"Christina Soriano" Archive

IdeasCityWS Festival and the Marketplace of Ideas this Saturday

A guest post from Wake the Arts and Wake Forest’s Office of University Collaborations.

On Saturday, Oct. 2, the IdeasCityWS Festival comes to Bailey Park as art, tech, design, and culture lead the conversation forward. Featuring interactive exhibits from two dozen local creative organizations, we’ll engage with a range of working ideas poised to move our communities forward as we reimagine a post-pandemic Winston-Salem. Vice Provost for the Arts & Interdisciplinary Initiatives Christina Soriano asks, “Winston-Salem has so many talented artists and scientists doing important work, yet often separated from one another. How can educational institutions be leaders in bringing these communities together more powerfully?”

Here’s where Wake Forest will be participating in the Marketplace of Ideas and panel discussions: Read more

Categories: Guest PostInside WFU

Maya Angelou Artist-in-Residence Award nominations open

Wake Forest University is accepting nominations for the newly established Maya Angelou Artist-in-Residence Award.

Photo of Dr. Maya Angelou smiling in front of a microphoneThe award will honor world-renowned artists who reflect Maya Angelou’s passions for creating, performing and teaching. The Maya Angelou Artist-in-Residence honor celebrates exceptional artists for combining achievement in the arts and a commitment to improving the human condition.

Award winners will visit Wake Forest to educate and engage both the University and Winston-Salem communities.

“Wake Forest’s motto Pro Humanitate is a calling to use our knowledge, talents and compassion to better the lives of others,” said associate provost for the arts Christina Soriano. “It can mean donating time and resources to our communities or simply a lifelong commitment to pursuing our best self. We look forward to receiving nominations from our faculty and staff of artists who embody this philosophy.”

Nominations may be submitted on the Wake the Arts website by Oct. 15.

Read more on the Wake Forest News website.

Categories: Faculty NewsInside WFU

IdeasCityWS panel discussion: "From the Ground Up" and workforce development

In October 2019, Wake Forest University housekeeping staff, arborists, turf crew members, locksmiths and carpenters were among nearly 70 staff members who participated in “From the Ground Up,” an original dance performance held on Hearn Plaza. Directed by Allison Orr (’93) of Forklift Danceworks in Austin, the production elevated the dedicated people whose skillful work often goes unseen. Members of the Wake Forest facilities management team bump fists in front of Wait Chapel

To commemorate the anniversary of this groundbreaking event, IdeasCityWS will host a “Beta Bonfire” panel discussion on Thursday, Dec. 10 at 5 p.m., looking back at the production through the lens of workforce development. Christina Soriano, associate provost for the arts and interdisciplinary initiatives associate professor, will moderate the virtual conversation.

Presenters include:

  • Allison Orr, Founder and artistic director of Forklift Danceworks in Austin, Texas;
  • John Shenette, Vice president of Facilities and Campus Services at Wake Forest University;
  • Stephanie Poskin, Senior director of Wake Forest Facilities Support Services & Operations;
  • Kobak Taylor, “From the Ground Up” performer and Wake Forest Facilities and Campus Services locksmith;
  • Cynthia Wilson, “From the Ground Up” performer and Wake Forest custodial department team lead; and
  • Matt Crawford, Senior theatre major from Austin, TX, and a student leader on the “From the Ground Up” project.

A documentary that captures the spirit of the performances is available for viewing as background for the discussion.

The event is free and open to the public. Registration is available here.

Categories: EventsFaculty NewsStaff News

Proposals funded: Soriano, Kim-Shapiro, Macosko, Beavers

Congratulations to Christina Soriano, associate provost and associate professor of theatre and dance, whose proposal entitled “A randomized trial of dance on mood, balance and brain in Alzheimer’s disease” has been funded by the National Institutes of Health and by (subaward/subcontract from) WFU Health Sciences.

Congratulations to Daniel Kim-Shapiro, department chair and professor of physics, whose proposal entitled “Antidote for inhaled CO poisoning based on mutationally engineered neuroglobin” has been funded by the National Institutes of Health and by (subaward/subcontract from) University of Pittsburgh.

Congratulations to Jed Macosko, professor of physics, whose proposal entitled “Cellular interactions of VSV nucleocapsids” has been funded by the National Institutes of Health and by (subaward/subcontract from) WFU Health Sciences.

Congratulations to Kristen Beavers, associate professor of health and exercise science, whose proposal entitled “Incorporating nutrition, vests, education and strength training in bone health (INVEST in bone health)” has been funded by the National Institutes of Health.

Categories: Faculty NewsInside WFU

Birds of a feather learn together

When first-graders at Brunson Elementary were learning about birds, 17 Wake Forest students visited their classrooms to connect the biology lessons with the arts by exploring how birds move and leading bird-themed creative projects.

“The students used poetry, dance, visual art and music to help anchor the lessons,” said Christina Soriano, associate provost of the arts and associate professor of dance who co-taught the class Integrating Arts and Movement into the Elementary Curriculum with associate professor of education Alan Brown.

“They always asked when our ‘Wake friends’ were coming to visit,” said Lauren Hicks, one of four first-grade teachers who collaborated with the students.

The students had originally scheduled five visits to Brunson, but could only come twice before the coronavirus pandemic changed everyone’s plans.

We had to reimagine our plans due to remote teaching, but we have been excited to find new ways for Brunson and Wake Forest students to engage from afar,” said Brown. It took about a week of figuring it out and a couple of Zoom class meetings to decide how to keep the collaboration going.

The entire story about Wake Forest’s collaboration with Brunson Elementary is available here.

Categories: Faculty NewsInside WFU

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