Author and feminist philosopher Judith Butler spoke to a crowd of about 200 members of the WashU community about their most recent book, “Who’s Afraid of Gender?” and the future of world democracy in the Clark-Fox Forum in Hillman Hall, Feb. 3. 

Author, entrepreneur, and hostage to the Syrian government, Sam Goodwin, told the story of his wrongful two-month detainment in a Syrian prison as a part of WashU’s Assembly Series. The speech was paired with the launch of Goodwin’s new class in WashU’s School of Continuing & Professional Studies (CAPS) on global entrepreneurship titled “The Entrepreneurial Edge.” The audience attending Goodwin’s talk filled Graham Chapel, Jan. 21.

WashU has eliminated 316 staff positions and “closed 198 open and vacant positions” from the Danforth and Medical campuses and the Central Fiscal Unit (CFU), Chancellor Andrew Martin announced in a University-wide email addressed to faculty and staff on Tuesday afternoon. 

WashU’s board of trustees, the chief governing body of the University, elected the newest batch of graduate and undergraduate students representatives to the board. Since 1853, the board of trustees has acted as the legal authority in major decisions regarding the University’s assets, the awarding of tenure to professors, and the approval of construction projects.

Welcome to WashU! Here’s a chronological recap of some of the major events and happenings from last school year, both around campus and in the greater community. This includes how national politics have affected the WashU community, so you can get up to speed on all of the campus goings-on. 

If you knew me during my first year, you probably would’ve heard me claim that I was majoring in just about every program WashU offers at a different point in time. I did this for a couple of reasons. The first is that I loved so many of the classes I took in my first year that I could’ve seen myself taking more classes in every single department.

Washington University will host U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor for a “fireside chat” Wednesday, Sept. 10 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the Field House of the Athletic Complex.

WashU’s Danforth Campus and surrounding areas were in the direct path of a tornado which touched down early in the afternoon of May 16. Radar from The Weather Channel confirmed the tornado struck the suburb of Clayton, where the Danforth Campus is located. 

Former McKelvey professor of Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering Tae Seok Moon filed a lawsuit against WashU on March 4, claiming that he was forced to resign because he spoke out against discrimination on campus. 

WashU first-year Farah Bader was selected to receive the Cochlear Graeme Clark Scholarship for recipients of the Cochlear Nucleus Implant who demonstrate high academic achievement, along with Saint Louis University (SLU) first-year Grace Fleming. Both will be awarded $2,000 annually for up to four years.