UMSL earns renewed Carnegie Community Engagement Classification
Members of the University of Missouri–St. Louis community share a deep commitment to strengthening the St. Louis region and beyond through education, scholarship and service that positively impacts the lives of people in the wider community. The American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching have reaffirmed UMSL’s success toward that end by recognizing it with the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification. UMSL was one of 237 U.S. colleges and universities to receive the elective designation, which is meant to highlight an institution’s commitment to community engagement, during the latest cycle in January.
UMSL receives more than $1 million federal investment to establish API Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Hub
In partnership with the API Innovation Center, UMSL has received more than $1 million in federal funding to support the launch and advancement of the API Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Hub on UMSL’s campus. The initiative is designed to strengthen domestic production of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and finished drug products (FDPs) through cutting-edge continuous flow manufacturing technologies. The API Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Hub will help address vulnerabilities in the supply chain for pharmaceuticals in the United States by advancing innovative, scalable manufacturing methods that reduce costs, increase efficiency and enhance supply chain resilience. It will also help support upgrades to advanced analytical instrumentation essential for API research and process validation. Congressman Wesley Bell led the effort in Washington to secure the funding through the FY26 Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Act under the National Institute of Standards and Technology Scientific and Technical Research and Services account within the U.S. Department of Commerce.
“I’m proud to have secured federal funding for the University of Missouri–St. Louis for the launch of the API Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Hub,” Bell said. “These funds will promote safe pharmaceutical practices and advancements in public health, and I will continue to fight in Congress to uplift future generations of leaders through investments in higher education.”
UMSL announces new Leadership Institute to support emerging and established leaders throughout the region
The University of Missouri–St. Louis is launching a Leadership Institute that will serve as a regional center for leadership development, civic engagement and executive education, preparing emerging and established leaders to drive organizational performance and community impact. In partnership with academic colleges and third-party experts, the new institute will deliver evidence-based leadership programs, certificates and experiential learning pathways. Led by Reggie Hill, UMSL’s vice chancellor for strategic enrollment and career advancement, it will help prepare emerging and established leaders to drive organizational performance and community impact through evidence-based leadership instruction. Existing leadership programs such as the St. Louis Coro Fellows Program, the NextGen Leadership Program and other programs developed as part of UMSL’s ongoing partnership with FOCUS St. Louis will all be housed in the institute.
UMSL Athletes in the Spotlight
Junior Justice Beard joined former men’s golfer Joel Sylven and the 1973 men’s soccer team as the only national champions in UMSL history when she won three individual titles at the NCAA Division II Swimming and Diving Championships in March. Beard, a native of Paducah, Kentucky, who is majoring in biology with plans to become a veterinarian, took first in the 500-, 1,000- and 1,650-yard freestyle races, establishing new school records in each event. She had finished in the top five in each race as a sophomore and entered this year’s national meet with the top seed time in all three events, but the performance still exceeded what she or Coach Tony Hernandez were expecting. “We were confident after last year of what she could do in the mile,” Hernandez says. “A lot of times the mile and 1,000 go hand-in-hand. But being able to do what she did in the 500 freestyle was a big surprise. It wasn’t something I would have bet on. The goal was just one. Getting three was incredible.” Beard also earned honorable mention All-American honors in the 200-yard freestyle and as a member of the 200- and 400-yard freestyle relay teams. Hernandez believes she can challenge some national records next season in her final year of eligibility.
