Winston-Salem State University: Education for a Stronger Workforce

Courtesy of WSSU

Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) is measuring and driving economic impact, strengthening several key local industries through its programs and partnerships. 

Regenerative Medicine Across the Piedmont Triad

WSSU is playing a vital role in a groundbreaking National Science Foundation Regenerative Medicine Engine project, an ambitious initiative focused on helping the body heal itself. 

Regenerative medicine aims to repair, replace or regenerate damaged cells, tissues and organs, restoring health and improving lives. 

The project’s mission is to move discoveries from the lab to real-world use faster, while also creating jobs and economic opportunities across the Piedmont Triad and beyond. Already, the program has created more than 50 new jobs in central North Carolina, attracted nearly $300 million in new investments, and provided research, training and internships for high school and college students preparing for biotechnology careers. 

WSSU joins the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine and other academic partners in this collaboration, which received an initial $15 million grant and could attract up to $160 million more over the next decade. 

As part of this effort, WSSU serves as the Cell Biology Innovation, Translation and Education Core site. Faculty and student researchers are working on a cell media project, helping develop formulas that allow cells to thrive in lab settings. Their work focuses on testing and refining these formulas to make them more effective and affordable for scientists. 

“This project represents the power of collaboration,” says Jill Keith, Ph.D., WSSU’s principal investigator for the NSF Engines program. “Through partnerships like this, our students and faculty are contributing to groundbreaking research that will shape the future of regenerative medicine.” 

Strengthening the Biomanufacturing Workforce

Biomanufacturing is another important sector that WSSU supports. In 2022, $6.2 million was awarded to North Carolina Central University’s Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise (BRITE). WSSU partnered with them to create the Accelerate NC Life Sciences Manufacturing Coalition, one of six in the country, which aims to strengthen the life sciences and manufacturing workforce. 

Courtesy of WSSU

“The program is a free, two-week in-person training opportunity for citizens who want to retool,” says Mesia Steed, Ph.D., co-director of the training program and department chair for the Department of Biological Sciences at WSSU. “You don’t need any prior experience. North Carolina life sciences is a growing industry and we’re attracting new companies all the time. We want our citizens to be prepared to get those jobs.” 

Since its launch, the program has trained 123 candidates in 14 sessions. 

Programs like these have earned WSSU the designation of North Carolina’s only Opportunity College by the Carnegie Classifications of Higher Education and the American Council on Education. This honor acknowledges the school’s mission to drive economic mobility and deliver transformative outcomes for students. 

For more information about Winston-Salem State University’s programs and other opportunities, visit wssu.edu.