A Marriage of Minds Continues a Legacy of Giving Stephen and Janice Straske ’91, P’19, P’21 make a meaningful family gift that honors two generations of W&L experiences.

Amanda Minix
October 21, 2025

A float down the Maury River, golf at the Lexington Golf & Country Club, yoga on the Front Lawn, a welcome party in Evans Hall, a beautiful ceremony at Grace Episcopal Church and a reception at Big Spring Farm capped an unforgettable celebration as Davis Straske Brannigan ’19 and Owen Brannigan ’18 tied the knot last June. Their union was marked by more than festivities — as Davis’ parents Stephen and Janice Ferman Straske ’91, P’19, P’21 gave the couple a gift that will benefit future Washington and Lee University students in the years ahead.

More durable than fine china and serving many more people, the Straskes commemorated their daughter and son-in-law’s marriage with a generous gift supporting the place where they met and fell in love, while honoring aspects of their individual W&L experiences. The lead gift is split between the Huntley Hall renovation in honor of Owen, who majored in accounting and business administration and the Science Center revamp as a tribute to Davis, who majored in psychology.

“I feel very fortunate and honored that my parents found a way to go more than the extra mile to give back to a place so special to our family and to make this gift in a way that celebrates different pieces of our W&L experience,” Davis said. “I was already feeling so joyful and so grateful to have our wedding weekend in Lexington, and this gift truly was like the bow on top of it all.”

“I feel very fortunate and honored that my parents found a way to go more than the extra mile to give back to a place so special to our family and to make this gift in a way that celebrates different pieces of our W&L experience.” — Davis Straske Brannigan ’19

The family affair also included Davis’ sister and fellow alumna Mary Stephen Straske ’21. The studio art and art history major saw her printmaking capstone project, featuring flora and fauna of Rockbridge County, on display once more in the invitation suite and wedding décor. Davis worked with Natalie Bunnell O’Dell ’10 to incorporate Mary Stephen’s artwork and surprised her sister with the gesture. “I think her work is beautiful, and it was fun to put it on display in another way,” Davis said, pointing out that her sister’s exhibit was featured on campus when COVID-19 restrictions were in place.

Half of the wedding party was comprised of W&L alumni.

“The whole experience was tons of fun,” Janice said. “The energy was so joyful, and everyone felt like the wedding weekend was a special reunion. This gift reflects that energy — that power of joy and friendship that is so central to W&L — and carries it forward in a really meaningful way.”

“The energy was so joyful, and everyone felt like the wedding weekend was a special reunion. This gift reflects that energy — that power of joy and friendship that is so central to W&L — and carries it forward in a really meaningful way.” — Janice Ferman Straske ’91, P’19, P’21

When Janice earned her psychology degree in 1991, her classes were in Tucker Hall. The Science Center was completed in 1997 and is where Davis spent many hours on research and data collection and analysis with Professor of Cognitive and Behavioral Science Megan Fulcher over her four years at W&L. Since the center was built, majors in the sciences have grown by 90%, and demand for student-faculty summer research projects continues to climb rapidly. With the Science Center revamp, the current facility will be expanded to offer more lab space, a larger IQ Center, flexible classrooms and improved storage areas to support the extensive research and lab work students and faculty undertake on campus. The modern building will foster interdisciplinary collaborations, highlight ongoing work from various departments and advance 21st-century teaching and learning in the sciences by providing flexible environments with integrated technology.

“I did a lot of hands-on research with an amazing mentor, building many of the skills I use today in my work in the early childhood division of a policy research center,” Davis said. After graduating from W&L, Davis went on to earn a master’s degree in developmental psychology from the University of Maryland and works as a research analyst at Mathematica.

Owen Brannigan works as a director with Summit Ridge Energy, a leading commercial solar power company. While at W&L, he studied accounting and minored in environmental science. He went on to earn a master’s degree in accounting from Wake Forest University School of Business and spent two years at KPMG before deciding to branch out. Owen connected with the late W&L alumnus and co-founder of Summit Ridge Energy, Mark Raeder ’01.

“Mark was an amazing mentor to me over the last four years, and he took a chance on me because of my W&L education and our shared experiences in Lexington,” Owen said. “That’s the magic of the liberal arts and our alumni network. I don’t think W&L works as just the Science Center or just Huntley; it’s the combination of those things together and being able to mold it into your ideal career. In my case, I was able to use my business and environmental science studies to work in the solar industry. I hope to one day pay this forward and hire other W&L alumni, and I am always open to discuss how I can help current students navigate careers in renewable energy.”

Huntley Hall has long served as the flagship building for the Williams School of Commerce, Economics and Politics and is set to undergo a complete renovation now that a new building on Washington Street is open to support the thriving program. Due to enrollment pressures, spaces were converted and repurposed as classrooms and offices to meet growing demand. The renovation will create a central hub in Huntley, adding community spaces that foster collaboration and the interdisciplinary nature of the Williams School. Together with the new building, spaces will double, sustaining small class sizes while creating opportunities to expand the curriculum.

Janice came to W&L in its third year of admitting women and during her time, she built lasting friendships and felt the influence of talented professors invested in her success. Two of her daughters followed in her footsteps — Davis and then Mary Stephen — deepening her connection to W&L as a parent and bringing husband Steve further into the fold.

“I think you end up in Lexington because you want to be there more than anywhere else, and 35 years later, some of the deepest connections I have are with people who were on my freshman hall,” she said. “Places inspire the work that happens inside, and W&L has been a great place for our family. I love being able to give back.”

“From a pure parent perspective, we had six years of W&L, with Davis and Mary Stephen overlapping and witnessed how our daughters and Owen embraced the community and how their community embraced them,” Steve said. “W&L is a community that stays with its alumni after graduation, and it grows richer all the time. We feel fortunate to be able to support W&L in a deeper way.”

The Straskes’ gift builds a legacy beyond enrollment to encompass a tradition of philanthropy. Janice’s parents established the Janice Ferman Straske ’91 Endowment, supporting scholarships in 1994 to honor her, and this continuation is not lost on Owen. “The idea of giving back to one’s community is very important to the Straske family, and that is something I have always wanted to be part of and now something that I look forward to being part of,” he said. “I am grateful that future students will have the opportunity to enjoy similar experiences to ours by making the most of their liberal arts education, exploring their interests and the ways in which they might intersect.”