Author: Leslie Gibson McCarthy

Young adults with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are more likely to never see friends, never get called by friends, never be invited to activities and be socially isolated. That’s the finding of new research released online in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders that studies the social outcomes of young adults with an ASD. The study is part of a pioneering program of research on adolescents and adults with autism led by Paul T. Shattuck, PhD, associate professor at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis. Lead author is Gael I. Orsmond, PhD, associate professor at Boston University and an expert on the social development of adults with an ASD.

Sherry Salway Black, director of the Partnership for Tribal Governance, National Congress of American Indians, will be on the campus of Washington University in St. Louis at 12:15 p.m. Monday, May 13, in Brown Hall’s Brown Lounge (Room 218). Her talk “Securing Our Futures: Building Financial Capability for Life” is sponsored by the Brown School’s Center for Social Development and the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. The lecture is free but registration is required. Lunch will be provided.

The Brown School held its second annual Research Without Walls student research symposium April 25 in the hallways of Brown and Goldfarb Halls on the Danforth Campus. The symposium gives students practice in presenting their research to peers, professors and the public in a relaxed, informal setting.

Ross Brownson, PhD, professor in WUSTL’s Brown School and School of Medicine, is one of the country’s leading experts in chronic disease prevention.

With awareness ever increasing about young adults with autism transitioning into the workforce, a 2012 study by Washington University in St. Louis researcher Paul Shattuck continues to get national recognition. Shattuck’s June 2012 study “Postsecondary Education and Employment Among Youth With an Autism Spectrum Disorder” was one of 20 selected for inclusion in the 2012 IACC Summary of Advances in Autism Spectrum Disorder Research.

Brown School students representing the country of Kyrgyzstan perform a traditional national Kyrgyz Dance during the Brown School’s 19th annual International Festival April 12 in Brown Hall, Brown 100. The event featured 13 performances from 17 countries.

The Institute for Public Health at Washington University in St. Louis has announced the appointment of Richelle Simmons Clark as co-director of the Center for Community Health & Partnerships.

The next generation science standards have been released and Washington University in St. Louis is playing significant roles. Michael Wysession, PhD, an associate professor in the Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences in Arts & Sciences, was among the 41-member writing team who helped write the standards. And WUSTL’s Institute for School Partnership (ISP) is poised to help schools implement them in the St. Louis region.

With springtime temperatures and warm weather approaching, the inclination to spend time outdoors is a strong one – especially for children who have been cooped up all winter. But parents should be vigilant about sunscreen. And teenage girls might want to rethink springtime tanning and tanning beds. A new study out of the Brown School, led by senior author Kimberly J. Johnson, looks at the increase of melanoma in children and adolescents and what those trends might be telling us.

The sixth annual Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U) was held on the Washington University in St. Louis Campus April 5-7, bringing more than 1,200 students from 75 countries and all 50 states to exchange ideas and solutions to effect real, soluble change to pressing global issues. The weekend was a whirlwind exchange of ideas and inspirations, but now is when the real work begins: Making change happen. For the participants – 200 of whom were WUSTL students – CGI U gave them a much-needed boost. ​