School of Health Sciences secures over $5 million in grants to support students
WSSU’s School of Health Sciences has secured just over $5 million in grants to directly support students in the Clinical Laboratory Sciences and Occupational Therapy departments.
Winston-Salem State University’s School of Health Sciences has secured just over $5 million in grants to directly support students in the Clinical Laboratory Sciences and Occupational Therapy departments.
Under the leadership of Dr. Georgia McCauley, associate professor and chair of the Clinical Laboratory Science Department, CLS has secured $1,784,232.00 that will be used for scholarships to assist students in their last two years of the program.
Project goals for the grant include increasing the number of qualified students who can enter and graduate from the CLS program and raising the number of graduates who pass the national CLS certification examination. These funds will support a five-year program.
The Master of Occupational Therapy track also received a sizeable grant at $3,250,000. Under the leadership of Dr. Cynthia Bell, associate professor and chair of the Occupational Therapy Department, this project aims to increase students from underrepresented minorities and disadvantaged backgrounds. Like the CLS program, these funds will go directly to students in the form of scholarships to cover tuition and fees.
“We must be intentional about increasing the diversity of the OT field. This grant will allow us to more aggressively recruit minority students, said Dr. Bell.”
The grant will also support retention programming and provide students with exposure to rendering occupational therapy services to medically underserved communities with the hopes of fulfilling workforce needs.
“We have amazing faculty here at WSSU, said Dr. Erin Lynch, associate provost of scholarship, research, and innovation, “Our educators are pushing the limits of creativity and innovation, so we are building programs that maximize clinical practice opportunities.”
Visit the School of Health Sciences to learn more about their groundbreaking research and programming.
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 by the motto, “Enter to Learn, Depart to Serve,” WSSU develops leaders who advance social justice by serving the world with compassion and commitment.
