Perspectives

Provost Holden Thorp writes on the Center for the Humanities site about higher education’s current climate of close analysis, from both the inside and outside, and suggests a focus on three key areas.

Three Washington University faculty members — Peter Kastor, Jeffrey Q. McCune Jr. and Rebecca Wanzo, all of Arts & Sciences — each analyzed a moment in the presidential debate for The Conversation.

William Acree, of Arts & Sciences, describes the phenomenon of the Creole circus in late-1800s Argentina and Uruguay in a post on the Center for the Humanities website.

Sarah Brown, of the School of Medicine, co-wrote an opinion piece for StatNews about the need for better, and more reliable, clinical labs in developing countries to monitor and respond to outbreaks of Zika and other diseases.

Jacob Montgomery, of Arts & sciences, discusses election prediction models, including his own approach, and how useful the exercise is for a “Hold That Thought” podcast.

Ben Westhoff, an Arts & Sciences alum, just published a book, “Original Gangstas,” about N.W.A. and the start of the West Coast rap scene. The New York Daily News review called it “a stunning read.”

Douglas B. Dowd, professor of art in the Sam Fox School, discusses the vision behind the university’s new Dowd Modern Graphic History Library, and shares about the collection, for Print magazine.

Rebecca Linz O’Laughlin, a parent who works in Arts & Sciences administration, writes an opinion piece in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch about the importance of including children with disabilities in classrooms with other students.

Rebecca Wanzo, of Arts & Sciences, writes on the Center for the Humanities site that, contrary to some opinions, humanities scholars are well-positioned to weigh in on political debates. “‘Trouble’ is perhaps the place where many humanists do their best teaching and writing,” she said.

Mary Politi, of the School of Medicine, writes for The Conversation about one indirect cost of smoking: markedly higher insurance premiums, which make coverage out of reach for many low-income smokers.