Month: May 2017

Undergraduate Sakura Oyama received a 2017 Gates Cambridge Scholarship to pursue graduate studies at the University of Cambridge in England. Oyama is preparing to graduate this month with a degree in biology and in anthropology, with a concentration in global health and the environment, from Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis.

Researchers at the School of Medicine have identified a marker of damage to cells in the eye that potentially could be used to monitor progression of glaucoma and the effectiveness of treatment.

Washington University in St. Louis is embarking on a major transformation of the east end of its Danforth Campus and will mark the start of the construction with a ceremonial groundbreaking at 4 p.m. Friday, May 5.

A ceremonial groundbreaking will be held at 4 p.m. Friday, May 5, marking the start of Washington University’s largest capital investment in the Danforth Campus recent history, with the addition of three new academic buildings, an expansion of the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, two new multi-use facilities, an underground parking garage and an expansive new park.

Puerto Rico filed for bankruptcy protection May 3, the largest-ever American municipal debt restructuring in history. As the U.S. territory seeks forgiveness in $73 billion to assorted creditors, an expert at Washington University in St. Louis says the situation should serve as a dire wake-up call to the municipal bond market.

Save the date for the annual Staff Day event, organized to celebrate the outstanding work and achievements of Danforth Campus staff members. Also, take part in games and other activities during this year’s event May 22.

Travis Conrad Mazer, a doctoral candidate studying molecular genetics and genomics, died unexpectedly Monday, April 24, 2017, in St. Louis. Mazer was 25. A Kalamazoo, Mich., native who was fascinated by science and politics, Mazer began working toward a PhD in August at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

New guideposts developed by Carrie Pettus-Davis of the Brown School suggest that smart decarceration may be the answer to reforming America’s prison system, reducing the number of inmates and enabling a more effective approach to public safety.

In “Grieve,” Sagar Brahmbhatt depicts bereavement as a kind of delayed reaction — a time bomb that never really stops exploding. Evan Gates’ “Floor is Lava?” is a slyly pointed examination of adult responsibility. Later this month, both films, created entirely by Washington University students, will be screened as part of the 2017 Cannes Film Festival.

Lily Cao and Jennifer Hsu share this year’s Spector Prize, awarded annually to a graduating senior in memory of Marion Smith Spector, a 1938 graduate who studied zoology under the late Viktor Hamburger.