News in Brief — Wednesday, April 25

In response to the campus-wide notification of an apparent act of vandalism in the LGBTQ Resource Room in Billings, a student stepped forward to the Wellesley News to state that she was present when the bookshelves collapsed. At about 7 p.m. on Monday, April 23, the student was in Billings and heard the fall. Leah Fygetakis, Director of Services and Programs and Advisor for LGBTQ Students, Victor Kazanjian, Dean of Intercultural Education and Religious and Spiritual Life and President Kim Bottomly have been notified that the collapse of the bookshelves was an accident, not an act of vandalism.  

The annual campus Ruhlman Conference takes place today, April 25. Made possible by the Barbara Peterson Ruhlman Fund for Interdisciplinary Study, the Ruhlman Conference provides students with the opportunity to present their academic work, ideas and achievements to the Wellesley community. A complete schedule of presentations is available on the Ruhlman Conference website.  

Layli Maparyan was announced on Monday, April 23 as the new executive director of the Wellesley Centers for Women, one of the nation’s largest organizations for conducting research and developing action programs focused on women’s rights. Maparyan is known for several of her civic engagement initiatives, including her coordination of the National Center for Civil and Human Rights Women’s Initiative in Atlanta, Georgia. She will begin her appointment on July 1, 2012.

Trustee Sidney R. Knafel and his wife, Londa Weisman, will donate $5 million to the College, which will, in part, help renovate 99 Pond Road. Purchased by the College in 2010, the property will be renovated to include a private residence for the Provost and a public space to host events.