| The Columns Weekly - Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026 |
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Winter Reading Recs
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| Washington and Lee University’s library staff recommend their current favorite winter reads. |
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Refining an Industry
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| Eric Herrera ’20 was recently named to the 2026 Forbes 30 Under 30 list for his work with chemical manufacturing startup MaverickX, which he cofounded with Jesse Evans ’20. |
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Career Connections
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| The W&L network is perhaps most illustrative in the early-career assistance and opportunities our alumni provide to current students. |
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Meet a Colleague: Lily Malone |
| Lily Malone serves as campaign and advancement events coordinator for the university. Learn more about Lily in our "Meet a Colleague" feature series. |
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Click the image for more details and to order your tickets today!
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| W&L Faculty & Staff Engagement Survey Launches Feb. 2 |
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| On Feb. 2, all benefits-eligible faculty and staff will receive a personalized email invitation from ModernThink to participate in the 2026 W&L Faculty and Staff Engagement Survey. This confidential, institution-wide survey is an opportunity for W&L to hear directly from faculty and staff about their experience working at the university. Your feedback will help the university celebrate what is going well and identify opportunities to strengthen our community. With an upcoming presidential transition, the results will also provide a timely opportunity for the new president to learn about the employee experience and what is most important to our community. |
| It has been 10 years since W&L's last ModernThink survey. Our campus has experienced substantial change in that time, including a pandemic, shifts in how we work and several leadership transitions. The survey takes approximately 20 minutes to complete and will be open from Feb. 2 to Feb. 16. A strong response rate helps ensure the results accurately reflect our community, so please take a few moments to share your honest feedback. Help us exceed our goal of 50% employee participation! |
| For additional information and FAQs, visit our survey webpage on the Human Resources site. Questions may be directed to Jodi Williams at jwilliams@wlu.edu. |
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| This Week's Scene on Campus |
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Snow descends on the back campus.
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Men's and women's basketball are on tap for the week ahead.
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| Featured Social Media Site |
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Keep up to date on all things Campus Rec by following them on Instagram.
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Alain-Philipe Durand Lecture: Contrarian Humanities Entrepreneurs
5-7:30 p.m. Northen Auditorium
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lain-Philippe Durand, Dorrance Dean of the College of Humanities at the University of Arizona, will present a public lecture titled “Contrarian Humanities Entrepreneurs.” The talk, which is free and open to the public, will be followed by a reception to be held in Leyburn Library, Room 128.
More Info
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Art Museum Talk: Contemporary African Art and the Politics of Waste
5:30-6:30 p.m. Northen Auditorium
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Join Clement Akpang, assistant professor of art history at the George Washington University and guest curator of Moffat Takadiwa: Recoded Memories, for a lecture on how the creative appropriation of post-consumer materials has become a defining feature of contemporary African art. This event is free and open to all. Pre-registration required.
RSVP
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Campus Kitchen Souper Bowl
11 a.m.-2 p.m. Evans Dining Hall
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Participate in the 14th annual Souper Bowl hosted by W&L's Campus Kitchen and support the efforts to fight childhood hunger. Participating restaurants and caterers will serve a selection of soups for attendees to enjoy, with in-person dining and to-go options available. Attendees will also be serenaded by W&L student bands and a capella groups performing throughout the event. Tickets are available in advance or at the door and can be purchased online.
More Info
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Undergraduate Faculty Meeting
4:10-5:30 p.m. Stackhouse Theater
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An undergraduate faculty meeting will be held from 4:10-5:30 p.m. in Stackhouse Theater. |
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Basse Salon Presents: Leticia Fernandez-Fontecha
12:30-1:30 p.m. Leyburn 128
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Leticia Fernández-Fontecha, visiting assistant professor of history, will deliver a lecture on “Infant Pain Denial.” The talk is free and open to the public.
More Info
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W&L Presents: Peter Beinart in Conversation with Seth Cantey
5:30 p.m. Northen Auditorium
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Washington and Lee University will host Peter Beinart, professor of journalism and political science at the City University of New York’s Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, in conversation with Seth Cantey, the Lewis G. John Term Professor of Politics. Beinart and Cantey will discuss key themes in Beinart’s new book, “Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza.” The event is free and open to the public and is sponsored by W&L’s Center of International Education, Department of History and Department of Politics.
More Info
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Nobel Symposium: Kyle Friend
11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m. Leyburn 128
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Kyle Friend, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry at Washington and Lee University, will present on the 2025 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine awarded to Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell and Shimon Sakaguchi for their discoveries concerning peripheral immune tolerance. The event is free and open to the public. Snacks and refreshments will be provided.
More Info
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Lenfest Series: Sunny Jain and his Powerhouse Fusion Band Wild Wild East
7:30-10:30 p.m. Lenfest Center/Keller Theater
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The Lenfest Center at Washington and Lee University presents a performance by Sunny Jain and his band, Wild Wild East. Tickets are required and available online or in person at the Lenfest Center box office.
More Info
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Concert Guild Series: Manasse/Nakamatsu Duo
7-10 p.m. Lenfest Center/Wilson Concert Hall
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Clarinetist Jon Manasse and pianist Jon Nakamatsu will present a program featuring works by Brahms, Debussy, and Bernstein. Tickets are required and available online or in person at the Lenfest Center box office.
More Info
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