A thank you to Vice President of Campus Life Penny Rue
Left to right: Cherise James, Marianne Magjuka, Betsy Chapman, K. Monet Rice-Jalloh, and Zachary Blackmon
The following is a guest post from Cherise James, associate director of orientation, and Betsy Chapman, executive director of family communications.
Earlier this summer, Vice President of Campus Life Penny Rue announced her intention to retire. Her last day will be December 31.
Dr. Rue’s work at Wake Forest, which began in 2013, built on a distinguished career of leading student life teams, including those at the University of California-San Diego, the University of Virginia, and Georgetown University.
Penny Rue
Another hallmark of her leadership has been her commitment to lifelong learning and the professional growth and development of Wake Forest staff members. This has manifested in two important ways: advocating for financial support for doctoral programs and serving as a committee member on staff members’ doctoral committees.
In Fall 2015, the Division of Campus Life piloted the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP), proposed by Campus Life Staff Development Committee members Zach Blackmon, Cherise James and Shelley Sizemore. The adoption of the TAP program highlighted Dr. Rue’s commitment to encourage and support the interests of Campus Life employees who wish to advance their personal and professional development while still working full time.
We have both personally benefited from Dr. Rue’s academic mentorship: she served on both of our dissertation committees. She asked tough and important questions and pushed us to be better researchers and scholars. For that, we will be eternally grateful.
As the University looks to honor Dr. Rue in her retirement, we want to recognize the important contributions she made towards the following staff members’ doctoral degrees, and the resulting expansion of knowledge within the field of higher education.
Zachary Blackmon, Ph.D. in Educational Studies
University of North Carolina – Greensboro
Dissertation: Microaggressions, Sense of Belonging, and Sexual Identity Development among LGBQ Students: A Moderation Analysis
Betsy Chapman, Ph.D. in Educational Studies*
University of North Carolina – Greensboro
Dissertation: A Quantitative Examination of the Ways Parents and Families Interact with their Students’ College Following Campus-Sponsored Engagement Opportunities: Events, E-newsletters, and a Daily Blog
Cherise James, Ph.D. in Educational Studies
University of North Carolina – Greensboro
Dissertation: Conflict Management Skills Acquisition and Usage in Student Affairs Mid-Managers: A Phenomenological Study.
Marianne Magjuka, Ed.D.
University of Pennsylvania – Higher Education Management
Dissertation: Deliberative Dialogue as a Tool for Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement
K. Monet Rice-Jalloh, D. Min
Duke University
Dissertation: No More Gallery Sections: Exploring Spiritual Wellbeing for Descendants of Enslaved Africans at Predominately White Institutions of Higher Education
We are grateful for the significant support that Dr. Rue and Wake Forest provided on our doctoral journeys.
In honor of Penny Rue’s 46 years of dedicated service to student affairs, we ask that you consider making a $46 gift (or of any size) to the WFU Chaplain’s Emergency Fund, which offers help to students, faculty, and staff in times of financial hardship. http://go.wfu.edu/cef
*Dr. Chapman is not a member of the Division of Campus Life but is included in this list because of the role Dr. Rue played on her dissertation committee.
Categories: Inside WFU
Betsy Chapman receives award from AHEPPP: Family Engagement in Higher Education
Betsy Chapman, executive director of family communications, has received the Outstanding Contribution to Research and/or Literature award from AHEPPP: Family Engagement in Higher Education. AHEPPP is the premier national association for higher education professionals who work with the parents and family members of college students. 
This award recognizes a professional in the field of parent and family programs who has enhanced the body of knowledge about, and practices of, engaging parents and families in an institution of higher learning, and whose achievements have advanced the profession.
Chapman’s research focused on the ways parents and families engaged with their student’s university following school-sponsored communications and events. Her research found that families who read a college’s daily blog the most intervened with administrators the least when their students faced challenges. While more research is needed in this area, it points to the possibility that parent and family engagement professionals can provide a valuable service in creating communication channels (such as a daily blog) that help families better understand why it is critical not to ‘take over’ when their students have problems. The research also showed that families who consumed the most school-sponsored media were most likely to be satisfied with the institution and were more likely to support the school philanthropically. Dr. Penny Rue, vice president for Campus Life, served on Chapman’s dissertation committee.
Categories: Inside WFU, Staff News
Staff recognized for milestones, Employees of the Year announced
This is a guest post from Human Resources:
Members of the campus community honored service milestones of more than 250 Wake Forest staff members who were celebrating approximately 2,800 combined years of service. These individuals were recognized at the 16th annual Staff Rewards & Recognition on Tuesday, October 11 at Bridger Field House. Later in the day, a campus-wide reception was open to all faculty and staff in the Green Room of Reynolda Hall.
Staff members celebrating 30 or more years of service included:
- 30 years: Cathy Chinlund (Advancement), Sherman Hart (Reynolda House), Gale Newport (Benson University Center), Beth Tedford (Z. Smith Reynolds Library)
- 35 years: Janet Cromer (School of Law), Cindy Davis (Biology), Mike Ford (Campus Life), Dallas Nifong (Facilities & Campus Services)
- 40 years: Michael Bottoms (University Police), Carrnell Covington (Facilities & Campus Services), Ann Knox (Parking & Transportation)
President Hatch presents staff member Betsy Chapman with the Employee of the Year plaque
Betsy Chapman, Director of Parent Giving, and Patty Kennedy, Administrative Assistant in the Department of Health and Exercise Science, were also recognized as Employees of the Year. They were nominated by faculty and staff for their contributions in the areas of innovation, integrity, accountability, inclusion, and Pro Humanitate.
Chapman was honored for mentoring students and helping parents feel part of the Wake Forest experience. The Daily Deac blog she authors was cited throughout her award nomination as a highly effective way to connect parents with the campus community. As the nomination reads, “Betsy is a valuable asset to Wake Forest, and her professionalism and genuine love for the university and its students should be commended!”
President Hatch presents staff member Patty Kennedy with the Employee of the Year plaque
Kennedy was recognized for embracing new ideas and serving as a positive role model for new staff members. The award nomination states, “Patty is always thinking of creative ways to deal with problems, with the goal of making positive changes for everyone. She is well aware of the need to serve both the department and the community.” Kennedy has demonstrated this community service through her work with the United Way and Arts Council.
Categories: Staff News, University Announcement
Faculty, staff hit the bricks
President Nathan Hatch walks with student organizers.
Faculty and staff helped the Wake Forest community “Hit the Bricks” hard this year, joining with students to run 25,571 laps around Hearn Plaza and to raise $26,782 for cancer research and the Brian Piccolo Cancer Fund.
Overall, more than 900 students, faculty and staff participated. Click to view a faculty/staff photo gallery »
The top five teams in the faculty/staff division were:
- The Crusaders: Caitlin Burchette, Kathryn Yamamoto, Brett Eaton, Jonathan Cox, Kevin Cox, James Buckley, T.J. Peele, Phil May, Mark Henley
- The Committee (Undergraduate Admissions): Dawn Calhoun, Paul Gauthier, Andrew Britt, Mark Hoover, Anthony Tang, Frank Brown, Phyllis Clodfelter, Kim Snipes, Bonnie Kiger
- Provost Elite Team: Susan Edwards, Pam Moser, Deborah Snyder, Lori Messer, Andrea Ellis, Diane Samuel, Melissa Clodfelter, John Champlin, Tomma Guastaferro, Angela Mazaris
- Parent Programs: Betsy Chapman, Austin Shrum, Rachael Walker, Rachel Cook, Mark Anderson, Paul Wingate, Joanne Ritter, Elizabeth Volker
- Residence Life and Housing: Stephanie Ganser, Nicole Rodriguez-Pastor, Matt Clifford, Lisa Harris, Matt Imboden, Donna McGalliard, Frank Shelton, Michelle Waites Read more
Categories: Events, Faculty News, Staff News
