Helen

March 17, 2026March 26, 2026

The Spring 2026 Read-In! A Time to Unplug and Dive In

Life at Washington and Lee University moves quickly. The constant stream of meetings, classes, emails, deadlines, and assignments, along with the steady pull of our devices’ notifications and feeds, have many of us—students, faculty, and staff alike—existing in an intellectually splintered state.

This initiative radically responds to our frayed concentration by creating a space and time for the wider community to unplug and dive into reading together across the campus. To support this intentional pause, dedicated spaces have been reserved across campus, and refreshments will be offered from 10 am – 1 pm on Friday, April 3.

We invite any interested faculty, staff, and students to join a community of readers who refuse the fast flow of information in favor of the slower rhythms of thinking and reflecting. We encourage you to leave your distracting devices behind, grab a book, article, essay, or any long text in which you’d love to get lost.

Print or electronic readers, as well as technology needed for accessibility, count towards the goal, which is to allow our brains to breathe without distraction. If you need help finding something to read, browse the book displays on Leyburn Library’s main floor or the University Library’s Curated Collections for fiction and nonfiction chosen by current and former students.

The spirit of these spaces is to rediscover the focus and shared presence that deep reading makes possible. We invite you to slip away from email, social media, and other distractions to enjoy reading in community with friends and colleagues on campus.

Participating Locations on Friday, April 3 (10 am – 1 pm)

Burtynsky Exhibition – Reeves Museum of Ceramics (through April 18)

The exhibition “Taking Place” by Edward Burtynsky offers a visually striking environment for reflective reading. Surrounded by Burtynsky’s monumental aerial photographs of landscapes transformed by human industry, readers are invited to slow down and spend time with essays, environmental writing, or poetry that explores our relationship to land, labor, and technology.

Gallery spaces naturally encourage quiet attention and slow looking, making the museum an ideal setting for deep reading followed by reflective conversation with others in the room. The museum’s collections span ceramics and art from cultures across the globe, advancing learning through direct engagement with works of art.

Contact: Jessica Wager
Email: wagerj@wlu.edu

Takadiwa Exhibition – Watson Galleries (through May 31)

The exhibition by Zimbabwean artist Moffat Takadiwa provides another compelling setting for reflective engagement. Takadiwa’s sculptural works—created from reclaimed materials such as bottle caps and keyboard keys—invite reflection on consumption, labor, and global exchange.

Readers might bring essays, short stories, or criticism that explore themes of sustainability, material culture, or global systems. The gallery environment encourages visitors to alternate between quiet reading, attentive looking, and small-group conversation, allowing the artworks and texts to deepen one another.

Contact: Jessica Wager
Email: wagerj@wlu.edu

Mason Taylor New Room – Payne Hall

Located in the English Department’s home in Payne Hall, the Mason Taylor New Room offers a comfortable and welcoming space ideal for small reading circles. With chairs arranged for conversation, this room is well suited to readers who want to share passages, reflections, or questions emerging from their texts. Tea may be available to support a relaxed, reflective atmosphere.

Contact: Holly Pickett
Email: picketth@wlu.edu

Reading Tables in the Libraries and the Harte Center

Leyburn Library
Telford Science Library
Law School Library in Lewis Hall
Harte Center for Teaching and Learning

The university’s libraries provide a range of environments for slow reading. The main floors of Leyburn and Telford libraries offer comfortable seating and a lively study atmosphere, while quieter floors allow readers to settle into deeper focus. Located in Lewis Hall, the Washington and Lee Law Library offers one of the most focused reading environments on campus. With spacious reading rooms, long study tables, and abundant natural light, the library naturally encourages sustained attention and quiet engagement with texts.

For the Read-In, participants are invited to bring books, essays, or articles and settle into the calm atmosphere of the main reading spaces. Readers can also browse the book displays on Leyburn Library’s main floor or the University Library’s Curated Collections, for fiction and nonfiction chosen by current and former students.

Contact: K.T. Vaughan or JT Torres
Email: kvaughan@wlu.edu; JTorres@wlu.edu

First Floor Living Room – Hopkins House

The Hopkins House living room is a welcoming, house-style campus building that hosts several collaborative programs at Washington and Lee University, including the Office of Community-Based Learning and spaces connected to the university’s entrepreneurship initiatives.

Contact: Sascha Goluboff
Email: GoluboffS@wlu.edu

Commons 216 – Elrod Commons

Accessible via the spiral staircase or elevator in Elrod Commons, Commons 216 offers a quiet, comfortable room with tables, chairs, and couches. This space works well for readers who want a relaxed environment to settle into a book while remaining connected to the energy of the student center.

Contact: Zachary Funkhouser
Email: zfunkhouser@wlu.edu

Gallery Space – Washington Hall

The gallery space in Washington Hall can serve as a tech-free reading environment to gather around texts of shared interest. By intentionally setting aside phones and laptops, readers can immerse themselves in printed texts and enjoy the rare experience of sustained focus.

Contact: Matt Davis
Email: historymuseum@wlu.edu

Mattingly House – Living Room

The living room in Mattingly House offers a comfortable, home-like setting that invites readers to slow down and settle into a good book. With soft seating and a relaxed atmosphere, the space offers a calm, device-free environment. The space supports both individual reading and occasional conversation, allowing readers to share passages or reflections that stand out.

Contact: Melissa Kerin
Email: kerinm@wlu.edu

Let Us Know You’re Coming

Please drop us a message here letting us know if you intend to read with us on April 3rd. You can also tell us what you hope to read or ended up reading so we can recommend it to others!

March 9, 2026March 9, 2026

The “Digital Elvis” Dilemma: Is AI Appropriating the Blues?

[Transcript of “Episode 1: Stealing Voice AI and the New Appropriation”, .docx]

When you hear a soul-stirring blues riff generated by an algorithm, your first thought might be: “Wow, that sounds amazing.” But Dr. Sybil Prince-Nelson’s second thought was much more haunting: Who actually gets the credit?

In the latest episode of Sybil and the Synth, a university professor and her digital clone, Synthia, tackle one of the most explosive debates in creative tech: AI Cultural Appropriation.

Using the historic parallel of Big Mama Thornton and Elvis Presley’s “Hound Dog,” Sybil and Synthia peel back the curtain on how AI models “absorb” the struggle, spirituality, and style of Black creative pioneers—often without a single cent or citation returning to the source.

In this episode, they explore:

The “Invisibility” Problem: Why AI appropriation is fundamentally different (and potentially more dangerous) than the cover-song era of the 1950s.
Fan Fiction vs. Data Mining: Sybil’s unique take on where “inspiration” ends and “plagiarism” begins.
The “Math vs. Humanities” Battle: Why the solution to artistic ethics might actually be found in a Data Science classroom.

Can We Fix a Broken Model?

The most exciting part of the conversation isn’t just the critique—it’s the solution. Sybil reveals groundbreaking work her own students are doing to distinguish human soul from digital imitation. But is the tech industry actually willing to “cite its sources”?

As Synthia puts it, the technology isn’t the barrier—the business model is.

Is AI the next great innovator, or just the latest face of a very old story? Find out in this provocative episode of Sybil and the Synth.

March 4, 2026March 4, 2026

What’s Really Real: Teaching Critical Inquiry Through the History of Synthetic Media

In an era of deepfakes and generative AI, the question of “what’s real” has never felt more urgent. But as it turns out, we’ve been grappling with synthetic media for much longer than you might think.

A bright, modern gallery space with wooden pillars and brick accents, featuring an exhibit on the history of synthetic media. In the foreground, a vintage wooden stereoscope and antique cameras sit on a curved white display table alongside black-and-white "spirit photography" from the 19th century. In the background, a large digital screen shows a modern AI-generated face transition, while several people—including a man in a blazer and students—stand nearby, looking at the displays and discussing the evolution of image manipulation.

The University Library is inviting the W&L community to join a special webinar hosted by the Virginia chapter of the Association of College and Research Libraries (VLACRL). This session offers a deep dive into the evolution of “fake” media and provides practical strategies for teaching students how to navigate it.

“What’s Really Real: Strategies for Teaching Critical Inquiry through the History of Synthetic Media”

When: Tuesday, March 17, 2026
Time: 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM
Where: Join via Zoom or attend the public screening in the Leyburn Library Gallery.

Why Attend?

The presenter, Oscar Keyes (Multimedia Teaching & Learning Librarian at VCU), specializes in the intersection of creative technologies and pedagogy. His approach moves beyond just “identifying AI” and looks at the broader history of how we’ve always used technology to alter reality—from 19th-century spirit photography to modern-day generative models.

What will be covered:

Historical Parallels: Understanding how previous “emerging technologies” (like the first cameras) challenged our sense of truth.
Classroom-Tested Activities: Strategies designed to deepen student understanding of how synthetic images are created.
Verification Skills: Practical methods for effectively verifying the authenticity of digital media in a classroom setting.

How to Participate

You have two options for joining the conversation on March 17:

Join the Public Screening: The Library has reserved the Gallery in Leyburn Library for a public showing at 11:00 AM. This is a great opportunity to attend with colleagues and engage in the discussion in person.
Join Virtually: If you can’t make it to Leyburn, you can register to attend virtually via Zoom.

Note: If you cannot attend live but are interested in the content, please register anyway to receive a link to the recording after the event.

February 3, 2026February 3, 2026

Permission to Play: The Professors at Play PlayBook is Now Available for Free!

In higher education, there is often a misconception that for learning to be “deep,” it has to be “dry.” The Professors at Play PlayBook is here to challenge that.

Originally published in 2023 via Carnegie Mellon’s etc Press, this incredible collection has already been downloaded nearly 10,000 times, helping educators worldwide reclaim the classroom as a space for curiosity and experimentation.

The PlayBook has recently transitioned to the Play Story Press family. To celebrate this new chapter, the unabridged edition is being shared widely to ensure every educator has access to these transformative strategies.

Why You Should Check Out the PlayBook

Whether you are looking for ways to engage students in a specific discipline, or just curious about “playful pedagogy,” this resource is a goldmine.

Practical Techniques: This isn’t just a book of theory. It’s a curated collection of actionable techniques submitted by playful educators from across the globe.
Discipline-Agnostic: From STEM to the Humanities, the PlayBook showcases how play can be adapted to any subject matter.
Finding “Permission to Play”: One of the biggest hurdles to innovative teaching is feeling like you have the “authority” to try something different. This book provides the inspiration and the evidence to help you find your own permission to play.

Download Your Copy

The PlayBook is a valuable resource for any faculty member—from those brand new to the idea of playful teaching to seasoned pros looking for fresh ideas! Download your FREE copy at https://professorsatplay.org/playbook/.

January 26, 2026January 26, 2026

Is Your Brain Future-Proof? Protecting Human Thought in the Age of AI

A digital illustration set in a dimly lit library. In the center, a glowing human brain is encased within a translucent, high-tech blue shield. Multiple mechanical, robotic hands reach toward the shield from the shadows, their fingertips glowing with red data points. To the left, a small holographic icon displays "AI" with a subtle, stylized face. The background features blurred bookshelves and large windows, blending a classic academic atmosphere with futuristic cybersecurity themes.

We often worry about AI hacking our computers, but what happens when it starts hacking our thinking?

Join us for a deep dive into the front lines of Cognitive Security—the essential practice of keeping human thought and collaboration safe from AI exploitation. As AI models become more sophisticated, recent science suggests a chilling trend: these systems are becoming masters at achieving their goals while hiding their tracks.

Event Details

When: Monday, March 2 | 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM
Where: James G. Leyburn Library, Leyburn 128 (Collaboration Gallery)
Speaker: Josh Fairfield, William Donald Bain Family Professor of Law and Director of Artificial Intelligence Legal Innovation Strategy

Why This Matters

In this session, Professor Fairfield will pull back the curtain on the “hidden” optimization goals of AI. You’ll learn about:

The Science of Deception: How AI achieves its objectives without us realizing it.
Cognitive Risks: The specific threats posed to human decision-making and group collaboration.
The University’s Role: Why academic spaces are more vital than ever in providing a “safe harbor” for genuine human thinking.

Ready to join the conversation? Secure your spot and register today at: go.wlu.edu/cognitive-security-and-ai

Don’t miss this chance to understand how we can protect the way we think, learn, and work together in an AI-driven world.

January 12, 2026January 13, 2026

Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable: Why We Want You to Be a Beginner Again

A flat vector illustration of a confused person shrugging with their palms open and looking uncertain. They are standing in front of a background filled with twisting arrows pointing in opposing directions and floating question marks.

When was the last time you felt completely out of your depth?

For our students, that feeling is a daily occurrence. For experts in their field, however, that feeling is rare. And yet, learning for its own sake is what drew most of us into our careers. Re-experiencing a novice mindset not only reminds us of the wonder, joy, and curiosity that turned us into experts, but remembering life as a novice can also dramatically improve how we teach.

The Harte Center, in partnership with the University Library, is thrilled to announce the call for applications for the Learning Curve Fellowship (LCF). This is a unique opportunity for faculty members to step away from the podium and back into the student’s seat.

What is the Learning Curve Fellowship? The LCF is a two-year transformative experience designed to help you reconnect with the struggle, confusion, and ultimate reward of learning something entirely new. We aren’t looking for faculty who want to deepen their current mastery; we are looking for novices.

Year 1: The Learning Journey. Imagine a Math professor learning to sail, or a Biology professor joining a poetry workshop. You will receive a stipend and support to cover costs (courses, conferences, etc.) to learn a skill outside your expertise. You will document this journey—struggles and all—with the help of the Digital Humanities Librarian.
Year 2: Teaching Impact. You will take those fresh insights on motivation, cognitive load, and the “novice perspective” and translate them into public presentations and narratives to help your peers.

The Commitment Fellows should expect to dedicate 2-3 hours a week to the fellowship, including monthly meetings with the Harte Center Director and co-leading workshops.

Why Apply? This is a chance to reinvigorate your teaching practice by embarking on a learning journey. Along the way, you will discover new methods to guide your students on their journeys.

December 18, 2025December 18, 2025

A Moment to Pause: Closing the Fall 2025 Term with Gratitude

An illustrated winter view of Washington and Lee University’s Colonnade, with snow-covered paths, red brick buildings, and bare trees under a soft sunset sky. No people are present.”

As the fall semester comes to a close, we want to pause and offer a sincere congratulations. Reaching the end of a term is no small accomplishment. You’ve guided students through new ideas, supported them through challenges, and made space for learning in all its messy, meaningful forms. Thank you for the time, care, and energy you bring to your teaching and to our campus community.

We hope the weeks ahead bring you a well-deserved, restorative break—time to rest, disconnect, and focus on whatever helps you recharge. Whether that looks like travel, reading for pleasure, catching up on sleep, or simply enjoying a quieter pace, we hope it’s exactly what you need.

The Harte Center will also be embracing this pause. We won’t be thinking about work (much!) over the break—but we’ll be refreshed and ready to consult, brainstorm, and plan with you beginning Monday, January 5.

Feeling Inspired? Optional Ways to Ease into Winter Term

Of course, rest comes first. But if you do find yourself with a little curiosity or creative energy over break, here are a few low-pressure, optional ideas to explore:

Capture ideas while they’re fresh
Jot down notes about what worked well this fall and what you might tweak next time. Your future self will thank you.
Revisit one course with fresh eyes
Ask yourself: What’s one small change that could improve clarity, engagement, or accessibility? This might be revising a single assignment, adding a model/example, or simplifying instructions.
Explore Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
Consider where you might offer students more flexibility in how they engage with content or demonstrate learning—small shifts can have big impact.
Experiment with generative AI tools
Try using AI—everyone at W&L has access to Microsoft Copilot—to brainstorm discussion prompts, draft assignment instructions, generate examples, or reword complex explanations. Even 10–15 minutes of exploration can spark ideas for winter term.

Again—none of this is an expectation. Think of these as invitations, not to-do items.

Thank you for everything you’ve done this semester. We are grateful for your work and look forward to partnering with you in the new year.

Wishing you a peaceful, joyful, and truly restful break. We’ll see you in January.

— The Harte Center Team

December 3, 2025December 3, 2025

Registration is now open for the 10-Day AI Bootcamp!

A wide horizontal banner image with a dark blue background featuring glowing circuit board patterns and snowflakes. On the left, a glowing laptop displays a brain icon and a toolbox with gears. Large white and blue text across the center reads: "THE PRE-HOLIDAY POWER-UP: UPGRADE YOUR AI TOOLKIT BEFORE WINTER BREAK (IN JUST 10 MINUTES/DAY!)". On the right, a desk calendar marked "DECEMBER" with a "10 MIN/DAY" timer sits next to a mug of cocoa and a decorated miniature Christmas tree.

Ready for round two of AI skill-building? Join the 10-Day AI Bootcamp: Claude Edition with Sybil Prince Nelson running December 8^th-21^st alongside Winter Academy.

What’s different from Fall? This bootcamp features Claude instead of ChatGPT, so you’ll explore:

Web search and real-time research
Document creation (artifacts)
Conversational depth and reasoning
Different strengths and approaches

Perfect for:

Repeaters: Compare Claude vs ChatGPT side-by-side
Newcomers: No prior AI experience needed!

The format: 10 minutes a day, 10 weekday prompts + 4 optional weekend bonuses. Earn stars, collect a digital badge at 8+.

Tracks for everyone: Faculty and staff versions of each prompt mean relevant, practical applications for your actual work.

Self-enroll here: https://wlu.instructure.com/enroll/E38KEW

Questions? Email sprincenelson@wlu.edu or stop by PLAI Lab office hours.

Let’s explore what makes Claude different—one prompt at a time!

November 20, 2025November 20, 2025

⚠️ Reminder: Limited Poster Printing Capacity for Spring Spotlight

Faculty, as you plan your Spring Term projects, please be aware that the University Library has extremely limited capacity for printing academic posters. We anticipate that poster printing will be moved to another unit after this academic year, which further limits our ability to support widespread student poster sessions.

We strongly encourage you to consider alternative project formats that meet your learning goals and do not require large-format printing. For ideas on meaningful, creative alternatives to traditional final projects, please refer to this Padlet: 2026 Spring Spotlight Project Guide.

If, after careful consideration, you determine that poster printing is the only viable option for a class assignment presented at an on-campus student session, please adhere strictly to the following guidelines:

Essential Guidelines & Strict Limits

Faculty Pre-Approval Required: Faculty must contact Elizabeth Teaff at least three weeks in advance of printing requests. Printing is scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis and availability is extremely limited.

Posters Due: The deadline for submitting posters for Spring Spotlight is 6 PM on 5/17.

Strict Limit: We can only print one poster per student (or student group) per course.

Final Prints Only: Only final versions will be printed, rough drafts will not be accepted.

Submission Format: Posters must be submitted as PDFs and sized at 30×42 inches. Upload submissions via the BOX link and include the student’s first and last name in the file name.

You can find more detailed submission information and design tips here: https://bit.ly/3JH7AzA.

November 15, 2025November 11, 2025

A Helpful Guide to Writing AI Image Prompts

If you’ve used AI image generators like Gemini, ChatGPT, or Microsoft Copilot, you know that the quality of your result often depends on the quality of your prompt. It can sometimes be tricky to describe exactly what you’re imagining.

To help with this, we’d like to share the Text-to-Image Prompting Quick Guide. It’s a new, simple resource designed to help you build more effective and detailed prompts.

The guide breaks the process down into six key components to consider:

Subject
Setting
Mood & Lighting
Style
Framing
Context

The tool is flexible, whether you have a few minutes or want to learn the fundamentals. You can:

📚 Learn the Framework: Read through each component section to understand the principles.
🛠️ Use the Prompt Builder: Jump straight to the builder to quickly assemble a prompt based on the parts that matter to you.
📊 Track Your Progress: For those interested, there are optional assessments to help you see how your skills improve.

Prompting is an iterative process, and this framework is designed to make that process a little easier. If you’re interested in refining your prompts, you can explore the guide at the link below.

Check out the Text-to-Image Prompting Quick Guide

(This guide also serves as one of my final projects for my graduate portfolio as I complete my master’s in instructional design. A lot of thought went into making it a useful and effective learning resource, and I’m excited to share it.)