Newsroom Stories

Photo by David KilperKastor’s creativity keeps his students captivated

A team of scientists led by Washington University has begun to unlock the genetic secrets of corn, a crop vital to U.S. agriculture. The researchers have completed a working draft of the corn genome, which should accelerate efforts to develop better crop varieties to meet society’s growing demands for food, livestock feed and fuel.

Courtesy PhotoAhh … spring break. A time for relaxation, rejuvenation and fun. Or, for many WUSTL students, a time for hard work, reflection and a greater sense of purpose. Hundreds of students will spend the break, March 10-16, on service trips in places as far away as Buenos Aires, Argentina, and as close as downtown St. Louis.

University students who have a passion for collecting books can compete for prizes of $1,000 or $500 by entering the 21st annual Neureuther Student Book Collection Essay Competition. Sponsored by University Libraries, the Neureuther Competition is designed to encourage students to read for enjoyment and to develop personal libraries or book collections throughout their lives. […]

The Center for the Humanities in Arts & Sciences has announced its Spring 2009 Faculty Fellows. The three recipients are: Guinn Batten, Ph.D., associate professor of English in Arts & Sciences; Andrea Friedman, Ph.D., associate professor of history and women & gender studies, both in Arts & Sciences; and Jennifer Kapczynski, Ph.D., assistant professor of […]

Radio astronomer and astrophysicist Jocelyn Bell Burnell, Ph.D., the first to discover pulsars, will describe her landmark work and current research 11 a.m. March 19 in Graham Chapel. Carl Phillips, professor of English and of African and African American studies in Arts & Sciences, will deliver the first of three talks 4 p.m. March 25 in Umrath Lounge.

Shepley Drive on the Danforth Campus will be closed between the police parking lot and Wallace Drive from March 10-14 for utility construction.

On Monday, March 10, Washington University in St. Louis Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton, McDonnell International Scholars Academy director James V. Wertsch and 10 students from 10 different countries will ring the New York Stock Exchange’s opening bell at 9:30 a.m. EST. The students are all members of WUSTL’s McDonnell Academy.

When platelet activity was blocked (right), bones had much smaller tumors.Cancer cells get a helping hand from platelets, specialized blood cells involved in clotting. Platelets shelter and feed tumor cells that stray into the bloodstream, making it easier for cancer to spread, or metastasize. Research at the School of Medicine suggests that inactivating platelets could slow down or prevent metastasis.

Distinguished poet Carl Phillips, professor of English and of African and African American Studies, both in Arts & Sciences at Washington University, will deliver the first of three talks on poetry at 4 p.m. Tuesday, March 25, in Umrath Lounge on the Danforth Campus, as part of the Interdisciplinary Project in the Humanities (IPH) in Arts & Sciences and WUSTL’s Assembly Series. Based on the theme of “The Art of Restlessness: On Poetry and Making,” Phillips’ talks are free and open to the public. The March 25th program will focus on “Poetry and Resistance.”