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June 2007
University News
University Awards Six Honorary Degrees: Six prominent individuals received honorary degrees during Washington University's 146th Commencement ceremony May 18. The University also bestowed academic degrees on more than 2,600 students during the ceremony.
 Call to Action: Proclaiming that "energy and environmental issues represent the greatest challenges of this century," Chancellor Mark Wrighton joined presidents and leaders of 11 prominent, international research universities in attendance at the International Symposium on Energy and Environment, held May 4-7 in St. Louis, in calling for universities worldwide to marshal their resources for a global effort to secure a brighter, sustainable future.
School of Medicine Graduate to Accompany New York Times Reporter to Africa: Between graduating from the School of Medicine and beginning study as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University this fall, Leana S. Wen will be blogging about her observations in Rwanda, the Congo, and Burundi in Africa. She has been chosen, along with a Chicago teacher, to accompany New York Times columnist Nicholas D. Kristof on a three-week reporting trip to Africa this summer. Wen and high school teacher Will Okun were chosen from among more than 2,000 American college and graduate students and middle school and high school teachers who applied.Interaction of Genes, Environmental Factors Predispose Children to ADHD: Past research has suggested that both genes and prenatal factors — such as exposure to nicotine — can increase the risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). But the identified increases in risk have been very modest. Now, a team of University scientists has found that when those factors are studied together, risk of a severe type of ADHD greatly increases.
 Cell Splits Water via Sunlight to Produce Cheap Source of Energy: Engineers at Washington University have developed a unique photocatalytic cell that splits water to produce hydrogen and oxygen in water using sunlight and the power of a nanostructured catalyst. The discovery provides a new, low-cost and efficient option for hydrogen production and can be used for a variety of distributed energy applications.
Estrogen Important for Men's Bone Health, too: Although women are four times more likely than men to develop osteoporosis, or porous bone, one in 12 men also suffer from the disease. The underlying causes are numerous, but in women, low estrogen levels after menopause have been considered an important factor. New research at the School of Medicine has shown that low amounts of active estrogen metabolites also can increase men's osteoporosis risk. Behaving Badly: Organizations are sending a stronger message to bullying bosses and hostile employees: Bad behavior won't be tolerated on the job. According to an assistant professor of organizational behavior at the John M. Olin School of Business, the Don Imus situation, in particular, has rekindled discourse on respect and accountability.
 Missouri's Oldest Female Inmate Freed: Shirley Lute, a 76-year-old victim of domestic violence, will be released from prison thanks to the efforts of the School of Law's Civil Justice Clinic. The victory is the culmination of more than eight years of work by the clinic on Lute's behalf. Lute was incarcerated for her role in the 1981 murder of her abusive husband.
Students Win Design Competition for Santa Fe Museum: Peter Elsbeck, Cristina Greavu, and Eric Rang, graduate students in architecture in the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts, won an international competition to create a sculptural façade for El Museo Cultural de Santa Fe. The group's winning design, "Shifting Lines", was selected from more than 100 entries submitted by architects, artists, and designers representing 10 countries. "The best commencement I ever heard was all of 16 words, 'No exercise is better for the human heart than reaching down to lift up another person.' That is your charge. That is your challenge. That is what I believe it means to be a member of the class of 2007, of this wonderful place called Washington University."
— Tim Russert, managing editor and moderator of NBC's "Meet the Press" and political analyst for "NBC Nightly News" and the "Today" show, in his address during the 146th Commencement ceremony May 18.
The Bears softball team finished runner-up in the NCAA Division III National Championships. Linfield College defeated the Bears 10-2 in the championship game in Salem, Virginia. The Bears wrapped up their eighth season as a varsity program with a 35-7 overall record. Laurel Sagartz, a senior mechanical engineering major from Albuquerque, New Mexico, finished her four-year career as one of the most dominating pitchers in Division III history and earned first-team, all-America honors for a second time.
David G. Mutch, M.D., the Ira C. and Judith Gall Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the School of Medicine, has been named President-Elect II of the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists.
Yoel Sadovsky, M.D., professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the School of Medicine, has been named president-elect of the Perinatal Research Society.
John Watts, a freshman in the School of Engineering & Applied Science from Marietta, Georgia, finished runner-up in the 2007 NCAA Division III Tennis Singles Championship held in Forest Park.
Three Washington University scientists have been elected to the National Academy of Sciences: Aaron J. Ciechanover, M.D., D.Sc., visiting professor of pediatrics at the School of Medicine and the Research Distinguished Professor of Biochemistry at Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, Israel; Clifford M. Will, Ph.D., the James S. McDonnell Professor of Physics in Arts & Sciences; and Wayne M. Yokoyama, M.D., the Sam J. Levin and Audrey Loew Levin Professor of Research in Arthritis and professor of medicine and of pathology and immunology.
Two University professors have been elected fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. The new fellows are Helen M. Piwnica-Worms, Ph.D., professor of cell biology and physiology and of internal medicine at the School of Medicine, and Murray L. Weidenbaum, Ph.D., the Edward Mallinckrodt Distinguished University Professor in Arts & Sciences, professor of economics and honorary chairman of the Murray Weidenbaum Center on the Economy, Government, and Public Policy.
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Copyright 2006, Washington University in St. Louis
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