Arts & Sciences

Study groups help students more easily grasp the material from their classes.Studying in groups helps students learn more effectively. More than 20 years of academic research has consistently demonstrated that fact. But what exactly is it about studying with other people that makes it so effective? Through painstaking research, an expert in creativity and everyday conversation at Washington University in St. Louis has identified two patterns of group dynamics that show why group study is optimal. The research is published in the June 2005 Linguistics and Education journal.

The piece will receive its world première July 27 at Le Festival de Radio France et Montpellier.

Nanette Tarbouni, director of admissions, received this year’s Dean’s Award for her support, service and commitment to the academic enterprise.

Gas tax relief?With voters clamoring for relief from skyrocketing prices at the gas pump, politicians are floating a wide range of quick-fix solutions, many of which could cause more problems than they solve, suggests Paul Rothstein, a specialist in the economics of public spending at Washington University in St. Louis. More…

The answer to a 50-year-old question has been found by scientists at the School of Medicine. The question: Is it possible to accurately measure the intrinsic filling function of the heart?

In its 43rd season of summer shows, the orchestra will highlight composers and young artists from Missouri and Illinois.

James RichardsThe Gateway Festival Orchestra will begin its 43rd season of free summer concerts with “Midwest Musical Masters,” highlighting composers and young artists from Missouri and Illinois, at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, July 9, in Washington University’s Brookings Quadrangle. The orchestra is conducted by James Richards, professor of orchestral studies at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Subsequent concerts take place at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, July 16 and 23 in Brookings Quadrangle. The season concludes Sunday, July 30, in Graham Chapel.

Photo by Mary ButkusPreparing for kindergarten.You know what they say — everything you really need to know in life, you learn in kindergarten. Well, if that’s the case, preschoolers should be well prepared for this momentous year in their lives. But for so many little ones, kindergarten just looks — and sounds — like a big, scary place. A preschool educator at Washington University in St. Louis says it needn’t be and that with a little preparation this summer, your preschool child should be more than ready for that first big day of kindergarten in the fall. More…

Bracey”In the Duke Lacrosse rape case, we have a story of a horrifying gang rape, taking place against the backdrop of the most vulgar aspects of sexism, racism and classism in American society,” says Christopher Bracey, J.D., criminal procedure expert and associate professor of law and of African & African American studies at Washington University in St. Louis. “This is why it is so important for District Attorney Michael Nifong to get a handle on this case, and soon.” More…

David Kilper/WUSTL PhotoKaren L. Wooley and lab members examine polymer samples.A chemist at Washington University in St. Louis has developed a remarkable nanostructured material that can repel pests, sweeten the air, and some day might even be used as a timed drug delivery system — as a nasal spray, for instance. Karen L. Wooley, Ph.D., Washington University James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor in Arts & Sciences, has taken the same materials that she developed more than four years ago as marine “antifouling” coatings that inhibit marine organisms such as barnacles from attaching to the hull of ships to now capture fragrance molecules and release them at room temperature. More…