Expand your world.

ARTS & SCIENCES brings together people who value discovery, engagement, and action. Tell us what you're curious about, and we'll help you make your mark:

From Antarctica:  scientists travel to McMurdo Station to study climate change and cosmic rays.

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We apply critical and creative thinking beyond the task at hand, testing new approaches to challenges facing our world. Tell us what you’re curious about, and we’ll help you make your mark:

From Performing Arts: a student in the MFA program in dance prepares for a performance.

Brookings archway

Pursue excellence.

We’re motivated by a desire to discover solutions to big problems. Tell us what you’re curious about, and we’ll help you make your mark:

From Campus: students in the historic Brookings archway

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Gerald Early

Faculty Spotlight: The history of black studies with Gerald Early

Professor Gerald Early recently oversaw African and African-American Studies’ transition from program to full-fledged department at WashU. Here, he talks about the student activism that kick-started black studies programs around the country.

Mariel Ehrlich

Student Spotlight: Mariel Ehrlich

Mariel Ehrlich, a junior who is double majoring in sociology and Latin American studies, talks about her time abroad in Lima, Peru and how studying Spanish has changed her perspective on what it means to be a global citizen.

Adam Archibald

Graduate Student Spotlight: Adam Archibald

Scientists find gravity very puzzling. For one thing, they don’t understand why it is so weak; that is, why it takes so much stuff (like a planet’s worth) to generate much gravitational force. Perhaps, they say, it is leaking out of our universe. Physics graduate student Adam Archibald explains how this could be and describes an experiment to detect leaks.

the ampersand

Stories Of Incredible People, Research, Learning, and Leadership Happening In Arts & Sciences

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our latest podcast

The secret lives of plants

Elizabeth Haswell wants to change the way that people think about plants. What do scientists know about how plants sense their environment, and what remains a mystery? The answers may surprise you.

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the ampersand:

Image of Joshua Bodgett.
Natural Sciences & Math, Research

Making drugs from bugs

Josh Blodgett uses interdisciplinary approaches to discover new bioactive molecules, understand how those molecules are made, and engineer microbes to increase their production. He talks about how he integrates his industry background into his teaching and research.

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Arts & Humanities, Research

‘How We Listen Shapes How We View the World’: The Radio Drama in Post-WWII Germany

Caroline Kita explores the role of radio dramas in shaping West Germany’s new democracy after World War II.

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announcements

For the Arts & Sciences Community

Nominations are open for the Gerry and Bob Virgil Ethic of Service Award which recognizes members of the Washington University community who exemplify service and contribution to the St. Louis region. Honorees include alumni, employees, retirees, students and volunteers. The nomination deadline is 5 p.m. Feb. 2.

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Volunteers are being sought for the Memory & Aging Project, an ongoing research study at Washington University. Researchers are looking at the memory and thinking changes that occur as people age. Both healthy individuals and those with memory loss are sought to take part in tests that measure memory and thinking.

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Local Farmer CSA, in partnership with the Office of Sustainability and the Department of Human Resources, now offers CSA (Community Shared Agriculture) crop boxes on the Danforth Campus. Students, faculty and staff can sign up to take part, then pick up a box of fresh produce and other products every other Wednesday.

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