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2008
Releases
Students Use Community Service Travel Grants in Peru
May 1, 2008 -- 35 students received grants of up to $1,000 to travel to Israel, Ecuador, and Peru, as well as Miami and West Palm Beach, Fla.,. and New Orleans. Juniors Sara Dickhaus, Julia Schroeder and Kelly Jauregui used the grants to travel to Huancayo, one of the poorest areas of Peru, located in the Andes Mountains.
Scientists Reveal Warming of World’s Largest Freshwater Lake
April 30, 2008 -- Russian and American scientists, including Wellesley's Marianne Moore, have demonstrated for the first time that the world’s largest lake, located in frigid Siberia, has warmed rapidly over the past half century, at a rate almost three times that of the average global air temperature. The findings are consistent with additional signs that this remote region is responding strongly to global warming.
Rachel Goldstein of Bloomfield Hills, Mich., Wins 2008 Hoop Rolling Contest
April 26, 2008 -- The women's stuides and political science major crosses the finish line first in the 113th running of the Wellesley College traditional rite of passage for graduating seniors.
Family Celebrates Love of Wellesley College with a Lamppost-- and a Granddaughter
April 25, 2008 -- When Richard and Linda Eyre’s 9-year-old granddaughter visited Wellesley College, she explored the campus, attended classes and spent time with her aunt, Charity Eyre, a member of the class of 2008. “She had quite a time,” said Richard, 62. “People would always ask her what her name was and she would say ‘Wellesley.’”
2008 Ruhlman Conferences Celebrates Student Learning and Research
April 25, 2008 -- The 2008 Ruhlman Conference, held Wednesday, April 30, from 9 am- 6 pm on the Wellesley College campus, will feature presentations of projects completed by nearly 300 Wellesley students. The projects range from “Being Black and Mormon: Exploring How Boundaries are Negotiated” to “A Permanent Sprinkle of Gold or a Transient Midas Touch? The Effects of Hosting the Summer Olympics on Housing Markets.”
Wellesley College Receives Howard Hughes Medical Institute Education Grant of $1.2 Million
April 22 , 2008 -- Do cleaning products affect our health? Does mercury in rivers and streams harm the ecosystem? Can an invasive species deplete biodiversity, hurting the environment and human health? Research into these questions – and many more – just received a boost at Wellesley College with a new $1.2 million grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI). A year ago, HHMI issued a challenge to 224 undergraduate colleges nationwide: identify creative new ways to engage your students in the biological sciences. Now HHMI has named Wellesley one of 48 award recipients that will receive a total of $60 million to help usher in a new era of science education.
Survivor of Childhood Cancer Leads Wellesley College ‘Relay for Life’ Effort
April 10 , 2008 -- Wellesley College first-year student Eleanor Crummé is one of the truly lucky ones. At age 2, she underwent surgery for adrenal cortical cancer. Now cancer-free, the 19-year-old native of Corvallis, Ore., has accomplished another life-affirming feat. She has brought Wellesley College into the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life All University event for the first time.
Wellesley College Students to Cheer for Their Own on Marathon Monday
April 10 , 2008 -- Located near the midpoint of the Boston Marathon, Wellesley College has become well-known for its students’ enthusiastic support of runners who pass through the “scream tunnel” each year. Students crowd the campus sidewalks offering runners water, oranges, high-fives and, occasionally, kisses. On Monday, April 21, a number of Wellesley students will pass through the famed tunnel as they make the 26-mile run for the first time.
Wellesley's Dan Chiasson Is Named Guggenheim Fellow
April 9 , 2008 -- Poet and literary critic Dan Chiasson has just been given a chance to be even more poetic. An assistant professor of English at Wellesley College, he has been awarded a 2008 Guggenheim Fellowship for poetry. The honor will grant the gift of time and leisure, two things long deemed essential to a writer’s life.
Wellesley College Alumna Susan Choi '06 Is on Quest for LPGA Tour
April 2 , 2008 -- Susan Choi is one of 12 women chosen to compete in the ninth season of “The Big Break,” a golf reality show. More than 25,000 professional women golfers from all over the world auditioned to compete on the show, which allows its contestants to compete for an exemption into LPGA Tour events, cash, a car and other prizes..
Wellesley Student Margaret Chidothe Receives Funding From Kathryn Wasserman Davis 100 Projects for Peace
April 1 , 2008 -- The Kathryn Wasserman Davis 100 Projects for Peace program has announced that Margaret Chidothe, a first-year student at Wellesley College,will receive funding to undertake her proposed project in Cape Town, South Africa, this summer. The objective of the program is to encourage and support motivated youth to create and implement their ideas for building peace throughout the world in the 21st century.
Senior Advisor to John McCain to Speak on U.S. Policy Challenges
March 19 , 2008 -- As the former chief economist for the George W. Bush administration, Douglas Holtz-Eakin’s appointment as the director of the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office in 2003 worried some in Congress, who feared he might continue to advance Bush’s agenda.
President of Hearst Magazines Will Be the 2008 Commencement Speaker at Wellesley College
March 17 , 2008 -- Cathie Black, president of Hearst Magazines, will address the approximately 600 members of the Class of 2008 and their friends and families at Wellesley College’s 130th Commencement Friday, May 30, at 10:30 am on Severance Green on the Wellesley campus.
Wellesley College Announces New Vice President for Resources and Public Affairs
March 6 , 2008 -- Wellesley College has announced the appointment of Cameran Mason as vice president for resources and public affairs. Mason, the vice president for institutional advancement at Barnard College, was selected after a comprehensive national search.
Debra DeMeis Named Wellesley College's Dean of Students
March 6 , 2008 -- Wellesley College has announced the appointment of Debra DeMeis as the Dean of Students. DeMeis, the dean of the college at William Smith College in Geneva, New York, was selected after a comprehensive national search.
Retired Professor Establishes Endowment for Wellesley College Athletics
March 3 , 2008 -- Many collegiate athletic programs benefit from the generosity of individual donors, but former Wellesley College Professor Linda K. Vaughan has made a gift that not only supports current students but also generations to come. Vaughan, Professor Emerita and former chair of the Department of Physical Education, Recreation and Athletics (PERA), has established an endowment fund to support the Friends of Wellesley College Athletics (FOWCA), which champions varsity athletics and helps promote recreation and fitness college-wide.
Wellesley Mock Trial Team Qualifies for National Competition
February 29, 2008 -- Wellesley College’s Mock Trial team placed fourth out of 24 teams at the 2008 Elm City Regional Tournament at Yale University Feb. 16-17, winning a bid to compete in the national tournament.
From Refugee to Ph.D.: Sanja Jagesic Wins Prestigious Fellowship
February 27, 2008 -- Wellesley College senior Sanja Jagesic, born in war torn Bosnia, became a refugee at age 7. Her family fled to Germany, where they lived in one room on a refugee ship for more than five years. When she was 13, Sanja and her family emigrated to the United States through a relief program. Jagesic has been awarded a prestigious Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans, which “provides opportunities for continuing generations of able and accomplished New Americans to achieve leadership in their chosen fields.”
Immigration Has Little To Do With Crime, Wellesley Researcher Finds
February 26, 2008 -- Immigrants are far less likely than the average U.S. native to commit crime in California, according to researchers Kristin F. Butcher, associate professor of economics at Wellesley College, and Anne Morrison Piehl, associate professor of economics and faculty affiliate in criminal justice at Rutgers University. Significantly lower rates of incarceration and institutionalization among foreign-born adults suggest that longstanding fears of immigration as a threat to public safety are unjustified.
Entertainer and Social Activist Harry Belafonte to Speak at Wellesley in Honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day
February 20, 2008 -- Harry Belafonte has been called “the consummate entertainer.” He’s met success as a concert singer, a recording artist, a movie, Broadway and television star and producer. While he has won a Tony, an Emmy, produced the first album, “Calypso,” ever to sell more than a million copies, and played to sold-out audiences for decades, he’s always been just as committed to social justice activism.
Film Adaptation of Professor Alicia Erian's Novel Towelhead Shown at Wellesley
February 15, 2008 -- For his feature directorial debut, Alan Ball wrote and directed Towelhead, adapted from the book of the same name by Professor Alicia Erian. The film will be shown Thursday, Feb. 21, at 7 pm in Collins Cinema.
Thespians from Three Colleges Form the Cast for "Into The Woods"
February 12, 2008 -- F.W. Olin Players’ production of Into the Woods, featuring cast members from Wellesley, Olin and Babson Colleges, opens February 29, 2008 at the Sorenson Theater at Babson College.
Wellesley College Increases Financial Aid, Replacing or Reducing Loans with Grants
February 7, 2008 -- Wellesley College announced today a new initiative in its financial aid policies, replacing loans with grants for students from families who have calculated annual incomes below $60,000 and reducing loans by one-third for those with incomes between $60,000 and $100,000.
'Starved for Science,' New Book by Robert Paarlberg, Confronts Reasons Behind African Poverty
February 1, 2008 -- Starved for Science: How Biotechnology Is Being Kept Out of Africa (Harvard University Press, March 2008), by Wellesley College professor of political science Robert Paarlberg, confronts the sad fact that people in Africa are poor because their labor as farmers has not yet been improved by science, including modern biotechnology.
Actor LeVar Burton to Speak as Wellesley College Celebrates Black History Month 2008
January 31, 2008 -- Some remember him for his Emmy-nominated turn as Kunta Kinte in the miniseries Roots. Others recall his role as host of Reading Rainbow, or his part as Geordi La Forge in Star Trek: The Next Generation. LeVar Burton, the celebrated author, director and actor, will speak of the role that brought him to prominence during the talk, “The Making of Roots,” Wednesday, Feb. 20, at 7 pm in Collins Cinema.
Journalist and Women's Rights Advocate Gloria Steinem to Speak at Wellesley Feb. 6
January 23, 2008 -- For the past few decades, Gloria Steinem, co-founder of Ms. Magazine, has been an outspoken voice on issues of equality and women’s rights. Steinem will speak at Wellesley College Wednesday, Feb. 6, at 7:30 pm in Tishman Commons in the Lulu Chow Wang Campus Center.
Heated Discussions: Wellesley Students Study Active Volcano in Hawaii this January
January 17, 2008 -- At Wellesley College today, the date matched the temperature at one point: It’s Jan. 17 and 17 degrees outside the snow-covered Massachusetts campus. For 10 students in James Besancon’s Geosciences 220 class, though, the heat is on. They are studying an erupting volcano in Hawaii.
NASA's Pam Melroy and Stepanie Wilson To Speak About ‘Women in Space’ at Wellesley
January 17, 2008 -- Back in October, alumna and trustee Pamela A. Melroy made an unusual long-distance call to folks at her alma mater. At the time, she was commanding NASA's Space Shuttle Discovery, which wasdocked at the International Space Station. On Friday, Feb. 1, at 4:30 pm, she will talk about her experience in person at “Women in Space,” an event held in Wellesley College’s Jewett Arts Center Auditorium.
Focus the Nation: Environmentalist Bill McKibben Takes on Climate Change Jan 31.
January 15, 2008 -- Bill McKibben will present the 2008 Carolyn Wilson Lecture “Building the New Climate Movement” Thursday, Jan. 31, at 8 pm in the Alumnae Hall Auditorium.
Wellesley College Honors Exceptional Alumnae at Ceremony Feb. 8
January 8, 2008 -- Ophelia Dahl DS ’94, Mary Rosenthal Lefkowitz ’57, Katherine Marshall ’67 and Diana Chapman Walsh ’66 will be honored at the 2008 Alumnae Achievement Awards Thursday, Feb. 7, at 5:30 pm in the Diana Chapman Walsh ’66 Alumnae Hall Auditorium.
Wellesley Receives Grant to Support Research in the Sciences
January 7, 2008 -- Wellesley College has received a $150,000 grant from the Sherman Fairchild Foundation's Summer Stipend Program in the Sciences. The three-year grant will provide a total of thirty summer research positions -- allowing more students to engage in scientific research early in their academic careers.
Rosanna Hertz's 'Single by Chance' Named an Outstanding Book of the Year
January 4, 2008 -- Wellesley College’s Rosanna Hertz has received prestigious honors for her book Single By Chance, Mothers By Choice: How Women are Choosing Parenthood Without Marriage and Creating the New American Family (Oxford, 2006).
Wellesley College Offers Spring Semester Auditing Options
January 3, 2008 -- The opportunity to audit courses at Wellesley College is offered to its alumnae and employees and to residents of the town and of nearby communities.
2007 Releases
Thirteen Wellesley College Seniors Awarded 2007 Jerome A. Schiff Fellowships
December 7 , 2007 -- Thirteen Wellesley College seniors have been named recipients of the 2007 Jerome A. Schiff Fellowship. Made possible through a generous gift from the Jerome A. Schiff Charitable Trust, these merit awards support the scholarly work of students enrolled in the senior honors program.
Student Journalist Reports on College News and Trends for CNNU
November 30, 2007 -- A number of accomplished journalists claim Wellesley College as their alma mater, including Diane Sawyer, Cokie Roberts, Linda Wertheimer, Lynn Sherr and now, 20-year-old junior Johanna Peace. She is the only student correspondent in New England for CNNU, an online feature from media giant CNN. Along with 20 other college reporters from across the United States, Peace writes about news and trends from the student perspective.
Wellesley College Professor to Release Debut Folk Album
November 26, 2007 -- After more than a decade away from songwriting, Wellesley's Beth DeSombre wrote her first song, "Sarah's Song," which dealt with the importance of music. DeSombre, the Frost professor of political science at Wellesley, will perform music from her debut CD Crooked Highways at her release concert and party Monday, Dec. 10, at 7:30 pm at Punch’s Alley, Wang Campus Center, at Wellesley College.
Wellesley Professor Hopes Personal Finance Lessons Sink In
November 20, 2007 -- Money sense holds the key to enjoying the bounty of life, says Wellesley College economics professor Ann Witte. Yet on four-year college campuses, few courses focus on how to manage your money. Now Witte and a former student, Saundra Gulley, Wellesley class of 1985, offer help through a class called “Personal Finance,” now in its second year at the college.
Jamaican Author Discusses Caribbean Literary Tradition
November15, 2007 -- In the new novella The Girl With the Golden Shoes, a shoeless young girl tries to get to Europe after she’s banished from her isolated fishing village on a Caribbean island. To its author Colin Channer, channeling the 14-year-old girl Estrella was similar to method acting.
WorldQuest Trivia Contest Will Test Students' Global Knowledge
November13, 2007 -- What is the capital of Peru? What are the colors of the German flag? On Sunday, Nov. 18, Wellesley students can expect to encounter questions like these when they participate in WorldQuest 2007, a trivia game on global knowledge sponsored by Wellesley Model UN.
Rugby Team Proves To Be Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger
November13, 2007 -- In late October, Wellesley College held a lip-sync contest with a prize of $150. Coincidentally, the rugby team needed new uniforms. Now all the team needed was a song and a plan.
Wellesley Celebrates a World of Learning at 2007 Tanner Conference
November1, 2007 -- The 2007 Tanner Conference on Tuesday, Nov. 6, represents the work of nearly 300 students, faculty, alumnae and staff. The conference celebrates the relationship between the liberal arts classroom and student participation in an increasingly diverse and interdependent world.
Four Generations of Navajo Women to Speak on Cultural Conflict
Oct. 30 , 2007 -- The complicated and sometimes difficult interaction between European-American and Native-American cultures will form the basis of discussion Nov. 8 and 9, when four generations of Navajo women visit Wellesley College to speak and make presentations.
Wellesley's Yang Qiu Brings Hope to Her Homeland of China
Oct. 24 , 2007 -- When Yang Qiu was chosen for an internship in rural China last summer, it meant a return to her native land. A senior at Wellesley College who aims for a career in public health, she worked on medical problems plaguing China’s rural poor.
From Child Refugee to Research Wunderkind, She Fights Injustice in Theory and in Practice
Oct. 9 , 2007 -- Wellesley senior Sanja Jagesic is driven by a passion to learn about the nature of truth, fairness and conflict. A sociology major, she has developed theories to explain why truth doesn’t always win in a contest of ideas—work that has received notice from leaders in the field. Wellesley sociology professor Thomas Cushman calls her “one of the most unique and remarkable” students he’s known in his 19 years at the college.
The Ritchie Boys, a Documentary about WWII Soldiers, To Be Shown at Wellesley College
Oct. 3 , 2007 -- Hans Loeser was one of a group of young German-Jews recruited for an elite intelligence unit and trained at Camp Ritchie, Maryland, with the mission of using their collective knowledge about Germany to fight against Germany during WWII. Loeser will introduce The Ritchie Boys, a film about this mission, Wednesday, Oct. 17, at 7:30 pm in Collins Cinema on the Wellesley College campus.
Wellesley College Installs Pedestrian Safety Signal
Oct. 3 , 2007 -- Wellesley College has partnered with the Town of Wellesley to install a high visibility pedestrian crossing signal on Washington Street (Route 16) at Upland Road, the site of a pedestrian accident earlier this year. Before entering the crosswalk, pedestrians now can activate the flashing yellow signals to alert drivers.
Women Must Face 'Labyrinth' of Challenges at Work, Says Wellesley Professor
Oct. 3 , 2007 -- The glass ceiling has finally shattered, says Wellesley College's Linda Carli. However, women in powerful roles are still rare and the problem stems from discrimination operating at all levels, not just the top. Women aren’t dealing with a ceiling, they’re facing a labyrinth. Carli and Alice Eagly, professor and chair of psychology at Northwestern University, explain the reasons for this disparity of women in leadership positions in their new book, Through the Labyrinth: The Truth About How Women Become Leaders (Harvard Business School Press, 2007).
Wellesley College To Host Performance of Cantonese Opera
Oct. 2 , 2007 -- They are the stories of three beautiful women, set in a musical dance drama using traditional Chinese instruments. On Sunday, Nov. 4, the Wellesley College community will hear these stories when twenty-six actors visit the college to perform a Cantonese opera, “Three Fair Maidens: Scenes from Mulan, The Peony Pavilion, and The Dream of the Red Chamber.”
Novelist Margaret Cezair-Thompson Writes About Troubled Legacies
Sept. 25 , 2007 -- It’s a fictional story that incorporates an all-too-real “pirate” – swashbuckling actor Errol Flynn – as one of its main characters. The Pirate’s Daughter (Unbridled Books, October 2007) by Wellesley's Margaret Cezair-Thompson uses Flynn’s history and personality to weave a novel filled with attachments and betrayals.
Researchers Find Quality Trumps Hype in Local News Coverage
Sept. 21 , 2007 -- What do TV viewers want? Hyped story lines that emphasize danger, dirt, doom and gloom? Or real news, thoughtfully presented and truthfully researched? Happily, it turns out to be the latter. Now, if only the authors of We Interrupt This Newscast: How To Improve Local News and Win Ratings, Too, a new book co-authored by Wellesley professor Marion Just, can convince local news producers of that, TV has a better chance of informing and educating the public.
Wellesley Students Honored with Katharine Malone Prizes for Academic Excellence
Sept. 17 , 2007 -- At convocation on Sept. 4, Wellesley College President Kim Bottomly announced the names of three students being honored as recipients of Katherine Malone Prizes for Academic Excellence. The First-Year Student Prize was awarded to Lisa Abraham, the Sophomore Student Prize to Andrea Liang and the Katharine Malone Scholarship to Margaret Thompson.
Wellesley Professor Wins Fellowships To Write About America's Religious Transformation
Sept. 12 , 200 7-- The American Revolutionary War was a time of great political change. That the era also produced a remarkable religious transformation has, until now, been largely ignored by history. This year, Stephen Marini, the Elisabeth Luce Moore professor of religion at Wellesley College, has received two research fellowships to study the depth and breadth of religion in the United States during Revolutionary War times.
Wellesley College To Remove Invasive Plants from Paintshop Pond Wetlands
Sept. 12 , 2007 -- Five years ago, Wellesley College successfully completed the clean-up of the former Henry Woods Sons Paint Factory on the western edge of the campus, constructing new athletic fields, facilities and wetlands. Since then, three invasive plant species have moved into the wetlands, prompting the College to undertake a plan to remove them.
Wellesley College Student from Denver Speaks at National Scientific Symposium
Sept. 12 , 2007 -- Wellesley College senior and biochemistry major Sharline Madera was one of five undergraduate student researchers selected to give an oral presentation at the 21st Annual Symposium of the American Protein Society this July. In June, she was also one of 150 students accepted to the American Chemical Society’s Scholars Program, an initiative aimed at encouraging minority students to pursue undergraduate degrees in the chemical sciences.
Puccini's La Bohème To Be Simulcast at Wellesley College
Sept. 6 , 2007 -- Wellesley College will present a free, live broadcast of Washington National Opera’s edgy new production of Puccini’s La Bohème Sunday, Sept. 23 from 2-4:30 pm. Wellesley is one of 32 schools across the country presenting the live simulcast from the Opera House stage at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
Wellesley Professor Writes About 'Forgotten' African Indians
August 29 , 2007 -- It’s not only the American continent that has been a place of diaspora (or scattering) of African people through slavery and immigration. In a new book by Wellesley College’s Pashington Obeng, the history of displaced Africans and their descendants in South Asia draws attention to an almost forgotten people.
Wellesley College Newhouse Center for the Humanities Welcomes Scholars for Academic Year
August 14 , 2007 -- Twelve scholars – working on topics as varied as obsolescence in American architecture, girlhood in Japan, migration in a global age and the societal impact of pensions – will be in residence at the Newhouse Center for the Humanities at Wellesley College for the 2007-2008 academic year.
President Bottomly Expresses Opposition to Threatened Boycott of Scholars at Israeli Universities
August 13 , 2007 -- Wellesley College President H. Kim Bottomly has stated her opposition to an effort by some British academics to boycott scholars at Israeli universities, saying that “such a boycott is antithetical to the fundamental mission of the academy."
Study of One Ecological Disaster Helps Explain Another, Wellesley College Researcher Finds
August 2 , 2007 -- When floodwaters from Tar Creek and the Neosho River devastated the town of Miami, Okla., early this July, Wellesley College junior Kathleen McCarthy jumped at the chance to put her geological research to good use in helping local officials estimate the impact of the disaster.
Wilbur Rich Invites African American Political Scientists To Delve into Black Issues in Politics
July 23 , 2007 -- While Wilbur Rich doesn't cover Barack Obama in his latest book, the recently announced candidate for president of the United States provides an opportunity to continue his discussion of the African American impact on politics.
Wellesley College Offers Fall Semester Auditing Options
July 23 , 2007 -- The opportunity to audit courses at Wellesley College is offered to its alumnae and employees and to residents of the town and of nearby communities.
New Edition of Women in Greek Myth, by Wellesley's Mary Lefkowitz, Explores Women's Positive Experiences in Ancient Society
July 17 , 200 7-- Mary Lefkowitz revisits ancient stories about the relations between gods and human beings in the second edition of Women in Greek Myth (John Hopkins University Press, 2007). The updated and expanded edition includes a new preface and six chapters on such topics as heroic women in Greek epic, seduction and rape in Greek myth, and the parts played by women in ancient rites and festivals.
Shyness Affects Dating and Sex Stereotypes for College Students, Says Wellesley Psychology Professor
July 9 , 2007 -- According to recent estimates, between 40 and 50 percent of college students consider themselves to be shy. In the United States, this trait can be a barrier to personal well-being, social adjustment and occupational fulfillment. “This is a culture that is unfriendly to shyness,” said Wellesley College Professor Jonathan Cheek, psychology. This summer, Cheek will teach a Wellesley College summer seminar, “The Psychology of Shyness,” July 16- Aug. 10, in which his students will study everything from “shyness drugs” to evolutionary perspectives on shyness in animals.
Madeleine Albright Tells Graduating Seniors that Leadership is about Making a Difference
June 1, 2007--Former U.S. Secretary of State and alumna Madeleine K. Albright told the 560 members of the class of 2007 that it is time “to move beyond preparing to doing.” President Diana Chapman Walsh, who is completing her 14-year tenure on June 30, shared her hopes in her traditional commencement address. “I hope we’ve enhanced your confidence and instilled in you a sense of responsibility for the impact you as an individual can have in any system or setting,” Walsh said. “I hope we’ve taught you how to think well, how to learn well and how to go on learning — yes, that most of all.”
Wellesley's Paul Wink Writes Book on Religion's Impact Throughout Life
May 30, 2007 -- A new book by Wellesley College psychology professor Paul Wink and his wife, Michele Dillon, professor of sociology at the University of New Hampshire, follows the role religion plays in the everyday experiences of Americans over their lives. In the Course of a Lifetime: Tracing Religious Belief, Practice and Change (University of California Press, 2007) relies on a unique 60-year study of 200 mostly Protestant and Catholic men and women born in the 1920s. The participants were interviewed first in adolescence and then again in the 1950s, 1970s, 1980s and late 1990s.
Yamini Jha Will Be 2007 Student Commencement Speaker
May 24, 2007 -- On June 1, senior Yamini Jha will achieve two of her dreams: graduating from Wellesley College and serving as her class’s student commencement speaker. She follows in the footsteps of Hillary Rodham Clinton, Wellesley class of 1969, who served as the first student speaker.
Students and Faculty in the Sciences Present at Experimental Biology 2007
May 24, 2007 -- Several Wellesley College students and faculty members presented at the Experimental Biology meeting in Washington, D.C. More than 12,000 biological and biomedical scientists attended the meeting, whose theme this year was “Today’s Research: Tomorrow’s Health.”
Religion Creates Ties That Bind for Immigrants
May 11, 2007 -- “Religion and immigration inspire passionate disagreements among Americans,” said Peggy Levitt, sociology chair at Wellesley. “But many of these debates are based on assumptions that are out-of-sync with our national reality. ”To illuminate that reality, Levitt has written a new book, God Needs No Passport: Immigrants and the Changing American Religious Landscape (The New Press, June 2007)
Wellesley Chemistry Students Present and Receive Honors from American Chemical Society
May 11, 2007 -- Wellesley College junior Margaret Thompson has won a Norris-Richards Undergraduate Summer Research Scholarship to support her diabetes research at Wellesley College this summer.
Wellesley College Names Its 13th President
May 10, 2007 -- Kim Bottomly, a renowned immunobiologist and a deputy provost at Yale University, was named Wellesley College’s 13th president today.
Students and Alumnae Win Awards for Science Research
May 9, 2007 -- Three Wellesley College students and six alumnae have recently been recognized for their study and research in the sciences.
Wellesley College Students Win Awards for Graduate Study
May 8, 2007 -- Three Wellesley students have recently been honored with awards that will support their courses of study after they graduate from Wellesley.
Wellesley College Students and Alumnae Win Fulbright Grants for Research, Study and Teaching
May 4, 2007 -- One senior will research social change in Beijing brought about by the remodeling of the city for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Another student will look at Russia’s challenges in modernizing its museum practices, while a third will study health education in a local public school system in Kunming, China. These studies and more will be undertaken with support from the Fulbright Program, which has awarded grants to seven Wellesley College students.
Indianapolis Businesswoman Alecia DeCoudreaux to Chair Board of Trustees
May 3, 2007 -- The Wellesley College Board of Trustees has elected Indianapolis resident Alecia A. DeCoudreaux to be Chair of the Board, effective July 1, 2007. In a unanimous vote, DeCoudreaux, who is the first African-American to chair Wellesley’s board, was selected to succeed Victoria J. Herget, who has led the board since 1999.
New York Native Wins 112th Annual Hoop Rolling Contest
April 28, 2007-- RC Saint-Amour, an economics and international relations major from Hewlett Harbor, New York, is the winner of Wellesley's 112th annual hoop rolling competition.
Summering on Stars, Galaxies and Quasars
April 23, 2007 -- Wellesley College astronomers will tackle summer research projects with help from the National Science Foundation and the Keck Northeast Astronomy Consortium.
Senior Awarded Scholarship for Postgraduate Study in Scotland
April 13, 2007-- Wellesley College senior Naomi Wells has received a scholarship in the amount of $35,000 for one year of graduate study in Scotland from the Saint Andrew’s Society of the State of New York.
Wellesley College Students Take Top Honors in Japanese Essay Contest
April 12, 2007-- Wellesley College junior SuiLin Yap of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and senior Shannon Lucy of Bennington, Vermont, have taken top honors in an inaugural New England Japanese Essay Contest, entitled “Watashi no Nihon,” or “My Japan.”
Wellesley College Student from Portland, Ore., Awarded Grant for Travel, Exploration
April 10, 2007-- Senior Alia Gurtov, 21, of Portland, Ore., has been awarded the Thomas J. Watson Foundation fellowship for a year of independent exploration and travel outside the United States.
Wellesley’s Mark Goldman Receives $45,000 Sloan Foundation Fellowship
April 6 , 2007--Mark Goldman, an assistant professor of physics and member of the neuroscience program at Wellesley College, is among 21 New England researchers to be honored with a 2007 Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Fellowship. Each scientist is expected to receive a $45,000 two-year grant, and the fellowships begin Sept. 1.
Kathryn Wasserman Davis 100 Projects for Peace Awards Funding to Three Wellesley Students
April 5 , 2007-- The Kathryn Wasserman Davis 100 Projects for Peace program has announced that three Wellesley College students will receive funding to undertake their proposed projects this summer. The objective of the program is to encourage and support motivated youth to create and implement their ideas for building peace throughout the world in the 21st century.
Two English Professors Publish Books on Poetry
April 5 , 2007-- Dan Chiasson and Kathryn Lynch are marking the publication of new books, one looking at modern poetry, the other at poetry by the father of English literature. On Tuesday, April 10, at 4:15 pm in the English Department Common Room, Founders Hall 106, they will be honored at a public celebration.
Quantitative Reasoning Lecture Series Celebrates Connection with Forensics
April 4 , 2007-- As the mathematical consultant to the hit show “NUMB3RS,” CalTech professor Gary Lorden has helped develop story lines involving the aerodynamics of falling human bodies, the responses of skyscrapers to earthquakes and strong winds, the epidemiology of human virus transmission and predictive models regarding criminal behavior. Lorden will bring his crime-solving math powers to Wellesley College in the “Celebrating QR Connections” lecture series this spring. The series celebrates the connection between quantitative reasoning and forensic evidence, starting with Lorden’s lecture Wednesday, April 11, from 5 to 6:30 pm in Collins Cinema. The lecture series is free and open to the public.
Author Chris Hedges to Speak on "American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America"
March
29, 2007-- Chris Hedges, acclaimed war correspondent and best-selling author, will deliver the Wellesley College Religion Department’s 2007 Elisabeth Luce Moore Lecture, “American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America,” Wednesday, April 18, at 7:30 pm in Pendleton East Hall, room 239, on the Wellesley, Mass., campus. Hedges will raise issues covered in his controversial new book by the same name. American Fascists argues that certain elements of American Fundamentalism structurally resemble the early Fascist movements in Italy and Germany during the 1920s.
Wellesley Takes Stand Against Sudan
March
28, 2007-- Wellesley College President Diana Chapman Walsh has announced actions aimed at addressing the genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan. “Wellesley neither has, nor anticipates having, any direct investments in Sudan,” said Walsh in announcing a plan developed with student leaders and the College’s investment office and supported by the trustee investment committee. “We want to go beyond that simple statement, though, and do what we can to raise awareness in the larger investment community of the mounting crisis in and beyond Darfur. In addition, we want to provide opportunities for our students to work for change."
Faculty and Students Present Scientific Research
March
21, 2007-- Wellesley College faculty and students presented their research findings at the 42nd annual meeting of the Northeastern Section of the Geological Society of America, March 12-14 at the University of New Hampshire. About 700 geoscientists attended.
Computer Science Department Hosts Cirque du CS Festivities
March
15,
2007 -- Where can you see a simulated paper airplane flight and a firefighting Lego robot? Get your face painted, play games and watch a musical show? Enjoy popcorn and cotton candy? On Saturday, March 31, from 1-4 pm, the Computer Science Department will host its third annual Cirque du CS, a celebration of student work in computer science, media arts and science and related fields that promises to be fun for the whole family.
Madeleine
Albright Will Be 2007 Commencement Speaker
March
9,
2007 -- Former
Secretary of State and Wellesley College alumna Madeleine K. Albright
will address the approximate 600 members of the Class of 2007 and
their families and friends at Wellesley College’s 129th Commencement
Exercises Friday, June 1, at 10:30 am on Severance Green on the
Wellesley College campus.
Astronaut
Mae Jemison To Speak at Wellesley College
Feb.
27, 2007 -- Mae
C. Jemison blasted into orbit aboard the space shuttle Endeavour
on Sept. 12, 1992, the first woman of color to go into space. This
historic event was one of a series of accomplishments for this
dynamic African-American woman. Now she is coming to Wellesley
College to inspire others with her story on Saturday, March 3,
at 3 pm in Tishman Commons, Wang Campus Center, on the Wellesley,
Mass., campus.
Professor
Frank Bidart Wins Prestigious Prize in Poetry
Feb.
22, 2007 -- Frank
Bidart, Wellesley College's Andrew W. Mellon Professor of English,
has been chosen as the 2007 winner of Yale University’s Bollingen
Prize in American Poetry. The
judging panel described Bidart as “a poet whose work exemplifies
consistent originality of theme, sustained linguistic and formal
explorations and a strong sense of the profoundly serious and adventurous
nature of the poetic calling.”
Wellesley
First-Year Student Stars in New Reality Series, "Design
Squad"
Feb.
22, 2007 -- When
it comes to reality TV shows, there's no shortage of fluffy entertainment
such as "American Idol," "Dancing with the Stars" – even "Nanny
911." But now the genre gains a brainy new cousin with PBS
television channel WGBH's "Design Squad," featuring
Wellesley College first-year student Natasha Sivananjaiah (at
right). On
Saturday, Feb. 24 at 11:30 am, WGBH offers a sneak preview of
the series that gets underway March 24.
Wellesley
College Receives $60,000 in Funding for Undergraduate Research
Feb.
16, 2007 -- One Wellesley
College student may help develop new therapeutic methods to treat
a childhood
neurological disorder. Another may find clues about how adult
brains produce new neurons. A third may help discover how algae
can actually
remove heavy metals from contaminated water.The Merck Institute
for Science Education and the American Association for the Advancement
of Science (AAAS) have selected Wellesley College to receive
funding under the Merck/AAAS Undergraduate Science Research Program.
The
award of $60,000, paid over three years, is intended for joint
use by the biology and chemistry departments. It will fund collaborative
research projects among Wellesley’s students and faculty
members, especially interdisciplinary research that involves
both biology and chemistry.
Wellesley
Mock Trial Teams Qualify for National Tournament
Feb.
8, 2007 -- Wellesley College’s Mock Trial
teams placed fourth and fifth out of 23 teams at the New England
Regional Tournament in Bristol, R.I., on Feb. 3-4, securing two
of five bids to compete in the National Tournament. At
the Regional Tournament, the fifteen Mock Trial members argued
a case about police brutality in the fictional Polk County, hinging
on the potentially wrongful shooting of a young gang member.
New
Exhibit at Wellesley College: "The Betrayal of Srebrenica:
A Commemoration"
Feb.
7, 2007 -- "The
Betrayal of Srebrenica: A Commemoration" is an exhibit of
photographs by New York City human rights photographer Paula Allen.
It will be on display in the Jewett Arts Center from Feb. 13-March
10. The exhibit commemorates the 10-year anniversary of
the massacre in Bosnia. It is devoted to the political background
of the massacre, human rights issues and the victims and survivors.
Black History Month Events at Wellesley College
Feb.
6, 2007 --
Wellesley
College celebrates Black History Month during February
with a variety of lectures, exhibitions,
and performances.
Wellesley
To Honor Three Alumnae
Jan.
12, 2007 --
What
do Massachusetts' new director of health and human
services JudyAnn Bigby, syndicated "Miss
Manners" columnist Judith Martin and the first female ambassador
in Korean history In-ho Lee have in common? All three will receive
Wellesley College's
2007 Alumnae Achievement Award Friday, Feb. 9, at 5:30 pm in the Alumnae
Hall Auditorium on the Wellesley, Mass., campus.
Robots
Will Be Demonstrated at Wellesley College Jan. 24
Jan.
9, 2007 -- You
never know what kind of robot will emerge from Wellesley
College’s
Robotics Design Studio.(Students, at right, show robots
from previous years.) A
dozen robots are produced during the annual class
held during the January Wintersession at Wellesley.
On the final day of classes, students and faculty members present
a parade of wacky but functional robots in a demonstration. The
event, which is free and open to the public, will be held Wednesday,
Jan. 24, from 4:30-6 pm in Sage Lounge of the Science Center.
2006 Releases
Wang
Campus Center Awarded 2006 Harleston Parker Medal
Dec.
20, 2006 --
The Lulu Chow Wang Campus Center has been awarded the
2006 Harleston Parker Medal by the Boston Society of Architects
(BSA), which annually recognizes "the most beautiful
piece of architecture, building, monument, or structure" built
within the past 10 years in the Greater Boston area.
Wellesley
Offers Spring Semester Class Auditing
Dec.
20, 2006 --
The opportunity to audit courses at Wellesley College is offered
to its alumnae and employees and to residents of the town and
of nearby communities.Registration
takes place about a week prior to the beginning of classes on Monday,
Jan. 29. For spring
semester, registration will
be held in Wellesley’s Academic Council Room, fourth floor,
Green Hall, on Tuesday, Jan. 23, from 9 am-3 pm for auditors for
whom there is no charge and on Wednesday, Jan. 24, from 9 am-3
pm for auditors for whom there is a charge.
Charitable
Giving Exceeds Its Best Record
Dec.
14, 2006 -- "I’m
only going to do this once, so for anyone who is interested,
I will be taking a dip into Lake Waban today at Green Beach
at about 11 am (after the Charitable Giving raffle is over)
because you achieved the goal!" said Linda Murphy
Church, assistant vice president for finance, this morning.
As head
of the 2006 Charitable Giving Campaign at Wellesley College
this year, she had vowed to jump in the lake if the Wellesley
College community could beat its record for charitable
giving. True to her word, she immersed herself in the cold
waters
of Lake Waban
in a fool's cap, sweater, pants and sneakers.
Arlene
Zallman, Composer and Professor of Music, Dies at 72
Dec.
4, 2006 --
Arlene Zallman, a gifted composer and long-time professor of
music theory and composition at Wellesley College, died November
25 at her home in Wellesley, surrounded by her family and close
friends. She was 72.
Wellesley
Professor Craig Murphy Writes History of United Nations Development Programme
Nov.
16,
2006 -- In his new book, The United Nations Development Programme:
A Better Way? (Cambridge University Press, 2006), Craig Murphy, the M. Margaret
Ball Professor of International Relations at Wellesley College, traces the history
of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the central network coordinating
U.N. work in more than 160 developing countries. The book commemorates the 60th
anniversary of the founding of the United Nations.
Twelve
Wellesley Seniors are Named 2006 Schiff Fellows
Nov.
14,
2006 -- Twelve Wellesley College seniors have been named recipients
of the 2006 Jerome A. Schiff Fellowship. Made possible through a generous gift
from the Jerome A. Schiff Charitable Trust, these merit awards support the scholarly
work of students enrolled in the senior honors program.
Wellesley
Art Professor Patricia Berman Receives Fulbright Award
Nov.
10,
2006 -- Patricia Gray Berman, a professor of art at Wellesley College,
has been awarded a Fulbright Scholar grant to do research at the University of
Oslo, Norway, during the 2006-2007 academic year. In addition, she also has won
a fellowship from the American Philosophical Society to support the research.
Mary Lefkowitz awarded National Humanities Medal
Nov. 9, 2006 --
Mary Lefkowitz, a renowned classics scholar and professor emerita of classical
studies at Wellesley College, has been presented the National Humanities Medal
by President George W. Bush for her contributions to the humanities. Lefkowitz
received the award at a White House ceremony attended by the President, First
Lady Laura Bush and nine other recipients.
Member
of British Parliament Ann Clwyd to Speak on Human Rights in Iraq at Wellesley
College Nov. 15
Nov.
2,
2006 -- Ann Clwyd, a member of the British Parliament and the prime
minister’s special envoy for human rights in Iraq, will present the Carolyn
A. Wilson Lecture, “‘Bring Back Saddam?’ Human Rights in Iraq
and Beyond,” Wednesday, November 15, at 8 pm in Houghton Chapel on the
Wellesley College campus. The lecture is free and open to the public.
In
Nov. 1 Lecture, Debora Spar to Explore ‘The Baby Business’ and
the Commerce of Conception
Oct.
27, 2006 -- On November 1, Debora Spar will explore how money, science
and politics are driving the “commerce of conception.” Spar is the
author of The Baby Business: Elite Eggs, Designer Genes, and the Thriving
Commerce of Conception and a professor at Harvard Business School.
Wellesley
College Hosts Hip-Hop Reinvention of Chaucer’s Canterbury
Tales
Oct. 25, 2006 -- “The
Rap Canterbury Tales” will
be presented Friday, Nov. 3, at 4:30 pm in Jewett Auditorium on the Wellesley
College campus
by hip-hop artist and medieval scholar Baba Brinkman. The
event resurrects Chaucer’s
14th-century masterpiece in the form of a lyrical battle: The Pardoner,
The Miller, The Wife of Bath and Chaucer
himself all compete for the storytelling crown. Combining virtuoso hip-hop
rhymes and hilarious punchlines with stunning music and a powerful storytelling
voice, Brinkman brings The Canterbury Tales to life.
Human
Rights Leader Julian Bond to Speak at Wellesley
College Oct. 19
Oct. 12, 2006 -- As
an activist, writer, politician and professor,
Julian Bond has remained committed to
social justice since the 1950s. Today,
in addition
to being chairman of the NAACP, the nation’s
oldest and largest civil rights organization,
Bond is a distinguished scholar in residence
at American University and professor of history
at the University of Virginia. On Thursday,
Oct. 19, at 7 pm, Wellesley College’s
Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Committee
will host Bond as he presents a lecture, “Civil
Rights and Human Rights,” in Tishman
Commons in the Wang Campus Center. A
reception will follow, and the events
are free and
open to the public.
Three
Awarded Katharine Malone Prizes for Academic
Excellence
Sept. 27, 2006 -- Three
Wellesley students have been honored with the
annual Katharine Malone Prizes for Academic Excellence.
The prizes, which were announced at Convocation,
honor students who have successfully combined
academic excellence with a commitment to contributing
to the college community. The Malone Prizes were
established in 1985 by alumna Claudine Malone ‘63
in honor of her mother, Katharine.
Jerusalem
Women Speak
Sept. 26, 2006 -- Three
women, a Christian, a Jew and a Muslim, who are living
the realities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, are
traveling across the country to speak about their call
for an end to war and suffering in the Middle East and
share their experiences and hopes for a just peace. On
Friday, Oct. 13, at 11 am, they will bring their message
to the Wellesley College Campus. The event, which takes
place in Collins Cinema, adjacent to the Davis Museum and
Cultural Center, is free and open to the public.
Professor
Rosanna Hertz Writes New Book, Single by Chance, Mothers by Choice
Sept. 20, 2006 -- Wellesley
College professor of women’s studies
Rosanna Hertz, an expert on women and families,
has written a new book, Single by Chance,
Mothers by Choice: How Women Are Choosing
Parenthood Without Marriage and Creating
the New American Family (Oxford, October
2006). Her studies of single mothers prove
a man is not the key to a happy family.
Wellesley's
Chikoti Mibenge Has Been Named One of Glamour's Top
Ten College Women
Sept. 8, 2006 -- Senior
Chikoti Mibenge, 24, a native of Zambia,
has been named one of Glamour magazine's
Top Ten College Women of 2006. Mibenge, who
lost both parents to AIDS, is being recognized
for her commitment to AIDS/HIV research and
education. At Wellesley College, she is majoring
in biological chemistry, and works as an
intern at the Partners AIDS Research Center.
Wellesley,
Olin and Babson Sponsor Lecture Series on
Leadership and Ethics
Sept. 6, 2006 -- Wellesley
College, Olin College
and Babson College
are teaming up this fall to sponsor a public
lecture series on leadership and ethics.
The speakers will offer perspectives based
on their research and experience exercising
leadership, often in difficult situations
fraught with challenging ethical dilemmas.
The lecture series is part of a course on
professional ethics and leadership development
that is being team taught this fall by the
presidents of the three institutions.
Wellesley
Again Ranked
Fourth
Among Liberal
Arts
College
by U.S.
News
Aug.
18,
2006 -- For
the
ninth
consecutive
year, U.S.News & World
Report magazine
has
ranked
Wellesley
College
fourth
among
national
liberal
arts
colleges.
For
the
past
15
years,
Wellesley
has
placed
among
the
top
five
colleges
in
the
annual
listing.The
magazine
gave
Wellesley
high
marks
for
the
racial
and
economic
diversity
of
its
student
body
and
its
generous
financial
aid.
Although
there
is
not
a
separate
category
for
women’s
colleges,
Wellesley
continues
to
be
the
highest
ranked
women’s
college.
Former Dean Alice Stone
Ilchman Dies
at
71
Aug.
14,
2006 -- Dr.
Alice
Stone
Ilchman,
an
expert
in
international
affairs
who
served
as
the
eighth
president
of
Sarah
Lawrence
College
and
was
dean
of
the
college
at
Wellesley
from
1973-1978,
died
August
11.
Throughout
Dr. Ilchman’s
long
and
varied
career
in
academia,
government
and
philanthropy
she
was
respected
and
admired
for
her
leadership,
her
commitment
to
her
ideals,
and
her
ability
to
build
bridges,
to
bring
together
diverse
constituencies to
collaborate
towards
common
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