Record

Michael Wysession, professor of earth and planetary sciences in Arts & Sciences, was recently named the winner of the 2021 Geosciences in the Media Award of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists. The honor recognizes Wysession’s many achievements in promoting geoscience literacy and education.

The Big Ideas 2021-2022 competition is open. The program provides opportunities for collaborative teams to develop innovations in informatics and health-care delivery The deadline to submit a letter of intent is March 29.

Washington University has joined 37 other universities and partner organizations to launch the Taskforce on Higher Education and Opportunity. The task force will study how to ensure graduates succeed in the post-pandemic economy, strengthen partnerships with local communities and reimagine higher education in a way that supports students of all backgrounds.

Washington University in St. Louis will be holding multiple Commencement ceremonies on May 20, 21 and 30 and seeks staff volunteers to help them run smoothly. The university will take safety precautions and follow government guidelines to ensure safety for volunteers, graduates and guests.

For the third straight year, Washington University has been recognized as a “Voter-Friendly Campus” by the Campus Vote Project and NASPA – Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education.

Leah C. Lorendo, adjunct instructor at the McKelvey School of Engineering, died Feb. 23 from complications of cancer. She was 66.

As professor of biology in Arts & Sciences, Barbara Kunkel has made significant contributions to understanding the strategies plant pathogens use to manipulate their plant hosts. In addition to her research, Kunkel is an exceptional educator, beloved by her students.

Cindy Brantmeier, professor of applied linguistics in international and area studies in Arts & Sciences, received a STARTALK summer grant to promote Arabic and Persian literacy in the St. Louis region.

Gregory Bowman, associate professor of biochemistry and molecular biophysics at the School of Medicine, received a three-year $1,763,634 grant award from the National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for his research titled “Structural basis for ApoE4-induced Alzheimer’s disease.”

Sachiko Amari, research professor of physics in Arts & Sciences, received the H. C. Urey Award from the European Association of Geochemistry for outstanding contributions advancing geochemistry.