The pillars of 2017
At Washington University in St. Louis, we are committed to diversity, global engagement, innovation and entrepreneurship, human health and sustainability. So are our graduating students. As the Class of 2017 prepares to take its final pass through Brookings Quadrangle, we celebrate outstanding graduates who embody these values. They leave Washington University poised to improve the world just as they improved our community.
Celebrate with us May 19, 2017: commencement.wustl.edu
Global engagement: Designing for the social good
Architect and urban designer Anu Samarajiva is deeply attuned to the particularity of place and to the ways social networks shape our experience of the built environment. She graduates wanting to help people think about how social, political and economic systems impact their lives.
Sustainability: Understanding where business fits in
These three students arrived on campus at the same time with a desire to help the environment. Sustainability champions Nick Annin, Elise Fabbro and Nicola Salzman will graduate poised to fight the globe’s most pressing problem with a powerful tool: the free market.
Human Health: When the student writes the curriculum
When Hilary Gallin discovered something was missing from her medical school training, she did something about it. Realizing there was no instruction on how to treat patients with disabilities, Gallin created a multiyear curriculum that has evolved into a mission for the School of Medicine.
Innovation & Entrepreneurship: Running on solar power
Deko Ricketts believes engineering and bold thinking can help solve the global energy crisis. As an undergrad, he explored new solar power technologies to make it safer and more efficient. He is among the many who launched businesses and developed new technologies while earning a degree.
Diversity: Vets support each other, enrich university experience
Veterans James Petersen, Jen Goetz, Angela Peacock and Jon Slack all enrolled here in the wake of military service. Their unique experiences serving our nation enhanced the diversity of the Washington University experience.