Page 411 – The Source | Washington University in St. Louis

Regina Abel, occupational therapy instructor, 70

Regina Abel, an instructor in occupational therapy and in medicine at the School of Medicine, died June 15 in St. Louis following a heart attack. She was 70. An expert in animal-assisted therapy, she focused on animals’ role in rehabilitation and education.

Awards & Notables

Four university members named to Focus St. Louis cohort

Four members of the Washington University community are among the 73 individuals selected by Focus St. Louis from the private, public and nonprofit sectors for its 46th Leadership St. Louis class.

Engineering

NASA funds Chakrabarty, Martin atmospheric data research

Headshots of Rajan Chakrabarty and Randall Martin

Two researchers from the McKelvey School of Engineering received funding from NASA for atmospheric data research

Literature

‘A wonderful catastrophe’

“We often think about genres of love narratives, whether they’re films or novels, as frivolous,” said Jessica Rosenfeld, of Arts & Sciences. “But in the Middle Ages, love stories, love narratives, love songs, were invested with the highest seriousness.”

Nutrition & Wellness

New snack foods nurture healthy gut microbiome

Researchers at the School of Medicine have identified ingredients for snack food prototypes that have been formulated to deliberately change the gut microbiome in ways that can be linked to health.

Engineering

Pandemic air quality affected by weather, not just lockdowns

Map of PM2.5 concentrations according to simulations

Using a diverse set of tools, the lab of Randall Martin shows how the pandemic did – or didn’t – affect levels of particulate matter during COVID lockdowns.

Cultural Studies

Rebecca Copeland: On learning to wear a kimono

With the publication of her first novel, “The Kimono Tattoo,” Rebecca Copeland moves from translation to fiction writing and brings a literary perspective to the cultural history of kimonos.

Diversity & Inclusion

First race and ethnicity cluster hires arrive at Washington University

Washington University in St. Louis is welcoming the first round of faculty members identified through its race and ethnicity cluster hire initiative, a multiyear effort to build a world-class and interdisciplinary research program on race.

Students

University joins amicus brief on international student training

Washington University in St. Louis joined 150 other higher education institutions June 21 in signing onto an amicus brief in ongoing litigation in federal court, supporting the Optional Practical Training program and the international students who benefit from it.

Campus & Facilities

Reminder: Workday self-service training available

Workday employee and manager self-service training is available to get familiar with Workday ahead of the July 1 launch. Support also will be available after the system is live.