Campus & Community

Grassroots organization Action St. Louis, led by WashU alumna Kayla Reed, will receive the Rosa L. Parks Award at the 39th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration at 2 p.m. Monday, Jan. 19, at WashU‘s Graham Chapel.

In 2025, the WashU community made new discoveries, celebrated new victories and launched new efforts to make the globe safer and healthier. 

WashU is accepting applications for its innovative College Prep Program, a no-cost, multi-year program that prepares first-generation, limited-income students for college. CPP scholars take college courses, prepare for the ACT, learn about the financial aid process and visit nearby universities and cultural institutions.

Graduating WashU seniors Oviya Kalaivanan and Timileyin Olugbenro founded WashU Hospice and Palliative Care Club, which serves 11 St. Louis hospice providers. “We do not provide clinical care, but we are an essential part of the care team,” Olugbenro said. “I tell our volunteers all of the time that it is an honor to have this role.”

Every week, the Missouri History Museum hosts free and family-friendly Thursday Nights at the Museum. Sponsored by WashU, the series explores the full array of life and culture in St. Louis through storytelling, panel discussions, film and performances.

Two students from Washington University in St. Louis’ Interdisciplinary Environmental Clinic recently took aim at the state’s arguments about who bears responsibility for harmful air pollution in the St. Louis region.

The WashU Medicine Pro Bono Health Clinic offers free occupational therapy, physical therapy and medical services to uninsured community members in the St. Louis area.

As WashU continues to advance its mission, the university is recognizing its strategic plan successes.

The Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement is accepting applications for two of its major initiatives — The St. Louis Fellows Program and St. Louis Impact Fund Transform Grant. Applications are due Dec. 5. The center also is calling for nominations for the Ethic of Service Awards.

In an effort to support neighbors in need, the WashU Community Engagement Office is hosting a universitywide food drive through Dec. 20.