WashU Experts

After a shaky launch, the new 2024-25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid is now accessible and largely bug-free, says Mike Runiewicz, assistant vice provost and director of Student Financial Services. Here, Runiewicz explains what families need to know about the new form and how the new federal financial aid formula may impact financial aid awards for college students.

After years of record investments and outsized returns fueled by ultralow interest rates, 3,200 U.S. private venture-backed companies — mostly tech startups — went out of business last year. Doug Villhard at Olin Business School said the bust will cause the industry to reassess what is really important.

2023 was the hottest year in recorded history. Michael Wysession, a professor of earth, environmental and planetary sciences in Arts & Sciences, explains four factors that drove the year’s extreme heat and climate disasters — and what this means for the future.

Planning to stay mum around the holiday table when the subject of politics comes up? Political scientist Taylor Carlson, in Arts & Sciences, says we would be better off learning to have open, respectful conversations with one another — especially with those who have opposing viewpoints.

During this open enrollment season, parents should consider privacy implications when adding their adult children to their health insurance plan, said a health insurance expert at Washington University in St. Louis.

While the flesh-eating undead portrayed on television are just fiction, there are clear examples of parasites that have evolved to manipulate their hosts, according to Theresa Gildner in Arts & Sciences.

Amazon uses smart speaker interaction data to infer user interests and target ads in ways the company was not upfront about, according to research from Umar Iqbal at the McKelvey School of Engineering.

Research by David Carter in Arts & Sciences suggests instability around the world and in the Middle East was likely a contributing factor in Hamas’ decision to attack Israel on Oct. 7.

New research by Carly Wayne, assistant professor of political science in Arts & Sciences, demonstrates how arratives play a role in shaping political views and foment negative intergroup attitudes.

The persistently tight labor market, growing frustration over wage inequality and record high support for unions set the stage for the United Auto Workers strike, according to Jake Rosenfeld, a professor of sociology in Arts & Sciences.