Perspectives

William E. Wallace, of Arts & Sciences, has written a new book, “Michelangelo: God’s Architect,” which tells the story of Italian Renaissance artist Michelangelo’s final decades, when he became the master architect of St. Peter’s Basilica and other major buildings.

Henry S. Webber, executive vice chancellor and chief administrative officer, writes on the Oxford University Press blog that segregation remains a problem in St. Louis, Chicago and other urban areas and that middle-income neighborhoods in such cities have dwindled.

Paige McGinley, associate professor of performing arts in Arts & Sciences, writes about blues pioneer Bessie Smith for NPR’s “Turning the Tables: Eight Women Who Invented American Popular Music.”

In his latest blog post, Chancellor Andrew D. Martin writes about Washington University being a place of distinction — in the past as well as today. He further challenges the campus community to “embed distinction into the fabric of our future.”

In the wake of mass shootings in Texas and Ohio, Leila Sadat, the James Carr Professor of International Criminal Law, and Madaline George, a research fellow at the School of Law, wrote an op-ed published in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch decrying “25 years of legislative failure” to act on gun control.

David Patterson Silver Wolf, at the Brown School, writes an article published in Stat about how society should respond to the epidemic of opioid overdoses, arguing that the approach for responding to those who attempted suicide offers lessons for drug addiction as well.

Jessica A. Hutchins, of the Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences, and Thi Nguyen, of the Graduate School, write an article published in Inside Higher Ed about developing your career by imagining the story you want to tell to potential employers.

Together, the six Apollo landings laid the foundation for modern planetary science, writes Brad Jolliff, the Scott Rudolph Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences in Arts & Sciences, in Physics Today. Current research continues to provide a gateway to the solar system.

In his most recent blog, Chancellor Andrew D. Martin writes about the pride — and responsibility — Washington University has in being “in St. Louis.” He notes that the university “must keep showing up and making an impact — not just in times of crisis, but all the time.”

Chris Gill, professor at the McKelvey School of Engineering, writes an article in Axios about progress toward self-driving cars and how today’s simulations need improvement when it comes to processing speed.