At the Washington University in St. Louis Board of Trustees meeting held Thursday and Friday, March 2 and 3, the trustees heard presentations from scientists at the School of Medicine and received a report from Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton that included updates on administrative appointments, admissions, athletics, construction, research and faculty honors and awards.
On Thursday afternoon, in a presentation titled “Women Scientists of Washington University School of Medicine,” five medical school faculty members gave talks on their research, which ranged from preventing premature births to stopping superbugs.
During Friday’s business meeting, Victoria J. Fraser, MD, the Adolphus Busch Professor and head of the Department of Medicine, gave a presentation on “Advances and Challenges Preventing Health Care-Associated Infections and Antibiotic Resistance.”
In his remarks to the board Friday, Wrighton noted that applications for the fall 2017 entering first-year class hit an all-time high. More than 30,464 students applied for a place in Washington University’s entering class, a 4 percent increase over the number of applications received last year.
Wrighton was pleased to announce that this year’s applicant pool is not only meeting, but also exceeding, the university’s goal of attracting a more diverse student body, with applications from African-American and Latino students increasing by 10 percent and 13 percent, respectively.
He also noted that the number of Pell-eligible students comprise 12 percent of the total applicant pool, which is up 1 percent from last year, and he stressed the university’s commitment to continuing its ongoing effort to attract and retain highly talented low-income students.
On the athletics front, Wrighton noted that the men’s and women’s basketball teams are headed to the NCAA Tournament, and members of the swimming and diving team and men’s and women’s indoor track teams are headed to NCAA championship play.
The chancellor also gave updates on numerous campus construction projects, including that the groundbreaking for the Danforth Campus east end transformation project is set for May 5, with construction beginning after Commencement May 19.
Wrighton shared with the board concerns of international students and other members of the university community regarding recent actions by the federal government related to immigration.
In addition to hearing reports from numerous standing board committees, the trustees also heard comments from student representatives to the board: Rohan Khazanchi, a senior majoring in biology in Arts & Sciences, and Alexandra Keane, a second-year medical student.
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