North America

How have earthquakes, volcanoes, climate shifts, and other forces of nature shaped the course of human history? WashU Professor Michael Wysession explores the connections between geology and civilization in a new 24-lecture series from The Great Courses, examining how our dynamic planet has influenced societies across time—and continues to shape the world we live in today.

William Bowen Professor of Medicine and Professor of Public Health Mark Huffman, MD, MPH, has been appointed to the advisory board of the Fogarty International Center at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

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.

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.

WashU’s Confluence Collaborative for Community Engagement honored Naseh and her community partners for her ongoing research with the Danforth St. Louis Confluence Award. Now in its fourth year, the prize recognizes researchers and community partners who work together to address regional challenges.

WashU’s Asian American Association (AAA), otherwise known as “Triple A,” recently collaborated with 25 cultural clubs and nine sponsors to host its biggest event of the year: “Night Market.” The 2026 theme, Neon Lights, brought a vibrant, energetic atmosphere to over 1,200 students from the Gregg storefronts to the Clocktower on the South 40 as a welcoming space for WashU students to come together in celebration of the distinct Asian communities on campus.

Guy Genin, the Harold and Kathleen Faught Professor of Mechanical Engineering at WashU McKelvey Engineering, has been elected to the World Council of Biomechanics, one of the field’s most prestigious international governing bodies. 

In recognition of its work to address complex global challenges and support its international students, faculty and scholars, Washington University in St. Louis has received a 2026 Paul Simon Award for Campus Internationalization from NAFSA: Association of International Educators.

Washington University in St. Louis has been appointed to a United Nations (U.N.) group dedicated to protecting life on land.

Xuehua Zhong, a professor of biology and the Dean’s Distinguished Professorial Scholar, has received several major federal grants to advance her pioneering work in plant epigenetics, the molecular processes that regulate gene expression without altering DNA.