WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Three years ago, Dr. Cheryl A. Thaxton helped launch innovative graduate nursing programs at an academic medical university in Texas. Now, she brings more than 30 years of experience in nursing practice, education, research and academic leadership to Winston-Salem State University at a pivotal time of growth.
Thaxton’s appointment as dean of the School of Health Sciences and chief nursing administrator comes as WSSU expands its portfolio of health sciences programs and initiatives while strengthening its role in preparing North Carolina’s healthcare workforce.
This semester, WSSU began offering a Bachelor of Science in public health. Next spring, the university plans to launch a Master of Public Health with a concentration in emergency preparedness and disaster management — the first MPH offered by a North Carolina historically Black college or university.
The expansion comes as state officials project North Carolina will face a shortage of approximately 12,500 registered nurses and 5,000 licensed practical nurses by 2033. WSSU’s participation in the new Nursing Fellows Forgivable Education Loan Pilot Program also positions the university to help educate the next generation of nurses.
Thaxton said healthcare workforce shortages are felt most acutely in rural and underserved communities.
“WSSU’s School of Health Sciences has long served as a critical pipeline for the nation’s healthcare workforce, training students who often return to serve the very communities that shape them,” Thaxton said.
That impact can be seen in graduates like Dr. Nadia Harris, a family nurse practitioner in Clemmons who earned both her Bachelor of Science in nursing and Doctor of Nursing Practice from WSSU.
“As an undergraduate nursing student at WSSU, social justice and cultural competence were deeply embedded in my education,” Harris said. “Those principles helped shape me into the nurse and healthcare provider I am today.”
Chancellor Bonita J. Brown said Thaxton’s national recognition and experience in pediatric and adult hospice and palliative care will be key to continuing WSSU’s upward trajectory.
“Winston-Salem State University is at an important moment of growth in health sciences, and Dr. Thaxton brings the leadership, experience and vision we need to build on that momentum,” Brown said.
WSSU already offers doctoral, graduate and undergraduate programs across nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, healthcare administration, rehabilitation and other health fields. Its growing health sciences enterprise also includes a physician assistant pathway partnership with Wake Forest University School of Medicine, a Virtual Hospital Simulation Training Lab and the Eye Bridge Scholarship supporting Black and other underrepresented students pursuing optometry.
Thaxton said her focus will be on building upon WSSU’s existing strengths while preparing students to meet the healthcare needs of the communities they will serve.
“Every graduate of WSSU is part of the next generation of healthcare in this country, strengthening the workforce our communities depend on,” Thaxton said. “As our programs grow, my hope is to continue building a place where excellence, collaboration and service are all one and the same and where every student leaves ready to lead.”
