Author: Liam Otten

Photo by Joe AngelesJana Harper, lecturer in book arts in the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts, leads a course in the Nancy Spirtas Kranzberg Studio for the Illustrated Book.Dedicated to the creation, study and exhibition of multidisciplinary and collaborative work, the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts reflects larger developments within art and architecture education.

Pulitzer Prize-winning fiction writer Steven Millhauser, the visiting Fannie Hurst Professor of Creative Literature in Washington University’s Writing Program in Arts & Sciences, will read from his work at 8 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 12. In addition, Millhauser will speak on the craft of fiction at 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 19.

Courtesy photoWilliam Jay SmithWilliam Jay Smith, a Washington University alumnus and former Poetry Consultant to the Library of Congress (the position now known as the U.S. Poet Laureate), will read from his work at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 17, in Olin Library’s Ginkgo Reading Room. In addition, Smith will speak on “My Friend, Tom: Tennessee Williams in St. Louis” — recounting his time as a classmate of the great playwright and fellow Washington University alumnus — at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 18, in Hurst Lounge, Room 201, Duncker Hall.

The New York Times named The Cottagers as an “Editor’s Choice,” praising Klimasewiski’s intricate prose and clever plotting.

A family friendly romp in the trademark Karamazov style, Life: A Guide for the Perplexed is a series of parables designed to help one survive the modern world.

Bruce Lindsey, the Paul Rudolph Professor of Architecture at Auburn University in Auburn, Ala., has been named dean of the College of Architecture and Graduate School of Architecture & Urban Design, both part of the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts.

David Chipperfield, architect for the proposed Saint Louis Art Museum expansion, and Nigel Tonks, who is leading building services engineering for the project, will both speak as part of the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts’ fall Architecture Lecture Series.

In October, the Performing Arts Department in Arts & Sciences’ Dance Program will host a weeklong series of public events with Gary Galbraith and Bonnie Oda Homsey, both former principal dancers with the Martha Graham Dance Company.

Ralph G. Dacey Jr., M.D., the Henry G. and Edith R. Schwartz Professor and chair of the Department of Neurological Surgery, was appointed to the advisory council of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, a division of the National Institutes of Health. The advisory council advises the institute on policy and procedures affecting the extramural research programs and provides a second level of review for all grant and cooperative agreement applications considered by the institute for funding. … Kejie Yin, M.D., Ph.D., research instructor in neurology, has received a four-year, $260,000 grant from the American Heart Association for research titled “The Role of Bim in Vascular Degeneration in Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy.” … Leila Nadya Sadat, J.D., the Henry H. Oberschelp Professor of Law, recently received the 2006 Article of the Year Award from the International Association of Penal Law (American Branch) for her paper, “Exile, Amnesty and International Law.” The annual award recognizes the “best scholarly contribution to the field.” Sadat’s article was published in volume 81 of the Notre Dame Law Review. The award’s committee described it as “a careful, thoughtful, thorough examination of current state and international practice on exile and amnesty.” Sadat’s article considers state and international practices regarding amnesties for jus cogens crimes, including genocide and crimes against humanity. … Vladimir J. Kefalov, Ph.D., assistant professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences, has received a four-year, $200,000 grant from Research to Prevent Blindness for that organization’s Career Development Award. … Dwight Towler, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of medicine, has received a one-year, $174,600 grant from the Barnes-Jewish Hospital Foundation for research titled “Bone and Mineral Diseases Clinical Research Unit Bridge Funding.” … Steven M. Strasberg, M.D., the Pruett Professor of Surgery, chief of the section of hepatobiliary pancreatic surgery and associate professor of cell biology and physiology, was recently named a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, Scotland, at the 7th World Congress of the International Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association. He was honored as part of the 500th anniversary of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. … David L. Brody, M.D., Ph.D., instructor in the Department of Neurology, has received a three-year, $158,680 grant from the Thrasher Research Fund for research titled “Amyloid-B and Traumatic Brain Injury in Children.” … Samuel W. Buell, associate professor of law, recently received the U.S. Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Service for his work on the Enron Task Force. Buell shared the distinction, the U.S. Department of Justice’s highest award, with other members of the investigative and trial team that successfully prosecuted individuals most responsible for the Enron fraud. Buell served as a special attorney on the Enron Task Force from January 2002 to March 2004. At the time, he was serving as assistant U.S. attorney for the District of Massachusetts.

Martha Graham (1894-1991) is among the most acclaimed choreographers of the 20th century. In October, the Performing Arts Department (PAD) in Arts & Sciences’ Dance Program will host a weeklong series of public events with Gary Galbraith and Bonnie Oda Homsey, both former principal dancers with the Martha Graham Dance Company.