Visiting English professor hosts lecture and workshop Sept. 30 – Oct. 1

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.

Women’s Society hosts panel on postgrad life for women Oct. 29

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.

Global health will be showcased in weeklong event​

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.

URSA grants awarded to six teams

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.

Rare gene variant linked to macular degeneration

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.

Gephardt Institute’s Civic Engagement Fund seeks applicants

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.

Schmidt installed as Mallinckrodt Distinguished University Professor

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.

Campus groups put Arts First

W​hether it’s Edgar Degas sketching ballerinas or Lou Reed singing about “Romeo and Juliette,” the arts don’t exist in a vacuum. Lines get blurred, influences get shared, inspirations get gloriously tangled. This fall, four WUSTL areas have banded together to create Arts First, a multidisciplinary, campus-wide subscription package.

Balloon-borne astronomy experiment X-Calibur racing to hit wind window

In a few days, a balloon-borne telescope sensitive to the polarization of high-energy “hard” X-rays will ascend to the edge of the atmosphere above Fort Sumner, N.M. Once aloft, the telescope will stare at black holes, neutron stars and other exotic astronomical objects that shine brightly in the X-ray part of the spectrum in order to learn about their nature and structure.  After years of preparation, the X-Calibur team is racing to get the experiment mission-ready in time for the stratospheric wind event they hope to ride.