Campus & Community

WashU will confer seven honorary degrees during its 165th Commencement May 15. Here are the recipients.

Aaron Lee, MD, a nationally acclaimed vitreoretinal surgeon and leader in applying artificial intelligence to vision research and patient care, has been named the inaugural Arthur W. Stickle Distinguished Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at WashU Medicine.

Pamella A. Henson, executive vice chancellor for university advancement, will retire Jan. 4, concluding a distinguished career spanning 34 years at WashU and 40 years in the profession, according to Chancellor Andrew D. Martin.

A $1.5 million pledge from Distinguished Trustee Andy Newman for the Living Earth Collaborative will support critically endangered primates. The new project aims to transform how biodiversity is documented, modeled and protected worldwide.

Bo Li, a renowned expert in data sciences, has been named a Stanley A. Sawyer Professor in WashU Arts & Sciences.

Salma Abdalla, at WashU Public Health, and Liz Chiarello, in WashU Arts & Sciences, have been named 2026 Public Scholarship faculty fellows in recognition of their work that connects rigorous research with public audiences.

The WashU Brown School presented its 2026 Awards of Distinction on April 23, honoring alumni and supporters for their work advancing positive change in communities worldwide.

Peter H. Raven, the George Engelmann Professor of Botany Emeritus in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, died April 25, 2026. He was 89.

Monica Chang-Panesso, MD, and Hysell Oviedo, PhD, were recognized for their research on kidney repair and the brain’s processing of sound and speech, respectively.

Andrew Witt has been installed as the inaugural Kavita and Krishna Bharat Professor in the WashU Sam Fox School. The professorship includes a joint appointment at WashU McKelvey Engineering.