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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. 

A $160 million grant proposal submitted last week could establish St. Louis as a nationally-prominent location for neuroscience research, and officials involved in the bid believe there’s reason for optimism that the region could win the award. The region’s bid proposal was unveiled Tuesday during a summit hosted by Neuro360, a regional neuroscience coalition, at Washington University. The region’s bid for the grant is being led by regional innovation hub BioSTL and Neuro360, along with WashU.

WashU senior Rachel Hochberg is not ready to say goodbye. Tonight is her final Night Off, a free monthly babysitting event for children with autism. and she is going to miss these kids and their families. “I feel like these are my children,” said Hochberg, Night Off family coordinator. “It’s been a big responsibility, one that I take extremely seriously. It’s also been one of the best experiences of my life.” 

Shannon Lenze, PhD, an associate professor of psychiatry at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, knows the grim statistics showing that gun violence, racism, poverty and a lack of access to transportation and nutritious foods can adversely affect mental and physical health during pregnancy, particularly among Blacks who suffer disproportionately more than people of other races. However, Lenze noted that many obstetricians hesitated to question pregnant patients about trauma related to their life experiences because it could upset them. Through her partnership with Elevating Voices, Addressing Depression, Toxic Stress and Equity (EleVATE) a community of academic physicians and clinics in St. Louis, Lenze had a light bulb moment — one that has helped guide her research on prenatal health of the pregnant person and baby.

Martin Mwita, a 20-year-old from the Omaha area, is the first commercial sickle cell patient at St. Louis Children’s Hospital and in the region to receive a new gene therapy treatment approved by the FDA at the end of 2023. Mwita is under the care of Dr. Shelani Shenoy, a pediatric hematologist/oncologist with the Washington University School of Medicine.

Can we produce alternatives to plastic from renewable sources? WashU engineer Marcus Foston has devoted his life to that question. And today, 25 middle school students from Central Middle School in the Riverview Gardens School District have joined him on that quest. They are part of Washington University in St. Louis’ “Researcher for a Day” program, an immersive experience where young students spend a full day on campus, conducting experiments in WashU labs, exploring related science careers and meeting WashU students and faculty.