Fail Better with Robert Mark Morgan

Listening to his voicemail, Robert Mark Morgan wondered if someone had died. Friends had left messages offering condolences and support. Turns out, everyone was fine, but his career as a set designer had been seriously wounded. In the latest edition of “Fail Better,” Morgan, of the Performing Arts Department in Arts & Sciences, shares how he refused to let a devastating review sideline his career in theater.

Sanders Thompson appointed to Missouri Foundation for Health

Vetta Sanders Thompson
Vetta Sanders Thompson, the E. Desmond Lee Professor of Racial and Ethnic Diversity at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis, has been appointed to the Missouri Foundation for Health, which works with communities and nonprofits to improve the health of Missourians.

Sanders Thompson to speak at Community and University Engagement Summit

Vetta Sanders Thompson, the E. Desmond Lee Professor of Racial and Ethnic Diversity at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis, will serve as the keynote speaker at the Building Vibrant Partnerships: Community and University Engagement Summit on Friday, March 1.

Earning a bee’s wings

bee birth
New research from Washington University in St. Louis shows that honey bees (Apis mellifera) develop different scent profiles as they age, and the gatekeeper bees at the hive’s door respond differently to returning foragers than they do when they encounter younger bees who have never ventured out before.

AAU grant supports STEM education efforts

workshop
Washington University in St. Louis has been awarded a $20,000 “mini-grant” by the Association of American Universities to further existing efforts to improve undergraduate education in STEM disciplines. The funding will support programming organized by the Center for Integrative Research on Cognition, Learning and Education (CIRCLE).

Video: ‘Angels in America’

A light flashes. A wing rustles. A feather floats gently to the floor. Tony Kushner’s “Angels in America” features some of the most indelible images in American theater. From Feb. 22 to March 3, the Performing Arts Department in Arts & Sciences will stage Kushner’s epic drama for six performances in Edison Theatre.

Apply now for Civic Engagement Fund grants

The Gephardt Institute’s Civic Engagement Fund provides support for initiatives that cultivate community engagement. All members of the Washington University community are eligible to apply for funding, which can range from $500 to $5,000, depending on the project. The deadline is March 8.

Jazz Band performs ‘Só Danço Samba’

Senior Hannah Gilberstadt leads the Jazz Band at Washington University through a rendition of Antonio Carlos Jobim’s 1962 classic “Só Danço Samba” (“I Only Dance Samba”). The Brazilian composer was among the 20th century’s most influential songwriters, and a pioneer of the bossa nova style.