W&L After Class, the Lifelong Learning Podcast

The Williams School: Not Just a Business School with Rob Straughan

Rob Straughan, the Crawford family dean of the Williams school and Professor of Business Administration brings a wealth of knowledge and insights about the unique interdisciplinary approach of the Williams School. In this episode, we'll delve into Rob's journey at W&L, the evolution of the William schools' distinctive approach within a liberal arts curriculum, and the exciting initiatives on the horizon, including the plans for the new Williams school building.

Real World Solutions: Connecting conversations in the classroom to real-world issues in human rights and corporate accountability with Kish Parella

In this episode, we chat with Kish Parella, Class of 1960 Professor of Ethics and Law, about her academic research in business and human rights, how her students influence her scholarship, and why working outside the classroom strengthens her role as a professor. We also explore the importance of corporate accountability and consumer education, including how contract clauses can have a major impact on an individual’s day-to-day life.

Into the Vault: Exploring Washington and Lee’s Special Collections and Archives with Tom Camden

Tom Camden, Washington and Lee’s outgoing head of Special Collections and Archives, tells us how W&L ignited his career as a historian, then takes us on a tour of what has come to be known as “the vault” to showcase some of the university’s extensive collection.

A Good Education is a Habit of Mind: W&L’s Dedication to Lifelong Learning with Rob Fure

In this episode, we have a conversation with Rob Fure on his last day in the office as director of W&L’s Office of Lifelong Learning. We learn how Rob came to W&L in 1977 as an English professor and created programs that evolved into what is now the Office of Lifelong Learning. We’ll also hear from Rob about the experiences that have meant the most to him and what the one area of the world he recommends everyone visit.

The AI Revolution: Understanding the Past, Present, and Future of Artificial Intelligence with Jeff Schatten

Jeff Schatten, associate professor of business administration, helps us to better understand the ever-changing world of artificial intelligence (AI). In our conversation, we discuss the challenges and benefits of using AI in the classroom, and how we can implement it to help students think critically, freely, and humanely.

Paying It Forward: Exploring Black Identity, Family, and Southern-ness in the 21st Century with Michael Hill

In this episode, we’ll talk with Michael Hill, professor and chair of Washington and Lee’s Africana Studies program and also the inaugural director of W&L’s new DeLaney Center. We’ll explore how Michael’s background, family, and formative experiences not only shaped his path as a scholar, but how many of his experiences have prepared him for his work with the DeLaney Center.

The Case for Getting Outside A Holistic W&L Experience Extends Beyond the Walls of a Classroom with James Dick

In this episode, we spend time with James Dick, W&L’s director of outdoor education and recreation. We learn how James found his way to W&L and why he loves his job, the ways in which recreation intersects with W&L students’ experiences in the classroom and life, and how the outdoors can be a lifelong classroom.

Making the Strange Familiar and the Familiar Strange: Examining Life through an Ethnographic Lens with Sascha Goluboff

“Sascha Goluboff, Washington and Lee’s director of community-based learning and professor of cultural anthropology, recounts her experiences of stepping into the unknown through ethnography research, working in local prisons and even improv.”

Walks with A Noise: Exploring Identity, Quietly, with Harvey Markowitz

Harvey Markowitz is an emeritus professor of anthropology. Before arriving at W&L in 2003, Harvey taught in South Dakota at Sinte Gleska University, a tribal college on the Rosebud Indian Reservation. Later he spent nine years as associate and acting director of the D'Arcy McNickle Center for American Indian and Indigenous Studies at the Newberry Library in Chicago. His research interests include interrelationships among American Indian religions, landscapes, culture, histories, and identities. In this episode, we talk about how he first arrived on the reservation, his relationship with the Lakota identity and language, and conversations about identity and acknowledgement in tribal communities.

Studied Carelessness: A Discussion of Life as Improvisation with Caleb Dance

In this conversation with Caleb Dance, associate professor of classics, we explore the impact of humor, improvisation and “sprezzatura” (studied carelessness) on his research and teaching. He also shares the story of his journey into classics, the importance of studying abroad and his musical endeavors, including the work he does with the nonprofit MIMA.