W&L’s Public Safety Department Shines
Washington and Lee University’s Public Safety department was recognized at the Virginia Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (VACLEA) summer conference in Virginia Beach, Va.
Archive ( Stories)
Just 10 Spots Behind Oprah
Each June the Chicago Web site Newcity Lit, which is part of Newcity magazine, publishes a list titled "Lit 50: Who really books in Chicago." The list is designed to be a pecking order of the most important writers and publishers in Chicago. So it's not necessarily any great surprise that Oprah Winfrey is No. […]
Law Professor Benjamin Spencer Appointed Special Assistant United States Attorney
A. Benjamin Spencer, Associate Professor of Law at Washington and Lee University School of Law has been appointed to serve as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia. Spencer, who will remain on the law school faculty, began his appointment on June 8.
R.T. Smith Named W&L’s Writer-in-Residence
R.T. Smith, editor of Shenandoah: The Washington and Lee University Review, has been named W&L’s Writer-in-Residence, effective July 1.
W&L Alumni Get New Assignments in Congress
At least two Washington and Lee alumni have recently been given new assignments in Washington. After spending the past two years as deputy press secretary for Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd, Washington and Lee alumna Justine Sessions, class of 2005, has been elevated to the position of press secretary for the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, […]
Catch Up with Andrew Keller in Creativity
Andrew Keller, class of 1992, is co-executive creative director for Crispin Porter + Bogusky, which is widely considered one of the hottest ad agencies in the country these days. Earlier this month Creativity magazine did a Q&A with Andrew that is a great read. You can read the online version of the interview here. Among […]
W&L Alumna May Be New FCC Commissioner
Meredith Attwell Baker, a member of Washington and Lee's Class of 1990, is considered the odds-on choice to be named to the vacant Republican seat on the Federal Communications Commission. The Wall Street Journal reported that Meredith was the choice almost a month ago, and the actual appointment could come at any point, apparently. Meredith […]
Check Out the Shepherd Bloggers
The Shepherd Alliance, a program developed by Washington and Lee as part of the Shepherd Program for the Interdisciplinary Study of Poverty and Human Capability, involves students, faculty, and staff from four Berea, Morehouse and Spelman collegs with W&L undergrad and law students for the eight-week, full-time summer internships with non-profit agencies across the eastern […]
Sally Wiant to Retire as Law Library Director
Sarah K. (Sally) Wiant will retire as director of the Washington and Lee Law School Library at the end of June to assume full-time duties as a teacher and scholar on the Washington and Lee Faculty of Law.
Law Professor Participates in SEC’s 75th Anniversary Program
On June 4, Washington and Lee Law School professor Lyman Johnson participated in a program to celebrate the Securities and Exchange Commission's 75th anniversary. An audience of several hundred attended the program.
W&L Aims for Healthy Employees
A dollar spent could be three dollars saved at Washington and Lee University. That’s because W&L’s increased emphasis on boosting the health of its employees will ultimately save on health care costs, said Mary Katherine Snead.
Another Cy Twombly Exhibit
Last month we cited the new Cy Twombly (Class of 1953) exhibit opening at the Art Institute of Chicago. But if you're summer travels don't include the Windy City, you can also see a major retrospective of Cy's work in Vienna this summer. "Sensations of the Moment" is at the Museum Moderner Kunst and comprises […]
Schwartz Designs Payout System for World Series of Poker
For Adam Schwartz, the problem was simply irresistible. An associate professor of business administration at Washington and Lee University, Schwartz has played poker on occasion but does not consider himself a great poker player and certainly doesn't endorse gambling, especially for the students he teaches.
The Little Red Pedometer That Could
It’s a little red box that attaches to your waistband and looks like a beeper. But it’s a pedometer and it’s proving popular on Washington and Lee University’s campus this summer.
W&L Students Participate in Shepherd Alliance Internships
Thirty-nine Washington and Lee University undergraduate students are participating in internships this summer as part of the Shepherd Alliance.
Debating Health Care Reform
Tim Jost, Washington and Lee's Robert L. Willett Family Professor of Law and an expert on health care law, is weighing in on the debate over health care reform that is ramping up these days. Tim has written widely on the subject. He is a co-author of a casebook, Health Law, and the author of […]
Guggenheim for Filmmaker Henry Hills '70
Henry Hills of the Class of 1970 has been making films since the mid-1970s when he was in San Francisco, studying filmmaking at the San Francisco Art Institute. He's made 22 experimental films, several of which are in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Archives du Film Experimental […]
W&L’s Tabb Named CoSIDA Academic All-American
Washington and Lee women’s senior women’s tennis player Katie Tabb (Minneapolis, Minn./Edina) has been named to the CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine College Division Academic All-America At-Large squad as a third team selection.
W&L's Washington Symposium on C-SPAN
Back in May, Washington and Lee was host to the Washington Term Symposium at the National Press Club where Bill Connelly of th politics department led a panel in a discussion of the balance of powers between the Obama Administration and Congress. The symposium was titled "President vs. Congress: An Imbalance of Powers?" A telecast […]
W&L Awarded CASE-WealthEngine Awards for Educational Fundraising
Washington and Lee has been recognized with a 2009 CASE-WealthEngine Award for Educational Fundraising in the category of Overall Performance. The award is the University’s second consecutive Overall Performance award, and its third such award in the past five years.
Lesley Wheeler Poem on Poetry Daily
Lesley Wheeler, professor of English and chair of the department, is the featured poet on Poetry Daily today (Thursday, June 11). Her poem, "The Unbeliever Takes a Hike," is the poem of the day on the site. It is an account of a walk on Woods Creek Trail and was published originally in the Winter […]
Black Lung Victories
The Washington and Lee School of Law's Black Lung Clinic has scored another pair of victories in the courts. W&L law students argued two cases involving Black Lung benefits disputes at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. In both instances, the arguments were successful. Here's the complete story, and you can find […]
Three W&L Grads to Study at ‘Oxbridge’
Three Washington and Lee University students have been accepted to study at Oxbridge for the academic year 2009-2010, and three current undergraduates will be spending their junior years there as well.
Washington and Lee Participates in Yellow Ribbon Program for Veterans
Washington and Lee University is among the colleges and universities participating in the new Yellow Ribbon GI Education Enhancement Program, a provision of the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008.
Memphis Piano Man
John Boatner(Karen Pulfer Focht/The Commercial Appeal photo) If you've ever been to The Peabody, a historic hotel in downtown Memphis featuring the famous march of the Peabody Ducks every day, you might have heard Washington and Lee alumnus John Boatner, Class of 1961, performing on the grand piano. Millburn Noell Jr. (Class of 1951) sent […]
W&L Law Professor's Congressional Testimony
Washington and Lee law professor Erik Luna made his second appearance before the House Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security last Thursday. His testimony was on the issue of federal funding for indigent defense. You can read his testimony by downloading a pdf file here. While Luna supports efforts to require states to meet […]
Crossing Lines Wins Gracie Award
Crossing Lines, the documentary by Washington and Lee journalism professor Indira Somari that was cited here last week, has been honored by the American Women in Radio and Television with a Gracie Award. The award was presented last week during a luncheon in New York. The award was for "Outstanding Documentary, Short Format." This is […]
Commencement Remarks by W&L Student Body President Richard Cleary
By tradition, the president of Washington and Lee University's Executive Committee addresses the graduating class on Commencement. Richard Cleary of Louisville, Ky., spoke to the Class of 2009 on June 4, 2009.
Remembering W&L
As members of Washington and Lee's Class of 2009 were milling around on Stemmons Plaza and waiting to get in line to march to Commencement, Sarah Tschiggfrie, the news director in the Office of Communications and Public Affairs, did a little experiment. Sarah had just gotten Flip Video Recorder, randomly picked out some graduates and […]
Profiles of the Class of 2009
The men and women who comprise Washington and Lee's Class of 2009 have distinctive stories. The four profile here provide only a small sampling of the graduates' accomplishments.
W&L’s Webb Continues Mission against Melanoma
Washington and Lee's 2009 Valedictorian, Elizabeth Webb, is on a mission to cure the cancer that killed her mother.
W&L’s Goodman on Target for Success
Isaiah Goodman will graduate this month from W&L with a major in business administration. Washington and Lee University’s loss is Target’s gain.
International Student Heads Onto Global Stage
When Elizabeth (Eli) Polanco, from the Dominican Republic, graduates this year from W&L with a major in economics, she will be ready to take on global competition.
Vance Berry Runs with “Crazy” Idea
When W&L graduating senior Vance Berry runs, which he does a lot, he gets ideas.
W&L’s Webb Continues Mission against Melanoma
Washington and Lee's 2009 Valedictorian, Elizabeth Webb, is on a mission to cure the cancer that killed her mother.
Washington and Lee University Awards Degrees to 415 Seniors
Washington and Lee University President Kenneth P. Ruscio encouraged members of the graduating Class of 2009 to live in the “complicated center” of life during the University’s 222nd commencement exercises on Thursday, June 4.
Commencement Address
By tradition, Washington and Lee University President Kenneth P. Ruscio addressed the Class of 2009 on the occasion of Commencement on June 4, 2009.
Washington and Lee Awards Three Honorary Degrees
Washington and Lee University bestowed three honorary degrees during its commencement exercises on Thursday, June 4, 2009.
Pursuing Honor
When Charlie Myers, a 1967 Washington and Lee graduate, wanted to introduce an honor code to the high school where he was teaching, he knew where to go. According to a feature article that appeared recently in the Lexington (Ky.) Herald-Leader, Myers is retiring this year from his current position as teacher of history, government, […]
W&L Grads Told to “Be Like the Fox”
Washington and Lee University’s graduating seniors should set their sights higher than simply “the profits and the raises and the paid vacations,” urged the Rev. Jennifer R. Strawbridge in her baccalaureate address on Wednesday, June 3.
Crossing Lines
Growing up in her home town of Springfield, Ill., Washington and Lee journalism professor Indira Somani was more often than not mistaken for a Native American when her grade school friends were told that she was Indian. That is one of the interesting insights in a feature story about Indira that ran late last month […]
W&L to Celebrate 222nd Commencement on June 4
Washington and Lee University will celebrate its 222nd undergraduate commencement on Thursday, June 4, on its historic Front Lawn in front of Lee Chapel. The rain location will be Virginia Military Institute's Cameron Hall.
Better Cooking with Chemistry
Washington and Lee Chemistry Professor Marcia France has just finished teaching a course on the Science of Cooking, By all accounts, it was successful on a number of levels. Professor France's goal was to show students both how science is integrated into their daily life and the scientific method can create some tasty recipes. As […]
W&L Black Lung Clinic Wins Two 4th Circuit Cases
Washington and Lee University School of Law students have again prevailed in two Black Lung benefits disputes argued this year before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
Five Members of W&L’s Faculty to Retire After Teaching a Total of 193 Years
Five members of Washington and Lee’s faculty are retiring June 30 after teaching at W&L for a total of 193 years. They are Philip L. Cline, business administration and economics, 34 years; A.G. Fralin Jr., Romance languages, 34 years; John S. Knox, biology, 33 years; Joseph F. Lyles, physical education, 50 years; and Thomas O. Vinson, mathematics, 42 years.
Auto Economics and NY Times
Several times in the last few months, we've blogged about the blog that Mike Smita, professor of economics, has been writing about the twists and turns of the U.S. auto industry. He's just finished a Spring Term seminar on the economics of the industry, which he's been following for almost 20 years. Back in November […]
Dance Students Take Flight on Side of Wilson Hall
In a dazzling display of aerial artistry, Washington and Lee University students swooped, spun and flipped off the side of Wilson Hall at the Lenfest Center for the Arts Friday afternoon, introducing a crowd of about 300 campus and community members to an entirely new kind of performance.
W.Va. and W&L
Nanya Friend, the editor and publisher of The Charleston Daily Mail, spun a wonderful story in The Daily Mail last week about the Lewis Scholarships at Washington and Lee. The article, titled "Lewis Scholarships target W.Va. kids," tells the story of W&L alumnus J. Edward Lewis of the class of 1929 and his wife, Elizabeth, […]
Their Day
Writing in Inside Higher Ed, Washington and Lee President Kenneth P. Ruscio says that commencement speakers should remember that the day belongs to the graduates and their families — advice he gives himself each year.
Generals Sweep ODAC Honors
For the sixth consecutive year Washington and Lee's varsity athletic teams won the Dan Wooldridge Overall Sports Champion Cup (sponsored by Farm Bureau Insurance®), emblematic of the top finishes in all conference sports. The Generals won six sports championships during the 2008-09 athletic season, and also claimed the Women's Commissioner’s Cup for the sixth successive […]
New Novel Features Lexington and W&L
You might recognize a few places around Lexington and Washington and Lee University in a new novel, The Widow’s Season, by Laura Brodie, visiting assistant professor of English at Washington and Lee University.
Vote Early and . . .
Washington and Lee's Campus Kitchen has made a difference in the Rockbridge County community. Of that, there is no doubt. In 2008, for instance, Campus Kitchen served 13, 444 meals and recovered almost 2,000 lbs of food that would have otherwise gone to waste. Now it's your turn to make a difference for Campus Kitchen […]
Sculpting Business as Usual
Even the still images on the Charlotte Observer Web site make artist Bob Trotman's latest exhibition seem dramatic and eerie. In person, it must be an incredible exhibition at the Mint Museum of Art in Charlotte. The exhibition, titled Business As Usual, is not unfamiliar to members of the Washington and Lee community. Bob, a […]
W&L Mourns Loss of Art Historian Joan O’Mara
Joan O’Mara, associate professor of art history at Washington and Lee, died Sunday, May 24, 2009.
Close, but…
Remember Max Adler? The 2004 Washington and Lee alumnus was the subject of a blog item way back in March when he announced that he was launching a bid to earn a spot next month's U.S. Open golf championships at Bethpage Black in New York. Max, a former member of the W&L golf team, is […]
W&L’s Doornbos Earns All-America Honors at the Division III NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
Washington and Lee senior Stacy Doornbos notched a fourth-place finish in the heptathlon with a school-record total of 4,764 points and garnered All-America accolades Friday at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Marietta, Ohio.
More Digging
The dig at Monticello, otherwise known as Anthropology 377: Field Methods in Archaeology, is entering its final days as Spring Term winds to a close. There is an open house at the site today as Alison Bell, assistant professor of archaeology, noted on the dig's blog site. The students have had several visitors in recent […]
W&L Lax and the Wall Street Journal
OK, so Kelly Evans gets yet another shout-out on the W&L News Blog. This time Kelly, economics report for the Wall Street Journal and a member of W&L's Class of 2007, has a video report on the surge in lacrosse's popularity in which she talks about her college lax experience and her current club experience […]
Jenefer Davies Discusses the Genesis of Aerial Dance at W&L
Theater and Dance at W&L presents Aerial Dance Performance, under the direction of Artistic Director Jenefer Davies, on May 29 and 30, 2009, at 3:30 p.m. The performance will take place on the exterior wall of Wilson Hall. Tickets are not required.
Rapids' Opener Rapidly Approaching
The Rockbridge Rapids of the Valley Baseball League, new summertime tenants of Washington and Lee's Cap'n Dick Smith Field, are less than two weeks away from the home opener on June 6 against Staunton. The Rapids' general manager is Ken Newman of W&L's Class of 1971, and the roster includes one current General, pitcher Chuck […]
Let Them Eat … the Colonnade
You never know what you'll might find on Facebook — like not one, but two wedding cakes in the shape of the Colonnade. Sarah Dozier of the Class of 2007 had posted pictures of the wedding of her classmates, Hartley Meric and Blair Crunk, which was held in New Orleans on April 4. Prominent in […]
Thinking Big
If you haven't already stumbled upon the Web site that Sean McManus of the Class of 1999 runs as executive, you need to make a point of finding it. The site is called Big Think, and it bills itself as "a global forum connecting people and ideas." Big Think encompasses a broad range of topics, […]
Timothy Lubin Receives Two National Fellowships
Timothy Lubin, associate professor of religion at Washington and Lee University, has received two national fellowships for work on his research project “Authority, Law and the Polity in India, 300-1700.”
W&L Magazine, Spring 2009: Vol. 84 | No. 2
In This Issue: Retirement Plan, By Wendy Lovell '90; It's All Greek to Samantha Copping '11, By Julie Cline; Public Safety Officer Prevents Tragedy During Pi Kappa Phi Fire, By Jeff Hanna
Tracking the Auto Industry
If you want to stay abreast of the rapidly changing automobile industry, W&L economics professor Mike Smitka's blog, Autos and Economics, is a good place to go. Smitka has been studying the auto industry for decades, and his posts fill in the blanks of daily news coverage about the problems the industry is facing. Earlier […]
The Book(s) on Scouting
Earlier this week Alvin Townley's second book on scouting and its impact was published, and it's already got one pretty impressive review on Amazon. All-Pro quarterback Peyton Manning has called Spirit of Adventure "a compelling story about a new generation and America's future." In his first book, Legacy of Honor, Townley, a member of W&L's […]
W&L Trustees Meet Challenge to Complete Hillel House Funding
Mark Eaker, a 1969 graduate of Washington and Lee University and a member of its Board of Trustees, has made a $235,000 challenge gift to the University’s Hillel House project that was matched by fellow trustees in a matter of hours, permitting the project to move forward with groundbreaking in September.
W&L Alumnus Matthew Loar Wins CIC Fellowship
Matthew Loar, a 2007 graduate of Washington and Lee University, has been named the winner of an American Graduate Fellowship from the Council of Independent Colleges.
