Washington People: Lorena Smith
Serving Washington University in St. Louis students for five decades, Lorena Smith, 81, has done it all — prepared thousands of sandwiches, pulled pints of beer at the university’s long-gone campus bar and issued parking tickets. “Some things don’t change,” said Smith, whom the students refer to as “Ms. Smitty.” “There have always been parking tickets, baby, always.”
A Q&A with planetary scientist Bill McKinnon
Bill McKinnon, PhD, professor of earth and planetary
sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, lists as his top research
interests the icy satellites of the outer solar system and the physics of
impact cratering. But he isn’t picky. If anything unusual and exciting is going
on anywhere in the solar system, he wants to know about it.
Washington People: Gammon Earhart
Gammon Earhart, PhD, a professor in the Program in Physical Therapy at the School of Medicine, works to restore movement to patients with Parkinson’s disease. Arguably her most significant contributions as a researcher have been her studies demonstrating the
benefits of tango dancing on patients with Parkinson’s. Freedom of movement, it turns out, has become a theme of sorts for Earhart — professionally and personally.
Washington People: Catherine Appleton
Catherine “Kate” Appleton, MD, discusses her work as a breast cancer radiologist and how her patients, family and mentors have influenced her career.
Washington People: Tiffany Knight
Tiffany Knight, PhD, associate professor of biology and director of the Environmental Studies Program in Arts & Science, is on sabbatical in Hawaii working to pull some of its many endangered plant species back from the brink.
Washington People: Tom Bernatowicz
Tom Bernatowicz, PhD, professor of physics in Arts & Sciences, began at WUSTL studying stardust, tiny crystals of material that formed around dying red giant stars or in exploding supernovae. While he remains interested in these tiny grains, lately he has been devoting much of his time to creating an introductory physics course that is so lively and engaging the students leave understanding why physicists are so passionate about their work.
Scholar with a backpack
In her research, Jennifer R. Smith, PhD, associate professor of earth and planetary sciences and of environmental studies, both in Arts & Sciences, uses the tools of classic earth science to address questions of archeological interest.