Sharing best practices

Henry Biggs, PhD, associate dean in Arts & Sciences and director of the Office of Undergraduate Research, welcomes some 150 Council on Undergraduate Research members to the Gateways to Best Practices for Undergraduate Research Program Directors Conference, held June 14-16 at Washington University.

Media Advisory

Lt. Gen. George J. Flynn, deputy commandant for combat development and integration for the U.S. Marine Corps, will share experiences from a distinguished 30-year military career at a Leadership Symposium Breakfast at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, June 21, at Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis.

AARP needs to clarify position on Social Security

AARP’s ambiguous statements about Social Security benefit cuts have led to a public roasting of the organization for caving into public pressure, says Merton C. Bernstein, LLB, a nationally recognized expert on Social Security and the Walter D. Coles Professor Emeritus at Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. “Whatever stance AARP has taken, it does not provide ‘cover’ for the Obama Administration to agree to cut benefits now, soon or in the future. If AARP does not vigorously and clearly repudiate what some see as willingness to accept benefit cuts, AARP will be the loser.”

Scientists learn how horseweed shrugs off herbicide

A team of scientists from Washington University in St. Louis and Monsanto, a St. Louis-based company that makes the glyphosate-based Roundup herbicides, were able to follow molecules of the herbicide as they entered a resistant weed and to discover exactly how the plant disarms it. In a second paper they describe a herbicide application technique that can be used to outfox the resistance mechanism they had discovered.

Jazz in July begins July 7

Missouri in July is hot, hot, hot, but not as hot as Ritmo Caliente, one of St. Louis’ premier Latin jazz-fusion bands. On July 7, Ritmo Caliente will launch Washington University’s annual Jazz in July series with a free performance. Sponsored as part of the larger Jazz at Holmes series, Jazz in July will feature four local ensembles performing Thursday evenings throughout the month in the cool, coffeehouse-style setting of Holmes Lounge. 

Summer Film Series focuses on Frankenstein

WUSTL’s Summer School in Arts & Sciences will present a film series celebrating Frankenstein movies, “It’s Alive! A Celebration of Frankenstein Films,” this June and July. Each film will be introduced by a WUSTL scholar specializing in the genres of cinematic horror and literary monsters. All screenings are free and open to the public.