Tag: University of Virginia
University of Alabama Creates Database Relating to History of Slavery on Campus
Scholars from the University of Alabama created an online database housing information on the history of slavery on the university's campus. The new website is the latest effort in a larger initiative from the Consortium of Universities Studying Slavery to uncover the history of enslaved individuals who labored for colleges and universities across the world.
University of Notre Dame Honors Maurice Cox With Henry Hope Reed Award
Maurice Cox has been named the 2024 laureate of the Henry Hope Reed Award at the University of Notre Dame for his dedication to education and public service.
Roscoe Jones Jr. Becomes First-Ever Black Dean at Drake University
Roscoe Jones Jr. has been appointed dean of the Drake University Law School, making him the first-ever Black dean across all schools at Drake University. Jones currently serves as a practicing attorney in Washington D.C., and as an adjunct professor at the University of Michigan Law school.
Three African Americans Who Are Taking on New Higher Education Administrative Positions
Kenyon Bonner has been appointed as vice president and chief student affairs officer at the University of Virginia. J. David Bratton was named director of choirs at Benedict College in Columbia, South Carolina, and Jamila Lee-Johnson is the inaugural assistant dean of inclusive excellence for the Graduate School at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana.
Three African American Men Who Have Been Selected to Serve as Deans
Joel A. Johnson was appointed dean of admission at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. Darren D. Kelly will be the next dean of the Office of African American Affairs at the University of Virginia and Jimmie Smith has been named dean of aviation at Savannah Technical College in Georgia.
Rita Dove to Receive Lifetime Achievement Award From the National Book Foundation
Rita Dove, the Henry Hoyns Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Virginia, has been selected to receive the medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters from the National Book Foundation, the nonprofit organization that presents the National Book Awards. She will be honored in New York on November 15.
In Memoriam: Pamela Corela Smith, 1970-2023
A dedicated administrator, faculty member, and colleague, Dr. Smith’s 22-year career at the university included stints serving as interim dean of the College of Business from 2021 to 2022; associate dean of administration and faculty from 2019 to 2023; and associate dean for graduate studies from 2016 to 2019.
Special Education Teacher Shortage Has Huge Impact on Black Students
A new study finds that special education is the No. 1 teacher shortage area in 48 states. At the same time, a growing number of students of color have been identified as having a disability.
The Library of Congress Recognizes Rita Dove for Lifetime Achievement in Poetry
Rita Dove, the Henry Hoyns Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Virginia, received the 2022 Rebekah Johnson Bobbitt National Prize for Poetry for lifetime achievement from the Library of Congress. Professor Dove has published 11 collections of poetry. She served as Poet Laureate of the United States from 1993 to 1995 and won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry in 1987.
Noose Found on the Head of a Statue on the Campus of the University of Virginia
A noose was placed over the head of a statue of Homer on the campus of the University of Virginia. Video surveillance revealed that the noose was placed by a White male. Police collected other evidence at the scene but have not revealed further details.
Higher Education Grants or Gifts of Interest to African Americans
Here is this week’s news of grants or gifts to historically Black colleges and universities or for programs of particular interest to African Americans in higher education.
Two African Americans Selected to Serve as University Deans
Stephanie J. Rowley has been appointed the dean of the School of Education and Human Development at the University of Virginia and J. Lin Dawson was named dean of exercise science and collegiate athletics at Saint Augustine's University in Raleigh, North Carolina.
In Memoriam: Delores Ann Richburg Greene, 1935-2022
A long-time educator in several public school systems in Virginia, Dr. Green concluded her career serving as dean at both Virginia Union University and Virginia State University.
Six African Americans Who Have Been Appointed to University Administrative Positions
Taking on new administrative duties are Toya Corbett at the University of Virginia, Josiah J. Sampson, III at Jackson State University in Mississippi, Manica J. Finch at South Carolina State University, Pierre D. Joanis at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Akirah J. Bradley-Armstrong at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and Ava Willis-Barksdale at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania.
Study Finds Americans Are Less Likely to Respond to Emails If the Sender is Black
The researchers sent emails to a random list of 250,000 Americans. When the sender had a White-sounding name, they were 15 percent more likely to receive a response than emails where the sender had a Black-sounding name.
Heritage Foundation Report Claims a Bloat of Diversity Officers in Higher Education
Just as conservatives have mounted attacks on ethnic studies programs, critical race theory, and other subject areas not to their liking, the hiring of diversity officers has also been highly criticized. A new Heritage Foundation report finds what it calls an administrative bloat of diversity officers.
Study Finds ‘Benevolent Sexism’ Is Not Equally Applied to Black and White Women
Benevolent sexism is a term that refers to views about women that seem positive but also exhibit a level of inferiority to men based on fragility, a lack of competence or intelligence, or a need for the guardianship of men. A new study finds that benevolent sexism may be more likely afforded to White women than it is to Black women.
Muriel B. Mickles is the New Leader of Danville Community College in Virginia
Dr. Mickles had been serving as vice president of academics, students, and workforce development at Central Virginia Community College in Lynchburg. She will serve as interim president of Danville Community College while a search for a permanent president is conducted.
University of Virginia’s School of Architecture Names Malo A. Hutson as Its Next Dean
Dr. Hutson is currently a tenured professor and director of the Urban Planning Ph.D. Program in the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation at Columbia University in New York City. He is also the director of the school’s Urban Community and Health Equity Lab.
The First African American Dean of the College of Law at Georgia State University
LaVonda N. Reed has been serving as associate provost for faculty affairs at Syracuse University. She joined the faculty there in 2006. Professor Reed's research and teaching are in the areas of wills and trusts, property, and communications regulatory law and policy.
The First Black Editor-in-Chief of the Law Review at Georgia State University
Jeannine Holmes is a 2008 graduate of the University of Virginia, where she majored in English. After studying design in New York City, She moved to Atlanta in 2016 to work in the healthcare field. Later she enrolled in law school part-time at Georgia State University.
New Administrative Posts in Higher Education for Four African Americans
Taking on new administrative duties are Robyn S. Hadley at the University of Virginia, Shaun Lewis at Dillard University in New Orleans, Debbi Howard at Tennessee State University in Nashville, and Shajuana L. Dennard at Talladega College in Alabama.
Kiki Petrosino of the University of Virginia Wins the 2021 Rilke Prize
Professor Petrosino was honored for her poetry collection that weaves together a variety of poetic forms – villanelles, a heroic crown and erasure – to explore her Black heritage and larger societal issues with the legacy of slavery and race relations in America.
In Memoriam Ralph Reavis Sr., 1940-2021
Dr. Reavis was the pastor of several churches and taught for more than two decades at Virginia Union University. In 2000, he was named president of his alma mater, now called Virginia University of Lynchburg. He served in that role until 2015.
University of Virginia Takes Steps to Make its Campus a More Welcoming Place
Jim Ryan, president of the University of Virginia, stated that these "actions that will make this place more clearly and obviously welcoming to all, and where all have an opportunity to thrive.”
Former Assistant Dean at Millersville University in Pennsylvania Files Race Discrimination Lawsuit
The suit alleges severe harassment from her superiors, including leaving her out of important meetings, denying opportunities for advancement, being passed over for promotion, and interfering with an attempt to hire a Black student to assist her.
Two African American Women at Southern State Universities Announce Their Retirements
Joanne Bankston, was coordinator of family and consumer sciences, and state specialist for family economics management at Kentucky State University and Valerie Gregory, associate dean of undergraduate admissions at the University of Virginia.
Does Exposure to Racism Increase the Likelihood of Activism by Black Adolescents?
The researchers found that 84 percent of study participants had experienced at least some form of racism. They found there was a relationship between those who had experienced racism with activism aimed at eliminating racism.
The University of Virginia’s Bold Plan to Improve Racial Equity
A task force proposed “a system in which racial identity neither predicts nor determines one’s access, success, nor influence within the University of Virginia – where people of any racial background have an equal probability of thriving.”
In Memoriam: Arthur Sanderson Paul, 1950-2020
Beginning in 1981, Dr. Paul served at Howard University as a faculty member in the College of Engineering, Architecture, and Computer Science. He remained on the faculty for 38 years. Professor Paul also served as interim associate provost for research at Howard.
University of Virginia Honors Its First African American Doctoral Graduate
In 1953, Walter N. Ridley earned a doctorate from the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia. Dr. Ridley holds the distinction of being the first African American to earn a doctoral degree from a historically white university in the South.
Black Man to Become Dean of the Nation’s Oldest Law School
A. Benjamin Spencer will be the next dean of the William and Mary Law School in Williamsburg, Virginia. When he takes office on July 1, Professor Spencer will be William & Mary’s first African-American dean. Since 2014 he has been on the law school faculty at the University of Virginia.
The New Leader of the School of Commerce at the University of Virginia
Nicole Thorne Jenkins is currently vice dean of the Gatton College of Business and Economics at the University of Kentucky, where she is also the Von Allmen Chaired Professor of Accountancy. She was previously on the faculty at Vanderbilt University in Nashville and Washington University in St. Louis.
In Memoriam: John F. Merchant, 1933-2020
John Merchant, an attorney who taught at both Fairfield University and Sacred Heart University, both in Connecticut, was the first Black graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law.
The Next Dean of the School of Law at George Washington University
Dayna Bowen Matthew is currently the William L. Matheson and Robert M. Morgenthau Distinguished Professor of Law and the F. Palmer Weber Research Professor of Civil Liberties and Human Rights at the University of Virginia Law School. She will begin her new duties on July 1.
Professor Mildred Robinson Is Retiring After 47 Years of Teaching in Higher Education
Mildred Robinson is the Henry L. and Grace Doherty Charitable Foundation Professor of Law at the University of Virginia School of Law. Professor Robinson, who specializes in tax law, was the law school's first African American female tenured professor.
