Introducing new faculty members

The following are among the new faculty members at the University. Others will be introduced periodically in this space. Bruce Durazzi, Ph.D., joins the Department of Music in Arts & Sciences as assistant professor. Durazzi earned bachelor’s degrees in music composition and in English literature, both from Oberlin College, and a doctorate in music from Yale University. His research interests include politics and musical modernism, the music and aesthetics of Arnold Schoenberg and his school and gender studies in music. Before joining the WUSTL music faculty, Durazzi taught music theory at the University of Arizona and at Northwestern University. His current research in music theory emphasizes the relationship between music analysis and broader social, cultural and historical issues. Matt Gabel, Ph.D., joins the Department of Political Science in Arts & Sciences as associate professor. He earned a doctorate in political science from the University of Rochester and a master’s degree in advanced European studies at the College of Europe in Brugge, Belgium. He spent 1996-98 at the University of Michigan as a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Scholar in Health Policy Research. His research interests include the political consequences of electoral laws, comparative democratic processes and American health policy. James Spriggs, Ph.D., joins the Department of Political Science in Arts & Sciences as professor. His research interests are in American politics, with a specific emphasis on the scientific study of law and judicial process and politics. He is especially concerned with how institutions (i.e., formal rules or informal norms) shape the choices that judges make. This perspective focuses on how, in attempting to craft law consistent with their policy preferences, judges are constrained by institutional rules endogenous and exogenous to courts. He earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Westminster College, and master’s and doctoral degrees, both in philosophy, from WUSTL. Melanie Jean Springer, Ph.D., joins the Department of Political Science in Arts & Sciences as assistant professor. She earned a doctorate in political science from Columbia University in 2006 and specializes in American politics and quantitative methods. Her teaching and research interests include voting and elections, political institutions, state politics and policymaking, American political development, Congress, political parties and quantitative methods.

Campus Watch

The following incidents were reported to University Police Feb. 16-20. Readers with information that could assist in investigating these incidents are urged to call 935-5555. This information is provided as a public service to promote safety awareness and is available on the University Police Web site at police.wustl.edu. Feb. 16 10:21 a.m. — Bon Appetit […]

Civic service seminar begins Feb. 27

On March 1, the seminar will be open to the public during “Civic Service in an Unequal World: Analyzing Four Paradoxes,” a lecture by Teresa Matus Sepúlveda, at 1:10 p.m. in Brown Hall Lounge.

Eat well, get fit, stop smoking — prevent cancer

If you wanted to start today to reduce your chances of getting cancer, what would you have to do? Lose excess weight, get more exercise, eat a healthy diet and quit smoking. Those basic behavior changes would have a tremendous impact on the incidence of the most prevalent types of cancer — lung, breast, prostate and colon cancer — says Graham Colditz, associate director of Prevention and Control at the Siteman Cancer Center.

Washington University celebrates Michael and Irene Karl

Irene and Michael KarlWashington University will celebrate the fantastic careers of Michael and Irene Karl at 4:30 p.m., Feb. 23, at the Farrell Learning and Teaching Center. Both scientists, through their work at the School of Medicine, made great contributions to the medical and scientific communities throughout their illustrious careers.

Newborns with respiratory distress potentially have rare genetic disease

Newborns with respiratory distress should be evaluated for primary ciliary dyskinesia, a rare genetic disease that has features similar to cystic fibrosis, says Thomas Ferkol from the School of Medicine. He reports finding that about 80 percent of patients with primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) have a history of newborn respiratory distress.

Studies identify DNA regions linked to nicotine dependence

Americans are bombarded with antismoking messages, yet at least 65 million of us continue to light up. Genetic factors play an important role in this continuing addiction to cigarettes, suggest scientists at the School of Medicine. They show that certain genetic variations can influence smoking behaviors and contribute to a person’s risk for nicotine dependence.

Campus Watch

Feb. 13 3:22 p.m. — A person reported unknown person(s) used her debit card online to make a purchase. The fraudulent purchase occurred Jan. 30. The victim had possession of her debit card when the fraudulent activity took place. Feb. 14 12:03 a.m. — The complainant reported that suspect(s) unknown entered their unsecured dorm rooms in Myers Residence Hall and took two cameras and an iPod. They believe that the incident occurred between Feb. 11 in the evening and today.
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