Students design lemur cage for zoo

Some lucky lemurs at the St. Louis Zoo may soon spend their days swinging, climbing and enjoying the outdoors in a new cage designed by sophomore architecture students at the University.

After researching lemur lifestyles and consulting with zoo officials, Albert Lam, Courtney Martin, Sarah Nurmela, Daniel Osuna and Nick Stoutt created the winning design for a wire mesh and wooden structure measuring 20 feet by 30 feet, 16 feet high.

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Schaal elected as member of National Academy of Sciences

Barbara A. Schaal, Ph.D., professor of biology in Arts and Sciences, was elected to membership in the National Academy of Sciences April 27, one of the highest honors a scientist or engineer can achieve.

Schaal is widely known for her work using molecular genetic techniques to study plant evolution. Her emphasis is on native species, some of them endangered. She is widely sought for her expertise in plant evolutionary and conservation genetics.

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Scholar honors

A pioneer in medical imaging and a nationally recognized commentator on the confluence of race and American culture will receive the first Faculty Achievement Awards at Washington University.

Gerald L. Early, Ph.D., the Merle Kling Professor of Modern Letters and professor of English, African and Afro-American studies and American culture studies, all in Arts and Sciences, and Marcus E. Raichle, M.D., co-director of the Division of Radiological Sciences and professor of radiology, of neurology and of neurobiology at the School of Medicine, are the inaugural recipients of this award, which recognizes outstanding academic accomplishments and service.

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New professorship

Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton has announced the establishment of the Lynne Cooper Harvey Distinguished Chair in English, to be designated for a faculty member in the American Culture Studies Program in Arts and Sciences.

"This is a terrific match between a distinguished professional in American media and a distinguished chaired professorship in American culture studies," noted Wrighton. "Angel has been an inspiration to us all at Washington University, and we are so pleased now to have an endowed chair that celebrates this link."

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Spiritual quest

Growing up, Julie Lemieux's hunger for religion was, well, literal.

"The goal of going to church was so that we could eat at Denny's afterwards!" said Lemieux, a 1998 Washington University graduate who now is serving as an intern at the campus' Catholic Student Center.

Like so many of her Generation X contemporaries, Lemieux's appetite for faith has since grown. In fact, today's college students -- the product of a Me Generation whose spiritual indifference caused Time magazine to ask "Is God Dead?" -- are seeking the religious embrace that many of their parents rejected.

"Especially on a campus like Wash U., where a lot of people come from relatively stable financial backgrounds, students see that maybe those aren't the things that are going to make you happy," Lemieux said.

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