People

8 Employees Receive Cardinal Achievement Awards

by  • 

The following employees received Cardinal Achievement Awards during the last few months for their efforts in demonstrating extraordinary initiative in performing a specific task associated with their work at Wesleyan University.

This special honor comes with a $250 award and reflects the university’s gratitude for their extra efforts:

Dawn Alger, administrative assistant, Theater Department
Mike Conte, associate director, Physical Plant – Facilities
Steven Jacaruso, art director, University Communications
Darrell Lawrence, analyst programmer, Information Technology Services
Kathleen Logsdon, library assistant, Olin Library
Anne Marcotty, senior designer, University Communications
Liz Tinker, administrative assistant, English Department
Maureen Zimmer, coordinator, Academic Affairs

Staff on the Move, February 2016

by  • 

The Office of Human Resources reported the following new hires, transitions and departures for the month of February 2016:

Newly hired
Laura Paul was hired as interim director, Center of the Arts on Feb. 1
Robert Perdo was hired as plumber in Physical Plant on Feb. 1
Marla Zubel was hired as acquisitions editor at Wesleyan University Press on Feb. 1
Kelly Miller was hired as dispatcher in Public Safety on Feb. 6

Transitions
Amy Bello was hired as administrative assistant in AFAM-CAAS/Mellon Mays on Feb. 1
Mary-Ann Matthews was hired as officer in Public Safety on Feb.15

Departures
Robin Bogda, medical billing specialist in the Davison Health Center
Ronnie Bowman, electrician in Physical Plant
Stacey Cuppett, dispatcher in Public Safety
Celestine Schwenneker, administrative assistant in University Relations

Paul Interim Director of CFA

by  • 

Laura Paul became the Interim Director of the Center for the Arts on Feb. 1. She will work alongside the current director Pamela Tatge until April 1.

Paul comes to Wesleyan with three decades of experience in nonprofit arts management. Most recently she was Chief Operating Officer of the Boston-based New England Foundation for the Arts, where she was a member of the senior leadership team from 2001-2015. Previously she served as managing director of the Colorado Dance Festival and Concert Dance Company of Boston. She holds an AB from Vassar College and an MBA from the School of Management of Simmons College.

Gottschalk Named Director of Faculty Career Development

by  • 

Professor of Religion Peter Gottschalk is the recipient of a $20,000 National Endowment for the Humanities "Enduring Questions" grant.

Peter Gottschalk

Peter Gottschalk was named the Director of the Center for Faculty Career Development for a three-year term starting July 1.

Gottschalk is currently Professor of Religion and has been at Wesleyan since 2002. He earned his BA at the College of the Holy Cross, his MA at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and his PhD at the University of Chicago. Gottschalk has co-edited one volume, co-authored another with a Wesleyan student, and authored three monographs, including the recent Religion, Science, and Empire: Classifying Hinduism and Islam in British India. His work has also been published in The Los Angeles Times and the OnFaith website formerly of The Washington Post, and his teaching has been recognized with an NEH Enduring Questions grant.

Staff on the Move, January 2016

by  • 

The Office of Human Resources reported the following new hires, transitions and departures for January 2016:

Newly hired
Robert Jasek was hired as chief information security officer in Information Technology Services on Jan. 1.
Aidan Earle was hired as gallery supervisor in the Davison Art Center on Jan. 4.
Jenna Starr was hired as assistant director in the Wesleyan fund on Jan. 4.
David Malone was hired as HVAC/utility mechanic in Physical Plant on Jan. 4.
Sonia Vega was hired as department assistant in Admissions Office on Jan. 4.
Olivia Berry was hired as a softball intern in Athletics on Jan. 4.
Michael O’Brien was hired as director of athletic communication on Jan. 11.
LaDarius Drew ’15 was hired as men’s and women’s track and field intern in Athletics on Jan. 11.
Elizabeth Bianco was hired as project coordinator in University Relations on Jan. 19.
Jeremiah Kenney was hired as dispatcher in Public Safety on Jan. 19.

Transitions
Ray Mason was hired as central power plant foreperson on Jan. 18.
Rosalind Adgers was hired as administrative assistant in the Wesleyan Career Center on Jan 25.

Departures
Geraldina Muzik, medical office manager in Health Services.
Kathleen Roberts, assistant director, Wesleyan events and conferences.
Alice Scholar, administrative assistant in the Wesleyan Career Center.
Robert West, research analyst in University Relations.
Lee Maes, volleyball intern in Athletics.

Staff on the Move, December 2015

by  • 

The Office of Human Resources reported the following new hires and departures for December 2015:

Newly hired
Colin Desjardins was hires as HVAC/utility mechanic in Physical Plant on Dec. 7.
Janet Desmarais was hired as administrative assistant in the Physics Department on Dec. 10.

Transitions
Chris Wojick was hired as data analyst in the Office of University Relations on Dec. 1.

Departures
Gail Binezewski, custodian in Physical Plant.
Randolph Alan Bougor, carpentry shop foreperson in Physical Plant.
Ralph Connolly, plumber in Physical Plant.
Peter Filanda, a/c refrigeration journeyman in Physical Plant.
Camille Martin, administrative assistant in Mellon Mays/AFAM.
David Pompei, Central Power Plant foreperson in Physical Plant.
Dara Young, Prison Education Program manager in the Center for Community Partnerships.

Staff on the Move, November 2015

by  • 

The Office of Human Resources reported the following new hires and departures for November 2015:

Newly hired
Terry Emmons was hired as accounting specialist in chemistry on Nov. 2
Celestine Schwenneker was hired as administrative assistant in university relations on Nov. 2
Martha Crebbin was hired as administrative assistant in the college of social studies on Nov. 30

Transitions
Renee Johnson-Thornton was hired as the Dean for the Class of 2018 on Nov. 16

Departures
Nicholas Vennochi, sports information intern in communications.

Staff on the Move, October 2015

by  • 

The Office of Human Resources reported the following new hires and departures for October 2015:

Newly hired
Timothy Bacon was hired as assistant squash coach intern in the Department of Athletics on Oct. 1
Mildred Rodriguez was hired as health professions advisor in the Wesleyan Career Center on Oct. 9
Jordan Knicely was hired as associate director of institutional research on Oct. 29

Departures
Mickie Dame, administrative assistant in the College of Social Studies
Devin Ford, Public Safety dispatcher
Annette Howard, analyst programmer, project leader in Information Technology Services
Armando Ortiz, Public Safety officer
Parker Smathers, acquisitions editor for Wesleyan University Press

Personick Studies Chemistry of Noble Metals

by  • 

Michelle Personick joined the faculty this fall, and is teaching courses in Chemistry of Materials and Nanomaterials and an Integrated Chemistry Lab. (Photo by Olivia Drake)

Michelle Personick joined the faculty this fall, and is teaching courses in Chemistry of Materials and Nanomaterials and an Integrated Chemistry Lab. (Photo by Olivia Drake)

In this News @ Wesleyan story, we speak with Michelle Personick, a new member of Wesleyan’s Chemistry Department.

Q: Welcome! Please fill us in on your life before Wesleyan.

A: I’ve lived in the Northeast for most of my life. I grew up in New Jersey and then moved a bit further north to go to college in Vermont. I did my graduate work at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL, which is just outside of Chicago. It was fun to be a short train ride away from Chicago and to be able to experience a new city for a few years. Then I moved back to the East coast to Cambridge, Mass. to do postdoctoral research at Harvard. I really enjoy the Boston area. I went there a lot as a kid and my best friend moved there after college, so it’s a place that’s always been home to me and it was nice to be back there for a couple of years.

Q: How did you first get interested in studying chemistry?

A: I was interested in science from a very young age, partly because my father is an electrical engineer, so I was exposed to a lot of science and engineering. In high school, I went back and forth between wanting to study chemistry and being interested in physics. As a junior in high school, I wrote a report on gold nanoparticles in cancer treatment for a science writing competition as a part of a class assignment. I got really interested in the topic of metals in chemistry while doing research for the report, and that’s when I decided on chemistry.

Q: Why did you want to teach chemistry in a liberal arts school like Wesleyan?

A: I went to Middlebury College as an undergrad, and as a student I enjoyed being able to interact with my professors and appreciated that they knew who I was and cared about how I was doing in their particular class.

Read more →

Cardona, Ramiz, Daniels Honored with Cardinal Achievement Awards

by  • 

Elisa Cardona and Bulaong Ramiz from the Office of Student Activities and Leadership Development each received a Cardinal Achievement Award for their extraordinary efforts in facilitating a series of community discussions and educational workshops (over several weekends) in the wake of the publication of a controversial op-ed about the Black Lives Matter movement in the Wesleyan Argus.

“These have been significant time commitments in addition to their already hectic job responsibilities” said Dean Mike Whaley. “I also want to highlight my observation that these discussions have been especially helpful and healing because they were designed in a way that participants were talking with each other, rather than at each other. The effectiveness of these important discussions is clearly a result of Elisa and Bulaong’s skilled facilitation as well as their deep commitment toward cultivating a campus environment that values diversity and inclusion as a cornerstone of students’ campus experience.”

Christine Daniels, executive assistant to the vice president for finance and administration, was awarded with a Cardinal Achievement Award for coordinating events for the Consortium on Financing Higher Education assembly meeting in October. Administrators from 35 colleges in the United States visited Wesleyan’s campus for this significant meeting.

Daniels worked with campus staff and vendors, and staff at the Inn at Middletown.

“Christine came in early and stayed late over a period of several days as she managed the entire event. The event went flawlessly and in many ways that was because of her extraordinary dedication and effort,” said John Meerts, vice president for finance and administration.

This special honor comes with a $250 award and reflects the university’s gratitude for those extra efforts. Award recipients are nominated by department chairs and supervisors.

Nominations can be made anytime throughout the year. For more information or to nominate a staff member for the award, visit the Cardinal Achievement Award website. Recipients will continue to be recognized in News @ Wesleyan. See past Cardinal Achievement Award recipients here.

Naecker an Expert on Behavioral, Experimental Economics

by  • 

Jeffrey Naecker, assistant professor of economics, joined the faculty this fall. He teaches a field course on behavioral and experimental economics, which are his primary areas of research.

Jeffrey Naecker, assistant professor of economics, joined the faculty this fall. He teaches a field course on behavioral and experimental economics. Part of Naecker’s research looks at organ donation registration behavior.

In this News @ Wesleyan story, we speak with Jeffrey Naecker, a new member of Wesleyan’s Economics Department.

Q: Welcome to Wesleyan, Professor Naecker! Where are you from?

A: I grew up in beautiful and sunny Pasadena, Calif. I was also educated in California, first doing my bachelor’s degree at Berkeley and then my Ph.D. at Stanford. Wesleyan is my first job after graduate school, and my first experience living on the East Coast. I’m excited to try out this “winter” thing I’ve been hearing about!

Q: And what drew you to Wesleyan’s Economics Department?

A: I knew throughout graduate school that I wanted to be able to do work on the topics of my own choosing, and also teach economics to bright students. The economics department here offered me the freedom and resources to work on my research agenda, as well as the chance to create courses that interest me and are useful and relevant for the students here.

Q: What has been your impression so far of the Wesleyan community?

A: The entire faculty at Wesleyan is incredibly impressive: producing well-published research while also teaching rigorous classes to extremely intellectual students. I’m honored to have a chance work with everyone here. My colleagues have also been very curious and supportive of my research,

Read more →