Wes in the News

In a recent Inside Higher Education article, Claire Potter, chair and professor of American studies, professor of history, director of the Center for the Americas, comments at length about academic inquiry into LGBT struggles going back before Stonewall and into the near future.

Inside Higher Education has a report on the recently-approved Wesleyan Center for Prison Education program, which will begin this fall and has grant funding for the next two years. The program will feature Wesleyan faculty and students teaching inmates at the Cheshire Correctional Institute, which is a maximum security prison here in Connecticut. Cathy Lechowicz, director of community service and volunteerism and one of the program’s advisers, is quoted in the article

Claire Potter, chair and professor of American studies, professor of history, was cited in Inside Higher Ed on the debate among academics of the so-called “Obama Effect” on education, and particularly test-taking among African American students. Researchers from Vanderbilt University recently released a study stating that the test-taking performance gap was virtually eliminated during key moments of President Obama’s candidacy, showing the effect of positive role models. Professor Potter had another view articulated in an essay on her blog and Inside Higher Ed took note (it is the last item in the round-up here).

Claire Potter, chair of American studies and professor of history, and Elvin Lim, assistant professor of economics, both briefly discuss what they would say to the President-elect.