Record

Twitter might appear to be one of many online attention drains, but tweeting often can prove practical. Washington University Libraries staff members are offering a series of free workshops aimed to help interested members of the WUSTL community explore how they can productively utilize this social media tool. All sessions are free to WUSTL students, faculty and staff.

Washington University is adding new features to its WUSTLAlerts Emergency Notification System this spring to help the WUSTL community stay informed and safe during an emergency. Alertus beacons, pop-up messages on university-owned computers, digital signage- and cable TV-overrides, and public address system access are among this spring’s improvements.

Ancient clay cuneiform tablets. Books in Greek and Latin owned and marked by Thomas Jefferson. These aren’t items one might expect to see when visiting a typical library. But collecting and preserving these invaluable resources for future generations of scholars is the mission of Washington University Libraries’ Special Collections and of Anne Posega, head of Special Collections for University Libraries since 1999.

Nominations for Honorary Degree Recipients for the May 2013 Commencement at Washington University in St. Louis are being sought by the Honorary Degree Committee of the Board of Trustees and will be accepted through Friday, March 9.

Washington University in St. Louis has been ranked No. 8 in a recent “Green Metric” ranking of world universities by the University of Indonesia. The ranking measures university participants’ commitment to developing an environmentally friendly infrastructure. Results are based on information provided by universities on their energy efficiency, water usage, waste management, transportation and more.

Student groups at Washington University in St. Louis will usher in the Year of the Dragon and celebrate one of Asia’s most important holidays — Lunar New Year — beginning with a fireworks show Sunday, Jan. 22, and concluding with a two-night, high-spirited performance Jan. 27-28 in Edison Theatre. Events are open to the public. Benefit proceeds will help support victims of the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami that devastated the northeastern region of Japan.

Staff and faculty are invited to the women’s and men’s basketball games Saturday, Jan. 7, as the teams battle the University of Chicago. There are a number of special offerings — including $1 food specials for those that RSVP — during this family-friendly afternoon of University Athletic Association basketball in the Athletic Complex.

The Community Service Office of the Gephardt Institute for Public Service is offering three Social Change Grants of $5,000 or $6,000 for summer 2012. The intent-to-apply notification deadline is Jan. 23, with proposals due Feb. 10. WUSTL students with an idea for improving the conditions or opportunities of a community anywhere around the globe are invited to apply.

The following are among the new faculty members at Washington University in St. Louis: Jan Bieschke, PhD; John Cunningham, PhD; Kristen Naegle, PhD; and Kedron Thomas, PhD. Others will be introduced periodically.

The university will host licensee fairs Wednesday, Jan. 11, on the Medical Campus and Tuesday, Jan. 17, on the Danforth Campus. The licensee fairs provide an opportunity for the university community to become better acquainted with the resources available through the WUSTL trademark licensing program, including already set-up artwork and service-oriented, knowledgeable licensed suppliers.