Alumni

You're Always Welcome

Alumni Engagement’s mission is to connect alumni with each other, with W&L, and to provide interesting avenues for lifelong learning. While we can’t be together in person, we want you to have the latest highlights of our programming.

Adhering to the University’s policies and protocols for campus visitors during the pandemic, we regret that all on-campus alumni events have been canceled through May 5, 2021. We are planning robust virtual offerings for many of these events.

More Information

Five-Star Festival & Institute for Honor Tom Wolfe Weekend Alumni Weekend

Contact Us

P: (540) 458-8464

F: (540) 458-8473

E: alumni@wlu.edu

Office of Alumni Engagement
Hotchkiss House
Washington and Lee University
Lexington, VA 24450

Upcoming Events

Virtual events for W&L alumni and parents at a glance

Virtual

Mar. 2 - Music in the Time of Covid

Tuesday, March 2 at 7 p.m. EST Teaching and performing music in a socially-distanced climate has been a challenge, but our music faculty and students have risen to meet it. Tune in to hear more about how instrumental and vocal performance has been reimagined and how you can catch upcoming live concerts! Greg Parker, Professor of Music and Music Department Chair will moderate a panel of Chris Dobbins, Assistant Professor of Music, Director of Instrumental Activities; Shane Lynch, Associate Professor of Music, Director of Choral Activities; Terry Vosbein, Professor of Music, Composition, Music Theory, University Jazz Ensemble; Caleb Peña ‘21; Carissa Petzold ‘21; Hyun Song ‘21 and Leslie Sparling ‘22.

Virtual

Mar. 7 - Truth vs. Propaganda: Knowing the Difference and Why It Matters

Sunday, March 7 at 7 p.m. A recent Washington Post editorial claimed “America is in crisis; we can’t agree on what’s true and what’s false anymore. Some ‘news sites’ are not merely alternative, they cloak themselves in the mantle of news while peddling deception.” Helping us weigh this familiar assertion will be Brian Murchison, Charles S. Rowe Professor of Law and Director of the Roger Mudd Center for Ethics at W&L; Aly Colon, Knight Professor of Ethics in Journalism; and John X. Miller ’77, '80L, senior editor at The Undefeated at ESPN. An expert on the First Amendment, Murchison will explore the competing values of freedom of speech and truth-telling as foundations of American democracy; Colon will consider the ethical questions haunting advocacy journalism; and Miller, former visiting journalism professor at W&L, will offer insights from his long career pursuing the truth as a newspaper editor and reporter.

Virtual

Mar. 10 - Going Beyond the Balance Sheet: Accounting at W&L

Wednesday, March 10 at 7 p.m. EST There is more to accounting at W&L than just debits and credits. Professors Jack Bovay ’79, Megan Hess ’97, and Colin Reid will take us beyond the ledger into tax policy and legislation, corporate governance, and corporate sustainability.

Let's Celebrate Together

On Campus or in Your Hometown

Alumni Engagement creates memorable reunions and destination events on campus and around the country.

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Education Never Gets Old

Office of Lifelong Learning

The best way to celebrate W&L's enduring commitment to lifelong learning is by experiencing it personally. Share in the life of the University with an educational adventure on campus, around the world or online.

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Colonnade Connections

From career networking to finding long-lost friends, Colonnade Connections is the university's online database.

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Alumni Engagement

The staff of the Office of Alumni Engagement provides programming and support for W&L alumni.

Beau Dudley Executive Director of Alumni Engagement

P: 540-458-8470 E: wdudley@wlu.edu

Beau Dudley is W&L class of 1974 and 1979 law, when he was president of the student body executive committee. He was the president of the Alumni Association 1992-1993, and a University Trustee 1998-2006. He came to W&L in 2006 from a distinguished legal career as a business litigation partner with McGuire Woods, LLP in the Washington, D.C. area offices.

Ruth Candler Assistant Director of Lifelong Learning

P: 540-458-4866 E: rcandler@wlu.edu

Ruth joined Washington and Lee's Office of Lifelong Learning in April, 2019. Prior to this position, she managed the Class Secretary Program for University Development. She has held a number of marketing and managerial positions in the publishing and graphic arts industries. From 2004 to 2011, she was director of marketing for Brain, Child: The Magazine for Thinking Mothers, an award-winning literary magazine. Ruth and her husband John Paul reside in Lexington and have two grown children.

Rob Fure Director of Lifelong Learning

P: 540-458-8724 E: rfure@wlu.edu

Robert Fure, director of lifelong learning, joined the W&L faculty in 1977 after earning his M.A. and Ph.D. in English and American literature from the University of California, Berkeley. In 1981, he designed an administrative structure for non-traditional educational programs at W&L and was soon asked to oversee its implementation. In 1982, he established the W&L Alumni College and in 1985 the W&L Traveller program

Emily King Administrative Assistant for Lifelong Learning

P: 540-458-8916 E: eking@wlu.edu

Emily King joined the Office of Lifelong Learning in 2019 following four years working in Development at Washington and Lee University. Growing up in southern Colorado and spending most of her twenties in Europe, Emily has a diverse background in ESL teaching, customer service and project management, and higher education. Emily lives in Lexington with her husband, Elliott, their twin daughters, and their two cats.

Tom Lovell Senior Associate Director of Alumni Engagement

P: 540-458-8467 E: tdlovell@wlu.edu

A member of the W&L Class of 1991, Tom Lovell was drawn to serving the University professionally through service as co-president of the San Diego and Northeast Ohio W&L alumni chapters. Prior to returning to Lexington, he was vice president of sales and marketing at VRC Manufacturing Inc. in Cleveland, Ohio, and an analyst with SAIC in San Diego, CA.

Kelly Martone Administrative Assistant for Alumni Engagement

P: 540-458-8468 E: kmartone@wlu.edu

Kelly is the Administrative Assistant for the Alumni Engagement Office. She is the primary point of contact for external parties calling the office, liaison for the Alumni Board, and performs numerous clerical and administrative tasks.

Molly Myers Assistant Director of Digital Communications for Alumni Engagement

P: 540-458-8469 E: myersm@wlu.edu

Molly is the Assistant Director of Digital Communications for Alumni Engagement. Prior to W&L, she held communications positions at the University of Georgia and Cornell University. A native of Dayton, Ohio, Molly graduated from the College of Wooster in 2003 and earned her master’s at UGA in 2005. Molly lives with her husband and son in Lexington.

Kristy Speers Senior Chapter Coordinator for Alumni Engagement

P: 540-458-8472 E: kspeers@wlu.edu

Kristy graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a BA in Geography. She spent several years throughout the west working with the National Park Service before moving to Lexington in 2008 with her husband and two children. She has been with Washington and Lee since 2011. Prior to her role as senior chapter coordinator, she has worked in Development, Athletics, and the Outing Club.

Mary Webster Associate Director of Alumni Engagement

P: 540-458-8886 E: mwebster@wlu.edu

Mary is from Charlotte, NC. She graduated from The University of the South in Sewanee, TN in 1993 with a degree in religion. She has served as a church youth director, worked in donor relations at Sewanee’s development office, and been a teacher and director at Shenandoah Preschool in Lexington. She and her family have lived in Lexington since 2002.