Judge dismisses charter school appeal

PAIDEIA ACADEMY • A charter school's request to appeal its lawsuit against the Missouri Board of Education has been rejected by the Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District. In June, the board rejected the Paideia Academy's request to keep operating as a charter school, citing low academic performance and mismanagement. A Cole County judge recently sided with the board. The school's campus in St. Louis' Carondelet neighborhood closed, but Paideia still occupies its College Hill building on East Linton Avenue.

UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI ST. LOUIS >Researcher gains grant • The National Institutes of Health has awarded a $3 million grant to University of Missouri-St. Louis researcher James Bashkin and his company NanoVir for work on a potential cure for a common sexually transmitted disease.

NanoVir was established in 2004 and has raised more than $9.5 million in grants since. The NIH grant will be used to support research into a so-called broad spectrum approach — one that will target multiple strains of the human papilloma virus, which can also cause cervical cancer. Bashkin is an associate research professor in UMSL's chemistry and biology department and is director of chemistry for NanoVir. The principal investigator on the grant is Chris Fisher, a co-founder of NanoVir.

NORMANDY SCHOOLS > District goes door-to-door to reclaim dropouts • Staff from the Normandy School District will join business and community leaders in an effort to reclaim students who have dropped out of school or have the potential of leaving. The district's second annual "Reach Out to Dropouts" will start at 9 a.m. Saturday, with volunteers meeting at Normandy High School, 6701 St. Charles Rock Road.

Groups will visit the homes of students who did not complete previous school years or who have previously demonstrated chronic absenteeism. During its first year, over one-third of the students visited returned to Normandy High School or an alternative program to acquire their high school diploma.

STEVENS INSTITUTE > Downtown campus opens • The Stevens Institute of Business & Arts has opened a $3 million campus in downtown St. Louis. The former Patricia Stevens College recently changed its name to Stevens Institute of Business & Arts, and the school has relocated to a new 25,000 square foot campus at 1521 Washington Avenue in the city's loft district.

Students and instructors of the school's Interior Design program, along with architect Lisa Selligman of red dot studio, planned the renovation of the Washington Avenue building. For more information on the new campus, visit www.siba.edu, or call (314) 421-0949.

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY EDWARDSVILLE > Grant for nursing program • The School of Nursing's Student Nurse Achievement Program has been awarded a federal grant of $898,360.

The undergraduate nursing program provides academic, financial and social support for students from underserved communities in their pursuit of a career in nursing. Upon graduation, the students are expected to return to work for one year in the communities from which they were recruited. Those interested in the program may contact Natasha Matkins at nmatkin@siue.edu.

MISSOURI BAPTIST UNIVERSITY > School adds St. Charles County campus • Missouri Baptist University is opening its newest extension in St. Peters inside Lutheran High School, 5100 Mexico Road. Undergraduate degrees will be offered in elementary education and business administration/management. Fall term begins Monday. For more information contact Mary Sue Thompson at 314-341-3941 or visit mobap.edu/stcharles.

WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY > Scholarship donation given • Washington University says it will receive a $500,000 gift from Wells Fargo to support scholarships and internships for undergraduates in its Olin Business School. Eighty percent of the money will support up to six Wells Fargo scholars each year, with an emphasis on students whose studies are in line with the priorities of the St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association.