Author: Michael Smick

Former Republican presidential candidate Jon Huntsman Jr. assesses our nation’s status at the next Assembly Series presentation, 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 25. in Graham Chapel.  The event is free and open to the public, though seating for the public will be limited due to an anticipated large campus turnout. Visit the Assembly Series website for more information or call 314-935-4620.

Vice Provost Adrienne Davis recommends checking out Cultural Connections this weekend. Portfolio Gallery celebrates its 25th anniversary with a showcase of African-American art and books.

Seven staff members from throughout Washington University in St. Louis will participate in this year’s Global Diversity Overseas Seminar Program. They will travel to Ghana in June. The program is designed to give staff a global perspective on diversity through seminar meetings, group discussions, assigned readings and community-engagement opportunities culminating in an international site visit to one of WUSTL’s study-abroad programs.

A major commitment by Donald Jubel, on his family’s behalf, to honor his late parents will provide the impetus for the next phase of physical expansion for Washington University in St. Louis’ School of Engineering & Applied Science.

Even at 282 years old, George Washington still enjoys a good birthday party. In celebration of George Washington Week, sponsored by WUSTL sophomore honorary society Lock and Chain, our founding father shares why he loves this country — and this campus.

A recent gift of $1,025,000 will establish the Suren G. Dutia and Jas K. Grewal Global Impact Award in the Skandalaris Center for Entrepreneurial Studies at Washington University. The endowed fund will receive $1 million, with the remaining $25,000 to support awards made during the current academic year. Applications are being accepted until March 24 for awards to support business ventures aimed at catalyzing social change.

School of Law faculty joined in a special moot court program last month to help attorneys prepare for — and students better understand — a landmark intellectual property case that the Supreme Court will consider this month.

Some WUSTL faculty members have received awards from the Fulbright Program for academic pursuits in areas ranging from architecture to education to medicine. 

Access to required anesthetic agents for a lethal injection is quickly disappearing, leaving the future of the death penalty in the United States in question. “Because the European Union opposes the death penalty, it prohibits the export of goods for executions [and] requires a time-consuming preauthorization review for every shipment of a potential ‘dual use’ pharmaceutical,” says Rebecca Dresser, JD, biomedical ethics expert and professor of law and of medicine at Washington University in St. Louis. “Capital cases are expensive, and state budgets are tight. High costs and concern about erroneous convictions have led a few states to abolish the death penalty in recent years. Barriers to obtaining lethal injection drugs could lead more states to do away with the death penalty altogether.”

The Mosaic Project announces a number of important updates as part of its efforts toward improving diversity and inclusion for students at WUSTL. Because of the hard work and leadership of a dedicated group of students, faculty and staff, the Bias Report and Support System is live and the Center for Diversity and Inclusion is under development to open in 2014. In addition, a campus climate survey will be sent to all Danforth campus students on Feb. 16 and a new stand-alone community values program for undergraduate student orientation will launch this fall.