Friday, Dec. 18, 2020

Top Stories

Historic, hopeful moment as COVID-19 vaccinations begin

As part of a historic effort to end the COVID-19 pandemic, health-care personnel at the School of Medicine and BJC HealthCare have begun receiving the first doses of a vaccine against the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Class Acts: Dani Wilder

December graduate Dani Wilder is helping local students through the WashU Tutoring Initiative, a network of 130 K-12 student tutors who lead online lessons in math, science, languages and more for both typical learners and those with learning or physical disabilities.

New computational method validates images

A new computational method from the lab of Matthew Lew at the McKelvey School of Engineering helps scientists validate the accuracy of microscopic images. The research was published in Nature Communications.

Garcia to head Department of Biochemistry

Benjamin A. Garcia has been named the next head of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics and the Raymond Wittcoff Distinguished Professor at the School of Medicine. Garcia is now at the University of Pennsylvania.

WashU Expert on China probe’s moon rocks

The Chinese space agency announced this week the return of a lunar probe bringing back the first fresh samples of rock and debris from the moon in more than 40 years. Bradley L. Jolliff in Arts & Sciences reflects on the scientific value of the samples.

Events

11 a.m. Friday, Dec. 18

Consequential machine learning seminar

2:21 p.m. Friday, Dec. 18

Black Anthology launches digital museum

7:30–9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 18

St. Louis Astronomical Society meeting on pulsars

View more events →

Campus Announcements

Equity and Inclusion Council releases community update

The university’s Equity and Inclusion Council released its first progress update. The council is charged with creating a process to build sustainable, lasting change on campus.

Happy holidays from the Record

Today’s issue marks the last Record of the calendar year. Publication will resume in January. For the latest news, visit The Source. The Record staff wishes everyone a safe and happy holiday season.

Social Photo of the Week

A last look at the fall season at WashU

WashU in the News

One way for college athletics departments to make up for lost income: gambling partnerships

Marketplace

COVID-19 is 10 times deadlier for people with Down syndrome, raising calls for early vaccination

Science

Is eating fish healthy?

BBC

Three WashU professors lauded for inventions

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Vaccine distribution in St. Louis raises many questions, challenges

St. Louis Public Radio

See more WashU in the News →

Obituaries

Walter Lewis, professor emeritus in Arts & Sciences, 90

Walter H. Lewis, professor emeritus of biology in Arts & Sciences, died peacefully at his home in St. Louis on Nov. 17. He was 90. A world expert on the wild roses of North America, Lewis studied and conducted research in many botanical topic areas.

Notables

Aadel A. Chaudhuri, MD, PhD, at the School of Medicine, has received the V Scholar Award from the V Foundation for Cancer Research. His lab focuses on applying translational genomic technologies to predict which cancer patients are likely to respond well to their treatments.

Bill McKinnon in Arts & Sciences is one of 62 geoscientists elected to the American Geophysical Union’s 2020 class of fellows. The honor highlights McKinnon’s exceptional contributions in earth and planetary sciences and recognizes him as a global leader and expert committed to advancement of the geosciences.