Humanities & Society

Social activist, educator and one of the “Little Rock Nine,” Minnijean Brown Trickey will present “Return to Little Rock” for the Women’s Society annual Adele Starbird Lecture at the Assembly Series on April 11 in Graham Chapel.

Devin DeWeese, Ph.D., a noted scholar of Islam in Asia, will discuss “Survival Strategies: Interpreting Islam in Central Asia, Past and Present” at 11 a.m. March 30 in Duncker Hall, Hurst Lounge.

The first round of Washington University’s Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation Competition is complete and six semi-finalists are now in the running for $120,000 in funding. Also, three additional teams remain to compete for the $5,000 prize awarded to a student who has founded or supported a team. Winners will be announced at the Awards Ceremony on May 3, 2007.

Eating fish may help reduce the risk for dementia.Nutritionists have long endorsed fish as part of a heart-healthy diet, and now some studies suggest that omega-3 fatty acids found in the oil of certain fish may also benefit the brain by lowering the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. In order to test whether docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 fatty acid, can impact the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, researchers at the School of Medicine and Saint Louis University School of Medicine will evaluate DHA in a clinical trial sponsored by the National Institute on Aging (NIA).

Leonard Berg, M.D., was a pioneer in the assessment and detection of Alzheimer’s disease, the founder and former director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and professor emeritus of neurology. In honor of his distinguished careers both as a clinician and researcher, a memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. March 31 in the Connor Auditorium of the Farrell Learning and Teaching Center. A reception will follow. Berg died Monday, January 15, 2007, at age 79 following a stroke.

Washington University today joined a consortium of leading scientific and medical institutions around the country to warn Congress that persistent flat-funding of biomedical research could thwart advances in treatments for such diseases as cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. Following today’s Senate Appropriations Labor-HHS Committee hearing on funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Washington University and the eight other institutions issued a report at a Capitol Hill press conference on funding for U.S. medical research.

Republican presidential contender Mike Huckabee, whose latest book outlines his distinct views and values, will give the College Republicans address for the Assembly Series. “From Hope to Higher Ground: 12 STOPS for Restoring America’s Greatness,” the title of his book and his talk, will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, April 4 in Graham Chapel on Washington University’s Danforth Campus. The event is free and open to the public.

Eminent British archaeologist Lord Colin Renfrew will speak for the Assembly Series on cognitive archaeology and how we become human at 4 p.m. March 22 in Graham Chapel.

An American Indian Pow Wow, a presentation on American Indian mascots in sports, and a traditional food tasting are among the highlights of the University’s American Indian Awareness Week April 9-14. The annual awareness week and Pow Wow allow the University’s American Indian students to share their unique cultures with the rest of the campus and the St. Louis community. All events are free and open to the public.

A team of investigators at the School of Medicine and other centers around the United States is evaluating dietary supplements to determine if they can prevent some of the damage from age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of blindness in Americans over the age of 65.