Newsroom Stories

Zhu Chuanmei, from Yueyang, Hunan, China, has been named a McDonnell International Scholar at Washington University in St. Louis. Zhu earned a degree from Tsinghua University, which is one of 27 premier universities partnered with Washington University in the McDonnell International Scholars Academy. In addition to being selected as an Academy Scholar, she has been named the Charoen Pokphand Corporate Fellow.

Dance students in the Performing Arts Department (PAD) in Arts & Sciences get things moving Feb. 6 as part of an advanced master class led by acclaimed improvisational dancer Kirstie Simson. Described as “a force of nature,” by The New York Times, Simson was on campus as the PAD’s 2012 Marcus Residency Dance Artist.

Brian Phillips; Larry J. Shapiro, MD, executive vice chancellor for medical affairs and dean of the School of Medicine; and Joseph Roddy, St. Louis Alderman for the 17th Ward, celebrate after Roddy presented Shapiro with a proclamation thanking the School of Medicine for its Holiday Outreach program, orchestrated by the Washington University Medical Center Redevelopment Corp.

Kilian Q. Weinberger, assistant professor of computer science & engineering in the School of Engineering & Applied Science, has won a prestigious Faculty Early Career Development Award (CAREER award) from the National Science Foundation. Weinberger’s CAREER project, “New Directions for Metric Learning,” seeks to solve one of the fundamental problems of machine learning: how to compare individual texts, images or sounds.

Herbie Hancock is arguably the most influential jazz pianist of the last 50 years. At 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 23, Washington University’s Jazz at Holmes series will pay tribute to Hancock with an evening of his music performed by St. Louis’ own Ptah Williams. Now in its 13th year, the series will present free concerts by local and nationally known jazz musicians most Thursday nights throughout the spring.

“Maria.” In Latin cultures, it is the iconic female name — embracing sacred and profane, encompassing women from Maria Magdalena to the Virgin Maria to the romantic lead in West Side Story. It is also the inspiration for Mad’moiselle, a richly theatrical, and frequently tongue-in-cheek, examination of the Marias in all our lives. Next month, Ballet Hispanico, the nation’s preeminent Latino dance organization, will present Mad’moiselle and other recent works as part of the Edison Ovations Series.

Naoko Akimoto has been named a McDonnell International Scholar at Washington University in St. Louis. Akimoto earned a bachelor’s degree in law from the University of Tokyo, which is one of 27 premier universities from around the world partnered with Washington University in the McDonnell International Scholars Academy.

Antonio Henrique Berno Zanutto has been named a McDonnell International Scholar at Washington University in St. Louis. Zanutto earned two degrees from the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), which is one of 27 premier universities from around the world partnered with Washington University in the McDonnell International Scholars Academy.

Chen Li, from Wenzhou, China, has been named a McDonnell International Scholar at Washington University in St. Louis. Chen earned degrees from the National University of Singapore and Chinese University of Hong Kong, which are two of the 27 premier universities from around the world partnered with Washington University in the McDonnell International Scholars Academy.

Leandro Medina de Oliveira, from São Paulo, Brazil, has been named a McDonnell International Scholar at Washington University in St. Louis. Medina de Oliveira earned a degree from the State University of Campinas, which is one of 27 premier universities from around the world partnered with Washington University in the McDonnell International Scholars Academy.