Lifelong Learning

Rekindle the wonder of discovery and the goodwill that naturally comes with it

Campus Programs

Through the Alumni College, we encourage you to satisfy your enduring curiosity about the world, to think with us about history, philosophy, literature, the arts and sciences, and current events while engaging the expertise of the W&L faculty.

Travel Programs

The Washington and Lee Traveller program offers opportunities to get to know the world firsthand, to experience different cultures, to appreciate different world views, and to savor the inspiring beauty and history of other lands. Our education adventure tours are led by experts, creating memorable travel experiences for W&L alumni, families, and friends.

W&L At Home

For the armchair learner, W&L offers several virtual classroom experiences.  These include online webinars on current issues; “W&L After Class,” a series of podcast interviews with university faculty; livestreamed talks by Alumni College faculty and distinguished visitors; a Virtual Book Club featuring a new selection every quarter; and “Sheltering in Place,” a reading list of favorite books as recommended by W&L faculty.  Through “W&L at Home,” you’re never too far from the adventure of lifelong learning.  

"There's not enough space here to say how absolutely wonderful, amazing, incredible, awesome and fabulous the safari was! Each day better than the day before, each place so beautiful and awe-inspiring. The weather was perfect, the wildlife viewing beyond my wildest dreams!"

Past Traveller Participant

Contact Us

P: 540-458-8723
F: 540-458-8478
E: lifelong@wlu.edu 
Office of Lifelong Learning
Washington and Lee University
204 W Washington Street
Lexington, Virginia 24450

Here to guide your next adventure

The staff of the Office of Lifelong Learning are here to to help further your journey.
Gary Kirk Director of Lifelong Learning Programs
P: 540-458-8724 E: gkirk@wlu.edu
Gary joined the W&L community in 2023. Previously, he was an associate provost at Dickinson College, where he provided leadership for the Center for Civic Learning & Action and the Clarke Forum for Contemporary Issues. His interdisciplinary teaching and research are grounded in the fields of nonprofit studies and public administration, and his recent projects have considered civic infrastructure, systems thinking, and community resilience. He is an expert on experiential learning pedagogy and community-engaged scholarship. Kirk holds a Ph.D. degree in environmental design and planning from Virginia Tech and a B.A. in ecology from New College.
Ruth Candler Associate 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.
Lisa D’Amelio Lifelong Learning Program Coordinator
P: 540-458-8916 E: ldamelio@wlu.edu
Lisa joined the Office of Lifelong Learning in August, 2021. She began her career at W&L as the Recruitment Coordinator in the Office of Career Strategy at the Law School. Prior to her arrival at W&L in 2018, she worked in varied capacities in the field of education for more than twenty years. These experiences included teaching ESL for Rockbridge County Public Schools, Spanish at Waddell Elementary School, and English as a Second Language at Instituto Tecnológico in Chetumal, Mexico. Lisa also spent many years as the Director of a local preschool. She earned her M.Ed. from Wilmington University in 1996.