W&L’s Leah Naomi Green Recognized for Two National Poetry Prizes
Green’s poetry earned the Thomas Merton Prize from the Center for Interfaith Relations and a spot on the Alpine Fellowship’s poetry prize shortlist.
Environmental Studies Archive (83 Stories)
Leah Naomi Green Delivers Environmental Lecture and Poetry at the Chautauqua Institution
The writer-in-residence and visiting assistant professor of environmental studies spoke on Chautauqua’s theme “The Ethics of Enough.”
W&L Hosts 21st Annual Tom Wolfe Weekend
The weekend’s seminar will feature award-winning author George Saunders discussing his new novel, “Vigil.”
Two Students Selected for the John W. Warner Public Service Award
Chloe Kim ’28 and Mackenzie Morante ’27 have both continued their public service in Washington, D.C., this summer.
Exploring the World
Johnson Enhancement Funds Open up Opportunities for W&L Johnson Scholars.
Three W&L Students Awarded Boren Scholarships for Global Language Study
With the scholarship, the graduating seniors will conduct intensive language studies in Indonesia and Japan.
W&L’s Tom Finnegan ’26 Awarded U.S. Teaching Assistantship to Austria
Finnegan is looking forward to sharing his passion for sustainable food systems with the students at a “green” school near Klagenfurt am Wörthersee.
W&L’s Molly Biggs ’26 Earns Fulbright to Germany
Biggs is looking forward to teaching English in Germany, where she can build on previous youth leadership experiences and develop important skills for a career in the climate sector.
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.
W&L Presents Author and Climate Scientist Michael Mann
The Presidential Distinguished Professor of Earth and Environmental Science from the University of Pennsylvania will discuss his new book, “Science Under Siege,” on March 4.
W&L Exchange: A Campus Resource for Sustainable Sharing
The Exchange connects the university community with free supplies while reducing waste.
Refining an Industry
Eric Herrera ’20 was recently named to the 2026 Forbes 30 Under 30 list for his work with chemical manufacturing startup MaverickX, which he cofounded with Jesse Evans ’20.
Mauricio Betancourt Co-Authors Article in the Environment, Development and Sustainability Journal
The assistant professor of environmental studies served as the first author for a paper titled “Revisiting sustainable development: a time-series, cross-national study of the nexus between human well-being and environmental impact.”
Meet Luis Chong ’28
Chong loves spending time in nature, especially visiting the gazebo on campus.
W&L Alumni Receive Omicron Delta Kappa Scholarship
Two Washington and Lee University graduates received scholarships from the National Leadership Honor Society to support graduate and professional study.
Benjamin Backer is the Next Speaker in the Mudd Lecture Series
Backer, founder and CEO of Nature is Nonpartisan, will give a lecture on Oct. 28 in Stackhouse Theater.
Environmental Studies Professor Publishes Paper in the Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Journal
Ryan McCoy’s paper addresses how local knowledge can contribute to climate research.
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.
Catarina Passidomo ’04 Contributes Book Chapter
The associate professor of environmental studies authored a chapter in “The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Cultural and Social Geography.”
W&L’s Kiki Mittner ’25 Earns U.S. Teaching Assistantship to Austria
Mittner will teach English in her grandmother’s Austrian hometown before attending law school.
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 Environmental Studies Professor Awarded Mednick Memorial Fellowship
Mauricio Betancourt will receive $2,250 from the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges to support his research on the Peruvian guano trade.
Darby Burgett ’26 Awarded Public Policy and International Affairs Fellowship
Burgett will attend the PPIA Junior Summer Institute at Princeton University this summer.
W&L Presents Okaidja Afroso’s ‘Jaku Mumor: Ancestral Spirit’
The March 29 performance is part of the Lenfest Center’s Outreach & Engagement Series.
Empowering Others
After fighting societal norms in India, Rima Kumari ’26 champions education for other women.
Meet Sofia Iuteri ’27
Iuteri’s work with the Connolly Entrepreneurship Society and business administration professors has led to the expansion and growth of her own nonprofit.
Meet Riley Mitchelson ’27
Mitchelson embraces extracurriculars such as volunteering with the Nabors Service League and teaching salsa through Around the Globe.
Lisa Greer to Deliver Lecture in Honor of Her Appointment to the Harry E. and Mary Jayne W. Redenbaugh Term Professorship
Greer’s talk, “Coral Reefs Past, Present and Future and Our Human Footprint,” will be held Jan. 15 in Science Addition 214.
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.
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.
Mauricio Betancourt Publishes Article in the Peer-Reviewed Journal Socius
The assistant professor of environmental studies authored a paper titled “Guano and the Rise of the American Empire.”
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.
Washington and Lee University Recognized for its Sustainability Efforts
The university earned high marks in the Princeton Review Guide to Green Colleges and is highlighted in the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education’s 2024 Sustainable Campus Index.
Ryan McCoy Awarded Grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture
Environmental studies professor to supervise student assessments of the USDA Midwest Climate Hub.
Campus Kitchen Announces 2024-25 Just Food Series
The annual event series examines the ways in which food systems interact with issues of social justice.
Catarina Passidomo ’04 Authors Paper in the Peer-Reviewed Journal Food, Culture & Society
Passidomo explores how food and food narratives can build and reinforce regional and social identities.
Margaret Anne Hinkle Awarded a Collaborative Grant from the National Science Foundation
Hinkle and fellow scientists from the University of Pittsburgh will share the $550,000 award to examine the potential of adapting acid mine drainage remediation systems to produce critical minerals in economically viable concentrations.
Associate Professor Catarina Passidomo ‘04 to Present DeLaney Center Dialogue Discussion
Passidomo will use her essay “Rooted in Sand: A Reflection on Teaching and Tomatoes” to explore “Tomatoes and Southern Racial Realities.”
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.
Cultivating a Community of Care
Through the Davis Projects for Peace Grant and a Fulbright ETA, Allie Stankewich ’23 is building relationships with the communities she serves in East Africa.
Summer Knights
The A. Paul Knight Internship Program in Conservation, named in memory of a late Washington and Lee student, allows students to pursue their passion for environmental conservation.
Lending a Healing Hand
With the support of a Johnson Opportunity Grant, Sofia Iuteri ’27 is expanding the reach of the nonprofit she founded at 16.
W&L Earth and Environmental Geoscience Professor Publishes Peer-Reviewed Article
Margaret Anne Hinkle collaborated with additional authors to produce an article focused on manganese exposure in spring and well water in the Shenandoah Valley.
W&L’s Ian Kinney ’24 Selected for U.S. Teaching Assistantship to Austria
Kinney will teach English in Austria at an agricultural research institute, blending his interests in German and environmental studies.
Meet Emma Scott ‘26
Scott’s passion for the environment carries over from the classroom to opportunities on campus and beyond.
Washington and Lee Names Four Faculty Members to Endowed Professorships
These faculty have been recognized for their outstanding teaching, scholarship and service to the university.
Joel Salatin of Polyface Farm to Deliver Lecture on Alternatives to Industrial Agriculture
The sustainable farmer’s talk will be held on March 19.
Meet Katherine Hudson ’26
Environmental humanities classes introduced Hudson to new ideas on how humans interact with the world.
Meet a Colleague: Mauricio Betancourt
Mauricio Betancourt is an assistant professor of environmental studies.
Pablo Abufom to Deliver Lecture on Latin American Politics
The Chilean activist’s talk will be held Feb. 12 at 5 p.m.
Six 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 Greer Featured in bioGraphic Magazine Article about the Coral Gardens Reef
Professor Lisa Greer has been taking students to Belize since 2011 to study the thriving reef corals located there.
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 Professor Featured by Graywolf Press in 50th Anniversary Anthology
Leah Naomi Green’s essay on Kaveh Akbar’s poem “The Miracle” is anthologized in “Raised by Wolves.”
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.
W&L Outcomes: Caroline Wise ’23
Caroline Wise ’23 is working as a backcountry guide for St. Elias Alpine Guides in Alaska.
W&L Outcomes: Allie Stankewich ’23
Allie Stankewich ’23 will spend the summer in Tanzania before pursuing a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in Uganda.
Catching up with Sarah Tilbor ’08
For Tilbor, W&L instilled a healthy curiosity and a lifelong love of learning.
W&L’s Allie Stankewich ’23 Earns Fulbright to Uganda
Stankewich has been awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to teach English in Uganda.
Meet a Colleague: Margaret Anne Hinkle
Margaret Anne Hinkle is an assistant professor of earth and environmental geoscience.
SEAL to Sponsor First Annual Washington and Lee Campus-Wide Garage Sale
Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to sell unwanted items and donate any unsold items to benefit local nonprofit organizations.
Growing a Greener Future
For W&L alumni Kevin Green ’07 and Amanda Green ’06, nature and nurture go hand-in-hand.
W&L Visiting Professor Featured in Orion Magazine
Leah Naomi Green’s essay titled “Mourning Songs Are Love Songs” was excerpted from the anthology “Solastalgia: An Anthology of Emotion in a Disappearing World.”
W&L Earth and Environmental Geoscience Professor Publishes Peer Reviewed Article in Geochemistry Journal
Assistant Professor Margaret Anne Hinkle’s article is titled “Impacts of Sulfonic Acids on Fungal Manganese Oxide Production.”
Learning to Swim
Tetiana Kozachanska ’26 is taking full advantage of her first year at Washington and Lee.
W&L Professor Publishes Journal Article in PLOS ONE
Professor Lisa Greer’s article focuses on the survival of coral reefs in the Caribbean.
Matt Villante ’20 Presents Talk on Climate Technology and Science
Villante, a geoscientist in Iceland, will discuss the current state of the climate technology sector on Feb. 6.
Meet a Colleague: Jeff Rahl
Jeff Rahl is a professor and department head for earth and environmental geoscience.
Meet a Colleague: Leah Naomi Green
Leah Naomi Green serves as visiting assistant professor of English and environmental studies.
W&L Center for International Education Presents Public Lecture
Kim Stanley Robinson, an award-winning author, will give a public lecture on Nov. 10 at 6:15 p.m. in the University Chapel.
Author Bill McKibben To Present Talk on Climate Change
McKibben will present a public lecture on Sept. 26 at 5:30 p.m.
Rooted in Justice
Kiera Stankewich ’25 tackled food justice in Louisville, Kentucky this summer through the Shepherd Higher Education Consortium on Poverty.
Becoming a Better Scientist
Lucy Worthy ’24 is conducting clinical research and shadowing a physician at the Mayo Clinic.
Into the Wild
Caroline Wise '23 is spending her second summer working as an alpine guide in Alaska.
W&L’s Tyler Bernard ’23 Awarded Udall Scholarship
Bernard has been selected as a 2022 Udall Scholar in the environmental category.
W&L to Match 100% of Electricity Use with Solar Energy
A new deal will establish an offsite solar farm from which W&L will purchase energy equivalent to 100% of campus electricity use, allowing the university to lower greenhouse gas emissions, save money and close in on its goal of carbon neutrality.
W&L’s Allie Stankewich ’23 Awarded Boren Scholarship
Stankewich received a David L. Boren Scholarship from the National Security Education Program to study abroad in Tanzania in fall 2022.
Connecting the Dots
Bri Mondesir ’22 has found her purpose through volunteer work in the Rockbridge area community as a scholar in the Bonner Program at W&L.
Washington and Lee’s Jensen Rocha ’23 Awarded Goldwater Scholarship
Each scholar is awarded $7,500 to support undergraduate research in their junior or senior year.
W&L’s Casey Publishes Chapter in ‘Teaching Environmental and Natural Resource Economics’
The book will prove invaluable in helping students gain a better understanding of the theory and practice of environmental and natural resource economics.
Meet a W&L Scholar: AJ Mabaka ’22
AJ Mabaka '22 plans to attend a graduate program in marine science and conservation policy.
In the Zone
In addition to pursuing a double major at Washington and Lee, Jackson Hotchkiss ’24 is a competitive cycler who just placed fourth in his age group in a national cycling championship.
‘Chasing After Curiosity’
Allie Stankewich '23 spent summer 2021 learning about public health in Uganda and green roofs in New York City.
