Washington People: Helina Woldekiros
WashU’s Helina Woldekiros is leading the first archaeological excavations of sites associated with the ancient Kaffa kingdom in highland Ethiopia. Her new research considers what ancient food webs teach us about the future of agriculture and the origins of coffee.
Meet the WashU alumna exploring the science of attention
Psychological and brain sciences PhD graduate Merve Ileri-Tayar, a native of Cankiri, Turkey, earned the 2025 Dean’s Award for Graduate Research Excellence and was named a McDonnell International Scholar. She will continue her research on attention, cognitive control, and goal-directed behavior as she pursues a career in cognitive psychology.
Boundaries of agricultural fields worldwide now publicly available
Nearly half of the world’s habitable land is used for agriculture, according to the World Economic Forum. Now, for the first time, every agricultural field on Earth has a boundary on a map, thanks to a novel model designed to infer field boundaries all over the world.
New initiative launches to save primates, transform global conservation approaches
The Endangered Primate Information Collaboration (EPIC) will combine on-the-ground expertise and high-tech monitoring to observe and protect populations of diademed sifakas (“dancing lemurs”) in Madagascar as well as western lowland gorillas and chimpanzees across Africa’s Congo Basin.
Global outbreaks may fuel violence against women — but most cases go unmeasured
During the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, reports from around the world suggested that violence against women and girls was rising during lockdowns — a pattern widely described as a “shadow pandemic,” prompting researchers to take a closer look.
Anita Kabarambi awarded Margaret McNamara Education Grant
WashU Public Health PhD student Anita Kabarambi has received a Margaret McNamara Education Grant to study how to implement cervical cancer prevention into HIV care in Uganda.
In Kazakhstan, third annual deposit builds assets as CSD’s work continues
From Singapore to Azerbaijan and beyond, sovereign wealth funds reflect national promises to invest in strategic priorities. In Kazakhstan, an important promise has been kept for a third consecutive year.
Class Acts: Catalina Bernabé Correa
Catalina Bernabé Correa chose WashU for a lot of reasons — the distinguished program in biomedical engineering at McKelvey Engineering; the support for student entrepreneurs through the Skandalaris Center; and the wide range of co-curricular activities. WashU also offered Bernabé the opportunity to meet leading scientists from around the globe.
Class Acts: ‘Sri’ Gopalsamy Ramaswamy
Sridharan “Sri” Gopalsamy Ramaswamy, growing up in Tamil Nadu, India, has pursued a dual degree and is set to complete both a master’s in public health and a master’s in business administration at WashU in May. His public health work examines what happens after cancer treatment ends and why survivors often fall through the cracks of preventive care.
Natalie Mueller receives early-career award including $250,000 unrestricted funding
Natalie Mueller, an assistant professor of archaeology specializing in the historical ecology of North America and eastern Africa and the origins of agriculture, is one of two recipients of the Cromwell Harbor Foundation’s inaugural Chrysalis Prize, which recognizes promising early-career scholars with $250,000 in unrestricted support, mentorship, and entry into a growing cohort of multidisciplinary thinkers.