From marking milestones in Wake Forest’s history to celebrating the current cultural diversity on campus, Faces of Courage provided a framework during the 2012-2013 academic year for showing Wake Forest’s ongoing commitment to diversity.

The yearlong series of events was designed to encourage discussion, bring people together and honor those involved in making Wake Forest a more inclusive place.

In September, Wake Forest’s first black graduate returned to campus to share his story. During the spring semester, higher education leaders and industry executives gathered for the Diversity and Inclusion Symposium to discuss how to prepare students today to be employees in a diverse and global workforce. The calendar was filled with diversity-related events sponsored by academic departments and student groups across campus.

“When people think of diversity, they think black and white,” said Barbee Oakes (’80, MA ’81), assistant provost for diversity and inclusion. “This goes beyond racial diversity.  We are honoring all of the courageous people who have contributed to diversity and inclusion in the past 50 years.  Wake Forest is committed to creating a culture of inclusion where everyone can thrive—a culture that unlocks Wake Forest’s enormous reservoirs of innovation and talent, and eradicates barriers to engagement and collaboration.”

The Faces of Courage website traces the history of diversity and inclusion at Wake Forest with a detailed timeline.  Through audio and video, alumni, students and faculty share stories about their part in making Wake Forest a more inclusive community.

Highlights of the year:

Historic homecoming: Ed Reynolds

For Edward Reynolds (’64), coming home to Wake Forest in September meant a standing ovation from more than 500 people in Brendle Recital Hall and emotional reunions with many of the students, faculty and administrators who helped him when he enrolled as the first black undergraduate student at Wake Forest 50 years ago. While on campus, he met with small groups of students, guest lectured in Professor of History Anthony Parent’s class, and met with Winston-Salem community members.

“Since I was the first one, I think people invested a lot, and they ensured that I would be successful — people from the black community, the campus community,” said Reynolds, who graduated in 1964 with a bachelor’s degree in history and went on to become a professor of history at the University of California, San Diego.

Melissa Harris-Perry

Melissa Harris-Perry, host of her own show on MSNBC and a 1994 Wake Forest graduate, spoke to first-year students as part of a project focused on civic engagement among young voters.  As a student, she had taken classes from Maya Angelou and had the chance to visit her when she returned to campus this fall. On “The Melissa Harris-Perry Show,” she paid tribute to her mentor and her alma mater.

American Indian voices

The University honored its first American Indian graduate, Dr. James Jones for his pivotal role in bringing awareness and inclusion of American Indian students to the University.  A day of festivities concluded with an American Indian Culture Celebration.

Amanda Finney (’13), who helped organize the event, said, “Currently almost one in four and half students at Wake Forest is a person of color, which is light years from where we started 50 years ago, and I think the University and administration are encouraging and embracing diversity. It’s important to introduce students who maybe have read about Natives in class, but have not had a chance to befriend them or learn about their heritage, culture and who they are as a people. It is one thing to learn something in class but to witness dancing or a ceremony first hand is a different experience.”

Celebrating Latino heritage

In March, Wake Forest’s first Latino graduates, Carlos Perez (’65) and Peter Bondy (’67), were honored.  Perez 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, he earned his doctorate and became a professor at the University before going on to teach at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

New website asks ‘Where are you from?’

Communication professor Alessandra Von Burg’s vision was born of the idea that everyone has stories to tell whether they are lifelong U.S. citizens or recent immigrants.

Students explore diversity through art

Student groups came together to showcase the “Big Tent,” encouraging their peers to think about diversity and identity through art. The collaborative community art project between Wake Forest students and local high school students was set up March 27 outside the Z. Smith Reynolds Library.

Building on MLK’s dream

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 MLK Dream Award recognizes those who exemplify King’s qualities and promote diversity within the community.

WFU launches new Women’s Center

The University enhanced its efforts toward creating a diverse, inclusive, and inquisitive community this month with the opening of its new Women’s Center, which is directed by Paige Meltzer.

Recognized for Diversity

For its commitment to diversity and inclusion, Wake Forest has received the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. In addition to diversity efforts related to gender, race and ethnicity, schools were evaluated on initiatives related to veterans, people with disabilities and members of the LGBTQ community.

A few years ago, the idea of 3-D printing a major body organ like a kidney was unthinkable, but now scientists eye North Carolina as a national hub for human organs partly due to regenerative medicine research at Wake Forest University.  Medical advances in biotechnology seem to be coming faster than the public can understand them all or even discuss how society should handle ethical, legal and moral considerations.

To spark the national conversation, Wake Forest has partnered with Baylor University to host “After the Genome: The Language of our Biotechnological Future” April 12-13. Fourteen scholars from across North America with expertise in medicine, science, religion and communication will present, including:

• Baylor University President Ken Starr;
• Director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine Dr. Anthony Atala;
• Cohen Professor for the Study of Ethics and Human Values at Dartmouth Ronald M. Green;
• Ezra E.H. Griffith, Professor of Psychiatry and African-American Studies, Emeritus and Senior Research Scientist at Yale School of Medicine 

“There is a rising awareness that the way we talk about science, biotechnology and medical miracles is not neutral, but suggests agendas,” Michael Hyde, Distinguished Professor of Communication Ethics at Wake Forest and conference organizer said. “And this national conversation will help shape public expectations regarding medical science. How far can we stretch science to give us longer or better lives through medical miracles? And if we use the word miracle, should we consider the religious implications of biotechnological advances?”

In many conferences, the papers presented are compiled into a publication afterward, but in this case, the book comes first. Wake Forest and Baylor University Press have worked for nearly two years to produce a book of essays containing the scholarship of the thought leaders who will present at the conference. That book will be available at the conference. 

“Everybody is a moral agent,” said Nancy King, co-director of the Center for Bioethics, Health and Society. “Academics don’t have any special corner on figuring out what the right thing to do is, but we can help to deepen and broaden public discussion. Science is extremely important and medicine is extremely important, but they’re not going to solve all the world’s problems. What’s going to solve all the world’s problems is how society makes use of science.”

The conference will end with a debate between Wake Forest and Baylor’s collegiate debate teams, using the presentations given over the two-day event as evidence and materials for discussion. Both schools trace their debate team histories back to the 1850s and have national titles under their belts, so it should be a spirited conversation.

Beyond the language, biotechnology has enormous economic implications. North Carolina is third in the nation behind California and Massachusetts when it comes to the life-science industrial sector and it generates $59 billion in economic activity, according to a recent study.

The Office of the Provost, Department of Communications, Humanities Institute and the Center for Bioethics, Health and Society at Wake Forest University, along with the Provost’s Fund, Baylor University Press and the Institute for Faith and Learning at Baylor University have organized the event. 

You can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but this might not be the case for a honeybee.

Just ask David Hale (’15), a sophomore biology major. Hale has been studying the relationship between brain structure and cognitive function in honeybees since the summer after his freshman year.

He explains that as a honeybee ages, a pair of structures in its brain called mushroom bodies grow larger. Larger mushroom bodies may give older bees an advantage over their younger counterparts when it comes to learning and memorizing new things like the color of certain flowers. In nature, this would help older honeybees remember which flowers have more pollen, making them better foragers for the hive.

Hale went to biology professor and honeybee expert Susan Fahrbach to see if she would help him design a scientific study to investigate the phenomena.

With Fahrbach’s guidance, Hale designed a basic IQ test to see if older bees’ enlarged mushroom bodies make them more adept at associating color with reward.

After collecting bees of different ages and fitting them into a harness fashioned from a drinking straw, Hale exposed his tiny subjects to bursts of blue or green light from a projector to simulate different colored flower patches.

A flash of blue light signaled a sugary reward. A flash of green light signaled no reward. Hale put each bee through 20 trials and then reversed the experiment. His results showed that of the 64 bees that completed the test, older ones proved more capable at associating color with reward. The younger bees, the ones less than 10 days old, weren’t yet ready to learn.

Hale said putting together the experiment under Fahrbach’s guidance was the most challenging aspect of his collegiate career to date. His mentor took an available, yet hands-off approach, which allowed Hale to learn from his own mistakes.

“Instead of telling me what to do, professor Fahrbach told me to think outside of the box and come up with my own solution to the problems at hand,” Hale said.

From Honeybees to Humans: Meeting of the Minds

It is exactly this outside the box thinking that will be showcased at the Eighth Annual ACC Meeting of the Minds Undergraduate Research Conference, taking place April 4-6 at Wake Forest.

The three-day event, funded in large part by revenue from athletic events such as the ACC football championship, will showcase the work of nearly 100 undergraduate researchers from 12 ACC member schools.

“We are breaking down barriers between a group of the nation’s leading universities so that students from across the ACC can learn from one another and grow through shared experience,” said Richard Carmichael, professor of mathematics at Wake Forest and the University’s Faculty Athletic Representative.

Susan Fahrbach in the lab with David Hale.

Undergraduate REsearch and Creative Activities (URECA) Center, the Office of the Dean of the College and the Office of the Provost are organizing and sponsoring the event, which rotates from campus to campus each year.

“We are proud to celebrate the mentored or independent scholarship of such talented students from Wake Forest and other ACC institutions renowned for their commitment to scholarly and creative work and their dedication to outstanding undergraduate education,” said Jacquelyn Fetrow, Dean of Wake Forest College.

The URECA Center provides student grants (summer fellowships include $4,000 plus housing) and an administrative umbrella for mentored, undergraduate research and encourages and supports high-quality programs of great impact. Shannon Mihalko, associate professor of Health and Exercise Science and Co-Director of the URECA Center, said the program supports undergraduate scholars in all disciplines of Wake Forest College.

This year’s “Meeting of the Minds” also represents the first-ever ACC-sponsored event including the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Louisville.

“The expectation for undergraduates to participate in research has become standard for admittance into good graduate schools,” said Dale B. Billingsley, vice provost of Undergraduate Affairs and Enrollment Management at the University of Louisville. “Starting early is a really good thing to do for students who will be participating in research events like this for the rest of their careers.”

Josh Courtney, an English and political science major, will showcase his work analyzing linguistic trends in the writing of first-year Wake Forest students. He said working with his mentor Laura Aull, an assistant professor of English, not only gave him a realistic idea of what it is like to do research but also has him considering a PhD in linguistics after graduation.

“You don’t realize the amount of time and effort that goes into this kind of work until you do it,” Courtney said, adding that professor Aull is helping him to get his work published in an academic journal.

If you are going to attend

A complete schedule of events is available on the conference website. Wake Forest faculty known for their dedication to undergraduate research will give keynote addresses.

Friday’s keynote speaker will be Miles Silman, Professor of Biology and Director of the Center for Energy, Environment and Sustainability at Wake Forest. A leader in the sustainability movement, Silman has taken dozens of undergraduate students to the Amazon rainforest, where his work centers on understanding species distributions, biodiversity, and the response of forest ecosystems to climate and land use changes over time.

Saturday’s keynote speaker will be Christina Soriano, Associate Professor of Dance. Her mentee, senior Cynthia Huang, will dance to demonstrate their collaborative work on composer John Cage, which Soriano will address in her presentation called “Choreographing Cage: A model for undergraduate scholarship in the arts.”

This year’s Wake ‘N Shake (WNS) event, a student-run 12-hour dance marathon to benefit the Brian Piccolo Cancer Fund Drive, raised a record $125,722.57 and is still in the process of collecting funds donated after the event. More than 1,300 students, faculty and staff “danced for a difference” in memory of someone they have loved who has been affected by cancer.

“Wake ‘N Shake is a product of the entire Wake Forest community coming together,” said sophomore Lucas Swenson, who chaired the event with seniors Emily Burniston and Laura Trollinger. “We dance for a loved one who has fought, or is currently fighting, cancer and think of them throughout the entire day.”

“I am proud to say this weekend was an incredible success,” said Burniston, who has been active in Wake ‘N Shake throughout her four years at Wake Forest. “I love Wake ‘N Shake for its ability to unite and bring out the best in our student body.”

This year, the WNS executive committee, made up of 20 Wake Forest students, developed new and innovative ways to broaden the event’s reach. The team implemented a mobile giving option where donors could text ‘PIC’ to 80077 and immediately contribute $10 to the cause. Through these efforts, mobile giving collected more than $3,000 for the Brian Piccolo Cancer Fund.

The team also created a Google+ Hangout, which was viewed by more than 380 people, and live-streamed the event on the Wake ‘N Shake website. This gave donors and community members a chance to be a part of the event.

In addition to raising money for cancer research, Wake ‘N Shake’s mission is to bring campus and community awareness to the disease and inspire students to make a difference.

For the past three years, Wake ‘N Shake has brought “Team Champions” to the event, community members who have fought or are currently fighting cancer. The six champions gave moving testimonials about their experiences with the disease.

“It really hits home, because you realize cancer is all around you,” said Trollinger.

The funds raised will go to Wake Forest Baptist’s Comprehensive Cancer Center, where many of the Team Champions have undergone treatment.

Students started the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund in 1980 in memory of the Wake Forest All-American football player, who passed away at age 26 from cancer during his career with the Chicago Bears. In the 33 years since it began, the fund has raised more than $1 million for cancer research.

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.”

Gwen Ifill, moderator and managing editor of “Washington Week” and senior correspondent for the “PBS NewsHour” will deliver Wake Forest’s 2013 commencement address on Monday, May 20.

Ifill has covered six Presidential campaigns and moderated two vice presidential debates – in 2004 between Republican Vice President Dick Cheney and former Democratic Senator John Edwards and in 2008 between Democratic Senator Joe Biden and Republican Gov. Sarah Palin. She is also the best-selling author of The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama.

“Her record of achievement as a journalist and author, a significant career of reporting on current events both national and international and commitment to straightforward dialogue mean so much to the Wake Forest community,” President Nathan O. Hatch said. “Ms. Ifill’s career provides an example for young women and men at Wake Forest, and gives her great currency with our graduates, their families, and our faculty and staff.”

Before joining PBS in 1999, Ifill was chief congressional and political correspondent for NBC News, White House correspondent for The New York Times, and a local and national political reporter for The Washington Post. She reports on a wide range of issues from foreign affairs to U.S. politics and policies, interviewing national and international newsmakers. Her journalistic work has been honored by the Radio and Television News Director’s Association, Harvard’s Joan Shorenstein Center, Ebony Magazine and Boston’s Ford Hall Forum.

She currently serves on the boards of the News Literacy Project, the Committee to Protect Journalists and she is a fellow with the American Academy of Sciences. A native of New York City, Ifill graduated from Simmons College in Boston.

“I am certain Ms. Ifill will find a warm and enthusiastic welcome at Wake Forest,” Hatch said.

Also joining Wake Forest for commencement weekend will be Baccalaureate speaker Dr. Carolyn Y. Woo, president and CEO of Catholic Relief Services (CRS), the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. She came to CRS in January 2012 after a distinguished academic career.

“Dr. Woo has led a life and career characterized by academic achievement at the highest levels, strategic and visionary leadership as well as deep moral and ethical commitments that have inspired and directed both her personal and professional life,” Hatch said. “Integrity and success are not trade-offs in her career.”

Woo speaks often on issues around corporate citizenship, ethical business and individual integrity. She was born and raised in Hong Kong and immigrated to the United States to attend college at Purdue University, where she received her B.S., M.S.I.A. and Ph.D. degrees. She was the first female dean to chair the accreditation body for business schools and directed its initiative for Peace through Commerce.

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.

The Wake Forest community gathered together for Founders’ Day Convocation on Feb. 21 to celebrate the University’s founding in 1834 and the accomplishments of faculty and alumni in teaching, research and service. Applause and appreciation permeated Wait Chapel during the annual celebration, which also included videos and orations from graduating seniors reflecting on their time at Wake Forest.

View a photo gallery »
See video of the full ceremony »

Senior orations

It is an annual tradition for seniors to give orations. In Wake Forest’s early years, every graduating student delivered a speech. As the University grew, it came to be impossible for every student to speak. Now, three students are selected each year to deliver an oration at Founders’ Day that addresses how they have changed during their four years at Wake Forest.

The winners of the 2013 Senior Orations competition are:

Our Actions, Ourselves
By Joshua Courtney
“We at Wake Forest are girded by supports and institutionalized systems that we may not always see, but to which we owe a great deal. Whether because of ability, work ethic, or simple fortune, we at Wake Forest tread a comfortable and rewarding path that few have the opportunity to walk…our motto, Pro Humanitate, calls on us to shatter the illusion that knowledge is only for the privileged, that social stratification need dictate life, and that institutional injustice has to be permanent.”
Read more »

What a Tapestry WE Weave
By Dean Guerra
“As I stand here today reflecting on my time at Wake Forest I am so proud to be a part of a new page and lasting legacy that has been created here: that no matter what color, creed, religion, gender, you may be, YOU are important. I am important. WE are important because together we work to not right yesterday’s wrongs but to create a future together of equality, acceptance, understanding, and love.”
Read more »

The Confessions of a Show Dog
By Xinxin “Stephanie” Zhang
“I want to live in a world in which none of us have to perform to get to where we want to go, but I don’t think such a world is possible. However, I will always remember even as I am being externally judged that I am more than what can be quantified, more than my grades, my scores, my list of accomplishments. I will remember that behind my performance I have an authentic self. The most important part of our journeys is to not get lost.”
Read more »

Senior video

A collection of the personal reflections, graduating seniors explain what they remember most about their time at Wake Forest.

Medallion of Merit: the University’s highest honor

The Medallion of Merit, the University’s highest honor, is presented to a person who has rendered outstanding service to the University. This year it was awarded to Rhoda B. Billings (JD ’66) for her outstanding engagement in the North Carolina law community and service as a professor at Wake School of Law from 1973 until 2003. First in her law school class, she became Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court in 1985 and she served as the first female president of the North Carolina Bar Association. “Her knowledge and ability need no other endorsement than the influential positions she was asked to hold, the decisions that she was asked to make, and the grace and professionalism that she artfully executed throughout her career,” said President Nathan O. Hatch. “Her service to jurisprudence is both historic and significant.”
See the video »
Past Medallion of Merit winners »

Honors and awards

John Reinhardt Award for Distinguished Teaching
Music Professor Louis R. Goldstein received the John Reinhardt Award for Distinguished Teaching, which recognizes faculty for being a distinguished teacher who exemplifies the ideals of a liberal arts education. Described as “dedicated,” “patient,” “inspiring” and “unique,” one student said, “He taught me that music is far more than theory and technique. In his classes I experienced profound insights about the ways that music allows us to express and experience the most important aspects of our humanity.”
Read more about the award

Reid-Doyle Prize for Excellence in Teaching
Assistant Professor of Physics Oana Jurchescu, who joined the faculty in 2009, was awarded the Reid-Doyle Prize for Excellence in Teaching, which recognizes faculty who are in the early part of their careers. This past year, Jurchescu published eight articles with her students, who describe her teaching style as “challenging and rewarding.” “She builds relationships with her students on trust, teamwork, and creating an environment where failure is allowed as part of the research process,” Provost Rogan Kersh said of Jurchescu. “She encourages her students to give their best and to extend their reach, never accepting ‘good enough.’”
Read more about the award and see past recipients

Award for Excellence in Research
Assistant Professor of Chemistry Patricia Dos Santos received the Award for Excellence in Research, which is presented to a young professor for outstanding scholarship. She was recognized for her commitment to advancing scientific discovery through collaboration and her work as a research mentor. She studies the ways bacteria build important molecular structures called iron-sulfur clusters. Since Dos Santos joined the faculty in 2008, she has published 12 journal articles and two book chapters. She has also given 34 scientific presentations and been awarded more than $1 million dollars in funding, including the prestigious NSF CAREER Award.
Read more about the award and see past recipients
Read more about her research

Donald O. Schoonmaker Faculty Award for Community Service
Anne Boyle, Professor of English and Associate Dean for Student-Faculty Academic Initiatives, received the Donald O. Schoonmaker Faculty Award for Community Service. Given in memory of Professor of Politics Donald Schoonmaker, the award recognizes extraordinary community service by a teacher-scholar. “Her service and leadership on campus are extensive, including the Writing Program, Women’s and Gender Studies, the Public Engagement Advisory Board, the College Strategic Plan, and many others,” Kersh said of Boyle. “Anne does her excellent work in a quiet, gentle, kind, and unassuming manner, never seeking recognition.”
Read more about the award and see past recipients

Kulynych Family Omicron Delta Kappa Award
Ken Zick, Vice President and Dean of Student Affairs and Professor of Law, was awarded the Kulynych Family Omicron Delta Kappa Award for bridging the gap between the classroom and student life. Zick has challenged Wake Forest students for the last 30 years to explore learning opportunities outside the classroom. A passionate teacher and mentor, he has counseled and engaged students on the larger questions facing their generation and guided them on their journeys at Wake Forest and beyond. On June 30, Zick will step down from the vice president position after 25 years in that role. He plans to return to teaching following a year’s leave.
Read more about the award and see past recipients

Joseph Branch Excellence in Teaching Award
Associate Professor of Legal Writing Tracey Banks Coan was presented the Joseph Branch Excellence in Teaching Award, which is given to a professor at the School of Law who displays outstanding teaching and service to the legal profession. Coan was recognized for her work in developing and directing the Law School’s Academic Success Program. Students state that the lessons they learned in Coan’s Secured Transactions course challenged them and gave them the confidence they needed to succeed.
Read more about the award and see past recipients

Marcellus E. Waddill Excellence in Teaching Award
The Waddill Excellence in Teaching Award was established in 1994 in honor of Professor Emeritus of Mathematics Marcellus Waddill, who retired from Wake Forest in 1997 after teaching for 35 years. The award is funded by his son David and given to two alumni who are exemplary classroom teachers. This year, Laura Bilton (’01), a second grade teacher at Old Town Elementary School in Winston-Salem, N.C., received the Waddill Award on the elementary level for her excellence in reaching students of diverse needs.

Jon Williams (’95), who teaches social studies at McMichael High School in Mayodan, N.C., received the Waddill Award on the secondary level for the variety of instructional strategies he uses to engage students.

Read more about the award
See past recipients

What will define our future? Will it be our ability to share through social media, our quest to use Google to escape memorization or the impact our consumer society will have on the environment? The highly successful TEDxWakeForestU returns to Wake Forest’s Reynolda campus on Feb. 23 to tackle these topics.

The independently organized event licensed by TED, will be held from 12-5 p.m. in Wait Chapel and is open to the public.

“We are fortunate to have a special agreement with TEDx that allows us to gather an audience of 1,000. Most TEDx events are designed to be small, with around 100 people,” said Jake Graham (’13) one of the lead student organizers for the event. “We were thrilled with the attendance at last year’s event and hope the Piedmont-Triad turns out to hear the inspiring talks about our future.”

Graham and Mari Ishibashi (’13), who were involved with the very first TEDxWakeForestU last year, are joined by Christina Oelsner (’14), the NCIIA student ambassador, and a committee of students and faculty advisors to plan the 2013 TEDxWakeForestU. They have been working behind the scenes for months.

“The success of last year’s event with 1,400 attendees made us want to make this year’s TEDxWakeForestU even better,” said Oelsner. “We can’t wait to share the exciting ideas from these speakers with the community.”

Nine speakers will give TEDx talks, with the event divided into three sections. Unlike a typical lecture on a college campus, TEDx speakers are limited to 18 minutes. This short video explains a little more about this year’s event.

“All our speakers offer thought-provoking ideas and inspiration,” said Polly Black, director of the Center for Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship at Wake Forest. “Most TED talks are entertaining and highly accessible. They engage the audience and spark interest in new ways of thinking.” Highlights from this year’s schedule include:

• Ricky Van Veen, an alumnus and entrepreneur who combined his love for comedy and technology to create the highly successful website College Humor in his Wake Forest dorm room. His subject: You Are What You Tweet – How Media Changes in a Social World.
• Dr. Mark Bauerlein teaches English at Emory University. His latest book, “The Dumbest Generation,” takes the position that cyberculture is turning today’s youth into a society of know-nothings. His subject: Language, Age Segregation and Digital Teens.
• J. Henry Fair is a photojournalist known for challenging the status quo with his aesthetic yet provocative photos. His project, Industrial Scars, explores the impact of our consumer society on the world around us. His subject: The True Cost of Goods Sold.

Tickets are free to the Wake Forest community, and $10 for the general public. Register now at www.TEDxWakeForestU.com.

The event is sponsored by The Chambers Family Fund, the Office of the President, the Office of the Dean, the Office of the Provost, the Wake Forest University Schools of Business, and the Center for Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship.

Lion dancers, drummers, and kung fu performers joined Wake Forest students and the community to celebrate the “Year of the Snake” at The Chinese New Year Festival on Feb. 16.

This annual event, hosted by the Wake Forest Asian Student Interest Association (ASIA) with support from the Office of Multicultural Affairs and the Chinese Student Scholar Association, featured performances and activities to highlight Chinese culture.

Students from the Chinese School of Winston-Salem (K-6 graders) gave a special presentation. Dressed in traditional red, blue and purple, they presented a talent show including poetry and musical acts.

Festival goers sampled authentic Chinese dishes such as dumplings, rice cakes and fried red bean cakes. Red envelopes filled with chocolate gold coins were given out as part of the celebration. These represent the Chinese tradition of presenting money to friends and family during the holiday. The red color is thought to bring good luck.

“We love opportunities to share our cultural practices not only with the Asian student community at Wake Forest but also with the rest of the students and the community,” said senior Ting Jiang, president of ASIA. “We want guests who are unfamiliar with our culture to experience it while learning the meaning and the significance of the holiday.”

The Chinese New Year is the most important traditional Chinese holiday. This 15 day festival begins on the first day of the lunar calendar and marks the beginning of spring. The holiday has been observed for centuries and is celebrated worldwide.

“My favorite part of the event is seeing that the guests love the delicious food and the exquisite performances we have prepared for them,” Jiang said. “Nothing is better than knowing that our guests will go home and share their experiences with their loved ones.”