Author: Neil Schoenherr

A WUSTL professor’s excavation of a “gold mine of archeology” in China has been ranked as one of the top 100 science stories of 2010 by Discover magazine.

For many, mid-December means hanging lights, decorating the Christmas tree and going to holiday parties. For college students, mid-December means another thing: final papers and exams. But it doesn’t have to be so stressful. WUSTL staff psychologist Brent Beam, PhD, says self-care and skillful studying are essential, along with tips on how to stay stress-free this week.

The Community Service Office is seeking nominations for the annual Gerry and Bob Virgil Ethic of Service Award. The award recognizes WUSTL community members who believe in and shape the future of the St. Louis region.

Washington University has been named as one of the top producers of Fulbright Scholarships in the nation. Thirteen WUSTL students and eight faculty members were selected as Fulbright grantees for the 2010-2011 academic year. WUSTL was one of only 11 institutions ranked by the Chronicle of Higher Education as a top producer of both Fulbright students and Fulbright faculty.

Common Ground, a joint initiative of the Department of History, the Program in African and African American Studies and the Program in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, all in Arts & Sciences, will host five speakers over the remainder of the academic year. The first, Ruth Wilson Gilmore, PhD, will present Thursday, Dec. 2.

For the first time ever, a team from China is on the campus of Washington University in St. Louis. The men’s basketball team from Tsinghua University in Beijing, China, is visiting WUSTL through Dec. 5 to take part in the 27th annual Lopata Classic basketball tournament.

Gerald L. Early, PhD, the Merle Kling Professor of Modern Letters in Arts & Sciences and director of the Center for the Humanities, both in Arts & Sciences, chats with a group of students Nov. 17 in South 40 House about the book Blue Angel by Francine Prose. Prose will be on campus to receive the 2010 Washington University International Humanities Medal Nov. 30.

Students dance during the annual Diwali, or Festival of Lights, program Nov. 12 at Edision Theatre. Diwali is one of the most widely celebrated and largest student-run productions on campus. It is organized by Ashoka, the South Asian Student Association, and it has been a WUSTL tradition for 21 years.

Students played a game of Quidditch in the South 40 Swamp Nov. 15 as part of Harry Potter Week. The college councils from four residential colleges organized the week to celebrate the opening of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, which premieres in St. Louis at midnight Thursday, Nov. 18. More than any other group, this generation of college students has grown up with the Harry Potter franchise.

Members of the Alpha Omega Pi sorority let loose on the dance floor in the Field House of the Athletic Complex during the annual 12-hour Dance Marathon Nov. 6. More than 1,000 students from WUSTL and local colleges and high schools helped raise $166,807.65 for the Children’s Miracle Network, bringing the event’s 12-year fundraising total to more than $1 million.