ODK to Initiate Three Honorary, 50 Student Members at 2021 Convention
New members will be inducted into the national leadership honor society at W&L’s Founders Day/ODK convention, which will take place in a virtual format on Jan. 19 at 5 p.m.
Academics Archive (58 Stories)
Community-Based Learning Thrives Amid COVID-19
The pandemic has presented challenges to working and learning within the community, but virtual and distanced projects have allowed those partnerships to continue to bear fruit this year.
‘A Sense of Meaning’
At W&L, Lorena Terroba Urruchua ’21 found her purpose — helping people with disabilities — at the intersection of psychology, Romance languages and poverty studies.
W&L Students Partner with Project Horizon to Make Life Skills Book
Students in Professor Dayo Abah’s Principles of Public Relations class worked with a Lexington nonprofit to make a life skills book for clients who are trying to get back on their feet.
Finding Ways to Give Back
Jerónimo Reyes '21 says he is so immensely grateful for the gifts in his life, including a QuestBridge scholarship to W&L, that he wants to become a doctor and devote his career to helping others.
W&L First Year Participates in Forbes Hackathon
Natalie McCaffery ’24, of Santa Barbara, California, was recently invited to participate in the Forbes Under 30 AgTech+ Hackathon.
Courting Success
Erin Hughes '21 wants to use lessons learned in the classroom and on the basketball court to fight for systemic change in the world.
W&L Hosts Successful Virtual Entrepreneurship Summit
This year, 222 people tuned in to watch and participate in the annual summit.
A Rewarding Experience
Enuma Anekwe-Desince '22 has found her niche at Washington and Lee University through her involvement in the Advanced Immersion and Mentoring Program, leadership roles in student organizations, and work as a research assistant in the sociology and psychology departments.
W&L Faculty Embrace Hybrid Instruction
The COVID-19 pandemic has failed to hinder Washington and Lee University professors, who have adapted creatively to teach both in person and virtually this term.
No Limits
At W&L, Mary North Jones has been able to pursue interests in both European history and medicine as she builds a foundation for her career.
Annual Artist Series Honors Diversity in Dance
Six accomplished artists will give virtual master classes for the Washington and Lee community this academic year, covering a wide range of dance styles, from hip-hop to K-pop.
A Little Book with Big Contents
An extremely rare printing of the U.S. Constitution has been restored and returned to Washington and Lee Special Collections just in time for Constitution Day.
Mudd Center Announces 2020-21 Lecture Series on Global Ethics
“Global Ethics in the 21st Century: Opportunities and Challenges,” a collaboration between the Mudd Center for Ethics and the Center for International Education, kicks off Sept. 24 with a keynote address by former U.S. ambassador and Sewanee University President Reuben E. Brigety.
W&L Professor, Student Co-Direct Domestic Violence Documentary
Professor Stephanie Sandberg and Nolan Zunk ’22 co-directed “Intimate Violence,” which will be screened at Hull’s Drive-in to raise money for Project Horizon.
W&L Welcomes New Faculty for 2020-21
Twenty-four new full-time professors have joined the faculty this year.
AIM Summer Program Doubles in Size
Forty incoming first-year students participated in this year’s virtual Advanced Immersion and Mentoring (AIM) Scholars Summer Program, giving them an auspicious start to their W&L careers and a chance to help their peers this fall.
Africana Studies Program Launches Yearlong Series
The Africana Studies Program at W&L, in partnership with the Rupert H. Johnson Jr. Program in Leadership and Integrity, will host a series of events focused on activism and Black life. It kicks off Aug. 26 with a panel discussion featuring three W&L faculty members.
‘Committed to Supporting and Listening’
As Executive Committee president for the 2020-21 school year, Chase Calhoun '21 hopes to protect the Honor System and make a positive impact in areas of racial inequality and systemic racism.
Becoming a Global Citizen
Studying philosophy and Arabic, traveling to Morocco and Beirut, and working with Professor Anthony Edwards to translate a Beiruti book have helped Tanner Hall '21 understand and appreciate other cultures.
In Service to Health
After the pandemic canceled his original internship, Blake Sanchez '23 went to work for the Virginia Department of Health and the Campus Kitchen at W&L.
Using Machine Learning to Track COVID-19
Moataz Khalifa, assistant professor and director of Data Education, is collaborating on a non-invasive, early detection system of the virus.
Parsing a Pandemic
Fifteen W&L faculty members and two alumnae have signed on to help teach a Fall Term course that will cover multiple aspects of the COVID-19 crisis.
‘There’s Nothing Like Art’
A generous donation of art last year from Rick Kramer '69 includes three works by Sam Gilliam, one of the most significant living artists of our time.
W&L Professors Receive Grant for Chemistry Tutorial
A $27,600 grant from Associated Colleges of the South will allow for the development of phase two of ChemTutor, a tutorial system for students new to college-level chemistry.
‘The Labor of Liberty’
Five professors from Washington and Lee University held an online panel offering “Perspectives on Black Protest: Comprehending the Current Crisis.”
W&L Welcomes Students Back to Campus for Fall Term
This message summarizes the critical elements of our plan.
Summer of Service in Lexington
When her summer research trip to Nepal was canceled because of COVID-19, Danika Brockman went to work for the Rockbridge Area Relief Association, where she helps with the food pantry.
W&L Celebrates Reversal of ICE Guidelines
Immigrations and Customs Enforcement guidelines announced in July would have required international students to leave the U.S. if they were forced by COVID-19 to take only online courses.
Tackling Social Issues
Nick Watson '22 is spending the summer working on housing issues as part of his Shepherd internship with the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity in Vermont.
W&L Student Appears on “Meet the Press”
Avalon Pernell, a rising sophomore from Alabama, appeared on a “College Roundtable” segment that featured college journalists interviewing the mayor of Pittsburgh.
Internship Honors Dickovick’s Profound Legacy at W&L
A group of his former students and colleagues established the James Tyler Dickovick Internship in International Affairs, Global Political Economy and the Public Interest Endowment in his memory.
Hannah Denham ’20 Wins National Journalism Award
The recent graduate of Washington and Lee University won a combined scholarship of $8,500 for her second-place win and article of the year award in the 60th Annual Hearst National Writing Championship.
Gateway to the World
Julia Hernandez took a Spring Term class in Ghana and studied abroad in France and Morocco, proving that W&L is a gateway to opportunities all over the globe.
‘You Won’t Want to Go Anywhere Else’
At W&L, Eric Herrera did field work in Ghana, created a biotech startup, and discovered the original location of the Alamo.
An Intersection of Interests
At W&L, Katherine Ingram '20 found a research interest—and a future profession—where environmental studies meets economics.
Spring Term Goes Virtual
Spring Term courses aim to provide innovative, one-of-a-kind educational experiences to W&L students. Online instruction during COVID-19 led to many new opportunities.
W&L’s Caroline Rivers ’20 Awarded Fulbright-García Robles Grant to Mexico
Rivers has received a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Mexico starting January 2021.
The Beat Goes On
Amid the COVID-19 outbreak, some Washington and Lee University journalism students learned that the news stops for nothing — not even a global pandemic.
The Creative Type
Working in Italy, starring in theater productions and being involved in Generals' Unity are just a few of the experiences that have made W&L a great fit for Win Gustin '20.
Bo Garfinkel ’21 Awarded Public Policy and International Affairs Fellowship
Garfinkel will attend the PPIA Junior Summer Institute at Princeton
Finding Her Community
When Kara Lough '20 found W&L, she found a supportive environment that allowed her to lead a magazine, study in Italy, work as a photographer and plan a career.
Roll-Up Pianos Help Seniors Graduate
Eight of the 23 students enrolled in music instructor Shuko Watanabe Petty’s Piano I and II classes had no piano at home. When instruction went online, she found a way to help.
Social Distancing on Ceramics
A new gift to the Reeves Museum of Ceramics documents how one artist is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
‘EVERYBODY’
Despite a COVID-abbreviated run, the cast of W&L's "EVERYBODY" celebrates the "positive, self-affirming experience" of putting on the show.
Thinking Outside the (Gallery) Box
“To See Color First,” the first comprehensive study of Louise Herreshoff Eaton’s bold and expressive watercolors, opens April 27 as a virtual exhibition.
United by Dance
When the 25 members of W&L’s Repertory Dance Company were dispersed by COVID-19, director Jenefer Davies found a creative way for them to perform together again.
‘It’s OK to Be You’
Final performances of "Considering Matthew Shepard" had to be canceled because of COVID-19, but the University Singers will never forget the powerful experience of telling Shepard's story.
‘Singapore in a Blink’
Internship and Study Semester in Asia-Pacific student Sam Smiley '21 reminisces about his stay in Singapore, which was cut short because of COVID-19.
How W&L Prepared for Online Success
Amid the COVID-19 outbreak, Washington and Lee University’s CARPE and Academic Technologies offered expertise and resources to faculty preparing for online courses.
Community Projects a Win-Win for Lexington and W&L
Washington and Lee University's Office of Community-Based Learning has partnered with Lexington on projects that provide real-world learning experiences for students while also advancing the city's goals.
Will Power
Will Bolton '20 has made the most of his college years by serving as president of the Executive Committee, doing ROTC training at VMI, traveling to Germany and interning for a U.S. Senator.
From Lexington to Capitol Hill
Want to work for the U.S. Congress? Judging by past successes, earning a degree from Washington and Lee University is a pretty good start.
Timely Course Tackles Impeachment
Professor Bob Strong’s Fall Term course on presidential impeachment borrowed lessons from real events in Washington.
W&L’s Rossella Gabriele Among 2020 Class of Rhodes Scholars
Gabriele, a 2019 graduate, is the university’s 17th Rhodes Scholar.
Conductors of Knowledge
Students in Washington and Lee University's Electrical Circuits class sparked interest in local elementary students through a Community-Based Learning project that partnered with the Rockbridge Area YMCA after-school program.
Lessons from Lenfest
Allie Jue '20 has learned how to keep her studies in music and pre-med in perfect harmony with a job and extracurricular activities at W&L.
W&L Introduces Minor in Legal Studies
The Law, Justice, and Society Program offers an interdisciplinary approach to legal studies that draws from faculty and resources in all three schools at Washington and Lee University.
