Hooper named interim School of Health Sciences dean
Dr. Celia R. Hooper has been named the interim dean of Winston-Salem State University’s School of Health Sciences (SOHS), effective Aug. 12.
Hooper will step into the role while Dean Peggy Valentine serves as interim chancellor of Fayetteville State University for the next year.
Hooper, dean emerita for the School of Health Sciences at University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG), has been a clinical speech-language pathologist and gerontologist since 1974.
“Like our outstanding faculty in the School of Health Sciences, Dr. Hooper is a highly accomplished leader and dedicated professional,” said Dr. Anthony Graham, WSSU provost and vice chancellor of Academic Affairs. “I know Dr. Hooper’s experiences and accomplishments will be assets to the university.”
In 2003, Hooper became a department chair and professor of communications sciences and disorders at UNCG. Later, she became the dean of the School of Health and Human Performance.
In 2007, she became the founding dean of UNCG’s School of Health and Human Sciences. That school grew to an enrollment of 3,700 students with a research portfolio of $9 million per year, nine academic departments, 50 concentrations and programs, and a diverse student population that was 49% non-white.
She also has been a faculty member at Case Western Reserve University, the University of Kansas, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
In 2018-19, she assisted the University of North Carolina at Pembroke’s interim dean in the formation of their newly restructured College of Health Sciences.
She received her bachelor’s degree from Wake Forest University in classics and communication studies, her master’s degree from UNCG in speech-language pathology, and her doctorate from Case Western Reserve University in speech and hearing sciences.
Bringing in an external leader to serve in an interim capacity will allow faculty members and administrators to continue to focus their efforts toward completing the SACSCOC reaccreditation report and hosting our site visit in March 2020, Graham said.
University of North Carolina System Interim President Bill Roper appointed Valentine interim chancellor of Fayetteville State effective Aug. 7.
More than 1,500 students are enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs through the School of Health Sciences. Signature programs include the master of science in occupational therapy, clinical doctoral degrees in nursing and physical therapy, and a bridge to doctorate in nursing partnership with Duke University. The SOHS has nine academic departments and offers online or hybrid learning opportunities in nursing, clinical laboratory science, health administration, graduate nursing and rehabilitation counseling.
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 motto, “Enter to Learn, Depart to Serve,” WSSU develops leaders who advance social justice by serving the world with compassion and commitment.
