Dear colleagues, 

As we near the end of spring 2021, let me share appreciation for our faculty who adjusted to in-person teaching with good humor and resilience, for our graduate students who showed great devotion to our teaching mission and to our staff who brought a can-do attitude to their activities each and every day.  This team gave us the motivation and direction to make it through the semester.

Let me also share appreciation for our students and trainees who partnered with us to tackle many challenges faced in broader society. In the Spring 2021 issue of Engineering Momentum, the cover story, Racial Justice in Engineering, describes what racial bias and social inequities have meant to us now and for the future. In BME, our diversity committee has worked this spring to change recruiting practices for faculty, staff and students. This first step towards creating a welcoming, inclusive and diverse BME department was one of the many calls for action from our community. Their engagement gave BME a roadmap for changes to research mentorship, social engagement and classroom education that will lead to a stronger WashU BME and engineering community.

Thanks to the collective safety precautions observed by our community, we continued research this semester and share both research highlights and student awards. We look forward to Commencement activities celebrating the Class of 2021 and Class of 2020.

Wishing all a prosperous and healthy summer,

Lori A. Setton
Professor and Chair