Jonathan B. Losos and Charles F. Zorumski have been chosen by their academic peers to receive Washington University in St. Louis’ 2025 faculty achievement awards, according to Chancellor Andrew D. Martin. The faculty members were among several people recognized during WashU’s annual Founders Day celebration.
Held Nov. 15 at the St. Louis Union Station Hotel, the event honored the achievements of distinguished faculty, alumni and friends. Founders Day was established in 1953 in recognition of the centennial of the university’s founding.
Faculty Achievement Awards
The Arthur Holly Compton Faculty Achievement Award is given to a distinguished member of the faculty from one of the seven Danforth Campus schools. The Carl and Gerty Cori Faculty Achievement Award goes to a faculty member from WashU Medicine. All full-time, active WashU faculty members are eligible to receive the Faculty Achievement Award. Losos received the Compton award, while Zorumski received the Cori award.
“These faculty awards present an opportunity to honor colleagues whose work exemplifies the very best of WashU,” Chancellor Andrew D. Martin said. “Jonathan Losos is being recognized for his inspiring advocacy for living creatures and his innovative methods to engage students in the classroom. And Chuck Zorumski’s award is a nod to his pioneering efforts to de-stigmatize mental illness and his leadership in translating medical research at WashU to the bedside and beyond. We’re grateful to both for their outstanding contributions to their fields and our institution.”
Jonathan B. Losos
Losos, PhD, renowned biologist and the William H. Danforth Distinguished University Professor in Arts & Sciences, is also director of the Living Earth Collaborative, a joint venture between WashU, the Missouri Botanical Garden and the Saint Louis Zoo.
With deep roots and longstanding ties to WashU, his research on the behavioral and evolutionary ecology of lizards has taken him around the world and firmly established his status as a global expert on the biodiversity of species.
The Losos laboratory has advanced theories about the nature of evolutionary processes — e.g., illustrating that evolution may take place faster than once believed — and has generated insights into the evolutionary adaptation of wild species to urban habitats. More recently, the lab has focused on the evolution of cats, reinforcing prior breakthrough findings about convergent evolution: the idea that common environmental factors drive evolutionary change and are most pronounced when species adapt similarly to the same environmental circumstances.
As an educator, he is highly regarded by both colleagues and students for his kindness and humility, and he is known for nurturing curiosity and encouraging imaginative ideas. Throughout his career, he has helped launch the careers of dozens of graduate and postdoctoral students from a range of backgrounds.
Losos earned his bachelor’s degree at Harvard University and a doctorate at the University of California, Berkeley. Thanks to his trailblazing work as both a researcher and educator, Losos has been elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences and the National Academy of Sciences, the latter of which awarded him the prestigious Elliott Medal.
Charles F. Zorumski
Zorumski, MD, the Samuel B. Guze Professor of Psychiatry and a professor of neuroscience at WashU Medicine, has made significant contributions to understanding the neural basis of psychiatric illnesses, particularly mood and anxiety disorders. His research focuses on neurotransmitters, chemical messengers that play a crucial role in regulating brain cell activity and underpin a variety of cognitive functions. The goal of Zorumski’s work is to understand the roles of neurosteroids — compounds that modulate numerous brain-related functions — in psychiatric illnesses like depression and schizophrenia and to identify neurosteroid targets that could lead to new therapies.
Zorumski has held several leadership roles at WashU Medicine. He is founder and director of the Taylor Family Institute for Innovative Psychiatric Research, was the inaugural chair of the Center for Brain Research in Mood Disorders and head of the WashU Medicine Department of Psychiatry from 1997 to 2022. He has published over 350 peer-reviewed papers, has edited and authored several books and holds five patents. A Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, Zorumski was elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2012 and has served on the National Academies’ Forum on Neuroscience and Nervous System Disorders.
Zorumski earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Saint Louis University in 1974 and a medical degree from Saint Louis University in 1978. After psychiatry residency at WashU Medicine, he joined the faculty in 1983 as an instructor. He became a full professor in 1993.
Distinguished Faculty Awards
The Distinguished Faculty Award recognizes outstanding commitment to the intellectual and personal development of students.
This year’s recipients are David M. Holtzman, MD, the Barbara Burton and Reuben M. Morriss III Distinguished Professor in the Department of Neurology, director of the Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center, and scientific director of the Hope Center for Neurological Disorders at WashU Medicine, and Peter J. Kastor, PhD, the Samuel K. Eddy Endowed Professor in the Department of History and associate vice dean of research in Arts & Sciences.
Distinguished Alumni Awards
The Distinguished Alumni Awards recognize outstanding professional achievement, public service, exceptional service to WashU or all three.
This year’s recipients are:
- Nan Jiang, MA ’89, PhD ’91, senior vice president of operations, BioLegend
- Carl E. Josehart, AB ’84, MSW ’87, CEO, Joan and Stanford Alexander Jewish Family Service
- Jonathan S. Kanter, JD ’98, former assistant attorney general, U.S. Department of Justice, Antitrust Division
- Michael F. Konzen, MArch ’86, principal and chairman, PGAV Destinations
- Audrey Rostov, MD ’88, cornea, cataract and refractive surgeon, founder and owner, Bellevue Precision Vision, affiliate surgeon and global partner, Cure Blindness Project.
Robert S. Brookings Award
Presented by the Board of Trustees, the Robert S. Brookings Award honors individuals for their extraordinary dedication and generosity to WashU.
This year’s honorees are members of the Koch family: Paul Koch, BSBA ’61, JD ’64, MBA ’68, and Elke Koch; and Roger Koch, BSBA ’64, MBA ’66, and Fran Koch. Brothers Paul and Roger Koch are co-chairs of the Koch Development Co. of St. Louis, a third-generation, family-owned business formed in 1970 that develops, owns and manages real estate and entertainment properties. The brothers’ experience running the company inspired their transformative gift to establish the Koch Center for Family Enterprise at Olin Business School. The four also received the 2024 Olin Dean’s Medal in recognition of their ardent support for the business school.
Read bios of all the honorees, and watch a video of the event, on the Founders Day website.
