Campus & Community

James Friend, of the University of California, San Diego, has been named chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science in the McKelvey School of Engineering. His appointment will begin in 2026.

Rebecca Brown, vice chancellor for strategic initiatives and university governance at Washington University in St. Louis, has been named to the St. Louis Business Journal’s “Most Influential Business Women” class of 2025.

Frank A. Podosek, a professor emeritus of earth, environmental and planetary sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, died June 8 in Florida. He was 83 years old.

Occupational therapy faculty member Kelly Harris, at WashU Medicine, will receive a $425,000 award to develop and test a technology-enabled care coordination service model to support Black youth with asthma.

New leadership programs are now available for WashU staff.

John Gleaves, a professor emeritus at the McKelvey School of Engineering, died June 2. He was 79.

James Poag, a professor emeritus and former chair of the Department in Germanic Languages and Literatures in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, died May 25. He was 90.

St. Louis is known nationally for its excellent (and free) art. Here, staff, faculty, students and alumni of WashU share their favorite places to view visual art around St. Louis during the summer.

Eight recent alumni and one current student of Washington University in St. Louis earned Fulbright awards to travel abroad to teach English or to conduct research in the 2025-26 academic year. The program recognizes talented leaders and scholars who are committed to promoting global collaboration and understanding.

Sydney E. Scott, an associate professor of marketing at Olin Business School, has been named one of Poets & Quants’ “Best 40-under-40 MBA Professors” for 2025.