Dr. Stan Braude

Teaching Professor of the Practice of Biology and Environmental Studies
1961-2024

Generosity, Curiosity, Community. When I remember Stan, these are the three words that come to mind. In everything he did, Stan gave his best self. He valued dedication to the pursuit of knowledge, and he inspired others to commit themselves to studying what fascinated them. He is a reminder for us all at Tyson to pursue new knowledge with love and compassion – both for the natural world and for the people around us.

He taught us to be giving. I never left a visit to his office without at least two of the following: fresh fruit, a new book, or some trinket he had acquired. His office was accessible to all for guidance or just for a place to talk. He made students feel welcome. He made students feel capable. He made sure we knew we belonged.

In my first year at WashU, I took Stan’s first semester Pathfinder course: Discovering Missouri’s Natural Heritage. He told the class to go out and become an expert of a specific taxon within Missouri, and he meant it. I’m not sure if I lived up to this expectation, but I certainly tried. Becoming an expert biologist was not the point of his class. He wanted us to commit ourselves to studying some element of the natural landscape we were living in, and he wanted us to form a community with each other while we did it.

He encouraged me to pursue knowledge for myself, not for material markers of worth. He understood the fulfillment that comes with learning and discovering and was driven to help other people understand it too. I know this to be true, because I didn’t have an interest in any of Stan’s curiosities, yet he always happily listened to my journey. As I embarked on my college experience, I became fascinated by mathematics but continued visiting him every semester to catch up with him. Although I am not a biologist like him, he was still my mentor. He shaped the way I went about my college career, and I will forever be grateful to him. When you look through this gallery and read the profiles of Tyson members explaining the what and why of their work, think of Stan and the ultimate lesson he taught his students: love what you pursue, treat all that you encounter with respect, and live with an open spirit.

by Gabby Abato, Undergraduate Fellow

Gabby is a rising senior majoring in Mathematics and Environmental Analysis. As a Pathfinder Fellow for Environmental Leadership she was introduced to the wonders of Tyson Research Center by Stan during her first semester at WashU, and was his student in subsequent years. This summer she joined the Tyson field season community as an undergraduate fellow on Team Humans.