William Oster – W&M News

Excellence

W&M students, alumnus earn prestigious national, international scholarships

The awardees will soon be traveling to places like New York City, China and South Korea either to continue their education, immerse themselves in a new culture or broaden their understanding of their discipline.

May 6, 2026

Research & Scholarship

University-hosted symposium demonstrates cyber leadership

The event emphasized empowering cyber-spectrum leaders by aligning critical technologies, education and operational readiness across sectors critical to U.S. national security.

April 30, 2026

The Wren building show from a ground-level angle at sunrise. The sun peeks out from the left side of the building and grass takes up the foreground of the photo. Tree branches hang from the top of the image.

University News

W&M Board of Visitors elects rector, vice rector and secretary

Ardine Williams will serve as rector, Kendrick F. Ashton ’98 as vice rector and John Brownlee J.D. ’94, P ’22 as secretary, effective July 1, 2026.

April 24, 2026

School of Computing, Data Sciences & Physics Chair Daniel Miller Runfola and Raymond A Mason School of Business Clinical Professor Dawn Edmiston aim to use the network’s knowledge to advance William & Mary as a top school for careers in AI.

Excellence

W&M faculty join innovative artificial intelligence network

Two W&M faculty members have been selected for the first-of-its-kind cohort that will use expertise from across the country to drive and disseminate institutional transformation with artificial intelligence.

April 17, 2026

Excellence

William & Mary earns highest honor as a ‘Military Friendly’ institution

The university has been reaffirmed as a Gold-Level Military Friendly School by MilitaryFriendly.com, the highest honor a university can receive.

April 2, 2026

Excellence

W&M Ethics Club wins national championship, a first for the university

The William & Mary Ethics Club beat 36 undergraduate teams from across the country to take first in a competition of dimensional analysis and nuance.

March 20, 2026

W&M Life

Students, community members debate social media’s role in democracy

Students and faculty joined community members to make their cases on social media in an event aimed at finding common ground on the topic.

March 6, 2026

Belonging

Butler, Carrion chosen as fall 2025 Values in Action Award recipients

Selected from nominees across campus, Butler and Carrion embody the university's values of belonging, excellence, flourishing, integrity, respect and service.

March 3, 2026

Research & Scholarship

Misophonia Q&A: When noise becomes intolerable

Assistant psychology professor Heather Hansen breaks down misconceptions about the rare disorder, and what people should now about how to address it.

January 16, 2026

Service & Community

William & Mary celebrates military and veteran students as semiquincentennial approaches

With more than 1,800 students across campus today connected to the military, the university is celebrating those who serve and ramping up efforts to support them.

November 10, 2025

W&M Life

Spooky artifacts haunt Swem Library’s Special Collections for Halloween

The Special Collections Research Center will be packed on Oct. 30 with Halloween-themed items dating as far back as the 18th century.

October 23, 2025

University News

Award-winning journalist Asma Khalid to deliver fall 2025 Atwater Lecture

Khalid will deliver Alma Mater Production’s Fall 2025 Atwater Lecture on Oct. 14 at Sadler Center’s Commonwealth Auditorium.

October 10, 2025

Excellence

Highland celebrates 50 years of W&M stewardship, aims to expand its scholarly impact

In honor of the anniversary, Highland is conducting a lecture series highlighting its recent high-impact projects and the many perspectives that have shaped them.

October 9, 2025

Excellence

Baseball diplomacy project launches trivia game bridging U.S.-Japanese history

The trivia game is nearly three years in the making and plays a vital role in the U.S.-Japan Baseball Diplomacy Project, which studies the relationship between the two nations.

September 10, 2025

A person holds a sign that says, "Who comes here, belongs here" while standing by others who hold green, plastic hands.

Belonging

‘Brighter than ever’: Opening Convocation brings energetic start to academic year

William & Mary's new students were welcomed to campus Aug. 27 during the Opening Convocation ceremony.

August 28, 2025

Excellence

Student Health Center continues exceptional student care with AAAHC reaccreditation

AAAHC accreditation, held by only seven universities in Virginia, recognizes the university's commitment to providing exceptional student-centered care.

August 21, 2025

A gather of students circle around a marble statue of George Washington.

Excellence

NIAHD pre-college program brings Virginia history to students across the globe

High school students who participated in the pre-college program immersed themselves in a one-of-a-kind experience through Virginia history.

August 8, 2025

Service & Community

Military & Veteran Affairs to host first ever military spouses symposium

The first symposium of its kind for W&M and the greater Hampton Roads area will explore the complexity of managing career ambitions and family responsibilities.

June 12, 2025

Lynleigh Thompson stands in front of a light brown background. Her hair is blonde and falling off her shoulders, and she wears a grey top.

Research & Scholarship

Chemistry major receives prestigious National Science Foundation fellowship

L. Thompson '25 earned the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, which will support her research as she continues her education at Harvard University.

June 4, 2025

Elisabeth and Emmaline stand in front of a NATO Youth Summit sign. Each person is wearing a NATO landyard, with Elisabeth holding hers for the camera.

Excellence

Nielsen ’27 represents William & Mary at NATO Youth Summit

Students and security professionals from across the world participated in the summit on various panels discussing the current state of national security and the pressing challenges facing the profession today.

May 29, 2025

Two separate pictures of two young women. Alisha Khodabocus, left smiles while wearing a white shirt and turquoise dress. Kate Carline, right, smiles for the camera and is wearing a dark blue blouse.

Research & Scholarship

Two W&M students selected for distinguished Goldwater Scholarship

Kate Carline '26 and Alisha Khodabocus '26 joined 439 other undergraduate students nationwide in receiving the scholarships.

May 14, 2025

University News

Lisa Keegan named W&M’s inaugural vice provost for enrollment strategy

Reporting directly to Provost Peggy Agouris, the main focus of the position is expanding student access, optimizing financial aid and leveraging data analytics to attract and retain the university’s exceptional student population.

April 29, 2025

Shannon White, recipient of the Shirley Aceto Award, stands in front of the Wren Building for a photo. She wears a patterned scarf and a blue top.

Excellence

‘I believe in service’: Shannon White embodies the Shirley Aceto Award

White will be honored with the Shirley Aceto Award, presented annually by the university to a member of instructional or professional faculty “who demonstrates an exceptional commitment to excellence in service to the campus community.”

April 23, 2025

An aerial shot of Melissa's Meadow, with multiple people standing on patches of dirt, with a tent and various trucks and cars in the parking lot.

Service & Community

Meadow restoration breathes life back into hidden campus treasure

Over the past year, Madeline Oubre has worked closely with William & Mary Facilities Management to completely restore Melissa's Meadow, named for an alumna and located near the McCormack-Nagelsen Tennis Center.

April 22, 2025

Research & Scholarship

Students present gun policy solutions in innovative course

Undergraduate students presented their findings during a “Gun Policy Summit” in their class, voicing potential solutions to better address gun violence.

April 7, 2025

Excellence

William & Mary’s Bryan Watts awarded highest ornithology honor

The Eisenmann Medal is given to individuals who have contributed significantly to the field of ornithology through extensive research and outreach to young naturalists.

April 3, 2025

Everton, the new associate vice president for public safety, standing in from of the Wren building, wearing glasses, a suit and a striped tie.

Excellence

NCIS leader, alumnus chosen as W&M’s associate vice president of public safety

Everton, who has over 25 years of experience in law enforcement, will lead an organization that aims to create a more comprehensive approach to the evolving security needs of a modern campus.

March 31, 2025

A person wearing a virtual reality headset labeled "STLI" and holding two controllers navigates a virtual world.

Excellence

Virtual Reality Lab takes students beyond the classroom

With grant funding, William & Mary is expanding its focus on virtual reality across disciplines to bring once distant realities right into the classroom.

March 10, 2025

Two women pose of a photo for the Values in Action award. Sheray Processer, on the left, smiles while wearing a white button up shirt and a black blazer. Rolanda Frazier, right, smiles while wearing a white chef's coat and a purple apron reading "William & Mary Dining Services."

Excellence

Campus leaders honored for putting W&M’s values into action

Prosser and Frazier have both been selected for William & Mary's Values in Action Award, given to recipients who most embody the excellence of the university community.

March 3, 2025