Newsroom Stories

Faculty, staff and students commuting to all WUSTL campuses are encouraged to leave their sedans, SUVs and minivans in the garage and go “car-free” for April 16-27 as part of the university’s Car-Free Challenge during Car-Free Month. The Car-Free Challenge offers teams of individuals a chance to try alternative means of transportation, track their progress in calories-burned and CO2-saved, and benchmark against other teams. 

Students in the Program in Occupational Therapy worked with drivers from the community during the CarFit event March 31 at the School of Medicine. Drivers who came to the event were evaluated by Washington University occupational therapy students to ensure the vehicles were properly adjusted for the driver.

The Supreme Court’s upcoming decision on the constitutionality of the Affordable Care act has prompted some interesting and provocative issues about – and between – the president and the judicial branch, says Gregory P. Magarian, JD, professor of law at Washington University in St. Louis and former clerk for retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens. “These alarmed reactions reflect historical ignorance,” he says.

TEDMED 2012, featuring inspiring presentations from innovative thinkers and accomplished leaders, will be simulcast April 10-13 in Seminar Room B of the Eric P. Newman Education Center (EPNEC).

From the galleries of New York to the backlots of Hollywood, visual culture in the United States is often defined as coastal and urban. Yet historically, large numbers of artists and designers have emerged from the unique population, landscape and economy of the American Midwest. On April 12 and 13, the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts will investigate Midwestern cultural production with Inland Symposium: CST, the third annual Inland Visual Studies Center symposium.

Danielle Hayes, research assistant in anthropology in Arts & Sciences, presents a poster at Faces of Hope March 26 at the Danforth University Center. Faces of Hope celebrates community engagement at WUSTL. The event is an opportunity to learn how faculty, staff and students are working with partners locally and around the world to make a difference.

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found that problems with a digestive process in cells can clog arteries. The finding could provide a target for future therapies aimed at preventing or reversing atherosclerosis.

Two WUSTL students have been selected as 2012 Truman Scholars: junior Arts & Science majors Madeleine Daepp and Ethan Lynch. WUSTL is one of six institutions nationwide to have multiple Truman Scholars. Because Lynch is studying abroad in Amman Jordan, Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton (right) used Skype to share the good news.

Alaina Butler of Lawrence, Kan., dances during the 22nd annual Pow Wow March 31 in the Athletic Center. The Pow Wow, hosted by the Kathryn M. Buder Center for American Indian Studies at the Brown School, offered visitors and participants a full day of dancing, singing, drumming, arts, crafts and food.

Adding ultrasound exams to annual breast cancer screening can detect more cancers in women who have dense breasts and are at a higher risk of breast cancer, according to a three-year, multi-center trial appearing this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association. But the scans carry risks that may outweigh their benefits.