Johanna Bond, professor of law and Ethan Allen Faculty Fellow at Washington and Lee University School of Law, has been appointed associate dean for academic affairs by Dean Nora Demleitner. Bond succeeds Robert Danforth, who served as associate dean for five years and will return to the faculty following a sabbatical leave. "Professor Bond's commitment […]
Lawrence E. Hurd, the Herwick Professor of Biology at Washington and Lee University, has received a prestigious research fellowship from the Brazilian Ministry of Education and the Brazilian national science foundation. Hurd will be a Special Visiting Research Fellow in a new program, Science without Borders, which is designed to strengthen and expand Brazilian education […]
It is well documented that the earlier a child is exposed to a foreign language, the easier it is for them to learn it. Still, learning Japanese and Chinese would seem particularly daunting. Thanks to Washington and Lee University's Languages for Rockbridge program, area elementary school children are not only learning Spanish and Chinese, but […]
If you've seen one of the "Tips from Former Smokers," a stop-smoking campaign from the Centers for Disease Control, or if you've watched Alvin Grimes, the passionate air collector who pushes air quality for the American Lung Association, then Washington and Lee alumnus Jeff Boal's company, PlowShare Group, has found you. A 1984 graduate of […]
The development and marketing of shoe insoles with GPS tracking devices as a way to monitor the location of children or Alzheimer's patients won Washington and Lee University's second annual Business Plan Competition.
"All the Truth," a novel by Laura Brodie, visiting professor of English at Washington and Lee, will be published on Tuesday (July 3) by Penguin's Berkley Books.
Errors in the initial reporting by two cable news networks aren't a new phenomenon, but the megaphone of social media amplified the mistakes.
Kathryn Marsh-Soloway, a Washington and Lee senior from Woodbridge, Conn., has been named the Stephen J. Brady STOP Hunger Regional Honoree by the Sodexo Foundation for her work on hunger issues, including with the Campus Kitchen at Washington and Lee. Kathryn is majoring in art history and business administration with minors in museum studies and poverty […]
George Kester, the Martel Professor of Finance in the Williams School of Commerce, Economics, and Politics at Washington and Lee University, recently returned from teaching a workshop on the case method of teaching at the Shanghai Institute of Foreign Trade (SIFT) in China.
Washington and Lee alumna Emily Ecton's fourth book for middle schoolers is called "Project Jackalope."
James Morton Turner, a 1995 graduate of Washington, has published his first book, "The Promise of Wilderness: American Environmental Politics since 1964."
To say that Stacy Donovan Zapar is plugged into the world of social media is to understate the matter considerably. After working as a recruiter for a number of Fortune 500 tech companies, Stacy, a 1995 graduate of Washington and Lee, has her own firm that specializes in social media recruiting. So she clearly has a […]
Friday (June 22) marks the end of a storied career at the University of Virginia, where Washington and Lee alumnus Rich Murray, of the Class of 1971, retires after 29 years promoting Cavalier athletic programs, and especially its basketball teams. A journalism major at W&L, Rich was news director of WAYB radio in Waynesboro, Va., […]
The family of I-Hsiung Ju, the award-winning professor of art and artist-in-residence emeritus at Washington and Lee University, has established an endowment for traditional Chinese art studies in his honor with an initial gift of $50,000.
Ben Long, of Washington and Lee's Class of 2007, writes about his travel as a Watson Fellow on a National Geographic blog.
Washington and Lee University economics professor Jim Kahn participated in the parallel scientific sessions of the Rio+20 United Nations Environmental Summit in Rio de Janeiro in June. Kahn, the John F. Hendon Professor of Economics at W&L, presented the results of joint research between Washington and Lee University and the Federal University of Amazonas in […]
Barry A. Kolman, professor of music at Washington and Lee, was selected to participate in the College Board’s Annual AP Reading in Music Theory. Each June, AP teachers and college faculty members from around the world gather in the United States to evaluate and score the free-response sections of the AP Exams. AP Readers are […]
Washington and Lee University's Shepherd Poverty Program has named six members of the Class of 2012 to John and Mimi Elrod Fellowships. The fellowship gives recent W&L graduates the opportunity to develop a lifelong commitment to civic engagement and to prepare for civic leadership. The competitive program connects young alumni with innovative public service organizations […]
David McDannald, a 1994 alumnus of Washington and Lee, is the co-author of a fascinating new book, "The Last Great Ape: A Journey Through Africa and a Fight for the Heart of the Continent."
Patricia Hobbs, associate director/curator of University Collections of Art and History at Washington and Lee, is one of only 32 academic museum and gallery leaders from throughout the United States attending the inaugural Leadership Seminar of the Association of Academic Museums and Gallery (AAMG). She will be the only person from Virginia to attend the […]
Howard Sanborn, a member of Washington and Lee's Class of 2001, has been recognized for outstanding teaching at Virginia Military Institute, which awarded him the Thomas Jefferson Teaching Award. Howard is an assistant professor of international studies and political science at VMI. He holds his M.A. and Ph.D. in political science from the University of […]
Harlan Beckley, director of Washington and Lee's Shepherd Program for the Interdisciplinary Study of Poverty and Human Capability, and W&L senior Joe Landry discussed poverty issues on WMRA's call-in talk show, Virginia Insight, Monday (June 18) on WMRA, the National Public Radio affiliate in Harrisonburg. Harlan is the Fletcher Otey Thomas Professor of Religion at […]
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.
More than 70 students from 14 colleges and universities will be spending their summers in internships where they will learn about the nature of poverty as part of the Shepherd Higher Education Consortium on Poverty.
The tradition of turning music from Broadway shows into jazz recordings is far from new. According to a recent piece in the Wall Street Journal, the first such example was 1944, when Charlie Spivak, a trumpeter and bandleader, turned "Porgy & Bess" into jazz. So Washington and Lee music professor Terry Vosbein was following in a honored […]
Suzanne H. Keen, the Thomas Broadus Professor of English, has been appointed to a two-year term as interim dean of the College at Washington and Lee University, effective July 1. Keen succeeds Hank Dobin, who served as dean of the College for seven years.
The late artist Cy Twombly, of the Class of 1953, left Washington and Lee after only one year because Marion Junkin, who had founded the Department of Art at W&L, made it clear there wasn't much he could teach Cy because the young man possessed such an advanced talent. So Cy left Lexington for New York and the […]
Chris Gavaler, visiting assistant professor of English at Washington and Lee University, reflects on the death of Ray Bradbury in an essay that first appeared in the Roanoke Times.
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 […]
The Atlanta home of Washington and Lee alumnus and trustee Robert Balentine, of the Class of 1979, and his wife, Betty, was featured last week as the Wall Street Journal's "House of the Day." The online version of the Journal features a dozen photographs of the 10,500-square-foot stone house — a replica of a classic […]
Suzanne H. Keen, the Thomas Broadus Professor of English, has been appointed to a two-year term as interim dean of the College at Washington and Lee University, effective July 1. Keen succeeds Hank Dobin, who served as dean of the College for seven years and will return to the faculty in the 2013-14 academic year […]
Washington and Lee art historian Pamela Hemenway Simpson, who died in October after four decades at the University, has been honored by her alma mater, Gettysburg College. Pam received a posthumous Distinguished Alumni Award from Gettysburg's Alumni Association. It is the highest honor that the association bestows and is awarded for "extraordinary personal accomplishments, professional achievements, or humanitarian […]
As part of his senior thesis in English, Henri Hammond-Paul of Washington and Lee's Class of 2012 conceived and created a Thoreau-like cabin near the campus.
Henry L. (Roddy) Roediger III, of Washington and Lee's Class of 1969, was honored with another major award when the Association for Psychological Science named him the winner of its 2012 William James Fellow Award during the APS annual convention in May.
Suzanne Keen, the Thomas H. Broadus Professor of English at Washington and Lee University, discussed the impact of the Harry Potter series on today's students during an appearance on NPR affiliate WMRA’s “Virginia Insight” show, on Monday, June 4. Suzanne is the author of "Empathy and the Novel" (Oxford University Press) and specializes in contemporary […]
As Britain celebrates the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II from June 2 to June 5, the Reeves Center at Washington and Lee University is displaying teaware commemorating her coronation. Princess Elizabeth became Queen Elizabeth 60 years ago, after her father, King George VI, died on Feb. 6, 1952. The actual coronation was delayed until June 2, 1953, to […]
Last December we blogged about the Bevin Bros. Manufacturing Co., owned by Washington and Lee University alumnus Matt Bevin. The company, which makes 200 varieties of bells, and Matt had been featured on a National Public Radio story. Matt, of the Class of 1989, was back on NPR again this week. But this was no holiday […]
Washington and Lee journalism student Michael McGuire's first assignment on his summer internship in Miami is one he won't soon forget.
Two recent stories in the Billings (Mont.) Gazette have focused on research conducted by Washington and Lee biology professor Bill Hamilton and W&L students in several of his Spring Term courses. The stories, "Researchers try to revitalize soil in Gardiner Basin area" and "Yellowstone Park restoration work progressing," report on an article that Bill and his […]
It's been a banner month for Jasmin Darznik, assistant professor of English at Washington and Lee. Just after her memoir, "The Good Daughter," was nominated for two prestigious awards, Jasmin published a piece, "No Place Is Home," in Sunday's New York Times. She writes about her two-year exile from the United States after a run-in with […]
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.
Dr. Daniel J. Carruci, of the Class of 1980, was honored this month with an Alumni Award from Choate Rosemary Hall from which he graduated in 1976.
Washington and Lee University President Kenneth P. Ruscio addressed the Commencement exercises for the Class of 2012 on May 24, 2012.
Graduation Remarks Scott McClintock President of the Student Body Washington and Lee University May 24, 2012Thank you President Ruscio for inviting me to speak here on this beautiful May morning. I can’t think of a better day or a better view than that of the colonnade from where I now stand. When each of you, […]
As the 396 members of Washington and Lee University's Class of 2012 received their diplomas on the University's historic Front Campus Thursday, they were reminded to take strength from what the W&L community had taught them.
Washington and Lee University recognized five retiring members of the University’s faculty during commencement exercises on Thursday, May 24.
The Roanoke Times focused on a member of Washington and Lee's graduating class from the Star City in today's editions, providing a fine profile of Robbie Day. He will graduate today in ceremonies starting at 10 a.m. Robbie's memories of his W&L career reached all the way back to the week before he had even matriculated, […]
"Love in the Ruins" A Baccalaureate Address Christoph Keller III Washington and Lee University May 23, 2012 Her hand rested as lightly on my shoulder as it did at the Washington and Lee Black-and-White formal, what a lovely, funny Valley girl she was. He means a lovely, funny, Shenandoah Valley girl. The narrator is Dr. […]
The Rev. Dr. Christoph Keller III gave a moving, often personal Baccalaureate address to Washington and Lee University’s Class of 2012 on Wednesday, May 23.
It has been a busy commencement season for Washington and Lee alumni. At least two spoke at commencement exercises, while the University also was well represented in the graduating class of one of the nation's premier law schools. In Monterey, Calif., Grace Ewura-Esi Andrews, of the Class of 2009, told her fellow graduates at the Monterey Institute […]
They started out facing each other across the net for one special mother-daughter tennis match on Mother's Day each year. Eventually, they switched from being opponents to being partners, and now Washington and Lee alumna Bitsy Hopper Young, of the Class of 1989, and her daughter, Faris, are ranked as the top mother-daughter doubles team in […]
Washington and Lee University celebrates its 225th undergraduate commencement on Thursday, May 24, by awarding bachelor's degrees to slightly more than 400 students.
Retired U.S. Ambassador Kenneth Yalowitz is teaching Washington and Lee students about diplomacy as he practiced it during 36 years as a career diplomat and a member of the Senior Foreign Service.
Ashley Jordan, a Washington and Lee senior from Pocatella, Idaho, has been nominated to the Japanese National Honor Society (JNHS). Jordan is an East Asian Language and Literature major. This honor society recognizes and encourages scholastic achievement and excellence in the study of the Japanese language. Students who are nominated for membership receive Certificates of […]
A photograph by Washington and Lee University photographer Patrick Hinely, of the Class of 1973, is one of five finalists for 2012 Photo of the Year in the Jazz Journalists Association Awards. Patrick was one of 45 photographers who submitted a single image for the opening round of the annual contest. (See all the entries […]
Washington and Lee University senior swimmers Brian Stirling of Skillman, N.J., and Chris Washnock of Greer, S.C., have won NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships for participation in a winter sport.
Washington and Lee English professor Jasmin Darznik's celebrated memoir, "The Good Daughter," is a candidate for the Library of Virginia's People's Choice Award for Nonfiction. And even more recently, she received word that the book is on the short list for the 2012 Saroyan Prize for Nonfiction, too. That award is intended to encourage new or […]
After a successful fall season when it won six of seven matches, Washington and Lee's club rugby team finished third in April in the Mid Atlanta Rugby Football Union (MARFU), which comprises teams from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia. During the fall season, W&L lost only to William and […]
Washington and Lee University honored three graduates with Distinguished Alumni Awards and celebrated the largest reunion gift in school history on Saturday, May 12, during the annual meeting of the W&L Alumni Association Saturday during Alumni Weekend.
Washington and Lee University's interim provost, Robert A. Strong, used George Washington's Farewell Address from 1796 as a way to thank alumni returning for W&L's Alumni Weekend for their continued support of their alma mater. Strong provided the keynote address for the Opening Assembly of the annual Alumni Weekend, which features an array of reunion […]
Washington and Lee alumnus Beverly M. “Bo” DuBose III has won the 2012 John Macpherson Berrien Award from the Georgia Historical Society. The society gives the Berrien award for a lifetime of achievement in and service to Georgia history. It recognizes people for their vision and generosity in support of history organizations and promoting the mission of the Georgia Historical Society […]
Washington and Lee law professor Josh Fairfield has been awarded a Fulbright Grant to study privacy law in the U.S. and European contexts. Fairfield will conduct his research this summer at the Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods in Bonn, Germany. Fairfield explains that the buying and selling of personal information for targeted advertising […]
Lauren Acker, a senior from Bloomfield Hills, Mich., has been named the John W. Elrod General of the Year. Announcement of Acker's award was made today (May 10) in Elrod Commons. She is one of the 21 Washington and Lee students who were recognized with General of the Month awards during the 2011-2012 academic year through […]
FOREST, Va. — The Old Dominion Athletic Conference has announced that Washington and Lee University has claimed the Dan Wooldridge Overall Sports Champion Cup for the ninth-straight year. The cup, sponsored by Farm Bureau Insurance, is presented to the school that exhibits the best all-around athletic program in the conference. Points for the Commissioner's Cups […]
As part of their Spring Term class in Poetic Forms, a group of Washington and Lee students will be spending three hours today (Wednesday, May 9) writing haiku poems on demand for anyone who wants to order one. “We’re deliberately doing this around the time people need to send Mother’s Day cards, but the haikus […]
Students in a Spring Term course in Ireland joined an Irish drum corps to march in the annual Festival of Bealtaine Parade in Dingle, Ireland.
by Mark Drumbl Class of 1975 Alumni Professor of Law and Director, Transnational Law Institute (Reprinted from the May 8, 2012, edition of the Richmond Times-Dispatch) Charles Taylor, former president of Liberia, has been convicted of 11 counts of crimes against humanity and war crimes. Although symbolic, imprisoning Taylor is a small step toward the […]
Washington and Lee economics professor Linda Hooks discussed the economy and the presidential election on KABC's Gerald show on Monday, May 7. Listen to the interview below:
Three organizations in Shreveport, La., reaped the benefit of a choice that students from Washington and Lee University made in April: to spend their spring break not on vacation but doing community service in that city. W&L's Shepherd Poverty Program coordinated the Alternative Spring Break. The students spent the first two days painting a grocery […]
