Get to Know the Newest Members of the W&L Community – 8/13/24 The following individuals recently joined the Washington and Lee employee workforce.

Communications & Public Affairs
August 13, 2024

Paul Aiken, Visiting Assistant Professor of Engineering – The College

Q. Tell us a little about yourself.
I was born in Jamaica and migrated to the U.S. in 1997. I earned a Master of Science and a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Columbia University.

Q. How do you unwind or have fun? Any hobbies or hidden talents?
I like to listen to music, predominantly reggae. I’ve also developed a talent for karaoke since the Covid-19 pandemic.

Q. Best advice anyone has given you?
You will never get a second chance to make a first impression.

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Leticia Fernández-Fontecha, Visiting Assistant Professor of History – The College

Q. Tell us a little about yourself.
I am from Spain, although I have been living abroad since my early 20s. I moved to London to pursue a Ph.D. in the history of medicine, where I stayed for four years. From London, I moved to New York, and what was supposed to be a one-year postdoc has become a new chapter of my life. I met my husband at the University of Iowa while doing an MFA in creative writing, and the rest is history! We have been living in North Carolina with our two-year-old child, Iggy, for the past three years, where I have been teaching at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Q. How do you unwind or have fun? Any hobbies or hidden talents?
I love dancing. I used to dance blues and lindy hop when I was living in London. These days, I spend all my free time at the playground with Iggy, or you can find me dancing at home with him and my husband. I also love reading. Rachel Cusk and Deborah Levy are two of my favorite authors at the moment.

Q. Best advice anyone has given you?
When I was a child, my mother always told me to treat others as I would like to be treated, and that advice has stuck with me.

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Niloofar Gholamrezaei, Visiting Assistant Professor of Art – The College

Q. Tell us a little about yourself.
I am an artist, educator and art scholar and an immigrant from Iran. My parents’ background is in Persian literature and language. I have a Ph.D. in fine arts from Texas Tech University and an MFA from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.

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Alana Holland, Assistant Professor of History – The College

Q. Tell us a little about yourself.
I spent my early childhood in Montana and grew up in Arkansas. I have also lived in Lithuania, Poland, and Russia on various research trips. I earned a Ph.D. in modern Russian and East European history from the University of Kansas and an M.A. in Russian, East European and Eurasian studies from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Q. How do you unwind or have fun? Any hobbies or hidden talents?
I love a nice cup of coffee and spending time with my spouse and our sweet dog. I enjoy music, watching basketball (go Mystics!) and I am not a bad ice skater.

Q. Anything in particular you are looking forward to at W&L?
I’m excited to get to know the campus community and I am looking forward to events at the Mudd Center and Harte Center, and to becoming involved in the Law, Justice and Society program.

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Catarina Passidomo, Associate Professor of Environmental Studies – The College

Q. Tell us a little about yourself.
I graduated from W&L with a B.A. in sociology in 2004, then went on to earn an M.A. in environmental anthropology and Ph.D. in human geography from the University of Georgia. My partner, Will, is also a W&L alum and is an architect. We have two kids, William (10) and Emilio (6).

Q. Any favorite Lexington/regional spots/activities (or something you are excited about)?
I was very involved with the Outing Club as a student and I am excited to get back into the mountains and trails around Lexington.

Q. How do you unwind or have fun? Any hobbies or hidden talents?
I love kickboxing.