Celebrating Faculty and Student Achievements
Dean’s Announcements
Dr. Wilkinson to join Dean’s Office as Associate Dean
Dr. Betina Cutaia Wilkinson, Associate Professor of Politics & International Affairs, will be the Associate Dean for Faculty Development and Belonging in the Office of the Dean of the College beginning July 1, 2026.
Dr. Wilkinson has served as Associate Chair of the Department of Politics and International Affairs since 2020, where she has demonstrated exceptional leadership in faculty mentorship, departmental culture-building, and advancing inclusive initiatives. Her commitment to mentoring junior faculty and students was recognized with the URECA Faculty Award for Excellence in Mentorship in 2022 and the American Political Science Association’s Adaljiza Sosa-Riddell Mentoring Award in 2025.
Dr. Still Finishes Appointment as Associate Dean
Dr. Erica Still is returning to the faculty following the conclusion of her time as Associate Dean.
We thank her for her many years of dedicated service, leadership, and thoughtful contributions to this office and to the College.
Erica will be taking a split sabbatical and looks forward to returning to the classroom and her scholarly work this fall. We know our students and campus colleagues will once again enjoy her collegiality and wise counsel as we have here in the Dean’s Office these past 7.5 years.
Dr. Polley Joins Wake Forest as Director of Experiential Learning
Dr. Diana Polley will serve as the Director of Experiential Learning, Office of the Dean of the College, beginning in August.
Dr. Polley is a nationally recognized leader in experiential education and honors pedagogy. A published scholar in American literature with a Ph.D. from the CUNY Graduate Center, she brings both intellectual rigor and practical expertise. Her scholarship on place-based learning, combined with her demonstrated ability to build cross-campus partnerships with major institutions, including the Aspen Institute and community organizations, positions her uniquely to advance Wake Forest’s commitment to interdisciplinary, mission-driven experiential learning.
Dr. Polley brings extraordinary expertise in designing, implementing, and assessing experiential learning initiatives at scale. Currently, she directs the Martinson Honors Program at the United States Air Force Academy, where she leads a 350-student program and has designed a holistic framework across curricular and co-curricular contexts. Her visionary leadership has stewarded a $10M major philanthropic gift supporting experiential and high-impact learning initiatives.
Equally important is her proven ability to work cooperatively with faculty and staff across disciplines to embed experiential learning into the fabric of institutional culture. She is a proven partner who understands that successful programs are built from the ground up through collaborative partnerships, thoughtful faculty development, and an authentic commitment to shared institutional values. Under Dr. Polley’s leadership, our Deacs Do: Engaged Learning, Empowered Futures initiative can become transformative for all our undergraduates.
Faculty Awards
Teaching Professionals Award for Excellence
in Teaching
Dr. Lynne Yengulalp
Associate Teaching Professor of Mathematics and Director of the Math and Stats Center
Excellence in Advising Award
Dr. John Tomlinson
Teaching Professor of Chemistry and Director of Pre-Health Advising
Awards for Excellence in Research
Dr. Qiaona Yu, Associate Professor of East Asian Languages & Cultures, and Dr. Stephen Winter, Associate Professor of Physics.
URECA Awards for Excellence in Mentored Scholarship
Dr. Justin Esarey, Professor of Politics and International Affairs, Dr. John Gemmer, Associate Professor of Mathematics, Dr. Luis González, Professor of Spanish, and Dr. J’Nese Williams, Assistant Professor of History.
The Kulynych Family Omicron Delta Kappa Award
Dr. Gary Miller
Professor and Chair of Health & Exercise Science
The Donald O. Schoonmaker Faculty Award for Community Service
Dr. Heidi Robinson
Professor of the Practice in Education and Associate Vice President for Career Education & Coaching in OPCD
Department & Program/Minors Leadership for 2026-2027
Department Leadership
The following faculty members will serve as Chairs and Associate Chairs of their Departments in 2026-2027.
| Department | Chair | Associate Chair |
|---|---|---|
| Anthropology | Margaret Bender, Sherri Lawson Clark (Interim, Fall 2026) | Karin Friederic |
| Art | Jay Curley | |
| Biology | Erik Johnson | Sarah McDonald Esstman |
| Chemistry | Lindsay Comstock-Ferguson | Angela King |
| Classics | Michael Sloan | |
| Communication | Eric Watts | |
| Computer Science | Pete Santago (Interim) | |
| Counseling | David Johnson | Isabel Farrell |
| East Asian Languages & Cultures | Andy Rodekohr | |
| Education | Adam Friedman | Dónal Mulcahy |
| Engineering | Michael Gross | Patricia Clayton |
| English | Christopher Brown | Eric Wilson |
| French Studies | Kendall Tarte | |
| German & Russian | Elena Clark | Tina Boyer |
| Health & Exercise Science | Gary Miller | Shannon Mihalko |
| History | Rais Rahman | Ben Coates |
| Mathematics | Frank Moore | Hugh Howards |
| Military Science | John Flach | |
| Music | Jacqui Carrasco | Elizabeth Clendinning |
| Philosophy | Patrick Toner (Interim) | |
| Physics | Martin Guthold | Timo Thonhauser |
| Politics & International Affairs | John Dinan | Andrius Galisanka |
| Psychology | Christy Buchanan | |
| Sociology | Michael Ramirez | |
| Spanish | Tiffany Judy | Sol Miguel-Prendes |
| Statistical Sciences | Rob Erhardt | Staci Hepler |
| Study of Religions | Jarrod Whitaker | |
| Theatre/Dance | Cindy Gendrich | Kevin Frazier |
| Women's, Gender & Sexuality Studies | Julia Jordan-Zachery | |
| Economics | Erik Nesson |
Program & Minors Leadership
The following faculty members will serve as Program Directors of their College Programs & Interdisciplinary Minors in 2026-2027.
| Program | Director/Coordinator(s) |
|---|---|
| African American Studies | |
| American Ethnic Studies | Julia Jordan-Zachery |
| Arabic | Nelly Van Doorn-Harder and Kimberly Wortmann (starting Spring 2027) |
| Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Gloria Muday |
| Bioethics, Humanities, & Medicine | Ana Iltis |
| Contemporary Global Studies | Ian Taplin |
| Cultural Heritage & Preservation Studies | Elizabeth Clendinning |
| Dance | Nina Lucas |
| Debate | Jarrod Atchison |
| East Asian Studies | Qiong Zhang |
| Entrepreneurship | Grey Ballard |
| Environmental Science/Studies | Julie Velásquez Runk |
| Film & Media Studies | Mary Dalton |
| Global Trade & Commerce | Kline Harrison |
| Health Policy & Administration | Megan Bennett-Jones |
| Hindi-Urdu | Nelly Van Doorn-Harder and Kimberly Wortmann (starting Spring 2027) |
| Interdiscplinary Humanities | José Luis Venegas |
| Italian Studies | Remi Lanzoni |
| Jewish Studies | |
| Journalism | Ivan Weiss |
| Latin American & Latino Studies | |
| Linguistics | César Gutiérrez, Tiffany Judy (Interim, Fall 2026) |
| Math Center | Lynne Yengulalp |
| Medieval & Early Modern Studies | Gale Sigal |
| Middle East & South Asia Studies | Nelly Van Doorn-Harder and Kimberly Wortmann (starting Spring 2027) |
| Neuroscience | Katy Lack |
| Pre-Health Professions | |
| University Theatre | Kaylin Gess (Interim) |
| Writing Center | Ryan Shirey |
| Writing Program | Erin Branch |
Retirements
The following faculty members are retiring. Thank you for your incredible dedication and commitment through the years! Thank you to the Chairs and colleagues within their departments for contributing profiles of those retiring.
Dr. Polly Black
Associate Teaching Professor of Communication and Director of Marketing Communication Minor
Dr. Susan Fahrbach
Reynolds Professor of Developmental Neuroscience and Professor of Biology
Dr. Steve Folmar
Associate Professor of Anthropology
Dr. Michael Hazen
Professor of Communication
Dr. Joanne Inkman
Teaching Professor of Piano
Dr. Abdou Lachgar
Professor of Chemistry
Dr. Leah McCoy
Professor of Mathematics Education and Director, Assessment and Accreditation
Dr. Olga Valbuena
Associate Professor of English and Director of Honors Program
Faculty Promotions
Tenure & Promotion
Congratulations to the faculty who have been tenured and promoted to Associate Professor within the College.
| Name | Department/Program |
|---|---|
| Jasmine Graham | Counseling |
| Mari Ishida | East Asian Languages & Cultures |
| Derek Lee | English |
| Alisa Russell | English |
| Ryan Schroth | French Studies |
| Stephen Winter | Physics |
| Veronica Cole | Psychology |
| S. Mason Garrison | Psychology |
| Anthony Sali | Psychology |
| Sara Fernandez Cuenca | Spanish |
Congratulations to the faculty who have been promoted to Full Professor within the College.
| Name | Department/Program |
|---|---|
| Ke Reid | Biology |
| Seth Hayden | Counseling |
| Elizabeth Clendinning | Music |
| Staci Hepler | Statistical Sciences |
| Tiffany Judy | Spanish |
Teaching Professionals
Congratulations to the faculty who have been promoted to Associate Teaching Professor within the College.
| Name | Department/Program |
|---|---|
| Sarah Moore | Counseling |
| Megan Manassah | Economics |
| Guy Witzel | English - Writing Program |
| Stephen Smith | Environment & Sustainability Studies |
| John Welsh | Italian Studies |
| Rayed Khedher | Middle East & South Asia Studies |
Congratulations to the faculty who have been promoted to Professor of the Practice within the College.
| Name | Department/Program |
|---|---|
| Brian Calhoun | Education |
| Heidi Robinson | Education |
Congratulations to the faculty who have been promoted to Teaching Professor within the College.
| Name | Department/Program |
|---|---|
| Diana Arnett | Biology |
| John Tomlinson | Chemistry |
| John MacDonald | Economics |
| Ali Sakkal | Education |
| Melissa Maffeo | Psychology |
| Tanisha Ramachandran | The Study of Religions |
| Philip Clarke | Counseling |
Faculty Fellowships
Congratulations to the following who have received Spring 2026 Faculty Fellowship Awards.
| Name | Title | Department | Fellowship Name | Term |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dalzell, Nicole | Associate Teaching Professor | Statistical Sciences | Andrew J. Sterge Faculty Fellowship | July 1, 2026 - June 30 2029 |
| Cordy, Regina | Associate Professor | Biology | Ollen R. Nalley Faculty Fellowship | July 1, 2026 - June 30 2029 |
| Yu, Qiaona | Associate Professor | East Asian Languages and Cultures | Ollen R. Nalley Faculty Fellowship | July 1, 2026 - June 30 2029 |
| D'Agostino McGowan, Lucy | Associate Professor | Statistical Sciences | Ollen R. Nalley Faculty Fellowship | July 1, 2026 - June 30 2029 |
| Rahal, Nisrine | Assistant Professor | History | Henry S. Stroupe Faculty Fellowship | July 1, 2026 - January 1, 2028 |
| Kaderka, Molly | Assistant Professor | Art | Hoak Family Faculty Fellowship | July 1, 2026 - June 30 2029 |
| Chen, Fred | Professor | Economics | Lloyd E. Bryant Faculty Fellowship | July 1, 2026 - June 30 2029 |
| Weng, Larry | Assistant Professor | Music | Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation Faculty Fellowship | July 1, 2026 - June 30 2029 |
| Leung, Tommy | Associate Professor | Economics | Scott Family Faculty Fellowship | July 1, 2026 - June 30 2029 |
| Clayton, Tricia | Associate Professor | Engineering | Scott Family Faculty Fellowship | July 1, 2026 - June 30 2029 |
| Garrison, Mason | Assistant Professor | Psychology | Shively Family Faculty Fellowship | July 1, 2026 - June 30 2029 |
| Tiboni-Craft, Silvia | Teaching Professor | Italian | Lloyd E. Bryant Faculty Fellowship | July 1, 2026 - June 30 2029 |
| Bardon, Adrian | Professor | Philosophy | Kulynych Family Faculty Fellowship | July 1, 2026 - June 30 2029 |
| Buchanan, Christy | Professor | Psychology | Kulynych Family Faculty Fellowship | July 1, 2026 - June 30 2029 |
| Epps, Keri | Associate Teaching Professor | Writing Program | Kulynych Family Faculty Fellowship | July 1, 2026 - June 30 2029 |
| Gao, Ruiying | Assistant Professor | Art | Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation Faculty Fellowship | July 1, 2026 - June 30 2029 |
| Clark, Amy | Assistant Professor | English | Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation Faculty Fellowship | July 1, 2026 - June 30 2029 |
| Shields, Matthew | Assistant Professor | Philosophy | Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation Faculty Fellowship | July 1, 2026 - June 30 2029 |
Book Published
Dr. Lucy Alford, Associate Professor of English, Daylight / Savings. Off The Park Press, Black Square Editions, 2026.
In the News
STUDENTS BECOME PARTNERS, NOT JUST VOLUNTEERS, AT GENERATIONS CENTER
An Intergenerational Center for Arts and Wellness collaboration with Wake Forest won a statewide Community Partner of the Year award.
The Creative Care class teaches students how to be empathetic, effective volunteers. Students partner with adults living with memory loss or frailty to create poems for an “arts as medicine” project. Read more at Wake Forest News.
ROY ANNOUNCED AS CAT’S INAUGURAL FACULTY RESIDENT
The CAT is excited to welcome Leah Roy, Teaching Professor of Performance in the Department of Theatre and Dance, as the inaugural Faculty in Residence. Leah has been an active member of the university community, serving in a variety of departmental and university leadership roles, as well as an engaged member of the teaching community. She brings a deep understanding of faculty and student experiences in the classroom, including through her many years in the classroom, work as a lower division and major advisor, and service as a member of the CLASS faculty advisory committee.
Leah will be contributing across all areas of CAT work, with a particular focus on models of assessment in the arts and the integration of experiential learning in the arts and humanities.
More to come on ways to connect with Leah once she’s with us. For now, please join the CAT in welcoming her!
DR. VINCENT RECEIVES BOOK AWARD
French Studies Associate Professor Dr. Amanda Vincent was recently awarded the 2026 Elisabeth Blair MacDougall Book Award by the Society of Architectural Historians for her book, Constructing Gardens, Cultivating the City: Paris’ New Parks, 1977-1995. The Award recognizes the most distinguished works of scholarship in the history of landscape architecture or garden design and was announced on April 15 during the Society’s 2026 Annual Conference in Mexico City, Mexico.
Read more on Inside WFU.
DR. WAUGH TALKS HAPPINESS IN FACULTY EXPERT SERIES
Professor of Psychology Dr. Christian Waugh was recently featured in the Wake Forest News Faculty Expert Series. In the Q&A and short video, Dr. Waugh explains what contributes to long-term well-being and shares recommendations for better emotional resilience in the face of life’s challenges.
Learn more about the Faculty Expert Series on the Wake Forest News website.
Wake Forest Scholars’ Success
Wake Forest students and alumni were named recipients or finalists for many competitive scholarship awards in the 2025-2026 academic year. Preparing candidates for the national stage is a serious communal undertaking, and scores of faculty, staff, and alumni came together with the Scholars Office to help our students succeed.
We are grateful for the service of the Committee members below and to every individual who wrote a letter of recommendation on behalf of their students—or encouraged a student to apply!
If you would like to be a part of the Fulbright, Truman, Goldwater, or UK Awards Committees, please contact the Director of the Scholars Program, Jackie Sheridan, at .
Committee Members
Click to open a list of committee members.
Fulbright Interview Panelists:
- Alyssa Howards, Faculty Director of Fulbright Scholarships and Associate Professor of German
- Matthew Childs, Visiting Assistant Professor of German
- Morgan Alexander-Coster, Assistant Director of the Wake Forest Scholars Program
- Marianne Erhardt, Associate Teaching Professor of Writing
- Acacia Fike-Nelson, Scholars Program Specialist, Wake Forest Scholars Program
- Cesar Grisales, Assistant Director of First Generation Success Programs
- Eric Haddleton, Assistant Director at Enrollment Management Recruiting, School of Business
- Dana Hutchens, Director of Employer Relations, the Office of Personal and Career Development
- Paul Jones, Associate Professor of Chemistry
- Bethany Leggett, Director of Strategic Communications and Marketing, Office of the Dean of the College
- Veronique McNelly, Professor of the Practice of French Studies
- Ali Sakkal, Associate Teaching Professor of Education
- Jackie Sheridan, Director of the Scholars Program
- David Taylor, Assistant Dean for Global Study Away Programs
- Silvia Tiboni-Craft, Associate Teaching Professor in Italian Studies
- Amanda Tingle, Wake Downtown Operations Manager
- Mark Vail, Worrell Professor of Politics & International Affairs
- Shan Woolard, Associate Director of the Office of Personal and Career Development
- Erica Fedor (‘13), Wake Forest Fulbright Scholar
- Elinor Grage (’22), Wake Forest Fulbright Scholar
- Brian Davis, Associate Project Manager, Wake Forest School of Medicine
Truman Selection Committee:
- Hana Brown, Faculty Director for Truman and Professor of Sociology
- Kenneth Townsend, Teaching Professor in the School of Law and Executive Director of Leadership and Character in the Professional Schools
- Jackie Sheridan, Wake Forest Scholars Program Director
Goldwater Selection Committee:
- John Gemmer, STEM Faculty Director and Associate Professor in Mathematics and Sterge Faculty Fellow
- Nick Corak, Assistant Teaching Professor of Mathematics
- Scott Geyer, Associate Teaching Professor of Chemistry
- Nicholas Kortessis, Assistant Professor of Biology
- Sarah Lotspeich, Assistant Professor of Statistics
- Stephen Winter, Associate Professor of Physics
UK Awards Committee:
- Jackie Sheridan, Wake Forest Scholars Program Director
- Emily Austin, Professor of Philosophy
- Andrius Galisanka, Associate Professor of Politics & International Affairs
- Michael Lamb, Associate Professor of Interdisciplinary Humanities & F.M. Kirby Foundation Chair and Executive Director of Program for Leadership and Character
- Gloria Muday, Charles M. Allen Professor of Biology and Director of the Center for Molecular Signaling
- Akbar Salam, Professor of Chemistry
- Kenneth Townsend, Teaching Professor in the School of Law and Executive Director of Leadership and Character in the Professional Schools
- Mark Vail, Worrell Professor of Politics & International Affairs
Gilman Support Team:
- Cat Novakovich, First in the Forest Advisor, Gilman Team Lead
- Morgan Alexander-Coster, Assistant Director of the Wake Forest Scholars Program
- Janice Claybrook, Director of Short-Term/Summer Programs & Scholarships
- Carolina Livesay, Academic Coordinator for the Writing Center, Interdisciplinary Writing, and Journalism
- Elizabeth Sandy, Assistant Director of Student Financial Aid
Student Award Recipients
| Name | Award/Title |
|---|---|
| María Fernández ('26) | Fulbright |
| Evan Harris ('26) | Fulbright |
| Lourdes Lopez ('26) | Fulbright |
| Jack Bradley ('24) | Fulbright |
| Eli Leadham ('26) | Schwarzman Scholar |
| Tahjanee Givens ('25) | Marshall Scholarship (declined) |
| Isabella B. Allar ('23) | National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program |
| Christine Kirby ('24) | National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program |
| Brooke K. Dunkley, School of Medicine | National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program |
| Olivia Delgado ('26) | National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program - Honorable Mention |
| Mark H. Johnston, Ph.D. student | National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program - Honorable Mention |
| Chris Cha ('27) | RISE Germany Award |
| Andre McRae ('29) | Gilman Scholarship |
| Ryan Pigora ('28) | Gilman Scholarship |
Scholarships for Continuing Students
Mullen/Carswell Scholars
- Kameron Collins (’26)
- Emma Engle
- Nidhi Gandhi
- Ellen Harper
- Ziqi Huang
- Chris Langley
- Carter McDonald
- William Merritt
- Constance Pleasants
- Evelyn Shatto
- Catie Waugh
Stamps Scholars
- Megan Zanni
- Christopher Dietrich (’26)
- Ahlanna Jackson
- Ella Jones
- Fred Lin
- Khloe Maldonado
- Joe McDonnell
- Mikey Paniagua (’26)
- Callie Wittmann
URECA Fellowships
Wake Forest Arts and Humanities Research Fellowships
Congratulations to the students who have been selected for the 2026 URECA Wake Forest Arts and Humanities Research Fellowships.
| Project Title | Student | Mentor |
|---|---|---|
| Happiness, Meaning, and Moral Repair in BoJack Horseman | Syed Abdullah | Francisco Gallegos |
| Creation within Contradiction and Mystique: Negative Capability as a Poetic Methodology | Lucas Betancourt | Elisabeth Whitehead |
| Changes in Sensibility: The Novel and Literary Criticism | Lexi Dean | Herman Rapaport |
| The Development of a Curriculum for Wake Forest's Ongoing Latin Language Learning Software | Griffin Dilworth | Michael Sloan |
| Undocumented Latino/a/x Communities in Contemporary America: Legal and Moral Responses in the Age of Trump | Haile Espin | Daniel Henry |
| "Dreams and Fairy Tales: A Jungian analysis of The Secret in the Wings by Mary Zimmerman" | Ziqi Huang | Jonathan Herbert |
| Into the Fairytales of The Secret in the Wings | Senya Li | Cindy Gendrich |
| From Buffon to Blumenbach: Early Anthropology, Race, and the Production of Knowledge | James Smith | Grant McAllister |
| Exploring Palmer Memorial Institute as a Civic Ladder | JT Taylor | Charlesa Redmond |
| Bethabara Archaeological Preservation | Kate Wingate | Terry Brock |
Wake Forest Research Fellowships
Congratulations to the students who have been selected for the 2026 URECA Wake Forest Research Fellowships.
| Project Title | Student | Mentor |
|---|---|---|
| Parameter Space Analysis of Adaptive Analytical Ray-Tracing Code. | Mandy Abercrombie | Alejandro Cardenas-Avendano |
| Dos Santos Lab Researcher | Tanor Andre | Patricia Dos Santos |
| Tissue Regeneration in Axolotl Colonies: A Potential Solution to Scarring in Humans | Fedelia Ashie | Joshua Currie |
| Effect Cholesterol Depletion of Lipid Rafts on D2R Function | Lily Blakely | Rong Chen |
| Linking Gait Variability, Cognition and White Matter Microstructure in Older Adults | Ashleigh Burns | Christina Hugenschmidt |
| Synthesis of L-Cysteine Sulfinamide | Zhiyi Cheng | S. Bruce King |
| Gas-Phase Chiral Analysis via Modified Benchtop Circular Dichroism Spectroscopy | Celine Chiang | Mallory Green |
| The Free-Rider Problem in Embryo Research: Reconciling Personhood Laws with Scientific Necessity | Mae Dingley | Christine Nero Coughlin |
| Vertical Fingerprints: Quantifying the Structural Signatures of Amazonian Forest Degradation | Julia Duzynski | Ovidiu Csillik |
| Combinatorics of Neural Coding: Classifying Linearly Separable Dichotomies in 3D Grid-Cell Models via Young Diagrams | Eddie Fang | Sarah Mason |
| How Nucleated Erythrocytes Meet the Metabolic Demands of Birds: Membrane Physiology and Hemoglobin Oxygenation | Tianqi Fang | Lara do Amaral Silva |
| Toward Explainable and Safe Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning | Elham Fayzi | Sarra Alqahtani |
| Investigating the Relationship Between Facial Signal Variation and Individual Recognition in North Carolina Polistes fuscatus | Lacy February | Christopher Jernigan |
| Integration of Olfactory and Gustatory Sensations in Rats | Michelle Ferrone | Joost Maier |
| Label-Free Aptamer Displacement Assay for Aldosterone Using SYBR-Gold and Carbon Dots (CDs) | Mario Ficalora | Christa L. Colyer |
| Dissecting Long-Range Signaling in E.coli TilS | Eason Fu | Rebecca Alexander |
| LLM API Key Leakage in iOS Apps | Eric Gao | Ying, Zhang |
| Health Disparities Among Musicians: Expanding Healthcare Workers Knowledge of Musicians And Their Physical And Psychological Demands. | Vikram Giyanani | Megan E. Bennett-Jones |
| Competition Between SAM and the N-mustard SAM Analog for the Active Site of PRMT1 in In Vitro and Complex Cellular Environments | Anna Gray | Lindsay Comstock-Ferguson |
| Cosmetic Sustainability | Autumn Hauser | John Gemmer |
| Comparative ecophysiology across gametophyte and sporophyte life stages in the Appalachian Asplenium hybrid complex | Leyla Herrera | Christopher Krieg |
| Synthesizing a potential anti-cancer drug conjugate that links selenium and acridine | Bradley Jiang | John C Lukesh |
| Early Postnatal Conditioning and Concentration-Invariant Odor Recognition in Neonatal Rats | Joseph Joseph Rodrigues | Joost Maier |
| Material Culture in Childbirth Education | Ella Kane | Andrew Gurstelle |
| Social aspects in statistical and philosophical approaches to clustering | Dareen Khoshnaw | Kenneth Berenhaut |
| Engineering De Novo Protein Binders to Target Oncohistone Mutations and Reprogram Epigenetic Regulation | Wonhee Kim | Katherine Albanese |
| Effects of Glyphosate on the Drosophila Melanogaster Microbiome and Reproduction | Sophie King | Erik C. Johnson |
| L-Theanine effects on physiological variables | Isabella Kury-Calderon | Gary Miller |
| Mechanistic Investigation of Glucose-Responsive Sulfur and Selenium Prodrugs for Dual Anticancer Release | Tucker Luna | John Lukesh |
| Developing a Fibrinogen Purification Protocol | Julietta Medina Rojas | Keith Bonin |
| A Study Examining the Effects of Physical Activity on Self-Efficacy and Physical Function in Lymphoma Patients | Emma Meehan | Shannon Mihalko |
| Understanding the Use and Impact of an Online Platform in a Virtual Migraine Study: A Mixed Methods Analysis | Mila Naidu | Rebecca E Wells |
| Investigating the Role of Cutaneous Pericytes in Oxaliplatin-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy Using a Minimal Residual Disease Model | Arnav Nallari | Yusuke Shiozawa |
| Are LLMs Capable Hypothesis Machines? Empirical Investigation on LLM Semantic Reasoning. | Jack Perry | Fan Yang |
| The Complexity and Source of Small Bank Systematic Risk | Jimmy Ren | Giorgi Nikolaishvili |
| Development of Long Chain Platinum Acridine Anticancer Agents | Andrew Riggs | Bierbach |
| Investigating the Prolonged Effects of Sport-Related Concussion on Force Plate Counter Movement Jump Metrics in College Student Athletes | Josie Rill | Peter Brubaker |
| The Effect of Judicial Discretion in the Immigration Court System | Madi Rogers | Andrea Gomez Cervantes |
| Development of a Fibrinogen Expression Vector for the Modification and Study of Subunits | Aidan Romeo | Martin Guthold |
| Using Self-Determination Theory to Assess Autonomous and Controlled Eating Behavior in A Non-Clinical Male and Female Population | Maya Roth | EJ Masicampo |
| Whole-Genome Analysis of Diet-Induced Inflammatory Responses in Baboons | Philip Sabet | Ellen Quillen |
| Psychological Predictors of Performance Among NCAA Gymnasts | Sam Simmons | Jay Campbell |
| The function of fission yeast Multiprotein Bridging Factor 1 in stress response | Cici Song | Ke Zhang Reid |
| NO-Ferroheme Formation in Cytochrome C to Counter Oxidative Damage | Nicholas Straka | Daniel Kim-Shapiro |
| Improving Course Design Through Analysis of Student AI Usage and Learning Preferences | Jackson Strauss | Sarah Parsons |
| Stochastic based predictions using Higher Order Markovian Models and Dynamical Systems | Matthew Thomson | Fan Yang |
| Analysis of CRIP1a-Dependent Regulation of RGS Proteins and Cell Survival Pathways in CB1 Receptor Signaling | Yingran (Alice) Wang | Allyn Howlett |
| Embodied Movement, Music, and Meditation in the Dialysis Unit: Feasibility and Impact of Chair Based Exercise During Treatment | Isabella Weidmann | Christina Soriano |
| Investigating the Mechanical Properties and Durability of Electrospun Fibrinogen:Polycaprolactone Nanofibers | Walker Wilkins | Martin Guthold |
Richter Fellowships
Congratulations to the 2026 Richter Scholars.
| Name | Project Title | Mentor |
|---|---|---|
| Syed Abdullah | Wallpaper Groups and Tessellations in Islamic Architectural Design | Dr. Ellen Kirkman |
| Camryn D'Abreu-Carr | Tourism and Cultural Transformation in Guanacaste, Costa Rica: An Ethnographic Inquiry | Dr. Karin Friederic |
| Yolanda Fan | Tea Culture in Pottery and Porcelain: A Comparative Study of Sensory, Aesthetic, and Cultural Experiences in Yixing Zisha Teapot and Jingdezhen Gaiwan | Dr. Zhang Qiong |
| Caroline Galbreth | Eileen Gray: 20th Century Artistic Life in Paris and the French Riviera | Dr. Brook Davis |
| Braelyn Howard | The Impact of Switzerland's High-Deductible Insurance Model on Access to Primary Preventive Services | Dr. Stephanie Bunch |
| Brooke Isola | Food, Place, and Cultural Meaning: A Comparative Study of Regional Food Traditions in Italy | Dr. Gary Miller |
| Wangwang Ma | Missionary Collecting and Cultural Representation: An Archival Study of Missionary Collections in Belgian Museums | Dr. Andrew Gurstelle |
| Jaechang Sung | From Tradition to Stadium: How Baseball Reflects Community, Culture, and History in Korea and Japan | Dr. Emily Simpson |
| Andrew Braun | A Comparative Analysis of Land Use Practices in Copenhagen’s and London’s Urban Management Plans | Dr. David Phillips |
| David Burda | Melting Meaning: Glacial Loss and Environmental Discourse in Iceland | Dr. Leslie Straker |
| Nadia Chudzik | Keeping Dancers Dancing: A Comparative Analysis of Injury Prevention Practices in Elite Dance Training Programs | Dr. Gary Miller |
| Grayson Gritton | The Architecture of Multiculturalism in Norman Sicily | Dr. Gale Sigal |
| Fayda Hana Chajai | Whose History Is Told? Moroccan Colonialism and Migration in European Museums | Dr. Rayed Khedher |
| Orrin Jones | Comparative Bilingual Education Policy: A Case Study of Northern Hills Bilingual School in Argentina and North Carolina | Dr. Lauren Miller |
| Trishul Patel | Listening to Men’s Health: Circumcision, Social Norms, and Sexual Wellbeing Across the United States and Central/Western Europe | Dr. Leslie Straker |
| Sriram Patnaik | An Investigation into Traditional Indian Therapies and Remedies used in Tribal-Dominated Communities of the Eastern Ghats in India | Dr. Ananda Mitra |
| Tommy (Taixi) Shen | Silence and Solitude: How Modern Societies Manage Social Pressure Through Everyday Space — A Visual Study in Japan | Dr. Natasha Lehner |
| Taniska Sharma | Flows of Qi, Flows of Story: Traditional Chinese Medicine and Emotional Healing in Danmei Fan Interpretive Practices | Dr. Shinsuke Eguchi |
| Evelyn Shatto | The Lost Generation: an International Cross-Cultural Comparative Study of Culture and Chinese Adoptee Identity | Dr. Lisa Kiang |
Department & Program
Student Awards
About the Digest
To share news with the College, fill out the Digest submission form. To share news on the Dean’s Office Digital Screen, fill out the Digital Screen submission form. If you wish to unsubscribe from the Dean’s Office Digest, contact Erin Marlow.
For more information about the College of Arts & Sciences at Wake Forest University, visit the College’s website at college.wfu.edu.
Faculty can find resources available on the College Faculty Guide website.