Newsroom Stories

WUSTL researcher Stanton Braude, Ph. D., lecturer in biology in Arts & Sciences, says the secret to a long life in humans might exist in the wrinkled body of one of the world’s ugliest animals — the naked mole rat.

Poet Thomas Sayers Ellis will read from his work at 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 8, for the Writing Program in Arts & Sciences. Ellis, a native of Washington, D.C., is the author of The Maverick Room (2005), a collection exploring the city’s social, geographical and historical neighborhoods. His Breakfast and Blackfist: Notes for Black Poets, is forthcoming from the University of Michigan Press’ Poets on Poetry Series.

The University marked the acquisition of its “One Hundred Years of Little Black Sambo” collection with a reception Oct. 12 at Olin Library. Most of the collection’s 234 items — which include books, puzzles, dishes, games and figurines — were created between 1899 and 1999.

Six faculty from the School of Medicine have been named fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world’s largest general scientific society. The highest honor awarded by AAAS, the rank of fellow is bestowed upon members by their peers in recognition of scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications.

The Olin Business School has appointed a new associate dean and director of the undergraduate degree program. Jeff Cannon will take the reigns from Gary Hochberg on Jan. 1, 2008. Hochberg is stepping aside after overseeing the BSBA program for 25 years and helping it attain international recognition for excellence.

Charlie Duke, Apollo 16 astronaut and moonwalker, will discuss “A Journey to the Moon!” on Nov. 1 in Brookings Hall, Room 300, at Washington University. His talk, which is free and open to the public, will immediately follow a public ceremony at 2:30 p.m. in which he will present WUSTL Arts & Sciences senior Lonia Friedlander with a $10,000 scholarship from the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation.

• Lane closures are scheduled between the Highland Terrace bridge and Bellevue Avenue through Oct. 26. • Eager Road will be closed Oct. 27 at the I-170 intersection for the installation of a sewer line.

Rhythms for Rebuilding, WUSTL’s largest benefit concert, will be held at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 25 in Graham Chapel and will feature WUSTL’s entire a capella community. The event will raise money for causes related to hunger and poverty.

“An Impending Influenza Pandemic? What has been learned from 1918?” is the focus of a St. Louis community forum from 7:45-11:45 a.m. Nov. 9 in the Bryan Cave Moot Courtroom in Anheuser-Busch Hall. The program features discussions by city, county and national health directors and explores how St. Louis can use lessons from past flu outbreaks to prepare for a global bird flu pandemic that some experts see lurking on the horizon.

William H. Gass, Ph.D., the David May Distinguished University Professor Emeritus in the Humanities in Arts & Sciences, was presented with the 2007 Saint Louis Literary Award during a ceremony Oct. 24 at Saint Louis University.