Monthly Archives: April 2013
Patrice D. Rankine Promoted to Full Professor at Purdue University
Professor Rankine is a graduate of Brooklyn College, part of the City University of New York system. He holds two master's degrees and a Ph.D. in classical language and literature from Yale University. He has been on the Purdue faculty since 1998.
Major Changes on Campus at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore
The university has purchased land to increase the size of its campus by almost 50 percent and construction is scheduled to started soon on a new science center.
Thomas Elzey Named the 11th President of South Carolina State University
Elzey has been serving as executive vice president for finance, administration, and operations at The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina. He is the former senior vice president for finance, chief financial officer, and treasurer at Drexel University in Philadelphia.
Two African American Scholars Honored With Prestigious Awards
Franklin D. Cleckley was honored by West Virginia University where he has taught for 44 years and Donna Y. Ford of Vanderbilt University won the Faculty Achievement Award from the Southeastern Conference.
Meharry Medical College Adding Its First New Building in 30 Years
The three-story, 80,000-square-foot project will be called the Turner Family Center, named after Cal Turner Jr., the former CEO of Dollar General stores. It will includes space for classrooms, an auditorium, a banquet hall, food court, and administrative office space.
Four African Americans Appointed to New Administrative Positions in Higher Education
The appointees are Bridget Ross at Prairie View A&M, Kimberly Edwards-Hunter at the University of Montevallo, Laleta Davis-Mattis at the University of the West Indies, and Dominic Mack at the Morehouse School of Medicine.
In Memoriam: H. Fred C. Simons, 1925-2013
Dr. Simons served in a number of administrative posts at the University of Connecticut, including vice president for student affairs. The African American Cultural Center on the University of Connecticut campus is named in his honor.
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.
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.
Nearly 16 Percent of All Students Accepted for Admission at Williams College Are Black
Of the 1,157 students accepted for admission at highly rated Williams College in Massachusetts, 183 are African Americans. Therefore, African Americans make up 15.8 percent of all accepted students.
Old Movie of African American Baseball Players Found in the University of Georgia Archives
The film, made around 1919, was found in the archives of the Pebble Hill Plantation that were donated to the Walter J. Brown Media Archives of the University of Georgia Libraries.
The Racial Gap in Time Spent Waiting to Vote
A study by Charles Stewart III, a professor of political science at MIT, finds that on average in 2012 Blacks had to wait longer than Whites to vote. Particularly in instances where a Black candidate is not on the ticket, this time difference may tend to reduce the overall Black voter turnout rate.
Black Scholar to Lead Largest School at George Washington University
Ben Vinson III currently serves as vice dean for centers, interdepartmental programs, and graduate programs and as the Herbert Baxter Adams Professor of Latin American History at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.
University Study Finds the Presence of Diversity Programs May Serve to Deflect Actual Inequities
Researchers found that companies that have diversity training programs benefit by giving the impression that they are concerned about equal employment opportunity, even when these companies don't necessarily offer better work environments for Blacks and other minorities.
The Medical Schools With the Highest Percentage of Graduates Who Are Black
There are 12 predominantly White medical schools where Blacks made up at least 10 percent of the 2011 graduating class. There were nine medical schools in the United States in 2011 that did not graduate a single Black physician.
For College Age Black Men, Homicide Is, by Far, the Leading Cause of Death
In contrast, researchers at Florida Atlantic University and Meharry Medical College in Nashville found that the leading cause of death for Black woman and non-Black men and women in this age group is automobile accidents.
The Inaugural Winner of a Book Award in African American Art History
Bridget R. Cooks, an associate professor of art history and African American studies at the University of California Irvine, was honored by the Driskell Center at the University of Maryland College Park.
Black Students Making Progress at CUNY Colleges
Over the past 10 years the number of Black students transferring into the 11 senior colleges of the CUNY system has risen dramatically. Retention rates for Black first-year students have increased and the Black student graduation rate is up 14.4 percentage points.
Two American Universities Partner With Ghana Technology University College
Ghana Technology University College has announced partnership agreements with historically Black Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio, and Southern Polytechnic State University in Marietta, Georgia.
Harvard Medical School Faculty Member Embarks on a Second Career as a Children’s Author
Oneeka Williams, a surgeon who is on the faculty of Harvard Medical School, has recently published her first children's book that leads young children to the far reaches of the solar system. Dr. Williams is a native of Guyana and was raised in Barbados.
Alabama State Seeks to Boost Enrollments of International Students
Alabama State University in Montgomery has entered into partnerships with the African countries of Malawi, Nigeria, and Botswana to bring more students from these countries to the university.
Jackson State University Names Center for Late State Senator
Alice Varnado Harden, a graduate of Jackson State University, was the first Black woman to serve in the Mississippi State Senate. She served for 24 years in the state legislature.
Howard University Breaks Ground on Its Interdisciplinary Research Building
The new, 81,000-square-foot Interdisciplinary Research building will include laboratories, classrooms, "clean rooms," offices, and support facilities. The bottom floor of building will have space for retail outlets.
Honors for Three African American Scholars
The honorees are Donna Y. Ford, professor of education at Vanderbilt, William Hamilton, sports information director at South Carolina State University, and Andrea Hairston, professor of theatre and Afro-American studies at Smith College.
Elizabeth City State University Partners With the Industrial Extension Service of North Carolina State University
Under the agreement, the two institutions will partner to offer courses through the Elizabeth City State University Office of Distance and Continuing Education and students and staff at Elizabeth City State University will become involved in real-world projects of the Industrial Extension Service.
Two African American Men in New Administrative Roles in Higher Education
Irvin T. Clark III was named vice president for student affairs at Georgia Piedmont Technical College in Clarkson and Major General Abraham J. Turner was appointed director of military and veterans affairs at South Carolina State University.
Morgan State University Repeats as Champion of the Honda Campus All-Star Challenge
Since the inception of the Honda Campus All-Star Challenge in 1989, American Honda has given out more than $7 million in grants to participating historically Black colleges and universities.
In Memoriam: James Carey Letton, 1933-2013
James C. Letton, an organic chemist with a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois, held a patent for the fat substitute Olestra and was chair of the department of chemistry at historically Black Kentucky State University.
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.
Eric Jack Named Dean of the Business School at the University of Alabama Birmingham
Dr. Jack is an associate professor in the department of management, information systems, and quantitative methods and has been serving as interim dean since October.
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.
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.
19 Bias Incidents Reported at Elizabethtown College Since February 1
College officials stated that most of the incidents involved the writing or hateful messages or threats on message boards on the dormitory room doors of students.
Blacks Make Up 11.5 Percent of Admitted Students at Harvard University
Harvard chooses not to disclose how many Black students submitted applications for admission. But it does release data on admitted students. This year, 11.5 percent of all admitted students are African Americans.
Duke’s Efforts to Diversify Its Faculty Over the Past Quarter-Century
From 1993 to today the number of Blacks teaching at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, has increased from 44 to 138. Today, Blacks are 4.25 percent of the university's total faculty.
Many High-Achieving Minority Students Don’t Apply to Top-Rated Colleges
Why aren't there more high-achieving minority students at the nation's most selective colleges and universities? One reason, according to a new study co-authored by Caroline Hoxby of Stanford University, is that they simply don't apply.
