Arts & Sciences

On a recent visit to Pakistan, Omaer Naeem could literally taste the smog. Naeem, who is set to graduate with a degree in global students from Arts & Studies at Washington University in St. Louis, is committed to working with local communities in South Asia find their own solutions to this existential crisis.

Yunfeng Ge is an avid bird and nature lover. Her extensive research and volunteer work has prepared her for life after graduation. She plans to pursue conservation work and eventually attend graduate school to study ecology.

A 2023 Astronaut Scholar, Avital Isakov studies green energy solutions in Robert Wexler’s laboratory in the Department of Chemistry in Arts & Sciences and plans to pursue a PhD in computational and theoretical chemistry.

The inaugural STL DataFest later this month will feature presentations and discussions on a range of data applications, including data science’s impact in particular fields and larger questions of data ethics, privacy and security. Register to attend by May 6.

Last summer, 18 WashU students traveled to London for an intensive three-week program at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. Here, Claire Sommers, a lecturer in Arts & Sciences, describes the program’s aims and what it means to explore the places that shaped the Bard.

Jennifer Heemstra was installed as the Charles Allen Thomas Professor in Chemistry in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis during a ceremony April 10 at the Whittemore House. Her lab is focused on harnessing the capabilities of proteins and nucleic acids to address unmet needs in biomedicine and the environment.

Carbon emissions associated with air travel to professional conferences make up a sizable fraction of the emissions produced by researchers in academia. Andrea Gokus, a McDonnell Center postdoctoral fellow in Arts & Sciences, is advocating for astronomers and others to reduce those emissions.

Arts & Sciences recognized four alumni and a friend of the school for their achievements, service and commitment to the liberal arts during its Distinguished Alumni Awards dinner, held April 11.

Anca Parvulescu, the Liselotte Dieckmann Professor in Comparative Literature and a professor of English, both in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, will serve as principal investigator for a $1.2 million grant exploring the history of comparatism and the origins of the comparative method.

The Department of Music in Arts & Sciences will host six performances by internationally renowned artists as part of the 2025 Great Artists Series.