In St. Louis, For St. Louis

Biomedical engineering students at Washington University in St. Louis don’t wait until graduation to get to work. Especially when it comes to assisting vulnerable people who need access to assistive technology. Instead, inspired by what they saw at a Georgia Tech University maker event, seniors Kaitlyn Sallee and Brianna Duhart, started their own chapter of Tikkun Olam Makers and hosted an event recently to build wheelchairs for young children whose families otherwise could not afford them.

Community engagement is woven into the fabric of WashU Medicine. Guided by a deep commitment to helping others, many faculty have built lasting community partnerships that drive innovative care, education and community-engaged research. In April, 55 faculty members at WashU Medicine were honored with 2025 Dean’s Impact Awards, which recognized individuals whose dedicated service and leadership have left a lasting mark across WashU Medicine’s mission areas. These honorees represent the compassion, innovation and dedication required to build meaningful community-focused change. 

When Mayah Clayton talks about public health, she doesn’t lead with data — she leads with people. A north St. Louis native, Clayton blends creativity, lived experience and a commitment to equity into her work, focusing on the real-world impact of structural disparities. Her approach is grounded in listening, mentoring and showing up for her community in tangible ways. Clayton earned a bachelor’s degree in health sciences from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 2022 and soon will graduate with a master’s degree in public health, with a behavioral and mental health focus, from the Brown School. 

As temperatures continue to warm and the days become longer, St. Louisans are ready to get outside. And as part of its “In St. Louis, For St. Louis” commitment, WashU is supporting several organizations focused on outdoor recreation.

Amy Eyler, a professor at WashU’s Brown School, is leading a new initiative to advance research on the health benefits of spending time in nature and address the social and environmental barriers that limit access to green spaces in underserved communities. Eyler, along with co-principal investigator Derek Hoeferlin, professor and chair of landscape architecture at the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts, have received a $50,000 IGNITE interdisciplinary grant through WashU’s Here and Next initiative. The grant helped launch the Nature and Health Alliance at WashU, a collaboration that brings together faculty, community organizations in St. Louis, and national partners to explore how exposure to nature can enhance physical and mental well-being.

Three community projects proposed by WashU students — aiming to support education for prisoners, bolster St. Louis nonprofits that support LGBTQ+ people, and foster creativity within the Black diaspora — were funded through the Gephardt Institute’s St. Louis Impact Fund this month. The Transform Grant is part of the St. Louis Impact Fund, an initiative which aims to analyze and support mutually beneficial relationships between WashU students and community organizations, ultimately advancing efforts critical to community needs. 

The 22nd Annual Gerry and Bob Virgil Ethic of Service Award ceremony recognized the efforts and dedication of eight members of the WashU community on April 1 at Stix House. Founded during  Washington University in St. Louis’ Sesquicentennial  year, the Gerry and Bob Virgil Ethic of Service Award is an annual award recognizing a select group of WashU community members who exemplify a character of service and engagement with the St. Louis region. 

The Gephardt Institute kicked off its third annual Civic Action Week on Feb. 17. This weeklong initiative highlights civic engagement opportunities through events organized by student groups, faculty, staff, and community partners. As part of the week, Books and Basketball, a WashU student group that travels to schools around the St. Louis region to play recreational games with students and help with tutoring, hosted an event on Sunday, Feb. 23. The event brought students from WashU-sponsored KIPP Victory Academy and the North City Blues Program — organizations they previously partnered with — to WashU’s campus to engage in academic enrichment activities.

In the effort to help WashU students build a habit of voting in every election and to provide a convenient outlet for faculty, staff, and other St. Louis County voters, the Gephardt Institute — for the second time — hosted a polling place on April 8 for Missouri’s Municipal Election.

The WashU Empower program will receive a “What’s Right with the Region” Award from Focus St. Louis at its 28th annual celebration event May 15. An initiative of the School of Continuing & Professional Studies (CAPS), the Empower program gives individuals with limited English proficiency the next-level English and professional skills they need to find jobs that match their talents and training.