the ampersand

Stories of Incredible People, Research, Learning, and Leadership in Arts & Sciences

Environmental DNA could revolutionize monitoring of fish and wildlife

9.15.23

Faith and governance: Exploring the secular-religious divide in Islamicate histories

9.13.23

$3M grant funds training to harness power of AI for social, environmental challenges

9.13.23 |

The National Science Foundation is investing $3 million in the AI-ACCESS program, which aims to build a cohort of investigators trained at the intersection of AI, environmental science, and social science. Claire Masteller will be a co-principal investigator.

8.29.23

NASA partnership is 'a jewel in WashU's crown'

8.29.23

Black legislators talk more about race, and it works

A new study from political scientist Matthew Hayes in Arts & Sciences finds legislators who use symbolism in speeches about race and civil rights reap electoral rewards, including more favorable evaluations and higher voter turnout.

8.29.23 |

8.17.23

Beyond ‘Casablanca’: Tracing the routes of refugee writers

8.17.23

Race-based variations in gut bacteria emerge by 3 months of age

8.17.23 |

A study from biologist Elizabeth Mallott in Arts & Sciences highlights a critical development window during which racial differences in the gut microbiome emerge. Early social and environmental exposures can have large and lasting effects on child development and adult health.

7.28.23

Fossil skulls alone cannot predict if animal was warm blooded

Biologist Stan Braude in Arts & Sciences was part of a team that analyzed CT scans of the heads of more than 300 mammals to determine whether certain structures in the nasal cavity play a pivotal role in body temperature maintenance.

7.28.23 |

7.20.23

How birds adapt to extreme temperatures

7.20.23 |

Most bird families have adapted to changes in ambient temperature by changing both their bodies and their bills simultaneously, according to biologist Justin Baldwin in Arts & Sciences, first author of a new study in Nature Communications.

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