Newsroom Stories

Beyond registering for classes and decorating their dorms, Andrea Stewart-Douglas, WashU’s director of student financial wellness programs, has another item for new college students’ to-do lists: Make a budget.

The Summer Philosophy Academy is a free one-week program for curious high school students. Through lectures, discussions and field trips, participants explore urgent ethical and philosophical questions about political polarization, artificial intelligence, social media and more.

Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have used a variety of models to measure ambient concentrations of black carbon in the “global south” and found estimates of these harmful emissions have been grossly underestimated.

With her new book, “Labwork to Leadership,” Jen Heemstra in Arts & Sciences aims to help create a healthier academic culture and support the next generation of leaders.

The new home of the Center for Career Engagement and alumni welcome building at Washington University in St. Louis — set to open in early 2027 — will be named the Neil S. Hirsch Center in recognition of a pledge to support the facility from Hirsch’s widow, Laura DeLuca Hirsch, through the Neil S. Hirsch Foundation.

Psychology researchers at Washington University in St. Louis studied how pandemic stresses affected decision-making in different age groups — findings with implications for public health messaging.

Hong Chen, a biomedical engineer at WashU, shares the potential for using synthetic torpor technology to develop new treatments for a range of illnesses and injuries.

A new federal government interpretation allowing churches to endorse political candidates will cause division in churches and sets the stage for the U.S. government to favor politically aligned religions, says Mark Valeri, an American religious historian at Washington University in St. Louis.

Career Catalysts is a new series by WashU interns, about WashU interns. In this installment, see how Fiona Sun, a McKelvey School of Engineering student, is working with Equine Smartbit to develop a sort of smartwatch for horses at Fairmount Park.

William J. Maxwell has been installed as the inaugural Fannie Hurst Professor of Creative Literature in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis. A lecture and reception to celebrate his appointment were held recently in Whittemore House.