Thousands in the St. Louis community will benefit from the generosity of Washington University’s faculty, staff and retirees. The university has raised more than $651,000 in its United Way of Greater St. Louis campaign, surpassing its stated goal of $615,000. FULL STORY

URL: http://news.wustl.edu/news/Pages/21529.aspx

In a study of heavy smokers, fewer screened with low-dose CT scans died compared with similar smokers screened with standard chest X-rays. The National Cancer Institute ran the National Lung Screening Trial to learn whether more sensitive screening could have an impact on lung-cancer deaths, and WUSTL researchers involved in the study say it did. FULL STORY

URL: http://news.wustl.edu/news/Pages/21537.aspx

Stephanie Hunter manages WUSTL’s U-Pass program — which provides full-time faculty, staff and students free, unlimited use of Metro transit. “I was there in the beginning, and I helped to develop it, watched it grow,” Hunter says. “I take a lot of pride in seeing what a difference it makes to people on campus.” FULL STORY

URL: http://news.wustl.edu/news/Pages/21532.aspx

Paul C. Paris, PhD, professor emeritus of mechanics in the School of Engineering & Applied Science, received an honorary doctorate Nov. 18 from the University of Paris West, one of many awards to cap his career in fracture mechanics. FULL STORY

URL: http://news.wustl.edu/news/Pages/21517.aspx

In Western literature on laughter, says Anca Parvulescu, PhD, a lot of attention is paid to why people laugh. Parvulescu’s book Laughter: Notes on a Passion examines what people do when they laugh. What does laughter sound like? What are the different kinds of laughs that people laugh? What social, cultural and political work does laughter do? FULL STORY

URL: http://news.wustl.edu/news/Pages/21528.aspx

• Noon. Work, Families, and Public Policy Biweekly Brown Bag Seminar Series. “The Causal Effects of Housing in Poor Shantytowns.” Sebastian Galiani, prof. of economics. Light refreshments. Seigle Hall, Rm. 348. Robert Pollak, pollak@wustl.edu, (314) 935-4918.

• Enjoy Thanksgiving at Washington University. WUSTL Dining Services will offer an all-you-care-to-eat Thanksgiving buffet at College Hall on the Danforth Campus from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 25. The buffet is $11.25 for WUSTL students and $15.95 for adults, $7.95 for children under 12, and free for children under 5. For more information and a full menu, visit diningservices.wustl.edu.

• Championship weekend for volleyball, cross country. The volleyball and cross country teams vied to become NCAA Division III national champions this past weekend, as volleyball hosted the NCAA championship tournament and cross country competed in the NCAA championship in Waverly, Iowa. And there’s more: Men’s basketball competed in the Gabe Miller Classic in Platteville, Wis.; women’s basketball traveled to the DePauw University Tip-Off Classic in Greencastle, Ind.; and the swim and dive team hosted the Thanksgiving Invitational. Check out the results at bearsports.wustl.edu.