Arts & Sciences

James WertschAmbiguous U.S. policies toward emerging democracies in former Soviet states may have set the stage for the brutal military conflict that erupted this week between Russia and its neighboring Republic of Georgia, suggests James V. Wertsch, an expert on post-Soviet democracy movements at Washington University in St. Louis.

David MarchantAsha PremModern solos and structured improvisation will share the stage with classical Indian and contemporary Chinese dance in Dance Close Up, the biennial concert of new and original choreography by dance faculty in the Performing Arts Department in Arts & Sciences. Launched in 1995, the biennial concert serves as the unofficial kickoff to St. Louis’ professional dance season. This year’s showcase will feature 11 works choreographed and performed by full-time and adjunct faculty.

What should the Midwest do before and after a major earthquake?The earthquake that hit the lower Midwest on April 18 of this year was a hearty 5.2 on the Richter scale and got the attention of the St. Louis region. What if a larger quake — occurring either in the New Madrid Fault or Wabash Valley Fault — were to hit the region? How would we respond? To address these concerns, the Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Structural Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis is presenting a series of seminars and workshops on the topic of reducing the damage that could occur if a strong earthquake strikes the area again.

After eight years in office, President Bush is on track to be one of the biggest regulatory budget spending presidents in history, according to a new study from the Mercatus Center at George Mason University and the Weidenbaum Center at Washington University in St. Louis.

Image courtesy of NASAA WUSTL researcher and his collaborator have drawn the first detailed picture of the way a superfluid influences the behavior of a superconductor. This could shed light on the behavior of neutron stars, above.Scientists have studied superconductors and superfluids for decades. Now, researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have drawn the first detailed picture of the way a superfluid influences the behavior of a superconductor. In addition to describing previously unknown superconductor behavior, these calculations could change scientists’ understanding of the motion of neutron stars.

David Kilper/WUSTL PhotoA group of about 45 sundial enthusiasts will tour 15 St. Louis area sundials.While we are bombarded daily with gloomy stories about Earth going to a hot place in a handbasket, a group of roughly 45 enthusiasts from around the country are meeting in St. Louis, August 7-10, to celebrate the beauty of the Earth moving around the sun.

Working professionals looking to develop their writing and communication skills can now earn a Certificate in Strategic Communication at University College, Washington University in St. Louis’ adult, continuing-education division of Arts & Sciences. The new, 21-credit program features courses in writing and strategic communication taught by well-known communication professionals in the St. Louis area.

Ting-Ting ChangTheater, like film and architecture, is a collaborative art, drawing on the work of actors, writers, directors, designers, dancers, choreographers, musicians and others. That sense of interdisciplinary cooperation is at the heart of the Performing Arts Department (PAD) in Arts & Sciences’ 2008-09 season, which will explore connections between theater and contemporary cultural and political issues as well as between the PAD and other campus areas.

Tracy K. SmithFour faculty members from the 2008 Callaloo Creative Writing Workshops will read from their poetry and fiction at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 6. Launched in 1976, Callaloo is the premier African-American and African literary journal, publishing a rich mixture of fiction, poetry, plays, critical essays, interviews, and visual art from the African diaspora. The annual Callaloo Creative Writing Workshops — hosted this year by Washington University from Aug. 3 to 16 —are designed to assist new and developing writers by providing intensive and individual instruction in the writing of fiction and poetry.

Tracy K. Smith, authorFour faculty members from the 2008 Callaloo Creative Writing Workshops will read from their poetry and fiction at 7 p.m. Aug. 6 in Duncker Hall, Room 201, Hurst Lounge. The event is free and open to the public.