Stepping Stones in STEM
Bonner Kirkland '23 conducted biomedical research this summer in the Children’s National Hospital’s Department of Genetic Medicine.
Physics and Engineering
‘One Step Closer’
Sarah Burd ’24 is spending her summer working for a medical technology company in Vienna, Austria, that specializes in prosthetic limbs.
W&L Outcomes: Riwaj Shrestha ’22
Shrestha worked with the Office of Career and Professional Development at W&L to "engineer" the perfect career after graduation.
Matt Tinsley ’22 Awarded U.S. Teaching Assistantship to Austria
After his USTA program orientation in September, Tinsley will teach in a secondary school in Austria through May 2023.
W&L Outcomes: Coby Kirkland ’22
At W&L, Kirkland discovered that his two passions, sports and engineering, could be combined into one fulfilling pursuit. He's going to intern at a sports equipment company before heading to grad school at Purdue.
In Case You Missed It
Science Advisory Board Funds New Student Opportunities Endowment
The STEM-focused endowment will support internships, research opportunities, academic conference costs and other student experiences.
W&L to Match 100% of Electricity Use with Solar Energy
A new deal will establish an offsite solar farm from which W&L will purchase energy equivalent to 100% of campus electricity use, allowing the university to lower greenhouse gas emissions, save money and close in on its goal of carbon neutrality.
Four 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 the Professor: Todd Rutkowski
Todd Rutkowski joined the Physics Department in the summer of 2020.
Meet the Professor: Robert Elder
Visiting Assistant Professor Robert Elder joined Washington and Lee University's Physics and Engineering Department in fall 2020.
Meet the Professor: Mengying Liu
Mengying Liu is an assistant professor of engineering at W&L.
Immerse Yourself in Spring Term!
It's the most wonderful term of the year, so keep an eye on @wlunews social media and this post for a daily dose of W&L's deeply engaging four-week term.
In Memoriam: Kenneth E. Van Ness
The Robert Lee Telford Professor of Physics and Engineering Emeritus died Nov. 24.
Community Projects a Win-Win for Lexington and W&L
Washington and Lee University's Office of Community-Based Learning has partnered with Lexington on projects that provide real-world learning experiences for students while also advancing the city's goals.
W&L to Host Reception Honoring Rhodes Scholar Rossella Gabriele
The Rhodes Scholarship, which averages $70,000 per year and up to as much as $250,000, fully funds two to four years of study at the University of Oxford in England.
Teed Up for Success
Laurie Jones '21 is grateful for the opportunities she's had at W&L, especially her place on the golf team and the chance to study through the Peace and Conflict Program in Ireland and Jordan.
W&L’s Rossella Gabriele Among 2020 Class of Rhodes Scholars
Gabriele, a 2019 graduate, is the university’s 17th Rhodes Scholar.
Conductors of Knowledge
Students in Washington and Lee University's Electrical Circuits class sparked interest in local elementary students through a Community-Based Learning project that partnered with the Rockbridge Area YMCA after-school program.
Washington and Lee’s Laura Bruce ’20 Awarded Goldwater Scholarship
Each scholar is awarded $7,500 to support undergraduate research in their junior or senior year.
W&L’s Nick St. Pierre ’21 Earns Prestigious SMART Scholarship
The scholarship will cover his remaining undergraduate tuition, a stipend, summer internships and then a job upon graduation.
The Class of 2041: Why I Give
Reid Calhoun ‘17 shares how his vision for the future inspires his annual giving.
Postcards From Washington Break
Washington Break at W&L is about exploration, whether that discovery involves Texas mountaintops, Japanese culture or career opportunities in New York.
Rewriting the Code: Women and Technology Initiative at W&L Hosts Two-Day Public Forum
Barabas’s talk, which is free and open to the public, is titled “Dodging Silver Bullets: Understanding the Role of Technology in Social Change.”
Quick Hit: The Egg-Drop Scoop
Students in General Physics Lab I send eggs bungee jumping in the Science Center. The goal? Calculate correctly lest your project be a bust.
Tom Williams, Edwin A. Morris Professor of Physics Emeritus, dies at 77
He taught at W&L from 1974 to 2011.
W&L to Host Second DataCon Event
The event will focus on how data is shaping sports, entertainment, and healthcare.
‘My Time in Nicoya’
Daniel Rhoades '19 spent the summer immersed in the language and culture of Costa Rica.
Walking in Sunshine
Blue Ridge Autism and Achievement Center’s Lexington branch recently held a grand opening celebration for a nature trail built by Washington and Lee University engineering students through a community partnership.
W. Barlow Newbolt, Professor of Physics Emeritus, Dies at 83
Newbolt taught at W&L from 1962 to 2000.
Practical Tools for the Future
Yoko Koyama '19 put her W&L learning to work this summer at National Instruments Japan.
Turning Data into Knowledge
Moataz Khalifa discusses his new job as Leyburn Library's director of data education.
A ‘Dream Act’
Tolu Olubunmi ’02 speaks up for immigrants and refugees.
Straughan Addresses Alumni Opening Assembly, ODK Holds Spring Initiation
ODK inducted four honorary and seven student initiates
Mission to Monterrey
Daniel Rhoades '19 joined a group that traveled to Monterrey, Mexico over Washington Break to continue a STEM program for elementary school students.
W&L’s Beck Receives an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship
Beck is the 22nd General to receive the distinction over the last 15 years.
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.
Sculpting a Business
Sloan Evans ’99 and Rhett McCraw ’07 credit their liberal arts education with helping them build a strong foundation for their careers.
The Path to Learning
A team of Washington and Lee engineering majors is designing and building a walking trail for children served by Blue Ridge Autism and Achievement Center’s Lexington location.
Language and Life Lessons in Chile
Alex Meilech '18 spent the summer in Santiago, Chile, learning the language, exploring the culture, and caring for the people of the country.
Energized by Research
A grant from the Endeavor Foundation allowed engineering students Alfred Rwagaju '18 and Kennedy Gibson-Wynn '18 to spend the summer studying hydroelectric power in Rwanda.
Open for Business
A grant from the Endeavor Foundation allowed Yoko Koyama '19 and Maren Lundgren '18 to open a store in Cameroon that will fund transportation for local children to go to middle school in a neighboring town.
Down By the River
Over the summer, students worked with Professor Robert Humston to examine the potential effects of smallmouth bass on native brook trout populations in the Virginia watershed.
Interest STEMs from Fun
With a Davis Projects for Peace grant, Angel Vela de la Garza Evia ’18 created an educational summer program for children in his hometown of Monterrey, Mexico. [With time-lapse VIDEO]
Engineering Solutions for Amputees
Matt Lubas '18 spent the summer in Zacapa, Guatamala, working at a prosthetic clinic for the Range of Motion Project.
Adding Up the Research
Anukriti Shrestha '19 has found an intersection of mathematics, computer science and research — all in the heart of Lexington.
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.
Going With the Flow
Will Schirmer ’20 investigates the fluid dynamics of periodic water surges.
Heat, Water, Lasers, Patience
Angel Vela de la Garza Evia ‘18 learned that research is two parts patience, two parts fun with lasers
Design, Build, Fly: Alexander Rurka ’17
Alexander Rurka '17 knows the ups-and-downs (and loop-de-loops) of flying and competing in an international plane building competition
The Great Robot Race
Physics and engineering students at Washington and Lee put their creations to the test in the final week of Winter Term.
Eleni Timas ‘17: Swept up in Science
Meet Eleni Timas ‘17, a chemical engineering major who has been swept up studying tornadoes.
From Volunteering to Mountaineering
Whether they were doing service work in Birmingham, touring firms in NYC, or climbing an ice-encrusted mountain in New Hampshire, Washington and Lee students made the most of Washington Break.
W&L Junior Awarded Davis Projects for Peace Grant
W&L junior Angel Vela de la Garza Evia has won a $10,000 Davis Projects for Peace grant.
U.Va. Professor Deborah Johnson to Lecture on Ethics in Engineering
Deborah G. Johnson, the Olsson Professor of Applied Ethics and Emeritus, Science, Technology and Society Program at U.Va., will discuss the question, “Does Engineering Need a Code of Ethics?”
Matt Lubas: Engineering Community Development
Meet Matt Lubas '18, an engineer who spends his spare time building communities.
Meet the Johnsons: Ryder Babik ’19
Meet Ryder Babik '19, a student who enjoys college as much as he enjoys helping others apply to college.
Catching Waves
Jamie Hayes ’17 spent two summer months in New Zealand, where he conducted research that could eventually help to improve the diagnosis of gastrointestinal ailments.
Faculty Focus: Dan and Irina Mazilu
W&L physics professors Irina and Dan Mazilu join forces to mentor students and build a nanoscience program.
Design/Build/Fly
Using the university's IQ Center to fabricate some of the parts, students designed an airplane for an engineering competition.
Dan and Irina Mazilu
Physics professors Dan and Irina Mazilu discuss their path to the U.S., taking students abroad and exploring their adopted country one state at a time.
In Depth: Washington and Lee Launches Advanced Research Cohort (ARC) Pilot
12 exceptional students experience a unique summer program aimed at increasing retention in STEM majors.
Virginia Tech Professor John Casali to Lecture on How to Protect Against Hearing Damage in Military and Civilian Environments
John G. Casali, John Grado Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering and director of the Auditory Systems Laboratory at Virginia Tech, will give a lecture at W&L Oct. 12 at 4 p.m.
A Day in the Life: Prakhar Naithani ’17
Johnson Opportunity Grant Winner Prakhar Naithani '17 conducts research at North Carolina State University's Forestry Biomaterials Department.
Interns at Work: Walker Brand ’18
Engineering major Walker Brand '18 gets a taste of the defense industry at Hardwire Armor Systems.
Author Talk Series Continues on Oct. 20 with Emeritus Professor Tom Williams
The Anne and Edgar Basse Jr. Author Talk Series, presented by the Leyburn University Library at Washington and Lee University, continues at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 20, with a talk by H. Thomas Williams, emeritus professor of physics at W&L.
Interns at Work: Aswasan Joshi ’17
Physics-engineering and computer science major Aswasan Joshi '17 interns in product development at Jobscience in San Francisco.
Around the World: Eric Schwen ’15
Eric Schwen '15 in Paris, Madrid and London.
Student Leaders: Richard Snyder ’16 and Gabby Collado ’16
Lenfest Center House Directors work behind the scenes to keep performances running smoothly.
A Taste of Spring: PHYS 102: The Physics and Perception of Music
Students learn how two seemingly different disciplines are intertwined together in harmony.
In Depth: Water Work
A group of Washington and Lee students spent February break constructing a bio-sand water filter for a school in Belmopan, Belize.
Design/Build/Fly: High Flyers
The General Flyers club draws on engineering skills and IQ Center resources to design and fabricate an unmanned, electric-powered, radio-controlled aircraft.
My W&L: Marc Wonders ’15
"Washington and Lee has been the happy intersection of the qualities I desired in a large and small school."
Interns at Work: Xiaoxiang Yang ’16
Senior Xiaoxiang Yang gets a taste of the consulting world with The Brattle Group.
Summer Research Spotlight: Measuring Gastrointestinal Slow Waves
Jamie Hayes '17, Alfred Rwagaju '18 and Rajwol Joshi '18 are applying electrical engineering to create a medical solution for affordable diagnoses.
Interns at Work: Thomas Pritchard ’16
Senior Thomas Pritchard tests the service life of parachutes at the Natick Soldier Research Development and Engineering Center.
Looking for older stories? See the complete Physics and Engineering archive.
