WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY
THE ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES PROGRAM NEWS FROM THE DEPARTMENT
Hello from Lexington! 2022 Update
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s I write this our first blanket of snow is finally on the ground with more on the way. It’s been a long wait for this first real taste of winter here in the valley, as it has in many other parts of the country this season. Likewise, this newsletter is arriving later than usual — but it’s not for lack of fun things to share with you all. Although we can all be happy to put the challenges of 2021 behind us, there were many bright moments for the Environmental Studies Program. The graduating class of 2021 saw its largest contingent from Environmental Studies in the history of the program, with 24 students completing the major or minor. This group’s capstone experiences included an amazing diversity of projects, many with creative outcomes rather than
a traditional thesis. For example, a research project on the effects of climate change on regional wine production in France produced a vividly illustrated, interactive digital coffee table book as a guide for wine enthusiasts to navigate these future changes in terroir. This is just one of the many remarkable works that students created for themselves for their culminating experience in our program. As our student community grows, we are continuing to expand the program in other ways as well. In the last academic year, we welcomed new faculty into Environmental Studies, including Alice Tianbo Zhang, assistant professor of economics and Drew Hess ’97, associate professor of business administration, as affiliate and core faculty respectively. Profes-
sor Zhang is now in her second year at W&L and studies the effects of climate change on economic development and human welfare. Professor Hess has been at W&L since 2014 and is the architect of our newest elective track in Sustainable Commerce, which is attracting a lot of interest among our students. The contributions of these new faculty are expanding the academic and co-curricular opportunities for our students in important and exciting ways. For the past few years, we have worked toward building and enhancing a sense of community on campus among the students and faculty in Environmental Studies. Despite the challenges the pandemic has thrown at us, there are clear signs that this effort has been successful — and the benefits are tangible, as we all find continued on page 11
Winter Lecture: Catherine Coleman Flowers
On Feb. 8, 2021, Environmental Studies hosted guest lecturer, Catherine Coleman Flowers, an environmental activist, writer and the founder of the Center for Rural Enterprise and Environmental Justice. Her 2020 book, “Waste: One Woman’s
Fight Against America’s Dirty Secret” explores the environmental justice movement in rural America. She works tirelessly to bring attention to failing water and waste sanitation infrastructure in rural areas and its role in perpetuating health and socioeconomic disparities. In 2020 she was selected as a MacArthur Genius Grant recipient and was also appointed by President Joe Biden to be on his Unity Task Force on Climate Change. Flowers’ lecture was incorporated into the 2021 Capstone course. All students read her book and discussed it in class. Four students were then selected to be moderators for the public Zoom lecture. An inspiring discussion was held among the students and a large Zoom audience.
Two 2021 Graduates Receive Fulbright Grants
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hile their final year at W&L was one like no other due to COVID, two Environmental Studies students proved their ability to excel through even the toughest times, and were awarded Fulbright grants. Kathryn “KT” Hensler ’21 received a Fulbright to complete an independent research project in Spain. In the fall, her project, “Age and Growth of Fan Mussel (Pinna nobilis) in Mar Menor,” took her to Calpe in the province of Alicante, Spain, where she is assisting in conservation efforts for the fan mussel, a species of mollusk that has been decimated in recent years by a deadly parasite. Her study abroad experience in Spain in 2019, along with an internship there, led her to design a research project at that internship’s location. She will be in Spain until June of 2022 and then plans to attend graduate school and earn a doctorate in marine science.
Kathryn “KT” Hensler ’21
Christopher Watt ’21
Christopher Watt ’21 received a Fulbright grant to support his research on the importance of smallscale fishing for livelihoods, culture and well-being in Vanuatu, an island nation in the South Pacific. Christopher will spend 10 months in fishing communities in Vanuatu interviewing individuals about their fishing prac-
tices and how these activities impact their lives. Before Christopher had even arrived at W&L as a first-year, he had already accomplished the massively lofty goal of catching a fish, with a fly rod, in all 50 states. He is the perfect example of combining your passion with your degree and turning it into something amazing.
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2021 Capstone Projects
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ur 2021 seniors tackled an incredible array of topics for their capstone projects. Below are the titles of the projects to give you a taste of where our 2021 graduates’ interests lie.
SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE AND MANAGEMENT PRACTICES KT Hensler and Phillip Hall — Calculating Carbon Sequestration Potential of Peniel Farm Javier Peralta — Determining the Extent of Stream Exclusion Practices in Rockbridge County. Isabel Zungalia — The Farm of the Future: A Case-Study of University Dairy Farms to Develop Recommendations for New Bolton Center’s Marshak Dairy
FOODWAYS AND FOOD SYSTEMS Laura Adams — Raising Roots: A College Student’s Approach to the Natural World
Alexis Kriegh — To Protect and How to Protect: Analyzing Possible MPA Designation of Coral Gardens, Belize Caroline Snyder — A Choice Modeling Approach to Assessing the Benefits & Costs of Bioremediation in Tunisia Maisie Strawn — Sunny Solutions: Community Shared Solar in Virginia
Navid Haider — Voices from Dacope: To Understand Climate Change-Induced Migration in Coastal Bangladesh Through Narrative Storytelling and An Analysis of Scholarly Literature Didi Pace — Perceived Versus Actual Exposure: Insights From a Hedonic Housing Price Study of “Cancer Alley” Louisiana
Patrick Hofstedt — Miracle Crops of Past & Present: A Historical Comparison of Hemp and Soy
CREATIVE APPROACHES TO CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE ENVIRONMENT
Valerie Marshall —A Comparative Analysis of Policies Incentivizing Sustainable Agriculture Among Producers, Consumers and Retailers
Missy Barro — Finding Beauty in Death: The Evolution of Aesthetics and their Effects on Man’s Relationship with the Natural World
Anna Miller — The Terroir of a Changing Climate
Bridget Bartley and Caroline Patnode — Out of the Woods — A Climate-Fiction Screenplay
Samantha Armstrong — Case Studies in Rural Community Composting and Recommendations for Rockbridge County
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE / COASTAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES
Jack Citrin — A New Approach to Analyzing Food Insecurity in Rockbridge County.
Bella Fucigna — Charisma and Conservation: Charismatic Species and Their Role in Conservation
Conner Van Vooren — A Faunal Analysis of Remains Recovered from Liberty Hall Ruins
Lee Hamilton — Food Plot Management Practices for White-Tailed Deer
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY Mattie Grant — Environmental Tax Credits: A Historical Analysis
Christopher Watt — Metrics to Assess Indifly’s Support of Socio-Economic Well-being in Indigenous Communities
RURAL FOODWAYS
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Faculty Spotlight Drew Hess ’97, Assistant Professor of Business Administration interest to the students I work with over the summer. Over the last five summers, I have worked with students on projects that vary from the shifting language of CSR, the social networks of art collection, beer makers and politicians to why NFL coaches are fired. The first two projects resulted in conference presentations, while the NFL paper is co-authored with a student and is set to be submitted to a journal this semester. I have found over the years that the topic isn’t as important as the co-author when it comes to rewarding research. Our students are the best and it is fun to work with them on topics that get them excited to learn.
What classes are you teaching? In the fall and winter semesters, I teach the capstone class for the business major (Strategic Management) and Social Entrepreneurship. In the spring I alternate between teaching a Social Innovation class that travels to Scandinavia and a class in Berlin that focuses on the Social Market Economy of Germany. Can you tell us about the research projects you are working on? Has your work been affected by the pandemic? My research interests have slowly shifted away from topics that are aligned with my dissertation and moved toward those that are of
These are difficult times. What makes you optimistic about the future. A paper I was reading the other day stressed the importance for people to look at the big picture. I remember reflecting on this bit of ubiquitous advice and wondering why? The big picture is terrifying. Optimism for the macro (e.g., country, climate, planet) is as the English put it a forlorn hope. In its satirical brilliance, The Onion summarized my thoughts with the headline: “Planet Earth Doesn’t Know How to Make It Any Clearer It Wants Everyone To Leave.” The big picture is overrated. The hope I have for the future stems from the moments, the encounters and the minutiae that make me smile. For me, these come
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from my family, friends, colleagues and students. The energy the students bring to Lexington every fall is contagious and gives me something to look forward to every year. What music is getting the most play on your speakers lately? In true Lexington fashion, I started curating a playlist on Spotify based on the lineup at Lime Kiln Theater. Much to my family’s chagrin, I have become obsessed with this list that is based on the catchy genre often referred to as contemporary indie country folk music. My students this year will get a heavy dose of Turnpike Troubadours, Gregory Alan Isakov, Lord Huron and The Brothers Comatose.
Alice Zhang, Assistant Professor of Economics between gender equality and sustainable energy policy. I also have ongoing projects that examine the social costs of dams.
What classes are you teaching? I taught Econ 202, Statistics for Economics, for the Fall term. In the winter term, I am teaching Econ 100, Introduction to Economics, and a new course on environmental economics, with a focus on the economics of climate change and/or natural disasters that could be of interest to ENV students. Can you tell us about the research projects you are working on right now. Has your work been affected by the pandemic? I am an environmental economist passionate about using interdisciplinary research to tackle environmental and social justice issues. My work seeks to improve our understanding of how large-scale natural and social processes, such as anthropogenic climate change, natural disasters and forced migration, affect economic development and human welfare. I am especially interested in using cutting-edge data and economic models to address the distributional implications of government policies and provide practical solutions for the challenges of sustainability. Several of my current projects focus on climate change impacts, mitigation and adaptation. To study climate impacts, I have a paper under review examining the global mortality consequences of global warming using 40 countries’ subnational data. With an interdisciplinary team of scholars, we empirically derive
The pandemic has been challenging, and it has certainly made me re-evaluate my research priorities. At the same time, I am grateful for the many wonderful opportunities to connect with folks over online seminar series and Zoom meetings.
the partial social cost of carbon and account for adaptation costs and benefits using a revealed preference approach. Since climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of natural disasters, I have recently started several projects examining the impacts of hurricanes on business activity, consumer behavior and homeowner mobility in the U.S. with collaborators from Princeton University, where I completed a postdoc. For climate change mitigation, I am studying the distributional implications of energy infrastructure and energy access. I have papers under review on the impacts of wind turbine construction on electoral outcomes in the U.S. and on the interconnections
These are difficult times. What makes you optimistic about the future? This is a difficult time to be hopeful. But in the grand scheme of things, this may be the best of times to be alive (clearly, I am an optimist)! As a Christian, I believe we can find meaning and purpose in pain and suffering. From C.S. Lewis: “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains: it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” Perhaps the pandemic is one of those megaphones to wake us from slumber and spur us into action to address the many threats our world is facing. A few practical things that have helped me: Give thanks daily and often. Stay active, mentally and physically. Be kind and helpful to others. What activities do you enjoy? I’ve been doing a lot of home improvements after spending most of last year working remotely.
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Student Awards 2021 Maisie Strawn ’21 Bates Prize for Academic Achievement in Environmental Studies Maisie Strawn received this award not only in recognition of her outstanding record of success in her courses, but also her excellent work in the capstone course. Her capstone project, “Shared Solar in Virginia,” was a natural culmination of her academic work in our program and further provides foundations for her post-graduate professional life. After graduation, Maisie joined Secure Future Solar as a customer solutions coordinator.
Patrick Hofstedt ’21 Bates Prize for Environmental Citizenship in Environmental Studies Patrick Hofstedt received this award in recognition of his efforts in support of sustainability at W&L and in the local community throughout his four years at W&L. His nomination for this award highlighted the energy and collaborative spirt that he brought to these efforts, and the contributions he made in raising awareness about sustainability on campus. He works for Triumvirate Environmental in Baltimore.
Javier Peralta ’21 Al Knight Conservation Award Javier Peralta received this award in recognition of his work on streamside livestock exclusion that he conducted for his capstone project. This topic is of considerable importance to river health in our region’s watersheds, and his work has contributed meaningfully to progress on this conservation front. He is a graduate student in geophysics at Stanford University.
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Christopher Watt ’21 Bruce M. Flohr Sustainable Commerce Award Christopher Watt received this award in recognition of his outstanding contributions in the field of sustainable commerce. The work he completed as part of his senior capstone experience, “Indifly and Socio-Economic Wellbeing in Indigenous Communities,” demonstrated a thoughtful and rigorous approach to evaluating social and environmental sustainability associated with ecotourism and destination fisheries. Christopher spent this past summer working as the assistant ranch manager at The Nature Conservancy’s Flat Ranch. He was a Knight intern at Flat Ranch the summer of 2019 and returned last summer as an employee, directly after he graduated in May. After a fall and early winter during which his travel plans continually changed due to COVID, he is now set to travel to Vanuatu, an island nation in the South Pacific, where he is conducting research on the importance of small-scale fishing for livelihoods, culture and well-being. His research supported by a Fulbright grant.
Environmental Studies and Athletes
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thletics is a prominent part of student life at W&L, and the time commitment places significant additional expectations on student-athletes. The university’s teams are competitive at the highest levels; in the Fall Term alone, four teams won the ODAC conference championships and advanced into the NCAA national championship tournament. At the end of the term, W&L ranked in the top 10 of over 400 DIII institutions in this year’s Director’s Cup standings. Competing at this elite level requires a year-round commitment and requires that students carefully balance and manage the corresponding demands on their time. Historically there have been a significant number of Environmental Studies majors and minors who are also student-athletes; a tradition which continues to this day. In the classes of ’22 and ’23, Environmental Studies currently has 16 majors and minors who play on varsity teams within nine different sports, including cross country, football, lacrosse, soccer, swim-
ming/diving, track & field, volleyball, basketball and wrestling. Highlights so far among our ENV student-athletes this year include the men’s soccer team advancing to the NCAA Final Four after an undefeated regular season; ODAC championships for the volleyball and football teams; as well as significant individual achievement with Carolyn Todd ’23 (ENV sustainable commerce) qualifying for NCAA national championship in cross country, and Tyler Bernard ’23 (ENV conservation biology) receiving the NCAA Elite 90 Award in soccer. Though winter sports are still underway, early successes include ODAC championships in wrestling as well as both women’s and men’s swimming. Many of you have fond memories of competing for W&L as students, and we wanted to let you know our Environmental Studies students are carrying on the tradition. We hope you’ll have a chance to cheer on our student-athletes when you visit campus or when they play at a venue near you. Go Generals!
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Send Debra an email at freind@wlu.edu to: ◊ Let us know what you’ve been up to since your days at W&L. ◊ Let us know if you would like to be involved in connecting our students with an internship at your place of work. Be sure to update your personal information at COLONNADECONNECTIONS.WLU.EDU
so we can continue to get information to you.
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Knight Internships Resume in 2021! Contacting our summer 2020 Knight interns in the Spring of 2020 to tell them the disappointing news that they would not be able to travel to Idaho to complete their internships due to the pandemic was difficult. But the summer of 2021 delivered, and all the interns chosen for 2020 got to do their internships in Idaho in 2021! Kate Nassab ’22 interned at Friends of Harriman State Park, Mark Lamendola ’22 and Gus Wise ’22 interned at The Nature Conservancy at Flat Ranch, and AJ Mabaka ’22, who was able to conduct his internship remotely in 2020 actually got to see his worksite this year and completed a second internship In Idaho at the Henry’s Fork Foundation.
From Kate Nassab’s postinternship report:
From Gus Wise’s postinternship report:
The main task I worked on this summer was a community survey that guided the strategic plan put together by the Board. I worked with a consultant named Terre Short on this market research that was key in forming the future plans of FHSP. I facilitated focus groups, conducted interviews and put together an online survey to gather opinions on how FHSP is performing and what the community hopes to see the group do in the future. I analyzed the feedback and prepared it for the board’s analysis. The feedback was crucial in guiding the board’s plans to maximize their impact at HSP.
Spending the summer working and living in Idaho provided me with memories and experiences that I will cherish for the rest of my life. As an intern, I worked on the Nature Conservancy’s Flat Ranch Preserve. The preserve functions as a model to show how a working cattle ranch can also function as a healthy ecosystem. Daily work consisted of ranch management tasks such as barbed-wire and electric fence repair, habitat restoration and visitor education. The work was tough at times, but it was incredibly rewarding to look out at the preserve after a long day and see the new fence line that you built that day. The pastures where we worked became known as “the line” and I can say that days on “the line” were filled with good jokes and funny pranks that made the hard work incredibly fun.
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From the Henry’s Fork Foundation Fall 2021 Newsletter: After serving as a virtual intern in 2020, AJ Mabaka had the unique opportunity to return as an in-person intern in 2021. Both years, AJ assisted Ph.D. research associate Jack McLaren with research on the upper Henry’s Fork. This summer, their research was centered on Island Park Reservoir, assessing how water quality conditions and habitat for kokanee salmon might be impacted as the reservoir level gets lower. AJ conducted weekly water samples as the reservoir level changed by lowering a sonde (underwater data collection device) to the bottom of the reservoir in various locations. The sonde captures data on water temperature, dissolved oxygen, algae, pH, and more from the surface of the reservoir all the way to the bottom. AJ and Jack observed colder water temperatures near places where springs feed into the reservoir, which may indicate that springs play a crucial role in keeping the habitat cool in the reservoir later in the summer. Specifically, as the reservoir gets lower and water temperatures get warmer, springs provide thermal refugia for kokanee salmon and trout.
Summer Internships Summer internship experiences can be vital in a student’s journey toward discovering what they might like to focus on when they graduate from W&L. Environmental Studies students continually find opportunities in a wide range of disciplines within the Environmental Studies umbrella. Below are just a few examples of how some of our students spent their summer of 2021.
Caroline Wise ’23
Maya Hernandez ’22
Judy Park ’22
Tyler Bernard ’23
Caroline Wise interned for St. Elias Alpine Guides, a guiding company in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park in Alaska this summer. She had many duties which included taking people on glacier hikes, giving tours of the historic town of Kennecott and guiding backcountry trips. During the glacier hikes, Caroline had the opportunity to teach people about the flora and fauna of the area as well as explaining the glaciology of the Root Glacier that they hiked on. She says that one of the highlights of her summer was taking a group of 14 high school students on a backcountry trip where they traveled on three different glaciers and explored the basin of a mountain. Caroline’s internship was supported by an Environmental Studies Summer Grant funded by the Earle S. Bates ’54 Environmental Studies Endowment.
I spent my summer as an environmental research intern at the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in Waycross, Georgia. I was working alongside an environmental attorney to investigate a proposed mining project on the outskirts of the swamp, along with the dumping of coal ash into a neighboring landfill. It was very interesting to see the different avenues that attorneys can take to tackle such a complex environmental issue with many stakeholders. I also worked with the Okefenokee Swamp Park developing and drafting a proposal for a USDA grant that would provide funding to support efforts to bring broadband internet to the park and the rural communities that surround it. It was fascinating to learn about how schools in these areas were struggling to operate without internet infrastructure. I spent my last week conducting research for OSP’s efforts to get the swamp recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
I interned with the Refugee Studies Centre at the University of Oxford. I participated in a project titled “Responses to Crisis Migration in Uganda and Ethiopia: Researching the role of local actors in secondary cities.” I helped develop a position paper on the topic of the impact of climate-induced forced migration on secondary cities in low-income countries in the Horn of Africa. This included lots of research, reading, and participating in the writing process. This position paper will be used to offer insight and recommendations for Cities Alliance so it can proceed with assisting the affected climate migrants. I had an amazing time — this was my first experience working directly with climate change and environmental justice. After graduation I would like to explore the field of environmental justice and continue to advocate for those experiencing the adverse effects of climate change.
I worked with Professor Humston on studying the movement of fish in the Maury River past the site where the Jordan Point dam was removed in 2019. The goal was to determine if smallmouth bass, a popular gamefish, were moving through the area where the dam had once stood. This was part of a larger effort to assess the impact of the dam removal, which tracked fish movement prior to the dam’s demolition. Professor Humston and I, along with Max Thomas ’23 and Ethan Casto ’24, surgically implanted radio-frequency transmitters into f ish captured from the river and tracked their movements to see if they were passing through the original dam site. I completed the work in the fall semester with assistance from Mark Lamendola ’22, and the results will be submitted for publication later this year.
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Alumni in Action Julianna Keeling ’19
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ulianna Keeling started her company, Terravive, when she was a first-year, with the goal of reducing plastic pollution and working to create a healthier planet for the next generation while creating a strong business in the process. Less than two years after she graduated, and in the middle of a global pandemic, her company is doing so well that it was featured in Forbes. Terravive is a supplier of biodegradable tableware (cutlery, cups and bowls), various sizes of straws, resealable bags for food, trash bags, shopping bags, adhesives (stickers and clear masking tape) and industrial films. Most Terravive products will breakdown in 90 days or less in a residential or commercial compost pile, ocean, river or soil. Recently, Terravive announced that it is diverting over 10 million pieces of plastic from polluting our landfills, oceans and backyards. Below are some questions that Julianna recently answered for us:
You started Terravive in 2015 when you were a student at W&L. How has the company changed since you graduated in 2019? The company has changed significantly since 2015 — all for the better! I started the business when I decided to take a gap year in San Francisco where I was immersed in its very fast-paced technology ecosystem. I’m very grateful to my professors who allowed me to gain that perspective. At that time, Terravive was simply an idea. Over the past six years, I’ve hired a variety of highly talented partners and the business has gathered signifi-
as the business scales and I face new challenges. What are you currently focusing on at Terravive? I’m currently focused on strengthening our U.S. manufacturing base so that it is resilient and can address the international supply chain issues while also strengthening our brand. I really enjoy getting to go deep in learning about different industries and strategies that can help to propel the business forward. I also really enjoy meeting new people with different backgrounds because I know I can learn so much from them and those experiences will directly impact my business. cant traction particularly the past two years. We have grown to 14 manufacturing facilities in the U.S. with an advanced logistics infrastructure and now have both a domestic and international presence providing Terravive products globally. What has been your greatest challenge with Terravive? Was there anything at W&L that helped prepare you to tackle that challenge? Over the past couple of years, the biggest challenge has been adapting the business so that it could survive a rapidly changing business environment and ultimately thrive. We were fortunate that during Covid, our business was able to rapidly adjust, and we continued to grow during the past 18 months. A key lesson I learned throughout my time at W&L was the importance of developing and growing my professional network. Being able to go to different people who can provide advice in a variety of different situations has been very helpful
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What motivates you? I started Terravive because I was tired of seeing single-use plastic pollution clogging our landfills and oceans — especially because I knew there were better materials available that didn’t force consumers to sacrifice convenience. I’m motivated every day to build a strong business that also leaves the world a better place for the next generation. What was your favorite thing to do in Lexington as a student? I loved going for runs around campus and through Lexington, especially when the foliage changes during the Fall! I also really enjoyed all the outdoor ENVS, biology and geology labs collecting samples and exploring different parts of Rockbridge County. What is your current favorite movie / TV show / podcast / etc. and why? Recently I watched Austin Powers for the first time and just laughed the whole time! It was so nonsensical I just sat back and enjoyed it.
Professor Harvey Markowitz Retires
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r. Harvey Markowitz, professor of anthropology and sociology and core faculty in Environmental Studies, retired from teaching at Washington and Lee at the end of 2021. He taught courses on American Indian religion and culture at W&L, including a Spring Term course co-taught with Joseph Guse, professor of economics, called Land in Lakota Culture, Economics and History. The immersive experience brought students to the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, where they learned how the history of
injustices against Native Americans can be seen in their communities and landscapes. Professor Markowitz’s remarkable time at W&L was preceded by an equally remarkable trajectory into academia. He earned an M.A. in anthropology from Indiana University Bloomington in 1975. After beginning his doctoral studies at the University of Chicago in 1985, he made a couple of fruitful detours. First came nine years as associate and acting director at the D’Arcy McNickle Center for American Indian and Indigenous
Studies at the Newberry Library in Chicago. Then he logged three years at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian, from 1999 to 2002. He arrived at W&L in 2003. Professor Markowitz has published over 40 books, articles and reviews in his career. However, the academic accolades don’t do justice to the Harvey Markowitz Experience. If you ever took a class with him, explored his office terraria over conversation or just simply got the chance to spend some time with him — you knew quickly that you were in the company of someone truly, wonderfully, unique. Students flocked to his classes for his knowledge about Native American histories and cultures, his deep grasp of anthropological theory, his engaging style, and his care for his students’ learning and welfare. He puts them at ease, makes them feel welcome, and shares his deep expertise with them. Colleagues adore him because of his unfailing generosity, support for others, learned and fun conversation, modesty, conversational skill and fantastic sense of humor. All of us in Environmental Studies are deeply appreciative of the contributions Professor Markowitz made to our program and the mentorship of our students.
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more ways to connect in and out of the classroom around our shared community in our program. The goal of this newsletter is to ensure that the W&L Environmental Studies community extends beyond the borders of campus and the four-year undergraduate experience. You — our alumni, supporters and friends — are an important part of
our community. It’s always gratifying to reflect on the year and share highlights with you all, and our hope is that you will return the favor and help us keep our connection alive. We would love to hear from you and learn about what you are up to! Please drop us a line to check in and update us on where you’re at in the world or life in general. Any news is welcome
and appreciated. I hope you enjoy reading more about the things we have happening back here in Lex — and I likewise hope that we get to hear about what things you have happening wherever you may be. All the best for 2022! ~Robert
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ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES DEPARTMENT HEAD Robert Humston,
John Kyle Spencer Director for Environmental Studies and Professor of Biology humstonr@wlu.edu, 540-458-8341
CORE FACULTY Jim Casey
Associate Professor of Economics caseyj@wlu.edu
Greg Cooper
Professor of Philosophy cooperg@wlu.edu
Chelsea Fisher
Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies cfisher@wlu.edu
Lisa Greer
Geology Department Chair; Professor of Geology greerl@wlu.edu
Bill Hamilton
Biology Department Chair; Professor of Biology hamiltone@wlu.edu
204 W. Washington St. Lexington, Virginia 24450-2116 www.wlu.edu
David Harbor
Megan F. Hess
Andrew M. Hess
Margaret Anne Hinkle
Professor of Geology harbord@wlu.edu Ehrick Kilner Haight, Sr. Term Associate Professor of Business Admin. hessa@wlu.edu
Lawrence E. Hurd
Herwick Professor of Biology hurdl@wlu.edu
Jim Kahn
John F. Hendon Professor of Economics and Professor of Environmental Studies kahnj@wlu.edu
Associate Professor of Accounting hessm@wlu.edu Assistant Professor of Geology hinklem@wlu.edu
Elizabeth Knapp
Director of the Johnson Program in Leadership and Integrity, Professor of Geology knappe@wlu.edu
David Marsh
AFFILIATED FACULTY
Professor of Biology marshd@wlu.edu
Paul Cabe
Kary Smout
Professor of Biology cabep@wlu.edu
Leah Naomi Green
Visiting Assistant Professor of English greenl@wlu.edu
Associate Professor of English smoutk@wlu.edu
Julie Youngman
Joseph Guse
Assistant Professor of Business Administration and Professor of Practice youngmanj@wlu.edu
Rebecca C. Harris
Alice Zhang
Winfrey Term Professor of Economics gusej@wlu.edu Professor of Politics harrisr@wlu.edu
Assistant Professor of Economics atzhang@wlu.edu