The Center for the Environment is an interdisciplinary hub of environmental research that is committed to generating transformative solutions to our deepest societal challenges including: climate change, air pollution, access to clean water, food insecurity, biodiversity loss and infectious diseases.
2025 Environmental Research and Creativity Week
By the numbers
111
Center scholars
21
Proposals/Grants supported
500+
Activity participants
181
Journal articles published
Jan-Oct 2024
The Center’s mission
The center serves as a cross-cutting collaboration hub, encouraging partners, faculty and students to advance research projects in areas including biodiversity, environmental justice, planetary health, environmental solutions, and climate change. Here’s a closer look at who we are, what we do, and why it matters for our community, our region and our world.
Featured research & stories
Researchers to develop energy-efficient process to convert waste gases into biofuel
Engineers at Washington University in St. Louis will be working to improve energy efficiency in production of that useful gas thanks to a $2.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).
Nothin’ but pawpaws in the pawpaw patch
Pawpaw fruits — the largest native fruits in North America — have become popular among foragers and foodies alike, with their custard-like texture and a sweet flavor often described as a cross between a mango and a banana.
Halting hidden hunger
Can improved nutrition during pregnancy help prevent stunted growth in children around the world? With partners in Ecuador, Lora Iannotti studies the effects of maternal diet on infant brain development.
The WashU ecosystem
Within the WashU ecosystem of environmental research, education, and practice, the Center for the Environment serves as a connector. Much like a biodiversity corridor, we work to create space where our partners within the ecosystem and across distinct disciplines come together to address our world’s biggest environmental challenges.
In the news
Will we change to daylight saving time this year or will this be the last time? What to know
President Trump has said daylight saving time is ‘inconvenient’ and ‘costly’
Negative Health Outcomes From Wildfire Smoke Plumes are Investigated at WashU After New Discovery
To conduct a comprehensive analysis of what makes up wildfire smoke plumes, Rajan Chakrabarty’s team spent 45 days in wildfire locations in the western United States where they sampled gaseous smoke and aerosol species and analyzed their chemical and optical properties.
‘Snow mold’ to wreak havoc on St. Louis allergies, expert warns
Rising temperatures and heaps of remaining snow and ice create the perfect growing conditions for a pesky allergen.
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