Wake Forest University President Nathan O. Hatch To Step Down

Wake Forest University President Nathan O. Hatch will step down in June 2021. Hatch has served as president for 15 years.

“It has been a joy to deepen Wake Forest's mission, expand its reach and enhance its reputation as a collegiate university,” Hatch said in Tuesday email to the Wake Forest community announcing his decision.

According to a press release, Hatch had intended to make the announcement earlier this year but after consulting with the Board of Trustees decided to postpone while the university responded to the pandemic. 

Hatch has served as president since 2005. During his tenure, he's overseen several campus expansion projects, including the establishment of Wake Downtown. He also led major fundraising initiatives and greenlighted the university's test-optional admission policy. 

Earlier this month, he helped facilitate the merger between Wake Forest Baptist Health and Charlotte-based Atrium Health. 

Hatch came to Wake Forest from the University of Notre Dame, where he served as a history professor before becoming a part of the school's administration.