News

The Muny, the century-old theater in Forest Park, is the winner of the 2025 Regional Theatre Tony Award for excellence in regional theater and “contributing to the growth of theater nationally.”

Ten of the 36 graduating high school seniors in WashU’s College Prep Program will attend WashU this fall, receiving a total of $820,000 in financial aid from Washington University in St. Louis. Other students have received offers from the University of Pennsylvania, Louisiana State University, Saint Louis University and some 60 state and private universities, community colleges and historically Black colleges and universities. The College Prep Program (CPP) is an immersive four-year experience that prepares talented first-generation, limited-income high school students from the St. Louis region to succeed in college. 

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. 

St. Francis — a ministry of Catholic Charities of St. Louis — was an early stop on a path that led Joy Garcia-Pintor to admission at Washington University in St. Louis. She plans to major in both architecture and marketing. Garcia-Pintor is staying close to home — and still volunteering where she grew up, at St. Francis, helping generations to come.

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.

As chancellor of Washington University in St. Louis, I have the privilege of witnessing firsthand how our institution’s research enterprise transforms lives, not just through scientific breakthroughs, but through tangible economic and social benefits that strengthen our entire region and state. For the first time in our history, WashU surpassed $1 billion in annual research funding in fiscal year 2024. This milestone is a testament to the extraordinary talent and dedication of our researchers, and a powerful economic catalyst for St. Louis and Missouri.

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.

When Washington University Olin Business School Dean Mike Mazzeo led the creation of a new strategic plan for the school, one new North Star emerged as a strategic imperative: developing true distinction in the business of health. It wasn’t merely a takeaway from the strategy sessions. It became a guiding mandate for moving forward.