Senior Spotlight: From biology to biostatistics – a journey of purpose
Ja’Moya Blue began her journey at Winston-Salem State University as a biology major with aspirations of attending medical school.
That changed after she took Dr. Bao-Ahn Maddux’s elementary statistics class during her freshman year.
Three years later, Blue was among the WSSU spring 2026 graduating class with a degree in mathematics and a scholarship to pursue a master’s degree at Brown University, where she will join 2025 WSSU graduate Torre Lloyd this fall.
In Maddux’s class, Blue found herself becoming increasingly interested in statistics. But aside from teaching, she wasn’t aware of the many career paths available in the math field.
Professor Maddux really won me over,” Blue said. “She saw my potential and helped me shift my focus to math. I didn’t know where I could go in math. She broke down different types of career paths. She introduced me to biostatistics, where I could use biology and math. It’s the best of two worlds.”
Soon, Blue decided to combine her interests in math and biology. She began research with Dr. Felicia Simpson, department chair and professor of mathematics, studying the effects of diabetes on aging among African Americans.
Blue credits Simpson with helping her achieve career goals through advice, experience and opportunities.
“The professors here made sure that we understood the material and that we developed a passion for math,” she said.
During the past year, Blue has attended math conferences in Boston, Washington and New Orleans. She also presented at the Mathematical Association of America’s Joint Mathematics Meetings in Washington.
Last summer, Blue completed an internship at the University of Iowa. Soon, she will head to Providence, Rhode Island, to continue her academic journey at Brown University, an Ivy League institution.
“Dr. Simpson exposed us to so many different opportunities. She’s really helped us learn to do research. She made sure we had resumes and CVs.”
Through these experiences, Blue gained valuable exposure to the field from math professionals, who offered motivation and guidance.
“Dr. Simpson makes sure she gets us in the conferences,” Blue said. “We get to see other people like us and get to hear more about their careers and their journeys. When we hear why they do what they do, it helps us with our journey.”
A Charlotte native, Blue said she always knew she wanted to attend an HBCU. She chose WSSU based on recommendations of cousins who enjoyed their experiences as Rams and went on to have successful careers.
In addition to maintaining strong academic performance and conducting research, Blue devoted time to WSSU’s Chi Alpha Bible study group.
“I felt like I could be myself here, and I was right,” Blue said. “I found my spark here and learned how to live on my own. Winston-Salem State helped me chart my path and grow as an individual. There are always people here who are on my side who I can go to. There’s the feeling that we’re all in this together.”
Blue strives to embody WSSU’s motto: Enter to Learn, Depart to Serve.
Though her lab work with Simpson, Blue envisions a future using her statistical expertise to improve health care outcomes in underserved communities.
“Primarily, I want to focus my research on the disparity in health care in African American communities because there isn’t a lot of research,” she said.
