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Burkhardt will present the Thomas Hall Lecture Oct. 25; Jemison will deliver the Black Arts & Sciences Festival Lecture Oct. 26.

Addressing poverty, famine, infectious diseases, international conflict and other world problems is the mission of a new global education and research initiative announced today by Washington University in St. Louis and a partnership of top foreign universities and multinational corporations. Launched with a $10 million endowment commitment from John F. McDonnell and the JSM Charitable Trust, the McDonnell International Scholars Academy creates a growing worldwide network of scholars, researchers and business and governmental leaders. Designed to nurture future global leaders, the program will provide all-expenses-paid tuition, room, board and travel for exceptional graduate students selected from partner universities around the world. Believed to be the first of its kind in the United States, the program will bring foreign students to the United States to study the sciences, reversing a decline that began after 9/11. The program also will help countries of the world collaborate on critical issues including the environment, medicine and energy and food production and help the United States maintain its place as a world leader in innovation and invention. John C. Danforth, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and three-term member of the U.S. Senate will chair the Academy’s external advisory committee. He joined Washington University Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton, McDonnell and other program founders in announcing the initiative at a news conference held today in New York.

McNaughtonAppointed to his current role in 2005, Mr. McNaughton is responsible for driving innovation and growth internationally, and oversees strategically important corporate relationships. He serves on the boards of Samsung Corning Company, Ltd. and Samsung Corning Precision Glass Company, Ltd., and is proposed as a director of Eurokera S.N.C. and Cormetech, Inc

Dr. Das is a founder of TranSwitch Corporation in Shelton, CT, which started operation in 1989, and is the president and CEO of the company. DasPrior to TranSwitch Corporation, he held various positions, including president of Spectrum Digital Corporation, a telecommunications equipment company, where he worked from 1986 through August of 1988. Before joining Spectrum, he held various executive positions, including director, Applied Technology Division of ITT Corporation’s Advanced Technology Center in Shelton, CT.

Brief facts about the McDonnell International Scholars Academy, those who will attend and the Academy network.

DanforthFormer United States Senator John C. Danforth is a partner with the law firm of Bryan Cave LLP. Danforth represented the state of Missouri in the United States Senate for 18 years. Prior to his retirement from the Senate at the end of 1994, Danforth served on three key committees: the Committee on Finance; Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation; and the Select Committee on Intelligence. His major legislative initiatives were in the areas of international trade, telecommunications, health care, research & development, transportation and civil rights.

A list of university partners and corporate sponsors of the McDonnell International Scholars Academy.

McdonnellJohn F. McDonnell retired as chairman of the board for McDonnell Douglas Corporation in 1997 after a more than 35-year career at the company. He was elected chairman and chief executive officer in 1988, a position he held until September 1994. From then until his retirement at the time of the merger with Boeing, he was chairman of the board. McDonnell led the company successfully through the early 1990’s when the U.S. defense budget and the aerospace markets were shrinking dramatically. In the face of a rapidly consolidating aerospace industry, he oversaw the merger of McDonnell Douglas with Boeing to create the world’s largest, broadest, and strongest aerospace company.

WertschJames V. Wertsch is Marshall S. Snow Professor in Arts and Sciences and the director of international and area studies at Washington University in St. Louis. He also holds the position of professor in the Department of Anthropology at the university. Wertsch’s research is concerned with language, thought, and culture. For the past several years, he has focused on collective memory and identity in countries such as Russia and Ukraine, and he is now examining these topics in the Republic of Georgia.