Monthly Archives: February 2013

North Carolina Central University Launches a New Magazine Focused on Its Research Projects

The Division of Research and Economic Development at North Carolina Central University in Durham recently published the first issue of Quest, a new magazine that highlights research projects at the historically Black university. The publication is available in print and online formats.

Two Women Named Department Chairs at Jackson State University

Tamika Bradley leads the department of health, physical education, and recreation and Ruby Wiggins was appointed chair of the department of special education.

South Carolina State University Opens Its New Engineering and Computer Science Complex

The 86,500-square-foot building, built at a cost of $24.5 million, includes state-of-the-art classrooms, research centers, laboratories, offices, and academic support spaces. Three academic departments and two research centers are housed in the new complex.

Yolanda Moses Honored With the Frederick Douglass Medal from the University of Rochester

Dr. Moses is past president of the American Anthropological Association and past president of American Association for Higher Education. From 1993 to 1999 she served as president of the City College of New York.

Central State University Offers New Opportunity for Its Geology and Water Resources Students

Central State University, the historically Black educational institution in Wilberforce, Ohio, has entered into an agreement with Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, that will allow Central State University students to get a head start on earning a master's degree in earth and environmental sciences.

Florida State University Honors Its Choral Director With a Stained-Glass Window

Andre J. Thomas is the the Owen F. Sellers Professor of Music, director of choral activities, and a professor of choral music education at the university. For the past 25 years, he has served as director of the Tallahassee Community Chorus.

Texas Study Seeks to Explain the Gender Gap in Educational Attainment for Blacks and Hispanics

Scholars from Texas A&M University and the University of Texas will conduct a study to examine how two- and four-year Texas higher education institutions are developing initiatives to address the educational crisis among Black and Hispanic men.

An Accounting of Minority Faculty in Business Programs

Since the inception of the PhD Project in 1994, the number of minority professors in business disciplines has increased from 294 to 1,172. There are currently 362 minority students in business doctoral programs in the United States.

Two Highly Educated Black Men Are Among the Favorites to Be the Next Pope

Bookmakers in London, now rate two highly educated Black men, Peter Turkson of Ghana and Francis Arinze of Nigeria, as the two leading candidates to succeed Pope Benedict XVI. Both men hold master's and doctoral degrees.

Xerox CEO Ursula Burns Elected to the National Academy of Engineering

It appears that Burns, who holds degrees from the Polytechnic Institute of New York University and Columbia University, is the only African American among the 69 new inductees of the academy.

Marvin Lynn Named Dean of Education at Indiana University South Bend

Dr. Lynn is currently the associate dean for teacher education at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and previously served on the faculties of the University of Illinois at Chicago and the University of Maryland. He will begin his new duties on July 1.

Higher Education Grants of Interest to African-Americans

Here is this week’s news of grants to historically Black colleges and universities or for programs of particular interest to African Americans in higher education.

In Memoriam: Donald Toussaint L’Ouverture Byrd II, 1932-2003

Throughout an illustrious career as a jazz recording artist and performer, he taught at North Carolina Central University, Delaware State University, Rutgers University, Hampton University, New York University, Cornell University, Oberlin College and Howard University.

New Appointments of African Americans in Higher Education

Debra Barksdale was named director of the new doctoral program in nursing practice at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. Mark Foster was promoted and granted tenure at Bowdoin College and Antoneia Roe was named director of judicial affairs in the student affairs division at Florida A&M University.

Recent Books That May Be of Interest to African American Scholars

The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education regularly publishes a list of new books that may be of interest to our readers. Here are the latest selections.

Online Articles That May Be of Interest to JBHE Readers

From time to time, The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education will provide links to online articles that may be of interest to our readers. Here are this week's selections.

Debra Saunders-White Will Be the Next Chancellor of North Carolina Central University

Debra Saunders-White was named the 11th chancellor of North Carolina Central University in Durham. She will take on her new role on June 1. Dr. Saunders-White has been serving as deputy assistant secretary for higher education programs at the U.S. Department of Education.

Xavier University Names Its First Provost

When he takes office on July 1, Loren Blanchard will be the first person in the newly created position of provost at the historically Black university. He is currently the senior vice president for academic affairs at Xavier.

Ole Miss Issues Report on Election Night Campus Protest of President Obama’s Reelection

The co-chair of the committee formed to investigate the Election Night disturbance stated, "It wasn't a riot, but it was a painful, ugly night for many Ole Miss students."

Study Finds No Racial Bias in Research Grants by the National Institutes of Health

A 2011 paper hinted that Black scholars faced racial bias in grant approvals from the National Institutes of Health. But a new study finds that when the total dollar value of the grants and the total number of programs funded are compared, there is no evidence of racial bias.

George Mason University Receives Large Archive of Africana Materials

The collection, donated by John Paden, Robinson Professor of International Studies at the university, includes about 4,000 items including rare books, manuscripts, maps, and photographs.

Daryl Michael Scott Elected President of the Association for the Study of African American Life

A professor of history at Howard University, Dr. Scott has been elected president of the organization which was founded in 1915 by Carter G. Woodson.

Snail-Like Progress in Increasing Black Faculty at Stanford University

While the number of Black faculty increased by six over the past decade, in 2001, Blacks made up 2.6 percent of the university’s faculty, the same percentage as was the case a decade later in 2011.

Public Service Announcements Are Effective in Getting Black Women to Screen for Breast Cancer

A new study by Crystal Lumpkins, an assistant professor of strategic communication and family medicine at the University of Kansas, finds that public service announcements targeted at African American women can be effective in increasing the awareness of Black women on screenings and preventive steps.

Most of Timbuktu’s Vast Collection of African History Was Not Lost

The institute's library collection included approximately 30,000 volumes, many of which are one-of-kind manuscripts some dating back 700 years. Although the library was set on fire by a radical Islamist faction, many of the documents had been removed and others were found safe in a locked basement room.

Marilyn Nelson Named to the Board of Chancellors of the Academy of American Poets

Professor Marilyn Nelson taught at the University of Connecticut from 1978 to 2002. She is the former poet laureate of the State of Connecticut and served in that position from 2001 to 2006. Twice she has been a finalist for the National Book Award.

Samuel Blackwell Named Chief of Staff at Voorhees College

As chief of staff, Blackwell will oversee recruitment, admissions, financial aid, and retention initiatives on the campus of the historically Black college. He has been serving as vice president for planning and information technology at the historically Black college.

Syracuse University Professor Honored by the Society of Historical Archaeology

Theresa Singleton, associate professor of anthropology at Syracuse University in New York, is being honored for her lifetime of contributions to the field of historical archaeology through scholarship.

States With the Best Black Student High School Graduation Rates

Nationwide in 2010, 66.1 percent of Black students who entered high school four years earlier earned their diplomas. In states with significant numbers of Black students, the ones with the highest graduation rates were Arizona, Colorado, Kentucky, and Tennessee.

Howard University Scientists on an Ocean Research Expedition

A team of faculty and graduate students at Howard University has spent the last five weeks aboard a research ship of the National Oceanographic Atmospheric Administration studying particles in the air coming off the coast of West Africa.

Southern University of New Orleans Gains an Academic Partner in Africa

Under the agreement with Central University College in Ghana, SUNO will engage in exchanges of students and faculty, cooperate on research projects, and participate in joint lecture and seminar projects.

Claflin University Begins New Cooperative Degree Program With the S.C. College of Pharmacy

Under the program, students would attend Claflin for three years pursuing a degree program in biochemistry. If they met the academic requirements, the students would then transfer into the doctorate of pharmacy program at the South Carolina College of Pharmacy.

Alabama State University Signs New Agreement With a University in India

Alabama State University, the historically Black educational institution in Montgomery, has signed a collaborative agreement with the Gujarat Forensic Science University in Ahmedabad, India. It is Alabama State's third agreement with universities in India.

Three African Americans in New Teaching Positions

Lois Brown was granted tenure at Wesleyan University. Jeffrey Redding is teaching choral conducting at West Virginia University and Loretta J. Ross is activist-in-residence at Smith College.

Does “Grit” Play a Role in the Success of Black Men at White Colleges?

A study conducted by Terrell Strayhorn of Ohio State University has found that Black males who exert more grit in college than their peers earn better grades.

Rodney Bennett Appointed President of the University of Southern Mississippi

Dr. Bennett, now vice president for student affairs at the University of Georgia, will be the first African American president of any of the five predominantly White state universities in Mississippi.

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