Lauren Pressley named next Dean of Z. Smith Reynolds Library

Following a national search, Wake Forest University has named Lauren Pressley as the next Dean of the Z. Smith Reynolds Library, effective July 1, 2025.

“Lauren Pressley’s return to Wake Forest as the next Dean of the Z. Smith Reynolds Library is an exciting moment for our University,” said President Susan R. Wente. “Lauren’s visionary leadership, deep expertise, and passion for fostering inquiry and collaboration will position the library to play an even greater role in supporting the success of our students and faculty.”

Pressley comes to Wake Forest from the University of Washington Libraries, where she currently serves as Senior Associate Dean for Research and Learning Services. In this role, she provides strategic vision and oversight for most Seattle campus libraries’ public services, subject and functional librarian roles, and all libraries’ locations. She also serves in a deputy role for the tri-campus Libraries Dean.

A distinguished leader in academic libraries, Pressley brings extensive experience in strategic planning, organizational transformation and innovative library services. She served as past president of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) from 2018-2019, where she led initiatives focused on organizational change in support of equity, diversity and inclusion. Her career has also included leadership positions at the University of Washington Tacoma Library, Virginia Tech University Libraries, and previously at Wake Forest’s Z. Smith Reynolds Library.

“I’m excited to come back to Wake Forest and to the Z. Smith Reynolds Library. Over the course of my career, I have worked to advance and transform learning, knowledge and community through libraries. It’s rewarding and energizing to anticipate the future while building on a strong foundation of professional values and principles. I look forward to collaborating with the ZSR team, University leadership, students, faculty and staff to position the library to advance Wake Forest University as a community of learning, inquiry and partnerships,” said Pressley.

“Lauren brings an exceptional combination of innovative leadership, deep expertise in academic libraries, demonstrated commitment to advancing student success and faculty research, and powerful community-building skills,” said Provost Michele Gillespie. “Her vision for the future of academic libraries and her track record of successful organizational transformation make her the ideal leader to guide ZSR Library into its next chapter of excellence and innovation.”

Donna Edwards, member of the library dean search committee and Wake Forest Trustee, noted, “Lauren’s breadth of experience, from her early career at ZSR through her achievements at Virginia Tech and the University of Washington, demonstrates her ability to lead complex organizations through periods of significant change while maintaining a focus on service excellence and community engagement. Her understanding of Wake Forest’s culture and values, combined with her national perspective on the future of academic libraries, made her the clear choice for this role.”

Pressley holds a Master of Library and Information Studies from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and Bachelor of Arts degrees from North Carolina State University in Small Group and Interpersonal Communication and Philosophy. She has been recognized with numerous awards, including the Bea Kovacs Outstanding Alumni Award from UNC-Greensboro and is an alumna of the prestigious UCLA Senior Fellows program.