Page 27 – The Source | Washington University in St. Louis

Class of 2029 embodies WashU values

Washington University in St. Louis continues to draw talented students from across the nation and around the globe. The Class of 2029 is the second-largest in university history and comprises 1,963 students from 49 states and 29 countries. While American universities continue to navigate federal guidelines that have changed how they recruit and admit students, WashU’s incoming class represents a wide variety of backgrounds and perspectives.

Students

Students in summer program develop AI tools, advance faculty research

This summer, students in WashU’s Digital Transformation Summer Corps developed AI-driven tools and products that advance important interdisciplinary research projects. The new program is part of the Digital Intelligence & Innovation Accelerator, a “Here & Next” initiative.

Operations & Strategy

Olin students create blueprint to measure neighborhood vibrancy

There’s a lot of interest in revitalizing neighborhoods, but community leaders and investors need localized data and measurable benchmarks to know if their investments will generate the intended results. Olin Business School graduate students at Washington University in St. Louis created a tool that could help.

Engineering

Roccabianca named director of Center for Women’s Health Engineering

Mechanical and materials engineer Sara Roccabianca has been named director of the Center for Women’s Health Engineering in the McKelvey School of Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis.

Medicine

Cells from the spleen play surprising role after heart attack

A new study in mice by WashU Medicine researchers identifies a possible strategy for cardiac immunotherapy that could boost beneficial immune cells that, surprisingly, travel from the spleen to the heart and orchestrate healing after a heart attack.

Law

Sadat named to eyeWitness to Atrocities board

Leila Sadat, the James Carr Professor of International Criminal Law at WashU, has been appointed to the board of eyeWitness to Atrocities, founded by the International Bar Association.

Medicine

Research explores genetics underlying immune system disorders

WashU Medicine researchers have received a $12.4 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study novel genetic causes of immune disorders.

Obituaries

Obituary: Stuart A. Kornfeld, professor emeritus of medicine, 88

Stuart A. Kornfeld, MD, the David C. and Betty Farrell Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Medicine at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, died Sunday, Aug. 17, 2025, in St. Louis from complications of Parkinson’s disease. He was 88.

Campus & Facilities

Hanaway appointed attorney general; leaves WashU Board of Trustees

Catherine Hanaway, chair, Husch Blackwell. Courtesy photo

Catherine Hanaway, a member of WashU’s Board of Trustees, has been appointed to serve as Missouri attorney general. As such, Hanaway will step down from the board. She will be sworn in Sept. 8.

Cancer Research

Genetic study suggests ways to catch blood cancer earlier

In a new study, WashU Medicine researchers shed light on how newly acquired mutations in blood stem cells interact with mutations passed down by parents to influence a person’s lifetime risk of developing blood cancer. The findings could inform early detection and prevention strategies.