Trawling the waters

Trawling the waters

As a foreign correspondent, alumna Robin McDowell and a team of investigative reporters exposed the widespread use of slave labor in the fishing industry in Southeast Asia. Unbeknown to many, this seafood could end up in your local grocery store or favorite restaurant.
Coming full circle

Coming full circle

Members of the Class of 1967 returned to the university to celebrate their 50th Reunion. Much has changed since they were students, but their affinity for the place and people endure.
Starting up in St. Louis

Starting up in St. Louis

Business Insider recently reported that St. Louis is the best city for Millennials due to its low cost of living and lifestyle. Zoë Scharf, BFA ’11, co-founder of the start up Greetabl, wants to add one more reason to the list: the city’s great start-up scene.
Eclipse chasers and new planet tracers

Eclipse chasers and new planet tracers

Long before GPS satellites and NASA, Washington University astronomers played a central role in the scientific observation of total solar eclipses — including a search for the elusive planet Vulcan in the late 1800s.
Observations eclipse early obstacles

Observations eclipse early obstacles

Chancellor William Chauvenet nurtured Edward S. Holden’s interest in astronomy on the campus of Washington University, but Holden’s initial fascination with the field sprang from a series of circumstances associated with childhood tragedy.
Eclipse in rhyme

Eclipse in rhyme

Edward S. Holden’s 1883 expedition report to the National Academies was written with all due respect. However, a handwritten note, written in rhyme, from a crew member of the U.S.S. Hartford suggests the voyagers enjoyed lighter moments as well.
Judging the Supreme Court

Judging the Supreme Court

The justices of the nation’s highest court have a bird’s-eye view of the nation’s discord. But Lee Epstein trains her binoculars on them as they do their work.
Targeted excavating leads to lost city

Targeted excavating leads to lost city

Using modern, high-tech analysis tools, anthropologist Michael Frachetti is leading groundbreaking research on an ancient city high in the Uzbekistan mountains. The site may hold clues to how medieval civilizations changed when diverse communities integrated — and even suggest how we might consider our own current initiatives of global community-building.
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