WFU in the news: March 7-13

FEATURED NEWS

The complicated truth of post-traumatic growth
By David Robson | BBC

We are often told about people’s capacity to thrive after trauma – but these claims may put unnecessary pressure on survivors. “In some cases, this narrative around the potential to grow could be oppressive,” said psychology professor Eranda Jayawickreme, whose research is featured in this piece. “It creates the expectation that not only do I have to recover from what happened to me, but apparently, I’m supposed to become better than ever before.” And this pressure, he thinks, could lead to worse mental health outcomes for some individuals. – 3/13/2022

NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL

Sanctions have been a predominantly American weapon since WWII
By Amanda Shendruk, Ana Campoy | Quartz
So the U.S. took on the sanction mantle. “In 1945, the U.S.-controlled half of all world GDP, the highest ever in modern times,” said Benjamin Coates, a history professor at Wake Forest University. The country also saw itself as the supporter of the “free peoples…resisting attempted subjugation,” as former president Harry Truman put it. – 3/11/2022

If we truly want a level playing field, we must focus on social capital
By Andy Chan and Kristina Francis | Times Higher Education
We must work to redesign career services to address the unique needs and lives of students amid the new world of recruiting and work. We must ensure that relationship-building and developing social capital, especially for students from communities long under-represented in higher education, is an essential component of the student experience, writes Andy Chan, vice president of innovation and career development. – 3/13/2022

Florida’s bill restricting LGBTQ discussion will hurt all children, LGBTQ and straight
By Marie-Amélie George | The Washington Post
In this opinion piece, law professor Marie-Amélie George shares why Florida’s new law is just the latest chapter in a history of school policies that hurt learning and breed bigotry. – 3/09/2022

The Amazon could soon transition to a dry, Savanna-like ecosystem
By Jenny McKee | Audubon
“That’s a major change in one of earth’s most important systems,” said Miles Silman, an ecologist at Wake Forest University who studies forest dynamics in the Amazon. Climate change fuels the deadly trio of drought, fire and deforestation that is pushing the Amazon beyond its limits. “Put forests in the equation with humans and fire, and things change really dramatically.” – 3/08/2022

Wake Forest finds a Dean with close ties to the school and state
By Marc Ethier | Poets & Quants
Just in time for International Women’s Day, Wake Forest has hired Annette Ranft. The University could hardly have found someone with more experience to lead its business school. “My experience as a Wake Forest faculty member exposed me to the ideals of the teacher-scholar model, to the importance of the whole person, and to the values consistent with serving humanity,” said Ranft. – 3/07/2022

10 data science and business analytics courses that should be on every executive’s radar
By Sydney Lake | Fortune
Through Wake Forest University’s Analytics for Leaders, participants focus on understanding analytics strategy, data visualization, influencing, and problem framing. “Knowing the right questions to ask in addressing analytics challenges, and then being able to visualize actionable solutions, is critical to properly aligning talent and resources to maximize return on investment,” said Kerry Shronts, executive director of Wake Forest Executive Education. – 3/07/2022

REGIONAL & TRADE

Can health care innovation turn the tide for the Triad?
By Lillian Johnson | Triad Business Journal
Wake Forest University received almost $125 million in funding from the NIH in 2021 alone, making it the third-highest recipient in the state, according to the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research. Of the 164 grants the university received, 31 of them were more than $1 million. – 3/11/2022

LOCAL

Exiled Chinese artist’s photographs reflect her isolation and grief during her late husband’s political imprisonment
By Tom Patterson | Winston-Salem Journal
It’s a free country. Or is it? It depends on what country we’re talking about – in this case, China, the original home of artist Liu Xia, whose solo exhibition at Wake Forest University’s Hanes Art Gallery invariably raises issues of political repression and the impulse to liberation. – 3/12/2022

Where the jobs are: Triad companies are paying more as new industries flock to the area
By Steve Doyle | WGHP-TV (High Point, NC)
Based on data compiled last spring, all together, the largest employers in the Triad region employed about 125,000, ranging from more than 20,000 at Atrium Wake Forest Baptist Health to more than 2,300 at Wake Forest University. – 3/09/2022

Triad gas prices surge for drivers
By Justin Shrair | WXII-TV (Winston Salem, NC)
Economics professor Robert Whaples said people are experiencing sticker shock, as gas prices continue to rise due to the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia. “We are not letting Russia supply as much oil to the world market anymore and counties are afraid if they do business with Russia that the U.S. and other big countries are going to put sanctions on them,” he said. – 3/07/2022

In ‘Still I Rise,’ Reynolda House reckons with its past treatment of Black workers, artists
By Sayaka Matsuoka | Triad City Beat
The archival footage on display as part of Still I Rise: The Black Experience at Reynolda, aims to tell a fuller, honest history of the Reynolda House, from before its inception to its conversion into a museum to the present day, by including the experiences of Black, enslaved workers and artists. – 3/10/2022

WAKE FOREST NEWS

Physics professor brings first NSF Special Creativity award to WFU
By Kim McGrath | Wake Forest News
A team of researchers have received a rare and coveted National Science Foundation Special Creativity extension for their current grant. This award allows the group to take on high-risk, high-reward opportunities in electronic materials. Wake Forest physics professor Oana Jurchescu leads the Wake Forest effort. Only a very small number of NSF grants are awarded a Special Creativity extension. Jurchescu is the first WFU faculty member to receive this award. Special Creativity extension recipients are expected to transform their field. – 3/08/2022

Are economic sanctions against Russia the answer?
By Cheryl V. Walker | Wake Forest News
From a ban on Russian oil imports to McDonald’s closure of restaurants, economic sanctions have been an important part of the U.S. response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In this Q&A, history professor Benjamin Coates explains how sanctions have been used in the past, how they are being used against Russia and the impact they are likely to have. – 3/11/2022

Will machines replace human workers?
By Kim McGrath and Chris Amaral (’23) | Wake Forest News
Economists have long studied the question of whether machines might one day replace human workers, but the advent of new technologies makes it particularly important as we consider the future of work in the 21st century. New research by economics professor Mark Curtis sheds light on the question by studying a tax policy that incentivized firms to invest in new machinery. – 3/10/2022

WFU to celebrate inauguration of Susan R. Wente as 14th president
By Cheryl V. Walker | Wake Forest News
Wake Forest will celebrate the inauguration of Susan R. Wente as the University’s 14th president with a five-day series of events starting promoting service and showcasing the University. Representatives from around the country will gather at Wake Forest to participate in a celebration of academic achievement, leadership and community. The official inauguration ceremony will be held March 25 at 3 p.m. in Wait Chapel. – 3/09/2022