ODK Recognizes New Members at 2019 Founders Day/ODK Convocation The leadership organization also presented the James G. Leyburn Award to Srimayi B. “Tinni” Sen.

By Drewry Sackett
January 18, 2019

Alpha Circle of Omicron Delta Kappa, the national leadership honor society, recognized six honorary and 38 student initiates during its traditional tapping ceremony at Washington and Lee University’s annual Founders Day/ODK Convocation on Jan. 22 at 5 p.m. in Lee Chapel.

The convocation was free and open to the public. It was broadcast live online and can now be viewed here.

Christy Coleman was the featured speaker; her talk was titled,“In Times Like These: Responsive and Responsible Leadership.” Coleman currently serves as CEO of the American Civil War Museum, located in Richmond and Appomattox, Virginia, where she has been instrumental in furthering discussion around the Civil War, its legacies and its relevance to our lives today, not only in the Richmond region but around the nation.

She began her career at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation (CWF), where she was responsible for all programming and tours in the historic area. In 1999 she became president and CEO of the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit, Michigan. In 2008 Coleman was named president and CEO of the American Civil War Center at Historic Tredegar (ACWC). In 2013 she helped orchestrate the merger of ACWC with the Museum of the Confederacy to create the American Civil War Museum.

ODK honorary initiates are Mark H. Eastham, head of school at Stuart Hall School, in Staunton, Virginia; Brant J. Hellwig, professor of law and dean of the School of Law at W&L; Mohamed Kamara, associate professor of French and head of the Africana Studies Program at W&L; Alfonzo M. “Bucky” Miller Jr., retired deputy chief of the Lexington, Virginia Police Department; Lex O. McMillan III, president emeritus of Albright College in Reading, Pennsylvania; and William C. “Bill” Shelton, former director of the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development in Chesterfield, Virginia.

Eastham is a member of W&L’s Class of 1984. Since 2004, he has been head of school at Stuart Hall School, an independent Pre-K-12 co-ed day and boarding school. The school’s enrollment is more than 300 day and boarding students across two campuses. Eastham turned around the school’s deficit in just his second year on the job and led successful campaigns to increase the institution’s endowment to more than $5 million. He also oversaw the merger with a K-5 school in Verona, Virginia. From 2000 to 2004, Eastham was headmaster at Aylett Country Day School in Millers Tavern, Virginia. Before that, he was assistant headmaster and director of development at St. Margaret’s School in Tappahannock, Virginia. He served as director of publications, then director of annual giving and, finally, associate director of development at Episcopal High School in Alexandria for 10 years, ending in 1995.

Eastham is a former president of the Tappahannock-Essex County Chamber of Commerce and a former member of the vestry at St. John’s Episcopal Church there. He has also been a member of Rotary International and the board of directors of the Virginia Association of Independent Schools. He earned a B.A. from Washington and Lee University in 1984 and a M.Ed. from the University of Virginia in 1994.

Hellwig is a professor of law at Washington and Lee who also serves as dean of the School of Law. He received a B.S. in mathematical economics at Wake Forest University and a J.D. from the Wake Forest University School of Law. After a brief period in private practice, he pursued an LL.M. in taxation at New York University School of Law. After serving as a law clerk to the Hon. Juan Vasquez of the United States Tax Court, he began his teaching career at New York University School of Law. He accepted a tenure-track position at the University of South Carolina School of Law, where he was a member of the faculty for 10 years prior to joining the law faculty at W&L.

Hellwig specializes in a variety of federal taxation topics, including individual income taxation, taxation of business entities, and estate and gift taxation. He has co-authored casebooks on these subjects, several with his colleague on the W&L law faculty, Bob Danforth. After several years on the faculty, he began his administrative role as dean in 2015. He and his wife, Tammi, have two teenage daughters, Emily and Molly.

Kamara is associate professor of French at Washington and Lee. Currently head of the Africana Studies Program, he has also served as interim chair of the Romance Languages Department. He has a B.A. from Fourah Bay College (the University of Sierra Leone) and a M.A. and Ph.D. from Purdue University and Tulane University, respectively. Kamara’s teaching and research interests include French and Francophone language, literatures and cultures, with specific focus on African and 18th-century French women writers, colonial education and human rights. He is also a founding member of Refugee Working Group and Rockbridge Interfaith.

Kamara is the current chair of the International Education Committee, a faculty representative on the W&L Board of Trustees, as well as a member of other university-wide committees. As faculty advisor to campus Muslim students, he is a member of the religious staff in the Office of Inclusion and Engagement. Kamara is married to Tida Drame and has two children, Adama and Musa, both of whom are in college.

Miller faithfully served the Lexington community as a police officer over a 30-year career, first as a patrol officer, then as investigator, then sergeant and deputy chief. He has been honored by the Lexington Police Department with the Meritorious Service Medal, the Life Saving Medal and the Award for Valor. Miller has been honored for his community leadership as the Lexington Public Employee of the Year in 2002 and the People’s Choice Award Citizen of the Year in 2014. He is a Paul Harris Fellow and was named the Jaycees Outstanding Citizen of the Year in 2014. In 2015, the city of Lexington proclaimed June 10, 2015, as Captain Bucky Miller Appreciation Day.

Miller has been an adult volunteer counselor at the 4-H camp for the last 12 years, is an instructor for the J.A.K.E.S. (Juniors Acquiring Knowledge, Ethics and Sportsmanship) Program and has been a basketball coach for Lylburn Downing Middle School for the last five years. He continues to volunteer for many local organizations including the Rockbridge Area Recreation Organization and the Community Table. He is a graduate of Lexington High School and holds a degree in psychology from Virginia State University.

McMillan, a member of Washington and Lee’s Class of 1972, was the 14th president of Albright College in Reading, Pennsylvania (2005-2017). Upon his retirement, the board elected him president emeritus, the third president so honored in Albright’s 161-year history. The board also renamed the college’s campus center in his honor and inscribed his name on the college’s Founders Wall. McMillan led Albright to record enrollments, new academic programs, the most successful fundraising effort in its history, and major capital improvements, including a $39 million renovation and expansion of its science center and other new buildings. As vice president for college relations at Gettysburg College (1993-2005), he provided staff leadership toward a six-year, $100 million campaign, exceeding its goal by more than $11 million.

McMillan previously served as executive director of development at Washington and Lee University (1987-1993), where he helped lead a campaign that exceeded its $127 million goal by more than $20 million. Before that, he served as director of public relations, then director of development, at Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, Virginia. He is immediate past chair of the National Velodrome Development Foundation, a volunteer speaker for Fair Districts PA, (a citizens’ group for electoral reform), a volunteer with the Adams Rescue Mission in Gettysburg, and a lector and choir member for his church. He has served on other higher education boards and with other local charity and civic groups. He is an authority on and gives talks about author C.S. Lewis. He received his bachelor’s degree, cum laude, from Washington and Lee, a master’s degree in English from Georgia State University, and a doctorate in English literature from the University of Notre Dame. He is married to the former Dorothy Argoe of Atlanta, Georgia. They have five grown children and six grandchildren.

Shelton is a member of W&L’s Class of 1976. As director of the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development from 1998 to 2018, he served five governors, providing advice on housing, economic development, community development and building code issues. In all, he worked in the housing and community development field for 40 years. Signature initiatives included helping in the creation of the Virginia Housing Partnership Fund, the launch of Virginia Community Capital (Virginia’s statewide community development bank), collaboration on the Southwest Virginia cultural heritage initiatives and supporting efforts that led to a 33 percent reduction in homelessness from 2010 to 2017.

Shelton has served on numerous boards and commissions including the Virginia Housing Development Authority, Virginia Community Capital, the Southwest Virginia Cultural Heritage Commission, Housing Virginia, the Council of State Community Development Agencies, and as the governor’s representative to the Appalachian Regional Commission. His leadership has been recognized with the Virginia S. Peters Housing Award from the Virginia Housing Coalition, the James E. Reeves Member Contribution Award from the Council of State Community Development Agencies, Policy Maker of the Year from the International Code Council, the John D. Whisman “Vision” Award from the Development District Association of Appalachia, the Robert Baker Achievement Award from the Virginia Association of Planning District Commissions, and the Excellence in Virginia Government Lifetime Achievement Award from the VCU L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs. He has been inducted into the Virginia Housing Hall of Fame. A native Virginian, he received a B.A. from Washington and Lee University (1976) and a Masters of Urban and Regional Planning from Virginia Commonwealth University (1979).

Undergraduate Class of 2019:

Jeremy Abcug (Coral Springs, Florida) is an environmental studies major. In addition to co-managing WLUR, Washington and Lee’s college radio station, he has been significantly involved with sustainability at W&L. As a sustainability intern, he has led and helped complete a variety of new sustainability initiatives and programs, including the green transformation of Washington and Lee’s campus dining options, which now offer only compostable plates, utensils and other forms of consumer ware. As a member of the university’s Compost Crew, he also helps in the school’s process of turning pre- and post-consumer waste into soil for our Campus Garden, growing food that goes directly back to students and those in need in our local community.

Yo Han “John” Ahn (St. Louis, Missouri) is majoring in economics and minoring in poverty and human capability studies. The son of first-generation immigrants, he attends W&L as a Gates Millennium Scholar and a QuestBridge scholar. As a first year student, he was selected based on leadership and merit to represent W&L in the Kemper Scholars Program, a national business fellowship providing internship experience in Chicago. Ahn is president of SPEAK, the university organization that works to raise awareness and prevent sexual assault on campus. He has been involved with SPEAK since his first year. He joined the Campus Kitchen Leadership Team at the end of his first year and created the organization’s 10-year anniversary documentary. He has also served as the head of consulting projects for Venture Club, W&L’s entrepreneurship organization.

Erin An (El Paso, Texas) is majoring in religion and is on the pre-med track. She is an ESOL community coordinator, Burish Service-Leadership intern at Maury River Middle School, and small group leader for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. An is a peer tutor, ESOL tutor and a youth volunteer teacher at Rockbridge Church. She is a research student for Dr. Friend in the Biochemistry Department and has participated as a cellist in the University Orchestra.

Hye-Eun “Jenna” Choi (Iowa City, Iowa) is majoring in business administration and minoring in theater. On campus, she has served as a resident advisor for the past three years, and she is the activities co-chair of the First-Year Orientation Committee. Choi served as the sisterhood chair for her sorority, and she is the assistant stage manager for the upcoming W&L production of “The Cherry Orchard.” She also has participated in the service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega, the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, and tutored a family on behalf of ESOL.

Suzanne Eleanor “Elly” Cosgrove (Wilmington, North Carolina) is a business journalism major. She is a two-year captain of the W&L women’s volleyball team. In her senior season, Cosgrove was First Team All-ODAC, AVCA Honorable Mention All-Region and VaSID First Team All-State. She is also sports director for the school’s radio station, WLUR, and a sports editor for the Ring-tum Phi. Cosgrove was part of the Generals’ Leadership Academy her junior year and served as the secretary of 24, a student-athlete leadership committee on campus.

Katherine Francis Dau (Dallas, Texas) is majoring in art history and German. She serves as the DAAD Young Ambassador to W&L and as president of the German Club. She has also served as vice president and president of her sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta. Dau has served as a representative on both the Constitutional Review Committee and the University Board of Appeals. Since 2017, she has been a digital humanities fellow and an active member of the “Florence As It Was” project. She received a Mellon grant for faculty-student research in order to conduct further research for FLAW in Florence this past summer.

Hailey Rian Glick (Raleigh, North Carolina) is a psychology major and a poverty studies minor. Since the spring of her first year, she has been on the Hillel Board, serving as social action chair for two years, and student head of the Novack Fund for three. She is a research assistant in Dr. Fulcher’s gender development lab, a PSYC 250 T.A., alto section leader for the University Singers, and an active member of the Theater Department, having participated in three shows in the past two years. Off campus, she is a consistent volunteer at Project Horizon.

Lorena Hernandez Barcena (Houston, Texas) is majoring in economics with minors in education policy and poverty and human capability studies. She is co-president of English for Speakers of Other Languages and serves on the executive leadership teams of Nabors Service League and College Democrats. Currently, she is a Burish Intern at Rockbridge County High School and has been an economics tutor for three years. Last year, she also served on the executive board of the Chi Omega sorority. In 2018, she was selected as a Public Policy and International Affairs Fellow and received the John M. Gunn Scholarship from the Economics Department.

Morgan VanGilder Maloney (Vienna, Virginia) is an American history and politics major. She has served as president of the W&L College Democrats and as an officer in Amnesty International at W&L since her sophomore year. In addition to participating in Washington Term, she took a semester-long leave of absence to work on the Hillary Clinton campaign. Maloney has served as executive council of the W&L chapter of Pi Beta Phi for two years. She volunteers weekly at Project Horizon. She is also a Johnson Scholar and a member of Phi Beta Kappa.

Kathryn Sinclair McEvoy (Middletown, Maryland), is majoring in global politics and minoring in poverty and human capability studies. She is co-president of English for Speakers of Other Languages and student advisor to the Community Engagement and Service Learning Committee. McEvoy volunteers weekly at Project Horizon Domestic Violence Shelter, teaching English classes that she established there and conducting community-based research for the shelter. She also serves as a lead class agent, a university tour guide and an ambassador for the Shepherd Higher Education Consortium on Poverty.

Katherine Helen Oakley (Reno, Nevada) is majoring in anthropology and Spanish and minoring in environmental studies. Currently the president of Generals Unity, the queer student organization, Oakley is also involved in the queer community through her role as an LGBTQ+ peer counselor. She also works as an intern for the Office of Sustainability, is a member of the Compost Crew, and is actively involved in music on campus as a frequent performer at Friday Underground and other showcase events. She is a regular writer for the online student publication The Vigil, a black belt in taekwondo, and a red belt in karate. She is also a member of Phi Beta Kappa.

Jackson Arthur Roberts (Kansas City, Missouri) is majoring in neuroscience and anthropology with a minor in poverty and human capability studies. Roberts, who is heavily involved in the Shepherd Program, has served as a three-year leader of a Volunteer Venture trip to Richmond and has played a significant role in the Shepherd international internship program. An experienced researcher, he works as one of the student heads of Dr. Toporikova’s research lab, focusing on the intersection of obesity and reproduction. He has also sought roles in campus governance, forming part of the Student Health and Science, Society, and the Arts executive committees. After serving as the outreach chair for W&L’s Red Cross Club, he became the club’s co-president.

Anukriti Shrestha (Kathmandu, Nepal) is a double major in integrated engineering (chemistry emphasis) and mathematics. She was vice president and then president of the Student Association for International Learning (SAIL). She is a teaching assistant in the organic chemistry lab and is also a peer tutor for the subject. Currently, she is secretary of Engineering Community Development and is involved in coordinating community development projects for the club. She is a student representative on the International Education Committee. She has served as an International Student Orientation leader as well as a pre-orientation trip leader for sustainability. She’s also part of the residential life staff as a community assistant for the Global Service House.

Mohini Tangri (Fort Collins, Colorado) is a Johnson Scholar majoring in global politics and minoring in poverty studies. As a first-year student, she founded W&L’s Amnesty International chapter, which has grown into one of the largest groups on campus. She has brought W&L students to Amnesty’s National Day of Legislative Action, regional conferences and regional orientations while serving as a Virginia state leader for Amnesty’s national organization. Tangri has also been vice president of the campus Roosevelt Institute chapter and a hearing advisor for the W&L Honor System.

Sarah Anne Troise (Lexington, Virginia) is majoring in engineering and computer science. She is president of Women in Technology and Science, teaching STEM lessons to local elementary school girls. She was a member of the Student Financial Aid Committee and the Science, Society, and the Arts Advisory Committee. A Johnson Scholar and the 2017 president of Sigma Pi Sigma Honor Society, she has participated in research in the Physics and Engineering Department since fall 2016 and will present her findings at the American Concrete Institute Convention this year. She was the 2017 recipient of the H. Thomas Williams Jr. Undergraduate Research Scholarship, as well as the 2016 and 2017 recipient of a National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates Fellowship.

Julia Mae Udicious (Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania) is majoring in business administration with a double minor in mass communications and dance. She has served as treasurer and PR chair of the W&L Repertory Dance Company and performed in leading roles. Udicious is also part of a nine-member team that manages the university’s @WLULEX social media brand. Since her first year at W&L, she has tutored and mentored a local student, following him in his transition from Waddell Elementary School to Lylburn Downing Middle School. She also serves as the director of social enrichment for Alpha Delta Pi sorority, an associate class agent for the 2019 Senior Gift Committee, and a peer advisor for Professor Bower’s Ad Class.

Jordan Elizabeth Watson (Fayetteville, Georgia) is majoring in economics. As a member of the varsity swimming team, she earned First Team All-ODAC honors as a first-year, sophomore, and junior, and was also an NCAA qualifier as a part of the team’s 800 freestyle relay. During 2018, Watson has served as a member of W&L’s Panhellenic Council as Head Rho Gamma. Since her sophomore year, she has served on the executive team of 24 as treasurer. She is also a member of Money Matters.

Undergraduate Class of 2020:

Laura Rose Calhoun (Warrensville, North Carolina) is a strategic communication major and poverty and human capability studies minor. She founded Rotaract Club, a community service-based organization, as a first-year student. She also conceived and curated the Unfreedom of Expression art exhibition, showcasing artwork from incarcerated people. Calhoun serves on the Junior Advisory Group and Community Engagement/Service Learning Committee, and as a University Ambassador and a pre-orientation trip leader. She also volunteers weekly at The Community Table.

Edwin Antonio Castellanos Campos (Aurora, Illinois) is double majoring in accounting and Spanish. He’s the co-founder of the First-Generation Low-Income Partnership, president of the Latinx Student Organization, community relations chair for QuestBridge, an editor for the Spanish literary magazine Pluma, and interpretations chair for English for Speakers of Other Languages. He has been a trip leader for the Baltimore Volunteer Venture and assists the Washington and Lee University Immigrant Rights and Tax Clinics with interpretations and translations for Spanish-speaking community members. He serves as a member of the Junior Advisory Group, the Diversity First-Generation Working Group, and the Office of Inclusion and Engagement Advisory Board.

Tiffany Bokyoung Ko (Bristow, Virginia) is a neuroscience major and music minor. She is a leader of the Compost Crew, a group of students dedicated to reducing waste from campus dining facilities. She organizes and staffs the Biology Department study hall for students in introductory classes. Ko also serves as a leader for Intervarsity’s Asian Ministries small group. She has organized cultural events as secretary of the Pan-Asian Association for Cultural Exchange. She is a member of the coeducational service organization Alpha Phi Omega, the Beta Beta Beta Biological Honor Society and the Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society.

Maya Kathleen Lora (Miami, Florida) is majoring in English and journalism. She is a news editor for the campus newspaper, the Ring-tum Phi, is active in W&L’s student newscast, the Rockbridge Report, and captures student life as one of the university’s first official student photographers. Lora is a residential adviser for first-year students and vice president of W&L’s chapter of the human rights organization Amnesty International. She served as a panelist for the annual Gender Action Group discussion on the word “feminist.” She will contribute to one of W&L’s most famous examples of student leadership and innovation, Mock Convention, as the Southeast Regional Chair.

Rose Marie Maxwell (Jackson, Mississippi) is majoring in psychology and religion, and minoring in poverty and human capability studies. Maxwell is the assistant head of the Peer Counseling program. She has been the service and philanthropy chair for her sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta, and has also served on their Membership Development Committee. She leads worship for Reformed University Fellowship and is a member of the RUF leadership team. Maxwell has led an Appalachian Adventure pre-orientation trip for two years and is co-head of an outdoor sunset series for the Outing Club. She is a member of the University Singers and chair of the Lenfest Student Committee.

Brian Christopher Peccie (Norfolk, Virginia) is majoring in economics and mathematics. He is a member of the men’s golf team and serves as the team captain. He has received First Team All-ODAC, First Team All-VaSID, and PING First Team All-South laurels each year. During the 2017-18 season, Peccie was named ODAC Player of the Year, VaSID Player of the Year and PING First Team All-American. He earned a spot on the All-Nicklaus Team after winning the NCAA Division III Individual National Championship and helping the Generals finish as the National Runner-Up. He participated in the Generals Leadership Academy and is a member of Kathekon. Peccie also enjoys leading guided tours of campus as a part of the University Ambassadors program.

Hannah Margaret Witherell (Littleton, Massachusetts) is majoring in psychology and following a pre-physician assistant track. She has been an executive leadership team member of the Campus Kitchen at Washington and Lee since her first year and is now the president. As a Summer Research Scholar, she worked in Dr. William Schreiber’s lab, where she studied habituation learning in invertebrates. She now works in the lab of Dr. Ryan Brindle, helping to study stress physiology. Witherell is a pantry distribution manager at Rockbridge Area Relief Association, a teaching assistant for the Psychology Department, and leader of a Volunteer Venture trip focused on health care and poverty.

Yue Yu (Dayton, Ohio) is majoring in business administration and German. She helps place student teachers in schools through Languages for Rockbridge and is the president of PAACE (Pan-Asian Association for Cultural Exchange). As a member of the Community Grants Committee, she evaluates grant proposals from the local community. She is also a University Ambassador and peer advisor for Career and Professional Development. She has created diversity job resources and career advice for students through this office.

Law Class of 2019:

Joseph Gregory DuChane (Fredericksburg, Virginia) is a managing editor for the Washington and Lee Law Review, overseeing the publication process of the journal. He is also a Burks Scholar, serving as a teaching assistant in a legal writing course for first-year law students. DuChane was an Oral Advocacy Finalist in the 2018 John W. Davis Moot Court Competition, and will represent W&L in the 2018-19 American Bar Association Law Student Division National Appellate Advocacy Competition this spring. He currently serves as a hearing advisor, and has written multiple articles for the W&L Law News.

Jacqueline Marie Fitch (Harrisonburg, Virginia) is editor-in-chief of the Washington and Lee Law Review. Fitch is a law ambassador with the Washington and Lee School of Law Admissions Office, and serves as a hearing advisor for the university’s Honor System Hearing Advisor Program.

Madison Claire Flowers (Perry, Georgia) serves as symposium editor for the Washington and Lee Law Review and is responsible for planning and executing the Washington and Lee Law Review 2019 Lara D. Gass Symposium. She has also served in multiple leadership positions in the Women Law Students Organization, of which she is currently co-president. Flowers also serves as a Burks Scholar, a third-year student that assists first-year students with legal writing. During her 2L year, she served as a Kirgis Fellow and mentored a small section of 1Ls, both academically and socially. She graduated magna cum laude from the University of Georgia in 2015 with a B.A. in English.

Mary Nobles Hancock (Birmingham, Alabama) is an executive editor of the Washington and Lee Law Review, and won the Roy L. Steinheimer award for her Note “God Save the United States and this Honorable County Board of Commissioners: Lund, Bormuth, and the Fight over Legislative Prayer.” Last year she won the law school’s Mediation Competition, and was a semifinalist in the Robert J. Grey, Jr. Negotiations Competition. She has served as a Kirgis Fellow and on the boards of Phi Alpha Delta and the Christian Legal Society. Hancock graduated from Vanderbilt University in 2016.

Sally Elise Harper (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) served as a Kirgis Fellow during her 2L year and is now a Head Kirgis Fellow. She was a Burks Scholar in fall 2018 and is the Client Counseling chair for the Moot Court Board. She won the Client Counseling Competition and was a semifinalist for the Mediation Competition in spring 2018. Harper is a lead articles editor for the Washington and Lee Law Review.

Benton Thomas Morton (Wilmington, North Carolina) is studying tax law. He is a Burks Scholar, aiding first-year law students in their legal writing curriculum. He also serves as a lead articles editor on the German Law Journal and as the chair of the Washington and Lee Tax Law Society. He has also represented Washington and Lee in external mock trial competitions.

Danielle Joan Novelly (Scottsdale, Arizona) is lead articles editor for the Washington and Lee Law Review, a negotiations chair for the Moot Court Executive Board and co-president of the Women Law Students Organization. Danielle is also a research assistant and a Burks Scholar.

Alex Weill Shoaf (Chattanooga, Tennessee) won the Robert J. Grey, Jr. Negotiations Competition as a 2L. He was a semi-finalist in both the Client Counseling and John W. Davis Appellate Advocacy competitions, and represented the law school at several external competitions. Now he is chair of the Moot Court Executive Board, treasurer of Law Families, and a student attorney in the Criminal Justice Clinic. He graduated from New York University in 2010. While working as a journalist in Nashville, he volunteered as a Court-Appointed Special Advocate for abused and neglected children. He also worked with the Nashville Talking Library, where he hosted a weekly radio program for visually impaired listeners.

Law Class of 2020:

Leilani Tinashe Bartell (Chantilly, Virginia) is a Kirgis Fellow, which is a peer mentorship program. With a partner, she helps ease the transition into law school for a group of first-year students. She is also a part of the Women’s Law Student Organization, where she also serves as a mentor for a first-year student. Additionally, she is on the fundraising committee for Phi Alpha Delta’s annual auction, which raises money for Blue Ridge Legal Services and for law students drawing on the Natkin Fund to support themselves during unpaid summer jobs.

Hannah Olivia Cloh (Northbrook, Illinois) is vice president of the Jewish Law Students Association, events coordinator for the American Constitution Society, and education and events chair for the Women Law Students Organization. Cloh is also a junior editor of the German Law Journal. She received a bachelor’s degree in English literature from Knox College. While at Knox, she created the Sigma Alpha Iota Music Fund to award scholarships to students for private music lessons on campus.

Caroline Louise Crosbie (Manassas, Virginia) is vice president of the Staples Chapter of Phi Alpha Delta International, the largest professional law fraternity in the United States. Crosbie is also vice president of communications, and one of the founding members, of the Washington and Lee University School of Law Environmental Law Society. She is a volunteer at the local Hull’s Drive-In movie theater, and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, inducted at her undergraduate institution, James Madison University.

Junior Joshua Sicelo Ndlovu (Bulawayo, Zimbabwe) is a recent John W. Davis Appellate Advocacy winner and currently represents W&L Law in external moot court competitions, including the upcoming American Bar Association Moot Court Championship. Ndlovu plays on W&L’s chess team and works with children as a volunteer for the Lexington City Schools. Active in the Christian community, Ndlovu is occasionally invited to preach in different churches. He is an active member of the Black Law Students Association and is current treasurer of the Phi Alpha Delta, Staples Chapter.

Austin William Scieszinski (Janesville, Wisconsin) is a second-year law student. He serves as a Kirgis Fellow—a role in which he mentors first-year students on academics, adapting to graduate school, and career planning. Scieszinski was a runner-up in the Washington and Lee Law School Negotiations Competition and represented the school at external competitions. In addition, he serves as a staff writer on the Washington and Lee Law Review, volunteers as a law ambassador, has assisted with alumni outreach, and has served as a panelist for the Law Council.

James G. Leyburn Award

In addition to recognizing this year’s inductees, ODK will also present its James G. Leyburn Award to Srimayi B. “Tinni” Sen. Sen is a previous honorary initiate of Omicron Delta Kappa and a professor of economics at Virginia Military Institute. She has a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Mississippi and holds master’s and bachelor’s degrees from Calcutta University in West Bengal, India. She is the winner of the Distinguished Teaching Award at VMI and the Thomas Jefferson Teaching Award. She is co-advisor of the Building Bridges service club at VMI and chair of the Committee on Academic Advising and Support.

In the community, Sen is a founder and board member of 50 Ways-Rockbridge and chairs that organization’s Racial Issues Justice Group. That work includes the Coming to the Table community group to forge better race relations and an education program for all middle school students to learn more about Jim Crow and Confederate monuments in a Lexington/Rockbridge context. Also through 50 Ways-Rockbridge, Professor Sen has collaborated on getting more volunteers to Rockbridge County Public Schools and to create a peer mentor network for RCHS. She is also active in the Immigrant Rights Issues Group and the LGBTIA+/Women’s Rights Group. In addition, Sen is treasurer of the Rockbridge Regional Library System Foundation board and has served in leadership roles with the RCHS Parent Teacher Student Association and Woods Creek Montessori. A nomination letter for the Leyburn Award cited her “great humanity” which takes the form of “secret acts of generosity she practices daily.”

James G. Leyburn was a highly distinguished and respected teacher, scholar, administrator, churchman, author and mentor to generations of Washington and Lee students. A graduate of Duke, Princeton and Yale, he came to W&L in 1947 as dean of the College. In 1956, he returned to teaching and headed the department of sociology, teaching with legendary energy until his retirement in 1972. The undergraduate library is named for Leyburn. The award in his name is presented to community or campus leaders who provide exemplary service.