2017 Schedule of Events
Reunion & Commencement 2017 Schedule of Events.
Thursday, May 25, 2017
Usdan Cafe Hours
Food and beverages available for purchase on site.
Usdan University Center (show in map)
Espwesso Cafe Hours
Espwesso, Wesleyan's student-run cafe, will be serving sustainably sourced, specialty drip coffee, espresso drinks, and tea in the basement of Allbritton (Rm 003). Come try the best coffee on campus. Cash only!
Allbritton (Rm 003)
Office of Admission Information Session
McKelvey Room, Stewart M. Reid House, Office of Admission
Campus Tour Presented by the Office of Admission
Stewart M. Reid House, Office of Admission
50th Reunion Class of 1967 Headquarters
Refreshments available.
Develin Room, Olin Memorial Library
Registration
Everyone—alumni, parents, students, and families—please check in for a final weekend schedule (with updates and event locations), meal tickets, a welcome packet, campus maps, and more.
Usdan University Center (show in map)
Office of Admission Information Session
McKelvey Room, Stewart M. Reid House, Office of Admission
Revolving Door Reading Series
Join us for an evening of poetry with Kate Rushin, Journey, and Jennifer Steele.
More information can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/events/142870212912585/ or http://revolvingdoorarts.org/
New England Emporium, 386 Main Street, Middletown
50th Reunion Kickoff Reception and Dinner for the Class of 1967
Cocktails and dinner will be available.
NOTE: This meal is included in the registration fee for all 50th reunion attendees. Online registration is available through Friday, May 12.
Patricelli '92 Theater (show in map)
Friday, May 26, 2017
Usdan Cafe Hours
Food and beverages available for purchase on site.
Usdan University Center (show in map)
Registration
Everyone—alumni, parents, students, and families—please check in for a final weekend schedule (with updates and event locations), meal tickets, a welcome packet, campus maps, and more.
Usdan University Center (show in map)
Espwesso Cafe Hours
Espwesso, Wesleyan's student-run cafe, will be serving sustainably sourced, specialty drip coffee, espresso drinks, and tea in the basement of Allbritton (Rm 003). Come try the best coffee on campus. Cash only!
Allbritton (Rm 003)
Campus Tour Presented by the Office of Admission
Stewart M. Reid House, Office of Admission
Senior Films
- Digital and 16mms: 10-11:30 a.m.
- Digital videos: Noon-1:30 p.m.
- Digital and 16mms: 2-3:30 p.m.
- Digital videos: 4-5:30 p.m.
Please find a list of the senior films here.
Goldsmith Family Cinema
Senior Class Diploma Pick-Up
Members of the Class of 2017 may pick up their diplomas in the Registrar’s Office, North College. Graduates should be prepared to show a photo ID.
Registrar’s Office, North College (show in map)
Office of Admission Information Session
McKelvey Room, Stewart M. Reid House, Office of Admission
WESU Open House for Returning & Current DJs
WESU staff members new and old! Come to your beloved college radio station to visit, chat with current board members, eat some food, and look at WESU merch!
WESU Middletown Station, 2nd Floor, 45 Broad Street
Poems, Pictures, and Prints: Cuneiform Press
Kyle Schlesinger, Director of Cuneiform Press, discusses the state of the book in our current cultural climate, while sharing his passion for producing enduring works that merge historically-informed typographic practices with the latest industry trends. From letterpress-printed chapbooks to collaborations with writers and artists such as Johanna Drucker, Bill Berkson, and Jim Dine, Cuneiform publishes poetry, artists’ books, and nonfiction with an emphasis on enriching the human¬ities. Works will be on display in both the Develin Room and the Olin Lobby, including posters from Schlesinger’s recent social-movement letterpress project, A People’s Curriculum for the United States.
Develin Room, Olin Library
Welcome Picnic Lunch
Join friends, classmates, and family members for lunch when you arrive on campus for the weekend.
TICKETS: This lunch requires advance purchase/registration. Lunch is included for members of reunion classes with a flat rate fee (5th, 10th, and 50th Reunion classes). Lunch is complimentary for WESeniors (Classes of 1940 through 1966) and their guests. To make sure that we have an accurate number of meals, we'd like to know if reunion alumni who have the flat rate fee and who are WESeniors plan to attend this lunch. Please click on the Friday lunch option when registering if you plan to attend. All other reunion classes and parents and families of graduating seniors will be charged the following for lunch:
$20 per person for all other adults and children over age 12 (including graduates)
$10 per person for children 12 and under
Russell House Lawn
50th Reunion Memorial Moment
Alumni from the class of ’67 are invited to gather for special remembrances of class members who have passed away.
Lounge, Downey House
Campus Tour Presented by the Office of Admission
Stewart M. Reid House, Office of Admission
WESEMINAR Sultan and the Saint Docu-Drama Film Screening-Opening Remarks and Discussion with Executive Producer Michael Wolfe ’68
During the Crusades, Saint Francis of Assisi risked his life by walking across enemy lines to meet the Sultan of Egypt, the Muslim ruler Al-Malik al-Kamil. This remarkable encounter, and the commitment to peace of the two men behind it, sucked the venom out of the Crusades and changed the relationship between Muslims and Christians for the better. Featuring dramatic reenactments and renowned scholarship, this amazing story is brought to life. Scholars interviewed include Michael Cusato (St. Bonaventure University), Sr. Kathy Warren (Sisters of St. Francis), Suleiman Mourad (Smith College), Homayra Ziad (Institute for Christian & Jewish Studies), Paul Moses (The Saint and the Sultan), and others.
Join us for this film to learn about the remarkable spiritual exchange between the Sultan and the Saint, and the great risks they took. Interactive discussion with Executive Producer, Michael Wolfe ’68, to follow.
Speaker: Michael Wolfe ’68 is the co-founder and President of Unity Productions Foundation (UPF), a nonprofit organization that works to create peace by increasing understanding through the media. Michael got his start in the media 20 years ago, by working with Ted Koppel’s ABC Nightline, where he wrote and helped produce the first-ever American documentary film about the Pilgrimage to Mecca. Through UPF, Michael has co-produced ten award-winning documentary films, mostly broadcast nationally on PBS. He is also the author of ten books of poetry, history, and travel.
Tishler Lecture Hall (150), Exley Science Center
WESEMINAR Understanding American Inequality
Inequality of wealth and income has been much in the news here and abroad, and the subject of renewed scholarly attention by Thomas Piketty and many others, including Jeffrey Williamson ’57, Laird Bell Professor of Economics, Emeritus, at Harvard. Along with Richard Adelstein, Jeff will review his new work on the history of growth and inequality in the United States, and join the audience in an open discussion of this complex and urgent problem.
Speakers: Richard Adelstein is Woodhouse/Sysco Professor of Economics and Tutor in the College of Social Studies (CSS). Richard graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1968, earned a master's degree in teaching at Harvard (1970), and a J.D. and a Ph.D. (1975) from the University of Pennsylvania and its Law School. He has taught economics and social studies at Wesleyan since 1975, and twice received the University's annual Binswanger Award for Excellence in Teaching, in 1993, the year the award was created, and again in 2012. He has spent sabbatical years as a visiting scholar at Oxford, Harvard, and the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, and as a Fulbright Visiting Professor at the University of Munich. A pioneer in the application of economic analysis to legal problems, his articles have appeared in scholarly journals in a range of disciplines, and his book on the relationship of market exchange and legal liability, The Exchange Order: Property and Liability as an Economic System, will be published in August 2017. Jeffrey Gale Williamson '57, GP'16 is Laird Bell Professor of Economics, emeritus, Harvard University and Honorary Fellow, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Economics. Master of Harvard’s Mather House (1986-1993), President of the Economic History Association (1994-1995) and Chairman of Harvard’s Economics Department (1997-2000), he received Wesleyan’s Distinguished Alumnus Award (1987) and served on Wesleyan’s Board of Trustees (1988-1994). His most recent books are: The Spread of Modern Manufacturing to the Periphery since 1870 (forthcoming 2017 Oxford: ed. with Kevin O’Rourke); Has Latin American Inequality Changed Direction? (Springer 2017: ed. with Luis Bértola); Unequal Gains: American Growth and Inequality since 1700 (Princeton 2016: with Peter Lindert); The Cambridge History of Capitalism (Cambridge 2014: ed. with Larry Neal); and Trade and Poverty: When the Third World Fell Behind (MIT 2011).
Room 302, Fisk Hall
Gordon Career Center Open House
All are welcome to stop by the Gordon Career Center! Come to see the beautifully renovated space and stay to speak with the GCC staff. The Gordon Career Center works with students to plan their summer and post Wesleyan pursuits. We provide skilled advising and access to alumni, parent, and employer partners from around the world as well as resume and cover letter review and workshops.
Gordon Career Center, Boger Hall. 41 Wyllys Avenue
50th Reunion Class of 1967 Headquarters
Refrshments will be available.
Develin Room, Olin Memorial Library
Office of Admission Information Session
McKelvey Room, Stewart M. Reid House, Office of Admission
WESEMINAR Celebrating Seniors: Research Excellence at Wesleyan
Members of the Class of 2017 talk about their senior theses, representing a cross section of student research and creative output. Students will share their work and discuss the process that guided their investigations.
Moderator: Louise S. Brown P'11, '13, Dean for Academic Advancement and Dean for the Class of 2017
Presenters: Harrison Carter ’17 ARST, Jenny Davis ’17 ENGL, Girish Duvvuri ’17 ASTR, ENGL, PHYS, Deja Knight ’17 AFAM, NS&B
Judd 116
WESEMINAR The Future is Female: Wesleyan Women in the Workplace
Celebrate Wesleyan women in the workplace! Wesleyan women from across the decades will come together to talk about their career paths, the struggles they've faced and the successes they've achieved, and share their perspectives on what it means to be a woman in the workplace. Bring your own stories and add your voice to the conversation; interactive audience participation is encouraged for a robust, engaging group dialogue. Want to join the conversation, but aren’t on campus? This seminar will be live streamed and can be viewed online.
Speakers: Vanessa Burgess ’77, P’13, ’18 is a Trustee Emerita, a member of the volunteer leadership committee, a class agent and resides in New York City. She was a psychology major and her senior thesis was "A Cross-Cultural Perspective on Autism" in Ghana and the U.S. Her career in finance began at OPIC in D.C. where she traveled extensively throughout Latin America and the Caribbean while earning an MBA in International Finance. From OPIC she went to Wall Street where she spent sixteen years in the Health Care Investment Banking Group at DLJ/Credit/Suisse. She currently manages a portfolio of publicly traded securities and advises early stage health care companies; Madelyn Colon ’77 was CT Assistant State Treasurer from 1999 to 2005 and a Senior Policy Analyst in the Office of the State Treasurer. During her career in public service, she also served as Executive Director of the City of Hartford Redevelopment Agency, leading the city’s redevelopment program during the 1990s. Madelyn has collaborated with City Managers, Mayors, public officials, local residents and community stakeholders to advance mission driven programs throughout her career, and has a M.P.A and M.B.A from the University of Hartford, Barney School of Business. She is currently a consultant in public policy and community development and lives in Farmington, CT. Kimberly King ’97 is the Director, Ad Sales Marketing for Travel Channel and Great American Country at Scripps Networks, where she is responsible for increasing advertising revenues and sponsorship sales by developing marketing programs to support advertising products and services for their lifestyle brands. Kim was previously the Senior Manager of Brand Solutions at Viacom Media Networks' brand BET Networks. Also an accomplished writer, her byline has appeared in Essence, Playbill, The Source and more. Kim holds a Master of Science degree in Integrated Marketing and a Professional Certificate in Digital Media Marketing from New York University and her BA in Government from Wesleyan University. She continues in her service efforts as a volunteer member of the Wesleyan Alumni of Color Network, the Wesleyan Fund and on the Board of the Oliver Scholars Program. Betti Packman ’07 is a case team leader with Parthenon-EY, specializing in deep consumer research. In addition to project work, Betti manages MBA recruiting and diversity and inclusion efforts for Parthenon-EY. Prior to working in management consulting, Betti spent a number of years working on political campaigns. Betti holds her M.B.A. from The Wharton School and majored in Government at Wesleyan. Gabrielle Sellei ’87 is the founder of Sellei Law, LLC, a business and entertainment law firm in the Philadelphia area, and a co-founder of Women Owned Law, a national organization devoted to women entrepreneurs in the legal services sector. She received her J.D. from Boston University School of Law in 1995. Meng-Ju (Renee) Sher ’07 is an assistant professor in the physics department. She received her bachelor’s degree in physics from Wesleyan in 2007 and PhD degree from Harvard in 2013. She then spent three years at Stanford for postdoctoral research and teaching training before coming back to Wesleyan in fall 2016.
Sponsored by the Wesleyan Women's Network.
Class of 1965 Classroom (002), Public Affairs Center (PAC)
WESMINAR A World Gone: What’s Coming?
Join Leslie Gelb P'91, one of America’s most prominent foreign policy experts and former Wesleyan assistant professor of Government, for an interactive discussion about world politics from JFK to Trump. Audience Q&A is encouraged for an engaging, collaborative conversation.
Introduction: Karl Scheibe, Professor of Psychology, Emeritus; Director Emeritus, Susan B. and William K. Wasch Center for Retired Faculty
Speaker: Dr. Leslie H. Gelb P’91 is President Emeritus of the Council of Foreign Relations, a former New York Times columnist and correspondent, and a former senior State and Defense Department official, where he directed the Pentagon Papers project.
Commons, Fries Center for Global Studies, Fisk Hall
WESEMINAR A Conversation with Wesleyan Writers
Join us at the new Wesleyan R.J. Julia Bookstore as celebrated authors, Robin Cook ’62 and Carolyn Parkhurst ’92 share how Wesleyan shaped their writing. Book signing to follow.
Speakers: Doctor and author Robin Cook ’62 is widely credited with introducing the word "medical" to the thriller genre, and thirty-four years after publication of his breakthrough novel, Coma, he continues to dominate the category he created. He has written 34 international bestsellers and is a #1 New York Times bestselling author. His latest novel, Host, was published in October 2015. Carolyn Parkhurst ’92 holds an MFA in fiction from American University. She is the New York Times bestselling author of the novels, The Dogs of Babel, Lost and Found and The Nobodies Album, as well as a children’s book, Cooking with Henry and Elliebelly. She lives in Washington, D. C., with her husband, Evan Rosser '92, and their two children. Her latest novel, Harmony, was published in August 2016.
Wesleyan R.J. Julia Bookstore, 413 Main Street, near the intersection of Washington Street
Patricelli Center for Social Entrepreneurship (PCSE) Open House
Join staff and students from the Patricelli Center and members of Wesleyan Alumni in Philanthropy and Public Service (WAPPS) for an open house and networking reception. To learn more about the PCSE or to volunteer, visit wesleyan.edu/patricelli.
PCSE, Ground Floor, Allbritton Center
Campus Tour Presented by the Office of Admission
Stewart M. Reid House, Office of Admission
Retirement Reception for Professor Peter Patton
Current students, alumni, and friends are invited to join us in celebrating the retirement of Peter Patton, Alan M. Dachs Professor of Science.
Russell House
Champagne Reception for Graduating Seniors and Their Families
Join graduating seniors and their families and friends, as well as other members of the Wesleyan community, for champagne and light hors d’ oeuvres at this casual reception.
Hosted by Ellen Jewett ’81 and Richard Kauffman, parents of Ezra ’17.
Russell House Lawn (tent) (show in map)
Alpha Delta Phi Reception and Banquet
For members of Alpha Delta Phi and their families. Dinner begins at 6 p.m.
Alpha Delta Phi
President’s Reception Honoring Leadership Donors and Volunteers
Please join President Michael Roth '78 and the Wesleyan Board of Trustees at a reception celebrating members of the Wesleyan Leadership Societies. Wesleyan Leadership Societies—the Wesleyan Circle, the 1831 Society, the Olin Associates—recognize the extraordinary commitment and support of Wesleyan leadership donors and volunteers. By invitation only.
President’s House Lawn
Red, Black, and Green! All-College Dinner
Join friends, classmates, and family members for an informal, eco-friendly buffet dinner in the Marketplace at the Usdan University Center.
TICKETS: This event requires advance purchase/registration. Dinner is included in the registration fee for WESeniors (Classes of 1942-1966) and members of reunion classes with a flat rate fee (5th, 10th, and 50th reunion classes). To make sure that we have an accurate number of meals, we'd like to know if reunion alumni who have the flat rate fee and who are WESeniors plan to attend this dinner. Please click on the Friday Red, Black, and Green Dinner option when registering if you plan to attend. All other reunion classes, parents and families of graduating seniors will be charged the following when they register:
$20 per person for adults and children over age 12 (including graduates)
$10 per person for children 12 and under
Usdan University Center
45th Reunion Reception for the Class of 1972
McKelvey Room, Stewart M. Reid House, Office of Admission
Shabbat Services
Please join Wesleyan’s Jewish chaplain, Rabbi David Leipziger Teva, and the Wesleyan Jewish community for Shabbat services. All are welcome. No reservations necessary.
The Bayit, 157 Church Street
60th and 65th Reunion Reception for the Classes of 1952 and 1957 and for WESeniors (Classes of 1939-1966)
Wasch Center for Retired Faculty
President's Reception and Dinner in Honor of the 50th Reunion Class of 1967
NOTE: Members of the 50th Reunion Class will receive a separate invitation in the mail for this special dinner. Please let us know if you're planning to attend by responding using the reply card included with the invitation.
Beckham Hall, Fayerweather (show in map)
25th Reunion Reception for the Class of 1992
Campbell Reference Center, Olin Memorial Library
20th Reunion Reception for the Class of 1997
Room 311, Allbritton Hall(formerly top floor of Davenport Campus Center)
40th Reunion Reception for the Class of 1977
Olson Commons, Gordon Career Center, Boger Hall
’72 Dinner at O’Rourke’s Diner
A trip to Middletown wouldn’t be complete without a stop at O’Rourke’s Diner, which looks the same as it did in 1970, but, because of the brilliant heart-based cooking of Brian O'Rourke, is now something of a gastronomic mecca. Catch up with ’72 classmates over dinner that will range from steamed cheeseburgers to culinary delights! Dinner is $60 per person. RSVP to Andy Feinstein ’72 (feinsteinandrew1950@gmail.com). First-come, first served. Seating is very limited.
O'Rourke's Diner, 728 N Main Street
Shabbat Dinner
At this special dinner for returning alumni, graduating seniors, and their families, we will welcome Shabbat with song, food, and joyful fellowship.
TICKETS: This dinner requires advance purchase/registration.
$20 per person for all and children over age 12 (including graduates)
$10 per person for children 12 and under
Daniel Family Commons, Usdan University Center
WESEMINAR Hamilton's America Film Screening
Introduction and Q&A with director Alex Horwitz '02
Goldsmith Family Cinema
5th reunion Reception for the Class of 2012
Hewitt Courtyard/Terrace; Rainsite: Nicolson Lounge
10th Reunion Reception for the Class of 2007
Hewitt Courtyard/Terrace; Rainsite: Hewitt Lounge
Stargazing
View some celestial wonders through the renovated 20-inch Clark refractor. Weather permitting.
Van Vleck Observatory
Friday Night Annual Reunion Party
All are welcome! Come dance the night away and mingle with classmates, fellow alumni and graduates. Featuring alumni bands The Straw Dogs and Balloon.
10 p.m.-11:30 p.m.: The Racquets with band members Sam Beck '17; Jared Feinberg '17; Ryan Breen '17; Jeremy Freeman '17
11:30 p.m. - 1 a.m.: Balloon with band members Nick Earhart '07; Nick Nauman '07; Michael Hurder '07; Owen Roberts '07
Eclectic
Saturday, May 27, 2017
Registration
Everyone—alumni, parents, students, and families—please check in for a final weekend schedule (with updates and event locations), meal tickets, a welcome packet, campus maps, and more.
Usdan University Center (show in map)
Pi Cafe Hours
Food and beverages available for purchase on site.
Exley Science Center (show in map)
Annual Family Swim
Enjoy a morning swim in the Freeman Athletic Center pool. Towels will be provided.
Freeman Athletic Center (show in map)
50th Reunion Class of 1967 Continental Breakfast
Develin Room, Olin Memorial Library
Informal Breakfast for the Class of 1982
Homewood Suites by Hilton, Glastonbury, CT
Cardinal Loop Fun Run (2.1, 3.2, 4.3 Mile Courses)
Start the day off with an exhilarating run through campus.
Meet at the base of Foss Hill (show in map)
55th Reunion Class of 1962 Headquarters
Continental breakfast and class conversation led by Bruce Corwin ’62, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Metropolitan Theatres Corporation.
Klingher Classroom (113), Boger Hall
Usdan Cafe Hours
Food and beverages available for purchase on site.
Usdan University Center (show in map)
Education and Ideas in Dark Times: A Conversation with President Michael S. Roth ’78 and Leon Wieseltier
Speakers: Michael S. Roth '78 became the 16th president of Wesleyan University on July 1, 2007. Formerly president of California College of the Arts (CCA), Roth is known as a historian, curator, author and public advocate for liberal education. A professor in history and the humanities since 1983, Roth was the founding director of the Scripps College Humanities Institute in Claremont, Calif., a center for intellectual exchange across disciplines. He developed a reputation as a leader in the arts community through his accomplishments as associate director of the Getty Research Institute in Los Angeles and his success as President of the California College of the Arts in enhancing that institution’s academic quality, national reputation and financial strength. Roth describes his scholarly interests as centered on "how people make sense of the past." He has authored six books, most recently, Beyond the University: Why Liberal Education Matters (Yale University Press, 2014). Leon Wieseltier is the Isaiah Berlin Senior Fellow in Culture and Policy at the Brookings Institution. He has had a long and distinguished career as a writer, editor, and social and political commentator. From 1983 to 2014, he was the literary editor of The New Republic and currently serves as a contributing editor and critic at The Atlantic. Wieseltier holds a bachelor's from Columbia University and was a member of the Society of Fellows at Harvard University. At Oxford University, he studied under Isaiah Berlin. He holds honorary doctorates from Brandeis University and the Jewish Theological Seminary, and was awarded the Dan David Prize in 2013. He is the author of several books, including the widely acclaimed Kaddish (Knopf, 1998).
Commons, Fries Center for Global Studies, Fisk Hall
Espwesso Cafe Hours
Espwesso, Wesleyan's student-run cafe, will be serving sustainably sourced, specialty drip coffee, espresso drinks, and tea in the basement of Allbritton (Rm 003). Come try the best coffee on campus. Cash only!
Allbritton (Rm 003)
Class of 1982 Bike Ride (all are welcome)
Take a scenic bike ride through Middletown, Middlefield and Durham with Bob Russo '82. The ride is open to all ability levels, no one gets dropped. The group will meet in front of OIin Library (on Church Street) at 9am. The 25 mile loop runs out Long Lane and
into farm and orchard country. Stop and have coffee afterward at Pi Café.
Meet in front of Olin Library (on Church Street)
ACADEMIC OPEN HOUSES
ART AND ART HISTORY: Davison Health Center Tent
COLLEGE OF FILM AND THE MOVING IMAGE: Lobby, College of Film and the Moving Image
MUSIC: Davison Health Center Tent
WESEMINAR Parenting Through the College Admission Process
Admission Deans Nancy Meislahn, Chris Lanser and Cliff Thornton, and University Relations Assistant Director Kate Quigley Lynch ’82, P’17, ’19, will host a “fireside chat” with the Class of 1992 to discuss parenting children through the college admission process. Parents from other classes are welcome.
Note: This session is specifically for parents. The Office of Admission offers information sessions and tours on Thursday, 5/25, and Friday, 5/26, for interested families.
McKelvey Room, Stewart M. Reid House, Office of Admission
WESEMINAR How Do We Get There From Here? Embracing Life Transitions and Transformation
Members of the class of ’77 share stories about making mid-life/mid-career changes on a curving road. What have we done, why have we done it, and how did we do it.
Speakers: Susan Guiney’s ’77 work life has taken her from a PhD program in Classics, to professional fundraising in New York and Boston, to a long-term expat life in London. There, she began her writing career, publishing novels and poetry. Since 2010, her focus and inspiration, both in her writing and teaching, is Cambodia and SE Asia where she founded, in 2015, the educational NGO, Writing Through www.writingthrough.org, which uses the writing of poems and stories in English to develop conceptual thinking, self-esteem and language fluency in at-risk populations. After a pursuing a career in music performance followed by 25 years working in corporate finance, Jane Klemmer ’77, P’13, did something she never envisioned for herself; she became an entrepreneur. Now in her tenth year as the owner of Klemmer Educational Consulting, she continually draws from her corporate and life experiences, and has turned her focus to higher education, advising students and families on college admission and affordability. Michele Roberts ’77 is the first woman to head a major professional sports union in North America. In her role as executive director of the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA), Ms. Roberts serves as the primary advocate for all players, ensuring the protection of the organization and its membership, including serving as the lead negotiator in all collective bargaining activities. Prior to her role with the NBPA, Ms. Roberts was a renowned trial lawyer and member of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom’s Litigation Group, a practice that focuses on complex civil and white collar criminal litigation before state and federal courts and in administrative proceedings. Alan Steele ’77, P’14 considers himself extremely fortunate to have worked intensively in three diverse areas over his career: physical chemistry, academic medicine, and intellectual property law. His transitions from one area to the next were driven by combinations of internal and external factors and a hunger for knowledge and connection with others. These various disciplines have required him to view and approach the world in fascinatingly different ways.
Hansel Lecture Hall (001), Public Affairs Center (PAC)
WESEMINAR “What Are You Looking At?”
Two Wesleyan alums from the class of 1987, Matthew Weiner ’87, P’18 (creator of the groundbreaking television series Mad Men and author of the upcoming novel Heather, The Totality) and Jeremy Mindich ’87, MALS '89 (founder of the hedge fund group Scopia Capital) discuss their ongoing inspiration from the books, movies and news stories that they have shared and that have shaped their very different careers.
Goldsmith Family Cinema, Center for Film Studies
WESEMINAR College of the Environment
Regardless of one's opinions about issues such as climate change or carbon taxes, it is clear that environmental issues will dominate national and international politics and news over the next century. To fully prepare students to participate effectively in these important discussions, Wesleyan has taken a major step to support environmental research, communication, teaching, and policy development, with its Environmental Studies Program and the College of the Environment (COE). Come listen to the exciting details of the Environmental Studies Program and the College of the Environment by Professor Barry Chernoff, Chair of the Environmental Studies Program. Then join us while the Class of 2017 presents their senior capstone projects during our poster session.
Woodhead Lounge, Exley Science Center
Mystical Seven Society Annual Meeting
Tent with black flag, McKelvey Green (lawn in front of College Row)
Memorial Service
The service remembers all alumni who have passed away. Individuals are invited to offer personal remembrances.
Memorial Chapel (show in map)
Crew Reception and Alumni Row
Relive good times on the water. All former oarsmen, oarswomen, and friends are invited to gather at the boathouse for an afternoon row and refreshments.
Macomber Boathouse, 35 Harbor Drive
ACADEMIC OPEN HOUSES
AMERICAN STUDIES: Center for the Americas
ARCHAEOLOGY: Lounge, Downey House
CLASSICAL STUDIES: Lounge, Downey House
DANCE:Cross Street Dance Studios
FEMINIST, GENDER, AND SEXUALITY STUDIES: Allbritton 311
LATIN AMERICAN STUDIES: Center for the Americas
MEDIEVAL STUDIES: Lounge, Downey House
PHILOSOPHY: Allbritton 311
SCIENCE IN SOCIETY: Allbritton 311
Class of 1957 Special Shuttle Service
Beginning at 10 a.m., members of the class of 1957 are invited to use this special shuttle between the Courtyard in Cromwell and Wesleyan (outside of the Usdan University Center, 45 Wyllys Avenue) at the following times.
10 a.m. Courtyard by Mariott to Wesleyan
2:30 p.m. Wesleyan to Courtyard by Mariott
5 p.m. Courtyard by Mariott to Wesleyan
8:30 p.m. Wesleyan to Courtyard by Mariott
10 p.m. Wesleyan to Courtyard by Mariott
Gathering for Graduating Seniors and Their Grandparents
All grandparents and their graduating seniors are invited to a special gathering to celebrate the many successes of Wesleyan’s Class of 2017. Light snacks and beverages will be served. We respectfully ask that only graduating seniors and their grandparents attend this popular event. No response or registration is necessary, as we hope to include as many grandparents and graduating seniors as possible, while being mindful of the room capacity. Don’t forget to have grandparents get their special grandparent ribbon for their nametag at registration or at this event.
Beckham Hall, Fayerweather (show in map)
WESEMINAR Celebration of Wesleyan Writing: Fake News and Real News: Journalism Today
Join us for a lively panel discussion featuring award-winning Wesleyan alumni journalists including Jane Eisner ’77, P’06, ’12, editor of The Forward; Alex Kotlowitz ’77, author of three books including There Are No Children Here; Miriam Berger ’12, freelance journalist in Jerusalem; and Jamie Novogrod ’02, coordinating producer at MSNBC during the 2016 presidential race, now Los Angeles Bureau Chief for VICE News Tonight on HBO. Panel moderator, Jenifer McKim ’88, has been business and social issues reporter at the Boston Globe and is senior investigative reporter at The New England Center for Investigative Reporting.
Panel host: Anne Greene, University Professor in the Dept. of English; Director, Wesleyan Writing Certificate and Wesleyan Writers Conference.
Taylor Meeting Room (108), Usdan University Center
WESEMINAR Enemies of the American People: A Report from the Front Lines of Media and Technology
Speakers: John Borthwick ’87 is betaworks CEO, founder. Betaworks is a startup platform that builds and invests in companies across the social, data driven media internet. Its platform combines three areas of expertise. A studio for building products like Giphy, Dots, bitly and Tweetdeck. An investment fund for early stage start-ups related to the areas the company is building in. Previous investments include: Tumblr, Kickstarter, Medium and Gimlet. And camp, a thematic accelerator program for start-ups in frontier technology such as Bots, AI and Verbal Computing. Betaworks works to bring together these three areas to create extraordinary companies and work with exceptional people combining art and science. Prior to betaworks, John was CEO of Fotolog. Fotolog was one of the first and largest social photo sharing sites — pre Flickr and Facebook. John was an angel investor in Fotolog and then stepped in as CEO. In less than a year he turned the company cash flow positive and sold the business for $96M. Before Fotolog, John was SVP of Alliances and Technology Strategy for Time Warner Inc. He came to Time Warner from AOL. At Time Warner he worked with the management team and the divisions to drive technology strategy across the company and lead several large technology partnerships for the company, including Microsoft, Google, Sony and Intel. During this period John got involved in driving technology policy for the company, and as part of this effort he became an expert witness in the Microsoft Antitrust trial. Prior to Time Warner John was an executive at AOL, leading the new product development studio. John arrived at AOL after they acquired his first company, WP-Studio, founded in 1994, one of the first internet companies in New York. Since 1994 he has been a leader in New York technology. John holds an MBA from Wharton and an undergraduate degree in Economics from Wesleyan University. He sits on the board of WNYC, NYPR, Data and Society, Giphy, Dots and Blade. Jim Friedlich ’79, P’17 is a media and philanthropy executive. He serves as Chief Executive Officer of The Lenfest Institute for Journalism, a non-profit foundation that supports journalism innovations and technologies nationwide and is the owner of The Philadelphia Inquirer, winner of twenty Pulitzer Prizes. The Inquirer is now the largest newspaper in America operated as a public benefit corporation and owned by a non-profit foundation. Friedlich served as group publisher of The Wall Street Journal for Europe, Asia, and Latin America, was a Board Director of CNBC International, and a co-founder of WSJ.com. He is an active media venture capital investor and was a seed investor in Business Insider before its sale to Axel Springer in 2015. Laura R. Walker ’79, P’21 is President and CEO of New York Public Radio, the largest public radio station group in the nation. Ms. Walker led New York Public Radio during a period of dramatic growth and innovation. Under her leadership, New York Public Radio has increased its audience from 1 million to 23.9 million, has raised more than $150 million in long term investment, created WNYC Studios, the second largest podcast producer in the country, and has been described by Neiman Lab’s Ken Doctor as being on “innovation overdrive.” She has established New York Public Radio as a place that produces award-winning enterprise journalism, nurtures today’s most creative talent, and creates innovative products that bring the best of public radio to listeners everywhere. Ms. Walker holds an MBA from the Yale School of Management and a BA in History, magna cum laude, from Wesleyan University where she was an Olin Scholar.
Introduction: Brad Lubin '87 P'20 graduated from Wesleyan with a BA in economics, where he was a rower on the Varsity Crew team, and received an MBA from New York University School of Business in 1990. He was an Associate in the Citibank Global Information Group until 1992, before moving to Israel to participate in a training program with the Israeli Defense Forces. In 1993 he returned to the United States to lead his family's specialty chemical manufacturing businesses, Sanolite Corporation and Cavalier Corporation. Over a twenty year period he developed their national distribution of products and services and in 2011 he spearheaded the sale of Sanolite Corporation to a publicly traded global corporation. He currently consults for several companies in related industries and is developing his former manufacturing facilities in Sunset Park, Brooklyn (deemed "one of "New York's Next Hot Neighborhoods" by the New York Times in 2016) into residential and mixed-use commercial real estate. He lives in Westchester, NY and is married with three children, Gillian (Wesleyan Class of 2020), Ethan and Jake.
Hansel Lecture Hall (001), Public Affairs Center
WESEMINAR Culture, performance and emotions: Things that you can learn in a Wesleyan class (in Spanish)
Come to hear five Wesleyan Hispanic professors talk about some of the fascinating things that they teach in the classroom: from ways of talking about the Hispanic experience in the US, to migration, theater and performance across the Spanish speaking world, to urban space and memory, to poetry, and the psychology of emotions. Conducted in Spanish.
Cultura, performance y emociones: Cosas que se pueden aprender en una clase en Wesleyan
Ven a escuchar a cinco profesores hispanos de Wesleyan hablar de algunos de los temas sobre los que enseñan. Desde los modos en que nos referimos a los hispanos en Estados Unidos, a temas de migración y teatro, memoria y espacio urbano, poesía y la psicología de las emociones en diferentes culturas. ¡En español!
Speakers: Antonio González, Professor of Spanish and Director, Fries Center for Global Studies; María Ospina, Assistant Professor of Spanish, Assistant Professor, Latin American Studies, Spanish Section Head, Romance Languages and Literatures Department; Marcela Oteíza, Assistant Professor of Theater, Dance Department; Ana Pérez-Gironés, Adjunct Professor of Spanish; Patricia María Rodríguez Mosquera, Associate Professor of Psychology, Associate Professor, Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Commons, Fries Center for Global Studies, Fisk Hall
WESEMINAR Academics, Dedication, Performances: Alpha Delta Phi and Wesleyan
Join Stephanie Gold and Erhard Konerding MALS ’82 as they discuss the past and present of one of Wesleyan’s literary societies, Alpha Delta Phi, which was formed in 1856. Learn the various ways in which Alpha Delta Phi has contributed to the Wesleyan community in the past, and how it hopes to continue to do so in the future. Stephanie will also preview the exhibit “Alpha Delta Phi Through the Decades,” which highlights items of interest from the Society’s recently processed records now located in Special Collections & Archives.
Speakers: Stephanie Gold, formerly Alpha Delta Phi Processing Archivist, is the Wilbur Olin Atwater Papers Processing Archivist in Special Collections & Archives. Erhard Konerding MALS ’82 is a graduate member of Alpha Delta Phi and former Government Documents Librarian in Olin Library.
Room 116, Judd Hall
ACADEMIC OPEN HOUSES
ASIAN LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES: Mansfield Freeman Center for East Asian Studies
EAST ASIAN STUDIES: Mansfield Freeman Center for East Asian Studies
Assemble for the Annual Parade of Classes
Seniors and their families are invited to join alumni for this traditional Wesleyan festivity featuring a live Dixieland band. The parade is scheduled to begin promptly at 11:30 a.m. rain or shine, and is followed immediately by the Assembly and Annual Meeting. Look for the class year signs and line-up beside the sign with the year you graduated. The parade begins on Huss Courtyard (behind the Usdan University Center) and parades around the Memorial Chapel onto McKelvey Green. All parade participants are encouraged to parade into the Memorial Chapel for the Wesleyan Assembly and Alumni Association Meeting.
Huss Courtyard, Usdan University Center (show in map)
Senior Films
- Digital and 16mms: 11:30 a.m. -1:15 p.m.
- Digital videos: 1:15-3 p.m.
Please find a list of senior films here.
Goldsmith Family Cinema
Outdoor Yoga Session with Khayatollah '05
This will be a 60 min gentle/open level vinyasa class held outdoors overlooking Foss Hill. Khay (like fly) invites all ages to root down before they turn up. Khay has been practicing for 10 years and teaching for 5. With the birth of her first child this past January her prenatal certification has come in handy (in case any expectant moms would like to join). Her love of yoga has taken her all over, from India to Bushwick, and now to Wesleyan! Khay will have a few mats available, but please bring your own if you can. A beach towel can also be used as substitution. If you have nothing but yourself, still come and we will work it out! Weather permitting.
Top of Foss Hill
Special Collections and Archives Open House
Drop in at the University’s Special Collections and Archives to remember your student days—yearbooks, The Argus, Hermes, face books, and many other historical Wesleyan materials are all here. Chat with SC&A staff about the riches of the University’s rare book collection and how it supports Wesleyan’s educational mission.
Special Collections and Archives and Davison Rare Book Room, Olin Memorial Library
Wesleyan Assembly and Alumni Association Meeting
This year's featured speaker is distinguished alumnus award recipient, Nicholas J. Rasmussen '87, Director of the National Counterterrorism Center who will speak on "The Pursuit of Public Service in a Politically Divided America: Reflections of a Career Civil Servant."
The 2017 Distinguished Alumni, McConaughy, and Outstanding Service Awards are presented at this time.
Distinguished Alumni Awards are presented to alumni in recognition of achievement in their professions.
Michele A. Roberts '77
Amy Schulman '82, P'11
Tos Chirathivat '85, P'14,'17
Nicholas J. Rasmussen '87
Isaac O. Shongwe '87
Santi White '97
Robert Lewis Allbritton '92
The James L. McConaughy Jr. Award was established in 1959 by the class of 1936 in memory of James L. McConaughy Jr. '36, the James L. McConaughy Jr. Memorial Award recognizes a member of the Wesleyan family (including students, faculty, alumni, parents, and members of their respective families) whose writing, or other creative achievement, conveys unusual insight and understanding of current and past events.
Matthew H. Weiner '87, P'18
The Outstanding Service Award is presented to alumni, parents, or other members of the Wesleyan community in recognition of outstanding volunteer service to Wesleyan, their community, or the nation.
Rick Nicita '67
Memorial Chapel
Lunch in Honor of the WESeniors (Classes of 1942-1966)
By invitation only.
Patricelli ’92 Theater (show in map)
WESEMINAR Converging to a Center: Photographs from the Collection of Andrew Szegedy-Maszak and Elizabeth Bobrick
Conversation in the gallery with Andrew Szegedy-Maszak, Professor of Classical Studies and Jane A. Seney Professor of Greek, and DAC Curator Clare Rogan. Photography has evolved dramatically since 1970, when Andrew Szegedy-Maszak started collecting. This exhibition at the Davison Art Center highlights thirty-three photographs acquired in the last two decades, photographs that reveal the shift from the intimate scale of small black and white (gelatin silver) prints to immersive large-scale color digital images.
Speakers: Andrew Szegedy-Maszak earned his B.A. in Classics at the University of Michigan and his Ph.D. at Princeton University. Since 1973 he has been on the faculty at Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT, where he is now Professor of Classical Studies and Jane A. Seney Professor of Greek. He has published widely on Greek history and historiography and on the history of photography
Gallery, Davison Art Center
WESEMINAR The Future of Digital Media
Join ’97 leaders in the media space for a discussion about the changing landscape of media in the digital age. How will "media" companies craft content that appeals to new audiences? How will these companies continue to deliver compelling media going forward in the climate of ever-changing audience demographics?
Moderator: Christiaan Hogendorn is an Associate Professor of Economics at Wesleyan, and studies the economics of infrastructure industries, especially telecommunications and the Internet. He teaches classes in industrial organization, the economics of technology, and microeconomic theory.
Speakers: Carter Bays ’97, co-creator and writer of television comedy shows (How I Met Your Mother, The Goodwin Games); Sean Brecker ’97, CEO & CFO of the lifestyle/meditation application, Headspace; Maggie Suniewick ’97, President of Digital Enterprises at NBCUniversal; and Craig Thomas ’97, co-creator and writer of television comedy shows (How I Met Your Mother, The Goodwin Games)and Santi (Santigold) White '97, Brooklyn-based rapper/singer/songwriter.
Ring Family Performing Arts Hall
Raza Graduation
The first-ever student-initiated Spanish language graduation ceremony intended to provide an intimate ceremony in Spanish for non-English speaking families. Raza graduation will honor Latinx identifying students from of the Class of 2017 and recognize the role that Latinx students play within the Wesleyan community.
¡Les invitamos a nuestra primera ceremonia de graduación en español de Wesleyan! Raza graduación será una ceremonia íntima e inclusiva en honor a los estudiantes de la comunidad Latinx y en reconocimiento de los logros de todo el estudiantado Latinx en Wesleyan de la clase del 2017. Se servirán aperitivos y bebidas.
Tent, Center for the Arts (CFA) Green
Strolling Magician and Magic Show
For children of all ages!
Andrus Field (show in map)
Freeman Asian Scholars Reception
Freeman Asian Scholars and their families, friends, and alumni are invited to a program honoring the Freeman Asian Scholars of the Class of 2017. Register here.
Daniel Family Commons, Usdan University Center
Picnic and Festival on Foss Hill
This lively festival of entertainment and games is a great place to connect with friends and family members between WESeminars and other weekend programs. Don’t miss the magic show, tattoos, and more. Lunches are portable and can be picked up on your way to Foss Hill, afternoon WESeminars, or other events and destinations.
TICKETS: This lunch requires advance purchase/registration. Lunch is included for members of reunion classes with a flat rate fee (5th, 10th, and 50th reunion classes). Lunch is complimentary for WESeniors (Classes of 1942 through 1966) and their guests. To make sure that we have an accurate number of meals, we'd like to know if reunion alumni who have the flat rate fee and who are WESeniors plan to attend this lunch. Please click on the Saturday Festival on Foss Hill lunch option when registering if you plan to attend. All other reunion classes, graduates, and parents and families of the graduates will be charged the following for lunch:
$15 per person for adults and children (including graduates)
Tent, Andrus Field and Foss Hill (show in map)
ACADEMIC OPEN HOUSES
COLLEGE OF LETTERS: COL Library, Boger Hall
ECONOMICS: Tent with Red Flag, North College Lawn
GERMAN STUDIES: Room 403, Fisk Hall
GOVERNMENT:Tent with Red Flag, North College Lawn
HISTORY: Tent with Red Flag, North College Lawn
PSYCHOLOGY: Allbritton 311
RELIGION: Tent, Religious Studies
Gathering for ’02 Educators
Meet and greet for ’02 alumni who work in the education field. Members of the 15th reunion are invited to a casual gathering for educators to connect and share philosophies, ideas, and hopes for the future of education. Educators, school leaders, from K-12 and Higher Ed, and after-school and extracurricular programs are all welcome.
Room 110, Boger Hall
Class of 1992 Outdoor Fun with Friends
Game equipment provided; playing optional. Families welcome!
Foss Hill
WESEMINAR 10th Annual Ring Family Wesleyan University Israeli Film Festival
This year Wesleyan University celebrates a decade of the Ring Family Wesleyan University Israeli Film Festival. Sponsored by the Ring Family, the Center for Jewish Studies and co-sponsored by the College of Film and the Moving Image and the Wesleyan Film Series, the festival has become an extremely successful event which draws its audience from the Wesleyan community, as well as the larger general Connecticut community. Its structure has also become a model for unrelated festivals at Wesleyan and other universities. The festival’s format features a film screening, along with commentary from a speaker who illuminates a particular aspect of the film. Among the speakers this year, the festival hosted Prof. Jeanine Basinger, Corwin-Fuller Professor of Film Studies, and A.O. Scott, Distinguished Professor of Film Criticism as well as Ori Sivan, Israeli film Director and Gittel and Marvin Distinguished Scholar in Residence. The film festival is also closely integrated into the study of Hebrew at Wesleyan University. In this WESeminar, Dalit Katz, film designer and director, and Director of the Center for Jewish Studies, will offer a glimpse into this year's festival as she shares film clips with the audience.
Presenter: Dalit Katz, Director of the Center for Jewish Studies and Adj. Associate Professor of Religion, has been teaching Hebrew and organizing Israeli cultural events since 2000.
Room 208, Fisk Hall
WESEMINAR The Wesleyan Course Hidden in Your Attic
Many of us unwittingly sent messages to our future selves while we were students; it is high time we opened these time capsules. Chances are you have a few of your old Wesleyan papers, essays, stories, plays, or poems stashed in a banker’s box or an accordion file folder somewhere. Now here’s the part that requires just five minutes of homework: find one (don’t worry, you probably only saved the good ones). Re-read the piece. Recognize the author? At all? What did you just learn about the subject or yourself then and now? Come to our session to share.
Speakers: David Brancaccio ’82 is host and senior editor of public radio’s Marketplace Morning Report. David has reported from all over the world, hosted the weekly public television news program Now on PBS, and co-produced the documentary film Fixing the Future. He hosts the Esquire Classic podcast with Esquire Magazine. His book about money and values, Squandering Aimlessly, was published by Simon & Schuster. Virginia Pye ’82, P’15 is the author of two critically acclaimed novels, River of Dust and Dreams of the Red Phoenix, short fiction in literary journals, and essays at The New York Times, Literary Hub, The Rumpus, and elsewhere. She is married to art museum director, John Ravenal ’81, and is mother of Eva Ravenal ’15. After Wes, Tom Wu ’72, P’16, ’20, did an MBA at NYU and then auditing/taxes with KPMG, HR at GE, marketing with Colgate and M&A at Sara Lee. After working in Asia for fifteen years Tom relocated to the balmy climate of Seattle. Tom served as an alumni-elected Wes trustee and is the proud parent of two Wes students.
Putnam Classroom (114), Boger Hall
ACADEMIC OPEN HOUSE
COLLEGE OF SOCIAL STUDIES SENIORS RECEPTION: CSS Lounge, Public Affairs Center (PAC)
WESEMINAR Learning with the Center for Prison Education
Since 2009, the Center for Prison Education has brought the transformative power of a Wesleyan Education behind prison bars. Please join us for a panel discussion of why college-in-prison is important for reversing the trends of mass incarceration and fostering healthier communities and universities featuring program alum James Jeter, undergraduate tutor Isadora Spillman-Schappell '17, and Lori Gruen, William Griffin Professor of Philosophy, Professor of Feminist, Gender and Sexuality Studies, and Professor, Science in Society, at Wesleyan University.
Moderator: Maddie Neufeld ’12, former Center for Prison Education volunteer and Fellow.
Room 002, Public Affairs Center (PAC)
up your aesthetic. An Acting/Design Capstone
A disruptive, devised, women-only performance piece juxtaposing the rage and grief felt by modern women with the Ancient Greek myths of the Amazons.
"Women are defective by nature." –Aristotle
By Jess Cummings ’17, Connie Des Marais ’17, Cheyanne Williams ’17, and Nola Werlinich ‘17
Interested guests can get on the reservation list by emailing the Stage Manager, Chloe Briskin at cbriskin@wesleyan.edu. It is a very limited seating arrangement.
Theater Studio
Family Fun Time for the Class of 2002
Catch up with members of the 15th reunion in an open, indoor space for little ones to run and play.
Multi-Use Room 1, Freeman Athletic Center
Eclectic Society Reception and Meeting
Reception at 2 p.m.; meeting at 3 p.m.
200 High Street
ACADEMIC OPEN HOUSES
ANTHROPOLOGY: Anthro Room 6
BIOLOGY: Terrace, Exley Science Center
CHEMISTRY: Terrace, Exley Science Center
COMPUTER SCIENCE:Terrace, Exley Science Center
EARTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES: Terrace, Exley Science Center
MATHEMATICS: Terrace, Exley Science Center
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY: Terrace, Exley Science Center
NEUROSCIENCE AND BEHAVIOR: Terrace, Exley Science Center
PHYSICS: Terrace, Exley Science Center
ROMANCE LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES: Highwaymen Common Room
RUSSIAN, EAST EUROPEAN, AND EURASIAN STUDIES: Highwaymen Common Room
WESEMINAR Thesis Art Talk
Zilkha Gallery showcases the work of the Class of 2017’s thesis students in the Department of Art and Art History’s Art Studio Program. Each student is invited to select a single work from their Senior Thesis Exhibition for this year-end showcase of drawing, painting, printmaking, photography, sculpture, mixed media, and architecture curated by Professor of Art Tula Telfair.
Co-sponsored by the Center for the Arts and University Relations.
Main Gallery, Ezra & Cecile Zilkha Gallery
Athletic Department Senior Awards Presentation
Come celebrate the accomplishments of our senior student-athletes as they gather together one final time as undergrads in Silloway Gymnasium.
Silloway Gymnasium, Freeman Athletic Center
WESEMINAR Political Dysfunction
Moderator: Megan Norris ’83, P’17 is Principal; Chair, Managing Directors; and Employment and Labor Group Co-Leader at Miller Canfield in Detroit. She is an Emerita Trustee of Wesleyan, and is also a longtime volunteer; Megan is currently co-chair of the Wesleyan Fund Leadership Committee and former chair of the Alumni Association.
Speakers: Robert L. Allbritton ’92 is executive chairman and cofounder of Perpetual Capital Partners, and cofounder, executive chairman, and publisher of POLITICO, a global nonpartisan politics and policy news organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with operations in New York and throughout Europe. In its 2007 debut, POLITICO broke journalistic ground with a website devoted to high-quality reporting of political matters, and it gained almost immediate prominence in the world of Washington media. Mr. Allbritton is known for hiring top reporters and editors, and for establishing a profitable and successful business model for POLITICO. Today, with more than 500 employees worldwide, POLITICO covers politics and policy through television, the web, the POLITICO newspaper, radio, and podcasts.
A native of Houston, Texas, Mr. Allbritton graduated from Wesleyan with a degree in government. Before cofounding POLITICO, he was the chairman and CEO of Allbritton Communications Company, and, prior to that, the CEO of Riggs National Corporation.Wesleyan’s Allbritton Center for the Study of Public Life was established in 2007 with a generous gift from Mr. Allbritton, his wife, Dr. Elena Allbritton ’93, and a family foundation established by Mr. Allbritton’s parents, Joe L. and Barbara B. Allbritton. The center brings together students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community partners for debate, research and teaching, and dissemination of work pertaining to public life. Mr. Allbritton serves on the board of directors of the Lyndon B. Johnson Foundation, Austin, Texas, and he is a trustee emeritus of Wesleyan. Michael Bennet ’87, HON '12 has represented Colorado in the United States Senate since 2009. Widely-recognized as a pragmatic and independent thinker, he is driven by an obligation to create more opportunity for the next generation. Michael has built a reputation of taking on Washington dysfunction and working with Republicans and Democrats to address our nation’s greatest challenges – including education, climate change, immigration, health care, and national security. Before serving in the Senate, Michael worked in business and then in public service – as Chief of Staff to Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper '74, HON '10 and Superintendent of Denver Public Schools. He lives in Denver with his wife and three daughters. Jonathan Soros ’92 is Chief Executive Officer of JS Capital Management LLC, a private investment firm. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Roosevelt Institute, a think tank based in New York City, and co-founder of Give Lively LLC, a social enterprise dedicated to creating easy-to-use, best-in-class apps, websites, and services that help make giving and gratitude a more regular and rewarding part of your daily life. Mr. Soros is co-chair and a member, respectively, of the boards of New America and the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. He also holds several board positions affiliated with the Open Society Foundations. Prior to founding JS Capital, Mr. Soros spent nine years with Soros Fund Management LLC, serving as its President and Deputy Chairman from 2005 to 2011. Mr. Soros has clerked for Judge Stephen F. Williams of the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, worked as Assistant Director of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems’ mission to Moldova, and co-founded the Fair Trial Initiative and Friends of Democracy PAC. Mr. Soros is a graduate magna cum laude of Harvard Law School and the John F. Kennedy School of Government. He received his BA from Wesleyan University with a degree in Government.
Ring Family Performing Arts Hall
Delta Kappa Epsilon Reception
For members of Delta Kappa Epsilon and their families. Light refreshments will be served. Members of the Kent Literary Club Board of Directors will be in attendance to answer any questions about Gamma Phi at Wesleyan.
Delta Kappa Epsilon
ACADEMIC OPEN HOUSES
COLLEGE OF SOICAL STUDIES ALUMNI RECEPTION: CSS Lounge, Public Affairs Center (PAC)
THEATER: Theater Lounge, Theater Studios
Alumni of Color (AOC)/ Students of Color (SOC) Reception
Please join us at a reception honoring Alumni and Students of Color. All are welcome.
Tent adjacent to the Center for African American Studies
Reunion Class Headquarters for 1952 and 1957
Klingher Classroom (113), Boger Hall
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) Alumni Reception
Please join members of the LGBTQ Alumni Network, parents and friends as we welcome graduating seniors to the alumni community.
McKelvey Room, Stewart M. Reid House, Office of Admission (show in map)
A Celebration - 20 years of Campus Centers and Student Employment at Wesleyan
Alumni from the classes of 1997, 2002, 2007, and 2012; join us for a memorable hour before your class dinners. Come back in time and place to the Old Davenport Campus Center. Meet and greet your fellow student employees who worked for Davenport, Aramark, and Wes Station between 1997 and 2002. Reminisce about the way it used to be with your former supervisors. See if you can remember where the McDonald’s area and the MPR used to be. Then come on over to see Davenport future: the new Usdan Center that the classes from 2007 through 2012 called their home on campus.
Allbritton 311 (former Davenport Campus Center)
ACADEMIC OPEN HOUSES
AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES: Center for African American Studies
ENGLISH: Center for African American Studies
WESEMINAR Sustainability, Climate Change, and Energy in an Era of Alternative Facts
Members of the Class of 1972 who have spent the bulk of their careers working in the environmental and energy sector will discuss their professional experiences, and exchange thoughts about the future of sustainability, environmental law, and renewable energy in the Age of Trump. Panelists have had experience representing developers of renewable energy, oil and gas exploration, municipal power suppliers, manufacturers, land owners, and environmental groups.
Speakers: Bonnie Blair ’72; a partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Thompson Coburn, LLP, primarily represents cities that operate electric systems for the benefit of their citizens. Much of her work focuses on the energy markets operated by the California Independent System Operator Corporation, referred to as the California ISO, which has been in the vanguard of incorporating renewable energy resources into electricity markets and delivery systems. Seth Davis ’72, a partner in Elias Group LLP in Rye, New York, has specialized in environmental law since 1980. He is currently Chair of the American Bar Association’s Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources. Stewart Reid ’72 is the Chairman and CEO of Millbrae Energy, and has 30 years of experience in the oil and gas business and is highly experienced in the financial as well as the drilling, acquisition and production aspects of the industry. Previously, Mr. Reid founded SMR Energy, a private oil and gas acquisition purchaser, and prior to entering the energy business, Mr. Reid practiced law at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett. Bruce Throne '72, privileged to have attended Professor Clem Vose's Constitutional Law class, has practiced primarily regulatory and energy law in Santa Fe, New Mexico since 1976 and recently assisted Facebook, Inc., a member of the corporate Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance, with the development and regulatory approval of New Mexico's first "green energy tariff" for electric utility service for its newest data center.
Moderator: Barry Chernoff, Director, College of the Environment; Chair, Environmental Studies Program; Robert Schumann Professor of Environmental Studies; Professor of Biology, Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences
Sponsored by the Wesleyan Lawyers Association
Room 116, Judd Hall
WESEMINAR Wesleyan in Hollywood
Join entertainment industry experts – leaders in film and television production, documentary filmmaking and management – for a conversation about lessons learned in show business.
Sasha Alpert ’82 is Executive Vice President in charge of both casting for Bunim/Murray as well as BMP Films, where she started the documentary division in 2006. Her television casting and production credits include Project Runway and The Real World, and her work with BMP Films has earned her two primetime Emmy Awards. Bradley Fuller ’87 is a producer, known for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Purge, and Partner at Platinum Dunes, along with Michael Bay ’86 and Andrew Form. The company, established in 2001, creates opportunities for first-time directors to make commercial, high-concept movies on modest budgets for a global audience. David Kohan ’86, P’17 is the Creator/Executive Producer of Will & Grace, Good Morning, Miami, and Executive Producer of The Stones. For his work on Will & Grace he has been honored with an Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series and a People's Choice Award for Favorite New Comedy. Rick Nicita ’67 is the former Co-Chairman of Creative Artists Agency (1980-2008) and Co-Chairman and COO of Morgan Creek Productions (2008-2011). He recently executive produced Mel Gibson’s Oscar-nominated Hacksaw Ridge.
Moderator: Jeanine Basinger, the Corwin-Fuller Professor of Film Studies, is the founder of the Wesleyan Cinema Archives and the originator of Wesleyan’s distinguished Film Studies Department, for which she defined a liberal arts approach that combines history/theory and production as a unified subject of study.
Goldsmith Family Cinema, Center for Film Studies
Annual Reception Honoring Retiring Faculty
All are welcome to honor members of the faculty who retire this year.
Retiring Faculty 2017:
- David Beveridge, Joshua Boger University Professor of the Sciences and Mathematics and Professor of Chemistry (attending)
- John Finn, Professor of Government
- Albert Fry, E.B. Nye Professor of Chemistry (attending)
- Peter Patton, Alan M. Dachs Professor of Science and Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences (attending)
- Rex Pratt, Beach Professor of Chemistry
- Michael Roberts, Robert Rich Professor of Latin and Professor of Classical Studies (attending)
- Ruth Striegel Weissman, Walter A. Crowell University Professor of the Social Sciences
In addition, we will honor faculty who retired in 2016:
- Abraham Adzenyah, Adjunct Professor of Music, Emeritus
- Philip Bolton, Professor of Chemistry, Emeritus
- Alex Dupuy, Professor of Sociology, Emeritus (attending)
- Mark Slobin, Winslow-Kaplan Professor of Music, Emeritus
Susan B. and William K. Wasch Center for Retired Faculty, 51 Lawn Avenue
Informal Discussion with Trustees of Color
Join a group of Trustees of Color for an informal discussion about issues and priorities related to communities of color on campus.
Russell House
Lori Robbins ’92 Memorial Tree Dedication
Please join us for a tree dedication in celebration of the life of Lori Robbins ’92.
Northwest side of Clark Hall, facing Foss Hill
A Moment in Celebration of Claire Randall '12
Please join friends of Claire, a beloved member of the Wesleyan community and far, far beyond, in a short and quiet gathering to celebrate her life and to mark her contribution to music, the arts, and the spirit of the Wesleyan campus. We welcome anyone who is grieving the loss of other members of the Class of 2012 to share in a moment of remembrance and love.
Davison Art Center Courtyard
Reunion Class Receptions and Dinners
WESeniors (Classes of 1942–1966) and the Classes of 1957, 1962, 1967, 1972, 1977, 1982, 1987, 1992, 1997, 2002, 2007, and 2012 gather for their Class Dinners and special programs.
WESeniors: Andersen Meeting Room (110), Usdan University Center
1952: Andersen Meeting Room (110), Usdan University Center
1957: Taylor Meeting Room (108), Usdan University Center
1962: Olson Commons, Gordon Career Center
1967: Campbell Reference Center, Olin Memorial Library
1972: Patricelli '92 Theater
1977: Mink Dining Wing, Usdan University Center
1982: Daniel Family Commons, Usdan University Center
1987: President's House Lawn
1992: Beckham Hall, Fayerweather
1997: Tent with red flag, McKelvey Green (lawn in front of College Row)
2002: Tent with black flag, McKelvey Green (lawn in front of College Row)
2007: The West Wing, Usdan University Center
2012: Russell House Lawn
$55 per person
Senior Voices (Baccalaureate)
Come join the class of 2017 as they reflect, share and recap some of their unique and transformative moments from their years at Wesleyan. You don’t want to miss this. All are welcome.
Featured Speaker: Anthony Hatch, Assistant Professor of Science in Society
Student Speakers: Lili Kadets '17, Haenah Kwon '17, Arnelle Williams '17, Mika Reyes '17
Sponsor: Office of Religious and Spiritual Life
Memorial Chapel (show in map)
Shakti Mixer
Wesleyan's South Asian Student Organization Alumni and Student Mixer.
57 Fountain Avenue
All-Campus Party featuring The Rooks
All are welcome to attend this year's annual All-Campus Party with The Rooks. Open to all. Don't miss it. Cash bar. ID required. Bar closes at 12:45 a.m. No outside alcohol permitted.
The Rooks, formed at Wesleyan in the fall of 2011, are equal parts kick-back, head-knock, and get-down; the music you rock to at the party, and the perfect soundtrack for the ride home.
Hard-hitting performances at NYC's Irving Plaza, Mercury Lounge and Brooklyn Bowl, as well as highly successful residencies at Arlene's Grocery and Pianos NYC (second highest grossing residency in venue history) have earned them further acclaim, including Deli Magazine's Artist of the Month award (Feb 2014) and win of the 14th Annual Independent Music Awards in the R&B/Soul category.
After their 2013 EP "Something You Can Take," their 2015 follow-up "Wires," several tours, and more hours watching Beyoncé videos on YouTube than they care to admit, The Rooks are getting into the studio to work on their first full-length album.
Band members: Graham Richman '11, Guitar; Spencer Hattendorf '12, Sax, Vox; Garth Taylor '12, Lead Vox; Connor Schultze, Bass (Manhattan School of Music 2016); Donnie Spackman, Drums; Daniel Papson, Keys (Skidmore College 2012)
Tent, Andrus Field
Sunday, May 28, 2017
Pi Cafe Hours
Food and beverages available for purchase on site.
Exley Science Center (show in map)
All-Campus Brunch Buffet
Wrap up a great weekend with a hearty brunch in the new Usdan University Center.
Tickets: This event requires ticket purchase at time of registration. Brunch is included in the registration fee for WESeniors (Classes of 1942-1966) and members of reunion classes with a flat rate fee (5th, 10th, and 50th reunion classes). To make sure that we have an accurate number of meals, we’d like to know if reunion alumni who have the flat rate fee and who are WESeniors plan to attend this brunch. All other reunion classes, graduates, parents and families of graduating seniors will be charged the following when they register: $20 per person for all other adults (including graduates) and children over age 12, and $10 per person for children 12 and under.
Usdan University Center (show in map)
Usdan Cafe Hours
Food and beverages available for purchase on site.
Usdan University Center (show in map)
Graduate Student Breakfast Celebration and Rehearsal
The Graduate Marshal will prepare the graduating MA and PhD students for the Commencement Ceremony.
Lobby, Exley Science Center (show in map)
Espwesso Cafe Hours
Espwesso, Wesleyan's student-run cafe, will be serving sustainably sourced, specialty drip coffee, espresso drinks, and tea in the basement of Allbritton (Rm 003). Come try the best coffee on campus. Cash only!
Allbritton (Rm 003)
50th Reunion Brunch for the Class of 1967
Members of the Class of 1967 are planning to gather for brunch around 9 a.m.
TICKETS: Brunch is included in the 50th reunion flat rate registration fee.
Daniel Family Commons, Usdan University Center
GLS Graduates' Commencement Preparation
GLSP staff will prepare graduating students for the Commencement Ceremony.
GLS Office, 74 Wyllys Ave.
Parent and Grandparent Educators Assemble for Commencement
Parents and Grandparents of graduating seniors who work in the field of education are invited to march as a division in the Commencement Ceremony. Those wishing to participate must make arrangements with the Office of Parent Programs prior to April 21. Contact parents@wesleyan.edu or 860-685-3756 for further details.
Top of Foss Hill
185th Commencement Ceremony
The ceremony will take place in the center of campus, rain or shine, and will last approximately 2–2½ hours. The ceremony may also be viewed online. To view real time captioning of the ceremony please follow this link: http://www.streamtext.net/player?event=IT-WU. Download a copy of the Procession map here.
Tickets: All are welcome to attend Wesleyan's 185th Commencement Ceremony. Tickets are not required to attend the ceremony. The 5,000 chairs on Andrus Field (some are outside, some under the large tent with full view of the podium) are available on a first-come, first-served basis. There is additional room for seating on Foss Hill (bring a blanket or folding chairs).
Accessibility Seating and Parking: Visitors needing accessible parking may utilize any of the designated spaces on campus with a properly displayed state-issued plate or placard from any state. Spaces are available on a first-come, first-served basis. The ceremony takes place on Denison Terrace, which is parallel to the back of Olin Memorial Library. Mobility impaired guests may park in the “C” lot off of Church Street or the Office of Admission parking lot. University staff and students driving golf carts will be available at each lot to assist in transporting guests to-and-from the accessibility section on Andrus Field. Drivers may also drop of guests on Wyllys Avenue and then park elsewhere. Each disabled person may be accompanied by two family members in the accessible section (located on the area adjacent to the Zelnick Pavilion and Public Affairs Center). You can sign up for seating in the accessibility section and find more details pertaining to accessibility accommodations here.
Water: Wesleyan is proud to announce its second bottled water-free Commencement. Reusable bottles and water stations are available to keep guests hydrated. If you do not wish to take your reusable bottle home with you, please leave it under your chair or place in one of the clear recycling containers located on Andrus Field or at the President’s Commencement Celebration so that we can reuse bottles for future occasions.
Andrus Field (show in map)
Inclement Weather Plan
The Commencement Ceremony is held outdoors, rain or shine. Under certain weather conditions, the ceremony may be shifted from the open field, where seating is unlimited, into the large tent on Andrus Field. Although the tent accommodates numerous spectators, seating is limited. In this scenario, we respectfully request that each graduate limit his/her guests to 3 seats under the tent. Please come prepared with raincoats, umbrellas, and appropriate footwear.
Information will be posted on the Wesleyan homepage and the Reunion & Commencement website, and graduating seniors will be notified via email. Details will also be available at Registration (Usdan University Center). The ceremony will be simulcast in the Memorial Chapel, Patricelli ’92 Theater, Ring Family Performing Arts Hall, and Tishler Lecture Hall (Room 150) at Exley Science Center, rain or shine. The ceremony may also be viewed online. Please check the Reunion landing page or the WesCast (webcast) page for details the week of May 22, 2017.
Tent, Andrus Field (show in map)
Following the ceremony
President’s Commencement Celebration: A gathering celebrating the Class of 2017 will take place immediately following the Commencement ceremony. Due to the large crowds at the gathering, families and students who wish to meet are encouraged to identify a place in advance (e.g., one of the buildings on College Row). Light refreshments will be available.
McKelvey Green (lawn in front of College Row) (show in map)
GLS Champagne Reception and Diploma Distribution: GLS graduates and guests are invited to this reception. We will distribute diplomas and raise our glasses in a toast to the graduates!
Tent, Davison Health Center