What is the function of a university? They not only instruct students and offer research centers for academics but can also be an essential component of a local community. WashU faculty members, learners, and administrators address the changing role of a college during a campus visit. Speakers share efforts to enhance opportunities for local pupils, strengthen the regional economy, reach out to adult learners, and tackle health care requirements. Their initiatives are part of WashU’s In St. Louis For St. Louis program, a comprehensive commitment that leverages the university’s capabilities as an economic cornerstone, global talent attractor, and pioneer in research, education, and patient care to foster genuine, enduring impact and opportunities in St. Louis and beyond.
When: 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, May 30
Where: Sumers Welcome Center, WashU
Directions: Diane Toroian Keaggy, senior news director for campus & community, and Dacoda Scarlett, associate director for rural recruitment, will guide guests from the Union Station Metrolink Station departing at 4:46 p.m. on the Blue Line to the Skinker Station. Tickets provided. Alternatively, utilize a rideshare to Sumers Welcome Center, 1 Wrighton Way Washington.
Contact: 314-974-4238 or [email protected]
Enhancing opportunities for local learners
Mason Shaver
Mason Shaver, a native of St. Louis, is an advancing senior at WashU and a QuestBridge scholar majoring in political science and educational studies. During his high school years, Shaver participated in WashU’s complimentary College Prep Program aimed at gifted, low-income students. He currently functions as a College Prep program assistant, guiding the upcoming generation through the college search and financial aid systems. Shaver intends to pursue a career in law and is a participant in Yale Law School’s Launchpad Scholars Program, which aims to widen access to the legal field.
College Prep Program
The College Prep Program (CPP) is an enriching four-year endeavor designed to equip gifted first-generation, low-income high school students from the St. Louis area for success in higher education. CPP scholars engage in college-level courses, prepare for the ACT, explore financial aid options, and visit regional universities and cultural centers. Launched in 2014, CPP recently celebrated the graduation of its ninth cohort. Ten out of the cohort’s 36 members will be attending WashU this fall, collectively receiving $820,000 in university assistance. Other alumni have received admissions offers from the University of Pennsylvania, Louisiana State University, Saint Louis University, and more than 60 state and private universities, community colleges, and historically Black colleges and universities.
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Ten College Prep Program grads secure spots at WashU with $820,000 in aid
Each CPP participant is paired with a mentor from Undergraduate Admissions, who aids them in navigating the often perplexing college search and financial aid process.
This initiative was established by the then-Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton, who aimed to help mitigate the significant disparities in college completion rates in the St. Louis area.
Dacoda Scarlett
Dacoda Scarlett serves as the first associate director for rural recruitment at WashU Undergraduate Admissions. He and his team manage the recruitment and enrollment of rural students, inform rural communities about the college admission procedures, and coordinate fly-in programs for rural high schoolers, their families, and counselors. Originally from the small town of Clever, Mo., Scarlett obtained both his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Missouri State University in Springfield, Mo. He is presently pursuing a PhD in higher education administration from Saint Louis University.
Heartland Initiative
The Heartland Initiative is focused on serving students from rural and small-town backgrounds throughout Missouri and southern Illinois. Since 2022, WashU has increased outreach to rural high schools, created new programs to familiarize counselors with the university, and engaged current WashU students from rural backgrounds to act as ambassadors and mentors. Moreover, WashU has launched the Rural Scholars Academy, a complimentary, week-long summer program aimed at introducing talented rising juniors residing in Missouri and southern Illinois to life at WashU and within St. Louis. Additionally, WashU is a founding member of the STARS College Network, a nationwide effort to support students from small towns and rural areas in the enrollment, success, and graduation of the undergraduate program they choose.
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Paving a path to WashU for rural students
WashU has initiated two major financial assistance programs to enhance affordability, particularly for rural students. The WashU Pledge offers admitted lower-income students from Missouri and southern Illinois a complimentary education at WashU—covering tuition, meals, books, and fees. Furthermore, there exists a no-loan financial aid policy that allows students to graduate without debt.
Rural student surprised with a WashU Pledge scholarship
In 2023, Angela Chen became a member of the inaugural class of the WashU Rural Scholars Academy, a free program that exposes talented high schoolers to all that WashU and St. Louis have in store. This fall, she is set to return—this time as a first-year student on a full-ride scholarship.
Enhancing community health
Bettina F. Drake
Bettina Drake holds the position of Michael F. Neidorff Professor of Surgery at WashU Medicine; serves as assistant vice provost for community-engaged research, and is the associate director of community outreach and engagement at the Siteman Cancer Center.
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Confluence Collaborative for Community-Involved Research, Education & Practice
As a cancer epidemiologist, Drake aims to comprehend health disparities and pinpoint cancer prevention tactics that mitigate racial and ethnic inequalities in cancer treatment while employing community-engaged approaches to distribute evidence-supported interventions for fostering health equality. In the role of director of the Confluence Collaborative for Community-Involved Research, Education & Practice, Drake endeavors to enhance and promote WashU’s efforts in community-engaged scholarship.
The Confluence Collaborative for Community-Involved Research, Education & Practice
The Confluence Collaborative for Community-Involved Research, Education & Practice encourages collaboration between WashU and St. Louis communities to develop sustainable,
community-centered partnerships that address locally identified needs and further academic and research excellence. To achieve this, the Confluence Collaborative serves as a bridge between community members and WashU faculty; offers training and advice on forming effective community partnerships; collaborates with faculty-partner teams to design community-engaged courses and research initiatives, and aids in the creation and execution of community-engaged research. Furthermore, the Confluence Collaborative generates capacity-building prospects for non-profit organizations and evaluates the public impact of WashU’s community-engaged scholarship agenda.
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A preliminary study demonstrated that the prenatal care group could aid in lowering preterm births and enhancing mental well-being, the primary cause of pregnancy-related mortality in the St. Louis area.
Morven McLean
Morven McLean is the executive director of networks & innovation and a professor of practice in the School of Public Health, as well as the founding director of WashU’s Food and Agriculture Research Mission (FARM) at the newly established School of Public Health. An agricultural scientist with over 25 years of experience, McLean has committed her career to constructing and executing applied agricultural research and capacity-building programs that tackle scientific, regulatory, and trade concerns related to agricultural innovation and food security. Previously, she held the position of director of global strategy, regulatory, and public affairs at Gates Agricultural Innovations (Gates Ag One), a division of the Gates Foundation.
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WashU initiates FARM to facilitate food system transformation
WashU is launching the Food and Agriculture Research Mission (FARM), a bold initiative aimed at tackling challenges in agricultural production, food distribution, and access to healthy foods by developing actionable, scalable solutions for global influence.
Welcome to WashU School of Public Health
WashU’s first new school in a century, the School of Public Health is committed to addressing current and future challenges in public health both locally in St. Louis and globally.
Creating pathways for local workers
Asquith “Sean” Armstrong
Asquith “Sean” Armstrong is the dean of the School of Continuing & Professional Studies, the university’s division for professional and continuing education. Throughout his tenure, he has concentrated on creating new pathways for economic advancement and career progression for St. Louis residents. Before joining WashU in 2021, Armstrong was the executive director for continuing education at the University of Central Florida in Orlando. He is, himself, a product of the continuing education system at UMass Dartmouth.
WashU Continuing & Professional Studies
The WashU Continuing & Professional Studies offers flexible, targeted, and attainable degrees, certificates, and programs to adult learners. CAPS has recently initiated new offerings in the in-demand, rapidly expanding fields of data, health care, and management. CAPS has also forged partnerships with local nonprofits to prepare students for careers as lab technicians, bioscience workers, nurses, and educators. Furthermore, CAPS oversees the transformative Prison Education Project and EMPOWER, which assists English-language learners in developing the professional skills necessary to thrive in health care and other high-demand sectors.
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PEP was established in 2014 at the Missouri Eastern Correctional Center (MECC), a men’s facility in Pacific, Mo. Over the last ten years, the project has engaged over 100 WashU faculty to teach courses, awarded more than 50 degrees, and witnessed over 30 alumni return home to the St. Louis area.
CAPS initiates new program for lab technicians
The accelerated 16-week program is tailored for working adults with online and evening classes. Grants are accessible to cover the complete tuition for eligible students.
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