WashU In St. Louis, For St. Louis

05/11/2026

Beautiful urban parks don't happen by accident. They require care, dedication, and thoughtful stewardship. New research from the Living Earth Collaborative and our regional partners shows that decades of restoration work in Forest Park Forever are paying off, particularly when it comes to native bird populations.

Researchers from WashU Arts & Sciences, Saint Louis Zoo and Saint Louis University took bird survey data from 1997 and 2007-2012 and compared it to new surveys from 2023 and 2024 to determine the findings. While the study predates the May 2025 tornado damage, its authors remain confident in Forest Park’s resilience and that urban restoration programs can increase native biodiversity.

“Understanding how urban green spaces may play a key role in avian conservation is a critical discovery,” said Sharon Deem, Director of the Saint Louis Zoo Institute for Conservation Medicine. “We see that when linking environmental health, through park restoration, we support biodiversity while also improving human mental and physical health through healthy urban green spaces — a one-health win for humans, animals and the environment.”

Read the full story at https://source.washu.edu/2026/04/putting-the-forever-in-forest-park

Forest Park habitat restoration efforts have paid off. Surveys of bird species reveal increases in biodiversity over decades in the urban wildlife area located in the heart of St. Louis, according to new research from scientists with the Living Earth Collaborative.

05/08/2026

Music education gives students space to create, collaborate, and build confidence. So WashU Music and the WashU In St. Louis, For St. Louis Initiative are teaming up to donate Casio USA keyboards to school music programs across the St. Louis region.

This week, our drop-off was at University City High School. We’re proud to partner with Saint Louis Public Schools, the School District of University City and KIPP St. Louis to keep local students creatively engaged. The performing arts bring so much value to our community, and we’re thrilled to invest in these young musicians!

05/06/2026

A new Washington University in St. Louis developed app is helping expand access to substance use recovery for people without stable housing. Created by researchers at WashU Medicine, the uMAT-R app connects users to recovery tools, coaching, and local resources—meeting people where traditional systems often fall short.

Dr. Vidya Eswaran, the study’s lead author and an assistant professor of emergency medicine at Washington University School of Medicine, explained on-air that "it's not just the medicine that people need, but the app really thinks about the whole person and has the resources for everything else. If you don't have food, how are you going to make it to your doctor's appointment to get your medication? If you don't have a job, how are you going to be able to pay the co-pay for your doctor?"

In a recent study, people who engaged with the app regularly were 50% less likely to report using illicit substances within a month. They also saw improved mental health indicators and greater connection to care over a short period of use.

Thanks to funding from the Missouri Department of Mental Health, the app is free to anyone in Missouri. Residents interested in accessing the app are encouraged to call 314-944-2464 or email [email protected].

Listen to the full St. Louis Public Radio story at https://www.stlpr.org/health-science-environment/2026-03-25/washu-app-substance-use-recovery-stable-housing

A new Washington University School of Medicine study examines how the app, uMAT-R, improves recovery outcomes for people with a substance use disorder lacking stable housing.

05/04/2026

In a recent op-ed for the St. Louis Business Journal, Chancellor Andrew D. Martin underscores the importance of sustaining federal research funding and its impact on the St. Louis region.

This funding enables the day-to-day work of researchers and clinicians—from running clinical trials and developing new treatments to translating lab discoveries into innovative patient care. It ensures universities like Washington University in St. Louis can continue advancing scientific and medical discovery and providing world-class services to local residents, directly shaping health outcomes.

Martin believes research funding is essential infrastructure that strengthens community health, launches companies, creates jobs, and delivers tangible economic benefits. At WashU, those federal dollars support Alzheimer’s prevention trials, clean water monitoring for rural Missouri communities, and biomanufacturing platforms with applications in health care and national defense.

“That is why the current national conversation about federal research funding matters so much to St. Louis. The scope of today’s scientific challenges requires investment at a scale no university can sustain alone,” he notes. “Cuts to federal investment would be felt across the region in jobs, startups, and in patients who have nowhere else to turn.”

Read the full story at: https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2026/04/01/andrew-martin-protect-federal-research-washu.html

Andrew Martin writes that the university is the second-largest employer in St. Louis with more than 23,000 direct employees. Every $1 million of research funding creates 11 local jobs.

05/01/2026

The Philanthropy Lab is a WashU Arts & Sciences sociology course instructed by Barbara Levin, in partnership with the Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement. Students are given the responsibility of directing real funds to nonprofit organizations while learning about the historical roots of charitable giving and its role in addressing social issues.

Since it's inception at Washington University in St. Louis in 2019, the course has now distributed over $600,000 in community investments through student-led decision-making. This year 27 local organizations were funded, with awards ranging from $14,000 to $100 honorariums, for a total of $120,000. Major recipients included Casa de Salud, St. Patrick Center, College Bound, Migrant and Immigrant Community Action Project- MICA Project, New Roots Urban Farm, and the Keyway: Center for Diversion & Reentry.

Investments like these show how learning and giving can intersect to support St. Louis organizations that strengthen our community and drive civic change. Many thanks to the donors who make this work possible, our nonprofit partners leading this work on the ground, and the passionate students who connect the two.

Follow these nonprofits to learn more about their work and visit https://gephardtinstitute.wustl.edu/engage-democracy/civic-action-lab/ for more information on Civic Action Lab courses at WashU.

04/29/2026

How can data and art reshape how we understand history?

Washington University in St. Louis' Island Press in the WashU Sam Fox School released five new prints as part of Printing Black America: Du Bois’s Data Portraits in the 21st Century. The larger portfolio features 30 prints across six thematic portfolios, reimagining W. E. B. Du Bois’s historic data visualizations through contemporary data and local research, in partnership with five printmaking workshops nationwide.

Island Press' contribution is the third in the portfolio, titled "Employment". The project was created by artist William Villalongo and data scientist Shraddha Ramani during a 2023–24 residency as Arthur and Sheila Prensky Visiting Artists, in collaboration with faculty and students. Three prints reinterpret Du Bois’s original data works using contemporary statistics on Black employment, income, consumer spending and gender disparities, while two are grounded in research conducted in St. Louis.

The St. Louis works examine the city’s histories of slavery and racism. "Reclaimed Family Tree" uses genealogical data to show the persistence of kinship and lineage among people enslaved by Jesuits, reframing archival records as evidence of survival and historical repair. "Sites of Wounding / Sites of Healing" uses spatial data to map how histories of harm and community healing coexist across St. Louis, revealing trauma and resilience as embedded in place.

Together, the prints help surface buried histories, deepen public understanding and imagine more just futures.

View the prints and read the whole story at: https://samfoxschool.washu.edu/the-school/news/1402-wash-u-s-island-press-partners-release-printing-black-america

04/27/2026

Ivan Wilson III, a senior at KIPP St. Louis High School, has been admitted Early Decision to Washington University in St. Louis on a full-ride scholarship—the first student from his school to do so.

Since freshman year, he has consistently ranked at the top of his class and will graduate as valedictorian with a 4.33 GPA. He also set a school record with a 30 ACT score, while balancing academics with student leadership roles and athletics. Ivan plans to study political science this fall, with long-term goals of attending law school to become an attorney.

“Ivan Wilson represents what is possible when talent meets opportunity and when a family believes deeply in the power of education,” said Dr. Nathalie Henderson, CEO of KIPP St. Louis Public Schools. “His discipline and commitment to excellence have set a powerful example for our entire community.”

Stories like Ivan’s reflect the importance of strong college pathways and early exposure to higher education—work that continues to expand opportunities for students across St. Louis.

Welcome to WashU, Ivan—we're so excited to see what comes next!

Watch the full KSDK News segment at: https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/local/kipp-st-louis-teen-makes-history-with-early-decision-admission-to-washington-university-on-a-full-ride/63-09686e18-759f-4329-a9af-3a24dc5dd9a2?utm_campaign=snd-autopilot&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook_KSDK_News&fbclid=IwY2xjawRDPZxleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETFybDcwR0h1VW9JaUhuWUlyc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHtspxA3-ziI000mbZiG-h7Udy_4eT5rJq-B6Y79p6U1ANO4ChDxPGrE22oRB_aem_NX4OXbGHYvYucwZKweDEnQ

Record-breaking student Ivan Wilson III also becomes the first in school history to achieve a 30 on the ACT.

04/24/2026

On April 11, St. Louis took to the streets for the annual GO! St. Louis® Greater St. Louis Marathon.

For the second year in a row, Washington University in St. Louis sponsored the Hospitality Hub, which included the essential race day functions of bag drop, information, and lost and found. The WashU Hospitality Hub Team also hosted welcome tents which provided drinks, snacks, WashU swag, and last-minute items to runners and their families. WashU Medicine Physical Therapy led runners through group stretches pre-race, and runners and spectators enjoyed pre- and post-race photos in front of the WashU “In St. Louis, For St. Louis” photo backdrop. The WashU Hospitality Hub was a great place for runners and spectators to meet, relax, and celebrate Race Day!

WashU Medicine also served as the official medical provider for the first time, joining WashU as a major race sponsor. The 10,000 runners were supported by numerous WashU Medicine physicians, fellows, residents and medical students stationed along the course to provide on-the-spot expert care, under the leadership of race day medical director Katherine Caldwell, MD. 80 WashU Medicine Physical Therapy volunteers at the Finish Line Recovery Tent assisted more than 600 runners in post-race recovery to support safe return to activity.

Since 2024, race participation from the WashU community has grown to over 400 runners, reflecting a continued commitment to community health and civic engagement.

Read the full story at https://source.washu.edu/2026/04/supporting-runners-every-step-of-the-way

WashU Medicine serves as the official medical provider — and more — at the Greater St. Louis Marathon.

04/22/2026

Last fall, the new WashU Medicine BJC HealthCare Barnes-Jewish Plaza West Tower opened for patient care, with an interior design scheme based on botanical imagery. The concept was to incorporate art related to St. Louis habitats and created by St. Louis-based artists.

WashU Sam Fox School alum Erin Blumer was commissioned to produce artworks for patient rooms across 12 of the tower’s 16 floors, bringing a more natural feel to the hospital space. Blumer drew inspiration from some of St. Louis' most iconic green spaces, including Forest Park Forever, Missouri Botanical Garden, and Shaw Nature Reserve, with the goal of connecting patients and families to the beauty of nearby surroundings. Her work appears in over 200 patient rooms.

Ultimately, the most rewarding aspect for Blumer was knowing she played some role in the tower’s patient experience. “Historically, hospitals have been very sterile,” she says, “It’s all equipment, and white everywhere.” Recalling up her own experience with hospitals, she says, “it can be depressing, honestly, and not just for the patients."

The project reflects the philosophy of biophilic design, part of a growing body of research on how the arts can influence health and community well-being.

Read the full story at: https://source.washu.edu/2026/03/natural-talent/.

04/21/2026

04/20/2026

The WashU Olin Business School Center for Experiential Learning is a substantial resource for St. Louis-area businesses and nonprofits looking to to solve real-world business challenges. During any one semester, nearly 50 CEL teams are busy collecting data, researching industries and brainstorming new ideas for these local clients.

Sugarfire Restaurant Group, a St. Louis company whose locations include Sugarfire Smoke House, Boathouse at Forest Park, Cyrano's Cafe, and Sugarfire Pie, is a longtime partner. Owner Charlie Downs, who has been a St. Louis restaurateur for 46 years, came to the CEL with the goal of developing a tool that would help smaller restaurants track and control food costs simply and effectively.

Over three semesters in 2024 and 2025, multiple MBA teams advanced this vision through consulting, cost analysis and the development of a full rollout proposal. Thanks to this Washington University in St. Louis collaboration, Sugarfire developed the tool that the organization’s restaurants currently use and is considering marketing their product to other small restaurants.

Read the full story at https://olin.washu.edu/about/news-and-media/news/2026/03/restaurant-group-multiplies-insights-cel.php and learn more about how to partner with CEL.

Sugarfire Restaurant Group worked with teams from Olin's Center for Experiential Learning as they developed an inventory cost tool for their restaurants.