Reunion + Commencement 2026
Please continue to check back for updates and additions.
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Academic Open Houses
Explore academic departments across campus, connect with faculty, and learn more about the exciting work happening in each area. Times and locations vary, please expand each day below for more information. View our Saturday open houses10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
- STS/FGSS/PHIL Commencement Weekend Breakfast
Allbritton Center, Room 311
10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.
- Reception for QAC Students, Parents and Alumni 2026
Allbritton, Room 103
11 a.m. – 12 p.m.
- Economic Open House for Majors
Frank Center, Room 307
1 – 2:30 p.m.
- Art History Open House
Olin Library, Gribbel Room
1 – 3 p.m.
- College of Letters Reception and Reunion
Boger Hall, College of Letters Library, 3rd floor - Psychology Department Academic Open House 2026
Zelnick Pavilion - Religion and Jewish Studies Academic Open House
Religious Studies, 171 Church Street, Room 101
1:30 – 3 p.m.
- College of Social Studies Recpetion for CSS Graduating Seniors
Frank Center for Public Affairs, CSS Lounge (Room 304)
2 – 3:30 p.m.
- Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies Open House
Fisk Hall, Room 208
2 – 4 p.m.
- Anthropology Commencement Reception
Anthropology 6 - English Department Reunion + Commencement Open House
Downey House Lounge - Natural Science and Mathematics Academic Open House
Exley Science Center Patio (rain location: Exley Science Center Lobby) - Romance Languages and Literatures Open House
Fisk Hall, Room 201 - Theater Department Open House
Theater Patio and Room 114 (East Room)
2:30 – 4 p.m.
- Art Studio Open House
Zilkha Main Gallery
3 – 5 p.m.
- College of Social Studies Reception for CSS Alumni
Frank Center for Public Affairs, CSS Lounge (Room 304)
- STS/FGSS/PHIL Commencement Weekend Breakfast
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Annual Family Swim
8–10 a.m.
Webster Family Natatorium
Please bring your own towels and goggles. -
Class of 1976 50th Reunion Continental Breakfast and Lounge
8:30–9:30 a.m.
Usdan University Center, Room 138 -
Naval Archaeology: A Presentation by Jim Goold ‘71
8:30–9:30 a.m.
Boger Hall, Room 112 More on Naval ArcheologyJim Goold ’71 majored in Archaeology and has specialized in underwater archaeology ever since, with two narratives. As Chair and co-founder of non-profit RPM Nautical Foundation, he operates a 36-meter research vessel based at Malta that is dedicated to deep water archaeological projects throughout the Mediterranean and Adriatic Seas. Notable projects include the D-Day Beaches, the Battle of Trafalgar, the Roman naval victory against Carthage to win the First Punic War (241 BCE), and Classical Era shipwrecks in Greece, Turkey. and Albania. He also directs Department of Defense projects to recover US military casualties at World War II crash sites off the south of France, at Corsica, Palermo and Croatia. As a lawyer at Covington & Burling based at DC, he applies his archaeological experience in representing European governments to protect their historic shipwrecks from claims by treasure hunters, including the celebrated "Black Swan" affair involving 17 tons of Spanish gold and silver coins from 1803 and, currently, a 1565 French warship near Cape Canaveral. Along the way, Jim has been decorated for his achievements as a Knight in the Order of Isabela Cattolica (Spain), a Commander in the Order of Merit (Spain) and a Chevalier (Knight) in the Order of Merit (France). -
Exhibit: Collecting China: Missionary Assemblages of a Distant World, 1844–1911
9 a.m.–5 p.m.
More on Collecting China: Missionary Assemblages of a Distant World, 1844–1911
Olin Memorial Library, lower-level corridorIn 1835, just four years after the University’s founding, the Missionary Lyceum student group at Wesleyan resolved that “at some favorable point in China” a Methodist mission be established there. That “favorable point” came soon enough in the 1840s, when opium and gunboats forced China’s doors wide open. Under protections freshly codified by unequal treaties, Wesleyan graduates began arriving along Chinese shores, convinced of a calling to bring forth social and spiritual transformation. As Methodist missionaries, they founded schools, opened medical clinics, and preached the gospel of Christ across cities and provinces. And to generate public interest in and sustain funds for their work, they also sent home thousands of objects that gave shape to how Americans imagined China from afar.
The exhibition Collecting China: Missionary Assemblages of a Distant World, 1844–1911 invites viewers to encounter China as a 19th-century visitor might have in the long-defunct Wesleyan Museum of Natural History (1871–1957), a space once filled with cultural and natural curiosities that University graduates gathered from around the globe. After the museum’s closure, its materials were dispersed across various locations on- and off-campus and remain in storage cabinets to this day. Collecting China presents only a fraction of what missionary alumni had shipped back from the East. From chopsticks and ladies’ shoes to herbal specimens and a brick off the Great Wall, most of the objects displayed are appearing publicly for the first time in over a century. With their return to view, Collecting China revisits Wesleyan’s long but little-known history of engagement with East Asia and places questions of collecting and archival practices at its center. Through material assemblages, missionary alumni of the 19th century helped produce a knowable “China” that became the basis upon which evangelical Christianity and Western modernity worked to reform, relay, and remake a world across the Pacific.
The exhibition was curated by Sida Chu ’26 and Nancy Li ’28 as part of a tutorial in curatorial practice led by Assistant Director of Exhibitions and Assistant Curator of Education Rosemary Lennox and Associate Director and Curator of Visual Arts Benjamin Chaffee ’00. Exhibition support provided by the College of East Asian Studies. -
Exhibit: Taking Care: An exhibition of paper works by Krista Narciso, Preservation & Book Arts Librarian
9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Olin Memorial Library, Ground Floor More on Taking Care: An exhibition of paper works by Krista Narciso, Preservation & Book Arts LibrarianTaking Care is an exhibition of artistic work by Preservation & Book Arts Librarian, Krista Narciso. Inspired by the day-to-day work of care and repair – from the preservation of books in the library to the mending of domestic objects in our homes. The work in the exhibition is created entirely from paper and natural dyes from plants. Repetitive, geometric patterns are inspired by kitchen tiles, quilts, and printed borders on book pages. -
New Science Center Building Tour
9–10 a.m.
16 Lawn AvenueTour Wesleyan’s new state of the art science building, opening in Fall 2026. Tours will depart from the main lobby and will be led by Alan Rubacha, Associate Vice President for Facilities Operations. Come see the new home for Chemistry, Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, and Biology departments. In addition to brand new facilities, there are numerous informal meeting areas, modern classrooms and teaching labs, as well as a cafe.
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Yoga with Julie Yanetta ‘91
9-10 am
Top of Foss Hill -
Exhibit: Wesleyan and War: Collections & Connections from the Seven Years' War to Vietnam
9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Olin Memorial Library, Special Collections & Archives More on Wesleyan and War: Collections & Connections from the Seven Years' War to VietnamSixteen students in fall 2025 took a new history course, Wesleyan and War, where they examined the theme of warfare in the context of Wesleyan University, as seen through the university's archival, rare book, and other collections. Students spent the bulk of classroom time in discussion and hands-on learning activities examining the library's rich collections beginning with the Seven Years' War (1750s), the American Revolution, Barbary Wars, and the War of 1812. Additionally, they analyzed the Wesleyan community’s participation in the Civil War, World War I to World War II through the Vietnam War and its transformative impact on the University. This exhibition includes a selection of the objects the students analyzed, describes the skills they gained, and showcases the breadth of the collections that students used in their own research projects. As we approach the 250th birthday of the United States, come explore some of the materials printed and created during these important moments in America’s history.
Curated by Amanda Nelson, Dietrich Family Associate University Librarian for Unique Collections and University Archivist with the help of Special Collections & Archives student workers. -
College Row Classes Lounge
9–5:30 p.m.
North College LobbyAlumni from the Classes of 1975 and earlier, along with their guests, are welcome to drop in anytime to relax and reconnect with classmates.
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Senior Thesis and Capstone Films Screening
9 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
Jeanine Basinger Center for Film Studies, Goldsmith Family CinemaA film schedule will be posted in May, please check back for confirmed times and the schedule
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Xi Chapter of Psi Upsilon Fraternity Alumni Chapter Meeting + Open House
9:30 a.m.–4 p.m.
Xi of Psi Upsilon, 242 High Street9:30 a.m. coffee and breakfast
10 a.m. Chapter meeting
11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Open House – beverages and mingling -
WESeminar: Why the World Needs More Wesleyan A Conversation with Tony Marx ’81
10-11 a.m.
Crowell Concert Hall More on Why the World Needs More Wesleyan A Conversation with Tony Marx ’81Join President Michael S. Roth ’78 in conversation with Tony Marx ’81, president and CEO of the New York Public Library and former president of Amherst College. Together, they will explore why the world needs more independence of mind, more generosity of spirit, a deeper commitment to inquiry, more open dialogue, more bold expression—why, in short, the world needs more Wesleyan. -
Children’s Storytime at Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore
11 a.m.
Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore, 413 Main Street -
Picnic and Festival on Foss Hill
11 a.m.–2 p.m.
Marketplace, Andrus TentPick up lunch from the Marketplace, 2nd floor, Usdan University Center and enjoy entertainment and games under the Andrus Field Tent and on Foss Hill.
Advance ticket purchase strongly recommended within online registration by May 13. Additional meal tickets may be available from the Marketplace cashier during these meal hours.
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Annual Parade of Classes
11:15 a.m.: Assemble at your class sign, Huss Courtyard, Usdan University Center
More on the annual parade
11:30 a.m.: Parade begins, rain or shineReunion alumni, College Row Classes, the Class of 2026, and families are invited to join this festive annual Wesleyan tradition featuring a live parade band. The parade begins promptly at 11:30 a.m., rain or shine, starting at Huss Courtyard (behind Usdan University Center), down College Row, and into Memorial Chapel. The parade is followed by the Wesleyan Assembly and Annual Meeting of the Alumni Association.
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WESeminar: Mixed Media, Surprising Sounds: A Book Arts Lab Workshop
11:30 a.m.
Olin Memorial Library, Book Arts Lab, Ground Floor BO01 More on Mixed Media, Surprising Sounds: A Book Arts Lab WorkshopJoin us for a hands-on workshop in the Book Arts Lab, offered in conjunction with Mixed Media, Curious Combos: A Unique Collections Open House. In this workshop, participants will have the opportunity to create their own paper instruments inspired by the unexpected and uncommon material combinations featured in the Open House. We’ll explore the surprising sounds of paper accordions, shakers, and drums.
This workshop is open to all ages. Young children should be accompanied by an adult.
Space is limited to 8 participants per session and is first-come, first-serve.Friday
Session 1, 2:30-3:00
Session 2, 3:00-3:30
Session 3, 3:30-4:00
Session 4, 4:00-4:30Saturday
Session 1, 11:30-12:00
Session 2, 12:00-12:30
Session 3, 12:30-1:00
Session 4, 1:00-1:30
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Wesleyan Assembly and Annual Meeting of the Alumni Association
12–1 p.m.
More on the Wesleyan Assembly and Annual Meeting of the Alumni Association
Memorial ChapelIf you aren't able to attend in person, please join us on Zoom. Please check back for the link to join.
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Exhibit: The Blooming Mirror
12-4 p.m.
College of East Asian Studies, Mansfield Freeman Center for East Asian Studies More on The Blooming MirrorThe symbolism of many plants and flowers has long been codified across Japanese art, from seasonal floral motifs on kimonos to poetic tropes in classical literature. In an era of refined court culture that prized allusive expression, plants and their manipulated forms, such as classical flower arrangements [rikka], embodied moral and emotional subtexts that transgressed cultural anxieties and taboos. Featuring homoerotic encounters, courtly love stories, and meditations on transience, the exhibition The Blooming Mirror explores the myriad aesthetic and affective functions of cultivated Japanese nature, presenting objects from Wesleyan’s College of East Asian Studies Art and Archival Collection and facsimiles of Japanese literati paintings and narrative handscrolls that employ plants as semiotic vessels.
The exhibition was curated by Maxwell Maveus ’26 as part of a tutorial in curatorial practice led by Exhibitions Manager Rosemary Lennox and Associate Director of Visual Arts Benjamin Chaffee ’00. Exhibition support provided by the College of East Asian Studies. Maxwell will offer an exhibition tour at 11 a.m. on Friday. -
Exhibit: Selections from the 2026 Senior Theses in Studio Art
12–5 p.m.
Ezra and Cecile Zilkha Gallery More on the Selections from the 2026 Senior Theses in Studio ArtThe Ezra and Cecile Zilkha Gallery showcases a selection of work from the Class of 2026’s thesis students in the Department of Art and Art History’s Art Studio Program. Works shown are in architecture, drawing, ecological design, painting, photography, printmaking, product design, sculpture, and time-based media. The exhibition is curated by Center for the Arts Curatorial Interns Maggie Leeming ’26 and Miller Ontiveros ’26, with funding from the Art History program of the Department of Art and Art History.
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Exhibits: Looking Inward: The Interior as Subject and Not / Finished: Working Proofs and Cancellation
12:30- 4:30 p.m.
Pruzan Art Center, Goldrach Gallery (located between Olin Memorial Library and the Frank Center for Public Affairs) More on these exhibitsLooking Inward: The Interior as Subject
Visualizing the interior, both material and subjective, has long been a source of fascination for artists. The desire to see, and especially to show, what is typically unseen and private aligns with the aims of visual communication to display and to reveal. Viewing interiors also satisfies the spectator’s desire to look beyond, or beneath, the surface. Both actual interiors and depictions of them are frequently taken as externalizations of a person’s psychic state, or at least their personal taste. These themes and potentialities of interiors emerge in the works in the exhibition Looking Inward: The Interior as Subject, all of which are invitations to look inside and within. This exhibition of prints and photographs features artwork by Édouard Manet, Sylvia Plimack Mangold, Carrie Mae Weems, Joel Meyerowitz, Giovanni Battista Piranesi, and many others.
Curated by Miya Tokumitsu, Donald T. Fallati and Ruth E. Pachman Curator of the Davison Art Collection.
Not/ Finished: Working Proofs and Cancellation
This exhibition features prints that cannot be characterized as conventionally finished. Some are experimental working proofs, or prints struck from partially completed matrices so that artists could gauge the progress of their work. Others are so-called cancellation prints, or impressions taken from cancelled matrices, deliberately defaced by their artists. A relatively modern practice, matrix cancellation limits the size of a print’s edition (the number of impressions printed from a matrix); it also prevents unsanctioned printings from a matrix. Working proofs and cancellation prints have come to be valued by both collectors and museums as records of an artist’s entire process, and frequently as aesthetically pleasing objects in their own right. On view are prints by Jean-François Millet (1814–1875), James McNeill Whistler (1834–1903), Glenn Ligon ’82, Hon. ’12 (b. 1960), and others. All works from the Davison Art Collection, Wesleyan University.
Curated by Miya Tokumitsu, Donald T. Fallati and Ruth E. Pachman Curator of the Davison Art Collection. -
Honoring the Legacy Graduation Celebration: A History of Access: Reception for First Generation Graduates
12:30-2 p.m
Fayerweather, Beckham Hall More about the Reception for First Generation GraduatesClass of 2026: We are incredibly proud of the trails you’ve blazed for yourselves, your families, and your communities. Join us for a celebratory lunch in your honor featuring custom graduation swag and heartfelt tributes from the Wesleyan community. Register here to attend
We are creating a commemorative video montage and photo collage to showcase during the event. If you have photos or videos of our FGLI graduates, please share them to help us honor their journey. Upload photos and videos here before Friday, May 15, 2026, at 5 p.m.
Hosted by the Resource Center’s Socioeconomic Status and Disability interns to celebrate the brilliance and resilience of Wesleyan’s first-generation community. -
WESeminar: Theater as Self-Discovery
1-2 p.m.
More on Theater as Self-Discovery
Theater Department Studio 001Join us for a conversation exploring various approaches to theater within the department. We'll delve into the concept of theater understood as a relationship between audience, performers, and space, viewing each performance as an opportunity for community engagement. This event will showcase the distinct ways these principles have been realized in senior projects this year. Senior capstone students will present excerpts that provide insight into their creative processes and the themes explored in their work. Assistant Professors of Theater Lauren Yeoman and Caleb Spivey will moderate the WeSeminar. -
Lunch in Honor of the College Row Classes
1-3 p.m.
More on the lunch
Daniel Family CommonsAll post 50th reunion alumni (classes of 1975 and earlier) and their guests are invited for this complimentary lunch immediately following the Alumni Assembly and Awards program. We’re pleased to welcome special guest presenters Jeff Murphy, Campus Planner & Special Projects Manager, and Brandi Hood, Director of Planning, who will provide the latest updates on current and upcoming campus facilities and projects. Please register within weekend registration by May 13.
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Mixed Media, Curious Combos: A Unique Collections Open House
1-3 p.m.
Olin, Special Collections & Archives, Davison Rare Book Room More on Out of this World: Unique Collections Open HouseJoin us for a glimpse into the unexpected! Mixed Media, Curious Combos celebrates the surprising side of Wesleyan’s Unique Collections, featuring objects that defy expectations and conventions. Discover books made of cloth, sound recordings on paper, jewelry crafted from insects, and other intriguing items from the collections.
This open house brings together treasures from Special Collections & Archives, World Music Archives & Music Library, Archaeology & Anthropology Collections, and East Asian Art & Archival Collections—all showcasing uncommon materials in unexpected forms.
Drop in, explore, and experience the collections in a whole new way. -
Alumni and Students of Color Reception
2–4 p.m.
World Music Hall
Remarks at 2:45 p.m.
More on the receptionJoin us for an afternoon of connection and celebration as we work to bridge the gap between generations of Wesleyan alumni of color. This special reception is dedicated to celebrating our Alumni of Color community, our Graduating Seniors of Color, and the families who have supported them every step of the way.
Whether you are returning to your old stomping grounds or preparing to walk across the stage, this is a space to celebrate the extraordinary strength of our community. All are welcome to attend. -
New Science Center Building Tour
2:30–3:30 p.m.
16 Lawn AvenueTour Wesleyan’s new state of the art science building, opening in Fall 2026. Tours will depart from the main lobby and will be led by Alan Rubacha, Associate Vice President for Facilities Operations. Come see the new home for Chemistry, Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, and Biology departments. In addition to brand new facilities, there are numerous informal meeting areas, modern classrooms and teaching labs, as well as a cafe.
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LGBTQ+ Reception
3:30–5 p.m.
Pruzan Art Center LobbyJoin Wesleyan LGBTQ+ alumni in formally welcoming the Class of 2026 into the community during this celebratory reception. The gathering will also feature the presentation of the annual Gay, Lesbian, and Sexuality Studies (GLASS) Prize to recipient and a brief program of remarks.
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Entrepreneurs & Investors: Cocktail Hour
4–5:30 p.m.
Mystical Seven Society Templum, 100 Lawn AvenueJoin us for a cocktail hour to celebrate Wesleyan alumni interested in entrepreneurship, investment, and social innovation. Connect with leaders from across sectors and explore potential opportunities for collaboration and partnership.
Hosted by the Patricelli Center for Social Entrepreneurship -
AAPI Affinity Gathering
4–5:30 p.m.
Boger Hall, room 113Alumni, students, parents, faculty or staff who self-identify as Asian, multi-racial Asian, or of the Asian diaspora, or have an affinity with one or more AAPI communities, and are interested in helping to build our collective community within the Wesleyan context are invited to join us at this informal gathering.
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Reunion Class Dinners
5:30–8 p.m.
More on the Reunion Class Dinners
Various campus locations. Please check back for details5:30 p.m. cocktails
6:30 p.m. buffet dinner
Purchase your class dinner ticket within online registration. Tickets are $65 and include a buffet dinner, dessert, coffee, tea, beer, wine and other non-alcoholic beverages. It is highly recommended that you purchase your class dinner ticket as soon as possible as seating is limited. -
All-Campus Tent Party
9 p.m.-1 a.m.
More on the tent party
Andrus Field TentCelebrate with classmates, graduating seniors, and families - all are welcome! A cash bar will be available (cash or Venmo). Bring a photo ID. No outside alcohol permitted.
9 p.m. - 10:30 p.m. Hear the best pop, rock, and soul music from the ‘70s, '80s, and '90s with a ten-piece all-star band featuring members from both "The Future Heavies" and "The Usual Lebowskis.” The group is led by drummer Andrew Chatfield MALS '19 and includes lead vocalists Sarah LeMieux, Julie Corbalis, and Alice-Anne Harwood Sherrill, saxophonist and guitarist Dustin Kreidler, bassist Derek Monahan, lead guitarist Aaron Read, keyboard player Greg Marshall, percussionist Brendan LeMieux, and Chris Barrett on trumpet and percussion.
10:30 p.m. - 1 a.m. Turn up the energy with an electrifying late-night set with DJ Van Vader (Javaid Khan ’96) spinning the vibes and keeping the party going strong!
