Teacher-Scholar Legacies: Phoebe Zerwick
By Monique O’Connell, Professor of History
Phoebe Zerwick, Professor of the Practice in Journalism, joined the Wake Forest faculty in 2010, after a distinguished career as a long-form investigative journalist. Over the course of 15 years, she transformed journalism education at Wake Forest, bringing to life the teacher-scholar ideal through her commitment to experiential learning, interdisciplinary collaboration, and an unwavering dedication to truth-seeking.
Zerwick’s tenure at Wake Forest was marked by her vision and leadership. As director of the Journalism Program, she played a central role in growing the program from a small cluster of courses into a vibrant academic home for aspiring journalists. Her teaching extended across departments — in Journalism, English, and the Writing Program — where she consistently earned praise for her mentorship and pedagogical innovation.
“Phoebe has mentored countless young writers in their journalistic aspirations and garnered consistently high student evaluations,” said Associate Dean Eric Stottlemyer. “She helped transform the student newspaper into a model of careful, judicious, and responsible reporting.”
Her courses often placed students at the intersection of journalism and community, emphasizing the ethical responsibility of storytelling. One hallmark project, The Story of My Life (2011–2013), empowered residents of Forsyth County Group Homes to document their daily lives through photography, audio, and essays. The project culminated in a public exhibit at the Sawtooth School for Visual Art and was later featured at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History — an example of Zerwick’s ability to turn classrooms into platforms for public engagement.
Zerwick’s dedication to interdisciplinary collaboration shaped her legacy. Dean of the Divinity School and Director of African American Studies Corey D. B. Walker praised her for “championing innovative, cross-disciplinary collaborations to elevate student learning.” She regularly linked journalism with environmental justice, law, and African American Studies to create distinctive curricular and co-curricular experiences that reflected the complexity of real-world reporting.
At the heart of Zerwick’s work lies a fierce dedication to justice. Her 2022 book Beyond Innocence: The Life Sentence of Darryl Hunt was the culmination of years of investigative reporting and storytelling. Hailed as her magnum opus, the book was shortlisted for several major awards and selected as one of the 2024 NC Reads books. Through it, Zerwick cast light on the enduring effects of wrongful conviction and the intersections of race, power, and redemption in the American South.
Colleagues describe her as “intrepid,” “kind-hearted,” “rigorous,” and “beloved.” Ivan Weiss, Associate Professor of the Practice in Journalism, said, “Phoebe is a fearless journalist, revealing the inner workings of the wider world, exposing crimes and malfeasance, righting wrongs. But what has touched me most is not any specific accomplishment, but rather her mindset. A lack of knowledge or understanding is not something to be feared — it’s an opportunity, the first step to truth.”
In addition to her teaching and writing, Zerwick was an exceptional University citizen: she advised all Journalism minors, served on Writing Program committees, mentored staff at the Old Gold & Black, and organized public panels that enriched intellectual life across campus.
Professor Phoebe Zerwick retires in 2025, having left a lasting mark on Wake Forest. Through her teaching, her writing, and her advocacy, she demonstrated the power of journalism not just as a profession, but as a humanistic practice — one rooted in community, committed to truth, and guided by empathy.