WashU Alumni

Mohamed A. Zayed, MBA '10, MD, PhD, a vascular surgeon known for his pioneering research in vascular diseases, began his role as director of the newly established Division of Surgical Sciences at Washington University Surgery earlier this month.

Zayed, who joined WashU in 2014, has developed medical devices to improve treatment for patients with atherosclerosis and other conditions.

Zayed to lead new Division of Surgical Sciences | Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis Vascular surgeon to advance innovative patient care, research

We remember William H. Gass, the David May Distinguished University Professor Emeritus in the Humanities, on what would've been his 100th birthday.

The award-winning American novelist, short story writer, essayist, critic, and philosophy professor taught at WashU for 30 years. In 1990, he founded the International Writers Center, which later became the WashU Center for the Humanities.

Learn more about Gass's life from WashU Libraries: https://bit.ly/3LIV2Fl

📸: Herb Weitman/University Archives

Who remembers Airband? 🎤

It may have been an off-the-wall concept, but from its debut in 1984, the annual lip-synch competition became an instant hit and one of WashU's most popular student events in the 1980s and '90s.

Share your favorite Airband memories in the comments!

The history of Airband at WashU - Alumni and Friends - Washington University in St. Louis By Matt Hampton | June 14, 2024 It may have been an off-the-wall concept, but from its debut in 1984, Airband became an instant hit and one of the most popular student events at Washington University in the 1980s and ’90s.   Each spring, groups from across campus cobbled together cardboard sets,...

This spring saw the graduation of the first cohort of the WashU Pledge, the bold scholarship initiative set into motion by Chancellor Andrew D. Martin at his 2019 inauguration.

Under the pledge, all Pell-eligible admitted students from Missouri and southern Illinois receive a free WashU education — tuition, housing, food, fees, books, and even money for a laptop.

The first cohort included 87 students representing 73 Missouri and Illinois high schools.

Read more in Washington Magazine, including an interview by the chancellor with one of the first WashU Pledge graduates: https://bit.ly/4dgxN0T

Bears at the White House! ❤️🐻💚

This week the WASHUBears Women's Outdoor Track and Field Team, who won the national championship in May, had the distinguished honor of visiting the White House, where they participated in a special ceremony with Vice President Kamala Harris honoring the achievements of the nation's top collegiate athletes.

Read more about their visit at https://bit.ly/4c3Oo7b

📅 Save the date! WashU Reunion at Thurtene Carnival returns April 4-6, 2025!

If you graduated with the class of 1980, 1985, 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, 2020, or 2024, mark your calendars now for an unforgettable weekend back on campus with friends, family, and fellow alumni. ❤️ 🐻 💚

Fill out our survey to stay in the loop on Reunion updates and help us plan an amazing event! https://bit.ly/3zVeI6f

As the 2024 Summer Olympics get underway in Paris, we're throwing it back to last month's star-studded World Olympic and Paralympic Day festivities at WashU! 🏅

Area residents and children from various Boys and Girls Clubs joined track-and-field gold medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee and other local Olympians to celebrate St. Louis as America's first Olympic City. Activities included a run/walk on Francis Olympic Field, site of the 1904 Olympics.

📸: Bill Greenblatt/UPI

Earlier this month, WashU scientists launched a balloon-borne telescope to unlock the secrets of astrophysical black holes and neutron stars, some of the most extreme objects in the universe. 🌌

XL-Calibur, which uses parts built at WashU, is a collaboration among scientists from the United States, Japan, and Sweden.

XL-Calibur telescope launched to study black holes - The Source - Washington University in St. Louis Scientists from Washington University in St. Louis have launched a balloon-borne telescope to unlock the secrets of astrophysical black holes and neutron stars, some of the most extreme objects in the universe. XL-Calibur launched July 9.

Nathan O. Stitziel, AB '98, MD, PhD, a professor of medicine and of genetics at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, recently received the American Heart Association's Mid-Career Award in Genomic and Precision Medicine.

The award recognizes scientists who've made outstanding contributions to the fields of functional genomics, precision medicine and translational biology.

Stitziel investigates the inherited basis of cardiovascular disease with an emphasis on identifying novel genes and molecular pathways that increase or decrease the risk of various forms of heart disease.

Stitziel honored by American Heart Association | Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis Cardiologist recognized for contributions to genomics, precision medicine

Last month, community members attended a research symposium in the Neuroscience Research Building on the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis campus honoring the career contributions in occupational therapy of professor Carolyn Baum. Baum (center) retired from WashU June 3 after 48 years of service.

Lisa Connor, AM '90, PhD '92, MSOT '13, (left) and Dean David Perlmutter, MD, joined Baum at the event.

Check out "The View From Here" for more recent happenings at WashU: https://bit.ly/4eWK6Ba

📸: Lisa Jenkins/LJ Photography

STARS College Network expands - The Source - Washington University in St. Louis 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. Washington University in St....

Experiences with St. Louis organizations led Samantha Searls, MSW ’13, to a career in advocating for immigrants. Searls (far right) serves as a program director for Ignite Peace, an education and advocacy organization in Cincinnati.

Read more about Searls in Washington Magazine: https://bit.ly/3WkstUE

In the ongoing U.S. opioid epidemic, new and more powerful opioids make it increasingly difficult for first responders to revive people who overdose.

Researchers from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Stanford University, and the University of Florida have found an approach that could extend the lifesaving power of the opioid overdose reversing drug naloxone, even in the face of ever-more-dangerous opioids.

Experimental drug supercharges medicine that reverses opioid overdose | Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis Adding newly ID’d compound makes naloxone more potent, longer lasting, mouse study shows

If you could take a one-way trip to anywhere, where would you go? ✈️

Over the past 12 years, Steven Shalowitz, AB ’86, has posed this question to more than 300 people — guests ranging from legendary talk-show host Dick Cavett (pictured at left) to former CIA Director General David Petraeus — on his podcast, The One Way Ticket Show.

Learn more about Shalowitz, his podcast, and how he stays involved with the WashU alumni community: https://bit.ly/3xTa8Vr

“I don’t believe it’s particularly useful to learn the neuroscience of movement by sitting still." 💃

In her class "The Neuroscience of Movement," Elinor Harrison, AB ’01, PhD ’18, teaches students to integrate thought with action. First offered in 2020, and cross-listed in performing arts, biology and philosophy-neuroscience-psychology (PNP), all in WashU Arts & Sciences, the course draws on Harrison’s experience as a professional dancer and as a research scientist who studies movement therapies.

Learn more about Harrison and the class in Washington Magazine: https://bit.ly/4bGoeac

Kara Andres, a postdoctoral fellow with the WashU Living Earth Collaborative, collected samples of water from Simpson Lake, in Valley Park, Mo., as part of a coordinated global effort to use environmental DNA — genetic material shed by organisms into the environment — to document the current state of biodiversity. 💧

Biodiversity surveys similar to this global project could also allow researchers to take a snapshot of ecosystem health at a more local scale.

Sampling eDNA for global biodiversity census - The Source - Washington University in St. Louis Kara Andres, a postdoctoral fellow with the Living Earth Collaborative at Washington University in St. Louis, collected samples from Simpson Lake in Valley Park, Mo., one of about 800 lakes worldwide that were surveyed on the UN’s International Day of Biodiversity.

Multicultural Mixer memories! 🥂

The WashU Chicago community recently enjoyed an evening connecting with fellow alumni of diverse backgrounds and hearing from Mark Kamimura-Jiménez, associate vice chancellor for Student Affairs, about how WashU is developing inclusive, student-centered experiences.

Our first-ever joint-network mixer was sponsored by the Chicago chapters of the Black Alumni Council, La Comunidad, WashU Asian Alumni Network, and WashU Pride Alumni Network.

See more photos at https://bit.ly/4cGe6jo.

Every 40 seconds, someone in the United States suffers a stroke, and one in eight of those who experience a stroke die within a year of hospital discharge.

But a clinical trial led by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has found that modifications to stroke survivors’ homes — such as grab bars, shower seats, ramps, and other safety interventions — reduce the risk of death within a year or so of leaving the hospital and allow many to keep living independently in their homes.

Modifying homes for stroke survivors saves lives, extends independence - The Source - Washington University in St. Louis Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found that safety interventions — such as walkers, grab bars, ramps and other home modifications — allow many stroke survivors to keep living independently in their homes and may reduce their risk of death.

Podcast feed looking a little empty? Subscribe to The PAD Podcast! 🎙️

Hosted by Robert Mark Morgan, WashU Arts & Sciences teaching professor of drama, the show celebrates and showcases the incredible achievements of PAD - Performing Arts Department of Washington University in St. Louis alumni.

The PAD Podcast Welcome to the PAD Podcast! This exciting podcast aims to celebrate and showcase the incredible achievements of our alumni from the Performing Arts Department at Washington University in St. Louis. Each episode will feature interviews that highlight the remarkable endeavors our alumni are pursuing a...

Christina Gurnett, MD, PhD, and Fred Ssewamala, MSW '99, PhD '03, have been chosen by their academic peers to receive WashU's 2024 faculty achievement awards.

Gurnett, the A. Ernest and Jane G. Stein Professor of Developmental Neurology at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, will receive the Carl and Gerty Cori Faculty Achievement Award.

Ssewamala, the William E. Gordon Distinguished Professor at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis, will receive the Arthur Holly Compton Faculty Achievement Award.

The awards will be presented at the university’s annual Founders Day dinner Nov. 9.

Gurnett, Ssewamala to receive faculty achievement awards - The Source - Washington University in St. Louis Christina Gurnett, MD, PhD, and Fred Ssewamala, PhD, have been chosen by their academic peers to receive Washington University in St. Louis’ 2024 faculty achievement awards, Chancellor Andrew D. Martin announced.

As the new chair of our Alumni Board of Governors, Valerie Davisson, MA '89, aims to inspire WashU graduates to engage with and support their alma mater — and its students. One of her goals is to help alumni reframe what philanthropy to the university means.

Read more about Davisson in Washington Magazine: https://bit.ly/4f15vZZ

WashU researchers have developed a noninvasive technology combining a holographic acoustic device with genetic engineering that allows them to precisely target affected neurons in the brain. 🧠

The technology "offers promising interventions for neurological disorders," such as Parkinson's disease, according to Hong Chen, an associate professor of biomedical engineering at the WashU McKelvey Engineering and of neurosurgery at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

New technology allows researchers to precisely, flexibly modulate brain - The Source - Washington University in St. Louis Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have developed a noninvasive technology combining a holographic acoustic device with genetic engineering that allows them to precisely target affected neurons in the brain, creating the potential to precisely modulate selected cell types in multiple....

WashU Arts & Sciences archaeologist Natalie Mueller, AM '12, PhD '17, and her collaborators have uncovered a trove of ancient plant remains excavated in Kenya that helps explain the history of plant farming in equatorial eastern Africa.

Up until now, scientists have had virtually no success in gathering ancient plant remains from the region and, as a result, have had little idea where and how early plant farming got its start in the large and diverse area comprising Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.

Read more about the discovery at https://bit.ly/463AC35

WashU alumnae are founding companies with moms in mind, offering solutions for the raw, unfiltered realities of pregnancy and infant care. 🍼

Chelsea Hirschhorn, AB ’06; Anita Rajendra, AB ’98; and Sara Reardon, AB ’04, DPT ’07 offer different products or services, and they have pursued different business models for the companies they founded. But their journeys share two important threads: a WashU education and the personal, messy frontlines of motherhood.

Read more about these "motherhood entrepreneurs" in Washington Magazine: https://bit.ly/3zH0KVq

We spotted a familiar face on the road to the Summer Olympics in Paris! 😊

Cassidy Blackwell, AB '06, served as an official Olympic torchbearer in Chamonix, France. She was nominated for this prestigious opportunity through her role as Director of Global Community Programs at Airbnb.

Torchbearers are selected, in part, based on their everyday efforts to make the world a fairer, more inclusive, and more sustainable place.

"The flame is symbol of unity and peace," Blackwell says, "and I was so honored to don the white uniform and to carry the flame, a symbol of peace at a time when we need it the most."

Congratulations, Cassidy, on such an inspiring achievement! ❤️ 💚

📸: Courtesy of Cassidy Blackwell

In Missouri, where the number of new HIV diagnoses and deaths has not improved since 2017, there is a need to recapture momentum in addressing the disease.

Researchers at WashU and Saint Louis University plan to launch the Midwest Center for AIDS Research in September. The center will aim to create a platform for researchers and public health workers to collaborate and coordinate their efforts to fight the HIV epidemic together.

Midwest Center for AIDS Research to help end regional HIV epidemic - The Source - Washington University in St. Louis A team from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and Saint Louis University have established the Midwest Developmental Center for AIDS Research to help end the HIV epidemic in the region.

Kelly McGowan, MPH ’15, is the founder and executive director of Transform 314, an organization committed to fostering civic engagement by educating, engaging, and empowering Black residents of St. Louis to drive local policy changes essential for creating thriving communities.

The Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis alumna was recently honored with a Community Changemaker award by FOCUS St. Louis, the region’s premier nonprofit leadership organization. The award celebrates individuals who inspire and lead positive community change.

MPH Alumna Honored as Community Changemaker by FOCUS St. Louis - Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis In 1976, a Schoolhouse Rock! famously condensed the process of how a bill becomes a law into a three-minute segment. Nearly five decades later, the need to grasp the complexities of government and policy remains just as important. Brown School alumna Kelly McGowan, MPH ’15, has embraced this chall...

Ruth Levinsohn Siteman, BS '75, died June 13 at 92. She was an ardent WashU supporter, philanthropist, and community leader. In 1999, Ruth and her husband, Alvin, made a gift to name the Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and ­Washington University School of Medicine, which today is a national leader in cancer treatment, research, prevention, and education.

Read her full obituary at https://bit.ly/4cyyCCa

"We must prioritize impact along with innovation." 💡

In fall 2025, the WashU Sam Fox School, in collaboration with WashU McKelvey Engineering and WashU Arts & Sciences, will launch a new Master of Design for Human-Computer Interaction and Emerging Technology.

Led by Sam Fox associate professor Jonathan Hanahan, the program aims to forge a curricular and research model in which designers, engineers, humanists, and scientists work together on the next generation of socially innovative digital products.

The next generation of design - The Source - Washington University in St. Louis The Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts, in collaboration with the McKelvey School of Engineering and Arts & Sciences, at Washington University in St. Louis will launch a new Master of Design for Human-Computer Interaction and Emerging Technology in fall 2025. Housed in Weil Hall, it will be the....

Growing up, Amy Zhou, MD, realized she wanted a career that offered opportunities to interact with people.

As a Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis hematologist, Zhou develops long-term relationships with the patients she treats for various blood disorders.

Washington People: Amy Zhou - The Source - Washington University in St. Louis Hematologist Amy Zhou, MD, an associate professor at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, values the connections she makes with patients. She is pursuing research to improve blood cancer treatments.