North America

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.

The Science for Health Systems Conference is a global forum to share new research on the measurement and improvement of health system performance. This inaugural conference brought together researchers, policymakers, and implementers from multiple disciplines and regions of the world to share health system research methods and findings to maximize impact on health. In all, 31 countries were represented at the conference.

A total of 20 projects won Global Incubator Seed Grants this month, allowing them to kickstart new research examining a whole host of issues, from the cyber defense of medical devices to the impacts of affordable housing on physical activity and health in Brazil.

Eric J. Lenze, MD, the Wallace and Lucille K. Renard Professor and head of the Department of Psychiatry at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, and his team are among the Top 40 Milestone 1 award winners in XPRIZE Healthspan.