Apply now to spend three weeks in China next summer

Frank Yin, PhD, ambassador to Tsinghua University, a partner institution in the McDonnell International Scholars Academy, invites Washington University in St. Louis faculty and students to participate in Tsinghua’s annual English summer camp, which will be held from June 26 to July 13, 2012. The English summer camp is an intensive English language experience for Tsinghua students. Each day is devoted to lessons, lectures, and various activities, including seminars, song and dance competitions, and other games. WUSTL native or near-native English speakers are invited to join the camp as visiting teachers and volunteers.

Visual nudge improves accuracy of mammogram readings

False negatives and positives plague the reading of mammograms, limiting their usefulness. Cindy Grimm, a computer scientist at Washington University in St. Louis, and colleagues have shown the accuracy of novice readers can be improved by nudging them visually to follow the scanpath of an expert radiologist. The “nudge” is a brief change in the brightness or warmth in the image in the peripheral field of view.

Nominations sought for Civic Scholars program

The Gephardt Institute for Public Service is accepting nominations for the Civic Scholars program, which recognizes Washington University in St. Louis undergraduate students who exemplify future potential for civic leadership. Nominate a current sophomore by Friday, Feb. 3, by filling out a brief form on https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CivicScholarsNominationForm.

MEDIA ADVISORY: McCaskill continues energy tour with Jan. 9 visit to Washington University in St. Louis

U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill will participate in a roundtable discussion with Washington University in St. Louis administrators and energy researchers, and the region’s energy leaders on the nation’s urgent energy needs. The roundtable energy discussion will be held at noon Monday, Jan. 9, at Washington University’s Brauer Hall, Room 3015, followed by a tour of WUSTL’s Ultrafast Laser Facility. 

Introducing new faculty members

The following are among the new faculty members at Washington University in St. Louis: Jan Bieschke, PhD; John Cunningham, PhD; Kristen Naegle, PhD; and Kedron Thomas, PhD. Others will be introduced periodically.

Lead levels in drinking water spike when copper and lead pipes joined

Lead pipes once used routinely in municipal water distribution systems are a well-recognized source of dangerous lead contamination, but new research from Washington University in St. Louis suggests that the partial replacement of these pipes can make the problem worse. The research shows that joining old lead pipes with new copper lines using brass fittings spurs galvanic corrosion that can dramatically increase the amount of lead released into drinking water supplies.
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