Washington and Lee Names Six Faculty Members to Endowed Professorships in The College and The Williams School These faculty have been recognized for their outstanding teaching, scholarship and service to the university.

By Brian Laubscher
June 5, 2025

Washington and Lee University has announced that six faculty members will be named to endowed professorships within The College and The Williams School effective July 1, 2025.

Aliaa Bassiouny — Lawrence Term Professor of Finance

Aliaa Bassiouny will occupy the Lawrence Term Professor of Finance, which was established through the Lawrence Departmental Endowment in 2010. The endowment was created by alumni, parents and friends of the Williams Investment Society (WIS) who responded to a challenge gift from Larry and Sally Lawrence (P ’08, ’10, ’12). The Lawrences created the Lawrence Term Professorship in 2007 to support faculty who advise and teach WIS students. The Lawrence Departmental Endowment is a permanently endowed fund at W&L providing salary support for faculty members in business administration, economics or accounting, as determined by the dean of the Williams School in consultation with the provost.

Bassiouny first joined the W&L faculty in 2019 after seven years as a professor of finance at The American University in Cairo (Egypt), where she chaired the Department of Management. At W&L, she serves as the faculty adviser for the Williams Investment Society, which was recently cited as the sixth-largest student-managed investment fund in the U.S. She earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and an MBA in finance from The American University in Cairo, as well as a Master of Research and Ph.D. in management sciences (finance) from Esade Business School (Spain).

Seth Cantey — Lewis G. John Term Associate Professor of Politics

Seth Cantey is an associate professor of politics and will hold the Lewis G. John Term Professorship, which rotates between the Cognitive and Behavioral Science, Economics and Politics Departments. The Lewis G. John Term Professorship was funded by a Washington and Lee trustee in honor of Lewis G. John, former W&L politics professor and dean of students. John graduated from W&L in 1958 and served as dean of students from 1969 to 1990, after which he moved into a full-time teaching role in the Politics Department.

Cantey has been a member of the W&L faculty since 2014. In addition to teaching in the Williams School, he also serves as program head for the Middle East and South Asia Studies Program. He is also chair of the Faculty Affairs Committee and is a member of the University Athletics Committee. He has also previously served on the advisory board for the Mudd Center for Ethics. Cantey holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and Spanish from Bucknell University, a master’s degree in Latin American studies from Georgetown University and a master’s degree and Ph.D. in political science from Duke University.

Jon Eastwood — William P. Ames Jr. Professorship in Sociology

A professor of sociology, Jon Eastwood will hold the William P. Ames Jr. Professorship in Sociology. The professorship was established in 2000 under the will of Mary Farley Lee in honor and memory of her brother, a 1941 Washington and Lee graduate.

Eastwood, who serves as the department head for the Sociology and Anthropology Department, has been a member of the W&L faculty since 2006 and is the author or co-author of several books. He earned both a bachelor’s degree and Ph.D. from Boston University.

Bill Hamilton — John T. Perry Jr. Professorship in Research Science

Bill Hamilton is a professor of biology and will occupy the John T. Perry Professorship in Research Science. The John T. Perry Jr. Professorship in Research Science Endowment was established in 2011 and is a permanently endowed fund administered at the direction of the president and by the provost in consultation with the dean of the College. The fund supports the professorship and the teaching and research activities of the holder of the distinguished faculty appointment.

Hamilton has been a member of the W&L faculty since 2001. He currently serves as department head for the Biology Department and interim head for the Environmental Studies Program. Hamilton earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Syracuse University, a master’s degree in chemical ecology from State University of New York at Buffalo and a doctorate in ecology from Syracuse.

Barton Myers — Martin and Brooke Stein Professorship in History

Barton Myers is a professor of history and will hold the Martin and Brooke Stein Professorship in History. The professorship was established in 2007 to support a distinguished professor who is an accomplished scholar and exceptional teacher, with a first preference for a faculty member in the Department of History and a secondary preference for a faculty member in the Williams School of Commerce, Economics and Politics. The professorship is managed by the provost in consultation with the deans of the College and the Williams School. The endowment is the gift of Martin E. Stein ’74 and his wife, Brooke, in honor of former faculty members William A. Jenks, H. Marshall Jarrett and Henry P. Porter Jr. ’54. The Steins considered Jenks, Jarrett and Porter to be model teachers and scholars who were influential in the lives of countless W&L students. The Martin and Brooke Stein Professorship was established by the Steins in response to the Lenfest Challenge for Faculty Support.

Myers has been a member of the W&L faculty since 2013. He has written and edited three books and previously served as a historian with the National Park Service. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the College of Wooster and a master’s and doctorate from the University of Georgia.

Lloyd Tanlu — Ehrick Kilner Haight Sr. Term Associate Professor of Accounting

The Ehrick Kilner Haight Sr. Term Professorship, established in 2008 by Richard Allen Haight ’84, is a permanently endowed fund at Washington and Lee University providing support for a faculty member in the Williams School of Commerce, Economics and Politics. The award recognizes a different professor every three years and is administered by the provost or his or her designee in consultation with the dean of the Williams School.

Tanlu has been a member of the W&L faculty since 2018 and serves as faculty adviser for Washington and Lee Student Consulting (WLSC). He is also a member of the Faculty Executive Committee and the General Education Development Committee. Tanlu earned bachelor’s degrees in psychology and management from Ateneo de Manila University (Philippines), a master’s degree in international economics and finance from Brandeis University and a DBA in accounting and management from Harvard Business School.