Media Advisory: WFU Awards and Recognitions Briefs

Wake Forest University has been recognized as a sustainability leader in the 2015 Sustainable Campus Index. The 2015 Sustainable Campus Index highlights top-performing colleges and universities in 17 areas, as measured by the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS).

Wake Forest earned 100 percent of points available in the Coordination and Planning subcategory, which recognizes institutions that are dedicating resources to sustainability coordination, developing plans to move toward sustainability, and engaging the campus community in governance.

Student captures No. 5 spot in national ROTC Order of Merit List

Wake Forest senior Addison S. McLamb, an Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) cadet ranked fifth on the national Order of Merit List (OML). McLamb, a Lexington, N.C. native, was ranked based on a number of criteria, which includes a superior grade point average, strong athletic performance in the Army Physical Fitness Test and college athletic participation, performance during college ROTC training and the Cadet Leadership Course. McLamb is majoring in Chinese.

Award-winning student photograph to exhibit in Smithsonian Natural History Museum

Wake Forest sophomore and nature photographer Suyash Keshari was named the winner in the Wildlife category of “Nature’s Best Photography Asia” magazine’s photo contest – a competition for images taken in Asia by photographers residing anywhere. Keshari’s Bengal tiger photo will be on display as part of a 20th Anniversary Awards Exhibition at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of National History in Washington, D.C. starting Oct. 24.

Beavers receives prestigious NIH award

Kristen Beavers, assistant professor of health and exercise science, has been awarded a prestigious National Institutes of Health (NIH) K01 Mentored Research Scientist Development Award. It’s the first K01 awarded to a junior research faculty member on the Wake Forest campus. K01 awards are designed to promote the career development of the recipient based on their past training and career stage.

The award provides support and protected time for an intensive, supervised career development experience in the biomedical, behavioral or clinical sciences – ultimately leading to research independence. Beavers’ K01 award is in the amount of $473,549 for four years and requires a 75 percent research commitment. Broadly, her areas of study and research interest include nutrition and exercise as they relate to the prevention of disease and disability in older adults.

Betina Wilkinson receives early career award

Betina Cutaia Wilkinson, assistant professor of politics and international affairs, recently received the inaugural Early Career Award given by the Midwest Political Science Association (MPSA) Latino/a Caucus. She received the award at the MPSA Conference in Chicago.

Wilkinson, who was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and immigrated to the U.S. at the age of six, received her doctoral degree from Louisiana State University in 2010. Her research and teaching interests include race and ethnicity, Latino/a politics, race and media, public opinion and immigration policy.

Wilkinson is an American Political Science Association Minority Fellow and a Southern Regional Education Board Doctoral Scholar. She is the author of several journal articles and book chapters. Her forthcoming book, “Partners or Rivals? Power and Latino, Black and White Relations in the 21st Century,” will be published by University of Virginia Press.

Tim Wilkinson joins Wake Forest as the associate dean for student engagement, wins award

Tim Wilkinson, has been appointed associate dean for student engagement. In his role, Wilkinson works with community members to strengthen support for student leaders, the events they plan and the risks they manage. Wilkinson came to Wake Forest after a 10-year tenure at Lehigh University where he was senior assistant dean of students/director of fraternity and sorority affairs. Recently, the Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors announced Wilkinson as the winner of the Sue Kraft Fussell Distinguished Service Award for his work in the fraternity and sorority community at Lehigh. The award will be presented to Wilkinson in December.

Holmes joins Wake Forest as associate dean of students for student conduct

Valerie Holmes joined Wake Forest as the associate dean of students for student conduct in August. Holmes will partner with students, faculty and staff to facilitate our community’s Student Code of Conduct and develop resources that meaningfully engage students in an exploration of the importance of local citizenship, ethics and integrity.

Adams joins Wake Forest as director of fraternity and sorority life

Betsy Adams joined Wake Forest as director of fraternity and sorority life in September and will be responsible for overseeing the fraternity and sorority community. Adams will be the primary contact for Wake Forest’s Greek undergraduate, alumni, parent and International headquarters partners.

Wake Forest Museum of Anthropology names new academic director

Andrew Gurstelle has been named academic director at Wake Forest University’s Museum of Anthropology. Gurstelle, an anthropologist whose research focuses on the history and archaeology of West Africa, is committed to looking at how partnerships between international and community museums might be key to safeguarding African cultural landscapes. Under Gurstelle’s leadership, the Museum of Anthropology’s mission is to foster awareness and understanding of global cultures.