Economics Department

Professor of economics Linda Hooks teaches class in Leyburn Library.

Washington and Lee’s Department of Economics seeks to give its students a fundamental understanding of economic processes and institutions with an emphasis on the liberal arts. Students learn to think critically using analytical tools, allowing them to apply theory to economic and social issues.

With the empirical tools of the discipline, students also develop an ability to evaluate the validity of theoretical predictions. Additionally, students develop communication skills, making graduates well-suited to address complex issues in today’s world.

Department News


Change Agents: DeLaney Center Interns Help Drive Social Progress

Eleven W&L students participated in the first full year of programming spread across multiple states.

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Meet Gaby White ’27

White has embraced several leadership opportunities at W&L.

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Five-Star Festival Distinguished Alumni Awards

2025 Five-Star Distinguished Alumni Awards

These alumni exemplify leadership, service and professional excellence and will be honored during Five-Star Festival, Oct. 3–5, 2025.

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Bringing Humanity Into The Conversation

Kate LeMasters ’15 cultivated a career of addressing public health inequalities with marginalized societies.

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Leah Gose ’15 is the Next Speaker in Campus Kitchen’s Just Food Series

Gose’s Oct. 15 lecture is titled “Feeding Americans: How Food Pantries Fuel Civic Life in the USA.”

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W&L Students Learn and Network in New York City

Washington and Lee students interested in finance completed valuable summer internships in New York City this summer.

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Economics Professor Interviewed for ‘Marketplace’ Podcast

Linda Hooks was one of three economists who offered their opinions on what Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell would say during an annual gathering in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, on Aug. 22.

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In the Business of Good Journalism

W&L’s Reynolds Journalism Internship Program places students in newsrooms across the country, where they become fully immersed in the life of a journalist for 12 weeks.

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W&L Outcomes: Charlie Micek ’25

Micek is returning to Capitol Hill as an AI Policy Fellow through the Horizon Institute for Public Service.

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Best Practice

Dr. Charles Frankum ’90 lays claim to being one of the few surgeons in the country who flies himself to appointments at rural hospitals.

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Aliaa Bassiouny

Aliaa Bassiouny Named to the Board of Directors for Orascom Development Egypt

The Lawrence Term Professor of Finance will serve as a non-executive member of the board for the real estate development company.

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Washington and Lee Names Six Faculty Members to Endowed Professorships in The College and The Williams School

These faculty have been recognized for their outstanding teaching, scholarship and service to the university.

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A Career in Economics

American Economic Association