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July Kudos: Faculty, staff and student awards, appointments and achievements

Dr. Simon Green Atkins founded Winston-Salem State University in 1892. 

Dr. Montrale Boykin, chair of the healthcare management program at WSSU, has been named to the 2018 biannual class of North Carolina Central University's Forty Under Forty Alumni Awards. Boykin, who earned his bachelor's and juris doctorate from NCCU, will be recognized on Sept. 28. 

Theo Chunn ‘09, academic counselor at WSSU, recently published a book titled, “The Power of Your Posture: Activating the Power Within You to Discover the CEO in You.”

Dr. Vanessa Duren-Winfield, clinical associate professor of Healthcare Management and director of research for the School of Health Sciences, was quoted in an article for the newspaper Campus News. She focused on how students can stay in shape during the summer. 

Dr. Denise Johnson, associate professor and Middle Grades Program coordinator, was recently elected as Central Region president for the North Carolina Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCCTM).

Eric Pridgen '17 was one of 22 students who were in the inaugural group of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) graduates to obtain their master’s degree from Columbia University's School of Professional Studies through the HBCU Fellowship. Pridgen, from Jersey City, New Jersey, earned his master's in applied analytics. This fall, Javonty Hunter '18, the 2017-18 Student Government Association president, will enroll at Columbia as part of the second HBCU Fellowship cohort.

Rebecca Skarohlid, an occupational therapy graduate student, recently attended the Summer Institute for Future Scientists in Occupational Therapy in University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, Kansas, on June 7. The institute is sponsored by the American Occupational Therapy Association and the American Occupational Therapy Foundation (AOTA/AOTF). Skarohlid, from Chapel Hill, earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology and minor in public health from Drew University in Madison, New Jersey. Only 28 students nationwide were selected for the scholarship program, which includes the flight, hotel and meals and admission to the research summit. This is the second consecutive year that a WSSU OT student has been selected for this elite program.

Dr. Dawn Tafari, assistant professor of education, has authored a chapter in the book, “Intersectionality of Race, Ethnicity, Class and Gender in Teaching and Teacher Education.” The book will be released later this year.

Dr. Wanda White, faculty development specialist for the Center for Innovative and Transformative Instruction (CITI), recently published an article in the North Carolina Association for Middle Level Education Journal titled: "To Flip or Not to Flip? That is the Question: Using Flipped Instruction in the Classroom.”

The Physical Therapy Club hosted the PT Cares 5K and Fun Run on May 19 at Quarry Park, raising $1,000 for the North Carolina Chapter of the ALS Association. 

WSSU's Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SACC) was recently recognized for its participation in the inaugural LGBT SportSafe Inclusion Program. WSSU was one of 47 universities nationwide to compete in the program, which aims to address the importance of inclusion in college athletics and why they are proud to be LGBT SportSafe. WSSU came in second in the Division II/III category. You can view the WSSU SACC video on the LGBT SportSafe website.

WSSU's Office of Integrated Marketing Communications distributes the Kudos Report monthly as a platform for the university to celebrate and promote the many achievements, successes and contributions of our campus community. Submit a kudos announcement online. 

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