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
101
Center scholars
7
Proposals/Grants supported
500+
Activity participants
115
Journal articles published
Jan-June 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
Frachetti receives $2.4 million to study resilience in Asia-Pacific region
WashU has received a three-year $2.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Defense to study societal resilience — how a society recovers from major shocks like the tsunami in Indonesia — in the Asia-Pacific region.
A year in the life of a Pathfinder Fellow: Journey to Madagascar
Elizabeth Swords’ second year as a Pathfinder Fellow involved lessons on environmental modernism and a 22-day trip to Madagascar, where she conducted a research project in partnership with the Missouri Botanical Garden.
Water Innovation Symposium highlights advances in water research
Annual event fosters connections between faculty, students and industry professionals.
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
Underwater caves reveal Sicily’s ancient secrets of human migration
WashU researchers are exploring underwater caves to gain new insights into the early human migration to Sicily, the largest Mediterranean island.
Why a bird flu case in Missouri is worrying experts
It’s more evidence that H5N1 is evolving to infect humans. Steven J. Lawrence, an infectious-disease professor at WashU School of Medicine, shares his insights.
Federal grants bring 32 electric vehicle chargers to Delmar Loop
Heather Navarro, the director with the Midwest Climate Collaborative, talks about the importance of accessible electric vehicle chargers.