St. Louis Magazine’s November 2022 issue highlights people shaping the region across a range of industries. The list of 100+ people shaping St. Louis features some prominent Saint Louis University luminaries. 

Medical

Infectious disease specialists Daniel Hoft, M.D., Ph.D. and Sharon Frey, M.D. were highlighted for their work at SLU’s Center for Vaccine Development. The magazine noted that SLU’s Vaccine and Treatment Evaluation Units – one of 10 in the country – served as a critical resource in the testing of COVID-19 vaccines and treatments.

Hoft, the VTEU’s principal investigator, is the Adorjan Endowed Chair in Infectious Diseases. He is a national leader in vaccine development, and has been involved in a variety of high profile research projects, including a study of an investigational universal flu vaccine. He is currently working on a T-cell-targeting universal coronavirus vaccine.

Frey, the clinical director of the VTEU and the Kinsella Endowed Chair in Internal Medicine, has worked on some of the original smallpox studies, and has performed further studies to ensure those treatments remain effective today. She has also been the principal investigator in a study of a vaccine for bird flu as part of the federal government’s preparation for a global influenza pandemic. Frey was also one of the authors of a 2015 study that medical experts have been using to boost supply of the monkeypox vaccine.

University Leadership

St. Louis Magazine cited several recent accomplishments when looking at the tenure of SLU President Fred P. Pestello, Ph.D. In the past year, SLU has cemented a partnership with health care provider SSM Health, catalyzed development in the area surrounding campus, and completed a new Jesuit Center on campus.

Education

Evan Rhinesmith, Ph.D., is the director of research and evaluation at SLU’s PRiME Center. St. Louis Magazine highlighted Rhinesmith’s work as associate director of the SLU Poll. The most recent SLU/YouGov poll revealed that 71 percent of Missourians want to make permanent the state’s temporary increase of the minimum teacher salary to $38,000. A solid majority of respondents also thought the state should fund pre-kindergarten. 

Development

Brooks Goedeker, the executive director of the St. Louis Midtown Redevelopment Corp., was highlighted for his continued work to improve the 400-acre footprint around Saint Louis University. That includes the continued growth of City Foundry, The Armory, a new Target store and the recently-announced TopGolf. 

Other SLU-affiliated mentions include:  

Business

• The Taylor Family – The recent community impact from the founding family of Enterprise includes the foundational gift to launch the Taylor Geospatial Institute, housed at Saint Louis University. 
• Jim Kavanaugh – A member of SLU’s Board of Trustees and former SLU soccer player is the co-founder of World Wide Technology. Kavanaugh is a member of the St. Louis CITY SC ownership group. He is also the sponsor of the soccer operation suites in SLU’s O’Loughlin Family Champions Center, slated for completion in May. 

Benefactors 

• Bob Fox and Maxine Clark - Fox, a member of SLU’s Board of Trustees for 16 years, is the founder of Casa de Salud, a health care center to serve immigrants and refugees who are uninsured. Saint Louis University is a founding and sustaining partner of Casa de Salud. Clark is the founder of Build-a-Bear workshop and together they run the Clark-Fox Family Foundation. 
• Rex Sinquefield and Dr. Jeanne Cairns Sinquefield - Sinquefield, a member of SLU’s Board of Trustees and chess team supporter, and his wife are highlighted for putting St. Louis on the map as the chess capital of America. 

See the full list

Saint Louis University

Founded in 1818, Saint Louis University is one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious Catholic institutions. Rooted in Jesuit values and its pioneering history as the first university west of the Mississippi River, SLU offers more than 13,500 students a rigorous, transformative education of the whole person. At the core of the University’s diverse community of scholars is SLU’s service-focused mission, which challenges and prepares students to make the world a better, more just place.