WellesleyCollegeSecret Code, Lost Language, Nonsense, or Hoax: The Voynich Manuscript's Enduring Mysteries The Voynich Manuscript (Beinecke Library MS 408) has been called The World's Most Mysterious Manuscript, and for good reason. Written entirely in an otherwise-unattested set of symbols and illustrated with unidentifiable plants, uninterpretable astrological diagrams, and astonishing biological drawings, the Voynich Manuscript (named for bookdealer Wilfrid Voynich) has intrigued, mystified, and frustrated linguists and cryptologists worldwide for centuries. Is it a code? A lost language? Does it have meaning at all? Or is it a hoax perpetrated on the world by a fifteenth-century prankster or modern forger? What do we know, and what do we have yet to learn? In this lecture, Dr. Lisa Fagin Davis, one of the foremost experts on the manuscript, will describe the manuscript's history, walk through its contents, and explain current theories and research methodologies.
Lisa Fagin Davis received her PhD in Medieval Studies from Yale University in 1993 and has catalogued medieval manuscript collections at Wellesley, Tufts, Yale, the University of Pennsylvania, the Walters Art Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, the Boston Public Library, and several private collections. She has taught Latin Paleography at Yale University and Rare Book School (Charlottesville) and regularly teaches an introduction to Manuscript Studies at the Simmons University School of Library and Information Science. She was elected to the Comité international de paléographie latine in 2019 and has served as Executive Director of the Medieval Academy of America since 2013.
Friends of the Library Lecture: Lisa Fagin DavisWellesleyCollege2023-11-27 | Secret Code, Lost Language, Nonsense, or Hoax: The Voynich Manuscript's Enduring Mysteries The Voynich Manuscript (Beinecke Library MS 408) has been called The World's Most Mysterious Manuscript, and for good reason. Written entirely in an otherwise-unattested set of symbols and illustrated with unidentifiable plants, uninterpretable astrological diagrams, and astonishing biological drawings, the Voynich Manuscript (named for bookdealer Wilfrid Voynich) has intrigued, mystified, and frustrated linguists and cryptologists worldwide for centuries. Is it a code? A lost language? Does it have meaning at all? Or is it a hoax perpetrated on the world by a fifteenth-century prankster or modern forger? What do we know, and what do we have yet to learn? In this lecture, Dr. Lisa Fagin Davis, one of the foremost experts on the manuscript, will describe the manuscript's history, walk through its contents, and explain current theories and research methodologies.
Lisa Fagin Davis received her PhD in Medieval Studies from Yale University in 1993 and has catalogued medieval manuscript collections at Wellesley, Tufts, Yale, the University of Pennsylvania, the Walters Art Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, the Boston Public Library, and several private collections. She has taught Latin Paleography at Yale University and Rare Book School (Charlottesville) and regularly teaches an introduction to Manuscript Studies at the Simmons University School of Library and Information Science. She was elected to the Comité international de paléographie latine in 2019 and has served as Executive Director of the Medieval Academy of America since 2013.To Be of Service: Lessons in leadership and citizenship at Civic Action Lab.WellesleyCollege2024-10-03 | Just before the start of fall semester, 167 sophomores arrived on campus to take part in the Civic Action Lab, part of the Hillary Rodham Clinton Center for Citizenship, Leadership, and Democracy. Over three days, Clinton Fellows attended sessions where they discussed issues of difference and leadership, heard from civic innovators, packed 10,000 meals for area organizations, and got to know each other better. Clinton Fellows share their experiences in the video below.Kenner Lecture: Frontiers of Change Innovations and Disruptions in Global Vaccine TechnologiesWellesleyCollege2024-10-02 | Presented by The Madeleine Korbel Albright Institute for Global Affairs, this year's Kenner was a panel discussion about global health technologies with a special focus on vaccine innovations. The multidisciplinary speakers provided their expertise from the fields of vaccine research and delivery, economics, and providing access to health care globally.
Moderator: Megan Núñez, Dean of Faculty Affairs, Professor of Chemistry, Wellesley College
Participants: Dan Hung Barouch, William Bosworth Castle Professor of Medicine and Professor of Immunology at Harvard Medical School, Director of the Center for Virology and Vaccine Research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Jaya Gupta '11, Associate at McKinsey & Company
Kenneth Lay, Chairman of the International Finance Facility for Immunisation (IFFIm)
Kartini Shastry, Professor of Economics, Wellesley College2024 Flower SundayWellesleyCollege2024-09-30 | On September 15, students gathered at Houghton Chapel for Flower Sunday—the oldest tradition at Wellesley. Hosted by the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life, the first-year “littles” are paired with “bigs” from the older classes, who bring them bouquets of flowers or small gifts. Then they attend Flower Sunday festivities together, which include performances by the Wellesley choir, speakers, and a blessing.What’s in a Word? Zionism—Presented by the Pluralism InitiativeWellesleyCollege2024-09-28 | A roundtable with Omar
Dajani
, former diplomat;
professor of law,
University of the Pacific; Ezzedine
Fishere,
former diplomat;
distinguished fellow,
Middle Eastern studies,
Dartmouth College; Derek
Penslar,
William Lee Frost Professor of
Jewish History,
Harvard University; and Dahlia
Scheindlin, journalist, political
scientist, fellow,
Century International. Moderated by Stacie Goddard, Betty Freyhof Johnson ’44
Professor of Political Science and
Associate Provost of Wellesley
in the World, Wellesley College.Christmas Vespers 2023WellesleyCollege2024-09-27 | Christmas Vespers, a service and concert of inspiring scripture and song to celebrate the joyful season, is a long-standing Wellesley tradition and heralds the arrival of the holidays. The evening is sponsored by the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life and the Wellesley Choir and Chamber Singers, conducted by Lisa Graham, and features organist Erica Johnson.2024 ConvocationWellesleyCollege2024-09-05 | Wellesley marked the 2024-2025 academic year on September 3, 2024, with remarks from President Johnson, Provost Coile, College Government President Mia Cadena ’25, and Chief Justice, Noelle Davis ’25.Rating the Scoopability of Wellesley CollegeWellesleyCollege2024-08-08 | #wellesley #wellesleycollege #welleslay #massachusetts #college #university #wellesleycollege #foryou #foryoupage #foru #college #collegelife #massachusetts #wellesleycore #wellesley #wellesleyma50th Anniversary Of Varsity SportsWellesleyCollege2024-08-05 | In May 2024, alumnae, friends and family celebrated the 50th anniversary of varsity sports.Throwback Thursday: The Wellesley News in the 1930sWellesleyCollege2024-07-11 | Swipe through some actual advertisements from archival copies of The Wellesley News circa 1930-1939! 🗞️ #newspaper #history #historytok #wellesley #wellesleycollege #welleslay #massachusetts #college #universityThe Wellesley News in the 1940sWellesleyCollege2024-07-08 | Swipe through some actual advertisements from archival copies of The Wellesley News circa 1940-1949! 🗞️ #newspaper #history #historytok #wellesley #wellesleycollege #welleslay #massachusetts #college #universityThe Wellesley News in the 1900sWellesleyCollege2024-07-01 | Swipe through some actual advertisements from archival copies of The Wellesley News circa 1900-1909! 🗞️ #newspaper #history #historytok #wellesley #wellesleycollege #welleslay #massachusetts #college #universityThrowback Thursday: The Wellesley News in the 1920sWellesleyCollege2024-06-27 | Swipe through some actual advertisements from archival copies of The Wellesley News circa 1920-1929! 🗞️ #newspaper #history #historytok #wellesley #wellesleycollege #welleslay #massachusetts #college #universityRuhlman Recap: Malika Top 24WellesleyCollege2024-06-20 | In April, seniors presented their thesis and capstone projects at the annual Ruhlman Conference. But the real test was if they could explain their thesis to us in under a minute....
#wellesley #wellesleycollege #welleslay #massachusetts #college #university #wellesleycollege #foryou #foryoupage #foru #college #collegelife #massachusetts #wellesleycore #wellesley #wellesleymaGreen GatheringsWellesleyCollege2024-06-18 | In partnership with the Botanic Gardens, the Office of Sustainability, and the Paulson Ecology of Place Initiative, the Frost Center will be hosting weekly Green Gatherings that bring together any and all members of the Wellesley community interested in learning more about the environment and sustainability. Open to all students, faculty, and staff.
Sign up for the Frost Center’s Newsletter for more info: tinyurl.com/FCEnewsletterRuhlman Recap: Sarah Katz 24WellesleyCollege2024-06-17 | In April, seniors presented their thesis and capstone projects at the annual Ruhlman Conference. But the real test was if they could explain their thesis to us in under a minute....
#wellesley #wellesleycollege #welleslay #massachusetts #college #university #wellesleycollege #foryou #foryoupage #foru #college #collegelife #massachusetts #wellesleycore #wellesley #wellesleymaRuhlman Recap: Ayesha Tariq 24WellesleyCollege2024-06-12 | In April, seniors presented their thesis and capstone projects at the annual Ruhlman Conference. But the real test was if they could explain their thesis to us in under a minute....
#wellesley #wellesleycollege #welleslay #massachusetts #college #university #wellesleycollege #foryou #foryoupage #foru #college #collegelife #massachusetts #wellesleycore #wellesley #wellesleymaRuhlman Recap: Jyontika Kapoor 24WellesleyCollege2024-06-10 | In April, seniors presented their thesis and capstone projects at the annual Ruhlman Conference. But the real test was if they could explain their thesis to us in under a minute....
#wellesley #wellesleycollege #welleslay #massachusetts #college #university #wellesleycollege #foryou #foryoupage #foru #college #collegelife #massachusetts #wellesleycore #wellesley #wellesleymaRuhlman Recap: Anna Lieb 24WellesleyCollege2024-06-07 | In April, seniors presented their thesis and capstone projects at the annual Ruhlman Conference. But the real test was if they could explain their thesis to us in under a minute....
#wellesley #wellesleycollege #welleslay #massachusetts #college #university #wellesleycollege #foryou #foryoupage #foru #college #collegelife #massachusetts #wellesleycore #wellesley #wellesleymaRuhlman Recap: Jivonsha Ffrench 24WellesleyCollege2024-06-05 | In April, seniors presented their thesis and capstone projects at the annual Ruhlman Conference. But the real test was if they could explain their thesis to us in under a minute....
#wellesley #wellesleycollege #welleslay #massachusetts #college #university #wellesleycollege #foryou #foryoupage #foru #college #collegelife #massachusetts #wellesleycore #wellesley #wellesleymaRuhlman Recap: Anna Zimolo 24WellesleyCollege2024-06-03 | In April, seniors presented their thesis and capstone projects at the annual Ruhlman Conference. But the real test was if they could explain their thesis to us in under a minute....
#wellesley #wellesleycollege #welleslay #massachusetts #college #university #wellesleycollege #foryou #foryoupage #foru #college #collegelife #massachusetts #wellesleycore #wellesley #wellesleymaHooprolling 2024WellesleyCollege2024-05-30 | Almost 130 years ago, the class of 1895 decided that “the Wellesley tendency was to take one-self too seriously.” As documented in Traditions of Wellesley, the class of ’95 “was always trying to put some pep into things and try to find the humor in every situation.” One student in the class wrote that they procured hoops in Boston and “electrified the College by rolling hoops in our Caps and Gowns.” Into the early 1900s, Hooprolling on campus was a carefree part of May Day celebrations and senior events, and the tradition lives on today! #wellesley #wellesleycollege #welleslay #massachusetts #college #university #wellesleycollege #foryou #foryoupage #foru #college #collegelife #massachusetts #wellesleycore #wellesley #wellesleymaRuhlman Recap | Mira Kumar 24WellesleyCollege2024-05-28 | In April, seniors presented their thesis and capstone projects at the annual Ruhlman Conference. But the real test was if they could explain their thesis to us in under a minute....
#wellesley #wellesleycollege #welleslay #massachusetts #college #university #wellesleycollege #foryou #foryoupage #foru #college #collegelife #massachusetts #wellesleycore #wellesley #wellesleymaCelebrating the Red Class of 2024!WellesleyCollege2024-05-23 | ...Wellesley College Commencement 2024WellesleyCollege2024-05-23 | On Friday, May 17, 2024, Wellesley celebrated the class of 2024, its 146th graduating class. Michelle Au ’99, a member of the Georgia House of Representatives and a physician, author, and gun safety advocate, delivered the commencement address.
00:00 - Opening 00:06 - Procession 08:23 - President Johnson Introduces Dean Jaqueline Marquez 08:34 - Invocation and Land Acknowledgement 12:08 - President Johnson Welcome 16:42 - Class of 2024 Co-Presidents Sharon Park and Ashley Liang Introduce Student Speaker 18:35 - Student Address by Haley Lee-Burke ’24 25:31 - President Johnson Names Pinanski Prize Recipients 34:19 - President Johnson Names New Appointments and Endowed Chairs 36:28 - President Johnson Names Retiring Faculty 39:28 - President Johnson Introduces Commencement Speaker 42:39 - Commencement Speaker Michelle Au 1:01:09 - President Johnson Addresses the Senior Class 1:14:40- Students Called to Stage for Degrees 2:09:37 - America the Beautiful 2:12:01 - Benediction
To see photos and read the speeches, visit the commencement web site: https://www.wellesley.edu/news-events/commencementWellesley College Class of 2024: Whats Next? Part 3WellesleyCollege2024-05-22 | While lining up for Commencement, we asked the Class of 2024 "what's next?" 💙🎓 #wellesley #wellesleycollege #welleslay #massachusetts #college #university #wellesleycollege #foryou #foryoupage #foru #college #collegelife #massachusetts #wellesleycore #wellesley #wellesleyma #commencement #graduation #classof2024Wellesley College Class of 2024: Whats Next? Part 2WellesleyCollege2024-05-22 | While lining up for Commencement, we asked the Class of 2024 "what's next?" 💙🎓 #wellesley #wellesleycollege #welleslay #massachusetts #college #university #wellesleycollege #foryou #foryoupage #foru #college #collegelife #massachusetts #wellesleycore #wellesley #wellesleyma #commencement #graduation #classof2024Wellesley College Class of 2024: Whats Next? Part 1WellesleyCollege2024-05-22 | While lining up for Commencement, we asked the Class of 2024 "what's next?" 💙🎓 #wellesley #wellesleycollege #welleslay #massachusetts #college #university #wellesleycollege #foryou #foryoupage #foru #college #collegelife #massachusetts #wellesleycore #wellesley #wellesleyma #commencement #graduation #classof20242024 Wellesley Distinguished Faculty Lecture—Nina TumarkinWellesleyCollege2024-04-23 | Professor Tumarkin presented “‘Back in the USSR’: The Soviet Legacy in Putin’s Russia” on April 17 at 4:30 p.m. in Collins Cinema.
Since coming to the College, Professor Tumarkin has educated generations of Wellesley students about Russian history from the medieval period to the present. She has also taught the history of 20th-century Europe, including a comparative history seminar, HIST 302: World War II as Memory and Myth. Her service to the College has been significant: She has twice been chair of the Department of History and served as longtime director of the College’s dynamic and highly respected Russian Area Studies Program.
In the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Professor Tumarkin has stepped in to help our students and our community make sense of the history and geopolitical factors at play in the ongoing war. I want to applaud her for the lectures she has given, guests she has invited, and events she has organized.
Professor Tumarkin’s current research explores Russia’s memory of the Soviet period. She especially focuses on how the memory of World War II resonates in Russian society even as the Kremlin uses it as justification for its war in Ukraine. Her scholarship, she says, examines how various groups “have been remembering, celebrating, commemorating, condemning, condoning, forgetting, ignoring, and grappling with the country’s troubled past and the vastly complex history and legacy of the Soviet experience in World War II and its fateful aftermath.”
An accomplished scholar, Professor Tumarkin has presented at conferences and published widely. She is the author of two books, The Living and the Dead: The Rise and Fall of the Cult of World War II in Russia and Lenin Lives! The Lenin Cult in Soviet Russia.
For decades, Professor Tumarkin has also held an affiliation with Harvard University’s Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies, where she has pursued research, participated in seminars, and presented on panels.
In the 1980s, she served as an advisor to President Ronald Reagan, briefing him and key cabinet members before his historic first meeting with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in November 1985 at the Geneva Summit.
Sponsored by the Office of the President, the Distinguished Faculty Lecture was established in 1999 to provide an opportunity for the College’s accomplished and respected faculty members to deliver a public lecture that allows the community to reflect on the meaning of a liberal arts education.Getting into BostonWellesleyCollege2024-04-11 | ...Welcome to Wellesley Class of 2028!WellesleyCollege2024-03-16 | ...An Interview with Composer Michael AbelsWellesleyCollege2024-03-07 | Michael Abels, a 2023 Pulitzer Prize-winning and Emmy- and Grammy-nominated composer best known for his scores for the Jordan Peele films Get Out (2017), Us (2019), and NOPE (2022), was in residence at Suzy Newhouse Center for the Humanities in February 2024. Here he sat down with a student to answer some questions about his work and being an artist.Disrupting the Narrative: Office of the Special Advisor on International Disability RightsWellesleyCollege2024-03-06 | Sara Minkara, the Special Advisor on International Disability Rights (SAIDR) at the US State Department, offers insights into the Office's role and operations, with a particular focus on its involvement in shaping foreign policy. She explains how disability considerations can be incorporated into various policy dialogues and emphasizes the critical significance of elevating disability-related concerns to a prominent position on the agenda.Tribute to Madeleine Albright—A History of MKAIWellesleyCollege2024-02-14 | Lifelong friend of Madeleine Albright, Wini Freund ’59, Founding Director, Joseph Joyce, and Provost and Dean of the College, Andrew Shennan engage in dialogue about the inception, history, and legacy of the Albright Institute in celebration of its 15th Anniversary.2024 Maddy Talks: Global Ideas with Impact.WellesleyCollege2024-02-07 | As part of the Albright Institute’s 15th anniversary celebration, the Institute welcomed back alum Fellows to present at the 2024 Maddy Talks: Global Ideas with Impact. In this series of talks, Fellows showcased the significant contributions and important issues they have passionately pursued since participating in the Institute.Genevieve Bates: Transitional Justice in World PoliticsWellesleyCollege2024-02-06 | Genevieve Bates, Anna Julia Cooper Postdoctoral Research Associate and incoming Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, explores the mechanisms of transitional justice in global contexts, its influence on changes in policies and institutions, and its role in supporting democracy and reconciliation.Negotiating for Humanity: A Conversation with Ambassador Ellen LøjWellesleyCollege2024-02-06 | The Albright Institute welcomed retired Danish Ambassador Ellen Margrethe Løj for its annual public dialogue on January 18th, 2024. During her 35-year tenure in the Danish Foreign Service, Ambassador Løj held multiple leadership positions. Most recently, she served as the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) and head of the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS, 2014-2016). In this dialogue, Ambassador Løj discusses her career as a diplomat and the importance of collective diplomatic action to safeguard humanity's future.
Facilitated by Stacie Goddard, Betty Freyhof Johnson ’44 Professor of Political Science and Associate Provost for Wellesley in the World.
This event is part of the Albright Institute’s 15th Anniversary programming, “Negotiating for Humanity”, honoring Secretary Albright’s deep commitment to humane characteristics of empathy and universality.Stephanie Kimou: Decolonizing International DevelopmentWellesleyCollege2024-02-03 | Stephanie Kimou, writer, lecturer, and strategist at Popworks Africa introduces concepts of race, privilege, and colonial legacies within the realm of international development. Kimou discusses how these factors persistently influence power dynamics, economic exploitation, and societal norms, challenging listeners to deconstruct colonial frameworks through solidarity.Mobilization, Unity and Connection Across Difference: Sisterhood of Salaam ShalomWellesleyCollege2024-01-30 | Tahija Vikalo, Executive Director of Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom, discusses the importance of empathy and connections in fostering spaces for difficult conversations and how relationships open a space for understanding across diverse perspectives, cultures, and ideas.Sabine Franklin: Global Health and HumanitarianismWellesleyCollege2024-01-26 | Sabine Franklin, a Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow in Africana Studies at Wellesley College discusses how efforts to combat disease and provide disaster relief around the world have been influenced by colonialist history and how the inclusion of a diversity of perspectives and experiences could increase the success of humanitarian efforts in the future.MaddyTalksWellesleyCollege2024-01-12 | This short video presents highlights from the inaugural 2016 MaddyTalks: Global Ideas with Impact. Albright Fellows showcased some of the important work and issues in which they engaged since participating in the Institute.Walking in a Wellesley WonderlandWellesleyCollege2023-12-22 | Listen to the Wellesley Widows as they put a new twist on a holiday classic. Wishing the entire Wellesley community a joyful holiday season and a bright start to 2024.Weaving Together Filipinx American HistoriesWellesleyCollege2023-11-27 | Genevieve Clutario, author of Beauty Regimes: A History of Power and Modern Empire in the Philippines, 1898-1941 (Duke University Press, 2023), and visual artist Jeanne F. Jalandoni's respective works aim to tell histories and narratives of Filipinx intimacy. In each of their work, intimacy takes different forms and ultimately highlights commonly overlooked connections that shape Filipinx experiences across the diaspora and across generations. Their conversation will highlight their methods of Filipinx storytelling through text, the visual, and the materiality of beauty in both their collaborative work through cover art as well as in their respective projects, from Jalandoni's new exhibition to Clutario's new book.Applying International Humanitarian Law to Events in Israel-PalestineWellesleyCollege2023-11-16 | Professor Marco Sassòli, Professor of International Law at the University of Geneva, Switzerland, gives an analysis of events in Israel-Palestine through the lens of International Humanitarian Law.
Professor Sassòli is renowned in the field of international humanitarian law and has held many distinguished positions including with (but not limited to) the International Criminal Court, the International Commission of Jurists, the International Committee of the Red Cross, Geneva Call, and the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights. In our webinar, he gave a general background on international humanitarian law before providing a context-specific analysis of the conflict in Israel-Palestine.
The discussion was facilitated by Nina McKee '16, Program Director of the Madeleine Korbel Albright Institute for Global Affairs.The Kenner Lecture—Negotiating for Humanity: A Conversation with Ambassador Elayne WhyteWellesleyCollege2023-10-31 | The Madeleine Korbel Albright Institute for Global Affairs welcomes Ambassador Elayne Whyte, a diplomat and academic with more than 25 years of experience in policy-making, diplomacy, international cooperation, negotiation, and governance, for its annual Kenner Lecture.
Ambassador Whyte is the former Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Costa Rica to the United Nations in Geneva (2014-2020), former Vice Foreign Minister of Costa Rica (2000-2002) and first woman and person of African descent to serve in the position, and current Professor of Practice at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies. She will discuss her experiences in bilateral and multilateral diplomacy centered on the theme of “Negotiating for Humanity.”
The discussion was facilitated by Stacie Goddard, Betty Freyhof Johnson ’44 Professor of Political Science and Associate Provost of Wellesley in the World. This event is the first of the Albright Institute’s 15th anniversary programming.2023 Alumnae Achievement Awards CeremonyWellesleyCollege2023-10-27 | Wellesley’s highest accolade is given annually to graduates of distinction, who through their achievements, have brought honor to themselves and the College. The 2023 recipients include: Vanessa Ruiz ’72, Appellate Judge; Faith Vilas ’73, Planetary Science Pioneer; and Cecilia Conrad ’76, Philanthropic Leader and Educator.
Learn more about the recipients: https://www.wellesley.edu/news/2023/stories/node/205231.The 2023 Goldman Lecture in Economics: Susan M. CollinsWellesleyCollege2023-10-25 | Susan M. Collins, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston and participant on the interest-rate-setting Federal Open Market Committee, shares observations from her varied career, with a focus on economic policymaking under uncertainty. She discusses the making of monetary policy in the current cycle, where the recent pandemic and its aftermath figure so prominently and create particular uncertainty. She also provides some insights into the lesser-known ways the Federal Reserve (the U.S. central bank) works to support a vibrant, inclusive economy and a stable, effective financial system.The 2023 Distinguished Faculty Lecture—Ellen WidmerWellesleyCollege2023-10-24 | “Hidden Trajectories of Talent: Women and Music in Nineteenth-Century China,” delivered by Ellen Widmer, Mayling Soong Professor of Chinese Studies
After a distinguished career at Wesleyan University, Professor Widmer returned to Wellesley, from which she graduated in 1961, in 2007 to chair the newly created Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures (now East Asian Languages and Cultures, or EALC). Under her dedicated and expert leadership, EALC has become one of the leading liberal arts college departments in the East Asian field, building on our long traditions of excellence in Chinese and Japanese languages and literatures and adding new strength in Korean language and culture.
Trained in the history of traditional Chinese fiction, Professor Widmer’s teaching centers on the history of Chinese fiction and drama. She specializes in how women are depicted in fiction and poetry, with a focus on Chinese women writers of the 17th through 19th centuries. Her interests also include comparisons between Chinese, Japanese, and Korean literature.
Her books include Fiction’s Family: Zhan Xi, Zhan Kai, and the Business of Women in Late-Qing China (2016); The Beauty and the Book: Women and Fiction in Nineteenth-Century China (2006); and The Margins of Utopia: Shui-hu hou-chuan and the Literature of Ming Loyalism (1987).
Sponsored by the Office of the President, the Distinguished Faculty Lecture was established in 1999 to provide an opportunity for the College’s accomplished and respected faculty members to deliver a public lecture that allows the community to reflect on the meaning of a liberal arts education.Finding Connection In Student OrgsWellesleyCollege2023-10-11 | How do you make friends at college? Well, one way is to join a student organization and there are plenty to consider at Wellesley. Listen to some Wellesley students talk about the importance of orgs at the College and what they like most about the orgs they are in.Wellesley College Convocation 2023WellesleyCollege2023-09-08 | Convocation marks the official start of each academic year—this year, the College’s 149th.
It is an important tradition at Wellesley—not only does it celebrate the beginning of the new year, but it provides an opportunity for faculty, staff, and students to gather together and participate in the College’s vibrant intellectual community. Convocation is a special time for the Wellesley community, calling for academic dress: Faculty wear robes depicting their fields of study and alma maters, and seniors dress in their class colors or in the robes that they will wear on commencement day.
Read the speeches at https://www.wellesley.edu/academics/convocation/2023.