Wake Forest announces School of Divinity dean search committee

May 4, 2023

A search committee has been formed to identify the next dean of the divinity school, succeeding Jonathan L. Walton, who was named president of Princeton Theological Seminary in October 2022. Corey D.B. Walker, Wake Forest Professor of the Humanities and Director of the Program in African American Studies, has served as interim dean since January 2023.

The search committee will be chaired by Provost Michele Gillespie and its membership includes faculty, staff, student and faculty senate representation, as well as a representative of the Divinity Board of Visitors and the Board of Trustees and a member of the Deans’ Council. 

Members of the committee include:

• Shelmer D. Blackburn, Jr. (‘82), Wake Forest University Trustee and member, Divinity Board of Visitors
• Christian J. Burris (’93), Serials Acquisitions Coordinator, Z. Smith Reynolds Library
• Mary F. Foskett, Wake Forest Kahle Professor of Religious Studies; Albritton Fellow; Chair of the Department for the Study of Religions, College of Arts and Sciences
• Elizabeth O. Gandolfo, Earley Associate Professor of Catholic and Latin American Studies, School of Divinity 
• Michele K. Gillespie, Wake Forest University Provost and Presidential Endowed Professor of Southern History
• Derek S. Hicks, Associate Professor of Religion and Culture, School of Divinity 
• Charles L. Iacovou, Vice Provost for Charlotte Programs; Dean of the School of Professional Studies; F.M. Kirby Chair in Business Excellence
• Kevin Jung, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Professor of Theological Ethics & Moral Philosophy, School of Divinity 
• Georgia McKee (MDiv ‘24), School of Divinity  Senior; Co-Founder of Christian Athlete Circles
• Sarah J. Morath, Professor, School of Law

Matthew Phillips, senior advisor to the provost, will staff the committee. Global executive search firm WittKieffer has been retained as search consultant.

Additional information about the national search process and updates can be found on the School of Divinity Dean Search website. Should you wish to share input with the committee directly, please email comments to wfudivinitydean@wfu.edu. Candidate nominations may be sent to WakeForestDivinityDean@wittkieffer.com.