Archives

In a testament to the quality and national competitiveness of biomedical research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, the school secured $683 million in research funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in federal fiscal year 2024 – a record high for WashU Medicine and an affirmation of its leadership in shaping the future of medicine. WashU Medicine’s NIH-funding success acts as a magnet for the brightest minds in medicine, drawing top-tier scientists, physicians and students from around the world to work and train at WashU Medicine. This influx of talent fosters collaborations with biotech and pharmaceutical companies, driving further medical advancements and spurring local and regional economic growth.

Staff from the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture spent weeks in St. Louis this fall to help Black people find their ancestors using online genealogy tools and preserve family history with digital techniques. Joyce Huston, a blues recording artist who goes by the name Lady J, brought her family memories to Wash U and to the Missouri History Museum so her family stories could help inspire other Black St. Louisans to consider their family archives as treasures that should be viewed by many instead of boxed away in storage.

In May 2024, the School of Continuing & Professional Studies (CAPS) at Washington University in St. Louis launched Empower, the first no-cost program of its kind designed specifically for educated refugees. The 26-week program gives students the next-level English and professional skills they need to find jobs that match their talents and training. It also provides career coaching and an opportunity to earn a CAPS certificate in health care, data analytics, project management and other high-demand fields at no cost. 

This digital collection from University Libraries uses maps to explore the region’s LGBTQ communities from the end of World War II in 1945 through the passage of St. Louis’ first gay and lesbian-inclusive civil rights ordinance in 1992. The project aims to document the history of a people whose sexual and gender nonconformity has often meant that their stories have gone unheard, unrecorded, un-archived, and unremarked upon.

Students from Washington University’s Brown School recently took their classroom lessons to the frontlines of local policy, offering public testimony on a bill aimed at expanding non-traditional housing options in the City of St. Louis. Their participation was part of the “Domestic Social and Economic Development Policy” course, designed to give students real-world experience in legislative advocacy and policymaking. 

Shortly before Thanksgiving, sixteen leaders from non-profits across the St. Louis region gathered with their families to celebrate a unique milestone—the completion of a new professional credit program created through a partnership between WashU Continuing & Professional Studies (CAPS) and the United Way of Greater St. Louis. The Fundamentals of Nonprofit Management Professional Certificate program was designed to equip regional non-profit leaders with essential training in three key pillars of organizational success: management, finances, and human resources.

In recognition of a transformative commitment to WashU Medicine from St. Louisan Richard Frimel and his late husband, Gary C. Werths, Siteman Cancer Center’s new building for outpatient care will be named the Gary C. Werths Building. The historic pledge will fund groundbreaking cancer research and medical student scholarships to support aspiring physicians. Additionally, the gift will benefit cancer patients in St. Louis and beyond.

Arch Grants recently announced its 2024 cohort, awarding $1.7 million in equity-free grants to 20 groundbreaking startups. A quarter of them have current WashU ties.

St. Louis is a forgotten place in a way. In fact, it has long been on lists of the most underrated cities in America. Back in 2016, Thrillist called St. Louis the “most overlooked city in America.” Perhaps the low-profile is due to the humility of its mid-west residents, who are easily approachable and nice, even when you’re wearing the wrong jersey at Busch Stadium. Or maybe it’s because of the city’s location, far from the coasts. No matter, the secrets of St. Louis, like they always have, await those who pass through.

Congratulations to individuals named 2024 40 Under 40 honorees by the St. Louis Business Journal, including several Washington University in St. Louis alums.