Think of it as reverse camouflage. In the wild, animals use color and pattern to disguise themselves from predators. But last spring, a team from the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts flipped the calculus. How, they asked, do we keep human observers from disturbing animals in their natural environments?
Washington University will test its emergency communication system, WUSTLAlerts, at noon Wednesday, Sept. 25. The test will take place unless there is the potential for severe weather that day or some other emergency is occurring at that time. WUSTLAlerts will send emails to @wustl.edu addresses and text messages to cellphones.
Paula Rabinowitz, professor of English at University of Minnesota, will give a lecture and lead a workshop during a two-day visit to Washington University in St. Louis. Her lecture, “Paperbacks: Pulp Modernism, Demotic Reading and Censorship in Cold War America,” will be held at 4 p.m. Monday, Sept. 30.
The Women’s Society of Washington University is hosting a panel discussion and networking event, “Composing a Life,” that will feature five diverse women sharing their insights about life after college. The event will be from 5:45-8 p.m. Oct. 29 in Holmes Lounge, Ridgley Hall.
This year’s Washington University Global Health Week has something for everyone. The public can watch Ethiopian dancers, listen to the melodies of Argentina and attend a lecture by the former president and health minister of Ecuador. Attendees also can buy ethnic food, shop for artisan crafts and ask Global Health Scholars, medical students and undergraduates about their outreach efforts.
Students, staff and faculty are invited to tour the new Harvey Media Center during an open house Sept. 19. Available services include video and audio recording and Polycom video conferencing.
The Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research (OVCR) has announced the six winners of the 2013 University Research Strategic Alliance (URSA) grants. URSA grants provide one-year, $25,000 seed funding to full-time WUSTL faculty members. The URSA program aims to encourage researchers to collaborate across disciplines and schools.
Scientists at The Genome Institute at Washington University School of Medicine helped lead an international team of researchers who have identified a genetic mutation linked to age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of blindness in Americans over age 50. Shown is an eye with signs of macular degeneration.
The Gephardt Institute for Public Service invites students, faculty and staff to apply for the Civic Engagement Fund. The fund provides support for civic engagement, community service, and community-based teaching and learning projects throughout the year. Students, faculty and staff can apply for up to $500 grants. The deadline for the next funding round is Oct. 4.
Leigh E. Schmidt, PhD, was installed as the Edward Mallinckrodt Distinguished University Professor during a Sept. 3 ceremony in Holmes Lounge, Ridgley Hall. Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton places a medallion on Schmidt, who delivered a talk, titled “Mystics, Cranks, and William James.” A historian of American religion, Schmidt joined the John C. Danforth Center on Religion & Politics in 2011.
