Project Uplift
Three W&L students partnered with an NGO in Ghana this summer to create a training program for aspiring female entrepreneurs.
spring term
Meet Winnie Leahy ’25
A philosophy class Leahy’s first semester led to a passion for thinking about different perspectives and relating to others’ experiences.
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.
Contemplating Happiness
The Exploring Happiness Spring Term Abroad class examined how happiness is defined, valued and pursued within different cultural contexts.
Taking Account of Sustainability Efforts
W&L’s Spring Term Sustainability Accounting class takes a deeper look at the practice of corporations factoring in societal and environmental impacts alongside their financial bottom lines.
In Case You Missed It
Running Up the Hill
Students in Washington and Lee's six-week Washington Term program learn the pace of Washington, D.C. during their Spring Term.
Exchange of Ideas
A Spring Term Abroad course on social entrepreneurship and sustainability took students to Cuba for an eye-opening cultural exchange.
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.
Spring Term’s Got Seoul
Students in the Spring Term Abroad course Statistics in Korean Music explore mathematics in the traditional and contemporary music of Korea.
A Broader Perspective
W&L students in the Spring Term course Global Urban Sociology are examining the social consequences of an increasingly urbanized world.
‘The Big Picture of Life’
As one of the first Spring Term abroad classes offered at W&L, The Play’s the Thing: Shakespeare in Performance continues to impact the cohort of alumni who took that initial trip to England.
Meet Brad Singer ’24
A Washington Term class with a real-world focus prepared Singer for post-graduate work in the federal government.
Meet Emma Scott ‘26
Scott’s passion for the environment carries over from the classroom to opportunities on campus and beyond.
Meet Emma Conover ’24
Leading Campus Kitchen, a student-run organization focused on addressing food insecurity, has been a rewarding experience.
W&L Students Curate Fall Art Exhibition
“Mohammad Omer Khalil: Musings,” co-curated by four Washington and Lee students as part of a seminar course in museum studies, will be on display in the Watson Galleries Sept. 28, 2023 through June 1, 2024.
Live from Sweden
W&L students in this Spring Term’s “Swedish Theater” course were immersed in culture during their three weeks in Stockholm, Sweden.
‘Democracy Is Worth Defending’
The 2023 Spring Term course "Threats to Democracy" examined the form of government and explored the current challenges it faces.
A Model of Possibility
Professor of Biology Robert Humston’s Spring Term course takes a deep dive into environmental problem-solving.
Haunted History
Professor of History Mikki Brock’s Spring Term course explores our fascination with the supernatural.
Annual Spring Term Festival Returns May 19 in Leyburn Library
Students and faculty will summarize and display their Spring Term research and coursework.
W&L Professor Receives the 2023 Portion of Multi-Year Grant from the U.S. Department of the Interior
Bill Hamilton will utilize the grant to fund his ongoing research on ecosystem health in Yellowstone National Park.
W&L Spring Term Course to Host Former Federal Appellate Judge
The Honorable J. Michael Luttig ’76 will visit campus May 8-9 to reflect on his career and discuss his views on recent challenges to democracy and the rule of law.
Art in the Right Place
Students in Elliott King’s Spring Term class, “Modern Art in Barcelona,” are being steeped in Spanish art, history and architecture during an unforgettable educational trip to Barcelona and Madrid.
Finding the Allure of Paris
Students in Michael and Lena Hill’s Spring Term course are discovering what inspired writers of past generations.
Life on Two Legs
In this Spring Term course, Washington and Lee students are making data science look like a walk in the park.
Spring Term Course Brings CSI To Life
CSI: W&L students are learning forensic science with the help of a real FBI evidence response team.
Gateway to the World
Julia Hernandez took a Spring Term class in Ghana and studied abroad in France and Morocco, proving that W&L is a gateway to opportunities all over the globe.
Spring Term Goes Virtual
Spring Term courses aim to provide innovative, one-of-a-kind educational experiences to W&L students. Online instruction during COVID-19 led to many new opportunities.
‘The Perfect Combination’
Rigorous academics and a nationally ranked soccer program made W&L an ideal fit for Danny Tran '21.
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.
W&L Quick Hit: Total Theater
In Professor Rob Mish’s Spring Term class, students take on virtually every aspect of creating a fully staged theatrical production.
Brainwashing, Violence and Cults: Oh My!
Sascha Goluboff's Spring Term class, Cults, took an in-depth look at the development and process behind misunderstood religions.
Quick Hit: Field Herpetology
In Professor David Marsh's Spring Term class, the Blue Ridge Mountains became a living laboratory for the study of salamanders.
Drawing the Line on Gerrymandering
Special Topics in American Politics: Minority Rights and Gerrymandering challenged students to redraw the Virginia House and Senate districts to improve the election process.
Warming Up to Cool Japan
Professor Yumiko Naito’s Spring Term class, Cool Japan: Manga, Business Etiquette, Language and Culture, approaches learning in a delicious and hands-on way.
Washington and Lee Presents ‘The House of Yes’
“The House of Yes” is presented through special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service.
A Brave New World
In the Genetic Engineering and Society SIn the Genetic Engineering and Society Spring Term class, students focus on the intersection of science, medicine, law, agriculture, ethics and public policy.pring Term class, students focus on the intersection of science, medicine, law, agriculture and public policy.
W&L to Present ‘Supernatural’ Opera Scenes
Although W&L has produced student-cast operas in the past, this is the first time students have been able to enroll in a credit-bearing opera workshop.
This Class is No Snooze
Current Advances in Psychological Science: Sleep, Health and Society, a Spring Term course taught by Ryan Brindle, explores the basics of sleep, why people need it, and the impacts of sleep deprivation.
Get in on the Spring Term Action!
We asked professors to share course materials and discussion questions to offer a sneak peek at the breadth of opportunities available during the best term of the year.
Drawing Inspiration from Nature
Students in the Spring Term course Drawing in Place practice observational drawing in a beautiful setting near Lexington.
Snapshots from Spring Term
Our favorite term is well underway! Here is a glimpse inside some of the many fascinating courses being taught off-campus this year.
Photo Class Pictures the Past
Professor of Art Christa Bowden's Spring Term course, Antique Photo Processes, focuses entirely on 19th-century photo processes.
Exploring Corporate Responsibility
A market research project generated by W&L students is helping a Danish company to align its initiatives with the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.
Finding Beauty Behind Bars
After taking a course at Augusta Correctional Center, two W&L juniors helped to organize an exhibition at the university featuring artwork by artists who are incarcerated. The exhibit is entitled “Unfreedom of Expression.”
The Bigger Picture
Washington and Lee students partnered with Eagle’s Nest Clubhouse members to create a 32-foot community mural around the theme of recovery.
A Muse in Nature
Professor Ricardo Wilson's Spring Term class spent 10 days writing short fiction at Skylark Nature Preserve and Lodge in Raphine.
Sifting Through the Past
Donald Gaylord's Spring Term class introduced students to archaeological lab methods through hands-on experience, readings and field trips.
W&L to Host Annual Spring Term Festival
The event allows students to present coursework and research conducted over the duration of the term.
The Most Wonderful Term of the Year
Spring Term allows W&L students to focus intensely on one topic for four weeks, or to create an experience that is unique to their educational path.
Art in the Open
Students in Meg Griffith’s Spring Term art class created public works of art to draw attention to important causes in the community.
Rules of Engagement
Professor Angie Smith's spring term class grapples with the question of just war theory in an age of terrorism.
Unpacking the Resiliency of the Human Spirit
The spring term class asks: What possibilities does law offer after massive political violence has occurred, and what are the limits of law after massive political violence?
Intro to Nanoscience
A Spring Term course helps students with little or no science background understand the scientific principles that govern our world.
Land in Lakota Culture, Economics and History
W&L professors collaborate on a Spring Term course about American Indians and land.
The History of Ghosts
A Washington and Lee Spring Term class examined the history of ghost belief and local ghost lore.
From Art to Finish
A new Spring Term class has an English professor and an art professor teaming up to guide students through writing and illustrating a comic book.
James Madison University Professor to Lecture at W&L on May 4
Tracy Lupher, professor of philosophy and religion at James Madison University, will give a lecture at Washington and Lee University on May 4 at 4:30 p.m. in Huntley 327.
The New Yorker Cartoon Editor, Bob Mankoff, to Speak at W&L
Bob Mankoff, cartoon editor of The New Yorker, will give a public talk at Washington and Lee University on May 18, at 4:30 p.m. at Stackhouse Theater in Elrod Commons.
Kiki Spiezio Receives Gilman Scholarship to Study in China
Katrina Spiezio of Taunton, Massachusetts, a sophomore at Washington and Lee University, has been awarded a Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship. Spiezio will be studying abroad in China during W&L's Spring Term.
19th-Century Accounting Ledgers at W&L Illuminate Local History
Old account ledgers might seem a dry subject to most people, but to a class at Washington and Lee University they offered a rare opportunity to shine new light on local history.
W&L's Interim Provost on MIICs vs. MOOCs
Robert Strong, interim provost at Washington and Lee University, introduces MIICs — Massively Intensive Innovative Courses — in an op-ed in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
Robots and Spring Term
A four-week Spring Term course on robotics at Washington and Lee taught students to control a drone with hand gestures.
W&L’s Spring Term Course on Chicano Art Featured on KCET
The Washington and Lee Spring Term course on Chicano art was featured in a story titled "Virginia is for Chicano Art Lovers" in the "Departures" section of Los Angeles KCET's website on May 23, 2013. Taught by Andrea LePage, assistant professor of art at W&L, the course benefitted from the Stanier Gallery exhibition "Chicanitas: Small […]
Washington and Lee Wins Teagle Foundation Grant for Study-Abroad Planning
Washington and Lee University, in collaboration with Union College, of New York, and Gettysburg College, of Pennsylvania, has received a $230,000 grant over 25 months from the Teagle Foundation, of Philadelphia, to improve learning outcomes on their respective campuses.
Former Diplomat Gives W&L Students Real-World Lessons
Retired U.S. Ambassador Kenneth Yalowitz is teaching Washington and Lee students about diplomacy as he practiced it during 36 years as a career diplomat and a member of the Senior Foreign Service.
W&L Course Examines Effect of Public Policy in Two Richmond Schools
Washington and Lee students in a Spring Term course on Urban Education spent three weeks embedded in Richmond public schools where they evaluated various educational policy proposals.
W&L Students Examine, Attempt to Achieve Peak Performance
A Washington and Lee University psychology course on achieving peak performance is more than a mere academic exercise. According to Brodie Gregory, visiting assistant professor of psychology, by the time the students complete the four-week Spring Term course she’s offering, they will not only understand the underlying psychological theories but they will also have a […]
W&L Spring Term Course Explores Animal Behavior, Human Morality
A new spring term course at Washington and Lee University, "Animal Behavior and Human Morality," is delving into the history of how people hve looked to animal behavior for answers on how humans should conduct themselves.
Comparing Financial Crises: From Antiquity to Today
Students in the Washington and Lee Spring Term course "Too Big to Fail: Commerce, Corruption and Crisis in Antiquity," have discovered how ancient financial crises really are.
