Scene on Campus, commencement information, upcoming events, Career and Professional Development and other news from W&L.
 
Family Connection: April 2021
Earlier this year, Washington and Lee University introduced this new publication designed to communicate the latest news for W&L parents and families. W&L Family Connection will be distributed each month and will complement other university channels to help keep parents and families informed about life on campus. Please send your suggestions for future issues to families@wlu.edu.
 
Blooming redbud branches along the Colonnade.
Scene on Campus: 04.16.21
Every week during the academic year, university photographers Kevin Remington and Shelby Mack capture the scene on campus through their lenses. In this recent edition: students get outside and enjoy the warm Lexington days, sports are in full swing and Winter Term finishes out with exams. As April draws to a close, students take a much-deserved break as they head off to enjoy spring break, and Spring Term is just around the corner.
View Photo Slideshow
 
An Update on Commencement Planning
As noted in President Dudley's April 1 communication to students, faculty and staff, Washington and Lee is excited to host in-person commencement ceremonies for the law and undergraduate classes of 2021 on May 7 and 27, respectively. These events will be held on Wilson Field (rain or shine) in accordance with campus COVID-19 protocols and Virginia guidelines governing commencement activities. Due to restrictions on venue capacity, law graduates will be allowed to invite four guests, and seniors will be allowed to invite two guests. Both events will be livestreamed to allow anyone who is unable to attend in person to participate as fully as possible.
W&L is also working with advisory committees for the undergraduate and law classes of 2020 to schedule and plan their commencement celebrations, which could not take place in person last spring.
More details about 2021 Commencement will be shared via email to the graduates and on the university's commencement website, which includes information about lodging and frequently asked questions.
 
Feature Stories
The Show Must Go On Camera
The cast and crew of W&L’s Bentley Musical, “Little Women,” tackled a host of pandemic-related challenges to produce a film version of the show that was screened for audiences March 30-April 2.
Shepherd Cohorts Give First-Year Students a Taste of Service
Two new first-year cohorts, #Hungerfighters and Good Nabors, educate first-year students about the Shepherd Program, introduce them to service learning, help them make friends and set them up for further involvement in the program.
Lucas Flood '21
Love at First Sight
Lucas Flood '21 fell for W&L when he saw it for the first time on a family road trip, and he's found it an ideal place to study history and German.
Washington and Lee’s Troy Larsen ’22 Awarded Goldwater Scholarship
Each scholar is awarded $7,500 to support undergraduate research in their junior or senior year.
Reliving Constitutional History in the Classroom
Twelve students at W&L created their own version of the U.S. Constitution in Professor Lynn Uzzell’s politics course.
A Place That Checked All the Boxes
Rafay Hassan '22 was looking for a liberal arts university that would give him individualized attention and put his critical thinking skills to the test. He found that and more at W&L.
Two W&L Students Awarded Projects for Peace Grants
Julienne de Vastey '23 and Jamal Magoti '23 have won a Davis Projects for Peace grant for their project "Tokomeza Kata Kimeo."
W&L’s Ricks Receives Davis Projects for Peace Grant
James Ricks ’21 plans to work this summer with the Oda Foundation in Nepal.
W&L’s Muensterman Awarded Prestigious Beinecke Scholarship
Kathryn Muensterman ’22 has won a $34,000 Beinecke Scholarship to help fund her graduate studies.
Five W&L Students Honored as Virginia Teachers of Promise
Clay Chadwick ’22, Demmanuel Gonzalez ’21, Caleb Peña ’21, Carolina Rubio Regalado ’22 and Pamela Steimel ’22 were recognized in March by the Virginia Teachers of Promise Institute.
Culinary Showcase Highlights Staff Experiences
A special dinner series at The Marketplace this academic year has featured menus created by Dining Services employees to pay homage to places they’ve lived or studied in culinary school.
W&L's Asian and Pacific Islander Community Pulls Together to #StopAPIHate
The Office of Inclusion and Engagement recently released a video featuring members of W&L’s Asian and Pacific Islander community, calling on the world to notice, and end, incidents of hate.
Record Number of W&L Students Awarded Critical Language Scholarships
Five undergraduate students received Critical Language Scholarships, which will provide them the opportunity to study language intensively during summer 2021.
 
Featured Events
W&L’s Repertory Dance Company Presents ‘Dancing with the Camera’
The W&L Repertory Dance Company performance will stream for free online on March 25 and 26 at 7 p.m., March 27 at 6 p.m. and March 28 at 2 p.m.
Harvard’s Katrina Forrester is Next Speaker in Mudd Lecture Series
Katrina Forrester will give a virtual lecture on March 25 at 5 p.m. as part of W&L’s Mudd Center for Ethics series.
W&L’s Student Activities Treats Students to Local Adventures
Reimbursable experiences include the Virginia Safari Park, Natural Bridge, Hull's Drive-in, and coffee and a pastry at Season's Yield Farm.
W&L’s Weissman to Give Anne and Edgar Basse Jr. Author Talk
Jeremy Weissman will talk about his recent book, “The Crowdsourced Panopticon: Conformity and Control on Social Media,” on March 31.
W&L’s University Orchestra and Wind Ensemble Present Outdoor Concert
The W&L community is invited to an in-person outdoor concert on April 5.
W&L’s Staniar Gallery Presents Renowned Artist LaToya Ruby Frazier
The April 8 talk is titled "Art as Transformation: Using Photography for Social Change."
Museums at W&L Present Gallery Talk
The community is invited to a virtual talk on April 7 titled "Women in the Arts: Out of the Margins, Into the Light."
Additional Events - registration details communicated to students
04-26
How to Love the Burning World: A Reading by Deborah A. Miranda
Virtual Event, 6 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Please join us for a reading by Deborah A. Miranda, the Thomas H. Broadus Professor of English.
04-28
Contemporary Native life – A Discussion with Dr. Elizabeth Rule (Chickasaw Nation)
Virtual Event, 6:30 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Rule will explain foundational topics, such as tribal sovereignty and the federal-tribal trust relationship, and explore their relevance to Indigenous life today.
05-04
Mudd Center / CIE Lecture: Jason De Leon
Virtual Event, 5 p.m. - 6:15 p.m.
Professor De Leon is the director of the Undocumented Migrant Project, a non-profit research-art-education-media collective. He is also the creator of Hostile Terrain 94, a participatory art project sponsored by the UMP.
05-05
Foundations of Career Development Series: Succeeding On The Job
Virtual Event, 7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Join Lorri Olan, career advisor in Career and Professional Development, for a program covering the best practices to succeed in your internship or job. This program will include tips on workplace etiquette and professionalism, expectations of employers, and ways to put your best foot forward.
05-08
Outing Club Scuba Certification
Lake Phoenix
Come earn your open-water scuba certification at Lake Phoenix! Lots of diving and lots of fun. Students will need to be at the quarry May 8-9 AND May 15-16 to complete this.
05-13
Author Talk featuring Gordon Ball
Virtual Event, 4 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Gordon Ball will read from his recent book "My San Francisco." Free and open to the public.
Events and Happenings
 
Alumni Engagement
From academic seminars to an online book club, Alumni Engagement offers virtual programming for the W&L community, including parents. For example, the following program on May 6 at noon.
Fellowships in the time of COVID-19
Even as a global pandemic has brought the world to a standstill, W&L students and alumni have been receiving and completing nationally competitive fellowships. Come hear from three current and former students about their experiences taking up fellowships in the time of COVID-19: Rossella Gabriele '19 (Rhodes Scholarship), Maria Kisker '21 (Critical Language Scholarship), and Bo Garfinkel '21 (Gilman Scholarship and Public Policy and International Affairs Junior Summer Institute). The conversation will be facilitated by Dr. Matthew Loar '07, Director of Fellowships and Assistant Professor of Classics, by courtesy.
Register Now
Alumni Engagement Virtual Events
 
Program Spotlight: The Office of Career and Professional Development
The Office of Career and Professional Development (CPD) supports and empowers W&L students and alumni to discover, navigate and achieve their career and professional goals through hands-on advising and tailored resources, programs and events. The CPD team seeks to engage with students and alumni individually to explore their interests, abilities and passions, equip them with the skills and tools needed to achieve career success, and develop the confidence to pursue their goals.
"We strive to get to know each student on an individual basis as early in their time at W&L as possible – building that relationship is core to what we do in CPD," said John Jensen III '01, Dean of Career and Professional Development.
Read More
 
Featured W&L Social Media Platform
 
Follow @wlucareers on Instagram
The Office of Career and Professional Development supports and empowers students and alumni to discover, navigate and achieve their career and professional goals through hands-on advising and tailored resources, programs and events.
Additional Social Media Accounts to Follow
Follow along with all of campus' social media channels with the W&L social media directory! Click here for a full list.
 
Be sure to add families@wlu.edu to your address book or safe senders list so our emails get to your inbox. 
 
News & EventsFamilies DashboardCOVID Resources
Washington and Lee University
204 W. Washington St.
Lexington, Virginia 24450
540-458-8400
Email Preferences   |   Privacy Policy
Open in Browser