Meet Nolan Rickett ’27
This neuroscience major takes advantage of W&L’s beautiful natural surroundings, including walking the back campus trails.
Neuroscience Archive (87 Stories)
Meet Paige McBoyle ’26
McBoyle chose W&L for its close-knit community and the opportunity to excel academically and athletically.
Making Space
Cole Gershkovich ’24 found his purpose studying spaces that foster belonging and empowerment among individuals with mental health challenges.
Five 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’s Chelsea Adotey ’24 Awarded Slot in Highly Regarded JET Program
Adotey will start her role in the Japanese Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program in early August 2024.
W&L Student Receives Research Grant from the Virginia Academy of Science
Megan Dufault ’24 is studying the risks that environmental pollutants pose to fetal development.
Digging Deep
W&L’s Summer Research Scholars program gives students hands-on experience in collaborative research with faculty mentors.
W&L Outcomes: Sadie Charles Calame ’23
Sadie Charles Calame ’23 is working as a construction lead for Teton Habitat for Humanity.
W&L Outcomes: Blake Sanchez ’23
Blake Sanchez ’23 is working as a management consultant in the Public Health Segment at Guidehouse in Washington, D.C.
W&L Outcomes: Gabby Emge ’23
Gabby Emge ’23 will be pursuing her J.D. at Harvard Law School.
Meet Lauren Reese ’23
Reese was motivated by her summer research experience to pursue a career in medicine.
Opening Minds Through Art
W&L neuroscience students recently partnered with an innovative art-making program offered at Kendal at Lexington.
Meet Jamal Magoti ‘23
Magoti’s summer internship allowed him to apply knowledge from his neuroscience classes while also exposing him to cutting-edge technology in the field.
Meet Ian Davis ‘23
Davis’s summer internship reinforced his career aspirations as a neuroscience major.
Building Her W&L Experience
Sadie Charles Calame ’23 has built a well-rounded college experience through campus and community involvement.
Meet a W&L Scholar: Blake Sanchez ’23
Sanchez plans to pursue graduate study in public policy after graduation.
In Memoriam: Len Jarrard
The Robert Lee Telford Professor of Psychology retired in 2001.
W&L Professor Awarded Grant from the National Science Foundation
Dan Johnson seeks to develop assessment tools to foster creativity in STEM education.
Summer Opportunities: Internships Abroad
Despite challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic, many students were able to travel this summer for valuable professional experience in other countries.
Rooted in Justice
Kiera Stankewich ’25 tackled food justice in Louisville, Kentucky this summer through the Shepherd Higher Education Consortium on Poverty.
W&L Outcomes: Kristen Xu ’22
Kristen Xu ’22 worked diligently during her time at W&L to accomplish her dream of working with a beauty company after graduation. Currently, she is a global marketing coordinator at NARS Cosmetics in New York.
W&L Outcomes: Esther Assenso ’22
Assenso, a neuroscience major, is heading to the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, where she will be a clinical research coordinator.
Science Advisory Board Funds New Student Opportunities Endowment
The STEM-focused endowment will support internships, research opportunities, academic conference costs and other student experiences.
W&L Celebrates Brain Awareness Week with Local Elementary School Students
Students from W&L’s Neuroscience Program hosted an event for local elementary students on March 18.
Katie Volk ’18 Presents Study on Alzheimer’s Disease
Katie Volk ’18 will give a seminar on her doctoral dissertation research on March 16 at 5 p.m. in the Science Addition Room 214.
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.
Just Say Hello
Hollis Owens ’97’s nonprofit offers people with disabilities opportunities to present to, and educate, schoolchildren about their lives.
‘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.
Managing $1 Million for Mock Con
Mock Con 2020 Financial Chair Elizabeth Thompson '20 works with the rest of the Financial Team to raise and manage significant sums for a successful event.
A Goal in Mind
Working with ICU patients at Vanderbilt University Medical Center through the Allen Grant has reaffirmed neuroscience major Laney Smith's desire to become a surgeon.
Ryann Carpenter ’20 Receives Prestigious DAAD RISE Internship
Carpenter will study in Lübeck, Germany, at the University of Lübeck. She will work in a lab that focuses on the dietary regulation of tissue circadian clock function in mice.
W&L’s I’Anson Receives SCHEV Outstanding Faculty Award
The award recognizes faculty at Virginia’s institutions of higher learning who exemplify the highest standards of teaching, scholarship and service.
25 and Counting
At prestigious labs around the country, W&L students have pushed themselves and the frontiers of science in the quest to find a cure for a rare disease.
‘Entranced by Science’
Deepthi Thumuluri '20 won a Virginia Academy of Sciences grant to continue her research into the relationship between diet-induced obesity, exercise and the gut microbiome.
Studying Neuroscience Down Under
Megan Engeland '19 spent her summer in a research laboratory in the psychology department at the University of Sydney in Australia.
Studying Medicine in Pakistan
A grant from the Endeavor Foundation allowed Midha Ahmad '21 and Sawera Khan '21 to spend the summer in Pakistan, where they compared alternative medicine to traditional treatment.
Confronting Cancer with Research
Erin An '19 has spent time this summer researching immunotherapy treatments for pediatric cancer at the University of Virginia.
David G. Elmes, Professor of Psychology Emeritus at W&L, Dies at 76
Elmes taught at Washington and Lee University for 40 years until his retirement in 2007.
Colleagues Remember David Gordon Elmes
The professor of psychology emeritus died June 4.
Loughery ’18 Awarded ORISE Research Fellowship
The Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) research fellowship will allow her to conduct research at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute for Chemical Defense.
W&L Students Receive National Science Foundation Awards
The NSF only funds about 11,000 of the 40,000 proposals it receives annually for research, education and training projects.
My Taste of W&L
Emily Perszyk ’18 reflects on what W&L has to offer in the classroom and on the court — and how it led to her interest in the study of taste, smell and flavor.
Straughan Addresses Alumni Opening Assembly, ODK Holds Spring Initiation
ODK inducted four honorary and seven student initiates
Weaving a Web of Research
Andrew Mah ’18 has spent his undergraduate career studying the circadian rhythms of spiders.
‘My Journey Began with Ants’
Uma Sarwadnya '19 knew she wanted to be a doctor her whole life. What she didn't know was how many unique opportunities she would find at W&L to support her journey — including a project with ants.
W&L Continues Questioning Intimacy Series with Award-Winning Journalist
Charles Montgomery, urban design consultant and award-winning journalist, is the fourth speaker in the Questioning Intimacy Series.
Healthcare and Community in Ecuador
Jackson Roberts '19 had the opportunity to intern in Quito, Ecuador, exploring local customs, becoming part of the community, and learning the ins and outs of healthcare.
‘My Time in Thailand’
Shadowing surgeons in Thailand made neuroscience major Emily Ellis '18 even more excited about her chosen career path.
It’s All Greek to Her
Hannah Palmatary '18 spent the summer discovering the ancient ruins of Greece, as well as her own talent and passion for creative writing.
Making the Leap to an R1 Institution
A summer at UC San Diego gave Katie Volk '18 experience working in a big research environment
Greeting Opportunity with Open Arms
Shadowing doctors in Peru allowed Bryan D'Ostroph '19 to practice his Spanish and firm up future career plans in health care.
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.
Studying Health Here and Abroad: Jake Roberts ’17
Jake Roberts' study abroad trip started with an earthquake, and ended with him finding a passion for public health.
It’s All Bilingual To Me: Melina Knabe ‘17
Melina Knabe was inspired by her own bilingualism to study the effects of knowing two languages on the brain.
Two W&L Students Awarded Critical Language Scholarships
Sierra Noland and Tara Cooper received Critical Language Scholarships sponsored by the U.S. Department of State.
Science, Society and the Arts Presents: Andrew Mah ‘18
Meet Andrew Mah ‘18, an accomplished mathematician who found an unlikely passion - spiders!
Careers in Motion: Tara Loughery ’18
Meet Tara Loughery, a junior who was considering going pre-med, but decided to pursue a different path after the STEM Career Trip to Richmond.
Meet the Johnsons: Andy Cuthbert ’18
Meet Andy Cuthbert '18, a pre-med neuroscience major with a serious love of the outdoors.
W&L Professor Emeritus H. Eugene King dies at 94
Henry Eugene King, professor emeritus of psychology at Washington and Lee University, died on Oct. 31, at his home in Lexington, Virginia.
Melina Knabe Wins a Research Grant from the Virginia Academy of Sciences
The neuroscience major and philosophy minor will use her $500 research grant to fund her senior honors thesis.
International Endeavors: Melina Knabe and Matt Carl
American students traveled abroad with international students for summer projects they created together. .
International Health Care: Nicole Gunawansa ’14
Nicole Gunawansa ’14 is passionate about delivering health care to marginalized patients.
Faculty Focus: Tyler Lorig
W&L Psychology professor Tyler Lorig reports from his AAAS fellowship on Capitol Hill.
In Depth: Science, Society and the Arts
Alessandra Catizone '15 and Eleanor Jones '15 provide prosthetic hands to amputees in El Salvador.
In Depth: Science, Society and the Arts
Christopher Levy '15 and Sara Korash-Schiff '15 study the production of overtones in choral music.
Summer Research Spotlight: Araba Wubah ’17
Araba Wubah '17 conducts immunology research in Ghana.
W&L Senior Charles Zachariades Awarded R&A Ransome Scholarship
Charlie Zachariades, of Chatham, N.J., a senior at Washington and Lee University, was awarded a 2016 R&A Ransome Scholarship for a one-year master’s program in global health implementation at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland.
A Day in the Life: Rachel Solomon
Johnson Opportunity Grant Takes Rachel Solomon '16 to Argentina for Medical Fieldwork
The Dart Internships at W&L: Five Years Strong
In March, Phil Marella ’81 and his wife, Andrea, visited campus, not only to visit their son Phil, who is a first-year student here, but to also personally deliver a check from Dana’s Angels Research Trust (DART) to President Ken Ruscio ’76.
Erika Proko Hamilton ’03
Former All-American tennis player applies skills learned on the court to career in cancer research.
Rachel Herz, Expert on Psychology of Smell, to Give Keynote Speech for SSA
Rachel S. Herz, a world-renowned expert on the psychology of smell, will give the keynote speech for Washington and Lee University's Science, Society and the Arts on March 13 in Evans Dining Hall. The title of Herz' lecture is "The Scent of Desire."
Gunawansa ’14 Wins Luce Scholarship
Nicole Gunawansa, a senior at Washington and Lee University, has won a Luce Scholarship that will enable her to spend 10 months living and working in Asia.
W&L Teaches “Science of the Brain” to Local Elementary Students
Keeping the interest of kindergarteners through second-graders at the end of a long day isn't easy. But an after-school program conducted at Rockbridge County's Central Elementary School succeeded in doing so, teaching them about parts of the brain, brain development, how the brain impacts behavior and how environment impacts the brain.
W&L Neuroscientist Sees Promise, Problems with Brain Mapping Initiative
Washington and Lee neuroscientist Tyler Lorig has mixed views of the BRAIN Project announced by President Obama this month.
Duke Cancelmo Is Final Speaker in W&L's Good Life Series
Richard P. “Duke” Cancelmo Jr., a partner with Bridgeway Capital, will be the final speaker in Washington and Lee’s yearlong “Questioning the Good Life” interdisciplinary seminar series on Thursday, March 28, at 4:30 p.m. in Stackhouse Theater of Elrod Commons.
University of Wisconsin Professor Richard Davidson to Speak on “Happiness is a Skill”
Richard J. Davidson of the University of Wisconsin will present the next lecture in Washington and Lee’s yearlong “Questioning the Good Life” interdisciplinary seminar series on March 19 at 4:30 p.m. in Stackhouse Theater of Elrod Commons.
Neuroscience Expert Headlines W&L’s Institute for Honor Symposium
Michael Gazzaniga, professor of psychology and director of The SAGE Center for the Study of the Mind at the University of California, Santa Barbara, will deliver the keynote address at the 13th annual Institute for Honor Symposium at Washington and Lee University on Friday, March 1.
Duke's Swartzwelder to Address Alcohol's Effects on the Brain
Duke professor Scott Swartzwelder to address alcohol's long-lasting effects on the brain at Washington and Lee on Thursday, Feb. 28, at 7 p.m. in the Stackhouse Theater of Elrod Commons.
Keaton Fletcher Wins Elmes Pathfinder Prize in Psychology
Keaton Fletcher, a Washington and Lee University senior from Littleton, Colo., has been named the 2012 recipient of the David G. Elmes Pathfinder Prize in Psychology.
MIT Neuroscientist Mark Bear to Lecture at W&L
Mark Bear, the Picower Professor of Neuroscience in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, will lecture at Washington and Lee University on Thursday, Oct. 18, at 9 a.m. in Science Center 214.
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.
W&L Team Uses Latest Technology to Study the Optic Nerve Regeneration
Washington and Lee biology professor Fiona Watson and two undergraduate researchers are developing a gene profile to determine how the optic nerve is regenerated in frogs. fish and cold-blooded invertebrates,
Carol Graham Opens W&L Seminar Series on Happiness
Carol Graham, College Park Professor at the University of Maryland School of Public Policy, will open Washington and Lee's seminar series, "Question the Good Life," with a lecture on Thursday, Sept. 13, at 5:30 p.m. in Stackhouse Theater, Elrod Commons. The title of the speech, which is open to the public, is “Happiness around the World: Happy Peasants, Miserable Millionaires, and Questions for Policy.”
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.
Art in Science on Display at W&L's Kamen Gallery
Images highlighting the work of Washington and Lee University alumni who are scientists form an unusual art exhibit in the University’s Kamen Gallery, opening April 30 and continuing through May 17.
Antique Scientific Instruments Show How W&L Students Used to Learn
An exhibit of 19th-century scientific instruments on the main floor of the Leyburn Library at Washington and Lee University shows how students used to study physics, chemistry, mathematics, surveying and other scientific disciplines. Yolanda Merrill, humanities librarian and associate professor, originated the idea for the exhibit after noticing similar instruments on display in the library’s […]
Lauren Acker ’12, Daniel Hsu ’14 Named Generals of the Month
Washington and Lee University students Lauren Acker and Daniel Hsu will be recognized at the Generals of the Month presentation on Wednesday, Nov. 16, at 12:10 p.m. in the Marketplace in Elrod Commons. Lauren Acker, a senior from Bloomfield Hills, Mich., is majoring in sociology and anthropology with an emphasis on anthropology. She belongs to […]
