Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) is implementing an HBCU-UP targeted infusion project to develop an emphasis area in statistics within the existing WSSU mathematics program in order to enhance the undergraduate curriculum in statistical data analysis. The critical need for statistical knowledge in research design and resulting data analysis creates a need to offer this statistics emphasis to insure the preparation of our students and to connect the subject of mathematics to relevant industrial applications. Part of the reticence to majoring in mathematics by minority students is the apparent lack of a clear career path aside from teaching or proceeding to graduate school. This project will create a new opportunity to expand the career options for mathematics majors.
The objectives of this targeted infusion project are: (i) to implement a mathematics degree with a statistics emphasis; (ii) develop interdisciplinary statistics research and instruction models at WSSU (iii) provide considerable career development experiences to students to prepare them for the statistics workforce. The B.S. in Mathematics with an emphasis in Statistics has been approved by the University effective August 2008. The project is led by the Principal Investigator who is also the departmental chair, and two statisticians on the faculty. Currently, we have one statistician on the faculty. A second statistics position has been approved and advertised. The successful candidate begins teaching in August 2009. We have established collaborations with the department of behavioral sciences and the department of life sciences to ensure a ready and practical source of real-world problems for student research training.
Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) is a historically black university located in the Piedmont Triad. It enrolls more than 6500 students with more than 81% of the students are underrepresented minorities.
