Scholar Voices

Flavia Namuwonge has been honored with the Provost’s Graduate Student Research Excellence Award in recognition of her outstanding doctoral research. Namuwonge, a graduate of the McDonnell Academy’s partner, Makerere University, joined the McDonnell Academy in 2022. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Social Work in the Brown School at WashU. As the sole recipient […]

The McDonnell International Scholars Academy’s second Global Leadership Visions (GLV) series, held on November 12, 2025, showcased inspiring discussions on the intersection of leadership with sustainability, mental health, adaptability, and political courage. The event underscored the importance of effective leadership in addressing global challenges and fostering cross-cultural collaboration.

McDonnell Scholar Merve Ileri-Tayar has been selected as the winner of the 2025 Dean’s Award for Graduate Research Excellence! This prestigious award honors outstanding graduate research conducted over the past two years.

On Monday, October 13, 2025, the McDonnell International Scholars Academy hosted the first installment of its Global Leadership Visions Series, an enlightening assembly of thought leaders who share their perspectives on global challenges through the lens of leadership, their academic work, and their interests as a global citizens.

Larry Atakora-Amaniampong, a McDonnell Scholar and Biomedical Engineering PhD student in McKelvey School of Engineering at WashU, is spearheading a commendable initiative to donate teaching laboratory equipment from WashU’s Department of Biomedical Engineering to three under-resourced BME departments in Ghana.

Gun Yi Park, a 2024 McDonnell Scholar and PhD student in Energy, Environmental, and Chemical Engineering at WashU’s McKelvey School of Engineering, achieved significant recognition at the WashU Center for Water Innovation Research Symposium on September 8, 2025.

Through immersive experiences at iconic landmarks, esteemed cultural institutions, and the heart of the world’s financial hub, the Scholars gained invaluable insights. Explore the reflections and lessons learned from several McDonnell Scholars, who discovered new dimensions of leadership and community during the 2025 Cohort Trip to New York City.

McKelvey School of Engineering | February 13, 2025 Somtochukwu Okafor, McDonnell Scholar and biomedical engineering PhD student, in collaboration with Alexandra Rutz, assistant professor of biomedical engineering in the McKelvey School of Engineering, developed a technique to 3D print bioelectronic scaffolds that could help new tissue grow that could be used for drug development, environmental […]

Robert Kasumba, a 3rd-year McDonnell Scholar, is making a meaningful impact as a board member of the Harambee Center, a nonprofit fostering cultural exchange between East Africa and North America.

On November 9, 2024, the McDonnell Scholars brought the Global Food Science Experience to Saint Louis Science Center Sci-FEAST.