Resources
The Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity has the advantage of an existing infrastructure at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.
The existing infrastructure at Wake Forest University School of Medicine (WFUSM) is a valuable resource for The Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity. WFUSM has a unique medical school curriculum, a wealth of research resources, and well-developed clinical and training programs. With 888 faculty members in the basic and clinical sciences, the medical school ranked 35th in NIH research funding among the 123 American medical schools in 2005.
The Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity is one of 11 institutionally recognized centers at WFUSM that report directly to the Dean of the School of Medicine. The others are the Brain Tumor Center of Excellence; Center for Biomolecular Imaging; Center for Diabetes Research; Center for Human Genomics; Center of Excellence for Research, Teaching, and Learning (CERTL); Comprehensive Cancer Center of Wake Forest University; General Clinical Research Center; Hypertension and Vascular Research Center; J. Paul Sticht Center on Aging and Rehabilitation; and Women’s Health Center of Excellence for Research, Leadership, Education.
The Office of the Dean comprises several component offices, each headed by an associate dean. Among these, the Office of Student Services also has an assistant dean who is director of diversity and development initiatives. The medical school officially established its minority affairs program in 1975, and the current director manages several successful programs that encourage and support the enrollment and retention of minority students in the School of Medicine.
The state-funded Northwest Area Health Education Center (AHEC) shares many areas of interest related to minority health and hence is an ideal collaborating partner for the Angelou Research Center. The mission of Northwest AHEC is to meet the primary healthcare needs and healthcare work force needs of this region of North Carolina through its focus on five core components: Health Careers Diversity and Recruitment, Health Science Student Support, Information and Library Services, Graduate Medical Education and Patient Services Support, and Continuing Education and Services.
Minority programs at the Medical Center include the following:
- The Center of Excellence for Research, Teaching, and Learning (CERTL) – Sponsored by the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County School Districts
- “Linking Career Choices to Student Experiences: Mini fellowships in Science Fields” – Sponsored by Burroughs Welcome Foundation
- The Short-Term Research Training for Minority Students Program – Sponsored by the National Institutes of Health
- Post-baccalaureate Premedical Program
The Department of Physician Assistant Studies awards the Master of Medical Science (MMS) degree in Physician Assistant Studies through its accredited, graduate-level program. This program provides another source of educational, clinical, and research partnerships to improve minority health status.
In addition to academic departments, centers, and offices, Wake Forest University School of Medicine has a well-developed Office of Development and Alumni Affairs, and Office of Public Relations and Marketing. Both are invaluable resources for the Angelou Research Center as we seek to enhance community relationships and to accomplish our fundraising goals. The Office of Development and Alumni Affairs is nationally recognized for its long history of seeking and securing significant external private-sector resources to support and expand the mission of the Medical Center. The office is well staffed with people who are knowledgeable about a wide range of successful fundraising techniques. The staff is committed to working with the Angelou Research Center leadership and administration to ensure that we achieve our endowment-related goals. Likewise, the Office of Public Relations and Marketing has provided continuous and invaluable support to the Angelou Center.
The Reynolda Campus of Wake Forest University brings to the partnership the resources and infrastructure of a top-ranked undergraduate school and excellent graduate programs.
Wake Forest University’s Reynolda Campus is distinguished by its small environment, expansive resources, and commitment to liberal arts education. The undergraduate faculty numbers 372 members, and the university offers 36 academic majors. The Z. Smith Reynolds Library on the Reynolda Campus supports instruction and research for undergraduates and students in several of the graduate programs. The library holds more than 1.5 million volumes and subscribes to approximately 7,500 periodicals and serials.
The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences spans both the Reynolda and Bowman Gray (medical school) campuses and brings together multidisciplinary teams dedicated to science, research, and teaching Collaborations among faculty members in the social, behavioral, and basic sciences are beneficial in the development and promotion of the Angelou Research Center’s objectives for research and community outreach. Other professional and graduate programs are offered at the School of Law, the Babcock Graduate School of Management, the Wayne Calloway School of Business and Accountacy, and the Divinity School. The professional school faculties bring unique skills and expertise to the collaborative model with the Angelou Research Center. The Professional Center Library, primarily for students of the School of Law and the Babcock Graduate School of Management, welcomes members from the general community and serves as a valuable complement to the Coy C. Carpenter Library at the University’s School of Medicine.
The strength of our alliance with Winston-Salem State University enhances the Angelou Research Center.
Winston-Salem State University, located on a 94-acre campus in Winston-Salem, is a historically black college and university with more than 200 faculty members and an enrollment of nearly 6,000.
In addition to a College of Arts and Sciences, Winston-Salem State University has a School of Business and Economics, a School of Education and Human Performance, a School of Health Sciences, and a Graduate Studies Program. The School of Education is the home of the Maya Angelou Institute for the Improvement of Child and Family Education. The School of Health Sciences houses a University/Community Wellness Center, designed to heighten the impact on the delivery of health care to medically underserved persons in the surrounding community (approximately 33,600 minority individuals representing 11.7% of Forsyth County’s total population). The School of Health Sciences offers programs in clinical laboratory science, nursing, occupational therapy, and physical therapy, as well as distance education for RN and BSN programs. Graduate programs in computer science and information technology, elementary education, English as a second language and applied linguistics, MBA, nursing, occupational therapy, physical therapy, rehabilitation, and the Master of Arts in Teaching are also offered. The school has a federally funded Health Careers Opportunity Program (HCOP) for all students who intend to major in an allied health profession. Each year, the HCOP provides educational and enrichment activities for more than 180 students. In addition to research opportunities with faculty at Winston-Salem State University, the programs shared between the two institutions will work to ensure that students are maintained on the health and research career path.
Other government, academic, community, and faith-based organization within Forsyth County and the Piedmont region of North Carolina will serve as invaluable partners in the development of Angelou Research Center programs.
Representatives from the Forsyth County Board of Health, Juvenile Justice Council, Ministers’ Alliance, City Hall, and other entities are associated with the Angelou Center through our Regional Advisory Board and will serve as liaisons to establishing partnerships within the community. Other colleges and universities in Winston-Salem include Salem College and the North Carolina School of the Arts, which has a unique set of resources in dramatic arts, performing arts, visual arts, and film. Another significant research and education resource is North Carolina A & T State University, the largest historically black college and university in North Carolina, with a total enrollment of more than 11,000 students in undergraduate and graduate programs. It is located in Greensboro, North Carolina, approximately 20 minutes from Wake Forest University School of Medicine and the Angelou Research Center. North Carolina A & T has been very successful in obtaining and managing extramural funding to support research on campus. The university ranks third in the nation in the number of degrees awarded to African Americans and ranks first in the nation in the number of science, mathematics, engineering, and technology degrees awarded to African Americans. Bennett College, another historically black college, is also located in Greensboro. A small residential four-year liberal arts college, Bennett enrolls more than 600 women, primarily African American, from 29 states and 11 foreign countries. Bennett ranks fourth among all historically black colleges and universities in the percentage of alumnae earning doctoral degrees and is another potential collaborator with the Maya Angelou Research Center on Minority Health.
Two grants were awarded and funded start-up costs for the Maya Angelou Research Center on Minority Health.
The Winston-Salem Foundation and the Duke Endowment awarded grants for start-up funds ($80,000 and $500,000, respectively) to Wake Forest University School of Medicine to assist in the establishment of the Angelou Research Center in late 2001 and 2002. The overall objectives of these combined grants were to (1) hire staff and establish an infrastructure for the Center, (2) begin capital renovations and a community outreach campaign, (3) begin partnering with existing local community-based health initiatives and programs, and (4) finalize the infrastructure and begin development of the endowment. As the funding periods expire, most of these goals have been accomplished, and the Center embarks upon the next phase of programmatic and fiscal development.