1:00 PM to 2:00 PM
WESEMINAR Learning with the Center for Prison Education
Join us for a conversation with the Center for Prison Education - an academic program in which Wesleyan faculty teach credited courses at two CT correctional facilities. Our students work toward an Associate degree from local partner Middlesex Community College, and subsequently a Bachelor’s in Liberal Studies (BLS) from Wesleyan. You will hear from members of the first cohort of Center for Prison Education BLS graduates, who received their degrees from Wesleyan, and who will share their reflections on college in prison, the liberal arts, and being Wesleyan alumni.  
Presenters: BLS Alumni and Student Panelists Joshua Hinman, Clyde Meikle, Andre Pierce & Jason Torello  
Moderator: Daniel McGloin, Academic Development and Planning Manager, Center for Prison Education 
Room 116, Judd Hall (Show in Map)

2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
WESEMINAR Local History, Global Issues: Race, Industry, and Violence in the Connecticut River Valley

Middletown and the Connecticut River Valley have been central to every chapter of American history. The Triangle Trade with the West Indies and Africa, built on the backs of the enslaved, fueled 18th-century Connecticut’s wealth and growth. In the 19th century, Middletown’s global maritime trade gave way to manufacturing, as the Connecticut River Valley became an industrial powerhouse. Violence, meanwhile, shot through this entire history-sometimes literally. The first official pistol maker to the U.S. government opened his factory in Middletown in 1799.

Come learn about Wesleyan’s new “Carceral Connecticut Project: The History of Race, Capitalism, and Violence in the Connecticut River Valley” (CCP). Funded by a three-year, $1 million grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation's Humanities for All Times Initiative, the project will investigate Connecticut’s racial, industrial, and political history from an interdisciplinary perspective.

Panelists: Project investigators Demetrius Eudell, dean of the Social Sciences and professor of history (PI/coordinator); Jennifer Tucker, associate professor of history; and Jesse Nasta, assistant professor of the practice in African American studies and director of the Middlesex County Historical Society. Sonali Chakravarti, professor of government, is the fourth investigator on the project, and award-winning interdisciplinary artist and filmmaker, John Hulsey, will produce a documentary film that re-narrates the region’s past through its industrial sites.
Room 112, Boger Hall (Show in Map)

3:00 PM to 4:00 PM
WESEMINAR Funders and Founders

What do angel investors, VCs, and philanthropists look for when deciding how to deploy capital? How does a founder, CEO, or Executive Director attract investors and stay afloat in the early days? Alumni will share their stories from the field, lessons learned, and words of wisdom in a series of lightning talks. Time permitting, we will open the floor for funders and founders from the audience to share their stories.
Hosted by WeSpark! (a group that aims to ignite innovation and entrepreneurship in the Wesleyan community) and Wesleyan's Patricelli Center for Social Entrepreneurship 
Moderator: Makaela Kingsley '98, director of the Patricelli Center
Speakers: Jessie Angell Carlson '02 (founder, Cabbige), Peter Frank '12 (founder, Forem), Sue Guiney '77 (founder, Writing Through), Marisa MacClary '94 (founder, Artifact Health, Inc.), Sadasia McCutchen '17 (funder, CapitalG), Jeremy Mindich '87 (funder, Propel Capital), Scott Moore '91 (founder, Colaboratory), Min Santandrea '97 (founder, SantM), Angie Schiavoni '02 (founder, Montessori Public Works), Susan Hunt Stevens '92 (founder, WeSpire)
Olson Commons, Gordon Career Center, Boger Hall (Formerly the Squash Court Building) (Show in Map)

8:00 PM to 10:00 PM
WESEMINAR tick, tick... BOOM! Screening and Talkback with Lin-Manuel Miranda ’02

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s directorial debut was named one of the Top 10 Films of 2021 by the American Film Institute, received two 2022 Academy Award nominations, and won three 2022 Hollywood Critics Association awards (Best Musical or Comedy, Best Actor - Andrew Garfield, First Time Feature - Mr. Miranda). Come see this impressive film adaptation and join the conversation with Lin-Manuel afterward. 
Moderator: Alex Horwitz ‘02, director, writer, editor, and producer with experience on films large and small. He directed and produced Hamilton’s America, the Peabody Finalist documentary that explores America’s founding while following Lin-Manuel Miranda through the creation of Hamilton. 
Goldsmith Family Cinema, Jeanine Basinger Center for Film Studies(Show in Map) 

10:00 AM to 11:00 AM
WESeminar State of the University with President Michael S. Roth ‘78
Wesleyan’s mission—to provide an education in the liberal arts that is characterized by boldness, rigor, and practical idealism—is not changing, but we pursue that mission in light of changes in the world around us. It is necessary to continually reexamine our vision for the future and maintain clear goals and objectives. Come hear President Michael S. Roth ’78 share a “State of the University” along with thoughts on Wesleyan’s newest strategic plan, Towards Wesleyan’s Bicentennial, and how it will serve to enhance our programs, build on our reputation, and increase access and sustainability.
Crowell Concert Hall (Show in Map)

11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
WESEMINAR Shaping the World Through Social Justice

Come hear how these Class of ’97 alumni have applied their Wesleyan education to positively impact the communities in which they serve and, ultimately, the world in which we live. 
Speakers:  Lucria Ortiz '97 and Francisco Tezén '97 

Lucria Ortiz ’97 is a nonprofit executive and community changemaker and currently serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Yonkers Family YMCA in New York. Prior she served as a Senior Vice President of Strategic Advancement at the Ridgewood, NJ YMCA and in fundraising roles at the West Side YMCA and the Summit Area YMCA. Lucria began her career in 2002 practicing law as a public defender, working for the non-profit Bronx Defenders, and subsequently worked for criminal and civil court judges in New York City. Lucria developed her foundation in disruption in school. She earned her Juris Doctor from Northeastern University School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts in Government from Wesleyan University. 

Francisco Tezén ’97 became President and CEO of A Better Chance in February 2020. He joined A Better Chance from the Food Bank for New York City where he served as the Chief Development Officer. Francisco has created and managed growth, visibility, and partnership strategies for educational and social service organizations with community-based, national, and global reach. Prior to joining the Food Bank, he held positions at Year Up, The New School, and Columbia Business School. Francisco earned his BA in History and Latin-American Studies at Wesleyan University and his MS in Nonprofit Management at The New School. 
Room 116, Judd Hall (Show in Map)

1:00 PM to 2:00 PM
WESEMINAR COVID-19 & AIDS: Parallels, Differences, and Lessons Learned

According to the World Health Organization, as of March 2022, there have been 475 million confirmed cases of COVID-19, including over 6 million deaths. In addition, as of 2021, HIV/AIDS has killed approximately 36.3 million people, and approximately 37.7 million people are infected with HIV globally. Come hear James Hoxie ’72 and Joseph Fins ’82 share insights about how these two pandemics became worldwide public health issues and the similarities and differences regarding their origin, vaccines, and associated paradigm shifts. Jennifer Tucker, Wesleyan associate professor of history and science in society, will join them to provide her unique perspective on visual media in the formation of scientific understandings and public perceptions of infectious disease. 

James Hoxie ’72 received his MD from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine where he is currently an Emeritus Professor of Medicine. His career spanned 40 years as a physician/scientist with clinical specialties in leukemia and bone marrow/stem cell transplantation. Dr. Hoxie has been involved in AIDS research since the beginning of the HIV/AIDS pandemic and he is recognized nationally for his research in human immunodeficiency and related viruses, with expertise in basic virology, how HIV causes disease, vaccines, and HIV cure research.

Joseph J. Fins ’82, MD, MACP, FRCP is The E. William Davis, Jr. M.D. Professor of Medical Ethics, Professor of Medicine, and Chief of the Division of Medical Ethics at Weill Cornell Medical College, and founding Chair of the Ethics Committee of New York-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center where he is an Attending Physician and Director of Medical Ethics. He is also the Solomon Center Distinguished Scholar in Medicine, Bioethics and the Law, and a Visiting Professor of Law at Yale Law School. As an internal medicine resident in the late 1980’s he provided care during the early days of the AIDs epidemic and in 2020 led his hospital’s ethics consultation service during the COVID-19 Spring Surge in New York City. Joe is a proud graduate of the College of Letters, a former chair of the alumni association, and a trustee emeritus of the University.

Jennifer Tucker, MPhil, PhD is an associate professor of history and science in society at Wesleyan who studies the interrelations of art and science, including public health topics such as the role of photography and visual media in the formation of scientific understandings and public perceptions of infectious disease. Jennifer is interested in how and why new forms of visual evidence evolve, and what we learn about the past by investigating the functions that images and other objects serve when they are put into mass circulation across private and public domains in places as varied as homes, schools, laboratories, museums, and courtrooms. Jennifer earned her BA from Stanford University, her MPhil, from the University of Cambridge, and her PhD from Johns Hopkins University. 
Room 116, Judd Hall (Show in Map)

1:00 PM to 2:00 PM
WESEMINAR The 15th Annual Ring Family Wesleyan University Israeli Film Festival

This year Wesleyan University celebrates the 15th Annual 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. This year’s festival included a New England Premiere! The film festival is also closely integrated into the study of Hebrew at Wesleyan University. In this WESeminar, Dalit Katz will offer a glimpse into this year’s festival, share film clips, and answer questions from the audience.

Presenter: Dalit Katz is The Ring Family Wesleyan University Israeli Film Festival curator and Director of Center for Jewish Studies

Room 058, Exley Science Center, (Show in Map)

2:00 PM to 3:30 PM
WESEMINAR A Tumultuous Time: Six Days in April/May 1970

During the last six days in April and early May 1970, several events took place that galvanized the Wesleyan community and changed lives in small and large ways:

Protests on campus of the Bobby Seale Trial in New Haven, CT
Fire bombings on campus
Grateful Dead concert
Kent State massacre
Student strike on campus

Join seven members of the 50^th Reunion Class of 1972 who were on campus and involved in these events during those six days in late April and early May 1970, as they show the photographs taken, the memorable moments from those six days, the roles that they played in these five events and, what they did or didn’t do. Hear how those days and those events affected each of them and how the events just might have changed their lives.

Panelists: Michael Carlson ’72, Andy Feinstein ’72 , Bruce Hearey ’72, P’97, John Manchester ’72, Charles (Bud) Spurgeon ’72, Peter Stern ’72, and Paul Vidich ’72 P’00, ‘03.

Mike Carlson moved to Montreal in 1975 and to London in 1977. He still lives in England and still works as a broadcaster & writer, with a child about to enter university in the fall. The strike convinced him to declare himself a conscientious objector, and confirmed his belief that "knowledge is good".

Andy Feinstein was Assistant Editor of the Argus during the Six Days in April/May 1970 and covered many of the events.

Bruce Hearey has been an employment law litigator and advisor for over 40 years.  He resides and works in Cleveland, Ohio.  While at Wesleyan, he played sports and had a solid B average.

Following a musical career performing everything from bluegrass to hard funk, John Manchester wrote music. His compositions are heard worldwide on TV, radio and the internet. He's published a series of suspense novels featuring characters with roots in the 60's counterculture. 

Bud Spurgeon was Photography Editor of the Argus during the 1969-1970 academic year, and the photographs he took during that time are the subject of his presentation for "Six Days in April/May 1970." Those images may also be found at http://cespurgeon.com/photos/

Peter Stern has been Development Director of the Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Technologies for the past 14 years.  Previously he was with Vanguard Public Foundation and the Northern California Community Loan Fund (now Community Vision Capital and Consulting).  He is perhaps proudest of his marriage and children.

Paul Vidich is the author of The Matchmaker, A Spy in Berlin and four other novels including The Coldest Warrior, shortlisted for the 2020 Staunch Book Prize in the UK.   He was a senior executive in the entertainment industry for over twenty years before turning to writing full time.  His fiction and nonfiction have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, LitHub, CrimeReads, The Nation, and elsewhere.  
Ring Family Performing Arts Hall (Show in Map)

2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
WESEMINAR: An Architectural Discussion of Wesleyan’s Art Gallery and PAC: A New Network of Interdisciplinary Spaces at the Heart of Campus (followed by a perimeter tour of the new space)

In 2021 Wesleyan began construction on a reimagined southeast corner of Andrus Field. At the core of this work is an extension and gut renovation of the Political Affairs Center (PAC), and a new Davison Art Center gallery building. This latter project is part of a broader effort to expand the arts at Wesleyan beyond the CFA, and to make them part of an inclusive, accessible, and interdisciplinary network of buildings at the core of campus. This seminar is an opportunity to hear about these projects and tour the construction site with gallery architect Nathan Rich ‘02 and Wesleyan’s Assistant Vice President of Construction and Infrastructure Alan Rubacha. 

Nathan Rich ‘02 is founder of Peterson Rich Office (PRO), an architecture and design studio working on cultural buildings with social impact. PRO has been awarded the 'New Practice New York' prize by the American Institute of Architects, the ‘Design Vanguard’ award by Architectural Record. In addition to designing the new Davison Art Center building at Wesleyan, Peterson Rich Office is working on cultural, residential, and commercial projects in New York, Connecticut, Michigan, Washington, California, and London.

Room 014, Olin Memorial Library (Show in Map)

  

2:30 PM to 3:30 PM
WESEMINAR A Conversation on Documentary Films with A.O. Scott P'18, '22 and Tracy Heather Strain

Join Distinguished Professor of Film Criticism and New York Times critic A.O. Scott P’18, ’22, and award-winning documentarian Tracy Heather Strain, Corwin-Fuller Professor of Film Studies and Co-director of the Wesleyan Documentary Project, for a discussion of documentaries – past, present, and future.  
Powell Family Cinema, Jeanine Basinger Center for Film Studies

3:00 PM to 4:00 PM
WESEMINAR The State of our Democracy

Moderator: TBD  
Speakers: Robert L. Allbritton ’92 is the founder 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 late 2021, Mr. Allbritton completed a $1 billion sale of POLITICO to Axel Springer. He is also the Founder and Publisher of Protocol.com, a publication reporting on people, power, and the politics of technology. In addition, he is executive chairman and cofounder of Perpetual Capital Partners, a private middle-market investment firm based in Washington, D.C. A native of Houston, Texas, Mr. Allbritton graduated from Wesleyan with a degree in government. 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. The Allbritton 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. 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 to restructure failing businesses and helped create the world’s largest movie theater chain. As superintendent of the Denver Public Schools, he led one of the most extensive reform efforts in the country, resulting in substantial, sustained academic improvement for Denver’s children. He lives in Denver with his wife and three daughters. 
Crowell Concert Hall (Show in Map)

3:30 PM to 5:00 PM
WESEMINAR Senior Thesis Showcase & Reception
Join us for a reception in Zilkha Gallery for a showcase exhibition of the work of the Class of 2022’s thesis students in the Department of Art and Art History’s Art Studio Program. The reception will also feature Assistant Professor of Art History Claire Grace and Associate Director of Visual Arts Benjamin Chaffee in conversation with student curator Gabby Farina ’23 at 4 p.m. Works shown are in drawing, painting, printmaking, photography, sculpture, mixed media, and architecture. Co-sponsored by the Office of Advancement. 
Ezra and Cecile Zilkha Gallery (Show in Map)

4:00 PM to 5:00 PM
WESEMINAR Our Voices Matter: A candid conversation on the workplace challenges facing women and people of color across tech, education, and law - and what we can do to overcome them

In this special WESeminar session, you will hear from diverse alumni working across a broad range of industries and learn some of the common workplace challenges faced by women and underrepresented groups. The speakers will share personal stories and data to highlight the real difficulties faced by these groups and offer practical advice on what can be done to address these challenges by organizations, leaders and each of us as individuals. If you are committed to a truly diverse, equitable and inclusive workforce, then you won't want to miss this engaging and insightful session! 
Speakers: Nishita (Roy) Roy-Pope '07, Melissa (Mondesir) Miller '07, Whitney (Matthews) Ferguson '07 

Nishita Roy-Pope '07 (she/her) is a tech and business leader, founder, diversity & inclusion champion, TEDx speaker, and proud mom. Nishita possesses 15+ years of leadership experience working in high-impact, global roles in the tech and non-profit sectors. Nishita firmly believes that diversity positively impacts innovation, customer experience, and financial outcomes. Nishita is part of the very small percentage of women of color who have held a leadership role in a major corporation and has led strategic, global initiatives to drive external thought leadership, employee engagement, talent development, sales revenue, diversity recruiting, and award-winning customer experience and marketing campaigns. Nishita is Co-Founder of Tribe Academy - a business and technology diverse talent accelerator - and Founder of WorldRoo - an ed-tech start-up focused on empowering children to build key early learning skills and develop an appreciation for diversity and global cultures. Nishita is a 2021 Rhode Island 40 Under 40 award winner, 2022 Woman to Watch in Tech Rhode Island winner, 2018 ATHENA Leadership Award® recipient, and Executive Board Member of Girls Inc of Worcester. Nishita is a valued and experienced speaker and facilitator, including delivering a highly engaging TEDx talk titled, "Channel Your Kid Courage". Nishita holds a bachelor’s degree from Wesleyan University (‘07) and an MBA from Texas A&M University. Nishita lives in Rhode Island with her partner and two young children. 

 

Melissa (Mondesir) Miller '07 (she/her) is currently the inaugural Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ) at Oak Knoll School in Summit, NJ. With over fifteen years of experience in the education and nonprofit space, she has held various roles in fundraising and alumni relations, admissions, and student affairs at Cornell University and Columbia University. Melissa also sits on the Advisory Council for The Door, an organization dedicated to empowering systematically marginalized New York City youth, and is a member of Level, a network of women committed to working together with the common goal of tackling racial inequity and investing in Black women entrepreneurs. Melissa holds an M.S. in Nonprofit Management from Columbia University.  

Whitney Matthews Ferguson, Esq. ’07 is an attorney and Inspector General for the New York City Department of Investigation where she is responsible for investigating fraud, corruption, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in New York City’s Department of Correction, Department of Probation, and the Board of Correction. She also served as Inspector General, Deputy Inspector General, and Assistant Inspector General for many other New York City departments. Prior to working at the Department of Investigation, Whitney was an Assistant District Attorney at the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office where she was selected to be one of two ADAs assigned to prosecute cases in the Glen Cove City Court. She was also chosen to become an ADA in Nassau County’s Adolescent Diversion Program. She ended her Nassau District Attorney’s Office tenure in the Economic Crimes Bureau. There, she specialized in the investigation and prosecution of White-Collar crimes including Trademark and Copyright Counterfeiting, Identity Theft, Insurance Fraud, and Embezzlement Welfare Fraud. Whitney received her JD from the University of Connecticut School of Law and her BA in Government and Sociology from Wesleyan University. A New York native, Whitney lives happily in Queens with her husband, Everett, and one-year-old son, Shane. In her free time, Whitney loves to travel, play tennis, and spend time with her family.   
Room 112, Boger Hall (Show in Map)