Washington University in St. Louis

Celebrated fiction writer and essayist William H. Gass will present the John and Penelope Biggs Residency in the Classics Lecture for the Assembly Series at 4 p.m. Thursday, March 30 in Graham Chapel. The lecture, titled “Metaphor,” will explore the true essence of metaphors and their connection to language and creativity.

Chancellor Wrighton announced that funds from the alum’s estate will be used to support a future SEAS building, also to be named after Preston Green.

At a tribute dinner on Feb. 27, Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton announced an $8 million commitment from the late Preston Green to support the School of Engineering & Applied Science (SEAS) and its Department of Electrical and Systems Engineering.

At a panel discussion for the Assembly Series to be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, March 1, five individuals will try to assess “The Future of the Democratic Party.” The program, which is co-sponsored by the College Democrats at Washington University, is free and open to the public.

CarcaterraLorenzo Carcaterra has made a career out of writing gritty, powerful novels that become bestsellers. He will discuss these compellingly human stories of crime and violence for the Assembly Series on Wednesday, September 21 at 11 a.m. in Graham Chapel. The event is free and open to the public.

One worked on the frontiers of space research for more than four decades; another holds three Pulitzer Prizes. One has been the architect behind the revitalization of The Loop in University City, Mo.; another a strong supporter of life-saving medical research. From the first African-American appointed to the federal bench in the 8th Circuit to a groundbreaking diabetes researcher, the six people selected to receive honorary degrees during the University’s 143rd Commencement May 21 all stand out in their respective fields.

Amy L. Chua, professor of law at Yale University and member of the American Society of International Law’s executive council, will discuss her new book which posits that the West’s exportation of free markets and democratic philosophies to developing countries does more harm than good.

Washington University’s ascent from streetcar college to elite ranks of the nation’s finest research universities was the subject of a front page feature in the Dec. 22 issue of The New York Times. The article notes that WUSTL recently pierced the top 10 circle of U.S. News and World Report rankings, humbling several Ivy League institutions along the way. “Such an ascent is what almost every university strives for, but none have come close to matching Washington’s success,” states the New York Times.