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.
A one-of-a-kind first year: Inside WashU’s Ampersand Programs
Ampersand Programs immediately immerse first-year students in the very best of WashU, blending classroom study with experiential learning while fostering tight-knit cohorts and close connections with faculty.
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.
WashU alumni, current student earn Fulbright awards
Nine recent WashU alumni and one current student received Fulbright awards to teach English or to conduct research abroad during the 2026-27 academic year. Established in 1946, the prestigious Fulbright program recognizes talented leaders and scholars and strives to increase global collaboration and fellowship.
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.