Leah Merrifield, assistant vice chancellor for community engagement, has worked at Olin Business School, in the Office of the Chancellor and in Government and Community Relations. Her titles have changed, but in her 20 years here, her overarching goal has remained the same: to help WashU be more diverse and inclusive.

In an effort to increase diversity in the neurosciences, Washington University has received a five-year, $1.5 million federal grant to participate in a national pipeline program with that mission. Erik D. Herzog, PhD, of Arts & Sciences, is program director, and Rochelle D. Smith, assistant provost of diversity initiatives, is the manager.

Four School of Medicine students are among 68 nationwide selected for the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Medical Research Fellows Program. The initiative aims to develop the next generation of physician-scientists by giving students a year of mentored training with some of the nation’s top biomedical scientists.

Faculty and staff in the plastic and reconstructive surgery, urologic surgery and public health sciences divisions in the Department of Surgery have completed all four levels of training offered by the School of Medicine’s diversity and inclusion team.