Washington People: Tiffany Knight

Tiffany Knight, PhD, associate professor of biology and director of the Environmental Studies Program in Arts & Science, is on sabbatical in Hawaii working to pull some of its many endangered plant species back from the brink.

New place for coffee on campus ​

Bloom Coffee founder and WUSTL senior Andrew Dowd (right) makes lattes at WUSTL’s new student-run coffee café, Bloom Coffee. Bloom Coffee specializes in hand-brewed single origin coffees and handcrafted espresso and tea concoctions. The cafe is open from 7 p.m.-2 a.m. on Thursday and Friday nights at Ursa’s Café on the South 40.

Trustees meet, elect Schnuck as board vice chair

At its fall meeting Oct. 5, the Board of Trustees elected trustee Craig D. Schnuck, chair of the executive committee of St. Louis-based Schnuck Markets, to a newly created additional vice chair role and heard a report on the Washington University endowment by Kimberly G. Walker, chief investment officer. Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton also gave the trustees an update on campus activities and accomplishments.

Performing Arts Department presents Cabaret

“Welcome to cabaret!” declares the Master of Ceremonies. “Leave your troubles outside! Life is disappointing? Forget it! In here, life is beautiful! The girls are beautiful! Even the orchestra is beautiful!” Welcome to The Kit-Kat Club, Germany’s most decadent nightspot. And welcome to Cabaret. The Performing Arts Department in Arts & Sciences will stage the groundbreaking musical Oct. 19-28 in Edison Theatre.

Washington University women studies director offers insight on key issues of importance in this year’s elections

The director of the women, gender and sexuality studies program at Washington University in St. Louis identifies some key issues of importance to women and non-heterosexual American voters in this year’s elections. Among the key issues are women’s reproductive rights, access to health care, equal rights for non-heterosexual Americans and equal pay for equal work.

Students pack the DUC for first presidential debate​

About 500 students attended the first 2012 presidential debate viewing party Oct. 3 in Tisch Commons, Danforth University Center. The event featured free food, games and prizes. Parties also are planned for the remaining debates at 8 p.m. Oct. 11, 16 and 22.​​

Tomb of Maya queen K’abel discovered in Guatemala

Archaeologists in Guatemala have discovered the tomb of Lady K’abel, a seventh-century Maya Holy Snake Lord considered one of great queens of Classic Maya civilization. The tomb was discovered during excavations of the royal Maya city of El Peru-Waka’ in northwestern Petén, Guatemala, by a team of archaeologists led by Washington University in St. Louis’ David Freidel, co-director of the expedition.

Religion and the Constitution expert discusses Pulpit Freedom Sunday

The annual celebration of Pulpit Freedom Sunday on Oct. 7 encourages pastors to preach politics from the pulpit. The Internal Revenue Code exempts certain organizations including churches from taxation, but prohibits them as a condition of tax-exemption from “any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office.” “Both the restriction and Pulpit Freedom Sunday raise important questions about the relationship between church and state, the role of religious argument in political discourse, and the significance of clergy in political debate,” says John Inazu, JD, professor of law at Washington University in St. Louis and expert on religion and the Constitution.