Month: April 2016

On April 5, Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant signed into law House Bill 1523, a controversial “religious freedom” bill, which says that the state government cannot punish public employees, social service providers and businesses that refuse to provide services to people because of a religious opposition. The law is unconstitutional, said Elizabeth Sepper, associate professor of law at Washington University in St. Louis.

The School of Law will celebrate the outstanding achievements of five individuals on April 7 at its 43rd annual Distinguished Alumni Awards Dinner.

The August 2014 death of unarmed Michael Brown at the hands of a police officer captivated the nation and touched off a heated debate about the nature of law enforcement in the United States. A new book edited by Washington University in St. Louis’ Kimberly Norwood explores the underlying fault lines that cracked and gave rise to the eruption in Ferguson, Mo.

As part of a clinical trial at the School of Medicine, lung transplant surgeons are evaluating whether a sophisticated device can recondition subpar donor lungs to make the organs suitable for transplant. The device has potential to expand the number of donor lungs that can be transplanted, potentially helping the 1,480 patients currently waiting for lung transplants.

Beginning April 15, changes to the telephone system used on the Medical Campus and at several BJC HealthCare facilities will require landline callers to use area codes when dialing internal and external numbers.

Two mathematics researchers, Irina Holmes and James Pascoe, will spend time at Washington University in St. Louis as recipients of the National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship in Mathematical Sciences, a highly competitive award.

Question: In recognition of Earth Day this month, we have another environmental trivia question: What percentage of the 1 million pounds of artificial turf removed in the 2012 renovation of Francis Field ended up in landfills? A) 35 percent B) 70 percent C) 9 percent D) 0 percent

Some 1,200 Washington University students, faculty and staff will gather at Francis Field Saturday Saturday, April 9, for Relay For Life, a 12-hour benefit for the American Cancer Society. For members of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, the event offers an opportunity to honor a fraternity brother who died of cancer.

RSVP to attend the IDEA Labs Demo Day at 6 p.m. April 25. Students from the Medical and Danforth campuses will demonstrate prototypes for inventions they created to solve health-care problems.

The Gephardt Institute will hold information sessions Wednesday and Thursday, April 6 and 7, for prospective applicants interested in the 10-month Urban Fellows Program. Fellows will contribute to the region’s civic efforts and learn more about urban issues.