Education

Washington Monthly Magazine has ranked WSSU the No. 1 historically Black college and university in the Southeast on its list of America’s Best Bang for the Buck Colleges.

Bonita J. Brown was formally installed Sept. 19, 2025, as Winston-Salem State University’s 14th chancellor, becoming the first permanent female top administrator in the school’s 132-year history.

WSSU will make history this weekend when it installs its 14th and first permanent female chancellor Bonita J. Brown, J.D. The two-day event will feature a formal installation ceremony, Day of Service and celebration gala and concert.

WSSU is launching a new division dedicated to advancing student success and has named Dr. DeNeia B. Thomas as its inaugural vice provost. She will begin her role on Oct. 1.

WSSU has announced its acceptance into the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network, a prestigious global initiative dedicated to advancing the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

Seven participants from various career fields joined the Accelerate NC Life Sciences Manufacturing Coalition’s second cohort at WSSU. Led by the NC Biotechnology Center, the initiative aims to strengthen the state’s life sciences manufacturing sector and workforce.

Winston-Salem State University has been awarded a $1.3 million Biomedical Engineering, Imaging, and Technology Acceleration Program grant from the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering.

Recent Winston-Salem State University graduate Nia James was selected to participate in the distinguished Harvard Business School Summer Venture in Management Program, a weeklong immersive experience designed to increase opportunity in business education and leadership.

As the nation prepares to commemorate its 250th anniversary, a WSSU junior is playing a key role in telling North Carolina’s story as part of her summer internship with State Archives. 

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 proudly recognizes the academic achievements of full-time students through its prestigious Dean’s List. This distinction celebrates those who have demonstrated exceptional academic performance throughout the semester.

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 and Davidson-Davie Community College (Davidson-Davie) formalized a partnership on May 12 – but what made the Memorandum of Understanding signing ceremony unforgettable was the personal connection that tied both institutions’ leaders to one woman.

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.

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

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.”

Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) is working to broaden awareness about the wide range of cancers affecting individuals worldwide. As part of this effort, the university will host its third annual two-day cancer awareness event, “Rams: Thriving Together Stronger than Ever,” on March 20-21.

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. 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.

Winston-Salem State University and Salem Academy and College formalized a new partnership that will create a direct pathway for Salem College students to enroll in WSSU’s Division of Nursing Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program.

Winston-Salem State University has reached a historic milestone with the largest graduate student enrollment in its history, a significant achievement that comes nearly two years after the institution reinstated its graduate college.

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.

Winston-Salem State University celebrated its fall graduates during commencement Friday, Dec. 13. More than 500 students became alumni, ready to depart to serve, during the historic ceremony that was presided by the university’s first female chief administrator, Chancellor Bonita Brown.

Winston-Salem State University is proud to celebrate the accomplishments of Rajah Caruth, a standout graduate of its renowned motorsports management program and a rising NASCAR driver. Caruth will wave the checkered flag on his academic journey this Fall.

From actor Samuel L. Jackson to a Purple Heart military veteran, Winston-Salem State University students presented stories on drugs and alcohol abuse for a Drugs, Crime and Justice community project titled, "Echoes of Resilience: Unveiling Stories of Drug Victims and Survivors." Take a listen by scanning QR codes in story.

This year’s homecoming was not only marked by excitement, merriment, pomp and circumstance, but it was also a testament to the generosity of alumni. One of the highlights of homecoming weekend was the announcement of this year’s alumni giving, which was a total of $287,963.97.

Two Winston-Salem State University graduate students, Cristina Sorensen of the occupational therapy program and Stefanie Ramsey of the family nurse practitioner program, have designed a training program to teach mothers how to avoid common injuries.

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.

Each year during homecoming week, Winston-Salem State University recognizes the progress made in healthcare for African Americans and the East Winston community and honors that history during the Healthcare Legends Awards Luncheon. The program will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 6 at the Donald J. Reaves Student Activities Center, Room 100.

There is a new Winston-Salem State University homecoming event this year designed to benefit students in the military program. The WSSU Military Affairs Association (MAA) will host a dance on Friday, Nov. 8, from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. in the WSSU Thompson Center, Room 207.

Students from Winston-Salem State University’s Mass Communications program embarked on a field trip to Atlanta during fall break, immersing themselves in the world of film and media. A highlight of the trip was the opportunity for students to shadow various positions on a two-day independent film shoot, “Nature of the Threat.”

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.

Winston-Salem State University is excited to announce The Ramily Road Tour, coming soon to a city near you. WSSU is hitting the road, offering high school students, parents, families and community leaders an opportunity to learn what makes WSSU’s Ramily (Ram family) so special.

NASCAR announced the expansion of its Campus Lab Program Oct. 8 on the campus of Winston-Salem State University, making WSSU the first university in North Carolina to offer the program. The announcement was made from the Bowman Gray Field House at a Memorandum of Understanding ceremony.

Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) and Wake Forest University School of Law signed a Memorandum of Understanding today, creating a pathway for WSSU students to matriculate into the Wake Forest School of Law full-time residential juris doctor (JD) program.

Alexandria Brown, a senior at Winston-Salem State University, has been selected to attend the prestigious inaugural Allstate Foundation National Youth Service Summit in Chicago September 27-29. She was one of only 75 students chosen for this honor.

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 earned impressive rankings in the U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges 2025. WSSU was recognized among top public colleges and universities, best HBCUs, social mobility and the nursing program. The most significant achievement is WSSU’s surge ahead by 40 spots in the national universities ranking.

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.

Dr. Leslee Battle, dean of the Winston-Salem State University School of Health Sciences, has been awarded the Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions (ASAHP) Fellows Program Award for 2024. The ASAHP is a national professional association for administrators, educators and others who are concerned with critical issues affecting allied health education.

If there’s one thing Winston-Salem State University senior Ayanna Tewolde has learned, it’s the importance of networking and relationship building. Tewolde is spending her summer as a marketing intern with Team Penske as part of NASCAR’s Diversity and Inclusion Program.

Today, Barbara Woods is a hair stylist. But after two weeks, she could start a new career in biomanufacturing thanks to a new program at Winston-Salem State University. Woods is a member of the first WSSU cohort of the Accelerate NC Life Sciences Manufacturing Coalition, led by the NC Biotechnology Center, which received $25 million from President Biden’s Build Back Better program to strengthen life sciences manufacturing in the state of North Carolina.

Three Winston-Salem State University students have been selected to participate in the North Carolina Governor’s HBCU Internship Program this summer. The program was established in 2015 to build a bridge between North Carolina’s HBCU students and leading Fortune 500 companies in the state.

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). 

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.

The Class of Spring 2024 celebrated commencement on Friday, May 10. Witnessing the excitement and sense of accomplishment radiating from our graduates was truly inspiring. We invite you to read these profiles and to browse through our Spring 2024 Commencement photo album.

Winston-Salem State University offers an excellent Sport Management program that prepares our students for dynamic careers in the sports industry. WSSU is the first and only HBCU to receive accreditation from the Commission on Sport Management Accreditation (COSMA).

Winston-Salem State University is committed to helping our students Unleash Their Genius and succeed in all areas of their lives.  On May 10, 2024, WSSU will honor our spring graduating class.  Here's a glimpse of where a few students from the Class of Spring 2024 are headed. 

As we honor Black History Month, we commemorate Winston-Salem State University’s long and distinguished list of firsts and its contributions to the transformative milestones of the collective African American journey.

The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi will install its 361st chapter at Winston-Salem University this month. Founded in 1897 at the University of Maine, Phi Kappa Phi is the nation’s oldest and most selective all-discipline collegiate honor society recognizing academic excellence.

Ask Virgil Bryant what he likes about motorsports racing and without hesitation he starts to rattle off: it’s the smell of the fuel, the revving of the engines, the squealing of the tires, the drivers – everything. Equally important, he said it was the most fun he had in years when he attended his first NASCAR race.

Not only is Wilson now leading the WSSU Campus Activities Board (CAB) as president, but his college experience has landed him at the White House – not once, but twice – and next year he will be headed to California to pitch a product concept to NASA.

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.

The New York Times names Winston-Salem State University as the number one school in North Carolina for economic mobility based on the people’s choice.

Winston-Salem State University is ranked as one of the Best Colleges in America for the seventh year in a row by Money magazine.

Winston-Salem State University was ranked by Washington Monthly magazine as the No. 1 HBCU in the Southeast for “Best Bang for the Buck” for the 2023-24 academic year. The ranking is based on how well schools help non-wealthy students earn high-quality marketable degrees for affordable prices.

On May 1, 2023 Winston-Salem State University celebrated its Faculty Awards and Research and Sponsored Program Banquet. WSSU honored faculty and staff members for excellence in teaching, research, and procuring grant funding.

Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) will celebrate the accomplishments of the Class of 2023 at a Commencement Ceremony at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial (LJVM) Coliseum on Friday, May 12.

Another Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) Commencement is upon us, as graduates depart to serve. Here's a glimpse of where a few students from the Class of Spring 2023 are headed.