Author: Jessica Daues

The Office of Human Resources has announced a new enhancement to the Long Term Disability Plan that offers faculty and staff the opportunity to purchase at a reasonable monthly premium coverage for a shorter waiting period before the start of LTD benefits.

Tim Russert, managing editor and moderator of NBC’s “Meet the Press” and political analyst for “NBC Nightly News” and the “Today” show, delivered Washington University’s 2007 Commencement address May 18 in Brookings Quadrangle. More than 14,000 people, including some 2,600 graduates, were on hand to hear Russert’s speech, titled “A View From Washington.”

Thomas M. Morgan, M.D., assistant professor of pediatrics (PEFA), has received a three-year, $300,000 grant from the Children’s Discovery Institute for research titled “Consanguinity Mapping of Genes for Congenital Heart Disease.”… Henric S. Krawczynski, Ph.D., assistant professor of physics, has received a one-year, $150,000 grant from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration for research titled “Test of 1.5cm and 3cm Thick CZT Detectors and Study of their Internal Backgrounds in High-altitude Balloon and Space Environments.”… David Gutmann, M.D., Ph.D., the Donald O. Schnuck Family Professor of Neurology, has received a one-year, $270,000 grant from the Brain Tumor Society for research titled “Identification of Key Genetic and Growth Control Pathway Changes in JPA that Represent Potential Molecular Targets for Therapeutic Intervention.” He also received a one-year, $40,000 grant from the Children’s Tumor Foundation to support the Neurofibromatosis Clinic. … Sachiko Amari, Ph.D., researcher in space sciences, has received a three-year, $55,000 grant from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration for research titled “Search for the Carrier of Heavy Noble Gases in Meteorites.”

WUSTL PhotoChancellor Mark S. Wrighton will confer degrees at the 146th Commencement ceremony, which begins at 8:30 a.m. May 18 in Brookings Quadrangle. The 2,622 candidates will receive 2,735 degrees, of which 1,467 are undergraduate and 1,268 are graduate and professional.

The No. 13 softball team is headed to the College World Series for the first time in school history after defeating No. 17 Wartburg College, 2-0, at the 2007 NCAA Regional May 13 in Decorah, Iowa.

Kwee L. Thio, M.D., assistant professor of neurology, has received a two-year, $365,805 grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke for research titled “Leptin as a Novel Neurohormonal Anticonvulsant.”… John Shareshian, Ph.D., associate professor of mathematics, has received a three-year, $144,464 grant from the National Science Foundation for research titled “Enumerative, Algebraic and Topological Combinatorics.”… Sandor Kovacs, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of medicine, has received a two-year, $330,000 grant from the Barnes-Jewish Hospital Foundation for Cardiovascular Biophysics Research. … David A. Balota, Ph.D., professor of psychology, has received a three-year, $66,651 grant from the National Science Foundation for research titled “Construction and Utility of a Large Scale Semantic Priming Database.”

For someone who didn’t exactly know what he wanted to do after college as recently as his junior year, Kendrick Gwynn sure has figured out a plan in a hurry. Gwynn, a biology major in Arts & Sciences who will receive a bachelor’s degree May 18, plans to attend medical school in the fall and […]

When asked what she’s going to do over the summer, Homa Zafer responds with a typical college-student answer: “Sleep,” she says with a laugh. “I miss it.” Zafer, however, is anything but typical. She completed 20 credit hours this semester and at Commencement will receive a bachelor’s degree in communications with a journalism emphasis from […]

Joseph P. Culver, Ph.D., assistant professor of radiology, has received a two-year, $392,208 grant from the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering for research titled “Full Head, High Density Functional Diffuse Optical Tomography.”… Ramesh Raghavan, M.D., Ph.D. assistant professor of psychiatry in Arts & Sciences, has received a two-year, $99,770 grant from the Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families for research titled “Assuring the Emotional Well-Being of Children in Child Welfare Environments through Stable Health Insurance Coverage.”… Edgar T. Overton, M.D., assistant professor of medicine, has received a four-year, $387,195 grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration for the “Ryan White Title III Outpatient EIS Program.”… Fiona Marshall, Ph.D. professor of archaeology in Arts & Sciences, has received a one-year, $12,000 grant from the National Science Foundation for research titled “Pithouses to Pueblos: Aggregation, Animals, and Sustainability Seen through Taos Zooarchaeology and Isotopes.”

Photo by Neil SchoenherrFiona Marshall studies the domestication of the African wild ass