WFU in the news: Sept. 13-19

FEATURED NEWS

Class of 2020 Celebrates Commencement on Campus
By Cheryl V. Walker | news.wfu.edu
More than 700 graduates from the Class of 2020 returned to Wake Forest University on Saturday, Sept. 18, to walk across the stage in front of Wait Chapel for a long-awaited, in-person commencement ceremony honoring them on Hearn Plaza. A photo gallery is available here. Video here. – 9/18/2021

WFU puts students face-to-face with Malcolm Gladwell
By Kim McGrath | news.wfu.edu
Hundreds of students from Wake Forest and area colleges and high schools enjoyed an hour with journalist and author of “Blink” and “Outliers” Malcolm Gladwell yesterday in Wait Chapel. The student event – a unique opportunity for questions and answers with Gladwell – was held prior to the first in-person Face to Face Speaker Forum since the launch of the signature speaker series. – 9/15/2021

NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL

Political orientation predicts science denial – here’s what that means for getting Americans vaccinated against COVID-19
By Adrian Bardon | The Conversation
Philosophy professor Adrian Bardon writes: Is there any hope of depolarizing the issue of COVID-19 vaccination, or trust in science itself? I’d say probably not until leaders in conservative politics, media and religion exert a concerted effort to change the narrative. – 9/16/2021

Signs it might be time to change jobs
By Allison McWilliams | Psychology Today
So how do you know when it’s time to make a change? While there are all sorts of reasons, Allison McWilliams, assistant vice president of mentoring and alumni personal and career development at Wake Forest, offers four clear signs it’s time to do something different. – 9/13/2021

World-renowned research scientist contributes to the evolution of fiduciary studies
The Valdosta Daily Times
Sean Hannah, one of the faculty members of the Center for Board Certified Fiduciaries, has been selected as one of the top scientific researchers in the world. Hannah is a distinguished chaired professor at Wake Forest’s School of Business and an internationally renowned leadership trainer and consultant. – 9/13/2021

Wake Forest School of Divinity brings faith to the Gilead COMPASS Initiative®
Yahoo Finance
“Part of our excitement about connecting with the Gilead COMPASS Initiative® is this recognition that in the U.S. South, you cannot effectively address HIV and AIDS without thinking about faith communities,” said Rev. Senior Associate Dean Shonda Jones. “Our enterprise for educating is not just for the sake of learning. We are doing the work that we do here at Wake Forest for humanity.” – 9/15/2021

HBCU presidents discuss campus infrastructure needs
By Rebecca Kelliher | Diverse: Issues In Higher Education
Politics professor Melissa Harris-Perry said, “Infrastructure includes things you see like buildings and roads. And things you don’t see. They all have a tremendous impact on academics.” – 9/13/2021

U.S. civil rights leader applauds police chokehold ban, urges congress to move on Floyd Act
Sputnik
Law professor Kami Chavis said she continues to hope that communities will be able to reimagine public safety that will truly protect marginalized communities. “I am hopeful and moderately optimistic. There have been changes because of the protests. They are generating data that I would like to see in the next five years or so to see if these measures have taken hold.” – 9/17/2021

Judge not: Don’t let disagreements lead to disdain
By Eranda Jayawickreme | Philadelphia Inquirer
“Do assume the best of intentions when disagreements arise. If you take a step back and remind yourself that they’re not a bad person, you can disagree without being disagreeable,” writes psychology professor Eranda Jayawickreme. – 9/13/2021

REGIONAL & TRADE

Bank boards lag on equal representation
By Caroline Hudson | Bizwomen – Charlotte Business Journal
The lack of representation in leadership suggests that while there is success in recruiting diverse talent, it doesn’t translate to retaining or promoting women and minorities in financial services, said Wake Forest business professor Julie Wayne.
9/17/2021

LOCAL

Gambling bill moved to committee in the North Carolina House
By Richard Craver | Winston-Salem Journal
The odds are low that the state House will address SB688 in the current session, said politics professor John Dinan. “There is just so much else on the legislature’s agenda for the rest of 2021, namely the budget and redistricting, that it is much more likely that the sports betting bill would be considered next year.” – 9/17/2021

Supporters of Happy Hill Cemetery push ahead with their efforts to maintain the burial ground
By John Hinton | Winston-Salem Journal
Researchers at Wake Forest University School of Law Community Law and Business Clinic discovered in past years that the church owned a section of the cemetery. – 9/18/2021

His mural cast Wake Forest’s Demon Deacon as a robber baron
By Fran Daniel | Winston-Salem Journal
Harry Knabb, the chairman and chief executive of Art for Art’s Sake, said he takes full responsibility for taking down the mural, adding that AFAS officials did not talk to the festival sponsor or Wake Forest about the work. A post on English professor Dean Franco’s Facebook page is included in the story. “Censorship is not the main issue here,” he shared. – 9/18/2021

Back Button
By Lillian Johnson | Triad Business Journal
Wake Forest senior Thomas Conrad said the pandemic served as a catalyst for the retro gaming community because people were dusting off their old Gameboys to experience it anew. Since launching in the summer of 2020, the company has been revenue-positive. Vetro Gaming also sells pre-modified Gameboys that Conrad refurbishes himself. – 9/14/2021

Judges who struck down North Carolina’s voter ID law made the right decision
By John Hinton | Winston-Salem Journal
“This particular lawsuit,” Dinan said, “is just one of several lawsuits that will continue to work their way through state and federal court systems in coming months and years and that will likely result in a range of legal outcomes depending on which judges and which courts are considering the issue.” – 9/18/2021

Interactive map: Who are North Carolina’s top 5 employers by county?
By Justyn Melrose | WGHP-TV (High Point, NC)
Out of 100 counties, 55 have education services as their top industry. Many counties even have more than one education business on their top 5 lists. Guilford County, for example, includes UNC Greensboro as its fourth-largest employer, and Forsyth County includes Wake Forest University as its fifth. – 9/13/2021

WAKE FOREST NEWS

Eviction is about more than losing a home
By Kim McGrath | news.wfu.edu
Cultural anthropologist Sherri Lawson Clark, who studies public housing policy and low-income homeownership, moderated an online panel discussion on Sept. 16 about the impact of evictions on communities of color. The event was hosted by Wake Forest’s Race, Inequality, and Policy Initiative, a multidisciplinary research initiative created to support research, teaching and community engagement. – 9/14/2021

Maya Angelou Artist-in-Residence Award nominations open
By Kim McGrath | news.wfu.edu
The award will honor world-renowned artists who reflect Maya Angelou’s passions for creating, performing and teaching. Nominations may be submitted on the Wake the Arts website through Oct. 15. – 9/15/2021