University-Wide Programs & Events

W&L hosts several industry-specific and interdisciplinary events and programs throughout the year, which both serve as educational experiences for current students and bring alumni together to network and share best practices and industry trends. If you are interested in participating in or attending one of the events listed, please email us at careers@wlu.edu and we will direct you to the appropriate University contact for that event.

Accounting Panel

Each fall, the Department of Accounting partners with the Career and Professional Development Office to invite alumni from several major accounting firms to campus to talk to students about internships and careers in accounting. Past panels have featured alumni from CohnReznick, Ernst & Young, Baker Tilly and PricewaterhouseCoopers.

AdLib Conference

The AdLib Conference, short for Advertising in the Liberal Arts, was founded in 2011 and has grown into a daylong conference and networking opportunity that brings alumni who work across the advertising, marketing, communications and PR industries back to campus to share trends, best practices and lessons learned with current students. The 2018 AdLib Conference featured keynote speaker Alegra O'Hare '94, VP of Global Brand Communications for Adidas, as well as speakers from UPS, Southwest Airlines, Hershey, Brown-Forman, The Martin Agency and more.

Business Plan Competition

The Business Plan Competition was launched in 2010 and has quickly become a cornerstone of the Connolly Center for Entrepreneurship, helping students bridge the gap between what they learn in the classroom and what they will need to know in the real world. Students enrolled in the BUS 399 Entrepreneurship course present their plans to a panel of eight to twelve distinguished alumni who have worked as entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, private equity experts, bankers, lawyers, and angel investors. At the conclusion of the April Business Plan Competition, first, second and third place awards are distributed.

Consulting Day

Consulting Day is a day-long event organized by the Washington and Lee Student Consulting (WLSC) student organization in collaboration with the Career and Professional Development Office and the Williams School. It brings alumni in the consulting industry back to campus to share their experiences and advice with students interested in pursuing careers in the industry. The 2018 event featured alumni from McKinsey & Company, Deloitte, Berkeley Research Group, NextFED and Trinity Partners.

DataCon

DataCon is a new event highlighting the impacts of data analytics, big data and statistical computing across a variety of industries. The inaugural event was held in the fall of 2017 and featured keynote speaker Rich Cober ’96, Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer for MicroStrategy. W&L’s Data Science Cohort, the Career and Professional Development Office, and the Williams School sponsor the event.

Earth and Environmental Science Career Panel

The interdisciplinary Earth and Environmental Science Career Panel features alumni discussing exciting opportunities in the world of environmental and geological science, consulting, energy, and policy. Past panelists attended from organizations such as the EPA, United States Geological Survey, Tesla, and others. The event is hosted annually by the Geology Department, the Environmental Studies Program, and the Career and Professional Development Office.

Physics and Engineering Career Panel

The Physics and Engineering Career Panel features alumni returning to campus to discuss graduate school, career paths, and opportunities for physics and engineering majors. The panel is held annually in the fall and is co-hosted by the Career and Professional Development Office and the Physics and Engineering Department.

Entrepreneurship Summit

The Entrepreneurship Summit is a two-day conference sponsored by the J. Lawrence Connolly Center for Entrepreneurship and held on W&L’s campus each fall. Founded in 2012, the Entrepreneurship Summit draws students and faculty from across all disciplines, as well as alumni from a variety of industries, and has grown to include more than 125 alumni and 250 students this past year. For alumni, it is an opportunity to learn, rekindle old friendships and network with fellow alumni.

Real Estate Forum

The Real Estate Forum started in 2016 as an off-campus event to bring alumni in the real estate industry together to develop professional relationships with other alumni and engage with the growing real estate program at W&L. The two-day event features networking sessions, panel discussions and a luncheon keynote address. The 2018 event was held at The Wharf, an exciting new mixed-use development along a mile-long stretch of the southwest waterfront in Washington, D.C.

Social Impact Summit

The Social Impact Summit, sponsored by the Shepherd Program, the Career and Professional Development Office, the Williams School and the College, brings alumni from a wide range of professional backgrounds to campus to share their experiences and help students and fellow alumni explore careers that enable them to have a positive impact on communities, social organizations and the individuals they serve.