Note from the Dean

Dear Colleagues,

Thank you for your warm welcome to campus and to many of you for helping me start to learn my way around Lexington and campus during the past six weeks! I look forward to meeting you all soon. During these waning days of summer break, I sincerely hope that you are finding a way to get the rest you so richly deserve after the past sixteen months of life on Earth. Despite the recent resurgence of the pandemic, we are still looking forward to the new school year on campus.
See you soon,

Chawne

There are two new people in the Office of the Dean of the College and this is a good moment to introduce them to you.

The new Executive Assistant to the Dean of the College is Emily Coleman. Emily, a native of Rockbridge County, comes to us from Virginia Military Institute where she was Assistant Conference Planner and then Executive Assistant for the Center for Leadership and Ethics. Prior to VMI, Emily worked at the Chamber of Commerce for Rockbridge County upon graduation from Roanoke College where she earned a BA in Communications. In her spare time, Emily enjoys being outdoors with her animals and dogs finding different adventures.

Professor Genelle Gertz is serving part-time as Associate Dean of Strategic Initiatives. She has been tasked with strengthening the Arts and Humanities, an initiative that addresses a ten-year decline at W&L in the number of Arts and Humanities majors. Working with department heads, faculty, staff, and students, Genelle will be learning the best ways to support the College's Arts and Humanities programs. Her goal is to support any student who wants to pursue the arts and humanities but, for various reasons, thought it wasn't possible. Along with continuing her research in early modern women mystics, Genelle researches the teaching of careers courses (she developed such a course for English majors with Lorri Olan in Career and Professional Development), along with findings in Higher Ed on career readiness and employability. Please contact Genelle to talk through your ideas about supporting students and faculty and be sure to sign up for her Fall Academy session on this topic August 30th, 8:30 to 10:00am, where breakfast will be served!