Chris Byrnes, former dean of engineering, dies at 60

Christopher I. Byrnes, Ph.D., dean of the School of Engineering & Applied Science at Washington University in St. Louis from 1991 to 2006 and the Edward H. and Florence G. Skinner Professor Emeritus of Systems Science and Mathematics, died unexpectedly last week in Stockholm, Sweden. He was 60.

Junior wins $100,000 grand prize in Jeopardy! College Championship

Junior Nick Yozamp, a biology major in Arts & Sciences, won the 2010 Jeopardy! College Championship and a $100,000 cash prize. The St. Cloud, Minn., native emerged victorious after the two-week competition by outplaying 14 undergraduates from across the country. Yozamp is the first WUSTL student to win the title.

Noted astronomer Geoff Marcy next up for Assembly Series

Geoff Marcy, popular “planet hunter” and professor of astronomy at the University of California, Berkeley, will deliver the Ferguson Lecture for the Assembly Series at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 17, in Graham Chapel. The lecture is free and open to the public.

‘An honest compassion’

Amy Waterman, Ph.D., assistant professor of medicine, is tackling a vexing health problem: There are not enough kidneys for transplants, but patients with kidney failure who choose transplants over dialysis have longer, healthier lives.

Holobaugh recipients honored at reception

Recipients of the annual James M. Holobaugh Honor were recognized at a reception Feb. 10 in Holmes Lounge. The honor recognizes individuals and organizations that live and lead with integrity, engage diverse communities on issues relevant to LGBT community at WUSTL and throughout the St. Louis metropolitan area.

Presenting the sustainability plan

A series of forums and poster sessions was held throughout the university in January and February promoting the Strategic Plan for Sustainable Operations.

Iran’s Ahmadinejad uses Western media to quell opposition, WUSTL scholar says

As Iran celebrates the 31st anniversary of its Islamic revolution, Fatemeh Keshavarz, Ph.D., professor of Persian language and literature and a native of Iran, suggests that the Feb. 11 anniversary offers yet another example of how Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad skillfully manipulates the Western media into providing unwitting support for his campaign to stifle the nation’s opposition movement. Her commentary appears online at Counter Punch.

Memorial service for King March 15

A memorial service for M. Kenton King, M.D., dean of the School of Medicine for nearly 25 years, will be held at 4 p.m. March 15 in the King Center on the seventh floor of the Bernard Becker Medical Library.