Campus & Community

Does the recent decision by President Barack Obama to restore diplomatic relations with Cuba truly represent fresh opportunity? Or is it merely the latest chapter in a long, tortuous narrative of manipulation and misunderstanding? At 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 20, Cuban novelist Orlando Luis Pardo Lazo will discuss “U.S.-Cuba: A New Era or a New Ire?” in the Danforth University Center.

Jeigh Singleton, associate professor emeritus of fashion design in the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis, died Sunday, Jan. 11, 2015, following a long battle with cancer. He was 70.

All Washington University in St. Louis employees and their families are invited to the Bears basketball annual Faculty and Staff Family Day beginning at noon Sunday, Jan. 18, at the Athletic Complex.

Washington University Medical Center faculty, staff and students will perform their annual winter concert at 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 17, in the lobby of the Center for Advanced Medicine, 4921 Parkview Place. The event is free and open to the public.

Linda Hack has been named director of benefits and compensation in Human Resources at Washington University in St. Louis, effective Nov. 1, 2014.

​Meredith Evans, PhD, has been named associate university librarian for University Libraries at Washington University in St. Louis. She oversees the Department of Special Collections, which includes the Film and Media Archive, Manuscripts, the Modern Graphic History Library, Preservation, Rare Books, and University Archives.

James P. Keating, a meticulous physician who helped mold hundreds of medical residents, organized the first pediatric intensive care unit west of the Mississippi and was sought for his ability to solve mystery illnesses, died Dec. 25, 2014, in Cary, North Carolina.

In 2014, Washington University continued to play a major role in the St. Louis community while students and alumni made their mark on campus. Among the stories were the debut of the $80 million Lofts of Washington University, a continued investment in Cortex, the innovation district, and two unforgettable alumni.

​​Alexander Cox, a recent graduate of the School of Engineering & Applied Science at Washington University in St. Louis, was named the 2014 Air Force Cadet of the Year at a Dec. 5 ceremony at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. He is the 15th recipient of the award.

​The Lofts of Washington University, an $80 million residential and retail project, has been awarded LEED Platinum certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. Located in the Delmar Loop, the project debuted in August 2014 and features 167 fully furnished apartments for Washington University undergraduate students; United Provisions, a full-service grocery store and restaurant; and the 24-hour Peacock Loop Diner.​ ​