@WAKE: Newsletter
February 2025
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Beth Norbrey Hopkins (’73, P ’12) and Dr. Larry Hopkins (’72, MD ’77, P ’12) in 2020 and Don Flow (MBA ’83) on Feb. 20 |
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FROM THE EDITOR |
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Honoring devoted Deacons Today, I’m celebrating the recognition of three Wake Foresters who have helped this University flourish for decades. The Founders Day ceremony in Wait Chapel on Feb. 20 brought this excellent news: Don Flow (MBA ’83) of Winston-Salem received the Medallion of Merit, the University’s highest honor, and University trustees renamed South Residence Hall as Dr. Larry D. Hopkins and Professor Beth N. Hopkins Hall — Hopkins Hall, for short. Flow is chairman and CEO of Flow Automotive Companies and has been recognized locally and statewide as an outstanding citizen in promoting economic and cultural gains. As a trustee, he has served his alma mater for years, chairing the record-breaking Wake Will campaign that led to renovated dorms and the construction of Farrell Hall. President Emeritus Nathan O. Hatch (L.H.D. ’21) calls him “a force at Wake Forest,” someone widely regarded as combining heart with intellect to get things done. Flow was an obvious choice for the Medallion of Merit. Beth Norbrey Hopkins (’73, P ’12) and her husband, the late Dr. Larry Hopkins (’72, MD ’77, P ’12), both were Wake Forest professors and trailblazing students who became devoted alumni and trustees. Beth Hopkins, a Distinguished Alumni Award winner in 2023, taught in the law school and retired in 2016 as director of its Smith Anderson Center for Community Outreach. Larry Hopkins, a beloved physician known for improving prenatal care in Winston-Salem, was an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University’s medical school. He received the Distinguished Alumni Award in 1987 and the Medallion of Merit in 2020. He died in November 2020. The college sweethearts faced racial barriers as undergraduates at Wake Forest, but they were not to be deterred. They worked to mentor students, to help all students feel like they belong and to make the University stronger. How wonderful to know that these three alumni who have served their community and their University so well will be remembered forever in Wake Forest history for the love and generosity they have shown. Congratulations! Sincerely, |
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January 2025
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The Nori Press co-founders, Annabel Love (’18) and Courtney Toll (’18), were interviewed on the “Today” show last fall. |
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FROM THE EDITOR |
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What a good idea! Having taught journalism at Wake Forest, I have met plenty of students over the years. Often, they claim entrepreneurship as one of their minors, and their enthusiasm for the program always runs high. One of those students teamed up with her sophomore-year roommate and created a travel-ready, unique combination of steamer and iron — The Nori Press. It wasn’t long before these Demon Deacon entrepreneurs who vowed to turn the ironing industry upside down landed on the “Oprah’s Favorite Things 2022” list with their novel device. Last fall, they were on the “Today” show. That’s only one example of students wanting to turn things upside down, develop a profitable hack or find a better solution. Entrepreneurship is so popular at Wake Forest that more than 400 students enrolled in courses last fall. Now comes news that the skyrocketing minor has received a phenomenal boost. An anonymous donor made a $30 million gift last month to expand the Center for Entrepreneurship. Look for the hiring of more seasoned entrepreneurs to teach more classes, smaller class sizes, new courses, collaborative spaces and more startup opportunities for students. One of the best days at Wake Forest is Entrepalooza, where students pitch their ideas to an audience. As I see it, one of the best days is about to get better. Here’s to the generous donor, the Center for Entrepreneurship and students out to change the world. All best wishes, |
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November 2024
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Photo: Maria Henson (’82) An illuminated Wait Chapel after an autumn storm last week |
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FROM THE EDITOR |
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With gratitude By the time you receive this newsletter, you might be recovering from a Thanksgiving feast and contemplating leftovers. I know I will be. Thanksgiving remains my favorite holiday, not just for the turkey, dressing and cranberry sauce. I like how we take a day to slow down in the United States, though not all of us can observe the same schedule. Police, firefighters, hospital workers, military members — even journalists — needed to show up for work yesterday. But at some point during this Thanksgiving weekend, everyone surely has an opportunity to pause, take a belly breath and savor a moment of gratitude. I appreciate how at Wake Forest the traditions we hold dear offer those windows for reflection all year. To name but a few, there are the grand, highly visible events such as Commencement, the commissioning of Army ROTC cadets as second lieutenants, celebrations for those receiving the Medallion of Merit and Distinguished Alumni Awards, sports wins, move-in day and Lovefeast. Then there are the quieter events such as World Kindness Day on the Quad or outreach to children and families in need. Maybe the outreach is tutoring by Wake Forest students in elementary school classrooms or the delivery of toys and books by student athletes through Santa’s Helper. The relatively behind-the-scenes occasions are just as important as those on the big stage. All of the traditions represent how Wake Foresters connect and contribute to campus well-being and the community’s. For my moment of Thanksgiving reflection today, I’m feeling gratitude for my team members’ dedication at Wake Forest Magazine, for our readers and for our global Wake Forest family that not only embraces Mother, So Dear but the planet itself. I look around and recognize our motto at work, and I am grateful for what you are doing wherever you live to embody the Pro Humanitate spirit. Gratefully, |
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October 2024
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Photo: Lyndsie Schlink Students, faculty, staff and alumni participate in Hit the Bricks on Sept. 26. |
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FROM THE EDITOR |
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The Nature of This Autumn Without a doubt, fall arrived with some of the highest highs and lowest lows I can remember in my time back on campus. Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton ravaged communities that were home to Wake Foresters. Watching footage from the devastation was heartbreaking — whole communities cut off from civilization; people who lost their lives or are missing; roads collapsed; the lively River Arts District in Asheville decimated. But the response was swift. People the world over offered assistance in ways that might turn heartbreak into hope. Donations poured in, as did relief efforts by government agencies, nonprofits, church organizations and caring individuals toting bottled water and chainsaws. When it came to course work and classrooms, students here affected by the disasters needed only to ask for grace. Traditions grounded us during this time. Despite downpours, Hit the Bricks brought out runners and walkers to raise money for cancer research. URECA Day showcased the unparalleled power of mentoring; here, undergrads actually do know their professors and, if motivated, side by side, can accomplish meaningful research or creative triumphs. Sports matches ignited school spirit. The icarus Quartet performed an homage to Bartók for the Secrest Artist Series. Pulitzer Prize-winning author Elizabeth Kolbert addressed climate change at the first conference hosted by the new Andrew Sabin Family Center for Environment and Sustainability. The timing could not have been better, though the message proved understandably dire. It’s important to feel the depth of losses this month, but I also find that there is solace in knowing to the bone how much binds us in good times and bad. Sincerely, |
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September 2024
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Photo: David Hume Kennerly James Earl Jones and Penny Niven (MA ’62, D.Litt. ’92) were co-authors of “Voices and Silences,” about which Kirkus Reviews said, “(B)udding actors shouldn’t leave home without it.” |
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FROM THE EDITOR |
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Homecoming memories For me, this year’s Homecoming festivities inspired a kaleidoscopic focus on transitions. Here they came through the parking lots outside the stadium — former students nearing 30 and confessing earnestly to fully embracing the work world and introducing boyfriends to the party. Over there, in the stands, thanks to an Instagram post, was my former intern holding her blue-eyed baby boy who sported dandy Wake Forest togs. Surrounding me and chowing down on fried chicken at an over-the-top tailgate were friends of 40+ years, dating back to Bostwick and the Pollirosa. Some of them had lived in Winston-Salem since college. They remain diehard tailgaters, starting as students, then parents and now — how can it be! — grandparents. Homecoming provides the opportunity to ponder time’s passage and, for me, to pause to recall friends and Wake Foresters no longer with us. One of them came to mind immediately when I heard the news this month that actor James Earl Jones had died. Jones’ acting roles were many, his voice immediately recognizable: Darth Vader in “Star Wars” and King Mufasa in “The Lion King.” Jones was the University’s convocation speaker in 1997, but also a literary subject for a Wake Forester who died one decade and one month ago. Penelope “Penny” Niven (MA ’62, D.Litt. ’92) was a role model for me, one of our University’s most acclaimed writers and a gracious human being. Nearing 40, the high school English teacher started researching and writing, and 14 years later she published a biography of Carl Sandburg hailed by The New York Times as groundbreaking. She kept publishing until her death at age 75. Among her books was “Voices and Silences,” which she co-authored with Jones to document the actor’s life. In ZSR Library’s Special Collections & Archives are Niven’s papers, including the transcripts of her interviews with Jones about “The Lion King.” Seeing the archival notes keeps my friend close. Niven wanted part of her epitaph to be “I have taught, written, and lived with joy.” Homecoming, for so many, provides essential memories that Niven would recognize. Never mind the score. It’s the joy. With best wishes, |
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August 2024
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Photo: Lyndsie Schlink New students and their families gathered on Hearn Plaza on Aug. 21 for the Making of a Demon Deacon event. |
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FROM THE EDITOR |
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Home away from home I wandered around the Quad last week to enjoy the annual scene of first-year students finding their way with families in tow. Blue skies. Plush lawn. Flowers in bloom. Wait Chapel as the backdrop for photos destined to document the undergraduate journey from Day One through Commencement. I leapt up to snap a few for visitors who were beaming about move-in. After all, you need the whole family in the shot, for history’s sake. My next stop was Reynolda Hall’s Green Room for a TCK luncheon hosted by the Center for Global Programs & Studies. This was another kind of home way away from home. “Third Culture Kids” (TCK) don’t fit precisely in an international student slot, but they are global. They are U.S. citizens who grew up abroad or were raised in an immigrant family. These first-year students will have a chance to gather for a meal a few times a semester and find common ground through their peripatetic experiences. One is the son of a U.S. diplomat. The student had lived in Estonia, Serbia, Slovakia, Austria and Germany. I spoke with another student who had lived in Inner Mongolia, China and Hong Kong and is now based in California. One young woman, whose father is Kenyan, spent the past eight years in Africa. It was a marvelous sight to see the Class of 2028 coming together. Yes, I recognized the shyness and tentativeness of first-years on the Quad and in Reynolda Hall, but I’ve been a Demon Deacon long enough to know that this time of year marks the start of beautiful friendships that can stretch for lifetimes and even across oceans. Welcome, #WFU28! Go Deacs, |
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July 2024
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Photo: Brian Westerholt/Sports On Film In his book, Hatch lauds Dave Clawson for “his unflinching commitment to academics and leadership development as bedrocks” of the football program. |
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FROM THE EDITOR |
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Seeking ‘institution builders who infuse character’ An 88-page paperback arrived at my house recently packed full of insights about leadership and portraits of Wake Foresters. I zipped through it, curious to glean lessons from President Emeritus Nathan Hatch (L.H.D. ’21). Hatch’s book, “The Gift of Transformative Leaders,” highlights 13 leaders who helped their universities develop “grander visions, broader appeal, greater resources and increased clarification of their distinct missions.” Hatch highlighted four colleagues serving when he was provost at the University of Notre Dame; the others served during Hatch’s 16 years as Wake Forest’s 13th president. Our University’s list is impressive: Jill Tiefenthaler, former provost and now CEO of the National Geographic Society; Steve Reinemund, former CEO of PepsiCo who was dean of the business school for six years; Andy Chan, vice president, personal & career development; Michele Gillespie, current provost; Julie Freischlag, CEO of Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist; Jonathan Walton (D.D. ’15), now president of Princeton Theological Seminary after serving as Wake Forest’s divinity school dean; Michael Lamb, an associate professor who leads the Program for Leadership and Character; football coach Dave Clawson; and Don Flow (MBA ’83), a Winston-Salem businessman who, as a trustee, led Wake Forest’s successful capital campaign. While Hatch examines each leader’s strengths, he notes that each person he profiled operates out of a deep set of values and knows how to foster trust. “They have shown authenticity, empathy and sound judgment even as they moved an organization in significantly new directions,” he writes. Hatch believed in a different approach from a CEO driving success — hire the right people who are then “unleashed and empowered to be transformative in their respective spheres.” Success becomes a joint project. Those are just a few insights from our president emeritus. I congratulate him for sharing his lessons in his new book. Go Deacs, |
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May 2024
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Photo: Lyndsie Schlink A crowd of nearly 13,000 gathered to celebrate Wake Forest’s newest graduates. |
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FROM THE EDITOR |
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They did it! Dr. Mandy Cohen, director for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, was in a pickle. Should she look backward or forward in her Commencement remarks to Wake Forest’s 2024 graduates? Should she discuss COVID-19 or keep mum about it? She entertained lots of advice. In my view, on Monday, May 20, she hit the mark. Her speech was concise, yet revelatory in acknowledging what she considered a big failure: As a young physician she hadn’t asked the right questions and truly listened to a patient who turned out to be hungry, not ill. The experience prompted Cohen to show up differently in her professional and personal life. She sought to inspire our graduates to put our Pro Humanitate motto into action. “Show up and see people — all people,” she said. “Listen. Seek understanding — and not just with those who think like you. Take the time to understand the other person’s why. And focus on making a difference, not just making a point. And build trust by demonstrating your trustworthiness.” You can read more about a day of celebration here. There is no ignoring how these graduates faced a pandemic and managed to overcome it. That made seeing their joy on in-real-life graduation day all the sweeter. Congratulations to our newest alumni, |
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April 2024
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Photo: Lyndsie Schlink Mit Shah (’91) and Kendra Beard Graham (’85) |
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FROM THE EDITOR |
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Applause for our champions April brings a joyous campus highlight. Wake Foresters gather on a Friday night to pay tribute to winners of the Distinguished Alumni Awards. On April 19, this year’s honorees were Kendra Beard Graham (’85) and Mit Shah (’91). Graham has spent her career breaking barriers for women golfers and, as a philanthropist, raising money for cancer research. Only two years after graduating, Shah became the founding CEO of Noble Investment Group LLC in Atlanta. He has led the company in making more than $6 billion in hotel investments and earned a reputation as one of the most influential South Asians in the United States. At Wake Forest Shah has contributed millions for basketball and scholarships. For the first time in years, I missed this favorite event of mine. I was in Kenya but sent Managing Editor Kelly Greene (’91) in my place. She shared with me lovely moments from the evening. Shah said, “Relationships with classmates, professors, coaches and colleagues shaped not only our academic and athletic pursuits, but more importantly, our character and our values, allowing us to lead lives that matter and contribute to the greater tapestry of human experience. Pro Humanitate.” And from Graham: “I’ll just say if the little bit I’ve done reflects well on Wake Forest University, then that means the world to me. And I will continue to forever shout from the rooftops, ‘Go Deacs!’” Go Deacs indeed for these exceptional Wake Foresters. I hope to see them before long to congratulate them in person. Here’s to our distinguished alumni, |
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March 2024
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Photo: Ken Bennett
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FROM THE EDITOR |
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Remembering Ed Wilson The entrance to campus on Reynolda Road offers the first clue to visitors. Wreaths emblazoned with blossoms flank the brick walls. They signify a campus in mourning over the loss of a luminary while acknowledging, gratefully, the eternal nature of memories. By now you’ve no doubt heard that Provost Emeritus Ed Wilson (’43, P ’91, ’93) died on March 13. The loss is profound. Who more than Ed Wilson has reminded us to be our best selves year in and year out, decade after decade, from classrooms to the library to official ceremonies to alumni gatherings all over the country? Friendship. Honor. Decency. Kindness. Intelligence and goodness. He spoke often of these virtues — he lived these virtues, always encouraging Wake Foresters and their institution to aim for the stars without losing the soul at their core. “Wake Forest is not a place or a generation,” Provost Wilson once said. “It is an idea, an ideal, and it is to this idea, this ideal, in its transcendence, that we commit ourselves.” Two lines from Mark Hilpert (’93) in the remembrance guestbook caught my eye and perhaps best sum up our mourning: “I loved Ed Wilson. Who didn’t?” Please visit the website and share your memories as we send deepest condolences to Provost Wilson’s family. With gratitude for having known this great man, |
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February 2024
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Photo: Lyndsie Schlink Dianne Dailey, left, and Claudia Thomas Kairoff, each donning a Medallion of Merit awarded at the University’s Founders Day celebration on Feb. 15 |
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FROM THE EDITOR |
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The University’s highest honor The carillon chimed to welcome us into Wait Chapel last week to mark the 1834 founding of Wake Forest. The annual occasion was the traditional time for the president to present the Medallion of Merit, the University’s highest honor, which recognizes “outstanding achievement and distinguished contribution to the University.” We in the audience were delighted to see two cherished Wake Foresters receive the medallion: Dianne Dailey and Claudia Thomas Kairoff. During 30 years of coaching women’s golf at Wake Forest, Dailey developed a top-tier national golf program known for winning tournaments, boasting academically strong female student-athletes and launching the careers of pro golfers. “She had 28 All-Americans in 30 years. That’s unheard of,” said retired athletics director Ron Wellman (P ’98, ’01) in a video tribute. “The thing that makes it … so satisfying for me is I really believe in the mission of the University,” said Dailey in the video. “And I just wanted to work as hard as I could to try and accomplish my little, small part of that mission.” Professor Emerita of English Claudia Kairoff taught at Wake Forest from 1986 until her retirement in 2022. Faculty and administrators praised her in a video as an extraordinary, “kind and intelligent” teacher-scholar, appreciated for her gifts as a teacher, her campus leadership, her signature laugh and her groundbreaking research and writing about British 18th-century poet Anne Finch. Kairoff made Wake Forest “a better place to teach, learn and live,” said President Susan R. Wente. It’s always a pleasure this time of year to celebrate the University’s founding and the people who have dedicated their service to making it stronger. Read more about the recipients here. Sincerely, |
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January 2024
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Photo: Ken Bennett Students acquired “Eric,” by Robert Longo, on an art-buying trip in 1985. Last Friday, more than 300 people gathered to celebrate “Of the Times: 60 Years of Student-Acquired Contemporary Art at Wake Forest University,” which highlights the lithograph and other pieces from the Mark H. Reece Collection of Student-Acquired Contemporary Art. |
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FROM THE EDITOR |
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A radical idea unites generations “Art connects us all.” Those were the words of J.D. Wilson (’69, P ’01) as he pointed to the walls of the Hanes Gallery in Scales Fine Arts Center and one artwork in particular. His was more than an observation. It represented a passing of the torch. Senior Skyler Edwards, sophomore Roksanna Keyvan and I listened as he recalled his undergraduate days and the impact of Vietnam. He figured he’d leave college and be drafted. That’s the backstory of the Jasper John’s “Flags” lithograph we were admiring. Wilson was on the student committee that traveled to New York in 1969 to buy contemporary art, including this piece, to reflect the culture of the times. Edwards and Keyvan, both dressed in pink, both nervous about meeting alumni and administrators who gathered on this opening night of an exhibition of the artworks, will travel to New York in March to do what Wilson and selected students since 1963 have done. They will buy artworks for what is now the Mark H. Reece Collection of Student-Acquired Contemporary Art. The two women and their fellow student committee members have been studying artists and preparing to storm the galleries in search of new pieces. Artist Emma Hapner favors pink for her paintings; students are considering her art as a nod to the movie “Barbie.” The students will have $104,000 to spend. They guess they might buy 8 to 10 pieces. The idea of giving students money to buy art was radical at its inception. “It allowed students to express what it meant to be a young person making sense of the world in this tumultuous time,” Provost Michele Gillespie told the audience in Scales last Friday. The art-acquisition program remains distinctive nationally and continues to create object-based learning opportunities in a variety of courses. If you’re in town, stop by Scales to see 37 pieces of the 147-item collection — destined to grow later this year, thanks to current students. The exhibition runs through March 31. A toast to art, |
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November 2023
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Photos: Lyndsie Schlink Pitsgiving reminds us of the traditions and ties that bind our Wake Forest community on campus and throughout life. |
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FROM THE EDITOR |
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Nurturing appreciation My friend Mary Dalton (’83), a communication professor, published a book a few years ago called “Sharing Gratitude.” In it she presented essays from her network of friends and colleagues about the subject of gratitude. “I believe our fundamental purpose here is to take care of one another,” Mary wrote. “Pause for just a moment and think about how the world would look and feel if everyone, or at least more of us, approached daily life from this perspective — taking care of ourselves, others, and the planet that sustains us — and if we did so with limitless gratitude.” It is in that spirit I wish to pause and think about the gratitude I have for the network of Wake Foresters who seek to identify and celebrate good in the world. There’s our small but mighty team at Wake Forest Magazine: Kerry M. King (’85), Carol L. Hanner, Katherine Laws Waters (’20) and Kelly Greene (’91). We have rich collaborations on each issue with Hayes Henderson, freelance designer Julie Helsabeck and photographers Ken Bennett and Lyndsie Schlink. We delight in telling stories that we believe point to the best in our community. I look back over the year and think about ways Wake Foresters uplifted each other and news worth sharing. A story tip arrived. Did you know that while some philosophy departments are in decline, Wake Forest’s is thriving? Students in that department ponder life’s biggest questions “carefully, slowly and intensely,” as a professor said. Wouldn’t the world be better if that happened more often? Dr. Tom West (MD ’81) got in touch. We needed to write about former football star James Brim (’87), Dr. West said, alerting us to how Brim was working wonders in caring for and feeding the hungry in Northwest Georgia. “He’s just a force of nature,” he said. We published the story this fall of how Brim embarks on his mission daily with entrepreneurial zeal and a big heart. Our stories often exude affection for professors and places that changed students’ lives. Alumni were quick to share with us their memories of Casa Artom and the professors who introduced them to new perspectives on art, culture and global ties. Our community read about Professor Emeritus Jim Barefield, Professor Emeritus of Classical Languages John “Andy” Andronica (P ’89, ’92), Professor of Music Peter Kairoff and Associate Professor of Communication Alessandra Beasley Von Burg (P ’14). All helped shape a magical time for students studying on the Grand Canal. There are so many more stories we enjoyed telling, too many to list. But a constant, every year, is our honor in featuring Distinguished Alumni Award winners; this year, they were Beth Norbrey Hopkins (’73, P ’12) and J.D. Wilson (’69, P ’01). Lawyer Hopkins was a trailblazer for Black students at Wake Forest when she was an undergraduate and, later, infused Pro Humanitate ideals into the law school culture after she joined the faculty. Wilson, who started and ran a successful local business, has been a stalwart supporter of the University and avid backer of the arts on campus and in Winston-Salem. “Our job in life, whether that’s at Wake Forest or for me as a person, is to help open doors for others,” he said. Do you see a thread here, woven in a luminous fabric described by alumna Mary Dalton and reinforced through the view of alumnus J.D. Wilson? At Wake Forest, relationships make all the difference. What has come before or what might be possible with open doors are seeds for the stories we tell. So are the ways people are taking care of each other. I can speak for the team in saying we are grateful for the privilege of sharing the good news. Enjoy this Thanksgiving weekend, |
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November 2021 @WAKE Newsletter
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September 2021 @WAKE Newsletter
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Photo by Ken Bennett
Photo by Ken Bennett
Photo by Ken Bennett
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ABOVE: Move-in days highlights, including a signed welcome from President Susan R. Wente. |
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EDITORS’ PICKS |
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They’re back! The beat of the drum. The shout of “Go, Deacs!” The sight of tubs, wagons, trunks and comforters on parade. Move-in days last week brought a cheerful arrival, including for the Class of 2025 that was 1,400 undergraduates strong. I sat in the lobby of Benson University Center last Thursday, where I looked up to admire the flags representing our students from around the world and thought about how grateful I was that students were moving to campus to begin or renew friendships in person and engage with professors again. Soon my reverie was broken. Parents were stopping by to ask questions and write post cards for their new Demon Deacons. I asked most of them why their children chose our alma mater. Wake Forest “set the bar” during college visits, and no other school met it, one answered. Wake Forest “scored 10” on the visits. A daughter knew right away this was the one. A son wanted to come South, where he liked the idea of being outdoors much of the year and prized the University’s academic reputation. The size was right. The campus was beautiful. For another couple’s son, it seemed “meant to be” when a student tour guide turned out to be a graduate of the same Massachusetts high school. They had flown or driven from Minneapolis, Boston, Atlanta, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New Hampshire, to name but a few of their homes. They were wearing masks, but their eyes beamed when they expressed their delight about their children’s college choice. All of us who are alumni remember those move-in days, how transformative they are for students and parents. To all in the Class of ’25 and to their older classmates, I wish them an academic year filled with happiness and rich memories that start the minute one walks in the dorm room door. Take it from me, those Demon Deacon memories last a lifetime. Here’s to Deacs, new and old! Maria Henson (’82) |
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June 2021 Newsletter
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