The following faculty were honored during the Commencement ceremony:

From the Reynolda Campus

Carol B. Anderson, J.D., Clinical Professor of Law

Terry A. Baker, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Business

Lynn Book, M.F.A., Teaching Professor of Theatre and Dance

Stephen B. Boyd, B.A., John Allen Easley Professor of Studies of Religions

Robert A. Browne, Ph.D., Professor of Biology

William E. Conner, Ph.D., Professor of Biology

William L. Davis, Ph.D., Teaching Professor of Business

Samuel T. Gladding, Ph.D., Professor of Counseling*

William S. Hamilton, Ph.D., Professor of Russian*

Michael L. Hughes, Ph.D., Professor of History

Michael J. Hyde, Ph.D., University Distinguished Professor of Communication Ethics

Claudia T. Kairoff, Ph.D., Professor of English

Allan D. Louden, Ph.D., Professor of Communication

Mary L. B. Pendergraft, Ph.D., Professor of Classics

Albert Rives, Ph.D., Teaching Professor of Chemistry

John H. Wood, Ph.D., Professor of Economics

*Citation awarded posthumously


From the Medical Campus

Louis C. Argenta, M.D., Professor of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

David M. Cline, M.D., Professor of Emergency Medicine

L. Gail Curtis, MPAS, PA-C, Associate Professor of PA Studies

Jorge Figueroa, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Jane Meschan Foy, M.D., Professor of Pediatrics

Kathryn McConnell Greven, M.D., FASTRO, Professor of Radiation Oncology, Otolaryngology and Obstetrics and Gynecology

William R. Hazzard, M.D., Professor of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine

Craig, K. Henkel, Ph.D., Professor of Neurobiology and Anatomy

Stanley Kogan, M.D., Professor of Urology

Nadine Maryanne Lesko, M.D., Professor of Radiology

Kerry Michael Link, M.D., M.B.A., Professor of Radiology

Michael Morykwas, Ph.D., Professor of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

Fred W. Perrino, Ph.D., Professor of Biochemistry

Mark J. Pettenati, Ph.D., Professor of Pathology/Medical Genetics

Linda J. Porrino, Ph.D., Professor of Physiology and Pharmacology

Robert Douglas Teasdall, M.D., Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation

Christopher Y. Thomas IV, M.D., Professor of Hematology & Oncology

Robert Weller, M.D., Professor of Anesthesiology


Reynolda Campus

Wake Forest University honors Carol B. Anderson, J.D., for 37 years of dedicated service to the University and its School of Law. For her tireless service to the students and the community, Wake Forest Law will forever be indebted. Professor Anderson taught Wake Forest Law students to be the finest trial attorneys, winning regional and national competitions year after year. Her book, “North Carolina Trial Practice,” is an indispensable resource that heightens the skills of the practicing bar and improves judicial decision-making. Her active participation and leadership in the ABA, NITA, AAJ, NCAJ, NCBA and Forsyth County Bar have brought credit to the law school. In everything she does, Professor Anderson brings wisdom, joy, laughter and love.

Wake Forest University honors Terry A. Baker, Ph.D., for 24 years of dedicated service to the University and its School of Business; for award-winning teaching of financial and managerial accounting to School of Business undergraduate and graduate students both on campus and abroad; for his service in key leadership roles including MSA Program Director; for his help creating long-term, collaborative relationships with the top world-renowned accounting firms; for his encouragement of early alumni giving; for his authorship of impactful publications; for his service to the larger University and the accounting profession; and for the unwavering support and friendship he has shown his colleagues.

Wake Forest University honors Lynn Book, M.F.A., for 17 years of dedicated service to the University and its Department of Theatre and Dance and the Center for Entrepreneurship and teaching interdisciplinary creativity to undergraduates. Professor Book was one of the original developers of the entrepreneurship minor and created foundational courses that supported the relationship between creativity and entrepreneurship. Professor Book brought to Wake Forest University her acclaimed experience as an internationally recognized performance artist and developed courses and projects that opened up many students to their own creativity and set them on highly rewarding career paths.

Wake Forest University honors Stephen B. Boyd, B.A., for 37 years of dedicated service to the University and its Department for the Study of Religions; for being an award-winning teacher who taught classes ranging from the History of Christian Thought to Gender and Religion; for establishing teaching and internship standards for the department’s religion and public engagement concentration in his role as director; for his service to the institution through the co-founding of two scholarly organizations; for his dedicated service to the community, which has been recognized by numerous awards; and for being a loyal colleague whose dedication to teaching, justice and research elevates the teacher-scholar model.

Wake Forest University honors Robert A. Browne, Ph.D., for 42 years of dedicated service to the University and its Department of Biology. Professor Browne, a scholar of population ecology, taught classes in his discipline and served generations of students through his teaching of biostatistics. He was an innovator in environmental education and led the Wake Forest minors in environmental studies and environmental science for 15 years. He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Professor Browne delighted in developing and leading international courses, especially a summer course in ecology and resource management of Southeast Australia.

Wake Forest University honors William E. Conner, Ph.D., for 34 years of dedicated service to the University and its Department of Biology. Professor Conner’s career was characterized by dedicated service to Wake Forest University and groundbreaking discoveries in animal communication. Professor Conner taught classes in comparative physiology and animal behavior and developed an innovative course in bioinspired design that united biology and business students. He was the Lelia and David Farr Professor of Innovation, Creativity, and Entrepreneurship from 2012 to 2016. Professor Conner mentored numerous young researchers and received many awards for scientific achievement, including being named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2006.

Wake Forest University honors William L. Davis, Ph.D., for 26 years of dedicated service to the University and its School of Business; for continually dedicating himself to both undergraduate and graduate student learning and growth in the areas of organizational behavior, management communications, negotiations, and ethics and business leadership; for his expertise and enthusiastic approach to sharing his knowledge with students, colleagues, the profession and the marketplace, including countless hours of executive consulting; for his active contributions to multiple, high-impact committees across the Business School and University; and for his unwavering compassion for the Winston-Salem community through service to many.

Wake Forest University posthumously honors Samuel T. Gladding, Ph.D., for 31 years of dedicated service to the University and its Department of Counseling; for his leadership in the counseling field, where he inspired and mentored numerous students and colleagues; for teaching a wide variety of courses, such as Professional Orientation to Counseling, Group Counseling, Family Counseling, and Creativity in Counseling; for his dedicated service to the institution, particularly as assistant to the president for special projects, associate provost and department chair; for his prodigious scholarship; and for being a loyal colleague whose dedication to teaching and research exemplifies the teacher-scholar model.

Wake Forest University posthumously honors William S. Hamilton, Ph.D., for 38 years of dedicated service to the University and its Department of German and Russian; for his phenomenal teaching, deep commitment to each student, selflessness as a colleague, unmatched intellect, musical talent, doodling skills, anecdotes that seem to go nowhere but then suddenly end with cutting insight and enlightenment, ability to be highly caffeinated and yet still fall asleep, lectures about the superior “bitey” chalkboard, imperviousness to cold weather even on February mornings on the quad, lexical playfulness, the story about the postage stamp and why it led him to learn Russian … and what that all means about the serendipitous nature of learning and life itself.

Wake Forest University honors Michael L. Hughes, Ph.D., for 37 years of dedicated service to the University and its Department of History; for his leadership in the field of modern European and German history; for making significant contributions to our understanding of democracy, civil society and the development of the modern German state; for teaching generations of students to appreciate the complexities of the past; for his dedicated service to the institution; for his commitment to the principles of faculty governance; and for being a generous colleague who supported many junior faculty in the development of their own careers.

Wake Forest University honors Michael J. Hyde, Ph.D., for 28 years of dedicated service to the University and its Department of Communication; for his leadership in the field of communication ethics; for teaching undergraduate and graduate classes in rhetoric; for publishing over 70 articles and 11 books — with six receiving national awards; for co-writing and co-producing four documentary films; for his dedicated service to the institution, particularly in the development of the master’s program in bioethics, health and society with the School of Medicine; and for being a loyal colleague whose dedication to teaching and research exemplifies the teacher-scholar model.

Wake Forest University honors Claudia Kairoff, Ph.D., for 36 years of dedicated service to the University and its Department of English. Claudia Thomas Kairoff, an internationally recognized scholar of 18th-century British poetry written by women, wrote groundbreaking books and articles, taught a wide range of classes from introductory to advanced on the Reynolda Campus as well as at Casa Artom, Worrell House and on the EuroTour, and served as associate dean and chair of English, among many significant administrative leadership roles. As a mentor to faculty and students, a teacher, scholar and friend, she is a model member of the Wake Forest community.

Wake Forest University honors Allan D. Louden, Ph.D., for 45 years of dedicated service to the University and its Department of Communication. Professor Louden, for 30 years, directed Wake Forest’s nationally competitive debate program, serving as a leader in the world of intercollegiate debate. His research and teaching were in the always turbulent world of political communication. His latest book is the first of three volumes narrating the history of debate at Wake Forest. He served the department as the communication chairperson and director of graduate studies. He is recognized for his dedicated service to the institution and as a loyal colleague, whose dedication to teaching and research exemplifies the teacher-scholar model.

Wake Forest University honors Mary L.B. Pendergraft, Ph.D., for 34 years of dedicated service to the University and its Department of Classics; for her prominence as a nationally recognized teacher-scholar with a deep knowledge of Classical Languages; for her leadership as department chair and expertise in teaching courses on the Age of Pericles, Women in Antiquity and other scholarly topics; for serving as president of the American Classical Association and the Southern Section of CAMWS; for her role as Chief Reader for the A.P. Latin exam; and for her notable warmth, sincerity and kindness with students, staff and colleagues.

Wake Forest University honors Albert Rives, Ph.D., for 20 years of dedicated service to the University, its Department of Chemistry, its students and its alumni; for excellence in teaching a wide variety of courses across the department, including important contributions in several key teaching laboratories; for the initiation of the events of the alumni group, Wake Forest Friends of Chemistry; and for creating the iconic “WF” element lapel pins that have been worn by chemistry and other University dignitaries, including graduating chemistry majors, since 2012.

Wake Forest University honors John H. Wood, Ph.D., for 36 years of dedicated service to the University and its Department of Economics; for his leadership in the field of monetary policy and central banking; for teaching advanced classes in his discipline and sharing a lifetime of experience with his students; for his many contributions to department discourse; and for being a loyal colleague with dedication to his research and the good of the department and our students.


Medical Campus

Wake Forest University honors Louis C. Argenta, M.D., for 35 years of service to the University and its School of Medicine in the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery; for exceptional leadership as a Department Chair, surgeon, educator and scientist; for mentoring generations of students, residents and colleagues; for outstanding innovative contributions to wound care, cleft and craniofacial care, and ground breaking reconstructive procedures; for a record of honors and awards, professional publications, and institutional service; for humanitarian service to the underserved throughout the world; and for so positively impacting the lives of countless patients, students and faculty members.

Wake Forest University honors David M. Cline, M.D., for 20 years of service to the University and its School of Medicine in the Department of Emergency Medicine; for his leadership and 34 years of service as an academic emergency physician; for his significant contributions to the fields of emergency medicine, clinical research and academic publication; for his state, regional, national and international recognition as a prolific medical writer and editor-in-chief; and for his dedication to patient care and the education of our next generation of health care professionals.

Wake Forest University honors L. Gail Curtis, MPAS, PA-C, for 40 years of service to the University and School of Medicine in the Department of PA Studies and Department of Family and Community Medicine; for exceptional talent as a clinician and teacher; for recognition as a leader in PA professional practice and sponsorship of generations of students and faculty in leadership and advocacy; for an outstanding record of awards, academic publications and grants; for her dedication to patient care and those patients with substance use disorder and their families; and for so positively impacting countless practicing PAs, students, faculty and staff.

Wake Forest University honors Jorge Figueroa M.D., Ph.D., for 31 years of service to the University and its School of Medicine in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology; for exceptional talent as an educator and researcher; for mentoring generations of students, residents and fellows; for an outstanding record of research within Reproductive Biology and for his significant departmental and institutional service as a second year course director and third year clerkship director; and for so positively impacting the lives of countless administrative and ancillary staff, learners and faculty members.

Wake Forest University honors Jane Meschan Foy, M.D., for 25 years of service to the University and its School of Medicine in the Department of Pediatrics; for her leadership in advocating for children’s health in the community, the region and the nation; for her significant contributions to General Pediatrics and holistic patient care; for her commitment to the health care of marginalized populations, pediatric mental health and public health needs; for her contributions to pediatric and advocacy literature; and for her lasting impacts in legislation for children.

Wake Forest University honors Kathryn McConnell Greven, M.D., FASTRO, for 32 years of service on faculty of Wake Forest Medical School where she achieved the rank of Professor with Tenure in Radiation Oncology as well as joint professorship appointments in the Departments of Otolaryngology and Obstetrics and Gynecology; for her contributions in resident education and clinical research that earned her Fellowship in the American Society of Radiation Oncology; for her dedication to patient care that earned her recognition as a Best Doctor in North Carolina and Best Doctor in America.

Wake Forest University honors William R. Hazzard, M.D., for 36 years of service to the University and its School of Medicine as a tenured professor in the Department of Internal Medicine, as Chair of the Department of Internal Medicine, as Founding Director of both the Sticht Center on Aging and the Wake Forest Claude Pepper Older Americans Independence Center; for significant contributions to the fields of gerontology and geriatric medicine; for his exceptional dedication to patient care; for educating a generation of students, residents and fellows in compassionate health care for older adults; and for an outstanding record of academic publications and grants.

Wake Forest University honors Craig K. Henkel, Ph.D., for 44 years of devoted service to the University and its School of Medicine in the Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy; for his scientific contributions to the understanding of the structure and function of the auditory system; and for his collegiality, his leadership in medical education and his outstanding teaching contributions to generations of medical and graduate students.

Wake Forest University honors Stanley Kogan, M.D., for his seven years of remarkable service to the University and its School of Medicine in the Department of Urology; for exceptional talent as a clinician and teacher; for mentoring students, residents and fellows; for serving as a model of patience and kindness; and for his impact on the lives of pediatric patients and their families.

Wake Forest University honors Nadine Maryanne Lesko, M.D., for 23 years of service to the University and its School of Medicine in the Department of Radiology; for her leadership and significant contributions to the field of Breast Imaging; for exceptional talent as a clinician and teacher; for educating and mentoring generations of medical students, residents and fellows; and for so positively impacting the lives of countless patients, residents, fellows and faculty members, and for her complete dedication to the institution and its mission.

Wake Forest University honors Kerry Michael Link, M.D., M.B.A., for 33 years of service to the University and its School of Medicine in the Department of Radiology; for his leadership and significant contributions to the field of Cardiothoracic imaging; for exceptional talent as a clinician and teacher; for mentoring generations of medical students, residents and fellows; for exceptional compassion in patient care; for an outstanding record of engagement in other professional appointments and radiology organizations; and for so positively impacting the lives of countless patients, residents, fellows and faculty members.

Wake Forest University honors Michael Morykwas, Ph.D., for 35 years of service to the University and its School of Medicine in the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery; for exceptional leadership as the Director of the Plastic Surgery Research Lab, as an educator and scientist; for mentoring generations of students, residents and colleagues; for outstanding innovative contributions to wound care and plastic and reconstructive surgery; for a record of honors and awards, professional publications, intellectual property work and institutional service.

Wake Forest University honors Fred W. Perrino, Ph.D., for 32 years of service to the University, School of Medicine and Department of Biochemistry; for establishing a highly productive research program on DNA metabolism and its relationship to autoimmunity with many publications and a lengthy track record of extramural funding; for maintaining consistently high standards for training students at any stage in their career, including medical students, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows; and for leadership of the Molecular and Cellular Biosciences Program and other important appointments.

Wake Forest University honors Mark J. Pettenati, Ph.D., for 35 years of service as a faculty member to the University and its School of Medicine in the Department of Pathology as Professor of Pathology/Medical Genetics and as Director of Cytogenetic and Molecular Cytogenetic Laboratory, MSAFP Laboratory and Program, and Pediatric Specialty Laboratory; for his exceptional dedication to patient care; for excellent teaching of residents, fellows and medical students; for his expertise and outstanding contributions in the field of medical genetics; and for touching the lives of so many staff, trainees and faculty members.

Wake Forest University honors Linda J. Porrino, Ph.D., for 32 years of service as a faculty member and beloved Chair in the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology; for exceptional scientific discoveries in substance abuse research; for a multitude of academic publications and grants; for extensive collaboration with colleagues; for upholding the highest standards as a scientist and editor; for devotion to mentoring of trainees and peers; for dedication to sponsoring women in science; for vision, excellence and kindness, and for tirelessly asking the difficult questions.

Wake Forest University honors Robert Douglas Teasdall, M.D., for 28 years of service to the University and its School of Medicine in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation and the Section on Foot and Ankle Surgery; for exceptional talent as a clinician and teacher; for mentoring generations of students, residents, fellows and faculty; for an outstanding record of teaching honors and awards, professional publications, caring for team athletics and institutional service; for serving as the model and exemplar of competence, equanimity, kindness and humility; and for impacting positively the lives of countless patients, students, residents, athletes and faculty members.

Wake Forest University honors Christopher Y. Thomas IV, M.D., for 11 years of service to the University and its School of Medicine in the Department of Internal Medicine and the Section on Hematology and Oncology and over 40 years of service to academic Hematology and Oncology; for exceptional talent as a clinician, clinician researcher and teacher; for mentoring generations of students, residents and fellows; for exceptional scientific curiosity and enthusiasm; for serving as a model of patience, kindness and humility; and for positively impacting the lives of countless patients, trainees and colleagues.

Wake Forest University honors Robert Weller, M.D., for 24 years of service to the University and its School of Medicine and 37 years in academic medicine; for his leadership of the Section on Regional Anesthesia and Acute Pain Medicine; for his innovation and excellence in education and teaching of hundreds of residents and fellows; for championing the introduction of continuous monitoring for postoperative patients; for his leadership and service on countless other clinical committees; for his leadership in launching the total joint replacement anesthesia service at Davie Hospital; and for his more than 50 publications documenting his scholarship as a national leader in regional anesthesia.