Don’t blame free trade for a weak economy

Even though the benefits of free trade outweigh the harm, the subject has not garnered a lot of attention during this year’s election cycle. WUSTL business professor Jim Little discusses why it is important for Congress to liberalize trade and the dangers of embracing stricter policies.

East Village Opera Company at Edison Theatre May 2

Ken SchlesEast Village Opera CompanyYou’ve heard opera, and you’ve heard rock, but you’ve never heard opera rocked like the East Village Opera Company. Over the last five years this powerhouse ensemble — comprising a five-piece band, a string quartet and two outstanding vocalists — has created electric, hard-hitting arrangements of many of opera’s “greatest hits.” In May, the East Village Opera Company will make its St. Louis debut as part of the Edison Theatre OVATIONS! Series at Washington University

Poussaint to speak on tolerance and diversity

An expert on race relations, prejudice and diversity issues in a multicultural society, Alvin Poussaint, M.D., will present the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Lecture for the Assembly Series. The talk will be held at 4 p.m., Tuesday, April 15, in the Laboratory Sciences Auditorium on the campus of Washington University in St. Louis.

New Bunge classroom and Bunge scholarship reflect support, partnership with WUSTL

Bunge’s strong relationship with the Olin Business School was cemented on March 13 with a ceremony dedicating the new Bunge Classroom in the Charles F. Knight Executive Education Center. The partnership began several years ago, when Olin created customized leadership programs for Bunge executives. The programs have been successful for Bunge, and to show its support for the school’s innovative curriculum, it recently provided Olin with a gift of $300,000 for the Knight Center and to establish an endowed scholarship fund.

Adaptive reuse concept along Mississippi riverfront wins Steedman Fellowship

New York architect Nikole Renee Bouchard has won Washington University’s 2008 Steedman Fellowship in Architecture International Design Competition. The biennial competition, sponsored by the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts’ College of Architecture and Graduate School of Architecture & Urban Design, is open to young architects from around the world and carries a $30,000 first place award to support study and research abroad — the largest such award in the United States.

Of note

Ramki Kalyanaraman, Ph.D., Robert W. Sussman, Ph.D., Michael Brent, Ph.D., Lynette Cegelski, Ph.D., Eric Duncavage, M.D., and more

Assembly Series closes season with talks on tolerance, love

The Assembly Series closes its 2007-08 seasons with lectures on Tuesday, April 15, from Alvin Poussaint, M.D., speaking on race relations, tolerance and diversity; and on Wednesday, April 16, from Helen Fisher, Ph.D., speaking on the biology of romantic love.

Championship rally

The 2008 NCAA Division III National Champion basketball team will be recognized at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 16, at the Field House. Festivities will include unveiling the championship banner, a presentation of the championship trophy and comments from the team. Free pizza, championship posters and 2008 NCAA Championship T-shirts will be available while supplies last.