NBC Television Network
The Office
The popular network sitcom “The Office” dropped the name of Washington University several times in last night’s show. Dunder-Mifflin employees made plans to launch a social media software named “Wuphf” and announced that Washington University was interested in buying it. Later, it was revealed that the St. Louis school wants to purchase the domain name of the company to use for their “Washington University Public Health Fund” a.k.a. “WUPHF.” Link to Broadcast See also online video at KSDK-TV St. Louis See also Headline Planet See also St. Louis Riverfront Times See also USA Today
The Chronicle of Higher Education / Innovations Blog
Bolstering African-American success in the STEM fields
11/9/2010
Blog post discusses issues raised at a symposium entitled “Beyond Stock Stories and Folktales: African Americans and the Pipeline to the Professoriate: An Evidence-based Examination of STEM Fields.” The symposium was co-hosted by William Tate of Washington University in St. Louis and Henry Frierson of the University of Florida. The event brought together some diverse and interesting people to talk about the challenges and successes of African Americans in the STEM fields. Link to Article Related news release http://news.wustl.edu/news/Pages/21444.aspx
The Wired Classroom
HEC-TV Live! Presents The Giver: Bringing the characters to life
11/19/2010
HEC-TV Live! will offer a live videoconference Dec. 9 focusing on the Lois Lowry’s Newbery Medal winning novel The Giver. Students will have opportunity to meet the director and actors who are bringing this classic story to new life in their upcoming production. This series of programs is being produced in conjunction with Washington University in St. Louis and Metro Theater Company of St. Louis as they prepare and present a stage adaptation of the novel to be presented at Edison Theatre on the campus of Washington University in January. Link to Article
NanoTechnology Now
Vaginal gel with bee venom lowers transmission of HIV
11/19/2010
A recent discovery that a vaginal gel consisting of nanoparticles carrying bee venom can serve both for contraception and for HIV prevention won a grant from the Gates Foundation. “This gel gives women an opportunity to empower themselves to prevent HIV and pregnancy with a product they can use themselves,” said WUSTL anthropology professor Bradley Stoner. The idea came from Sam Wickline, a professor of medicine, cell biology and physiology at the Washington University School of Medicine. Wickline is one of 65 scientists to participate in the 2010 Grand Challenges Explorations Grant program. Story originally published in Student Life. Link to Article
Balkinization blog
My “Dean’s Vision” speech
11/16/2010
WUSTL law school professor Brian Tamanaha offers his vision of how he would lead a law school if asked to become dean, including a promise to hold down the size of the faculty while maintaining, and perhaps improving, student credentials. He would also hold the line on tuition increases, limit faculty pay raises and require professors to teach more courses. Tamahana doubts law school faculty will embrace his plan, but he argues that such changes are necessary as the financial burden of attending law school keeps going up as lawyer pay and employment opportunities stagnate. Link to Article
KSDK-TV (St. Louis MO)
Newschannel 5
It’s beginning to look a lot like the holiday season in St. Louis. Crews are installing the red ribbon and bow around the Planetarium this evening. It started as a prank by Washington University students in 1966. A group of students scaled the building and left the ribbon and a sign reading Merry Christmas St. Louis from the Washington University School of Architecture. Link to Broadcast
STLtoday.com
Washington U. set to host NCAA volleyball
11/19/2010
Rich Luenemann, coach of the Washington University women’s volleyball team, gets to defend the team’s national title on its home court. Play begins today for the final eight teams in the Division III National Championship at the Washington University Field House. “There’s no place we’d rather play,” said Luenemann, in his 12th season at Washington U. Read Full Text
St. Louis Beacon
Civility run amok
11/18/2010
Beacon associate editor Robert W. Duffy comments on the surprisingly civil tone of four recent community meetings, including one on the role religion played in the 2010 elections that was sponsored by the John C. Danforth Center for Religion and Politics at Washington University. “John Danforth is priest, lawyer and politician, thus the establishment of this center has a personal quality as well as a rather cosmic one. It was audacious to conceive such a center in one of the fissures of our fractured present, for its purpose is to examine two worldviews that intersect not infrequently but often catastrophically, particularly when religious orthodoxy infects public policy,” Duffy writes. Link to Article
News in higher education
New Jersey Ledger
Higher education anti-bullying bill is presented to U.S. House, Senate in memory of Tyler Clementi
11/18/2010
Colleges and universities across the nation would be required to have anti-harassment policies and recognize cyber-bullying as a threat to students under federal legislation introduced today in memory of a Rutgers University student who committed suicide. The Tyler Clementi Higher Education Anti-Harassment Act would require all colleges that receive federal aid to amend their harassment policies. It would also provide funding to help schools start anti-bullying programs on campus. Link to Article
The Associated Press / Washington Post
Activists target LSU prof’s global warming lecture
11/18/2010
A Louisiana professor says he is being wrongly targeted by conservative activists who released video excerpts of a lecture on climate change. CampusReform.org, a student group launched by the conservative Leadership Institute in Arlington, Va., has circulated video online of the professor telling students who don’t believe in taking steps to end global warming that “blood will be your hands.” The professor says the video clips misrepresent his point. Link to Article
Southeast Missourian
Gov. Nixon urges universities to help keep their own costs down
11/18/2010
A Southeast Missouri State University administrator says the institution will confront likely big state budget cuts with enrollment growth and revolutionary methods of delivering higher education. Gov. Jay Nixon pledged Wednesday to pressure Missouri’s colleges and universities to hold down tuition increases even while warning that they likely will take “substantial cuts” in the next state budget, more than the roughly $50 million cut this year. Link to Article
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