Author: Leslie Gibson McCarthy

A memorial for Burton M. Wheeler, PhD, will take place at 3 p.m. Tuesday, April 24, in Holmes Lounge, Ridgley Hall. A reception will follow. Wheeler, professor emeritus of English and of religious studies, both in Arts & Sciences, and a beloved teacher and former dean of the College of Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, died Friday, Feb. 17, at his home in Warson Woods, Mo., after a long battle with cancer. He was 84.

What is the American Dream’s role in today’s society? Experts from Washington University in St. Louis will explore this question in a panel discussion at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 18, in Brown Hall Lounge on the Danforth Campus. Panelists are Steven Fazzari, PhD, professor of economics in Arts & Sciences; Carter W. Lewis, playwright-in-residence in the Performing Arts Department in Arts & Sciences; and Mark R. Rank, PhD, the Herbert S. Hadley Professor of Social Welfare at the Brown School.

What is the Burrito Index? Can marriage impact cancer survival rates? Washington University in St. Louis students in social work and public health will explore these and many other topics at the Brown School’s inaugural Research Without Walls Student Research Symposium at 4 p.m. Thursday, April 19, in Brown and Goldfarb Halls on the Danforth Campus.

WUSTL dedicated the 10th annual Relay for Life, a signature fundraising event for the American Cancer Society, to James E. McLeod, vice chancellor for students and dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, who died Sept. 5, 2011, after a two-year battle with the disease. Luminary candles — each bearing the name of an individual who has battled cancer — illuminated Bushyhead Track, and McLeod’s daughter, Sara, read the speech given by her father at last year’s opening ceremony.

The No. 17 men’s tennis team ran its winning streak to six matches with a 7-2 win at No. 30 University of Chicago April 15. The Bears improved their overall record to 12-5 and picked up their fifth win this season over a ranked team. Updates also included on baseball and softball, track & field, women’s golf and women’s tennis.

It can take decades for research discoveries to make their way into public health settings. The emerging field of dissemination and implementation (D&I) research seeks to narrow the gap between evidence-based research and routine practice. To help propel this crucial field forward, leading D&I scholars and researchers at Washington Univeristy have contributed to Dissemination and Implementation Research in Health: Translating Science to Practice, a new book published by Oxford University Press.

Junior Princeton Hynes is crowned Mr. Wash U out of 13 undergraduate candidates during the annual Mr. Wash U talent show April 5 in Edison Theatre. Princeton’s talent is the ability to recall any Oscar fact (nominees or winners in any category) since the awards first were presented in 1929. A six-member judging panel of faculty, staff and students made the final decision based on personality, character, talent and contribution to the WUSTL and St. Louis communities.

Deborah Ohiani-Jegede (left), a sophomore biomedical engineering major, helps a Froebel Elementary School student make bridges from marshmallows and toothpicks in The Gargoyle April 7 as part of Field Day, an annual event organized by the Campus YMCA. During the event, WUSTL students led high-achieving students from nine St. Louis public schools in fun academic and athletic challenges.

Garry Kasparov, considered the best chess player of all time and a champion of democracy in Russia, recently visited campus and offered advice on outmaneuvering opponents in politics and business. In addition to his talk, Kasparov played a lucky audience member as part of a demonstration.

Sophomore Anna Etherington set a school record in the pole vault as one of eight event champions for the WUSTL track & field team April 7 at the WU Select Meet. Updates also included on baseball, softball and men’s and women’s tennis.