graduation

Children from the WUSTL Family Learning Center on North Campus donned caps and gowns to celebrate their graduation from preschool at a Commencement held at the center May 23. Their next adventure: kindergarten!

Students who enter medical school with high-debt levels, low scores on the Medical College Admissions Test or who are non-white are more likely to face difficulties that may prevent graduation or hinder acceptance into a residency program if they do graduate, according to a nationwide study of students enrolled in MD programs.

Frank FlinnNotre Dame University’s decision to invite President Obama to deliver the university’s commencement address on Sunday has sparked strong protests from groups who disagree with Obama’s stand on abortion and stem cell research. Despite condemnation of Obama’s speech by a number of prominent American bishops, the Vatican may be more interested in moderation and conciliation in its dealings with Obama, suggests Frank K. Flinn, a close observer of religious politics and author of the Encyclopedia of Catholicism (2007).

Students celebrate at Commencement.The graduation pictures have been e-mailed to friends, posted on Facebook and framed alongside family photos perched on bookcases and fireplace mantels. But behind the toothy grin of many college grads lies a worrisome question that flies in the face of this celebrated educational milestone: Where’s my job? Finding one requires the right actions, says a careers expert at Washington University in St. Louis.

The children are our future, said Tim Russert to the Class of 2007 during the 146th Commencement ceremony at Washington University in St. Louis. The host of NBC’s “Meet the Press” clarified, telling the audience of more than 14,000 that while this year’s some 2,600 graduates have done well and have the world at their feet, one of their real responsibilities is to take care of the world’s children and give them every opportunity to succeed. “If we are serious about remaining the world’s premier economic, military and moral force in the world, we have no choice. We need all of our children contributing, and prospering and competing,” Russert told the assembled crowd in Brookings Quadrangle during the May 18 ceremony.

Washington University’s 146th Commencement will be held at 8:30 a.m. Friday, May 18. The university will bestow degrees on more than 2,600 undergraduate, graduate and professional students. The university also will bestow honorary degrees on six individuals, including Tim Russert. Russert, managing editor and moderator of NBC’s “Meet the Press” and political analyst for “NBC Nightly News” and the “Today” show, will deliver the 2007 Commencement address. His talk is titled “A View From Washington.”

One worked on the frontiers of space research for more than four decades; another holds three Pulitzer Prizes. One has been the architect behind the revitalization of The Loop in University City, Mo.; another a strong supporter of life-saving medical research. From the first African-American appointed to the federal bench in the 8th Circuit to a groundbreaking diabetes researcher, the six people selected to receive honorary degrees during the University’s 143rd Commencement May 21 all stand out in their respective fields.

David Kilper/WUSTL PhotoHiring outlook looking good for 2004 grads.Overall hiring activity has increased in all industry sectors this year, according to Gregory Hutchings, Associate Dean and Executive Director of Career Resources at the Olin School of Business at Washington University in St. Louis. “Last year was probably one of the worst hiring markets for newly minted grads in the last 10 or 15 years, but we have seen a substantial increase in employers coming to campus this year with about a 30 to 40 percent increase,” says Hutchings.

Photo by Joe AngelesWith Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton at her side, former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright, Ph.D., outlines her views on global policy issues.The United States could suffer long-term consequences if it is not careful about how it uses its strength, former Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright said Friday at Washington University in St. Louis. “The extent of American power has created an opportunity for us to make our nation more secure within a world that is healthier, richer and more peaceful than it has ever been,” Albright said. “But if we are not prudent in exercising that power, we will create resentments that will make it much harder in the long run to achieve our goals.”

HutchingsIt’s going to be another tough year for grads looking for that perfect job they hope their newly minted degrees will help them nab. Though the war in Iraq could impact hiring, the outlook is still pretty good for business school grads, says Gregory Hutchings, associate dean and executive director of the Weston Career Resources Center (WCRC) at the Olin School of Business at Washington University in St. Louis. Accounting, financial services, and healthcare are a few of the industries where Hutchings sees “pockets of opportunity.”