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|  UNIVERSITY NAMED TO LIST OF HISTORIC SITES: Physicist Arthur Holly Compton, Ph.D., Washington University's first faculty member to receive a Nobel Prize (1927), is still being recognized for his groundbreaking research. The latest acknowledgment comes from the American Physical Society, which has designated Washington University — where Compton did his Nobel Prize-winning research — as one of the four U.S. sites to be the first listed on the recently announced Register of Historic Sites.
FOUR STARS, FIVE TIMES: For the fifth consecutive year, Washington University has received a four-star rating – the highest score possible – from Charity Navigator, the largest independent charity evaluator in America. The four-star rating indicates that the University is committed to fiscal responsibility and sound management practices.
GRANT AIDS IN ASSET BUILDING FOR POOR: At the Center for Social Development (CSD) in the George Warren Brown School of Social Work, Michael Sherraden, Ph.D., and his faculty colleagues, staff, and graduate students are dedicating themselves to addressing the root causes of poverty and finding solutions. The Ford Foundation, a steady and generous supporter of the CSD, recently awarded a $2.5 million grant to create a permanent endowment for the Center.
Research
BIPOLAR DISORDER IDENTIFIED IN CHILDREN: Child psychiatry researchers at Washington University School of Medicine have identified a small group of preschoolers who appear to suffer from bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness. The findings highlight symptoms that distinguish bipolar disorder from other mental health problems in very young children. Diagnosing bipolar disorder in children is difficult because the manic phase of the illness can be confused with the more common attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
 UNIVERSITY SCIENTISTS IN FIRST AMERICAN-LIBYAN RESEARCH COLLABORATION: Joshua Smith, Ph.D., assistant professor of earth and planetary sciences, and D. Tab Rasmussen, Ph.D., professor of anthropology, both in Arts & Sciences, were part of what is thought to be the first-ever collaborative paleontological expedition between American and Libyan scientists. Smith and Rasmussen value the collaboration with Libyan scientists because there are no vertebrate paleontologists native to Libya, and the country is a goldmine of fossils from their eras of specialty which could yield a plethora of new information.
ONE-TWO PUNCH FOR CANCER: To remain healthy, all cells must quickly mend any breaks that arise in their DNA strands. But cancer cells are particularly dependent on a process called homologous recombination to repair DNA and stay alive. Now, School of Medicine researchers have found a protein that has a role in homologous recombination. This discovery could be exploited in a treatment strategy to eliminate cancer cells' ability to repair DNA.
Features
 WELCOME TO THE MySCI INVESTIGATION STATION: Draped in bold, colorful graphics, a custom-built semi-trailer is the centerpiece of MySci, a comprehensive K-2 science experience developed by Washington University's Science Outreach program. Faculty and students from Arts & Sciences, the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts, and the John M. Olin School of Business, along with St. Louis area educators, helped to make MySci's tour of local schools possible.
REDUCING STOCK OPTIONS: Even though the stock market is relatively flat, many companies are showing signs of life – rising share prices and dividend payoff. Still, there has been a flurry of companies that have increased plans to increase stock. Companies opt to repurchase their own stock to signal that their stock is undervalued, to fulfill the exercise of options, to return excess cash to shareholders, or to inflate their earnings-per-share (EPS). According to new research from a professor at the John M. Olin School of Business, repurchasing stock enables firms to manage the most salient financial indicator in the capital markets.
ADULT CHILDREN IN THE DARK: A psychologist in Arts & Sciences is conducting research that shows two adult siblings may have radically different views on what their parents would want. In fact, he says that a random stranger might have the same chance at guessing parental wishes as some children would.
Heard on Campus
"This is just an amazing opportunity, and I am absolutely thrilled to join Washington University as first dean of the Sam Fox School. This new structure presents tremendous opportunities for innovative collaboration and to become an international center for creative activity to address, explore, and contemplate the challenges of contemporary design in the 21st century."
—Carmon Colangelo upon being named the first Dean of the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts
Kudos
Raymond E. Arvidson, Ph.D., the James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor and chair of earth and planetary sciences in Arts & Sciences, is the chair of the Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group. His duties began July 1, and he will serve for three years.
Three University scientists were among the 376 scientists elected as fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). They are: Mark F. Jacquin, Ph.D., research professor of neurology at the School of Medicin; Jonathan B. Losos, Ph.D., professor of biology in Arts & Sciences; and Philip A. Osdoby, Ph.D., professor of biology in Arts & Sciences.
Beth Herndon, LA07, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, and sophomore Tyler Mulkin, BU08, of Birmingham, Alabama, earned All-America honors in cross country as the Bears finished third for a second consecutive year in the 2005 NCAA Division III Championships
WUSTL Links
About @ Washington University in St. Louis
This newsletter is prepared by Special Development Communications Projects staff in Alumni and Development Programs. It is intended to provide a brief summary of what is happening at the University. Alumni, parents, and friends of the University for whom we have valid e-mail addresses automatically receive @ Washington University in St. Louis.
Copyright 2005, Washington University in St. Louis
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