Campus & Community

In its first class since the U.S. Supreme Court banned race-conscious admissions, Washington University in St. Louis reports the percentage of first-year students who are from rural communities, low-income or the first in their families to attend college has slightly increased. However, WashU saw a 4 percentage-point drop in first-year students who identify as Black/African American, while the percentage of Asian, white and Hispanic students stayed relatively steady.

Excited, hopeful and just a little nervous, the newest members of the WashU community converged on campus for move-in day. They unpacked twin XL sheets, bought WashU T-shirts at the Campus Store and met comfort dogs Brookie and Bear. No, we’re not referring to the 1,854 members of the Class of 2028, but to their families.

Chiara Munzi and Izzy Gorton met in a WashU entrepreneurship class and made their first batches of ChiChi hot chickpea cereal in the Skandalaris Center. Two years later, the brand is booming and the founders will be featured on the Amazon series “60 Day Hustle.”

Images from on and around the Washington University campuses.

The STARS College Network, which partners with top colleges to help students from small towns and rural communities enroll in, succeed at and graduate from the undergraduate program of their choice, is doubling its membership to include 32 of the nation’s universities. WashU, a founding STARS member, is recruiting and enrolling more rural students since it joined the network last year.

Phyllis Jackson has assumed the role of associate dean for the Office of Scholar Programs, according to Anna Gonzalez, vice chancellor for student affairs. Her appointment took effect July 1. 

Twelve recent alumni of Washington University in St. Louis earned Fulbright awards to travel abroad to teach English or to conduct research in the 2024-25 academic year.

St. Louis is known for its long hot summers. But before you retreat into the air conditioning, check out one of the region’s outdoor wonders. Here, leaders of four outdoor-oriented student groups at WashU share their favorite natural spots in the St. Louis region.

For WashU MD/PhD student Sid Sivakumar, studying the brain is like constructing a crossword puzzle. Conveniently, he does both. He crafts puzzles for The New York Times, Washington Post — and now, the Record.

Tomás Collado, a rising senior studying mechanical engineering at the McKelvey School of Engineering, has been named an Astronaut Scholar, one of the nation’s most prestigious STEM fellowships.