Campus & Community

As the cost of higher education continues to climb steadily across the country and around the world, Washington University in St. Louis is firmly committed to being within financial reach of all highly qualified students, and is taking two important steps toward this goal.

The Assembly Series, Washington University’s premier speaker series for more than 60 years, continues to bring distinguished experts, scholars and newsmakers to campus. The series — free and open to the public — explores universal concerns while it aims to promote deeper discussions across the Danforth and Medical campuses. The spring 2015 schedule begins at noon Thursday, Jan. 22, with sociologist and urban planner Xavier de Souza Briggs.

A search committee has been named to identify candidates for the position of executive vice chancellor for medical affairs and dean of the School of Medicine. Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton will chair the search committee. Larry J. Shapiro, MD, announced last week he will step down from the position but will remain at the helm until his replacement is named.

Norman R. Seay, a key figure in the struggle for desegregation in St. Louis, will receive the 2015 Rosa L. Parks Award at Washington University in St. Louis’ annual Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration at 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 19, in Graham Chapel. At the School of Medicine, St. Louis native Charles Stith will be the featured speaker at its commemoration at 4 p.m. Jan. 19 in the Eric P. Newman Education Center.

Washington University in St. Louis employees donated more than $778,000 to the 2014 United Way of Greater St. Louis workplace campaign, surpassing its goal by $68,000. The money will support 170 local agencies that address education, health, hunger, poverty, unemployment and other urgent issues.

Listening is a talent but also a skill. This spring, Andrew Raimist and Bob Hansman, both architecture faculty in Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts, will lead “Community Building II: Ferguson,” a community studies class that explores the complex economic, political and racial landscape of north St. Louis.

Larry J. Shapiro, MD, has announced he will step down as executive vice chancellor for medical affairs and dean of Washington University School of Medicine. He will continue at the helm until a national search is conducted and his replacement found.

Washington University Medical Center faculty, staff and students will perform their annual winter concert at 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 17, in the lobby of the Center for Advanced Medicine, 4921 Parkview Place. The event is free and open to the public.

Linda Hack has been named director of benefits and compensation in Human Resources at Washington University in St. Louis, effective Nov. 1, 2014.

​Meredith Evans, PhD, has been named associate university librarian for University Libraries at Washington University in St. Louis. She oversees the Department of Special Collections, which includes the Film and Media Archive, Manuscripts, the Modern Graphic History Library, Preservation, Rare Books, and University Archives.