Alumnus' Donation Will Fund Next Two Global Student Leadership Summits

A generous donation from Webster University alumnus Alan Elliott Merschen ‘82 will give dozens of students the unique opportunity to participate in a multi-national week-long summit. Merschen has funded the Global Student Leadership Summit (GSLS) in 2023 and 2025.

GSLS provides a unique opportunity for Webster University student leaders to gain knowledge and skills and to create positive change in a global environment. The program, which occurs every two years, selects 30-35 student leaders from across Webster’s global network to participate in an online course and a week-long intensive summit. Webster University’s Office of Student Affairs will partner with the new Gleich Honors College to stage the GSLS. The programs will be renamed The Global Student Leadership Summit Sponsored by Alan Elliott Merschen in 2023 and 2025.

The GSLS is the kind of signature program that only a truly global institution like Webster can deliver."

“Alan Elliott Merschen is a treasured alumnus of Webster University, a generous supporter, and a dedicated member of the College of Arts & Sciences Advisory Board,” said Webster University Chancellor Elizabeth (Beth) J. Stroble. “The GSLS brings together the worldwide Webster community to solve global and local challenges, and we are truly grateful for his support of this special opportunity.”

The GSLS was previously held at the Webster Groves Campus in 2015 and 2019, and at the Vienna Campus in 2017. Plans for a Summit in 2021 had to be cancelled due to the pandemic. The host campuses for the 2023 and 2025 Summits are still being determined.

“The GSLS is the kind of signature program that only a truly global institution like Webster can deliver,” said Associate Vice President for Student Affairs John Buck. “This incredible gift from Alan Elliott Merschen, and partnership with the Gleich Honors College and Student Affairs, allows us to continue to provide an especially powerful experience that accelerates the development of student leaders into global citizens.”

"In these challenging times, it is more important than ever that we invest in our collective international and interdisciplinary future. I believe this improved program will achieve a positive step forward,” said Merschen.

To learn more about how you can support students, visit webster.edu/giving/contact.php.