Author: Deb Parker

Faculty Fellows in the South 40 recently hosted holiday parties for their student neighbors. Freshman Matt Burkhardt (left) visits with Ian MacMullen, PhD, assistant professor of political science in Arts & Sciences. MacMullen and his wife, Lola Fayanju, MD, research fellow in the WUSTL Department of Surgery, co-hosted the party in their Gregg House residence. Faculty Fellows help integrate academic and residential life by living in the residential colleges with students for three-year stints.

With the holidays right around the corner, many parents are scanning the latest “recommended toy” lists as they make their final purchases. An education expert at Washington University in St. Louis says that, while educational toys are a fine idea, children receive the most benefit when their parents play with them and engage them in their new gifts. R. Keith Sawyer, PhD, associate professor of education in Arts & Sciences, offers advice to parents worried about making the right toy choices for their children.

WUSTL is partnering with the St. Louis Winter Outreach Team to help the homeless. On winter nights when the temperature is predicted to drop below 20 degrees, the volunteer teams meet, drive around the city looking for those at risk, and offer blanket, coats – or transportation to those willing to go to a shelter. There are a number of ways WUSTL community members can get involved — from collecting coats or blankets to volunteering in a shelter.

WUSTL co-founder William Greenleaf Eliot  (played by Jeffery Matthews, professor of practice in the Performing Arts Department in Arts & Sciences) celebrated his 200th birthday Dec. 5 with students in the William Greenleaf Eliot Residential College. Former Chancellor Wiiliam H. Danforth also joined in the fun, as he and ‘Eliot’ talked about what it means to be a university leader and how the role has changed.

Student groups collaborated to raise campus awareness of World AIDS Day Thursday, Dec. 1. The students held red balloons and formed the shape of a ribbon on Mudd Field. This was just one of several events that took place throughout the day.

WUSTL students and administrators recently hosted representatives from 20 national fraternity/sorority offices, as well as student leaders from 13 Greek chapters across the country. The give-and-take was an opportunity to talk about issues in Greek life and ensure that the WUSTL Greek community continues to prosper.

Graduate and professional students within the McDonnell International Scholars Academy at Washington University in St. Louis shared their respective cultures with the general public Nov. 19 in an interactive fair at the Saint Louis Science Center. During “Planet Passport: Your Journey to Our Multicultural World,” scholars showcased the language, dress, history, government, educational systems and technology innovations of more than 15 cultures.

Nominations now are being accepted for the annual Gerry & Bob Virgil Ethic of Service Award, which honors members of the WUSTL community who exemplify a character of service and giving to the St. Louis region. The deadline for submissions is 5 p.m. Feb. 3.

Washington University in St. Louis has joined 600-plus universities in more than 100 countries as a member of United Nations Academic Impact. Academic Impact seeks to create a better world by engaging academia and fostering a culture of shared intellectual social responsibility.

Many websites and magazine articles offer ideas about how to lose weight over the holidays, but Connie Diekman, director of university nutrition at Washington University in St. Louis, says that people need to realize that weight loss during this time generally isn’t realistic. A little advance planning can ensure that, while people may not actually lose weight, they can keep weight gain in check.