Dean Jacque Fetrow (center) congratulates Dean Toby Hale (left) and Dean Paul Orser.

Dean Jacque Fetrow (center) congratulates Dean Toby Hale (left) and Dean Paul Orser.

The heart of the Wake Forest experience has always been lasting relationships, fostered by our intimate setting and warm community.

In their combined service of more than 66 years at Wake Forest, Associate Deans Toby A. Hale (’65, P ’03) and Paul N. Orser (’69, P ’01) touched the lives of countless students, families, faculty members and staff. They worked tirelessly to assist wherever needed and whenever their skills matched the situation.

Dean Toby Hale provided wisdom and guidance in many capacities including Dean of the Summer Sessions, Chair of the Honor and Ethics Council, Secretary of the Committee on Academic Affairs, Coordinator of the Wake Forest Research Fellowship Program, and Chair of the Health Professions Committee.

Dean Paul Orser worked in the areas of admissions, public affairs, and student life.  As a member of the dean’s office, Orser served for 16 years as Dean of Freshmen, directed the London (Worrell House) Program, founded and directed the WAKE Washington (Internship) Program, coordinated the First Year Seminar and First Year Orientation Programs, and coordinated the Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (URECA) Center and Richter Fellowship Program.

In recognition of their strong, personal friendship and dedication to Wake Forest, the Office of the Dean of the College, and its student and faculty constituents, the College has honored these remarkable men by establishing the “Toby A. Hale and Paul N. Orser Student-Faculty Engagement Fund.”

Dean Jacquelyn Fetrow announced the gift at Hale’s retirement reception on April 22. Economics professor Perry Patterson and his partner, Joel Leander (’90); Associate Dean Anne Boyle and her husband, Wake Forest Baptist Health biostatistics professor Mark Espeland; and Dean Fetrow and her husband, computer science lecturer Brian Kell, made leadership gifts to the fund, which will be endowed.

This fund will be distributed at the discretion of the Dean of the College to support student-faculty engagement. In keeping with Dean Hale’s and Dean Orser’s interests and commitments, priority will be given to using these funds to encourage first-generation students and/or students with financial need to collaborate with faculty members in summer research and scholarly inquiry; mentored, academic activities and courses, including WAKE Washington; and internships with rigorous academic components and faculty oversight.

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