Obituary: Jean Sutherland Boggs, former professor in Arts & Sciences, 92
Jean Sutherland Boggs, the first woman appointed to full professorship in the Department of Art History and Archaeology in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, died Friday, Aug. 22, 2014. She was 92.
Treiman wins award for contributions to field of reading
Rebecca Treiman, PhD, the Burke & Elizabeth High Baker Professor of Child Developmental Psychology in Arts & Sciences, received the 2014 Society for the Scientific Study of Reading’s Distinguished Scientific Contributions Award, given every two years for outstanding contributions to the field.
Students participate in inaugural global health research program
Washington University’s Global Health Center selected five WUSTL students for its inaugural summer research program, which paired students with faculty mentors to explore issues such as malnutrition, maternal health and access to health care. Pictured is program participant Laura Bliss, a second-year medical student.
Balloon rise over Fort Sumner
In a few days, a balloon-borne telescope sensitive to the polarization of high-energy “hard” X rays will ascend to the edge of the atmosphere above Fort Sumner, N.M., to stare fixedly at black holes and other exotic astronomical objects. It will be carried aloft by a stratospheric balloon that will expand to a sphere large enough to hold a 747 jetliner the float height of 120,000 feet, three times the height at which commercial aircraft fly and on the edge of Earth’s atmosphere. Launching the balloon is not child’s play.
Zombie bacteria are nothing to be afraid of
Scientists at Washington University in St. Louis have obtained the first experimental evidence that there are at least two fail-safe points in the bacterial cell cycle. If the fail-safes are activated, the cell is forced to exit the cell cycle forever. It then enters a zombie-like state and is unable to reproduce
even under the most favorable of conditions. Drugs that trigger the fail-safes are already under development.
Scientists map the ‘editing marks’ on fly, worm, human genomes
In the Aug. 28 issue of the journal Nature, a multi-institution research network called modENCODE (the Model Organism ENCylopedia Of DNA Elements) published three major papers that map and compare the genomes and epigenomes of humans and two model
organisms, the fly, D. melanogaster, and the worm, C. elegans, in unprecedented detail. The fly and worm could serve as model organisms for screening drugs and micronutrients that might alter the epigenome, which is implicated in many diseases.
Experiments explain why some liquids are ‘fragile’ and others are ‘strong’
Only recently has it become possible to accurately “see” the structure of a liquid. Using X-rays and a high-tech apparatus that holds liquids without a container, a physicist at Washington University in St. Louis has compared the behavior of glass-forming liquids as they approach the glass transition. The results are the strongest demonstration yet that bulk properties like viscosity are linked to microscopic ones like structure.
Obituary: D. Tab Rasmussen, professor of anthropology, 56
D. Tab Rasmussen, PhD, professor of anthropology in Arts & Sciences, died Thursday, Aug. 7, 2014, after an accident at his home in Edwardsville, Ill. He was 56. Rasmussen was a highly recognized physical anthropologist specializing in paleontology and behavioral ecology, especially among primates.
PAD to present ‘Dance Close Up’ Sept. 4-6
Look. Listen. Inhale. Exhale. In “December,” David Marchant explores the fragmentary nature of memory and the rhythms of human breathing. On Sept. 4, 5 and 6, Marchant will present “December” as part of “Dance Close Up.” The intimate concert will showcase 10 new and original works by dance faculty in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis.
WashU Experts: Faculty available to comment on Ferguson unrest
As the St. Louis community grapples with recent events in the nearby suburb of Ferguson, Mo., a number of Washington University in St. Louis faculty members are offering their expertise, commentary and insight in hopes of promoting constructive dialogue on a number of challenging issues.
View More Stories