In the News: 2021
With our growing community of changemakers, scholars, and innovators, Wesleyan and our alumni are often in the news. Here is just a sampling of highlights from the past year:
TODD SHEPARD ’91, a professor of history at Johns Hopkins University, wins the Guggenheim Fellowship in the European and Latin American History category. John Hopkins University Hub, APRIL 12, 2021
WESLEYAN became the first university in Connecticut to require students to be vaccinated against COVID-19. New York Times, APRIL 14, 2021
DAN JANVEY ’06 wins an Oscar for Best Picture for his work producing Nomadland. News@Wes, APRIL 25, 2021
In the Heights, the film adaptation of the award-winning Broadway musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda ’02, Hon. ’15, debuts in theaters in June. Vox describes the show’s journey from Wesleyan to Broadway to the big screen. JUNE 11, 2021
In a ranking of the top 25 American schools for film, the Hollywood Reporter names Wesleyan as number 13, commending the emphasis on formal analysis and theory. AUGUST 13, 2021
During renovations on the Public Affairs Center, contractors uncover a time capsule from 1954 containing administrative ephemera, course listings, a library budget, admission booklets, and old copies of the Argus. News@Wes, SEPTEMBER 23, 2021
Netflix CMO BOZOMA SAINT JOHN ’99 is named the world’s most influential chief marketing officer by Forbes magazine. SEPTEMBER 29, 2021
A team of student researchers discovers new bacteria strains that may be able to break down microplastics and aid the world’s plastic waste crisis. News@Wes, SEPTEMBER 29, 2021
ALAN C. MILLER ’76 wins $50,000 2022 AARP Purpose Prize Award for using “his knowledge and life experience to solve challenging social problems” and selflessly dedicating his life to building a better future for the world. AARP, OCTOBER 5, 2021
Uncontrolled Spread: Why COVID-19 Crushed Us and How We Can Defeat the Next Pandemic by SCOTT GOTTLIEB ’94, Hon. ’21, debuts at #5 on The New York Times Best Seller list. OCTOBER 10, 2021
Wesleyan University helps Visiting Assistant Professor of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry HENRY DILONGA MERIKI escape persecution in Cameroon through the Institute for International Education’s Scholar Rescue Fund. Hartford Courant, OCTOBER 12, 2021
Conceptual artist GLENN LIGON ’82, Hon. ’12 is featured in The New York Times Magazine’s 2021 “Greats” issue. OCTOBER 17, 2021
President Joe Biden nominates JESSICA ROSENWORCEL ’93 as chair of the Federal Communications Commission—the FCC’s first female leader. New York Times, OCTOBER 27, 2021
