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.
By the numbers
134
Center scholars
46
Proposals/Grants supported
1000+
Activity participants
228
Journal articles published
in Jan-June 2025
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.
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Featured research & stories
Scholar Profile: Rachel Penczykowski
Associate Professor of Biology Dr. Rachel Penczykowski knew early on that she was drawn to science. Over time, her interest narrowed—first to biology, then ecology. One upper-level parasitology course changed her trajectory. A guest lecture on environmental conditions shaping host–parasite interactions was, as she describes it, a “life-changing light bulb moment.” In that lecture, she […]
What gives you hope?
In our Public Health Ideas series, Dean Sandro Galea engages experts in public health, from near and far, in conversations ranging from one-on-one recorded talks, to fireside chats, to panel discussions.
EV Charging Depot a milestone for WashU sustainability commitment
Hidden within a seemingly ordinary warehouse on WashU’s North Campus lies a cutting-edge electric vehicle (EV) charging depot, designed specifically for WashU’s growing fleet of EVs.
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
WashU’s tick hunter is tracking and investigating the threat of ticks to human health
It’s officially tick season and tick-borne diseases are on the rise in the United States.
Anthrax‑causing bacteria have dwelled in soil for centuries – cycling through people, animals and earth
The bacteria that cause deadly anthrax disease persist in the earth, a place their ancestors preferred over petri dishes and blood-filled tissues.
First Alert Forward: How St. Louis’ plant science industry attracts business and innovation to the region
Why one genetics startup made the move from the West Coast
