Inside WFU – news for faculty and staff

Criminal justice reform expert promoted to Vice Provost

November 24, 2020

Provost Rogan Kersh announced this week that Kami Chavis has been appointed vice provost. Chavis, who currently serves as associate provost of academic affairs, has been appointed to a second three-year term in the provost’s office. Chavis is also a professor of law, having joined the School of Law faculty in 2006, where she continues to direct the criminal justice program. Before joining the provost’s office in 2017, she served as associate dean of research and public engagement.

During Chavis’ time as associate provost, she led a group that reviewed and reorganized online education at Wake Forest University and chaired the Slavery, Race and Memory Project, through which she was instrumental in the University’s co-hosting of this year’s national Universities Studying Slavery conference. Chavis also helped sustain the Title IX Office during a leadership transition and led the successful search for a new director of the renamed and expanded Center for the Advancement of Teaching, which she supervises.

“Professor Chavis has been a dynamic and incisive partner on a wide range of academic initiatives,” said Kersh. “Her ability to encourage collaboration across several of our most complex University matters and achieve widely beneficial outcomes, to sustain essential learning and discovery programs even during a pandemic, and to do all this while serving as a leading national expert on a central policy issue of our time—race and policing—is a testament to her exemplary vision and commitment.”

Chavis remains a much-beloved law faculty member, teaching courses in criminal law and criminal procedure, as well as a signature seminar in policing and prosecution. She is also a frequent contributor to national and international media outlets and has appeared on CNN, MSNBC, CTV and NPR. She has written opinion pieces for the New York Times, the Nation, and the Huffington Post, and been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, BBC News, U.S. News, CBS News, International Business Times, Deutsche Welle, and other outlets regarding police accountability and the structural reform of law enforcement agencies.

Before arriving at Wake Forest, Chavis was an assistant U.S. attorney in Washington, D.C., and prior to that practiced law at two of Washington’s largest law firms. She received her BA from UNC-Chapel Hill and her J.D. from Harvard University. She is active in civic organizations in Winston-Salem, as well as serving on the Board of Visitors at UNC School of the Arts and Summit School. Chavis is a board member of the prestigious Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights.

2020 Winter Setback

November 24, 2020

This message was sent to faculty and staff by Facilities and Campus Services.

Facilities and Campus Services continues to develop plans for the upcoming extended winter break period. Given our commitment to minimizing COVID related risks, we will continue to use the guidance from CDC and ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Engineers) to operate our facilities while adjusting to the phases of reduced occupancies as we work through student departures, virtual exams, the more traditional winter break, and then reversing the process as students return and classes resume in the spring.

As these transitions occur beginning November 24th through December 23rd, consistent with the approach we took last spring, we will work to un-occupy spaces and buildings, especially during non-standard hours, as we are able to determine through EMS (Event Management & Reservable Spaces System) and DOC (Deacon One Card). We are also working with our Residence Life Housing partners to identify un-occupied areas in our Residence Halls as they become vacant. Read More »

Proposals funded: Iltis, Rejeski, Waugh, Young

November 23, 2020

This is part five of seven highlighting proposals funded during the fall of 2020.

Congratulations to Ana Iltis, professor of philosophy, whose proposal entitled “Wake Forest Collaborative Application for an APOLLO Clinical Center” has been funded by the National Institutes of Health and by (subaward/subcontract from) WFU Health Sciences.

Congratulations to Jack Rejeski, research professor of health and exercise science, whose proposal entitled “Mobile intervention to reduce pain and improve health (MORPH) in obese older adults” has been funded by the National Institutes of Health and by (subaward/subcontract from) WFU Health Sciences.

Congratulations to Christian Waugh, associate professor of psychology, whose proposal entitled “Investigating the neural systems that support the beneficial effects of positive emotion on stress regulation” has been funded by the National Institutes of Health and by (subaward/subcontract from) University of Denver.

Congratulations to Kyana Young, assistant professor of engineering, whose proposal entitled “Community Engagement Boost Award” has been funded by the National Institutes of Health and by (subaward/subcontract from) WFU Health Sciences.

Proposals funded: Clarke, Gross, Rejeski, Zhang

November 20, 2020

This is part four of seven highlighting proposals funded during the fall of 2020.

Congratulations to Philip Clarke, associate professor of counseling, whose proposal entitled “Identifying Next Practices for Resident Engagement in Wellness” has been funded by the Mather Lifeways Institutes on Aging and by (subaward/subcontract from) Virginia Tech.

Congratulations to Michael Gross, associate professor of engineering, whose proposal entitled “Template-Directed Electrode Nanostructure Engineering” has been funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and by (subaward/subcontract from) Oak Ridge Associated University.

Congratulations to Jack Rejeski, research professor of health and exercise science, whose proposal entitled “Molecular transducers of physical activity consortium coordinating center (CCC)” has been funded by the National Institutes of Health and by (subaward/subcontract from) University of Florida.

Congratulations to Ke Zhang, associate professor of biology, whose proposal entitled “Investigation of multifunctional proteins that integrate packaging RNPs, RNA export, and translation” has been funded by the National Institutes of Health.

Updates from HR: Winter Break Toolkit, clinic holiday hours, 2021 prescription plan reminders

November 19, 2020

Winter Break Toolkit

As leaders encourage teams to recharge this holiday season, we invite you to use this guide for successfully supporting colleagues while they take time away during winter break or when appropriate for each unit.

Faculty and staff clinic holiday hours

The Faculty & Staff Clinic will remain open during the winter break; however, the clinic will be closed with no nurse available by phone on the following days:

• Thursday, Nov. 26 and Friday, Nov. 27
• Thursday, Dec. 24 and Friday, Dec. 25
• Friday, Jan. 1

Reminder: Prescription plan changes

Through Dec. 31, those enrolled in the University’s BCBSNC medical plan have access to the OptumRx Pharmacy Portals to verify prescription coverage, requirements and costs.

Learn more and access the OptumRX portal from the benefits page on the human resources website.

“The Basics of Medicare”

Join Elder Care Choices Tuesday, Dec. 1, at 12 p.m. for an overview of Medicare parts, terms and definitions. Learn about important things to remember when pursuing Medicare and where to go for assistance.

Orange Status through Thanksgiving

ICYMI: Due to the current number of positive cases of COVID-19 among students and concerning trends nationally and locally, Wake Forest will remain in Orange Operating Status through Thanksgiving. View the Nov. 12 message from President Hatch on the Our Way Forward website.