Three Distinguished Alumni to Receive Awards at Five-Star Festival
Washington and Lee University is proud to announce this year’s Distinguished Five-Star Alumni Award winners.
Life of Consequence
Bridge Dedicated to W&L Veteran
A bridge in Maryland has been named for Cpl. Chris Coffland ’88, who died in Afghanistan in 2009.
S L Kopald ’43, Former W&L Trustee, Dies at 96
The Memphis native served on the board from 1976-1988.
John DeVogt, Professor of Management Emeritus at W&L, Dies at 87
DeVogt taught at W&L from 1962 to 2000.
Robert M. Dees ’84 Appointed to Fourth Judicial Circuit Court
Florida Gov. Rick Scott appointed Robert M. Dees, a 1984 graduate of Washington and Lee University, to the Fourth Judicial Circuit Court.
In Case You Missed It
Ciao to Prizewinning Author Matthew Neill Null ’06
Matthew Neill Null, a member of Washington and Lee University’s Class of 2006, will soon be practicing his craft — fiction writing — in Rome. Last month he won the Joseph Brodsky Rome Prize from the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
Michael Missal Confirmed as Inspector General of the Department of Veterans Affairs
On Tues., April 19, the Senate unanimously confirmed Michael Missal, a 1978 graduate of Washington and Lee University, as the next inspector general of the troubled Department of Veterans Affairs.
Long Live the King
He’s head litigator at his law firm, and was named one of the “Nation’s Top One Percent” by the National Association of Distinguished Counsel and one of the “Top 100 Trial Lawyers” by the American Trial Lawyers Association. At 35, he was unanimously appointed by the Louisiana Supreme Court to temporarily fill a vacancy on the Orleans Parish Civil District Court.
Save the Press
Philanthropist Gerry Lenfest, who graduated from Washington and Lee University in 1953 and from its Law School in 1955, has made headlines for saving the struggling Philadelphia Inquirer and its sister publications, the Philadelphia Daily News and Philly.com.
Jennifer Peszka ’94 Named Arkansas Professor of the Year
Jennifer Peszka, a member of Washington and Lee University’s Class of 1994 and a psychology professor at Hendrix College, has been named the 2015 Arkansas Professor of the Year by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
W&L Honors Distinguished Young Alumni
Washington and Lee University honored four members of the Class of 2005 with the Distinguished Young Alumni Award during Young Alumni Weekend, Oct. 23–24: Brent Beshore, Emily Wolfing, Kiersten Salander and Thomas Worthy.
Literary Critic Philip Fisher to Lecture in Questioning Passion Series on Nov. 12
Philip Fisher, the Felice Crowl Reid Professor of English at Harvard University, will lecture as part of the Questioning Passion series at Washington and Lee University on Nov. 12 at 4:30 p.m. in Stackhouse Theater, Elrod Commons.
W&L Among Top Teach for America Producers for Third Straight Year
For the third consecutive year, Washington and Lee has made the list of the top 20 small colleges and universities (2,999 or fewer undergraduates) sending the most graduates to Teach for America.
Mike Missal ’78 Tapped As New Inspector General of Veterans Affairs
On Friday, Oct. 2, USAToday reported that Michael Missal, a 1978 graduate of Washington and Lee University, has been nominated by President Barack Obama to be the inspector general of the troubled Department of Veterans Affairs.
Jim Head III ’64 To Receive the Penrose Medal for Work in Planetary Geology
James W. “Jim” Head III, who graduated from Washington and Lee University in 1964, will receive the Geological Society of America’s Penrose Medal in Baltimore this November. Head is the first planetary geologist to win the GSA’s highest honor.
Davis Projects for Peace Awards Two Grants to W&L Seniors
Two seniors at Washington and Lee University have each received a $10,000 Davis Projects for Peace grant. While a W&L senior has won this award each year since its inception, “this is a rare result in the competition and speaks to the quality of both proposals,” said Larry Boetsch, director of international education at W&L.
W&L Senior Awarded Fulbright Research Grant
Washington and Lee University senior Naphtali Rivkin, of Teaneck, New Jersey, has received a Fulbright research grant to Latvia for his project “Anecdotes of Bravery: An Oral History of Latvia’s Popular Front.”
The Dart Internships at W&L: Five Years Strong
In March, Phil Marella ’81 and his wife, Andrea, visited campus, not only to visit their son Phil, who is a first-year student here, but to also personally deliver a check from Dana’s Angels Research Trust (DART) to President Ken Ruscio ’76.
Prepare to be Dazzled
A year ago, Lyrae Van Clief-Stefanon, who graduated from Washington and Lee University in 1996, received a commission to write a poem inspired by the artist Jacob Lawrence's "Great Migration Series," now on exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) through September. His paintings cover lynchings, voter rights, riots in St. Louis and the incarceration of black men.
W&L's Sykes Receives NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) released its 2015 winter postgraduate scholarship winners and Washington and Lee's Rick Sykes '13 was among the 29 Division I, II and III men that were recognized.
Campus Kitchen at W&L Wins National Community Impact Award, Grant for Older Adults
Campus Kitchen at Washington and Lee University (CKWL) has won both a national award for its impact on hunger in the community and a grant to address hunger among the area's older adults.
Mary Childs '08 to Receive a Tribeca Disruptive Innovation Award
Mary Childs, a 2008 journalism graduate of Washington and Lee University, will be honored with a Tribeca Disruptive Innovation Award (TDIA) on April 24 as part of the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival.
From Finance to Philanthropy
In the business section of The Huffington Post, Epaminondas Farmakis noted of his past jobs in finance, "Having worked in such a high demand environment where everything was geared for profit got me thinking what a waste of time it was; instead, we should be working to give resources to people who need them the most."
Picture Perfect
While Tony Walker '64 visited campus this past fall for his 50th reunion, he stopped by the University's art collection in the Kamen Gallery in the Lenfest Center for the Performing Arts. The Western theme struck a chord with him, and he decided to give W&L a contemporary painting of a Western landscape by Vermont-based artist David Brewster.
Christian Wiman '88: On the National Book Critics’ Shortlist
With his newest, and fourth, book of poems, Christian Wiman, a 1988 graduate of Washington and Lee University, is a finalist for the 2014 poetry award from the National Book Critics Circle.
Ringing in the New Year
Chris Volk, a 1979 graduate of Washington and Lee, rang in the new year—literally. He visited the New York Stock Exchange on Jan. 2 to ring the opening bell of 2015 and to celebrate the recent listing of his company, STORE Capital Corp., on the exchange.
Washington and Lee Named to the 2014 President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll
Washington and Lee University has been named to President Barack Obama's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction, one of 120 schools in the nation to receive this designation. This is the third year in a row that the University has attained this status.
Robert Grey ‘76L to receive ABA Spirit of Excellence Award
Washington and Lee alumnus and trustee emeritus Robert J. Grey will be honored next year with the Spirit of Excellence Award from the American Bar Association's Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Profession.
Judge of the Year Award: The Hon. Pamela J. White '77L
The Hon. Pamela J. White received the Robert M. Bell Judge of the Year Award from the Maryland Access to Justice Commission in recognition of her efforts to "improve the ability of all Marylanders to access the courts or to get legal help in civil legal matters so they can benefit from the rights, protections, services and opportunities that the law provides."
Beth Macy, author of “Factory Man,” to Speak at W&L
Beth Macy, author of the Lukas Prize-winning "Factory Man: How One Furniture Maker Battled Offshoring, Stayed Local – and Helped Save an American Town," will speak at Washington and Lee University on Wednesday, Oct. 29, at 7 p.m. in Stackhouse Theater.
Motley Fool Column Notes W&L Liberal Arts Grads' Earnings Potential
The Motley Fool, the nationally syndicated personal finance column and website, gives Washington and Lee alumni as an example of liberal arts graduates who earn as much as science, technology, engineering and math graduates by mid-career.
Taking the High Road
The downtown connector that joins Interstates 75 and 85 at midtown Atlanta and runs south to Hartsfield International Airport has been officially named after one of the city's most influential citizens, Rodney Mims Cook, Washington and Lee Class of 1946.
Accounting Panel Puts Alumni in Front of Students
"People think public accounting is boring," said Bill Messerle '97, "But we're here to tell you, public accounting is never boring." Messerle, a partner with PricewaterhouseCoopers, was one of six alumni who sat on the Williams School's Oct. 6 Accounting Panel.
Mark Bradley '78 Illuminates “Ornery Spy” Duncan Lee
Visiting Washington and Lee University is "always like coming home," said Mark Bradley, a member of the W&L Class of 1978, former CIA analyst and current Department of Justice attorney. The occasion for his Oct. 8 return: to give a lecture about the subject of his well-reviewed recent book, "A Very Principled Boy: The Life of Duncan Lee, Red Spy and Cold Warrior."
Jim Head '64 Wins Prestigious Geoscience Award
Last fall, James "Jim" W. Head III '64, the Louis and Elizabeth Scherck Distinguished Professor of the Geological Sciences at Brown University, received the Norman L. Bowen Award for his outstanding contributions to volcanology, geochemistry or petrology from the American Geophysical Union.
Tar Heel Traveler Publishes Second Book
Scott Mason '84, also known to his WRAL viewers in Raleigh, N.C., as the Tar Heel Traveler, has published his second book: "Tar Heel Traveler Eats: Food Journeys across North Carolina" (Globe Pequot Press).
W&L Graduate Directs Play at Lime Kiln
"Spring Awakening," a play produced by (540) Productions, is directed by Washington and Lee University graduate Jenna Worsham '10. The play opened on Sept. 10 at Lime Kiln Theater and will run until Sept. 20.
W&L Among Top 20 Small Colleges and Universities Sending Grads to Teach for America
Washington and Lee University has contributed 13 graduates to Teach for America's 2014 teacher corps, placing it among the top 20 small colleges and universities in the country for the second straight year.
Washington and Lee First-Year Students Set Records for Qualifications and Financial Aid
When fall semester undergraduate classes begin Sept. 11, Washington and Lee University will enroll its most qualified first-year class, selected from a near-record number of applicants. And nearly half will receive direct financial aid from the university in the form of grant assistance.
Alumni, Parents Set Giving Records in 2013-14
Thanks to more alumni and parents giving than ever before, Washington and Lee concluded another successful fundraising year on June 30. The Annual Fund raised $9.32 million, a new record.
W&L 2014 Graduate Jordan Kearns Receives Fulbright Research Grant to Estonia
Washington and Lee University 2014 graduate Jordan Kearns of Nicholasville, Ky., has received a Fulbright research grant to Estonia.
Annelise Madison and Alvin Thomas Awarded Algernon Sydney Sullivan Medallion
Annelise Madison of Roca, Neb., and Alvin Thomas of Skokie, Ill., seniors at Washington and Lee University, have been awarded the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Medallion, the university's highest student honor.
W&L Law Student Returns Home to Afghanistan to Promote Human Rights
Hussain Moin, an LL.M. student at Washington and Lee University School of Law who will graduate May 10, says he is motivated by more than just himself and his family—he has the chance to affect a whole country's well being.
W&L Law Honors Outstanding Alumnus and Volunteer of the Year
On April 12 during Alumni Weekend 2014, Washington and Lee School of Law announced the recipients of the Outstanding Alumus/a Award and the Volunteer of the Year Award.
W&L Law’s Johanna Bond Receives Fulbright to Study Legal Aid Access in Africa
Washington and Lee law professor Johanna Bond has been awarded a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Grant to study access to legal aid in criminal proceedings in Tanzania and Zanzibar.
W&L Senior Lorraine Simonis Awarded U.S. Teaching Assistantship to Austria
Washington and Lee University senior Lorraine Simonis, from Philadelphia, Pa., has been awarded a U.S. Teaching Assistantship (USTA) fellowship to Austria for the 2014-2015 academic year.
W&L Senior Thomas Bowen Receives Fulbright Research Grant to Germany
Washington and Lee University senior Thomas Bowen of Fredericksburg, Va., has received a Fulbright research grant to Germany. His project is "Black Walnuts as Bio-inspired Packaging."
W&L Seniors Win Davis Projects for Peace Grant
Darby Shuler and Johan (Manuel) Garcia Padilla, seniors at Washington and Lee University, have won a $10,000 grant from the Davis Foundation Projects for Peace 2014. The grant will fund their work in El Salvador this summer to provide amputees with prosthetic hands created by a 3D printer.
Webb '13 Wins Carnegie Endowment
Isaac Webb '13 has been named a Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Junior Fellow for next year, in the Russia/Eurasia program.
Gunawansa ’14 Wins Luce Scholarship
Nicole Gunawansa, a senior at Washington and Lee University, has won a Luce Scholarship that will enable her to spend 10 months living and working in Asia.
W&L’s Vincent Kim Wins Scholarship to Cambridge University
Vincent Kim of Grand Blanc, Mich., a senior at Washington and Lee University, has been awarded a Gates Cambridge Scholarship for a Ph.D. program in physics at Cambridge University in England. The three-year scholarship provides tuition and a stipend.
