Early in the new year I traveled to Seattle where I participated in a celebration of the life of my mentor Hayden White, a long-time faculty member at Wesleyan who shaped philosophy of history in the U.S. for the last 50 years. While in the Northwest, I hosted a reception with alumni, students, and families to share news from campus and to discuss Safe Enough Spaces. As always, I loved meeting with the engaged and vibrant members of our far-flung Wesleyan community.
Speaking of far-flung, I went from Seattle to Mumbai, where I moderated a forum on Liberal Arts, Film and Storytelling with Mad Men co-creator Matthew Weiner ’87, P’18, ’23 and Charles W. Fries Professor of Film Studies Scott Higgins. In India we crossed paths with a group of Wesleyan scientists here on grant support to develop partnerships with Indian labs.
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We met with several parents of Wesleyan students and alumni here in Mumbai, and we even had a chance to talk with some current students home for winter break. Manisha and Raja Parthasarathy P’22 welcomed us for a convivial dinner and discussion.
I leave Mumbai tomorrow for New Delhi and a reception with alumni, families, and other friends of Wesleyan. Then, it’s back home for a bit before heading to Washington, D.C. and Michigan for more discussions of liberal arts education in these challenging times.