Record

A university-wide blood drive will be held Wednesday, Nov. 9, at eight different locations and at a variety of times to accommodate busy schedules. In addition, collection will take place Thursday, Nov. 10, at the School of Medicine. All students, faculty and staff are encouraged to participate in this effort to replenish the region’s blood supply. Appointments are strongly encouraged.

Historian Iver Bernstein, PhD, takes an exhaustive, interdisciplinary approach to any topic he studies. Colleagues say he asks the questions that no one else thinks to ask and brings fresh perspectives to the long-ago past. Bernstein is passionate about revealing unspoken or unremembered history that is suppressed in national stories. His book on The New York City Draft Riots is considered by some to be “the gold standard” on the topic.

Larry J. Shapiro, MD, executive vice chancellor for medical affairs and dean of the School of Medicine, will host the annual Dean’s Update for all employees Oct. 31 and Nov. 2.

Students are invited to submit proposals for grant money from the Women’s Society of Washington University (WSWU) to support projects or activities that benefit the university community. Each fall semester, WSWU awards grants that range from $300 to $2,000. The goal is to advance students’ educational and cultural experiences as well as to encourage service projects.

An Oct. 26 open forum will discuss issues of homelessness in St. Louis. “Tent City on the St. Louis Riverfront: A Fireside Chat About the Politics of Homelessness” will take place at 4 p.m. in the Danforth University Center Fun Room on the 2nd Floor.

“Remembering 9/11: International Scholars’ Perspectives,” is the focus of a roundtable discussion to be held at 7 p.m. Thursday Oct. 27 in the Mallinckrodt Multipurpose Room on the lower level of Mallinckrodt Center, 6445 Forsyth Boulevard, Danforth Campus of Washington University in St. Louis.

The annual health open enrollment period for the health/dental or dental-only plans, the health- and child-care flex spending plans, the Health Savings Account and the Retirement Medical Savings Account will be from Nov. 1-30. Enrollments and changes to these plans made during the open enrollment period and before the Nov. 30 deadline will be effective Jan. 1, 2012. During open enrollment, employees will be able to make changes and enroll through HRMS.

Andrey Shaw, MD, wanted to be a classical pianist and had just finished his bachelor’s degree in music when he realized that he didn’t like getting up on stage and performing in front of a crowd. Plan B was to study medicine. That didn’t quite work out exactly as planned, either, but it eventually lead him to a successful career researching the immune system, the kidney and anything else that catches his scientific interest.

Video of the service celebrating the life of James E. McLeod, vice chancellor for students and dean of the College of Arts & Sciences who died Sept. 6, is available online.

The deadline for submission of 2011-12 Diversity and Inclusion Grant proposals is Saturday, Nov. 5. The grants are available to faculty and administrators for initiatives that improve the campus environment for women, members of underrepresented minority groups, and other diverse groups at WUSTL.