As part of Washington University’s celebration of the Danforth Campus dedication, and to underscore the important role of higher education in society, a lecture series will debut on October 3 with succeeding events on October 16 and November 13 – all being held in Graham Chapel at 4 p.m. Titled “A Higher Sense of Purpose,” its speakers will cover some of the more cogent topics being discussed today, with the goal of generating new ideas and creating a dialogue to move the conversations forward. All three programs are free and open to the public.
Medicine & Society
William H. Danforth, M.D.
Tuesday, October 3, 4 p.m.
Graham Chapel
The first program will be presented by Chancellor Emeritus William H. Danforth, M.D., exploring “Medicine & Society” at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 3 in Graham Chapel. Accompanying Danforth on stage will be Steven Lipstein, M.H.A., president and chief executive officer of BJC Healthcare; and Larry Shapiro, M.D., executive vice chancellor for medical affairs, and dean, School of Medicine; who will add their perspectives on the subject. Bradley Stoner, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of anthropology in Arts & Sciences and associate professor in the School of Medicine, will moderate.
Danforth will begin the program with remarks regarding the critical need for educating future medical practitioners and for advancing medical research and patient care. Each participant will follow with his comments, which will lead into a question-and-answer session. The event will conclude with a reception in the Women’s Building Lounge.
Danforth became Washington University’s thirteenth chancellor in 1971 and retired in 1995. His connection with the University began much earlier, in 1957 when he joined the medical faculty. He was then named vice chancellor for medical affairs, and then chancellor. Upon his retirement, Danforth served as chairman of the Board of Trustees, and he currently is chairman emeritus.
Lipstein has led BJC HealthCare for seven years. BJC delivers patient care through its 13 hospitals and other health service facilities, and partners with Washington University’s teaching hospitals. His long-standing leadership in key healthcare administration positions began at hospitals for the University of Chicago and Johns Hopkins Medical Center.
Shapiro has been internationally recognized for his contributions in human genetics, molecular biology, and biochemistry. His career as a pediatric geneticist began more than 30 years ago. He came to Washington University in 2003, after leading the academic pediatric department at the University of California, San Francisco.
Stoner joined Washington University in 1995. His research focuses on the clinical epidemiology of sexually transmitted diseases, and the socio-cultural factors that influence infectious disease risk in human populations. He is also chief of STD Services in St. Louis County’s Department of Health, and directs the St. Louis STD/HIV Prevention Training Center.
Faith & Politics
John C. Danforth
Monday, October 16, 4 p.m., Graham Chapel
On Monday, Oct. 16, John C. (Jack) Danforth will outline his philosophy regarding “Faith & Politics, which shares the title of his newly-published book. The talk will begin at 4 p.m. in Graham Chapel.
The three-term Republican senator from Missouri and ordained Episcopal priest believes his party – and his country — would be best served by moving it toward a more secular and moderate place than it is today. In addition to serving 18 years in the U.S. Senate, Danforth also has served as United States Ambassador to the United Nations, as head of the federal government’s Waco siege investigation, and as a special envoy to Sudan. Currently he is a partner with Bryan Cave, Inc., an international law firm based in St. Louis.
A question-and-answer session will follow. The event will conclude with a booksigning/reception in Holmes Lounge. His book will be available for purchase in both the chapel and the lounge.
The Social Responsibility of Business
P.Roy Vagelos
Monday, November 13, 4 p.m. Graham Chapel
The final lecture will be held at 4 p.m. in Graham Chapel on Monday, Nov. 13, featuring P. Roy Vagelos on “The Social Responsibility of Business.” After his talk a panel of Washington University-associated business experts will enter the discussion. They are: Mahendra Gupta, Ph.D., the Geraldine J. and Robert L. Virgil Professor of Accounting and Management, and dean, John M. Olin School of Business; Judi McLean Parks, Ph.D., the Reuben C. and Anne Carpenter Taylor Professor of Organizational Behavior; and Philip Needleman, Ph.D., former chief scientist at Pharmacia and Monsanto/Searle, and former professor and head of pharmacology in the School of Medicine;
Under Vagelos’ watch as chief executive officer, the pharmaceutical giant Merck & Company made unprecedented gains in drug discoveries and became the leader in the industry. Vagelos led the Merck Research Laboratories in the pioneering development of statin drugs. Before joining Merck, Vagelos chaired the biological chemistry department in Washington University’s medical school, and in 1973 he led the effort to found the first-ever Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences. His talk will focus on a theory he put into practice at Merck – that good business and a social conscience are not only compatible, but strongly linked.
Gupta became dean of the Olin School of Business in 2005, 15 years after he joined Washington University’s faculty. Prior to the deanship, he served as senior associate dean. Gupta’s research interests cover the strategic implications of cost information in e-commerce, technology, new ventures, manufacturing, marketing, service sectors, and health care.
McLean Parks joined Washington University’s Olin School of Business in 1995 and became the first female tenured professor in the school. She has also taught at the University of Minnesota, Cornell, and the Institute d’Administration des Entrepreises, Universite Jean Moulin Lyon, in Lyon, France. Her teaching and research center around organizational behavior, conflict management and dispute resolution, psychological contracts and workplace justice, diversity and socio-cultural and cross-cultural management factors, revenge in the workplace, and organizational identity.
Before moving into the corporate world, Needleman taught in the University’s School of Medicine for more than two decades and chaired its department of pharmacology. He joined the international agribusiness company, Monsanto/Searle, in 1989 and rose to become senior executive vice president, chief scientific officer, and chairman of research and development at the company, now part of Pharmacia Corp. Needleman conducted the research that led to the development of Celebrex.
For more details about the Danforth Campus Dedication Lecture Series, call 314-935-5285 or visit the Web site at danforthcampus.wustl.edu.