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
WSSU student helps shape narrative for America’s 250th anniversary through internship at State Archives
July 18, 2025
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, first HBCU Adobe Cloud campus, hosts AI-focused festival with faculty
June 26, 2025
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.
WSSU graduate student's research leads to prestigious NASA internship
May 29, 2025
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.
