Author: Deb Parker

Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton and his wife, Risa Zwerling Wrighton, honorary event chair, and other faculty and staff members take the stage to lead students in “The Dancellor” during the Nov. 5 Dance Marathon of St. Louis in the Athletic Complex. A record number of student dancers — nearly 1,400 — participated in this year’s space-themed event, which raised $150,000 for Children’s Miracle Network.

Washington University in St. Louis recently was named one of the top producers of U.S. Fulbright students, based on outcomes of the 2011-2012 competition. The Fulbright Program, the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program, recently announced the complete list of top-producing colleges and universities in the Oct. 24 edition of The Chronicle of Higher Education. 

A Nov. 8 panel discussion will focus on immigration challenges and potential solutions. Congressman Wm. Lacy Clay, D-Mo., will serve as keynote speaker during the forum. To foster dialogue, representatives of both political parties — as well as those who advocate for immigrants’ rights and those with experience in enforcement agencies — will participate.

The Etiquette Dinner Program helps students prepare for interviews and life on the job with a quick primer on fine dining, professional dress and business protocol. The Nov. 16 program is open to all students, but pre-registration is required by Nov. 9.

A university-wide blood drive will be held Wednesday, Nov. 9, at eight different locations and at a variety of times to accommodate busy schedules. In addition, collection will take place Thursday, Nov. 10, at the School of Medicine. All students, faculty and staff are encouraged to participate in this effort to replenish the region’s blood supply. Appointments are strongly encouraged.

A new 18-unit certificate program open to all majors is designed to help undergraduates develop global competency. The Global Certificate program is another way for WUSTL students to enhance job marketability in today’s international landscape. An information session is set for 5 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 2, in Room 236 of the Danforth University Center.

Freshman Arunita Kar and other WUSTL students played Halloween games with area children and took them trick-or-treating through the residential colleges this past Saturday. The annual Safe Trick-or-Treat provides a safe way to celebrate the holiday.

The Sixth Annual Faculty and Staff Reception for St. Louis Dance Marathon begins at 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5, in the Athletic Complex. Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton feels so strongly about this benefit for Children’s Miracle Network that he is donating $13 – in honor of the event’s 13th year – for every faculty and staff member who attends.

Historian Iver Bernstein, PhD, takes an exhaustive, interdisciplinary approach to any topic he studies. Colleagues say he asks the questions that no one else thinks to ask and brings fresh perspectives to the long-ago past. Bernstein is passionate about revealing unspoken or unremembered history that is suppressed in national stories. His book on The New York City Draft Riots is considered by some to be “the gold standard” on the topic.

Amal Al-Lozi, senior environmental biology major in Arts & Sciences, presents her work on temperate Oak-Hickory forests to Kelsey Brod, a junior in printmaking and environmental studies, at the Fall 2011 Undergraduate Research Symposium Oct. 22. The event, showcasing the summer projects of more than 150 undergraduates, was held during Parent & Family Weekend.