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May 2008

Dome improvement School of Law installs canopy over courtyard May 8, 2008 -- On May 5 and 6, 2008, construction crews raised a massive steel canopy structure up two stories over the School of Law's Anheuser-Busch Hall using the largest crane in Missouri.

Lynne "Angel" Cooper Harvey Legendary news producer dies at 92 May 6, 2008 -- Legendary news producer Lynne "Angel" Cooper Harvey, wife of broadcaster Paul Harvey, died Saturday, May 2, at the couple's home in River Forest, Ill., following a long battle with leukemia. She was 92. Born and raised in St. Louis, Angel — as she was universally known — earned both a bachelor's and a master's degree in English from Washington University and worked at local radio station KXOK-AM, where she met Paul, her husband of 68 years.

WUSTL statement Statement on Phyllis Schlafly's honorary degree May 6, 2008 -- Washington University in St. Louis has issued the following statement on the selection of Phyllis Schlafly as an honorary degree recipient at its May 16 Commencement ceremony.

Design/build Architecture students develop two projects in New Orleans May 1, 2008 -- St. Thomas Seven Pepper Hot Sauce is one of the hottest pepper sauces in New Orleans, grown and bottled at God's Vineyard Community Garden, 918 Felicity St. Yet like much of the city, this nonprofit farm was severely affected by Hurricane Katrina. Over the last several months a group of St. Louis architecture students have collaborated with garden founders Earl Antwine and Noel Jones to reestablish God's Vineyard by designing, building and installing a new chicken coop. At the same time, the students also have been working with the Good Work Network on redevelopment plans for the Franz Building, located at 2016 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd. The latter project was recently named a finalist in the 2008 JP Morgan Chase Community Development Competition.

April 2008

Excerpts from "What We Believe" Interesting stories and people from the Brown School April 30, 2008 -- Newsboys of St. Louis: In 1910, Ina T. Tyler, a student and researcher in the St. Louis School of Social Economy (now the Geroge Warren Brown School of Social Work), studied a third of the 1,800 local newsboys, more than half of them children of immigrants, to see what their lives were like— and how this work affected their education. Her findings showed that limits on this work, which involved children as young as nine years old, were urgently needed.

The fragility of the "American Dream" New research reveals surprising lifetime risk of economic insecurity among Americans April 30, 2008 -- Recent economic events have shaken the confidence of many Americans with respect to their ability to achieve the "American dream." "With rising numbers of home foreclosures, job cuts, and loss of savings, more Americans are encountering severe periods of economic risk and insecurity in their lives," says Mark R. Rank, Ph.D., poverty expert and professor of social work at Washington University in St. Louis.

'An amazing individual' Steve Fossett memorial service at Washington University May 1 April 28, 2008 -- A memorial service for adventurer Steve Fossett, a member of Washington University's Board of Trustees and a 1968 MBA graduate of the university's Olin Business School, will be held at 5 p.m. Thursday, May 1, in Graham Chapel.

WUSTL professor awarded Howard Crosby Warren Medal Roediger wins Warren Medal for contributions to experimental psychology April 25, 2008 -- Citing his creative experimental investigations of false memory and underlying processes that have led to a new understanding of human memory, the Society of Experimental Psychologists has awarded its highest honor to WUSTL psychology professor Henry L. "Roddy" Roediger III.

Blue-ribbon steering committee drafting international treaty Harris World Law Institute kicks off landmark Crimes Against Humanity Project April 25, 2008 -- The Whitney R. Harris World Law Institute of Washington University School of Law announced a two-year project to study the international law regarding crimes against humanity and to draft a multilateral treaty condemning and prohibiting such crimes. Leila Sadat, J.D., the Henry H. Oberschelp Professor of Law and director of the Harris Institute, recently convened the first meeting of the project's steering committee.

Olin Business School to present distinguished alumni awards Annual event includes presentation of the Olin Award April 23, 2008 -- The Olin Business School is honoring three alumni with the Distinguished Alumni Award and the Dean's Medal on Thursday, April 24, 2008, at its annual dinner at the Ritz-Carlton St. Louis in Clayton. Mahendra Gupta, dean of the business school, will also present the winners of the Olin Award, a new award that recognizes the practical impact of Olin's academic research.

Fidelio etc. Washington University Opera presents "Opera Circus" May 2 and 3 April 23, 2008 -- The Washington University Opera will perform close to a dozen excerpts from eight well-known operas at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, May 2 and 3, as part of its "Opera Circus" concert. The program will include selections by Beethoven, Donizetti, Mozart, Humperdinck, Bizet, Lehar, Hoiby and Strauss.

Harriet Hosmer Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum to showcase pioneering sculptor May 2 to July 21 April 23, 2008 -- Harriet Hosmer, Oenone (1854-55) Download Neoclassical sculptor Harriet Goodhue Hosmer (1830-1908) was one of the most successful women artists of her day, described by the poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning as "a perfectly emancipated female." She was also the first woman to study anatomy at what would become the Washington University School of Medicine and produced many of her most significant works — such as the bronze statue of Missouri senator Thomas Hart Benton in Lafayette Park — for St. Louis patrons. This summer the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum will join other local institutions in celebrating Hosmer's life and work with a special Teaching Gallery exhibition, on view May 2 to July 21.

Catch That Train! Dan Zanes & Friends in concert at Edison Theatre May 10 April 22, 2008 -- Courtesy photo Dan Zanes Download In the 1980s Dan Zanes was lead singer for the Indie garage-pop band the Del Fuegos. But in recent years Zanes has become the hottest thing to hit children's music since "Frère Jaque," releasing half-a-dozen critically acclaimed all-ages albums that reinvent American roots-rock. On Saturday, May 10, Dan Zanes & Friends present a pair of shows as part of Edison Theatre's popular ovations! for young people series.

Did you know? Interesting facts about the George Warren Brown School of Social Work April 22, 2008 -- To celebrate nearly 100 years of existence and a new era in social work education, the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis is publishing What We Believe: A History of the George Warren Brown School of Social Work: 1909- 2007. Read more for a list of interesting facts about the school.

Food for thought Naming contest opens for new dining venues April 18, 2008 -- The Office of Student Activities is sponsoring a naming contest for the five dining venues to be located on the main level of the Danforth University Center, scheduled to open for the fall 2008 semester. Both undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents of current students and friends of the University are eligible to participate.

Four area non-profits garner prizes totaling $110,000 WUSTL's Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation Competition winners have an artistic bent April 18, 2008 -- On April 17, four local nonprofits were honored at the Awards Dinner for the 3rd annual Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation Competition (SEIC). The winners are StudioSTL, LiveFeed, BEGIN and Indego Africa. The groups will receive a total of $110,000 in cash and in-kind support for successfully demonstrating that their ventures have social value and that their group has the ability to implement its plans.

Chancellor's Concert Annual performance to feature music of Respighi, Borodin and Dvorák April 27 April 17, 2008 -- The Washington University Symphony Orchestra and the Washington University Concert Choir will present the 2008 Chancellor's Concert at 3 p.m. Sunday, April 27. Dan Presgrave, instrumental music coordinator, conducts the 70-plus-member Symphony Orchestra. John Stewart, director of vocal activities, conducts the 60-plus-member Concert Choir. The program include Ottorino Respighi's Fountains of Rome, Alexander Borodin's "Polovetsian Dances" and Symphony No. 8 in G major by Antonín Dvorák.

"Remember the Past. Imagine the Future. Celebrate Today." Social work to present 2008 Distinguished Alumni Awards on April 30 April 15, 2008 -- The George Warren Brown School of Social Work will honor five distinguished individuals for outstanding school service during its annual Alumni Awards Dinner April 30 at the Coronado Ballroom. The Distinguished Alumni Award recipients are Ruth R. Ehresman, Ronda S. Connaway, D.S.W., and Michael E. Willis. Curtis McMillen, Ph.D., professor of social work and associate director of the Center for Mental Health Services Research, will receive the Distinguished Faculty Award. The Dean's Medal recipient is B. A. Bridgewater, Jr., retired chairman and chief executive officer at Brown Shoe Company.

Biology is destiny? Fisher explains crazy little thing called love April 14, 2008 -- If, like millions of people, you scratch your head in amazement when an Eliot Spitzer-type scandal becomes public, perhaps Helen Fisher, Ph.D., can enlighten you. The Rutgers University anthropologist will give the Assembly Series/Women's Society of Washington University talk at 11 a.m. Wednesday, April 16, in Graham Chapel. Her address, "The Drive to Love: The Biology, Evolution and Future of Romantic Love," is free and open to the public. This is the final lecture of the 2007-08 Assembly Series.

WUSTL Association of Women Faculty to present program and panel on world sustainability International environmental expert Peter Raven to talk on the importance of biodiversity April 10, 2008 -- Peter H. Raven, Ph.D., the George Engelmann Professor of Botany in Arts & Sciences and director and president of the Missouri Botanical Garden, will present a talk on "A Sustainable World: What It Means to Us" at 2 p.m. Friday, April 18, in Whitaker Hall auditorium on the Danforth Campus at Washington University in St. Louis.

Rigoletto and roll East Village Opera Company at Edison Theatre May 2 April 10, 2008 -- Ken Schles East Village Opera Company Download You've heard opera, and you've heard rock, but you've never heard opera rocked like the East Village Opera Company. Over the last five years this powerhouse ensemble — comprising a five-piece band, a string quartet and two outstanding vocalists — has created electric, hard-hitting arrangements of many of opera's "greatest hits." In May, the East Village Opera Company will make its St. Louis debut as part of the Edison Theatre OVATIONS! Series at Washington University

An expert on race relations Poussaint to speak on tolerance and diversity April 9, 2008 -- An expert on race relations, prejudice and diversity issues in a multicultural society, Alvin Poussaint, M.D., will present the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Lecture for the Assembly Series. The talk will be held at 4 p.m., Tuesday, April 15, in the Laboratory Sciences Auditorium on the campus of Washington University in St. Louis.

Olin programs benefit Bunge executives New Bunge classroom and Bunge scholarship reflect support, partnership with WUSTL April 9, 2008 -- Bunge's strong relationship with the Olin Business School was cemented on March 13 with a ceremony dedicating the new Bunge Classroom in the Charles F. Knight Executive Education Center. The partnership began several years ago, when Olin created customized leadership programs for Bunge executives. The programs have been successful for Bunge, and to show its support for the school's innovative curriculum, it recently provided Olin with a gift of $300,000 for the Knight Center and to establish an endowed scholarship fund.

"Honoring Our Native Veterans and All Those Who Serve" Images from Washington University's 18th annual Pow Wow on April 5 April 9, 2008 -- The Kathryn M. Buder Center for American Indian Studies at the George Warren Brown School of Social Work hosted the 18th annual Pow Wow on April 5 at the Washington University Athletic Center.

Obituary Merle Kling, Ph.D., 89; former provost, vice chancellor, dean and professor April 9, 2008 -- Merle Kling, Ph.D., former provost, executive vice chancellor, dean of the Faculty of Arts & Sciences and professor of political science at Washington University in St. Louis, died April 8 of esophageal cancer in St. Louis. He was 89.

ARCHITECT Magazine Graduate School of Architecture & Urban Design ranked 5th in nation April 8, 2008 -- Washington University's Graduate School of Architecture & Urban Design, part of the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts, has been ranked 5th in the nation by ARCHITECT Magazine. The survey, published in the magazine's November issue, examined all 117 programs recognized by the National Architectural Accrediting Board. Washington University was tied with Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) in Blacksburg. It was ranked first in the Midwest.

Tracing origins Technique traces origins of disease genes in mixed races April 8, 2008 -- A team of researchers from Washington University in St. Louis that includes Alan R. Templeton and the Israeli Institute of Technology (Technion) in Haifa has developed a technique to detect the ancestry of disease genes in hybrid, or mixed, human populations. The technique, called expected mutual information (EMI), determines how a set of DNA markers is likely to show the ancestral origin of locations on each chromosome.

March dance madness Students take top honors at ACDFA regional conference April 7, 2008 -- David Marchant PAD students in Cecil Slaughter's "Grid" Download A group of 18 students dancers from the Performing Arts Department in Arts & Sciences has taken top honors at the Central Region conference of the American College Dance Festival Association. The conference was held March 4 to 9 at Friends University in Wichita, Kansas. The students were recognized for their performance of "Grid," an original work choreographed by Cecil Slaughter, senior lecturer in dance.

2008 Steedman Fellowship Sam Fox School announces winner of international design competition April 7, 2008 -- North facade Download New York architect Nikole Renee Bouchard has won Washington University's 2008 Steedman Fellowship in Architecture International Design Competition. Sponsored by the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts, the biennial competition is open to young architects from around the world and carries a $30,000 first place award to support study and research abroad — the largest such award in the United States. The competition centered on the adaptive renuse of the former St. Louis Cold Storage Company, an abandoned 100,000-square-foot industrial building located along the Mississippi riverfront, just north of downtown St. Louis and Eero Saarinen's Gateway Arch.

The Lion and the Jewel PAD to present Wole Soyinka classic April 18 to 27 April 7, 2008 -- David Kilper/WUSTL Photo Services The Lion and the Jewel Download Men versus women, modern versus traditional, culture versus colonization. Such conflicts lie at the heart of The Lion and the Jewel, a sly and subversive comedy by Nobel Prize-winning author Wole Soyinka. In April, the Performing Arts Department (PAD) in Arts & Sciences will present this deceptively light-hearted carnival of dance and song as its spring mainstage production.

Business research in practice Washington University in St. Louis awards first Olin Award for most applicable research April 7, 2008 -- Two professors at the Olin Business School are the winners of the first annual "Olin Award: Recognizing Research that Transforms Business." Jackson Nickerson, Ph.D. and Todd Zenger, Ph.D. will share the $10,000 honorarium in recognition of their research that examined the negative impact that social comparison, or envy, causes in the workplace.

WUSTL announces provost Edward S. Macias named provost, will step down as dean April 4, 2008 -- Macias Executive Vice Chancellor Edward S. Macias, Ph.D., dean of Arts & Sciences and the Barbara and David Thomas Distinguished Professor in Arts & Sciences, has been named provost, effective Jan. 1, 2009, Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton announced.

Tale of Genji Campus celebrates 1000th anniversary of 'world's first novel,' April 18 April 4, 2008 -- One mark of a great novel, it's been said, is its ability to stand the "test of time" — to remain captivating to readers from generation to generation. Washington University will honor such a novel on April 18 with two campus events celebrating the 1,000th anniversary of the Tale of Genji, a central pillar of the Japanese literary canon often hailed as the world's first novel.

Continuing the tradition Come together, create wonder at Thurtene Carnival April 12-13 April 4, 2008 -- Theatre, dance, carnival rides, dog adoptions, poetry and a capella music are just some of the attractions to be featured at Thurtene Carnival, scheduled 11 a.m.-8 p.m. April 12-13 on the Washington University Danforth Campus.

MEDIA ADVISORY - Photo and Interview opportunity WUSTL School of Social Work to host 18th annual Pow Wow Saturday, April 5 April 2, 2008 -- The Pow Wow draws crowds from all over the Midwest to experience American Indian dancing, singing, drumming, arts, crafts and food.

The Barbizon School Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum to explore 19th-century landscape painting May 2 to July 21 April 2, 2008 -- Jules Dupré, The River (c.1850) Download Between 1830 and 1880 a loosely associated group of landscape painters lived and worked in the small farming village of Barbizon, France. Rejecting the traditional artistic conventions of academic landscape painting, such as the Ideal, the Pastoral, and the Heroic, they strived instead to depict an unmediated version of nature — an approach that would prove central to later avant-garde movements such as Impressionism. In May the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum will present *The Barbizon School and the Nature of Landscape,* an exhibition of close to 40 works by leading Barbizon figures and by later French and American artists who were influenced by the school.

Bowersock to give the Biggs Lecture Ancient history scholar Glen Bowersock to speak on 'Globalization in Late Antiquity' April 1, 2008 -- Ancient history scholar Glen Bowersock will give the Biggs Lecture in the Classics on "Globalization in Late Antiquity" for the Assembly Series at 4 p.m. on Thursday, April 10 in Steinberg Hall Auditorium.

Breaking News Irish poet and novelist Ciaran Carson to read from work April 14 April 1, 2008 -- Irish poet and novelist Ciaran Carson will read from his work at 8 p.m. Monday, April 14, for the Writing Program in Arts & Sciences. Born in Belfast in 1948, Carson is the author of nine collections of poems, including The Irish for No (1987) and Breaking News (2003), as well as four prose works, including the novel Shamrock Tea (2001), which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize.

Creative Achievement Award Peter MacKeith receives national ACSA teaching honors April 1, 2008 -- Peter MacKeith Download Peter MacKeith, associate dean of the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts and associate professor of architecture, has received one of three national Creative Achievement Award from the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA). MacKeith received the award for the design studio "Lighthouses: Adventures on the Mississippi," which he led in the spring of 2007.

Ignoring 'geologic reality' Geologist decries floodplain development April 1, 2008 -- Photo courtesy of USGS Levees are not infalliable. Midwesterners have to be wondering: Will April be the cruelest month? Patterns in the Midwest this spring are eerily reminiscent of 1993 and 1994, back-to-back years of serious flooding. Parallels this year include abnormally high levels of precipitation in late winter and early spring, early flooding in various regions, and record amounts of snow in states upstream. One thing Midwesterners have not learned is "geologic reality," says Robert E. Criss, Ph.D., professor of earth and planetary sciences in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis.

March 2008

We haven't yet hit bottom Recession's root cause is consumer debt, expert says March 31, 2008 -- While consumer spending once helped keep the economy healthy, rising consumer debt is the reason it's getting sick. The root cause of the current economic slowdown in the U.S. goes back several decades, according to an economics professor at Washington University in St. Louis.

A return to WUSTL MSNBC's Chris Matthews to deliver Washington University's Commencement address May 16 March 31, 2008 -- Chris Matthews Download Chris Matthews — host of "Hardball with Chris Matthews" on MSNBC and of "The Chris Matthews Show," a syndicated weekly news program produced by NBC News, and regular commentator on NBC's "Today" show — has been selected to give Washington University in St. Louis' 2008 Commencement address, according to Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton. The university's 147th Commencement will begin at 8:30 a.m. May 16 in Brookings Quadrangle on the Danforth Campus.

New rankings Nineteen WUSTL graduate, professional programs in U.S. News' top 10 March 28, 2008 -- Nineteen WUSTL schools, academic areas and departments at the graduate and professional levels currently hold top 10 rankings in U.S. News & World Report's rankings of graduate and professional programs, which were released Friday, March 28.

The Book for My Brother Poets Tomaž Šalamun and Brian Henry to read from work April 3 March 27, 2008 -- Renowned Slovenian poet Tomaž Šalamun will join award-winning American poet Brian Henry for a reading at 8 p.m. Thursday, April 3. Šalamun has published more than 30 books of poetry, including nine collections in English. Henry is the author of five collections, most recently The Stripping Point and In the Unlikely Event of a Water.

Lalo and Schubert Washington University's Eliot Trio to present annual concert April 10 March 27, 2008 -- Carlin Download Washington University's Eliot Trio will perform a pair of piano trios by Edouard Lalo and Franz Schubert at April 10 in the 560 Music Center's E. Desmond Lee Concert Hall. Dedicated to performing masterworks of the piano trio literature, the group consists of Seth Carlin, professor of music and director of the piano program in the Department of Music; violinist David Halen, concertmaster for the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra; and cellist Bjorn Ranheim, also with the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra.

Wee reads Miniature book exhibition opens at WUSTL March 27, 2008 -- Photo by David Kilper Miniature books have served many purposes, from political propaganda to curiosities. Throughout history, people have been fascinated by extremes, whether it's the tallest mountain, the longest river or the deepest sea. Julian Edison is no exception — only instead of things large, it's small books that fascinate him. Edison, a noted miniature book collector, is displaying approximately 200 of his volumes in the exhibition "Miniature Books: 4,000 Years of Tiny Treasures," which recently opened at Washington University in St. Louis' Olin Library.

Italian Film Festival Free screenings of six recent films April 4 to 19 March 26, 2008 -- Courtesy photo My Brother is an Only Child The Film & Media Studies Program in Arts & Sciences will host the 2008 Italian Film Festival of St. Louis April 4 to 19. The festival will feature the St. Louis premieres of six recent Italian feature films, screened on Fridays and Saturdays for three consecutive weeks. All films will be shown in 35mm format in Italian with English subtitles.

Healthy plant life = healthy world Soltis to speak on importance of plant biodiversity March 25, 2008 -- Pamela Soltis, a distinguished scholar in angiosperms, or flowering plants, will discuss the importance of "Conservation Genetics and the Preservation of Plant Biodiversity" for an Assembly Series program at 2 p.m. Friday, March 28, in Steinberg Hall.

"West Bank Story" film parodies "West Side Story" Ari Sandel presents the Palestinian-Israeli conflict as a musical comedy March 25, 2008 -- "West Bank Story" is a little film about a big subject, uses music and comedy to deliver a serious message, and was created by a young man wise beyond his years. That person - Ari Sandel - will show his Oscar-winning film short and discuss how he came to make it at 4 p.m. Tuesday, April 1 in Lab Sciences Auditorium. It is free and open to the public.

Spend an "Afternoon with Calvin Trillin" Musings from a writer: Calvin Trillin on life, work, politics, and food March 25, 2008 -- Calvin Trillin, the versatile veteran writer, journalist and humorist, will appear at Washington University at 4 p.m. Thursday, April 3, in Steinberg Auditorium as part of the Assembly Series. His talk is the keynote address for the upcoming symposium, "Consuming News: Newspapers & Print Culture in Early Modern Europe (1500 - 1800)" sponsored by the German department in Arts & Sciences.

Concert cancellation Concet by Imrat Khan cancelled due to injury March 24, 2008 -- The concert by Imrat Khan scheduled for Friday, March 29, has been cancelled due to injury. The Department of Music regrets the inconvenience. For updates or information about rescheduling, please call the department at (314) 935-5566.

MEDIA ADVISORY Washington University Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton to be honored as Citizen of the Year March 25 March 24, 2008 -- WUSTL Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton will be honored as the 2007 Citizen of the Year. Sponsored and administered by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the annual award honors outstanding individuals who have made lasting contributions to the greater St. Louis area.

18th annual Pow Wow April 5 American Indian Awareness Week events begin March 31 March 24, 2008 -- Joe Angeles/WUSTL Photo An American Indian Pow Wow, a traditional food tasting and a discussion on the therapeutic benefits of tribal ceremonies are among the highlights of the University's American Indian Awareness Week March 31-April 5. All events are free and open to the public. The celebration culminates April 5 in the Field House with the 18th annual Pow Wow, a festival of American Indian dancing, singing, drumming, arts, crafts and food. This year's theme is "Honoring Our Native Veterans and All Those Who Serve."

Hail to the chancellor Chancellor Wrighton honored as Citizen of the Year March 21, 2008 -- Wrighton Washington University Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton will be honored as the 2007 Citizen of the Year during a ceremony at 4 p.m. Tuesday, March 25, in Graham Chapel on the university's Danforth Campus.

USA Today editor on rebooting America Rebooting America: News for a new generation March 21, 2008 -- Ken Paulson, J.D., the editor and senior vice president of news for USA Today and usatoday.com, will discuss the role of the newspaper in today's Internet-savvy society at 4 p.m., Wednesday, April 2 in Graham Chapel.

2008 McDonnell lecture Space scientist Flanagan to speak on Webb Telescope March 20, 2008 -- Flanagan Kathryn Flanagan, Ph.D., senior scientist and head of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Mission Office at the Space Telescope Science Institute, will deliver the 2008 McDonnell Lecture at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 27, in Room 214 Wilson Hall on the Danforth Campus at Washington University in St. Louis.

Ustad Imrat Khan World-renowned sitar player to present concert of Indian classical music March 29 March 19, 2008 -- Imrat Khan Download World-renowned sitar player Imrat Khan, a distinguished artist-in-residence in Washington University's Department of Music in Arts & Sciences, will perform a concert of Indian classical music at 7 p.m. Saturday, March 29. Khan, who will be joined by tabla player Jon Nellen, is widely recognized as one of the giants of Indian classical music, celebrated for his virtuosity, musicality and inventive wit.

Saint Louis Fashion Week Sam Fox School to present 79th Annual Fashion Design Show March 30 March 19, 2008 -- Joe Angeles/WUSTL Photo Services Rachel Greisman Download The Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts will present its 79th Annual Fashion Design Show March 30 as part of Saint Louis Fashion Week. The hour-long show, which takes place at the Lumière Place Casino & Hotels downtown, will feature dozens of outfits created by the program's 11 senior and 11 juniors, including ball gowns, suits, dress groups, tailored coats and evening dresses.

Presidential politics Current presidential campaign is becoming "hyper-racial," says expert March 19, 2008 -- Observing that the current presidential campaign is becoming "hyper-racial," a noted linguist and African American studies expert at Washington University in St. Louis suggests voters participate in a "linguistic thought experiment" to determine the extent that candidates are able to discuss race or gender on the campaign trail.

Poetic justice Poet Mary Jo Bang wins National Book Critics Circle Award in poetry March 17, 2008 -- Poet Mary Jo Bang, professor of English and director of The Writing Program, both in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, has won the 2008 National Book Critics Circle Award in poetry.

Innovation in business education New healthcare management major offered at Olin Business School March 17, 2008 -- The Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis now offers a major in healthcare management. Professors from both the medical and business schools will teach courses to both business and non-business majors. The degree will help develop a strong grounding in all aspects of the healthcare industry as well as in the science behind medicine.

To be or not to be a lady Gender stereotypes pose challenges for Hillary Clinton's bid for the presidency March 17, 2008 -- Whether or not Hillary Clinton wins the Democratic nomination for president, the question of how much being a woman helped or hurt her campaign will linger for a long time. A WUSTL professor discusses the unique challenges Clinton faces and why people seem to react so strongly to her. Video available.

Young Choreographers Showcase Dance concert to feature seven original works March 28 to 30 March 13, 2008 -- David Marchant Shaina Goodman's Holding. Download The Performing Arts Department in Arts & Sciences will present its third biennial Young Choreographers Showcase March 28 to 30 in the Annelise Mertz Dance Studio. The concert will feature more than a dozen dancers in seven original works — ranging from ballet to modern, solos to large group works — by student choreographers in the PAD's Dance Program

Burnell reflects on pulsars and being a pioneer British astronomer Jocelyn Bell Burnell reflects on the process of scientific discovery and being a pioneer March 12, 2008 -- British astronomer Jocelyn Bell Burnell will describe her landmark work in discovering the first pulsars at the Assembly Series at 11 a.m. on Wed., March 19 in Graham Chapel.

Algorithm finds the network - for genes or the Internet Math tool finds genetic communities that lead to disease March 12, 2008 -- Human diseases and social networks seem to have little in common. However, at the crux of these two lies a network, communities within the network, and farther even, substructures of the communities. Weixiong Zhang, Ph.D., Washington University associate professor of computer science and engineering and of genetics, along with his Ph.D. student, Jianhua Ruan, has published an algorithm (a recipe of computer instructions) to automatically discover communities and their subtle structures in various networks.

Domestication of the donkey New data on timing March 11, 2008 -- Ancient donkey skeletons at Abydos, Egypt. Download An international group of researchers, led by Fiona Marshall, Ph.D., professor of anthropology in Arts & Sciences, has found evidence for the earliest transport use of the donkey and the early phases of donkey domestication, suggesting the process of domestication may have been slower and less linear than previously thought.

African Film Festival at Washington University March 27-30 Film Series to feature eight films from eight different nations March 10, 2008 -- Washington University will host its third African Film Festival March 27-30. The series will consist of four feature films and four short films from eight different African nations. This year's themes include love, gender, family, and the effects of globalization. It will also include a new youth program March 26-27.

MEDIA ADVISORY WUSTL alumnus and native St. Louisan Robert L. Behnken one of seven astronauts to launch to International Space Station March 11 March 10, 2008 -- U.S. Air Force Major and NASA astronaut Robert L. Behnken, Ph.D., will make the first space flight of his career as Mission Specialist 1 aboard the spacecraft Endeavor, scheduled to launch to the International Space Station Tuesday, March 11. Behnken graduated from Washington University in St. Louis in 1992 with bachelor of science degrees in mechanical engineering and physics from the School of Engineering and Applied Science.

Cloudless Susan Marshall & Company at Edison Theatre March 28 and 29 March 10, 2008 -- Cloudless Download The work of Susan Marshall, hailed by The New York Times as "one of the most significant choreographers working today," combines explosive athleticism with subtle yet familiar movements drawn from daily life. This month her troupe, Susan Marshall & Company, will present Cloudless, an evening-length collection of solos, duets and small group pieces, as part of the Edison Theatre OVATIONS! Series.

Utility construction Portion of Shepley Drive to close week of March 10 March 7, 2008 -- Shepley Drive on the Danforth Campus will be closed between the police parking lot and Wallace Drive from March 10-14 for utility construction.

Opening bell Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton and McDonnell Scholars to ring Wall Street's opening bell March 10 March 7, 2008 -- On Monday, March 10, Washington University in St. Louis Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton, McDonnell International Scholars Academy director James V. Wertsch and 10 students from 10 different countries will ring the New York Stock Exchange's opening bell at 9:30 a.m. EST. The students are all members of WUSTL's McDonnell Academy.

March 25 program kicks off humanities series Carl Phillips and the 'Art of Restlessness' March 6, 2008 -- Distinguished poet Carl Phillips, professor of English and of African and African American Studies, both in Arts & Sciences at Washington University, will deliver the first of three talks on poetry at 4 p.m. Tuesday, March 25, in Umrath Lounge on the Danforth Campus, as part of the Interdisciplinary Project in the Humanities (IPH) in Arts & Sciences and WUSTL's Assembly Series. Based on the theme of "The Art of Restlessness: On Poetry and Making," Phillips' talks are free and open to the public. The March 25th program will focus on "Poetry and Resistance."

The art of forgetfullness Art & science of brain function is focus of WUSTL researchers' dialogue with artist Deborah Aschheim, March 20 March 6, 2008 -- Mike Venso/Laumeier Sculpture Park Aschheim's "Earworm (Node)," contains LEDs, plastic, speakers, music and copper. Download Artist Deborah Aschheim, known for her focus on interactive multi-sensory responses to neuroscience, memory and cognition, joins Washington University faculty from art, medicine, psychology and neuroscience for a free public panel discussion examining the relationship between Aschheim's art and brain science at 6 p.m. March 20 in Room 110, January Hall. The "Deborah Aschheim: Reconsider," exhibition, on display at Laumeier Sculpture Park, explores why we remember what we see and hear and why we forget, while offering a solution to curb the "forgetting curve."

Online debut Regional higher education recruitment consortium unveils employment Web site March 6, 2008 -- The St. Louis Regional Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (STLR-HERC) has launched its employment Web site, announced Laurel Sgan, STLR-HERC director. The online jobs site features a search engine and currently more than 500 positions at St. Louis-area colleges, universities and affiliated institutions. It can be accessed at stlrherc.org and is free and open to the public.

The business of sports All-star line-up to teach new sports management class at the Olin Business School March 5, 2008 -- The Olin Business School is introducing a new course in sports management that will feature several luminaries in the field. Executives in league management, television rights, media coverage and corporate sponsorship will be guest speakers in the class. All speakers are available for media interviews.

Saving the lemur New satellite imaging research could save the lemur in Madagascar March 3, 2008 -- Lemur population has declined sharply since the 1950s. Through education and conservation, a WUSTL expert hopes the trend will be reversed. Using satellite imagery, GIS and ecological and demographic data from the field, Robert W. Sussman, Ph.D., professor of anthropology in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, has studied the effects of deforestation on the ringtailed lemur population in Madagascar during the last forty years. He has determined that while causes of deforestation vary in different parts of the African island nation, the total lemur population has dropped by more than half since the 1950s.

Telling it like it is Dementia diagnosis brings relief, not depression March 3, 2008 -- Emotional concerns are a serious consideration with the diagnosis of dementia. When it comes to a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, what you don't know may not kill you, but knowing the truth as soon as possible appears to be the better approach — one that may improve the emotional well-being of both patients and their caregivers, suggests new research from Washington University in St. Louis.

February 2008

Repairing the U.S. asylum system Leading immigration law expert examines dramatic inconsistencies; cautions against drastic responses Feb. 27, 2008 -- Legomsky Download A recent academic study confirmed empirically what many immigration experts had already suspected: The chance of winning an asylum case often hinges as much on the luck of the draw as on the merits of the case. Some adjudicators grant asylum liberally while others grant it only rarely, and the disparities are dramatic. The Stanford Law Review asked Stephen Legomsky, J.D., D.Phil., leading immigration and asylum law expert and John S. Lehmann University Professor at Washington University in St. Louis, to write an article analyzing the policy implications of this study. Legomsky offers a controversial conclusion: "There are times when we simply have to learn to live with unequal justice because the alternatives are worse."

Business school students take on most-viewed commercials of the year Super Advertising Bowl VIII Feb. 1, 2008 -- What: Super Advertising Bowl VIII When: Sunday, Feb. 3, 2008, 3:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. Where: Washington University in St. Louis' Knight Center, Anheuser-Busch Dining Room 3:30 - 4:15: Presentation by Schupp: Simon Hall Room 108 4:30: Game End. Super Ad Bowl: Anheuser-Busch Dining Hall at The Knight Center Who: Local advertising and media experts, Olin marketing faculty, students and guests Why: While the Giants and the Patriots face-off in the big game, advertisers go for the win by shelling out the big bucks for comedic, over-the-top risk to compete for viewers' attention. And Olin Business School students are ready to take on the ads. A "Top Five" list of this year's most effective Super Bowl ads will be distributed after the game to media, students and attendees, with commentary by Olin community members about which ads worked and why. Stud