Author: Deb Parker

Six WUSTL staff members are headed to Shanghai and Paris June 9-15, as part of the Global Diversity Overseas Seminar Program. The new weeklong study abroad program strives to encourage a fuller appreciation of diversity on the Danforth Campus by introducing select faculty and staff members to dramatically different cultural contexts

Though some people have luck with online job boards and company websites, it’s best to use a nontraditional approach in employment searches, says Mark W. Smith, JD, director of the Career Center at Washington University in St. Louis. Networking is the way most people learn about opportunities and it often gives them an upper hand.

This year, for the first time, a free Student Services Professional Development Conference is being offered to the entire WUSTL staff. The response to past conferences has been overwhelmingly positive, and topics have broad appeal. Breakout sessions will focus on local, national and international university initiatives. The conference is Thursday, May 24.

The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates is the 2012-13 selection for the First Year Reading Program. The book focuses on two men with the same name who grew up in similar Baltimore neighborhoods, but ended up on much different paths. One is a convicted murderer serving a life sentence; the other is a decorated veteran and Rhodes Scholar. The book provides a shared intellectual experience for incoming students.

The university’s  ‘Alma Mater’ is now played at noon weekdays from Graham Chapel, thanks to the efforts of rising sophomore Michael Byrne. This is just the first step in a plan to create a stronger sense of tradition on campus. Come graduation time, Byrne wants the song to resonate with the Class of 2015.

Senior Hannah Rabinowitz and junior Colleen Rhoades have been named co-recipients of this year’s Rabbi Ferdinand M. Isserman Prize. The Isserman Prize recognizes a WUSTL student or students who have made significant contributions in leadership and service to ecumenical or interfaith activities, both on campus and in the wider community.

The second annual PB&Joy food drive at Washington University in St. Louis yielded 4,686 pounds of food and $4,664 in monetary donations. The cumulative effort is enough to feed 2,338 people for a day, according to Operation Food Search estimates.

The second annual Lavender Recognition Ceremony will take place at 3 p.m. Wednesday, May 16, in College Hall in the South 40 House. Co-hosted by LGBT Student Involvement and Leadership and the Social Justice Center, the ceremony honors the achievements and contributions of graduating lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer students and their allies.

Religion never has been more central or more polarizing in U.S. politics. To help provide informed context around the religious and political issues that clash, converge and shape everyday public life, a new national online journal, Religion & Politics, from the John C. Danforth Center on Religion & Politics at Washington University in St. Louis went live May 1.​

Guillermo Rosas, PhD, an associate professor of political science, is developing sophisticated statistical models to examine complicated questions in a credible way. Much of his research hearkens back to his homeland in Mexico City, as he strives to infuse thoughtful analysis into the public dialogue.