Shaping the future

Our goal is to strengthen the university’s leadership ­today to benefit St. Louis, America and the world tomorrow.

By Susan Caine
Shown at the groundbreaking ceremony for a new building for the Brown School are (from left) social work graduate student Nikedra Doughty; Holden Thorp, PhD, provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs; ­Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton; Harry J. Seigle, AB ’68, a university trustee and member of the Brown School’s National Council; Christine Homan, BSBA ’71, a Brown School National Council member, and Scott Homan, BS ’66; Eugene Kahn, ­university trustee and chair of Brown’s National Council; Hank Webber, executive vice chancellor for administration; Edward Lawlor, PhD, dean of the Brown School and the William E. Gordon Distinguished Professor; and Enola Proctor, PhD, the Frank J. Bruno Professor of Social Work Research. (Photo: Joe Angeles)

With a goal to raise a minimum of $2.2 billion by June 30, 2018, Leading Together: The Campaign for Washington University is the most ambitious fundraising effort ever undertaken by this university. The campaign, which includes an increased goal of $400 million for new scholarships and fellowships, will support four primary areas where the university can make the greatest contributions to society in the ­coming decade:

  • Preparing the leaders of tomorrow
  • Advancing human health
  • Inspiring innovation and entrepreneurship
  • Enhancing the quality of life.

Trustee Andrew C. Taylor, executive chair of Enterprise Holdings, is chair of the campaign’s public phase, which began with a gala in St. Louis on Oct. 6, 2012. More than $1.13 billion in gifts and commitments was raised during the quiet phase, which began in March 2009. Life Trustees John F. McDonnell and Sam Fox led the quiet phase.

In 2013, volunteers and staff hosted successful ­campaign kickoff events in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Chicago and Washington, D.C. Kickoffs in 2014 will be held in Dallas, Boston, Houston, Philadelphia, North Jersey and Colorado.

Leading Together: The Campaign for Washington ­University reached a total of $1.44 billion as of Dec. 31, 2013. For ­pictures of the kickoffs and the latest news of the campaign, please visit together.wustl.edu.

Brown school expansion marks new era

On Sept. 24, 2013, the Brown School broke ground for a 105,000-square-foot facility scheduled for completion in summer 2015. The support of generous alumni, friends and faculty made it possible to move forward with a ­visionary expansion that will ensure the Brown School continues to be a catalyst for positive change in the 21st century.

The expansion includes the new building and planned renovations to Brown Hall and Goldfarb Hall. It will bring together Brown School faculty, staff and research centers, which are currently spread across four locations on two campuses. It also will include space on the Danforth Campus for the university’s Institute for Public Health.

The Brown School is the No. 1-ranked school of social work in the nation. The expansion will ensure that the school continues its leadership in education for the social work and public health professions.

Brown School Dean Edward Lawlor, PhD, the William E. Gordon Distinguished Professor and the founding director of the Institute for Public Health, says, “Our goal is to build community engagement and impact in St. Louis and to produce new global partnerships in public health and social work.”

Enola Proctor, PhD, the Frank J. Bruno Professor of Social Work Research, says, “Only together can we forge the solutions for the vexing health and social problems facing our nation and the world.”

Siteman continues legacy of philanthropic support for cancer research

A long-term commitment for cancer research from Alvin J. Siteman represents the ­largest philan­thropic commitment ever made to ­benefit ­patients at the Siteman Cancer ­Center and beyond. Siteman and his wife, Ruth, BS ’75, made a gift of $35 ­million to name the cancer center in 1999.

Alvin J. Siteman (left) meets with Timothy J. Eberlein, MD, director of the ­Siteman Cancer Center; the Bixby Professor and the Spencer T. and Ann W. Olin ­Distinguished ­Professor; and chair, ­Department of Surgery, ­WUSTL School of ­Medicine. (Photo: Tim Parker)

Fifteen years ago, the Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and ­Washington University School of Medicine did not exist. Today, it is among the most recognized ­cancer programs in the United States, holding the prestigious designation as a Comprehensive Cancer Center from the National Cancer Institute and treating more newly diagnosed cancer ­patients — more than 8,000 per year — than all but a handful of U.S. cancer centers.

Siteman’s most recent commitment is the latest in a series of important gifts he has made during a period of reduced federal spending for biomedical research. As grant funding has become more difficult to obtain, Siteman’s support will continue to play a critical role in groundbreaking research at the cancer center.

In 2007, his gift of $1 million allowed a team led by Timothy Ley, MD, the Lewis T. and ­Rosalind B. Apple Professor of Oncology, to complete work on a pioneering project to decode the DNA of a woman with leukemia. This achievement — the first in the world to sequence the ­genome of a cancer patient — has been ­followed by ­additional studies that have uncovered ­genetic mutations associated with a variety of cancers and established Washington University as a ­national leader in the field of cancer genomics.

Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton says, “Al ­Siteman has played a transformative role in creating a ­nationally recognized cancer program that affects the lives of patients and families worldwide. His support is helping us discover better ways to prevent and treat cancer and bringing new hope for the end of suffering from this devastating disease.”