A new book co-edited by Washington and Lee University law professor Robin Fretwell Wilson explores the religious freedom implications of defining marriage to include same-sex couples.
Richard Brookhiser, author and senior editor with the National Review, will speak at Washington and Lee University on Thursday, Sept. 18, at 7:30 p.m. in Lee Chapel. He is the first speaker sponsored by W&L's Johnson Program in Leadership and Integrity.
Addressing the annual Fall Convocation at Washington and Lee University on Wednesday, Sept. 3, Suzanne Parker Keen, the Thomas H. Broadus Professor of English at W&L, reminded members of the community that their words carry both power and responsibility.
Like most second-generation ethnic Americans, Indira Somani, newly-arrived assistant professor of journalism at Washington and Lee University, has struggled with identity issues. Being born and brought up in the Midwest, Somani led an American life, but at home her world was Indian because of her father's immense love for India and Indian culture.
The Delta Bridge Project—a community-development initiative of Phillips County, along the Mississippi River in Arkansas, spearheaded by Southern Financial Partners—has awarded a $90,000, three-year grant to Washington and Lee’s Shepherd Poverty Alliance to form the Shepherd Delta Alliance.
Arthur H. Goldsmith, Jackson T. Stephens Professor of Economics at W&L, has co-authored an article on "Measuring the Wage Costs of Limited English" which was published in the August issue of the Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Science.
Aug. 30, 2008, the first 41 Johnson Scholars will arrive for orientation at Washington and Lee University. The Johnson Scholarship Program was established through a $100 million donation to the university in 2007. It is highly competitive and recognizes students with outstanding academic qualifications and the promise for leadership in their chosen careers and future endeavors. Scholarships are valued at between $150,000 to $200,000 over a four-year period.
Paul A. Gregory, associate professor of philosophy at Washington and Lee, has written a book titled Quine's Naturalism: Language, Theory, and the Knowing Subject (Continuum Studies in American Philosophy), which offers a new interpretation of philosopher W.V. Quine's views of naturalism.
The Washington and Lee community is mourning the loss of Anne Scott Farrar Willett, 81, a long-time and valued member of the W&L family. She died on August 26 at the Westminster-Canterbury retirement community in Lynchburg, surrounded by her family.
Washington and Lee University has been awarded a four-year, $600,000 grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to expand and enhance place-based learning in its interdisciplinary Environmental Studies Program. The grant will enable W&L to create a specialization in the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed.
When the full house of student and faculty in W&L's Lee Chapel listened to Charles Johnson give the Martin Luther King Jr. day address in January 2008, titled "The End of the Black American Narrative," they had no idea of the explosion of interest his arguments would eventually generate.
Washington and Lee's R.T. Smith, editor of Shenandoah: The Washington and Lee University Review, is one of three finalists for the poetry prize at the 11th Annual Library of Virginia Literary Awards. His nominated book is "Outlaw Style: Poems," from the University of Arkansas Press.
Washington and Lee concluded a stellar fund-raising year on June 30. New gifts and pledges, the best indicator of support for any college, totaled $37.6 million, up from $26.1 million a year ago after subtracting extraordinary gifts. The previous year included historic commitments of $100 million from Rupert H. Johnson Jr. '62 and $33 million from H.F. (Gerry) Lenfest '53, '55L.
Shenandoah: The Washington and Lee University Review has won a prestigious Governor's Award for the Arts for 2008. Governor Timothy M. Kaine will present it to Shenandoah, which won in the category of arts organizations and artistic directors, and nine other recipients at the state capitol, in Richmond, on Sept. 17. Accepting the prize will be Shenandoah's editor, R.T. Smith, and its managing editor, Lynn Leech.
Shenandoah: The Washington and Lee University Review has won a prestigious Governor's Award for the Arts for 2008. Governor Timothy M. Kaine will present it to Shenandoah, which won in the category of arts organizations and artistic directors, and nine other recipients at the state capitol in Richmond on Sept. 17.
Washington and Lee University has purchased 16 automated external defibrillators (AEDs) – 12 fixed and four mobile. The 12 fixed AEDs were installed Thursday, July 31, at various locations on campus.
A veteran of the advertising industry, Bruce Macdonald currently teaches a course on Art in Business at the Williams School of Commerce, Economics, and Politics at Washington and Lee University. “I was looking for a book for my students that covered this area but could find nothing suitable. So I decided to write my own,” says Macdonald.
Sitting in her book-lined office, papers strewn over her desk, Domnica Radulescu, professor of Romance languages and Women’s Studies at Washington and Lee University, has years of impressive academic research under her belt, but in August 2008 she will realize a life-long dream by becoming a published novelist, acclaimed even before publication.
Robert DePersia '08 has received a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in Wels, Austria, for the 2008-09 school year. DePersia says it was his desire to see the world, experience another culture and improve his German that inspired him to apply for the Fulbright.
Washington and Lee University announced that Jeffery G. Hanna will join its staff on Sept. 1 as the executive director of the Department of Communications and Public Affairs. Hanna is currently senior director for public affairs at the University of Virginia.
Toni Locy, a veteran of 25 years covering the American justice system at all levels, has been recognized by the National Press Club with its John Aubuchon Freedom of the Press Award.
Washington and Lee University's Community Grants Committee recently made $25,000 worth of grants to local agencies and organizations. Established this spring, the purpose of the program is to support non-profit organizations in the Lexington/Rockbridge community.
Washington and Lee University’s Campus Kitchen (CKWL), recently completed its second year of full-time operation. CKWL is a service organization that uses surplus food collected from campus dining services, catering operations and donations to provide nutritious meals to the hungry in Lexington and surrounding areas.
Washington and Lee University celebrated its undergraduate commencement on Thursday, June 5, on its historic Front Lawn in front of Lee Chapel. Sunny skies greeted 431 graduates of the Class of 2008 as family, friends and the University community celebrated their accomplishments.
Washington and Lee University Romance Languages Professor Domnica Radulescu has co-authored a book titled "Gypsies" in European Literature and Culture (Palgrave Macmillan, 2008). It traces representations of Gypsies that have become prevalent in the European imagination and culture, and that have influenced the perceptions of Roma in Eastern and Western European societies.
Washington and Lee University is pleased to announce the creation of the Community Grants Committee. Established this spring, the purpose of the committee is to create a formal structure for evaluating requests for financial donations and support that come to Washington and Lee from the Lexington/Rockbridge community.
Poet Lesley Wheeler, professor of English at Washington and Lee University, is the author of a new book, "Voicing American Poetry: Sound and Performance from the 1920s to the Present." Published by Cornell University Press this year, it offers a uniquely full history of 20th- and 21st-century poetry performance in the United States.
Pam Luecke, the Donald W. Reynolds Professor of Business Journalism in the department of journalism and mass communications at W&L, was recently elected chair of the accrediting committee of the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC).
Jessica Steinmetz ’08 of Sacramento, Calif., is this year’s Sarah G. Ball Teaching Award recipient. She is a politics major who also completed the teachers education program.
Washington and Lee University will host a visit by Professor Carla Olson Buck, Spanish professor at The College of William and Mary, who will give two talks, May 26 and 27, that are free and open to the public.
Robert Frasco ’09, a Russian area studies major from Suffield, Conn., was a recent recipient of a David L. Boren Scholarship from the National Security Education Program (NSEP). The NSEP awards Boren Scholarships to American students for study of world regions critical to U.S. interests, including Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin American and the Caribbean, and the Middle East.
On Thursday, May 15 at 5:30 p.m., sculptor Bob Trotman will give a lecture about his installation Business as Usual, currently on exhibit at Washington and Lee University's Staniar Gallery. The artist's talk will take place in the Wilson Hall concert hall, followed by a reception in Staniar Gallery and the Wilson Hall atrium.
Washington and Lee University senior Romance languages/journalism and mass communications major Emma Axt ’08, of Edina, Minn., has recently been awarded the distinguished Fulbright Teaching Assistantship to teach English in France.
Emerging poet Emily Rosko will give a reading of her work at Washington and Lee University on Tuesday, May 20, at 4:30 p.m. in Elrod Commons, room 216. The event will begin with an informal public interview of Rosko by Lesley Wheeler, professor and head of the English department.
Debby Newell ’08 of Troy, Michigan, is a recent recipient of a Fulbright grant to teach English in Germany. A German literature and medieval and Renaissance studies major, Newell will teach the English language to 12-18-year-olds.
Washington and Lee University's 2008 Reunion Weekend began with an Opening Assembly on Thursday, May 1, featuring a Welcoming Address from Executive Director of Alumni Affairs Waller T. Dudley ’74 and an invocation by William C. Datz ‘75, coordinator of religious life. The keynote address, “Reflections of Three Wise Men,” was given by three members of the class of ’58 celebrating their 50th W&L reunion--Farris Hotchkiss, Lewis G. John and Andrew (Uncas) McThenia, also a member of ‘63L.
Laura Nugent '08 has received a research Fulbright Fellowship to Romania for the 2008-2009 academic year. Nugent, a double major in economics and medieval and Renaissance studies from West Grove, Penn., will study the architecture of churches in Moldavia built from 1488-1609 with a history professor at Babes-Bolyai University in Cluj.
Bill Nye, scientist, engineer, comedian, author and inventor will speak at Washington and Lee University on Thursday, May 15, at 7:30 p.m. in the Stackhouse Theater in Elrod Commons. The title of his talk is "Science Rules! An Evening with Bill Nye the Science Guy."
The Lessons in Leadership Series, sponsored by the Office of Leadership Development at Washington and Lee University, begins on Tuesday, May 6, at 6:30 p.m. in Elrod Commons, room 114. Coach Bobby Ross will provide insights about leadership he has gained from over 38 years in head coaching at both collegiate and professional levels.
Walter Davis, professor emeritus of English at Ohio State University, will give two public talks while at Washington and Lee University under the sponsorship of the Class of '63 Scholars in Residence program. Davis will meet with students and faculty and participate in a seminar in aesthetics.
Washington and Lee University's Panhellenic Association has been awarded the Gamma Phi Beta College Panhellenic Award by Gamma Phi Beta International Sorority. The award "recognizes the Panhellenic association that successfully develops and implements a program to enhance the Greek image on campus and in the local community."
Washington and Lee University's Tucker Multimedia Center (TMC) and the departments of modern foreign languages will again offer W&L alumni the opportunity to attend mini-language courses over Reunion Weekend, May 1-3, 2008.
Washington and Lee University has recently donated a parcel of land to the Rockbridge Historical Society. After lengthy negotiations, the 4,090 square foot sliver of land adjacent to Varner Lane was donated to the RHS for its continued use as a picnic area within downtown Lexington.
Toni Locy, a veteran of 25 years covering the American justice system at all levels, has been named Washington and Lee's first Donald W. Reynolds Professor of Legal Reporting.
Phylissa Mitchell ‘01L, visiting assistant professor of journalism, has been awarded a Fulbright to teach at a university in Ukraine, although the exact institution has yet to be announced. Mitchell will teach a comparative course on free-press constitutional guarantees, focusing on broadcast writing and public affairs.
Rebecca Benefiel, assistant professor of classics at Washington and Lee University, received the Olivia James Traveling Fellowship from the Archaeological Institute of America for 2008-2009. It's designed to support field research in the Mediterranean, and there is only one fellowship of this kind given out per year. The award is $25,000.
Washington and Lee students Eric Hamscher '11 and Chengpeng Mou '11 have been chosen to receive Kemper scholarships. They will join Steve Rivior '08, Becca Taylor '09 and Cale Grove '10 as W&L students participating in the program.
Robert Strong, William Lyne Wilson Professor of Politics in the Williams School of Commerce, Economics, and Politics, has been named associate provost of the University effective July 1.
Washington and Lee University has received a $1.3 million grant from the prestigious Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) to support the University’s undergraduate biological sciences programs. W&L was one of only 48 institutions out of 192 applicants to receive a grant.
Jenefer Davies, visiting assistant professor of dance at Washington and Lee University, has been awarded an Andrew W. Mellon Grant through the Associated Colleges of the South.
Lesley Wheeler, Washington and Lee University professor and chair of the English department, will read from her recently published collection of poetry, "Scholarship Girl."
Washington and Lee University's Hillel presents Holocaust Remembrance Week from April 28 - May 2. The planned activities range from films to a vigil to a talk by a Holocaust survivor, the grandmother of a current W&L student.
Sascha Goluboff, associate professor of cultural anthropology at Washington and Lee University, was selected as one of three new fellows in the "Engaged Scholars Studying Congregations" program coordinated through The Hartford Seminary.
Holly Pickett, assistant professor of English, has recently been awarded a nine- month National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) research fellowship to the Newberry Library in Chicago for the 2008-2009 academic year.
The opening talk of Washington and Lee University's fifth annual Tom Wolfe Weekend Seminar will be given by author Geraldine Brooks, on Friday, April 18, at 4 p.m. at the Stackhouse Theater in Elrod Commons. This talk is free and open to the public.
Lucas Morel, associate professor of politics at Washington and Lee University, has been named a Research Fellow in the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University for the 2008-09 academic year.
Leslie Cintron, W&L assistant professor of sociology, has been awarded a Franklin Research Grant from the American Philosophical Society to conduct archival research in England for her book "From Open Spaces to Popular Culture: The National Trust and the Transformation of British Heritage, 1895-2008," which looks into the genesis of Britain's national heritage preservation movement.
William W. Freehling, the Robert S. Griffith '52 Visiting Scholar in History at Washington and Lee University, will present a lecture on Monday, April 21, at 7:30 p.m. in Lee Chapel. The title of Dr. Freehling's lecture is "Mysteries of the South's Secession."
W&L’s English for Speakers of Other Languages program (ESOL) recently received a Verizon Community Initiative grant of $500. The Verizon Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Verizon Communications, awards grants to initiatives and non-profits that fall under its focus areas of education, literacy, domestic violence prevention or technology for healthcare and healthcare accessibility.
Joseph McDonald, a Washington and Lee University sophomore physics and mathematics major from San Antonio, Texas, has been awarded a prestigious Goldwater scholarship. His proposal was composed of research he participated in this past summer with physics professors Tom Williams and Paul Bourdon during the R.E. Lee Research Program.
Washington and Lee hosted this year's Region II Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) Spring conference and won three of the Mark of Excellence awards handed out on March 29. Region II includes Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia and Washington, D.C.
Drew McWay '08, an accounting and business administration major from Dallas, Tx., was recently awarded a grant from 100 Projects for Peace. This organization invites all undergraduates to submit a project proposal that enhances the idea of world peace. McWay will receive a $10,000 grant made possible by Kathryn Wasserman Davis, an accomplished internationalist and philanthropist.
Anna Pendley '09 has been named Keck Geology Consortium Project Fellow for 2008. Pendley, a double major in anthropology/archaeology and geology, will spend late June-late July with a team of students and faculty researching the geoarchaeology of the Poggio Colla near Florence, Italy.
Mary Childs '08 has been named a Thomas J. Watson Fellow for 2008-2009. She is one of 50 students nationally to receive a Watson fellowship this year.
James Warren, S. Blount Mason, Jr., Professor of English at Washington and Lee University, has received both an Andrew W. Mellon Fellowship and a Formby Library Research Fellowship for 2008-09.
Elizabeth Evans "Betty" Munger, the manager of Washington and Lee University's bookstore from 1967 to 1983, died at Foxdale Village Retirement Community, State College, Pa., on March 26. She was 91.
Swimming wasn’t even his first choice in college sports, but Thursday, March 20, Alex Sweet, 22, and a senior at Washington and Lee University, won the NCAA Division III national swimming title for the 50-yard freestyle at Miami University, Ohio.
Poet Becky Gould Gibson will read from her work, including her new book "Need-Fire," on Monday, March 31, at 4:30 p.m. in Northen Auditorium in the Leyburn Library at Washington and Lee University. The reading is open to the public.
The Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) is holding its Region II 2008 spring conference at Washington and Lee University on March 28-29. Amy Goodman of Democracy Now! will give the keynote address on Saturday, March 29, at 3 p.m. in the Stackhouse Theater of Elrod Commons.
