Author: Diane Toroian Keaggy

Some of Austin Schorfheide’s happiest memories are working the family farm in Hoyleton, Ill. — bailing hay, milking the cows, planting corn and soybeans. So while Schorfheide knew he did not want to be a farmer himself, he does want to make life better for farming communities.

Student Life, Washington University in St. Louis’ independent student newspaper, won 22 individual awards at the Missouri College Media Association Conference, held April 6 in Kansas City, Mo.

Washington University Libraries has awarded eight members of the campus community a Newman Exploration Travel Fund Award. The NEXT award program supports WashU students, faculty and staff who wish to explore the globe while pursuing both personal and professional goals.

The University Archives recently acquired the papers of Jack Arnett Kirkland, an associate professor in the Brown School at WashU and an internationally known scholar who writes, lectures and consults on the African American family and social and economic development.

Outstanding students and student organizations were recognized at the annual Excellence in Leadership Awards April 14 at the Danforth University Center.

Katharine Pei, director of Student Transitions & Family Programs at Washington University in St. Louis, has been appointed to a four-year term on the national advisory board of the National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition at the University of South Carolina.

As part of ongoing efforts to prioritize its role and impact in St. Louis, Washington University in St. Louis for the first time will present the free Twilight Thursdays concert series in May at the Missouri History Museum.

To protect migrating birds passing through the St. Louis region in late April and May, Washington University in St. Louis is partnering with the Lights Out Heartland initiative to curb light pollution.

Thurtene Carnival organizers are infusing new life into Washington University’s oldest tradition. This year’s fair, which takes place Friday through Sunday, April 19-21, near Francis Olympic Field, will feature a reimagined stage, new attractions and a fresh take on fair favorites. Highlights include custom-made funnel cakes with chocolate sauce, a thrift shop hosted by Strike Magazine and a medieval castle where campus bands and a cappella acts will perform.

Isaac Seiler, a junior studying sociology in Arts & Sciences, has won the prestigious Truman Scholarship, the leading graduate fellowship for students who are committed to careers in public service.