Business & Entrepreneurship

Consumers are more likely to pursue goals when they are ambitious yet flexible, according to a new study from Washington University in St. Louis.

The National Federation of Independent Business Young Entrepreneur Foundation awarded budding business owner Shea Gouldd its highest honor, naming her the 2013 Young Entrepreneur of the Year at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. As the winner of YEF’s top prize, Gouldd, who resides in Boynton Beach, Fla., will receive a $10,000 educational scholarship to attend WUSTL this fall, where she will study business at Olin Business School.

In the Association for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics decision, the Supreme Court unanimously held that naturally occurring DNA sequences are “products of nature” and therefore cannot be patented. “The Court’s holding represents a significant shift form the status quo,” says Kevin Emerson Collins, JD, patent law expert and professor of law at Washington University in St. Louis. “It reverses both the lower court and twenty years of precedent at the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Employees looking to move up within their organization should get on board with the goals and values of their employer, according to new research from Washington University in St. Louis The study shows that employees who are “true believers” in the mission of their organization gain more influence in the company, while those who are not as invested in the company’s mission become pushed to the periphery.

.ExternalClass p.MsoNormal, .ExternalClass li.MsoNormal, .ExternalClass div.MsoNormal {margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:10.0pt;margin-left:0in;line-height:115%;font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Calibri;} .ExternalClass .MsoChpDefault {font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Calibri;} .ExternalClass .MsoPapDefault {margin-bottom:10.0pt;line-height:115%;} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in;margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;} .ExternalClass div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} David S. Law, JD, PhD, professor of law and professor of political science, has published a groundbreaking book on the Japanese judiciary and constitutional adjudication in Japan, titled The Japanese Supreme Court and Judicial Review (Gendaijinbunsha, 2013). Read more at http://law.wustl.edu/news/pages.aspx?id=9740.

PARC and I-CARES recently honored three seniors who completed the Certificate in Renewable Energy and the Environment, which allows students to pursue interdisciplinary energy studies in addition to their academic major.

An executive branch Inspector General played a critical role in exposing the IRS’s practice of targeting Tea Party groups, says Kathleen Clark, JD, anti-corruption expert and professor of law at Washington University in St. Louis. “As we see with the IRS controversy, an Inspector General investigation can cause heads to roll. Perhaps that’s why some government agencies have been without an Inspector General for a very long time – measured not in months, but in years.” Clark notes that the State Department has been without an Inspector General for more than five years.

Engineering students Andrew Brimer and Abigail Cohen have created a low-cost, portable spirometer which they hope will revolutionize the way asthma and other chronic respiratory diseases are diagnosed and treated. They credit the entrepreneurial spirit of Washington University with helping to nuture and push their device along.

The Washington University School of Law Women’s Law Caucus (WLC) recently gathered with faculty, alumni, judges and attorneys to honor the organization’s 40th anniversary and to observe the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day. As part of the annual celebration, the WLC also presented the International Women’s Day honorary awards.

Four startup companies with ties to Washington University in St. Louis have received $50,000 each in the Arch Grants 2013 Global Startup Competition designed to stimulate and support the early stage entrepreneurial community in St. Louis.