Great architectural minds

Four past and current deans of architecture from the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts, including Bruce Lindsey and Jerry Sincoff, gathered in Steinberg Hall April 2 for a roundtable discussion about the challenges and achievements of their respective tenures. The talk was part of a larger event titled “Architecture at 100: Architectural Education at Washington University in St. Louis.”

International Conference on Narrative April 7-10

Just as every society has it stories, so does every discipline. The history of opera and the history of science are narratives just as surely as the events unfolding in our newspapers. From April 7-10, approximately 350 scholars from across the United States and abroad will gather in St. Louis for the International Conference on Narrative, which explores the use of narrative in literature, history, cultural studies, medicine, psychology, art history, music and other disciplines. 

Jarrell named assistant vice chancellor for human resources

Margo Jarrell has been named assistant vice chancellor for human resources, benefits and compensation at WUSTL, effective July 2, 2011, announced Ann B. Prenatt, vice chancellor for human resources. Jarrell arrived on campus April 4 and will replace Thomas W. Lauman, who will retire July 1.

NASA’s next priorities

The National Research Council is conducting a series of “Town Hall” meetings across the country to roll out the Planetary Science Decadal Survey 2013-2022 Wednesday, April 6, and the McDonnell Center for Space Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis will be hosting one of the events at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 6, in Room 201, Crow Hall. It will consist of a one-hour presentation by Amy Simon-Hall of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, who was a member of the survey’s steering committee, followed by a one-hour question-and-answer period.  

Media Advisory

Fox News political analyst Juan Williams will present “The Capacity of America to Address Its Most Pressing Domestic Issues” for the Weidenbaum Center on the Economy, Government and Public Policy’s annual dinner at 8 p.m. Monday, April 4, in the main dining room of the Charles F. Knight Executive Education Center. A media briefing will be held at 5:45 p.m.

Stewart to give annual Biggs Lecture in the Classics

Andrew Stewart, PhD, the Nicholas C. Petris Professor of Greek Studies at the University of California at Berkeley, will deliver this year’s John and Penelope Biggs Lecture in Classics as part of the Assembly Series. The event, which is free and open to the public, will be held at 4 p.m. Thursday, April 7, in Steinberg Hall Auditorium on Washington University’s Danforth campus.

Faces of Hope celebration April 7

Students, faculty, staff and members of the St. Louis community are invited to the fourth annual Faces of Hope, a celebration of civic engagement and community service, at 4 p.m. Thursday, April 7, in Whitaker Hall Atrium and Auditorium. The event is sponsored by the Gephardt Institute for Public Service.

Social Security more essential than ever, WUSTL expert says

The meltdown of private pension plans, 401(k)s and Individual Retirement Accounts during the recession demonstrates that Social Security is more essential than ever, says Merton C. Bernstein, LLB, the Walter D. Coles Professor Emeritus at Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. Bernstein discussed the crucial role of Social Security in a report for the university’s Weidenbaum Center on the Economy, Government, and Public Policy.

DNA of 50 breast cancer patients decoded

In the single largest cancer genomics investigation reported to date, scientists have sequenced the whole genomes of tumors from 50 breast cancer patients and compared them to the matched DNA of the same patients’ healthy cells. They uncovered incredible complexity in the cancer genomes, but also got a glimpse of new routes toward personalized medicine.