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Cheryl Walker

Executive Director, News and Communications

Cheryl V. Walker has been a writer and public relations professional in higher education for more than three decades. On topics ranging from parent-teen relationships to voting behavior, she handles media relations for a range of academic and administrative departments, including the social sciences and admissions.

When Wake Forest was the first top-30 national university to drop the SAT/ACT requirement for undergraduate admissions, she coordinated the university’s media outreach regarding the test-optional decision. She has been a CASE and PRSA presenter and has collaborated with colleagues to win CASE awards, including a 2014 Award of Excellence. In 2000, she gained experience handling the public relations challenges of hosting a Presidential Debate.

Cheryl graduated from Wake Forest with a B.A. in English.


Stories by Cheryl


Teens aren’t the problem. Stereotypes are.

Teenagers are often seen as moody, rebellious and overly focused on what their peers think. Wake Forest Psychology Professor Christy Buchanan says these stereotypes can hinder good parenting and negatively affect parent-teen relationships. Buchanan, a developmental psychologist, has spent years researching parenting beliefs and practices. Her research suggests that negative stereotypes about adolescents can lead…


Wake Forest expands to Charlotte’s Innovation District, marking historic milestone in education

Wake Forest University is dramatically increasing its impact in North Carolina by developing a new academic campus in The Pearl, Charlotte’s innovation district. The Pearl officially opened its doors this week. Anchored by the Wake Forest University School of Medicine, the expansion is poised to transform medical education, research and economic development in one of…


WFU's Educating Character Initiative announces 2025 Capacity-Building Grant recipients

The Educating Character Initiative (ECI), a part of the Program for Leadership and Character at Wake Forest University, has awarded 40 grants of up to $50,000, impacting 42 institutions nationwide seeking to educate and embed character in their distinctive contexts of higher education.  “We were overwhelmed by the quality of the proposals we received this…


Using math to address Baltimore’s transportation challenges

When Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed in 2024, the disaster added to the city’s complex transportation challenges. A Wake Forest University team used mathematics to model solutions to the city’s transportation woes. The three undergraduate students – Tougzhou Liang,  Zhanyi Qi and Flora Yi – were awarded one of the two top prizes by the…

Categories: Awards & Recognition


Pope Leo XIV is Augustinian: WFU expert can provide context

The newly elected pope, Leo XIV, previously led the Order of St. Augustine and identifies as an Augustinian. What does that mean?  Understanding St. Augustine and his intellectual and spiritual influence can provide important context for the upcoming papacy. A Wake Forest University professor can offer insight on the teachings of a man who lived…

Categories: Experts