New York Times
November 4, 2009
Kate Murphy
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/05/garden/05appraisal.html?_r=2&emc=tnt&tntemail0=y

Karl Case, economics and co-founder of the Case-Shiller home price index, explains the benefits and disadvantages in seeking price advice from real estate agents or paying for professional appraisals. “The Realtor has the incentive to start high to get a bigger commission, so if you are not in a rush to sell and can accept having to lower your price later, then go with the Realtor’s price,” said Case. “Appraisers are worried about getting sued for inflating prices, as we saw leading up to the mortgage meltdown, so their natural bias now is to quote low. So if you want to be realistic, go with their estimate.”

"La crisis económica trae más jubilaciones anticipadas" ("The Economic Crisis Brings More Anticipated Retirements")
Tendencias Estratégicas
November 4, 2009
Catherine Franco
http://www.tendencias21.net/La-crisis-economica-trae-mas-jubilaciones-anticipadas_a3786.html

Courtney Coile and Phillip Levine, economics, recently published an article through the National Bureau of Economic Research, "The Market Crash and Mass Layoffs: How the Current Economic Crisis May Affect Retirement." The economists contradict the idea that the economic crisis will slow down retirement of employees. They argue that unemployment will increase the number of forced retirements because more people lose their jobs and do not manage to find new ones, and therefore have to retire before their time.

"The 15 Hottest News Anchors"
College Times
November 4, 2009
http://collegetimes.us/the-10-hottest-news-anchors/

Wellesley College alumna Christianne Klein was featured in a list of the 15 hottest news anchors. Klein studied political science at Wellesley College and is now an ABC News anchor who contributes to "Good Morning America."

"Another Tax Grab That Could Hurt Our Downtowns"
The Daily News (Newburyport, Mass.)
November 3, 2009
http://www.newburyportnews.com/puopinion/local_story_306233901.html?keyword=topstory

In a desperate search for money to fill the holes in the state budget, Massachusetts lawmakers are look for new sectors to tax, including services. "I think it's crazy," said Karl Case, a Wellesley College economics professor, as reported by the State House News Service. "What's the difference between a good and service today? I never quite understood why it's there."
Also covered by:
The Salem (Mass.) News Online: http://www.salemnews.com/puopinion/local_story_305234315.html?keyword=secondarystory
The Eagle-Tribune Online:
http://www.eagletribune.com/puopinion/local_story_303021619.html

"Alice Schafer, 94; Math Professor Breached Social Barriers"
The Boston Globe
November 2, 2009
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/obituaries/articles/2009/11/02/alice_schafer_94_math_professor_breached_social_barriers/

Former Wellesley math professor Alice Schafer broke social barriers as a woman in the field of mathematics and encouraged young women to study mathematics. She joined the Wellesley College faculty in 1962 and stayed for nearly two decades. She helped form the Association for Women in Mathematics in 1971 before retiring in 1980. Since 1990, the Alice T. Schafer Mathematics Prize has been awarded annually to an undergraduate woman who demonstrated excellence in mathematics.

"Tuskegee Study 'Misused'"
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
November 1, 2009
Rosalind Bentley
Online version not available

Beginning in the 1930s and spanning four decades, hundreds of African-American men in Tuskegee, Ala., who had contracted syphilis were told by U.S. Public Health Service physicians that they were being treated for their condition, but instead, doctors allowed the disease to progress to learn its long-term effect on the human body. In her new book, "Examining Tuskegee: The Infamous Syphilis Study and Its Legacy," Susan Reverby, women and gender studies, examines the impact the Tuskegee Study has had and its staying power in the public consciousness.

"Henry Austin" and "Shaker Design" Win Book Awards
Maine Antique Digest
November 2009
http://www.maineantiquedigest.com/stories/index.html?id=1579

"Ability to Guess Others' Thoughts Tied to Language Proficiency"
Scientific American
November 2009
Nicole Branan
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=language-skills-and-reading-minds

Most of us develop the ability to make inferences about what other people might be thinking, the hallmark of “theory of mind,” at age four. A new study by Jennie Pyers, psychology, suggests that social experience cannot substitute language for developing theory of mind. Pyers of Wellesley College and her colleagues studied deaf adults in Nicaragua. The findings support the hypothesis that although an implicit understand-ing of other people’s knowledge and belief states develops early in life, advanced language is needed “to unlock the ability to productively use it,” Pyers says.

October 2009

"Amid Tumult, a Degree of Stability"
The Boston Globe
October 30, 2009
Tracy Jan
http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2009/10/30/amid_tumult_a_degree_of_stability/?page=2

Colleges and universities are learning to adjust to the changed economic environment, as industry analysts are predicting serious challenges to the higher education sector. Wellesley College, Olin College and Babson College are at the forefront of New England colleges in reducing costs by sharing resources, technology services and faculty appointments. The idea was advocated during this week's New England Board of Higher Education conference.

"Arbeitsmarkt Warum die Fianzkrise für mehr Rentner sorgt "
WirtschaftsWoche (Germany)
October 29, 2009
Anja Mueller
http://www.wiwo.de/politik-weltwirtschaft/warum-die-finanzkrise-fuer-mehr-rentner-sorgt-412181/

Many economists predict that the financial crisis will lead many Americans to work longer, as they would have to earn and save further, until they have enough money for retirement. However, Courtney Coile and Phillip B. Levine, economics, disagree with this claim. “Many ignore the influence of the weak job market on the pension decision,” they wrote in a published study.

"Lawmakers Eye Longstanding Exemptions for Revenue"
The Eagle Tribune (Lawrence, Mass.)
October 29, 2009
Kyle Cheney
http://www.eagletribune.com/punews/local_story_301192859.html

A panel of Massachusetts lawmakers is discussing whether tax exemptions and credits – some decades-old – still serve a purpose. Experts invited to speak by the subcommittee questioned the value of a sales tax exemption on services, which officials estimate saves consumers more than $6 billion a year on everything from haircuts to accounting work. “I think it’s crazy,” said Karl Case, economics. “What’s the difference between a good and service today? I never quite understood why it’s there.”
Also covered by:
The Burlington (Mass.) Union: http://www.wickedlocal.com/burlington/homepage/x1914250386/Lawmakes-eye-longstanding-exemptions-for-revenue
The Milford (Mass.) Daily news: http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x876590410/States-attempt-to-reduce-tax-exemptions-eyed-warily

"Opera Singer to Perform at Wellesley College"
The Boston Globe
October 29, 2009
http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/wellesley/2009/10/opera_singer_to_perform_at_wel.html

Gale Fuller, a celebrated opera singer and music instructor at Wellesley College, will be performing at Jewett Auditorium Nov. 18. “Lullably for a Cat,” composed by Jenny Olivia Johnson, music, will be performed for the first time at the concert. Fuller has worked with a number of opera houses around the country, including the Boston Opera, and has toured in China. Her roles ranged from Rosina in The Barber of Seville to the lead role in Carmen. She will be accompanied by pianist Jenny Tang, cellist David Russell, contralto Marion Dry, and flutist Suzanne Stumpf, all members of Wellesley’s music department.

"Mining and Intersections: Advancing the Rights of Women and Children with Disabilities in Bangladesh, India, and Nepal"
North Adams (Mass.) Transcript
October 28, 2009
http://events.thetranscript.com/wellesley-ma/events/show/89144447-mining-the-intersections-advancing-the-rights-of-women-and-children-with-disabilities-in-bangladesh-india-and-nepal-free-lun

Rangita De Silva-de Alwis, Director of International Human Rights Policy Programs at the Wellesley Centers for Women and a human rights lawyer and scholar, will give a talk at the Wellesley Centers for Women on Thursday November 5, from 12:30 to 1:30 pm. De Silva-de Alwis will discuss her use of four innovative pilot projects launched in Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, and Nepal as the lens to explore how the women’s rights and disability rights agendas intersect as a way to create a new paradigm based on a more holistic reading of the human rights framework. The talk is free and open to the public.

"A Younger Generation of Cambodians Confronts What Parents Endured"
Lowell (Mass.) Sun Online
October 28, 2009
David Perry
http://www.lowellsun.com/news/ci_13658686

A younger generation of Cambodians in America, born to parents who lived through Pol Pot's regime, often focuses on fitting into America's culture rather than understanding their Cambodian past. Dahvy Tran, a Wellesley College alumna, however, has worked to embrace both her cultural roots in Cambodia and her identity as an American. "I never struggled with my identity," says Tran. "For me, it made me unique. I was always in tune with both cultures, and I understand the good and bad of it."

"Geographic Awareness Needed "
The Washington Times
October 28, 2009
David Keeling
http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/oct/28/geographic-awareness-needed/

David Keeling argues in an editorial that geographic awareness is essential for understanding geopolitical issues, as it can help officials anticipate problems and respond proactively. "A very substantial number of the country's policymaking elite graduate from top-flight universities where geography is not taught. This embarrassing list of elite institutions includes Harvard, Tufts, Columbia, Wellesley, Princeton and Yale," Keeling writes.

"Lexington Composer Hayg Boyadjian and Boston Symphony Member to be Featured Nov. 26"
Armenian Reporter
October 28, 2009
http://www.reporter.am/index.cfm?objectid=8B3214C1-BF69-11DE-B9BA0003FF3452C2

Pianist Karen Sauer, music, will be among those performing at a concert celebrating the works of Hayg Boyadijian, a composer whose works are performed internationally. Two very well known musicians of the Boston Symphony Orchestra will be featured: principal double bass Edwin Barker and former principal flutist Doriot Anthony Dwyer.

"Brookline Chorus Performing Next Month"
The Boston Globe
October 28, 2009
http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/brookline/2009/10/brookline_chorus_performing_ne.html

Lisa Graham, the Director of the Choral Program at Wellesley College, will direct the Brookline chorus. The 100-member Brookline Chorus, which comprises mostly volunteers, will perform at its Nov. 21 concert at All Saints Parish, 1773 Beacon St., Brookline and will be accompanied by celebrated organist Ian Watson of England.

"Econ 223: Latest In Changing Financial World"
NPR’s Morning Edition
October 27, 2009
Renee Montagne
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114195051

Ann Witte, economics, talks about the importance of her class, “Personal Finance,” a primer on credit cards, health insurance, and 401 (k) plans. If it is tough for students to learn all this, it is the hardest class she has ever taught, Witte said. "The financial world is ever-changing, Wall Street is continually innovative, we have to every year come in and revise almost everything that we are doing to reflect the latest developments in the financial world," she noted.
Also covered by:
Oregon Public Broadcasting: http://news.opb.org/article/npr/114195051-econ_223_latest_in_changing_financial_world/

"Fears of a New Chill in Home Sales "
The New York Times
October 27, 2009
David Streitfeld
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/28/business/economy/28home.html?_r=1&em

Even as new figures show house prices have risen for three consecutive months, concerns are growing that the real estate market will be severely tested this winter. However, Karl Case, economics, co-founder of the Case-Shiller home price index, remains optimistic, due to the large decline in home prices prior to the slight recovery. While acknowledging “there are a lot of dangers out there,” Case said “housing is as affordable as it’s been in 20 years. I don’t see a very rapid recovery, but I think we’ve seen the bottom.”

"Wellesley College Economics Professors Offer Insights on Current Financial Crisis"
The Wellesley Townsman
October 27, 2009
http://www.wickedlocal.com/wellesley/news/education/x1914246112/Wellesley-College-economics-professors-offer-insights-on-current-financial-crisis

The current financial crisis has led to many questions in academic and public debate. Is it over yet? How did some countries weather the crisis so well? Will the Obama administration’s proposals work? To answer these questions, Wellesley College economics professors will discuss where we are in the financial crisis in a panel discussion, “The Great Recession: Back from the Edge or Off the Cliff Again?”

"Levine's Return Delayed to January"
The Boston Globe
October 27, 2009
Geoff Edgers
http://www.boston.com/ae/music/articles/2009/10/27/levines_return_to_bso_is_delayed_until_january/ 

Boston Symphony Orchestra music director James Levine, originally expected to return from back surgery last week, will not be back to conduct in Symphony Hall until January, the BSO said yesterday. “It must be very sad for him, to miss all of this must be very humiliating for him,’’ said Rachel Jacoff, Italian studies, who regularly attends BSO performances. “If he comes back and he’s really OK, that’s one thing. But I think the anxiety we’ve had for several years is, is he OK?’’

"La Sociedad Monárquica en la América Hispánica"
Universia (Colombia)
October 26, 2009
http://www.universia.net.co/libro-abierto/ciencias-sociales-y-humanas/la-sociedad-monarquica-en-la-america-hispanica.html 

Alejandra Osorio, history, is co-author of the new book, La Sociedad Monárquica en la América Hispánica. The book examines monarchical society in relation to the revolutions of the Hispanic world, which have shaped the interpretation that has dominated its understanding.   

"Wellesley College Students Receive EPA Solar Energy System Award"
The Wellesley Townsman
October 26, 2009
http://www.wickedlocal.com/wellesley/news/x884487504/Wellesley-College-students-receive-EPA-solar-energy-system-award

Students at Wellesley College were awarded $10,000 from the EPA to design a solar energy system that can be used for heating and cooking in rural and urban areas of the Himalayas and elsewhere. The Wellesley solar project was one of two projects in New England and 43 nationwide to receive grants targeted to teams of college and university students across the country who will design creative technologies to help the developed and developing world.
Also covered by:
The MetroWest Daily News: http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/business/x1156073574/Business-Digest

"Report: Housing In Boston Less Affordable Than Ever"
NPR’s WBUR-FM
October 26, 2009
Deborah Becker and Kathleen McNerney
http://www.wbur.org/2009/10/26/housing-report

Even though housing prices in Greater Boston are down almost 20 percent from what they were four years ago, this region is still one of the most unaffordable places to live in the country, according to a new report. Chip Case, economics, said it is hard to predict what will happen if the federal tax credit for first-time homebuyers expires. “We are not out of the woods, unemployment is rising and rising rapidly here in the commonwealth,” Case said. “We’ve got a fair amount of uncertainty about where the housing market is going.”

"Haunted Happenings at Wellesley's Belltower"
The Boston Globe
October 26, 2009
http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/wellesley/2009/10/haunted_happenings_at_wellesle.html

This Halloween, the ‘‘Addams Family’’ theme and other spooky favorites will ring out over a darkened Wellesley College campus, as students play the carillon from the 182-foot Galen Stone Tower. Student carillonneurs will hand out treats and play Halloween favorites such as Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and the theme from Harry Potter.

"Who Killed All Those Honeybees? We did."
Current
October 23, 2009
http://current.com/items/91259283_who-killed-all-those-honeybees-we-did.htm

The nation’s great bee die-off has provoked a furious debate: What has caused a third of all commercial honeybee colonies to perish each year since 2006? “We’ve looked at bees as robots that would keep on trucking no matter what,” says Heather Mattila, biological sciences, who studies honeybee behavior and genetics. “They can’t be pushed and pushed.”

"Presentations Would Energize Students"
The Bowdoin Observer
October 23, 2009
Jonathan Coravos
http://orient.bowdoin.edu/orient/article.php?date=2009-10-23&section=2&id=4

"Two issues ago, I argued that Bowdoin needs to energize its student body around intellectual growth," writes Jonathan Coravos, Bowdoin Class of 2011. One way Bowdoin can engender more passion for learning is to reserve one day each semester dedicated to student presentations on learning outside of the classroom. "I won't claim this idea as my own," Coravos continues. "Wellesley College, which we can consider a peer institution in many ways because of a common dedication to the liberal arts, already holds two conferences, the Tanner Conference in the fall and the Ruhlman Conference in the spring."

"Maysles at Wellesley"
The Boston Globe
October 23, 2009
Mark Shanahan and Meredith Goldstein
http://www.boston.com/ae/celebrity/articles/2009/10/23/longbottom_casts_spell_at_potter_exhibit/?page=2

Filmmaker Albert Maysles, who made the 1976 documentary “Grey Gardens’’ (on which Drew Barrymore’s recent HBO drama was based), was at Wellesley College as part of the New Directions in Documentary Film Festival and Symposium. His keynote speech was titled “Handheld and from the Heart.’’

"Keeping Faith with Your Educational Mission"
Trusteeship Magazine
September/October Issue
Alecia A. DeCoudreaux
http://www.wellesley.edu/PublicAffairs/InTheNews/ViewFromTheBoardChair.pdf

Boards and institutional leaders must carefully evaluate programs, plans and promises based on today’s realities and tomorrow’s best estimates, noted Alecia A. DeCoudreaux, vice president and general counsel of Lilly USA, LLC, and chair of the Wellesley College Board of Trustees, in a column called "View from the Board Chair." "The president and the board firmly believe in the value of 'continuous planning' to ensure that core values are protected during challenging times—so while we naturally and necessarily thought about what the college could operate without, we also gave considerable thought to what it could not do without, what we had to have to further our mission and to help reinforce our premier position for the future," she said. Wellesley’s priorities continue to focus on making education affordable to all qualified students and advancing the college’s outstanding academic program.

"More Women With Young Children Plan to Relaunch Careers"
The Boston Globe
October 22, 2009
Erica Noonan
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2009/10/22/more_women_with_young_children_plan_to_relaunch_careers/

Women intent on “relaunching’’ their professional careers after staying home with children are now a fast-growing demographic group. Several local colleges, including Babson College, Wellesley College and Brandeis University, are responding with specialized career counseling programs for their alumni.

"Authors on Stage Set for Nov. 10"
The Wellesley Townsman
October 22, 2009
http://www.wickedlocal.com/wellesley/news/x914718864/Authors-on-Stage-set-for-Nov-10

Wellesley College Alumnae of Boston will host its Fall Authors on Stage program at the Wellesley College Club on Tuesday, Nov. 10. Two of the featured authors are Wellesley alumna. Katherine Hall Page, ’69, will present "The Body in the Sleigh," the 18th deadly mystery of her multiple Agatha Award-winning series. Hannah Pakula,’55, writes about another Wellesley alumna in her book “The Last Empress: Madame Chiang Kai-shek and the Birth of Modern China,” which has been described by Henry Kissinger as “a rare combination of brilliant writing and insightful scholarship.”

"Wellesley Class Teaches Personal Finance Basics"
National Public Radio
October 21, 2009
Tovia Smith
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113966361

Wellesley College's personal finance class, which Ann Witte, economics, co-teaches with Wellesley alumna Saundra Gulley, prepares students to manage their finances. Students in the class invent profiles of people and then make decisions — such as how to invest for retirement or whether to sign up for a flexible spending account. "Most of those students wouldn't have known what any of that stuff was. They don't understand what's going on," Witte says. Going through the exercises in class provides an "aha" moment for students, "and now they understand and they know what to do."

"Save-A-Date: Oct. 22"
The Wellesley Townsman
October 21, 2009
http://www.wickedlocal.com/wellesley/news/x914717729/Save-A-Date-Oct-22

Favorites like Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and the themes from “Harry Potter” and “The Addams Family” will ring out from the Wellesley College bell tower as students from the Guild of Carillonneurs host a Haunted Tower on Halloween from 5 to 7 pm.

"Who Killed All Those Honeybees? We Did"
Discover
October 19, 2009
Morgan Peck
http://discovermagazine.com/2009/oct/19-who-killed-all-those-honeybees-we-did/article_view?b_start:int=1&-C

Heather Mattila, biological sciences, explains how agricultural breeding practices have led to widespread bee deaths. One of the most devastating pressures on the bees is the limit on what they can eat. “Vitamins, minerals, fats, proteins—all the same things we need to survive come from pollen,” she explains. Inbreeding has also produced weaker bees. In one of her studies comparing colonies having 15 different drone fathers with those having only one, Mattila found that more diverse colonies were healthy, while single-father colonies could not even amass enough supplies to survive a winter. 

"In Search of That Word on the Tip of Your Tongue"
USA Today
October 19, 2009
Dan Vergano
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/columnist/vergano/2009-10-18-tip-tongue_N.htm 

"You know the word, you just can't get it out," says Jennie Pyers, psychology. "Well, it turns out sign-language speakers have the same problem." Only they are called "tip-of-the-finger" glitches, rather than "tip-of-the-tongue" by psychologists. Pyers and colleagues look at sign-language speakers to try to get at the root of and implications for the tip-of-the-tongue experience.

"Women's Colleges Still Flourishing"
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
October 19, 2009
Laura Diamond
http://www.ajc.com/news/womens-colleges-still-flourishing-166207.html

Many who enroll in women’s colleges wind up there almost by chance. An encounter with an alumna or a suggestion by a guidance counselor steers them to consider a women’s college. Before top-ranked universities admitted women, women’s colleges were the only option. More than 300 existed in the 1960s, while about 50 remain today, according to data from the Women’s College Coalition, including six in Massachusetts — the largest number of women's colleges in a single state. One student decided she wanted to attend a women’s college after watching the movie “Mona Lisa Smile,” set at Wellesley College in the 1950s.

"A Better Diet, Under Wraps"
The Boston Globe
October 18, 2009
Tracy Jan
http://www.boston.com/news/health/articles/2009/10/18/colleges_shrink_portions_sneak_in_healthy_ingredients/   

Colleges trying to encourage a well-balanced diet have a message for students sizing up that all-you-can-eat smorgasbord in the dining hall: What you don’t know can help you. More than a dozen Massachusetts colleges have recently embarked on a stealth health campaign to address the chronic problem of overindulging students throwing nutrition to the wind. Wellesley College is among a handful of institutions to have shrunk portion sizes.
Also covered by:
Inside Higher Ed: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/10/19/qt/healthier_sometimes_stealth_campus_dining
The Tech (MIT): http://tech.mit.edu/V129/N46/diningwire.html
University Business: http://www.universitybusiness.com/newssummary.aspx?news=yes&postid=20730
American School & University: http://asumag.com/dailynews/college-dining-more-healthful-offerings-20091019/

"A House Is Part of Your Being"
The Financial Times
October 17, 2009
Madeleine Johnson
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/f952909c-b91f-11de-98ee-00144feab49a.html

Karl Case, economics, created the influential Standard & Poor’s Case-Shiller Home Price Indices with Robert Shiller. He lives in Wellesley, Mass., in a Cape Cod “cottage” built in 1952. Case talks about his current house and others he has owned over the years "as economic units." As Case notes, "A house is a durable consumer good, even if you can knock down walls and make it personal. The bad thing is that it is expensive. First-time homeowners are surprised at what home maintenance takes. If I buy a house outright I live in it rent-free, so the yield is in the form of valuable rental services."

"'Cell Tango' Combines Computer Programming and Photography at Wellesley College"
The MetroWest Daily News
October 17, 2009
Chris Bergeron
http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/arts/x1055614803/Cell-Tango-combines-computer-programming-and-photography-at-Wellesley-College

Merging art with technology, conceptual artists George Legrady and Angus Forbes have transformed ubiquitous and often annoying cell phones into paint brushes for the 21st century. For six minutes, more than 550 cell phone photos submitted by Wellesley College students pop up on a 20-foot screen in a darkened gallery in the Davis Museum and Cultural Center.
Also covered by:
The Daily News Transcript (Dedham, Mass.): http://www.dailynewstranscript.com/arts/x1055614803/Cell-Tango-combines-computer-programming-and-photography-at-Wellesley-College
The Milford (Mass.) Daily News: http://www.milforddailynews.com/arts/x1055614803/Cell-Tango-combines-computer-programming-and-photography-at-Wellesley-College

"World Class: A Half-Year in Vienna"
The Boston Globe
October 16, 2009
Glenn Yoder
http://www.boston.com/travel/articles/2009/10/18/world_class_a_half_year_in_vienna/

Senior Ashley “Ley’’ Muller, a political science and German major, was struck by the dietary habits of fellow students and other Austrians during her spring and summer at the University of Vienna, where she studied comparative welfare systems. “Austrians drink beer, eat pastries and live on processed meat, yet they aren’t fat,’’ she observed. “It’s fascinating.’’ She did develop a soft spot for bakeries, but came to yearn for one American culinary touchstone: “normal yellow mustard.’’

"A Century of Scholarship at Wellesley College Library"
The Boston Globe
October 16, 2009
Caitlin Castello
http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/wellesley/2009/10/wellesley_college_library_cele.html

Wellesley will celebrate the library's centennial on Wednesday, Oct. 21, at 4 pm with a ceremony and exhibit showcasing materials from the library's past. The event is open to the public. “The place of learning is so vivid,” says Micheline Jedrey, vice president of information services and college librarian. “For students to see this continuum of scholarship, where the print resources and the digital resources are housed all in the same building and the students are part of the continuum of scholarship.”

"The Global Citizen: Unveiling the Truth"
New Voices
October 15, 2009
Deeba Zivari
http://blog.newvoices.org/?p=1356

Wellesley College junior Deeba Zivari speaks about her experiences as a volunteer in Nicaragua and embracing her own cultural background. "I questioned aspects of society that affected our companions in their daily lives, such as, social construction and gender roles…I became intimate with local human condition and realized my responsibility as a witness," Zivari writes.

"Dallas Exhibit Features Flapper Style"
The Associated Press
October 15, 2009
Jamie Stengle
http://www.newsday.com/business/dallas-exhibit-features-flapper-style-1.1525097

A new exhibit features fashion from the 1920s flapper movement. Rosanna Hertz, women's and gender studies, said that flappers were in many ways rebels. "The kind of freedom that women wanted gets defined in fashion," she said. The exhibit, "Painting the Town: 1920s High Style" highlights the independent spirit of many women of the day.
Also covered by:
The Canadian Press: http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5gDR0MSWi6JkEJwoM-KZ-LBUwYSVw
The West Australian: http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/lifestyle/a/-/fashion/6375319/step-back-in-time-to-flapper-style/
The News Journal (Del.): http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20091020/LIFE/910200354/1005/LIFE
The Montgomery (Ala.) Advertiser: http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/article/20091018/LIFESTYLE/910170317/1004/CUSTOMERSERVICE06
The Worcester News & Telegram: http://www.telegram.com/article/20091017/NEWS/910170348/1011/rss01&source=rss
Newsday (N.Y.): http://www.newsday.com/business/dallas-exhibit-features-flapper-style-1.1525097?localLinksEnabled=false
Omaha (Neb.) World-Herald: http://www.omaha.com/article/20091016/LIVING04/710169966
The Brooklyn (N.Y.) Daily Eagle: http://www.brooklyneagle.com/categories/category.php?category_id=12&id=31344
StarNews Online (N.C.): http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20091021/ARTICLES/910214001/-1/SPORTS01?Title=Dallas-exhibit-features-flapper-style
El Paso Times (Texas): http://www.elpasotimes.com/texas/ci_13570460
OKNews: http://www.newsok.com/collection-from-20s-shows-daring-trends/article/3411410?custom_click=lead_story_comments
The Tennessean: http://www.tennessean.com/article/20091026/FEATURES01/910260309/1004/FEATURES/Dallas+exhibit+features+spirit+of+flapper+style
The San Jose Mercury News: http://www.mercurynews.com/fashion-style/ci_13661452
The Denton (Texas) Redord-Chronicle: http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/dws/fea/lifetravel/stories/DN-fd_fashiononmain_1030fas.ART.State.Edition1.1aaeb66.html

"Swine Flu's Ebbs and Flows"
Inside Higher Ed
October 15, 2009
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/10/15/h1n1

As H1N1 vaccines are arriving at college campuses, occurrence rates of the swine flu are still uneven from campus to campus. While some outbreaks have subsided, others have emerged at other institutions. Arlie Corday, public affairs, said there have been a few dozen cases of what’s believed to be H1N1 since the start of the year, but that the college is “at a very quiet point with flu-like illness,” with no known cases right now. Even if things do get worse, she said, “it doesn’t look to be a particularly burdensome problem for most people.”

"Hofstra's Fall 2009 'Great Writers, Great Readings' Series Continues with Poet Frank Bidart and Playwright Craig Lucas"
Media Newswire
October 15, 2009
http://media-newswire.com/release_1102716.html

Frank Bidart, English, and Craig Lucas, a two-time Obie Award-winning playwright, will participate in Hofstra’s “Great Writers, Great Readings” series in November 2009. The “Great Writers, Great Readings” series was launched by Hofstra University in recognition of the importance of writing and literature.

"Out of Work, Out of Options, Into Retirement"
MSNBC
October 13, 2009
Allison Linn
http://rss.msnbc.msn.com/id/33231989/ns/business-personal_finance/

Until now, much of the attention in this recession has been focused on the group of older workers who will toil for more years than they expected because stock market losses have put a severe dent in their retirement nest egg. Now, new research suggests that a larger group of workers aged 62 to 69 could find themselves with a thornier problem: No job, no prospect for finding another, and forced to retire earlier than they, or their finances, were prepared for. “Those people, the risk that they’re subject to is not the stock market, it’s the labor market,” said Phillip Levine, economics, co-author of a recent paper looking at that phenomenon.

"Google Android Penetrates 11 US Schools"
EthioPlanet (Ethiopia)
October 13, 2009
http://www.ethioplanet.com/news/2009/10/13/google-android-penetrates-11-us-schools/

Wellesley College is one of American colleges and universities that received cell phones from Google for use in introductory computer science courses this fall. Wellesley College computer science professor P. Takis Metaxas, computer science, will teach a class using the phones. He said students who do not know how to program can learn how to make applications on the Android software.

"Wellesley Talk Examines Money's Human Side"
The Boston Globe
October 13, 2009
http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/wellesley/2009/10/ecomonic_professor_presenting.html

While economic decisions may seem cut and dry, devoid of emotion, that is not the case, according to the findings of Brigitte Madrian, research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. Madrian spoke at Wellesley College during the 2009 Calderwood Lecture in Economics. “Understanding the role that seemingly irrational decision-making plays in individual behavior is clearly of critical importance,” said Phillip Levine, economics. “Brigitte Madrian’s path-breaking work examining the design of retirement savings plans has been very influential in this regard.”

"Can You See Me Now?"
The Boston Globe
October 9, 2009
Cate McQuaid
http://www.boston.com/ae/theater_arts/articles/2009/10/09/wellesley_college_museum_installation_displays_roiling_arrangements_of_cellphone_photos/

“Cell Tango,’’ a constantly evolving piece by artists George Legrady and Angus Forbes, features e-mailed cellphone photographs projected rhythmically over a large, black screen in a variety of patterns. At Wellesley, students use their cellphones casually. The “Cell Tango’’ screen flies with images of food, people, landmarks and animals. After three weeks, the Wellesley archive for “Cell Tango’’ has accumulated more than 400 images.

"Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard Announces Board of Directors"
CNBC
October 8, 2009
http://www.cnbc.com/id/33228988

Diana Chapman Walsh, president emerita, has been appointed to the first board of directors of The Broad Institute, launched in 2004 by MIT, Harvard and the Broad Foundations. The institute focuses on empowering scientists to apply new technologies and approaches to the understanding and treatment of disease.

"Irish Education 100"
Irish Voice
October 7, 2009
http://media.irishcentral.com/documents/IrishVoice_IrishEducation100_2009.pdf

Nora Hussey, theatre studies, is featured in Irish Voice’s "Irish Education 100," a list of distinguished Irish professors, trustees and administrators who have made marks at colleges and universities throughout North America.  Founder of the Wellesley Summer Theatre Company and recipient of the Pinanski Teaching Prize, Hussey has directed over 90 productions across New England in the last 20 years.

"Danforth Museum Exhibit Celebrates Artist NanTull's 25-year Career"
Taunton Daily Gazette
October 7, 2009
Chris Bergeron
http://www.tauntongazette.com/entertainment/x593074627/Danforth-Museum-exhibit-celebrates-artist-Nan-Tulls-25-year-career

The Danforth Museum of Art is featuring Wellesley College alumna and accomplished artist Nan Tull in a 25-year retrospective exhibition. "Nan Tull: Sensuous Wisdom, 1984-2009" surveys the career of this renowned Boston artist who examines the mysteries of the natural world in more than 60 striking works.

"Barrier Breakers: 15 Female College Presidents"
Forbes Magazine
October 6, 2009
Heidi Brown
http://www.forbes.com/2009/10/06/female-college-presidents-forbes-woman-power-women-harvard-princeton_slide_4.html

Wellesley President H. Kim Bottomly has been highlighted in a story, "Barrier Breakers: 15 Female College Presidents," a story about the top women college presidents, based on Forbes' college rankings. “Under her leadership, Bottomly has eliminated loans, replacing them with grants, for families with incomes of $60,000 or below and partnered with Babson and Olin Colleges to give students an opportunity for interdisciplinary study between the three schools,” notes the article.

"Gulf Between Rich and Poor Could Widen"
Forbes Magazine
October 6, 2009
Ashlea Ebeling
http://www.forbes.com/2009/10/06/early-retirement-social-security-personal-finance-layoffs.html

Phillip Levine and Courtney Coile, economics, conclude that the current downturn will likely sharpen the financial gulf between the most affluent, best-educated retirees and the poorest ones, in their book The Market Crash and Mass Layoffs: How the Current Economic Crisis May Affect Retirement. They point out that retiring early especially translates into lower levels of income for those at the bottom of the income spectrum who are more dependent on Social Security Benefits. "The cost to these individuals appears to us to be greater than that experienced by workers with substantial stock holdings who are forced to work a few extra years to make up for equity losses," Levine and Coile conclude.

"Rising Oxford to Ivy Might Means Turning to Hamilton"
Bloomberg News
October 6, 2009
Oliver Staley and Caroline Alexander
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aKEbEMmteTF8

The installment of Andrew Hamilton, former Yale University provost, as Oxford’s next leader marks an addition to the ranks of former Yale officials who lead colleges and universities, including Kim Bottomly, president of Wellesley College. 

"Top Housing Economist: Recovery Is on the Way"
DS News (Texas)
October 5, 2009
Adam Weinstein
http://www.dsnews.com/articles/top-housing-economist-recovery-is-on-way-2009-10-04

Karl Case, economics, told an audience that the market’s free-fall was over and had hit a solid bottom, clearing the way for a sustained climb in home values and sales. “We’re not going to come roaring out of this,” Case told listeners at the New England Mortgage Bankers Conference in Providence, R.I. “We’ll come out of this slowly. There will be some bad days and good days, but the mood began changing in March.”

"Even at Elite Programs, Ticket Prices for Women's Basketball Lag Behind Men's, Report Says"
The Chronicle of Higher Educaton
October 5, 2009
Libby Sander
http://chronicle.com/article/Even-at-Elite-Programs-Ticket/48715/

A report by Laura Pappano and Allison Tracy of the Wellesley Centers for Women urges athletics departments to abandon their longstanding practice of charging less for tickets to women's basketball games than to men's games. The report, "Ticket Office Sexism: The Gender Gap in Pricing for NCAA Division I Basketball," presents data that rebut a "popular but faulty" argument that colleges charge less for women's games than for men's because those events fail to draw comparable crowds — or because the women's teams rank lower than the men's teams.

"7 Democrats Running to fill Seat of Deceased Represetative"
The Providence Journal
October 4, 2009
http://www.projo.com/news/content/HOUSE_SEAT_PRIMARY_10-04-09_1PFU5QF_v26.285ce31.html

Jenny L. Jourdain ’07 is a candidate for Representative in the Rhode Island General Assembly. She previously worked as an associate director of policy for the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health in Washington, D.C. She wants clearer protections for homeowners facing foreclosures, supports more funding the state’s health-care program for uninsured children, families and pregnant women, and more resources for small business.

"U.S. Market Not Quite Dead and Buried"
Irish Independent
October 2, 2009
http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/property-plus/us-market-not-quite-dead-and-buried-1902444.html

Eighteen months into the current recession, reports of "green shoots" throughout the U.S. housing market are emerging. Housing industry specialist Karl Case, economics, asserts that the Boston housing market is "bottoming out."

"Another Inconvenient Truth: The World's Growing Population Poses a Malthusian Dilemma"
Scientific American
October 2, 2009
David Biello
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=growing-population-poses-malthusian-dilemma

Today, at least one billion people are chronically malnourished or starving. Global markets for food spectacularly failed in 2008 as countries shut down exports in the face of rising grain prices. Genetically modified varieties — currently illegal in most of Africa, according to Robert Paarlberg, political science — might boost yields.

"Survey: Most Providence Voters Say City Economy is Poor"
Brown University News
October 1, 2009
http://news.brown.edu/pressreleases/2009/10/survey

Wilbur Rich, political science, will be featured at Brown University’s annual Thomas J. Anton/Frederick Lippitt Urban Affairs Conference, which will be held Tuesday, Nov. 18. This year’s conference, “President Obama and America’s Cities,” will focus on the new president’s approach to central cities, and will also feature other public figures such as Scott W. Lang, the mayor of New Bedford, Mass., and Thomas Deller, director of planning and development for Providence.

September 2009

"For Kids: Two Monkeys See a More Colorful World"
Science News
September 30, 2009
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/47940/title/FOR_KIDS_Two_monkeys_see_a_more_colorful_world

For a pair of squirrel monkeys named Sam and Dalton, the world recently got more colorful. Male squirrel monkeys are normally red-green colorblind, but thanks to an experiment by scientists at the University of Seattle, Sam and Dalton now seem to be able to see red and green. Bevil Conway, neuroscience, said the experiment shows that seeing in full color only requires the addition of a gene for detecting certain colors of light. Before the experiment, scientists were not sure whether the monkey’s brains would know how to handle new colors — but the monkeys seemed to be able to see and understand the new colors right away. “Somehow the brains of these monkeys are already wired to decode these color signals,” Conway said.

"Pace of U.S. Home Prices Declines Slows in July, Index Shows"
The Los Angeles Times
September 30, 2009
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-homes30-2009sep30,0,6637386.story

The pace of U.S. home price declines slowed in July, suggesting the housing market is approaching its bottom, according to a widely followed index released Tuesday. Wellesley College economist Karl Case, co-founder of the Case-Shiller index, said the index's relatively strong performance justified ending the $8,000 federal tax credit. "We've got to phase back incentives, and this may be a good time to do that," he said.

"All Learning, No Paperwork"
The Boston Globe - Editorial
September 29, 2009
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/editorials/articles/2009/09/29/all_learning_no_paperwork/

Wellesley College has invited senior citizens to contact the professors whose course they hope to audit.

"For Elders, School's Out Way Too Soon"
The Boston Globe
September 28, 2009
Brock Parker
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/09/28/senior_citizens_upset_after_wellesley_college_cancels_audit_program/

Budget cuts have led to suspension of a program allowing the town’s senior citizens to audit courses for free at Wellesley. Dean of the College Andrew Shennan said that the economic downturn has forced the school to significantly reduce staffing in its registrar’s office, and the cuts have affected the college’s ability to manage the auditing program for residents.

"Kahlo Trove: Fact or Fakery?"
The New York Times
September 28, 2009
Elisabeth Malkin
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/29/arts/design/29frida.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&sq=frida%20kahlo&st=cse&scp=2

In a back room tucked behind an antiques gallery in this cobblestone mountain town there is a shrine to the painter Frida Kahlo. Loose-leaf binders hold copies of pages of noted and drawings are displayed in a trunk. The question is whether any of it was hers. The photographer Lola Álvarez Bravo took pictures of Kahlo’s work and there is not a single image of any of the works in the Noyola collection in that photographic archive, said James Oles, art history, who has written on Kahlo.

“Race Always Will Affect How People View Obama”
The Kansas City Star
September 27, 2009
Lewis Diuguid
http://www.kansascity.com/278/story/1474360.html

The issue of race will dog Barack Obama the entire time he occupies the White House. Peggy McIntosh, associate director, Wellesley Centers for Women, offers the best instruction to help people overcome America’s racist history. First people have to acknowledge the presence of white privilege and see how it affects some views of Obama.

“Sexually Harassed at School: ‘Big Deal’”
The Arizona Daily Star
September 27, 2009
Rhonda Bodfield and Carmen Duarte
http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/byauthor/310754

It happens in middle schools and high schools across the community. Students, mostly girls, are sexually harassed by peers. "We have a lot of sexual violence going on in school, and it's happening at younger and younger ages," said Nan Stein, senior research scientist, Wellesley Centers for Women. "It impedes equity in school, and it impedes achievement. If you're worried about being sexually assaulted in school, you're not going to be thinking too much about your coursework."

“Albright, Unchained”
The Boston Globe - Off The Shelf
September 27, 2009
Jim Concannon
http://www.boston.com/ae/books/blog/2009/09/albright_unchai.html 

Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright ‘59 will discuss her recent book, “Read My Pins: Stories from A Diplomat’s Jewel Box,” Oct. 8 at the John F. Kennedy Library. The book mirrors her personal growth from Wellesley College coed in the 1950s to American foreign policy leader in the late 1990s.

“Frances D. Fergusson and John P. Mascotte Elected to Pfizer’s Board of Directors”
Business Wire
September 25, 2009
http://finance.alphatrade.com/story/2009-09-25/BIZ/200909250840BIZWIRE_USPR_____BW5324.html 

Frances Fergusson ’65 was elected to the Pfizer’s board of directors. Fergusson is president emeritus and professor of art at Vassar College, where she became the ninth president in 1986 and retired from that position after 20 years in July 2006.

“According to Experts, Cuba-U.S. Are Slowly Improving due to New Leadership”
Cuba Headlines
September 25, 2009
http://www.cubaheadlines.com/2009/09/25/18457/according_experts_cubaus_are_slowly_improving_due_new_leadership.html

While relations between Cuba and the United States have been tense for half a century, recent changes in leadership in both countries are bringing slow progress, experts said. Two Latin American relations scholars discussed the potential “thaw” in the relationship between the U.S. and the communist state at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Attendees included Terra Stanley ’12, who is interested in Latin American politics. “I have a very strong belief that we need to strengthen ties with Cuba,” she said.

“Athlete Mom”
The Huffington Post
September 24, 2009
Laura Pappano
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/laura-pappano/athlete-mom_b_297877.html

Laura Pappano, writer-in-residence at the Wellesley Centers for Women, writes about how pregnancy and giving birth changes perceptions of women athletes. “On the one hand, we have women athletes in a variety of sports performing impressively and appearing none the worse for having given birth,” Pappano wrote. “On the other hand, pregnancy and childbirth remain suspect activities, athletically speaking, and top performance is treated as nearly miraculous — and a key element of the event coverage.”

“The Surprise at My 50th Reunion”
Women on the Web
September 24, 2009
Judith Martin
http://www.wowowow.com/style/surprise-my-50th-year-reunion-judith-martin-383573

Judith Martin ’59, best known as “Miss Manners,” reflects on the ever-changing sense of self among the members of her class and how “success” is defined differently, depending on the reunion year.  “…by the 35th, I noticed that career success was not a reliable guide to who was interesting – and there seemed to be an unusual number of interesting women,” she said. “No one had been idle; those who had not worked for money or glory had worked for communities or causes.”

“Babson Professor Michael Goldstein Awarded NSF Grant to Study Seasonality, Artic Economics, and Mining Exploration ”
Press Release Point
September 24, 2009
http://www.pressreleasepoint.com/babson-professor-michael-goldstein-awarded-nsf-grant-study-seasonality-arctic-economics-and-mining-e

Babson College Professor Michael Goldsteinhas been awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to conduct a research project, “Collaborative Research: Diamonds and Oil from the Tundra: A System Study on the Impact of Changing Seasons on Mining and Oil Exploration.” Additionally, a course on “Arctic Economics: Environment and Seasonality” will be developed and offered to Babson, Olin College of Engineering and Wellesley College students as part of the recently announced three-college agreement to explore an expanded partnership among the three institutions.

“Open Letter on Open Access”
Inside Higher Ed
September 23, 2009
Steve Kolowich
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/09/23/access 

The presidents of 57 liberal arts colleges, including H. Kim Bottomly of Wellesley College, released an open letter on Tuesday endorsing the Federal Research Access Act of 2009, a bill aimed at increasing public access to academic research funded by the federal government. The bill would require researchers with grants from certain federal agencies – those that fund more than $100 million in extramural research annually – to make their final peer-reviewed manuscripts openly available in digital repositories within six months.

“A New Kitchen For HUDS Exec”
The Harvard Crimson
September 22, 2009
Jillian Kushner
http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=529088

After six and a half years at Harvard, Larry Kessel left Harvard University Dining Services and joined private food provider AVI Food Systems as executive chef and operations director for Wellesley College. At Wellesley, Kessel will be in charge of all culinary operations including running Wellesley’s five uniquely themed dining halls, according to Dawn Perry, AVI Food Systems’ vice president for marketing. “One of the great things for me that was a deal-closer was that at Harvard all the dining halls serve the same food,” Kessel said. “But [at Wellesley] I have five locations that all get different menus and different cuisines.”

“Mexican Prosecutors Probe Possible Frida Fakes”
The Associated Press
September 22, 2009
Catherine E. Shoichet
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/22/AR2009092203709.html

Mexican federal prosecutors are investigating a claim that more than 1,000 items attributed to artist Frida Kahlo were forged. "This will infect all the studies of Frida Kahlo with a virus, with bad, inaccurate information," said James Oles, art history, who has joined with other art historians in criticizing the publications.

“All Introversion Is Not the Same”
Psychology Today
September 21, 2009
Sophia Dembling
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-introverts-corner/200909/all-introversion-is-not-the-same

Jonathan Cheek, psychology, discusses the problems with distinguishing between introversion and shyness. Cheek says that while some psychologists think the words are synonymous, others do not. "A lot of it is, do you want to call this thing a table or a chair?" he asks. While many people self-identify as shy, whether this is problematic or not depends on their need to socialize – an important distinction, says Cheek. Cheek also explains the four subcategories of shyness that his research has identified: shy-secure, shy-withdrawn, shy-dependent, and shy-conflicted.

“Optimistic Meltdown, Shades of Pessimism and Spotting a Liar”
The Globe and Mail (Canada)
September 21, 2009
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/facts-and-arguments/optimistic-meltdown-shades-of-pessimism-and-spotting-a-liar/article1295132/

Pessimists tend to be worriers, and worrying is not necessarily a bad thing. There is a significant difference between the pessimistic person who worries about the worst-case scenario but is willing to give it a shot, and the pessimist who assumes that they will fail, that it won't work out, so they won't bother. The latter is associated with “hopeless pessimism,” and with depression. In contrast, there is “defensive pessimism,” which is not related to depression and may even be a protective factor. Julie Norem, professor of psychology at Wellesley College, addresses the phenomenon in her book The Positive Power of Negative Thinking.

“Funding Update”
BioArray News
September 21, 2009
http://www.genomeweb.com/arrays/funding-update-4

Brian Tjaden, computer sciences, has been awarded a National Science Foundation Microarray Grant. His research will focus on methods for characterizing small genes in bacteria.

“Swine Flu Reports Subside at Wellesley College”
The Boston Globe
September 19, 2009
Caitlin Castello
http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/wellesley/2009/09/cases_of_swine_flu_down_at_wel.html

Twelve Wellesley College students, down from the 20 reported Friday, were suffering from swine-flu-like symptoms Saturday, the college said. According to a statement from the college, “Influenza-like illness has been reported by students daily for about a week. Each day this week, we have had on average one to two dozen students in self-isolation.”
Also covered by:
The Wellesley Townsman: http://www.wickedlocal.com/wellesley/news/x1358731932/The-flu-returns-to-Wellesley-after-summer-break
NECN (Boston): http://www.necn.com/Boston/Health/2009/09/19/-Wellesley-College-dealing/1253377071.html
WHDH-TV (Boston): http://www1.whdh.com/news/articles/local/BO124817/

“Mexico Will Soon Unveil New Housing Price Index”
Bloomberg News
September 18, 2009
Jens Erik Gould
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601009&sid=aWm.7qvdCONw

Mexico’s government plans to create an index to measure housing prices, similar to the Case-Shiller index, created by Karl Case, economics, and Yale professor and economist Robert Shiller. Having a housing price index “is a major asset that drives consumer spending and that matters for the mortgage market,” Case said. “If you have more data that prices have been volatile in the past, then you have more data to make a rational decision.”

“Split-shift Parenting”
The Bulletin (Oregon)
September 18, 2009
Alandra Johnson
http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090918/NEWS0107/909180334/-1/RSSNEWSMAP

Parents in families are increasingly working split or opposite shifts due to the need to cut child care costs or job requirements. Working differing shifts can force men to become more involved in parenting and household duties, said Rosanna Hertz, sociology and women’s studies. But often the tasks are not divided equally. “Women continue to be the family's main anchor person,” said Hertz. Shift work is like a tag team model, but the wife is the “one organizing the team.”

“Campus Hit Early By H1N1 Flu”
WCVB TV (Boston)
September 17, 2009
http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news/20971764/detail.html

Since the H1N1 flu seems to hit young people especially hard, it is of particular concern at colleges and universities. Students at Wellesley College have reported flu-like symptoms since the start of classes. "When the temperature is over 100, that's when the case definition for presumed influenza is established," said Dr. Vanessa Britto, director, Wellesley College Health Service. "We have established flu buddies for help getting meals to students.”

“ACLU, Fighting the Good Fight”
The Providence Phoneix
September 17, 2009
Bill Rodriguez
http://thephoenix.com/Providence/News/90071-ACLU-fighting-the-good-fight/

Local attorneys who brought landmark church/state cases before the federal Supreme Court will discuss the history and legal positions of the American Civil Liberties Union on religious, as well as what the U.S. Constitution has to say. Stephen Marini, religion, who will be the moderator at the event, explained the ambiguity of the First Amendment. "The logic of the amendment is the problem," Marini said. "The one clause is the inverse of the other…It's very oddly phrased, the way the founders did.”

“Monkeys Get Full Color Vision”
Science News
September 16, 2009
Tina Hesman Saey
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/47396/title/Monkeys_get_full_color_vision

Researchers have performed gene therapy that allowed male squirrel monkeys, which are usually red-green color-blind, to have full color vision. The achievement may have implications for understanding the evolution of color vision, said Bevil Conway, a neuroscientist at Wellesley College. “Somehow the brains of these monkeys are already wired to decode these color signals,” Conway said, a fact that raises the possibility that “the evolution of color vision may have required just one genetic switch.” But, Conway said, “We have no idea if this would work in humans or that it would be a delightful experience for the people post-surgery.”

Also featured in:
US News and World Report: http://www.usnews.com/articles/science/2009/09/16/monkeys-obtain-full-color-vision-with-gene-therapy.html
The Oregonian: http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/09/genetherapy_fixes_color_blindn.html
NewsGuide.us: http://www.newsguide.us/education/science/Gene-Therapy-Gives-Monkeys-Color-Vision/

“Web Science: Understanding the Web”
iTunesU
September 15, 2009
Panagiotis Takis Metaxas
http://deimos3.apple.com/WebObjects/Core.woa/Browse/wellesley.edu.1221592283.01221592286.2465537522?i=1552180567

Takis Metaxas, computer science, went back to basics to define the prevailing term “Web.” Originally envisioned as a network of cooperating computers operating through protocols, the Web was created by Tim Berners-Lee. “For us, for computer scientists, the Web is just a huge directed graph of Web pages and links,” Metaxas observed.

"BOOKS: Sinking the Ship of State: The Presidency of George W. Bush”
NJ.com
September 15, 2009
Ian Graham
http://www.nj.com/entertainment/arts/index.ssf/2009/09/books_a_tale_of_two_brothers_i.html

Chief archivist Ian Graham reviews the second edition of Walter Brasch’s collection of editorials during the two terms of the Bush administration. “Brasch staked out positions wildly unpopular at the time, many of which have since been adopted by a majority of the public,” Graham pointed out.

“Realists Warn on Afghanistan War”
The Huffington Post
September 15, 2009
Steve Clemons
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steve-clemons/realists-warn-on-strikeir_b_287523.htmlb

A number of scholars and commentators, including Robert Paarlberg, political science, have drafted and signed an open letter to President Obama. The letter outlines many of the key questions and concerns about growing the U.S. presence in Afghanistan.

“Critic’s Picks: Art”
The Boston Globe
September 13, 2009
Sebastian Smee
http://www.boston.com/ae/theater_arts/articles/2009/09/13/visual_arts_shows_and_events_this_fall/

Wellesley College’s Davis Museum and Cultural Center presents “21 Etchings and Poems,” an exhibit of prints combining poetry and art from a 1960 portfolio of the same name, and featuring work by artists and poets such as Dylan Thomas, Frank O’Hara, Helen Phillips and Willem De Kooning. The exhibit has been chosen as a critic’s pick by The Boston Globe.

“Wilton Runners Carrying on Tradition in College”
The Hour (Norwalk, Conn.)
September 12, 2009
John Nash
http://www.thehour.com/story/474802

Camille Basurto ’13 was one of the senior leaders of the Wilton, Conn., cross country team, a part of the tradition made stronger by the heart, the will and the effort they had put in for each other and for their teammates over the course of their careers. She opened her college running career in very impressive fashion. In Amherst, Mass., at the Smith College Invitational, Basurto led the Wellesley College women's team to a win by placing third overall and running No. 1 for the team, finishing the 5K course in 20:09.46.

“Olin-Babson-Wellesley Collaboration”
The Needham Channel
September 11, 2009
Melissa Gaudette
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50GkUG4_UP8

A collaborative effort that tries to incorporate every level of life at Olin College, Wellesley College and Babson College was announced at a Sept. 9 press conference. "We’re just formalizing an agreement that is already going on between the institutions,” said President H. Kim Bottomly. “Students are already interacting on various projects, students are going back and forth between the campuses to take courses that they’ve always been interested in and aren’t offered at their own institution, and now students will be involved in bigger projects.”

“Older Workers and the Recession: Still Good for a Few More Years”
The Economist
September 10, 2009
http://www.economist.com/world/unitedstates/displaystory.cfm?story_id=14428535

The labor force of over-55s — those either working or looking for work — has grown briskly since the recession began, by almost 8 percent. The most common explanation is that shattered stock and house values have forced many workers to delay retirement so as to rebuild their nest eggs. The importance of this factor is a matter of debate. One study concluded that for each $100,000 in unexpected gains in the 1990s, the typical shareholder retired seven months earlier. But a later one by Courtney Coile and Phillip Levine, economics, found that the stock market boom in the 1990s and its subsequent bust had no measurable impact on overall labor supply. They concluded that it did influence the retirement decisions of some workers, but most either had too little invested in the market to be affected or were wealthy enough not to care.
Also featured in Calgary Herald: http://www.calgaryherald.com/entertainment/Older+workers+still+good+more+years/1988877/story.html

“Wellesley This Week”
The Wellesley Channel (WCAC-TV)
September 10, 2009
http://www.wellesleychannel.tv/wcac_view_regular.htm

Three local colleges — Babson College, Olin College of Engineering and Wellesley College — announced their intention to work together in new ways. “These three institutions, each distinguished in their own right, and having very different missions, are forming a really unique partnership,” said President H. Kim Bottomly. (Segment begins about one-third of the way through the program, which can be fast-forwarded.)

“Case: Commercial Real Estate Next to Fall”
Moneynews.com
September 10, 2009
Dan Weil
http://moneynews.newsmax.com/streettalk/case_commercial/2009/09/10/258579.html

Karl Case, economics, notes that commercial real estate could be the next domino to fall. As for the housing slump, “it’s a tricky question” as to whether it’s over, Case says. “If you look at all the quantitative numbers — existing home sales, new home sales, pending home sales — all the indications of the volume of sales have been up for three to four months now. House prices are sort of the last factor, and they’re up now for two months in a row, which means I think we’re at least at something like a bottom.”

“Enrollment Increases in Classes with New Titles”
AACRAO Transcript (American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers)
September 10, 2009
Heather Zimar
http://www.aacrao.org/transcript/index.cfm?fuseaction=show_view&doc_id=4418

In an effort to boost enrollment in classes, college faculty are changing course titles to appeal to a new generation of students, reports The Boston Globe. Nicolas de Warren, philosophy, is coteaching "The Stars and Stages: Philosophy and the Cosmos." In order to be competitive, Warren told the Globe, course titles need to speak immediately to the students.

“Key to Happiness? Be Kind, Exercise”
The Sydney Morning Herald (Australia)
September 10, 2009
Hannah Booth
http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/wellbeing/key-to-happiness-be-kind-exercise-20090909-fhnc.html

Happiness is proving elusive for many and depression rates are growing in the West, prompting psychology researchers to try to pinpoint exactly what makes us happy. Julie Norem, psychology, suggests putting your pessimism to work. ''Defensive pessimists expect the worst and expend lots of energy mentally rehearsing how things might go wrong,” she said. “But by doing this, they can improve the odds of achieving their goals. It's a useful skill for everyone to learn.”

“Teaching Your Children Wealth”
CNNMoney
September 9, 2009
Ismat Sarah Mangla
http://moneyfeatures.blogs.money.cnn.com/2009/09/09/teach-your-children-wealth/

A personal finance course at Wellesley College in Massachusetts is one of America’s 10 Hottest College Classes, proclaims The Daily Beast. An impressive feat, given that other courses on the list include a Yale lab that takes students on a trip to an Amazon rain forest and the University of Michigan’s History of College Athletics, which brings in storied Big 10 football coaches to address the class. Taught as an economics course by Ann Witte, the class focuses on everything from insurance to taxes to investing.

“Olin, Babson, Wellesley Tout Collaboration”
The Needham Times
September 9, 2009
Steven Ryan
http://www.wickedlocal.com/needham/news/education/x186852779/Olin-Babson-Wellesley-tout-collaboration

In the not-so-coincidental setting of the Wellesley Room at the Olin Center at Babson College, three small colleges within close proximity of each other talked big as they elaborated on their recently announced collaboration. H. Kim Bottomly, the president of Wellesley College, noted the genesis of the collaboration was a three-college course the presidents taught called “Ethics and Leadership.” “Bringing all three together will bring a different perspective, deeper insights and broader learning,” Bottomly said. “We are close together and are not limited by the borders of our campuses.”

“Wellesley College Alumnae Appointed to U.S. Foreign Service”
The Wellesley Townsman
September 9, 2009
http://www.wickedlocal.com/wellesley/news/x186852212/Wellesley-College-alumnae-appointed-to-U-S-Foreign-Service

Wellesley College graduates Jessica Berlow ’03, Jennifer Jensen ’09 and Katherine Musgrove ’09 have received appointments to the United States Foreign Service – joining the ranks of another famous Wellesley diplomat.

“America’s 10 Hottest Classes”
The Daily Beast
September 8, 2009
Kathleen Kingsbury
http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-09-08/americas-10-hottest-classes/?cid=hp:blogunit1

As the new school year kicks off, The Daily Beast asked 54 colleges across the country what their "best classes" are this year—the ones everyone wants to get into but only the lucky few can. From these, the most interesting of the bunch were culled. From Wellesley, Professor of Economics Ann Witte’s personal finance course has become popular among students looking for skills that will keep them out of the red once they graduate. “Students take out loans and credit cards all the time without even thinking about it,” says former Witte student Noelle Fogg, adding that she thinks the class "should be renamed ‘life skills’ and be mandatory.”

“Colleges Find Juicy Titles Swell Enrollment”
The Boston Globe
September 8, 2009
Peter Schworm
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/09/08/colleges_find_juicy_course_titles_swell_enrollment/

As schools compete for students and faculty come under pressure to boost enrollment in their classes, colleges from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst to Wellesley are jazzing up course catalogs to entice a generation of students drawn to the dramatic. This year’s offerings include crowd-pleasing topics like massacres, superheroes and sin. Students have a lot of options, faculty members say, and a little sparkle doesn’t hurt. “The dean’s office monitors enrollment, and humanities tend to suffer,’’ said Nicolas de Warren, philosophy, who is co-teaching “The Stars and the Sages: Philosophy and the Cosmos.” “With such a rich offering of courses, there’s a kind of competition, and titles that speak immediately to students can make a difference.’’

“MetroWest Events Planned in Remembrance of 9/11”
The MetroWest Daily News
September 8, 2009
Julia Spitz
http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/news/x282697941/MetroWest-events-planned-in-remembrance-of-9-11

As the nation observes the eighth anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks, residents will honor the victims with ceremonies, moments of silence, salutes to soldiers' families and a play. At Wellesley College, a staged reading of "The Guys" will be performed by Wellesley Summer Theater Company. "It's very simple and it's very moving," said Nora Hussey, theater studies, and founder of the Wellesley Summer Theater Company. "It details the anguish the common person felt" and shows "the layers of connection" we all share, she said.

"Three College Presidents Will Host Babson-Olin-Wellesley Collaboration Celebration"
The Wellesley Townsman
September 7, 2009
http://www.wickedlocal.com/wellesley/news/education/x939032519/Three-college-presidents-will-host-Babson-Olin-Wellesley-collaboration-celebration

Babson, Olin and Wellesley college presidents are holding a community celebration of their new three-college agreement that builds on geographic proximity and complementary educational strengths to explore an expanded partnership among the three institutions on Wednesday, Sept. 9, at 1:30 p.m. Babson President Leonard A. Schlesinger, Olin President Richard K. Miller and Wellesley President H. Kim Bottomly will discuss the vision behind the expanded partnership and the first collaborative program to emerge. They will call on the community for ideas and suggestions for making the most of their joint resources.

“A Skillful Recovery”
The Boston Herald
September 7, 2009
Thomas Grillo
http://news.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1195876

The nation’s jobless rate reached a 26-year high last month, and some are nervous about Massachusetts’ jobless numbers slated to be released later this month. But local analysts insist the Bay State is poised for a rebound. “We still have problems. There are budget troubles in municipalities, and we have mortgage foreclosures to deal with,” said Karl Case, economics. “But we have a mix of jobs,” noting that health-care workers are needed for Boston area hospitals and “more than 100 colleges and universities inside Route 495…have to be staffed because they always have a cue of customers.”

“College Pairs With Google”
The Boston Globe
September 6, 2009
Adam J.V. Sell
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2009/09/06/preparing_for_town_day_in_arlington/?page=3

While most college students are told to turn their telephones off when they enter the classroom, students in a new class at Wellesley College are encouraged to play with theirs. Google Research is partnering with several schools to develop classes designed to explore how computing is changing. P. Takis Metaxas, computer science, will teach “The Socio-Technological Web,’’ a course he designed with Franklyn Turbak, computer science, and visiting scholar Eni Mustafaraj. Students will study the evolution of the Internet as a home for social media, and discuss issues raised by the development of such websites as Facebook and YouTube and messaging services such as Twitter. Google has provided 20 Android smart phones for the students to use.

“Americans Abroad on Their Perfect Days”
The Boston Globe
September 6, 2009
http://www.boston.com/travel/getaways/asia/articles/2009/09/06/americans_abroad_on_their_perfect_days/

Wellesley College senior Elizabeth Kane details her perfect day in London, and gives some pointers for students about to study abroad. “If I’m clever and show up for last admission, my guide might save me a front-row seat for Evensong or let me sit in the queen’s chair and indulge my delusions of royal grandeur,” she writes. “I then must reassume my tourist status and take an early evening ride on the London Eye to catch sight of Harrods illuminated against the darkness of Hyde Park.”

“Colleges Brace for Swine Flu Assault”
The Boston Globe
September 5, 2009
Stephen Smith
http://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2009/09/05/colleges_brace_for_swine_flu_assault/

With thousands of college students flooding New England campuses this week, universities are taking unprecedented measures to contain possible outbreaks of influenza, knowing that young adults sit squarely in the bull’s-eye of susceptibility to swine flu. Wellesley College urged parents to make sure their daughters packed more than argyles and iPods. “We told them to pack a flu kit,’’ said Michelle Lepore, associate dean of students. “We sent a note home to parents and said it’s really important that your students have digital thermometers, ibuprofen, acetaminophen, alcohol-based hand sanitizer.’’

“Colleges Prepare for Swine Flu Outbreak”
WBUR-FM
September 4, 2009
Monica Brady-Myerov
http://www.wbur.org/2009/09/04/college-swine-flu

Crowded dorms, shared bathrooms and communal eating all make college campuses a giant petri dish for viruses. So they have spent the summer diligently planning for a swine flu outbreak, said Michelle LePore, associate dean of students at Wellesley College. “We actually don’t know what we’ll see, but we have to have plans to address a multitude of issues,” LePore said. “So we are certainly beginning to think about how students could connect virtually to faculty members, if that’s what we need to be doing.”

"Why College Costs Rise, Even in a Recession"
The New York Times
September 4, 2009
Ron Lieber
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/05/your-money/paying-for-college/05money.html?_r=1&emc=tnt&tntemail0=y

Earlier this year, the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities announced that the average increase in tuition and fees at private institutions this school year would be the smallest in 37 years — 4.3 percent, just a little higher than inflation. Public universities will always appeal on price, and Wellesley and Harvard are likely to remain oversubscribed forever. But Lafayette and colleges like it could have trouble justifying themselves and their cost soon, and the resistance may not simply pass once the economy improves.

“Top Ten Campus Museums”
The Boston Globe
September 4, 2009
Sebastian Smee
http://www.boston.com/ae/theater_arts/articles/2009/09/04/10_top_campus_art_collections/

The Davis Museum and Cultural Center at Wellesley College has been named as one of the top 10 campus museums in New England. Housed in a building designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Rafael Moneo, the 10,000-object collection includes pieces from almost every continent, from ancient times to the present.

“Housing’s Hidden Strength”
BusinessWeek
September 3, 2009
Prashant Gopal
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/09_37/b4146022997904.htm

Homebuilders and realtors are lobbying Congress to keep alive the tax credit for home purchases and to make it available to more buyers. They say the $8,000 credit – which is for people who have not owned a home for three years or more and expires after Nov. 30 – has boosted demand for low-priced homes, many of them foreclosed and in need of repair. "The tiers are really revealing," says Karl Case, economics. "[The rising prices] can't be just first-time buyers." While prices could fall after the expiration of the tax credit, says Case, "It's not a knockout blow if the expansion is broad-based."

“Wellesley Summer Theatre to Present ‘The Guys’”
The Wellesley Townsman
September 3, 2009
http://www.wickedlocal.com/wellesley/news/x939031952/Wellesley-Summer-Theatre-to-present-The-Guys

To commemorate the eighth anniversary of the attacks of September 11, 2001, Wellesley Summer Theatre will present a staged reading of “The Guys,” by Anne Nelson, directed by Nora Hussey. First performed in a hit off-off-Broadway production, and now a film starring Sigourney Weaver and Anthony La Paglia, “The Guys” is a timeless drama about the surprising truths people can discover in ordinary lives, and the connections we make with others and ourselves in times of tragedy.

“Do-Gooder Schools: Penn State, Three Local Colleges Rank High”
The Philadelphia Inquirer
September 3, 2009
Peter Mucha
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/breaking/20090903_As_do-gooders__Penn_State__Haverford__Bryn_Mawr__Swarthmore_rank.html

A new ranking of universities focuses on contributions to society. Wellesley College comes in at #10 among liberal arts colleges.

“World Fusion Percussion Ensemble at Wellesley College”
The Boston Globe
September 3, 2009
http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/wellesley/2009/09/world_fusion_percussion_ensemb.html

Mecca Bodega, a spirited New York City-based world fusion percussion ensemble, will open the Concert Series at Wellesley College’s 2009-2010 season with an outdoor performance at the Jewett Stairway at Wellesley College on September 16.The performance will be held in conjunction with the Opening Celebration, from 6 to 8 pm, of the new exhibitions at the Davis Museum and Cultural Center at Wellesley College.

“The Stages of Denial”
Yahoo! News India
September 3, 2009
Mira Sethi
http://in.news.yahoo.com/48/20090903/1241/top-the-stages-of-denial.html

Wellesley College senior Mira Sethi visits Pakistan and writes of the reign of the Taliban and the Pakistani reaction to their role in the American “war on terror.” “A debate raged on Pakistani television, its trajectory akin to the stages of emotion a person undergoes during a bad break-up: denial, anger, acceptance,” she wrote. “Denial that the ‘war on terror,’ despite having reached Pakistan's borders, was not Pakistan's war but America's; anger at the West and allies within who were making us fight it; bitter acceptance, finally, that it indeed was our own problem.”

“Google Hands Out Some Cell Phones, Hoping Students Will Build Better Apps”
The Chronicle of Higher Education
September 2, 2009
Simmi Aujla
http://chronicle.com/blogPost/Google-Hands-Out-Some/7903/

Google has donated cell phones to 11 colleges and universities for use in introductory computer science courses this fall, hoping that students will build some interesting applications for the company's cell phone software. Each college has received 20 HTC phones loaded with Google’s Android operating system, which the company says allows students with no programming experience to create applications for sites like Facebook and Twitter. P. Takis Metaxas, computer science, who will teach a class using the phones starting next week, said a student who doesn’t know how to program can learn how to make applications on the Android software. Most of the students signed up for his class are first-year students, he said.

“Diane Sawyer: Anchors Aweigh at ABC”
The Los Angeles Times
September 2, 2009
Yvonne Villarreal
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2009/09/diane-sawyers-journey-to-abc-world-news.html

Diane Sawyer, Wellesley College class of 1967, will take the helm of “ABC World News” in January, following the retirement of her friend and one-time co-host Charles Gibson at the end of the year. Sawyer, currently the anchor of Good Morning America, has interviewed a wide range of luminaries including politicians such as President George W. Bush and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and entertainers such as Michael Jackson and Britney Spears.

“Advice for Executive Mates, from One to Another”
The Associated Press
September 2, 2009
Jamie Stengle
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hM1bdAXejLLrDyrFjIjx8i9ZP1wgD9AFDHV00

Colette Young, the wife of Dr Pepper Snapple Group chief executive Larry Young, formed a business to give advice on how to be a good corporate spouse. Rosanna Hertz, sociology and women's studies, said that one of the reasons married men have been attractive to the corporate world is that they bring with them wives who can become active in the community, which may bring in clients. Hertz said that Young seems to be trying to create a niche for the modern corporate wife, making her importance more visible than it was in the past."It's a modern twist on what was an antiquated role for women," said Hertz.
The Seattle Times: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2009794465_apusfealifestylesexecutivespouses.html
San Francisco Chronicle: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/09/02/lifestyle/l134344D56.DTL
Salon.com: http://www.salon.com/wires/ap/us/2009/09/02/D9AFDHV00_us_fea_lifestyles_executive_spouses/
ABC 27 (South Florida):http://www.wtxl.com/Global/story.asp?S=11036241&nav=menu594_2_10
ABC 7:http://www.kvia.com/Global/story.asp?S=11036241
The Daily Breeze (California): http://www.dailybreeze.com/business/ci_13255354 ]http://www.dailybreeze.com/business/ci_13255354
The 33 KDAF-TV (Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas): http://www.the33tv.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-us-fea-lifestyles-executive-spouses,0,1486011.story

“Liberal Arts College Rankings”
Washington Monthly
September 1, 2009
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/college_guide/rankings/liberal_arts_rank.php

Washington Monthly rates liberal arts colleges on social mobility (recruiting and graduating low-income students), research (producing cutting-edge scholarship and Ph.D.s), and service (encouraging students to give something back to their country). Wellesley College comes in at No. 10 on the list.

“Hillel Receives Honor to Help Strengthen University Program”
The Pendulum (Elon University student newspaper)
September 1, 2009
Laura Smith
http://www.elon.edu/pendulum/Story.aspx?id=2417

Hillel International has invited several schools, including Wellesley College, to join the Small and Mighty Campuses of Excellence II, an initiative that enhances experiences and opportunities for Jewish students on smaller college campuses. Through the initiative, students within the organization are eligible for grant money, alternative spring break trips, site visits from Hillel representatives, Jewish speakers and birthright trips, which are free educational trips to Israel for Jewish adults who are ages 18 to 26.

“Your Money! 36 Things Every Woman Should Know”
Glamour Magazine
September 2009
Sophia Banay
(Copies available upon request)

Karl Case, economics, offers advice on how to be smart about the new real estate market. “For 35 years, real estate was the surest investment there was,” he said. “Then it wasn’t. Prices have fallen, and foreclosures this May were up nearly 18 percent from last May. Now you need to be sure you can amply afford what you want.” Case advised looking at a house as someplace you could make a home for quite some time, rather than sell in a couple years for a profit. “It doesn’t necessarily have to appreciate to be a good deal. If you love it, you can afford it and if you plan to stay in it for a while, that’s what makes it a good deal.”

“The Physiology and Mechanics of Undulatory Swimming: A Student Laboratory Exercise Using Medicinal Leeches”
Advances in Physiology Education
David Ellerby
September 2009
http://advan.physiology.org/cgi/content/abstract/33/3/213

Davis Ellerby, biological sciences, contributes a research article on the medicinal leech as a useful animal model for investigating undulatory swimming in the classroom. Unlike many swimming organisms, its swimming performance can be quantified without specialized equipment, he writes. A large blood meal alters swimming behavior in a way that can be used to generate a discussion of the hydrodynamics of swimming, muscle mechanics, hydrostatic skeletons and the physiological features that allow leeches to deal with the volume increase and osmotic load imposed by the meal.

“Poetry in Motion”
WellesleyWeston Magazine
Fall 2009
Diane Speare Triant
http://www.wellesleywestonmagazine.com/fall09/facetoface.htm

Dan Chiasson, English, 38, Guggenheim Fellow and newly appointed poetry editor of the venerable Paris Review, is working to keep the fragile genre relevant for a new generation. “Meaning is a collaboration between writer and reader. I think of poems as kits for putting meaning together. If I don’t provide the kit and the instructions, meaning doesn’t get made. If the reader doesn’t do the assembling, no meaning results,” Chiasson said.

August 2009

“One Big Happy Family: The Global Crisis Tests Postwar Alignments”
The Investment Professional
Summer 2009
Amy Buttell
http://www.theinvestmentprofessional.com/vol_2_no_3/happy-family.html

As old alliances break up and new players come to the table, the great powers of the post-WWII period aren’t going to be able to control the agenda as effectively as they have in the past. This may lead to a series of shifting national alliances that will hinge more on specific issues and interests than on an overall philosophy of government and economics. “I think that the U.S. will have to learn to make coalitions with countries other than the other G-7 countries,” says Joseph Joyce, economics. “These coalitions will be changing all the time and there will be times, for example, when the U.S. and China will be in agreement and times when they are not. It shows that you need a crisis sometimes to force change. Inertia is a powerful force, and countries don’t give up power voluntarily.”

“Wellesley College, Google Launch New Social Networking Course”
The Boston Globe
August 31, 2009
http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/wellesley/2009/08/wellesley_college_and_google_l.html

Wellesley College and Google are collaborating on a new pilot course to be launched in the upcoming fall semester, in which students will be outfitted with Android Smartphones provided by Google to use and develop new social networking applications. The course, “The Socio-Technological Web,” will focus on the overlap between online social lives and the real world.

“Ditching Boys: Why Attending a Women’s College Is a Great Idea”
CBS MoneyWatch
August 31, 2009
Lynn O’Shaugnessy
http://moneywatch.bnet.com/saving-money/blog/college-solution/ditching-boys-why-attending-a-womens-college-is-a-great-idea/757/

Graduates of women’s colleges end up attending graduate school at significantly higher rates. Fifty three percent of alumni from women’s colleges earned a graduate degree versus 38 percent of women at other liberal arts colleges and 28 percent of women who attended public flagships. There are also many opportunities for women to interact with men at nearby institutions. Wellesley College just announced a partnership with Babson College and the Franklin W. Olin College Engineering that offers courses taught jointly by professors at all three schools. Here’s another plus for women’s colleges: You can capture some incredible bargains. Wellesley’s average need-based grant is $34,528.

"Georgetown Farmers Market Needs Musicians"
Georgetown Record
August 28, 2009
Sally Applegate
http://www.wickedlocal.com/georgetown/fun/entertainment/x425635511/Georgetown-Farmers-Market-needs-musicians

Beth DeSombre, environmental studies, is also a rising star on the Boston folk music scene. She will perform at the Georgetown Farmers Market Saturday, Sept. 26. “If you’re not careful, Beth’s melodies and lyrics will get stuck in your head,” warns Bram De Veer, Farmers Market committee member.

“Remembering the Hebron Massacre”
The Wall Street Journal
August 27, 2009
Jerold Auerbach
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203946904574300241762121888.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Jerold Auerbach, history, and author of Hebron Jews: Memory and Conflict in the Land of Israel, remembers the exile of Jews from Hebron 80 years ago. Tarpat, the name given the tragic day when 67 Jews were murdered, “extinguished the most ancient Jewish community in Palestine,” he wrote. “With synagogues destroyed, Jewish property converted into storerooms and barns for livestock, and the ancient cemetery desecrated, few signs remained that there had ever been a Jewish presence in Hebron.” The Jewish community returned to Hebron 40 years later, he wrote, perpetuating a theme deeply embedded in Jewish history: exile and return.

“Best Colleges”
U.S. News & World Report
August 27, 2009
http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/wellesley-ma/wellesley-college-2224

Wellesley College is ranked fourth among liberal arts colleges by U.S. News & World Report’s annual rankings, “America’s Best Colleges 2010.” “One of the most academically challenging colleges in the country and widely acknowledged as the nation's top women's college, Wellesley provides students with myriad opportunities on campus and beyond,” U.S. News notes.

“Home Prices, Sales on Rise in Boston Area”
The Boston Globe
August 26, 2009
Chris Reidy and Katie Johnston Chase
http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2009/08/26/reports_suggest_mass_home_buyers_overcoming_qualms/

Home prices in Greater Boston have increased for three straight months and the number of houses selling is up sharply, suggesting that the long housing slump is over. Housing industry specialist Karl E. Case, economics, said the Boston market is “bottoming out.’’ He noted that the housing index he cofounded, the S&P/Case-Shiller home price indexes, showed several months of prices increasing in Greater Boston. “That’s significant,’’ he said.

“Bay State Housing Looking Up At Last”
The Boston Herald
August 26, 2009
Jerry Kronenberg
http://www.bostonherald.com/business/real_estate/view.bg?articleid=1193431&srvc=business&position=1

The Bay State’s long-running housing bust might be finally winding down after four years of seemingly endless declines. Wellesley College economist Karl Case told Bloomberg Radio that June’s narrower decline shows “the boat has turned” on U.S. housing. “These numbers are really saying something – that (housing) is not going down any more and it’s beginning to come up,” he said.

“Index Shows an Improvement in Home Prices”
The New York Times
August 25, 2009
David Streitfeld
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/26/business/economy/26econ.html?em

In a convincing sign that the worst housing slump of modern times is coming to an end, prices are starting to rise in nearly all of the nation’s large cities. Eighteen of the 20 cities tracked by Standard & Poor’s Case-Shiller Home Price Index~showed improvement in June, up from eight in May, four in April and only one in March. “When I saw these numbers, I danced a jig,” said Karl Case, economics. “It appears that the housing market is stabilizing quicker than people thought it would.”
Also covered by The Money Times: http://www.themoneytimes.com/featured/20090826/home-prices-gain-after-surge-sale-id-1081463.html
SmartBrief: http://www.smartbrief.com/news/nyssa/storyDetails.jsp?issueid=11EBDE2C-93C8-4E35-BE38-5047F168809B&copyid=F58AC275-EEB2-4CF2-A310-46A442DA2AEE

“Inland Real Estate Dives Into Troubled Commercial Market”
The New York Times
August 25, 2009
Susan Diesenhouse
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/26/realestate/commercial/26invest.html?hpw

This year, United States commercial property sales are down by about 90 percent from their peak in 2007, but a handful of cash-rich investors see this troubled market as a prime buying opportunity. The weak economy continues to exert more downward pressure on values, said Karl Case, economics. “Every office job lost knocks off demand for 180 square feet. With 6.7 million jobs gone — many in the service sector — a lot of demand has evaporated,” he said.

“Home Market Shows Signs of Life in U.S. as Price Declines Slow”
Bloomberg
August 25, 2009
Kathleen M. Howley and Shobhana Chandra
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aeu4pHDAIb1E

The worst may be over for the U.S. real estate market, according to two gauges of home prices. The S&P/Case-Shiller home-price index, which tracks 20 metropolitan areas, declined 15.4 percent in June from a year earlier, the smallest drop since April 2008. “It is real and it looks like a turn,’” said index co-creator Karl Case, economics, in an interview on Bloomberg Radio. “It’s not going down any more and it’s beginning to come up. That’s very good for the future of this financial problem.”

“Three Colleges to Offer Combined Curricula”
The Boston Globe
August 24, 2009
Tracy Jan
http://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2009/08/24/wellesley_college_teams_with_olin_babson_to_offer_new_curricula/

Wellesley College will launch a unique collaboration this fall with two neighboring schools with very different missions, as part of an effort to offer students from each of the colleges a more diverse educational experience at little additional cost. At a time when many colleges have been forced to cut back and reevaluate what they offer, the elite liberal arts school for women has found common ground with Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering, a tiny school just 7 years old, and Babson College, a business school with an entrepreneurial bent. “This will benefit students in the future,’’ said President H. Kim Bottomly, “an education that involves distinct and diverse viewpoints weighing in on important issues.’’
Also covered by The Associated Press, WBUR- FM (NPR)
The Chronicle of Higher Education: http://chronicle.com/blogPost/3-Boston-Area-Colleges-to/7784/
WBZ Radio: http://www.wbz.com/Three-MA-colleges-team-up-to-give-students-more-op/5067593
The Boston Herald: http://news.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1193035
My Fox Boston: http://www.myfoxboston.com/dpp/news/local/3_diverse_mass_colleges_team_up_082409
Diverse Issues in Higher Education:http://diverseeducation.com/artman/publish/article_12958.shtml
7 News: http://www3.whdh.com/news/articles/local/BO122524/
WCVB TV: http://www.thebostonchannel.com/education/20527948/detail.html
CBS06 (Albany, N.Y.): http://www.cbs6albany.com/news/colleges-1265815-diverse-mass.html
News Ten (Albany, N.Y.):http://www.wten.com/Global/story.asp?S=10978163
University Business: http://www.universitybusiness.com/newssummary.aspx?news=yes&postid=20164
The Dispatch (Lexington, N.C): http://www.the-dispatch.com/article/20090824/APN/908240689
Newsday: http://www.newsday.com/3-diverse-mass-colleges-teaming-up-1.1389846
Wellesley Townsman: http://www.wickedlocal.com/wellesley/news/x1886179023/Wellesley-Olin-and-Babson-Colleges-launch-new-partnerships
Worcester Telegram: http://www.telegram.com/article/20090824/APN/908240596
AACRAO Transcript: http://www.aacrao.org/transcript/index.cfm?fuseaction=show_view&doc_id=4404

“Popsicle Pushers and 21st Century Childrearing”
The Early Ed Watch Blog
August 24, 2009
Lisa Guernsey
http://www.newamerica.net/blog/early-ed-watch/2009/21st-century-childrearing-amid-popsicle-pushers-14142

A recent Qualitative Sociology article, written by Markella Rutherford, sociology, explains what educators are seeing play out in today's families. Rutherford compared childrearing advice in Parents magazine from 1929 to 2006. What she found is that parents have, over the decades, given their kids more choices at home while tightening the leash once outside the house. "Instead of increased autonomy," Rutherford wrote, "there has been a historical trade-off in children's autonomy; while Parents portrays children as having gained some kinds of autonomy in the private spaces of their homes, they have lost much of their public autonomy outside the home."

“Taking Fortune by the Hand”
The Boston Globe
August 23, 2009
Cindy Cantrell
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2009/08/23/four_local_women_head_to_wellesley_to_continue_their_educations/

Four women’s unorthodox paths to higher education are featured. In their lives, college was put off or delayed or accomplished while they raised a family. While these women have different backgrounds, they share a commitment to balancing college with family and work obligations. All graduated from Middlesex Community College in May, and will enter Wellesley College this fall through its Davis Degree Program, for nontraditional-age students with diverse life experiences. According to Susan Cohen, director of the Davis program, 18 students were accepted for the upcoming school year from among 57 applicants. Of the current Davis Scholars, 25 percent are in their 20s, and 20 percent are over 40.

“So Mom and Dad, You Want Full Disclosure?”
The Boston Globe
August 23, 2009
Calvin Hennick
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2009/08/23/colleges_west_of_boston_take_varied_tacks_on_updating_parents/

Federal privacy laws give students rights over their own information — including grades — when they turn 18. However, area colleges differ in how they interpret the law and balance a student’s rights and a parent’s desire to know. Brandeis University and Wellesley College do not release grade information directly to parents, although school officials maintain that the law allows them to do so if a student is still a financial dependent.

“Marshall Goldman, Russian Affairs Expert, To Be Featured Guest at Next Rotary Meeting”
The Wellesley Townsman
August 20, 2009
http://www.wickedlocal.com/wellesley/news/x1373193914/Marshall-Goldman-Russian-affairs-expert-to-be-featured-guest-at-next-Rotary-meeting

Marshall Goldman, economics emeritus, will discuss his latest of many books, Petrostate: Putin, and the New Russia, as the special guest speaker at the next meeting of the Rotary Club of Wellesley. An expert on the Russian economy and the economics of high technology, he joined the Wellesley faculty in 1958. In 1998, the Wellesley College Alumnae Association awarded him its first Faculty Service Award. He is also associate director of the Davis Center for Russian Studies at Harvard University.

“Princeton, Harvard Share Top Spot in U.S. News College Rankings”
Bloomberg
August 19, 2009
Oliver Staley
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=am3V9ndGwDtk

Wellesley College tied for fourth with Middlebury College on the U.S. News & World Report’s ranking of the top liberal arts colleges in the nation. U.S. News’s ratings, begun in 1983, are based on criteria such as student test scores, selectivity and peer evaluations.~College presidents have criticized the rankings as distorting the admissions process by leading students to look at the list and not whether a school fits their needs.

“It’s Not Your Mom and Dad’s Parenting”
The New York Times
August 17, 2009
Lisa Belkin
http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/17/changes-in-parenting-over-generations/?pagemode=print

Markella Rutherford, sociology, explored how and why parenting changes from one generation to the next in a study recently published in Qualitative Sociology. She reviewed 300 advice columns that were published in Parents magazine between 1929 and 2006. Her findings? Today’s children have more freedom inside the house (the right to express their opinions and disagree with their parents) but less freedom outside the house (kept on a shorter leash, consistent with growing fears for children’s safety).

“Missouri Women’s Network Honors Three Area Women for their Contributions to Advancing Equality for Women”
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch
August 17, 2009
Deb Peterson
http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/deb-petersons-breaking-schmooze/uncategorized/2009/08/missouri-womens-network-honors-three-area-women-for-their-contributions-to-advancing-equality-for-women/

Jean Hardisty, author, political scientist and senior scholar with the Wellesley Centers for Research on Women, will be the keynote speaker at the 22nd Annual Equality Day brunch, which commemorates the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution guaranteeing women the right to vote.

“Doctor of Philanthropy”
The Boston Globe
August 16, 2009
Cindy Cantrell
http://www.boston.com/ae/events/articles/2009/08/16/newton_wellesley_hospital_honors_volunteer_for_service?s_campaign=8315

Wellesley College senior Catherine Caruso of Belmont, Mass., recently earned her fourth scholarship from the Marine Technology Society. This spring, she spent three months studying in the Caribbean’s Turks and Caicos Islands, where she conducted research on tropical fish biodiversity. This summer, she is working at the New England Aquarium where she is researching the liquefied-natural-gas terminal in the Boston Harbor Islands National Park. The $2,000 scholarship is for college students interested in marine technology or instrumentation.

“West Grad Gets Research Grant”
The Free Press (Mankato, Minn.)
August 15, 2009
Dan Linehan
http://www.mankatofreepress.com/local/local_story_227224143.html

Wellesley College junior Adriane Otopalik has won a Beckman Scholarship of about $20,000 that will fund her research this summer, during her junior year and the following summer. Working under Nancy Kolodny, chemistry, Otopalik has spent a lot of time with blue Australian crayfish. Kolodny praised Otopalik’s creativity in the lab. “When you do research, it’s not that you’re doing something that other people have done. You’re trying to find new ways of doing things, other phenomena that aren’t understood,” she said.

“Seven Steps to Instant Happiness”
The Guardian (London, England)
August 15, 2009
Hannah Booth
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/aug/15/expert-advice-happy

Julie Norem, psychology, offers a tip to finding happiness — use your pessimism. "Defensive pessimists expect the worst and expend lots of energy mentally rehearsing how things might go wrong,” she said. “But by doing this, they can improve the odds of achieving their goals. It's a useful skill for everyone to learn.”

“Framingham High Students Get a Taste of College Science”
MetroWest Daily News
August 14, 2009
John Hilliard
http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/news/x1406404214/Framingham-High-students-get-a-taste-of-college-science

A group of Framingham High School seniors received hands-on training in scientific research as part of a new six-week program offered by Wellesley College. During the program, the high schoolers worked closely with Wellesley students during science labs and actively participated in the courses, said the program's coordinator, Christa Skow, biological sciences. "It broadens the perspective they have," said Skow. The effort with Framingham High began because of existing ties between the college and the high school's science department and administration, she said. It was offered with the help of volunteers from the college staff, and came at no cost to the high school or its students.

“Study: Financial Windfalls Hasten Early Retirement”
ScienceBlog
August 13, 2009
Jan Dennis
http://www.scienceblog.com/cms/study-financial-windfalls-hasten-early-retirement-24057.html

Older workers who get a jolt of cash out of the blue are more likely to cash in on early retirement, according to new research led by two University of Illinois finance professors and Courtney Coile, economics. The findings, which will appear in the Review of Economics and Statistics, also could apply to the recent downturn in the stock market, shedding light on whether some workers might wind up on the job longer because of deep, recession-driven losses in stock portfolios and other investments, the authors said.

“Endowment for Health Awards $1.5 Million in Grants”
BusinessNH Magazine
August 13, 2009
http://www.millyardcommunications.com/index.php?src=news&srctype=detail&category=News&refno=975

The Endowment for Health in Concord, a New Hampshire-based health foundation, recently awarded grants to provide resources for health-related projects in the state. Wellesley College received a $10,000 grant to reduce socio-cultural barriers to health in the state.

“Doyle, Barrett Say Mayor Should Pick MPS Leaders”
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
August 13, 2009
Erin Richards and Larry Sandler
http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/53190097.html

Gov. Jim Doyle and Mayor Tom Barrett both said that achieving significant reform in Milwaukee Public Schools would require the mayor to lead the school system and select the next superintendent. Experts generally agree that Detroit's experiment with mayoral school governance was a disaster. Wilbur Rich, political science, who has studied the issue for more than 20 years, said Detroit failed because its mayor didn't have enough support to pull it off. "I think (the success) depends on who your mayor is, what kind of background he has, and the commitment he has for following through with checking on the system," he said.

“Why Women’s Colleges Are Still Relevant”
Forbes
August 12, 2009
Heidi Brown
http://www.forbes.com/2009/08/12/womens-colleges-student-forbes-woman-leadership-graduate.html

An article from Forbes magazine discusses the advantages of women’s colleges, which include an open, empowering atmosphere, leadership training and co-ed classes. Wellesley College students can cross-register at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology or even earn a double degree: a B.A. from Wellesley and an S.B. degree from MIT over the course of five years. Alumnae of women's colleges say their experiences gave them a singular benefit: learning and living among a select group of intelligent, ambitious women. Wellesley is featured as one of the top ten women’s colleges in the nation.

“Strapped Colleges Keep Leaders in Luxury”
The Boston Globe
August 12, 2009
Tracy Jan
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/08/12/despite_tough_economy_college_presidents_live_in_style/

President H. Kim Bottomly opened the President’s House to a reporter and a photographer from The Boston Globe, even allowing a glimpse at her bedroom, which overlooks Lake Waban. “I’m living here as a custodian of history,’’ Bottomly said of the 1854 home where Wellesley’s founders resided. “I’m proud to be able to show off the first building on campus.’’ Bottomly throws college events on the average of twice a week during the school year. She also invites 10 professors for informal weekly discussions around the fireplace. At one end of the living room is a grand piano that students play during parties. Wellesley was the only college among the eight institutions contacted by the paper to allow a tour of their president’s university-owned housing.

“Quick Takes: Boston Paper’s Shortcircuited Tour of Homes of the College Presidents”
Inside Higher Ed
August 12, 2009
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/08/12/qt#205505

The Boston Globe had a bunch of doors metaphorically shut in its face for an article about college presidents’ houses, which are often used to entertain for university events. Of eight colleges and universities approached, only Wellesley College granted access. "We have nothing to hide," said President Kim Bottomly.

“Are We Turning Our Kids into Wimps in the Name of Safety?”
New York Daily News
August 11, 2009
Alexandra Hazlett
http://www.nydailynews.com/money/2009/08/11/2009-08-11_are_we_turning_are_kids_into_wimps_in_the_name_of_safety.html

A recent paper published in Qualitative Sociology by Markella Rutherford, sociology, studied changes in parenting norms over the last 80 years. In earlier decades, parents put a lot of demands on their children in the home, but generally gave them free reign outside of it. As time went on, children weren't obligated to do chores, were free to disagree with their parents and could make their own decisions inside the home, Rutherford explained. However, their time outside the house was increasingly supervised by adults and structured in some way. Gone were the hours of backyard baseball leagues with no adults present.
This story has been covered globally by many news outlets, including: MSNBC, The Times of India and Asian News International.

“Engineering Students Delving Deep in Nanotechnology”
AZoNano.com
August 11, 2009
http://www.azonano.com/news.asp?newsID=13101

Five engineering students, including Wellesley College sophomore Lillian Gong of Madera, Calif., traveled to Arizona State University this summer for the opportunity to delve into advanced nanotechnology research with guidance from faculty of ASU's Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering. Students performed Ph.D. level research in several high-tech specialties.

“A Presence On and Off the Stage”
The Berkshire Eagle (Pittsfield, Mass.)
August 6, 2009
Jeffrey Borak
http://www.berkshireeagle.com/berkshiresweek/ci_13001748

Melinda Lopez, theatre studies, speaks about her experience as a playwright and actress. "It's a quest to put into the world something you know,” Lopez said. “That includes trying to understand how I feel about a moment in time.” Her new play, "Caroline in Jersey,” had its world premiere at Williamstown Theatre Festival's Nikos Stage, where it runs through Aug. 16.

“Children Now Enjoy More Freedom at Home, but are More Restricted Outside the Home”
Science Daily
August 4, 2009
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090804071824.htm 

Markella Rutherford, sociology, examined material from Parents magazine to analyze changes in the portrayal of parental authority and children’s autonomy for the past century. She concluded: "Today's parents face demands that require near-constant surveillance of their children. Allowing children more autonomy to express themselves and their disagreements at home may well be a response to the loss of more substantial forms of children's autonomy to move through and participate in their communities on their own." Her findings are published in the latest issue of Qualitative Sociology.

“Is the Worst Over for the U.S. Housing Market?”
Global Property Guide
August 4, 2009
http://www.globalpropertyguide.com/North-America/United-States/Price-History

After three years of sharp house price falls, the U.S. housing market seems to be finally stabilizing. Despite all the optimism from real estate agents, the market’s recovery is expected to be slow, many economists say. “If you’re looking for a real recovery, it’s going to take some time,” says Karl Case, economics, and co-creator of the S&P/Case-Shiller index.

“In Step With Tradition: Campus Tours Thriving”
The Boston Globe
August 3, 2009
Vivian Nereim
http://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2009/08/03/despite_costs_some_find_nothing_beats_the_old_college_tour/?page=1

Despite the troubled economy, college tours have thrived this summer, with some even experiencing an increase in visits. “We were all bracing for a dip,’’ said Heather Woodcock Ayres, admission director. “This spring we were pleasantly surprised.’’ Many parents visiting area colleges last week said that even during lean times, they need to see a campus in person to know whether it is the right fit for their son or daughter.

“A Dog Making a Difference”
The Boston Globe
August 2, 2009
Cindy Cantrell
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2009/08/02/greyhound_in_lincoln_has_second_career_as_therapy_dog/

The Newhouse Center for the Humanities at Wellesley College is welcoming 12 scholars this fall. While several will teach undergraduate courses and faculty seminars, all of the scholars will collaborate throughout the school year with the Wellesley College community. Their topics include religious conversion in Japan and India, and acoustics and aesthetics in the 19th century.

July 2009

“Somali Publisher Crusades to Reverse the Declining Art of Somali Literature, Culture”
Hiiraan Online
July 31, 2009
http://www.hiiraan.com/news2/2009/July/somali_publisher_crusades_to_reverse_the_declining_art_of_somali_literature_culture.aspx

Somali experts attended a two-day book fair event aimed at reviving the Somali culture and literature among expatriates in Boston last week. There was a consensus among the speakers that the language is eroding from the Diaspora communities, especially among the youth, due to the absence of cultural institutions that foster the Somali language. “You need here some concerted efforts to establish institutions that cultivate your culture,” advised Lidwien Kapteijns, history, who has an expertise in Somali culture and literature.

“App Inventor for Android”
Google Research Blog
July 31, 2009
Hal Abelson
http://googleresearch.blogspot.com/2009/07/app-inventor-for-android.html

Faculty from Wellesley College and twelve other colleges are collaborating with Google Research to explore using mobile applications in the classroom. The faculty group will work together this fall to pilot courses where beginning students, including non-computer science majors, create Android applications that incorporate social networking, location awareness and Web-based data collections.

“Act Like an Optimist, Improve Your Health”
The San Francisco Chronicle
July 29, 2009
Marguerite Lamb
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2009/07/29/hearstmaghealth458092.DTL

Julie Norem, psychology, detailed the positive benefits of pessimism in her book, The Positive Power of Negative Thinking. "Pessimists need to be allowed to worry, but they need to learn to do it in a very specific way," Norem said. Vague fears — What if everything falls apart? — don't lend themselves to practical solutions, so they only spur anxiety, Norem explained. Instead, you need to think in concrete detail about what could go wrong and decide how you'll deal if it does.

“A Market on the Mend?”
The Boston Globe
July 29, 2009
Jenifer McKim
http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2009/07/29/mass_median_home_price_rises_above_300000

The median price of a single-family home in Massachusetts rose above $300,000 last month for the first time since August, according to data released yesterday — one of several signs the Bay State’s real estate market may be on the mend. “I think Boston is stabilizing, and it’s going to stabilize further,’’ said Karl Case, economics. “It’s not a major recovery yet, but it looks more like an upturn than a downturn.’’

“Bessie Locke Pushed for Kinder, Gentler Education”
Investor’s Business Daily
July 28, 2009
http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article.aspx?id=483508

Barbara Beatty, education, discussed Bessie Locke’s success in establishing a national kindergarten system. Beatty says Locke's great advantage was that she wasn't an educator. Kindergarten groups at the time were largely academic and rife with conflicts about how to educate preschoolers. Locke realized that the movement needed a national organization bringing together all the interested parties — teachers, community leaders, philanthropists and parents. In 1909, she founded what became the National Kindergarten Association.

“U.S. Economy: Home Prices Rise, Confidence Declines”
Bloomberg News
July 28, 2008
Courtney Schlisserman and Shobhana Chandra
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aaoM.88jbd2E

A gauge of U.S. house prices posted its first monthly gain in three years, providing some solace to consumers shaken by rising joblessness. “If you’re looking for a bottom, there’s a lot of good stuff here,” Karl Case, economics, and co-creator of the S&P/Case-Shiller index, said on a Bloomberg Radio interview. “If you’re looking for a real recovery, it’s going to take some time.” “Wellesley College Junior Helps Out in Panama”

The Boston Globe
July 27, 2009
Cindy Cantrell
http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/wellesley/2009/07/wellesley_college_junior_helps.html

Annie Smith ’11 returned to her native Panama this summer to work with agricultural engineers to reduce poverty and malnourishment among indigenous people in northern Panama. Smith, who is majoring in biological sciences, received grant funding for her ‘‘Give a Man a Fish, Teach a Man to Fish, Or Provide Aquaculture?’’ project through the Kathryn Wasserman Davis 100 Projects for Peace program. ‘‘I saw how difficult it is to dig an entire fish pond using only shovels, hoes and wheelbarrows,’’ Smith wrote in an e-mail. The Projects for Peace initiative is supported by Davis, a Wellesley College alumna and trustee emerita, who established the program with a $1 million donation on the occasion of her 100th birthday in 2007.

“Penn State is Top U.S. Party School, Swarthmore Best for Aid”
Bloomberg News
July 27, 2009
Oliver Staley
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a5K9GiMBk3Yo

Wellesley College is ranked third for best classroom experience by The Princeton Review. The ranking, determined by a survey of 122,000 undergraduate students, measured quality of instruction, facilities and discussion. Pomona College in Claremont, Calif., and Reed College in Portland, Ore., topped the list.

“The Function of Toys for Children”
Associated Content
July 27, 2009
Yan Sophyan
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1918854/the_function_of_toys_for_children.html

Toys, and play in general, are important when it comes to growing up and learning about the world around us. Mary Ucci, educational director of the Child Study Center, describes how clay sculpting toys such as Play Doh and Silly Putty positively impact the physical, cognitive, emotional and social development of children. Through play with toys, infants begin to recognize shapes and colors. Repetition reinforces memory. Hands-on materials allow the child to make toys of their own.

“Saudi Women Taking Part in Boston Forum”
The Boston Globe
July 24, 2009
Matt Rocheleau
http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/wellesley/2009/07/saudi_students_attend_entrepre.html

Thirty women from Saudi Arabia are participating in the first U.S.-Saudi Women’s Forum on Social Entrepreneurship, offered through a partnership with the global professional services firm ICF International, The Center for Women’s Leadership at Babson and The Wellesley Centers for Women at Wellesley College. The students have been designing seven different entrepreneurial projects aimed at addressing important social needs in Jeddah. Their projects will extend beyond the classroom and will be implemented into the students’ own communities. Nine Babson professors, three Wellesley College professors and 10 guest speakers who are social entrepreneurs have been working with the students.

“Farm Lobbies Squabble Over Climate Details”
The New Republic
July 23, 2009
Jesse Zwick
http://blogs.tnr.com/tnr/blogs/environmentandenergy/archive/2009/07/23/farm-lobbies-squabble-over-climate-details.aspx

Farm lobbies argued for opposing views on the House cap-and-trade bill during a hearing on climate legislation held by the Senate Agriculture Committee. While the most influential farm lobbies, such as the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) oppose the bill, the National Farmers Union (NFU) approved of the bill after Rep. Collin Peterson introduced farm-friendly additions. Robert Paarlberg, political science, notes the differences between the two lobbies: “Farm Bureau farmers are highly capitalized, low cost producers, [who are] quite competitive and many are export-oriented,” while members of the NFU “have trouble competing with bigger farms, so they've always been more comfortable with a large role for government in the agricultural sector.”

“Wellesley College Welcomes 12 Scholars”
The Boston Globe
July 21, 2009
http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/wellesley/2009/07/wellesley_college_welcomes_12.html?s_campaign=8315

With the new academic year just around the corner, the Newhouse Center for the Humanities at Wellesley College introduced 12 scholars who will be "working on topics ranging from religious conversion in Japan and India, to acoustics and aesthetics in the 19th century." Several of the scholars will teach undergraduate classes and faculty seminars, and all of them will have a presence in the community's conversation.

“Berks Native’s Book Examines Decline of Trust People Put in Physicians”
Reading (Pa.) Eagle
July 21, 2009
John Fidler
http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=148940

Jonathan Imber, sociology, examined the role of Protestant clergy commentary and medical progress on public perceptions of doctors in his book Trusting Doctors: The Decline of Moral Authority in American Medicine. In a recent interview, Imber discusses the origins and meanings of his book. "I wondered why patients put their trust in someone they weren't assured could help them," Imber said. "I was also interested less in what doctors had to say about themselves than in what outsiders had to say about trust.”

“The Positive Side of Being Pessimistic”
The Sunday Times (London)
July 19, 2009
Ariel Leve
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/mental_health/article6716622.ece

Julie Norem, psychology, discusses the benefits of “defensive pessimism,” saying, “If you are hopeless because you don’t see any way that you can do what you need or want to do, there’s no motivation to try. Defensive pessimists, on the other hand, can envision plenty of ways that things can go wrong, but they also have some confidence in the possibility that they can do what needs to be done as long as they’ve prepared for all the bad things that are likely.”

“Framingham State Football Program Raises the Bar”
The Boston Globe
July 19, 2009
Craig Larson
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2009/07/19/framingham_state_football_program_raises_the_bar/

Kate Sorenson, 2009 Wellesley College graduate, will represent the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference in national balloting for the NCAA Woman of the Year Award, to be announced in October. Sorenson was captain of Wellesley’s swimming and diving team and was named the NEWMAC Diver of the Year. The All-America diver and Academic All-American also received Wellesley’s Barbara Hauptfuhrer Scholar-Athlete Award.

“School News”
Daily Record (Parsippany, N.J.)
July 19, 2009
http://www.dailyrecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/200907190600/COMMUNITIES/907190318

Adrian Bockian, a 2009 graduate of Wellesley College, has won a French Government Teaching Assistantship in English, awarded by the French Ministry of Education. Bockian, who graduated with a degree in French and spent her junior year in Paris, will teach in the region of Orleans-Tours. She also hopes to take language courses at a local university while abroad.

“Students Scramble to Find Student Loans as Fall Semester Draws Near”
Student Loans Articles
July 17, 2009
http://studentloansarticles.idatablog.com/student-loans-articles/students-scramble-to-find-student-loans-as-fall-semester-draws-near

Students are struggling to find student loans as many lenders have been suspending their loan programs. The Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority (MEFA) has suspended its non-federal private loan program, which provided Massachusetts students with fixed-rate private student loans. Kathryn Osmond, executive director, student financial services, finds the situation with MEFA to be particularly indicative of a long-lasting and serious problem. “An economy that is in such a tailspin that it affects a critical agency like MEFA,” said Osmond, “is an economy that scares me.”

“Phyllis Fleming, 84; a Pioneer Among Women in Physics”
The Boston Globe
July 16, 2009
http://www.boston.com/yourtown/wellesley/articles/2009/07/16/phyllis_fleming_84_pioneer_among_women_in_physics/

Phyllis Fleming, professor of physics emerita, was a pioneer among women in science, teaching, and research. Among many other achievements, Ms. Fleming organized the MIT-Wellesley Exchange Program, helped start Wellesley’s continuing education program, and was the first scientist to win the Pinanski Prize for Distinguished Teaching. “Her students loved and admired her not only for the knowledge she conveyed in the role of teacher, but for her love and concern for them in the role of mentor and friend,’’ said Ted Ducas, physics.

“Haverhill Superintendent Recommends Planned Parenthood Sex Education Program”
The Eagle Tribune (North Andover, Mass.)
July 16, 2009
Mark Vogler
http://www.eagletribune.com/punews/local_story_197101124.html

Haverhill’s School Committee will discuss a request to participate in "Get Real," a sex education program conducted by Planned Parenthood and evaluated by the Wellesley Centers for Women. Some committee members were concerned with the program because it does not follow an abstinence-only approach.

“Wellesley College 2009 Commencement Speaker: Mona Minkara”
Examiner.com
July 13, 2009
Sakina Al-Amin
http://www.examiner.com/x-8519-Detroit-Muslim-Examiner~y2009m7d13-Wellesley-College-2009-Commencement-Speaker-Mona-Minkara

Muslim graduate Mona Minkara was chosen to give the 2009 Wellesley College Commencement speech.~Minkara shares her amazing story surrounding her blindness and her will to gain an education.

“Powerhouse Poets Team Up for a Reading Today”
BU Today
July 13, 2009
Devon Maloney
http://www.bu.edu/today/2009/07/10/poetry-people

The three-time U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky hosted a public poetry reading at Boston University, featuring Frank Bidart, a professor of English at Wellesley College and a former chancellor of the Academy of American Poets, as part of the University’s annual summer Poetry Institute for Educators. The institute brings together elementary, middle, and high school teachers to learn about how to use poetry in the classroom.

“Brain Boosters: Seven Activities That Can Keep You Mentally Fit”
Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Texas)
July 10, 2009
Elizabeth Svoboda
http://www.star-telegram.com/health/story/1480191.html

Cognitive decline is by no means an inescapable side effect of aging. In fact, according to a flurry of new reports, you can counteract age-related changes in the brain with a surprisingly simple regimen of activities guaranteed to nurture and fortify your mental muscle power. One tip is to keep your alcohol consumption within the safe and healthful limit: no more than one drink a day. The more alcohol a person drinks, the smaller his or her total brain volume becomes, according to a recent Wellesley College study.

“Construction Hits the Books”
GlobeSt.com
July 10, 2009
Ryan Clark
http://www.globest.com/news/1449_1449/boston/179731-1.html

The issues facing many colleges and universities parallel those in the financial market, as much of the money for these private institutions comes in the forms of tuition, loans and investment. With less money to go around, colleges are seeing the need to cut costs and much of that can be curtailed by reducing renovation or rebuilding costs or postponing newer projects for a few years. Speaking to that, Newton, Mass.-based Commodore Builders is taking on 11 projects at nine different campuses, many of them renovations— including bathroom renovations for Wellesley College in the Cazenove and Pomeroy residence halls.

“The Case of the Disappearing Liberal Arts College”
Inside Higher Ed
July 9, 2009
Roger G. Baldwin and Vicki L. Baker
http://www.insidehighered.com/views/2009/07/09/baldwin

The focus by reporters and educational policy makers on the potential closure of some colleges may mask a more serious threat to liberal arts colleges: a slow abandonment of their traditional mission in favor of a more “professional” orientation. Many liberal arts colleges today are working to update their academic programs and better connect them with the outside world and career opportunities. Freeland reports that colleges such as Bates and Wellesley have established programs to enhance civic engagement and develop skills needed for constructive citizenship.

“Saudi Women at Local Forum”
The Boston Globe
July 8, 2009
Matt Rocheleau
http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/wellesley/2009/07/saudi_women_at_local_forum.html
Reprinted in Saudi Gazette: http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentID=2009071243470
Also covered by Business Intelligence – Middle East: http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&cg=3&t=1&id=38635

Thirty female undergraduate students from Saudi Arabia will be at Babson College in Wellesley from July 13 to 24 as part of the first U.S-Saudi Women’s Forum.on Social Entrepreneurship. The Babson women's center and the Wellesley Centers for Women (WCW) at Wellesley College partnered with Dal Al Hekma College and the global professional services firm ICF International to organize the forum. Susan McGee Bailey, WCW executive director, said the Saudi women will tour the Wellesley campus when they arrive. "They will have a chance to see an all-women's college," she said. "It seemed a wonderful extension of the work we're already doing internationally. It was sort of a natural fit for us. I think they'll get a view of the U.S. and of higher education and women in higher education that is different from what they've experienced."

“Wellesley College Student Susae Elanchenny, B. Reed Henderson Class of 2005, Earns Fulbright Full Grant and Critical Language Enhancement Award for Study and Research in Turkey”
West Chester Area School District News
July 6, 2009
http://www.wcasd.net/news/news070609.htm

Susae Elanchenny is a 2009 graduate of Wellesley College and a 2005 graduate of West Chester B. Reed Henderson High School. She has been awarded a 2009-2010 Fulbright Full Grant and Critical Language Enhancement Award to continue her studies in Turkey. She will study the relationship between Turkish public opinion – as measured through the media, interviews with officials, and polls – and the foreign policy of the currently ruling Justice and Development Party.

"Letters: Medical Research: Which Approach Is Best?"
The New York Times
July 3, 2009
H. Kim Bottomly, Wellesley College President
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/04/opinion/l04cancer.html?_r=1

President H. Kim Bottomly commented on the parallels between cancer and all scientific research, in a letter to the editor regarding a New York Times article, "Grant System Leads Cancer Researchers to Play It Safe," noting that pursuing leads from other grant-funded research has been hindered by strict regulation on grant money spending. "Science is a complex enterprise; it cannot be guided to innovation and creativity by counting beans," President Bottomly wrote. "Regulation is necessary. Overregulation is counterproductive. I hope we have enough legislators who understand the difference."

“What about America’s Women?”
The New York Times
July 3, 2009
Susan McGee Bailey, Executive Director, Wellesley Centers for Women
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/04/opinion/04iht-edlet.html

Susan McGee Bailey, executive director of the Wellesley Centers for Women, responds with a letter to the editor to Thomas Friedman’s article encouraging innovation. “It was disheartening for Mr. Friedman to argue that America should solicit more brains from abroad with not a mention of encouraging the still-underrepresented women in technology and business here in the U.S.,” she wrote. “And it was equally disappointing to read his list of inventors, scientists and business leaders: After decades of efforts to increase opportunities for girls and women and to promote workplace equality, Mr. Friedman could not think of one woman for his list? Clearly, the U.S. has a long way to go.”

“Nine Quotes about Racism”
The Toronto Star
July 3, 2009
http://www.thestar.com/living/article/660062

Peggy McIntosh, associate director of the Wellesley Centers for Women, is included on a list of quotes about racism. “I have come to see white privilege as an invisible package of unearned assets that I can count on cashing in each day, but about which I was meant to remain oblivious. White privilege is like an invisible weightless knapsack of special provisions, maps, passports, code books, visas, clothes, tools, and blank checks,” she said.

“FasTracKids Program’s 4 Cs Earn A+”
The Denver Business Journal
July 2, 2009
Tara Moberly
http://denver.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2009/06/29/smallb1.html

The National Institute of Out-of-School Time (NIOST) at the Wellesley Centers for Women released a study in April that found that kids who had two hours of instruction a week at FasTracKids locations increased their vocabulary and social skills 100 to 150 percent faster than their peers who attended preschool.

"Babson College and Wellesley Centers for Women Partner to Launch U.S.-Saudi Women's Forum on Social Entrepreneurship"
News Blaze (California)
July 2, 2009
http://newsblaze.com/story/2009070210250200001.wi/topstory.html

The Center for Women's Leadership at Babson and the Wellesley Centers for Women at Wellesley College have partnered with two global organizations- Dar Al Hekma College, Saudi Arabia, and ICF International- to deliver the U.S.-Saudi Women's Forum on Social Entrepreneurship July 13-24, 2009 at Babson College. Faculty from the institutions will work with students to refine the skills they need to create real plans for entrepreneurial ventures, and successful female entrepreneurs with ventures in corporate social responsibility, traditional not-for-profits, and social entrepreneurship, will share their experiences during the program.

"Letters for the Week of July 2, 2009"
The Wellesley Townsman
July 2, 2009
http://www.wickedlocal.com/wellesley/news/opinions/letters/x737353941/Letters-for-the-week-of-July-2-2009

Wellesley College will suspend community auditing of classes for Wellesley senior citizens this falls due to the recent economic downturn. "Our hope is that this will be a temporary suspension," said Andrew Shennan, dean of the college. "The college is planning to search for a new registrar in the fall, and there is a possibility that with that appointment we may be able to restore the auditing program. Certainly we appreciate the value of this long-standing program for the college's neighbors, and regret the necessity of suspending it in the fall."

"Consortiums, Collaboration, Centralization…Conflict?"
Inside Higher Ed
July 1, 2009
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/07/01/nacubo

Two sessions on cost-saving and collaborations among colleges were held at the annual meeting of the National Association of College and University Business Officers. Andrew Evans, vice president for finance and treasurer of Wellesley College and vice chairman of the Boston Consortium, described various steps member institutions had taken to attack problems or pursue opportunities. Although collaboration is difficult for some areas, such as health care, Evans said he believes that the Boston Consortium may be reaching an approach that could work, contrary to times when people assumed "we can't possibly collaborate, the pain would be too great…. Now, we're trying to figure out, is there a way to leverage disease management and other kinds of wellness related issues that would slow the growth of our cost of health care going forward."

“Positively Muslim in the West: Mona Minkara”
MuslimMatters
July 2009
http://muslimmatters.org/2009/07/13/positively-muslim-in-the-west-july-2009-mona-minkara/

Mona Minkara, the 2009 Wellesley College student commencement speaker, is interviewed and given “Positively Muslim in the West” recognition. “One message I have for Muslim youth is to be who they are and not to be shy of who you are,” she said. “We all have a place in this society and if you stick to who you are as an individual, people will respect you for that. This is my experience as a Muslim.”

“World’s Largest Lake is Heating Up”
National Science Foundation’s Current
July 2009
http://www.nsf.gov/news/newsletter/jul_09/index.jsp

Lake Baikal in Siberia, the oldest, largest and deepest freshwater lake on the planet, is responding much more strongly to climate change than once thought. The data first came to international attention when Marianne Moore, biological sciences, took her students on an ecology field trip to the lake. Subsequently, Moore collaborated with Stephanie Hampton, director of the NSF-funded National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, to study the lake.

“Language Unlocks the Theory of Mind ”
Today's Science
July 2009
(copy available upon request)

New research published in Psychological Science by Jennie Pyers, psychology, and Ann Senghas of Barnard College, provides evidence that language is necessary for theory of mind –the ability to recognize and understand other people’s thoughts. A question and answer session with Pyers about her career is also featured. “Working with undergraduate research students is such a great time,” she said. “Watching them engage in science and develop a passion for science is one of the most rewarding aspects of my job.”

June 2009

"Case-Shillers' Case on Home Prices"
Fox Business News
June 30, 2009
http://www.foxbusiness.com/search-results/m/23890734/case-shillers-case-on-home-prices.htm#q=karl+case

Karl Case, economics, weighed in on the latest home numbers from the S&P Case-Shiller home price index, which profiles 20 major cities across the country. Although the index showed an 18 percent decline, Case pointed out that property prices in all but the worst hit areas have already stabilized. "There really are some positive things in the report," Case explained. "Namely that in nine of these cities, prices are actually up." A video of the interview can be viewed at the link above.

"Shiller sees 'Improvement' in Rate of Home-Price Drop"
Bloomberg News
June 30, 2009
Alison Sider and Thomas Keene
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aIbMtWW6cVO4

Home prices saw a "striking improvement in the rate of decline" in April and trading in funds indicates investors believe the U.S. housing slump is nearing a bottom. Home prices in 20 major U.S. metropolitan areas fell in April at a slower pace than forecast, the S&P/Case-Shiller index showed today. "These numbers are really showing that there's been a change in mood," said Karl Case, economics, co-founder of the index. "For these numbers to go up in eight states, I was quite taken aback."

“One College Sidesteps the Crisis”
The Wall Street Journal
June 30, 2009
John Hechinger
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124631610981670647.html

Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art has managed to avoid the endowment losses that most other colleges have experienced, thanks to its decision three years ago to ratchet back the financial risk in its endowment. Cooper’s successful investment strategies have enabled many expansions for the college, including a new $150 million academic building, which is nearing completion. Wellesley College is mentioned in the lead paragraph for, like some other colleges, having frozen salaries and laid off employees.

“Movers and Shakers for June 28, 2009”
MetroWest Daily News
June 28, 2009
http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/business/x1885872924/Movers-and-Shakers-for-June-28-2009

President H. Kim Bottomly has been elected to one of the nation’s most prestigious honorary societies and center for independent policy research, the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. She will be one of the 212 new fellows and 19 foreign honorary members - all leaders in the sciences, the humanities and the arts, business, public affairs, and the nonprofit sector.

“Catching up on Wellesley: From Mickey to Michael”
The Swellesley Report
June 28, 2009
http://theswellesleyreport.com/2009/06/catching-up-on-wellesley-from-mickey-to-michael/

The Wellesley Widows a cappella group performed a “Thriller” medley for their season-ending concert in 2007. A local blog has featured the YouTube video of the performance, which can be viewed at the link above, in the aftermath of the death of singer Michael Jackson.

“Forget Fireworks: Teach Kids Meaning of July 4”
The Associated Press
June 24, 2009
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/living/2009389646_julyfourkids29.html

Mary Ucci, director of Wellesley College's Child Study Center, was interviewed by the Associated Press about how to teach children the meaning of Independence Day. For younger children, describe July Fourth as the nation's birthday, said Ucci. "As children get older, they can begin to understand what independence means," she said. "When you become independent, you get a lot of freedom but you also get a lot of responsibility." Media outlets from coast to coast have been printing and posting this timely holiday article. So far these include: MSNBC- The Today Show, The Seattle Times, The Miami (Fla.) Herald, Times Democrat (S.C.), The Coloradoan, The News Leader (Va.), Knox News (Tenn.), The Wilson Times (N.C.), Times Record News (Texas), The Monterey Herald (Calif.), Foster’s Daily Democrat (N.H.), and Montgomery Advisor (Ala.)

“Home Sales Drop Nearly to ’89 Rate”
The Boston Herald
June 24, 2009
Thomas Grillo
http://www.bostonherald.com/business/real_estate/view.bg?articleid=1180842&srvc=business&position=2

Massachusetts’s desperate housing market delivered more bad news last month as sales of single-family homes fell to their lowest level for May in nearly two decades. Last month, the number of single-family homes sold was down about 13 percent from the figure for a year earlier, according to a new report from the Warren Group. “That’s a significant drop and it worries me,” said Karl Case, economics. “The region is still struggling with lots of unsold properties, and the housing market is not stabilizing.”

“Will, We Hardly Knew Ye, and Still Don’t”
The Boston Globe
June 23, 2009
William Cain
http://www.boston.com/ae/books/articles/2009/06/21/will_we_hardly_knew_ye____and_still_dont/?page=1

William Cain, English, reviews a new biography of Shakespeare and explains the difficulties in finding facts about Shakespeare’s life. “We have only meager references to Shakespeare by his contemporaries,” he wrote. “But because he is the greatest writer in the English language whose works of transcendent power are studied and staged throughout the world, biographers continue to attempt the impossible.”

“Language May be Key to Theory of Mind”
New Scientist
June 23, 2009
Anil Ananthaswamy
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17352-language-may-be-key-to-theory-of-mind.html

Understanding another person's perspective, and realizing that it can differ from our own, is known as theory of mind. Jennie Pyers, psychology, evaluates the hypothesis that theory of mind comes from our ability to use language, which allows children to listen to people talking about their beliefs and emotions. Pyers studied a community of deaf people in Nicaragua, who only developed a sign language in the 1970s. However, it has not determined whether language makes understanding false beliefs easier, or is a "necessary prerequisite", says Pyers.

“Venezuela's Adjunct U.N. Ambassador Julio Escalona Speaks on the Global Economic Crisis”
Open Media Boston
June 18, 2009
Jason Pramas
http://www.openmediaboston.org/node/742

Venezuela's Adjunct Ambassador to the United Nations Julio Escalona, Julie Matthaei, economics, Richard B. Freeman of Harvard University and Arthur MacEwan of the University of Massachusetts Boston spoke on the global economic crisis recently. The audio recording of the event can be accessed at the link above; Julie Matthaei’s speech begins 45 minutes into the recording.

“Are You Too Sensitive?”
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer
June 16, 2009
Sarah Mahoney
http://www.seattlepi.com/health/403357_goodhouse260040.html

Paul Wink, psychology, discusses the link between gender and sensitivity. "In general, women are taught to think about other people's feelings much more than men are,” he said. “So while it's okay for men to be blunt, women are often expected to be warmer, more agreeable and more invested in relationships. Because they're more tactful, they're also more likely to overreact to minor problems and remarks."

“Albright Says Wellesley to Mint Leaders”
The Boston Globe
June 14, 2009
Ben Terris http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/06/14/albright_says_wellesley_to_mint_leaders/

Madeleine Albright ’59 returned to Wellesley for her 50th reunion and to announce the creation of the Madeleine Korbel Albright Institute for Global Affairs. She said she hopes the institute will produce graduates who become diplomats and international leaders. "Wellesley's commitment to international education is both timely and bold," Albright said in a speech yesterday to hundreds of alumni and families. "The subject is an elementary but vital role for education in the 21st century."

“Praise, Advice and Reminders of the Sour Economy for Graduates”
The New York Times
June 13, 2009
Sam Dillon
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/14/education/14commencement.html?emc=tnt&tntemail0=y

Commencement orators around the country seasoned their congratulatory messages with acknowledgment of the bleak marketplace. Kimberly Dozier ‘87 shared with the Wellesley class of 2009 the lessons she learned from struggling to find work as a recent Wellesley graduate and from her injury from a car bomb incident while working as a CBS News correspondent in the Middle East.

“Wellesley Creates International Studies School Named After Former Secretary of State Albright”
The Associated Press
June 12, 2009
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-us-albright-institute-wellesley,0,7446126.story

"Wellesley to Honor Albright with School"
The Boston Globe
June 12, 2009
Joe Williams
http://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2009/06/12/wellesley_to_honor_albright_with_school/

Wellesley's Madeleine K. Albright Institute for Global Affairs will begin classes in January, and Albright, the nation's first female chief diplomat, will be the school's first visiting professor. The program, which will admit between 40 and 50 undergraduates this year, will teach students to think broadly about complex international issues such as war, famine, and climate change. This story has also appeared in USA Today, Los Angeles Times and The Boston Herald, among other publications.

“Diving into the Sacred Sea”
Science
June 12, 2009
Tom Parfitt
Copies available upon request

Lake Baikal in Russia, the world’s largest and deepest lake, is facing many environmental threats. Marianne Moore, biological sciences, along with a group of American and Russian scientists, published a paper in the journal BioScience that detailed the effect of climate change on the lake. The lake's warming water has caused a longer ice-free season, which hinders the growth of algae, the principal source of food for crustaceans, themselves eaten by fish.

“Don't Be Afraid to Ask for Help"
The Boston Globe
June 11, 2009
Cindy Cantrell
http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/hingham/2009/06/i_was_never_alone.html

In her student commencement address on June 5, 21-year-old Mona Minkara of Hingham encouraged her fellow 572 graduates of Wellesley College’s Class of 2009 to demonstrate kindness and empathy in their lives. Without those qualities, the legally blind Middle Easter studies and chemistry double major said, she wouldn’t have graduated.

“Feeling at Loss of Words?”
The Times of India
June 9, 2009
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Trends/Why-that-word-is-on-the-tip-of-your-tongue/articleshow/4634783.cms

Why is it that people, especially bilinguals, often have tip-of-the-tongue experiences in which words suddenly and perplexingly go missing only to reappear later?Jennie Pyers, psychology, says that one possible explanation is that similar-sounding words compete for the brain's attention. Pyers studied groups of bilinguals and English-speaking monolinguals to explain those experiences. This story has also appeared in Marie Claire (UK), ABC News, New Scientist, Asian News International, and Hindustan Times, among other publications.

“Why Your Brain Just Can't Remember That Word: New Studies Shed Light on Tip-of-the-Tongue Experiences”
ABC News
June 8, 2008
Ewen Callaway
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/Science/story?id=7783531&page=1

“Why Your Brain Just Can’t Remember that Word”
New Scientist
June 8, 2009
Ewen Callaway
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17263-why-your-brain-just-cant-remember-that-word.html

Most of the time the brain works as it ought to: limbs move, memories are retrieved and experiences processed. But occasionally things go awry. In tip-of-the-tongue experiences, for instance, words suddenly and perplexingly go missing only to reappear seconds or minutes later. Nearly everyone has tip-of-the-tongue moments, but bilinguals seem especially prone to these momentary lapses in vocabulary, says Jennie Pyers, a psychologist at Wellesley College and author of a new study on the topic.

“Spring Housing Market Is Slow to Blossom”
National Public Radio WBUR-FM
June 8, 2009
Monica Brady-Myerov
http://www.wbur.org/2009/06/08/spring-housing

Houses and condos in towns such as Arlington, Cambridge and Lexington have held their values, and that’s boosted the overall home prices for the Boston area. The Case-Shiller Home Price Index shows home prices in the Boston area fell 8 percent from last year. Chip Case, economics, says you should look at the Massachusetts housing market zip code by zip code.“The bad places are Lawrence, Lowell, Brockton, Fall River, Fitchburg, Leominster,” he says, “where there are a lot of foreclosure auctions. The low-end of the market in Boston went up a lot more than the high-end during the credit expansion, so it was clear that area was vulnerable.”

“Theater Review: Wellesley Summer Theatre’s ‘Importance’ Bubbles Over with Humor”
Taunton (Mass.) Daily Gazette
June 8, 2009
David Brooks Andrews
http://www.tauntongazette.com/entertainment/x702332322/Theater-review-Wellesley-Summer-Theatres-Importance-bubbles-over-with-humor

The Wellesley Summer Theatre performs Oscar Wilde’s classic comedy The Importance of Being Earnest, originally a satire criticizing the Victorian upper class. Co-directors Valerie Von Rosenvinge and Nora Hussey, theatre studies, have moved the show from its original setting in the late Victorian Era, at the end of the 19th century, to the Jazz Age, before the Great Depression.

“An Update from Kim Dozier”
Foreign Policy
June 8, 2009
Tom Ricks
http://ricks.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2009/06/08/an_update_from_kim_dozier

In Wellesley College alumna Kimberly Dozier’s commencement address at Wellesley, she talked about being hit by a car bomb a few years ago in Baghdad. “The more I hear from Kimberly Dozier of CBS, the more impressed I am,” author Tom Ricks writes. “A lot of people have suffered similar agonies in recent years, but Kim does a good job of capturing it.”

"Abby Normal"
Financial Sense
June 5, 2009
James Quinn
http://www.financialsense.com/editorials/quinn/2009/0611.html

The housing and debt crisis needs the attention of reality based, blunt, leaders. Karl Case, an economics professor at Wellesley College whose name adorns the S&P Case-Shiller home-price indexes, has studied U.S. house prices going back to the 1890s. Over the long run, he says, home prices tend to increase on average at an inflation-adjusted rate of 2.5% to 3% a year, about the same as per capita income.

“Hingham High Graduate to Give Student Address at Wellesley Commencement”
The Patriot Ledger (Quincy, Mass.)
June 5, 2009
http://www.patriotledger.com/archive/x2085744154/Hingham-High-graduate-to-give-student-address-at-Wellesley-commencement

On June 5, Mona Minkara gave her student address at the Wellesley commencement, standing before 600 fellow members of the class of 2009. After a writing and speaking competition, Minkara was selected as the student commencement speaker, a tradition at Wellesley since 1969 when Hillary Rodham Clinton served as the first student speaker for her class. “It’s an honor,” said Minkara, who is now legally blind. “I hope disabled students around the country can realize you can make it even though you might be blind, or deaf, or whatever your story might be.”

“Wellesley College Celebrates Commencement”
The Wellesley Townsman
June 5, 2009
http://www.wickedlocal.com/wellesley/news/x313675687/Wellesley-College-celebrates-commencement

Wearing the traditional black caps and gowns, the roughly 600 graduates walked into the ceremony with their heads held high. Many waved to family and friends. Others took pictures of themselves or other graduates. Some wore green beads or green boas — in honor of the class color, green. “I really like that the Wellesley ladies are not just classy, but they’re also spunky,” said Sylva Johnson, whose sister Savanna was one of the graduates. “They’re not just being serious.”

“Can Science Reinvent the Economy? The Human Factor”
New Scientist
June 5, 2009
Mark Buchanan
http://www.newscientist.com/special/can-science-reinvent-economy

Renowned economists Karl Case, economics, and Robert Shiller of Yale University suggest that if we are to identify economic bubbles before they burst, their fellow economists need to get a lot more psychological in their approach. Traditionally, economists rarely ask people about the thinking behind their decisions. Some even argue that one should never do so, as people's assessments of their own motivations are so skewed as to be scientifically worthless. Case and Shiller's research, however, suggests that bubbles show up most easily through probes of individual attitudes to economic reality.

"Obama"s Twentysomething Gatekeepers"
NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams; The Today Show
June 4 and 5, 2009
Brian Williams
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/31121227#31121227

Two prominent members of President Barack Obama's administration, Hillary Rodham Clinton '69, secretary of state, and Katie Johnson '03, the president's personal secretary, discussed fond memories of their time at Wellesley College.

“Career Counseling Draws Alumni Back to Campus”
The Boston Globe
June 4, 2009
Erica Noonan
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2009/06/04/alumni_returning_to_colleges_for_career_help/

These days, a degree from many prestigious schools in the area comes with free job counseling for life, a perk that has been drawing back graduates who have hit a bump in their career paths, in some cases decades after leaving campus. At Wellesley College, the motto for the career center is "Translating the Liberal Arts Into Action." There is a lively job board, with 250 listings at any one time, and the W Network of alumnae willing to help out other Wellesley women, said Irma Tryon, director of recruiting at the college's Center for Work and Service. Wellesley has also planned a special career program during its June 12-14 reunion weekend. The two-day "Shifting Gears" session is aimed at alumnae in transition, and features several authors and consultants. All of the regional Wellesley alumnae clubs have additional one-night career programs planned this spring as well.

“Despite Tough Year, New HMC Chief Remains Optimistic”
The Harvard Crimson
June 3, 2009
Peter Zhu
http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=528485

Beneath her unobtrusive exterior, Jane Mendillo, CEO of Harvard Management Company, harbors a wealth of investment knowledge. She commands the respect of colleagues at Harvard and elsewhere, who laud her unceasing composure during a sudden and unanticipated financial meltdown, her decisiveness under time constraints, and her focus on long-term investment success. “Truly, of all the people I’ve ever run across in the investment world, she was the most impressive,” says Andrew Evans, treasurer and vice president for finance at Wellesley College, where Mendillo managed the endowment for six years before she took over HMC’s executive position last summer. “Her ability to synthesize a huge collection of data and make it understandable to a lay audience, as well as a sophisticated audience, is remarkable.”

“An Alternative Two-State Solution”
The Jerusalem Post
June 3, 2009
Jerold Auerbach
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1244034989184&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Jerold Auerbach, history, advocates a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. “Ever since 1967, two-state proposals for the division of shrunken 'Palestine' have sprouted like weeds whenever the Israeli-Palestinian conflict proved too frustrating for outsiders to endure,” he wrote. “Nonetheless, hope springs eternal – especially in Washington, where the Obama administration seems determined to restrict, if not eradicate, the right of Jews to settle in their ancient homeland.”

“Wellesley College Senior Wins $75,000 Environmental Prize”
The Wellesley Townsman
June 3, 2009
http://www.wickedlocal.com/wellesley/news/x2085744886/Wellesley-College-senior-wins-75-000-environmental-prize

While living in remote areas of India and China, Catlin Powers ’09 found her fellow women faced with difficult living conditions. Powers decided to take action by working with communities to design simple solutions to meet their needs. Powers has been recognized for her work with several prizes this spring, including $75,000 from the St. Andrews Prize for the Environment, which will support OEDs’ invention that harnesses clean energy from the sun.

“Harvard and Sustainable Food”
The Harvard Crimson
June 2, 2009
Robert Paarlberg
http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=528408

Robert Paarlberg, political science, questions the idea that food should be organic, local and slow. “If we take these ideas seriously for the moment, what might a fully organic, local, and slow food system actually look like?” he writes. “The closest approximation we have is not New York City or Berkeley, California, but rural Africa, where 60 percent of all citizens are small farmers growing food without chemicals, for local consumption, and still preparing meals in a traditional fashion. The downside? Average income in rural Africa is only $1 a day and one third of these people are malnourished.”

“The Woodrow Wilson Center Announces 2009-2010 Fellows”
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
June 2, 2009
http://news.prnewswire.com/DisplayReleaseContent.aspx?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/06-02-2009/0005036865&EDATE=

Christopher Candland, political science, will pursue the project, "The Islamic Social Sector and Human Security in Pakistan," in residence as a fellow at the Woodrow Wilson Center this year.

“More on Wellesley College’s Commencement Speakers”
The Wellesley Townsman
June 2, 2009
http://www.wickedlocal.com/wellesley/news/education/x726823653/More-on-Wellesley-Colleges-commencement-speakers

Continuing a tradition that started in 1969 with Hillary Rodham Clinton, Mona Minkara ’09 will deliver this year’s student commencement address. The prestigious all-women’s school will celebrate its 131st commencement this Friday, starting at 10:30 a.m. in the academic quad. Minkara, who is a legally blind chemistry major, was selected as the speaker after winning a written and oral competition. CBS News correspondent and alumna Kimberly Dozier will give the main commencement speech.

“Mystery of Giant Ice Circles Revealed”
LiveScience
June 1, 2009
Jeremy Hsu
http://www.livescience.com/strangenews/090601-ice-circles.html

Strange circles have once again appeared in the frozen surface of Lake Baikal in Siberia, as spotted by astronauts aboard the International Space Station this April. News reports described the ice rings as a puzzling phenomenon. But experts say they can explain the mystery, and it's not aliens — methane gas rising from the lake floor represents the likely culprit. "Once the water mass reaches the underside of the ice on the surface of the lake, the warm water melts the ice in a ring shape," said Marianne Moore, biological sciences, who has spent much time studying Lake Baikal with Russian researchers.

“Is Universal Health Coverage Cost Effective?”
Opposing Views
June 1, 2009
Michael F. Cannon
http://www.opposingviews.com/articles/opinion-is-universal-health-coverage-cost-effective-r-1243872819

As congressional Democrats prepare to deliver on President Barack Obama's goal of "expanding coverage to all Americans," an important question remains unanswered: is universal coverage worth the money? Not only is there "no evidence" that universal coverage is the most cost-effective use of our $2 trillion, the benefits may not exceed the costs at all. In a 2008 article for the Journal of Public Economics, co-author Robin McKnight, economics, reported that even though Medicare achieved universal coverage for the elderly, it had no impact on elderly mortality rates in its first 10 years. Medicare may or may not have improved enrollees' health in other ways.

“Toward a Bright Future”
Guideposts
June 2009
Sarah Beldo
http://www.guideposts.com/story/blind-college-student-success

Wellesley College senior Mona Minkara is clearly not deterred by challenges. A couple of years ago, she told her aide Pam Davis that despite being legally blind, she is not afraid to fall when she walks around campus. It is that positive attitude that seems to typify the young woman's approach toward life and which led to her role as the college's 2009 commencement speaker. "It's an honor," Minkara says. "I hope disabled students around the country can realize you can make it even though you might be blind, or deaf, or whatever your story might be."

May 2009

“Assessing the Housing Market”
This Week in Business (NECN)
May 31, 2009
http://www.necn.com/Boston/Business/2009/05/31/TWIB-Assessing-the-housing/1243818874.html

Karl Case, economics, comments on the state of the housing market in Massachusetts and the nation. “One of the most important things that predicts demand for housing is employment,” he said. “If you don’t have a job or you lose your job, it affects your ability to buy and carry a house or even rent an apartment. And we’re hemorrhaging jobs, still.”

“New Book Puts Spotlight on Life of Forgotten ‘Visionary’”
Stabroek News (Guyana)
May 31, 2009
http://www.stabroeknews.com/2009/news/local/05/31/new-book-puts-spotlight-on-life-of-forgotten-%E2%80%98visionary%E2%80%99/

Albert Raymond Forbes Webber, a long forgotten politician, journalist, poet and novelist, was resurrected for a new generation of Guyanese at last week. “Cast away, forgotten even by his own Guyanese people,” was how Selwyn Cudjoe, Africana studies, described the Tobago-born Webber, who championed the cause of the people of British Guiana while he lived here. Cudjoe reintroduced Webber in his book, Caribbean Visionary: A.R.F. Webber and the Making of the Guyanese Nation, a project he said was years in the making.

“Now Hiring, Your Uncle Sam”
The Boston Globe
May 30, 2009
Megan Woolhouse
http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2009/05/30/unlike_rest_of_us_federal_government_is_hiring____a_lot/

At a time when many companies are shedding jobs at an alarming rate to survive the recession, one employer is still hiring: the federal government. Angeles Garcia ’09, who will graduate from Wellesley College next week, landed a job as a language assistant in the U.S. Department of Justice's civil rights division, a newly created position in Washington, D.C. She will defer her plans to attend the University of Houston law school for at least a year and start her new job on July 1. "I think I will really enjoy D.C. culture. I find it glamorous," the 22-year-old from Texas said. "I really just love everything about politics."

“Teach for America: The 2009 Class”
The Associated Press
May 28, 2009
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5i2ZkOFuremCQygv31E7uFmYmmoKwD98ERBRO1

A record number of college graduates is joining Teach for America, the program that trains top students to teach in poor communities. Fifteen percent of the Wellesley College senior class applied to the program.

“Here and There”
The Boston Globe
May 28, 2009
Marvin Pave
http://www.boston.com/sports/colleges/articles/2009/05/28/hopkintons_philbrook_runs_to_ncaa_title/?page=2

Jennifer Kroll, following a successful stint at St. Lawrence University, has been hired as new head basketball coach at Wellesley College.

“Honoring Catalysts for Girls’ Science Education”
Xconomy
May 27, 2009
Roxanne Palmer
http://www.xconomy.com/boston/2009/05/27/honoring-catalysts-for-girls-science-education/

Evelynn Hammonds, the first black female dean of Harvard College, and Larisa Schelkin, the CEO and co-founder of the Diversity Outreach in Math and Engineering (DOME) Foundation, received Catalyst Awards for their work promoting the involvement of underrepresented groups in science. President H. Kim Bottomly delivered the opening remarks. She reflected on how fortunate she was to have an advisor in her college years that accepted female Ph.D. students. “Back then, talent and passion weren’t enough” to succeed in science, she said. “You also needed to be lucky. Well, women should not have to depend on luck.”

“Sol-Source 3-in-1: An Alternative Energy Solution”
Worldchanging
May 27, 2009
Julia Levitt
http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/009911.html

In rural regions of the Himalayas, a new lightweight, low-cost, portable solar cooker called the SolSource 3-in-1 is poised to transform the health and prosperity of entire villages. The devices, made largely from traditional nomadic materials, were developed by One Earth Designs cofounders Catlin Powers ’09 and Scot Frank. The community-based business plan for the cooker also allows villagers to leverage their traditional group decision-making process. “Traditionally, Himalayan nomads and agriculturalists made many decisions collectively and often relied on neighboring households for food and goods production,” Powers said. “The SolSource Project supports local income generation through a holistic community-based business model that more closely reflects this traditional collectivism.”

“Slide in Home Prices Shows No Slowdown”
The Seattle Times
May 27, 2009
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2009265715_homeprices27.html

U.S. home prices showed no signs they've hit bottom, according to a national index released Tuesday. The Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller National Home Price Index showed a record 19.1 percent drop for the first three months of this year. Auction sales of foreclosed homes are depressing home prices and extending the four-year property slump, said Karl Case, economics. "The single-family home market by and large continues its drift."

“Mass. Home Sales, Prices Fall in April”
The Boston Globe
May 27, 2009
Jenifer B. McKim
http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2009/05/27/home_prices_sales_plunge_in_bay_state/

The spring real estate market in Massachusetts so far is looking like a bust. The number of homes and condominiums that sold in April plummeted and prices dropped as well, as the housing market showed no sign of shaking off its doldrums. One of the cofounders of the S&P/Case-Shiller index, Karl Case, economics, said the new data paint a bleak picture and have prompted him to reconsider his earlier prediction that the housing market would begin to recover this year. "I've been anxious to see signs of life," said Case.

“For Gay Couples, Married Matters”
The Boston Globe
May 24, 2009
Stephen Smith
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/05/24/for_gay_couples_married_matters/

Five years after the first same-sex weddings in Massachusetts, gay and lesbian couples express deeply traditional reasons for deciding to wed and cite equally conventional benefits flowing from marriage, according to a study being released this week. Michelle Porche, a senior research scientist at the Wellesley Centers for Women, said the findings mirror those of a smaller, although more intensive, study she conducted by interviewing couples not long after gay marriage was legalized."Studies like these help us from afar to get to know people a little bit better," she said. "The more people who have reservations about gay marriage can really meet married same-sex couples and get to know them and their experience, the more they would be open to supporting" the right to marry.

“Stephen G. Miller’s Letter to President Obama”
American Chronicle
May 22, 2009
Risto Stefov
http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/103039

Mary Lefkowitz, classics emerita, is one of the many academics who signed a letter to President Barack Obama urging him to clean up “the historical debris left in southeast Europe by the previous U.S. administration.” The Graeco-Roman scholars point to former President Bush’s unilateral recognition of the Republic of Macedonia as a misguided policy that has no basis in historical fact.

“Blog by Wellesley Centers for Women Writer-in-Residence Looks at Sports Inequality”
The Wellesley Townsman
May 21, 2009
Elana Zak
http://www.wickedlocal.com/wellesley/sports/x1083517969/Blog-by-Wellesley-Centers-for-Women-writer-in-residence-looks-at-sports-inequality

A new blog aims to discuss the inequalities between men’s and women’s sports. Called Fair Game News, it was started in March by Laura Pappano, Wellesley Centers for Women. “I felt that we needed some turf to really talk about the equity issues in sports,” Pappano said. “On a daily basis you run into inequities that people have just gotten used to. … our goal is a fair game.”

“How to Overcome Shyness: Common Myths and Misconceptions”
Associated Content
May 18, 2009
Steven Hoss
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1730414/how_to_overcome_shyness_common_myths.html

Among the common misconceptions about shyness is that it is strictly a learned response. Jonathan Cheek, psychology, has found convincing evidence that there may be shy genes. About two of every five Americans consider themselves shy and about half of them may have inherited the trait according to Cheek's research on 800 sets of identical twins.

“The Cultural Dimension of Migration and Development”
U-landsnyt (Denmark)
May 18, 2009
http://www.ulandsnyt.dk/indhold.asp?ID=3137&mode=Kalender

The Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS) is convening a seminar on "Bringing Culture Back in: Social Remittances and Local Practices in the Migration-Development Nexus," which will look at the oft-neglected topics of local socio-cultural practices and social remittances. At this seminar, two of the leading scholars in transnational migration, Peggy Levitt, sociology, and Ninna Nyberg Sørensen, DIIS, challenge the mainstream perception of migration and development, arguing that culture must be brought back in, and a transnational social field perspective must be applied.

“Biotech Portion of Foreign Aid Bill Draws Criticism”
The Des Moines Register
Philip Brasher
May 17, 2009
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20090517/BUSINESS03/905170317/1166/OPINION01

Congress has largely stayed out of the battles over genetically engineered crops, but that could change with a foreign aid bill that could target research money to agricultural biotechnology. The Senate bill's main sponsor, Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., uses genetically modified seeds on his family's farm and firmly believes they could help poor farmers as well. Lugar cites a recent book by Wellesley College professor Robert Paarlberg, Starved for Science: How Biotechnology Is Being Kept Out of Africa. Paarlberg calls for increased agricultural research in Africa and criticizes the role anti-biotech groups have played in slowing development there.

“A Year in Eastern Europe”
The Boston Globe
Jennifer Ehrlich
May 17, 2009
http://www.boston.com/travel/getaways/europe/articles/2009/05/17/a_year_in_eastern_europe/

Wellesley College junior Rachel Behler is studying post-conflict transformation in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia. Among her reminiscences, she remarks, "A friend and I were wandering around Vukovar, Croatia, looking for a place to eat our lunch, when we realized we were walking through a house that had been completely obliterated. We were standing on the kitchen floor, overgrown with grass. I was overcome by profound sadness and nausea. Although the crumbling buildings in town were an eyesore, and must have made rehabilitation a nightmare for returning inhabitants, this kitchen floor was by far the most terrifying thing I saw in Vukovar."

“Countdown to Calabash”
Jamaica Gleaner News
May 15, 2009
http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20090515/ent/ent1.html

With the 2009 Calabash International Literary Festival only one week away, Colin Channer, creative writing, the festival’s founder and artistic director, is surprisingly calm. When asked about the performances he is most looking forward to, Channer cites “Pulitzer Prize winner Junot Diaz, Edwidge Danticat, U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky, Rachel Manley, Naipaul's biographer Patrick French, the Calabash Acoustic Ensemble presenting the lyrics of Beres Hammond, and Ragashanti with 'his mix up and blenda' self, reading from To Sir With Love.”

“Number of Unwed Mothers Has Risen Sharply in U.S.”
The Washington Post
Rob Stein and Donna St. George
May 14, 2009
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/13/AR2009051301628.html?hpid=topnews

The number of children being born out of wedlock has risen sharply in recent years, driven primarily by women in their 20s and 30s opting to have children without getting married, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. Nearly four out of every 10 births are now to unmarried women. "I think this is the tipping point," said Rosanna Hertz, sociology and women's and gender studies. "This is becoming increasingly the norm. The old adage that 'first comes love, then comes marriage, then comes baby in the baby carriage' just no longer holds true."

“Speakers Reach for Words that Fit the Times”
The Boston Globe
Bella English
May 14, 2009
http://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2009/05/14/speakers_reach_for_words_that_fit_the_times/?page=full

When they face a sea of caps and gowns in the audience, commencement speakers at Boston-area colleges this month are not likely to fall back on the time-honored "Work hard" and "Change the world" messages. With the class of 2009 as the largest graduating class to date and facing the worst unemployment rate in a generation, commencement speakers will have to find a new tack. Few people are better equipped to speak about surviving tough times than CBS news correspondent Kimberly Dozier, who will be speaking at Wellesley College. Dozier says she'll tell students that she's living proof that "you might not end up doing what you thought or hoped or wished you'd do, but you have to ask yourself: Why did I choose this particular vocation? Was it to change minds? Policy? Are you still getting a chance to do that? Then go with it."

“Experts: Detroit May Not Be Better Off with Mayor Leading Schools”
The Detroit Free Press
Chastity Pratt Dawsey
May 14, 2009
http://www.freep.com/article/20090514/NEWS01/905140465/1003/NEWS/Experts++Detroit+may+not+be+better+off+with+mayor+leading+schools

Mayoral control of public schools has been linked to some incremental improvements in academic achievement, but it is still too soon to say whether the largest mayor-controlled districts—such as New York, Chicago and Boston—are better off according to researchers. Wilbur Rich, political science, argues that Detroit's poverty and labor unions are going to make it hard for anyone to improve achievement for Detroit Public Schools. He said a loose coalition of administrators, board members, union leaders, activists and parents usually oppose systemic change.

“The Cutting Edge: Five Tips for Securing a Summer Internship”
Black Enterprise
Renita Burns
May 13, 2009
http://www.blackenterprise.com/blogs/2009/05/13/the-cutting-edge-five-tips-for-securing-a-summer-internship/

Even though summer is almost upon us, it is not too late to get a summer internship. The economic downturn may actually be working in favor of students, as employers may create new, unpaid internships to help with heavy workloads created by reduced staff. “There are many internships available at organizations that are all suddenly short staffed,” says Tere Ramos, Center for Work and Service.

"Russian Lake Affected by Climate Change"
WBZ Radio (Mass.)
May 9, 2009
Ed Golden
(Not available online)

Weekend reporter Ed Golden interviewed Marianne Moore, biological sciences, on the effects of global warming on everything from algae to seals at the world's largest freshwater lake in Russia.

“In Honor of Mothers”
The Tri-Town Transcript (Mass.)
Gail Kauranen Jones
May 8, 2009
http://www.wickedlocal.com/middleton/news/lifestyle/columnists/x1518869926/Jones-In-honor-of-mothers

Mothers who do their job well ought to be honored for the critical role they play in raising the next generation. Rosalind Barnett, Wellesley Centers for Women, says, “The role of mother is a high-stress job itself.~The assumption has been that because mothering is supposed to come naturally to women, it’s somehow easier than their other roles. That’s not necessarily so.”

“Jane Austen Put to Music”
The Berkshire Eagle (Mass.)
Clarence Fanto
May 8, 2009
http://www.berkshireeagle.com/artsandtheater/ci_12324154

Neal Hampton, conductor of the Brandeis-Wellesley Orchestra, has worked to compose a musical version of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility. As the composer, Hampton said, the project's greatest challenge was "trying to find a musical language that evokes the era without being of the era, trying to give it a cogent tone throughout while still giving every song its own character."

"Michael J. Fox: Adventures of an Incurable Optimist"
ABC Television Special
May 7, 2009
http://dynamic.abc.go.com/fep/player?aff=&partner=hulu&show=205278&episode=205883

Julie Norem, psychology, contributes to this hour-long program on optimism in the face of adversity. Norem's portion of the show includes an interview with her and a glimpse at one of her tests for determining the effect of optimism or pessimism on performance. The show can be viewed on Hulu (see link above) with the free download of special program.

“Markets Maintain Heady Pace, Backed by Some Positive Signs. But Is This Optimism Justified?”
The Globe and Mail (Canada)
May 7, 2009
Brian Miller and Heather Scoffield
http://sports.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20090507.RMARKETS07ART1939/TPStory/Sports/columnists

Risk is coming back into vogue as markets place further bets that the worst of the slump is over. "You hate to use the term 'green shoots,' but there are some positive things out there," said Karl Case, economics, referring to a recent uptick in the U.S. real estate market, whose collapse triggered the recession.

“The Schools We Mean to Be”
Educational Leadership
Richard Weissbourd
May 6, 2009
Copies available upon request

Character education programs rarely focus on the school relationship that can be the most important in determining students' moral prospects—the relationship between parents and teachers. Schools need to focus on adult development—on the mentoring and moral capacities of teachers and parents—as well as on how parents and teachers can work together more constructively. One exemplary program is Open Circle, a program at the Wellesley Centers for Women, which creates democratic communities within schools.

“Real Estate and Recovery”
The Boston Globe
Steven Syre
May 5, 2009
http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2009/05/05/real_estate_and_recovery/

The broken economy isn't a single problem. It's a hundred different things that aren't working or paying or selling the way they should. But in the midst of a deep recession, some economic problems are more critical than others. The big three: growing unemployment, America's shaky financial system and the staggered real estate market. While the latter may not be recovering yet, positive signs emerged in February and March. "Those two months were the first time in a long time that things were not pointing straight downward," says Chip Case, economics. "I take that to mean a bottom isn't about to crash into us, but we're closer than people think."

“Wellesley College Sends Out Health Alert on Confirmed Swine Flu”
The Wellesley Townsman
May 5, 2009
http://www.wickedlocal.com/wellesley/news/x2133270094/Wellesley-College-sends-out-health-alert-on-confirmed-swine-flu

A case of H1N1 (swine) flu was confirmed in an individual living on campus at Wellesley College. The individual has recovered and no other cases have developed.

“What Moms Really Want For Mother's Day”
Forbes Magazine
Raquel Laneri
May 4, 2009
http://www.forbes.com/2009/05/04/mothers-day-flowers-forbes-woman-style-gifts.html

With Mother’s Day coming up, many fathers and children are working to come up with a gift, although the economic downturn means that they will be spending less than usual, according to the National Retail Federation. Thankfully, women are often most appreciative of inexpensive or non-monetary gifts; they often just want a day free of responsibility. "Women are traditionally considered the major caregivers of the family. In an economic crisis, this carework is especially important as women are keeping families together," says Rosanna Hertz, women’s and gender studies. "I think that's another reason for celebrating that anchor in the family life."

“Conservative Columnist Speaking at Wellesley College”
The Boston Globe
May 4, 2009
http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/wellesley/2009/05/conservative_columnist_speakin.html

Conservative columnist and blogger Michelle Malkin will speak May 11 at Wellesley College on “Standing Up to the Girls Gone Wild Culture.” A regular contributor on the Fox News Channel, Malkin has been writing a nationally syndicated column for Creators Syndicate since 1999. She began her journalism career at the Los Angeles Daily News and also wrote for the Seattle Times.

“Lake Baikal’s Unique Biota Threatened by Climate Change”
RedOrbit
May 3, 2009
http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1681549/lake_baikals_unique_biota_threatened_by_climate_change/

Siberia's Lake Baikal, the world's largest and most biologically diverse lake, faces the prospect of severe ecological disruption as a result of climate change, according to an analysis in the May issue of BioScience written by Marianne Moore, biological sciences. The lake is considered a treasure trove for biologists and was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO because a high proportion of its rich fauna and flora are found nowhere else. Perhaps the most alarming imminent threat stems from the dependence of the lake's food web on large, endemic diatoms, which are uniquely vulnerable to expected reductions in the length of time the lake is frozen each winter.

“Climate Change Threatens Siberian Lake's Ecological Balance”
India News
May 1, 2009
http://in.news.yahoo.com/139/20090501/981/tsc-climate-change-threatens-siberian-la.html

An analysis by a joint U.S.-Russian team has determined that Siberia's Lake Baikal, the world's largest and most biologically diverse lake, faces the prospect of severe ecological disruption as a result of climate change. The analysis was done by Marianne V. Moore, biological sciences, who notes that Lake Baikal's climate has become measurably milder over recent decades, and that annual precipitation is expected to increase.

April 2009

“The Four Ingredients of You”
Psychologies Magazine
April 2009
Jonathan Cheek and Linda Tropp
Copies available upon request

Jonathan Cheek, psychology, and Linda Tropp ’92, associate professor of psychology at the University of Massachusetts, theorize that four distinct ways exist in which individuals identify themselves: personal, social, collective and relational. No one of the four is better, says Cheek, arguing instead for a balance that makes each person happy.

“Wellesley College President Named to Society”
The Boston Globe
April 30, 2009
http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/wellesley/2009/04/together_we_can_the_american.html

President H. Kim Bottomly was selected by the American Academy of Arts & Sciences as a fellow to its society of leaders in the sciences, humanities and the arts, business, public affairs, and nonprofit sector.  Bottomly joins fellow honorees Mario Capecchi, who shared the 2007 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his contributions to gene targeting; Civil War historian James McPherson; U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates; and National Public Radio journalist Susan Stamberg.

“Home, Condo Sales Drop”
Boston Herald
April 29, 2009
Thomas Grillo
http://www.bostonherald.com/business/real_estate/view/2009_04_29_Home__condo_sales_drop/srvc=business&position=recent_bullet

Karl Case, economics, is quoted in an article on home prices. “We’re in a big recession and it’s not done yet, prices are still falling and there are lots of foreclosures. But the rate of decline is slowing and in the western suburbs and some South Shore locations, we’re seeing things turning around,” he said.

“Wellesley to Revamp Portal with Bluenog”
Campus Technology
April 29, 2009
David Nagel
http://campustechnology.com/articles/2009/04/29/wellesley-to-revamp-portal-with-bluenog.aspx

Wellesley College, a liberal arts institution for women, is gearing up to revamp its Web presence using software and services from Bluenog in an effort to boost functionality and provide a richer and more consistent experience for prospective and current students.

“Why Michelle Obama Inspires Women Around the Globe”
CNN
April 28, 2009
John Blake
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/04/28/first.lady/

Her personal story – born into a blue-collar family; overcoming racism and once even making more money than her husband – makes her a mesmerizing figure to women across the globe, says Susan M. Reverby, women's studies. Reverby says this is the first time many women have seen their class and color reflected in America's first lady. "This is someone who appeals across the usual divides," Reverby says. "She is a celebrity you can imagine being, not a celebrity you have to watch from afar."

“The Winner of Wellesley College's 114th Annual Hoop Rolling Contest Is...”
WickedLocal Wellesley – Online news from MetroWest Daily News
Kat Powers
April 28, 2009
http://www.wickedlocal.com/wellesley/news/education/x718272175/The-winner-of-Wellesley-Colleges-114th-annual-Hoop-Rolling-contest-is

Wellesley College senior Susan Wang of McLean, Va., and Seoul, South Korea, is the winner of the 114th annual hoop rolling competition at the prestigious women’s college.

“Home Prices in 20 U.S. Cities Declined at Slower Pace”
Bloomberg News
Courtney Schlisserman
April 28, 2009
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=email_en&sid=aeVe.38zQqig

An article on home prices references the Case-Shiller price index, developed by Karl Case, economics, and Robert Shiller of Yale.

“Hoop Rolling Winner at Wellesley College”
The Boston Globe
April 27, 2009
http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/wellesley/2009/04/hoop_rolling_wiinner_at_welles.html
(Also a photo spread in the print version only of the Globe; contact Office for Public Affairs for a copy).

Susan Wang of McLean, Va., and Seoul, South Korea, was the winner of the 114th annual hoop rolling competition at Wellesley College. Wang, who will graduate June 5, was met at the finish line Monday by President H. Kim Bottomly and Dean John O'Keefe, where she was presented with a bouquet of white roses filled with spring greenery, in honor of the 2009 class color, green. In keeping with tradition, she was promptly carried by her classmates to the edge of Lake Waban and tossed into the chilly water.

“Green Leader: Green Transportation Innovator to Speak at Commencement”
SUNY Oswego
April 27, 2009
http://www.oswego.edu/news/index.php/site/news_story/green_leader

Robin Chase, the CEO of carpooling venture GoLoco.org and co-founder and former CEO of Zipcar, will speak at SUNY Oswego’s dual Commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 16.  Chase, Wellesley class of 1980, and friend Antje Danielson created Zipcar in 1999, a car-sharing service that aims to mitigate the impact of automobiles on society by providing them to drivers on an as-needed basis. 

“U. Walks Lonely Road with Grading Policy”
The Daily Princetonian
Angela Cai
April 27, 2009
http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/2009/04/27/23543/

In 2004, Princeton University decided to take measures to curb grade inflation. Despite widespread agreement that grade inflation is a problem, the only other elite institution with a school-wide grading policy is Wellesley College, which instituted its stipulation that median grades for introductory level courses be no higher than a B-plus two weeks before Princeton’s grading policy vote.

“There’s No Marathon like the Boston Marathon”
The Tallahassee Democrat
David Yon
April 25, 2009
http://www.tallahassee.com/article/20090425/SPORTS/904250335/1002/SPORTS

There are few events like the Boston Marathon in the world and for many runners it has a very special call. Yon writes, “I ran my first one in 1986. I will never forget the ‘tunnel’ in front of Wellesley that forced early runners to pass single file. From a half mile away you could hear the high pitched cheering that said you were approaching Wellesley. I have never had more goose bumps running than passing through that tunnel with women slapping my back and screaming good cheer.”

“Sustainable Living”
Thirty on 10- Boston University Television
April 27, 2009
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crpedaGqS1Q

At Wellesley College, nine students live in a new co-op-style dorm where they are looking to make college life more sustainable. “We do a lot to eat locally grown, organic foods,” said Melanie Kazenel ’10, a resident of the co-op. The students also have a small plot of land where they can grow some of their own vegetables.

“Every Voice Is Heard”
The Boston Globe
Adam Conner-Simons
April 26, 2009
http://www.boston.com/ae/music/articles/2009/04/26/every_voice_is_heard/?page=full

Suddenly, the world of contemporary a cappella has gone pop, graduating from its collegiate comfort zone to the realms of film, television and, yes, even rock 'n' roll. According to Helen Day ’09, a member of Wellesley’s Blue Notes a cappella group, such a group is "almost like a fraternity or a social club these days."

“Hebron Jews: A Community of Memory”
Mideast Outposts
Jerold Auerbach
April 25, 2009
http://mideastoutpost.com/archives/000556.html

The Jews of Hebron are Jewish settlers whom legions of critics love to hate, according to Jerold Auerbach, history. It is seldom noticed that their most serious transgression, settlement in Israel — the return of Jews to their historic homeland — defines Zionism. Auerbach’s essay previews his forthcoming book, Hebron Jews: Memory and Conflict in the Land of Israel.

“Blue Skies Are Seen for Housing Market”
The San Diego Union-Tribune
Roger Showley
April 25, 2009
http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/apr/25/1b25housing213726-blue-skies-are-seen-housing-mark/?uniontrib

The nation's housing market may begin to recover this year, ahead of the general economy, but only if a lot of “ifs” go the right way, according to Karl Case, economics. “I'm optimistic,” said Case. “I think we'll see it turn up this year or next” before the rest of the economy improves.

“Shakespeare in 24 Hours”
The Boston Globe
April 24, 2009
http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/wellesley/2009/04/_while_shakespeare_wrote_that.html

While Shakespeare wrote "brevity is the soul of wit," students at Wellesley College will soon know if the brevity of Shakespeare in 24 hours will test their wits. Wellesley College's Shakespeare Society hopes to repeat its feat of five years ago when members and volunteers read the complete, unabridged works of William Shakespeare in 23 hours and 20 minutes.

“Gators in the Boston Marathon”
The Gainesville Sun (Fla.)
Pat Dooley
April 23, 2009
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20090423/COLUMNISTS/904239914?Title=Dooley-Noted-Gators-in-the-Boston-Marathon

Both of the University of Florida’s Associate Athletic Directors, Mike Hill and Chip Howard, ran the Boston Marathon. Hill said that the experience was amazing. "About halfway in, we heard this big roar like people were watching a game. I turned the corner and there were the students from Wellesley College cheering everyone on with signs. You can't think about stopping because the crowds won't let you."

“New Unrest on Campus as Donors Rebel”
The Wall Street Journal
John Hechinger
April 23, 2009
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124043394794145007.html

Trinity College is facing government scrutiny for its plan to spend part of a $9 million endowment from Wall Street investing legend Shelby Cullom Davis, who is also a benefactor of Wellesley College, Columbia University, Tufts University and Princeton University.

“The Daily Planet”
The Discovery Channel
April 23, 2009
http://watch.discoverychannel.ca/#clip164924

Catlin Powers ’09 was featured during Green Week on the Discovery Channel for her work in developing a solar cooker. The invention, which uses energy from the sun to heat a cooking pot, could have a positive impact on individual health and economics as well as on the environment. Powers’ solar cooker improves on earlier versions because it is lighter and more portable, which is better suited to the needs of Tibetans she is seeking to help.

“Course and Runner Pounded Each Other”
The Boston Globe
Shira Springer
April 21, 2009
http://www.boston.com/sports/marathon/articles/2009/04/21/course_and_runner_pounded_each_other/?page=full

Shira Springer writes about her experience running the Boston Marathon, which she finished in 3:23:07. Of this run, which was her fifth time running Boston and her ninth marathon overall, she writes, “Wellesley College students created their famed wall of sound as runners approached the half-marathon mark. The students also held up signs offering ‘Free Kisses.’ But what I enjoyed most was seeing the first-time Boston runners beside me react to the screams. They clapped, giving the fans a running ovation.”

“Marathon Racers Run for Charity”
The Harvard Crimson
Victor W. Yang
April 21, 2009
http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=527784

Samuel T. Moulton, who ran the Boston Marathon as part of the Harvard College Marathon Challenge, which raises money for Project HEALTH and the Phillips Brooks House Association, said that the crowd made the race “a pure experience of joy.” When asked about the halfway point of the race at Wellesley College — its cheering crowd is called the “Scream Tunnel” —Moulton said that he could hear their roar from pretty far back in the distance.“[It’s] a crazy tunnel of crazy college girls holding signs, and you kiss them — that’s something else that I’ve never experienced before,” he said.

“Running Boston is an Exercise in Pain, Endurance”
The Salem (Mass.) News
Jay Kumar
April 21, 2009
http://www.salemnews.com/pusports/local_story_111001634.html

Jay Kumar reflects on his experience running the Boston Marathon. Even though he has run the marathon before, Kumar still finds it an exciting experience because of the support of fans, particularly of “the Wellesley College girls who you can hear screaming a mile before you see them.”

“Danielle Spencer, Beverly Running with MS”
The Salem (Mass.) News
Chris Cassidy
April 20, 2009
http://www.salemnews.com/punews/local_story_109230352.html

Danielle Spencer of Beverly was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis 10 years ago and has finished five Boston Marathons. "I think a lot of people think that if you have MS, you're either wheelchair-bound or you can't do a lot of things," said Spencer, 31. "I'm doing this to prove that point wrong. There's a lot you can do with the disease, and it doesn't have to be a bad sentence." When asked about her favorite part of the course, Spencer says the screaming women of Wellesley College.

“Bryuner, Nourse Break Three Hours”
Bozeman (Mont.) Daily Chronicle
Tim Dumas
April 20, 2009
http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/articles/2009/04/21/sports/10marathon.txt

A few residents of Bozeman, Mont., ran the Boston Marathon in under three hours. Part of Boston’s lore is the sound of the cheers that accompany runners the entire way. It’s never louder than at Mile 13, where the female students at Wellesley College take cheering to a new level. “I bet we were a mile away and we could start hearing the ladies screaming,” runner Matt Edwards said. “When we went through there it was deafening.”

“2009 Boston Marathon: The Scene at Wellesley”
The Boston Globe
April 20, 2009
http://www.boston.com/sports/marathon/gallery/04_20_09_wellesley_scenes/

The Boston Globe’s coverage of the Boston Marathon includes a picture montage of the celebration at Wellesley College. The students there create a “wall of sound” to cheer on runners, offering both support and kisses.

“American Academy Announces 2009 Class of Fellows and Foreign Honorary Members
Boston Business Journal
April 20, 2009
http://boston.bizjournals.com/boston/prnewswire/press_releases/Massachusetts/2009/04/20/DC00652

Wellesley College President H. Kim Bottomly is among the distinguished new members of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, which has announced the election of leaders in the sciences, the humanities and the arts, business, public affairs and the nonprofit sector. The 210 new Fellows and 19 Foreign Honorary Members join one of the nation's most prestigious honorary societies and a center for independent policy research.

“Boston Marathon 2009 Photos”
Runners’ World
April 19, 2009
http://www.runnersworld.com/photo/wellesley/home.html

The students of Wellesley College in Wellesley, Mass., have a long tradition of cheering on Boston marathoners. "Cheering" takes on a whole new meaning with these women. Known as the Wellesley Scream Tunnel, the quarter-mile stretch is a deafening but pleasant gauntlet of high fives and, of course, kisses.

“Expert Handicaps Best Places to Watch”
The Boston Herald
Rich Thompson
April 19, 2009
http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/other_sports/marathon/view.bg?articleid=1166589

Wellesley College is cited by BAA Boston Marathon race director Dave McGillivray as one of the best places to watch the event. About the spot, he says, “It’s the halfway point in the race and Wellesley girls are out there cheering. That’s what everyone calls the tunnel of love.”

“A Semester in Cairo”
The Boston Globe
Glenn Yoder
April 19, 2009
http://www.boston.com/travel/getaways/africa/articles/2009/04/19/a_semester_in_cairo/

Being a woman in a socially conservative city in the Middle East can be a challenge, says Olinda Hassan, a Wellesley College junior from Tucson, who is spending this semester at the American University in Cairo. But while she has watched her etiquette carefully, other women have shaken her expectations. After dark, "many girls can be seen going to cafes with their friends – highly fashionable women wearing head scarves, smoking cigarettes with their girlfriends in a corner," Hassan says.

“Students Hope to Beat College Waiting List”
The Boston Globe
Tracy Jan
April 18, 2009
http://www.boston.com/yourtown/wellesley/articles/2009/04/18/students_hope_to_beat_college_waiting_list/?s_campaign=8315

While students on college waiting lists used to do exactly that – wait – the growing competitiveness of the admissions process has inspired some to take more active measures. A well-timed phone call can make the difference, although schools assert that students are not penalized for not following up, especially if they come from low-income communities where high school counselors are often overwhelmed. "We wouldn't want to overlook a student who doesn't know she can even do that," said Jennifer Desjarlais, dean of admission.

“Is the World Out of Balance?”
Foreign Policy
Abu Aardvark
April 18, 2009
http://lynch.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2009/04/18/is_the_world_out_of_balance

Stacie Goddard, political science, was one of the participants in a Williams College conference focused on World Out of Balance, a book recently published by Dartmouth Professors Stephen Brooks and William Wohlforth. In response to Brooks and Wohlforth’s argument that American power since the Cold War is unipolar, leading to less balancing and lower emphasis on international orders, Goddard asked whether balancing quite captured the various ways in which costs might be imposed, whether polarity quite captured the different possible distributions of power, and whether constructivist critiques might cut deeper than the book allows.  

“’Marathon Woman’ Is Good Run”
Deseret News (Salt Lake City, Utah)
Amy Donaldson
April 18, 2009
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,705298030,00.html

Kathrine Switzer never set out to be a pioneer. She never dreamed of being a trail-blazer or an activist. Instead, she just set out to find a way to do something she loved — run. Switzer became the first woman to officially race in the Boston Marathon in 1967.  One of the most moving passages was when Switzer describes running past Wellesley College during the 1971 Boston Marathon. At the time, women were still not allowed to run the race officially. "The women at Wellesley at last were all I had hoped for, and more," she writes. "The cheers of the Wellesley women made up for a lot of dark training nights. I felt my eyes sting with tears; I knew the cheers would sustain me for months."

“Global Engagement Summit: A Light of Hope in a Gray Year”
Blogher
Britt Bravo
April 15, 2009
http://www.blogher.com/global-engagment-summit-light-hope-gray-year

Wellesley College student Catlin Powers ’09 is the co-founder of One Earth Designs. The organization helps Himalayan communities, "achieve their unique visions of sustainable living through science/engineering education and infrastructure development."Powers and 80 other student entrepreneurs attended the Global Engagement Summit at Northwestern University to learn about asset-based community development, grant writing, impact assessment and metrics, and mission and vision development.

“A ‘Spasmodic, Improvisational Response’: Richard Posner Tackles the New Depression”
The New York Times
Dwyer Gunn
April 14, 2009
http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/14/a-spasmodic-improvisational-response-richard-posner-tackles-the-new-depression/

Dwyer Gunn ’06 interviews Richard Posner, judge of the U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals and senior lecturer at the University of Chicago Law School, about his new book, A Failure of Capitalism: The Crisis of 2008 and the Descent into Depression. She says that the book is accessible to both amateurs and experts, offering analysis and thoughtful commentary about the economic crisis.

“Schools are Laboratories for Social Competency”
The Boston Globe
Nadene Stein
April 12, 2009
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/letters/articles/2009/04/12/schools_are_laboratories_for_social_competency/

In a letter to the editor, Nadene Stein, principal of Northeast Elementary School in Waltham, talks about a social competency curriculum in her school. Her program is based on Open Circle, created by Wellesley Centers for Women, which focuses on three essential areas: creating a cooperative classroom environment, solving people problems and building positive relationships.

“Save Money with a Boston Area Daycation, Part One Patriots’ Day”
Boston Examiner
Mari C. DeAngelis
April 12, 2009
http://www.examiner.com/x-3112-Boston-Day-Trips-Examiner~y2009m4d12-Save-money-with--a-Boston-area-daycation-Part-One-Patriots-Day

There are a lot of events and activities in Boston on Patriots’ Day for those looking to save money and have a good time. One great place to watch is the area near Wellesley College – the site of the famous “Wellesley women’s tunnel of screams.” A lot of energy and excitement will make for a great day at this spot, located around the halfway mark of the race course.

“Wellesley College Cuts 80 Non-faculty Jobs”
The Boston Globe
Ben Terris
April 10, 2009
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/04/10/wellesley_college_cuts_80_non_faculty_jobs/

Wellesley College is cutting its workforce by 80 employees through layoffs and early retirements, becoming the latest institution of higher education forced to make significant cuts in the dismal economy. In addition, the college has frozen salaries for both faculty and staff.

“Wellesley College Lays Off 44, Chops 36 Other Jobs”
The Boston Herald
Christine McConville
April 10, 2009
http://news.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1164725

Wellesley College is laying off 44 employees and eliminating another 36 jobs, after its endowment was depleted by the upheaval in the financial markets. The prestigious women’s college, the latest Hub school forced to make major cutbacks, has also frozen salaries for all faculty and administrative staff. In her letter, President H. Kim Bottomly said the global economic upheaval prompted the changes, and she noted, “the entire campus will feel its impact.”

“Retreat was Magical for Wellesley College Playwright”
The Boston Globe
Cindy Cantrell
April 9, 2009
http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/wellesley/2009/04/retreat_was_magical_for_welles.html

Melinda Lopez, theatre studies, spent three weeks at the 10th annual Sundance Institute Playwrights Retreat in northern Wyoming, which funds seven playwrights and composers the solitude and company to produce their art. During that time, Lopez revised her play Caroline in Jersey, which will be performed this summer, and wrote a play about Charles Darwin, commissioned by the National Institutes of Health. "It was an extraordinarily beautiful setting with an amazing group of people," Lopez said. "At home, it's difficult to find three or four hours at a stretch to focus on one thing. This time was a godsend."

"Wellesley College Details Layoffs, Retirements"
The Boston Globe
April 9, 2009
http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/wellesley/2009/04/wellesley_college_details_layo.html

Wellesley College is cutting staff by about 80 people as the severe economic conditions continue to reverberate across the region's higher education institutions. In a letter posted on its Web site, President H. Kim Bottomly said the cutbacks include layoffs of 44 people. Salaries for all administrative and faculty have also been frozen. Bottomly also said 50 people took early retirement.

"Harvard Tops Columbia in Media Ranking"
United Press International
April 9, 2009
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/04/09/Harvard-tops-Columbia-in-media-ranking/UPI-17411239284798/

Harvard topped Columbia as the top U.S. university in a ranking based on how often the schools appear in the global media, according to a report by Global Language Monitor. In the liberal arts category, Wellesley College came in fourth, after Colorado College, Williams College and Amherst College.

"Wellesley Cuts 44 Workers, 80 Total Jobs"
Boston Business Journal
Jesse Noyes
April 8, 2009
http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/stories/2009/04/06/daily53.html

Wellesley College is laying off 44 employees as its budget is hammered by turmoil in the stock and credit markets, according to a letter from President H. Kim Bottomly. "The decision to lay off employees is a particularly painful one," Bottomly said. "In identifying positions to be eliminated, members of senior staff and I were keenly aware that each decision would affect a valued member of our community with whom we have personal relationships. We are losing colleagues and friends who have served the college well, and we extend our thanks and appreciation for their years of service and dedication."

“The Real Hunger Crisis”
Foreign Policy
Robert Paarlberg
April 8, 2009
http://experts.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2009/04/08/the_real_hunger_crisis

Robert Paarlberg, political science, argues that close attention needs to be paid to the underlying causes of world hunger, which he says primarily stem from persistent rural poverty in Africa and South Asia. The United States and other countries offer food aid, but in order to solve the actual problem, Paarlberg advocates for more investments in agricultural development.

"Radio Show Offers Advice to College Bound Students"
eMedia Wire
April 8, 2009
http://www.emediawire.com/releases/2009/4/emw2287024.htm

As high school seniors receive their college letters of acceptance in the next few weeks, Countdown to College Radio is answering students' questions to help them choose the college that's right for them. Guests on the show include Jennifer Desjarlais, dean of admission, and many other prominent people in higher education.

"Healthcare Study Has Implications for Livestock Farmers"
Cattle Network
Jon Biermacher and John Blanton
April 7, 2009
http://www.cattlenetwork.com/Content.asp?ContentID=304977

A study conducted by Stacy Sneeringer, economics, found that increasing the number of animal units by 100,000 in any county results in a 7.4 percent increase in infant mortality. In general, Sneeringer concluded that an increase in infant mortality is directly related to hazardous air pollutants associated with confined animal feeding operations. The take-home message from this research is that no matter the strength of the evidence, the EPA and other governmental and environmental groups are aggressively looking for tools and strategies to regulate animal agriculture on a human health basis.

"Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright's Pin Collection Exhibited for First Time at Museum of Arts and Design"
ArtDaily.org
April 7, 2009
http://www.artdaily.org/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=30006

The first major museum exhibition of jewelry from the personal collection of Madeleine Albright ’59 will premiere at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York City Sept. 30-Jan. 31. "Read My Pins: The Madeleine Albright Collection" features more than 200 pins, many of which Secretary Albright wore to communicate a message during her diplomatic tenure. The exhibition examines the collection for its historic significance as well as the expressive power of jewelry and its ability to communicate through a style and language of its own.

"When Good GPs Behave Badly"
The Wall Street Journal
April 6, 2009
Laura Kreutzer
http://blogs.wsj.com/privateequity/2009/04/06/when-good-gps-behave-badly/

Speaking on a panel at a recent private equity conference sponsored by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Sloan School of Management, Deborah Foye Kuenstner, chief investment officer of the Wellesley College endowment, jokes that she is writing the outline for a book on "bad GP (general partner) behavior." The Wellesley CIO joins a growing chorus of limited partners and consultants seeking to restore what they see as an imbalance in their relationships with fund managers. Fund managers are finding it harder to raise capital in this down economy and their investors are receiving more power.

"Relentless Tide of Global Hunger Engulfs 1bn"
Financial Times
April 6, 2009
Javier Blas
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d520cf02-22e0-11de-9c99-00144feabdc0.html

Almost unnoticed behind the economic crisis, a combination of lower growth, rising unemployment and falling remittances together with persistently high food prices has pushed the number of chronically hungry above 1billion for the first time. Robert Paarlberg, political science, says he is "more worried about hunger in the current economic crisis" than he was about it "at the peak of the surge in food commodities prices last summer." Food prices are about 60 percent higher today than they were only 18 months ago.

"Public Loses With Gender Price Gap in College Hoops"
The Christian Science Monitor
Laura Pappano
April 3, 2009
http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0403/p09s02-coop.html

There aren't many bargains in sports, but one of them is NCAA Division I women's college basketball – and that's a problem, says Laura Pappano, WCW. An analysis of ticket prices at 292 Division I colleges this season shows that single tickets to men's games cost twice as much as to women's games even controlling for differences in attendance (at a few schools women do outdraw men). The study, part of The Women's Sports Leadership Project at the Wellesley Centers for Women, showed large gaps at every level, from premium season to general admission single game tickets.

"Meet the Artists at Fountain Street Studio"
The Milford Daily News
Chris Bergeron
April 2, 2009
http://www.milforddailynews.com/arts/x148337924/Meet-the-artists-at-Fountain-Street-Studios

More than 50 resident and guest artists will be holding the 13th Fountain Street Open Studios Weekend. Among those exhibiting work is James Rayen, art emeritus, who paints salt marshes and landscapes pulsing with barely perceptible shifts of light. Rayen said the subtly shifting colors of a landscape can become "a metaphor for change and change itself....I paint about the moment of change when the day shifts from late afternoon to early evening," he said. "You have to have the patience to look."

"Channer Reboots for Calabash"
Jamaica Gleaner News
April 1, 2009
http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20090401/ent/ent1.html

The 2009 Calabash International Literary Festival, directed and founded by Colin Channer, English, is back on track following a three-day suspension in plans due to financial difficulties. The event will be held May 22 through 24, during which Channer says he is particularly looking forward to hearing three authors: "I'd have to say Junot Diaz, who just won the Pulitzer Prize. I'd have to add U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky and the Honourable Edward Seaga, whose memoirs are fascinating."

"The Bears Are Roaring Again, but for How Long?"
The Boston Globe
Scott Van Voorhis
April 1, 2009
http://www.boston.com/realestate/news/blogs/renow/2009/04/the_bears_are_r.html

Home prices in 20 housing markets dropped 19 percent year-over-year in January, a record decrease that is increasing the doom and gloom in the residential market. While there is no disputing the numbers, the Case-Shiller Index was designed by the excellent Karl Case, economics, they may not fully reflect the growing signs that the housing market and the economy are finally hitting bottom.

"Amazing Race"
GO Magazine
April 2009
http://www.airtranmagazine.com/features/2009/04/amazing-race

During the upcoming Boston Marathon, there are a number of attractions en route should runners or cheerers need a break. At the 12-mile point, one can offset the grueling display of endurance with some calming art at the Davis Museum and Cultural Center at Wellesley College, one of the best academic fine arts museums in the United States.

March 2009

“On Campus: Wellesley's Sorenson's Flip of Fate”
The Wellesley Townsman
March 30, 2009
Eric Avidon
http://www.wickedlocal.com/wellesley/sports/x1579105044/On-Campus-Wellesleys-Sorensons-flip-of-fate

Kate Sorenson ’09 started her All-American career in a different way than most.  She didn’t start diving until her sophomore year at Wellesley College, but became an honorable mention Division III All-American on both the 1- and 3-meter boards as a junior last March. Just over two weeks ago, out in Minneapolis, she was fourth in the country in both events, earning All-American honors in both. 

“Trini Professor Profiles Visionary Caribbean Leader”
Newsday (Trinidad & Tobago)
March 30, 2009
http://www.newsday.co.tt/features/0,97635.html

Caribbean Visionary: ARF Webber and the Making of the Guyanese Nation, which was published last year by Selwyn Cudjoe, Africana studies, traces the life of Webber, a distinguished Caribbean scholar, politician and novelist.

“Dads: To Stay Home or Not to Stay Home”
Helium
March 30, 2009
Courtney Caswell-Peyton
http://www.helium.com/items/190138-dads-to-stay-at-home-or-not-to-stay-at-home

Recent evidence reported by the census has suggested that more men are choosing to stay home than ever before. According to Joseph Pleck, Wellesley Centers for Women, "It's still true that fathers are doing less...[but] are fathers doing more, and does that indicate that a change is possible? These figures indicate those answers have got to be yes."

“Community Comes Together for Historical Restoration of Notasula's Rosenwald School”
The Birmingham (Ala.) News
Kathy Kemp
March 29, 2009
http://www.al.com/living/birminghamnews/news.ssf?/base/living/123831451626910.xml&coll=2

The Shiloh Community Restoration Fund is working to restore the Rosenwald School, one site where the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, a U.S. public health program that monitored the effects of syphilis in black men, was conducted. The school in Notasula, Ala., will become a museum about the syphilis study, the Rosenwald school movement and the town itself. "What they're doing in Notasula is rare, because just about everything related to the syphilis study is gone," says Susan M. Reverby, women's studies. "What happened in Macon County gets misremembered and misinterpreted and misused by people who don't know any better.

“For Top Colleges, Economy Has Not Reduced Interest (or Made Getting in Easier)”
The New York Times
March 29, 2009
Jacques Steinberg and Tamar Lewin
http://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/29/for-top-colleges-economy-has-not-reduced-interest-or-made-getting-in-easier/?ref=education

The recession appears to have had little impact on the number of applications received by many of the nation’s most competitive colleges, or on an applicant’s overall chances of being admitted to them. Wellesley College was one of many elite colleges that saw application numbers increase this year.

“Sorenson Dives into All-America Status”
The Boston Globe
March 29, 2009
Marvin Pave
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2009/03/29/sorenson_dives_into_all_america_status/

Wellesley College diver Kate Sorenson ’09 finished fourth on the 1- and 3-meter boards at this year’s NCAA Division 3 swimming and diving national championships, earning her All-America status. Sorenson only began diving in her sophomore year at Wellesley College, when the diving coach noticed her dexterity in performing a back-flip during an award-winning karaoke performance.

“Diego Arciniegas Jumps from Stage-to-Stage”
EDGE New England
March 27, 2009
Joe Siegel
http://www.edgeboston.com/index.php?ch=entertainment&sc=theatre&sc2=&sc3=&id=88989

Diego Arciniegas, theatre studies, is currently appearing in the Huntington Theatre Co.’s production of Two Men in Florence and directing the Boston premier of the British comedy Humble Boy for the Publick Theatre. "The thing I like about acting is making an emotional and intellectual connection with another person on stage for the benefit of a room full of people," Arciniegas said.

“A Vaccine Debate Focused on Sex Shifts as Boys Join the Target Market”
The Washington Post
March 26, 2009
Rob Stein
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/25/AR2009032503682.html?wprss=rss_nation

When a vaccine designed to protect girls against a sexually transmitted virus arrived three years ago, the debate centered on one question: Would the shots make young girls more likely to have sex? Now the vaccine's maker is trying to get approval to sell the vaccine for boys, and the debate is focusing on something else entirely: Is it worth the money, and is it safe and effective enough? "We are still more worried about the promiscuity of girls than the promiscuity of boys," said Susan Reverby, women's studies. "There's still that double standard."

“African Musician Appearing at Wellesley College“
The Boston Globe
March 25, 2009
http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/wellesley/2009/03/african_musician_appearing_at.html

Griot Balla Tounkara and his fusion ensemble Groupe Spirit will perform as part of a concert series at Wellesley College. Balla Tounkara is a griot and master kora player from Mali, West Africa. The program will feature conventional music for the kora as well as music by Groupe Spirit, allowing the audience to explore to the relationship between the traditional and the new.

“Una Universidad Para La Élite Política”
El Mundo
March 25, 2009
Rebeca Yanke
http://www.elmundo.es/suplementos/campus/2009/545/1237935612.html

Wellesley College is a stronghold of female intellectuals in the United States. It also offers Spanish language and literature classes on Spanish poets Pedro Salinas and Jorge Guillén. Decades ago, women such as Madeleine Albright and Hillary Clinton walked down these corridors. For Elena Gascón Vera, Spanish, successor of the poets, it "is not accidental that as a women’s college Wellesley College was the first to dare to invite an atypical professor.”

“Strader Preaches the Need for Urban Farming - At Your House or The White House”
Wisconsin State Journal
March 25, 2009
Melanie Conklin
http://www.madison.com/wsj/topstories/444359

Claire Strader ’92 became a farmer after completing a double major in philosophy and women’s studies. Yes — there is a connection among~Strader’s schooling, her current job running the Troy Community Farm on Madison’s North Side and her January win of an online poll organized by agricultural activists and farmers to nominate a White House farmer to grow food for the first family and area food banks in Washington, D.C.

“Grand Scale Prints at Philadelphia Museum of Art”
The Jewish Press
March 25, 2009
Richard McBee
http://www.jewishpress.com/pageroute.do/38686/

Grand Scale, an exhibition of 47 rare examples of 16th-century large-scale prints, co-curated by Larry Silver of the University of Pennsylvania and Elizabeth Wyckoff, Davis Museum, is currently on display at the Philadelphia Museum.

“Kerry Focuses Committee on Global Food Crisis”
The Boston Globe
March 24, 2009
Foon Rhee
http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2009/03/kerry_focuses_c.html

Robert Paarlberg, political science, is among six witnesses serving on a hearing panel held by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on what the United States can do to help alleviate the global food crisis. “Today, we are fortunate to be able to hear from two very knowledgeable panels of experts,” chairman John Kerry noted in his opening statement. “Dr. Robert Paarlberg is a professor at Wellesley College and a world-renowned expert on agriculture, particularly in Africa.”

“Act Like an Optimist, Improve Your Health”
Redbook
March 24, 2009
Marguerite Lamb
http://www.redbookmag.com/health-wellness/advice/be-an-optimist

Behaving optimistically doesn't mean never entertaining a pessimistic thought. In fact, you should anticipate and prepare for setbacks, says Julie Norem, psychology, and the author of The Positive Power of Negative Thinking. Her studies show that when pessimists try to replace their usual worrying with things like positive imagery or progressive muscle relaxation, their stress actually escalates and their performance tanks. "Pessimists need to be allowed to worry," Norem says, "but they need to learn to do it in a very specific way."

“Grade Inflation Gone Wild”
The Christian Science Monitor
March 24, 2009 edition
Stuart Rojstaczer
http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0324/p09s02-coop.html

The history of grade inflation in undergraduate higher education is long and tumultuous. Grades started to shoot up nationwide in the 1960s, leveled off in the 1970s, and then started rising again in the 1980s. Private schools had much higher grades than public schools, but virtually everyone was experiencing grade inflation. Today, more than half of the grades given at elite institutions are in the A range, but Wellesley College is among the colleges and universities proving that the effort to keep grade inflation in check is not impossible.

“College Students Explore Green Living in Cooperative Housing”
Kansas City infoZine
March 23, 2009
http://www.infozine.com/news/stories/op/storiesView/sid/34876/

The student residents of Wellesley’s sustainability co-op housing have made a commitment to buying and cooking locally and sustainably. Also essential to the new model of co-op living on campus is a community-based lifestyle. Nine students currently live in the sustainable housing wing of Simpson Hall on the Wellesley College campus in rooms that share a common living area and kitchen.

“Ipswich Female Seminary: Not Just a Finishing School”
Ipswich (Mass.) Chronicle
March 23, 2009
Sarah Vickery
http://www.wickedlocal.com/ipswich/news/education/x110662177/Ipswich-Female-Seminary-Not-just-a-finishing-school

Sarah Vickery ’10, seasonal docent for the Ipswich Historical Society, examines the history of the Ipswich Female Seminary, which was founded in 1825 and closed in 1876. “No history of women’s collegiate education is complete without at least a glance at the Ipswich Female Seminary,” Vickery notes. Wellesley and Vassar are among the schools whose philosophies were indirectly influenced by the Ipswich Female Seminary.

“Crops With Attitude: Poor Nations Are Starting To Shake Off The Old 'Frankenfood' Taboo”
Newsweek
March 22, 2009
Mac Margolis and Manuela Zoninsein
http://www.newsweek.com/id/189263

With the growth in the planet's population and the decline of water tables, farmers in developing countries will have to grow more food on less land with less water. Gene splicing can achieve in a matter of weeks or months what takes decades for traditional cross breeding. "Look at where people are malnourished today—in dry, non-irrigated land, mostly occupied by small farmers," says Robert Paarlberg, political science, and author of Starved for Science on the biotech ban in Africa. "To feed these people, you need new technologies to use land and labor more productively. This is where GM [genetic modification] will help feed the poor."

“Unpaid Internships Perpetuate Class Inequality In Media”
The Beacon (Wilkes (Pa.) University)
March 21, 2009
Christa Sgobba
http://www.wilkesbeacon.com/opinion/unpaid_internships_perpetuate_class_inequality_in_media-1.1622193

With the nation’s unemployment rate increasing to 8.1 percent, many journalism students graduating from college will hope for summer internships as their first out-of-school job. However, there is one catch to the seemingly easy answer of a post-graduate internship: most summer internships in journalism are unpaid. Some schools are trying to even the playing field by allowing all of their students to apply for any internship they want, regardless of financial need. Wellesley College, among others, offers stipends for unpaid internships.

“College Admissions Feel Economic Pinch”
ABC 5, WCVB-TV (Boston, MA)
March 16, 2009
Matt Quan
http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news/18943252/detail.html

The nation’s top liberal arts colleges are trying to bring in new students and their parents with better financial aid programs designed to settle economic fears.  Seven out of the top eight ranked liberal arts colleges have reported decreases in their application numbers. Wellesley College, ranked No. 4, has been able to see a 2 percent increase in applications this year because of a continued focus on settling economic anxieties among its applicants. “We try to stress that the academic qualifications are what should be the main concern for applicants, not financial ones,” said Jennifer Desjarlais, dean of admissions at Wellesley College. “We also rely on our alumn[ae] to represent the future economic benefits of attending our college.”

“Voices from the Margins”
The Hindu (India’s national newspaper)
Pushpa Chari
March 16, 2009
http://www.hindu.com/mag/2009/03/15/stories/2009031550310700.htm

Women as far off as Chile and India, living in the margins of society, expressed their sense of self by stitching together narrative tapestries, now being seen as collectors’ items and priceless pieces of folk art. According to Marjorie Agosin, Spanish, many women in Chile protested against the abuses of the Pinochet regime by creating arpilleras, three-dimensional appliqué textiles.

“Hundreds Rally for 100% Clean Electricity in 10 Years”
It’s Getting Hot in Here
Craig Altemose
March 15, 2009
http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/2009/03/15/hundreds-rally-for-100-clean-electricity-in-10-years/

Close to two hundred students and community members came from across Massachusetts to rally for 100% Clean Electricity in 10 Years outside the Massachusetts State House in downtown Boston yesterday. The Massachusetts Power Shift-sponsored event had a celebratory mood, after the Massachusetts State Senate passed a RePower America Resolution on Thursday. Speakers included members of the co-sponsoring organizations and Mass Power Shift student leaders from Harvard University, MIT, Northeastern University, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Wellesley College and Williams College.

“Take a Fresh Look at Wellesley's Davis Museum”
The Taunton (Mass.) Daily Gazette
Chris Bergeron
March 14, 2009
http://www.tauntongazette.com/entertainment/x108126285/Davis-Museums-exhibit-of-Italian-prints-reveals-a-broad-range-of-work

When she re-installed the Davis Museum's permanent collection at Wellesley College, Dabney Hailey wanted visitors to discover how artists entice us to see that world anew. The curator of painting, sculpture and photography, she organized "Perceiving Space as Art," a smart, insightful exhibit that can enhance viewers' enjoyment by examining how artists from around the world variously represent space in their works. "I hope this is a really exciting and immersive viewing experience," said Hailey. "We really want people to look at these works and think about how they're seeing them."

“Darkness and Light in Engaging 'Playboy'”
The Boston Globe
Louise Kennedy
March 14, 2009
http://www.boston.com/ae/theater_arts/articles/2009/03/14/darkness_and_light_in_engaging_playboy/

The Playboy of the Western World: It's a familiar title, so familiar that we can almost forget what a strange and trouble-making play it is. Deeply Irish in its lyrical poetry, its straddling of comedy and tragedy, and its wild heart, it was also seen as anti-Irish enough in its 1907 debut to provoke riots in Dublin. A hundred years on, no one's likely to riot over John Millington Synge's play anymore - certainly not outside the Wellesley Summer Theatre's home on the Wellesley College campus, where Nora Hussey, theatre studies, has staged a lively and sometimes vivid production. But the play's dark humor and brusque acceptance of human frailty still have the power to startle us.

“Art and Love in Renaissance Italy On View at Kimbell Art Museum March 15 - June 14”
North Texas e-News
March 13, 2009
http://www.ntxe-news.com/artman/publish/article_52273.shtml

Jacqueline Musacchio, art history, is co-author of the Art and Love in Renaissance Italy exhibition catalogue. The fully illustrated catalogue, written by a distinguished group of scholars and published by the Metropolitan Museum in association with the Yale University Press, is the first to examine the entire range of works to which Renaissance rituals of love and marriage gave rise.

“Berklee’s Women Musicians Network to Host 12th Annual Concert Tonight”
Boston Music Spotlight
March 12, 2009
http://www.bostonmusicspotlight.com/article.php?id=1987

Kera Washington, music, perfomed with her ensemble, Zili Misik, at the 12th Annual Concert hosted by Berklee’s Women Musicians Network. Zili Misik is a 2008 Boston Music Award winner. Student members of the Wellesley Yanvalou Drum and Dance Ensemble also performed.
 
“Famous Alumnae of Women’s Colleges”
U.S. News & World Report
March 11, 2009
http://www.usnews.com/articles/education/2009/03/11/famous-alumnae-of-womens-colleges.html 

Madeleine Albright, first female U.S. secretary of state; Hillary Clinton, current secretary of state; and Pamela Melroy, NASA astronaut call Wellesley College their alma mater.

“Theater Review: WST’s ‘Playboy’ Is a Comedy for the Ages”
The Milford (Mass.) Daily News
March 11, 2009
David Brooks Andrews
http://www.milforddailynews.com/arts/x260342554/Theater-Review-WSTs-Playboy-is-a-comedy-for-the-ages

With winter reluctant to give way to spring and our country facing such serious problems, you may be more than ready for a comedy that makes you laugh out loud. And so the Wellesley Summer Theatre's staging of The Playboy of the Western World by John Millington Synge and directed by Nora Hussey, theatre studies, couldn't be better timed. Like many comedies, this one is built around characters who jump to conclusions and make mistakes that we as an audience see through long before they do.

“Williams College’s Applications Drop 20% as Economy Takes Toll”
Bloomberg News
March 10, 2009
Janet Frankston Lorin
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&sid=aZF3LBiWfkUQ&refer=home 

Applications for admission plunged 20 percent at Williams College as fewer students sought entry at seven of the eight top-rated liberal arts colleges in the U.S. Only Wellesley College among the top eight liberal arts schools ranked by U.S. News, is reporting an increase. Applications rose 2 percent, to about 4,200 this year, said Arlie Corday, public affairs. Currently, 2,231 students attend the all-women’s college.

“Applications Drop 20% at Williams as Economy Sours”
Bloomberg News
March 9, 2009
Janet Frankston Lorin
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=email_en&refer=us&sid=a.vca3DMhCHc

Applications dropped at seven of the top eight liberal-arts colleges in the U.S., led by a 20 percent plunge at Williams College. Only Wellesley College, among the top eight liberal arts schools ranked by U.S. News & World Report, is reporting an increase, with applications rising 2 percent, to about 4,200 this year. Acceptance rate is one factor used by U.S. News in determining schools rankings, according to the magazine’s Web site.

“Achievers”
The West Roxbury Transcript
March 7, 2009
http://www.wickedlocal.com/west-roxbury/news/education/x594733182/ACHIEVERS

Lynn Gallogly ’12 was awarded second place for the Three Generations Prize for Writing 125. Her portfolio was written for Professor Wil Rollman’s course, “The Image of Islam, Muslims and the Middle East in Western Media, Literature and Arts.”

“Local Student Leads Rally at D.C. Environmental Conference”
Maryland Gazette
March 5, 2009
Joshua Garner
http://www.gazette.net/stories/03052009/fortnew183508_32520.shtml

Dominique Hazzard ’12 rallied against global warming in Washington, D.C., and introduced Congresswoman Donna F. Edwards as part of the Power Shift 2009 national youth climate change conference held Feb. 27 to March 2. More than a thousand of the young people who attended were minorities, proving that environmental concerns extend beyond predominately white communities. "It's significant because the environmental movement is typically seen as upper-middle class white," Hazzard said.

“All A Cappela Live at Boston's Cutler Majestic Theatre”
Examiner.com (Boston, MA)
March 5, 2009
http://www.examiner.com/x-3112-Boston-Day-Trips-Examiner~y2009m3d5-All-A-Cappela-Live-at-Bostons-Cutler-Majestic-Theatre

WERS-FM, the community radio station owned and operated by Emerson College, is hosting the third annual All A Capella Live at the Majestic 2009.~The eventwill celebrate the 100th anniversary of collegiate a cappella singing with performances by the MIT Logarhythms, the UMass Amherst Doo Wop Shop, the Wellesley College Tupelos, the MIT Chorallaries and the Brandeis VoiceMale.

“As Job Market Shrinks, So Do College Grads’ Grand Plans”
The Christian Science Monitor
March 3, 2009
Stacy Teicher Khadaroo
http://features.csmonitor.com/economyrebuild/2009/03/03/as-job-market-shrinks-so-do-college-grads%E2%80%99-grand-plans/#left

After years of plenty, the job market is shrinking and hiring of new college graduates is expected to drop 22 percent this spring. A career fair for nonprofit and public-service companies hosted by Wellesley College attracted 420 students – about 100 more than last year. “Maybe students feel more of a sense of permission to pursue [these sorts of jobs] now than when there were lots and lots of highly paid finance jobs that were pretty tempting,” says Joanne Murray, Center for Work & Service.

“Forty Years Later: Wellesley’s Decision to Stay a Women’s College Revisited”
The Wellesley Townsman
March 3, 2009
http://www.wickedlocal.com/wellesley/news/education/x1362395007/Forty-Years-Later-Wellesleys-Decision-to-Stay-a-Womens-College-Revisited

Forty years ago, the Commission on the Future of the College, formed of students, faculty, trustees and alumnae, worked for two years and more than 2,000 hours to make recommendations on the college’s future. One result:~a 9-4 vote in favor of admitting men to Wellesley, a recommendation Wellesley’s board of trustees rejected. Several of the commission’s members will revisit their decision during “Co-Ed Wellesley: Perspectives on the 1971 Commission on the Future of the College” Wednesday, March 11, at 7 pm in the Library Lecture Room on the Wellesley College campus.

“Foreclosures, drop in values make Hub more affordable”
The Boston Herald
March 2, 2009
Thomas Grillo  
http://news.bostonherald.com/business/real_estate/view.bg?articleid=1155537

The housing meltdown has created opportunities for buyers previously priced out of Boston’s neighborhoods.  Before the housing market went south last year, the explosive rise in home prices in Boston pushed buyers beyond Worcester and south to Brockton in search of affordable houses. Today, amid a national real estate bust, there are more options to live in Boston.  But Karl Case, an economics professor at Wellesley College, said low prices and tax credits may not be enough to lure first-time buyers and others into the housing market.  “People are scared,” he said. “You are buying a big ticket on margin, so if you put 10 (percent) to 20 percent down and its value falls by 10-to-20 percent in value, you are wiped out.”

February 2009

“Columbia College Names First Black, Female Dean”
The New York Times
February 27, 2009
Lisa W. Foderaro
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/27/columbia-names-first-black-female-dean-of-college/

Columbia University has named Michele M. Moody-Adams, Cornell University’s vice provost for undergraduate education, as dean of Columbia College, the first black person and the first woman to serve in the post. In addition to Cornell, Dr. Moody-Adams has taught at Indiana University, the University of Rochester and Wellesley College.  She will become dean of the college on July 1.

“Police looking for man exposing himself on college campus”
NBC 7 News - Boston
February 27, 2009
http://www1.whdh.com/news/articles/local/BO106014/

Wellesley College students are on alert after another report of a man exposing himself. Since last September, school officials at Wellesley College said there have been several incidents involving the same man. While no students have been injured, they are uneasy. "I know some people who are freaked out and don't want to go to east campus, where he was seen, at all at night," said Julia Schroeder, a senior at Wellesley College.

“President Bollinger Names Cornell Philosophy Professor and Vice Provost Michele M. Moody-Adams Next Dean of Columbia College”
Media Newswire
February 27, 2009
http://www.media-newswire.com/release_1086900.html

Michele Moody-Adams ’78 was appointed as the new dead of Columbia College. Since 2000, Moody-Adams has been the Hutchinson Professor and Director of the Program on Ethics and Public Life at Cornell University, and has served for the past four years as Cornell's vice provost for undergraduate education. "Professor Moody-Adams' extraordinary commitment to teaching, scholarship and public service, as well as her hands-on experience as an academic administrator for undergraduate education, make her uniquely well suited to this new challenge," said President Bollinger.

“Don't Fix the Student-Aid System. Kill It.”
The Chronicle of Higher Education
Robert Ronstadt
February 27, 2009
http://chronicle.com/weekly/v55/i25/25a03601.htm

The American student-aid system has long been based on a tacit promise to provide students with the means to complete their college education and ensure that money isn't a barrier to getting a degree. The truth is that only a handful of very wealthy students could afford a higher education if colleges did not receive taxpayer subsidies. For instance, the full cost of an undergraduate education at Wellesley College in 2004 was a bit over $68,000, while Wellesley's tuition was less than half that. The difference was made up through annual giving, the endowment, and other sources of income, all of which have tax advantages enjoyed by the college and its donors.

“How to Get College Grants for Women”
eArticlesOnline.com
February 27, 2009
Charles Bretz
http://www.earticlesonline.com/Article/How-To-Get-College-Grants-For-Women/422410

Women’s campuses, right now, not only include interests and activities appealing to every woman, but also are being funded heavily through private donations. They also feature monetary-aid packages which make it feasible for even economically challenged students for attending the courses. Wellesley College gives no scholarship or grant on the basis of merit. The college, in fact, tends to take diversity seriously. It expects majority of student body of it to have incoming students educational needs shored up. These students can be from any background.

“Private Colleges Us Incentives to Counter High ‘Sticker Price’”
The Daily Free Press (Boston University)
February 26, 2009
Crystal Rim
http://www.dailyfreepress.com/private_colleges_use_incentives_to_counter_high_sticker_price-1.1575326

As more students struggle to afford a college education due to the economic crisis, many colleges across the nation are drastically increasing their financial aid packages. Many schools are eliminating student loans and replacing them with grants, including area schools Amherst College, Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Wellesley College. Wellesley College spokeswoman Mary Ann Hill said Wellesley’s policy of loan replacement for grants went into effect this school year and eliminated loans for students whose family income is below $60,000.

 “When Mayors Take Charge: School Governance in the City”
PR Newswire
February 26, 2009
http://ca.sys-con.com/node/856213

Wilbur Rich, political science, is a contributing author of When Mayors Take Charge, the most up-to-date assessment available on the governance of urban schools and the role mayors can play in running these systems. Large urban school systems have been the weakest link in American education, driving middle-class families into the suburbs and contributing to a learning gap between the races.

“Spell-binding Show Keeps Hope Alive”
Lowell (Mass.) Sun
February 26, 2009
Nancy Tuttle
http://www.lowellsun.com/theatre/ci_11789746

Besides teaching at Concord Academy, Boston University and Wellesley College, Melinda Lopez, theater, accepting commissions, writing plays and cares for her 8-year-old daughter. Her play, How Do You Spell Hope?, is currently being staged at Underground Railway Theater in Cambridge. "It's a wonderful company, one that creates magic on its stage," said Lopez.

“U.S. Housing Market Bottom May be a Year Away: Case”
Reuters
February 26, 2009
Julie Haviv
http://uk.reuters.com/article/economyNews/idUKTRE51P04120090226

The U.S. housing market slump is nowhere near over and home prices will probably keep falling well into next year according to Karl Case, economics. Case said the hard-hit U.S. housing market has gone from being the primary source of the U.S. economic recession to one of its biggest casualties. "Never say never, but it is looking increasingly probable that we will not see a housing market bottom until next year," he said.

“House Sales Battered Again in January”
The Boston Globe
February 25, 2009
Jenifer McKim
http://www.boston.com/business/markets/articles/2009/02/25/house_sales_battered_again_in_january/

Each new blow to the economy and the nation’s financial system is exacerbating Massachusetts’ already struggling real estate market. Karl Case, economics, said where the sagging house market once contributed to the economy’s problems, it is now being affected by them. “It started with housing and it spread to the rest of the economy and now it’s feeding back,” said Case. “We are all in a pretty miserable mood.”

“Metro Detroit Home Values Dive in 2008”
Detroit Free Press
February 24, 2009
Greta Guest
http://www.freep.com/article/20090224/NEWS05/90224032

Metro Detroit single-family home prices fell 21.7 percent through 2008, according to the monthly S&P/Case-Shiller home price index. The Detroit area remains the only metro area among the top 20 that has seen home prices drop below their 2000 prices. “There is not a lot of good news here, I have to admit,” according to Case. “Eventually this market will clear.” Case said the real estate market’s future will become clearer in the spring, when real estate sales heat up, and when President Obama’s housing stimulus plan begins its foreclosure prevention measures in March.

“Home Prices in Record Drop”
CNNMoney.com
February 24, 2009
Les Christie
http://money.cnn.com/2009/02/24/real_estate/Case_Shiller_December/

Home prices declined at a record pace around the nation in the final three months of 2008, according to an industry report released Tuesday. Karl Case, economics, pointed out during a news conference following the index's release that the markets experiencing the steepest falls also enjoyed the biggest run-ups during the boom. "Those markets were driven by subprime lending expansion from the summer of 2003 on," he said. "After the [Federal Reserve's lowered interest rates] to fight against the recession of 2001, subprime took off like gangbusters."

“Secretary Clinton Presses For Women's Rights”
Forbes - Opinion
February 24, 2009
Carol Hymowitz
http://www.forbes.com/2009/02/24/secretary-state-feminism-opinions-contributors_hillary_clinton.html

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton ’69 is making equality for women a centerpiece of her diplomatic platform. For Clinton, gender equality isn't just a policy goal; it's a highly personal issue that has shaped her life. She openly talked about this on a trip to Asia this month when she fielded questions about her own efforts to balance work and family and her decision to enroll at female-only Wellesley College in 1965. At that time, she pointed out, Ivy League schools such as Harvard and Yale were still all male. Nevertheless, she said, "I think we [still] need women's colleges ... to provide the supportive environment ... and opportunities for leadership ... I certainly found at Wellesley."

“Whom Can You Trust With Your Money?”
ABC News
Scott Mayerowitz
February 23, 2009
http://www.abcnews.go.com/Business/Economy/story?id=6926195&page=1

Even though Americans are watching the stock market fall lower and lower, financial advisors have warned them not to sell. Ann D. Witte, economics, said that some people push stocks — even if they aren't the most prudent investments — because they make larger commissions off such sales. "Equities are oversold by both the financial planning community and the mutual fund industry," Witte said. "The reason is: they make more money out of equities than fixed income.” But Witte said the real problem is a lack of financial education among Americans. For instance, she said, you shouldn't be investing in stocks if you need that money anytime in the next 10 years.

“A Semester in Milan”
The Boston Globe
Glenn Yoder
February 22, 2009
http://www.boston.com/travel/getaways/europe/articles/2009/02/22/a_semester_in_milan/

It is not a stretch to say that Anne Goldberg savored Milan. The Wellesley College junior music major enjoyed the abundant fresh pasta and locally produced meat and wine. But over a fall semester studying at IES Milan and Accademia Internazionale della Musica, Goldberg came to truly love risotto. "I miss the different foods that I had blended into the rice. My favorite was a pumpkin risotto that my Italian roommate made for me," she said.

“The Anti-Hit List”
The Toronto Star
John Sakamoto
February 21, 2009
http://www.thestar.com/Entertainment/article/590318

At No. 2 on John Sakamoto’s list of great, but lesser known, songs, is the Wellesley College Blue Notes’ rendition of Ben Fold’s “Annie Waits.” Of Ben Folds’ album that compiles college a capella covers of his songs, Sakamoto says, “It is a testament to the vocal talent that abounds on campuses across the U.S. that no fewer than 18 could make the short list, including this giddily accomplished take that also manages to interpolate the chorus of Folds's biggest hit, ‘Brick.’”

“Gath’ring Words, Expansive, Terse, to Tell a Cambridge Tale in Verse”
The Boston Globe
David Mehegan
February 20, 2009
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/02/20/gathring_words_expansive_terse_to_tell_a_cambridge_tale_in_verse/?rss_id=Boston.com+--+Massachusetts+news

Peter Payack is nearing the end of his term as Cambridge's first poet populist, an elected position designed to encourage the appreciation of poetry. Now he's working on his most ambitious project: the Cambridge Community Poem. Despite Payack's enthusiasm, not everyone is sure it will work. "If anyone can do it, Peter can," said Ifeanyi Menkiti, English, who is also the owner of the Grolier Poetry Book Shop.

“It's a Woman's World (At Least at These Colleges)”
Diverse Issues in Higher Education
February 19, 2009
Hillary Hurd Anyaso
http://diverseeducation.com/artman/publish/article_12297.shtml

Wellesley is profiled in an article on the six women’s colleges in Massachusetts. Among the strong points mentioned in the piece are Wellesley’s “long history of producing women leaders”; the high level of diversity in Wellesley’s student body; and the college’s need-blind admissions policy and reduced-loan financial aid program. “Massachusetts’ women’s colleges have had to be innovative academically and financially to adapt and remain competitive in efforts to appeal to today’s collegebound women,” Anyaso writes. Also profiled are Mount Holyoke, Smith, Bay Path, Pine Manor and Simmons.

“Private Colleges Announce Cost-Cutting Initiatives for 2009-10 Academic Year”
The Times Herald (Norristown, Pa.)
Gary Aiken
February 19, 2009
http://www.timesherald.com/articles/2009/02/19/business/doc499cd3f82d6ff490495297.txt

In light of the current economic downturn, private colleges and universities are taking substantial steps to stay affordable to students and their families. The National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities surveyed over 1,000 of their private college members to find out which schools are changing their financial aid policies in order to keep their costs as low as possible. In order to assist in the difficult financial situation, Wellesley College will replace loans with grants for students from families earning less than $60,000 per year.

“Wellesley College to Cut Up to 85 Jobs”
The Journal of New England Technology
February 13, 2009
http://www.masshightech.com/stories/2009/02/09/daily50-Wellesley-College-to-cut-up-to-85-jobs.html

Wellesley College president H. Kim Bottomly announced in a budget update the school’s plan to cut 75 to 85 positions in an attempt to make inroads on a $20 million deficit for fiscal year 2011. As part of the cost-cutting measures, the school will also offer a retirement incentive program to employees who are 60 years or older by Dec. 31, 2009, and who have 10 or more years of service at Wellesley College.

“The Power of Negative Thinking”
Oprah Magazine
March 2009
Tim Jarvis
http://www.oprah.com/article/spirit/knowyourself/200903_omag_pessimism

Some 30 to 35 percent of Americans employ a calculated form of negative thinking called defensive pessimism.  Julie Norem, psychology, says that this can lead to very positive results.  “Defensive pessimism is a strategy used in specific situations to manage anxiety, fear and worry.  Defensive pessimists prepare for a situation by setting low expectations for themselves, then follow up with a very detailed assessment of everything that may go wrong,” says Norem, who has conducted seminal research on the subject. 

“It’s a Woman’s World (At Least at These Colleges)”
Diverse Issues in Higher Education Magazine
February 19, 2009
Hilary Hurd Anyaso
http://diverseeducation.com/artman/publish/article_12297.shtml

Susan Lennon, president of the Women’s College Coalition, says too often conversations focus on the number of women’s colleges today rather than on the education and advancement of women and girls. With its motto, “Non Ministrari sed Ministrare,” (not to be ministered unto, but to minister), Wellesley has a long history of producing women leaders. Students consistently have had some type of leadership experience, says Jennifer Desjarlais, dean of admission. “They’ve demonstrated a real commitment to an organization or a cause that’s of interest and importance to them … They’ve already demonstrated a willingness to be part of something that’s transformative.”

“Private Colleges Announce Cost-Cutting Initiatives for 2009-10 Academic Year”
The Times Herald (Montgomery County, Pa.)
February 19, 2009
Gary Aiken
http://www.timesherald.com/articles/2009/02/19/business/doc499cd3f82d6ff490495297.txt

Colleges and universities are taking substantial steps to stay affordable to students and their families. The National Association of Independent College and Universities surveyed more than 1,000 private colleges to find out which schools are changing their financial aid policies. Wellesley College will replace loans with grants for students from families earning less than $60,000 a year.

“Black Youth Join Thousands in D.C. to Demand Action on Energy, Climate, and Economy”
The St. Louis American
February 16, 2009
http://www.stlamerican.com/articles/2009/02/16/news/local_news/localnews000000001.txt

From Feb. 27 to March 2, African-American youth from all over the country will join 10,000 young leaders for Power Shift '09 in Washington, D.C., to demand that the president and Congress pass bold climate and energy policy in 2009 that dramatically reduces carbon emissions, creates millions of green jobs and powers our country with 100 percent clean energy. "I'm excited about Power Shift '09 because it is an opportunity for high school and college students, young professionals, people of different races and religions, to unite as generation that cares about climate change," said Dominique Hazzard ’12, who is organizing a group of youth from her former high school.

“The Mrs. Mystique”
The Boston Globe
February 16, 2009
Linda Matchan
http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/articles/2009/02/16/the_mrs_mystique/ 

Many young women who are getting married today are reintroducing the trend of adopting their husband’s name. Why is there such a shift? “You could argue that they have given in to the patriarchy, or you could argue that their clarity about who they are is stronger than ours,” says Susan Reverby, women’s studies,  whose own daughter, “brought up in a feminist household,” took her husband’s name when she married.

“Hidden Gems”
The Boston Globe
February 15, 2009
Yvonne Abraham
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/02/15/hidden_gems/

The news of the closing of the Rose Art Museum at Brandeis University raised awareness about all the other small and unknown museums in the area. Many of the best art collections are tucked away at colleges and universities. In the galleries of Wellesley College’s Davis Museum, for example, you can get close to an urn from ancient Greece and a Brillo Box by Andy Warhol – all for free.

“Wellesley Expects to Cut 75 to 85 Jobs”
Boston Business Journal
February 13, 2009
Jesse Noyes
http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/stories/2009/02/09/daily58.html

Wellesley College anticipates cutting between 75 and 85 positions as it tries to close projected budget gaps, President H. Kim Bottomly said in a recent letter. The college will offer a retirement package to staff who are over the age of 60 as of December 31, 2009, and have worked for the college at least 10 years.

“Let's Get Serious About Housing”
Time Magazine
February 12, 2009
Barbara Kiviat
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1879184,00.html

Many ideas are flying around Washington regarding what the government can do to fix the housing market. But influencing a $19 trillion market that is coming off one of history’s great asset bubbles is a lot harder that it looks. In December, houses sold for 15 percent less they did a year earlier, a problem that has no quick fix. Karl Case, economics said, “Let’s not delude ourselves into thinking we’re driving a speedboat when we’re driving a tanker.”

“Closed Minds? Politics and Ideology in American Universities”
Times Higher Education (London, UK)
February 12, 2009
Linda Perkins
http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=26&storycode=405373&c=2

A recent study found that there are no discernible liberal biases or ideologies at leading American elite research institutions. According to them, elite universities hire "safe," tenurable faculty and contribute little to civic engagement or debate. Perkins criticizes the authors of that study, published by the Brookings Institution, for not recognizing that social justice issues and service were always a part of the mission of many institutions. For example, Wellesley College's motto of "Not to be ministered to, but to minister" commits graduates to being vehicles for social change.

“Side by Side”
The Boston Globe
February 11, 2009
June Wulff
http://www.boston.com/ae/events/articles/2009/02/11/side_by_side/

Two new galleries, “The Artist-as-Curator: Kiki Smith” and “Perceiving Space in Art,” featuring works from the Davis Museum and Cultural Center’s permanent collection, are opening this month. In “The Artist-as-Curator” gallery, Kiki Smith created an installation using dozens of vessels from many cultures and periods. In “Perceiving Space in Art,” viewers are asked to ponder how space is used with multimedia pieces, including a 16th-century Italian sculpture and a 20th-century light installation.

“Selling AIG to Scarce Buyers is Mission Impossible for Reynolds”
Bloomberg News
Zachary R. Mider and Hugh Son
February 10, 2009
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&sid=aBvuO8cVLtwU&refer=home#

Paula Rosput Reynolds, class of 1978, was hired as AIG’s chief restructuring officer and what many call the U.S. taxpayer’s best hope for recovering some of the $150 billion the government pumped into the company last fall in the biggest corporate bailout yet.  She has the daunting task of selling what was once the world’s largest insurer at one of the worst times to be a seller. “You come in here every day, and it seems impossible, because there are so many constraints,” Reynolds said. “And yet at the end of the day, for the good of the country, the world, the institution, you’ve got to make some decisions to move things along.”

“Girls' LEAP Founder Wins Height Award”
Cambridge (Mass.) Chronicle
February 10, 2009
http://www.wickedlocal.com/cambridge/news/lifestyle/x1848774239/Girls-LEAP-founder-wins-Heights-Award

Deborah Weaver, physical education, and founder of Girls’ Lifetime Empowerment & Awareness Program (LEAP), is the 2009 recipient of the third annual “Heights Award.” For more than 30 years, Weaver has been dedicated to children in low-income communities, shaping their self-image by giving them the confidence and skills they need to defend themselves, as well as educating them on ways in which to approach potentially harmful situations.

“Professors and Students Split on AP Credits”
Inside Higher Ed
David Moltz
February 10, 2008
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/02/10/ap

The number of Advanced Placement credits granted by Tufts University has jumped 32 percent in the last five years and the percentage of submitted tests with the maximum score of five has grown by almost 26 percent.  Last week, Tufts’ Education Policy Committee recommended that the university limit the number of pre-matriculation credits that students can count toward graduation to five and restrict the use of these credits to fulfill entire distribution requirements. Currently Wellesley College allows students to count eight courses toward graduation from AP credit.

“Class of 2010 Panel Study Aims to Help Students Transition”
Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education Magazine
A. Francesca Jenkins
February 9, 2009
Copies available upon request

The New England Consortium on Assessment and Student Learning is in its third year of an important study involving students at Wellesley, Bowdoin, Colby, Middlebury, Smith and Trinity. Lee Cuba, sociology, the principal investigator, describes the study as focusing on “several critical transition points in the academic careers of students.” Cuba hopes that this research will provide not just valuable information, but will help colleges better meet the needs of their students.

“Hub Human-service Nonprofits Hiring”
The Boston Herald
Adam Smith
February 9, 2009
http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view/2009_02_09_Hub_human-service_nonprofits_hiring/srvc=business&position=recent_bullet

The Pine Street Inn, Jewish Family & Children’s Services of Boston and scores of other area nonprofits are all seeking something that seems unheard of in this economy: new talent. Even in this current economic downturn, as many nonprofits face the same struggles as their for-profit counterparts, some are still finding “room to grow.” In order to close the gap between employers and potential employees, Wellesley College will hold a nonprofit fair on Feb. 20 and expects around 50 organizations to attend.

“Researchers from Wellesley College Publish New Studies and Findings in the Area of Spectroscopy”
Biotech Business Week
February 9, 2009
http://www.newsrx.com/article.php?articleID=1410487 (Article from Journal of Neurochemistry available upon request)

Bonnie Ward, biological science, Nancy Kolodny, chemistry, and Joanne E. Berger-Sweeney, associate dean of college and neuroscience, published a new study in the Journal of Neurochemistry on Rett syndrome (RTT). RTT is the second leading cause of mental retardation in girls and is caused by mutations in the X-linked gene for methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2), a transcriptional repressor.

“Imagining Tobia & Ethiopia: Art Show at Westfield State College”
Tadias Magazine
February 9, 2009
http://www.tadias.com/2009/02/09/imagining-tobia-ethiopia-whispers-art-show-at-westfield-state-college/

An exhibition titled ‘IMAGinING TOBIA’, Video Installation and Presentation by Salem Mekuria, art, is on display at the Westfield State College Downtown Art Gallery. Of the exhibit, Mekuria says, “I offer IMAGinING TOBIA as a mirror on which to reflect issues confronting the nation and as a space in which to meditate on the disjunction between our ‘real’ and imagined knowledge of Ethiopia and its multi-faceted history.”

“A Year in Copenhagen”
The Boston Globe
Jennifer Ehrlich
February 9, 2009
http://www.boston.com/travel/getaways/europe/articles/2009/02/08/a_year_in_copenhagen/

Wellesley College junior Kathleen Keating is spending the year studying child psychology in Copenhagen, where she has come to appreciate Danish hot dog stands and free university education. Keating says of the education system in Denmark, "Danish students work harder. Their level and quality of education starting from elementary school is much higher than the quality in the U.S. They take their work as seriously, maybe more seriously than we do."

“Campus Icons”
The Boston Globe
Lisa Kocian
February 8, 2009
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2009/02/08/campus_icons/

Wellesley College, Boston College, Phillips Academy, and Tufts University all have noteworthy collections or museums that are seen as a key part of their educational missions. Dennis McFadden, interim director of the Davis Museum and Cultural Center, called the proposed demise of Brandeis University’s Rose Museum "heartbreaking," but added it would be an unlikely scenario at his facility, saying, “this is an institution that has such strong ongoing support, it's not as troubling as it could be." President H. Kim Bottomly noted that “Wellesley will maintain its long-term devotion to supporting and preserving the arts…recognizing our responsibility as custodians to the world of art for both previous and future generations."

“Who Is Religious Left?”
Religion DIspatches
February 4, 2009
Frederick Clarkson
http://www.religiondispatches.org/archive/politics/1037/who_is_religious_left

A debate has arisen over the emergence of the “Religious Left,” meant as a counterweight to the vast political and social influence of the religious right. Jean Hardisty, Wellesley Centers for Women, and Deepak Bhargava, executive director of the Center for Community Change, think the liberal/left has erred in its recent emphasis on think tanks and public relations strategies over the kind of movement organizing that have been critical to past gains for labor, women, African Americans and more. They warn against power collecting around “the most ‘achievable’ social change as opposed to the most just.”

“Columbia Has Highest Black Freshman Percentage”
U.S. News & World Report
Alison Go
February 4, 2009
http://www.usnews.com/blogs/paper-trail/2009/02/04/columbia-has-highest-black-freshman-percentage.html

According to a study by the Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, Columbia University boasts the highest black freshman enrollment percentage (12.1 percent) for top-ranked national universities, while Amherst has highest ratio for liberal arts colleges at 11.2 percent. Wellesley College ranks fourth on the list of liberal arts colleges with 10.5 percent black enrollment in the first-year class.

“Wellesley College Celebrates Black History Month”
The Wellesley Townsman
February 4, 2009
http://www.wickedlocal.com/wellesley/news/education/x2143286280/Wellesley-College-celebrates-black-history-month

Wellesley College will host a series of events celebrating Black History Month, all free and open to the public.

“We Are Family”
The Boston Globe
February 3, 2009
June Wulff
http://www.boston.com/ae/books/articles/2009/02/03/we_are_family/

In celebration of the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin, the Margaret Clapp Library is hosting an exhibition of rare books called “Before and Beyond Darwin.” The display features evolutionary texts by scientists who predated Darwin, a first edition of his On the Origin of Species, and books by Darwin’s colleagues and successors.

“Astronaut Helps Girls' Dreams Take Flight”
The Pittsburg Tribune-Review
February 3, 2009
Allison Heinrichs
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/today/s_609985.html

Pamela Melroy ’83 recently visited two elementary schools in the Pittsburgh area, to inspire young girls to become involved in science. "I just felt a really strong connection to the students during my last visit," Melroy said. "I went to an all-girls school, Wellesley College, and I think having an environment where girls can study math and science without any gender issues is just really important for some students in order to excel.".

“Exeter Area Honors & Recognitions”
Seacoast Online
February 3, 2009
http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20090203-LIFE-902030304

Megan Thomas ’10 presented a research project, “Water: Regional and International Issues,” at the 7th Annual New England Undergraduate Environmental Research Symposium at Bridgewater State College. Thomas, a geology major and chemistry minor, began working in the environmental geochemistry laboratory of Dan Brabander, geosciences, as part of Wellesley’s 2008 summer research program. Her presentation, “Evaluating Heavy Metals in Artificial Turf Fields: Leaching Mechanisms and Exposure Pathways,” focused on geochemically characterized artificial turf used on sports playing fields.

“Forty Great Places ti Sled Around Boston”
The Boston Globe
February 3, 2009
Paul Makishima
http://www.boston.com/travel/blog/2009/02/40_great_places.html

Wellesley College’s Severance Hill is considered one of the best places for sledding in the Boston area.

“2 Kids + 0 Husbands = Family”
The New York Times
February 1, 2009
Emily Bazelon
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/01/magazine/01Moms-t.html

Unmarried women are having almost 40 percent of the country’s babies. About half of these women are on their own, and the other half are living with a man at the time of the birth. Today’s single mothers by choice often do their utmost to prove that they’re not a threat to anyone’s social order, as Rosanna Hertz, women's studies, points out in her study of 65 such women, “Single by Chance, Mothers by Choice.”

January 2009

“Athletics Programs Scramble to Streamline Budgets in Difficult Times”
The Chronicle of Higher Education
January 30, 2009
Libby Sander
http://chronicle.com/weekly/v55/i21/21a01301.htm

It's a frugal new world for many college athletics departments, where everything from bottled water to major capital projects is on the chopping block. Conserving scarce financial resources was a topic of discussion at the recent meeting of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Even the smallest steps can save a few thousand dollars, some officials said. For Bridget Belgiovine, athletic director, simply eliminating the athletics department's delivery of bottled water made a difference. Though it certainly isn't the only cost-cutting measure she will have to take in coming months, it's a start. "Do we need the Poland Spring water? No," she said. "We can get a Brita."

“Despite Slump, School Building Continues”
Boston Business Journal
January 30, 2009
Jesse Noyes
http://milwaukee.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/othercities/boston/stories/2009/02/02/story8.html?b=1233550800%5E1770143

Fretting about declining endowments and meeting enrollment projections, college leaders in recent months began stalling renovation and construction projects to preserve capital. That may have created the perception of deep freeze on construction at Bay State campuses. But the reality is many colleges and universities are moving forward with projects — from large administrative towers to dorm renovations — even as they make cuts elsewhere. Wellesley College is among those colleges that are moving forward with needed renovations. One benefit of planning renovations now, said Pete Zuraw, assistant vice president for facilities management and planning, is that costs are dropping.

“Wellesley College to Become Virtual E-mail System for an Evening”
The Wellesley Townsman
January 30, 2009
http://www.wickedlocal.com/wellesley/archive/x232966628/Wellesley-College-to-become-virtual-e-mail-system-for-an-evening

Next week, Wellesley College’s campus center will be transformed into a virtual e-mail system. Foodies can debate where to find the best croissant in New York City, while members of the “Computing Questions” conference share their favorite applications and students discuss the most colorful “Community” posts during “FirstClass Offline” Tuesday, Feb. 3, from 6-9 pm in the Wang Campus Center.

“Course Proves Even Wellesley's LIberal Arts Students Can Build a Robot”
The Wellesley Townsman
January 28, 2009
Elana Zak
http://www.wickedlocal.com/wellesley/archive/x1278523334/Course-proves-even-Wellesleys-liberal-arts-students-can-build-a-robot

Fretting about declining endowments and meeting enrollment projections, college leaders in recent months began stalling renovation and construction projects to preserve capital. That may have created the perception of deep freeze on construction at Bay State campuses. But the reality is many colleges and universities are moving forward with projects — from large administrative towers to dorm renovations — even as they make cuts elsewhere. Wellesley College is among those colleges that are moving forward with needed renovations. One benefit of planning renovations now, said Pete Zuraw, assistant vice president for facilities management and planning, is that costs are dropping.

“Testing Mrs. Gardner's Will”
The Boston Globe
January 27, 2009
Alex Beam
http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/articles/2009/01/27/testing_mrs_gardners_will/?rss_id=Boston+Globe+--+Alex+Beam+columns

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is the subject of intense debate following a proposal to radically renovate the structure. The Friends of Mission Hill, a preservationist group, have retained attorney Lynne Viti, writing, to take on the museum’s lawyer in disputing Ms. Gardner’s extensively detailed will. Viti says, "Our position is, 'Hey, wait a minute, building a 60,000-square-foot structure is not a little deviation from the will. That is completely going against this very eccentric and unique woman's vision. It is just too extreme."

“Housing to Hit Bottom This Year as Building Stalls”
Bloomberg News
January 27, 2009
Kathleen M. Howley
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a1DM1bsxBQBw&refer=worldwide

The worst U.S. housing recession since the Great Depression may end this year as the inventory of homes declines on a drop in new construction, said Karl Case, economics. “It’s not going to be a terrible year for the housing market, believe it or not,” Case, economics. “I think these stabilizing forces are there, and over the next year you’ll see the housing market come back into equilibrium.”

“Most Popular Colleges: Liberal Arts Colleges”
U.S. News & World Report
January 26, 2009
http://www.usnews.com/articles/education/best-colleges/2009/01/26/0126popularlibarts.html

Wellesley was listed among the most popular colleges by U.S. News and World Report. The list was determined by looking at each school’s yield, the percentage of applicants accepted by a college who end up enrolling at that institution in the fall.

“Exodus to the Administration”
The Boston Globe
January 25, 2009
Peter Schworm and Tracy Jan
http://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2009/01/25/harvard_sees_an_exodus_to_the_obama_administration/

Three Wellesley College alumnae have been tapped for posts in the Obama administration: Katie Johnson ’03 is the president’s personal secretary; Desiree Rogers ’81 is the White House social secretary; and Hillary Clinton ’69, is secretary of state (a position previously held by Madeleine Albright ’59.)

“Ashe Gives U.S. Students a Treat”
Jamaica Gleaner News
January 25, 2009
http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20090125/arts/arts4.html

With passion for ‘edutainment’, community and youth transformation, members of the Ashe Ensemble brought Jamaican dance, language and songs to the students of Wellesley College. In the one-day workshop, the students, who are in Jamaica for an Africana Studies Wintersession course, were happy to experience the warm weather and rich display of Jamaican culture. “Ashe taught us the story behind dances like the Dinki Mini. I will definitely go back to Wellesley College and teach my friends. We learned about these dances at Wellesley College, but the importance and the value didn't hit home until now," said Natalie Ross ’09, a political science and Africana studies double major.

“A Toast to All You 'Moderate' Drinkers”
The Star Phoenix
January 24, 2009
W. Gifford-Jones
http://www.thestarphoenix.com/Health/toast+moderate+drinkers/1213750/story.html

Despite the hypothesis that red wine may help prevent Alzheimer’s disease, another study shows the negative impact of alcohol on the brain. Researcher Carol Ann Paul, neuroscience, reported to the American Academy of Neurology that even a small amount of alcohol decreases total brain volume. Paul and her fellow researchers at Boston University found that the more alcohol people consume on a regular basis, the smaller the brain volume.

“Qaddafi's Solution: A State of 'Isratine'”
The New York Times
January 22, 2009
Jerold Auerbach
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/23/opinion/l23qaddafi.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper

Jerold Auerbach, history, writes a letter to the editor in response to The New York Times op-ed piece, “The One-State Solution,” by Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi. “An ingenious and diabolical solution to Middle East turmoil: the creation of ‘Isratine’ or ‘one state for all’. All that requires is the eradication of Israel. Perhaps Muammar Qaddafi would consider a trial run with ‘Libgypt’,” Auerbach notes.

“Moins Idéaliste, Plus Pragmatique”
Libération (Paris)
January 21, 2009
Philippe Grangereu
http://www.liberation.fr/monde/0101313516-moins-idealiste-plus-pragmatique

In this story, “Less Idealistic, More Pragmatic,” two Wellesley College political science professors were quoted on the presidential inauguration of Barack Obama. “His speech was historic, even universal,” said Wilbur Rich, who was among the crowd in Washington to hear the inauguration speech of the 44th U.S. president. “He reiterated his priorities – jobs, a new health system, a new energy policy – and said nothing really new about that,” said Marion Just. “But he has expanded on a note of hope for Americans to call them to perform their duty as citizens.”

“Three Wellesley Alumnae Tapped for Obama Administration”
The Wellesley Townsman
January 20, 2009
http://www.wickedlocal.com/wellesley/news/x1898855279/Three-Wellesley-alumnae-tapped-for-Obama-administration

Three Wellesley College alumnae have been named to leadership posts in the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama.~ Sen. Hillary R. Clinton, class of 1969, has been nominated for secretary of state.~ Chicago business leader Desiree Rogers, Wellesley class of 1981, has been appointed as White House social secretary. She is the first African American to serve in the position, which is responsible for organizing and overseeing all White House functions and ceremonies. Katie Johnson, class of 2003, has been appointed personal secretary to President Obama. As part of the position, Johnson will manage the president's daily schedule.

“Wellesley College Stung by Investment Losses”
Boston Business Journal
January 19, 2009
Jesse Noyes
http://boston.bizjournals.com/boston/stories/2009/01/19/story1.html?b=1232341200%5E1762266

Prestigious Wellesley College, which draws heavily from its endowment to fund operations, is facing a projected $20 million budget shortfall and will aggressively cut costs as its endowment is hammered by the continued decline in the financial markets. Wellesley President H. Kim Bottomly said cuts likely will include reductions in the numbers of programs and services offered by the college. “I think everything is on the table,” said Andrew Evans, vice president of finance and treasurer at Wellesley.

“The Nation's Heartbeat Set to Music: 'America the Beautiful' Adds a Perfect Note to Inauguration”
The Washington Post
January 18, 2009
Ann Gerhart
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2009/01/16/ST2009011602371.html

"America the Beautiful"— the national anthem composed by Wellesley College alumna (Class of 1888) and former faculty member Katharine Lee Bates — was performed at the inauguration of President Barack Obama. "The dream is there at the beginning," said alumna Lynn Sherr ’63, the former ABC correspondent and author of America the Beautiful, which she calls a biography of the hymn. More than any other patriotic song, she says, "it speaks more to what we are and want to be as a nation. It is the nation's heartbeat set to music."

“College Opens Doors to Classes”
The Boston Globe
January 18, 2009
Lisa Keen
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2009/01/18/burning_season/?page=4

Wellesley College's annual opportunity for area residents to study such weighty matters as Homer's "Odyssey" or the prospects for finding life somewhere else in the cosmos is available this week. The college allows nonstudents to audit one course in the classics, astronomy, anthropology and about a dozen other subject areas during its spring semester, which starts Feb. 2.

“Why There Is No Universal Health Insurance Program in the U.S.”
iTunes U
Tom Burke
http://deimos3.apple.com/indigo/main/main.xml

The lecture, “Why There is No Universal Health Insurance Program in the U.S.,” by Tom Burke, political science, is featured in the New & Noteworthy section of iTunes U.

“Military Prostitution and the U.S. Military in Asia”
The Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus
January 17, 2009
katharine H.S. Moon
http://www.japanfocus.org/_Katharine_H_S__Moon-Military_Prostitution_and_the_U_S__Military_in_Asia

Katharine H.S. Moon examines the issues surrounding military prostitution and praises a group of elderly South Korean women who have recently come forward to share their experiences in those conditions. “Only the individuals who have experienced trafficking, prostitution, and violence can educate us about these conditions as lived realities,” she wrote. “And it takes courage to come forward. The elderly women featured in the New York Times have decided that their time has come.”

“Livestock Manure Stinks for Infant Health”
Science News
January 16, 2009
Rachel Ehrenberg
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/39990/title/Livestock_manure_stinks_for_infant_health

The manure generated by thousands of cows or pigs doesn’t just stink — it may seriously affect human health. New research by Stacy Sneeringer, economics, examining two decades’ worth of livestock production data finds a positive relationship between increased production at industrial farms and infant death rates in the counties where the farms reside. “I was surprised to see this association — I kept expecting it to go away but it didn’t,” Sneeringer said. The study reported in the February American Journal of Agricultural Economics implicates air pollution and suggests that Clean Air Act regulations need to be revamped to address livestock production of noxious gases.

“Getting Back on Diversity”
Corporate Board Member Magazine (subscription only)
February 1, 2009 issue
http://www.boardmember.com/magazine/current-issue/

The number of women and minority directors is barely growing on corporate boards. This article outlines the reasons this is worrisome, along with some expert ideas for finding good new candidates. Vicki Kramer, a member of the Wellesley Centers for Women's Critical Mass project research team, notes that having at least three women serving on a board is beneficial to the entire membership.

“Presidential Children Throughout the Years”
New England Cable News (NECN)
January 15, 2009
Beth Shelburne
http://www.necn.com/Boston/Politics/2009/01/14/Presidential-children-through/1231988034.html

Wilbur Rich, political science, comments on the role that children play in the representation of the first families throughout the decades. According to Rich, the celebrity culture surrounding White House children really took off with the Kennedys. “This was the age of television and people could literally see the Kennedy children running around the Oval Office and it was very interesting, it humanized the president because a lot of people had concerns about having a first Catholic president. People began to identify with him and I think it went a long way in terms of facilitating his presidency,” he said.

“U.S. Academic Makes Fiery Argument for Africa to Embrace Biotechnology”
Voice of America
January 15, 2009
Darren Taylor
http://www.voanews.com/english/Africa/US-Academic-makes-Fiery-Argument-for-Africa-to-Embrace-Biotechnology-PART-2-of-5.cfm

Robert Paarlberg, political science, says activists in rich countries are inadvertently denying improved agricultural techniques to millions of poor farmers in Africa. He draws the conclusion in his book, Starved for Science.

“Multiculturalism in East Asia Examined at Colorado State University Conference Jan. 30”
Cherry Creek (Colo.) News
January 15, 2009
http://www.thecherrycreeknews.com/content/view/3752/86/

Sealing Cheng, women’s studies, will present the lecture, “Globalization of Anti-Trafficking Initiatives in South Korea: Human Rights, Justice and Violence in Translation” at the Colorado State University conference “The Making of Multicultural Societies in East Asia.” Colorado State is partnering with a Korean university to host this one-day conference dedicated to examining the salient factors that contribute to demographic changes in East Asia.

“Library Puts Rare Books Online”
The Heights (Boston College)
January 15, 2009
Sue Byun
http://media.www.bcheights.com/media/storage/paper144/news/2009/01/15/News/Library.Puts.Rare.Books.Online-3586697.shtml

Wellesley College is a member of the Boston Library Consortium and the Open Content Alliance, which provides access to over 34 million volumes.

“COA Looks to Connect Community with Lifetime Learning”
Hometown Weekly Newspapers (Massachusetts)
January 15, 2009
Abigail Davidson
http://www.hometownweekly.net/default.asp?sourceid=&smenu=85&twindow=&mad=No&sdetail=2231&wpage=&skeyword=&sidate=&ccat=&ccatm=&restate=&restatus=&reoption=&retype=&repmin=&repmax=&rebed=&rebath=&subname=&pform=&sc=1744&hn=hometownweekly&he=.net

Last fall, Maud Chaplin, philosophy emerita, lead a discussion on “Living a Life That Matters” at the Sherborn Town Hall.

This event was part of Lifetime Learning, an initiative of the Sherborn Council on Aging. Upon the completion of the session, the participants asked Chaplin to return in the spring for a second course.

“Mass. 20-something Gets White House Gig”
The Boston Globe
January 13, 2009
Brian Mooney
http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2009/01/mass_20somethin.html

When Katie Johnson ’03 visits the West Wing on Friday, she won't be a tourist. Outside the Oval Office, the 27-year-old daughter of a Brookline couple will stop to check out the desk she will take Tuesday when she becomes the personal secretary to the 44th president of the United States. Since graduating from Wellesley College less than six years ago, Johnson — KJ to some —has been on a rocket ride to the pinnacle of American politics, most recently as a key aide to the manager of Barack Obama's campaign.

“History: Speaking to History”
South China Morning Post
January 13, 2009
Clifford Coonan
http://meltwaternews.com/r.asp?u=165591&p=416125&d=609586196

Paul Cohen, history emeritus and an associate at the Harvard Fairbank Center, has written a new book, Speaking to History: The Story of King Goujian in Twentieth-Century China. Cohen says the Goujian story informs Chinese political culture and many other subjects. The story has influenced the Chinese through the years, from Mao Zedong and Chiang Kai-shek to Qing dynasty officials and emigrants at the Angel Island Immigration Station in San Francisco Bay.

“Woman's Spirit of Giving Lives”
San Antonio (Texas) Express-News
January 12, 2009
Cary Clark
http://www.mysanantonio.com/life/Cary_Clack_Womans_spirit_of_giving_lives.html

In the month of King’s birth and Gandhi’s death, Paula Loyd ’95, one of her generation’s peacemakers, lost her life. It was a life she fought valiantly to keep and a life her doctors exhausted themselves trying to save. But it was also a life she’d been willing to risk if it would give a child a chance to live a good life and if she could make a friend out of a stranger.

“Proud Father of a Famous Index Enjoys the Attention”
The Financial Times
January 12, 2009
Pauline Skypala
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/9e395cd6-e049-11dd-9ee9-000077b07658.html?nclick_check=1

The S&P Case-Shiller Home Price Indices excite great interest when they are published on the last Tuesday of each month, indicating as they do the state of the U.S. housing market. Alone among S&P’s indices, the data are provided to major news agencies under embargo 30 minutes before being released. The indices, which cover 20 metropolitan areas, are based on research by Karl “Chip” Case, economics, and Robert Shiller, economics, Yale University.

“She's So Skirt!”
Skirt!
January 2009
http://boston.skirt.com/node/24694

A proud octogenarian and a familiar face around Wellesley, Ruth Harriet Jacobs, senior scholar at the Wellesley Centers for Women, is featured in the magazine's regular Q&A feature.

“A Weekend Interview With...”
The St. Petersburg Times
January 10, 2009
Donna Winchester
http://blogs.tampabay.com/schools/2009/01/a-weekend-int-1.html

President H. Kim Bottomly spoke with higher education reporter Donna Winchester about Wellesley College and the merits of a women’s education. “Women’s colleges really have been flourishing,” she said. “As long as there are women who want to get the best educational preparation for success in life, I think there will be a demand for all-women’s colleges.”

“Contractor Attacked in Afghanistan Dies From Burns”
The Associated Press
January 9, 2009
Matthew Barakat
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hM067vULxgQQZnSRtoCVH5C8pajAD95JORJG0

Paula Loyd '95, an anthropologist embedded with the U.S. Army in Afghanistan to help soldiers understand local customs, has died more than two months after she was doused with fuel and set on fire. Celia Jones, executive director of The Moonlight Fund, a nonprofit organization that assists burn victims, said Loyd had been chatting with an Afghan man about fuel prices when he suddenly attacked her. Loyd had spent significant time in Afghanistan, working as a civilian military officer for a U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, and also as a field program officer for the U.S. Agency for International Development in one of Afghanistan's poorest provinces.

“Best Value in Private Colleges”
Kiplinger Personal Finance Magazine
January 8, 2009
Jane Bennett Clark
http://www.kiplinger.com/magazine/archives/2009/01/best_value_private_colleges_09.html?kipad_id=50

Will today's economy affect your ability to cover the college bills? If you expect to receive significant financial aid, probably not, says David Warren, president of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities. Colleges with minimal endowments – the vast majority – continue to offer aid through a mix of loans, work-study and grants funded by gifts. Wellesley College ranked eighth on Kiplinger’s list of the top 50 “best values” in liberal arts colleges.

“Q&A: Dan Chiasson Chooses Carefully”
Poets & Writers
January / February 2009
Sarah Weinman
http://www.pw.org/content/qampa_dan_chiasson_chooses_carefully

Dan Chiasson, English, succeeded former poet laureate Charles Simic as a poetry editor of the Paris Review. He is the author of three poetry collections, including Where's the Moon, There's the Moon, forthcoming from Knopf this year, and joins co-poetry editor Meghan O'Rourke on the Paris Review's masthead.

“Ex-Prostitutes Say South Korea and U.S. Enabled Sex Trade Near Bases”
The New York Times
January 7, 2009
Choe Sang-Hun
http://www.blueridgenow.com/article/20090108/ZNYT03/901083008/-1/NEWS05?Title=Ex_Prostitutes_Say_South_Korea_and_U_S__Enabled_Sex_Trade_Near_Bases

South Korea has railed for years against the Japanese government’s waffling over how much responsibility it bears for one of the ugliest chapters in its wartime history: the enslavement of women from Korea and elsewhere to work in brothels serving Japan’s imperial army. “If the question is, was there active government complicity, support of such camp town prostitution, yes, by both the Korean governments and the U.S. military,” said Katharine H. S. Moon, political science, who wrote about the topic in her 1997 book, Sex Among Allies.

“Students Told to Take Education Seriously”
The Star (Malaysia)
January 7, 2009
Gladys Tay
http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2009/1/7/central/2953218&sec=central

This article includes a story about a Malaysian student who was able to excel in her studies at Wellesley College despite coming from a poor single parent family, inspiring other young students to invest time and effort in their education.

“The 'McMansion' Trend in Housing Is Slowing”
The Christian Science Monitor
January 6, 2009
Patrik Jonsson
http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0106/p02s01-usgn.html

The trend of tearing down old houses to build new ones for profit has slowed. Though the teardown pace has slowed, the trend itself has spread exponentially, now often driven by companies with registers where sellers list depreciated homes and builders find properties ripe for redevelopment. "[Teardowns] are big in upscale markets [where] they haven't fallen nearly as much," said Karl Case, economics. "The real declines have been in the bottom tiers of the Sunbelt."

“Book Reviews”
Maine Antique Digest
January 6, 2009
http://www.maineantiquedigest.com/stories/index.html?id=1045

Grand Scale: Monumental Prints in the Age of Dürer and Titian, edited by Larry Silver and Elizabeth Wyckoff, assistant director, Davis Museum and Cultural Center, was published to accompany the homonymous exhibition first mounted at the Davis Museum. The exhibit includes 47 mural-size woodcuts and engravings from Italy, Germany and the Netherlands that date from the late 15th to early 17th century.

“Colleges and Universities wtih Astronomy Programs in the US”
Helium
January 6, 2009
Shelly Chittam
http://www.helium.com/items/775445-colleges-and-universities-with-astronomy-degree-programs-in-the-us

Wellesley College is among five colleges or universities in Massachusetts to offer a degree in astronomy.

“America's Most Educated Small Towns”
Forbes
January 5, 2009
Jacqueline Detwiler
http://www.forbes.com/2009/01/02/educated-small-towns-forbeslife-cx_jd_0105realestate.html?partner=email

According to Forbes magazine, Wellesley, Mass., ranks as the second most educated small town in the U.S. It's home to one of the top colleges in the country, Wellesley College, and is close to a major metropolitan area known for its culture and high property values.

“Economists Seek Solutions”
Reuters
January 5, 2009
http://www.maineantiquedigest.com/stories/index.html?id=1045

Top economists at the Allied Social Sciences Association's (ASSA) annual meeting have been searching — in some cases, in vain — for signs of life in the U.S. housing market, a key element for busting the country out of a deep economic downturn. Karl Case, economics, said it was hard to predict when housing prices would finally hit bottom. "People who say, 'Oh, the bottom is coming in February,' are in la-la land," Case said during a panel discussion at the ASSA meeting in San Francisco.

“Green College Spotlight”
EarthFirst.com
January 5, 2009
http://earthfirst.com/green-college-spotlight-wellesley-college/

Wellesley College has recently dedicated itself to sustainability, establishing priorities in early 2007, including goals related to landscape, water conservation, waste and energy-use reduction. In addition to improving the campus, Wellesley hopes to instill the values of sustainability into its undergraduates and the community at large.

“Seeing Ahead in 2009”
The Boston Globe
January 4, 2009
Scott Van Voorhis
http://www.boston.com/realestate/articles/2009/01/04/seeing_ahead_in_2009/

The outlook for real estate is so foggy that not even Karl Case, economics — who has studied past housing downturns so extensively he's identified three indicators that signal a rebound — wants to venture a guess. "This is absolutely uncharted water," Case said. He said the complex nature of the current recession and global credit crunch, mixed with the particular problems brought on by huge numbers of foreclosures, make it difficult to predict where the housing market is headed, other than further downward.

“Toast to Your Health”
Toronto Sun
January 3, 2009
Doctor Gifford-Jones
http://www.torontosun.com/life/healthandfitness/2009/01/03/7906996-sun.html

People who have one to two alcoholic drinks a day are often at a lower risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and dementia than their teetotalling peers, researchers concluded after analyzing 44 studies about moderate alcohol intake and its effect on the heart and the brain. While moderate alcohol consumption is lauded in the report, some researchers aren't so sure it can work to stop the onset of dementia or Alzheimer's. Carol Ann Paul, neuroscience, reported to the American Academy of Neurology that even small amounts of alcohol decrease total brain volume.

“Experts Don't Foresee Full Economic Recovery in '09”
The Boston Herald
January 1, 2009
Jerry Kronenberg and Jay Fitzgerald
http://news.bostonherald.com/business/general/view/2009_01_01_Experts_don_t_foresee_full_economic_recovery_in__09:_For_better_or_worse/srvc=home&position=also

The Massachusetts economy is starting 2009 in terrible shape, and experts expect things to only get worse. One potential bright spot: A possible end to Massachusetts’ long-running housing bust. Karl Case, economics, said a look back at the Bay State’s 1989-92 housing slump has him thinking the current downturn could end this year. Case said the 1989-92 bust lasted three years, while today’s pullback has run for three years to date. “Massachusetts is looking like as strong a market as there is in the country right now,” he said.

“More Numbers to Chew On”
The Boston Globe
January 1, 2009
Scott Van Voorhis
http://www.boston.com/realestate/news/blogs/renow/2009/01/more_numbers_to.html

The S&P Case-Shiller Home Price Index shows that single-family home prices in the country’s 20 largest metropolitan markets fell 18 percent in October, compared to the year prior, setting another record and knocking back prices to their March 2004 levels. “Boston isn’t that bad,” said Karl Case, economics. Boston prices fell by only 6 percent for the year, according to the report.

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