A company in Mason, Ohio, that deals with machine tools may not seem the likeliest candidate for a social-marketing initiative, but Washington and Lee alumnus Mark Rentschler, of the Class of 1982, has made Makino a leader in adopting the new technologies for an old-school industry. Earlier this year, BtoB Magazine, which focuses on marketing, named Mark […]
Two teams of three students from Washington and Lee University recently placed second and fourth in a computer programming contest at Longwood University in Farmville, Va. A total of 16 teams, comprising 46 students from eight colleges and universities in Virginia, competed on Oct. 22 in the inaugural invitational contest sponsored by Longwood’s Department of […]
“The Widow’s Season,” by Laura Brodie, visiting assistant professor of English at Washington and Lee University, has become a surprise hit in Germany. The book, which prominently features places around W&L and Lexington, was published by Berkley Books (part of Penguin Books) in 2009. A German translation was published in the summer of 2010 and […]
Congratulations to Crawford Rhyne, a sophomore at Washington and Lee University from Gastonia, N.C., who won a new iPad last month in the Dining Services Great iPad Give-Away. Any student who signed up for one of the six meal and flex plans in Dining Services was eligible for the prize. Approximately 70 percent of W&L's […]
Mike Wienick is called "Big Dog" by many of his employees at QualitySmith.com in Portland, Ore. Now they can call Mike something else — "Portland's Best Boss." A 2002 graduate of Washington and Lee, where he majored in computer science, Mike is president of QualitySmith.com, a website that connects homeowners with contractors. In celebration of […]
Lucas Morel, the Lewis G. John Term Professor of Politics and acting chair of the Politics Department at Washington and Lee, will lecture on “Lincoln and Race" at Roanoke College on Nov. 2 at the Wortmann Ballroom of Roanoke College. Morel has written extensively on Lincoln and civil rights and is author of Lincoln’s Sacred […]
David Harbor, professor of geology, and Jeffrey Rahl, assistant professor of geology, both of Washington and Lee, presented the results of their summer research to approximately 6,000 geoscientists at the annual meeting of the Geological Society of America in October. Their work was supported by the Lenfest program and two alumni funds in the geology […]
When Lynn Symansky talked to the W&L alumni magazine back in 2005, she described her passion for what she called “an extreme sport” — the equestrian pursuit known as eventing. That passion has led the 2005 graduate of Washington and Lee University to a berth on the U.S. eventing team that’s competing this weekend in […]
Washington and Lee University students Lauren Ashley Tipton and Kelton Buchanan will be recognized at the second Generals of the Month presentation of the academic year on Wednesday, Oct. 19, at 12:10 p.m. in the Marketplace in Elrod Commons. Lauren Ashley Tipton, a senior from Myrtle Beach, S.C., is majoring in neuroscience. She is the […]
A distinguished panel of senior judges from three different federal circuit courts will decide the 2011 John W. Davis Appellate Advocacy Competition at the Washington and Lee School of Law. The finals will be held Friday, October 21, beginning at 5:00 p.m. in the Millhiser Moot Court Room, Sydney Lewis Hall. The competition will be […]
Julie Campbell, associate director of communications and public affairs at Washington and Lee University, was honored on Saturday, Oct. 15, when her book, The Horse in Virginia: An Illustrated History, won the People’s Choice Award for Nonfiction at the Library of Virginia’s 14th Annual Literary Awards, in Richmond. At the same event, Lesley Wheeler, the […]
Timothy S. Jost, Robert L. Willett Family Professor of Law at Washington and Lee University School of Law and one of the nation's leading voices in health care law, has been elected to the Institute of Medicine (IOM). Election to the IOM is considered one of the highest honors in the fields of health and […]
Lucas Morel, the Lewis G. John Term Professor of Politics at Washington and Lee, was a featured lecturer for the Lincoln Legacy Lecture Series in Springfield, Ill., on Oct. 13. the theme of the series, held at the University of Illinois at Springfield, was "Lincoln and the Civil War." Morel's speech was titled "War and […]
Angelica D. Light, a 1975 graduate of Washington and Lee's School of Law, is being honored this Friday as an honorary alumna of Old Dominion University. Angelica is president and CEO of the Hampton Roads Community Foundation in Tidewater. She joined the foundation (originally The Norfolk Foundation) in 1999, after 20 years as an attorney with […]
When he graduated from Washington and Lee in 1943, Bill Wilcox discovered that he was in demand. He had majored in chemistry, and the Tennessee Eastman Co. was in the market for young chemists. As Bill told the St. Petersburg Times in 2010: "In May of 1943 they grabbed up all the graduating chemists from around […]
The other day, we blogged about two alumni of Washington and Lee who run a lodge and fly-fishing shop in Idaho and had a close encounter with a grizzly bear. Turns out they’re not the only graduates to be pursuing a career in the wilds of the West, and not the only one to have […]
Washington and Lee alumnus Thomas N. McJunkin, a member of the University’s Board of Trustees, died at his home in Charleston, W.Va., on Saturday, Oct. 8. He was 62. Tom received his B.S. in business economics in 1970 and his J.D. from the School of Law in 1974. “Tom epitomized the loyal alumnus,” said Washington […]
Thanks to a new effort by faculty and students, Washington and Lee University law students interested in studying poverty issues as part of their legal education now have any even greater array of opportunities to explore. Partnering with the University's Shepherd Program on Poverty and Human Capability, the law school has identified law courses, clinics, […]
Pamela Hemenway Simpson, an art historian who was one of the most influential figures of the last four decades at Washington and Lee University, died at her home in Lexington, Va., on Oct. 4. She was 65. "She was a dear friend and colleague," said W&L President Kenneth P. Ruscio. "Washington and Lee is a […]
Back in June, we wrote about President George W. Bush's trip to Little Rock, Ark., to honor Warren Stephens, a 1979 Washington and Lee graduate, for his work on First Tee, the national organization that gives young people free access to golf courses, equipment and instruction. Last month, Warren received yet another honor for his work […]
During her summer internship at "D Magazine" in Dallas, the Washington and Lee senior Kelsy McCraw, from Greenville, S.C., interviewed chefs and professional women bowlers, wrote about advertising and did a video with Dallas' best children's entertainer. But maybe her most memorable assignment — and most compelling story — was one that she did on […]
Terry Vosbein, professor of music at Washington and Lee, was one of seven composers from Associated Colleges of the South institutions commissioned to set poems to music as part of a project at Southwestern University of Texas. Vosbein's composition became part of a song cycle that focuses on the environment, particularly the importance of water […]
Adam Schwartz, the Lawrence Term Associate Professor of Business Administration in Washington and Lee’s Williams School of Commerce, Economics, and Politics, has been credentialed as a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA). He took three levels of exams over an 18-month period to achieve the CFA, a self-study program for people interested in learning more about investments. […]
In a ceremony earlier this month at the American Revolution Center in Philadelphia, His Excellency, Ambassador of France to the United States François Delattre, presented Washington and Lee alumnus and benefactor Gerry Lenfest '53, '55L, with the Insignia of Officier de la Légion d’Honneur, commonly known as the Legion of Honor. Founded by Napoleon Bonaparte in […]
The October 2011 issue of "Vanity Fair" magazine contains its annual list of movers and shakers, "The New Establishment and the Powers that Be: 2011." At Number 39 in the 50-person list of the New Establishment, right in there with Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook's founder; Jeff Bezos, head of Amazon; and J.K. Rowling, creator of Harry Potter, […]
Janet Ikeda, associate professor of Japanese at Washington and Lee, will be participating on a panel in October, "Advancing the Study of Japanese," with representatives from Southern Methodist University, the U.S. Department of Education, and the Asia Society as part of a program sponsored by the U.S.-Japan Council. The conference is titled "Innovate, Educate, Collaborate: […]
When the Republican Presidential candidates held their most recent debate in Orlando, Florida, some of the questions were submitted via YouTube — and Washington and Lee sophomore Yates Wilburn, from Hilton Head, S.C., was one of the questioners. Fox News and Google received almost 19,000 questions from around the world, and more than 100,000 votes […]
On Thursday, Sept. 29, distinguished legal historian Alfred Brophy will deliver the 2011 Hendricks Lecture in Law and History. The topic of Prof. Brophy's talk is "The Jurisprudence of Slavery, Freedom, and Union at Washington College, 1831-1861." The lecture will begin at 3:00 p.m. in Stackhouse Theater, Elrod Commons on the campus of Washington and […]
"The Horse in Virginia: An Illustrated History," written by Julie Campbell, associate director of communications and public affairs at Washington and Lee, won first place for nonfiction book/history in the 2011 communications contest of the National Federation of Press Women.
The new CD, "Fleet Street," featuring Washington and Lee music professor Terry Vosbein's compositions of the music from the Stephen Sondheim musical "Sweeney Todd" merited a review on the website, All About Jazz. The review, originally from JazzWax, described the music as "a superb reworking and a throwback to an age of introspective interpretation." Vosbein […]
On Wednesday, Sept. 14, faculty at Washington and Lee University School of Law will discuss several of the most compelling cases on the 2011 U.S. Supreme Court docket during the School's annual Supreme Court Preview. The event will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the Millhiser Moot Court Room, Sydney Lewis Hall. The event is free […]
Terrorism was not born on 9/11 or in Oklahoma City. It is, in fact, an ancient concept. But what is new about terrorism, says Washington and Lee law professor Erik Luna, is the development of a distinctive legal regime and heightened enforcement efforts in the decade since the Sept. 11 attacks. It is this legal […]
Readers of Stacy Morrison, former editor of Redbook and author of the 2010 memoir Falling Apart in One Piece, will be pleased to know that this member of Washington and Lee’s Class of 1990 has a new platform. This time it’s online rather than print — she is heading BlogHerMoms.com, an offshoot of BlogHer.com. Stacy will have […]
When blues guitarist and singer Scott Ainslie, of the Class of 1974, saw the normally eight-inch-deep Whetstone Brook in his hometown of Brattleboro, Vt., transformed into a raging torrent as Hurricane Irene passed through on Sunday, he got out his video camera and recorded some remarkable images. Then Scott added his own recording of Stephen […]
In June we blogged about Rebecca Makkai, of the Class of 1999, whose first novel, The Borrower, has been widely praised. But it was one of Rebecca's short stories that landed her a spot on a recent edition of NPR's "This American Life." As part of the program's show on Gossip, Rebecca reads a portion of one […]
Two Washington and Lee classmates from the Class of 2010, both double majors in English and theater, are working together on the off-off-Broadway stage in New York City this month. Jenna Worsham is directing “What the Sparrow Said” at Teatro LATEA. Included in the cast is her classmate Kevin Mannering, who plays the role of […]
Ted DeLaney, the Harry E. and Mary Jayne W. Redenbaugh Term Professor of History and head of the history department at Washington and Lee, has been elected to a two-year term as president of the St. George Tucker Society, an interdisciplinary organization of southern specialists at was founded in 1992 by the most important living historian […]
In its review of Richard Strauss’s 1940 opera, “Die Liebe der Danae,” as staged at the Bard Summerscape Festival at Bard College earlier this summer, the New York Times had this to say about soprano Meagan Miller, a member of Washington and Lee's Class of 1996: "As Danae, the soprano Meagan Miller had a coolly […]
The Washington Post's Lifestyle sectionis the latest publication to take notice of what is happening in Hanover, Pa., where Washington and Lee alumni Kathryn Sheppard Hoar, of the Class of 1997, her sister, Heather Sheppard Lunn, of the Class of 2000, and Kathy's husband, Oliver, of the Class of 1997, have turned Kathy and Heather's […]
Charles Alcorn is the managing editor of the American Book Review, a professor of English at the University of Houston and the possessor of a 2006 Ph.D. in English literature and fiction from the University of Houston’s creative writing program. He’s also a former ad copywriter and used to own a cigar company. Now he can […]
Congratulations to Bob Scott, a 1965 graduate of Washington and Lee, who won three prizes last month in the Marblehead-to-Halifax Ocean Race at the helm of his 75-year-old New York 32 Class yacht, the Falcon. Bob, who lives in Castine, Maine, and his crew took the Over the Hill Gang trophy, first in fleet in […]
David Millon, the J. B. Stombock Professor of Law and Law Alumni Faculty Fellow at Washington and Lee University School of Law, was named president-elect of the Southeastern Association of Law Schools (SEALS) at its recent annual meeting. Millon will serve in this position during 2011-12 and will become president of the organization for the […]
On her website, Ashley Mayer, a 2006 Washington and Lee graduate, lists her jobs: movie-store clerk, trade-show-booth slinger, receptionist, executive assistant, travel-magazine journalist, public-relations writer and marketing consultant. Missing from that list is author. But now Ashley can add that item, having recently published Temp: An Accidental Fairytale, which is described as an urban fantasy. The book features […]
Former Washington and Lee women's basketball captain Bethany Dannelly, of the Class of 2005, has just been named an assistant coach at Colby College, in Maine. Bethany still holds the career records for assists (459) and steals (197) as the Generals' point guard. She never had fewer than 84 assists and 42 steals in a […]
When a contributor to the Miller-McCune magazine needed an expert, he knew who to call: Suzanne Keen, the Thomas H. Broadus Professor of English and chair of the Department of English at Washington and Lee University. Suzanne is quoted at length in an article titled “Teaching Empathy to the ‘Me’ Generation,” by Eric Leake, a […]
James R. Kahn, the John F. Hendon Professor of Economics and director of Environmental Studies at Washington and Lee, has been invited to provide one of the keynote addresses at the 2011 LOICZ Open Science Conference in Yantei, China, in September 2011. LOICZ, the Land-Ocean Interactions in the Coastal Zone, is an international research institute, […]
If you are a royal watcher, this has been a few months to savor, what with Prince William marrying Kate Middleton and Prince Albert of Monaco marrying Charlene Wittstock. Washington and Lee alumna Jane Lee, a 2009 graduate, has it all covered with her video report for Forbes Lifestyle. Jane is an associate editor and producer of Forbes […]
Two young alumni of Washington and Lee recently paid their respects to the late Cy Twombly ’53 in a most appropriate way — by seeing his art in person at two of the world’s great museums. Two days after Cy’s July 5 death, siblings Matt Null (Class of 2006) and Andrea Null (Class of 2010) began a family […]
When the devastating tornado tore apart his hometown of Joplin, Mo. in May, Washington and Lee alumnus Brent Beshore, of the Class of 2005, felt helpless. He was miles away in Columbia, Mo., but he wanted to do something. And he did. Brent created a Facebook page, Joplin, MO Tornado Recovery, that was designed, in […]
As the Harry Potter saga draws to a close with the July 15 opening of the final movie, stories abound in the media about what the event means for faithful readers and viewers. Many of them focus on college students in their late teens and early 20s who have literally grown up with Harry Potter, […]
At the opening assembly, President Ruscio presented the Washington Award to Roger Mudd ’50(above). The award recognizes distinguished leadership and service to the nation and extraordinary acts of philanthropy in support of W&L and other institutions. Ruscio said that throughout his career, Mudd “covered history and has been a part of it, and throughout it […]
In This Issue: A River of Music: Ron Pen '73 and his Passion for Harmony, Story and Photos by Patrick Hinely ’73; Alumni Weekend 2011: Thanks for Making the Journey
Business Insider website has just named the country's sexiest startup CEOs, and Washington and Lee alumnus Ross Hinkle, of the Class of 2001, is No. 8 on the list. Ross is the CEO of Liveset, which started up last year and presents live concert events for the Web and mobile devices in what it describes […]
Roger Jeans found the hot, humid July weather in Lexington a bit of a shock when he returned from an out-of-town conference. His dismay is understandable, for the meeting, at which he was an invited speaker, took place in the balmy environs of Oxford, England. Roger, the Elizabeth Lewis Otey Professor Emeritus of East Asian […]
When she was communications director for the House Democratic Caucus in 2007, Sarah Feinberg, a member of Washington and Lee's Class of 1999, described her résumé as a “bit schizophrenic" in an interview with Politico. The latest entry on that packed résumé is a new position at Facebook, where she will be focusing on communications about […]
Lucas Morel, the Lewis G. John Term Professor of Politics, has been named to the editorial board of the new interdisciplinary journal, <em><a href="http://www.jackmillercenter.org/2011/07/american-political-thought-a-journal-of-ideas-institutions-and-culture/" target="_blank">American Political Thought: A Journal of Ideas, Institutions, and Culture</a>.</em> Published by the<a href="http://www.jackmillercenter.org/" target="_blank"> Jack Miller Center</a>, the journal "is concerned with classic texts and authors in the American political tradition and with key political ideas such as democracy, constitutionalism, equality, liberty, citizenship, political identity, and the role of the state." Morel has been a member of the W&L faculty since 1999 and was appointed to the John Term Professorship in 2010. He has served as the Garwood Visiting Fellow at Princeton University and as a Supreme Court Historical Trustee.<br /> <p> </p>
Washington and Lee University has appointed Nicolaas A. Rupke, currently of the University of Göttingen, Germany, to the Johnson Professorship in the College, where he will focus his teaching and scholarship on the intersections of leadership and the history of ideas. Hank Dobin, dean of the College, announced Rupke's appointment, which will be effective on […]
Readers of the Richmond Times-Dispatch got a treat on Independence Day in the form of a story about Washington and Lee alumnus James A. Tyler Jr., of the Class of 1967. Jim is the great-grandson of President John Tyler. But he didn't make his mark in politics. As T-D reporter Carol Hazard wrote, he worked […]
Famed artist Edwin Parker "Cy" Twombly Jr., who died today in Rome at the age of 83, attended Washington and Lee for only one academic year — 1949-1950. But he and the University (and the city of Lexington, too) had a much deeper history than that single year suggests. Born and raised in Lexington, Cy […]
The morning after finishing his Winter Term finals and then driving from Lexington to his home in Easton, Md., Michael McGuire, a rising junior at Washington and Lee, got up bright and early to record a song that he hoped would earn him $2,500 and a chance to meet one of his favorite singers, Toni […]
While she was a student, Julia Pleasants, of Washington and Lee’s Class of 2008, belonged to the dance club and helped found the W&L Repertory Dance Company. An English major, she recently learned the business side of the dance world when she did a press and marketing internship with the famed Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, in […]
Washington and Lee alumnus Reuben Munger, co-founder of a company designed to bring green-tech automotive solutions to market, has just been named one of the "Electrifying 100" by Automotive News magazine. The 100 people comprise the magazine's assessment of the key players driving vehicle electrification. Reuben, a member of the Class of 1995, is CEO of […]
After some months away because of technical problems, Colonnade Cam is back, or so we hope. The live webcam located in Lee Chapel and pointed toward the Colonnade is online again. It's a full-motion camera, so if anything is happening on the Front Lawn, it'll be captured on air. (Fair warning!) There are, however, some issues […]
<p>Washington and Lee University economics professor Mike Smitka combined his expertise on Japan and the auto industry into a pair of high-profile presentations in June.</p> <p>Smitka was a featured panelist at the <a href="http://www.chicagofed.org/webpages/events/2011/automotive_outlook_symposium/index.cfm" target="_blank">Eighteenth Annual Automotive Outlook Symposium</a> of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. The event was held at the Detroit branch of the Chicago Fed on June 2, 2011, and focused on the near-term automotive outlook and the long-term structure of the industry.</p> <p>Smitka was joined by Thomas Kurfess, professor and BMW chair of manufacturing at Clemson University's International Center for Automotive Research; James A. Buczkowski, Henry Ford Technical Fellow, and director of electrical and electronics systems research and advanced engineering for Ford Motor Company; and Thomas Klier, senior economist for the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. Smitka's remarks were on innovation in the supply sector.</p> <p>On June 7, 2011, Smitka participated in the <a href="http://www.bloomberglink.com/gatherings_overview.php?gathering=104">Bloomberg Japan Conference</a> at the Japan Society in New York City. He was a member of a panel that examined the global impact of the supply chain interruption in the wake of the earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan in March. The panel was moderated by Michael McKee, economics editor of Bloomberg Television.</p> <p> </p>
After four terms as commonwealth's attorney for Shenandoah County, Va., Washington and Lee law alumnus Albert T. Mitchell, of the Class of 1967, has announced he won't seek re-election in November. Al was appointed to the position by the judges of the 26th Judicial Circuit in 1999 and then was elected to the position in […]
Renee Pratt, assistant professor of business administration at Washington and Lee, has recently co-authored a study entitled "The Role of Enterprise Architecture in the Quest for IT Value" appearing in MIS Quarterly Executive (see <a href="http://misqe.org/ojs2/index.php/misqe/article/view/369" target="_blank">http://misqe.org/ojs2/index.php/misqe/article/view/369</a>). The research looks at value creation through the use of enterprise architecture. Enterprise architecture (EA) is the term used to describe the way in which a business logically organizes its IT infrastructure and business process capabilities to address its needs for IT and business process integration and standardization.<br /> <br />The research study examined responses from 140 chief information officers in U.S. hospitals. According to the study conducted by Pratt and her colleagues, more mature enterprise architecture initiatives enhance firm value in three ways:<br /> <br />1. managing firms' external relationships more effectively and efficiently<br />2. lowering firms' operational costs<br />3. providing firms with greater strategic agility<br /> <br />Additional connections were found between enterprise architecture maturity and improved business-information technology alignment and risk management.<br /> <br /> Pratt joined the Williams School faculty in 2008. She has taught several information technology classes during that time, including management information systems, e-commerce development, and computer forensics. She holds a doctorate in management information systems from Florida State University, an M.S. in management information systems from the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University, and a B.S. in mathematics from the University of Florida. Her industry experience includes working with both government entities and businesses to design and develop intranets, extranets, and websites.<br />
Dr. Charles Niemeyer, a member of Washington and Lee's Class of 1962, suffered two broken legs before he was 10 years old. That, says his wife, Carolyn, is what led him to his chosen profession: orthopedic surgeon. “He’s wanted to be an orthopedic surgeon since he was 7-years-old,” she told the Gaston Gazette. Charlie is […]
Washington and Lee alumnus and trustee Warren Stephens, of the Class of 1979, and his wife, Harriet, were honored in their hometown of Little Rock, Ark., last week by none other than former President George W. Bush. The occasion was the 10th anniversary of The First Tee of Little Rock Jack Stephens Youth Golf Academy. President […]
A video created by Garrett Koller of Washington and Lee's Class of 2014 has won second place in a national contest to create awareness on information security. <p>The 30-second video is entitled "How to Create a Secure Password" and won second place in the public service category of the 2011 Information Security Awareness Poster & Video Contest. Koller earned $1,000 in the contest sponsored by EDUCAUSE/Internet 2 Higher Education Information Security Council, CyberWatch, and National Cyber Security Alliance.</p> <p>The video provides practical guidelines for creating a secure but easy-to-remember password. The video is featured on YouTube channel of Information Technology Services, which has promoted secure passwords as a vital part of an overall strategy to keep data private and secure. Koller, a computer science major, is a member of the Information Technology Advisory Committee, which advises ITS at W&L, and also works for John Blackburn, senior academic technologist for ITS.</p> <p>The video may be viewed here: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPxPh-cYsgE">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPxPh-cYsgE</a><br />Additional background on the contest is here: <a href="http://www.educause.edu/SecurityVideoContest2011">http://www.educause.edu/SecurityVideoContest2011</a></p>
