Olin Business School

The fact that corporate leaders recognize their industries’ role in social responsibility is not new, but there are relatively few examples that clearly connect this failure to respond with negative changes. One of the best examples is the pharmaceutical giant Merck, which was led by P. Roy Vagelos during a pivotal era in the industry’s history. Vagelos will explore these examples in detail for his talk on “The Social Responsibility of Business” to be held at 4 p.m. Nov. 13 in Graham Chapel.

Photo courtesy R. K. Henning and D1 Oils; www.jatropha.orgJatropha plantsDuring a practicum for the World Agricultural Forum, Washington University M.B.A. students realized that using ethanol as an alternative fuel in developing countries isn’t cost effective. Instead, they stumbled upon the jatropha plant, a hardy shrub with seeds that can easily produce oil to power basic generators. The students’ work demonstrated the potential for economic stability that jatropha could offer small villages. More…

Expectant parents eagerly await the arrival of their bundle of joy, hoping that they will have the most beautiful and intelligent baby in the world. While parents might not have direct control over brains and looks, new research from a business professor at Washington University in St. Louis finds that parents can influence their firstborn’s creativity. More…

The Olin Cup Competition, the annual business formation contest at Washington University in St. Louis, is taking the contest to the people. On Thursday, Nov. 9 at 6 p.m., fourteen semi-finalists will present their business proposals in an “elevator pitch” first to a panelist of judges and then for an audience. Audience members will then vote on which pitch should win.

Vagelos will explore these examples in detail for his talk on “The Social Responsibility of Business” to be held at 4 p.m. Monday, November 13, in Graham Chapel. The program will also feature a panel discussion featuring Washington University-associated business experts. It is the final installment of the Danforth Lecture Series.

WHAT: The Olin School of Business at Washington University in St. Louis is hosting the National Association of Women M.B.A.’s conference and job fair. More than 800 women from all over the country are expected to attend. WHEN: Nov. 3-5, 2006. Starting at 8 a.m. WHERE: The Knight Center and Simon Hall at Washington University, […]

The Financial Times has, for the first time, ranked the Executive M.B.A. program, a joint venture between the Olin School of Business at Washington University in St. Louis and Shanghai-based Fudan University’s School of Management.

Medical and law schools have seen the percentage of women enrolled grow steadily over the past 20 years, to the point that women frequently represent at least half of most classes. Business schools have yet to catch up with this trend but the Olin School of Business is pioneering the way for women to increase their numbers in MBA programs. More than 800 people are expected to attend the National Association of Women MBA’s annual conference and career fair in early November at WUSTL. This event comes after Olin’s admission to the Forte Foundation, a consortium dedicated to promoting women in business.

Aimed at executives, senior and mid-level managers and human-resource directors, the conference takes place Oct. 26.

According to a 2005 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services report, nursing homes in the United States in 1999 cost an average of $47,000 per year, with costs rising each year. Choosing a course of care for an elderly family member is both a financial decision and an emotional one. A business and economics professor at Washington University in St. Louis is using game theory to understand these long-term care decisions. More…