Newsroom Stories

In Ireland, the toe-tapping collegiality of an impromptu living room concert can be summed up in single word: craic. And perhaps no band better exemplifies the essence of craic than Danú. Hailed as a “spirit-raising concoction” by The Irish Times, this five-member ensemble is among the most charismatic and sophisticated traditional Irish groups working today, known for mixing ancient Irish songs with new additions to the repertoire in concerts that are at once authentic, clever and fun. 

Researchers at the School of Medicine have peered deep into the eye of the chicken and found a masterpiece of biological design. They plan follow-up studies that could eventually provide helpful insights for scientists seeking to use stem cell and other techniques to treat the nearly 200 genetic disorders that can cause various forms of blindness.

Four architecture professors from the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts are part of two teams that have reached the second round of an international competition to reshape the grounds surrounding St. Louis’ iconic Gateway Arch.

A new e-mail system for students, GO WUSTL, debuts Wednesday, Feb. 24. Beginning that day, eligible students can activate their GO WUSTL accounts at go.wustl.edu or any WUSTL Web site where they see the GO WUSTL logo. Once the new account is activated, students can transfer e-mails, address books and other information from their previous school accounts.

The university has launched a new Web site that will serve as the hub of information about the tobacco-free policy across all campuses. The new site will offer information about the university’s tobacco-free initiative as well as free cessation programs available to students, faculty and staff who wish to quit. Beginning July 1, smoking and tobacco use will be prohibited in university-owned and -managed properties.  

Christopher I. Byrnes, Ph.D., dean of the School of Engineering & Applied Science at Washington University in St. Louis from 1991 to 2006 and the Edward H. and Florence G. Skinner Professor Emeritus of Systems Science and Mathematics, died unexpectedly last week in Stockholm, Sweden. He was 60.

Junior Nick Yozamp, a biology major in Arts & Sciences, won the 2010 Jeopardy! College Championship and a $100,000 cash prize. The St. Cloud, Minn., native emerged victorious after the two-week competition by outplaying 14 undergraduates from across the country. Yozamp is the first WUSTL student to win the title.

Geoff Marcy, popular “planet hunter” and professor of astronomy at the University of California, Berkeley, will deliver the Ferguson Lecture for the Assembly Series at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 17, in Graham Chapel. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Recipients of the annual James M. Holobaugh Honor were recognized at a reception Feb. 10 in Holmes Lounge. The honor recognizes individuals and organizations that live and lead with integrity, engage diverse communities on issues relevant to LGBT community at WUSTL and throughout the St. Louis metropolitan area.

A series of forums and poster sessions was held throughout the university in January and February promoting the Strategic Plan for Sustainable Operations.