Monthly Archives: May 2013

Brown University’s Francoise Hamlin Is Nominated for History Book Prize

Francoise Hamlin is one of seven finalists for the 2012 Berkshire Conference of Women Historians Book Prizes. Each year, the group gives out awards for the best first books and best articles written by women who reside in North America.

The University of Memphis Library Plays Major Role in Award-Winning Documentary Film

The director of the award-winning documentary film has stated that the film would not have been possible without the help of the special collections unit of the University of Memphis Library.

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.

Historic Marker Placed at the Site of 1963 Sit-In by Tougaloo College Students

Fifty years ago, students from historically Black Tougaloo College staged a sit-in at a lunchcounter in a Woolworth’s store in Jackson, Mississippi. The students were beaten by a White mob. Now a historic marker has been placed at the site of the old Woolworth's store.

Charles Becton to Lead Elizabeth City State University

Charles L. Becton, the former judge for the North Carolina Court of Appeals, will serve as interim chancellor of Elizabeth City State University in North Carolina. Judge Becton is completing a 10-month assignment as interim chancellor of North Carolina Central University in Durham.

Exhibit Explores the Role of African Americans at the 1893 Columbia Exposition in Chicago

The exhibition, entitled “The Reason Why the Colored American Is Not in the World’s Columbian Exposition,” was inspired by a pamphlet with the same title that was co-authored by civil rights activist Ida B. Wells.

University Study Finds No Evidence of Racial Discrimination by Major League Baseball Umpires

The new study examined ball and strike calls for millions of pitches between 1997 and 2008. Using several statistical methods, the authors found no evidence that more strikes were called for pitchers who were the same race as the umpire.

Rutgers University Program Helps Minority Students on the Road to Healthcare Careers

In 1987, one African American student graduated from the Rutgers pre-med program. This year, the university graduated 52 students who are going on to medical school or are continuing their education in healthcare fields.

Valerie R. Roberson Appointed President of Roxbury Community College

Roxbury Community College in Massachusetts enrolls about 2,700 students in degree programs and Black students make up a large percentage of the student body. Dr. Roberson, who was vice president for academic affairs at Joliet Junior College in Illinois, will take office on July 22.

Targeted Teacher Education Can Reduce the Racial Gap in School Disciplinary Actions

Teacher educators must explicitly prepare school personnel to understand and address the complex factors that shuttle African American males from schools and into juvenile justice and adult correctional systems.

Mississippi Public Universities Look to Increase Opportunities for Minority-Owned Businesses

Under the initiative, minority businesses will post information online about the goods and services they offer. Universities will solicit quotes through the online systems so that minority businesses will be aware of all contracting opportunities.

Shelton State Community College Names New Leader

Davis is the former interim chancellor of the Alabama Community College System. She also served as general counsel and vice chancellor for legal and human resources for the system.

Survey Shows Barriers to Black Wealth Formation

The huge wealth gap between Black and Whites makes it harder for African American families to finance the college education of their children. Even for African Americans who have higher incomes, there are significant barriers to accumulating wealth.

Jackson State University Students to Study Hydrology in Wyoming

The Jackson State students will live on the University of Wyoming campus and do field work in geophysics and water analysis in the Laramie and Snowy mountain ranges. Next year, University of Wyoming students will travel to Mississippi to study organic soil and deciduous forests.

Lee D. Baker Reappointed to a New Term as Dean of Academic Affairs at Duke

Lee D. Baker, a professor of cultural anthropology, sociology, and African and African American studies at Duke University, has been reappointed to a new term as dean of academic affairs at Duke’s Trinity College. He also was reappointed associate vice provost for undergraduate education.

Howard University Engineering Students Spending the Summer Conducting Research in Africa

In Cameroon, Howard students will use wireless networks to collect seismic data. In Senegal, the research will focus on HIV resistance to antiretroviral drugs. In South Africa, Howard University students will conduct experiments with silicon detectors in nuclear physics laboratories.

Three African American Women in New Faculty Roles

Vera A. Stevens Chatman was named professor emerita after serving on the Vanderbilt University faculty since 1995. S. Yvette Murphy-Erby was promoted to full professor at the University of Arkansas and Eboni Marshall Turman joins the faculty at Duke Divinity School.

Two HBCUs Enter Into a “Reverse Transfer Credit Agreement”

Students at Alabama A&M University, who took courses but did not complete a degree at J.F. Drake State Technical College, can use credits earned at Alabama A&M and use them towards an associate's degree at J.F. Drake.

Three African Americans Named to Vice President Positions

The new vice presidents are Debra S. Merchant at the University of Cincinnati, Denzil J. Suite at the University of Washington, and Michael C. Rogers at the University of the District of Columbia.

In Memoriam: Mulgrew Miller, 1955-2013

A native of Greenwood, Mississippi, Miller studied at the University of Memphis and began his professional career with the Duke Ellington orchestra. He was appointed director of the jazz studies program at William Paterson University in 2005.

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.

First African American Dean of Harvard College to Step Down

Evelynn Hammonds, the first woman and first African American to serve as dean of Harvard College, has announced that she will step from her post on June 30. She will take a sabbatical and then return to the university to head up a new program on the Study of Race and Gender in Science and Medicine.

Ruth Simmons Awarded the French Legion of Honor

The former president of Smith College and the former president of Brown University, received the highest honor bestowed by the French government. Dr. Simmons continues to serve on the Brown University faculty as a professor of comparative literature and Africana studies.

Sweet Briar College Receives Grant to Preserve a Slave Cabin on Its Campus

Sweet Briar College in Virginia recently received a grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation to preserve a 1840 slave cabin on campus and to incorporate the building into Sweet Briar College’s curriculum.

The First African American Dean at Mississippi State University

Achille Messac was named dean of the James Worth Bagley College of Engineering at Mississippi State University. He has been serving as distinguished professor and chair of the department of mechanical and aerospace engineering at Syracuse University in New York.

Colorado State University Mounting a Book Drive to Help the Library at an Ethiopian University

President Tony Frank is asking students, faculty, and staff at the university to donate books that will be shipped to the library at Hawassa University in Ethiopia.

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: Stephen A. Martin Sr., 1946-2013

He is the former vice president for finance and chief business officer at Tuskegee University in Alabama. He taught at Dillard University in New Orleans and served in the administration at Delgado Community College in New Orleans and Texas Wesleyan University in Fort Worth.

Humboldt State University Study Analyses Hate Speech on Twitter

Students compared the number of hateful tweets to the population of a given county to show the level of hate in particular areas. Much of the eastern half of the country showed a a high level of racial hate.

An Academic Redshirt Program in Washington State

Under the redshirt program, entering students will take five years to complete their bachelor’s degree in a STEM field. The program is targeted at students who are eligible for the federal Pell Grant program.

20 HBCUs Hosting Study Abroad Students From Brazil

More than 20 HBCUs will host the Brazilian students who will live on campus and study in undergraduate STEM programs. All tuition, fees, and room and board will be paid by the Brazilian government.

University Economic Report Finds That Blacks in Texas Are Losing Ground to Other Groups

A report from the Institute of Urban Policy Research and Analysis at the University of Texas at Austin finds that the economic condition of African Americans in Texas has deteriorated since the beginning of the century. African Americans have the lowest median income of any racial or ethnic group.

New Website Examines the History of Blacks in Theological Education

Yale University has launched a new website chronicling the history of theological education for African Americans. The website, entitled Been in the Storm So Long, has a particular focus on Blacks at the Yale Divinity School.

David Adewuyi Promoted to Full Professor at Virginia Union University

Professor Adewuyi also serves as director of the Center for International Studies and coordinator of the Secondary Education Program at the university. He came to Virginia Union in 2009 after teaching at Albany State University in Georgia.

Clemson University Launches Major Effort to Increase the Number of Blacks in Computer Science

Clemson University in South Carolina received a $5 million grant from the National Science Foundation to increase the number of African Americans who pursue degrees in computer science and to improve retention of Black students in these programs.

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