Announcements

Have budding young artists in the house? WUSTL campus sustainability committees want to show off their talents. The Children’s Sustainability Art Contest for Washington University community children attending kindergarten through high school will be held to raise awareness among university families of the importance of sustainable living. Entries must be received by Friday, March 9.

This spring, the WUSTLAlerts emergency notification system will change the way it alerts the university community of tornado warnings in and approaching St. Louis City and County.

The Spring Activities Fair, open to all students, will be held at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 25, in the Danforth University Center. Featuring approximately 150 student groups and university departments, the event is an opportunity for students to explore options for involvement and find experiences that will augment classroom learning.

In remembrance of Martin Luther King Jr., the Society of Black Student Social Workers (SBSSW) at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis will host the sixth annual “Financial Freedom Seminar: Making Your Money Work for You,” from 9 a.m.- 3:00 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 21, in Brown and Goldfarb halls. The seminar, free and open to the public, is designed for St. Louis community youth and adults interested in building wealth, repairing and maintaining good credit, purchasing a home or starting and expanding a business.

Twitter might appear to be one of many online attention drains, but tweeting often can prove practical. Washington University Libraries staff members are offering a series of free workshops aimed to help interested members of the WUSTL community explore how they can productively utilize this social media tool. All sessions are free to WUSTL students, faculty and staff.

Washington University is adding new features to its WUSTLAlerts Emergency Notification System this spring to help the WUSTL community stay informed and safe during an emergency. Alertus beacons, pop-up messages on university-owned computers, digital signage- and cable TV-overrides, and public address system access are among this spring’s improvements.

Nominations for Honorary Degree Recipients for the May 2013 Commencement at Washington University in St. Louis are being sought by the Honorary Degree Committee of the Board of Trustees and will be accepted through Friday, March 9.

Washington University in St. Louis has been ranked No. 8 in a recent “Green Metric” ranking of world universities by the University of Indonesia. The ranking measures university participants’ commitment to developing an environmentally friendly infrastructure. Results are based on information provided by universities on their energy efficiency, water usage, waste management, transportation and more.

Student groups at Washington University in St. Louis will usher in the Year of the Dragon and celebrate one of Asia’s most important holidays — Lunar New Year — beginning with a fireworks show Sunday, Jan. 22, and concluding with a two-night, high-spirited performance Jan. 27-28 in Edison Theatre. Events are open to the public. Benefit proceeds will help support victims of the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami that devastated the northeastern region of Japan.

The Community Service Office of the Gephardt Institute for Public Service is offering three Social Change Grants of $5,000 or $6,000 for summer 2012. The intent-to-apply notification deadline is Jan. 23, with proposals due Feb. 10. WUSTL students with an idea for improving the conditions or opportunities of a community anywhere around the globe are invited to apply.