The Center for the Environment is organized around four interconnected research themes and one foundational, cross-cutting theme. The most complex environmental challenges and the most exciting research needs are at the intersections of these themes.
Research themes
Addressing societal challenges
We are 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.
Summer Undergraduate Research
At WashU, undergraduate students have the opportunity to spend the summer conducting research alongside principal investigators, graduate students, and peers – working to address environmental challenges in an interdisciplinary cohort.
Research Facilities
WashU has a variety of available research facilities. Find out how they might support your work.
Featured research & stories
Electrochemical method supports nitrogen circular economy
Imagine a world where industrial waste isn’t just reduced, it’s turned into something useful.
What makes a 1-in-1000-year storm, really?
Thunderstorms that swept the central US in 2022 were unprecedented, but their extreme precipitation may not be that rare — especially with global warming
Sustainable solutions
WashU EnviroCorps members combine environmental stewardship, social impact