Author: Diane Toroian Keaggy

The African Film Festival will celebrate its 20th anniversary with award-winning films from South Africa, Morocco, Cape Verde, Sudan and other nations from March 27-29 in WashU’s Brown Hall. Admission is free.

The phrase “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts” is doubly true for SWARM, the WashU Robotics Club team on the cutting edge of modular robotics. The team’s 15 members are working to create robots that can come together or break apart to accomplish difficult or dangerous tasks. 

A leading employer and investor in the St. Louis region, WashU contributed $9.8 billion to the local economy in fiscal year 2025, which ended in June. WashU also brought more than $1 billion in external research dollars to the region, money that has led to significant advances in medicine, technology and public health as well as new jobs and businesses in the region.

Now in its 23rd year, the Gerry and Bob Virgil Ethic of Service Award has recognized a new cohort of WashU leaders who are committed to a healthier, safer and stronger region. The awards collectively have honored 160 educators, staff members, students and alumni.

A search committee has been appointed to identify a new executive director of WashU’s Center for Teaching and Learning. The role, currently held by Michael Wysession, a professor in Arts & Sciences, will now be a full-time staff position.

Chris Stone, director of disability resources at WashU, received the inaugural World of Good Award from his alma mater, Central College in Pella, Iowa. In his role, Stone works to support disabled students in meeting their academic and personal development goals.

WashU once again will partner with Go! St. Louis, host of the Greater St. Louis Marathon, a St. Louis tradition that features races from a full marathon to a 1-mile family fun run. The race will take place April 11 in downtown St. Louis. WashU faculty, staff and students are eligible for discounted registration.

The 16th annual St. Louis Area Brain Bee drew 54 high school students from about 30 schools to WashU for a day of neuroscience challenges and panels.

WashU’s St. Louis Fellows Program has received a 2026 Excellence in Civic & Community Engagement Programming Award from Campus Compact, the largest and oldest higher education association dedicated to higher education civic and community engagement. 

WashU sophomore Courtney Lucas II has been selected by the Institute for Responsible Citizenship for its Washington Program, a selective, two-summer program for talented Black male college students.