Sociology and Anthropology Department

Liberty Hall Ruins

The faculty in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology has a combined interest in culture and society. Because the world in which we live is so diverse and interconnected, our mission is to empower students to examine their own lives and values in the context of many different societies, including our own, to develop understandings of cultural variation.

In teaching about what it means to be human, we offer a variety of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies through which students learn about social interaction and cultural practices. Our students acquire advanced skills of critical thinking, precise writing, and well-informed interaction with diverse communities. These abilities are extraordinarily helpful in a variety of career choices, including business, law, the health professions, and graduate school.

  • Newcomb Hall
    Washington and Lee University
    Lexington, Virginia 24450

Jon Eastwood

Department Head

Melissa Gualtieri

Administrative Assistant

Feature Stories


Campus Kitchen Announces 2024-25 Just Food Series

The annual event series examines the ways in which food systems interact with issues of social justice.

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Masako Konishi to Deliver Lecture as Part of the Class of 1963 Scholars in Residence Program

Konishi, Chief Merchandising Officer at Forever 21, will deliver her talk on Sept. 25.

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Cultivating a Community of Care

Through the Davis Projects for Peace Grant and a Fulbright ETA, Allie Stankewich ’23 is building relationships with the communities she serves in East Africa.

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W&L Outcomes: Shanna Kim ’24

Kim is pursuing her Master of Public Policy at Duke University.

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Five W&L Students Awarded Gilman Scholarships to Study Abroad

The Gilman Scholarship Program offers awards of up to $5,000 to U.S. undergraduate students who are Pell Grant recipients.

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Washington and Lee Students Selected for Congressional Hunger Center Internships

Sai Chebrolu ’26 and Valentina Giraldo Lozano ’25 are among 13 students chosen for the Zero Hunger Internship program.

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A Broader Perspective

W&L students in the Spring Term course Global Urban Sociology are examining the social consequences of an increasingly urbanized world.

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W&L’s Tanajia Moye-Green Among 2024 Class of Knight-Hennessy Scholars

Moye-Green ’23 is the university’s first Knight-Hennessy Scholar.

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W&L Alumnus Benji Hess ’23 Earns U.S. Teaching Assistantship to Austria

Hess will teach English in Austria and prepare for a career as an educator.

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W&L’s Michelle Morgan ’24 Earns Fulbright to North Macedonia

Morgan was selected for a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to teach English in North Macedonia.

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Caroline Matthews, daugher of John and Nell McDaniel, holds a copy of the cover of the forthcoming volume of the James G. Leyburn Papers in Anthropology.

Unearthing History

Students, faculty and alumni gathered April 12-13 to recognize the archaeological evolution of W&L’s back campus.

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Liberty Hall Ruins stand strong as the sun sets. Photo by Ryan Doty ’26

W&L Students to Host Archaeological Commemorative Event

The April 6 gathering marks the restoration of “The Foundation” on the university’s campus, originally part of the historic Liberty Hall Academy property.

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