Rachel Cox spent the tail end of her biology for non-majors class delving into the intricacies of global climate change. Cox, a sophomore, wrapped up the course taught by senior biology lecturer Dan Johnson with a final presentation this week.

While many students have taken Johnson’s course before, Cox’s experience this spring was unique. She was one of a handful of students asked to test out a new kind of e-textbook as the sole take-home educational resource for a semester.

BioBook is an electronic learning tool that offers content in an unconventional way. Unlike the thick and convoluted textbook of old, BioBook is accessible by smart-phone, tablet or computer. Developed by Wake Forest researchers, it breaks down complex and lengthy topics into small, manageable chunks of knowledge that can be changed and updated as educators see fit. It also provides students instant access to multimedia from national research organizations such as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in addition to traditional text, class lectures and practice quizzes.

“If a page uses an unfamiliar word, there’s usually a hyperlink on the word that will lead to its definition,” Cox said. “Features like this make it better than many of the textbooks I’ve used in the past.”

Within three years, the approximately $30 BioBook is expected to replace the $200+ paper textbooks of up to 1,200 students taking general biology at Wake Forest and Forsyth Technical Community College. More students and schools are expected join the initiative as well, said Johnson, BioBook’s principal developer.

The new collaborative initiative officially kicked off this semester. It will be incorporated into a multi-state $15 million Department of Labor initiative (led by Forsyth Tech) to help displaced workers find a new home in the 21st century workforce.

“We particularly appreciate that BioBook can be offered to students at little to no cost,” said Michael Ayers, dean of Forsyth Tech’s Math Science and Technology Division. “This is important because many students struggle to purchase science books that may cost hundreds of dollars.”

Ayers said the new initiative is part of a longstanding relationship between Wake Forest and Forsyth Tech. For example, Forsyth Tech’s nanotechnology students learn how to work with electron microscopes at Wake Forest.

“We hope to continue to strengthen our partnership by helping to improve BioBook and by working together to produce other science books,” Ayers said.

Johnson said BioBook takes material and content developed in a biology for non-majors class and puts it into a malleable and easy-to-access format so that educators, regardless of institution, can use the material and evaluate it as they see fit. “So rather than constantly reinventing the wheel,” he said. “If something works, it is already in a sharing and ready to go format.”

Johnson and Jim Curran, chair of Department of Biology at Wake Forest, both used BioBook as the sole resource for their biology for non-majors classes. Slides, lecture notes, and supplemental material were added to the book’s data bank as the semester went on, giving students a wealth of new information to choose from, Curran said. “It is something I think students find very helpful and I plan on using in future classes.”

Perhaps the most useful aspect of BioBook will be its adaptability. Johnson said it will enable both teachers and researchers to track what learning tools worked for students at the end of the semester. Educators can then use this data to hone future lesson plans based on what is most effective for their particular brand of student.

“The BioBook by definition is a big data set generator,” Johnson said. “If you see that a particular resource isn’t working or doesn’t fit the way a particular group of students likes to learn, then you can change it.”

Johnson said BioBook has the potential to tackle some of the big questions emerging around the 21st century classroom-like whether or not to incorporate social media as a learning tool. “The data is going to allow us to ask these really interesting questions that will help to improve electronic learning materials in the classroom,” he said.

As for Cox, she said she would like to see more reading intensive classes adopt a similar platform in the future. She said it would not only be useful from an academic standpoint but would also save her some cash. “The total cost of my textbooks would be under $100 if some of my other classes did this; last semester it would’ve been almost cut in half.”

A senator, a humanitarian and a banker received the University’s 2013 Distinguished Alumni Award in recognition of their extraordinary service to Wake Forest, their field, humanity or society.  Richard Burr (’78), Jane Cage (’78) and Graham Denton Jr. (’67) were honored.  Read their individual stories and watch videos presented at the awards ceremony April 19.

Rows of brightly colored desks lined the Magnolia Quad on April 16 as Wake Forest students painted them for local elementary school students.

More than 60 students from Old Town Elementary came to campus for the annual D.E.S.K. (Discovering Education through Student Knowledge) event. They watched as their desks were painted, played games led by campus organizations and had their faces painted. Some children even grabbed a brush to help.

“Having my own desk will help me concentrate more on my homework and studying,” Natalee, a fifth grader, said as she picked up a paint brush and filled in pink flowers on the side of her bright blue desk. “Plus it has all of my favorite things.”

D.E.S.K. was established in 2004 after Wake Forest students identified a lack of workspace in the homes of students they tutored. The event pairs each child with a participating campus organization. Representatives from each group met with their student last month in order to design and paint the desk according to the child’s interests. Many children chose to have their desks decorated with their favorite cartoon characters, sports and hobbies.

This year’s co-chairs were seniors Meredith Browne and McKenna Begin. The theme was Madagascar so each child received a Madagascar-themed book and t-shirt.

“D.E.S.K. is a unique event because it brings elementary school children to the Wake Forest campus and teams them up with a student group,” Browne said. “We encourage their academic studies by providing them with school supplies, a desk that is uniquely theirs and a book. I love this project.”

The “Big Tent,” a collaborative community art project between Wake Forest students and local high school students, was set up on Wake Forest’s Reynolda Campus for the first time on March 27 outside the Z. Smith Reynolds Library.

The tent event was held as a part of the University’s yearlong Faces of Courage celebration. Student groups came together to showcase the tent and to encourage their peers to think about diversity and identity on campus through art. Some of the projects and activities around the Big Tent included:

Not just one color

Members of Delta Xi Phi, Wake Forest’s multicultural sorority, helped students mix paints to create colors to match their skin tone. “We wanted to show that skin color is not just black or white. You might need to add a little yellow, purple or red,” senior sociology major Jessica Smith said.

Differences can connect

Senior religion major Sarah Hinshelwood, a member of Delta Xi Phi, passed out slips of paper to students at the event and asked them to write down what makes them unique. She then connected the individual pieces to make a chain, showing that our differences can connect us.

Not just one race

“Ambiguity in Race: The Haziness of Social Lines” by senior anthropology major De’Noia Woods and first-year student Tai Hensley uses photographs to deconstruct ideas about race. “It addresses the concept of being mixed race and being stereotypes because of a small feature, like a nose or mouth,” Hensley explained.

Music brings people together

Gerson Lanza, a senior history major, and Lee Gan, a sophomore finance major, perform tap steps as members of the Setting the Groove Tap Dancing Club. The club represents how it is not only race and ethnicity that make students unique, but also their diverse interests and talents.

Stereotypes can break people

“Unraveling” by senior biology major Mary Alyce McCullough and Mt. Tabor High School student Jon Cunningham is made from wire, fabric and windows. The piece deals with stereotypes of culture, ethnicity and race. The broken windows represent the violence that can come as a result of racism. The fabric represents the assumptions that can contribute to race relations.

Wake Forest’s first Latino graduates, Carlos Perez (’65) and Peter Bondy (’67), were honored March 21 on campus at the Celebration of Latino Heritage. The event was part of the ongoing Faces of Courage series, marking Wake Forest’s 50 years of integration and the University’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Perez came to the United States from Cuba as part of Operation Peter Pan, a program that brought many Cuban children to the U.S. in the early 1960s.

While a student at Brevard College, he made a weekend visit to Winston-Salem, toured the University and decided to transfer to Wake Forest. “I went, I saw, I fell for it,” he said. He enrolled in 1963 and became the first Latino graduate in 1965.

During the celebration of Latino heritage, Perez spoke to a standing-room only audience about the impact the University has had on his life and shared memories of playing intramural softball with Wake Forest sports legends Brian Piccolo and John Mackovic.

He also talked about his academic experience. “I could not have asked for better people as teachers,” he said. “They were knowledgeable, caring and demanding yet fair.” Inspired by his time at Wake Forest, Perez earned his doctorate and became a professor at the University before going on to teach at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Bondy, who is originally from Ecuador, was also quick to note his lasting and meaningful relationships with Wake Forest faculty, many of whom he credits for his professional success as an actuarial consultant in Baton Rouge, La. These mentors included “surrogate parents” Dean Dyer and his wife as well as professors King and Campbell of the Romance Languages department.

Bondy continues his connection to Wake Forest by serving on the Board of Visitors and the Global Programs Advisory Committee. As a part of the committee, Bondy has influenced the education of thousands of Wake Forest students through initiatives including the establishment of the Flow House in Vienna and the creation of first-year seminars.

As he spoke about his experience as a Wake Forest alumnus, Bondy said, “It is awesome to be able to tell others what Wake stands for and what they can look forward to enjoying.”

After the awards presentation, the celebration continued with traditional Latino performances by Wake Forest’s Salsa Club and the Mexican dance group, Ballet Folklorico.

Both honorees were surprised by their selection as recipients of the “Faces of Courage” award. Perez said, “I never did anything like Jackie Robinson or Rosa Parks.”

Senior Nancy Aguillon, president of Wake Forest’s Organization of Latin American Students (OLAS), said of Perez and Bondy: “Your courage paved the way for students like me to be here.”

Wake Forest has been named to the 2013 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll.  The University is one of 28 schools in North Carolina to be recognized for engaging its students, faculty and staff in meaningful service that achieves measurable results in the community.

The Honor Roll is announced by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), a federal agency that leads President Barack Obama’s national call to service initiative, United We Serve.

From classes that incorporate service learning to projects outside the classroom, Wake Forest, whose motto is Pro Humanitate, encourages students to cultivate responsibility and civic-mindedness. More than half of undergraduates make volunteerism a priority in their educational experience. Many volunteer regularly at local service agencies, while others travel around the country or abroad to participate in projects.

The Corporation for National and Community Service, which has administered the Honor Roll since 2006, admitted a total of 690 colleges and universities for their impact on issues from literacy and neighborhood revitalization to supporting at-risk youth.

Honorees are chosen based on a series of selection factors, including the scope and innovation of service projects, the extent to which service-learning is embedded in the curriculum, the school’s commitment to long-term campus-community partnerships and measurable community outcomes as a result of the service.

“The Honor Roll schools should be proud of their work to elevate the role of service-learning on their campuses,” said Eduardo Ochoa, the U.S. Department of Education’s assistant secretary for post-secondary education. “Galvanizing their students to become involved in projects that address pressing concerns and enrich their academic experience has a lasting impact – both in the communities in which they work and on their own sense of purpose as citizens of the world.”

The Institute for Public Engagement at Wake Forest University has launched a new Public Engagement Fellows program to bolster support for students interested in pursuing careers in public service, public policy or public administration.

The inaugural class of 15 fellows will explore career paths in public sector work and receive guidance and mentoring as they develop individual plans to integrate their academic learning with relevant, real-world experiences.

Steven Virgil, professor of law and director of the Institute for Public Engagement, says the Public Engagement Fellows program is an extension of the University’s academic, research and service missions to anchor Wake Forest in the community. “We have a unique responsibility to our students who are looking forward to using their education as a force for good, whether that be as advocates for social equity, health and well-being or the environment. There are unsolved problems and unmet needs that the students in our fellowship program are eager to address.”

Careers in the public sector include positions in government, nonprofits, international development and education.

Junior Gurdeep Singh, a classics and sociology double major, says he is working toward a career where he can have an active role in public policy. “When I heard of this new program created to give students an opportunity to explore policy from their own unique perspective, I rushed to join,” Singh says. After graduation, he plans to pursue both a law degree and a public policy degree. “Ultimately I hope to alleviate the effects of social stratification and give the poor greater opportunities for economic success.”

During their remaining time as undergraduates, Public Engagement Fellows will receive personal guidance in selecting classes and extra-curricular activities tailored to help them meet their post-graduate goals.  They will have access to programming and networking opportunities on campus, in the local community and during visits to Raleigh and Washington, D.C. Fellows will also develop and maintain an online web portfolio where they can keep track of their academic, personal and professional goals.

“There is no single career path for work in public service,” says Virgil. “Ironically, the public sector is not as visible and easily understood as the private sector. Wake Forest is responding to a definite need in helping students identify opportunities and find pathways into the public sector that connect with the issues they care about.”

The Institute for Public Engagement promotes the common good and sets a standard of university-wide excellence in public engagement, collaboration, interdisciplinary teaching and research. The Institute prepares students for civic leadership and supports innovative relationships among faculty, students, administration, staff, alumni and the broader community.

Wait Chapel saw two big crowds on Saturday, February 23. The 1,250 or so people inside for TEDxWakeForestU: Defining Our Future and the hundred or so outside rolling the Quad after Wake Forest’s huge win over No. 2 Miami.

On the inside, students, faculty, staff and Piedmont-Triad community members gathered to hear nine speakers from around North America give inspirational and motivational talks. One big highlight: the return of CollegeHumor.com co-founder Ricky Van Veen (’03).

This is the second TEDx event Wake Forest University has hosted. One of the student organizers for both events, Jake Graham (’13), says initial survey feedback shows the audience is there for future events.

“Now that it’s going to be an established tradition at Wake Forest, we hope it’s one the spring semester events people look forward to,” Graham said. “After our first TEDx last year, there was some talk about making it an every other year event, but it is clear there is an interest in having events like this to hear people’s ideas and discuss them whether you’re from Wake Forest or a member of the surrounding community.”

Attendance figures are preliminary while organizers wrap up the event. Meantime, if you weren’t able to attend the event, you could follow along via social media and the #TEDxWFU hashtag. The Storify below captures some of the event highlights.

Nancy Aguillon, a Wake Forest senior, and Harold Holmes, associate vice president and dean of student services at Wake Forest, were recognized as this year’s Martin Luther King Building the Dream Award winners.

The recipients received the award at an annual banquet celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. held at Wake Forest on January 22.

The MLK Dream Award is presented to one professor or administrator and one student from both Wake Forest and Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) who exemplify King’s qualities and promote diversity within the community.

This year’s MLK Dream Award winners from WSSU are Dr. Azeez Aileru, whose work focuses on hypertension and its disproportionate affect on African Americans, and senior Dustin Pickett.

The awards were presented by Wake Forest senior Alycia Beverly and Candice Helton of WSSU.

Nancy Aguillon

Aguillon, a sociology major from Hendersonville, N.C., is the president of Wake Forest’s Organization of Latin American Students (OLAS).  Last year, she organized the first Latino Awareness Week at the University, which sponsored film screenings and lectures about Latin-American culture.  Aguillon is dedicated to raising awareness about and addressing issues specific to the Latin-American experience at Wake Forest by encouraging dialogue among students.

“Nancy is a natural leader not only because of her vision and her ability to actualize her ideas, but also for her ability to inspire others to join her cause and feel empowered when they work with her,” says Assistant Professor of Communication Alessandra Beasley Von Burg.

Harold Holmes

Holmes, who has served Wake Forest for 25 years, has been committed to fostering community on the Reynolda campus and beyond.

“Harold is respected and admired for his efforts to cultivate an inclusive campus environment and broaden the perspective of students,” says Ken Zick, vice president and dean of student affairs.

In the community, Holmes has served on the board of Big Brothers/ Big Sisters.  He is also active in Leadership Winston-Salem, Leadership Triad, and Leadership North Carolina programs, which guide leaders in serving and improving their communities.

Holmes is a second time MLK Dream Award winner. He was recognized in 2009 after launching Wake Forest’s Mission of Good Hope service trip to Cape Town, South Africa.

MLK Dream Award recipients are nominated by faculty, staff, and students at their respective universities and are then selected by a committee of faculty, staff, and student representatives from each school.

In addition to co-sponsoring the awards presentation, Wake Forest and WSSU also co-sponsor and alternate hosting a keynote event featuring a well-known guest speaker. This year’s keynote event was held at WSSU and featured Harry Belafonte, a singer, songwriter, actor, and social activist.

Many of the University’s long-standing campus traditions began with student inspiration — and there’s always room for new ideas. Throughout the academic year, students, faculty and staff support each other in leadership, service, fellowship and fun.