Business & Entrepreneurship

In vitro fertilization can cost anywhere from $10,000 – $15,000 for each round of treatments. This means access to assisted reproductive technologies (ART) is generally limited to a relatively small portion of couples that seek it. Several state governments have turned to public policy in an attempt to make access to ART more widely available. But two professors from the Olin School of Business at Washington University in St. Louis find that market competition can be as effective at expanding access as requiring insurance companies to cover infertility treatments. At the same time, competition appears to lower the rate of high-risk births and encourages the use of new technologies.

Photo by Mary Butkus / WUSTL PhotoSteve Malter (right) teaching students to plan their academic life for their business career.The Olin School of Business at Washington University in St. Louis has created a class that addresses the students’ need for academic advice and career guidance at the same time. Managing Your Business Career Strategy (MYBCS) was designed to address this need. Students learn how their classes could help with future career choices; they learn job search skills; and they learn the particulars about the characteristics of various career options. It’s the first of its kind at Washington University in St. Louis, and it may very well be the first of its kind in the nation.

In the 21st century, the key to remaining competitive with China, India, and the rest of the world will be innovation, a national core competency that will play a critical role in the battle to preserve the American Dream. This view is the subject of a forthcoming book, written by Kenneth Harrington, managing director of the Skandalaris Center for Entrepreneurial Studies at Washington University in St. Louis, and Robert Skandalaris, founder and chairman of Noble International Ltd. While America was built by entrepreneurs, and continues its stronghold on innovation, the co-authors contend that it is no longer a forgone conclusion that America will lead the world in innovation.

Eleven semi-finalists remain in the field for the 2005 Olin Cup Entrepreneur Competition — including four student-owned ventures. Judges will select the finalists on Thursday, Oct. 6 at 5 p.m. at a networking event which is open to the public. The event will be in Simon Hall’s May Auditorium on Washington University’s campus. Kevin McGowan, principal and co-founder of McGowan Walsh Historic Renovators, is the featured speaker.

A giant metal cup, standing five feet tall, four feet in diameter and weighing 1500 pounds will be moved into its new home.The cup is actually a giant replication of a “Ding” and is a gift from alumni of the Olin School of Business’ Executive M.B.A. – Shanghai program

Washington University in St. Louis’ Olin School of Business will get a Ding September 30 — and that’s good news. A Ding is part of a set of ceremonial bronze vessels, which historically came in a variety of shapes and were used for carrying food and wine. The Ding that the Olin School of Business will receive is five feet tall, four feet in diameter, and weighs 1500 pounds. The gift is a reproduction of the Da Ke Ding from King Xiao’s reign in the 10th Century B.C., which resides in the Shanghai Museum. The EMBA-Shanghai alumni are donating the Ding as a symbol of the strong ties they have to Washington University. The dedication takes place at 5 p.m. on Sept. 30 in the Knight Center courtyard on the Washington University Hilltop campus.

De SotoNonpartisan promotion of public service and volunteerism is the goal of the new Gephardt Institute, which is being formally introduced on campus Sept. 19 with major event.

Over the past five years, corporate governance has undergone historic changes. In addition to new policies enacted by state judiciaries and attorneys general, Congress adopted the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission enacted important securities law reforms, and the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ reformed listing standards. The world’s leading experts on corporate governance will come together to discuss the impact of these changes during a conference at Washington University in St. Louis Sept. 29 – Oct. 1.

It will feature remarks by Richard Gephardt, a keynote lecture by internationally renowned economist Hernando de Soto and a reception.

The Weidenbaum Center on the Economy, Government, and Public Policy will kick off its fall forum series with a half-day symposium on “Taxing Temptation: Excise Taxes and Health” from 9 a.m.-noon Sept. 23 in the Bryan Cave Moot Courtroom in Anheuser-Busch Hall. The series, which is free and open to the public, also includes forums on education finance (Nov. 4) and monetary policy (Nov. 30).