As the cost of higher education continues to climb steadily across the country and around the world, Washington University is firmly committed to being within financial reach of all highly qualified students, and it is taking two important steps toward this goal.

Norman R. Seay (right), a key figure in the struggle for desegregation in St. Louis, will receive the 2015 Rosa L. Parks Award at the university’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration at 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 19, in Graham Chapel. St. Louis native Charles Stith will be the featured speaker at the School of Medicine’s event at 4 p.m. Jan. 19 in the Eric P. Newman Education Center.

Samuel Achilefu, PhD, of the School of Medicine, has won the St. Louis Award for 2014 for his work in creating cancer-visualizing glasses, which were used in surgeries for the first time last year. He is the 87th person honored with the annual award since it was established in 1931.

Jeigh Singleton, associate professor emeritus of fashion design in the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts, died Jan. 11 following a long battle with cancer. He had turned 70 a day earlier. Singleton led the school’s fashion design program for 25 years.

Listening is a talent but also a skill. This spring, Andrew Raimist and Bob Hansman, both architecture faculty in the Sam Fox School, will lead “Community Building II: Ferguson,” a community studies class that explores the complex economic, political and racial landscape of north St. Louis city and county.

A search committee has been named to identify candidates for the position of executive vice chancellor for medical affairs and dean of the School of Medicine. Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton will serve as chair of the committee. Dean Larry J. Shapiro, MD (right), announced last week that he is stepping down.