In St. Louis, For St. Louis

Building on a long history of successful collaboration, Washington University in St. Louis and the Missouri Botanical Garden are welcoming two internationally recognized botanists who will have joint appointments with both research institutions. Lúcia Lohmann, a botanist and conservationist known for her extensive research in the Amazonian rainforest, became president and director of the Missouri Botanical Garden Jan. 2. She will also be the George Engelmann Professor of Botany in the Department of Biology in Arts & Sciences. Toby Pennington, a leader in the study of dry tropical forests, will be the inaugural David and Dorothy Kemper Professor in the Department of Biology, a joint appointment with the university and the garden. He starts Aug. 1.

The Department of Music in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis will host six performances by internationally renowned performers as part of the 2026 Great Artists Series. “The Great Artists Series has quickly become a beloved St. Louis tradition,” said Patrick Burke, a professor and chair of music. “It offers local audiences rare opportunities to see some of the world’s finest musicians up close and in person. We could not be more proud to present these amazing performers.”

The Sam Fox School’s Office for Socially Engaged Practice will partner with the nonprofit Be Well Café & Market in St. Louis’ Hyde Park neighborhood for the school’s inaugural Summer Public Design Workshop this May. The three-week long charrette challenges student participants to design a project in collaboration with and proposed by a community partner. Be Well was selected by a review committee from a competitive set of proposals submitted last fall.

Peter Kastor, the Samuel K. Eddy Endowed Professor in History in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, has been appointed chair of the Missouri Historical Society’s board of trustees. His two-year term began Jan. 1.

About 55 high school students from the St. Louis region and beyond tested their knowledge of the human brain and learned about neuroscience careers at the 15th annual St. Louis Area Brain Bee March 8 at Washington University in St. Louis.

The Sam Fox School will host a symposium exploring the urban experience of race and segregation in St. Louis April 11-12, 2025. The Material World of Modern Segregation: St. Louis in the Long Era of Ferguson II expands on a research project led by Professor Iver Bernstein in Arts & Sciences and Assistant Professor Heidi Aronson Kolk in the Sam Fox School.

Lawrence E. Thomas, a member of the Washington University in St. Louis Board of Trustees and an Olin Business School alumnus, was honored with a lifetime achievement award by the St. Louis American Foundation during its 23rd Annual Salute to Excellence in Business Awards, held Feb. 20 at the Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis.

The WashU Math Club is a new student-led organization with a verve for numbers. The math club’s largest event so far was the first annual WashU Mathematical Excellence Competition. More than 60 students from 12 area high schools faced off in individual and team challenges covering a range of subjects, including geometry, algebra, and number theory. Between events, competitors had a chance to tour campus and meet with members of other university groups, including WashU Robotics and the Society of Physics Students. “It was a big success,” Auld said. “The competitors got a WashU experience. I hope many of them will look into coming here.”

The Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement has awarded its 22nd annual Gerry & Bob Virgil Ethic of Service Award to eight members of the WashU community who are making a positive impact in the St. Louis region. The annual honor, established by Bob Virgil, former dean of Olin Business School, and his wife, the late Gerry Virgil, celebrates students, faculty, staff, alumni, retirees and volunteers for Washington University, who go above and beyond their professional responsibilities in their service to St. Louis, inspiring others to create a healthier, more just and vibrant St. Louis. 

In 2024, The Philanthropy Lab national organization granted $62,500 to nonprofits in the St. Louis region through their Ambassador Board. In January, WashU undergrad Kate Kirchdorfer attended The Philanthropy Lab’s Ambassador Board meeting and nominated EarthDance, an organic farm school situated in Ferguson, Missouri, to receive a $25,000 grant.