Edison receives NEA Challenge America grant

Edison Theatre at Washington University in St. Louis has received a prestigious Challenge America Fast-Track grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). A repeat recipient in the Challenge America category, Edison will use the $10,000 award to support Algo Nuevo (Something New), a series of free activities to be held in March exploring the history and aesthetics of Hispanic dance and traditional costuming.

Saturday seminars to address ‘Quality of Mercy’

Experts will address the idea of mercy during a Saturday Master of Liberal Arts Seminar Series throughout February. Topics range from mercy in sexuality debates to mercy in the practice of medicine. Now in its 31st year, the popular MLA series annually addresses a common theme from a variety of backgrounds. Free and open to the public, the series is sponsored by University College.

Introducing new faculty members

The following are among the new faculty members at Washington University in St. Louis: Jan Bieschke, PhD; John Cunningham, PhD; Kristen Naegle, PhD; and Kedron Thomas, PhD. Others will be introduced periodically.

New clues to human deafness found in mice

Providing clues to deafness, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified a gene that is required for proper development of the mouse inner ear. In humans, this gene, known as FGF20, is located in a portion of the genome that has been associated with inherited deafness in otherwise healthy families.

Licensee fairs Jan. 11 and 17

The university will host licensee fairs Wednesday, Jan. 11, on the Medical Campus and Tuesday, Jan. 17, on the Danforth Campus. The licensee fairs provide an opportunity for the university community to become better acquainted with the resources available through the WUSTL trademark licensing program, including already set-up artwork and service-oriented, knowledgeable licensed suppliers.

Balázs Kicsiny: Killing Time opens at Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum Jan. 27

The army, the circus and the restaurant: three diverse institutions, each embodying distinct ideas about the nature of service. In Killing Time, Hungarian installation artist Balázs Kicsiny both investigates and conflates these institutions and their raisons d’être: to protect or kill, to entertain, and to feed. Beginning Friday, Jan. 27, the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum will present Killing Time, Kicsiny’s newest work and his first U.S. museum exhibition, developed while in residence with the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts as the Henry L. and Natalie E. Freund Visiting Artist.

Winter concert to be held Jan. 14

A winter concert showcasing the musical talents of medical school faculty, staff and students will be held at 6 p.m. Jan. 14 in the lobby of the Center for Advanced Medicine. The evening features solo and ensemble vocal and instrumental performances.

Jackie and Me at Edison Jan. 11-27

In 1947, Jackie Robinson took the field with the Brooklyn Dodgers and changed baseball forever. Now, imagine traveling back in time to witness Robinson’s historic season first-hand. In Jackie and Me, young Joey Stoshack does exactly that, when a rare baseball card transports the headstrong Little Leaguer to Ebbets Field.