Spider Sense
Nadia Ayoub, professor of biology, loves sharing her passion for open-ended scientific exploration with colleagues and students.
Biochemistry
Meet Sydney Fleming ’27
The first-year student says the Outing Club and W&L's proximity to great hiking and kayaking spots were a big draw.
Meet Tiwaniya Tyler ’24
With medical school on the horizon, Tyler embraces many opportunities such as research fellowship, studying abroad and sorority life.
Jaden Keuhner ’24 leaves a legacy honoring Gold Star families
Keuhner helped establish a memorial at Jordan’s Point dedicated to veterans killed in the line of duty and their families.
W&L’s Kyle Friend Presents Nobel Prize Symposium Talk
Kyle Friend, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry, will discuss this year’s Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine on Nov. 8 in Leyburn Library’s Harte Center.
In Case You Missed It
Two Washington and Lee ROTC Students Receive Project Global Officer Grants
Christy Childs ’26 and Griffin Conti ’26 will receive funding to study foreign languages this summer.
Playing It Forward
Washington and Lee seniors David Onyejekwe ’23, Jake McCabe ’23 and Bailey Keel ’23 have created lasting connections with the local community as volunteer coaches for Lex Lax youth lacrosse.
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.
Meet David Li ’25
Li is excited to take advantage of the personalized education W&L offers and to explore the Lexington-Rockbridge area.
Pursuing Her Passions
Aishwarya Vemagiri '25 hopes her summer research experience on diet-induced obesity will lead to a career in the medical field.
Science Advisory Board Funds New Student Opportunities Endowment
The STEM-focused endowment will support internships, research opportunities, academic conference costs and other student experiences.
Meet the Professor: Daniel K. Afosah
Daniel K. Afosah, assistant professor of chemistry, joined the Washington and Lee University faculty in 2021.
‘A Serendipitous Experience’
Everything has fallen into place at W&L for Alankrit Shatadal '21, who complemented her academic experience with research, peer counseling and membership in University Singers.
W&L’s Doan Bui ’21 Awarded U.S. Teaching Assistantship in Austria
Bui’s USTA position with Fulbright Austria starts in September 2021.
Student Researchers Assist Ayoub with PLOS ONE Article
Associate Professor of Biology Nadia Ayoub collaborated with students and alumni to publish a research article in the open-access journal PLOS ONE titled “The common house spider, Parasteatoda tepidariorum, maintains silk gene expression on sub-optimal diet.”
W&L Professors Receive Grant for Chemistry Tutorial
A $27,600 grant from Associated Colleges of the South will allow for the development of phase two of ChemTutor, a tutorial system for students new to college-level chemistry.
Good Chemistry
George Barker '20 used both of his majors, computer science and chemistry, to help build a website that makes a challenging subject more approachable for students.
Racing Through Summer
Ben Peeples '21 is enjoying a chemistry internship at Brown University while training for the World Canoeing Championships in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
A Goal in Mind
Working with ICU patients at Vanderbilt University Medical Center through the Allen Grant has reaffirmed neuroscience major Laney Smith's desire to become a surgeon.
A Brave New World
In the Genetic Engineering and Society SIn the Genetic Engineering and Society Spring Term class, students focus on the intersection of science, medicine, law, agriculture, ethics and public policy.pring Term class, students focus on the intersection of science, medicine, law, agriculture and public policy.
The Devil is in the Details
Virginia's largest craft brewer, Devils Backbone Brewing Co., serves students of analytical chemistry hands-on learning, grain to glass.
Expert in Paleontology Sculptures to Give Keynote Speech for SSA
The title of Gary Staab’s presentation is “Digital Dinosaurs: Fleshing out the Past."
Washington and Lee Names LaRiviere New Associate Dean of the College
Fred LaRiviere, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry at Washington and Lee University, is the new associate dean of the college, beginning Feb. 11.
The Interaction Between Health and Poverty
James Ricks '21 interviews Dr. Jonathan Wortham '04 about his work with the Centers for Disease Control.
Ayoub and Friend Awarded NSF Grant for Research in Spider Silk
The grant will help fund a multidisciplinary team from three institutions, including W&L, that will investigate how variation in adhesive-protein components of spider silk relate to differences in the glue’s material properties.
Studying Medicine in Pakistan
A grant from the Endeavor Foundation allowed Midha Ahmad '21 and Sawera Khan '21 to spend the summer in Pakistan, where they compared alternative medicine to traditional treatment.
Confronting Cancer with Research
Erin An '19 has spent time this summer researching immunotherapy treatments for pediatric cancer at the University of Virginia.
W&L Students Receive National Science Foundation Awards
The NSF only funds about 11,000 of the 40,000 proposals it receives annually for research, education and training projects.
W&L Women Mentor the Next Generation
Women in Technology and Science gives girls from local middle and elementary schools an opportunity to perform science experiments in all disciplines during the academic year.
W&L’s Kyle Friend Awarded Grant for Stem Cell Research
W&L's Kyle Friend received a $100,000 grant from the Jeffress Trust Awards Program in Interdisciplinary Research.
Investigating Protein Synthesis
Yavuz Durmaz ’20 worked with Professor Kyle Friend to probe mRNA instability.
Advanced Research Cohort Program Marks Second Successful Year
Twelve Class of 2021 students visited W&L for a five-week Advanced Research Cohort program that allowed them to dabble in STEM projects and establish quality relationships.
Interns At Work: Michael Sullivan
Michael Sullivan spent his summer interning at the Cultural Heritage Institute of the Netherlands in Amsterdam
Passionate About Public Health
Johnson Opportunity Grant Winner Cameron Lee interns at the Cluj School of Public Health in Romania.
W&L Faculty to Discuss Open Access Publishing
Four W&L faculty will talk about their experiences with Open Access publishing, both from the editorial and authorial perspectives, on Oct. 24 from 4:30–5:30 p.m.
Looking for older stories? See the complete Biochemistry archive.
