Angela Mazaris has been selected by Wake Forest to establish a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning and Queer (LGBTQ) Center at the Reynolda Campus. The center will be a source of educational programming, support and advocacy for the entire campus community.

Biology professor William E. Conner has been named the first David and Lelia Farr Professor of Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship. The $2 million endowed chair recognizes Conner’s work in encouraging student start-ups.

The Barn, a new gathering space for students, will officially open September 1 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 2 p.m. The approximately 6,000 square-foot building will be a venue for student-planned activities.

Wake Forest is opening its 2011-2012 academic year with a recently launched emergency website called Wake Alert. The centerpiece of a multi-faceted emergency alert system, Wake Alert is accessible to anyone at http://wakealert.wfu.edu.

Wake Forest officials are staying on track with the weekend schedule for freshman orientation and other back-to-school activities, while monitoring closely news reports of the progress of Hurricane Irene.

Two teachers — an elementary school teacher in Kernersville and a high school math teacher in Clemmons — have been named winners of Wake Forest University’s 2011 Marcellus Waddill Excellence in Teaching Award.

Wake Forest and the Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce are partnering to offer 25 minority businesses one year of free Chamber membership. The program will assist the growth and development of minority and women-owned businesses.

Wake Forest University and Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center have joined 29 other universities in an initiative called Gig.U, the University Community Next Generation Innovation Project, which aims to accelerate the deployment of ultra-high-speed computer networks.

The University’s new Associate Vice President for Leadership Development, Evelyn Williams, envisions a program to teach students how to build and flex their leadership muscles — preparing them for careers in any field.

The following Wake Forest University students have been named to the university’s Dean’s List for the 2011 spring semester. Students who achieve a 3.4 and no grade below a C were named to the list. Download (.xls) Press Contacts: Eaton, Brett Executive Director, News and Communications eatonbd@wfu.edu 336.758.5237