Great Work

Long a beloved spot for intramural sports, pickup Frisbee and campus traditions such as the Activities Fair, Mudd Field soon will be lined by dozens of shade trees and will feature a new “social green,” a shady retreat for students to swing on hammocks and relax between classes. A new pathway will connect the north and south sides of campus.

WashU’s Chief Information Officer and Vice Chancellor for Technology, Jessie Minton, recently was named the 2024 Orbie award winner in the Large Enterprise category by the Inspire Leadership Network. The organization, which has recognized excellence in technology leadership since 1998, honors chief information officers who drive innovation and transform their region through their demonstrated excellence.

The Charles F. Knight Center was honored as Venue of the Year at the 2024 MPI Circle of Excellence Awards. The Meeting Professionals International Circle of Excellence Awards annually awards one local venue with Venue of the Year for their exceptional meeting and event spaces, hospitality, food, and service. The Knight Center is an International Association of Conference Centers (IACC) Certified Venue.

The League of American Bicyclists, the premier grassroots advocacy organization encouraging better bicycling and protecting the rights of people who bike, has honored WashU’s Danforth Campus with a Gold-level Bicycle Friendly University award in recognition of the institution’s achievements in promoting and enabling safe, accessible bicycling on campus.

Level III arboreta must have at least 500 distinct species of trees; WashU has approximately 750, including 140 of the 150 species native to Missouri. In total, WashU is home to roughly 6,500 trees — 2,000 more trees than just five years ago. To qualify for Level 3, arboreta must meet multiple criteria, such as offering substantial educational programming, collaborating with others and sharing data. WashU’s arboretum is one of 48 recognized as Level III across the world.

For the second straight year, WashU has won the Citizens for Modern Transit College Transit Challenge. The annual competition encourages students, staff and faculty from local colleges to log their rides on MetroLink and Metro buses for bragging rights and the College Transit Trophy.

Carla Bailey, director of learning and development for Human Resources at WashU, has been named one of Women We Admire’s “Top 50 Women Leaders of St. Louis for 2024” for her development and delivery of leadership and team-building programs and workshops.

WashU received a Silver 2023 Nutrition Award in the category of Most Innovative Wellness & Nutrition Program.

The Washington University Police Department (WUPD) has completed training through the nonprofit KultureCity to recognize and support people experiencing sensory overload situations during police interactions.

The east end project on the Danforth Campus at Washington University in St. Louis has received the 2023 American Institute of Architects Regional & Urban Design Award.