The Center for the Literary Arts is a transformational hub for literary art forms such as creative writing and translation that advocates for integrating creative practices into scholarship.
The CLA explores the ways literary art and creative practice can change the world around us, seeking to unite communities within and beyond academia by re-imagining vital literary art-making for the 21st century locally and globally.
YEAR TWO HIGHLIGHTS
Enhancing Academic Distinction:
Each year, CLA’s Creative Practice Workshop assembles an interdisciplinary cohort of WashU faculty and grants them a semester leave to focus on creative practice work. The Fall 2024 cohort includes G’Ra Asim (English), Nancy E. Berg (Jewish, Islamic, and Middle Eastern Studies), Todd Decker (Music), and Julia A. Walker (Performing Arts).
Deepening Our Impact on St. Louis and the World: CLA continued to bring some of the literary world’s most exciting new voices to the WashU community, including award-winning poets Mary-Alice Daniel and Simone White , novelist Megan Kamalei Kakimoto and editor Callie Garnett . In addition to delivering public readings, these visitors met with students in small groups for networking opportunities and industry insights.
Advancing Excellence in Education:
Representatives from CLA made valuable connections at the 2024 Association of Writers & Writing Programs Conference and Bookfair in Kansas City. In addition to its presence at the conference, CLA hosted an offsite reading event for graduate students in the WashU creative writing MFA program and in the international writers track PhD program, spurring connections and collaborations between the two groups.
CO - DIRECTORS
Danielle Dutton Professor of English
Ignacio Infante Chair and Professor of Comparative Literature and Thought, and Romance Languages and Literatures – Spanish
Center for Quantum Leaps (CQL)
MISSION
The Center for Quantum Leaps is creating a field-changing research program within Arts & Sciences. In collaboration with the McKelvey School of Engineering and the School of Medicine, its work harnesses new quantum and advanced technologies to develop scientific breakthroughs.
YEAR TWO HIGHLIGHTS
CO - DIRECTORS
KEY NUMBERS
• 32 events presented or co-sponsored
• 2,226 event attendees
• 50 departments and 7 schools represented at CLA events
• 2,300 visitors to CLA’s website
Enhancing Academic Distinction: A team of WashU scientists is leveraging a $3 million grant from the National Science Foundation to create a graduate student training program for aspiring scientists and educators wanting to explore careers in quantum sensing. The program, Linking Quantum Sensing Technologies across Disciplines, will connect quantum-minded researchers at St. Louis-area companies with educators to develop a network of experts who will make St. Louis a national leader in quantum sensing.
The CQL hosted multiple brainstorming sessions and demonstrations to develop research ideas for its newly acquired quantum diamond microscope , an incredibly powerful tool that will open new horizons in quantum research. Sparked by these discussions, CQL is working to publish a collaborative paper and laying the groundwork for future scientific partnerships.
Deepening Our Impact on St. Louis and the World: Erik Henriksen (Physics) is part of a team that was awarded funding from the National Science Foundation’s Quantum Sensing Challenges for Transformational Advances in Quantum Systems program. Led by researchers at the University of Nevada, Reno, the team will develop the world’s most sensitive sensor of rotations using superfluid helium. Potential applications include GPS positioning without satellites and real-time monitoring of the Earth’s rotation.
Kater Murch
Charles M. Hohenberg Professor of Physics
David W. Piston
Edward J. Mallinckrodt, Jr. Professor and Head of Cell Biology & Physiology, School of Medicine
KEY NUMBERS
• 15 grants submitted
• 4 grants awarded, totaling $3.7 million
• 5+ new project ideas — including 1 funded project — that utilize the quantum diamond microscope. These ideas were generated during an IdeasLab brainstorming session attended by 26 people.
• 4 new faculty hires
Incubator for Transdisciplinary Futures (ITF)
MISSION
The Incubator for Transdisciplinary Futures catalyzes and supports bold collaborations that will drive the future of scholarly inquiry and how we imagine the university. The incubator launched with a roster of 14 funded projects that unite scholars across disciplines.
YEAR TWO HIGHLIGHTS
Enhancing Academic Distinction: Three ITFfunded teams secured prestigious grants to enhance their research work, demonstrating the power of transdisciplinary scholarship to attract external funding: Human-Wildlife Interface (nearly $3 million from the National Institutes of Health), St. Louis Policy Initiative ($324,762 from the National Science Foundation), and Police Body Camera Metadata ($224,712 from the National Science Foundation).
ITF co-directors William Acree and Betsy Sinclair organized the Stories that Win Conference , attracting scholars from 23 institutions for a discussion about the ways stories shape society and how large-scale text analysis can teach us more about the stories we tell ourselves.
Deepening Our Impact on St. Louis and the World: ITF groups engaged the WashU and St. Louis communities through several events. Mindfulness Science and Practice hosted its inaugural Mindfulness Day, featuring speeches from experts and meditation sessions. Toward a Synergy between Artificial Intelligence and Neuroscience brought an international delegation of scholars to WashU for its NeuroAI Symposium. And Moving Stories curated an exhibition at The Luminary art gallery, showcasing artwork that reflected the stories of migrant communities.
CO - DIRECTORS
William Acree
Associate Vice Dean of Graduate Education; Professor of Spanish, American Culture Studies (Affiliate) and Performing Arts (Affiliate)
Betsy Sinclair
Chair and Professor of Political Science
KEY NUMBERS
• 23 grants submitted
• 9 grants awarded for $13.7M
• 30 events presented
• 1,563 event attendees
• 215 departments, research centers, universities, and business partners represented at ITF events
• Partnered with all 8 WashU schools
Literacies for Life and Career (LLC)
MISSION
Literacies for Life and Career provides students with a set of literacies and competencies that are indispensable for their future careers, their roles as engaged and responsible citizens, and their well-being as individuals. Literacies include concepts such as applied problem solving, communication dexterity, and ethical reasoning, and were developed with substantive faculty input following in-depth analysis of course content at WashU.
YEAR TWO HIGHLIGHTS
Advancing Excellence in Education:
Last year marked the official arrival of Literacies for Life and Career in Arts & Sciences classrooms as 24 “early adopter” faculty members test-drove the program as part of a pedagogical pilot. Spanning a variety of disciplines, these faculty used a literacy-based approach to enhance their lectures, discussion groups, and assignments.
The initiative will continue its expansion in the coming year with a group of 30 faculty receiving teaching innovation grants to apply the literacies model to their classrooms. The Literacies initiative will continue to scale up toward the goal of application in all Arts & Sciences undergraduate courses.
At every step of the process, students have provided feedback and reflections on the application of literacies in their coursework. The LLC team hosted six student focus groups to further refine its approach and conducted surveys of students who took part in 2023-2024 pilot courses. Ninety percent of the 625 Fall 2023 survey respondents and 95% of the 606 Spring 2024 survey respondents agreed that literacies enhanced their learning experience.
With the support of a faculty task force, LLC further refined and validated 11 literacies.
CO - DIRECTORS
Erin McGlothlin
Vice Dean of Undergraduate Affairs; Gloria M. Goldstein Professor of Holocaust Studies and Professor of German and Jewish Studies
Brian Carpenter
Co-Director, Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging; Professor of Psychological & Brain Sciences
KEY NUMBERS
• 250+ faculty engaged in pilot implementation, literacy development, meetings, and co ee hours
• 50 courses piloted in academic year 2023-2024. 60+ planned for academic year 2024-2025
• Pilot courses, by course type:
– 18 humanities, 9 social sciences, 9 natural sciences and math, 14 writing
– 4 rst-year programs
– 23 intro-level, 27 upper-level
– 6 language courses
• 2,320 students enrolled in pilot courses in 2023-2024
Living Earth Collaborative (LEC)
MISSION
The Living Earth Collaborative is dedicated to advancing the knowledge of biodiversity and to ensuring the future of Earth’s species in their many forms. A partnership between WashU, the Missouri Botanical Garden, and the Saint Louis Zoo, the LEC leverages the incredible resources of all three partner institutions to advance its mission.
YEAR TWO HIGHLIGHTS
Deepening Our Impact on St. Louis and the World: The LEC convened a retreat for key representatives from each of the three partner institutions to develop a strategic vision . This new organizational model will strengthen the ties between the LEC’s partners and chart a course toward greater community impact.
LEC’s research projects in Madagascar reached new heights this year, including a study on lemur predation published in the journal Ecology & Evolution. In February 2024, researchers from WashU, the Missouri Botanical Garden, and the Saint Louis Zoo convened on campus to discuss their work in Madagascar. This event was open to the public and provided an opportunity to share information about this groundbreaking global partnership.
The LEC made a direct impact on international conservation policy with a February 2024 proposal to the UN Convention on Migratory Species. LEC’s “Concerted Action for Chimpanzee Behavioral Diversity and Cultures” earned approval from the convention and enthusiastic endorsement from several members. The proposal calls for a multi-tiered approach to preserving chimpanzee habitats and the diverse behaviors exhibited by these species.
CO - DIRECTORS
Jonathan Losos
William H. Danforth Distinguished University Professor, Biology
Crickette Sanz
James W. and Jean L. Davis Professor in Arts and Sciences; Professor of Biological Anthropology
KEY NUMBERS
• 30 interdisciplinary research projects on biodiversity conservation implemented around the world
• 14 postdoctoral fellows trained
• 38 biodiversity fellowships awarded to undergraduate students
• 11 WashU research course collaborations
Program in Public Scholarship (PPS)
MISSION
The Program in Public Scholarship works to establish Arts & Sciences as a leader in translating scholarly work and its importance to a broader audience.
YEAR TWO HIGHLIGHTS
Promoting Diversity, Inclusion, and Access: PPS spent its second year expanding the toolsets of faculty and graduate students who seek to engage the public in their research and expertise. Through more than 200 oneon-one meetings and consultations, PPS staff engaged with scholars to refine, craft, and pitch story ideas to popular outlets. PPS also led 15 biweekly workshops on different components of public scholarship, from podcasting to book proposals.
Enhancing Academic Distinction: The program helped produce 38 articles or podcast appearances by Arts & Sciences faculty. Prominent examples include Gabrielle Kirilloff (English) launching a regular video game column in Forbes and Ryan Ogliore (Physics) detailing a planned mission to Jupiter’s moon Io for Slate.
PPS announced the inaugural recipients of its Arts & Sciences Public Scholarship Prize: Rebecca J. Lester (Anthropology), for a new trade book on dissociative identity disorder, and Abram Van Engen (English), for efforts to expand and amplify his podcast, “Poetry for All.” Lester and Van Engen each received $5,000 in research funds to enhance their work; an additional $2,500 will be awarded upon project completion.
CO - DIRECTORS
Ian Bogost
Barbara and David Thomas Distinguished Professor; Professor of Film and Media Studies; Professor of Computer Science and Engineering
Adia Harvey Wingfield Vice Dean of Faculty Development and Diversity; Mary Tileston Hemenway Professor of Arts & Sciences, Sociology
KEY NUMBERS
• 15 workshops:
– 186 attendees
– 72 departments and programs represented
– 8 schools represented
• 226 individual meetings and 55 group meetings with Arts & Sciences faculty, sta , and students
• 30 books in development from Arts & Sciences faculty
Public Health & Society (PH&S)
MISSION
Public Health & Society will integrate perspectives from the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities to educate students around one of the defining local, national, and international endeavors of our times.
YEAR TWO HIGHLIGHTS
Advancing Excellence in Education:
Following intense behind-the-scenes work, 2024 marked the official creation of a new interdisciplinary academic program, Public Health & Society . The program forges a strong link between Arts & Sciences and the emerging School of Public Health. As a result of strategic and steadfast collaboration between key stakeholders, the program now has Higher Learning Commission accreditation, an academic structure, curriculum, and staff.
In Fall 2024, Public Health & Society will launch a new 18-credit undergraduate minor degree program . A highly anticipated major program will follow, beginning in Fall 2025. The program’s structure and core curriculum were the product of an intentional, interdisciplinary collaboration between Arts & Sciences and the Brown School’s Public Health program. Its unique structure will provide students with a holistic view of public health. Students will gain access to and experience from people working across diverse communities, blending theory and research with relevant practice.
PROGRAM CHAIRS
Tristram R. Kidder
Edward S. and Tedi Macias Professor; Professor of Anthropology and Environmental Studies
Lindsay Stark Professor of Public Health; Associate Dean for Global Strategy and Programs, Brown School
KEY NUMBERS
For the Public Health & Society minor:
• 18 credits required
• 3 core courses created
• 149 electives
• 1 curriculum coordinator hired
• 2 inaugural lecturers hired
Transdisciplinary Institute in Applied Data Sciences (TRIADS)
MISSION
TRIADS explores new datasets and techniques to better understand and address pressing societal problems while supporting transdisciplinary collaborations among scholars to connect big data to big questions.
YEAR TWO HIGHLIGHTS
Deepening Our Impact on St. Louis and the World: TRIADS partnered with WashU Here and Next to organize STL DataFest. The event brought together some of St. Louis’ brightest and most inquisitive minds to brainstorm how big data can drive positive societal change. More than 200 people attended the two-day conference hosted on the Danforth Campus.
Enhancing Academic Distinction: Carnegie Corporation of New York awarded TRIADS a $330,000 grant to fund a multilingual study of social media posts made by political parties, candidates, and party coalitions around the world. Using new artificial intelligence tools for text and image analysis, TRIADS will study millions of political posts in more than two dozen languages to measure the prevalence of populist rhetoric and monitor how it spreads online.
Promoting Diversity, Inclusion, and Access: The TRIADS Training Series launched in Spring 2024 and provided free workshops to WashU faculty, staff, and students on the use of data science tools such as Python, R, and ChatGPT. The series offers a fast, accessible, and utilitarian style of data science education to supplement WashU's research-based courses. More than 260 people attended 18 TRIADS Training Series courses throughout the spring semester.
DIRECTOR
Jacob Montgomery Professor of Political Science
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR
Tammy English Associate Professor of Psychological & Brain Sciences
KEY NUMBERS
• 49 events hosted, co-sponsored, or facilitated by TRIADS
• 25 grants submitted by TRIADS-a liated teams
• 2 grants awarded for $354k
• 23 consultations provided by TRIADS’ software development team to assist WashU faculty with their research
• 200+ WashU community members engaged via 5 TRIADS Nexus Teams, a nity groups studying speci c data science topics
