Wake Forest Welcomes New President Susan Wente

Wake Forest University has welcomed new president Susan Wente, who took the helm on July 1st.

Wente is Wake Forest's 14th president, and the first woman to lead the school.

Wente's background is in the field of biomedical science, and she began her academic career at Washington University's School of Medicine.

In addition to teaching and mentoring undergraduates, Wente served as the first female provost at Vanderbilt University. She also took on the role of interim chancellor for eleven months, guiding the school's response to the pandemic.

In an interview with Wake Forest Magazine, Wente pointed to her experience with Division 1 athletics and the Power Five conference, and expressed her commitment to the school's student-athlete experience.

Wente said in a news release that she is eager to “get started writing the next chapter of Wake Forest's story,” and build “further trust, transparency and teamwork.”

Wente succeeds Nathan Hatch, who has led Wake Forest for the last 16 years.