Arts & Sciences

Hillel Kieval, PhD, the Gloria M. Goldstein Professor of Jewish History and Thought, has spent the past 25 years studying European Jews in the 19th and 20th centuries. His chief focus is the various ways in which they identified with, and struggled against, their European environment.  

An investigation by an international consortium of scientists, including an anthropologist at Washington University in St. Louis, has discovered the origin of the world’s deadliest form of human malaria, Plasmodium falciparum.

Mr. Smith went to Washington, again. Instead of staging a filibuster, Steven S. Smith, PhD, political science professor and parliamentary procedure expert  testified Sept. 22 before the U.S. Senate Committee on Rules and Administration on proposed rule changes governing debate and cloture.

Antonio Vivaldi’s Four Seasons is among the best-loved works in the classical repertoire and a foundation of the Baroque concerto. In 2002, celebrated violinist Robert McDuffie approached Philip Glass, arguably the most acclaimed composer working today, about writing a companion piece. The result is Glass’ Violin Concerto No. 2, The American Four Seasons, which McDuffie debuted last year. Now McDuffie and the Venice Baroque Orchestra, one of the world’s finest period instrument ensembles, will perform both works back-to-back as part of the Edison Ovations Series at Washington University. 

Jose Mestre, PhD, a distinguished scholar of physics learning and a highly regarded researcher in physics education, will deliver a talk titled “Physics Learning and Classroom Practice: Clinical and Classroom-Based Studies of Physics Cognition” on Wednesday, Sept. 29, at Washington University in St. Louis. The talk will take place at 4 p.m. in Crow Hall, Room 201.

Washington University Frontiers in Technology and Science, a one-day conference modeled on the Kavli Frontiers of Science conference, hopes to connect WUSTL faculty in the sciences, engineering or mathematics and spur cross-disciplinary collaborations. The conference will be held from 10:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 25, in Cupples I, Room 199.

Henry L. “Roddy” Roediger III, PhD, received the Arts & Sciences Distinguished Leadership Award and William E. Wallace, PhD, received the David Hadas Teaching Award during Arts & Sciences’ annual faculty reception. Gary S. Wihl, PhD, dean of the faculty of Arts & Sciences and the Lewin Distinguished Professor in the Humanities, presented the awards and introduced new faculty at the reception, which also recognized the start of the new academic year.

A search is under way to fill a new vice provost position in the Office of the Provost whose initial focus will be on diversity and faculty development, among other areas of university-wide importance. An advisory committee has been formed that will identify and recommend candidates from within the Washington University community.

University College, the continuing education and professional studies division in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, will host a symposium titled “The Sustainability Challenge: Local to Global” at 7 p.m. Oct. 26 in Steinberg Auditorium. The symposium will feature experts from Washington University and the greater St. Louis region as they discuss questions and challenges facing the environment, community development and organizational life.

Tony Award-nominated actor Stephen McKinley Henderson will discuss his life and work as part of an informal, Inside the Actors Studio-style dialogue at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 16, in Edison Theatre. Titled “An Evening with Stephen McKinley Henderson,” the event is presented in conjunction with the symposium “Uncovering/Discovering The Other,” which runs through Friday.