Monthly Archives: August 2013
A Half Dozen African Americans in New Administrative Posts in Higher Education
The six new appointees are Sonja A. Bennett at South Carolina State, Tracie Hunter at Elizabeth City State, Kimberly Conway Dumpson at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Floyd Hardin at Michigan State, Ferlin McGaskey at the University of Tennessee and Joshua Woodfork at Skidmore College.
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.
University of Missouri Reports the Most Diverse Student Body in Its History
There are 2,415 African American students on the Columbia campus this semester. They make up 7.1 percent of all students. It must be noted that much more needs to be done. Blacks make up about 12 percent of the college-age population in Missouri.
George Miller Leaving Presidency of Martin University in Indianapolis
George Miller, president of Martin University in Indianapolis, has announced that he will step down on November 1 after just 18 months on the job. President Miller said he was leaving because he and wife had accepted another opportunity that he did not disclose.
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.
Alice Walker Gets the Boot and Then a Welcoming Hand From the University of Michigan
An invitation for Alice Walker to speak at the University of Michigan was rescinded. Walker, who is an outspoken critic of the state of Israel and an advocate for Palestinian rights, has now been re-invited to speak at a public forum on the University of Michigan campus.
The New Dean of Applied Science and Technology at Thomas Edison State College
John O. Aje has been serving as associate dean of the University of Maryland University College Graduate School in Adelphi. He also was a professor and chair of the department of technology and engineering systems.
Tony Atwater Fired as President of Norfolk State University
The governing board of Norfolk State University in Virginia voted 7 to 4 to oust the institution's president, Tony Atwater. Provost Sandra J. Deloatch was named acting president. Dr. Atwater was named the fifth president of the university in April 2011.
Emory University Professor Wins Book Award
Kevin Young, the Atticus Haygood Professor of Creative Writing at Emory University in Atlanta, has won the 2013 PEN Open Book Award from the PEN American Center. The Harvard University graduate is the author of seven collections of poetry.
Christopher Edley Is Stepping Down as Dean of the Boalt Hall Law School at Berkeley
Professor Edley is taking immediate medical leave and will step down as dean at the end of 2013. Professor Edley had surgery for prostate cancer last May and is in need of further treatment. He will remain on the faculty of the law school.
University of Iowa Study Shows Lenders Favor Black Women
Researchers at the University of Iowa gave financial professionals fictional loan applications in which education, gender, and race were different but financial profiles were relatively the same. Results show that lenders view Black women as favorably as they do White men.
New Data on the Racial Gap in Public School Teachers and Principals
African Americans make up 16 percent of all enrollments in the nation's public schools. But Blacks are only 10.1 percent of all teachers and 6.8 percent of all public school principals.
Study Finds a Link Between Family Support and Health/Happiness Among LGBT People of Color
The Social Justice Sexuality project – a study of over 5,000 lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people of color – finds that spirituality and family support are key predictors to overall health, happiness, and civic engagement.
Racism May Be a Contributing Factor to Higher Rates of Hypertension Among Blacks
A new study led by Lisa A. Cooper, the John F. Fries Professor of Internal Medicine at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, finds that African Americans who are hypervigilant over racial issues tend to have higher blood pressure than other African Americans.
University of Tennessee Professor Named the Physician of the Year
Samuel Dagogo-Jack, professor of medicine at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, has been chosen as the Physician of the Year in internal medicine by the National Medical Association.
University of Maryland Eastern Shore Takes Steps to Protect Its Faculty
The University of Maryland Eastern Shore was purchased 200 whiteboards that can be used as portable teaching aids but also can serve as a bulletproof shield in the event of an active shooter incident on campus.
Two Black Scholars Taking on New Faculty Roles
Catherine R. Bazemore-Walker is a new tenured associate professor of chemistry at Winston-Salem State University in North Carolina and James L. Moore III was named Distinguished Professor of Urban Education at Ohio State University.
Historically Black Florida A&M University Graduates Four Physics Ph.D. Students
At the summer graduation ceremonies at Florida A&M University, four students were awarded Ph.D.'s in physics. In all of 2011 only 15 African Americans earned doctorates in physics from universities in the United States.
Texas Tech Scholar Named Teacher of the Year in Spanish and Portuguese
Comfort Pratt, professor of bilingual education and diversity studies at Texas Tech University, was named the Outstanding Teacher of the Year at the college and university level by the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese.
Alcorn State University Streamlines Its Administration
Alcorn State University, the historically Black educational institution in Mississippi, has announced changes in its administrative structure to reduce costs and to focus more on enrollment management.
Three African Americans in New Administrative Posts in Higher Education
The new appointees are Keeley M. Powell at the University of Delaware, Clifford Russell at Morehouse College in Atlanta, and Aaron James at Grambling State University in Louisiana.
President of Historically Black Wilberforce University to Step Down
Patricia A. Hardaway, the 19th president of Wilberforce University, a historically Black educational institution in Ohio, has announced that she will be stepping down from her post in December. She has served as president since 2009.
In Memoriam: Albert Lee Murray, 1916-2013
Albert Murray, the African American novelist, educator, and essayist, has died at his home in Harlem. He was 97 years old.
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.
AccessUVA Reauthorized But Student Loans Are Now Part of the Mix
The board of visitors of the University of Virginia has reauthorized the AccessUVA financial aid program. But due to the rising cost and increased demand for financial aid, the university will now be including loans as part of the financial aid packages.
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.
Marsha Taylor Horton to Lead the College of Education at Delaware State University
Dr. Horton, a graduate of Sweet Briar College who holds a doctorate from the University of Illinois, has been serving as associate professor and dean of the School of Education at Virginia Union University in Richmond.
University of Michigan Study Finds That Intelligence Is No Cure for Racism
A study conducted at the University of Michigan has found that intelligent people tend to be just as racist as their less intelligent counterparts. Smart people are just more adept at hiding their racism, the study found.
Education Department Takes Steps to Ease the PLUS Loan Crisis
A large number of historically Black colleges and universities have seen a significant drop in enrollments because many students and their families have been unable to secure PLUS loans from the federal government. A new appeals ruling may help alleviate the crisis.
University of Pennsylvania Researchers Examine Racial Differences in Sleep Behavior
The study found that Black women tended to support unhealthy beliefs, attitudes, and practices regarding sleep more so than White women. Black women were more likely than White women to turn to alcohol as a sleep aid and were more likely to read, watch television, or do other activities in bed.
An Apparent Effort to Suppress the Voting Rights of Students at Elizabeth City State University
Montravis King, a senior at Elizabeth City State University, who has been registered to vote in the county since 2009, was running for a seat on the city council. But the county board of elections has ruled that he in ineligible because he is not registered in his "permanent domicile."
University Study Links Exposure to Racism to Higher Probability of Adult-Onset Asthma
The Boston University study examined the cases of more than 38,000 African American women who participated in the Black Women's Health Study between 1997 and 2011. The women completed questionnaires on their health and experiences of racism every two years.
Co-Inventor of the Personal Computer to Join the University of Tennessee Faculty
Mark Dean, who holds three of the nine patents associated with the first PC, was named the John Fisher Distinguished Professor in the department of electrical engineering and computer science at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.
Three African American Women Named to Diversity Posts
Crystal Ann Williams at Bates College, Mia Mallory at the College of Medicine at the University of Cincinnati, and Kim LeDuff of the University of West Florida were named to lead their institution's diversity initiatives.
