Washington Magazine April 2011

Chosen for their examples of excellence, Danforth Scholars exceed in and out of the classroom. Together, they carry on a tradition of living by the highest standards — ones exhibited by the two special people for whom the scholarships are named.

An expert in legal ethics, government ethics and national security law, Professor Kathleen Clark discusses the U.S. government’s response to WikiLeaks’ disclosure of classified information.

Every semester, lecture series across the university bring esteemed guests to speak, from British Ambassador to the U.S. Sir Nigel Sheinwald to CNN anchor/reporter Soledad O’Brien.

For alumnus Jeff Platt, business has its ups and downs. That suits him just fine, though, as he leads day-to-day operations of Sky Zone, the burgeoning indoor trampoline franchise business.

Home to approximately 3,800 trees, the Danforth Campus of Washington University in St. Louis was recently recognized by the Arbor Day Foundation as a Tree Campus USA. Bald Cypress, Valley Forge Elm, Gingko, Swamp White Oak and Tulip Poplar are among the 46 different tree species and 76 varieties on campus.

The Alumni Association hosts hundreds of events around the world that reunite alumni and reinforce their connection to the university. Recently, alumni gathered in Florida to watch St. Louis Cardinals spring training games.

Jeremy Friedman, AB ’09; Ryan Hwang, BSBA ’09; and Timothy Trinidad, BSBA ’09, found that social networking helps keep the kids focused on their studies. That’s the philosophy behind their “web-based learning management system,” Schoology.com.

Sheryl Grossman, AB ’98, MSW ’00, who has Bloom’s Syndrome, a rare genetic condition characterized by short stature and a predisposition to multiple secondary conditions, founded Bloom’s Connect, the only international support group for people with Bloom’s Syndrome.