2024 Schedule

11:00 A.M. – 2:00 P.M.
Professional Development Pre-Conference led by Alumni Personal Career Development Center
Reynolda Hall 203, OPCD Suite
Are you interested in professional development? Join us for the pre-conference on Friday. An additional fee of $15 includes lunch with facilitated discussions and a professional development workshop.

• Workshop Option 1: Self-Care Means Business led by Tiffany Tate (‘07, MALS ‘11)
  • In today’s fast-paced and demanding world, ambitious professionals often find themselves juggling multiple responsibilities, striving for career success, and trying to maintain a healthy work-life balance. However, neglecting self-care can have detrimental effects on both personal and professional wellbeing. This session is designed specifically for ambitious ones who want to excel in their careers while nurturing their overall wellbeing. You will explore practical strategies, actionable tips, and empowering insights that will help you thrive in your professional journey while maintaining your mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing.
• Workshop Option 2: Building a Network that Works led by Allison McWilliams (’95)
  • We all know that we need people to be successful, both professionally and personally. But finding those people and building the relationships that will help you move forward with intention can be challenging. In this workshop we’ll talk about how to move from networking to network-building, the specific people you need to achieve your goals, and strategies for reaching out and making the ask. If you want to make the most of this Wake Women’s Weekend, this is the place to start!

2:00 – 3:30 P.M.
Bell Tower and Tunnel Tours
Register for Bell Tower and Tunnel Tours now!

3:30 P.M.
Haddock House Tour with Women’s Golf Coach Dianne Dailey
Haddock House (#40 on the campus map)
Join Medallion of Merit honoree and women’s golf Coach Dianne Dailey at 3:30 p.m. for a special tour of the Haddock House, an opportunity to learn more about the women’s golf program, and a selfie or two with the National Championship trophy. Dailey was Wake Forest women’s golf coach for 30 years before retiring in 2018. The four-time ACC Coach of the Year led the Demon Deacons to 30 team titles and 38 individual titles. During Dailey’s tenure, women’s golf won four ACC championships and qualified in 15 NCAA championships.

5:30 – 8:00 P.M.
Wake Women’s Weekend Kickoff
Footnotes Cafe, 634 W. 4th Street

• 5:30 p.m. – Opening Reception
• 6:00 p.m. – Weekend welcome and keynote, Gender and Politics in Biden’s First Term with (Lauren Wright ’10), Author and Associate Research Scholar and Lecturer in Politics and Public Affairs at Princeton University. Lauren will discuss the intersection of women, power, and politics, and how presidential spouses influence White House communication
• 6:30 p.m. – Dinner and Social Time

8:00 – 9:00 A.M.
Coffee Gathering
Lower Lobby, Scales Fine Arts Center
Start the day with refreshments and light bites with your fellow Wake Women’s Weekend attendees.

9:00 – 10:00 A.M.
Morning Keynote: Jennifer Finkel, Acquavella Curator of Collections
Hanes Gallery, Scales Fine Arts Center
The morning keynote will feature Acquavella Curator of Wake Forest Art Collections, Dr. Jennifer Finkel. In her talk, Finkel will share the history and mission of the University’s Art Collection, highlighting the Mark H. Reece Collection of Student-Acquired Contemporary Art and Wake Forest’s unique student-led art buying program, now celebrating its 60th Anniversary. Finkel will demonstrate the ways Wake Forest’s art collection has become an interdisciplinary pedagogical tool and a cornerstone of Wake the Arts. Joining Jennifer will be students from this year’s art-buying cohort who will share their process and give a sneak peek into the themes and artworks they are investigating for this year’s acquisitions. Attendees will tour the exhibition Of the Times in Hanes Gallery with Curator Jennifer Finkel and several students from the 2024 Reece Collection Acquisition Committee later in the day.

10:15 – 11:30 A.M.
Block One Sessions (choose from several interactive sessions, workshops, and lectures led by Wake Forest arts faculty and alumnae; session details will be added as they’re confirmed)

• Learning to See: Elevated Photography Through the Lens of Your iPhone with Lauren Olinger (‘13), owner of Red Cardinal Studio, and Lauren Gibson (‘09), owner of Charlotte to Paris slow travel & photography. Join two alumnae photographers (same first name, different photography styles) in this interactive, hands-on workshop to level up your photography skills with just your phone. By the end of our time together, you will have a stronger understanding of how your phone’s camera works, and more importantly, how to use it to your advantage, whether you’re capturing a quick portrait or a beautiful dreamy landscape. Lauren and Lauren will guide you through specific tips and techniques you can use to compose and capture gorgeous photos and videos. All you need is your iPhone or Android and an open mind. No photography or art background required (we mean it!).
• The Stories She Tells: short film screening and discussion with Cara Pilson, WFU documentary film program director and teaching professor. Over the past decade, students in the Documentary Film Program have made powerful films centered on women. Through the screening of selections from films directed by woman-identifying graduate students, Program Director, Cara Pilson will highlight how student filmmakers have shared stories that celebrate the accomplishments of women and raise awareness of women’s issues ranging from maternal health to LGBTQ+ rights to healing from sexual trauma. A follow-up conversation with student filmmakers will explore how these films have impacted their lives and the lives of the women and communities they have filmed.
• “Seeing 101”: Drawing Workshop with Leigh Ann Hallberg, Studio Art professor. An important part of learning to draw, to paint, to sculpt – to create visually – is re-learning how to see. In this low stakes, hands-on play session, we will learn some drawing tricks and alert our eyes to treasures hidden in plain sight. Leigh Ann Hallberg, Drawing Professor, will lead this looking and drawing session. All materials will be provided.

11:45 A.M. – 1:00 P.M.
Lunch and Panel
Benson 401
During lunch, enjoy a panel highlighting the theatre production of Sense and Sensibility featuring director and professor of theatre history, J.K. Curry, costume and wardrobe technician, Jacquelyn Loy, Isabella Biricik (’25), who performs the role of Elinor, and Lauren Veldhuizenn (’26), who performs the role of Marianne, moderated by Christina Soriano, vice provost for the arts and interdisciplinary initiatives. If you are local, we encourage you attend one of the February performances of Sense and Sensibility – find more information here!

1:15 – 3:00 P.M.
Block Two Sessions (choose from several interactive sessions, workshops, and lectures led by Wake Forest arts faculty and alumnae; session details will be added as they’re confirmed)

• Learning to See: Elevated Photography Through the Lens of Your iPhone with Lauren Olinger (‘13), owner of Red Cardinal Studio, and Lauren Gibson (‘09), owner of Charlotte to Paris slow travel & photography. Join two alumnae photographers (same first name, different photography styles) in this interactive, hands-on workshop to level up your photography skills with just your phone. By the end of our time together, you will have a stronger understanding of how your phone’s camera works, and more importantly, how to use it to your advantage, whether you’re capturing a quick portrait or a beautiful dreamy landscape. Lauren and Lauren will guide you through specific tips and techniques you can use to compose and capture gorgeous photos and videos. All you need is your iPhone or Android and an open mind. No photography or art background required (we mean it!).
• Music of Female Superheroes with Megan Francisco, assistant professor of musicology. This talk will explore the recent rise of female superheroes in film, focusing in particular on their music. From Catwoman to Captain Marvel, music plays an essential role in establishing the character and sexuality of these women.
• Inspirational Movement for Brain Body Wellness: the IMPROVment method with Christina Soriano, professor of dance and vice provost for the arts and interdisciplinary initiatives. Join this fun, easy movement class that will involve seating, standing and locomoting movement exercises. No prior movement experience is necessary, just a willingness to have fun, take a risk and enjoy some time to be creatively expressive together!

3:00 – 6:00 P.M.
Choose Your Own Adventure or Free Time

• 3:15 – 4:30 P.M. – Join a guided tour of the Lam Museum of Anthropology for a general overview of the exhibits and special behind-the-scenes look at collections currently in storage. This is also the last day to catch two exhibits, “Take Time: Tea and Mindfulness” and “Words, Music, Memory: Re(presenting) Voices of the Holocaust.”
• 3:30 – 4:15 P.M. – Experience the brand new Reynolda House exhibit, “Imogen Cunningham: Seen and Unseen”, during a special guided tour with the Reynolda House Museum Curator. Embracing the times in which she lived, Imogen Cunningham created images that reflect crucial movements and developments in art and photography during her seventy-year career. Register here ($35 per person; space is limited).
• 3:30 – 4:30 P.M. – Visit the WakerSpace and flex your creativity on a project to be determined!
• 3:30 P.M. – Unwind with a yoga class led by current student Jade Donahue (’25)

6:00 P.M.
Reception and Reece Gallery Tour with Jennifer Finkel, Acquavella Curator of Collections
Benson University Center

7:00 P.M.
Closing Dinner and Casual Call to Conversation
Magnolia Room, Reynolda Hall
We’ll close out the weekend with dinner and a casual Call to Conversation with Presidential Scholars. A special opportunity to meet and interact with current students over dinner and meaningful conversation. Presidential Scholarships are awarded to students who possess exceptional talents in art, dance, debate, music, and theatre.