WFU names Nell Jessup Newton interim provost
Nell Jessup Newton, University of Notre Dame Professor Emerita, has been named interim provost of Wake Forest University beginning August 1, 2025.
Newton is a distinguished lawyer, legal scholar and educator with more than 20 years of academic and administrative leadership experience. Newton served with distinction as Wake Forest’s interim dean of the School of Law during the 2022-2023 academic year. During her tenure, Wake Forest’s motto and mission resonated deeply, and she developed meaningful relationships with faculty, staff and students.
Wake Forest President Susan R. Wente said, “Professor Newton was a critical partner on the University Cabinet during her interim dean year, and made strong connections with the school and College deans and the Provost Office team, which makes her an excellent fit to lead during this important transition at the provost level.”
As interim Provost, Newton will provide leadership to the Provost’s Office and the Deans’ Council and return as a member of the University Cabinet. She will also hold the title of University Professor, reflecting her broad-based scholarly excellence.
“I am excited to return to Wake Forest University and help the University sustain its impressive momentum during this transitional period,” Newton said. “Wake Forest’s commitment to academic excellence is well known among higher education leaders, and I look forward to working with President Wente to identify what Wake Forest needs most from this position at this particular moment in its history.”
Professor Newton has a deep and demonstrated commitment to the liberal arts and the humanities. She graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in interdisciplinary humanities, focusing on ancient Greek language. She earned her J.D. from the University of California College of Law, San Francisco (formerly known as Hastings College of Law).
She served as Notre Dame Law School’s 10th dean from 2009 until 2019, building the School’s curricular strengths in business, international law, and intellectual property. During her tenure as Dean, Notre Dame launched eight new interdisciplinary programs of study, as well as clinics for low-income taxpayers, community development, intellectual property, and entrepreneurship. She also led initiatives to expand international education opportunities for Notre Dame Law in Italy, China, Chile, Ireland, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
Professor Newton is a prominent scholar of U.S. Indian Law and the editor-in-chief of Cohen’s Handbook of Federal Indian Law, the only scholarly treatise in the field. She was a trustee of the University of Notre Dame in England charity during her tenure as dean. She has also held numerous national positions in the legal education community, including the NALP (National Association for Law Placement) Foundation for Law Career Research and Education, the American Bar Association, the Association of American Law Schools, and the Law School Admissions Council. For the 2021-2022 academic year, Newton served as interim dean at the University of Miami School of Law. While in that role, she strengthened the law school’s admissions and career development services.
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