The Graduate Impact Forum is an initiative of the Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement to increase the knowledge and capacity of graduate and professional students to engage in civic action and dialogue, as well as network with other graduate and professional students around civic engagement. 

Would you like to become involved in planning Graduate student events? Join the Graduate Impact Forum Advisory Committee which plans, oversees, and implements all events. Would you or your group like to partner with us?

To get involved, email our Engage Democracy Fellows, Bethany Copeland, b.copeland@wustl.edu, and Eric Reiter, e.reiter@wustl.edu.

Upcoming Events

There are not currently any upcoming events scheduled. Please check back for new events to be added.

In the meantime, if you’d like to explore campus events, please visit Happenings at WashU.

While not required, RSVP’s assist our team in ordering enough food. Please consider filling out the form on the event page to reserve your spot if you are planning to attend.

Event History

  • Nov. 17, 2021. An Introduction to St. Louis Politics & Governance.
  • Feb. 28, 2022. Economic Development in St. Louis. In partnership with the Brown School, Rise, WePower, and St. Louis Mosaic.
  • April 4, 2022. Environmental Justice in St. Louis. In partnership with Missouri Coalition for the Environment.
  • Oct. 12, 2022. Grad Student Happy Hour. In partnership with Grad Students Vote and the Graduate Professional Council.
  • Nov. 14, 2022. Supporting the Unhoused. In partnership with Unhoused STL, Assisi House, and Catholic Charities.
  • Jan. 30, 2023, Prioritizing Mental Health amidst Climate Change. In partnership with Chris Weatherly, PhD, and the Brown School of Social Work
  • April 3, 2023. Breaking Down the Municipal Elections. In partnership with Monday Nite Live, Transform314, Da Hood Talks Podcast, and WashU Votes.

Program Goals

  • Encourage community and collaboration across the graduate and professional student civic engagement landscape at Washington University. 
  • Deepen knowledge of local, state, and federal governance and advocacy structures for graduate and professional students. 
  • Offer networking opportunities for graduate and professional students with university, local, and state leaders in the government, public policy, and nonprofit sectors.
  • Share information about WashU events, speaker series, or resources that would increase knowledge and capacity for civic engagement.