Perspectives

Susan Cook, director of the Office of Biological Safety, talks about how she helps make sure that researchers conduct their work safely, and how WashU’s mission inspires her work, in Human Resources’ staff spotlight.

WashU early childhood researchers Joan Luby, MD, and Deanna Barch, PhD, write an opinion piece challenging the conclusions of a study, called Baby’s First Years, that found monthly cash payments to impoverished families didn’t notably improve children’s lives. They took umbrage with the findings and resulting media coverage.

Mitra Naseh, who directs the Forced Migration Initiative at the Brown School, takes part in a podcast episode recapping the International Association for the Study of Forced Migration conference in Indonesia. She and doctoral student Jihye Lee discussed their research on resettled refugees in the U.S.

While I maintain that 1970s Japanese masculinity that shaped the Nakagin Capsule Tower—which excluded women and family and denied of domesticity—is obsolete, the exhibition left me optimistic that alternate lives in the capsules are possible, writes Aki Ishida.

Leaders of geoscience journals, including Arts & Sciences’ Michael Wysession, have published an editorial arguing that a recent federal executive order threatens American scientific integrity. They argue that years of scientific advancement that has helped the U.S. economy, military and technology could be undone.

What seems clear in my view is that whenever the GOP has tried to cast itself as a labor-friendly political party, it has emphasized symbolism over substance, favoring using rhetoric embracing workers who belong to unions versus taking actions to strengthen labor rights, writes Jake Rosenfeld.

Members of the class of 2026 have had access to AI since they were freshmen. Almost all of them are using it to do their work, writes Ian Bogost.

Share article Print article Thousands of Afghans living in the United States face an uncertain future after a federal appeals court ruled on July 21, 2025, that the Trump administration can end a humanitarian relief program that provided them work permits and protection from deportation, writes Mitra Naseh.

We will have to wait and see what remains of the Voting Rights Act after next term, which is shaping up to be monumental, writes Travis Crum.

Olamilekan Joseph Ibukun, a postdoctoral researcher in chemistry in Arts & Sciences, writes about research underway to more easily detect toxic chemicals such as mustard gas in the environment.