Inside WFU – news for faculty and staff

Secrest Artists Series to present opera stars Feb. 28

February 20, 2019

Lawrence Brownlee (left) and Eric Owens

The Secrest Artists Series will present tenor Lawrence Brownlee and bass-baritone Eric Owens on Feb. 28 in Brendle Recital Hall in the Scales Fine Arts Center.  The performance by two of today’s operatic superstars will begin at 7:30 p.m.

It is a not-to-be missed program of operatic solos, duets and spirituals.

Brownlee was named 2017 Male Singer of the Year by the International Opera Awards. Owens, of the Metropolitan Opera, was named Musical America’s 2017 Vocalist of the Year.  Owens is artist in residence at Glimmerglass, Wolf Trap and the Washington National Opera.

Brownlee and Owens will be joined by Grammy-nominated pianist Myra Huang, acclaimed by Opera News as being “among the top accompanists of her generation.”

Enrich your experience by joining a pre-performance talk at 6:40 p.m. in Room M208, adjacent to Brendle Recital Hall. The talk will be led by Assistant Professor of Music Bryon Grohman. Talk attendees will be taken on a tour of the vocal acoustics at play in male operatic singing. Grohman will also unlock some of the mysteries associated with the powerful tenor “High C,” by exploring the physiological and acoustic principles needed to accomplish such heroic vocal production. You will also look inside the bass-baritone voice and discuss the concept of vocal registers, highlighting what exactly makes bass-baritone voices sound so rich and acoustically complex.

Wake Forest University and Wake Forest School of Medicine faculty, staff and retirees receive free admission for themselves and one guest to each Secrest Artists Series performance. Wake Forest students and School of Medicine students receive free admission for themselves. Simply show your Wake Forest ID at the door. We encourage those with a Wake Forest ID to pre-register through the Secrest Series website so we can keep track of available seats for the community at large.

A master class with Brownlee and Owens will be held on Feb. 27 from 6 to 8 p.m in Brendle Recital Hall. The public is invited to observe as these acclaimed singers lead a master class with Wake Forest vocal students. This event is free.

Campus Phone Service Operating Normally

February 14, 2019

This message was emailed to all faculty, staff and students on Feb. 14 by Wake Forest Communications and External Relations:

Phone service to Wake Forest University’s Reynolda Campus has been restored and is operating normally at this time.

Additional outages may be possible if the University’s phone service provider continues to troubleshoot.

Information Systems encourages anyone who experiences further issues to report them by emailing help@nullwfu.edu or submitting a ticket online.

Phone Outage on Campus

February 14, 2019

This message was emailed to all faculty, staff and students on Feb. 14 by Wake Forest Communications and External Relations:

Wake Forest University’s Reynolda Campus is experiencing issues with landline phones on the campus network. Information Systems is looking into the issues with the service provider. Apparently, the issue affects a wider area in the city than just the campus. The University will provide an update when the issues are resolved. At this time, it is unknown when that will be.

Anyone who needs to reach Wake Forest University Police Department should call 336-759-0443.

'Check Your Blind Spots' tour coming to Wake Forest Feb. 18

February 14, 2019

The CEO Action Check Your Blind Spots Tour will visit Wake Forest on Feb. 18 from 10:30 am. to 3:30 p.m.  The visit includes a tour bus that will park next to Hearn Plaza in Parking Lot N.

The Check your Blind Spots tour is designed to give people the opportunity to learn about and explore ways to mitigate unconscious bias in their everyday lives. Through a series of immersive and interactive elements, participants are exposed to the nuances of unconscious bias, and also have the chance to sign the I Act On pledge to address personal biases and drive inclusive behaviors.

Students, faculty and staff are invited to participate in the educational experience.

Additional information is available here.

Meiburg appointed chairman of state's Environmental Management Commission

February 13, 2019

Stan Meiburg

Stan Meiburg, director of Wake Forest’s graduate programs in sustainability, has assumed chairmanship of North Carolina’s Environmental Management Commission (EMC).  The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality announced Meiburg’s appointment this week.

Meiburg’s term will continue until June 30, 2021.

“Dr. Meiburg is a proven leader in air and water protection, and his expertise will serve the people of North Carolina well in the coming term,” said Assistant Secretary for the Environment Sheila Holman.

Meiburg recently served as chair of the EMC’s Air Quality Committee.

The commission is responsible for adopting rules for the protection, preservation and enhancement of the state’s air and water resources.

Meiburg joined Wake Forest in 2017 as director of the graduate programs in sustainability.  He earned his Bachelor of Arts in political science from Wake Forest in 1975.

In 39 years with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Meiburg served as acting deputy administrator, deputy regional administrator of Region 4 (Atlanta) and Region 6 (Dallas), acting regional administrator in Regions 4 and 6, national EPA liaison to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and Region 6 director of Air, Pesticides and Toxics Division. He also led work on the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments through EPA’s Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards.

The Environmental Management Commission was authorized by the N.C. General Assembly under General Statute 143B-283 and is a 15-member commission appointed by the Governor, the Senate Pro Tempore and the Speaker of the House. 2019 meetings are set for the second Thursdays of March, May, July, September and November.

Note: This story draws extensively from the state’s announcement this week.