<p>Sara Sprenkle, assistant professor of computer science, won the Best Research Paper Award, with co-authors Lori Pollock (University of Delaware) and Lucy Simko '11 at the IEEE International Conference on Software Testing, Verification and Validation in Berlin, Germany in March.<br /></p>
Washington and Lee alumnus Bill Falvey, a member of the Class of 1969 and a Memphis physician, had always been intrigued by the comic book versions of classics known as Classics Illustrated. Featuring such titles as Moby Dick, Hamlet and The Iliad, the series began publication in 1941 and produced 169 issues by 1971. The […]
The April/May 2011 edition of Garden & Gun magazine includes feature stories about not one, but two, Washington and Lee alumni. "Appalachian Spring" is the story of the Southern Highlands Reserve, a private native-plant garden and research center founded by Robert Balentine, of the Class of 1979, and his wife, Betty. Robert confesses in the […]
Last week, the @wlunews Twitter feed received this message from Sam Perkins, of the Classes of 1980 and 1983 Law: "Did you see this political cartoon by John Cole (W&L '80) re: Michael Krancer (W&L Law '83)? Worlds collide…" Earlier, Sam had tweeted this: "My W&L undergrad classmate creates political cartoon re: W&L Law classmate […]
In his 30-year legal career, Washington and Lee alumnus Rob Wendt, of the Class of 1978, has specialized in issues involving the environment, mental health patients and the disabled. He has become a specialist in Social Security disability issues. Rob recently described his work this way to a reporter for a major feature in The […]
Washington and Lee President Ken Ruscio joined the presidents of Arizona State University, the University of Pennsylvania and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, plus several internationally renowned scientists, including physicist Freeman Dyson, for a wide-ranging discussion of current scientific issues with members of the national media this week. Hosted by Arizona State President Michael Crow at the […]
The Sierra Club has singled out as a legal hero Mary Cromer, a 2006 Washington and Lee Law graduate, for her work as a staff attorney for the Appalachian Citizens' Law Center. The ACLC, a small, non-profit law firm, is dedicated to protecting coalfield communities and the environment from destructive coal-mining practices in central Appalachia. Formerly a clerk […]
In February, the lead story in Nature magazine examined the past, present and future of genomic research, laying out a "course for genomic medicine from base pairs to bedside." This week, a Washington and Lee alumna takes on a major role in that future. Laura Lyman Rodriguez, of the Class of 1991, will lead the Office of Policy, […]
As captain of Washington and Lee's 1988 national championship tennis team, David McLeod, of the Class of 1988, was a competitor whose name is etched in the Generals' record books for career singles wins (70, tied for 6th) and doubles (59 with Bobby Matthews, 1st). He and his teammates were the first alumni to be inducted as a team into […]
Shiri Yadlin, a junior at Washington and Lee from Irvine, Calif., has been spending the current semester studying at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Shiri is majoring in global politics and religion at W&L and is active in the Bonner Leader Program; Volunteer Venture, which is part of the Leading Edge Pre-Orientation program; and the Shepherd […]
When news broke Wednesday of the death of actress Elizabeth Taylor, no doubt some members of the Washington and Lee community recalled her visit to Lexington and W&L in November 1976. That visit centered on the Founders' Day speech that her then-fiance, W&L alumnus Sen. John W. Warner '49, gave at neighboring Virginia Military Institute. […]
When it comes to traumatic brain injuries, the time it takes for a patient to get treatment is especially critical. Accordingly, BrainScope, a company whose CEO is Washington and Lee alumnus Michael Singer, of the Class of 1984, has developed Ahead EU-100, a new tool to quickly assess brain function, and introduced it in the United Kingdom. A news release issued by […]
As music, film and business leaders flocked to the annual South by Southwest conference in Austin, Texas, last week, business administration professor Amanda Bower was staging her own convergence of creative types on a smaller scale right here in Lexington. In an effort to introduce students to potential career paths in advertising, marketing and promotion, […]
As part of last weekend's Relay for Life cancer fund-raiser, members of the University community were invited to vote with their money for the faculty members they would most like to see bald. The winners (?) — Simon Levy (computer science), Scott Hoover (business administration) and Burr Datz, Class of 1975 (Campus Minister, St. Patrick's […]
Washington and Lee graduates John Henzel '10 and Beth Valentine Henzel '11 are living in Japan, where John is teaching English as part of the Japanese Exchange and Teaching Programme (JET). The Henzels live in Osato, which is about 16 miles north of Sendai, the Japanese port city nearest the epicenter of last week's earthquake. […]
Washington and Lee politics professor Ayse Zarakol is a perfect example of the way that the research experience of W&L's professors benefits their students. Ayse is one of a select group of American scholars who will participate in the Academic Exchange (AE), a joint program of the Milken Institute, the Rand Corporation and the Yitzhak Rabin […]
The Virginia Festival of the Book opens today in Charlottesville, and four authors with Washington and Lee connections will be talking about their latest books. The festival runs through Saturday and is sponsored by the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities. The W&L authors, their books, and their lecture times: Julie Campbell, associate director of communications and […]
Washington and Lee's Student Association for International Learning (SAIL), Pan Asian Association for Cultural Exchange (PAACE), and the East Asian Languages and Literatures Department (EALL) have launched a fund-raising campaign to help those suffering overwhelming dislocation and loss as a result of the earthquakes and tsunami of the Tohoku region of Japan. According to Mary […]
If you happen to be among those who watch the NCAA Divison I Basketball Tournament, a.k.a March Madness, on your computer, you are likely to catch Washington and Lee alumna Kaylee Hartung, of the Class of 2007, doing the studio show at halftime of games over the next three weeks. Kaylee, an associate producer for […]
Alumni (and others) of a certain generation will remember Spin and Marty, the eponymous heroes of a 1950s television series that was part of the original "Mickey Mouse Club." Washington and Lee librarians Elizabeth Anne Teaff and Carol Blair recently illuminated the connection between that series and W&L in the latest issue of "Folios," a newsletter for […]
For Lyle Smith, banking is a family affair. Earlier this year, Lyle, a member of the Class of 1993, was named managing director and chief investment officer of United Bank's Wealth Management Group, which manages more than $5 billion in client assets. It's based in Charleston, W.Va. He is now the fourth generation of his family […]
In his latest book on the Civil War, Washington and Lee graduate Kent Masterson Brown, of the Law Class of 1974, has edited and annotated the memoirs of a Confederate cavalry officer from Kentucky into a volume that one reviewer calls "authoritative, balanced, and engagingly anecdotal." One of Morgan's Men: Memoirs of Lieutenant John M. Porter of the Ninth […]
If you saw the Academy Award-nominated movie "The Fighter," you might have missed his name in the fine print, but a Washington and Lee alumnus appears in the credits as a technical consultant. Bob Halloran, of the Class of 1985, is the author of a book about the boxer whose story is told in the movie, […]
"The Good Daughter," the memoir by Washington and Lee English professor Jasmin Darznik, has been receiving considerable attention around the country and the world since its release in January. On Feb. 27, the book appeared on the New York Times' list of best-selling e-book nonfiction, and in recent weeks, Jasmin has given lectures literally from coast […]
J. Brooks Flippen, a member of the Class of 1982, has just published his third book. Scheduled for formal release on March 15, Jimmy Carter, the Politics of Family, and the Rise of the Religious Right is being published by the University of Georgia Press. Brooks is a professor of history at Southeastern Oklahoma State […]
Members of Washington and Lee's Hillel spent the Washington Holiday on an alternative spring break in New Orleans. Eight students and Hillel director Joan Robins participated in a week of social justice activities with Jewish Funds for Justice. Here is Joan's description of the experience, including the observations of several of the student participants: "Our trip […]
Congratulations to Matthew Neill Null, a member of the Class of 2006 and a Creative Writing Fellow at the University of Iowa. Matt's story, "Something You Can’t Live Without," is among the 20 stories selected for publication in the PEN/O. Henry Prize Stories 2011: The Best Stories of the Year. An English major at W&L, Matt […]
Now that his company boasts the No. 1-selling frozen burger in the land, Washington and Lee alumnus Billy Morris, of the Class of 1981, is taking a new step by opening four new restaurants in his hometown of Jacksonville, Fla. According to a story in the Florida Times-Union last week, the new Original BUBBA Burger […]
Washington and Lee alumnus Richard M. Kyle, of the Class of 2007, a third-year student in the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, has been named a Robert Bosch Foundation Fellow for 2011-12. In that capacity, Richard will intensively study German as well as attend seminars with key German and European decision makers. He was one of 20 […]
Ted Kingsbery, of the Class of 2009, was named one of the top entrepreneurs under 25 in a contest presented by BroBible.com and reported on Sawyer Speaks, the online media company that focuses on entrepreneurs. Ted is head of business development at Shark Branding, the company founded by Daymond John, who founded FUBU and appears on […]
This past President’s Day weekend, if you were lucky, you took a brief vacation to a warmer clime. Alex Appel, a member of Washington and Lee’s Class of 2006, spent Saturday in Florida, but it wasn’t exactly a vacation — he competed in, and won, the Iron Horse Endurance Run, a 62-mile race. (Yes, you […]
When news of the devastating earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand, began to circulate on campus, we turned our thoughts immediately to the three members of the Washington and Lee faculty who are in that country. Thankfully, all of them are fine, and no current students are studying or traveling there. Lad Sessions, the Jo M. and […]
Fourteen Washington and Lee students are spending their Washington Break this week in Birmingham, Ala., on an alternative break trip organized by the Nabors Service League and members of the Birmingham Alumni Chapter. According to Jenny Davidson, coordinator of the Campus Kitchen and advisor to both Volunteer Venture and the Nabors Services League, the students will […]
Andrew N. "Drew" Baur, a trustee emeritus at Washington and Lee, died on Sunday morning, Feb. 20, in Jupiter, Fla. He was 66. Drew, a member of W&L's Class of 1966 and a history major, was elected to the board in February 2005 and took the oath of office in October 2005. He retired from the […]
Washington and Lee third-year law student Amanda K. Streff and the W&L Black Lung Legal Clinic successfully argued a case in front of the United States Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit in Philadelphia last month. The decision, rendered earlier this week, denied a petition from Consolidation Coal Company to review the awarding of benefits to […]
There was another celebration in Bardstown, Ky., yesterday with Washington and Lee alumnus Max L. Shapira, of the Class of 1965, who operates Heaven Hill Distilleries. Back in December, we wrote about the 75th anniversary of Heaven Hill on the day that it filled its 6 millionth barrel of bourbon. On Wednesday, Max cut the ribbon […]
Matt Simpson, from Smyrna, Ga., is a junior resident adviser at Washington and Lee. A politics and history major, he is also visually impaired. He shares his room in Davis Hall with his guide dog, Lacrosse. This week Matt spoke with Beckie Supiano of the Chronicle of Higher Education for an episode of the Chronicle's new […]
"Say you have a 'special child,' which in the South means one between Down's and dyslexic." So begins "House of Prayer No. 2," the new memoir by Washington and Lee alumnus Mark Richard, of the Class of 1980, that was released today amid a flurry of positive reviews everywhere from Sunday's New York Times Book […]
An interesting connection occurred last week in Houston, where Washington and Lee's Board of Trustees was holding its winter meetings at the Houstonian. Turns out that the board of the University of Wyoming also happened to be meeting at the same hotel, and the two universities share a bit of a history. In 1951, W&L and […]
Peter Homans, a member of Washington and Lee's Class of 1972 who has blended his musical and business skills, is practically a walking advertisement for a liberal arts education. In the Spring/Summer 2010 issue of the alumni magazine, we wrote about his PARMA Recordings, which had just released “Tendrils,” a CD containing music by Peter; Byron […]
Authors want their books to garner notice: good reviews, robust sales, enthusiastic readers. Having one’s book burned in protest, however, isn’t usually on the wish list. Erik Curren, a member of Washington and Lee’s Class of 1987, found this out last week, when his 2006 book, Buddha's Not Smiling: Uncovering Corruption at the Heart of Tibetan […]
This past Monday on the campus of Washington and Lee, members of the Journalism Department, budding student journalists and two visitors had dinner together, courtesy of the Reynolds Foundation. It’s not unusual, of course, for W&L students to have face time with distinguished visitors. What made this dinner party out of the ordinary, however, was […]
Ten years after the St. Louis Business Journal named Cliff Holekamp, a member of Washington and Lee's Class of 1996, as one of its 30 Under 30 honorees, the same publication has tabbed him one of its 40 Under 40. The honorees — all younger than 40, as you might guess — were chosen by a panel […]
Three members of Washington and Lee's faculty will make talk-show appearances on National Public Radio today: Jasmin Darznik, assistant professor of English, will discuss her new book, "The Good Daughter," on the "Diane Rehm Show" today from 11 a.m. to noon. The "Diane Rehm Show" originates from WAMU in Washington and is available throughout the […]
Congratulations to Timothy R. Moore, a 1997 graduate of the Washington and Lee School of Law, who was recently named to the 2011 Rising Stars list by North Carolina Super Lawyers magazine. The Rising Stars selection process involves a rigorous evaluation of candidates by Law & Politics, a publication of Key Professional Media Inc. No […]
Theater of War Productions, which presents readings of ancient plays to military communities across the U.S., will be staging readings of Sophocles' "Ajax" on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 4 and 5, at VMI. W&L's Johnson Lecture Series is one of the event's sponsors. The event, which will include a panel discussion with audience participation, will take place […]
What better time than Groundhog Day to begin thinking of summer? And thinking of summer for Washington and Lee alumni means thinking of the next Alumni Road Trip. This year, it's to Nashville, from June 16-18. It's not too early to begin planning for the Alumni Road Trip to the Athens of the South. The […]
Tonight, Tuesday, Feb. 1, is the first annual Study Abroad Fair for Washington and Lee students that the students themselves have organized. Rather than having outside agencies promoting their particular programs, this event features students who have been abroad talking about their experiences. The fair is organized by destination and is not specific to programs or majors. It's […]
Gavin Dean, a 2000 graduate of Washington and Lee, has been named one of the "20 under 40" honorees by The State newspaper in Columbia, S.C. The 20 young professionals are, according to the newspaper, "making an impact on the community and also show great promise for tomorrow." Gavin is senior project manager for Aetna […]
Washington and Lee alumnus Dr. E. Darracott Vaughan Jr., a member of the Class of 1961 and one of the world’s foremost urological clinicians, researchers and educators, has received another major award for his outstanding contributions to the science of urology. Darracott, professor emeritus of urology at Weil Cornell Medical School, will receive the Ramon […]
David Bruck, clinical professor of law at Washington and Lee’s School of Law and director of the Virginia Capital Case Clearinghouse, appeared on NPR affiliate WMRA’s "Virginia Insight" show today (Thursday, Jan. 27) for a discussion of the death penalty. The Virginia Capital Case Clearinghouse is a trial-level, legal-aid clinic providing free services to defense […]
W&L's Mock Convention got a polite but firm "No, thank you," on Tuesday from Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell, who gave a good reason for turning down the University's signature political event. Here's the story: The senator was the featured interviewee on the "Playbook Breakfast," during which W&L alumnus Mike Allen, a member of the Class of 1986 […]
Leyburn Library’s Special Collections has added to its archive five original Robert E. Lee letters and two copies of letters from the great-niece of Lee’s cousin and correspondent, Louisa Washington. According to Vaughan Stanley, special collections librarian at W&L, these documents represent the largest number of Lee letters donated to the University in 20 years. […]
Reynolds Price H'91 Reynolds Price, who died in Durham, N.C., last week, was a frequent visitor to Washington and Lee, which gave him an honorary doctor of letters degree in 1991. The New York Times obituary said that Price's "novels and stories about ordinary people in rural North Carolina struggling to find their place in […]
With the National Football League down to four teams this weekend, the big question is not which teams will make to the Super Bowl but how those teams will impact the Super Bowl Stock Market Predictor. A year ago Washington and Lee's George Kester, the Martel Professor of Finance in W&L's Williams School of Commerce, […]
In case you missed it, a Washington and Lee alum was featured on CNBC's "Closing Bell" with Maria Bartiromo this week. Ross Singletary, of the Class of 1989, is managing partner with Arcus Capital Partners in Atlanta. An economics major, Ross appeared on the national show on Wednesday, Jan. 19 (probably pure coincidence that it […]
"Life is measured only superficially by heartbeats, breaths and brainwaves. Life is doing. It's learning and it's engaging and it's thinking." So said Washington and Lee alumnus Mike Hughes in a fascinating piece that ran on the front of the Richmond Times-Dispatch's Metro Business section earlier this month. Here is a link to the article […]
Five Washington and Lee sophomores took part in the "Taglight/Birthright Israel" project, spending 10 days in Israel during December. The five students were Stephanie Krasnov, Natasha Lerner, Kathryn Marsh-Soloway, Nora Wallenius and Ali Greenberg. W&L has sent students on the biannual trips during December and June since 2001. "It was a really great experience," Ali […]
Inslee Haynes, a 2008 graduate of Washington and Lee, was in the spotlight last week when The Fashion Magpie blog published a glowing feature about her work and her blog from the We Love DC website. Inslee, an art history major at W&L, has been running a fashion-illustration business since 2005, as she explains on […]
On Monday, Jan. 17, at 3 p.m., Ted DeLaney, chair of the History Department and the Harry E. and Mary Jayne W. Redenbaugh Term Professor of History at Washington and Lee University, appeared on NPR affiliate WMRA’s “Virginia Insight” to examine the legacy of the Civil War 150 years later. DeLaney, who is a 1985 […]
Congratulations to Lacey E. Putney, who on Jan. 12 kicked off his 50th year as Bedford County’s representative to the Virginia House of Delegates. The anniversary makes the member of Washington and Lee’s undergraduate Class of 1950 and law Class of 1957 one of the longest-serving legislators in the U.S. We blogged about his last […]
Whether they've known it or not, parents who pay close attention to nutritional guidelines for their babies set by the American Academy of Pediatrics have benefited from the expertise of a Washington and Lee alumnus. Dr. Frank R. Greer, a member of the Class of 1968, is the former chairman of the AAP's nutrition committee, […]
Last March we blogged about a new movie, "Hood to Coast," about the race called "The Mother of All Relays" — a 197-mile run from Mount Hood to Oregon's Pacific Coast. The movie follows four of the relay teams, including Team R. Bowe, which was running in honor of Ryan Bowe, of W&L's Class of […]
Careful readers (not that there is any other kind) of W&L Law: The Washington and Lee School of Law Magazine will recall an article from the Spring/Summer 2010 issue. In it, one of the professors in the newly created Criminal Practice Practicum said this about defending an accused criminal: "The idea is that we stand between the […]
Chris Gavaler, visiting assistant professor of English at Washington and Lee, will appear on NPR affiliate WMRA’s "Virginia Insight" show at 3 p.m. today (Jan. 10) to discuss his new historical novel, School for Tricksters, and the process of using fiction to write about historical events. His novel is based on two true-life "tricksters," who […]
James Urban '96 with Michael Vick during training camp With the National Football League playoffs beginning this weekend, it's a fitting time to note the work that Washington and Lee alumnus James Urban, of the Class of 1996, has been doing as the quarterback coach of the Philadelphia Eagles. When W&L sports information director Brian Laubscher visited […]
President Obama has nominated a Washington and Lee law alumnus, Terence F. Flynn, of the Class of 1990, to fill an open position on the five-member National Labor Relations Board. According to a story on Bloomberg, Terry becomes the second Republican on the NLRB and replaces Republican Peter Schaumber, whose term expired in August. Terry […]
In 16 years of practice as a partner with the Seattle-based law firm Lane Powell, Jeffrey Gingold, a 1971 Washington and Lee graduate, has specialized in health care and insurance regulation. Now he has added a new specialty–professional soccer. Last month, Jeff became one of only 83 Americans to hold a soccer players' agent license. […]
When the Touchdown Club of Richmond named Washington and Lee football coach Frank Miriello as the Virginia Division II/III/NAIA Coach of the Year for 2010, it marked the first time that a W&L coach has ever received the honor. It was a special season for the Generals and Miriello. Not only did Miriello pass his […]
