A victory for education

Washington University in St. Louis leaders joined with local and state officials, educators and students to dedicate KIPP Victory Academy last month. The university serves as a sponsor of the KIPP charter school organization. This is its second school in St. Louis.

Olin professor leads study on first impressions

You do get a second chance to make a first impression, thanks to the fact that any given day is full of firsts: First day of school, first day on the job, first day back after vacation. That’s the finding of a new study on forming impressions led by Robyn A. LeBoeuf, PhD, associate professor of marketing at Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis. “By connecting an everyday experience to a first – even an unrelated first – you can turn that experience into a first experience,” LeBoeuf said.

Proteins critical to wound healing identified

Mice missing two important proteins of the vascular system develop normally and appear healthy in adulthood, as long as they are not injured in some way. If they are, their wounds don’t heal properly, a new study shows. The research has possible implications for treating diseases involving abnormal blood vessel growth, including in the skin and eye.

‘Encountering the City: The Urban Experience in Contemporary Art’​​

Today, for the first time in history, the majority of the world’s population lives in cities and urban areas. This fall, the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum will present “Encountering the City: The Urban Experience in Contemporary Art.” The exhibition, which encompasses a wide range of media, explores how artists respond to, and grapple with, our rapidly changing urban landscape.

#feeling sick: Can Twitter help better identify foodborne illness cases?

An estimated 55 million to 105 million people in the United States suffer from foodborne illnesses each year, resulting in costs of $2-$4 billion annually. What if Twitter could be used to track those cases and more quickly identify the source of the problem? A new analysis by a researcher at Washington University in St. Louis Brown School shows that new technology might better allow health departments to engage with the public to improve foodborne illness surveillance.