Science & Technology

Ursula W. Goodenough, a professor emerita of biology, and William B. McKinnon, a professor of earth and planetary sciences, both in Arts & Sciences, have been elected to the National Academy of Sciences. Election to the academy, announced May 2, is considered one of the highest honors that can be awarded to a U.S. scientist or engineer.

Richard W. (Dick) Coles, who served as the inaugural director of Tyson Research Center and also as an adjunct professor of biology for more than 25 years, died in December in Colorado. He was 83. A celebration of life for Coles is planned for 1 p.m. April 29 at Tyson Research Center in Eureka, Mo.

In “The Science of Cats,” a course for senior biology majors, WashU students use what they’ve learned about evolution, ecology and behavior to get to know one of the most popular pet animals in America.

Tropical hummingbirds use a hibernation-like state called torpor in varying ways, depending on their physical condition and what is happening in their environment, according to new research from Washington University in St. Louis and Colombian biologists.

Scientists at Tyson Research Center are carefully tracking the timing of salamander breeding as part of a larger research effort examining the impacts of climate change on amphibians and plants.

Garland (“Gar”) Edward Allen III, a professor emeritus of biology in Arts & Sciences, died peacefully in Palm Springs, Calif., Feb. 10. He was widely known for his work in the history of genetics and was an international leader on the history of eugenics.

Scientists led by Emily Wroblewski, in Arts & Sciences, discovered that bonobo populations differ in a key immune trait depending on the presence of malaria infection. Infected populations have a higher frequency of an immune variant that protects against developing severe disease, a pattern that mirrors what is observed among human populations.

At least 20 Washington University students participated in a Living Earth Collaborative project and a related camera trap effort to provide evidence that the Djéké Triangle deserves legal protection.

Rachel Penczykowski, an assistant professor of biology in Arts & Sciences, won a prestigious National Science Foundation grant for early-career faculty who excel at mentorship and research. The award will fund a project investigating infestations of a common plant pathogen in the St. Louis area.