Newsroom Stories

Stephen H. Legomsky, J.D., D.Phil., has been named the John S. Lehmann University Professor. The new professorship was created through a charitable trust established by the late John Lehmann, a distinguished alumnus, lawyer and University trustee for more than 20 years.

Rafia Zafar, Ph.D., professor of English, of African & African American studies and of American culture studies, all in Arts & Sciences, has been awarded a Fulbright Scholar grant to lecture abroad during the 2007 spring semester.

Leonard Berg, founder and former director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, died Monday, Jan. 15, following a stroke. His early work formed the foundation for the systemized assessment of dementia and detection of early onset of Alzheimer’s disease now in common use.

He was president of the hospital from 1968 to 1995.

School of Medicine researchers suggest that eating less protein may help protect against certain cancers that are not directly associated with obesity. Lean people on a long-term, low-protein, low-calorie diet or regular endurance exercisers have lower levels of growth factors and hormones linked to cancer.

For the second year in a row, the Olin School of Business is offering a course that includes a succession of “celebrity” CEOs as guest speakers. The class, “Creating Exceptional Value: Performance Without Compromise,” is co-taught by Chuck Knight, chairman emeritus of Emerson, and Anjan Thakor, Ph.D., senior associate dean and the John E. Simon Professor of Finance.

Stardust, the NASA spacecraft mission, was given that name in hopes that the seven-year journey to capture comet samples would bring back to Earth, well, stardust. In an article in a special issue of the journal Science, Washington University researchers are the first to report that a sample they received from the mission actually does contain stardust — particles that are older than the sun.

In remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the Society of Black Student Social Workers at the George Warren Brown School of Social Work will host a “Financial Freedom Semnar: Achieving Economic Independence Through Education,” from 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Jan. 20 in Brown Hall.

Joseph T. Strong, a research engineer in the Genome Sequencing Center at the School of Medicine, died Saturday, Dec. 23, 2006.

Lawton will launch one of the first events in conjunction with the program when he speaks for the university’s Assembly Series at 11 a.m. Jan. 24, in Graham Chapel. His talk, titled “Burning to Read,” will address the fundamental importance of reading, having choices and of having books both in printed and digital form. In addition, the event will include several staged readings from Fahrenheit 451 performed by English Department professor Dan Shea and Washington University students. The program is free and open to the public. For more information: visit assemblyseries.wustl.edu, or call 314-935-4620.