Author: Michael Smick

Nonviolent protest or armed resistance? In My Children! My Africa!, acclaimed South African playwright Athol Fugard illustrates the choice with an arresting image. Mr. M — a beloved teacher in a poor black township — lifts a dictionary in one hand. The other grips a rock someone has thrown through his window. Mr. M is played by Ron Himes, founder of The Black Rep. 

Washington University in St. Louis’ Olin Business School and School of Engineering & Applied Science have announced a partnership with the startup-focused news organization Techli to promote the growing entrepreneurship community in and around St. Louis.

A mobile solution to the severity of epileptic seizures. Helmets designed to reduce concussions in high-impact sports. A locally sourced grain-to-glass spirits distillery. These are just a few ideas of the seven final teams, announced Nov. 7, vying this year for $70,000 in seed money to start a new company. The Olin Cup is sponsored by the Skandalaris Center for Entrepreneurial Studies.

The inaugural Danforth Distinguished Lectures is bringing nationally recognized scholars to Washington University in St. Louis Nov. 18-20 for public lectures and discussions with faculty, students and invited experts. The theme will be “Protestant Foreign Missions and Secularization in Modern America.”

Dozens of students participated in the annual Diwali festival Nov. 8 and 9 at Edison Theatre, including Kesar Varma, left, and Supritha Prasad. The event was hosted by Ashoka, Washington University in St. Louis’ South Asian student association.  ​

Is privacy a “right”? What are we willing to sacrifice for privacy? How consistent are our beliefs about privacy and how consistently do we “practice” it? In response to these types of questions, Washington University in St. Louis experts on privacy issues, ranging from the history of privacy to privacy law, will participate in a roundtable discussion, titled “Privacy and Surveillance,” from noon to 2 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 20, in Anheuser-Busch Hall, Bryan Cave Moot Courtroom.

Veteran Ian Smith barely graduated from high school. Today, he is earning his degree in global leadership and management in University College in Arts & Sciences and is leading a team of engineers to develop low-cost prosthetics using 3D printers.

Washington University, recognized for its leadership in the Sustainable Land Lab, a partnership with the City of St. Louis, and for furthering sustainability efforts on campus, was one of six entities to receive a sustainability award from the City of St. Louis Nov. 6 during the Mayor’s Sustainability Summit.

Some 10 boxes, weighing over 100 pounds and carrying everything from breakfast bars, coffee, air fresheners, hand sanitizers, trail mix and home-baked goods, are on their way to U.S. troops in Afghanistan, thanks to Washington University’s Military Care Package group. With the November mailing, the group reached another milestone. Since 2004, WUSTL staff, students, faculty and administrators have donated, packaged and shipped more than eight tons of supplies to troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

At a Board of Trustees meeting in October, several faculty members were appointed, promoted or granted tenure. Read more to find out the details.