Dr. Anthony Graham named WSSU’s new provost
After a national search, Dr. Anthony Graham, dean of the College of Education and professor of educator preparation at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (North Carolina A&T), has been named Winston-Salem State University’s (WSSU) new provost and vice chancellor for Academic Affairs. Graham will begin at WSSU on July 1.
“I am extraordinarily pleased to have Dr. Graham join our team,” said WSSU Chancellor Elwood L. Robinson, who announced the appointment in an email to students, faculty and staff on Thursday, April 19. “The university is gaining an outstanding academic leader who has an appreciation for the important role historically Black colleges and universities play in the higher education landscape. I am confident he will provide the vision and leadership needed to help the university achieve the goals outlined in our Strategic Plan for 2016-21.”
Reporting to the chancellor, the provost is the chief educational and administrative officer for WSSU, leading the university in its academic and student support planning and in the setting of policies and practices that lead to student success outcomes.
Since 2003, Graham has served in the North Carolina A&T Department of Education in various capacities – including as chair of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. Previously, Graham worked as a high school English teacher and as an academic counselor/lecturer in the Center for Student Success at A&T. In these roles, Graham advocated for student success and worked with colleagues to conceptualize, design, and implement initiatives and programs that promoted student growth and development.
Graham’s research has focused primarily on the experiences of Black males in K-12 public schools and ways in which classroom teachers and community leaders can transform their environments to promote cultural, academic, and professional identities for these youth.
His engagement activities have included the Charles Hamilton Houston Leadership Institute for Adolescent Black Boys, a residential summer camp on the campus of A&T for boys in ninth through 12th grade; the annual Urban Education Institute, which focuses on barriers that inhibit students of color in urban schools from achieving academic success; and the “Onward and Upward toward the Light” Scholarship Search Conference, which is designed to orient high school students to the college application, college admission, and scholarship search process.
Graham also has worked closely with Guilford County Schools to address the academic underperformance and suspension rates of Black males as well as working with school administrators and teachers to improve student reading proficiency rates.
“I am excited to join one of the state’s most precious gems, Winston-Salem State University,” Graham said. “I am honored for the opportunity to work alongside amazingly talented administrators, faculty, staff, alumni, and other stakeholders who are committed to student achievement, community engagement, and scholarly excellence. I look forward to serving the institution, the community, and the state as we strive to achieve the goals of the strategic plans for the university and the UNC System.”
A native of Kinston, North Carolina, Graham earned his bachelor’s degree in English from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and his master’s degree in education and his doctorate in curriculum and instruction from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
Graham will fill a vacancy created when Dr. Brenda Allen left WSSU to become president of Lincoln University (Pennsylvania) last June. Dr. Carolynn Berry, who has served in the position on an interim basis for the last 10 months, will remain interim provost until Graham is on board.
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.
