Welcome, New Students!

About Arts & Sciences Orientation 2026

Arts & Sciences programming for first-year students will occur during Orientation which takes place on Monday, August 17 - Tuesday, August 18. We will introduce you to the people and groups who will be important to you over the next four years: the College Office, A&S faculty, and advisors. On Sunday, August 16 you will receive an email with event information and personalized links for your small group meetings. Please e-mail the College Office if you didn't receive these instructions or if you have any questions. 

Monday, August 17: Get to Know the College

10:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.: Starting Your Academic Journey: Deans’ Welcome with Dean Hu and Vice Dean McGlothlin

Join the Richard G. Engelsmann Dean of Arts & Sciences Feng Sheng Hu and Vice Dean of Undergraduate Affairs Erin McGlothlin to begin your academic journey in Arts & Sciences. Students will be split into two groups, with 45-minute presentations beginning at 10:00 am and 11:00 am. Please come only to your assigned session time. To find your specific session time, please refer to your personalized schedule in an email from the College of Arts & Sciences.

1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.: Life, Literacies, and the Liberal Arts and Sciences

Begin your Arts & Sciences academic journey by learning how study across the curriculum will equip you with the skills and competencies to be future leaders, innovators, and citizens of the world. For your specific session location, please refer to your personalized schedule in an email from the College of Arts & Sciences.

3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.: Four-Year Group Advising Meeting

Meet with your four-year advisor in this group session to review important academic information to start the semester and connect with fellow students in Arts & Sciences. For your specific session location, please refer to your personalized schedule in an email from the College of Arts & Sciences.

Tuesday, August 18: Get to Know the A&S Departments, Programs, and Faculty

10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.: Arts & Sciences Department and Program Open Houses

Visit department and program open houses to explore areas of study in Arts & Sciences. You should visit at least two or three open houses, but you are welcome to attend as many as you would like. At the open houses, you’ll be able to meet department and program faculty and staff, learn more about requirements and academic student organizations, and ask questions about courses. Stop by the College Office in Cupples II, Room 104 for more general information about Arts & Sciences. For locations and details, browse the full list of department open houses.

2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.: Arts & Sciences Faculty Spotlight Presentations

Faculty spotlight presentations feature faculty speaking on areas of their interest and expertise. These talks showcase a range of ideas and ongoing research in Arts & Sciences and are a great introduction to the breadth and depth of the work of our faculty. Each hour includes spotlight presentations from faculty in one of the three traditional disciplines: humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Select one presentation to attend for each hour. Find specific information about the faculty spotlight presentations. 

Four-Year Group Advising Meetings

Four-Year Group Advising meetings will take place Monday, August 17, at 3 p.m.

Meet with your four-year advisor in this group session to review important academic information to start the semester and connect with your advisor and peers. The Four-Year Group Advising Meeting is an important step in building a relationship with your advisor, who will support you throughout your time in Arts & Sciences as you explore your academic interests, make plans, and create your pathway at WashU and beyond.

First-Year Group Advising Meeting Locations

Department Open Houses

African & African-American Studies

McMillan Hall, Room 219

American Culture Studies

McMillan Courtyard
(McMillan 140 rain location)

Anthropology

McMillan Hall, Room 101

Applied Linguistics

McMillan Café

Art History & Archaeology

Kemper Museum, Room 211
(enter building through south entrance facing Steinberg Hall)

Asian-American Studies

McMillan Courtyard
(McMillan 140 rain location)

Biology

Jolley Hall, 2nd Floor (2101, 2102, 2106)

Center for Humanities

Umrath, Room 217 (West Wing)

Chemistry

Louderman Hall, Room 458

Children's Studies

Duncker Hall, Hurst Lounge

Classics and Ancient Studies

Umrath, Room 224 (bridge conference room)

Comparative Literature & Thought

Ridgley Hall, Room 317 (accessed via Ridgley 319)

Comparative Literature & Thought: Comparative Arts Specialization

Ridgley Hall, Room 317 (accessed via Ridgley 319)

Data Science in the Humanities

Ridgley Hall, Room 317 (accessed via Ridgley 319)

Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences

Rudolph Hall, Room 302

East Asian Languages and Cultures

Busch Hall, Room 126

Economics

Seigle Hall, Room L006

Education

Seigle Hall, Room 107

English

Duncker Hall, Hurst Lounge

Environmental Policy

Seigle Hall, Room 205

Environmental Studies

Schnuck Pavilion, Room 202

Film & Media Studies

Seigle Hall, Room 400

Germanic Languages and Literatures

Ridgley Hall, Room 317 (accessed via Ridgley 319)

Global Studies

McMillan Café

History

Olin Library, Room 142

Jewish, Islamic, and Middle Eastern Studies

Danforth University Center (DUC), Room 239

Latin American Studies

Ridgley Hall, Room 122

Legal Studies

Ridgley Hall, Room 317 (accessed via Ridgley 319)

Mathematics

Cupples I, Room 222

Medical Humanities

Olin Library, Room 142

Music

Lopata House, Room 021

Performing Arts

Mallinckrodt, 3rd Floor PAD Lounge

Philosophy-Neuroscience-Psychology

Wilson Hall Auditorium, Room 214

Physics

Compton Hall, Room 340

Political Science

Seigle Hall, Room 207

Psychological & Brain Sciences

Somers Family Hall, Room #216 A/B

Public Health & Society

Hillman Hall, 3rd Floor Caleres Lounge

Religion & Politics

Umrath, outside table

Religious Studies

Umrath, outside table

Romance Languages & Literatures: French

Ridgley Hall, Room 107

Romance Languages & Literatures: Italian

Eads Hall, Room 215

Romance Languages & Literatures: Spanish

Eads Hall, Room 203

Russian Language and Literature

McMillan Hall, Room 256A

Sociology

Seigle Hall, Suite 213

Speech & Hearing

Seigle Hall, Room 104

Statistics and Data Science

Jolley Hall, 5th floor Lobby

Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

McMillan Hall, Room 221

 

Faculty Spotlight Presentations

Select one faculty spotlight presentation to attend for each session. The building names below are linked to Google Maps, which can provide walking directions to buildings on campus. If you need additional help, stop by the College Office in Cupples II, Room 104.   

Humanities, Session 1: 2:00 to 2:50 p.m.                               

Zachariah Ezer, Performing Arts—Drama, The Elements of Drama: Playwriting from Sophocles to Slave Play, Crow Hall, Room 206

Erin Finneran, English & American Literature, Turn and Face the Strange: Alienation and Transformation in Modern Literature & Contemporary Music, Duncker Hall, Room 101

James Fleury, Film & Media Studies, The Big Picture: What Film and Media Studies Can Do For You, Eads Hall, Room 216

Elinor Harrison, Dance and PNP, From Dancing to Parkinson's Research: How to Turn Your Passion Into a Job, Brown Hall, Room 100

Robert Henke, Drama & Comparative Literature, Renaissance Humanism, Crow Hall, Room 204

Krister Knapp, History & Global Studies, National Security in an Age of Crisis, Busch Hall, Room 100

Joseph Loewenstein, Comparative Literature & Thought and English, Shakespeare and the Political Theory of Comedy, Brown Hall, Room 118

Tim Parsons, African and African American Studies, Are You Sure That You Really Know What History Is?, McMillan Hall, Room G052

Nancy Reynolds, Middle Eastern Studies, History, Prophet of Sustainability: Hassan Fathy's Natural Energy Architecture, Seigle Hall, Room L006

Martin Riker and David Schuman, Writing—English, The Literary Life: An Introduction, Louderman Hall, Room 458

Luis Salas, Classics & Medical Humanities, Greek & Roman Medicine: The Relevance of Past Perspectives to Our Present, Rebstock Hall, Room 215

Alex Stefaniak, Music, Knowing Music: Listening across Historical and Cultural Boundaries, Crow Hall, Room 201

Rebecca Wanzo, Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies; American Culture Studies, Women, Health, and Media, Wilson Hall, Room 214

 

Social Sciences, Session 2: 3:00 to 3:50 p.m.

Jessica Backman-Levy, Public Health & Society, Unpacking Power: Gender Norms, Rights, and Reproductive Justice, Brown Hall, Room 118

Timothy Bono, Psychological & Brain Sciences, Insights from Positive Psychology: What the Science of Happiness can Teach us about Mindset and Resilience, Wrighton Hall, Room 300

Cindy Brantmeier, Global Studies, Applied Linguistics, Global Health & Language, Wilson Hall, Room 214

Andrew Butler, Education, Learning Effectively and Efficiently: How to Level Up for College, Busch Hall, Room 100

David Cunningham, Sociology, Take 'Em Down: Removed Confederate Monuments and Racial Inequality in the U.S., McMillan Hall, Room G052

Matthew Gabel, Political Science, Political Science Isn’t Just About Politics: Political Science and Medical Research, Rebstock Hall, Room 215

Andrew Jordan, Economics, Economics without Prices: Scrutinizing Decisions in Criminal Justice, Seigle Hall, Room L006

Kathy Kniepmann, American Culture Studies, OT Disability and Inclusion: Building Community for All!, Eads Hall, Room 216

Alan Lambert, Psychological & Brain Sciences, Empathy & Open-Mindedness: What Social Scientists Know (and Don't Know), Crow Hall, Room 201

Froggi VanRiper, Environmental Studies, The Joy of Interdisciplinarity: Every Major Working Together for a Sustainable Future, Louderman Hall, Room 458

 

Natural Sciences and Math, Session 3: 4:00 to 4:50 p.m.

Renato Feres, Mathematics, Playing (Mathematical) Billiards, Crow Hall, Room 206

Joe Guinness, Statistics & Data Sciences, The Magic of Multiple Linear Regression, Seigle Hall, Room L006

Eleanor Pardini, Environmental Biology, A Journey Toward Self, Heart, Rest & Joy within Environmental Problem-Solving, Busch Hall, Room 100

Sheng Ran, Physics, Exploring the Quantum World: From New Materials to New Ideas About Reality, Crow Hall, Room 204

Zachariah Reagh, Psychological & Brain Sciences, How are Memories Built?, Wilson Hall, Room 214

Anthony Smith, Biology & Biomedical Sciences, Washington University Full Circle—From Sharks to Viruses to Cancer, McMillan Hall, Room G052

Craig Smith, Biochemistry, The Winding Road: A Biochemist's Guide to Finding Your Path at WashU, Louderman Hall, Room 458

Timothy Wencewicz, Chemistry, Antibiotic Drug Discovery at WashU, Brown Hall, Room 118

Michael Wysession, Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences, Volcanoes, Climate Change, and Deadly Pandemics, Crow Hall, Room 201