In St. Louis, For St. Louis

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. 

The Gephardt Institute awarded $11,100, through the St. Louis Impact Fund, to nine St. Louis Fellows and Civic Scholars to support their goals to make deeper impacts in the community-engaged work they began last summer. These Partnership Extension Grants help students extend their time with the organizations they partnered with during the summer to continue making tangible change in the region. 

New this year, the St. Louis Fellows Program will offer a specific opportunity to help address gun violence in the region. The forthcoming Arnold Family Fellow — created through a vision and gift from Jane Arnold JD ’93 and her children — is part of the new class of St. Louis Fellows and will be granted to a student who applied for the program with an expressed interest in addressing gun violence. 

After a record number of applications, a packed week of back-to-back interviews, and a rigorous selection process, the Gephardt Institute announces its largest class of St. Louis Fellows in the program’s nearly 20-year history. “WashU is in St. Louis and for St. Louis,” said Executive Director Stephanie Kurtzman. “The St. Louis Fellows Program offers a transformative pathway for students to contribute to the progress and vitality of the St. Louis region, and prepare for a lifetime of civic leadership wherever they live and work in the future. Student interest in this opportunity is at a record high, and thanks to generous contributions from our supporters, we’re pleased to expand the program once again to meet the burgeoning interest of both students and our St. Louis community partners.”