Washington University in St. Louis, commonly known as WashU, recently received its largest gift: $200 million for the nation’s first school for public health since the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Bursky Family Foundation — established by alumni Andrew Bursky, chair of the WashU board of trustees, and his wife, Jane Bursky — is responsible for the gift, and the university said May 13 it is naming the school after the Burskys.
Launched in 2025, the school has a focus on bridging political divides in healthcare, according to the university.
“Based in St. Louis, a Democratic-leaning city in a predominantly Republican state, the school operates at the intersection of different political perspectives in ways few public health schools do,” WashU said in a May 13 statement. The school will “test ideas against competing viewpoints and develop solutions that resonate beyond any single political or geographic context.”
