College Prep Program’s 10th cohort looks to future

WashU’s College Prep Program is a free, immersive experience that prepares talented local high school students for college. This summer, scholars spent two weeks in workshops and undergraduate coursework ranging from science experiments to poetry.

Paths for reducing harmful pollution in Asia identified

A new analysis of fine particulate matter exposure led by researchers in Randall Martin’s lab in the McKelvey School of Engineering illuminates ways to improve health in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Myanmar.

Payne installed as an inaugural Becker Professor

Philip R.O. Payne (center) has been named an inaugural Janet and Bernard Becker Professor at the School of Medicine. He was installed by Chancellor Andrew D. Martin (right) and David Perlmutter, MD, executive vice chancellor for medical affairs.

Partnership builds Black girls’ STEM skills, confidence

Sheretta Butler-Barnes, a professor at the Brown School, wants to help more Black women pursue STEM careers. She’s doing so by guiding and encouraging high school students through an intensive summer program.

Notables

Ron Himes, the Henry E. Hampton, Jr. Artist-in-Residence in the Performing Arts Department in Arts & Sciences, will receive the Black Theatre Network Lifetime Award during the organization’s 2023 national conference.

Research Wire

Kristen Prufrock, in the Department of Neuroscience at the School of Medicine, is teaming up with anatomists from several other institutions to identify the cellular principles governing how facial bones take shape.

Research Wire

WashU researchers found the first abiotic pathway for RNA hydrolysis in iron-rich soils and sediments. Understanding how RNA breaks down under given conditions is critical to harnessing the molecule for use in emerging technologies.