News

Simone Biles, widely regarded as one of the greatest athletes of all time, will deliver the 2025 Commencement address at Washington University in St. Louis, according to Chancellor Andrew D. Martin.

David J. Gray has been appointed executive vice chancellor for finance and chief financial officer at Washington University in St. Louis, effective April 7, Chancellor Andrew D. Martin announced.

At a critical juncture for agriculture and public health, Washington University in St. Louis is launching the Food and Agriculture Research Mission (FARM), an ambitious initiative that aims to address challenges in agricultural production, food distribution and access to nutritious foods by developing practical, scalable solutions for global impact.

WashU’s direct and indirect impact to the St. Louis economy in 2024 totaled $9.3 billion, an increase of $500 million from 2023. During fiscal year 2024, which concluded June 30, WashU spent $3.9 billion on salaries, construction and purchasing. That money rippled across the region, generating another $5.4 billion in economic activity. 

Andrew Taylor, an emeritus trustee of Washington University in St. Louis, and his wife, Barbara, have made a $50 million gift to WashU Medicine’s neurosurgery department to enhance groundbreaking research, innovative patient care and the training of the next generation of neurosurgery leaders.

In recognition of a transformative commitment to WashU Medicine from St. Louisan Richard Frimel and his late husband, Gary C. Werths, Siteman Cancer Center’s new building for outpatient care will be named the Gary C. Werths Building. The historic pledge will fund groundbreaking cancer research and medical student scholarships to support aspiring physicians.

For the first time, annual research funding to Washington University in St. Louis has surpassed $1 billion. External funding supports WashU investigators tackling big challenges from Alzheimer’s disease to air pollution to childhood depression. Research funding also ripples across the economy, sparking job growth, new construction and local spending, said Chancellor Andrew D. Martin.

“This building represents hope for patients, their families and the community at large,” Chancellor Andrew D. Martin said. “It is also rooted in WashU Medicine’s longstanding collaboration with BJC HealthCare, and the ways in which we as partners create the kinds of forward-thinking projects that meet the challenges of this moment and anticipate the needs of the future.”

As a new academic year begins, Washington University in St. Louis is unveiling a new visual identity and an enhanced effort to communicate its important contributions in the areas of education, research and patient care to key internal and external audiences.

Andrew Knight has been named executive director of WashU’s George and Carol Bauer Leaders Academy and senior advisor to the chancellor for leadership.