RamPages: News and Events for Faculty and Staff

WSSU held its annual Adobe Bash Faculty Festival, hosted by the Center for Innovative and Transformative Instruction (CITI). This year’s theme, “Back to the Future with Artificial Intelligence,” brought together educators to explore uses of AI in teaching, learning and student engagement.

Winston-Salem State University has completed its fourth cohort in the Excellence in Online Instruction Initiative, a program that equips faculty with evidence-based strategies to enhance student learning and success.

Winston-Salem State University is pleased to announce that Dr. Michael K. “Kenny” Holt has been appointed as the founding Dean of the College of Business and Entrepreneurship.

Winston-Salem State University graduate student Kris Mannino has been selected for a prestigious summer internship at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), managed by the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), in Pasadena, Calif.

Winston-Salem State University has been awarded a $50,000 acceleration grant to support the implementation of evidence-based strategies outlined in its National Institute for Student Success (NISS) Playbook.

Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) has announced the appointment of Dr. Stevie L. Lawrence II as its next provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs, effective July 1, 2025.

“On behalf of the entire university family, I am pleased to extend sincerest congratulations to the spring class of 2025,” said WSSU Chancellor Bonita J. Brown, who presided over her first spring commencement since leading the university.

WSSU has reached a major milestone in sending an unprecedented number of students to graduate school to pursue advanced degrees in mathematics and statistical sciences. For the first time in university history, a cohort of 11 WSSU students have committed to pursuing advanced degrees in mathematics.

Winston-Salem State University has been named the only university in North Carolina – public or private – to earn the distinguished designation of Opportunity College by the Carnegie Classifications of Higher Education and the American Council on Education (ACE).

Winston-Salem State University announced a $2 million grant from the Bedford Falls Foundation-DAF for its nursing program during a press conference April 22 featuring N.C. Gov. Josh Stein and other state legislators.

The Marguerite Casey Foundation (MCF), in partnership with Haymarket Books, will host an in-depth discussion on the impact of student debt on activism at Winston-Salem State University on Monday, April 14, at 7 p.m.

Three Winston-Salem State University students are preparing for a journey that’s out of this world – literally. On April 14, Gabrielle Erwin, Anya Buckner and Sarah Lang will be in Texas to witness the launch of Blue Origin’s historic all-female space mission

Dr. Felicia R. Simpson, chair and associate professor in the Department of Mathematics, has been honored as the first-ever recipient of the Eastern North American Region (ENAR) International Biometric Society’s Dionne Price Early Career PIONEER Award in Biostatistics.

WSSU's Office of Undergraduate Research will host its annual Scholarship Week from March 31 to April 4, 2025, celebrating academic excellence and innovative research under the theme, “Owning OUR ‘A’ Game: A Showcase of Visionaries.”

WSSU is excited to host Grammy-winning hip-hop artist Rapsody as a guest speaker for its annual Women’s History Month celebration, “Ladies First: Women on the Rise,” on Thursday, March 20, 2025, at 7 p.m. in Dillard Auditorium.

Winston-Salem State University is set to host a series of impactful events throughout March, bringing together students, faculty, staff, and the community for discussions, performances, and educational initiatives.

Plant samples from Winston-Salem State University’s Astrobotany Lab will be on the first Blue Origin all-female mission to space this spring.

Dr. Michael Magruder, director of bands for Winston-Salem State University, has been appointed president of the HBCU National Band and Orchestra Directors’ Consortium (HBCU-NBODC). He will lead the only conference designed for HBCU band directors and students for a two-year term.

“I am thrilled to have gone from being an au pair in France in my youth to a Fulbright,” Merrills said. “Never in my wildest dreams did I foresee while I was scrubbing floors and changing diapers in France as an au pair that I would one day return as a Fulbright.”

Dr. Dawn Hicks Tafari, an associate professor of education at Winston-Salem State University, approaches life with purpose and passion. She believes that her intentional dedication to teaching has played a key role in her selection as recipient of the 2025 University of North Carolina Board of Governors Award for Excellence in Teaching.

A team of researchers, led by Dr. Muztaba Fuad, professor and interim chair of computer science at Winston-Salem State University, are pioneering the use of mobile apps to make healthcare work more efficient. WSSU students are helping with the research by tracking their own movements and postures.

In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King. Jr., two members of the Ramily were recognized during a joint program of Winston-Salem State University and Wake Forest University on the official federal holiday honoring the civil rights icon. Student Nia James and faculty member Maestra D’Walla Simmons-Burke were the 2025 honorees.

Winston-Salem State University is committed to preparing students to excel and lead, to act compassionately and to rise above challenges with the strength and spirit of a true Ram. On Dec. 13, WSSU celebrated its Fall 2024 graduating class as they departed to serve to make an impact on the global society. Here is a glimpse of where a few students are headed:

Winston-Salem State University received nearly half a million dollars to launch a new initiative focused on fostering a safe and supportive environment while addressing and preventing domestic violence. The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Violence Against Women, awarded a $499,976 grant to RamsSafe.

As I reflect on my first months as Chancellor of Winston-Salem State University, I am inspired by the incredible accomplishments of our students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Homecoming was a highlight of my time here. It was incredible to watch generations of the Ramily come together to celebrate all that is wonderful about WSSU.

Winston-Salem State University’s new advancement leadership team is poised to enhance alumni and community engagement, as well as philanthropic contributions. Kevan Turman is the new vice chancellor for University Advancement; and John D. Kirby Jr. is assistant vice chancellor.

Winston-Salem State University has formed a groundbreaking alliance with Cisco, a global technology leader, that will enhance student employability, bolster faculty and staff resources, and strengthen the university’s infrastructure. The transformative agreement was officially signed Oct. 29 during an on-campus ceremony.

The Winston-Salem State University Department of Education hosted a grand opening of its newly renovated Curriculum Materials Center (CMC) and Innovative Teaching Lab on Oct. 3, as well as unveiled a new Mobile STEAM Lab: Bringing Classrooms to Communities.

Winston-Salem State University has received a $400,000 National Science Foundation grant that will integrate esports into its computer science education program. This project will help WSSU improve computer science education and attract new underrepresented minority students to pursue a computer science degree.

Today, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded nearly $4 million to Winston-Salem State University to establish a Research Center of Excellence. Acting Secretary Adrianne Todman made the announcement during a press conference on WSSU’s campus following her visit with students.

Winston-Salem State University Office of Emergency Management (OEM) personnel have been deployed to UNC Asheville to assist in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene while the WSSU campus holds a drive to help peer institutions impacted by the storm. Jason Stogner, director of OEM, was deployed on Sept. 28, and Sarah Isom, assistant director, left Sept. 30.

Winston-Salem State University is honored to announce a historic first meeting between Chancellor Bonita Brown and Dr. Jarso Maley Jallah, Minister of Education of the Republic of Liberia. The meeting took place on Sept. 30 on the WSSU campus and marks an important landmark in fostering bilateral collaboration in higher education.

The Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society and the S.G. Atkins Honor Society will host induction ceremonies for each group from noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 29, at Dillard Auditorium in the Anderson Center. This will be the first induction ceremony for Phi Kappa Phi. WSSU's chapter was installed in January.

Winston-Salem State University officially became a StormReady campus during a Recognition Ceremony on Sept. 17. Nick Petro, warning coordination meteorologist of the National Weather Service (NWS), Raleigh office, read the official letter and designation during the program and presented it to Jason Stogner, director of the WSSU Office of Emergency Management.

As Winston-Salem State University launches into the 2024-2025 academic year, Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Dr. Anthony Graham, announced the following new and acting appointments in the Divisions of Academic and Student Affairs.

This is a special year for Dr. Fran Bates Oates, who has 50 reasons to celebrate. This year marks her 50th anniversary as an educator and is also her 50th class reunion at Winston-Salem State University as a member of the Class of 1974.

Winston-Salem State University will officially become a StormReady campus during a recognition ceremony on Tuesday, Sept. 17, at 2 p.m. in the Donald J. Reaves Center, Room 100A, featuring Nicholas “Nick” Petro, warning coordination meteorologist of the National Weather Service in Raleigh.

Winston-Salem State University was awarded a $370,000 grant to better prepare students for STEM jobs. The award is a part of the U.S. National Science Foundation’s Enabling Partnerships to Increase Innovation Capacity (EPIIC) program.

Encourages campus to get excited about change

Employees of Winston-Salem State University got a chance to hear from its 14th Chancellor Bonita Brown during the annual faculty and staff kickoff Aug. 14 at Dillard Auditorium on the campus of WSSU. It was Brown’s first address to the campus community as it prepares for the new academic school year.

The Department of Education at Winston-Salem State University has been awarded a $1.25 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). 

Winston-Salem State University’s Office of Integrated Marketing Communications has won two Telly Awards for a recruitment video in the record-breaking 45th Annual Telly Awards.

Bonita J. Brown has been named the 14th Chancellor of Winston-Salem State University. She was elected by the University of North Carolina Board of Governors, following her nomination by University of North Carolina System President Peter Hans. Brown will assume her role on July 1, 2024.

This class was unique as it was the class that felt the disruptions of the global pandemic as students transitioned from high school graduates to college freshmen. Their high school graduations were mostly likely in person and college orientations were shackled by social distancing.

The Center for Innovative and Transformative Instruction (CITI) recognized its Class of 2024 Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) Credentialed Educators and micro-credential completers. The pinning ceremony was held May 14 at the Bermuda Run Country Club.

Winston-Salem State University partners with the Winston-Salem Dash minor league baseball team for WSSU Night at the Dash on Thursday, April 25. The game will feature the WSSU band, Powerhouse cheerleaders and Amon the Ram. Admissions' representatives will also be on site.

Winston-Salem State University’s Office of Integrated Marketing Communications was named among the top in the nation in the 2023 Collegiate Advertising Awards Program.

On Monday, April 1 Winston-Salem State University kicks off Scholarship Week 2024: A Gallery of Genius. WSSU students, faculty and staff are encouraged to attend biggest academic event of the year that shines a spotlight on how scholars from all disciplines Unleash their Genius.

Join us for the second annual Cancer Awareness Event.  Thursday, March 21 will feature a panel discussion on the different types of cancer.  The panelists will feature representatives from the local healthcare community. The following day, Friday, March 22 enjoy a variety of interactive events taking place at WSSU's practice field.

Winston-Salem State University is taking steps to ensure that students learn how to use artificial intelligence (AI) responsibly and ethically. More than 200 students are studying various ways to develop and use AI in courses such as art, world films, statistics, chemistry, English, business ethics, and exercise science.

Winston-Salem State University’s Department of Physical Therapy is looking for participants for a study titled: “Evaluation of segmental lumbar spinal motion and physiological responses following common spinal mobilization techniques.”

Technology provider CollegeNET ranks Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) No. 2 in the United States for being a driver of social mobility for its students. Social mobility, as defined by CollegeNET, involves delivering a high-quality college education at an affordable price to create opportunities for students to move from one socioeconomic class to another.

The schools, Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) and Southern University Law Center (SULC) join more than 200 private, nonprofit and governmental organizations across the country that have received Gold Standard accreditation.

N.C. Governor Roy Cooper visited Winston-Salem State University recently to discuss diversity in education. The visit on Nov. 17 was the final stop on the DRIVE Task Force’s statewide tour. DRIVE stands for Developing a Representative and Inclusive Vision for Education.

In February 2023 the Winston-Salem State University Chancellor’s Executive Staff issued a request for proposals for faculty and staff to create programs designed to improve undergraduate student success outcomes focused explicitly on student retention, student engagement, student belonging, and student debt load.

Healthcare Management’s Global Understanding Class will be collecting items for gift bags through Nov. 15 to be presented to the homeless population. The bags will be delivered to the Samaritan Ministry on Nov. 17.

WSSU’s Forever Red Homecoming is the time to celebrate Winston-Salem State University’s spirit and respect some of our most beloved traditions. By celebrating all the wonderful things about being a Ram, it is advised to be cautious while enjoying the festivities of WSSU Homecoming.

Winston-Salem State University will host its first esports competitive event this month to further expose students to the growing gaming industry. WSSU Campus Clash will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 30, at the University Recreation Game Room and Salon on campus.

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Hossein Khalili as the Senior Associate Dean for the School of Health Sciences. Dr. Khalili is an internationally recognized scholar, expert, and leader in the field of interprofessional education. He has more than 25 years of experience in healthcare, 15 of which are in higher education. 

Winston-Salem State University has become the first university in the country to partner with Spentys to use 3D printing technology to produce high-quality, economic orthotic splints and introduce that technology into its occupational therapy curriculum.

I am especially pleased to welcome Dr. LaToya McNeill Wiley back to WSSU. Effective August 3, 2023, Dr. Wiley will serve as the Interim Assistant Vice Chancellor for Financial Planning and Budget.

Winston-Salem State University professor of psychological sciences Dr. Michele K. Lewis has been named a 2023-2024 Fulbright Canada Distinguished Chair in Arts and Social Sciences in Canada and North America.