Washington and Lee University

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Washington and Lee University

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Founded in 1749, Washington and Lee is one of the preeminent liberal arts colleges in the country.

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Washington and Lee (W&L) welcomes constructive dialogue on its social media sites and reserves the right to review all comments and remove any that are inappropriate. View our comment policy here: https://myw.lu/socialcommentpolicy.

10/16/2026

In the latest issue of W&L Magazine, Amanda Hughes ’06, associate professor of practice in the College of Science at the University of Arizona, reflects on the impact Professor Chris Connor’s mentorship has had on her. From leading students on sunrise adventures at the Grand Canyon to giving advice on graduate school, the William E. Pritchard III ’80 Professor of Earth and Environmental Geoscience always puts his students first, she says.

Hughes, who continues to collaborate with Connors on research, reflects on how his passion for teaching, dedication to his students and his love of geology helped shape her own academic and professional journey.

“Chris has told me that he was the luckiest guy in the world to have this job, but I am certain that we, his students, were the lucky ones.”

Read Hughes’ tribute to Connors in W&L Magazine or on The Columns: columns.wlu.edu/saluting-the-constant-mentor-chris-connors/

10/15/2026

Elisabeth Nicholson ’27 and Riley Mitchelson ’27 spent the summer ahead of their senior year learning about the importance of land stewardship and how we can better connect with the natural world.

Nicholson interned at the Berry Center in Port Royal, Kentucky, with the help of a Johnson Opportunity Grant, and Mitchelson served as a research and development intern at Hozho Voices of Healing Center in Crownpoint, New Mexico, through the Shepherd Program for the Interdisciplinary Study of Poverty and Human Capability. Although their internships differed in landscape, both Nicholson and Mitchelson came away from their experiences with a new appreciation for the communities working to build a more positive relationship with the environment.

Read more about their summer experiences on The Columns: https://columns.wlu.edu/rooted-in-place/

10/14/2026

Parents and Family Weekend at W&L was packed with activities! Catch all the highlights and more in this week’s .

10/09/2026

For over a decade, students looking for a creative and caffeinated hangout on campus have gravitated toward Friday Underground (FUDG), a student-run weekly event that invites the W&L community to unwind.

Activities offered at Friday Underground range from week to week, including an open mic night, karaoke and tabletop gaming to stand-up comedy and poetry readings. The constant is the coffee bar, where a team of student volunteers supplies attendees with coffee, tea and even fudge, a nod to the organization’s acronym, FUDG.

Learn more about Friday Underground on The Columns: https://columns.wlu.edu/student-organization-spotlight-friday-underground/

10/08/2026

The first year of college is full of new experiences, opportunities and challenges, but W&L students don't have to navigate them alone.

As new students find their footing on campus, Nathan Graves, associate dean for first-year experience, and Leah Beard, assistant dean of student leadership, share tips for navigating the transition to college life and how Leading Edge, orientation and the first-year experience at Washington and Lee are designed to support students along the way.

Read their tips for making the most of the first-year experience at W&L: https://columns.wlu.edu/tips-on-navigating-the-first-year-experience/

10/07/2026

What can a 400-mile bike ride across Iowa teach you about the classroom? For Jay Margalus, Johnson Professor of Entrepreneurship and Leadership and director of the Connolly Center for Entrepreneurship, quite a lot.

Margalus has ridden RAGBRAI (Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa) four of the last five summers. The approximately 400-mile event, first held in 1973, is the largest bike-touring event in the world. This summer, he brought his wife and four children along for the ride.

In this Q&A, Margalus reflects on embracing challenges, getting comfortable with uncertainty and why some of the best learning happens outside your comfort zone.

Read more about the lessons he’s bringing from the road back to the classroom: https://columns.wlu.edu/enjoying-the-ride/

10/02/2026

Developing a spark for research at Washington and Lee helped launch Dr. Chip Schooley '70, P'96 on a career that would change modern medicine.

Described as a visionary, a maverick and a pioneer, Schooley’s trailblazing HIV/AIDS research helped transform the disease from a death sentence into a manageable chronic condition. More recently, he became the first physician in the U. S. to use bacteriophages to save a patient dying from a multidrug-resistant superbug, and he spearheaded the University of California San Diego’s award-winning response to COVID-19.

Read more about Schooley’s groundbreaking career and the W&L experience that helped set it in motion: https://columns.wlu.edu/lives-of-consequence-medical-maverick/

10/01/2026

Meet the Class of 2030!

This fall, Washington and Lee welcomed 489 new first-year students and seven transfer students to campus, representing 42 countries of origin and 38 U.S. states and territories. From a published author to wilderness first responder, global mountaineer, board game designer, braille translator and veterans appreciation club founder, the Class of 2030 brings an incredible range of experiences, interests and perspectives to W&L.

Read more about W&L’s newest students on The Columns: https://columns.wlu.edu/washington-and-lee-welcomes-the-class-of-2030/

09/30/2026

This week, students enjoyed the annual Harvest Dinner in the Marketplace, and campus was filled with excitement with Young Alumni Weekend festivities! See it all and more in this week’s !

09/28/2026

Washington and Lee’s orientation process for new students weaves fun and community building into an in-depth introduction to the university’s culture and values.

Leading Edge, W&L’s signature program that invites students to choose their own adventure, and the week of orientation programming that follows it layered in interactions with new mentors, upper-division students, traditions and a few new activities this year, all of which added up to a cohesive introduction to the W&L experience.

Learn more about how W&L’s approach to orientation helps new students find community and begin their college experience with confidence: columns.wlu.edu/welcoming-new-students-to-wl

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204 W Washington Street
Lexington, VA
24450

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https://www.wlu.edu/, https://myw.lu/2NoVqxO

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