Humanities & Society

In “Economic Realities of the American Dream,” professors Steven Fazzari and Mark Rank examine the ­American Dream’s historical meaning, the ­traditional pathways to reach it, the current obstacles to achieving it and its viability in the future.

Fair Saint Louis​ will be held July 3-5 in Forest Park. Washington University in St. Louis will sponsor the event by providing access to several campus parking areas beginning at 4 p.m. Thursday, July 3. Large crowds are expected, and anyone who does not need to drive to campus during the fair is advised not to.​​

Most walking and running routes go to, through or around a public park — in higher-income neighborhoods. In a study conducted by the Brown School using the website Map My Run as a tool, researchers found most routes inputted by walkers or runners at least partially included parks. But in low-income neighborhoods, the odds of running in a park were 54 percent lower.

Jennifer K. Lodge, PhD, associate dean for research and professor of molecular microbiology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has been appointed vice chancellor for research for the university, according to Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton; Larry J. Shapiro, MD, executive vice chancellor for medical affairs and dean of the School of Medicine; and H. Holden Thorp, PhD, university provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs.

Chairs provide great support during long meetings, but they may also be holding us back. Standing during meetings boosts the excitement around creative group processes and reduces people’s tendencies to defend their turf, according to a new Washington University in St. Louis study that used wearable sensors to measure participants’ activity levels.

​​​Ida Early, secretary to Washington University in St. Louis’ Board of Trustees (left), and Virginia Braxs, senior lecturer in Spanish in the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures​, were recognized as 2014 St. Louis Women of Achievement.

The Gephardt Institute for Public Service maintains the Community Counts database to track community service activities by WUSTL schools and organizations. It’s time to submit initiatives from the 2013-14 academic year. The deadline is June 30. Each submitted initiative will be entered into a drawing for $500 to support the project.

In preparation for an upcoming summit on working families, Robert Pollak, PhD, an expert on family economics, recently attended a meeting at the White House with other academic leaders and senior administration officials. They gathered to discuss the implications of demographic and other changes for 21st-century workplaces.

A half-century after the Civil Rights Act, unequal access to resources continues to afflict the St. Louis area, resulting in billions of dollars lost in health-care costs and wages. But a multidisciplinary, landmark study called “For the Sake of All: A Report on the Health and Well-Being of African Americans in St. Louis,” led by the Brown School’s Jason Purnell and released May 30, proposes solutions informed by evidence and community input and includes a call to action to community members and stakeholders.

Parking fees for most Danforth Campus WUSTL employees and students will increase this year. As parking grows more scarce, employees are urged to try carpooling, Metro, cycling or another alternative transportation program. Alternative transportation coordinator Andrew Heaslet offers personal transportation consultations.