Black Anthology performance

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Stories of Incredible People, Research, Learning, and Leadership in Arts & Sciences

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Highlights

Reflecting on the first year of the Arts & Sciences Strategic Plan

In May, faculty and staff gathered to share lessons, ideas, and inspiration from the first 12 months of the Strategic Plan.

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Social Sciences, Campus & Community

Comparative Politics Annual Conference celebrates 10 years at WashU

The small conference is having a big impact on the Department of Political Science. This annual event brings together students and nationally known scholars for a day of in-depth discussions and networking.

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Faculty, Natural Sciences & Math

From the savanna to your sofa

In his new book on cat biology, biologist Jonathan Losos takes readers from the Fertile Crescent to modern-day cat shows to unravel the mysteries of feline evolution.

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Faculty, Humanities, Awards & Notables

Phillips wins Pulitzer Prize in Poetry

Carl Phillips, a professor of English in Arts & Sciences, has won the 2023 Pulitzer Prize in Poetry. Phillips received the honor for his latest collection, “Then The War: And Selected Poems, 2007-2020.” The prizes were announced May 8.

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Arts & Sciences in the News:

Chang and Georgiades named Beckman Scholars

Parvulescu wins Barrington Moore Book Award

Is Earth the only planet with lightning?

Patti wins the American Chemical Society Midwest Award

Racial equality in the U.S. labor movement

Ramos’ ‘Bedlam in the New World’ recognized with third award

The psychological challenges of rural living

Arts & Sciences lecturer, national TV critic writes new book on screen time

Motivations for taking the moral high ground

Research finds fathers’ leave reduces sexist attitudes

Carrying the banner: Meet the 2023 student marshals

Camacho, Clark to highlight the power of WashU community

Summer Session courses to take regardless of your major

Meet the 3 speakers honoring doctoral, master’s degree recipients

Class Acts: Joseph Silagi

Goodenough, McKinnon elected to National Academy of Sciences

Featured Podcast:

Climate literacy

In the first episode of “It’s Getting Hot in Here,” a podcast created by the Washington University Climate Change Program, student hosts Lara Briggs, Sejal Rajamani, and Julian McCall are joined by Cassie Power and Amanda Albert to discuss climate literacy.

Paul Laurence Dunbar, "We Wear The Mask"

Rafia Zafar joins the Poetry for All podcast to discuss "We Wear the Mask" by the great poet and writer Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872-1906). Zafar leads us in a discussion of Dunbar's fame and influence while opening up broader themes of African American history and literature

Influencing democracy

The fifth episode of the American Democracy Lab podcast features author, lecturer, and journalist Anne Nelson discussing the eroding trust in our democracy.

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The Ampersand Magazine

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Fall 2022 issue

Ampersand magazine shares stories of incredible people, research, and ideas in Arts & Sciences. Our latest issue dives into environmental justice, social media bots, the digital mental health revolution, and more. 

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news and events from Arts & Sciences / WashU

Alumni awarded Fulbright awards to travel abroad

Ten recent alumni of Washington University in St. Louis...

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Cancer cells rev up synthesis, compared with neighbors

Tumors are composed of rapidly multiplying cancer cells....

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The psychological challenges of rural living

People who endure the daily hassles of big cities often...

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River flowing over rocks and Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park

A river runs through it

Scientists at Washington University in St. Louis are using state-of-the-art geospatial technologies to study bedrock river erosion at Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park, located about two hours southwest of the Danforth Campus.
Aerial shot of Tyson Research Center in the fall

Our world by degrees: In search of refuge

Researchers look at whether Ozark oases at Tyson Research Center — climate change refugia — could help species persist in spite of rising temperatures.

A semester of songs and stories

From a cappella performances to a class on humor writing, senior Melissa Oberstaedt shares some of her favorite moments from the fall semester.

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The joy of realizing your science job is also a people job

The new chair of the Department of Chemistry envisions a future for the department that’s “all about people.”

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How I chose my major

Sophomore Lorenzo Prila writes about how he followed his instincts and overcame his fear of the unknown on his academic journey. Students in Arts & Sciences are invited to consider their own path to the major at the fall Major-Minor Fair, to be held Oct. 17.

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The icing on the cake: Biologist applies epigenetics to challenges in medicine, agriculture

Xuehua Zhong studies epigenetics — how genes are turned ‘on’ or ‘off’ — and environmental adaptation in plants. A new project, funded by a $2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, will ultimately enable new applications for medicine and human health.

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