Arts & Sciences

Washington University has a long tradition of undergraduate participation in research, one developed further by programs created by Sarah Elgin, Ph.D., professor of biology; biochemistry and molecular biophysics; and education in Arts & Sciences with financial support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

There is a good story behind science, but no one is telling it in American classrooms. According to Ursula Goodenough, Ph.D., professor of biology in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, science continues to be taught from K-12 to the college and university levels, in fragmented, incoherent bits and pieces rather than a coherent narrative, a history of nature.

An evolutionary and population biologist at Washington University in St. Louis says that Ernst Mayr’s theory of genetic revolution has been illustrated nicely in recent years in human genetic epidemiology and population biology studies. Alan R. Templeton, Ph.D., Washington University professor of biology in Arts & Sciences, said that there is an extensive documentation of genetic interaction over the past few years including his own genetic epidemiology studies of coronary artery disease (CAD).

mp3 fileIn this acuality, Sussman discusses the fact that a human ancestor species called Australopithecus afarensis that lived between 5 million and 2.5 million years ago was what’s called an “edge species”. That is, they could adapt both to living in trees and on the ground. Most primate edge species actually are prey rather than […]

You wouldn’t know it by current world events, but humans actually evolved to be peaceful, cooperative and social animals. In a new book, an anthropologist at Washington University in St. Louis goes against the prevailing view and argues that primates, including early humans, evolved not as hunters but as prey of many predators, including wild dogs and cats, hyenas, eagles and crocodiles. Despite popular theories posed in research papers and popular literature, early man was not an aggressive killer, argues Robert W. Sussman, Ph.D., professor of anthropology in Arts & Sciences.

It is very common for cities to declare their intent to become the next telecommunications corridor, biotechnology hub, or some other kind of technological center. But what often goes unexamined is how the human resource development strategy aligns with the economic goals of the municipality. Building civic capacity to support the learning of science and mathematics is vitally important for St. Louis and other cities. To this end, partnerships between schools and universities to advance human development are critical, says William Tate, Ph.D., Edward Mallinckrodt Distinguished University Professor in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis and Director of the St. Louis Center for Inquiry in Science Teaching and Learning.

A Missouri mathematician believes that the state’s moniker has great bearing on the status of modern mathematical proofs: Show Me. Steven Krantz, Ph.D., professor of mathematics in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, said that it is becoming more difficult to verify proofs today and that the concept of the proof has undergone serious change over the course of his 30-plus years career,

“Improving Women’s Participation in Elected Office” will be the topic of discussion as women representing Missouri’s Republican and Democratic parties visit Washington University’s Hilltop Campus for a public forum at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 27 in Room 201, Rebstock Hall.

Garber has authored four books devoted to the Bard; the most recent, Shakespeare After All, makes him more accessible to the common reader.

“Like all Shakespearean comedy, Much Ado deals with love and marriage,” says director Henry I. Schvey “But it’s also about misunderstanding, misinterpretation and disguise.”