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Three students at Washington University in St. Louis have received the Barry Goldwater Scholarship, a prestigious award that honors students who conduct research in the natural sciences, mathematics and engineering. WashU winners were among the 500 scholars selected among an applicant pool of some 5,000 college sophomores and juniors.

Angel Lu received the 2023 Florence Moog Scholarship for her diverse interests in biology and music.

On Sept. 27, colleagues, family, and friends gathered in Holmes Lounge on the Danforth Campus to celebrate the installation of Kenneth Olsen as the George William and Irene Koechig Freiberg Professor of Biology.

During her installation address, “The Environment Matters,” Petra Levin discussed how cells respond to changes in the environment and the importance of this research in addressing antibiotic resistance.

“Jonathan Losos, writing as both a scientist and a cat lover, explores how researchers today are unraveling the secrets of the cat, past and present, using all the tools of modern technology, from GPS tracking and genomics to forensic archaeology. In addition to solving the mysteries of your cat’s past, it gives us a cat’s-eye view of today’s habitats, including meeting wild cousins around the world whose habits your sweet house cat sometimes eerily parallels.”

The American Philosophical Society is pleased to welcome new Members elected to the Society in 2023. Election to the American Philosophical Society honors extraordinary accomplishments in all fields. The APS is unusual among learned societies because its Membership is composed of top scholars from a wide variety of academic disciplines.

Award from the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation honors “exceptionally talented” undergrads.

Miriam Silberman, a senior majoring in Microbiology, with minors in Anthropology and Psychological and Brain Sciences, is the inaugural winner of the Garland Allen Prize in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Biological Sciences.

Abt completed research in the Moron-Concepcion Lab, culminating in his thesis Investigating the sex-specific effects of pain on mesolimbic circuitry during fentanyl self-administration using in vivo wireless fiber photometry. He was nominated by his Bio 500 independent research mentor Jose Moron-Concepcion, Henry E Mallinckrodt Professor of Anesthesiology.

This year, there are two winners from the School of Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis: Larissa Rays Wahba, a senior majoring in Neuroscience and Latin American Studies, and Xiyun Zhang, a senior majoring in Neuroscience and Psychological and Brain Sciences.

This year, there are two winners from the School of Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis: Maya Tsingos, a senior majoring in Microbiology, with minors in Medical Humanities and Chinese Language and Culture, and Sindhuri Ivaturi, a senior majoring in Biochemistry and Anthropology: Global Health and Environment, with a minor in Music.

Goodenough is a high-profile molecular cell biologist who taught biology and evolution at Washington University and engaged in research on the sexual cycle of the green soil alga Chlamydomonas, on ciliary motility and on algal biofuel precursors. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Microbiology Society and served as president of the American Society for Cell Biology.

Shelei Pan, who is majoring in biology, on the neuroscience track, and Spanish in Arts & Sciences, plans to research cerebrospinal fluid handling in the developing brain to better understand and develop treatments for pediatric hydrocephalus. Pan is a research assistant in the lab of Jennifer Strahle, MD, an associate professor of neurosurgery, orthopedic surgery and pediatrics​ at the School of Medicine. Pan published research that characterized cerebrospinal fluid circulation to specific functional areas of the neonatal brain and spinal cord. Pan also launched Made to Model, which designs clothes for children with disabilities.

Rachel Penczykowski, assistant professor of biology, Kim Medley, director of the Tyson Research Center, and a group of collaborators have won a $200,000 seed grant from the Taylor Geospatial Institute for their project “Integrating downscaled climate models with in-situ measurements to investigate fine-scale urban environmental heterogeneity.”

Garland (“Gar”) E. Allen III, a leader in the history of genetics and eugenics, died on 10 February at age 86. Gar was at heart an activist, pushing for social justice and promoting inclusion before the concept gained its current urgency. He loved intellectual give-and-take and took pride in the lively philosophical debate generated by the books he authored. A supportive mentor, Gar devoted himself to making vulnerable students feel comfortable in university life.

Rachel Penczykowski, an assistant professor of biology in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, won a Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for her project “Climate and Connectivity as Drivers of Pathogen Dynamics Within and Between Urban Plant Populations.” The highly sought-after NSF award is reserved for junior faculty who excel at mentoring while successfully integrating research and education.

Rachel Penczykowski, assistant professor in the Department of Biology, has won a prestigious National Science Foundation grant for early career faculty who excel at mentorship and research.

Richard D. Vierstra, the George and Charmaine Mallinckrodt Professor of Biology, received a four-year $1.3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to continue his project titled “Phytochromes: Structural Perspectives on Photoactivation and Signaling.”

Founded in 2008 by the master mathematician Prof. Shing-Tung Yau, the S.-T. Yau High School Science Award inspires scientific innovations and is designed for high school students all over the world. Advocating innovative thinking and collaborative spirits, the Award dispenses with paper-delivered test format or standardized test answers and instead gives students the opportunity to participate by submitting academic papers. The Award aims at promoting the development of science education in high schools, stimulating students’ research interests and innovative capabilities, as well as discovering and cultivating young talents in scientific disciplines.

Washington University in St. Louis sophomores Sam Ko and Dev Mukundan, both environmental biology majors, earned full scholarships to attend the SEEDS Leadership Meeting this month at the Arizona Institute for Resilient Environments & Societies at the University of Arizona.

Seniors Sam Norwitz and Ephraim Oyetunji at Washington University in St. Louis were finalists for the Rhodes Scholarship, one of the world’s most prestigious academic honors, to study at the University of Oxford in England.

Nine multiyear clusters and five yearlong programmatic grants bring together faculty across all seven schools to collaborate on new transdisciplinary research.

“I really appreciate the chance to be honored with Viktor Hamburger’s name,” Herzog said. “Viktor gave us the Department of Biology that we now know at Washington University and really created a community here that celebrates people that come from diverse backgrounds and wants people to challenge dogma in the field.”

Arts & Sciences has announced the second cohort of internal seed grant recipients.

Faculty and university leadership selected Benjamin Noble, a fifth-year graduate student in political science, as the winner of the inaugural Dean’s Award for Graduate Research Excellence. Six additional graduate students were recognized as finalists.

Jennifer Wang, assistant professor of biology, won a $1,244,998 grant from the National Institutes of Health for a project investigating the molecular mechanisms of centriolar triplet microtubule formation. These complex structures play a critical role in the production of new cells and have implications for human health.

Ivan is a postdoctoral fellow in the Haswell Lab in the Department of Biology at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. He has a scientific background in molecular and cell biology. For Ivan, art and science intersect in his work. His winning image was taken as part of a plant research project published in Science, demonstrating the artistic and scientific value of the capture. As he continues to image his work, capturing the beauty found under the microscope has become a growing art. We spoke with Ivan to learn more about the winning image and his approach to the art of science.

Bruce Carlson and his team won an NSF grant to examine how changes in an animal’s behavior alters the sensory feedback the animal receives, in turn leading to modifications to the animal’s brain.

Arpita Bose, associate professor of biology in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, participated in the White House Summit on Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing for the American Bioeconomy Sept. 14.

Ryan Emenecker, a postdoctoral researcher at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has won the 2022 Regeneron Prize for Creative Innovation. The $50,000 prize recognizes excellence and creativity in young biomedical scientists who have potential to make scientific breakthroughs.

Eight Arts & Sciences graduate students were honored for their achievements in undergraduate teaching and instruction.

The ENDURE Program wrapped up summer 2022 with a symposium on August 4 in the Eric P. Newman Education Center at Washington University in St. Louis. The conference showcased the work of the 14 undergraduate scholars who pursued cutting-edge questions in neuroscience for 10 weeks over the summer.

Congrats to Professor Yehuda Ben-Shahar and grad student Adalee Lube on winning the Award for Excellence in Teaching which recognizes faculty members and students who have shown outstanding commitment to teaching in the neuroscience community.

Arts & Sciences researchers recently won awards from the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, NASA, and others.

A team that received early support from the Living Earth Collaborative was awarded a $633,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to evaluate pollination in orchards across the city of St. Louis. They will examine how factors such as human population density, socioeconomic status, soil type and surrounding vegetation impact insect numbers and fruit yield.

Radin recently won the Olympus Image of the Year award for the region of Americas. His winning image features Physcomitrium patens, a type of moss used as a model organism in Haswell Lab’s research.

Last month, Arts & Sciences researchers received awards from NASA, the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and others.

Gabriella (Gaby) Smith is majoring in biology in Arts & Sciences. She serves as a peer leader of the Biotech Explorers Pathway program in Arts & Sciences. She has served as a speaker and senator on the Student Union Senate, performs clinical research through the Pediatric Emergency Medicine Research Associates Program and has served as an undergraduate student representative to the university’s Board of Trustees.

Biology majors Gaby Smith, and Rohith and Akhil Kesaraju are featured in Class Acts, class of 2022

Kayla Wallace, a senior majoring in environmental biology, with a minor in anthropology, in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, has been awarded the 2022 Spector Prize.

Ethan Lowder, a December 2021 graduate who majored in the biochemistry track of biology in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, has been awarded the 2022 Ralph S. Quatrano Prize.

ArtSci undergraduate Sophia Dutton, double major in biology neuroscience track and Japanese, also President of Heart for the Unhoused, wins the Gerry and Bob Virgil Ethic of Service Award, an annual Gephardt Institute award recognizing a select group of WashU community members who exemplify a character of service and engagement with the St. Louis region.

Congratulations to Anna Damato for being selected as the 2022 Ceil M. DeGutis Prize Fellow

Gaby Smith, a biochemistry track major in the School of Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis and a member of the Class of 2022, received the 2022 Harriet K. Switzer Leadership Award from the Women’s Society of Washington University. The award recognizes outstanding graduating senior women who have made a significant contribution to WashU during their undergraduate years and have demonstrated exceptional potential for future leadership.

The first cohort of Seeding Projects for Enabling Excellence & Distinction (SPEED) grant winners was recently named by Feng Sheng Hu, dean of Arts & Sciences, and William Tolman, vice dean of research and entrepreneurship.

Arts & Sciences researchers recently won grants and honors from the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and the Association for Psychological Science.

May is one of seven members of the Washington University community who were honored April 19 at the Gerry and Bob Virgil Ethic of Service Awards, sponsored by the Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement. Now in their 19th year, the awards celebrate leaders who are devoted to improving the St. Louis region. Among the honorees is Sophia Dutton, a junior studying cognitive neuroscience in Arts & Sciences, serves as co-president of Heart for the Unhoused, which works to increase health-care access for unhoused St. Louisans.

Stroud, a postdoctoral research associate in biology, received the Outstanding Postdoc Mentor Award, which recognizes a postdoc, nominated by mentees, for his or her commitment to supporting undergraduate and graduate students on their scientific journeys. One of his mentees said Stroud has a unique capacity for mentorship and is perpetually eager to teach and learn from others.

At the installation ceremony held April 4, 2022, Joseph Jez gave the lecture “Exploring Nature’s Machinery.”

Congratulations to biology majors Ephraim Oyetunji and Madhav Subramanian!

Congratulations to Carlos Botero on his promotion to associate professor!

The Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI) program encourages undergraduate students and recent graduates to pursue science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers by providing research experiences at the Department of Energy (DOE) laboratories. Selected students participate as interns appointed at one of 17 participating DOE laboratories/facilities. They perform research, under the guidance of laboratory staff scientists or engineers, on projects supporting the DOE mission.

Last month, Arts & Sciences researchers won awards and honors from the National Science Foundation, St. Louis Astronomical Society, and Dana Foundation.

Chalker, in collaboration with ISP, will focus on two objectives. First, to expand the activities of the program, they aim to reach populations traditionally underrepresented in science in the St. Louis area. ISP has already been working with these target populations for nearly 30 years. Second, they aim to incorporate more mathematics and computational thinking into the science curriculum.

Recent Washington University in St. Louis graduate Gabbie Cesarone was named the 2021 D3soccer.com Defender of the Year and also received a First Team All-America nod.

Circadian rhythms are physical, mental and behavioral changes that follow a 24-hour cycle. Research from Washington University in St. Louis will test how these daily patterns are set and maintained through the coordinated activity of certain neurons and hormones. The five-year $1.98 million project relies on new high-throughput machine learning techniques to determine the roles of cortical neurons and glial cells in distinct, daily activities of mice.

Congratulations to Liz Haswell and Erik Herzog on becoming AAAS Faculty Fellows!

Douglas Chalker, professor of biology in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, received a five-year $660,281 collaborative award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for a project titled “Expanding and Sustaining Hands-on Science in K-12 Classrooms Using Tetrahymena.”

Petra Levin, professor of biology in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, received an $84,616 equipment supplement from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to purchase a new chromatography system. This award supports Levin’s ongoing work on homeostatic control of bacterial growth and cell division.

Richard Vierstra, the George and Charmaine Mallinckrodt Professor of Biology in Arts & Sciences, received a $62,707 supplemental grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for a high-throughput centrifuge and high-performance incubator shaker. The award supports Vierstra’s ongoing project titled “Phytochromes: Structural Perspectives on Photoactivation and Signaling.”

The past year was an incredible one for Arts & Sciences. As we embark on a new year, here's a look back at a few of our highlights.

Researchers in Arts & Sciences recently received awards from the National Institutes of Health, NASA, and the National Science Foundation.

Deanna Barch, Jonathan Losos, Richard Vierstra, and Li Yang, all professors in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, have been named to the Institute for Scientific Information’s list of Highly Cited Researchers for 2021.

Irene Antony, a neuroscience major in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, won the Trainee Professional Development Award (TPDA) from the Society for Neuroscience (SfN).

Miriam Silberman, a microbiology major in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, won a Promega D.O.O.R.S. (Diversification of Our Research Scientists) scholarship.

Faculty and staff award winners were honored for exceptional service, teaching, and leadership in a virtual ceremony held Oct. 6.

Congratulations to Arpita Bose on her Distinguished Teaching Award!

Arpita Bose, Associate Professor of Biology in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, has been awarded the Anant Fellowship for Climate Action, a unique one-year immersive global program for climate change solutionaries. 

Himadri Pakrasi, the George William and Irene Koechig Freiberg Professor in biology in Arts & Sciences, received a $75,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) to support greenhouse gas reduction initiatives.

Antony’s project is based on the identification of genomic variants that likely contribute to autism. As part of her involvement with the Astronaut Scholars Foundation, she will present her research at the Astronaut Scholar Technical Conference during 2021 Innovators Week in Orlando, Florida.

The Living Earth Collaborative at Washington University in St. Louis announced the recipients of its fourth round of seed grant funding. “This is a great set of projects,” said Jonathan Losos, the William H. Danforth Distinguished Professor of biology in Arts & Sciences and director of the Living Earth Collaborative. “We’re particularly thrilled at the institutional diversity of the recipients, spanning the breadth of Washington University and many local institutions beyond the Living Earth Collaborative’s three partner institutions.”

Researchers in Arts & Sciences recently received awards from NASA, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the USDA.

Hani Zaher, associate professor of biology in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, won a four-year $1.2 million award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for a project titled “Reading Frame Maintenance by the Ribosome During Stalling.”

Ralph S. Quatrano, PhD, the Spencer T. Olin Professor Emeritus of Biology in Arts & Sciences and dean emeritus of Washington University, is internationally known for his plant science work. Closer to home, he is also known for his collaborative and strategic leadership skills, which he has applied in numerous administrative positions at the university. Since he arrived at Washington University in 1998, Dr. Quatrano has served as chairman of the Department of Biology in Arts & Sciences (1998–2008); director of the Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences (2005–07); dean of the Faculty of Arts & Sciences (2008–09); and dean of the School of Engineering & Applied Science (2010–15), now the McKelvey School of Engineering.

In his nomination letter, Joseph Jez, Spencer T. Olin Professor of Biology and Department Chair, wrote: “Irene is a truly rare student with intellectual depth and achievement across multiple areas of Arts & Science, including biology, medicine, history, humanities, and religion. Interestingly, the mix of her faith and dedication to science led her to explore the relationship between Renaissance medicine and the Catholic Church. The result of her Medical Humanities capstone project is a concrete demonstration of how Irene combines arts and sciences and lives up to the legacy of Prof. Stalker.”

In his nomination letter, Jez said “Dani's Bio500 project to develop and test the "Precision Patch" was truly distinctive and unique, as well as entirely built on her intellectual contributions. It is Dani's genuinely original approach to both her senior thesis and entire undergraduate education that continually created new directions that distinguishes Dani and makes her an excellent nominee for this prize, which aims to recognize a nominee's creativity. She is an ideal example of a serial academic entrepreneur.”

Ella was nominated by her faculty mentor Malia Gehan, Assistant Member and Principal Investigator at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, who focuses on improving resistance to temperature stress. Her thesis, titled “Assessing Natural Variation in Brachypodium distachyon Responses to Combined Abiotic Stresses” was praised by all who read it for the design of the experiments, the technical excellence with which they were carried out, and the incisiveness of interpretation of the results.

The Graduate Student Senate selected Yehuda Ben-Shahar, professor of biology in Arts & Sciences, as a 2021 Outstanding Faculty and Staff Award (OFSA) winner. Cassondra (Cassie) Vernier, formerly a graduate student in the Ben-Shahar lab and now a postdoctoral research associate in Gene Robinson’s lab at the University of Illinois-Champaign, nominated Ben-Shahar for the award. 

Since his arrival on campus, Tinoco has worked to reduce waste on campus. He introduced dorm-room composting to the South 40 and successfully lobbied the Office of Residential Life to fund the program. Since 2018, the program has diverted 40,430 pounds of compostable waste.

Mark Meacham and Arpita Bose at Washington University in St. Louis have received the university’s first Defense Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (DEPSCoR) award from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) since 1996. The three-year, $600,000 award is among $10.2 million the DoD awarded to 17 collaborative teams in 37 states and U.S. territories. The program is designed to strengthen the basic research infrastructure at institutions of higher education in underutilized states and territories and to introduce potential researchers to the DoD’s research challenges and research ecosystem.

Tracey Hermanstyne, instructor in the departments of Medicine and Developmental Biology and co-director of the Initiative to Maximize Student Diversity at the School of Medicine, and Diana Jose-Edwards, WUSTL ENDURE Program co-director and coordinator of STEM Diversity Initiatives, are project co-directors. The leadership team also includes Harvey Fields Jr., associate dean for student success; Joseph Jez, the Spencer T. Olin Professor in biology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professor; and Jennifer Smith, dean of Arts & Sciences and professor of earth and planetary sciences.

PhD candidate Andreea Stoica has received the 2021 Annual Student Award from the Association of Women Faculty, which recognizes academic excellence and leadership potential among women students whose research, teaching, or service benefits women and gender minorities.

Ecologist and evolutionary biologist James T. Stroud has been recognized by the American Society of Naturalists with its 2021 Young Investigator Award, named in honor of Jasper Loftus-Hills. The award is one of the most prestigious for young researchers in the field of ecology and evolution.

Congratulations to our biology majors!

Biologist counsels students to 'pursue what you love and what you are good at'

Congratulations to Arpita Bose, Heather Barton, Mitch Kundel and Maggie Schlarman!

Kunkel, professor of biology, is being honored for important discoveries of how the bacterial plant pathogen Pseudomonas syringae uses multiple strategies to manipulate its plant host’s hormone biology to promote pathogenesis and disease.

"The power of learning by doing has long been recognized as the most effective approach toward that end. Thus we propose a future in which science is taught primarily by engaging undergraduate students in doing science. The goal is to democratize science education by making research experiences available to all, maximizing opportunities for our changing population of students, fixing the leaky pipeline, and providing access to the full spectrum of science/technology jobs/careers." -Sarah Elgin

Keith Hengen, assistant professor of biology in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, received a three-year $1.8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study the role of sleep and waking behavior in shaping the brain’s neural dynamics.

The Living Earth Collaborative at Washington University in St. Louis has announced the recipients of its third round of seed grant funding. “We’re delighted at the variety of projects funded, both in terms of questions addressed and where in the world the work will take place,” said Jonathan Losos, the William H. Danforth Distinguished Professor of biology in Arts & Sciences and director of the Living Earth Collaborative. “And we’re equally delighted in the diversity of scientists receiving these grants, representing a broad swath of the St. Louis biodiversity community.

Elizabeth Mueller, graduate student in the Levin lab, wins the Nat L. Sternberg Thesis Prize.

Ram Dixit joined the biology department in 2008. He is also the Associate Director of Education for the Center for Engineering MechanoBiology (CEMB). The Dixit lab seeks to understand the mechanisms underlying plant cell morphogenesis. The work focuses on the cortical microtubule cytoskeleton, which defines plant cell shape by serving as a scaffold for cell wall assembly.

Jonathan Myers, associate professor of biology in Arts & Sciences, and Solny Adalsteinsson, staff scientist at Tyson Research Center, participated in a Future of Fire Consortium that produced both a scholarly review and a blog item in the Journal of Ecology.

Nikhil Aggarwal, a senior majoring in the neuroscience track of biology in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, has been awarded the 2020 Ralph S. Quatrano Prize.

Lily Xu has been awarded the 2020 Harrison D. Stalker Award from the Department of Biology in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis.

Manasvi Verma, a senior majoring in biology in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, has been awarded the 2020 Spector Prize.

Shyam Kiran Akula, Washington University Class of 2016, has been awarded The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans, a merit-based fellowship for immigrants and children of immigrants.

Congratulations to our biology undergrad winners of the Goldwater Scholarship!

Jonathan Losos, the William H. Danforth Distinguished Professor and professor of biology in Arts & Sciences, was awarded the three-year grant from the Human Frontier Science Program Organization, based in Strasbourg, France. His grant is one of only 28 selected from a candidate pool of more than 700 teams involving scientists with laboratories in more than 50 different countries.

Three start-ups founded by Arts & Sciences alumni and current students are finalists for the 2020 Global Impact Award from Washington University’s Skandalaris Center for Interdisciplinary Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Here, the founders discuss their journeys from Arts & Sciences to entrepreneurship.

More than six percent of the Colombian population identifies as African-descended, but they are still proportionally under-represented in the ranks of Colombian science. But an important step in representation came in December 2019, with the announcement of biologist Jhan Salazar as the winner of the Young Afro-Colombian 2019.

The evaluation committee had the following comments on this top-ranked article: "Nicely designed study of introgression between wild and domesticated rice strains, showing evidence for historic gene flow. Large sample size, and although small numbers of loci, well-tempered results and conclusions. Has important practical implications for human food security.” Marshall will receive a $2,000 prize, a certificate, and up to $1,500 toward expenses to attend and present a talk at the 2020 AGA President’s Symposium.

Barbara A. Schaal, dean of the faculty of Arts & Sciences and the Mary-Dell Chilton Distinguished Professor in the Department of Biology at Washington University, has joined the board of directors of the Supporters of Agricultural Research (SoAR) Foundation.

JBC’s Early Career Reviewer (ECR) Board is designed to involve scientists at early stages of their careers in peer review, creating a structured path for developing relevant skills and learning about the scientific publishing process. We are thrilled to offer these up-and-coming scientists an opportunity to gain first-hand experience in the peer review process and to benefit from their fresh and diverse perspectives.

Joseph Jez is a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professor and Chair of the Biology Department at Washington University. He was recently named Spencer T. Olin Professor of Biology in Arts & Sciences. "Being named a Spencer T. Olin Professor is a great honor not just for me, but also for the colleagues in the lab - the students and postdocs - who have shared in the scientific journey over the years."

The Strader Lab hosted the annual biology department cookie baking and ugly sweater contest. Congratulations to Ryan Emenecker for most attractive cookie (duckys in sweaters), and Jamie Mullin for winning both ugliest sweater and tastiest cookie (chocolate pizza). Jamie graciously deferred one of his prizes to Kari Miller who took second place for both most attractive and tastiest cookie with her reindeer gingerbread macarons.

Washington University graduate student Jhan Salazar was recognized by the Colombian organization “Color de Colombia” as the Afro-Colombian of the year in the Youth category in a nationally televised ceremony in Colombia on December 2, 2019. The event was sponsored by El Espectador, a major newspaper in Colombia.

“I am deeply honored by this recognition. Viktor Hamburger is a hero to so many of us at Washington University and, Sally Elgin, who held this Endowed Professorship before me, has been an inspiration to me for her studies on epigenetics and her leadership to incorporate research into our teaching curriculum and to create the Institute for School Partnership. I’m particularly thankful to my lab, Dean Schaal and the folks in the Biology Department for their support over my 19 years at Washington University.”-Erik Herzog

Arpita Bose, assistant professor of biology in Arts & Sciences, was awarded a second “Changing the Face of STEM” mentoring grant from L’Oreal USA to continue a summer laboratory research experience she offers low-income high school students from the St. Louis area. Bose will use the new funding to continue supporting the Gateway Science Summer Program, a partnership she created in 2017 with the Gateway Science Academy of St. Louis. The program pairs three low-income high school students with Bose and Joshua Blodgett, also an assistant professor of biology at Washington University, for mentoring and to gain exposure to real laboratory experience and STEM careers.

Joseph Jez, Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professor and chair of biology in Arts & Sciences, along with two former researchers in his laboratory, P.A. Rea and R.E. Cahoon, was awarded a U.S. patent for engineered plants that could help detoxify, or remediate, soils contaminated with heavy metals. Separately, Jez received a $15,525 research gift from Clean Earth for the evaluation of engineered Brassica for bioremediation of heavy metals.

L’Oréal USA today announced the 2019 recipients of its annual "Changing the Face of STEM" (CTFS) mentoring grants (including Arpita Bose of WUSTL Biology), which are issued through the beauty leader's For Women in Science program. The selected projects represent a broad range of activities focused on mentoring and engaging girls and women in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), from elementary to graduate school. The grants will help fund STEM programs in Missouri, Texas, Florida, New York, Washington, Maryland, Massachusetts, and California.

Pakrasi, collaborator awarded $1.2 million to study cyanobacteria for crop improvement amid climate change

On Sept. 10, Dean Barbara Schaal presented the annual Arts & Sciences faculty awards. This year's awardees were Stan Braude, Lerone Martin, Elizabeth Borgwardt, Steve Fazzari, and Adrienne Davis.

Stan Braude, professor of the practice of biology, was awarded the Arts & Sciences Distinguished Teaching Award. Braude is ever deserving of this award – an award he is receiving because he was nominated by numerous students. The impact he has had on the students he has taught and mentored over the years is impossible to measure. Read some of their stories.

Elizabeth S. Haswell, professor of biology, and Anders E. Carlsson, professor of physics, both in Arts & Sciences, received a $954,779 grant from the National Science Foundation for their project titled “Pollen: A model system for computational and experimental study of plant biomechanics at the cellular scale.”

Three Washington University in St. Louis students have received the prestigious Barry Goldwater Scholarship, which honors students who conduct research in the natural sciences, mathematics and engineering. Maya Samuels-Fair, a biology major in Arts & Sciences, with an emphasis on ecology and evolution, is a Nemerov Scholar and plans to conduct research across ecosystems, curate a field museum collection and write about conservation for popular audiences.

Congratulations to our PhD graduates Cassondra Vernier, Zhen Peng, Dilys Vela, Chris Catano, Sam Powers, Michael Guzman, and Ben Wolf!

Mather is majoring in biology, in the neuroscience track, in Arts & Sciences, with a minor in electrical engineering. His main research interests are systems neuroscience, brain dynamics and control, and signal processing. Mather conducted his thesis work, titled “Understanding the Breadth and Genetics of the Dictyostelium-Burkholderia Symbiosis,” under the direction of Joan Strassmann, the Charles Rebstock Professor of Biology. Outside of the laboratory, Mather was active as a contributing reporter for Washington University’s Student Life newspaper. He served as vice president of public relations and public relations team manager for the Washington University Student Union.

Hsu’s thesis was titled “Astrocytic Degeneration in Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy.” Reviewers praised his work for the design of the experiments, the technical excellence with which they were carried out and the incisiveness of Hsu’s interpretation of results.

Chin’s research identifying the genetic networks that regulate complex social decision-making behaviors in insects stood out among this year’s nominees, evaluators said, in part because it yielded unexpected results. Her thesis was titled “The contribution of Williams Syndrome-related genes to Drosophila social behaviors uncovers an evolutionarily conserved genetic toolkit underlying animal sociality.”

Sarah Elgin, Viktor Hamburger Professor Emerita in Arts & Sciences, Jonathan B. Losos, the William H. Danforth Distinguished University Professor, and Richard D. Vierstra, the George and Charmaine Mallinckrodt Professor, all of the Department of Biology, were inducted into the National Academy of Sciences on Saturday, April 27, 2019. Their NAS membership is a recognition of distinguished and continuing achievements in original research, and it is considered one of the highest honors that a scientist can receive. Read more on The Source.

A mySci elementary curriculum unit, "From Sun to Food," has earned the highest award from Achieve, a national science curriculum rating organization, becoming the first K-5 unit in the nation to do so. MySci is led by Victoria May, executive director of the Institute for School Partnership and assistant dean in Arts & Sciences, and Jeanne Norris serves as curriculum coordinator.

The National Science Board has announced that Dean Barbara Schaal will be honored with the 2019 NSB Public Service Award. Established in 1996, this esteemed award honors exemplary service in promoting public understanding of science and engineering. Past recipients include Jane Goodall, Stephen Jay Gould, Craig Barret, Alan Alda, and Dean Kamen. In addition to her role as Dean of the Faculty of Arts & Sciences, Schaal is widely recognized for her pioneering research in plant science and her leadership in addressing critical domestic and global challenges. She was among the first plant biologists to use molecular biology-based approaches to understand evolutionary processes in plants, and she has worked throughout her career to advance public understanding of plant molecular systematics and population genetics.

DBBS graduate student Kiona Elliott (Bart Lab, Plant & Microbial Biosciences Program) and past undergraduate Kate Harline (formerly of the Jez Lab, now at Cornell) received NSF Fellowships that provide three years of annual support for graduate studies.

Wang, who is majoring in both biology-neuroscience and in international and area studies, both in Arts & Sciences, serves as executive director for the Washington University Political Review, working to encourage civic engagement on campus. She worked with the Assembly Series to plan an event focused on journalistic truth in the digital age. Additionally, she works as the health clinic chair for Partners in East St. Louis, a campus service organization that provides volunteer support to East St. Louis institutions.

The Sewall Wright Award, established in 1991, is given annually and honors a senior but still active investigator who is making fundamental contributions to the Society's goals, namely, promoting the conceptual unification of the biological sciences. The 2019 Sewall Wright Award honors Jonathan B. Losos, the William H. Danforth Distinguished University Professor, at Washington University, and the Director of the Living Earth Collaborative, a collaboration between Washington University, the Missouri Botanical Garden, and the St. Louis Zoo.

Congratulations to Richard Vierstra, recipient of the Stephen Hales Prize from the American Society of Plant Biologists. This award honors the Reverend Stephen Hales for his pioneering work in plant biology published in his 1727 book Vegetable Staticks. It is a monetary award established in 1927 for a scientist, an ASPB member, who has served the science of plant biology in some noteworthy manner. The award is made annually. The recipient of the award is invited to address the Society on a subject in plant biology at the next annual meeting.

The American Academy of Microbiology has named three Washington University in St. Louis faculty members as fellows: Gautam Dantas, professor of pathology and immunology at the School of Medicine, and Robert Kranz and Petra Levin, professors of biology in Arts & Sciences. The faculty are among 109 fellows elected this year to the academy, which recognizes scientific achievement and original contributions that have advanced microbiology.

The Strader Lab hosted the annual biology department cookie baking and ugly sweater contest. Congratulations to Sam Powers for winning both ugliest sweater and most attractive cookie. Sam graciously deferred her cookie prize to the runner up Isabelle Trier for her adorable melting snowmen cookies. The tastiest cookie prize was awarded to Amanda Ismail for her oreo balls.

The American Association for the Advancement of Science has bestowed upon 416 of its members the lifetime honor of being an elected Fellow in recognition of their extraordinary achievements in advancing science. . .This year’s Fellows, who represent a broad swath of scientific disciplines, were selected for diverse accomplishments that include pioneering research, leadership within their field, teaching and mentoring, fostering collaborations and advancing public understanding of science.

Next Generation Leaders are selected each year through a competitive process that includes applications from around the world. This year, the six Next Generation Leaders come from universities and research institutes in the U.S., Canada and Germany. They will each have a three-year term on the advisory council.

“The Society is proud to present Dr. Herzog and Dr. Peker with this year’s award,” said SfN President Richard Huganir. “Dr. Herzog is a gifted teacher and science communicator who is committed to increasing diversity through mentoring, while Dr. Peker has been instrumental in demonstrating the benefits of international educational experiences and research collaborations.”

"Melissa is simply the best. She is proactive, highly responsible, thinks of things we should know or do before we ourselves realize, shows attention to detail, and excellence in learning new things."

Monarch butterflies hatch in front of Rebstock Hall

A&S professor awarded $2 million for research that could help defeat antibiotic-resistant infections

Joan Strassmann and David Queller were awarded a $1,139,388 National Science Foundation grant for the four-year project "Kith and kin in amoeba-bacteria cooperation", about the evolution of cooperation both within and between species, using an amoeba-bacteria system.

The two year grant was awarded from the National Science Foundation

Victoria L. May, assistant dean in Arts & Sciences and executive director of the Institute for School Partnership, has been honored for her work with students.

Emily Haussler has been awarded the 2018 Harrison D. Stalker Award from the Department of Biology in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis.

Alex Chen and Yixi Wang, seniors majoring in biology in Arts & Sciences, have been awarded the 2018 Ralph S. Quatrano Prize.

Three scientists at Washington University in St. Louis are among the 84 new members and 21 foreign associates elected May 1 to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in recognition of their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research.

This year’s recipient is Jordan Shaker. His thesis, titled “Endogenous Opioidergic Circuits Involved in Thermoregulation,” won praise for the experiments’ design, the technical excellence with which they were carried out and Shaker’s incisive interpretation of results.

Nowadays Sally Elgin would probably be referred to as gifted or talented. But in the 1950s, a really smart girl was obnoxious or a nerd.

Yehuda Ben-Shahar, associate professor of biology in Arts & Sciences, has been awarded $770,000 by the National Science Foundation to investigate how insects produce and perceive mating pheromones as species diversify.

Congratulations to our biology majors who will be recognized at the annual James E. McLeod Honors and Awards Ceremony as 2018 Ralph Bunche Scholars.