Newsroom Stories

Apollo astronaut Rusty Schweickart will present Lindsey Steinberg, a senior majoring in chemistry in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, with a $10,000 scholarship from the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation during a public ceremony at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 10, in Brookings Hall, Room 300. Schweickart will also share his experience orbiting the Earth as Lunar Module Pilot of Apollo 9.

The Florist’s Daughter, Patricia Hampl’s most recent memoir, opens with a striking scene. As her mother lays dying, the writer sits at her bedside and begins composing an obituary on a plain yellow notepad. What follows is a loving tribute to her parents and to the startling passions that define supposedly ordinary lives.​

The Sustainable Cities Conference, including a Land Lab Competition aimed at catalyzing innovative ideas for sustainability projects on St. Louis’ vacant lots, will be held Nov. 1-3. The aim of the conference will be to explore innovative ideas and strategies that advance a sustainable urban future. Featuring thought leaders from across the country, the gathering will address many areas that contribute to urban sustainability — including buildings, urban design, landscape, food and energy.

Over the last century, nearly 1,900 square miles of Louisiana wetlands — an area approximately the size of Delaware — have disappeared. Now the Sam Fox School’s John Hoal is leading STUDIO MISI-ZIBBI, one of three finalist teams in the international competition “Changing Course: Navigating the Future of the Lower Mississippi River Delta.”

Washington University in St. Louis has announced a major, multi-year fundraising initiative, called Leading Together: The Campaign for Washington University, to build on its strong history and further evolve the university’s global leadership. Leading Together will focus on enhancing the university’s impact in four key areas: preparing the leaders of tomorrow, advancing human health, inspiring innovation and entrepreneurship, and enhancing the quality of life. The goal of Leading Together: The Campaign for Washington University is to raise a minimum of $2.2 billion in funding toward priorities included in the strategic plan.​​

Washington University alumnus and trustee Gary Sumers has have committed $12 million to help expand and modernize the Athletic Complex at Washington University in St. Louis and create the Gary M. Sumers Recreation Center. The gift was announced at the celebration of the launch of Leading Together: The Campaign for Washington University. Construction of the new addition and renovations are expected to be completed in 2015.​

Bloom Coffee founder and WUSTL senior Andrew Dowd (right) makes lattes at WUSTL’s new student-run coffee café, Bloom Coffee. Bloom Coffee specializes in hand-brewed single origin coffees and handcrafted espresso and tea concoctions. The cafe is open from 7 p.m.-2 a.m. on Thursday and Friday nights at Ursa’s Café on the South 40.

At its fall meeting Oct. 5, the Board of Trustees elected trustee Craig D. Schnuck, chair of the executive committee of St. Louis-based Schnuck Markets, to a newly created additional vice chair role and heard a report on the Washington University endowment by Kimberly G. Walker, chief investment officer. Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton also gave the trustees an update on campus activities and accomplishments.

“Welcome to cabaret!” declares the Master of Ceremonies. “Leave your troubles outside! Life is disappointing? Forget it! In here, life is beautiful! The girls are beautiful! Even the orchestra is beautiful!” Welcome to The Kit-Kat Club, Germany’s most decadent nightspot. And welcome to Cabaret. The Performing Arts Department in Arts & Sciences will stage the groundbreaking musical Oct. 19-28 in Edison Theatre.

The director of the women, gender and sexuality studies program at Washington University in St. Louis identifies some key issues of importance to women and non-heterosexual American voters in this year’s elections. Among the key issues are women’s reproductive rights, access to health care, equal rights for non-heterosexual Americans and equal pay for equal work.