Perspectives

The $902 million NIH invested in WashU’s research enterprise last year through grants and contracts translated to 9,080 jobs and $2.13 billion in economic activity right here at home, writes Chancellor Andrew D. Martin.

The St. Louis County Jail has done a remarkable job through hard work to get it to the level that it operates today; everyone should celebrate this but also sustain the effort, writes Timothy McBride.

Maria Kurbak, a postdoctoral associate in WashU Arts & Sciences, has published “Destructive Imagination.” The book explores how historical fantasies, which bind private grievance to collective myth, have shaped Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Jordan Cooper, director of cross-cultural connections at the WashU Center for Diversity and Inclusion, discusses her role creating programs where students can celebrate their cultures and identities. Read more of her story in Human Resources’ staff spotlight.

Henry Schvey, professor emeritus and former chair of the Performing Arts Department in Arts & Sciences, remembers celebrated actress and longtime friend to the department Jane Lapotaire.

Announcing “major combat operations,” President Trump called on the Iranian people to rise against their government. Now, he declared, would be their “only chance for generations.” This appeal to opportunity echoes arguments for the Liberator’s Civil War of 43-42 BC, which pitted Roman republican Markus Junius Brutus against future emperor Octavius, writes Krister Knapp.

In 10 months, when Branson’s theaters close up shop for the season and the receipts are calculated, it will be interesting to see whether going all in on faith, family and flag was worth it, writes Joanna Dee Das.

Unless Colorado makes the Family Affordability Tax Credit a permanent and reliable fixture of the state budget – as a recent proposal aims to do – the progress the state has made in reducing child poverty may only be temporary, writes Stephen Roll.

In this live conversation, Kate Bowler talks with sociologist Mark Rank (the Herbert S. Hadley Professor of Social Welfare), author of The Random Factor, about the role of chance in our lives. From the lottery of birth to the timing of a missed phone call, Mark’s research shows how much of what we call success—or failure—comes down to forces we never chose.

Produced in collaboration with the Frick Initiative at WashU, the series explores how freedoms of speech, religion and the press work and why they’re so often misunderstood.