Gerry and Bob Virgil Ethic of Service Award

2017 Ethic of Service award recipients with Gerry and Bob Virgil

Founded during Washington University in St. Louis’ Sesquicentennial year, the Gerry and Bob Virgil Ethic of Service Award is an annual award recognizing a select group of WashU community members who exemplify a character of service and contribution to the St. Louis region.

Any member of the WashU community, past or current, who resides in and serves the St. Louis community is eligible to receive the award. This includes students, faculty, staff, alumni, retirees, and volunteers of the university.

2018 marks the fifteenth anniversary of the award. On April 17, we recognized the work of this year’s seven outstanding honorees at a ceremony and private dinner. Watch a special anniversary video and read about our 2018 honorees below.

2018 Honorees

Adis Terzic

Bachelor of Arts, Anthropology and Economics, College of Arts & Sciences, 2019

Adis Terzic understands the importance of open conversation in promoting a welcoming …

Christine Berg

Associate Professor, Washington University School of Medicine - Program in Occupational Therapy

Christine Berg leads the Program in Occupational Therapy in its Community-Engaged Teaching …

Ramesh K. Agarwal

William Palm Professor of Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science

Ramesh Agarwal has devoted most of his career to nurturing, mentoring, guiding, and looking …

Risa Zwerling

Four-year Academic Advisor, College of Arts and Sciences; PMBA, 1989, Olin Business School

Risa Zwerling has served the Washington University and St. Louis community in a wide variety of …

Sarah C. R. Elgin

Viktor Hamburger Professor of Arts & Sciences; Professor of Biology, Genetics, Education

Sally Elgin is the kind of person who identifies problems and fixes them in permanent ways so …

Sarah Garwood

Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine

Sarah Garwood is an outstanding leader in community adolescent medicine. As an Associate …

Xiefangzheng “Will” Sun

Bachelor of Science, Architecture, Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts, 2018

Through his dedication to relationships and commitment to making our world a better place, Will …

A NOTE TO STUDENT NOMINATORS

We welcome and encourage nominations from students, whether you are nominating a peer, a recent graduate, faculty, or staff. This award recognizes 5-7 members of the WU community each year, and since 2004 at least one student has been recognized annually.

Please take the time to write a thorough nomination to help the committee understand your nominee fully. You may choose to collaborate with one or more other nominator(s) to write an even stronger nomination. Past student honorees can tell you how much the award means to them, and it wouldn't be possible without nominators bringing them forward!

Characteristics of Award Honorees

The award committee anticipates a broad range of nominations that define service to community in many different ways. While the committee is not looking for a specific type of community involvement, characteristics of award honorees might include one or more of the following:

Shows compassion for others
Exudes passion for a social, cultural or economic issue
Creates positive impact on the St. Louis community
Considers service to the community to be a way of life
Goes above and beyond professional responsibilities in their service to St. Louis
Is dedicated to serving others
Demonstrates selflessness
Positively influences other’s perceptions of St. Louis
Believes in the St. Louis region
Inspires compassion and action in others

For More Information

Learn more about Gerry and Bob Virgil
Read “A Truly Extraordinary Couple” in Washington Magazine
View a list of all past honorees, dating back to 2004.
If you have questions about the award and/or nomination process, please contact Stephanie Kurtzman, Peter G. Sortino Director of the Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement.