W&L Announces 2026 Distinguished Alumni Award Winners
This year's honorees will be recognized during Alumni Weekend from April 30-May 3.
Classics
Path to Professorship
For Troy Larsen ’22, the dream to become a professor began as an undergraduate and became a reality thanks to opportunities made possible by W&L’s Office of Fellowships.
Micah Tongen ’26 Publishes and Presents Research Paper
The senior presented his work at the Computational Humanities Research Conference.
2025 Five-Star Distinguished Alumni Awards
These alumni exemplify leadership, service and professional excellence and will be honored during Five-Star Festival, Oct. 3–5, 2025.
W&L Announces 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award Winners
This year's honorees will be recognized during Alumni Weekend from May 1-4.
In Case You Missed It
Rebecca Benefiel Featured in PBS NOVA Documentary on Ancient Pompeii
Benefiel is among a host of experts that reveal the truths about the social and economic makeup of the city before the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.
Rachel Kousser to Deliver the Herman Ward Taylor, Jr. Lecture in Classics
The classicist and art historian’s talk on Alexander the Great will be held March 4 on W&L’s campus.
‘W&L After Class’ Podcast Releases New Episode Featuring Matthew Loar ’07
In this month’s episode, Loar dives into the transformative power of fellowships and student research in shaping individuals.
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.
Meet Will Joseph ’26
Joseph, a captain of the men’s soccer team, chose W&L for its well-rounded liberal arts curriculum and reputable school of commerce.
Rebecca Benefiel to Deliver Provost’s Lecture
The annual address that celebrates W&L faculty for excellence in scholarship and teaching will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Sept. 12 in University Chapel.
W&L Alumnus Benji Hess ’23 Earns U.S. Teaching Assistantship to Austria
Hess will teach English in Austria and prepare for a career as an educator.
2024 Distinguished Alumni Awards
Washington and Lee University is proud to announce this year's Distinguished Alumni Award winners
W&L Presents Senior Recital with Gabriella Kogan ’24
Kogan’s piano recital will be held on March 24 at 3 p.m.
2024 Five-Star Distinguished Alumni Awards
Washington and Lee University is proud to announce this year's Five-Star Distinguished Alumni Award winners
W&L’s Rebecca Benefiel Cited in Smithsonian Magazine Article
The classics professor’s Ancient Graffiti Project digital resource was also mentioned in the article that focuses on ancient graffiti works.
2023 Distinguished Young Alumni Awards
Washington and Lee University is proud to announce this year's Distinguished Young Alumni Award winners
Meet a Colleague: Matthew Loar
Matthew Loar serves as director of fellowships and student research.
W&L’s Caleb Dance Awarded Prestigious Margo Tytus Visiting Fellowship
Classics professor will use the fellowship to research his project “Annotated Amores” at the University of Cincinnati this spring.
W&L’s James Dixon ’23 Awarded Fulbright to Taiwan
Dixon has been awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to teach English in Taiwan.
Catching up with Padget Sutherland ’17
Sutherland's advice for current students: "Don’t take yourself too seriously!"
2023 Distinguished Alumni Awards
Washington and Lee University is proud to announce this year's Distinguished Alumni Award winners
Hannah Puckett ’23 Earns David G. Elmes Pathfinder Prize in Psychology
The Elmes Pathfinder Prize recognizes a student who has shown extraordinary promise in psychological science through outstanding scholarship in basic or applied psychology.
2023 Five-Star Distinguished Alumni Awards
Washington and Lee University is proud to announce this year's Five-Star Distinguished Alumni Awards winners
Rebecca Benefiel to Deliver Endowed Professorship Lecture
Benefiel’s talk “Uncovering the mysteries of Pompeii” will be held on Nov. 10.
2022 Distinguished Young Alumni Awards
Washington and Lee University is proud to announce this year's Distinguished Young Alumni Award winners
Washington and Lee Names Seven Faculty Members to Endowed Professorships
These faculty have been recognized for their outstanding teaching, scholarship and service to the university.
Caleb Dance
Caleb Dance serves as associate professor of classics
Matthew Loar ’07 Selected as Program Director for the Beinecke Scholarship
As director, Loar is responsible for the management and administration of the program
Classically Liberal Arts
Kayla Monaghan ’24 is collaborating on a Summer Research Scholars (SRS) project to enhance resources available through Leyburn Library.
W&L Outcomes: Elizabeth Grist ’22
Elizabeth Grist '22 will spend next year conducting research in Melbourne, Australia as a Fulbright Scholar. Her project assesses the barriers and stigma associated with receiving medication for opioid use disorder.
Making Meaningful Impact
Eric Bazile '25 is interning with the Austin Greater Chamber of Commerce through the Shepherd Higher Education Consortium on Poverty (SHECP).
W&L’s Grist ’22 Awarded Fulbright to Australia
Elizabeth Grist has been awarded a Fulbright research grant to Melbourne, Australia, to study the stigma and barriers associated with receiving medication for opioid use disorder.
W&L Graduate Katie Cones ’21 Awarded Fulbright ETA to Bulgaria
The English Teaching Assistantship provides Cones a stipend to teach English to students in Bulgaria and lead cultural exchange activities.
The Flow of Influence
After receiving a great deal of support from upperclassmen at Washington and Lee University, Hannah Puckett ’23 pays it forward by dedicating her time to mentoring and counseling first-year students.
W&L’s Troy Larsen ’22 Awarded Fulbright Grant to Hungary
Larsen will spend the next academic year studying at the Budapest Semesters in Mathematics and participating in a research group at the Alfréd Rényi Institute of Mathematics.
Princeton University’s Dan-el Padilla Peralta to Deliver Annual Hoyt Lecture in Classics
Professor Dan-el Padilla Peralta’s talk is titled "Kehinde Wiley and Black Classicisms."
W&L’s Classics Department Presents Guest Speaker Lauren Curtis
Lauren Curtis, associate professor of classical studies at Bard College, will give a lecture at W&L on Feb. 11 at 4 p.m.
W&L’s Loar Publishes Oxford Handbook Chapter on Hercules
Matthew Loar published a chapter in the "The Oxford Handbook of Heracles."
W&L’s Benefiel’s Work Highlighted in Haaretz
Professor Rebecca Benefiel discusses the role of graffiti in the ancient Roman town of Pompeii.
‘The Honor of Learning’
Lauren Hoaglund '22 has parlayed her passion for medieval and Renaissance history, literature, classics and theater into a busy but rewarding four years at W&L.
W&L Students Recognized for Annual Translation Exam Results
This year, 14 W&L students won honors in the Classical Association of the Middle West and South Latin translation exam.
Looking for older stories? See the complete Classics archive.
