Kudos for September: Faculty, staff and student awards, appointments and achievements

Faculty/Staff Recognition

Mustafa Atay, associate professor of computer science, was selected to participate in Google’s Third annual faculty-in-residence program. The four-week summer immersive program allows faculty to explore hands-on, project-based learning workshops and resources to augment their curriculum. Faculty also provided Google partners with important insights that will help Google teams advance their commitment to diversity and inclusion. The program was held at Google’s Mountain View headquarters in California. Atay was one of 21 computer science faculty members nationwide selected for the program.

Charity Brown Griffin, assistant professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences, was interviewed by WXII-TV for a back-to-school segment on the demand for bulletproof backpacks on Aug. 26.

Fenghai Guo, associate professor of chemistry, gave a research talk at the 47th annual World Chemistry Congress of International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) in Paris. About 2,400 chemists from 67 countries attended the conference, which was held July 5-12.

A presentation by Craig Richardson, professor of economics and founding director of the Center for the Study of Economic Mobility (CSEM), was selected as “best paper” by participants of the Academy of Business Research conference. His empirical research, with Zach Blizard, social/clinical research specialist for CSEM, measured the opportunity cost of public bus commute times in Winston-Salem, and how those commute times impacted females more than males. The conference was held July 31-Aug. 2

Richardson also delivered the keynote lunchtime address to the Classical Liberals of the Carolinas Conference, held at Graylyn Center in Winston-Salem on Aug. 9, His lecture highlighted the challenges low-income Forsyth County residents face as they move up the economic ladder, including government programs that create disincentives to work harder. The CSEM-produced documentary, "Bus Stop Jobs," was also part of the presentation.

Student Recognition

William Gibson, a senior political science major from Charlotte, was one of 50 students chosen to attend the NextGED Leadership Ethics and Practice Conference, part of the Public Policy and International Affairs Program’s Public Service Weekend in Washington, D.C. The fully-funded conference was held July 25-28 and hosted by George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs and the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration.

Gibson also recently completed the Harvard Business School Summer Venture in Management Program (SVMP). The one-week residential educational program for rising college seniors is designed to increase diversity and opportunity in business education. As part of the program, Gibson also is taking a core business course through Harvard Business School. After completing the eight-week course, he will earn a certificate in business analytics from Harvard Business School Online. Gibson is WSSU’s 2019-20 Student Government Association president. 

Brittany Headen, a junior music major from Durham, has received a $5,000 Luther and Mary Ida Vandross Scholarship. The scholarship, through the Philadelphia Foundation, is awarded annually to up to 20 HBCU students nationwide. The scholarship was established in memory of singer and producer Luther Vandross and his mother, Mary Ida.

Taylor Walker, a senior communications major from Durham, was recently crowned the 2019-21 National Miss Black and Old Gold for Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. To qualify for the title, she also won: Miss Black and Gold for the Beta Iota Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc.; Miss Black and Gold North Carolina; and Miss Black and Gold for the Southern region. The competition was held in Las Vegas. She is the first National Black and Gold from WSSU. Taylor is the 2019-20 Miss Winston-Salem State University. 

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.