Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill speaks to reporters about the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’s impact on Missouri in the lobby of Whitaker Hall Feb. 21. The act, among other features, provides more than $10 billion in additional federal grant money for science research. Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton (left) said WUSTL was “well positioned to compete for the additional funds and to put them to work immediately and wisely.” Also speaking were (from second from left) Pat Sullivan of the Home Builders Association; Betty Van Uum, assistant to the provost for public affairs and economic development at the University of Missouri-St. Louis; Anthony Thompson, president and CEO of Kwame Building Group Inc.; Larry J. Shapiro, M.D., executive vice chancellor for medical affairs and dean of the School of Medicine; and Marcia Mellitz, president and CEO of the Center for Emerging Technologies.