engineering

Lead pipes once used routinely in municipal water distribution systems are a well-recognized source of dangerous lead contamination, but new research from Washington University in St. Louis suggests that the partial replacement of these pipes can make the problem worse. The research shows that joining old lead pipes with new copper lines using brass fittings spurs galvanic corrosion that can dramatically increase the amount of lead released into drinking water supplies.

The School of Engineering & Applied Science at Washington University in St. Louis will dedicate a new building, Preston M. Green Hall, Friday, Sept. 23, and in conjunction will hold the symposium “Challenges & Opportunities in Engineering Education & Research.” The symposium, which will feature National Science Foundation Director Subra Suresh, DSc, is open to the public. It will be held from at 2:30 p.m. in Room 300 of the Laboratory Sciences building on WUSTL’s Danforth Campus. 

Students, faculty and staff hosted aspiring scientists March 26, April 2 and April 9 during “Catalysts for Change” workshops aimed at introducing female high school students to science, technology and engineering fields. Workshop students launch containers — designed using straws, cotton balls, rubber bands and tape — outside of the Lab Sciences Building. They competed to see who could launch their container the farthest without breaking an egg protected inside.

A groundbreaking ceremony for Preston M. Green Hall was held Friday, April 30, in Uncas A. Whitaker Hall. The building, which will house the School of Engineering & Applied Science, is being named in honor of the late Green, a WUSTL alumnus and benefactor. It will turn the corner at Skinker Boulevard and Forest Park Parkway, connecting on its western edge to the recently completed Brauer Hall.

The School of Engineering & Applied Science at Washington University in St. Louis has developed a highly personalized one-year master of engineering in computer science and engineering designed to provide students computing skills and a competitive edge to meet the demands of modern industry. The program is specially tailored for individuals who plan to change careers and enter the computer science and engineering (CSE) profession, for international students seeking to establish U.S. credentials in computing, and for current CSE professionals who wish to advance their skills and education.