WSSU research endeavors are centralized to three areas: health and social justice, community and economic development, and STEM innovation. As a Historically-Black College and University (HBCU) our researchers benefit from having access to specialized communities, and having diverse perspectives that institutions without our designation recruit for research collaborations.
Annual Figures 2018-19
450 Students Supported
91 Awards
$52.9 M Awarded
11 Research Centers
Research at WSSU has a global impact. The translational research we conduct helps communities that need our support most. The basic research we explore contributes to the disciplines in ways only HBCUs can. Supporting research at WSSU supports more than just WSSU students, it supports our communities.
Community Engaged Scholarship
North Carolina Mathematics and Science Education Network (NC-MSEN) is a community based project to recruit student grades 6-12 to pursue high level mathematics and science based courses by preparing them with Saturday Academy, the Summer Enrichment Program, tutoring, mathematics and science competitions, field trips, Parent Involvement for Excellence (PIE) Clubs, and leadership development.
CSEM’s B.I.G. Idea in Community Engagement is an integrative needs-based approach that connects businesses, individuals, and governments to help generate interventions and structural reform for the benefit of the community.
International Research through Study Abroad engages students in scholarship on a global level. Students develop multi-cultural perspectives by traveling to locations like South Africa, Brazil, or South Korea and participate in humanities and social science projects that are authentic to the local communities to which they travel.
WSSU Research In the News
Redemption story: WSSU’s Merrills to return to France as Fulbright U.S. Scholar for Paris, Senegal
February 13, 2025
“I am thrilled to have gone from being an au pair in France in my youth to a Fulbright,” Merrills said. “Never in my wildest dreams did I foresee while I was scrubbing floors and changing diapers in France as an au pair that I would one day return as a Fulbright.”
WSSU researchers use mobile app technology to improve healthcare efficiency and worker safety
January 28, 2025
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.
WSSU chancellor’s visit to Nashville transforms into impromptu medical research consortium with alumni
January 23, 2025
One phone call turned a routine visit to Nashville, Tenn., into a consortium with WSSU alumni representing various medial research entities and an ambitious plan for future growth of the college.
