What’s New
Here’s how Wake Forest students and others can plug in to Leadership and Character:
- 🎓 Departmental and Course Development Grants: Wake Forest faculty, departments, schools, and programs can learn more and apply here.
- 💼 We’re Hiring! The Program is expanding, thanks to an $8.6 M grant from the Kern Family Foundation. See open positions here.
- 👋🏾 Meet our new team members!
- 🎩 “What is Wake Forest For?” Read Dr. Michael Lamb’s speech on the day of President Susan Wente’s inauguration.
- 👍🏽 Follow us on social media: We’re on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok!
Receive regular updates on events and happenings:
Our Mission
The Program for Leadership and Character inspires, educates, and empowers leaders of character to serve humanity. Through innovative teaching, creative programming, and cutting-edge research, we aim to transform the lives of students, foster an inclusive culture of leadership and character at Wake Forest, and catalyze a broader public conversation that places character at the center of leadership.
Over the last decade, Wake Forest faculty have become leading experts in the study of character. The Program for Leadership and Character is now using this groundbreaking research to develop creative, liberal arts-based programming to transform the lives of our students.
We are excited to share who we are and what we aspire to do. We hope you will join us in this effort.
Courses
We teach courses on leadership and character and equip others to develop relevant courses.
College Programming
Our outside-the-classroom programs equip students to develop the character needed to lead with integrity.
Professional Schools
Our efforts in the professional schools prepare students to be leaders and professionals of character.
Conferences
We host conferences to facilitate broader reflection on leadership and character beyond Wake Forest.
C2C
Learn more about yourself and others through a Call to Conversation.
Research
We use rigorous research to assess our programs and share our results.
The Program is pleased to announce that we've hired:
✅ Erin Adamson as our Associate Director in the Professional Schools
✅ Mary Costanza as our Program and Events Coordinator
✅ Britney Jenkins as our Administrative Assistant in the Professional Schools
You can read more about the newest members of our team by tapping on the link in our bio.
How’d you like one of these books with a popsicle or a slice of pizza?
Join us on Tuesday, May 3 from 12-2 at Starling Hall for “Prose, Pizza, and Popsicles.” It’s a chance to take a short study break, grab a bite to eat, and leave with one of our favorite books for free!
If you’re coming, feel free to leave a comment and tell a friend!
On Thursday afternoon, we opened up Starling Hall for a Leadership & Character Arts Showcase with our friends at @wakethearts and @wfu_iac. Dozens of students and supporters of our Program enjoyed refreshments and a tour of the student-created and Wake Forest-related pieces in Starling. Afterward, four students read passages from their pieces in "Performing Character: From Stage to Page," a new collection of poetry and prose from students with a passion for art. We can't thank you all enough for spending an afternoon with us.
Our executive director, Michael Lamb, spoke at @valparaiso_university earlier this week about human flourishing and the good life in a conversation entitled Why Be Good? "What a joy to talk about character with David Henreckson and Anne Snyder at Valparaiso," Lamb says. "I am grateful to all of the faculty and students at Valparaiso who were such gracious hosts."
Congratulations to @lbradshaw6 and @billosjohn for being named Goldwater Scholars!
John’s a @wfucompsci major from Mt. Airy, and the first Leadership and Character Scholar to earn a major national scholarship.
On Tuesday evening, @drsanjaygupta spoke to students in Wait Chapel about his career as both a neurosurgeon and a journalist, and about the importance of having a sense of purpose. "You have to believe what you're doing is important," he said.
During his discussion with Leadership and
Character Scholars @torain_a and @aksheysuresh, Gupta also touched on several other topics:
✔ On leadership: "If you're given trust in this society, you have to spend time making sure you don't take that for granted."
✔ On the importance of reflecting upon the challenges of the pandemic: "If we don't dialogue about this, I don't know how we move forward."
✔ On South Asian representation in media: "If people that look like me are represented on the screen, that's a better product. That's how we evolve as a society."
✔ On preparing for the future: "A lot of the jobs that people in this room will have do not currently exist."
Scholar @olivia_.blake introduced Dr. Gupta, who appeared as part of the @facetofacewfu Speaker Forum at @wfuniversity.
Inspired.
That's how we're feeling after an amazing weekend with some incredible women. Dozens of students came to Wake Downtown for Leadership, Power, and Confidence: A Conference for Women by Women. During our time together, we talked about authenticity, building a community of care, feminist leadership, and more. In between sessions, we asked participants and panelists to jot down names of women they admire, and leave Post-It notes of inspiration around the building. We couldn't have asked for a better weekend with better people.
Many thanks to our co-sponsors: @wfuopcd, @wfuthrive, @wfuwomenscenter, @wfustudentengagement, @communitywfu, @wakethearts, and @interculturalwfu.
Check this out next week! We're thrilled to tell you that three of our Leadership and Character Scholars will be introducing @drsanjaygupta and moderating his @facetofacewfu student discussion.
"As we confront socioeconomic, political and existential challenges, we need Wake Forest leaders of character, committed to making an impact with integrity in the world." -@presidentwente, from her inauguration address on Friday, March 25. #WenteToWake
"One of the things that this university does so well is: There's a program on leadership and character. It almost should be required for everybody who intends to be a leader." -Gene Woods, CEO of @atriumhealth, at Thursday night's @facetofacewfu Inauguration Forum.
“The essence of democracy is being able to understand those with whom you disagree.” -Madeleine Albright to @wfuniversity students at a @facetofacewfu forum on November 9, 2021. The first female U.S. Secretary of State died Wednesday at age 84.
Leadership & Character & Dogwoods