Dean Franco uses literature to help his students change the way they see the world. In his new book, “Race, Rights and Recognition,” he explores how great writers can alter the way we understand the social and racial challenges of modern Jewishness.

More than 30 of Ray Kuhn’s former students, plus their spouses or significant others, gathered in Clemmons last month to celebrate their mentor’s 70th birthday and their shared experiences as his research partners. Kuhn’s work as a mentor has grown a close-knit group that spans generations.

Inspired by the tattoos on her Algerian grandmother’s face, Yasmin Bendaas (’13) wanted to know more about how this custom began, and why it is disappearing. With the help of the Richter Scholarship and a Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting fellowship, Bendaas spent the summer in Algeria researching.

Undergraduate research has been a cornerstone of Wake Forest’s commitment to academic excellence. Now the Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (URECA) Center provides student grants and administrative support for mentored, undergraduate research and encourages high-quality programs of great impact.

Wake Forest stands on 300 acres of property once owned by R.J. and Katharine Reynolds. Who were these two powerful players? Historian Michele Gillespie’s new book is the first official biography of the couple and their influence on Winston-Salem.

When staff assistant Linda Tuttle was diagnosed with breast cancer, she never imagined her experience would inspire her colleagues to design new treatments. But medicinal chemist Uli Bierbach and graduate students Song Ding and Xin Qiao were inspired to develop a targeted therapy that delivers a sneak attack to the disease – in the spirit of Pro Humanitate.

Timo Thonhauser has taken on one of the toughest problems of making hydrogen cars a reality: hydrogen storage. His research is supported by the most prestigious award the National Science Foundation has to offer for young scientists, given to a select few junior faculty nationwide who excel as teacher-scholars.

This past summer Amy DeSalvo enrolled in ACC 221. What made this accounting class different than a regular semester-long class was the chance to study abroad and fulfill a degree requirement in one summer term.

Wake Forest’s Student Art Gallery (START) been showcasing works by Anderson Williams in an exhibit entitled “(Re)Generations.” This Homecoming, the 1999 graduate visits his alma mater and shares his thoughts about what it means to be an artist.

For Hispanic Heritage Month, NBC Latino is featuring people who have not only made incredible strides in their careers but also pioneered change in the country. Wake Forest’s Paul Pauca was honored for developing Verbal Victor, an app to help children with communication challenges.