WSSU alumni commissioned as officers in U.S. Public Health Service
Winston-Salem State University celebrates the success of two School of Health Sciences alumni, Lt. Darius McLean and Lt. Ivanna Plymouth, who were recently commissioned as officers in the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps after completing Officer Basic Course (OBC) 156.
Both officers are shining examples of WSSU’s enduring motto, “Enter to Learn, Depart to Serve,” demonstrating the university’s commitment to developing healthcare leaders dedicated to public service.
The USPHS Commissioned Corps, one of the nation’s uniformed services, is a branch committed to the service of health. Officers advance the nation’s public health, serving in agencies across the government, as physicians, nurses, dentists, veterinarians, scientists, engineers and other professionals.
Their commissioning into the USPHS marks the beginning of a new chapter in service to the nation’s health and well-being. Officers are prepared to respond to public health emergencies, natural disasters, and health crises with clinical expertise and compassion.
“Although we never knew each other prior to the course, we formed an immediate bond upon discovering we were both proud alumni of Winston-Salem State University,” McLean said. “That shared connection made an already special experience even more impactful.”
McLean holds two degrees from WSSU — a Bachelor of Science in exercise science (2012) and a Master of Science in occupational therapy (2015). He later earned a Master of Medical Science in Physician Assistant Studies from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in 2020. Currently, McLean serves in the USPHS Health Services Category as a physician assistant with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in Bowling Green, Virginia.
Plymouth graduated from WSSU in 2009 with a Bachelor of Science in nursing. After earning a Master of Science in nursing from Duke University in 2017 and becoming an adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner, Plymouth joined the USPHS Nurse Category. She now serves as a deputy medical officer with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, based in Washington, D.C.
WSSU is proud to recognize McLean and Plymouth not only for their professional accomplishments but for the ways they continue to uplift their communities and carry forward the values instilled during their time at the university.
