Bauer Hall classrooms
Black alumni and faculty don’t just shape WashU — they shape the world. These breakout sessions put that work front and center, exploring how our community is meeting some of today’s biggest challenges head-on. Come ready to connect, reflect, and leave fired up.
October 10, 2026 — 11:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
1. Our Health, Our Healing
Room: 130-Guller
- Moderator, Malcolm S. Townes
- Bettina Drake
- Lannis Hall, MD
- Adetunji Toriola, MD
2. Healthy Communities, Thriving Futures
Room: 150-Zimring
- Moderator, Sean Joe
- Stephanie Baker, AB ’00, MSPT ’02
- Andwele Jolly, AB ’02, DPT ’05
- Montrece McNeill Ransom
3. Breaking Barriers, Building Bridges
Room: 210-McGinnis
- Moderator, Joshua M. Walehwa
- Ronné Turner
4. Our Ancestors’ Wildest Dreams: Creating in the Age of AI
Room: 330-Active Learning Lab
- Moderator, Kylia Combs, BSBA ’07
- Jeff Gamble, MS ’15, PhD ’17
- Ndidi Oteh, AB ’04
- Andrew Witt
Sessions and guest speakers
For generations, Black alumni and faculty have redefined what compassionate care looks like. This facilitated conversation brings that legacy to life, with leaders in medicine sharing how they’re advancing healthier lives through bold patient care, groundbreaking research, and innovation that doesn’t wait.
moderator and panelists
Moderator
Malcolm S. Townes
Director of technology development for the WashU Office of Technology Management/
Technology Transfer
Adetunji Toriola, MD
Professor of surgery in the Division of Public Health Sciences, Department of Surgery at WashU Medicine
William H. Danforth Washington University Physician-Scientist Scholar
Bettina Drake
Michael F. Neidorff Professor in the Division of Public Health Sciences at WashU Medicine
Associate director of community outreach and engagement for Siteman Cancer Center
Lannis Hall, MD
Director of radiation oncology at the Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hospital
Professor of clinical radiation oncology at WashU Medicine
Health doesn’t start in a hospital. It starts on our blocks, in our homes, and in our neighborhoods. This session gathers alumni and faculty working at the front lines of public health, health equity, and community wellness to dig into what it really takes to help communities flourish, and the role each of us plays in getting them there.
moderator and panelists
Moderator
Sean Joe
Benjamin E. Youngdahl Professor of Social Development at WashU Brown School
Stephanie Baker,
AB ’00, MSPT ’02
Associate professor and chair of the public health studies department at Elon University
Andwele Jolly,
AB ’02, DPT ’05
President and CEO of the
St. Louis Integrated
Health Network
Montrece McNeill Ransom
Executive director of the Cordell Institute for Policy in Medicine & Law at WashU Law
Access is at the heart of the WashU experience, and Black alumni have always been the ones holding the door open for those coming up behind them. This session opens with a look at the university’s ongoing commitment to access, then moves into what Black alumni do best: mentor, connect, and pass it forward. The highlight is the Mentorship Lightning Round: fast, real, generation-bridging conversations that spark connections built to outlast the weekend.
moderator and panelists
Moderator
Joshua M. Walehwa
Special advisor to the executive vice chancellor & chief operating officer at WashU
Ronné Turner
Vice provost of enrollment management
We are, quite literally, our ancestors’ wildest dreams, and now we’re building the future with tools they never imagined. What does it mean to create, lead, and build community in the age of AI? You’ll leave this session with a clearer sense of how to lead with purpose, not just keep up.
moderator and panelists
Moderator
Kylia Combs, BSBA ’07
Founder of TheBuildCo.
Jeff Gamble, MS ’15, PhD ’17
Founder and COO
of Rezilient Health
Ndidi Oteh, AB ’04
CEO of Accenture Song
Andrew Witt
Kavita and Krishna Bharat Professor at Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts/McKelvey School of Engineering