On Oct. 17, 2023, the Wake Forest School of Business announced that Wilcox would be appointed as the first Director of Sustainability Initiatives.
In her new role, Wilcox will lead the development, implementation and evaluation of sustainability in the School of Business, including curriculum integration and expanding experiential learning opportunities.
The new position seeks to merge two spheres of academia: business and science. Despite the differences between the two fields, Wilcox sees people as the invisible line connecting these two disciplines.
Wilcox told the Old Gold & Black that she plans to use her professional background in managing human collaboration and design to bring effective communication methods to the School of Business’ new program.
“There’s nothing better to tackle human-made problems than using humans to fix them,” said Wilcox.
Previously, Wilcox served as a human-centered design facilitator and a product and strategy manager at Ally Financial’s TM Studio, an innovation lab designed to bring employees closer to consumers and build ideas based on their needs. She most recently worked on projects involving the development of inclusive financial strategies to empower low-to-moderate income communities to achieve economic mobility. She is also one of the founding program team members of the Sustainability Graduate Program at Wake Forest, where she served as the assistant director.
“The first year that the [Sustainability Graduate] Program launched, I sat in on every single class we offered,” said Wilcox. “My background was in administration, not sustainability, and so I wanted to learn what the students were learning in order to lead to the best of my ability. That’s the passion and curiosity that I am bringing to this new role too.”
As director of sustainability initiatives, Wilcox will collaborate with the university’s Office of Sustainability and related academic centers to integrate sustainability into the School of Business’ operations and academics. She will also work closely with faculty to incorporate sustainability principles into courses and develop new experiential learning opportunities for students.
“I am excited to return to my alma mater and join the School of Business on the journey of helping businesses and organizations create a better world,” Wilcox said in a press release. “On this journey, sustainability and Pro Humanitate are our inseparable allies. Sustainability practices, with their focus on environmental responsibility and social equity, embody the core principles of Pro Humanitate. Together, they provide a holistic framework for building a better future.”
Wilcox said that her first goal for the position is going on a listening tour to hear from students and faculty about what they are interested in and what they want to see happen in the program. She also emphasized that she wants to talk to Wake Forest’s community partners.
“I want to look at where our students are going after they graduate, what other communities they want to engage with in their future careers,” said Wilcox. “And I want to ask what those organizations, groups and communities are seeking but aren’t getting from students, specifically within the areas where sustainability and business meet.”
The School of Business Dean Annette Ranft placed confidence in Wilcox’s experiential background of both sustainability and administration for her new position at the Business School.
“Ashley’s expertise in sustainability, coupled with her exceptional talent for nurturing a human-centered and stakeholder-centric approach to navigating challenges and developing solutions make her an incredible addition to our team,” said Ranft. “Her commitment to fostering sustainable practices and prior higher education experience will help to propel our School of Business forward in this increasingly important area.”
