WFU in the news: April 17-23, 2023

FEATURED NEWS

WFU students meet critical public health needs
By Keri Brown | Wake Forest News
For one first-generation college student that came out of poverty, her experience in the program brings new meaning and fulfillment. Rosa Almonte, a junior from Greenville, North Carolina, didn’t know what to expect when she signed up for the new program, but she knew she wanted to be part of it. “Anything that I can do here, I will do it,” she said. – 4/17/2023

NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL

Character formation is central to a liberal education
Fordham Institute
The movement to reconnect knowledge and virtue is not limited to classical schools that focus on primary and secondary education. Some institutions of higher education are also taking character education seriously, such as Wake Forest University. In 2016, Wake Forest recruited Michael Lamb as a faculty member in the college, who had previously helped to launch the Oxford Character Project at Oxford University, and upon joining WFU, conceived and launched The Program for Leadership and Character in 2017. – 4/19/2023

American professors prepare for bridge-building mission to Israel
JNS
Thirty-two participants, including film professor Woody Hood, are gearing up to take part in an academic exchange exploring Israel’s history, government, culture and economy. Participants will travel throughout Israel and meet Israeli professors from their respective disciplines with the goal of developing collaborations, research projects, co-authoring articles, and establishing exchange programs between faculty and students. – 4/22/2023

Stand Your Ground laws do not allow you to ‘shoot first and ask questions later’
By David Yamane | The Hill
In this opinion piece, sociologist and American gun culture expert David Yamane writes: “Both gun owners and non-owners must understand what self-defense laws actually allow and prohibit — politically charged rhetoric like ‘shoot first’ is harmful. Stand Your Ground does not allow anyone to ‘shoot first and ask questions later.’ Not within the law, at least. Please stop saying it does.” – 4/21/2023

Meet Ariel D. Smith, ‘The Food Truck Scholar’
By Cynthia R. Greenlee | Andscape
Ariel Smith, also known as The Food Truck Scholar, has made a career of documenting Black entrepreneurs’ mobile eateries. For her doctoral dissertation at Purdue University and other projects, she interviewed about 100 food truck operators. From those conversations, she’s published a guide advising would-be food truck owners on everything from navigating rules about where food trucks can park to designing a closet-sized kitchen on wheels. Smith will join the Wake Forest faculty later this year. – 4/17/2023

REGIONAL & TRADE

A new authors alliance brings diverse and bilingual children’s books to Charlotte schools
By Soumaya El Filali | WFAE-FM (Charlotte, NC)
Dani Parker, a National Council of Teachers of English member and assistant professor of multicultural education, talks about the scarcity of highly circulated children’s books by and about people of color. “It’s not that people out here aren’t writing children’s books, it’s just that they’re not getting the same voice as some of the other books,” Parker said. – 4/06/2023

Outstanding Women in Business 2023
By Carl Wilson | Triad Business Journal
Olga Pierrakos was the founding chair of Wake Forest’s accredited engineering program. Over half of the faculty are women, and nearly half of the program’s students are women and nearly 20% are minorities. “I believe that engineers are ideally positioned to better humanity via innovations and contributions. Engineers with ethical character can transform our society,” Pierrakos said. – 4/21/2023

Winston-Salem Dash ‘rebrand’ changes baseball team’s name to the Winston-Salem Hyphens
By Lillian Johnson | Triad Business Journal
The Winston-Salem Dash are getting on board by rebranding to the Winston-Salem Hyphens. At least for one game. Journalism professor Justin Catanoso, explained that while ‘the dash’ is a great name for a baseball team, it does not represent the mark between Winston and Salem. – 4/20/2023

Wake Forest debate team makes historic sweep of tournaments
By Paul Garber | WFDD-FM (Winston-Salem, NC)
Head coach Justin Green said the keys to winning were a focus on individual students’ motivations, their hard work, and financial support for the program from benefactors Megan and John Medica. “The combination of those three things together – big tent approach, strong institutional support with a big coaching staff, and special students – has really allowed this year to become a phenomenal opportunity for success.” – 4/17/2023

LOCAL

Earth Day aligns with Wake Forest students’ erosion project
By John Deem | Winston-Salem Journal
The Earth Day timing is purely serendipitous but, as it turns out, entirely appropriate. Four Wake Forest University engineering students say a nine-month senior project they will present Saturday has allowed them to apply some of what they’ve learned over the past four years while establishing a connection with a part of Winston-Salem they otherwise wouldn’t have made. – 4/21/2023

Community Milestones
Winston-Salem Journal
Wake Forest University has clinched another national debate championship. This comes on the heels of recently winning the prestigious National Debate Tournament. The win marks a historic achievement for the Wake Forest Debate team. In 2023, they won all three major national policy debate tournaments. This includes taking home the top trophy for their win at the American Debate Association competition in early March. – 4/22/2023

Two Things: The Arby’s at Knollwood is closing, as is North Carolina’s last Sears store
By Scott Sexton | Winston-Salem Journal
“The company that once began as a remote-order and direct-delivery business has now all but lost the battle for survival to a retail environment that is, once again, becoming remote-order and direct-delivery,” noted marketing professor Roger Beahm. – 4/17/2023

WFU students will build colorful, at home study spaces for local kids
Yes! Weekly
Wake Forest University students will gather on Davis Field Wednesday, April 19 from 3 to 6:30 p.m. to paint desks for local elementary school children as part of an annual service project called Discovering Education through Student Knowledge or DESK. – 4/19/2023