Mid-Summer Update

To: The W&L Community
From: Rector Mike McAlevey '86
Date: July 14, 2021
Re: Mid-Summer Update

Today we are pleased to announce the election of Betsy Pakenas '94 and Jonathan Wortham '04 to the W&L Board of Trustees. Both Betsy and Jonathan are distinguished professionals and dedicated volunteers who will bring talent, energy and insight to our work. They will be sworn in at the October 2021 meeting.

Betsy is a Managing Director and financial advisor for Morgan Stanley in Frederick, Maryland. She has served on multiple Morgan Stanley national advisory councils, currently representing her region on the firm's Consulting Group Advisory Board, and was named to the MAKERS Class of 2020, a project dedicated to identifying and celebrating women of accomplishment across multiple fields who sponsor and champion women's advancement. Betsy has previously served as an alumni chapter president and reunion volunteer, chairing her 15th and 25th reunion committees. She currently serves on the Capital Campaign Council and the Annual Fund Council. In May 2019, Betsy was honored with W&L's Distinguished Alumna Award.

Jonathan, a medical epidemiologist, leads the Molecular Epidemiology and Outbreak Investigations Team within the Division of Tuberculosis Elimination at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia. His work at the CDC has focused on protecting people from such infectious pathogens as Ebola, Zika, tuberculosis, Legionnaire's Disease and COVID-19. He also continues to practice clinical pediatrics. Jonathan was a speaker in the 2021 Mudd Lecture Series and has been a member of the Alumni Board of Directors, chair of the Shepherd Poverty Program Advisory Board, and chair of the Alumni Admissions Program in Atlanta. He has also served as a class agent, a member of his class reunion committees, and a member of W&L's Science Advisory Board.

You can read more about Betsy and Jonathan on the W&L website.

As we reflect on the challenges of the past year and work to advance the commitments we made in June, it is important to pause and reflect on just some of the many good things happening at W&L. We remain one of the most highly regarded liberal arts colleges and law schools in the country that excel at preparing our students for ethical and engaged leadership in their careers, professions and communities. This fall we will welcome the most talented and diverse incoming class of students in the university's history. Our student outcomes are outstanding, with enviable career and graduate school placement rates and a record number of graduate fellowship recipients last year. We have dedicated, top-quality faculty and loyal and generous alumni. We have made progress on our Strategic Plan, including creating new interdisciplinary minors, opening state-of-the-art facilities for teaching and learning and athletics, and expanding important resources for students.

Continuing to advance our strategic priorities will require collaboration across our community, and we are grateful for President Dudley and the administration, who continue to effectively lead the university through this challenging period. We look forward to working with them, our newest trustees and each of you for the benefit of W&L in the future.