A Season of Gratitude and the Power of Our Team

Happy Thanksgiving week, Wake Forest!

This is a season of gratitude for many, and this year, I feel especially grateful for our Wake Forest community. As I reflected on in my presidential address last week, I feel so fortunate to serve as Wake Forest’s 14th president.

The university presidency is a calling and a gift, and I am humbly and joyfully aware of the importance each and every one of you has played in the many accomplishments and successes Wake Forest has seen over the past four and a half years. As an introduction to my address, I was so deeply honored by a special (and surprise!) presentation by ten members of our Wake Forest community – which highlighted a number of our most meaningful achievements together, and they each shared personal reflections on the impact of that work. 

I was – and remain – so moved by the words shared with the audience that afternoon. No leader ever accomplishes anything alone—and I am immensely grateful for Wake Forest’s unwavering commitment to teamwork.

In my Presidential Address, I reflected on the professional “why” which has guided my path in higher education and informed the work we have done together during my presidency: to build environments where learners can discover their passions and thrive. One of the reasons I felt so deeply called to Wake Forest in 2020 when I interviewed for this role was because of our shared focus on caring for our people.

Building great teams comes down to creating those supportive environments where all can belong and thrive. That’s when the unexpected and the innovative can truly flourish. When individuals can show up authentically, be heard, discuss, debate, and discover together; that’s the environment in which unanticipated—even radical—collaborations can take place.

We see these radical collaborations flourish at Wake Forest in highly visible ways. Our interdisciplinary work is thriving at the Sabin Center for Environment and Sustainability , through our Neuroscience and Society initiatives, and through our Program for Leadership and Character. We Are Wake has built a holistic network of layered support and resources to address student mental health and well-being. A culture of vibrant and nuanced conversations is fostered by our Face to Face speaker series. Across our schools and campuses, we are leading through the generative and exciting power of these collaborations. 

And, radical collaborations are also happening in less obvious, but equally vital, ways: the gracious ways we treat one another in meetings; the care we show to each other when we hold the door, greet one another at the Pit, or check in with a classmate or colleague we haven’t heard from in a while.

While these may seem like ordinary interactions, in a world that does not always encourage us to form community and treat each other as teammates, this people-centered culture—what Provost Ed Wilson called a culture of “friendliness and honor”—is radical. It is this deeply ingrained, team-oriented culture that is fundamentally important for the success of our many incredible teams throughout the entire Wake Forest community.

As we move through the holiday season, toward finals, and beyond, I encourage us all to embrace and sustain this profound sense of team-oriented care for one another. To remember the contributions of each member of our team – those we work, live, and learn with regularly and all members of the Wake Forest team, across all our campuses and beyond. 

I hope you enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday, and I look forward to gathering as a community for our end-of-semester traditions. We are truly better, and stronger, together.