
McDonnell Academy Annual Highlights
Strength from adversity
A snapshot of McDonnell Academy impact for the year
After two years of a global pandemic, geopolitical tensions, and other challenges for international education, the McDonnell International Scholars Academy has emerged strong. The number of students applying to the McDonnell Academy has quadrupled, the diversity of Scholars has increased, our alumni have remained engaged and new research initiatives have strengthened our international partnerships.
Why should you become a McDonnell Scholar?
The McDonnell International Scholars Academy provides the network with which Washington University in St. Louis incubates new ideas and mentors future leaders. Through our partnerships, we lead groundbreaking research projects and prepare our Scholars to be effective leaders in a global community.
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Visionaries for the Future
Our Scholars
Scholars are selected on the basis of their promise to become future leaders in academia, government, the professions, or the corporate world. The Academy provides academic, cultural, and social opportunities to help Scholars develop into future leaders knowledgeable about the world and critical international issues.
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The ringside view of policymaking that was afforded to me during the (cohort) trip allowed me to appreciate the particular challenges encountered while solving real-world problems.
Ganesh Chelluboyina McDonnell Scholar | Indian Institute of Technology Bombay
Scholar Highlight
Our Ambassadors
A special feature of the McDonnell Academy is that each Scholar has a mentor. Each mentor also serves as an ambassador.
The Ambassadors are distinguished faculty who
serve as mentors to Scholars and are charged with strengthening collaboration with our partner universities. Collaborative efforts engage WashU faculty and students, and those of the partner universities, activities that enhance scholarship and international understanding.

I am energized by the global partnerships in engineering and public health that take up the challenges we all face jointly. I am grateful to the McDonnell Academy for catalyzing these and enabling local partners to have global impact.
Guy Genin Harold and Kathleen Faught Professor of Mechanical Engineering, McKelvey School of Engineering, and McDonnell Ambassador, Xi’an Jiaotong University
See what we’ve been up to for over 15 years.
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The Latest in Events & News

Spotlight
Reaffirming the intrinsic value of our international community.
Chancellor Andrew Martin
Members of our WashU community who come to us from around the world play a vital role in making the university the exceptional institution it is today.