First-year medical students receive their white coats

The School of Medicine’s 124 first-year students received their white coats in a ceremony last week. The symbolic rite of passage marks the start of their paths to become doctors.

Rescuing adventure

In the book “Adventure: An Argument for Limits,” Christopher Schaberg grapples with classical conceptions of adventure and the earnest question: What constitutes adventure today? Schaberg is Arts & Sciences’ director of public scholarship.

WashU Expert on use of your smart speaker data

Amazon uses smart speaker interaction data to infer user interests and target ads in ways the company was not upfront about, according to research from Umar Iqbal at the McKelvey School of Engineering.

Notables

Kenneth Olsen, a professor of biology in Arts & Sciences, has been installed as a George William and Irene Koechig Freiberg Professor of Biology. Olsen presented an address, “Plants, evolution and living in clover,” during his installation ceremony last month in Holmes Lounge.

Notables

The Excellence in Teaching Awards program, sponsored by Emerson, annually recognizes educators in the St. Louis metropolitan area, from kindergarten teachers to college professors, who are examples of excellence in their field. WashU has nine honorees this year.

Research Wire

A Washington University group led by Rohit Pappu, at the McKelvey School of Engineering, along with St. Jude researchers, have uncovered the rules for organization of cellular condensates implicated in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Gena Gunn McClendon, CSD engagement director, 65

Gena Gunn McClendon, director of community engagement at the Brown School’s Center for Social Development, died Oct. 21 after a battle with cancer. A celebration of life will take place at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 4, at Christ Pilgrim Rest MB Church in St. Louis.