Greetings from President Susan R. Wente

Greetings, Wake Forest community!

What a joy it is to start my first day as Wake Forest’s 14th president. Since January, I have been looking forward to this day with great anticipation. Throughout the last few months, I have felt the generosity and hospitality of the Wake Forest community. Your welcome has confirmed that this is the right place for me and my family.

I became interested in Wake Forest and accepted the offer to serve as president for two basic reasons. First, I believe Wake Forest is a great university. This is an institution that embraces the values it professes, takes seriously its commitment to its mission and upholds its responsibilities to its people. Second, as a great university, we must set a high standard within higher education, and I believe I can contribute to this community’s collective and ongoing pursuit of excellence.

Recently, I met with the Board of Trustees, and we discussed the responsibilities of a university committed to the transformative power of education and research. What is being asked of great universities is not easy, but it is worth the effort. Our discovery, scholarship and creative expression are essential fuel for our community and society. Foremost, educating the future leaders who will be asked to solve the complex and ever-evolving problems of their day is worth the effort of every single one of us.

I am eager to meet all of you and get started writing the next chapter of Wake Forest’s story, and I also realize that we are in the midst of a much-cherished summer and many are away from campus right now. After a truly unusual year and a half, I hope you all take the opportunity to find time to reflect and renew. We will have many opportunities to get to know one another and start the work ahead over the course of the next few weeks and months. In the meantime, I invite you to connect with me on Twitter and Instagram (@PresidentWente) where I will share what I am learning about the Wake Forest community.

For universities and for society, this is a time of change. It is a time of great challenge. It is a time of opportunity for those committed to their mission and values. And for Wake Forest, it is a time of new beginnings.

With a commitment to building further trust, transparency and teamwork, I look forward to forging our new beginnings together. Thank you for inviting me to partner with you on the journey.

Sincerely,

Susan R. Wente, Ph.D.
President