WASHINGTON (AP) — The Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History is developing its first major exhibit on the human genome with a $3 million pledge announced Monday from a biotechnology company.The philanthropic foundation of Life Technologies Corp. is the lead sponsor for a 2,500-square-foot exhibition slated to open on the National Mall in June 2013.The museum will collaborate with the National Human Genome Research Institute at the National Institutes of Health to develop a high-tech presentation of the history and future of genome sciences. The Foundation for the National Institutes of Health also raised $500,000 for the project.The effort marks the 10th anniversary of researchers producing the first complete human genome sequence as a blueprint of the human body. The Human Genome Project was launched ... Continue reading →

Lindsey Anderson balanced internships at USA Today and the Washington Post and her position as Editor in Chief of the Eagle with a focus on academic excellence, graduating summa cum laude. Lindsey Anderson, the undergraduate speaker at the 2012 School of Communication commencement ceremony, exemplifies the SOC ideal of academic excellence paired with hands-on, professional experience. She also embodies American University's strategic goal to "reflect and value diversity”. “That diversity is the beauty of AU. It brings people together from different corners of the world, different religions, different political spectrums. But somehow, no matter our backgrounds, we attempt to understand each other,” said Anderson in her commencement speech. “AU has been an exercise in empathy.” Her speech drew applause, and also a job offer from ... Continue reading →

For Immediate ReleaseMay 17, 2012 Contacts: David Ottalini, 301 405 4076 or dottalin@umd.edu Dalglish Named New Dean of UMD's Philip Merrill College of Journalism Goals include expanding partnerships and helping students become lifelong learners. Incoming Journalism Dean Lucy Dalglish (Photo by J. Scott Applewhite) (Click on photo for HiRes)COLLEGE PARK , Md. - Lucy Dalglish, the Executive Director of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, has been appointed the next dean of the University of Maryland's Philip Merrill College of Journalism. She will succeed Dean Kevin Klose on August 1. "Lucy Dalglish's work puts her in the middle of some of the most critical journalism issues of the day, particularly those involving media rights and protections," said University of Maryland President Wallace Loh. ... Continue reading →

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The California Science Museum said it has raised nearly half of the $200 million needed to build a permanent exhibit for the space shuttle Endeavour. The museum recently received a donation from the Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Oschin Family Foundation that will allow it to start the design phase of the project. The museum didn't disclose the amount of the gift, citing an agreement it made with the foundation. "This is a huge boost. It gives a vote of confidence for the project" museum president Jeffrey Rudolph said Wednesday. Rudolph spent the past year fundraising and still has halfway to go to fulfill the museum's goal. The museum has received gifts from private foundations, corporations and individuals, but Rudolph said the ... Continue reading →

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Chuck Brown, who styled a unique mix of funk, soul and Latin party sounds to create go-go music in the nation's capital, has died after suffering from pneumonia. He was 75. Brown died Wednesday at Johns Hopkins University Hospital in Baltimore. Hospital spokesman Gary Stephenson confirmed Brown had died after a hospital stay that began April 18. Thanks to Brown and his deep, gravelly voice, go-go music was uniquely identified with Washington. That's where he continued to play the city's club circuit late in life. Brown's hit "Bustin' Loose" with his group, the Soul Searchers, helped define go-go's sound. It spent several weeks atop of the R&B chart in 1979. Rapper Nelly later sampled Brown's "Bustin' Loose" for his massive hit "Hot ... Continue reading →