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.
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.
$12 million NIH grant supports study of Alzheimer’s risk factors
Researchers at WashU Medicine will investigate genetic and molecular factors behind Alzheimer’s prevalence in Caribbean populations. This groundbreaking study, supported by NIH funding, aims to enhance personalized care, diagnostics and treatment strategies for patients worldwide.
Major gift strengthens WashU’s Shakespeare summer program
Lesley Malin, AB ’88, and Scott Helm, BSBA ’87, of Baltimore, have made a $1.35 million gift to support WashU’s annual summer theater program at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London, which is hosted by the Performing Arts Department (PAD) in Arts & Sciences.
From UNEC to WashU
Dr. Ali Khalilov, an Associate Professor of Chemistry at Azerbaijan State University of Economics (UNEC), is visiting the Chemistry Department at WashU as a Fulbright scholar, where he is part of Prof. Birman’s research group. His current project focuses on designing new self-complementary hydrogen-bonded arrays, exploring their potential as self-healing smart materials.
A tale of three cities: Book explores gentrification in global context
Using comparative urbanism as their lens, the authors examine the socio-economic and political ramifications of neighborhood gentrification in three prominent global cities—New York, London, and Seoul, South Korea — since the 2007-09 Great Recession.
How Omar Abdelmoity claimed the Marshall Scholarship
Less than 48 hours after he learned he would not be a Rhodes Scholar, WashU senior Omar Abdelmoity hopped on a plane to interview for the equally prestigious — yet somehow more elusive — Marshall Scholarship.
Seniors Abdelmoity, Karinshak were Rhodes Scholars finalists
Washington University in St. Louis seniors Omar Abdelmoity and Marilee Karinshak were finalists for the Rhodes Scholarship, one of the globe’s highest academic honors.