Newsroom Stories

Washington University in St. Louis is home to more than 4,000 trees. But this Arbor Day, Kent Theiling, grounds and landscape design manager, would like to recognize one special tree: the American basswood in Brookings Quadrangle. With a 48-inch trunk diameter, the tree is an estimated 104 years old, almost as old as Brookings Hall.

Using new gene-editing technology, researchers at the School of Medicine have rewired mouse stem cells to fight inflammation caused by arthritis and other chronic conditions.

Washington University in St. Louis will award six honorary degrees during its 156th Commencement May 19. During the ceremony, which will begin at 8:30 a.m. in Brookings Quadrangle on the Danforth Campus, the university will bestow academic degrees on approximately 3,000 members of the Class of 2017.

Leila Sadat, an internationally renowned human rights expert, and David C. Van Essen, an authority on brain structure, function and development, will receive the university’s 2017 faculty achievement awards, Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton announced. Eric Leuthardt, MD, will be honored for innovation and entrepreneurship.

This Earth Day, leaders at Washington University in St. Louis announced a new name and an increased emphasis on the university’s united sustainability effort: the International Center for Energy, Environment and Sustainability, or InCEES.

While courts around the United States have found President Trump’s travel ban on Muslim-majority nations unconstitutional, the courts may have overlooked an important point, says an expert on law and religion at Washington University in St. Louis.

Paul Brophy, a leading expert in economic development and the editor of “On the Edge: America’s Middle Neighborhoods” will be at Washington University in St. Louis on Thursday, April 27, to discuss why middle neighborhoods matter. He’ll join with Executive Vice Chancellor Henry S. Webber and author Alan Mallach, who both contributed to “On the Edge,” and a panel of local civic leaders.

Internationally acclaimed baritone Nathan Gunn will perform works by Henry Purcell, Benjamin Britten, Dominick Argento, Roger Quilter, Ben Moore, Iain Bell and Charles Ives May 5 as part of Washington University’s inaugural Great Artist Series.

All 25 members of the inaugural cohort of the College Prep Program at Washington University have been accepted into college, and the group has received more than $4 million in scholarship offers. Lerone A. Martin, assistant professor, told the scholars: “Do not hide your light to make other people comfortable.”

Ten Washington University scientists were each given one minute to explain why they’re scientists. This is what they said.