Arts & Sciences

In a new paper published in the Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Daniel M. Butler, in Arts & Sciences, argues that elections should be certified by nonpartisan commissions, rather than elected officials, to insulate the process from partisan influence.

Corporate investors “buy low and rent high” to populations who can least afford it. A two-year national study, led by Carol Camp Yeakey in Arts & Sciences, will examine the impact that corporate investors have on renters, especially marginalized communities of color, in St. Louis, Cincinnati and Atlanta.

A sense of well-being can have a profound impact on health, especially for the aging brain. Higher levels of well-being have been robustly associated with a lower risk for future dementia, according to WashU psychology researchers who contributed to this year’s World Happiness Report.

New works by choreographers Carol Bertho, Emily Ehling and the late Amarnath Ghosh, who died Feb. 27, will debut in Edison Theatre March 22 and 23 as part of this year’s MFA Student Dance Concert, presented by the Performing Arts Department in Arts & Sciences.

In new research published in JAMA Pediatrics, researchers at Washington University make the case that “thrive factors” are a key element of healthy human brain, behavioral and cognitive development. The five thrive factors include: environmental stimulation, nutrition, neighborhood safety, positive caregiving and regular sleep.

Henric Krawczynski was installed as the Wilfred R. and Ann Lee Konneker Distinguished Professor of Physics in Arts & Sciences during a ceremony Feb. 28 at the Whittemore House. His installation lecture was titled “The Bright Side of Black Holes.”

Physicist Jeff Gillis-Davis in Arts & Sciences is leading a team that will develop and test an instrument to measure the chemistry of rocks, minerals, soil and ices on the surface of the Moon. The device is small enough to be carried by a rover or other robotic explorer.

The 18th annual African Film Festival returns to Washington University in St. Louis March 22-24. Highlights include screenings of “Omen,” an award-winning drama from the Democratic Republic of Congo; “Banel and Adama,” a love story from Senegal; and the youth matinee featuring five short films including the Annie Award-winning animated short “Enkai.”

Joyce Yang plays with “agility, balance and velocity” (Washington Post), combining “exuberant flights” with a sly “improvisatory bounce” (Chicago Tribune). On March 24, the Grammy-nominated pianist will perform the music of Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, Bach, Kernis and Stravinsky as part of WashU’s Great Artists Series.

Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have found that the pandemic changed personality traits, in that people became more conscientious and extraversion dropped.