It’s my first day!
Dear Wake Forest students, faculty and staff,
Today is my first official day on the job as Wake Forest’s 15th president, and I could not be more excited to join this very special community.
I’ve spent the past six weeks wrapping up my responsibilities as a dean at Rice University, preparing for the move from Houston to Winston-Salem, and absorbing as much as possible about Wake Forest while not physically on campus.
Some expect a new president to kick things off with an ambitious vision or a list of institutional priorities. While it’s a bit early for that, I want to share a few of the items that are important to me right now.
- Getting to know you
The President’s Office staff has been diligently fielding requests for meetings and event invitations on my behalf. I have so much to look forward to in the next few months! I plan to get around campus as much as possible when the fall semester starts, and I hope you will stop me to introduce yourself.
I’ve already learned something important about Wake: it’s a deeply relational place. This is by far the most frequent answer I hear when asking people what they love about Wake Forest. Therefore, when we meet, I’m likely to ask you a different question; not what makes Wake Forest special, but who makes Wake Forest special to you? I’m eager to hear your answers. - Helping you get to know me
There is no better way to get to know someone than to learn about the people who bring them to life. For me, those people are my wife, Kathleen, and our three children, Gabriella, Sam and Michael. I look forward to introducing them to you in person at some point. Until then …
Kathleen and I share a passion for education. She has taught elementary school since graduating college and has been a third-grade teacher for the past four years. She loves gardening and is excited to explore Winston-Salem.
Gabriella lives in Durham with her husband, Ashwin. One thing Gabriella and I have in common is a love for travel. She is glad we are moving close, but not too close.
Sam and I share many things in common, especially our love of sports. We keep each other well-versed on college and pro sports and love to visit new stadiums across the U.S. and on our trips abroad.
Michael is starting college this fall at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. He plans to pursue his love of musical theater. Our whole family loves music, but Michael has a legitimate claim to most of the talent.
I’ll add one last thought in the “getting to know me” category. Before offering me the job, members of the Presidential Search Committee watched the so-called “last lecture” I delivered at UVA’s Darden School of Business in 2014. Some of the committee members have shared that they felt like they knew me better after watching that video. While I find it amusing that a 12-year-old video might have helped me land my dream job, maybe it will help you get to know me better, too. - Understanding what Wake Forest needs in its next provost
I start my tenure as president with a big role to fill in the academic leadership ranks. I am deeply grateful to have Interim Provost Nell Newton and an exceptional “dean team” to help me understand the attributes that will equip Wake Forest’s next provost to serve the institution well. The process of developing a position prospectus will also help me understand Wake Forest’s needs, and I will benefit from many perspectives contributing to that document. I look forward to sharing more about the search plans before long.
I am so glad to be here and look forward to meeting you. I invite you to follow my social media accounts, where I’ll be posting about my initial experiences at Wake Forest.
Enjoy the rest of your summer, and I’ll see you around campus very soon,
Dr. Peter Rodriguez
President
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