Business & Entrepreneurship

Allison Miller discusses jocotes with a man in southern Honduras.Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis report that farmers and families in Central America have saved genetic variation in the jocote (ho-CO-tay), (Spondias purpurea), a small tree that bears fruit similar to a tiny mango. And they’ve done this by taking the plants out of the forest, their wild habitat, and growing them close to home for family and local consumption Allison Miller, Ph.D., a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Colorado, and former graduate student in Arts & Sciences at Washington University, and Spencer T. Olin Professor of Biology Barbara Schaal, Ph.D., from Washington University, in conjunction with Peter Raven, Ph.D. Engelmann Professor of Botany at Washington University and Director of the Missouri Botanical Garden, have shown multiple domestications of the jocote in Central America in the midst of large-scale deforestation, a practice that endangers genetic diversity .

“Challenges to Public Education Financing Facing Missouri and the Nation” is the topic of a one-day public forum to be held Nov. 4. Co-sponsored by the Weidenbaum Center and the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, the event features discussions by nationally recognized academic experts, state legislators and school superintendents. Free and open to the public; reservations required.

Nobel Laureate Kenneth J. Arrow will discuss “The Economics of New Antimalarial Drugs” at 2:30 p.m. Oct. 21 in the Bryan Cave Courtroom, Anheuser-Busch Hall. Arrow, a longtime professor of economics at Stanford University, recently chaired a National Institute of Medicine committee that issued a report titled “Saving Lives, Buying Time: Economics of Malaria Drugs in an Age of Resistance.” Malaria, along with tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, is one of the big three global killers of the world’s poorest people.

Six entrepreneurial projects have made it to the final round of the Olin Cup Competition. The finalists were selected from a group of 11 semi-finalists Thursday evening at a networking event at Washington University. Teams are competing for a total of $70,000 in seed investments — awarded to those who create viable business ventures with a high probability of success. In addition to the $70k, a $5k grant will be awarded to the best student-owned venture — bringing the total prize money to $75,000.

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.