Washington People

Mike Dyer, supervisor of the greenhouse on the campus of Washington University in St. Louis, has the job many of us probably wish we had —  but only because we think he spends the day pottering around watering plants. Instead, his job requires everything from the mechanical and engineering skills needed to suppress the greenhouse’s voracious appetite for energy; extensive knowledge of insects; and the ability to grow any plant he is handed under the conditions specified. It’s not exactly relaxing, but he enjoys it that way.

Enola Proctor, PhD, has spent her academic career focused on one central question: How can we ensure the highest quality of care for all individuals in need? Her work is hugely important in speeding the adoption and delivery of critical medical care and in reducing disparities in health care.

Amy Suelzer, PhD, director of Overseas Programs in Arts & Sciences, came to Washington University in St. Louis for graduate studies in 1990, and stayed. Today, she helps guide students through the myriad study abroad programs, hoping they have the life-changing experience she did.

Watching his grandparents struggle at the end of their long lives hasmotivated Chris Carpenter, MD, an associate professor of emergency medicine at Washington University School of Medicine, to work countless hours to improve emergency room care for older adults and to help create a new medical subspecialty — geriatric emergency medicine.

Larry J. Shapiro, MD, executive vice chancellor of medical affairs and dean of the School of Medicine, will step down in December after 12 years at the helm. He reflects on his tenure here and on the dedicated, inspiring students, faculty and staff he has worked with.

Nancy Staudt, JD, PhD, dean of the School of Law and the Howard & Caroline Cayne Professor of Law, talks about her return to Washington University, her collaborative work around campus and her vision for the law school.

Marilyn Siegel, MD, a professor of radiology and of pediatrics, loves solving the puzzles her field presents and the opportunities it has given her. But most of all, she loves helping patients.

Andy Maus was the guy who used to alert undergraduate students via text message they had a package in the mailroom. Now he’s working as clinical research coordinator in the lab of Ravi Vij, MD. Here’s the story of how Maus went from the medical school to the mailroom — and back again.

As a member of the Ferguson Commission, Rose Windmiller traveled across the region to learn more about the issues that divide St. Louis. Next, the commission will find ways to put its ideas into action. “This is where the rubber hits the road,” Windmiller says.

​Leah Merrifield, assistant vice chancellor for community engagement at Washington University in St. Louis, has worked at Olin Business School, in the Office of the Chancellor and in the Office of Government and Community Relations – twice. Her titles have been different, but in her 20 years at the university, her overarching goal has remained the same: to help Washington University be a more diverse and inclusive place.