Newsroom Stories

Photo by Robert BostonStephen J. Benkovic, Ph.D., Arthur Horwich, M.D., and Carl Frieden, Ph.D., talk at the “Symposium at 77” held in honor of Frieden Sept. 21.

The New York Times named The Cottagers as an “Editor’s Choice,” praising Klimasewiski’s intricate prose and clever plotting.

Two attorneys and an environmental engineer have joined the School of Law’s Clinical Education Program. Edward “Ted” Heisel, J.D., has been named the clinic attorney for the Interdisciplinary Environmental Clinic and a lecturer in law. Highly regarded in his field, Heisel brings to his new role experience from private practice and public interest settings in areas involving land use, natural resources, local government and environmental law. As the former executive director of the Missouri Coalition for the Environment, he litigated numerous cases and served as its senior law and policy coordinator. He was instrumental in the coalition’s federal lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which led to major updates in Missouri water quality standards. He earned a law degree from Harvard Law School and a bachelor’s degree in biology from Kansas State University. A nationally recognized expert in Section 1983 litigation, Stephen M. Ryals, J.D., has been appointed the clinic attorney for the Civil Justice Clinic and a lecturer in law. Ryals brings to this position extensive experience in civil rights litigation, including police misconduct actions, employment discrimination cases and other constitutional issues. A principal of The Ryals Law Firm, P.C., in St. Louis, he is the author of several articles and books regarding Section 1983 litigation, including the treatise, “Discovery and Proof in Police Misconduct Cases.” He earned a law degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Peter W. Goode has been appointed environmental engineer for the Interdisciplinary Environmental Clinic. He previously worked for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, where he was chief of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permits and Engineering Section for the Water Protection Program. Goode earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Martha Graham (1894-1991) is among the most acclaimed choreographers of the 20th century. In October, the Performing Arts Department (PAD) in Arts & Sciences’ Dance Program will host a weeklong series of public events with Gary Galbraith and Bonnie Oda Homsey, both former principal dancers with the Martha Graham Dance Company.

A St. Louis based company has developed a nanotechnology process to reduce artery-clogging plaque, which causes heart attacks. Drs. Samuel Wickline and Gregory Lanza made the discovery at the School of Medicine.

The Department of Music in Arts & Sciences will mark the centennial year of the birth of Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975) with a concert Oct. 15. The program includes several of his most popular chamber works, cinclude Cello Sonata in D minor, op. 40; Piano Quintet in G minor, op. 57; and two scenes from the opera Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District.

The Office of Government and Community Relations wants to remind members of the Washington University community that the voter registration deadline is approaching. To be eligible to vote in Missouri’s upcoming November election, you must be registered by Wednesday, Oct.11, 2006. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2006.

A team of researchers led by School of Medicine scientists has found that parents often don’t know when their children are using alcohol, nicotine or other drugs. In addition, the study, published in the October issue of the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, found that for cocaine or other illicit drugs, the number of parents who know is even lower.

Temple Grandin transforms our views of how animals and autistic people perceive the world and how they connect. Her Assembly Series talk “The Boundaries of Humanity” is at 11 a.m. on Oct. 4 in Graham Chapel.

The WUSTL community has enthusiastically adopted the program and almost 17,000 U-Passes have been issued since July 1.