Recent
Grants Bolster Science Research and Teaching
at Wellesley -- Wellesley
has recently been awarded two major grants
to strengthen science education and research.
A $1.2 million grant from the Howard Hughes
Medical Institute (HHMI) 2004 Undergraduate
Science Education Program will benefit student
research, faculty support, new equipment and
precollege outreach programs. This is the fifth
major grant that HHMI has awarded Wellesley.
The
HHMI grant will support research partnerships between
undergraduates and faculty mentors, the cornerstone
of science education at the College. It will support
a competitive, on-campus summer program that provides
10 weeks of intensive student research in collaboration
with a Wellesley faculty member. The funding will
further support outreach programs, seminars, off-campus
research and investments in laboratory equipment.
In
addition, Wellesley will share a $200,000 grant from
the National Science Foundation (NSF) to support
undergraduate research in astronomy. The award has
been given to Wellesley and other members of the
Keck Northeast Astronomy Consortium (KNAC). The grant
will allow Wellesley astronomers to continue their
work with student research projects and promote interaction
among the astronomers at the eight member colleges,
whose astronomy departments have small but strong
programs with a history of student research participation.
Seven Wellesley students participated in research
projects in astronomy last summer, working with Wellesley
faculty and at other locations, including the National
Radio Astronomy Observatory and the Arecibo Radio
Observatory in Puerto Rico.
More
information on the HHMI grant is at http://www.wellesley.edu/PublicAffairs/Releases/2004/092804.html
More information on the astronomy grant is at http://www.wellesley.edu/PublicAffairs/Releases/2004/092004.html
The
Life-Affirming Wellesley Network: The Remarkable
Story of Two Alumnae and a Kidney -- Yolette
Garcia '77 and Liz Barbieri Hopkinson '78 shared
time on the beautiful Wellesley campus nearly
30 years ago, but today they share a bond more
powerful than anything most of their fellow alumnae
can imagine. After reading a notice in the alumnae
magazine about Yolette's need for a kidney transplant,
Liz made the decision to be tested and eventually
to donate one of her kidneys to Yolette.
Yolette
and Liz recently shared their personal stories of
the transplant in "The Boston Globe". Their
compelling stories be read online at
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2004/09/14/145i_have_a_piece_of_liz_in_me146/
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2004/09/15/i_did_this_also_for_me/
Wellesley
junior Emily Amick and her family are hoping for
a similar "miracle match" for Emily's mother
Judy who was diagnosed with acute leukemia several
months ago and now needs a bone marrow transplant.
The family is working with the Gift of Life Bone Marrow Foundation
in the hope of finding a match. They have learned that an individual
who is Jewish and of Eastern European descent is most likely to be
a match. Testing is painless, requiring only a swab of cells from
inside the cheek.
Anyone
interested in being tested can obtain a testing kit
from the Gift of Life's Web site at
http://www.giftoflife.org/article.asp?ID=10
A fund has been established to pay for the tests; simply use the
sponsorship code "JUDY" when ordering a test kit.
Wellesley
Ranked 4th Among Liberal Arts Colleges in Annual
Ranking -- For
the seventh consecutive year, U.S. News and World
Report has ranked Wellesley fourth among national
liberal arts colleges. For the past 13 years,
Wellesley has placed among the top five colleges
in the annual listing. Although there is not
a separate category for women's colleges, Wellesley
continues to be the highest ranked women's college.
Wellesley
received kudos for its "campus diversity," ranking
fourth among liberal arts colleges in that category.
In another nod, Wellesley was recognized for its
outstanding undergraduate research and creative projects,
joining institutions including Harvard, Yale and
other top private and public universities and colleges.
To
read more, go to
http://www.wellesley.edu/PublicAffairs/Releases/2004/082304.html
The
Wellesley Network: Connecting Alumnae Along
Their Life Paths -- Recognizing that most
women's life paths encompass far more than just
their job experiences, the Alumnae Association
and Center for Work and Service have designed
the new online Wellesley Network to reflect the
wide range of experiences in which Wellesley
alumnae engage.
"In
its truest sense, networking is about making a connection
with someone to share information and advice," explains
Folly Patterson '85, associate director of alumnae
career programs. "We've organized the new network
so that information can be sorted based on life experiences,
to include not only career information, but also
volunteer work, hobbies and affiliations. Alumnae
can also indicate topic areas they would be willing
to discuss with other alums, such as dealing with
divorce, going through menopause or raising a child
with special needs. Wherever you are on your life's
path, there is sure to be another alumna who has
been there or is sharing the path with you."
Please
explore the new Wellesley Network to add to your
profile and preferences.
http://www.alumniconnections.com/links/link.cgi?29605|262929|WLS-20041006091046
(If
the above link for the Wellesley Network does not
work, copy and paste this address into your browser: http://www.wellesley.edu/Alum/Wnetwork )
