Page 135 – The Source | Washington University in St. Louis

Humanities & Society

A life of service

"Ministry is wherever you find yourself,” says Jason Thomas. After graduating from WashU in 2000, he and his wife have built a life helping others in the Atlanta area.

Jason Thomas takes the concept of Southern hospitality to another level with his commitment to serving others.

Climate & Environment

Saving forests and alleviating poverty

A spring 2024 course, “Community-Based Conservation: Madagascar Sustainability Initiative,” prepared students to work with community members in to conserve and protect portions of the fragile Madagascar ecosystem from overexploiting of its valuable biodiversity, which includes species of rosewood and ebony. (Courtesy photos)

WashU sophomores work with villagers in rural Madagascar to conserve biodiversity.

Humanities & Society

Politics and fairy tales

Political biographies belong to a distinct literary genre: the fairy tale. (Illustration: Monica Duwel)

How do origin stories influence political campaigns? Arts & Sciences professors illuminate ‘The Stories That Win.’

Literature

Counting ‘Blessings’

Chukwuebuka Ibeh’s debut novel, set in his home country of Nigeria, weaves a universal tale of love, family and acceptance.

Law

A story of survival

Alex Frishberg, JD '88, lives and writes in war-torn Ukraine. He founded Frishberg & Partners law practice in 1991, after attending WashU Law. (Courtesy photo)

Since returning to his native Ukraine more than 30 years ago, alumnus Alex Frishberg has faced many dangers — most recently, a brutal war.

Sociology

Lessons from a random world

Social scientist Mark Rank, a nationally renowned expert on poverty, inequality and social justice, examines the role of chance and luck in our lives.

Business & Entrepreneurship

A perfect fit for WashU

Entrepreneur Lori Coulter, MBA '99, serves on the national council for the Skandalaris Center for Interdisciplinary Innovation and Entrepreneurship, among other WashU volunteer roles. (Courtesy photo)

Lori Coulter’s business expertise shapes her work as a volunteer leader and advocate for students.

Entrepreneurship & Innovation

Cooking up a better breakfast

Chiara Munzi (left), AB ’23, and Izzy Gorton, Olin Class of ’25, are the founders of ChiChi hot cereal, a high-protein, low-sugar alternative to oatmeal. (Photo: Whitney Curtis)

Two WashU students discover a healthier way to start the day.

Arts & Culture

WashU wanderlust

When WashU alumni want to roam, they turn to the Alumni Association’s Travel Program.

Mental Health

The potential of psychedelic-assisted therapy

Ginger Nicol, MD, an associate professor of psychiatry at WashU Medicine, says that psychedelic drugs hold enormous potential for healing currently untreatable mental disorders, but the only way to transform that potential into reality is through rigorous scientific research. As WashU’s only faculty member authorized to work with Schedule 1 drugs, Nicol is the hub through which all such research at WashU must pass. (Photo: Matt Miller/WashU Medicine)

WashU Medicine researchers are helping transform mind-bending psychedelics into treatments for devastating mental illnesses.