Nadia Ayoub and Natalia Toporikova Published in PLOS One
The W&L professors investigated the circadian rhythm of spiders.
Biology Archive (67 Stories)
Ryan Jones Co-Authors Article in The Journal of Biogeography
The visiting assistant professor of biology examined the genetic differences, relationships and evolutionary history of camel spiders from the Baja California Peninsula.
Office of Community-Based Learning Announces 2026-27 Faculty Collaborative
This year’s collaborative includes 16 faculty members representing a variety of disciplines.
Bill Hamilton Interviewed on CBS Evening News Segment
The John T. Perry Professor in Research Science discussed tourist-animal interactions following a recent bison attack in Yellowstone National Park.
W&L Announces New Fixed-Term Faculty, Fellows and Assistant Coaches
Twenty-eight new faculty and staff members are joining the university this year.
Biology Faculty Member Co-Authors Paper in Global Ecology and Conservation
Jacob Kraus and his research team studied a biodiverse area of China to determine the optimal sizes for nature reserves.
Washington and Lee Names Six Faculty Members to Endowed Professorships in The College and The Williams School
These faculty have been recognized for their outstanding teaching, scholarship and service to the university.
W&L Alumni and Student Awarded NSF Fellowships
Oriana Gutierrez ’24, Connor Lafo ’26 and Gabrielle Ursin ’25 have received pre-doctoral graduate research fellowships from the National Science Foundation to support their research.
Jacob Kraus Publishes Paper in the International Journal of Primatology
The paper examines how differences in the energy and nutrient costs among black-and-white snub-nosed monkeys influences their behavioral and dietary flexibility.
Sarp Sahin ’26 Publishes Research Paper
The senior’s research on Parkinson’s disease was published in Brain: A Journal of Neurology
Mudd Lecture Series to Explore Conservation Practice of Rewilding
The day-long symposium will take place on Feb. 12 and feature talks by faculty and community members.
An Extraordinary Evolution
What started as a Spring Term Abroad class in the Galapagos Islands — and a passion project by biology professor emeritus Cleveland Hickman — received new life as a mobile app.
W&L’s DART Internship Program Places Students in Cutting-Edge Research Labs
At prestigious labs around the country, W&L students have pushed themselves and the frontiers of science to help those with a rare disease.
Two 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 Ella Moser ’26
A Spring Term Abroad class in Spain connected Moser with a piece of home.
Finding Her Voice
Isabel Duarte ’26 found a path at W&L that blends music and science in perfect harmony.
David Marsh and Adrienne Jones to Serve as Scholars in Residence for the Office of Community-Based Learning
Marsh will work with Nature Camp in Vesuvius, Virginia, and Jones will collaborate with the Legal Aid Justice Center for the 25th Judicial District.
Bill Hamilton to Deliver Lecture in Honor of His Appointment to the John T. Perry Jr. Professorship in Research Science
Hamilton’s talk, titled “Twenty Years of Research in Yellowstone National Park: Lessons Learned from Bison and the People that Value Their Presence in North America,” will be held Oct. 22 in Science Addition 214.
Bill Hamilton Co-Authors Paper in Science
The article, also featured on the journal’s cover, sheds new light on the value of bison recovery efforts in Yellowstone National Park.
Studying Salamanders
Summer Research Scholars Brian Kim ’26 and Ansley Stotts ’27 have spent their summer conducting field research in a unique outdoor classroom.
Biology Professor Interviewed by ABC News
Bill Hamilton discusses wildlife migration in Yellowstone National Park.
Squirreled Away
The 13-lined ground squirrels currently residing in the Science Center for associate professor of biology Jessica LaPrice’s research have inspired a cross-campus collaboration that showcases W&L’s emphasis on hands-on learning.
W&L Outcomes: Caroline Linen ’25
One of the Class of 2025 valedictorians, Linen will work as a medical assistant for a year while interviewing for physician assistant programs.
Best Practice
Dr. Charles Frankum ’90 lays claim to being one of the few surgeons in the country who flies himself to appointments at rural hospitals.
Washington and Lee Names Six Faculty Members to Endowed Professorships in The College and The Williams School
These faculty have been recognized for their outstanding teaching, scholarship and service to the university.
W&L’s Kristina Ayers Earns Fulbright to Netherlands
Ayers was selected for the inaugural Fulbright/Netherlands-America Foundation Heersink Family Foundation Award to conduct public health research.
Meet Isabel Duarte ’26
Duarte has embraced leadership development through the Choral Conducting Mentorship Program.
Meet Elizabeth Barr ’27
Barr’s love of nature led her to a biology major and getting her scuba certification with the Outing Club.
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.
W&L’s Staniar Gallery Presents Erica Lord’s ‘The Codes We Carry: Beads as DNA Data’
The solo exhibition will open Jan. 9 with an artist’s talk slated for Jan. 14.
Spider Sense
Nadia Ayoub, professor of biology, loves sharing her passion for open-ended scientific exploration with colleagues and students.
W&L’s Robert Humston Receives Grant to Study the Trout Population in the Jackson River
The director of environmental studies and professor of biology received the funding from the Virginia Departments of Wildlife Resources and Environmental Quality.
Where the Wild Things Are
Marcie Bernard ’25 explored the different avenues of veterinary medicine in the Amazon Rainforest as she worked to rehabilitate and rewild animals at Hoja Nueva.
W&L Army ROTC Student Earns Prestigious Award While Completing Basic Training
Kylee Cross ’27 received the Soldier Leader of the Cycle Award at her graduation ceremony on August 1.
Saving the Sea Turtles
At the New England Aquarium, Julia Luzzio ’25 is expanding her horizons and gaining hands-on experience working with wildlife.
W&L Outcomes: Pari Ahmadi ’24
Pari Ahmadi ’24 will be working as a clinical research coordinator at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute before attending medical school.
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 Catherine McKean ’24 Selected For Fulbright to Germany
McKean has been awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to teach English in Germany.
W&L Alumni and Student Awarded NSF Fellowships
Emma Aldrich ’22, Tanajia Moye-Green ’23 and Jules Seay ’24 have received pre-doctoral graduate research fellowships from the National Science Foundation to support their research.
Alicia Reigel Published in the Journal Communications Biology
The first-year biology professor co-authored a paper titled “Sponge-derived matter is assimilated by coral holobionts.”
W&L’s Reigel Published in the Marine Ecology Progress Series Journal
First-year biology professor co-authored a paper titled “Microbiome environmental shifts differ between two co-occurring octocoral hosts.”
W&L Student Co-Authors Paper Published by the Pain Medicine Journal
Lucy Worthy ’24 assisted in the research and helped publish the results alongside two W&L alumni.
W&L Outcomes: Lauren Shelby ’23
Lauren Shelby ’23 will be pursuing her master’s degree at New York University.
W&L Professor Receives Two-Year Grant from the USDA Forest Service to Perform Data Analysis and Modeling on Water Quality
Robert Humston will assess over 30 years of data collected by the U.S. Forest Service within the George Washington and Thomas Jefferson National Forests.
A Model of Possibility
Professor of Biology Robert Humston’s Spring Term course takes a deep dive into environmental problem-solving.
W&L Professors and Students Co-Author Peer-Reviewed Paper on Web-Weaving Spiders
Professors Nadia Ayoub and Kyle Friend, and students Jamal Magoti ’23, Maria Luzaran ’23, Cooper Lazo ’24 and Eman Muamar ’24 all contributed to the paper that appeared in the open science platform Frontiers.
W&L Presents Senior Recital with Sam Boyd ’23
Boyd’s piano recital will be held in person and via Livestream on May 17 at 7 p.m.
W&L’s Jules Seay ’24 Awarded Two Prestigious Scholarships to Support Her Undergraduate Studies
Seay has been selected for the Goldwater Scholarship to support a research career in science, mathematics and engineering, and also earned the Udall Scholarship in the environmental category.
W&L’s Ava Boussy ’23 Awarded Fulbright to India
Boussy has been awarded a Fulbright-Nehru research grant to study Buddhist shrines and temples in India.
W&L Professor Receives the 2023 Portion of Multi-Year Grant from the U.S. Department of the Interior
Bill Hamilton will utilize the grant to fund his ongoing research on ecosystem health in Yellowstone National Park.
Meet a Colleague: Mike Hepner
Mike Hepner serves as a laboratory technician for the biology department.
The Art of: Brushing Up
Katie Wall Podracky '05 painted the landscape of more than 40 state parks during the COVID-19 shutdown.
W&L’s Ayoub and Toporikova Awarded NSF Grant for Research in Circadian Rhythm of Spiders
The grant funds a three-year study in collaboration with Pennsylvania State University and East Tennessee State University.
W&L’s Ayoub Presents Nobel Prize Symposium Talk
Nadia Ayoub, professor of biology, will discuss this year’s Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine on Wednesday, Feb. 8.
The Art Of: Taming the Current
After nearly three decades of training, Laura Goodwin '99 accomplished her lifelong dream: to swim the English Channel.
W&L’s Sarp Sahin ’26 Selected to Present at Sports Medicine Conference
First-year Johnson Scholar to offer preliminary research on foot-limb dominance and neuromuscular asymmetry in pediatric soccer players.
Stepping Stones in STEM
Bonner Kirkland '23 conducted biomedical research this summer in the Children’s National Hospital’s Department of Genetic Medicine.
Becoming a Better Scientist
Lucy Worthy ’24 is conducting clinical research and shadowing a physician at the Mayo Clinic.
W&L Outcomes: Leah Jackson ’22
Leah Jackson ’22 always knew she wanted to pursue the health field. Thanks to summer internships and dedication, she heads off to Harvard this fall to follow her passion.
‘One Step Closer’
Sarah Burd ’24 is spending her summer working for a medical technology company in Vienna, Austria, that specializes in prosthetic limbs.
Summer of Hands-On Research
Bridget Osas ’25 is researching behavioral impacts on the development of metabolic syndromes like obesity.
Science Advisory Board Funds New Student Opportunities Endowment
The STEM-focused endowment will support internships, research opportunities, academic conference costs and other student experiences.
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’s Samantha Carley ’22 Awarded Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Georgia
Carley will serve as an English language teaching assistant in a school in the former Soviet republic.
Life on Two Legs
In this Spring Term course, Washington and Lee students are making data science look like a walk in the park.
Spring Term Course Brings CSI To Life
CSI: W&L students are learning forensic science with the help of a real FBI evidence response team.
New Podcast Episode Spins Web of Wonder
The new episode of "W&L After Class: The Lifelong Learning Podcast" features biology professor Nadia Ayoub, who explains her research with black widow spiders.
