Warm news on a cold day
In this Issue:
- New Dean of ZSR Library announced
- Summer Management Program Zoom for families
- Rusty Johnson Scholarship for Study or Internships in Africa in Summer 2025
- Reminder of finance career resources available to all Wake Forest students
It continues to be brutally cold here, and quite windy (which makes it feel even colder). And speaking of wind, we continue to ache for all those experiencing the wind-whipped wildfires of the LA area and pray that you and yours are safe. If you have a student from the impacted areas, please remind them that our We Are Wake initiative is here to provide them support: visit we.wfu.edu or call 336-758-CARE for more info or to submit a referral.
With snow in the forecast, we encourage all students – whether here already or traveling back to campus – to stay alert to weather conditions and exercise caution when traveling. Students in the Winston-Salem area can follow local weather forecasts at WXII, WGHP, WFMY and/or Spectrum News 14. Any changes to University operations would be shared through Wake Alert. (Families, if you have not downloaded the WakeSafe app and enabled notifications, you will want to do so if you wish to receive campus safety alerts).
I also got late word that given the potential storm, they will be offering dinner in the Pit tomorrow for students on campus – a chili and baked potato bar. Meal plans go into effect on Saturday.
New Dean of ZSR Library announced
Some great news coming out this morning: “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….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.” Read the full news release.
It’s wonderful to see Lauren returning to Wake Forest and the ZSR and we look forward to welcoming her back this summer!
Summer Management Program Zoom for families
I heard from a colleague of mine that there will be a Zoom for families about the Summer Management Program (SMP). Here are the details:
“Wake Forest families are invited to attend an information session relating to one of our most distinguished programs, The Summer Management Program (SMP). SMP is a business boot camp for non-business, undergraduate students, and students earn 8.0 credit hours (pass/fail) by attending this summer program. Join Professor Ben King on Tuesday, January 28 at 4:00 p.m. (EST) via Zoom https://go.wfu.edu/parentinfo to learn more about this outstanding program. (Please note that this meeting is for families only. We shall hold a separate information session for students. Contact Francie Powers at powersfv@wfu.edu with questions.)”
While SMP is a great option for some students, other students may want to look into SportsBIZ, which is another terrific summer option for students more interested in learning the business of sports. I am gathering info about SportsBIZ and will share it in the coming days; stay tuned.
Rusty Johnson Scholarship for Study or Internships in Africa in Summer 2025
This morning I received word of a wonderful opportunity for full cost scholarships for undergraduate students to study or do internships in Africa this summer on eligible programs. This could be an amazing experience for interested Deacs:
“The Center for Global Programs and Studies (GPS) is excited to share that the Summer 2025 application for The Rusty Johnson Scholarship for Study or Internships in Africa is now open! The Rusty Johnson Scholarship program will provide full cost scholarships for undergraduate students to study or participate in internships in Africa during Summer 2025. Students must be accepted to and participate in an eligible abroad program and should submit a scholarship application by the priority deadline of February 15, 2025. A number of eligible programs offer internship opportunities across a variety of industries and professional areas. Additional information regarding eligible abroad programs, the program application links, and the scholarship application can be found at: Rusty Johnson Scholarship for Study or Internships in Africa – Summer 2025. Questions can be directed to Janice Claybrook, Associate Director of Global Study Away, at claybrjw@wfu.edu.”
Reminder of finance career resources available to all Wake Forest students
We ran this in the Daily Deac before winter break but wanted to repeat it here in case you missed it then. Regardless of your student’s year or major, Wake Forest students who are interested in careers in Finance have new resources to help them in their college-to-career journey:
- The Explore Finance Paths website helps students get started with some of the basics of careers in finance.
- The Market Readiness Finance website drills a level deeper, including helping students understand the recruiting timeline for Finance internships and careers, see the kinds of interview questions and business cases they may encounter, and videos on important market readiness skills – everything from roles, interviewing, and networking to industry provided content.
These resources are available today to all students. This is important because the recruiting timeline for finance careers begins earlier and earlier in the student experience, even before students declare their major. These resources help equip and prepare students of all class years for the internship and job search process.
Sometime in early spring, we will launch a self-paced online course that will guide students through all they need to know to prepare themselves to find a job or internship in Finance. I will share that course when it is available.
My fingers are crossed for minimal snow and easy traveling for all our Deacs returning to campus. Be safe, y’all!