Looking ahead: Here are 8 things to expect in 2019
The new year promises exciting changes around campus and in classrooms at Winston-Salem State University (WSSU). Here are eight things to expect in 2019.
MORE: 2018 a breakthrough year for WSSU
1. The opening of a $53 million sciences building
First conceived in 2006, WSSU is expected to officially open a $53 million sciences building in late 2019. The building, one of the first funded through the NC Connect Bond approved by voters in 2016, will anchor WSSU’s Science District, and include interactive learning and community gathering spaces, and lab space to increase faculty and student collaboration.
2. 50 years as a university
In 1969, the state General Assembly paved the way for sustained growth at what was then Winston-Salem State College by granting the institution regional university status. This golden anniversary of becoming WSSU comes at a time of tremendous growth for the university.
3. Big events at WSSU
As with any year at WSSU, 2019 will have its big events. The Ramily should save the date for Homecoming 2019 on Nov. 2. Other events include: the WSSU annual Golf Classic in April and the Hanes Lecture Series, which launches Jan. 15 with “Tuskegee & Obamacare,” a lecture from Dr. Darryl Scriven, dean of the College of Arts, Sciences, Business and Education.
4. Bowman Gray Stadium improvements
In November, city officials proposed $9 million in improvements for Bowman Gray Stadium, WSSU’s home football stadium since the 1940s. The project would be completed in phases over three years, with design work beginning in 2019.
5. Programming for new design studios
In 2018, faculty from WSSU and the University of North Carolina School of the Arts collaborated to create four new design studios at the Center for Design Innovation (CDI). New programming is being planned in 2019 as the studios develop.
6. Expansion of public health programs
In 2018, WSSU launched a new minor in public health, expanded the free health services students and faculty provide at the Rams Know H.O.W. Mobile Unit, launched Weight Matters, a community and campus weight management program, and created the Public Health Society, a new student organization. January will bring even more focus on public health with the addition of four new undergraduate courses.
7. New research programs
WSSU received a record $2.3 million in National Science Foundation grants in 2018 to support research in chemistry, cybersecurity, biophysics, psychology and STEM education. These projects will have an impact in 2019, creating high-impact opportunities for WSSU students. The new year also promises more research from the Center for the Study of Economic Mobility (CSEM), which will announce the results of a survey that captures for the first time the lives of bus riders who rely on the city’s public transportation to get to work.
8. Ram to lead American Library Association
In April, Wanda Brown ’77, the director of library services at WSSU, will step into the role as president of the American Library Association, the oldest and largest library association in the world. Brown will become the first ALA president who is a librarian at an HBCU and the sixth African-American.
About Winston-Salem State University
Winston-Salem State University fosters the creative thinking, analytical problem-solving, and depth of character needed to transform the world. Rooted in liberal education, WSSU’s curriculum prepares students to be thought leaders who have the skills and knowledge needed to develop innovative solutions to complex problems. Founded in 1892, WSSU is a historically Black constituent institution of the University of North Carolina with a rich tradition of contributing to the social, cultural, intellectual, and economic growth of North Carolina, the region and beyond. Guided by the motto, “Enter to Learn, Depart to Serve,” WSSU develops leaders who advance social justice by serving the world with compassion and commitment.
