Across the Globe

Oxford Character Project: Wake Forest and the Oxford Character Project have developed an ongoing partnership to support leadership and character development. We co-organized a 2017 conference at Oxford on “Cultivating Virtue in the University,” which brought together leading experts in history, literature, philosophy, theology and the social sciences to explore the role of character development in higher education. The sold-out conference attracted scholars, students and educators from the United States, United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Germany, Spain and Argentina.

Wake Forest and the Oxford Character Project partnered again to co-organize a conference on “The Arts of Leading: Perspectives from the Humanities and Liberal Arts” in 2019 at Wake Forest. The conference explored how diverse perspectives from classics, history, literature, philosophy, religion, and the visual and performing arts can enrich the theory and practice of leadership. Speakers included distinguished scholars from Chicago, CUNY, Duke, Harvard, Oxford, Richmond, Stanford, UNC and Wake Forest.

In 2021, the Program hosted its third international conference with the Oxford Character Project, entitled “Character and the Professions.” More than 2,000 people attended the conference virtually.

In 2022, the Program and the Oxford Character Project co-organized their fourth international conference entitled “Educating Character Across the University.” Over 1,000 attended the keynote conversation with Dr. Cornel West, and approximately 250 participated in a series of panels and interactive workshops on how to educate and assess character in both curricular and co-curricular contexts within higher education.

Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues at the University of Birmingham: The Program has developed an ongoing partnership with the Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues at the University of Birmingham to advance character education within higher education across the globe. Building on years of engagement in the Jubilee Centre’s international conferences on character, the Program is proud to be a co-sponsor of the Jubilee Centre’s international webinar series on “The Flourishing Student.”

European Character and Virtue Association: Comprising more than 30 universities from 16 countries, the European Character and Virtue Association (ECVA) promotes research, training, and education focused on character within universities across Europe. The Program for Leadership and Character’s Educating Character Initiative is partnering with ECVA to promote character education and support a global network of institutions and individuals focused on educating character at the university level. 

Hong Kong University: Based on successful collaboration to facilitate “The Character of Leadership” workshops for students in the past, Michael Lamb has continued to provide consultation for the Lead for Life program at Hong Kong University, which has supported over 400 students in intensive leadership and character development with the support of more than 90 mentors.

At Wake Forest

The Program for Leadership and Character has partnered with over 40 Wake Forest departments, offices and organizations to create programs and opportunities that support the cultivation of leadership and character. The creativity and energy that comes from collaborating with faculty, staff and students across the university has built momentum across campus.

Partners Councils

The Leadership and Character Partners Councils in the College and in the Professional Schools offer the Program regular guidance and assistance related to curricular, programmatic, and outreach efforts.  These councils have proven particularly valuable for gathering ideas and advice from campus leaders and for finding creative ways to develop mutually supportive partnerships across campus.

Partners Council in the Professional Schools

School of Law
  • Jonathan Cardi, Professor of Law
  • Raina Haque, Professor of Practice
  • Abigail Perdue, Professor of Legal Analysis, Writing, and Research
  • Mark Rabil, Director of the Wake Forest Innocence and Justice Clinic and Clinical Professor of Law
  • Ron Wright, Professor of Law and Associate Dean for Research and Academic Programs
School of Business
  • Sean Hannah, Professor of Management, Chair of Business Ethics, and Senior Associate in the Allegacy Center for Leadership and Character
  • Matthew Phillips, Associate Teaching Professor of Business Law and Ethics and Senior Advisor for Strategic Initiatives in the Office of the Provost
  • Pat Sweeney, Professor of the Practice of Management and Executive Director of the Allegacy Center for Leadership and Character
  • John Sumanth, Associate Professor of Management
  • Julie Wayne, Professor of Organizational Management
School of Medicine
  • Roy E. Strowd III, Associate Professor of Neurology
  • Marcia Wofford, Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Professor of Pediatrics
  • Terri Yates, Vice President and Associate Dean for Healthcare Education Administration
School of Divinity
  • John Senior, Assistant Dean of Vocational Discernment and Director of the Art of Ministry Program
School of Professional Studies
  • Shonda Jones, Executive Director of Academic Programs at the School of Professional Studies
Graduate Program in Sustainability
  • Stan Meiburg, Director of the Graduate Program in Sustainability

Partners Council in the College

  • Betsy Adams, Assistant Dean of Leadership and Fraternity & Sorority Life, Office of Student Engagement
  • Rebecca Alexander, Professor of Chemistry, Director of Academic Planning at Wake Downtown, and Associate Dean for Research and Community Engagement
  • Tim Auman, University Chaplain, Founder and Director of the MindfulWake Initiative
  • Emily Austin, Associate Professor of Philosophy
  • Betsy Barre, Executive Director of the Center for the Advancement of Teaching
  • Michaelle Browers, Chair and Professor of Politics and International Affairs
  • Dedee DeLongpre Johnston, Vice President for Human Resources and Sustainability
  • Nate French, Associate Teaching Professor of Communication and Director of the Magnolia Scholars Program
  • Mike Gross, Associate Professor of Engineering and Faculty Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship
  • Ashley Hawkins Parham, Program Manager of the Office of Wellbeing
  • Eranda Jayawickreme, Associate Professor of Psychology and Senior Research Fellow in the Program for Leadership and Character
  • Lucas Johnston, Co-Director of the Environmental Program and Associate Professor of Religion and Environment
  • Marianne Magjuka, Assistant Dean of Students and Executive Director of the Office of Civic and Community Engagement
  • Christian Miller, A.C. Reid Professor of Philosophy and Director of The Honesty Project
  • Monique O’Connell, Professor of History, Interim Associate Dean of the Faculty
  • Leann Pace, Assistant Teaching Professor in the Department for the Study of Religions
  • Olga Pierrakos, Founding Department Chair and Professor of Engineering
  • K. Monet Rice-Jalloh, Associate University Chaplain
  • Heidi Robinson, Assistant Vice President for Career Education and Coaching in the Office of Personal and Career Development
  • Jackie Sheridan, Director of the Wake Forest Scholars Program
  • Christina Soriano, Associate Provost for the Arts and Interdisciplinary Initiatives and Associate Professor of Dance
  • Erica Still, Associate Dean for Faculty Recruitment, Diversity, and Inclusion and Associate Professor of English
  • Eric Stottlemyer, Associate Dean for the Engaged Liberal Arts, Associate Teaching Professor of English
  • Patrick Sullivan, Director of Strategic Projects in the Office of Personal and Career Development
  • D’Najah Thomas, Associate Director of Residence Life
  • Rebecca Thomas, Professor of German
  • William Turkett, Chair and Associate Professor of Computer Science
  • Nelly Van Doorn Harder, Professor in the Department for the Study of Religions
  • Corey D. B. Walker, Wake Forest Professor of the Humanities and Director of the Program in African American Studies
  • Ashley Wechter, Associate Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Development and Administration and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer in Athletics