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 engagement with 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.
Honorees are recognized during an awards ceremony each April. Nominations for the 2025 Gerry and Bob Ethic of Service Award closed on Nov. 24, 2024.
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
We fondly remember and celebrate the life of Gerry Virgil.
Congratulations to the 2025 Honorees
Matthew Bernstine
Director, Office for Socially Engaged Practice; Lecturer in Urban Design, Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts
Marcus Bernard Foston
Associate Professor, Department of Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering, McKelvey School of Engineering
Denise Lieberman
Director and General Counsel of the Missouri Voter Protection Coalition; WashU Law Adjunct Professor
For More Information
- Learn more about Gerry and Bob Virgil
- Read “A Truly Extraordinary Couple” in Washington Magazine (page 34)
- View a list of all past honorees, dating back to 2004.
- View a special video commemorating 15 years of the Ethic of Service awards below.
- If you have questions about the award and/or nomination process, please contact Stephanie Kurtzman, Peter G. Sortino Executive Director of the Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement.
*For purposes of the Gerry and Bob Virgil Ethic of Service Award, university volunteers have a formal, active, and sustained role with a Washington University organization, usually in a leadership capacity, through the Board of Trustees, National Advisory Councils, or recognized university auxiliary organizations.