Jeffrey T. Fort
Robert S. Brookings Award
Jeffrey Fort is a philanthropist and businessman, award-winning photojournalist, and steadfast WashU supporter. His transformative support of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has advanced research in neuroscience and the visual sciences in life-changing ways. His generosity enables WashU physicians and scientists to accelerate their discovery of novel treatments for diseases that previously were considered incurable.
Fort’s giving is deeply personal. A former patient of WashU ophthalmologists, he strongly believes in giving back to those who helped him in his time of need. Thus, at the invitation of Michael Kass, MD, the Bernard Becker Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, he established the Jeffrey T. Fort Innovation Fund within the John F. Hardesty, MD, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences in 2011. Led by principal investigator Raj Apte, MD, PhD, the Paul A. Cibis Distinguished Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Fort’s generous investment funds research to understand how inflammation and neurodegeneration can cause diverse eye diseases that affect millions of people worldwide. In 2023, he made an additional transformational gift to significantly enhance the impact of the Fort Innovation Fund in order to accelerate the research essential to developing novel therapies to prevent or treat vision loss. Fort also extended his support by establishing the Jacquelyn E. and Allan E. Kolker, MD, Distinguished Professorship in Ophthalmology and Visual Science, a position currently held by noted glaucoma specialist Carla Siegfried, MD.
Fort’s philanthropic relationship with the School of Medicine’s Department of Neurosurgery began after receiving lifesaving care for a rare vascular abnormality in the brain in 2017. In 2019, he established the Margery Campbell Fort Professorship in Neurological Surgery, named in memory of his mother and first held by the late Tae Sung (T.S.) Park, MD, an internationally renowned pediatric neurosurgeon who led pioneering work to improve neurosurgical procedures for children. In 2024, the university named the Jeffrey T. Fort Neuroscience Research Building in his honor, a new state-of-the-art facility that opened on the Medical Campus in 2024. One of the world’s largest neuroscience research buildings, it offers advanced labs and collaborative spaces for studying the brain and developing new treatments for neurological and psychiatric diseases.
Fort is the retired co-owner and co-founder of Motive Creative, a Los Angeles-based digital production facility that specializes in theatrical trailers and media campaigns. He currently serves as an honorary trustee at the St. Louis Art Museum. In 2017, he received the Second Century Award from the School of Medicine for his long-term commitment to helping the school enter its second century with strength and confidence. He earned his bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Miami.
Roy and Diana Vagelos
Robert S. Brookings Award
The Vageloses are pioneers of scientific discovery, innovation, and service-oriented leadership. Through their generosity, they have elevated the caliber of Washington University’s life sciences curriculum.
Roy is an internationally renowned physician-scientist who started his career at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), where he began his influential research on lipid metabolism. Then, from 1966-75, he served as head of the Department of Biological Chemistry at WashU. He left academia to join Merck & Co. Inc., first as senior vice president for research and then as CEO and chairman. There, he led scientific efforts to develop two statin drugs for cardiovascular health and, as a visionary corporate leader, advocated to establish a pioneering drug donation program that made treatments for river blindness freely available to people in Yemen and nearly 50 countries across Africa and Latin America.
Diana is a philanthropic and community leader who has served organizations across higher education, the health and life sciences, and culture and the arts. She currently is vice chair of the Board of Trustees at her alma mater, Barnard College; is the co-founder of the Women’s Association of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center; and is a member of Columbia University’s Women’s Health Care Council.
Together, Roy and Diana have been instrumental in strengthening life science research and interdisciplinary education at WashU. The story of their impact begins with Roy’s tenure at the university. As a faculty leader, he was instrumental in recruiting a cohort of Black medical students from historically Black colleges and universities to diversify the student body and advance racial equity in health care. He also founded two pioneering programs. The Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) combined elements of the MD and PhD programs into a rigorous curriculum for future physician-scientists, and the Division of Biology & Biomedical Sciences (DBBS) program united the study of basic science across the Medical and Danforth Campuses, serving as an educational model emulated by top biomedical centers, including the National Institutes of Health.
In 2021, the couple further enhanced this legacy by making a generous gift to the DBBS program in honor of William H. Danforth, who served as WashU’s 13th chancellor from 1971-95. Their investment funds graduate student fellowships, particularly in novel research areas, and bolsters undergraduate programming. In recognition of their generosity, the university renamed DBBS the Roy and Diana Vagelos Division of Biology & Biomedical Sciences. The Vageloses also made a gift in honor of Bill Danforth in 2015, endowing the William H. Danforth Plant Science Fellow to support outstanding doctoral students whose research demonstrates promise for advancing plant science. Roy served on the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center’s board from its founding in 1998 until 2014. In 2002, the couple established the Roy and Diana Vagelos Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, also in honor of Danforth.
Roy and Diana are esteemed members of the WashU and higher education communities, and they have been widely recognized for their generosity in paving the way for future generations of students. At Barnard College, the student center was renamed the Diana Center in honor of Mrs. Vagelos, and Columbia University’s Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons was named in the couple’s honor. In 2021, the college established the Diana Vagelos Professorship of Women’s Mental Health in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology to honor Diana for her generosity, leadership, and advocacy for women’s health programs. Roy has received honorary doctorates from numerous universities, including WashU in 1980.
Roy and Diana are the recipients of myriad professional and civic awards. In 2012, Diana received the Civic Spirit Award from the Women’s City Club of New York for her contributions to a variety of educational and cultural organizations. Roy was honored with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund’s National Equal Justice Award in 2018 and was appointed to the rank of Chevalier of the National Order of the Legion of Honor by France in 2021.
Roy completed a bachelor’s degree in chemistry at the University of Pennsylvania and earned his medical degree from Columbia University. Diana earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Barnard College.
Charles M. Baum, MD ’87, PhD ’87
Distinguished Alumni Award
Chief Executive Officer, Terremoto Biosciences
Charles Baum is an innovator in the field of oncology. In his current role as CEO of Terremoto Biosciences, he is focused on developing best-in-class therapies and medicines to bring highly effective medicines to people with devastating diseases. He has dedicated his entire career to advancing science that seeks to improve medical therapies at leading pharmaceutical companies including Pfizer Inc., Schering-Plough Research Institute Inc., and Mirati Therapeutics Inc., where he served as president, CEO, and board member from 2012-23.
Baum transformed Mirati into a precision oncology company, discovering and developing novel therapies targeting genetic drivers of cancer. During his tenure there, he oversaw many significant clinical trials and Federal Drug Administration approvals, including, most recently, the fast-tracked approval of an oral medication used to treat non-small-cell lung cancer. He has received major research funding from the National Institutes of Health and the American Cancer Society; published more than 50 peer-reviewed manuscripts; and holds academic positions at both Stanford University and Emory University.
Baum holds a strong appreciation for the education he received at WashU through the Medical Scientist Training (MSTP) Program. Today, he is a dedicated supporter of the university. He and his wife, Carol Baum, made a generous gift to create the Charles and Carol Baum Medical Scientist Training Program Fellowship. The fellowship provides financial support to MSTP trainees during their final two years of the program, as they are finishing medical school. It is designed to advance social, cultural, and economic diversity at WashU.
Baum earned his medical and doctoral degrees from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, followed by postgraduate training at Stanford University.
Jennifer A. Behr, BFA ’96
Distinguished Alumni Award
Founder and Creative Director, Jennifer Behr LLC
Jennifer Behr is an internationally acclaimed fashion designer and entrepreneur known for her sustainable business practices. Her eponymous luxury accessory brand is a favorite of numerous celebrities, including Lady Gaga, Oprah Winfrey, Jennifer Lawrence, and Taylor Swift. Behr’s unique pieces, including headbands and barrettes, are inspired by her sculpture and art history studies at WashU. As a businesswoman, she is intentional about offering fair wages, minimizing waste, and reducing her carbon footprint by sourcing materials locally and shipping orders from her Brooklyn studio.
Behr began her career as a designer at the beauty brand Frédéric Fekkai in New York in 2000, striking out on her own in 2005 to found Jennifer Behr LLC. She gained early endorsements from renowned fashion houses Bergdorf Goodman and Henri Bendel and has been featured in many fashion publications, including ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, and Vogue. In 2017, Behr expanded her brand to include a jewelry line while actively promoting long-lasting fashion and using vintage materials whenever possible.
Behr’s sustained commitment to WashU includes an active role in the fashion design program at the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts and hosting students on the Fashion Design Road Show. She has appeared on numerous alumni network event panels, has served on the Sam Fox School National Council since 2022, and has served on the Alumni Board of Governors since 2018, including as vice chair from 2021-23. Behr is a loyal scholarship supporter, and is committed to mentoring WashU students, providing internships, and hiring WashU alumni for her team. She was recognized with the Distinguished Alumni Award by the Sam Fox School in 2016.
She earned her bachelor’s degree in sculpture from WashU.
Russell S. Schwartz, AB ’77
Distinguished Alumni Award
Senior Vice President and Head, Original Programming Business Affairs, Starz
Russell Schwartz is a senior entertainment executive and general manager with in-depth experience in both the creative and business sides of the television industry. In his current role at Starz, he oversees all business deals and strategy related to original programming for its premium service.
He joined Starz in 2011, following several years as a principal with Briar Media, serving as a freelance television business consultant for clients such as ABC Network, ABC Studios, and several independent and startup companies. Prior to that, Schwartz enjoyed a 17-year career at HBO, where he led its Independent Productions division, overseeing major hits like Everybody Loves Raymond. He also oversaw the company’s expanding merchandising division, during which time HBO published companion books for popular shows like The Sopranos and Sex and the City, and ventured into clothing, food, and games. Prior to his tenure at HBO, he worked for the legendary television executive and producer Grant Tinker. He got his start in the entertainment world at CBS, following a cross-country move to Los Angeles from Chicago, where he began his career as a partner for a mid-sized corporate law firm.
Schwartz’s sustained commitment to WashU includes generous philanthropy and volunteer leadership. For nearly 30 years, he has served on the Los Angeles Regional Cabinet, of which he currently is vice chair, and as a member of the Arts & Sciences National Council. He has served as a guest lecturer for WashU Law, Olin Business School, and the Performing Arts Department in Arts & Sciences, as well as a panelist for WashU Entertainment Network (HollyWU) events, offering advice and counsel to numerous students and graduates over the years. He and his wife, Susan Goland, established a travel fund for the Performing Arts Department and support two annual scholarships and one endowed scholarship named for his beloved grandmother Ida Siwoff, a humanitarian who serves as a source of inspiration to Schwartz. They also generously contribute to the Annual Fund as members of the William Greenleaf Eliot Society.
Schwartz earned a bachelor’s degree in history from WashU and graduated from Cornell Law School. He received the Arts & Sciences Distinguished Alumni Award in 2002.
Bill Siedhoff, BS ’68, MSW ’73
Distinguished Alumni Award
Director of the Department of Human Services (Retired), City of St. Louis
Founder and Administrator, William F. Siedhoff Foundation
Bill Siedhoff has spent his life helping thousands of St. Louisans as a fierce advocate for the city’s most vulnerable residents, especially children and families.
Siedhoff’s civic service career began with the Missouri Division of Family Services, where he worked his way up to director of the 6,000-person agency. He was appointed director of the City of St. Louis Department of Human Services in 2001, and in 2005, spearheaded the city’s 10-Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness. This groundbreaking program emphasized providing permanent, supportive housing to the chronically unhoused. He established the William F. Siedhoff Foundation to focus on the needs of children and families in the city of St. Louis.
Siedhoff’s passion for educating students who aspire to work in civic service has translated into a generous estate commitment to the William F. Siedhoff Scholarship at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis. He continues to support annual scholarships awarded to students pursuing master’s degrees in social work or public health. He is an active volunteer for the university, serving as a member of the Brown School National Council since 2022 and as past co-chair of the school’s William Greenleaf Eliot Society membership committee. Recently, he joined the Danforth Circle committee of the Eliot Society.
Siedhoff graduated from WashU with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1968 and a Master of Social Work from the Brown School in 1973. He earned a certificate from the Program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government from Harvard University in 1982. He received the Gerry and Bob Virgil Ethic of Service Award in 2009 from the Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement and was honored with Distinguished Alumni Awards from the Brown School in 2006 and the College of Arts & Sciences in 2019.
Kelli P. Washington, BSBA ’94
Distinguished Alumni Award
Chief Investment Officer, The California Endowment
Kelli Washington is an investment management expert with more than 20 years of experience, particularly in the area of endowment and foundation portfolios. She is an influential and down-to-earth leader who inspires others in work and life. She credits her time at Olin Business School as the springboard for her professional success and is strongly invested in supporting Washington University and the success of current WashU students through scholarships and volunteer leadership.
Washington recently was named chief investment officer at The California Endowment, a nonprofit statewide foundation that seeks to improve equitable health care and health status for all Californians, irrespective of socioeconomic status. Previously, she spent eight years as the managing director of research and investment strategy at the Cleveland Clinic Investment Office, where her responsibilities included due diligence, monitoring portfolio asset allocation strategy, and maintaining the macroeconomic research function. She previously served as managing director of investments with Cambridge Associates. Prior to transitioning to a career in institutional asset management, Washington worked at Edward Jones Trust Company as a portfolio manager and senior analyst.
While a student at Olin, Washington served as a representative to the finance committee of Washington University’s Board of Trustees, an experience that drove home the importance of giving to the university. She joined the Alumni Board of Governors (ABG) in 2016, serving as chair from 2020-21, and joined the Board of Trustees from 2019-21. She continues her service as an emerita member of ABG and currently sits on the board of the Washington University Investment Management Co. (WUIMC). Washington has generously contributed to scholarships; served on the Cleveland Regional Cabinet; acted as a reunion chair; and was an ambassador for the inaugural Black Alumni Weekend in 2023, among other service roles.
Washington received the Olin Distinguished Alumni Award in 2021 and was named to Chief Investment Officer’s Class of 2019 NextGens. She earned her bachelor’s degree in business from WashU and graduated with a master’s degree in business administration from the Yale School of Management.
Leung Tung Peter Young, BS ’80
Distinguished Alumni Award
Chief Executive Officer, Chemcentral Group
Director of Sales Marketing, Scapa Scandia Taiwan Ltd.
Chief Executive Officer, Ming Yuan Chemicals Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd.
Peter Young is a pioneering entrepreneur who leveraged his strong technical training in chemical engineering, persistent work ethic, and ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds to build a globally successful company in Hong Kong in the early 1980s, just as China was opening for international business.
Known as Chemcentral Group, the company was the first paper and paper-processing agency in the country and has since become a global leader in the safe sale of chemical and paper-industry products, with additional ventures in real estate, consumer goods, and ecotourism. Prior to founding Chemcentral, Young worked as a materials and process engineer at Honeywell Aerospace, which specializes in innovations related to automation, aerospace technologies, and energy and sustainability solutions.
Young views his WashU education as foundational to his success and has paid forward his positive experience to successive generations of students, both through volunteer service and philanthropic support. His longtime service includes membership on the university’s International Regional Cabinet and the McKelvey Engineering National Council, where he has served since 2013, as well as on WashU’s Biomedical Engineering External Advisory Board, a role he has held since 2015. He also is a frequent reunion participant and co-chaired the 35th and 40th Class of 1980 Reunion committees.
Young also is a longtime advocate for international experiences for undergraduate students. For a decade, he and his wife, Lin Young, have supported the Biomedical Engineering International Study Abroad Program, enabling 10 student cohorts to explore real-life engineering applications in Hong Kong and China. In addition, the couple are loyal supporters of the Annual Fund and student scholarships. In recognition of their generosity to the McKelvey School of Engineering Annual Fund, the university named the gateway to the engineering campus outside Preston M. Green Hall the Young Archway.
In 2021, the Youngs made a significant gift to the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures in Arts & Sciences for “Global Qing and Its Legacies,” a multiyear project that explores the global impact of China’s Qing dynasty, spanning the mid-17th to 20th centuries, through curriculum development grants, collaborative research seed grants, a lecture series, and exhibitions and publications.
Young earned his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from McKelvey Engineering and received the school’s Alumni Achievement Award in 2017.
Robyn A. LeBoeuf, PhD
Distinguished Faculty Award
Joyce and Chauncy Buchheit Distinguished Professor in Marketing
Co-Vice Dean of Faculty and Research
Olin Business School
Robyn LeBoeuf is an award-winning educator and scholar who specializes in consumer behavior and decision-making. She spent 12 years as a faculty member in the marketing department at the University of Florida before joining Olin Business School as an associate professor in 2014. She was appointed Olin’s vice dean of faculty and research in 2022 and installed as the Joyce and Chauncy Buchheit Distinguished Professor in Marketing in 2023. In her role as vice dean of faculty and research, she helps to oversee faculty hiring, retention, and promotions, as well as other matters related to faculty development and school strategy.
LeBoeuf’s research explores how people make decisions, including decisions about what products they prefer, about how to spend and invest their money, and about which products to give others as gifts. Her research specifically explores the factors that bias or influence these decisions. For example, she has examined how estimates of quantity or price can be biased by incidental factors, such as the wording of questions, as well as how different ways of describing future time intervals can change how people perceive the future and evaluate future financial transactions.
LeBoeuf is a highly esteemed educator in the field of marketing. Her many honors include the 2018 Emerson Excellence in Teaching Award, sponsored by Emerson Electric Co. and allocated to exceptional educators across St. Louis. That same year, she was named to the Poets & Quants list of Top 50 Undergraduate Business Professors in the World.
Her scholarly endeavors also have received widespread recognition including the Hillel Einhorn New Investigator Award from the Society for Judgment and Decision Making, a recognition designed to encourage outstanding work by new researchers. Over the years since, she has been published in numerous respected psychology and marketing journals, and she currently serves as an associate editor of Management Science.
LeBoeuf earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology and statistics from American University and graduated with a master’s degree and doctorate, both in psychology, from Princeton University.
Robert D. Schreiber, PhD
Distinguished Faculty Award
Andrew M. and Jane M. Bursky Distinguished Professor, Department of Pathology & Immunology
Director, Andrew M. and Jane M. Bursky Center for Human Immunology & Immunotherapy Programs
Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
Co-Leader, Tumor Immunology Program, Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center
Robert Schreiber is a groundbreaking researcher whose discoveries have significantly advanced scientific understanding of the relationship between various cancers and the body’s immune system, contributing to novel therapies that leverage this immune response to treat cancer more effectively.
Schreiber’s scholarship investigates cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying immune responses to cancer. He and his team examine both the positive potential of the immune response to mitigate cancer and its capacity to respond in unhelpful ways that prolong disease. Through this work, Schreiber pioneered the concept of cancer immunoediting, which describes three potential cancer outcomes driven by the immune response: elimination, equilibrium, and escape. Today, Schreiber leads the field in the use of genomics to identify proteins unique to a patient’s tumor and, accordingly, to develop personalized vaccines against various cancer types.
Schreiber works tirelessly to translate his research findings into improved patient health. He has co-founded three biotech companies: Jounce Therapeutics Inc., Asher Biotherapeutics Inc., and Neon Therapeutics Inc., acquired by BioNTech in 2020. In addition, he serves as associate director of the Scientific Advisory Council for the nonprofit Cancer Research Institute and is co-editor-in-chief of the medical journal Cancer Immunology Research. His research has appeared in many other notable publications and peer-reviewed journals.
In 2008, Schreiber received WashU’s Carl and Gerty Cori Faculty Achievement Award as well as the School of Medicine’s Distinguished Investigator Award. He was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2010 and the U.S. National Academy of Sciences in 2013. Most recently, he was named the 2024 Senior Scientist Winner of the Innovators in Science Award in Immunology, awarded by the New York Academy of Science.
Schreiber graduated from State University of New York at Buffalo with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and a doctorate in biochemistry immunology. He conducted his postdoctoral training in molecular immunology at Scripps Research Institute.
Fred M. Ssewamala, MSW ’99, PhD ’03
Arthur Holly Compton Faculty Achievement Award
William E. Gordon Distinguished Professor
Founding Director, International Center for Child Health and Development
Faculty Fellow for Global Research Scholars Network, Office of the Provost
Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis
Fred Ssewamala is a global leader in the fields of social work and public health, with an outstanding record of pioneering research, dedicated teaching and mentorship, and administrative service to WashU.
Ssewamala joined WashU in 2017 from Columbia University, where he was a faculty member for 15 years. He is the founding director of the International Center for Child Health and Development (ICHAD), where he oversees a large group of field researchers conducting long-term studies designed to assess the impact of various economic and health interventions on the alleviation of poverty and the stigma of prevalent health conditions, such as HIV and mental illness. He and his team evaluate the effects of children’s incentivized savings program, financial literacy classes, and other tools for economic empowerment on physical and mental health, HIV-related outcomes, and educational attainment. Over the years, he has led over 20 federally funded research projects and changed the future for more than 70,000 children and their families.
Ssewamala’s work has been used to inform policy and programming in several sub-Saharan African countries, including the international DREAMS Project currently being implemented in more than 15 countries across the continent. The project seeks to reduce rates of HIV among adolescent girls and young women in the highest HIV-burden countries. Through his work with the SMART Africa Center, Ssewamala trains community health workers to address and destigmatize mental health issues in the region. He holds a joint appointment at WashU’s School of Medicine as a professor of infectious diseases. Ssewamala’s research has been published in numerous top public health journals. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare and a member of the American Public Health Association. He earned a bachelor’s degree with honors from Makerere University in Uganda, one of the most prestigious higher education institutions in the country. He went on to earn a master’s degree and doctorate in social work from WashU, concentrating his doctoral studies on social and economic development policy.
Christina A. Gurnett, MD, PhD
Carl and Gerty Cori Faculty Achievement Award
A. Ernest and Jane G. Stein Professor of Developmental Neurology
Director, Division of Pediatric and Developmental Neurology
Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
Chief of Neurology, St. Louis Children’s Hospital
Christina Gurnett champions collaboration across St. Louis Children’s Hospital, Washington University, and the broader medical community to improve health outcomes for children with rare diseases once considered unstoppable. Her work harnesses advances in genomics over the past decade, which have created unprecedented opportunities to develop new therapies that can mitigate developmental disabilities caused by these diseases affecting children and their families.
Gurnett joined Children’s Hospital and the School of Medicine in 2000, bringing with her a curiosity and passion for patient care. She is co-director of one of only 15 Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Centers in the U.S., as allocated by the NIH. Her research program focuses on understanding the genetic basis of musculoskeletal and neurological disorders, such as clubfoot and scoliosis. She and her team collaborate with Shriners Children’s Hospital on clinical and basic science studies, focusing on advancing scientific understanding of the origins of limb malformations and scoliosis.
Gurnett works closely with several rare disease patient advocacy groups. She also serves as the associate director of the Institute of Clinical and Translational Sciences at WashU, helping to foster a regional culture of innovation that efficiently translates observations in the lab into practical interventions benefiting human health.
Gurnett earned her bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Notre Dame, followed by medical and doctoral degrees both from the University of Iowa. She is consistently recognized as one of “The Best Doctors in America” by Best Doctors Inc. She is a proud WashU parent — her daughter Kathleen is currently a senior in Arts & Sciences.