Wes in the News » Students

Perkins ‘09 Awarded 2010 Rhodes Scholarship

David Pesci — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:41:12 +0000

Russell Perkins ‘09 was awarded a 2010 Rhodes Scholarship. Perkins, from Evanston, Ill., graduated with high honors from Wesleyan University in May. He majored in the College of Letters (COL) with a senior thesis titled “Violence in Adornian Aesthetics and the Art of Anselm Kiefer;” his advisor was Khachig Tololyan, professor of English, professor of letters. Perkins co-founded Wesleyan’s Center for Prison Education which offers Wesleyan courses at Connecticut’s Cheshire Correctional Institution. In addition to offering education for selected inmates, the program provides research and volunteer opportunities for Wesleyan students and faculty. A classical pianist and avid cyclist, he taught a small discussion workshop in philosophy at the Cheshire prison as an undergraduate. Russell plans to do the B.Phil. in philosophy at Oxford University.

Student-Created Prison Education Program Featured

David Pesci — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:46:58 +0000

A grant-funded prison education program created by two Wesleyan graduate students, Molly Birnbaum ‘09 and Russell Perkins ‘09, while they were undergraduates, was profiled in The New York Times. Administered in Connecticut’s Cheshire Correctional Facility, the program provides Wesleyan-level courses for selected members of the prison’s population. The inmate-participants must meet rigorous entrance requirements.

Concourse Design by McCullough ‘10 Praised

David Pesci — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:13:51 +0000

Angus McCullough ‘10, is one of seven finalists in a design competition that re-imagines the Grand Concourse in Bronx, N.Y. The competition, sponsored by the Bronx Museum of Arts and the Design Trust for Public Space, asked participants to envision a revitalization to the Concourse, which is more than 100 years old. McCullough’s design was noted in The New York Times as a concept that “touches on a critical urban subject: the intensifying battle between transparency and privacy in the public realm.” The finalists will be on exhibit in the Bronx Museum of the Arts until Jan. 3. A more extensive feature in the Wesleyan Connection on McCullough’s design can be found here.

Odede ‘11, Posner ‘09 on Kenyan School They Built

David Pesci — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 16:56:28 +0000

WNPR News featured a story on Jessica Posner ‘09, Wesleyan Writing Fellow, and Kennedy Odede ‘11 and the school for girls they built over the summer in Kibera, Kenya. The school, which the two students built using a Projects for Peace Grant, is up and running.

Open Source Group Creates Software for NGOs

David Pesci — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:24:19 +0000

Wesleyan students involved in The Humanitarian Free and Open Source Software (HFOSS) project have teamed with students from other institutions to create disaster management software for several volunteer agencies, including The American Red Cross, The Salvation Army and Catholic Charities USA. The free software provides a virtual emergency response center that these organizations can use immediately after a disaster to help manage aid and logistics. The Wesleyan HFOSS group, along with analogous groups from Trinity College and Connecticut College, also received part of an $1.3 million grant to create more software of this type. Wesleyan’s HFOSS group is supervised by Norman Danner, associate professor of computer science, and Daniel Krizanc, professor of computer science.

Wesleyan Sukkah Wins Architectural Award

David Pesci — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:07:57 +0000

The Wesleyan Sukkah, a structure created by the 15 students enrolled in Architecture II and working in the Wesleyan research-design-build studio, has won a 2009 “Faith and Form Award” from the American Institute of Architects (AIA). The students are supervised by Elijah Huge, assistant professor of art.

Radin ‘12 on Being Part of Generation 9/11

David Pesci — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 20:30:24 +0000

Jared Radin ‘12 is among those interviewed in a Newsweek story about kids who grew up in the wake of the attacks on September 11, 2001.

Odede ‘12, Posner ‘09 Build School in Kenya

David Pesci — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 16:34:34 +0000

Kennedy Odede ‘12 and Jessica Posner ‘09 are making progress on the school they are building in Kibera, Kenya. The students received a grant earlier this year to build the school. The school was officially dedicated on Tuesday, August 18.

Mencher ‘12, Key ‘11 in Education Life

David Pesci — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 15:34:42 +0000

Marie Mencher ‘12 and Lindsay Keys were both featured in the lastest Education Life issue of The New York Times. Mencher contributed to the “Your Story” section, which features short first person essays on elements of college life. Mencher’s essay is titled “Romance Crushed.” Keys was featured in a photo essay titled “College Life.”

Red Sox Signing Dominguez ‘09 ‘Dream Come True’

David Pesci — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:13:08 +0000

Drew Dominguez ‘09 is featured in an article in The Boston Globe that details how the government major and two sport star is fulfilling a childhood dream by being signed by The Boston Red Sox. He has reported to the short season low A-level minor league Lowell Spinners.