Unearthing Answers
By enlisting guidance from the W&L science community, Emma Marvelli ’27 combined a Spring Term abroad class with summer research to better understand Virginia meta-basalts and their potential for combating climate change.
geology
W&L Outcomes: Jack Maloy ’24
In September, Maloy will move to Germany for a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship.
Rock Stars
After 25 years, W&L faculty member Chris Connors teaches his swan song Spring Term class, Field Methods and Regional Geology of the Appalachians.
CBL Faculty Collaborative Generates New Community Connections
The 2023-2024 academic year at W&L saw the proliferation of several new course offerings for students through a new faculty development initiative offered by the Office of Community-Based Learning (CBL).
CBL’s Faculty Collaborative Creates Connection Across Campus
CBL’s new initiative is an opportunity for faculty development, student collaboration and deepening partnerships with the surrounding community.
In Case You Missed It
Leading Lives of Consequence
Joe Framptom '66 and Nate Unger '24 discuss their experiences as W&L students.
W&L Professor Awarded National Science Foundation Grant
David Harbor to work on collaborative project to describe and model the erosion process known as “plucking.”
‘Save the Whales’
A passionate conservationist, Niquole Esters ’04 has crafted complex approaches encompassing multiple countries to improve ocean health and benefit local communities.
‘Digging’ into a Summer Opportunity
Marcus Payne '25 is spending his summer doing geology research with Professor of Earth and Environmental Geoscience Jeffrey Rahl.
W&L’s Lyon Co-Authors Scientific Paper
Professor Eva Lyon published an article in Global Change Biology.
W&L’s Greer Publishes Article in “PLOS ONE”
According to a study by W&L’s Lisa Greer, Coral Gardens Reef in Belize remains a refuge for Acropora spp. coral despite widespread devastation in other areas of the western North Atlantic Ocean/Caribbean Sea.
Edgar Winston Spencer ’53, Ruth Parmly Professor of Geology Emeritus, dies at 88
He taught at W&L from 1957 to 2001.
Eric Chaisson to Give Public Lecture at Washington and Lee
Chaisson’s lecture, which is free and open to the public, is titled “Cosmic Evolution.”
Diving into Research
This summer, Ginny Johnson '20 served as a peer mentor to nine rising sophomores as part of the Keck Geology Consortium trip to Belize, where Professor Lisa Greer continued her research project into the staghorn coral population.
Current Affairs
This summer, geology and environmental science major Chantal Iosso ’20 is studying the effects of the Jordan's Point Dam removal on the Maury River.
Rocked by Nature’s Power
After learning about natural hazards and their impact on society, students in this geology course took a mind-blowing field trip to Mount St. Helens.
Appalachian Trail Becomes Interdisciplinary Classroom
The Geology and Archaeology departments collaborated with W&L's Outing Club to create a fun, educational hike just a short drive from Lexington.
Finding the Spice in Campus Life
Becoming a part of the Outing Club at Washington and Lee completely changed Matt Richards's college experience. "My time with the Outing Club has without a doubt had the biggest impact on my time here," he said.
Taking the Long View
Steven Jones ’69 helps his alma mater plan for the future.
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.
A Natural Inclination
As a senior ecologist with Trihydro Corp., Jana Heisler White '98 works on environmental protection and remediation.
“Doc Rock” Rocks On
Ed Spencer ’53, who has made plans to support a scholarship fund at W&L, is still a cornerstone of the university 17 years after his retirement.
From Politics to Park Ranger
Studying the unlikely combination of geology and politics prepared Nova Clarke ’96 for a career as an award-winning environmental educator.
Rahl Receives NSF Grant for Geological Research
Jeffrey Rahl, professor of geology at Washington and Lee University, has received a grant from the National Science Foundation.
Sand Trackers
Professor David Harbor and his Spring Term class chased particles of sand from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Barrier Islands and the high plains of Utah.
W&L Students Receive National Science Foundation Awards
The NSF only funds about 11,000 of the 40,000 proposals it receives annually for research, education and training projects.
Notes from Lenfest
Hermione Wang '18 has spent so much time in Lenfest that people jokingly ask her if she lives there. Her job? Making sure that the show always goes on.
No Such Thing as a Typical Day
As a geology summer research assistant in Crete, Greece, no two days were the same for Chantal Iosso '20.
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.
Making Sense of the Jungle
Liz Todd '19 was able to extend her Spring Term Abroad and spend the summer in Brazil, where she worked for an environmental agency.
Rocking Research in Lexington and Greece
Josh Fox '19 has spent his summer conducting geology research on campus and in Crete, Greece, with Professor Jeff Rahl.
Meet the Johnsons: Shlomo Honig ’18
Meet Shlomo Honig ‘18, whose day consists of analyzing rocks, protecting the environment, and ultimate frisbee
Meet the Johnsons: Harry Lustig ’17
Meet Harry Lustig ‘17, a scholar-explorer who’s hiked everywhere from the Blue Ridge to Alaska.
Careers in Motion: Olivia Sisson ’17
Meet Olivia Sisson, a senior who has wanted to be an artist since she was little - but didn’t know how - about her experience on the Humanities Career Trip to New York.
Summer Internship: Dan Claroni
Dan Claroni spent the summer working on unmanned aerial vehicles used to monitor gas emissions in Iceland.
David Hanson ’00
A double major in English and geology, plus a curiosity about the world around him, led Hanson to a career as a freelance writer, photographer and videographer. He is the author of "Breaking Through Concrete: Building an Urban Farm Revival" and producer of the documentary film "Who Owns the Water."
