2025 Five-Star Distinguished Alumni Awards
These alumni exemplify leadership, service and professional excellence and will be honored during Five-Star Festival, Oct. 3–5, 2025.
Mathematics Archive (134 Stories)
W&L’s Staniar Gallery Presents Minjeong An’s ‘Private Pictograph’
The solo exhibition will run from Sept. 4 through Oct. 17 and kicks off the gallery’s fall season.
Office Hours: Tour de Force
Assistant professor of mathematics Sybil Prince Nelson ’01 finds meaning in all her endeavors.
In The Lead: New Chapter
Adhip Adhikari ’27 constructed a library at a secondary school in Kathmandu, Nepal, with the help of the Washington and Lee University community.
Greg Dresden Receives Honorable Mention Citation for the Mohammad K. Azarian Award
The professor of mathematics was recognized for the exploration of infinite geometric patterns.
Greg Dresden Publishes Article in The College Mathematics Journal
The professor of mathematics authored a paper and produced illustrations that were used on the cover of the popular journal.
Eight W&L Students Awarded Gilman Scholarships to Study Abroad
This round of recipients marks a record-setting Gilman Scholar cohort for W&L.
W&L’s Anshika Patel ’26 Receives Davis Projects for Peace Grant
Patel plans to expand the reach of Wings of Women, the community-driven initiative she founded in her home country of India.
Ain’t No Mountain High Enough
Brandon Chalk '00 followed his love for the outdoors all around the world, summiting the highest peaks on each of the seven continents with his wife, Kristine Chalk.
Ainsley Daigle ’13 Named to Billboard’s Women in Music 2025 List
The vice president at Firebird Artist Management was honored in the multisector category.
The Ultimate Teammate
Four sets of twins on W&L varsity sports teams share what it’s like competing side-by-side with their siblings.
W&L Announces 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award Winners
This year's honorees will be recognized during Alumni Weekend from May 1-4.
Meet Elizabeth Marshall ’25
Marshall has embraced many extracurriculars as a math tutor, University Ambassador, equestrian team student-athlete and more.
W&L to Host ‘Slices of Research’ Program at Salerno Wood Fired Pizza & Taphouse
Newly promoted faculty members will present their research in a PechaKucha format on Jan. 28.
Twelve W&L Students Awarded Gilman Scholarships to Study Abroad
The Gilman Scholarship Program offers awards of up to $5,000 to U.S. undergraduate students who are Pell Grant recipients.
Meet Sarah Zimmerman ’26
Zimmerman values the connections she’s made with her soccer and basketball teammates and coaches that she knows will last long after graduation.
Opportunity to Thrive
Adhip Adhikari ’27 spent much of his summer creating a library at a secondary school near his family's home in Katmandu, Nepal.
Chong Wang Awarded the Simons Research Enhancement Grant from the American Mathematical Society
Wang will utilize the grant to explore energy-driven pattern formation in complex physical and biological systems.
Synthesizing the Stats: Matt Dodson ’20
This New York Giants scouting research coordinator knows it’s more than just a numbers game.
W&L Alumna Maria Kisker ’21 Selected for Fulbright to Taiwan
Kisker will pursue a master’s degree in political economy at National Tsing Hua University.
Banking on Women
Siya ’27 married her passions for service with her economics and mathematics majors to intern this summer at Grameen Bank in Bangladesh through the Shepherd Program.
W&L Mathematics Professor Co-Authors Articles in Peer-Reviewed Journals
Chong Wang collaborated with three additional professors to publish two recent articles.
W&L Outcomes: Perry Kramer ’24
After a backpacking trip through Southeast Asia, Kramer is moving to NYC and will start working for Boston Consulting Group (BCG) in October.
W&L Visiting Math Professor Co-Authors Article in Peer-Reviewed Journal
Kumudu Gamage teamed up with two others for a paper on solving three-dimensional elliptic interface problems.
W&L’s Hamza Zia ’26 Receives Davis Projects for Peace Grant
Zia plans to continue his work with the PINK Center Project in his home country of Pakistan.
Spring Term’s Got Seoul
Students in the Spring Term Abroad course Statistics in Korean Music explore mathematics in the traditional and contemporary music of Korea.
Diwesh Kumar ’24 to Receive the Global Learning Leadership Award
The mathematics and economics double major will be presented the award at the Center for International Education awards ceremony on May 28.
Meet Diwesh Kumar ’24
Mathematics and economics major Kumar says an art history class opened up new avenues of learning.
W&L’s Demetri Patrinos ’25 Awarded Goldwater Scholarship
Patrinos is one of three W&L students selected for the scholarship this spring.
A Violinist’s Anthem
Duncan Hart ’24 lends his musical talents to Washington and Lee University athletics by playing the national anthem on the violin before home events.
W&L’s Austin Molitor ’25 Awarded Goldwater Scholarship
Molitor is one of three W&L students selected for the scholarship this spring.
2024 Distinguished Alumni Awards
Washington and Lee University is proud to announce this year's Distinguished Alumni Award winners
Meet Perry Kramer ’24
The opportunity to take a wide variety of classes has expanded Kramer's horizons.
Sybil Prince Nelson is the Next Speaker in the Anne and Edgar Basse Jr. Author Talk Series
Nelson will deliver a lecture on “Where Math Meets Imagination” on March 19.
W&L Presents Senior Recital with Duncan Hart ’24
Hart’s violin recital will be held on March 17 at 3 p.m.
Mathematics Professor Elizabeth Denne Featured in Quanta Magazine Article
The article focuses on the geology and topology behind optimal shapes.
2024 Five-Star Distinguished Alumni Awards
Washington and Lee University is proud to announce this year's Five-Star Distinguished Alumni Award winners
W&L to Host “Slices of Research” Program at Salerno Wood Fired Pizza & Taphouse
Newly promoted faculty members will present their research in a PechaKucha format on Jan. 30.
W&L Visiting Math Professor Receives $10,000 Grant from Second Nature
Kumudu Gamage will use the funds for professional development and summer research.
W&L’s Elizabeth Denne Featured in New Yorker Article
The mathematics professor discusses the differences between various necktie knots.
2023 Distinguished Young Alumni Awards
Washington and Lee University is proud to announce this year's Distinguished Young Alumni Award winners
Digging Deep
W&L’s Summer Research Scholars program gives students hands-on experience in collaborative research with faculty mentors.
2023 Distinguished Alumni Awards
Washington and Lee University is proud to announce this year's Distinguished Alumni Award winners
Alan McRae to Deliver Endowed Professorship Lecture
McRae’s presentation “Waiting for Gödel” will be held in Chavis Hall on March 22.
2023 Five-Star Distinguished Alumni Awards
Washington and Lee University is proud to announce this year's Five-Star Distinguished Alumni Awards winners
W&L’s Nevin Etter ’23 Receives American Mathematical Society Award
Etter plans to attend graduate school and pursue a career in mathematics.
Colbert Presents Talk on Union’s Fields Medal Recipients
Cory Colbert, assistant professor of mathematics at W&L, will present on this year’s International Mathematical Union’s Fields Medal on Wednesday, Nov. 16.
2022 Distinguished Young Alumni Awards
Washington and Lee University is proud to announce this year's Distinguished Young Alumni Award winners
Washington and Lee Names Seven Faculty Members to Endowed Professorships
These faculty have been recognized for their outstanding teaching, scholarship and service to the university.
Adding Value
Diwesh Kumar ’24 is developing investment banking expertise at his summer internship at Boxwood Partners in Richmond, Virginia.
W&L’s Graham Kingwill ’22 Awarded Fulbright to Uzbekistan
Kingwill has been awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to teach English in Uzbekistan. He will depart in September 2022 for his 10-month program.
Four W&L Students Awarded Gilman Scholarships to Study Abroad
The Gilman Scholarship Program offers awards of up to $5,000 to U.S. undergraduate students who are Pell Grant recipients.
W&L Graduate Katie Cones ’21 Awarded Fulbright ETA to Bulgaria
The English Teaching Assistantship provides Cones a stipend to teach English to students in Bulgaria and lead cultural exchange activities.
W&L’s Troy Larsen ’22 Awarded Fulbright Grant to Hungary
Larsen will spend the next academic year studying at the Budapest Semesters in Mathematics and participating in a research group at the Alfréd Rényi Institute of Mathematics.
Kathryn Gerbo ’20 Awarded Postgraduate Scholarship to St Andrews
She will earn her master’s in digital health before attending medical school.
W&L Presents Senior Piano Recital Featuring Chad Thomas ’21
On May 23, Chad Thomas’21 will present a graduation piano recital featuring George Gershwin’s monumental work, “Rhapsody in Blue,” and other pieces.
A Place That Checked All the Boxes
Rafay Hassan '22 was looking for a liberal arts university that would give him individualized attention and put his critical thinking skills to the test. He found that and more at W&L.
Washington and Lee’s Troy Larsen ’22 Awarded Goldwater Scholarship
Each scholar is awarded $7,500 to support undergraduate research in their junior or senior year.
Meet the Professor: Sybil Prince Nelson
One of Washington and Lee's new faculty members for 2020-21 is mathematics professor Sybil Prince Nelson, a 2001 graduate of W&L.
W&L’s Colbert Honored as Black Scholar
Cory Colbert was a recent "Honoree of the Day" on a website that honors Black scholars in the mathematical sciences.
A Taste of China
When her Critical Language Scholarship to China went virtual because of COVID, Kisker '21 got a six-week sampler of the country and its language through her computer screen.
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.
Good Ol’ Dubyuhnell
Matt Bartini ’12 offers favorite scenes of W&L on his custom shirts.
Brian Peccie ’20 Receives ODK Athletics Leader of the Year Award
Peccie’s award is part of ODK’s 2020 General Russell E. Dougherty National Leader of the Year Competition.
W&L’s Xinxian Wang ’21 Awarded Davis Projects for Peace Grant
Xinxian Wang '21, a student at Washington and Lee University, has won a $10,000 Davis Projects for Peace grant.
At the Forefront of Economics
Margaret Kallus ’19 will be the second W&L alumna to join a team of economists at the Harvard University research institute, Opportunity Insights.
Dymacek to Present Inaugural Lecture
The title of Wayne Dymacek’s talk, which is free and open to the public, is “My Life and Times with Dots and Lines.”
Exploring the Twists and Turns of Knot Theory
Mathematics professor Elizabeth Denne helped design one of the Fleet Museum's most popular exhibits yet.
Author of ‘Weapons of Math Destruction’ to Speak at Washington and Lee
O’Neil’s talk, which is free and open to the public, is titled, “How Big Data Promotes Inequality and Threatens Democracy.”
Henry Sharp Jr., Professor of Mathematics Emeritus, dies at 94
Sharp taught at W&L from 1983-1991.
‘Passionate and Prepared’
Working in South Africa gave Will Hardage '20 a chance to combine his economics major and his poverty studies minor.
Where Math Meets Art
Xinxian Wang '21 was able to marry two interests in an internship with The Visual Arts Center in Richmond.
Prepared for the Game of Life
With the support of teammates, professors and friends, Nicholas George '18 was able to balance two majors and a spot on the basketball team.
Ready for the Next Adventure
As she prepares to work for the Equality of Opportunity Project, Amanda Wahlers '18 is grateful for the education, opportunities and research experience she has had in Lexington.
Straughan Addresses Alumni Opening Assembly, ODK Holds Spring Initiation
ODK inducted four honorary and seven student initiates
Stepping Back into the Spotlight
Coralie Chu '18 has always been a performer, but W&L helped her discover confidence both on and off the stage.
W&L’s Beck Receives an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship
Beck is the 22nd General to receive the distinction over the last 15 years.
Weaving a Web of Research
Andrew Mah ’18 has spent his undergraduate career studying the circadian rhythms of spiders.
Designing Economic Policies to Reduce Inequality
John Bovay ’07, an assistant professor in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of Connecticut, focuses on the economics of food and agricultural policy
Tracking Corporate Social Responsibility
Soon Ho Kwon '17 and Claire Meyers '18 spent the summer looking at how Corporate Social Responsibility plays a role in the bottom line.
Adding Up the Research
Anukriti Shrestha '19 has found an intersection of mathematics, computer science and research — all in the heart of Lexington.
Advanced Research Cohort Program Marks Second Successful Year
Twelve Class of 2021 students visited W&L for a five-week Advanced Research Cohort program that allowed them to dabble in STEM projects and establish quality relationships.
Andre Zeromski ’20 Selected as Kemper Scholar
Andre Zeromski '20 has been selected from a group of finalists for the Class of 2020 of the prestigious Kemper Scholars Program.
Matt Carl ’17 Profiled in The Roanoke Times
The Roanoke Times profiled graduating senior Matt Carl in today's commencement story.
Consulting a Career: Stephen Mitchell ’17
Stephen Mitchell '17 credits students, alumni, and W&L academics for helping him to find the right career path.
Choreographing with the Stars: Elliot Emadian ‘17
Dancer, choreographer, musician, mathematician: Elliot Emadian '17 has many roles, both on and off the stage.
Science, Society and the Arts Presents: Andrew Mah ‘18
Meet Andrew Mah ‘18, an accomplished mathematician who found an unlikely passion - spiders!
MacArthur Fellow Jeff Weeks to Speak on “The Shape of Space”
MacArthur Fellow Jeff Weeks, a geometer, cosmologist and educator, will speak about “The Shape of Space.”
Meet the Johnsons: Ryder Babik ’19
Meet Ryder Babik '19, a student who enjoys college as much as he enjoys helping others apply to college.
W&L Faculty to Discuss Open Access Publishing
Four W&L faculty will talk about their experiences with Open Access publishing, both from the editorial and authorial perspectives, on Oct. 24 from 4:30–5:30 p.m.
International Endeavors: Melina Knabe and Matt Carl
American students traveled abroad with international students for summer projects they created together. .
In Depth: Washington and Lee Launches Advanced Research Cohort (ARC) Pilot
12 exceptional students experience a unique summer program aimed at increasing retention in STEM majors.
Interns at Work: Walker Brand ’18
Engineering major Walker Brand '18 gets a taste of the defense industry at Hardwire Armor Systems.
My W&L: Ellen Wiencek ’15
"The relationships I have made and strengthened while volunteering over the course of my time in Lexington are more important to me than I could have imagined."
Venture Forth: Mike Wilner ’13
Mike Wilner '13 is on the fast track as a young entrepreneur.
Interns at Work: Matthew Kiser ’16
Mathematics major Matthew Kiser '16 interns at the recruiting software company Jobscience in San Fransisco.
Interns at Work: Levi Warring ’16
Chemistry major Levi Warring interns with NASA.
Interns at Work: Charlotte Sisk ’15
Charlotte Sisk spent the summer working as a project management intern for the Saatchi & Saatchi global communications and advertising agency network in New York City.
A Day in the Life: Meera Kumar ’16
Johnson Opportunity Grant winner connects interests in economics and art history at famed auction house.
Interns at Work: Xiaoxiang Yang ’16
Senior Xiaoxiang Yang gets a taste of the consulting world with The Brattle Group.
Summer Research Spotlight: Testing, Testing
Azmain Amin '17 and Mina Shnoudah '17 look to automate testing of web services.
My W&L: Luke Quigley ’16
"My W&L experience is defined by a multitude of activities, academics, and opportunities."
Interns at Work: Jamie White ’17
Computer science and mathematics major Jamie White interns as a software developer at Amazon.com.
My W&L: Turner Meeks ’15
"At W&L you learn so much more in your interactions with others than what you see in the classroom."
Changing Perspectives: Abby Block ’17
Abby Block '17 interns for the Cleveland Clinic.
Changing Perspectives: Phillip Harmon ’17
Shepherd Intern Phillip Harmon '17 interns at CAPUP in Richmond, VA.
Summer Research: Caroline Birdrow ’16
Mathematics major Caroline Birdrow '16 conducts community-based research with Maury River Home Care.
Through the Lens: Photography by Professor Mitch Keller
During this First Friday’s Gallery Walk in downtown Lexington on Aug. 5, be sure to stop by Sweet Treats Bakery to take a look at Mitch Keller’s solo photography exhibition.
Elliot Emadian Awarded Scholarship to American Dance Festival's Six-Week School
Elliot Emadian ’17, from Normandy, Tennessee, received a tuition scholarship to attend the American Dance Festival’s (ADF) six-week school.
W&L Alumni Win National Science Foundation Pre-Doctoral Fellowships
Four Washington and Lee University alumni have received pre-doctoral graduate research fellowships from the National Science Foundation. In addition, four alumni and one student received honorable mentions.
Meera Kumar Awarded Fulbright Research Grant to India
Meera Kumar, from Portland, Oregon, and a senior at Washington and Lee University, has been awarded a Fulbright research grant to India. Her project is "Artistic Depiction and Womanhood in Village Bengal."
International Perspectives: Alfred Rwagaju
Alfred Rwagaju is a Physics-Engineering major from Rwanda.
W&L Graduate Named to Inaugural Class of Schwarzman Scholars
Blaise Buma, a Dec. 2015 mathematics graduate of Washington and Lee University, has been selected for the inaugural class of 111 Schwarzman Scholars, a one-year master’s program at China’s Tsinghua University inspired by the Rhodes Scholarships program at the University of Oxford.
W&L Junior Named Young Ambassador of German Academic Exchange Service
Matthew Carl, a junior at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, has been selected as a participant in the German Academic Exchange Service’s Young Ambassadors Program for 2015-16.
Mitchell ’17 Wins Phi Beta Kappa’s Goehring Award
At its March 19 convocation, the Phi Beta Kappa chapter at Washington and Lee University gave Stephen C. Mitchell Jr. '17 the Phi Beta Kappa J. Brown Goehring Sophomore Award.
Building Blocks
A large paper cube, seemingly composed of symmetrical cutouts, sits on a table at the entrance to the Washington and Lee University Math Department in Robinson Hall. On closer inspection, it turns out to be a compilation of discrete smaller cubes.
Two Kemper Scholars Selected from W&L This Year
Christopher Curfman, of Altoona, Pa., and Edward Stroud of Shreveport, La., first-year students at Washington and Lee University, have been selected from a group of finalists for the incoming class of the prestigious Kemper Scholars Program.
Turner Meeks Honored With the G. Holbrook Barber Scholarship Award
Turner Meeks from Haymarket, Va., a member of the Class of 2015, has been awarded the G. Holbrook Barber Scholarship Award. The Barber Scholarship Award honors a member of the junior class who manifests superior qualities of helpfulness and friendliness to fellow students, public spirit, scholarship and personal character.
Two Washington and Lee University Juniors Win 2014 Goldwater Scholarships for Research Careers in Science, Math and Engineering
Washington and Lee University juniors James Biemiller of Lancaster, Pa., and Eric Schwen of Cottage Grove, Minn., have each won a highly competitive 2014-15 Goldwater Scholarship, which promotes research careers in science, mathematics and engineering.
Two W&L Alumni Win NSF Graduate Research Fellowships
Two Washington and Lee alumni — Cailin Slattery and Robert Wilson — have received National Science Foundation Research Fellowships.
Two W&L Juniors Win Goldwater Scholarships
Two Washington and Lee University juniors — Kathryn E. Driest, of Davidson, N.C., and Andrew Seredinski, of Flourtown, Pa. — have received the prestigious Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship.
Calculating Your Powerball Odds
Aaron Abrams, assistant professor of mathematics at Washington and Lee, says the odds of winning the Powerball lottery are low. But how just how low?
Election Math Special
Washington and Lee's Radford Professor of Mathematics, Nathan Feldman, poses some election-eve puzzles.
Nathan Feldman to Give Radford Professorship Inaugural Lecture
Nathan S. Feldman, professor of mathematics at Washington and Lee University, will give the Rupert and Lillian Radford Professorship Inaugural Lecture on Thursday, Nov. 1, at 4:30 p.m.
Generals of the Month for September Named
Washington and Lee University students Rachel Pityk, Joni Deutsch and Taylor Gilfillan will be recognized as Generals of the Month for September.
New IQ Center Will Enhance Science at W&L
The first phase of the new Integrative and Quantitative (IQ) Center at Washington and Lee University is underway, with a projected opening date of June 2013.
Crochet a Coral Reef
The Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef is a project of the Institute for Figuring in Los Angeles that combines mathematics, art, crafts, marine biology and environmental science in creating crocheted reproductions of coral reefs. A satellite reef is now being locally constructed, sponsored by Roanoke College. Students and faculty at Washington and Lee University and members […]
W&L Promotes Faculty Members to Full, Associate Professorships
Washington and Lee University has promoted eight members of its faculty to full professor, while granting tenure to 14 faculty members who were promoted to associate professor.
W&L Names 13 Faculty to Endowed Professorships
Thirteen members of the Washington and Lee University faculty have been named to endowed professorships— two each in the School of Law and the Williams School of Commerce, Economics, and Politics, and nine in the College. W&L currently has 45 endowed full professorships and 10 term professorships, which recognize worthy teachers who have made meaningful […]
Washington and Lee Receives $1 Million in Second Hughes Grant
The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) has selected Washington and Lee University as one of 47 small colleges and universities in the country to share in grants totaling more than $50 million.
Three Recognized as Generals of the Month for April
Washington and Lee University students Austin Branstetter, Claire Oliver and Luke Andersen will be recognized at Generals of the Month on Wednesday, April 11, at 12:30 p.m. in the Marketplace in Elrod Commons. Branstetter, a senior from Nashville, Tenn., is a mathematics major and the recipient of a George Washington Honor Scholarship. He is the […]
Second Annual Nobel Symposium at W&L
The Second Annual Nobel Prize Symposium at Washington and Lee University, coordinated this year by Wayne Dymacek, professor of mathematics, will feature presentations by W&L faculty who will give background on the individuals who have won this year's Nobel Prizes and the activities that earned those honors. All sessions are open to the W&L community […]
New Math Center Adds to Tutoring Options for W&L Students
Students at Washington and Lee University who are stumped by a math assignment can now seek a solution at the University's new Math Center, where trained tutors will be available for assistance. “This is for any student taking Math 101 or Math 102,” said Alan McRae, professor of mathematics and director of the Math Center. […]
W&L Emeritus Professor Robert Johnson Dies
Robert Stanley Johnson, the Cincinnati Professor of Mathematics, Emeritus, at Washington and Lee University, died on Saturday, Aug. 13, 2011, at Augusta Medical Center. He was 73. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Patrick's Church in Lexington at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, August 17, 2011, with burial to follow in the […]
