Office of Socially Engaged Practice
The Sam Fox School’s Office for Socially Engaged Practice connects students and faculty to communities in St. Louis and beyond to collaborate on meaningful projects in art, architecture, and design. These collaborations allow students to experience St. Louis beyond the WashU campus while supporting education, innovation, and more in our community.
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 […]
Scholar Profile: Zach Zheng
Zack Zheng Scholar Profile Zhiling “Zach” Zheng is an assistant professor of chemistry and principal investigator of the Deep Synthesis Lab, a research team integrating AI with synthetic chemistry to accelerate the discovery of framework materials. Zheng’s interest in chemistry began early. As a middle school student, he was fascinated by crystallization – a process […]
Environmental Research & Creativity Week 2026
February 23-27, 2026 Environmental Research and Creativity Week 2026 was the culmination of months of hard work and collaboration with all of our partners. The week was a vibrant showcase of our community’s ingenuity and collaboration that sparked connections that will last well beyond the event. Across five days, the week featured fifteen events, highlighted […]