Presidential Address; Nov. 20, 2025 Thank you, Lexi. Good afternoon, and I thank you for being here today. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to speak to you in my final Annual Address as Wake Forest’s 14th President. Leading Wake Forest University is not a […]
Categories: Speeches
President Wente walks and talks with associate professor Kyana Young about engineering research, hands-on learning and how her students are making meaningful contributions to community projects focused on water quality. Dr. Young said: “As engineers, it is our responsibility not just to provide the technical solution, but also to consider the ethical components.”
Categories: Walk with Wente
President Wente walks and talks with Lina Benabdallah about China’s rise as a superpower, its influence in Africa and what that means for international relations. Dr. Benabdallah challenges her students to think beyond stereotypes about Africa and says she likes to keep an “open door between research and teaching.”
Categories: Walk with Wente
Character is forged in challenge, and integrity defines how we respond. Leading with character and integrity — especially at Wake Forest — means embracing what is distinctly human: community, creativity, and optimism. And my time as President of Wake Forest has only reinforced my belief […]
Categories: From Wente's Desk
Dear Wake Forest community: With a sense of gratitude and optimism, I write today to share a personal decision. After considerable reflection, I have decided to conclude my presidency on June 30, 2026, at the end of my fifth year. Following a sabbatical, I plan […]
Categories: Emails
I have enjoyed seeing so many of you on campus this month, and I look forward to the beauty that the fall season brings here in North Carolina. Last month, I wrote to you about our commitment to investing for strategic impact. I shared […]
Categories: From Wente's Desk
President Wente walks and talks with Dr. Kishida about how the brain works and his research focused on big questions about consciousness and choice. They discuss his collaborations with both neurosurgeons and humanities faculty… and his love for the movie The Matrix.
Categories: Walk with Wente
Class of 2029 – welcome to university life! Welcome to Wake Forest! As a Wake Forest student you will learn, you will grow, you will be challenged and I have every confidence that you will be successful and thrive. There are exactly TWO times in […]
Categories: Speeches
Dear Wake Forest community, Happy new (school) year, Wake Forest! As we begin this semester together, our campus is once again alive with energy and possibility. Seeing our students and faculty head to classes today never fails to renew my spirit and remind me of […]
Categories: Emails
August is here, and a distinct energy is again stirring on campus as we launch a new academic year. This sense of anticipation for all that is possible at the beginning of each semester at Wake Forest is unmistakable. As we venture into this new […]
Categories: From Wente's Desk