the chancellorship. He concluded his tenure as chancellor on May 31, 2019 to become the James and Mary Wertsch Distinguished University Professor and Chancellor Emeritus at Washington University in St. Louis. The George Washington University On September 10, 2021, The George Washington University's Board of Trustees Chair announced that Wrighton would serve as the university's Interim President for a maximum of 18 months. Wrighton started his position at The George Washington University on January 1, 2022. He was on sabbatical from Washington University in St. Louis while serving at GWU. In February 2022, Wrighton caused controversy after removing posters from campus that accused the Chinese government of human rights abuses and criticized the country's hosting of the 2022 Winter Olympics. Wrighton claimed he was "personally offended" by the posters and pledged to find out who was responsible for them. The decision was criticized by the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, which called the decision "a wholly inappropriate response to a university purportedly committed to free expression". Wrighton clarified in a public message that after his initial comments he learned the posters were designed by a Chinese-Australian artist and were a critique of China’s policies. He wrote: “Upon full understanding, I do not view these posters as racist; they are political statements. There is no university investigation underway, and the university will not take any action against the students who displayed the posters.” National science policy Wrighton served as a presidential appointee to the National Science Board (2000-2006), which acts as science policy advisor to the President and Congress and the National Science Foundation. He served as vice chair of the National Research Council's Committee on America's Energy Future, which issued its report in 2009. While at Washington University in St. Louis, Wrighton was one of the signees of a letter from the Association of American Universities, urging all representatives of the U.S. Government to vote in favor of H.R. 810, the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005. With leaders at three other Missouri universities, Wrighton wrote in support of somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) research for medical treatment, urging Missouri legislators to distinguish it from the use of stem cells for human reproductive cloning. International academic leadership Wrighton inaugurated the McDonnell International Scholars Academy as Chancellor at Washington University. He brought Washington University into the University Alliance of the Silk Road, the academic arm of China's One Belt,