Herndon-Edmunds, Williams appointed to new roles at University
Shayla Herndon-Edmunds
In the University’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Shayla Herndon-Edmunds has been appointed director of diversity education and J. Matthew Williams has been appointed director of communication.
Barbee Oakes, chief diversity officer and assistant provost for diversity and inclusion, described the appointments as supporting Wake Forest’s ongoing commitment to improve the campus climate and build an inclusive community.
Herndon-Edmunds joined Wake Forest’s staff in 2006. Most recently, she was manager of diversity of education.
In her expanded role, Herndon-Edmunds will develop strategies to strengthen the cultural competence and intercultural skills of faculty, staff and students, giving special attention to the first-year experience for college students and new faculty development.
She will also oversee a cadre of volunteers trained to deliver the Gatekeepers Workshop Initiative, Wake Forest’s signature diversity education program. Since its inception, more than 1,900 faculty, staff and students have participated in the four-part series.
Additionally, her role includes strategic partnership with University Police, Academic Advising, Residence Life and Housing, the Pro Humanitate Institute, graduate and professional schools and other areas of the University.
Herndon-Edmunds received a Bachelor of Arts in English and Business Administration from George Mason University. A licensed professional life coach, she is certified in emotional intelligence, unconscious bias and intercultural development.
Matt Williams
Williams joined Wake Forest’s staff in 2011. Most recently, he was associate director of marketing and communication in the University’s Office of Personal and Career Development.
In his new role, Williams will oversee communication for the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, as well as provide consultative support to the Intercultural Center, Women’s Center, LGBTQ Center and Diversity Education. His position also includes strategic partnership with University Advancement (and its Communications and External Relations staff) and the Office of the President, where he will work with their leadership teams to elevate the University’s commitment to and promotion of diversity and inclusion to all University constituents.
Williams received a Bachelor of Arts in Communication at Wake Forest and is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in communication at the University. His research centers on the intersections of digital media, identity and social justice.
For more information about Diversity and Inclusion, visit diversity.wfu.edu.
Categories: University Announcement
MLK ‘Building the Dream’ award winners make a difference
Williams
Sizemore
Magjuka
Campus life leaders Marianne Magjuka, Shelley Sizemore and Matt Williams, have been recognized as Wake Forest University’s 2014 Martin Luther King Jr. “Building the Dream” award winners.
The award is traditionally presented to a student and a professor or administrator from both Wake Forest and Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) who exemplify King’s qualities and promote diversity within the community. This year, one student and three campus leaders were recognized at Wake Forest.
Categories: Staff News
WFDD and Office of Diversity and Inclusion win national award
From left: Matt Williams, David Matthews, Tom Dollenmayer and Barbee Oakes.
WFDD general manager Tom Dollenmayer recently presented a plaque to the Office of Diversity and Inclusion in recognition of the first place journalism award the station received for the piece it produced as part of Wake Forest’s Faces of Courage series.
WFDD and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion worked in collaboration to record, produce, and broadcast the stories of the pioneers of Wake Forest’s integration in 1962. One piece, a commentary from David Matthews (’62), was recognized during the Public Radio News Directors Incorporated (PRNDI) national award competition and received first place in the documentary category.
Matthews’s commentary can be heard at WFDD’s website: http://wfdd.org/post/breaking-family-tradition. In it, Matthews describes how history classes about British colonialism and Africa shattered his long-held prejudices about African Americans.
“We were thrilled when Matt Williams from the Office of Diversity and Inclusion approached us about working with him on the Faces of Courage project,” Dollenmayer said. ” To have that collaboration result in a first place national journalism award is an honor for both departments, and for Wake Forest University.”
Categories: Staff News
Williams named to OPCD post
The Office of Personal and Career Development named J. Matthew Williams the associate director for marketing and communications, starting Sept. 16. Williams will oversee strategy and operations for the OPCD’s marketing and communications team, which impacts all undergraduate, Graduate School of Arts & Sciences and Divinity School students.
In addition to managing all communications to the OPCD’s many constituent groups, Williams will lead the OPCD’s initiatives in student tracking and outcomes, social media, LinkedIn alumni and industry networks, and special projects/events.
Williams previously served as the assistant director of the office of diversity and inclusion, where he led the Faces of Courage programming in 2011-2012. He also was instrumental in implementing faculty and staff recruitment and retention initiatives, while also strengthening faculty, staff, and student intercultural communication competence as a trained diversity educator.
Williams’ prior work as a marketing and communications professional includes positions with Ketchum Public Relations and Widmeyer Communications, where he developed communication programs to help nonprofits, government agencies, and Fortune 500 companies advance civic and social issues. His work has been nationally recognized by the Public Relations Society of America and the Texas Public Relations Association, as well as at other industry events.
Categories: Staff News
National Black Theatre Festival will feature films related to WFU
“The Impetus to Desegregate,” directed by Chis Zaluski and produced by Matt Williams, will be screened as part of the National Black Theatre Festival being held in Winston-Salem this week. The screening is Saturday, Aug. 3, at 11 a.m. in the Forsyth County Library, 660 W. 5th Street. The film, featuring Ed Reynolds (’64), Wake Forest’s first black undergraduate student, explores how the University became the first major private university in the South to integrate.
Zaluski earned an MFA from Wake Forest’s Documentary Film Program in 2013. He is program director for Wrought Iron Productions. Williams is assistant director for the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. Williams collaborated with Wrought Iron on a series of videos for WFU’s Faces of Courage project last year.
“The Legitimate Child” a documentary produced and directed by Kelly McKenna, a third year student in Wake Forest’s Documentary Film Program was also screened during the festival. McKenna is executive director of Wrought Iron Productions.
Categories: Events
