Office of the Chancellor

It’s more important than ever that we make it very clear where we stand, what we stand for, and the value we bring to our nation and the world. At WashU, our focus is squarely on our mission – research, education and patient care. In order to have our greatest impact in each of these areas, we must recommit ourselves to putting these priorities above all else. And we must make our intentions known.

The National Institutes of Health have made cuts to research funding for facilities and administration. We want to assure you that the university’s leadership team is fully activated and closely monitoring the situation to see what these cuts could mean for our mission-critical work, and to ensure that we are prepared to respond as needed on behalf of the institution.

WashU’s direct and indirect impact to the St. Louis economy in 2024 totaled $9.3 billion, an increase of $500 million from 2023. During fiscal year 2024, which concluded June 30, WashU spent $3.9 billion on salaries, construction and purchasing. That money rippled across the region, generating another $5.4 billion in economic activity. 

Andrew Taylor, an emeritus trustee of Washington University in St. Louis, and his wife, Barbara, have made a $50 million gift to WashU Medicine’s neurosurgery department to enhance groundbreaking research, innovative patient care and the training of the next generation of neurosurgery leaders.

At institutions of distinction like WashU, we value diversity of opinion and we grow in civil debate. We choose WashU because we want to be challenged. And one way we do this is to expose ourselves to ideas that push us out of our intellectual comfort zones.