In 2017, the College Board of Visitors began an annual award to recognize outstanding academic leadership by faculty of the Undergraduate College. The overwhelming response to this award has led the College Board of Visitors to expand their financial support and to announce the establishment of the College Board of Visitors Staff Leadership Award in 2020.

These awards recognize that leadership is a valued practice and confirm that faculty and staff leaders can be effective agents of change on behalf of the institution, students, and colleagues. These leaders are committed to our institutional vision and an abiding commitment to academic excellence, diversity and inclusion, workplace innovation, and commitment to students and the Wake Forest community. The faculty and staff awards are funded by the College Board of Visitors. Nominations for both awards are due to Sandy Kokkonos (kokkonsm@wfu.edu) by May 12.

Nomination guidelines for the faculty award:

  • The award is limited to permanent faculty (tenure track and teaching professors) working in the Undergraduate College. However, it is not limited to persons in formal leadership positions like department chair and program director.
  • Examples of academic leadership experiences to be considered for the award include, but are not limited to, faculty/shared governance, program development, fostering collaboration between or among departments or schools, and/or marshaling contributions by a department or colleagues in achieving one or more goals of the College
  • Letters of nomination should detail, with clear examples, how the nominee embodies the role of an outstanding academic leader at Wake Forest.
  • A copy of the nominee’s CV should be submitted with the nomination letter.
  • Past recipients of the award are ineligible, but all other nominees may be re-submitted in subsequent years.

Nomination guidelines for the staff award:

  • The award is limited to full-time staff working in the Undergraduate College. However, it is not limited to persons in formal leadership positions.
  • Examples of staff leadership experiences to be considered for the award include, but are not limited to program development, fostering collaboration between or among departments or schools, and/or marshaling contributions by a department or colleagues in achieving one or more goals of the College.
  • Letters of nomination should detail with clear examples how the nominee embodies the role of an outstanding staff leader at Wake Forest.

The 2024 CBOV Faculty Leadership Award Winner

Dr. Sherri Lawson Clark

 Associate Professor of Anthropology


The 2024 CBOV Staff Leadership Award Winner

Karen Bennett

Assistant Dean for Academic Advising


Faculty Award Winners

Academic YearWinnerDepartment
2024Dr Sherri Lawson ClarkAnthropology
2023Dr. Olga PierrakosEngineering
2022Dr. Rob ErhardtStatistics
2021Dr. Katy HarrigerPolitics & International Affairs
2020Dr. Mark WelkerChemistry
2019Dr. Jay FordStudy of Religions
2018Dr. Sarah RaynorMathematics & Statistics
2017Dr. Keith BoninPhysics

Staff Award Winners

Academic YearWinnerDepartment
2024Karen BennettOffice of Academic Advising
2023Kim WietersFinance and Administration, Office of the Dean of the College
2022Jackie SheridanDirector, Wake Forest Scholars
2021Marcus WrightChemistry
2020Sheila LockhartStudy of Religions