The Source | Washington University in St. Louis

100 years after ratification

Circa 1919–1920, National Woman's Party (NWP) activists watch Alice Paul sew a star onto the NWP Ratification Flag. Stars represent another state's ratification of the 19th Amendment. (Courtesy of Library of Congress)

Four faculty members share their thoughts on the complicated history of the women’s suffrage movement, the ratification of the 19th Amendment, and their hopes for what we might do today to honor the anniversary.

Obituaries

Guoyan Zhao, associate professor of genetics, neurology, 53

Guoyan Zhao, an associate professor of genetics and of neurology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, died May 15. She was 53.

Cultural Studies

How to live a more gratifying life

In “The Small Stuff: How to Lead a More Gratifying Life,” WashU’s Ian Bogost explores the real but often unremarked delights to be found in ordinary encounters with the physical world. “While you are waiting for the supposedly important stuff to arrive,” Bogost writes, “a million cases of the small stuff come and go.”

Supply Chain Management

Kouvelis featured during FreightWeekSTL 2026

WashU Olin Business supply chain expert Panos Kouvelis explains how the St. Louis region has emerged as a competitive hub for companies navigating global supply chain disruptions.

Health & Society

Bursky Public Health earns accreditation

Bursky Public Health met all 36 accreditation criteria while documenting a new institution still taking shape behind the scenes.

Awards & Notables

Huang wins NSF CAREER award

Jiaxin Huang, at WashU McKelvey Engineering, will create an efficient multi-step reasoning framework for large language models with a CAREER award from the National Science Foundation.

Neuroscience & Memory

DNA damage can trigger neurons to self-destruct

WashU Medicine researchers identified key details of how DNA damage can flip a nerve cell’s self-destruct switch. The new study could lead to novel routes to preventing neurodegeneration in a variety of diseases.

Campus & Facilities

WashU PD active shooter drill July 9

WashU Police Department shield on window

The Washington University Police Department (WashU PD) will conduct an active threat training exercise July 9 on the Danforth Campus.

Neuroscience & Memory

Aid for brain-bleed recovery receives FDA Breakthrough Device Designation

An earbud-like device from Aurenar, a WashU startup, is designed to improve stroke outcomes after a ruptured brain aneurysm. The technology is based on clinical trials led by WashU Medicine physician-scientists including Eric Leuthardt, MD.

History & Education

Why did the colonies declare independence?

People join movements for many reasons. The American Revolution was no different, says Peter Kastor, a professor of history at WashU. “They all agree on liberty. They disagree on what it means.”

Art & Design

‘Carolina Caycedo: Growing Deep Roots’

The Kemper Art Museum at Washington University in St. Louis will present “Carolina Caycedo: Growing Deep Roots,” a solo exhibition of new and recent work by the Los Angeles–based Colombian artist Carolina Caycedo, Sept. 9 to Jan. 4.