The Columns Weekly - Thursday, Aug. 21, 2025 From The Columns Late Summer Update on Campus Construction Projects Several campus projects have been completed in time for Fall Term. Convocation to Kick Off New Academic Year at Washington and Lee The event will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Sept. 3 on the Front Lawn with remarks by Alexandra R. Brown, Fletcher Otey Thomas Professor of Bible. W&L Begins Campus Utility Infrastructure Updates The multi-year project aims to provide sustainable heating across campus. W&L Law Welcomes Impressive Law Class of 2028 The class includes 131 students from 28 states and D.C. and four countries, representing 96 undergraduate institutions. W&L Law and the German Law Journal Welcome Jule Mulder for the Fall Term as the W&L/GLJ Global Teaching Fellow Mulder will contribute to the law school’s comparative law seminar, which surveys German law and legal culture. Sofie Ramirez Soto Joins W&L as Jewish Life Program Director The former engagement coordinator for Hillel International at New York University will provide programming and support for the W&L and local Jewish communities. W&L Student Empowers Her Community through Davis Projects for Peace Anshika Patel ’26 spent her summer scaling up an initiative offering public health education and vocational training in her community. Read More W&L News on The Columns Employee Accolades Catarina Passidomo ’04 Contributes Book Chapter The associate professor of environmental studies authored a chapter in “The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Cultural and Social Geography.” Catherine Smith Publishes Article in the Seattle University Law Review The article presents expert analysis Smith provided for the plaintiffs in a landmark case involving the environment and children's rights. Want to be recognized for your work or do you have a colleague who should be recognized for their accomplishments? Simply use the employee accolade submission form. Meet a Colleague Meet a Colleague: Don Gaylord Don Gaylord serves as a research archeologist and instructor in Sociology and Anthropology. Learn more about Don in our "Meet a Colleague" feature series. ITS Security Awareness Program The Security Awareness Program at W&L empowers individuals to recognize and respond to potential cyber threats. By understanding common fraudulent techniques such as phishing, malware, and social engineering, students and staff can take proactive steps to protect themselves and the university's digital assets. This knowledge transforms users from passive participants into active defenders of their own and the institution's security. Key components of technology security awareness at W&L: Phish Alert Button: ITS provides all students and employees with a Phish Alert Button from KnowBe4 to report suspicious email messages. Simulated Phishing Emails: To assist with ongoing training, a simulated phishing email is sent once each month to all students and employees. Security Training Modules: All new students and employees complete a series of security training modules in KnowBe4 as part of the onboarding process. To find out more about the Security Awareness Program, please see our post in ITS News. Should you have questions about this notice, contact the ITS Helpdesk at X4357 or help@wlu.edu. Get to Know Your Newest Co-Workers New Employee Q&A Get to know the newest members of the Washington and Lee employee workforce through our new employee feature page! This week, we feature three new employees who have joined the W&L community in recent weeks. Featured Social Media Site Follow the W&L Outing Club on Instagram! Make sure to follow all the university's social media channels for more information about happenings on our campus! Twitter/X - @wlunews | @wlulex | @wlulaw Facebook - Washington and Lee University | Working at W&L Instagram - @wlunews | @wlulex | @wlulaw Upcoming Events New Student Move-In Day All first-year students will move in on this date. Annual College Picnic 4-6 p.m. Liberty Hall Ruins Welcome our new faculty and staff to the Washington and Lee community at the annual College Picnic. There will be a traditional picnic menu, music, children's activities, hula hoops and lively conversations with colleagues. All faculty and staff from The College are invited, but please RSVP. Also Please note that pets are not allowed. RSVP Law Fall Term Begins The 2025-26 law academic year begins on Aug. 25. Law Faculty Meeting 11 a.m.-noon Law Community Lounge The first meeting of the new year will be held in the Law Community Lounge. Upper-Division Student Move-In All upper-division students, including transfer students, not approved for early arrival may begin moving in on this date.

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