As I tie up some final items for 2024 and look forward to time with family at the end of the year, I would like to take a moment to reflect on the past year and look ahead to 2025. 

Looking back:

A year ago, as the center wrapped up its first semester, we sent a newsletter in which I shared a quick glimpse of our progress.

At that point 66 WashU faculty and research scientists had joined our center scholars program. As of today 113 researchers are participating in that program to connect with peers across disciplines and promote their work. A year ago, we had supported four teams' proposals for external funding. As of today, we have supported more than twenty proposals to help bolster interdisciplinary environmental research.

In 2024 we launched our inaugural Summer Undergraduate Research Program, engaged more than 500 community members through our 2024 kickoff week, and expanded our work supporting graduate students. 

Looking ahead:

I am excited to share that our summer undergraduate program is returning with 15 projects available for students. I'm looking forward to bringing together the community during Environmental Research & Creativity Week in February. Moreover, I'm excited to continue to learn about — and learn from — you so that the center can better serve your needs.

I hope you have a restorative holiday break.

Dan Giammar

Director, Center for the Environment

Walter E. Browne Professor of Environmental Engineering

Assistant Vice Provost

Student applications are now open for the center's 10-week Summer Undergraduate Research Program. This program is open to returning undergraduates to conduct hands-on environmental research alongside faculty and graduate student mentors in an interdisciplinary community of peers.

The program offers a $6,000 stipend, paid travel, and housing support as well as professional and social programming. No prior research experience is necessary.

Students: Learn more about the available research projects and apply by Feb. 15.

Faculty and staff: Please share this opportunity with your students and encourage them to apply.

Dates: May 27 - Aug. 1
Application Deadline: Feb. 15

Join the Center for the Environment and partners across WashU for Environmental Research & Creativity Week, Feb. 24 - 28.  

This week of events will showcase the exciting environmental work happening throughout the WashU community and foster interdisciplinary collaboration among faculty, students, staff, and partners. 

Learn more about the growing schedule of events.

Highlights of the week include:  

- The center's inaugural, university-wide Environmental Research Symposium, Feb 24

- Engaging talks hosted by the center's partners focusing on planetary health; research-inspired art; decarbonizing manufacturing; global capitalism and the climate; and tropical forest ecology and conservation

-A lab and studio crawl showcasing the places and processes different disciplines use to explore environmental questions

Call for Poster Presentation Abstracts

The Environmental Research Symposium, Feb. 24 will feature a poster and networking reception. The center is currently accepting abstracts for poster presentations from members of the WashU community. Learn more and submit your proposal by Jan. 15

The center's monthly research lunches will return 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. on the first Wednesday of the month next semester.

These talks are intended to build community among researchers and provide a forum to learn from colleagues while highlighting specific projects, sharing tools and generating ideas for future collaboration.

The lunches are open to WashU faculty, postdocs, and staff.

February 5

Michael Frachetti

A&S Anthropology

March 5

Patricia Olynyk

Sam Fox School

April 2

Gautam Dantas

Medical School

May 7

Lora Iannotti

Brown School

How plants evolved multiple ways to override genetic instructions

WashU biologists investigate inner workings of DNA methylation in plants, read more.

Halting Hidden Hunger, improving nutrition during pregnancy

With partners in Ecuador, Lora Iannotti studies the effects of maternal diet on infant brain development, learn more. 

Stark uses sounds of nature in an urgent warning about climate change

Christopher Stark weaves field recordings and the sounds of discarded objects into music that celebrates nature and warns of the perils of climate change, learn more.

Big data, remote sensing, and other tools offer glimpses into our planets past and prepare for our shared future, read more.

Researchers create novel electro-biodiesel more efficient, cleaner than alternatives

Researchers used electrocatalysis of carbon dioxide to turn carbon dioxide into biodiesel feedstock, learn more. 

WashU Students use drones to map flooding along the Meramec River, read more.

Denizen Awarded Global Incubator Seed Grant

Seth Denizen was awarded a Global Incubator Seed Grant for his collaborative project on wastewater urbanism at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, learn more.

Bird dispersal ability shapes biodiversity patterns on islands worldwide, read more.

Visit our website to stay up to date on environmental research news.

December

Biology Department Seminar with John Beggs
Dec. 16 | 4 p.m. | Rebstock 322

Research Development Office: Finding Funding Monthly Office Hours
Dec. 18 | 2 - 3 p.m. | Online

January

Here & Next Research Grant webinar
Jan. 17 |  1 - 2 p.m. | online

Here & Next Research Grant webinar
Jan. 23 | 12:30 - 1:30 p.m. | online

Exploring Stone and Metal: Scott Burton’s Material Choices
Jan. 25 | 1 - 2 p.m. | Pulitzer Arts Foundation

EECE Seminar Mary Jo Kirisits on Microbiological Aspects of Drinking Water
Jan. 31 | 11 a.m. - noon | Whitaker 100

The benefits of being a Center Scholar include the opportunity to mentor students in the summer undergraduate research program, connect with potential collaborators, and receive research support from the center.

Explore the program’s benefits and expectations.

This program is open to WashU:
-Tenured and tenure-track faculty
-Research faculty
-Full-time teaching faculty
-Professors of practice
-Permanent research staff

Applicants should be engaged in research or teaching related to the Center's focal areas:
-Biodiversity
-Environmental justice
-Environmental solutions
-Planetary health
-Earth systems and climate change

Washington University in St. Louis

One Brookings Dr.

MSC 1095-207-1160

St. Louis, MO 63130

environment@wustl.edu