WSSU earns spot in American Association of Colleges and Universities Institute on AI for student success
Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) has been selected to participate in the 2025-2026 Institute on AI, Pedagogy and the Curriculum, sponsored by the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U). The highly competitive institute helps colleges and universities strategically integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into teaching, learning and institutional practices.
WSSU’s selection reflects its ongoing commitment to equity, student success and innovation in higher education. As a historically Black university and minority-serving institution, WSSU recognizes the urgent need to prepare its students for a workforce increasingly shaped by AI.
“Artificial intelligence will define not only the future of our workforce, but also how we live and learn,” said WSSU Chancellor Bonita J. Brown. “Our students deserve to be at the forefront of that change. This institute will help us ensure that WSSU graduates are not only AI-literate but also positioned to lead in fields where AI plays a central role.”
As part of its participation, WSSU aims to develop a university-wide AI policy and implementation plan; create an interdisciplinary AI minor open to students across all majors; expand and enhance AI-infused courses that explore the technical, ethical and social dimensions of AI; and build faculty capacity through targeted professional development and support for AI-related research.
These goals align with WSSU’s Strategic Plan, which prioritizes student success, supports an intellectual climate for faculty and contributes to institutional excellence, said Dr. Debzani Deb, computer science professor and founding director of the Center for Applied Data Science.
Participating in this institute is a vital step in helping WSSU build a coordinated and equity-focused AI framework that empowers students to thrive in an AI-driven world, closes opportunity gaps and ensures WSSU remains a driver of upward mobility in the 21st Century.
The WSSU team that will be participating consists of:
- Dr. Debzani Deb, who will serve as the team lead. She has led several AI-focused initiatives at WSSU, including curriculum design, faculty development, funded research and external collaborations including hosting the university’s inaugural Responsible AI Day.
- Dr. Wanda White-Walker, director of the Center for Innovative and Transformative Instruction. She has experience presenting and speaking on generative AI on a national level for Adobe and “The Chronicle of Higher Education.” She also serves as a thought leader in the field of digital literacy and generative AI, which positions her to guide effective and ethical instructional integration of AI.
- Dr. Hossein Khalili, senior associate dean of the School of Health Sciences, representing the largest academic unit on campus. With a background in health informatics and more than six years of teaching in this area, he offers valuable insight into discipline-specific AI applications and workforce readiness.
- Dr. Tanya Walker, chair of the English Department and a digital humanities scholar. Her work on grant-funded digital media projects and experience in general education make her critical to embed AI literacy in foundational writing courses and across the humanities.
- Dominique Johnson, writing instructor and coordinator of Writing and Communications Center. Her work will be critical in leveraging WSSU’s recent First-Year Experience funding to pilot and expand early exposure to AI for new students, helping close equity gaps from the outset of their academic journey.
“We are honored that our team from Winston-Salem State University has been selected to participate in the AAC&U Institute on AI, Pedagogy and the Curriculum,” Deb said. “This opportunity directly aligns with WSSU’s strategic priorities to innovate teaching and learning, expand interdisciplinary collaboration, and prepare our students for a future shaped by artificial intelligence. By engaging with national leaders in AI integration, we aim to strengthen equity-centered curriculum design and empower faculty across disciplines to embrace emerging technologies with purpose and responsibility.”
