Washington University in St. Louis’ academic programs in Washington, D.C., now are being led by the provost’s office, under the oversight of Priscilla Stone, PhD, assistant provost for international education.
Kent D. Syverud, JD, dean of the School of Law and the Ethan A.H. Shepley University Professor, has led the D.C. initiative since its 2009 launch.
Washington, D.C., programs expand the resources available to WUSTL students and faculty by offering internships and academic opportunities in the nation’s capital city. These opportunities extend to all schools on the Danforth Campus.
Under Syverud’s direction, and with the added efforts of Tomea Mersman, JD, associate dean of strategic initiatives for the law school, the university’s offerings have expanded from a longstanding law school program that sent law students to Washington, D.C., for many years — the Congressional and Administrative Law Clinic — to now include year-round academic opportunities for undergraduates.
Today, the programs boast a beautiful space in the heart of D.C. — in the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace building. The space includes classrooms, conference facilities and offices and is home to the editorial staff of a soon-to-be-launched online journal by the John C. Danforth Center on Religion & Politics.
The site also hosts a variety of events for alumni and other visitors in the D.C. area.
Another vital component of the WUSTL presence in D.C. is the academic partnership with the D.C.-based Brookings Institution. As part of the agreement established in 2009, the Olin Business School assumed management of the Brookings Center for Executive Education.
“From this strong foundation laid by Dean Syverud and others, we look forward to further growth and participation from across the university in the years ahead,” says Provost Edward S. Macias, PhD, executive vice chancellor for academic affairs and the Barbara and David Thomas Distinguished Professor in Arts & Sciences.
The program will welcome 33 WUSTL undergraduates this summer and 20 undergraduates next fall, including a contingent of students from Grinnell College.
Steven Jackson, PhD, is the onsite director of Washington, D.C., programs. Along with Jackson and Suzanne Goldenkranz, senior administrative coordinator, also based in D.C., Stone will be assisted by Kathy Daniel, financial manager for international and area studies in Arts & Sciences.
For more information about the Washington, D.C., programs, visit dc.wustl.edu.