Campus & Community

In 2014, in the wake of unrest following the death of a Ferguson, Mo., teenager, the Washington University Assembly Series and its campus partners tackled issues of race and social justice head on. This fall, the university’s signature lecture series — which has, since 1953, brought some of the most important voices in contemporary society to campus — reflects this continuing interest with five programs that delve into these issues and more. The series kicks off Wednesday, Sept. 16, with social scientist Melvin Oliver.

Provost Holden Thorp, PhD, has appointed an eight-member committee to identify candidates for the position of dean of the Brown School. Eddie Lawlor, PhD, the William E. Gordon Distinguished Professor, announced he will step down as dean at the end of the academic year, June 30, 2016.

Architect and structural engineer Guy Nordenson, who began his career as a draftsman for R. Buckminster Fuller and Isamu Noguchi, will launch the Sam Fox School’s fall Public Lecture Series with a free talk Monday, Sept. 14. In all, the series will feature 10 presentations by nationally and internationally known artists, architects, curators and designers.

Images captured in and around the Washington University campuses. Click on the ‘i’ in the upper-left corner for captions.

Following a weeklong orientation that focused on health disparities and public health, first-year students at the School of Medicine got their hands dirty working at urban gardens in St. Louis. The students volunteered with a nonprofit organization that works to establish and sustain green spaces in neighborhoods across the city.

Washington University in St. Louis mathematician Blake Thornton, PhD, came in first in the paddleboard division of the MR340, an endurance race on the Missouri River. Before signing up for next year’s race, you might want to read this article as well as watch the video.

The Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement at Washington University in St. Louis has announced the inaugural recipients of its Achievement in Community Engagement Awards. They are Brian D. Carpenter, PhD (right), associate professor of psychology at Washington University in St. Louis; Leroy D. Nunery II, EdD, educational leader and founder of PlūsUltré LLC; and the United Way of Greater St. Louis.

​​Edward F. Lawlor, PhD, dean and the William E. Gordon Distinguished Professor at the Brown School at Washington University, has announced his decision to conclude his deanship on June 30, 2016. Lawlor, who has served as dean since 2004, will remain at the university as the Gordon Professor, and a national search for his successor as dean will be conducted, according to Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton.

Marilyn Siegel, MD, a professor of radiology and of pediatrics, loves solving the puzzles her field presents and the opportunities it has given her. But most of all, she loves helping patients.

It’s time to get up and get moving. Washington University in St. Louis faculty, staff members, clinical fellows and postdoctoral appointees can sign up to participate in the next wellness challenge, WashU Moves. The program launches Sept. 2 and runs through Dec. 10, and each person’s goal is to take 10,000 steps, or roughly 5 miles, each day.