The Columns » 4 Years in Focus » Washington and Lee University

Ryan Doty ’26
May 21, 2026

Ryan Doty ’26 has spent his final 4 years on campus creating a tutorial path all his personal. A chemistry main and artistic writing double main, the Tipton, Michigan, native got here to Washington and Lee University as a Johnson Scholar and has explored surprising connections between science, storytelling and the visible world. Whether he’s working via an natural chemistry drawback set, copyediting fiction for Shenandoah literary journal or framing the right shot as a campus photographer, Doty has let curiosity be his information.

It was that spirit that carried him throughout Europe the summer season earlier than his junior yr, when he traced his household’s roots via the United Kingdom, Ireland, Italy, Switzerland and France — digital camera and journal in hand — on a photojournalistic pilgrimage. Inspired by that journey, we requested Doty to replicate on his time at W&L.

The Beauty of the Shenandoah Valley

I’ll start with how I’ve began day by day this tutorial yr: watching the solar rise over the facet of Hogback Mountain on a mud street a number of miles north of Kerrs Creek, with an distinctive view of each House mountains. These mornings typically start with me preventing previous a sequence of alarms earlier than I tear open a packet of maple brown sugar oatmeal and begin a pot of sizzling water for breakfast. I check out my calendar (relying on the yr, Ansel Adams high pictures or nationwide park vistas) whereas stationed at my card desk desk, consuming and ingesting a cup of inexperienced tea in preparation for the slew of thrilling alternatives that await. I learn my every day devotional, verify to ensure I didn’t depart my keys in my room and head to my automotive (after brushing my enamel, in fact). Typically, I’ll pay attention to some songs from my high songs playlist (something Ed Sheeran or Tom Misch) whereas driving previous the flurry of cows, canines and pastures located alongside my route earlier than I flip left onto Route 60 and head to campus.

These mornings are sometimes taken without any consideration. I’d wish to say that I’m consciously sipping on my tea, admiring the fantastic thing about the world round me, however, often, I’m slurping it down, half-burning my mouth, fortunate to recollect to make a pot of water within the first place. Each begin to my day garners a vigorous combination of chaos and calm; a bundle of pleasure and frenzy whereas I hustle to succeed in my lessons on time. Regardless of the scenario, I’m all the time grateful for the prospect to see a brand new dawn from the mountain, listening to the bluebirds awaken and welcome the day. In the solitude of those mornings, I’m capable of put together for the wonders each brings.

I hope this sequence permits for a number of the highlights throughout my previous 4 years to shine via and produce a way of welcome and pleasure to present and future W&L college students, employees and school. Let’s go!

Incredible Photography Opportunities

I like this {photograph} — not essentially the composition or readability of the picture, however the moments that guided it to be taken. Also, this picture jogs my memory of after I had the prospect to take some astrophotography photos with my analysis adviser, Dr. Erich Uffelman, Bentley Professor of Chemistry, and Jerzee Allentini ’25 on the observe discipline close to Liberty Hall Ruins. Nighttime images is considered one of my hobbies, and whereas I seemingly gained’t be as skilled as Dr. U anytime quickly, I like to lose myself within the night time sky, making an attempt to seize what shines via the universe.

I captured this picture a number of months in the past, late at night time, after considered one of my roommates knocked on my door near midnight, mentioning that the northern lights have been seen. I shot away from bed and raced to seize my digital camera and tripod, scrambling out onto our deck to try to catch the aurora. With the bare eye, you may see threads of maroon swirling into one another like waves in a tidepool. Our total home emptied out onto the deck that night time, simply watching the plumes of shade dance their method throughout the sky. I messed round with taking photographs for about an hour of the aurora, and I’m pleased with how they turned out. Although the pictures have been a bit blurry (my settings weren’t good, and the deck was wobbly), the reminiscence of the stillness from that night time, shared with a few of my favourite folks, was a second I’ll always remember. Being capable of develop up over the previous 4 years on this city has allowed for friendships like that to develop, and I’m exceptionally grateful for with the ability to maintain a fraction of this sense in a digital area endlessly.

A Classic Chemistry Study Spot

Oh, my goodness, did I ever check out the examine spots on campus! I spent almost two years making an attempt to uncover the appropriate location that emulated how I labored on homework again in Michigan (my eating room desk), making an attempt the libraries, Elrod Commons and varied different spots earlier than selecting this space. This is the place I studied for the second two years of my time at W&L, tucked within the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and proper outdoors Dr. Uffelman’s workplace. Although I had by no means taken a category with Dr. U earlier than, our near-daily interactions about images and chemistry research prompted my becoming a member of his analysis group emphasizing inorganic spectroscopy of cultural heritage objects throughout my junior and senior years.

Over my time on this spot, I’ve taken biology exams, practiced for my physics finals and caught up with dozens of buddies who all the time knew the place to seek out me. I’ve even developed new relationships from sustaining this place as my workstation. One of my buddies even talked about that I ought to have a cardboard cutout resting within the chair after I wasn’t current, primarily based on how typically I used to be located right here.

It’s simply humorous to consider the smallest of choices impacting your total future. You by no means know what’s going to occur whereas in school, or in life, actually, and with the ability to take every second in stride has been essential to my growth right here as an undergraduate. It’s one thing I’ll take with me, wherever I find yourself. I’m extremely curious to see what adventures my subsequent examine spot will convey.

Shenandoah Internship

I all the time love having a purpose to speak about this course! The story behind this picture traces again to my first-year Spring Term, after I took [associate professor of English] Beth Staples’ Literary Book Publishing course (which I extremely advocate to anybody within the publishing world or understanding the life cycle of a guide!). I shortly received together with Beth and appreciated her vitality towards writing and facilitating a collaborative surroundings. It’s due to her, really, that I ended up deciding to pursue a then-minor in inventive writing! Over the previous few years, she’s inspired a lot of my progress as a author and has allowed me to step right into a voice I didn’t know I may occupy.

Alongside this, she launched me to the Shenandoah internship, a semester-long course centered on reviewing the Shenandoah literary magazine submissions, in addition to copyediting and proofreading soon-to-be revealed tales. Throughout the semester, we have been grouped into pupil groups, inside which we mentioned and introduced forth to the complete class tales we reviewed and located price contemplating additional. I by no means may’ve imagined the forms of tales folks wrote, however I all the time appreciated the consistency in writer vulnerability and fervour towards submitting their work. Although I nonetheless have a lot to study publishing, I’ve discovered that revealed authors are additionally rejected authors, and that with a purpose to have your tales journey out of your laptop into the world’s viewers, you first should consider sufficient in your writing to submit it for publication. Beth is an excellent professor, and we’re so fortunate to have her at W&L. Also, what an unimaginable alternative for anybody seeking to achieve editorial expertise whereas a pupil! If it’s not clear by now, this part has morphed right into a shameless plug for college students to take this course. Do it! You’ll adore it.

Volunteering at Campus Kitchen

This picture holds a very particular place in my coronary heart — this was the primary picture that I had a photograph revealed in Scene on Campus! I had simply began the work-study place the week prior in January 2023 and had met supervisor of images Kevin Remington, Jess Kishbaugh ’24, Elena Lee ’25 and Bella Ferrate ’26. Kevin had requested us to take some completely different images assignments, and mine was to shoot some photos of W&L’s Campus Kitchen program, which helps donate ready meals to the Lexington, Virginia, group. After taking these photographs, I grew to become concerned with working a number of cooking and meals preparation shifts on my off time, which has been an extremely fulfilling expertise.

This picture additionally consists of considered one of my roommates from Woods Creek Apartments, Michael Wang ’25, so my rationale behind this picture’s appreciation is intensive. I had simply come out of my first semester at W&L, which had been troublesome in adjusting to the space from dwelling, in addition to discovering new relationships and buddies to course of the transition with. However, this work-study modified my trajectory. I had been taking a movie images class below Professor Christa Bowden that fall, and Elena ultimately related Kevin and me, which led to this excellent alternative. Over the previous 4 years, I’ve been capable of doc what W&L’s magnificence means to me; not simply locally that so many expertise, however of the quieter moments on campus, those that we frequently neglect to note among the many bustle of our expertise.

I’m at present engaged on some songwriting, and considered one of them is centered on this concept of shifting your perspective to grasp the wonder on the planet. I wish to assume that I accomplish this after I take and submit photographs for Scene on Campus, permitting anybody to expertise the wonder and brilliance within the on a regular basis. When you consider it, or if you actually search for it, you will discover most something in a brand new gentle, actually and figuratively, and understanding this has let me cherish my total expertise: the nice, unhealthy and sensible.

Organic Chemistry Lab

These are a number of the coolest folks I do know, a part of the best class I’ve taken. I’d like to lie and say I enrolled in Organic Chemistry out of obligation to the key, however honestly, the course sounded fascinating. My AP Chemistry trainer, Ron Schaffner, had distilled such an appreciation and look after the science inside me, and the chance to take a specified type of the topic was one thing I couldn’t move up. Just two days earlier than lessons started through the Fall Term of my sophomore yr, I stared on the “swap class” button, switching out a drawing course for Organic Chemistry I, and I haven’t seemed again since then. I’ve discovered find out how to adapt, persevere and develop examine habits, whereas rising academically alongside a number of the smartest and most considerate classmates I may ask for. I’ve been challenged past my limits within the chemistry main, however that’s allowed me to grasp extra about myself and my love for puzzling ideas and uncovering options to issues.

The folks on this picture are a few of my favorites, as nicely: Spencer Merrell ’25; Donna Smith, teacher of chemistry; Erin Gray, assistant professor of chemistry; and Tom Son ’25. While additionally an Organic Lab TA (alongside Tom), Spencer helped me survive and thrive throughout my first yr as my corridor’s RA; Professor Smith was my lab teacher for Organic Chemistry and Spectroscopic strategies; and Dr. Gray was my tutorial adviser for the key, in addition to an Organic Chemistry lab teacher and professor for my Organic Chemistry programs. Dr. Gray can be a big purpose why I made a decision to later develop into a chemistry main — she emulated that zeal and deep curiosity within the topic, similar to my highschool trainer did a number of years earlier. I can also’t write this column with out thanking Professor Smith for all of her workplace hours and dedication to Organic Chemistry and her Spectroscopic Methods course. I’ve additionally been capable of share a few of my favourite photographs with Professor Smith, and I completely get pleasure from each time I’m capable of cease by her workplace and say howdy for a fast (or typically, longer) dialog.

The Johnson Scholarship and Summer Enhancement Funds

My mother and I took this picture after we’d summited Fairfield Peak within the Lake District National Park in Cumbria, England, a part of my utilization of the Johnson Scholarship Summer Enhancement Funds to dive into my household’s roots in a handful of various international locations. What an unimaginable expertise!

After convincing my mother to go on this hike with me, we trekked to Grasmere, England, and started the journey, strolling alongside Herdwick sheep and thru foggy terrain to succeed in the height. Scrambling on rock faces and remembering find out how to preserve our facilities of gravity, we ultimately conquered Fairfield, together with three different fells within the area. Even although the hike left us dilapidated on our Airbnb couch for a number of hours, sipping on tri-berry mix juices and pineapple cubes (I additionally gave myself a depraved scar on my ring finger!), we had bonded in a spot I couldn’t have imagined visiting for many of my life.

I’d been inquisitive about family tree since center faculty, and over the previous decade, I’ve been capable of department out my household tree in tons of of instructions. It had all the time been on my bucket listing to journey to a few of these locations, however I by no means assumed I may attain that time in my life this quickly. However, due to the Johnson Scholarship, that dream grew to become a actuality. Over six weeks, my mom and I traversed dozens of small coastal cities, centuries-old church buildings and brick pathways to reconnect with our household’s previous. We explored Cornwall, England’s cliffsides, the rolling hills of Kerry, Ireland, and the snow-swept wonders of the Swiss Alps, centered on understanding our previous to put the muse for a self-realized future.

Looking again, this scholarship has given me all the things. It eliminated the monetary burden that may’ve rendered a big hurdle to my schooling and immersed me in one of the welcoming, kindhearted communities I’ve ever skilled. I’ve had so many alternatives due to the Johnson Scholarship, and this was simply one of many hundreds of moments that make up my kaleidoscope of thankfulness and gratitude for this system.

Summer Research Opportunities

Like I discussed earlier than, I had the pleasure of attending to know Dr. Uffelman from my time spent finding out outdoors his workplace for a number of semesters, which resulted in us connecting via our shared curiosity in images, and ultimately led to my involvement in his analysis group. During Fall Term of my junior yr, I had mentioned summer season analysis prospects with my adviser, Dr. Erin Gray, and she or he really helpful I look into Dr. U’s work surrounding cultural heritage analyses through noninvasive imaging strategies. I knew this was analysis I may get behind, particularly with the thought of merging science and artwork (which might actually be the identical factor, when you consider it), so I utilized to develop into a Summer Research Scholar for the Uffelman Group. While being thought-about, I took a semester throughout the next Winter Term to develop into acclimated with the varied instrumentation and strategies, comparable to fiber optic reflectance spectroscopy (FORS) and multispectral imaging (MSI). After being accepted into the SRS cohort and receiving the Allen Research Grant, Hailey Copland ’27, Grace Theodore ’28 and I have been despatched overseas with Dr. U to investigate dozens of heritage objects, specifically work, at European establishments within the Netherlands and Belgium. We have been lucky sufficient to research these works behind closed doorways of their respective museums, figuring out pigments and elemental compositions, whereas additionally offering infrared picture scans and mosaics to assist varied artwork conservator analysis endeavors, like restoration.

This particular picture was taken of us in entrance of Peter Paul Rubens’ unfinished work, “Henry IV at the Battle of Ivry,” which is a landmark piece to check for the reason that incomplete nature permits us to look at Rubens’ composition course of and the way he collaborated with different artists in producing the piece. Interestingly, that is solely half of the unique portray! The full-size work was supposedly minimize in half to suit right into a collector’s dwelling in some unspecified time in the future within the distant previous, leaving us to establish areas that have been modified or manipulated to make the halved portray look entire. Through varied scans, comparable to InGaAs infrared imaging, we recognized manipulations of the work to assist in future conservation efforts for years to come back. Shoutout to the unimaginable folks at KMSKA, The Mauritshuis, the Williams College Museum of Art and the North Carolina Museum of Art for his or her unimaginable service and help in our collaborations.

The Creative Writing Major

I nonetheless can’t consider I’m a inventive writing main. If I may have a dialog with little Ryan proper now, I’m sure his small coronary heart would explode. When I used to be younger, I used to be engrossed by storytelling (my dad and mom get pleasure from describing moments the place I might insist on a brand new bedtime story every night time earlier than they might depart). Just not too long ago, I used to be pondering how impressed I’d been by childhood authors like Roald Dahl and Mary Pope Osborne to create imaginative and deceptively insightful worlds, in addition to latest authors who make the most of humor and absurdity to discover deeper relationships, like Ramona Ausubel’s “Awayland” assortment, wherein a cyclops constructs his relationship profile, as an illustration. Particularly, this program has been useful in offering an escape to my psyche, the place constraints are absent. Creative writing has allowed me to obtain worlds that would by no means exist however do; scenes, adventures and developments that shouldn’t make sense, however there they’re, on paper, on textual content, making the imaginative expansive, tangible and actual. As a outcome, I’ve written round 10 tales throughout my 4 years right here, spanning shapeshifting blobfish scientists, semi-magical slugs and apocalyptic romance.

When we write, the universes we assemble have that means within the unbelievable, unifying so many creatives who search to make artwork for the pleasure in doing so, and for the facilitation of thought and immersive dialogue into ourselves as a collective of thinkers, builders and doers. Of course, I’ve to thank my adviser, Beth, for believing in me after I couldn’t, and Professor Buckley for sharing his understanding of artwork and its goal as a dialogue for dialogue’s sake to domesticate an understanding of the world round us to grasp ourselves. After contemplating the affect of those two unimaginable professors, this reflection is apropos, contemplating their programs make up 70% of my main!

It’s an absolute honor to be within the first graduating class of creative writing majors, and with the ability to focus on our work on this intimate capstone class has produced a few of my favourite writing. I’m so excited for everybody’s futures on this discipline and might’t wait to see all of the unimaginable successes my friends obtain.

Nature Outside Your Front Door

One of my favourite elements about W&L is the character scene. Within a five-minute stroll, you are feeling such as you’re climbing within the backcountry on the Appalachian Trail. The college really offers a trip during orientation that does precisely that, encouraging college students to immerse themselves within the peaceable and atmospheric surroundings of the Shenandoah Valley. Even on campus, the surroundings is magical. My first yr, I had an 8:30 a.m. inventive writing course in Tucker Hall, and most mornings, I might stroll throughout the Colonnade via a blanket of sprawling fog. I felt like a wizard making his solution to a potions class!

During my time in Professor Christa Bowden’s Color Photography course (which I extremely advocate), I used to be on the hunt for a subdued {photograph} as a part of our shade principle unit, after I got here throughout this pair of deer alongside Woods Creek Trail. For anybody who’s not conscious, now we have a very pleasant deer inhabitants on campus, which all the time made my walks again to my Woods Creek condominium nice and comforting. Naturally, I needed to seize these creatures, and after dozens of pictures, I grabbed this one, which I wish to assume typifies the serenity alongside this path and all through campus. A delicate stillness permits for energetic contemplation, and my walks and runs alongside this path all the time present me with a way of readability. Having a troublesome time adjusting? Head out to Woods Creek Trail. Stressed a few paper or upcoming examination? Take a 15-minute run and bear in mind the higher scheme of issues. Watch the minnows swirl within the creek; bend down and take within the bluebells throughout spring. Witness the Eastern tiger swallowtails flitting alongside the present, flowing like time, and bear in mind how valuable our surroundings is.

Regardless of background, no matter a STEM or humanities main, we search to invent, uncover and create. At least, that’s what I think about to be the worth of my liberal arts schooling at W&L: an energetic engagement of cross-disciplinary views, threading into one another to weave a multicolored tapestry of mind, integrity and innovation.

~ Ryan Doty ’26

Academic Photography

To me, this image completely encapsulates my W&L expertise as an artist and scientist. I additionally took this image in Professor Bowden’s Color Photography class. Focused on taking a monochromatic picture, I borrowed my roommate London Paige ’25’s Doc Martens and headed to the out of doors classroom on the base of Leyburn Library. Thinking “What on Earth do I have that’s yellow?,” I shuffled via my backpack and located my Organic Chemistry flashcards on radical reactions, splaying them over one of many classroom desks. I positioned considered one of London’s sneakers on high of the playing cards and fell in love with how this picture turned out. When I see this picture, I think about the stability and concord of scientific and inventive thought, successfully merging them as one in the identical. Sometimes we fake these are two separate spheres of ideology, and whereas they might not make intrinsic sense when positioned collectively, if you discover the similarity, you possibly can’t think about them aside. That’s how I’ve all the time felt about science and artwork: They’re successfully the identical, as they search to grasp completely different elements of the world via inquisition and exploration of recent concepts, primarily based on the foundations of their predecessors. In chemistry, we depend on data from our mental forebears as a footstool to succeed in the next shelf of understanding and discovery, whereas in artwork (i.e. images, inventive writing, music), we attempt to body the world round us to reveal our distinctive views. Each considered one of us is climbing a special footstool; every considered one of us has a special body.

Spring Term Abroad

I took this picture earlier this month whereas on a hike within the Orkney Islands in Scotland, a part of my Spring Term Abroad course: Social Enterprise Storytelling. Over the final 4 weeks, our group has been exploring social enterprises, these with a mission to raise their workforce or enhance the surroundings via structured sources of revenue, whereas delving into storytelling as a method of speaking these organizations’ successes, drives and targets.

The hike I loved was on our break day; I made a decision to enterprise as much as Wideford Hill and its chambered cairn, a few six-mile round-trip journey. After circling the entrance half of the mountain, I took a break descending towards the cairn, an historical burial chamber with Neolithic origins. There was really an honor system current, not not like W&L, with a small field that provided a flashlight for private use. Anyone may discover the cairn: All you needed to do was carry open the doorway on the high of the system and climb down into the darkish chamber. While I solely made it midway into the area earlier than heading out, this was such an unimaginable alternative to discover the realm with out impeding noise, site visitors or busyness; I used to be alone with my ideas, capable of respect the expertise whereas having a tether to my classmates and professors again on the town. Over the previous couple of weeks, I’ve actually been capable of join with this breathtaking archipelago and its kindhearted inhabitants on a mission-driven stage, one thing solely made attainable by our faculty’s Spring Term Abroad program.

I’m eternally grateful to W&L for believing in me and contributing 4 years’ price of memorable pages to my story, and I can’t wait to see what occurs within the subsequent chapter.