The following remarks were presented to faculty and staff and their families by President Hatch at the Dec. 10 President’s Holiday Party on campus:
As we draw near the end of another term and of another year, I trust the holiday season will afford each of you a time of refreshment and renewal as you celebrate the holiday with family and friends.
At this moment, when we stop to celebrate and reflect, I am deeply grateful for each one of you and all that you do to make Wake Forest a special place of learning and community.
I am grateful for the special dramatic event we shared this fall, “From the Ground Up,” which showed the power and dignity of so many faithful colleagues who keep up the buildings, grounds and systems on which we all depend.
I am grateful for all those alumni, friends and parents — tens of thousands of them — who have contributed generously to Wake Forest and made our Wake Will Lead campaign so successful, and in doing so, strengthened our common life. And I am grateful for our University Advancement staff, who have orchestrated this campaign so effectively.
I am grateful to our Trustees who give faithfully of their time, wisdom and treasure to make Wake Forest live up to its dreams.
I am grateful for our faculty and all of their commitment to research, teaching and service. I am grateful to our academic departments for all they do to support faculty and students.
I am grateful to our Office of Diversity and Inclusion; our Women’s Center; our LGBTQ Center; and the special efforts of the Commission on Race, Equity, and Community; the Slavery, Race and Memory Project; and the Committee on the Intersection of Bias, Expression and Conduct for all that they are doing to make this an inclusive community.
I am grateful for so many other offices that nurture our students: our chaplains, our Counseling Center, our Thrive program, our SAFE Office, our Title IX Office, our Office of Personal and Career Development — and so many more.
I am grateful for all of our staff in Campus Life for all they do to educate the whole person, not only during business hours but at night and throughout the weekend.
I am grateful to our coaches and all the support staff in Athletics for all that they do for student-athletes and all that they bring by way of enjoyment to our whole community. All best wishes to our final four men’s soccer team and our football team that will face Michigan State in the Pinstripe Bowl on Dec. 27.
I am grateful for our professional schools — Law, Medicine, Business and Divinity — for all their efforts to form worthy professionals.
I am grateful for the outstanding students and faculty who share their artistic talents with us — by song and instrument, in band and orchestra, in theatre and dance, in painting and sculpture.
I am grateful for all those who work in Finance, Accounting, Budgeting and Audit for all they do to make Wake Forest a viable and prosperous organization.
I am grateful for all the tremendous service offered by administrative offices such as the Legal Office, Human Resources, Information Technology, the Registrar and University Police.
Finally, I am grateful to the officers of the University, the deans and directors of centers and institutes — all those who are charged to oversee and make coherent this entire community of learning.
Wake Forest is a special community. We have our great strengths, and we have our weaknesses and faults. But I am deeply grateful for all that you do for this place and for our mission to be a lively and committed community of learning. May you have a wonderful holiday filled with joy and may you face the new year with hope and confidence.
Categories: Guest Post, Inside WFU
Congratulations to Staci Hepler, assistant professor of mathematics and statistics, whose proposal entitled “A Bayesian Spatio-Temporal Approach for Estimating County-Level Opiod Misuse Rates in Ohio” has been funded by the National Institutes of Health and by (subaward/subcontract from) The Ohio State University.
Congratulations to Albert Meiburg, director of the master’s degree program in sustainability, whose proposal entitled “The Efficacy and Value Generated from Sustainable Cotton Programs in the United States” has been funded by the Meridian Institute.
Congratulations to Keith Bonin, professor of physics, whose proposal entitled “Chromatin mobility in response to DNA damage” has been funded by the National Institutes of Health and by (subaward/subcontract from) Wake Forest University Health Sciences.
Categories: Faculty News
A message from Facilities & Campus Services
In an effort to conserve energy over the winter holiday period, Wake Forest Facilities & Campus Services will be implementing the annual temperature setback program for academic and administrative buildings starting Friday, Dec. 20 and ending Monday, Dec. 30. The setback program will maintain building temperatures at no less than 55°F during the holiday period.
A similar program is being conducted in the unoccupied areas of residence halls.
The temperature setback generates significant savings through reduced energy consumption. Over the last 10 years, the program reduced energy costs by $460,000.
Staff or faculty who intend to visit or work on campus during the holiday period are advised to wear appropriate clothing and consider bringing a light jacket or sweater to work.
Beginning at 2 a.m. on Dec. 30, the heating systems will gradually return the buildings to comfortable conditions. Buildings should be at 70°F by the time employees arrive at work. Facilities technicians will arrive early on that date to ensure building heating systems have reactivated as scheduled.
Departments that would like to request an exemption or have received exemptions in the past, please contact Doug Ecklund at ecklundr@nullwfu.edu as soon as possible.
Categories: University Announcement
As fall advances closer to winter, Winston-Salem area residents know that the weeks and months ahead can bring weather forecasts of everything from sunny days in the 70s to snowy days below freezing. That’s winter in the South.
For those wondering what kind of weather to expect every day at Wake Forest, detailed information is always available thanks to WeatherSTEM stations on top of the Miller Center and the scoreboard at BB&T Field.
The WeatherSTEM stations use a combination of weather instruments and sensors to take environmental measurements and offer frequently updated details on temperature, humidity, the heat index, barometric pressure and more. Forecasts for several days ahead is available, too.
Each station includes a sky camera, with one directed toward Kentner Stadium, Reynolds Gym, Farrell Hall and Wait Chapel, while the other camera is directed across BB&T Field.
The stations also offer information through Facebook and Twitter accounts, which are updated through automation. On Facebook, the accounts are identified as Wake Forest Weatherstem and Wake Forest Football Weatherstem. On Twitter, the stations can be followed @WakeForestWx and @WFUFootballWx.
WeatherSTEM also offers apps for ios and Android.
Categories: Inside WFU
Wake Forest has joined more than 110 colleges and universities in filing an amicus brief in support of international students, Optional Practical Training (OPT) and STEM OPT.
Amicus briefs are legal documents filed by non-litigants with a strong interest in the subject matter. The briefs advise the court of relevant, additional information or arguments that the court might wish to consider.
This case involves a legal challenge to the OPT program. OPT represents valuable experiential learning for international students and scholars, allowing them to obtain practical training that complements and expands on their academic studies.
The University joined this “friend of the court” brief to demonstrate an unwavering support for international students and OPT. International students, scholars and alumni contribute their talent, drive and diversity of perspectives to campuses nationwide.
You can read about the litigation (Washington Alliance of Technology Workers Union vs. U.S. Department of Homeland Security) and download the brief on the NAFASA professional resources website.
The International Students and Scholars division of Global Programs & Studies (116 Reynolda Hall) serves all international students and scholars participating in programs with Wake Forest University. Visit global.wfu.edu or call 336-758-5938 for help with questions or concerns.
Categories: Inside WFU, University Announcement
