WFU in the news: April 8-14, 2024

FEATURED NEWS

What O.J. Simpson and his murder trial told us about race in America
By Emmanuel Felton, Rachel Hatzipanagos | The Washington Post
Assistant professor of media studies Phillip Lamarr Cunningham said many of his students view Simpson as a true-crime figure rather than the athlete he remembers. Cunningham, who was a young man during the trial, said that he still struggles with the not guilty verdict. “Just like everybody else, I had to wrestle with the reality that he very well may have done it, alongside the fact that he is this Black man who had for all intents and purposes, made it,” Cunningham said. – 4/11/2024

NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL

From Reagan to Obama, presidents have left office with ‘strategic regret’
By William Walldorf | San Francisco Chronicle
Presidencies don’t have to end in strategic regret. And like their predecessors, Biden or Trump would have options. Presidents Johnson, Reagan, Clinton and Obama chose the wrong options and regretted it. Their experiences and the ghosts of history serve as a warning when it comes to U.S. forces in Syria and Iraq now. – 4/09/2024

Sri Lanka turns to China for more investment help
By Maria Siow | South China Morning Post
Politics and international affairs professor Neil DeVotta said the offer to further develop the Hambantota Port was part of nine bilateral agreements and could be viewed as a development package. But since no details on the signed memorandums of understanding were provided, DeVotta said it was unclear if the move was a “win-win” investment. “Unfortunately, the construction of the Hambantota Port is yet to benefit people in that region even as it has made Sri Lanka fiscally more vulnerable.” – 4/08/2024

How North African railway is on track to helping China de-risk its iron ore supply
Yahoo Finance
The railway from Bechar to Tindouf is critical for the transport of ore concentrate, said Associate Professor of Politics and International Affairs Lina Benabdallah, both for local and international markets. “The project is interesting to the Algerian government for the potential for income diversification and economic growth… This signals both to the fact that China and Algeria have enjoyed very strong relations since the 1950s and Algeria’s anti-colonial war, and also the continuous strength of the diplomatic ties over the decades.” – 4/08/2024

Best Graduate Schools Ranked in 2023-2024 – US News
U.S. News & World Report
The Wake Forest University School of Business Master of Business Administration (MBA) program is once again recognized among the best programs in the country, ranking at No. 21 among part-time programs nationwide and No. 1 among North Carolina programs, according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2024 Best Graduate Schools list.

REGIONAL & TRADE

Generative AI poses new possibilities, challenges for legal industry
By Christa Dutton, reporting intern | Triad Business Journal
“Law as a profession, on the whole, has been traditionally very slow to adopt technology,” said law professor Keith Robinson. “They want to be the first follower, but they don’t want to be the first adopter. Because the riskiest thing to do is to be the first adopter. Lawyers are traditionally risk averse.” – 4/11/2024

What an internal investigation means following a police shooting incident
By David Ford | WFDD-FM (Winston-Salem, NC)
Two deputies are currently presumed innocent and have been placed on administrative leave for the time being. Law professor Mark Rabil said this has been standard practice for decades. “The State Bureau of Investigation will then come in and interview the officer, and they’ll look at body cam footage, listen to the 911 recordings and to whatever the witnesses had to say originally. Their goal is to try to determine, from the point of view of the officers, did they have a reasonable basis to use deadly force.” – 4/09/2024

The 64 Prettiest College Campuses in America
By Stefanie Waldek, Katherine McLaughlin, Elizabeth Stamp | Architectural Digest
Many schools have beautiful elements—like immaculate dining halls, otherworldly dorms, or jaw-dropping libraries. Wake Forest University is included among 63 others in this list that stun across the board. – 4/08/2024

LOCAL

Global institute touts Innovation Quarter as land role model
By Richard Craver | Winston-Salem Journal
“Wake Forest’s leadership, coupled with city and county support using tax credits and infrastructure improvements, drove the development and seems to model the author’s conclusions about the importance of leadership, government creativity and land use,” said Don Martin, chairman of the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners. – 4/14/2024

Wake Forest part-time MBA program ranked 21st nationally by US News
By Richard Craver | Winston-Salem Journal
The Master of Business Administration program at Wake Forest University School of Business is ranked No. 21 nationally for its part-time program in the 2024 Best Graduate Schools list by U.S. News & World Report. The 20-month program offers three degree concentrations: business analytics, finance and leadership and strategy. The program accommodates working professionals’ diverse needs with hybrid, in-person and online format options. – 4/10/2024

Advocacy program is a voice for children in court in central North Carolina
Spectrum News Charlotte
A study by the Wake Forest University of Law shows when Children’s Law Center of North Carolina was appointed, better outcomes resulted for the child along with a reduction in violence. – 4/11/2024