diversity

In an effort to increase diversity in the neurosciences, Washington University in St. Louis has received a five-year, $1.5 million federal grant to participate in a national pipeline program with that mission.

A new publication, “Who’s Who Diversity in Color,” recently released its inaugural edition. The publication highlights minorities from the St. Louis region who have positively influenced their workplace or community, and eight faculty and staff members of Washington University in St. Louis are featured in the publication.

The discovery was an important first step; the dialogue continues. That’s the takeaway more than 600 participants from within the Washington University in St. Louis community heard in a unique, universitywide forum called “Race & Ethnicity: A Day of Discovery and Dialogue” that took place Feb. 5 and 6.

In an effort to extend opportunities to members of the medical school community who wish to share thoughts and viewpoints on becoming a more diverse and inclusive community, the School of Medicine is hosting a series of facilitated discussions.

School of Medicine faculty, staff and students came together for three town hall meetings last week in response to the tragic events in Ferguson. Attendees talked about how to help Ferguson and how to improve diversity and inclusion at the university. Two more meetings will be held on the Medical Campus this week.

In response to the tragic events in Ferguson, Washington University School of Medicine will host a series of town hall meetings for faculty, staff and students beginning Wednesday, Aug. 27. A key objective is to identify how members of the Medical Campus can be of help to Ferguson, its residents and the entire St. Louis region.

Participants in the free summer workshop Theatre for Social Change used their own experiences as well as the ideas of Brazilian director Augusto Boal to explore ways of effecting positive social change. Here, spectator Frances Hubbard-Smith (left) works with Annamaria Pileggi, who directed the workshop.

Jeffrey McCune, PhD, has been named director of the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program at Washington University in St. Louis. Funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation in New York, the program aims to increase diversity in higher education by encouraging talented but underrepresented students to pursue doctorates in the humanities and social sciences.

The Campus Diversity Collaborative aims to increase awareness of diversity and inclusion issues at WUSTL. The group, founded in 2007, seeks new members among faculty and staff on both the Danforth and Medical campuses.

Daniel Blash and Denise DeCou, diversity and inclusion leaders at the School of Medicine, are on a mission to create a work environment that includes and nurtures people from all backgrounds. Their assignment is to reach 50 percent of the medical school workforce by June.