Monthly Archives: December 2013

Arthur Dunning Is the New Leader of Albany State University

Dr. Dunning was serving as a professor and senior research fellow at the Education Policy Center of the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa. He is expected to serve as interim president for up to one year.

The Persisting Racial Gap in Infant Mortality Is Not Easy to Explain

When researchers accounted for factors such as mother’s age, education level, and marital status, they found that the racial gap in infant mortality has remained stable for two decades.

Research Finds Links Between Poverty and Slower Brain Development

The study found that children raised in poverty tend to have lower rates of development in two key areas of the brain. The Black poverty rate is three times the rate for non-Hispanic Whites.

Early Admission of African Americans to Leading Colleges and Universities

Several of the nation’s highest ranked colleges and universities have reported data on students they have accepted under early decision or early action admissions plans. Some have provided data broken down by race.

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.

University of Kansas to Hold Classes in Historic Topeka School

The University of Kansas has announced has it has entered into a partnership with the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site to hold classes at the former segregated Monroe Elementary.

Racial Differences in Time Span to Earn a Doctoral Degree

For African Americans who earned doctoral degrees in 2012, the average number of years that they spent from the time they graduated from college to the time they earned their doctorate was 11.9 years. For Whites the figure is 9 years.

More Than 5 Million Living African Americans Now Hold a Four-Year College Degree

Some 21.2 percent of the African American population over 25 years now has at least a bachelor's degree. For Whites the comparable figures is 34.5 percent.

Study Finds Racial Disparity in Prices Paid for Similar Homes

In comparing transactions for similar homes in the same neighborhoods, the data shows that Blacks spent between 3 percent and 4 percent more than Whites.

Two Black Scholars Promoted and Granted Tenure at Williams College

The highly rated liberal arts institution Williams College has promoted and granted tenure to six faculty members. Two are Black, Rhon Manigault-Bryant and Neil Roberts.

Two African Americans in New Teaching Roles

Gertrude Fraser, vice provost for faculty recruitment and retention at the University of Virginia, is returning to teach full-time and Marisha Humphries was promoted at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

University of Maryland Eastern Shore’s New Effort to Aid Farmers

The University of Maryland Eastern Shore is joining with the University of Maryland to form the Maryland Agricultural Law Education Initiative to assess the legal needs of the state's 12,800 farmers.

Florida HBCUs Join Up for Mentoring Program for Black Youth

Florida's historically Black colleges and universities are partnering with the University of a Florida in a new mentoring program targeting African American males in the fourth and fifth grade.

Four Colleges and Universities Honored for Promoting Access for Minority Students

The inaugural Champions of Access and Success Award winners are Fayetteville State University, Florida State University, California State University, Northridge and Miami Dade College.

Howard University Announces Its Largest Contingent of Study Abroad Students

Howard University in Washington, D.C., announced that 61 students will be spending the spring semester abroad studying in 13 countries around the globe.

Two African Americans Named to Administative Posts

Joyce A. Ingram was named assistant vice president for human resources at Florida A&M University and Justin Pearson Sr. is the new director of admissions at South Carolina State University.

In Memoriam: Benjamin F. Ward, 1948-2013

After teaching at Yale for seven years, Dr. Ward joined the Duke faculty in 1980. In addition to philosophy, he taught courses in German studies, Arabic, and comparative literature.

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.

Gwendolyn Boyd Named President of Alabama State University

Dr. Boyd has been serving as the executive assistant to the chief of staff of the Applied Physics Laboratory at Johns Hopkins University in Laurel, Maryland.

Central State University Chorus Performs at the White House

Twenty-five members of the 100-person Central State University Chorus traveled to Washington, D.C. this past week and performed at the White House and the U.S. Capitol.

Yale University Acquires Letters of Author James Baldwin

The Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale University has acquired a collection of letters authored by African American author James Baldwin.

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.

George Miller Named Dean of Graduate Studies at Norfolk State University

Dr. Miller is the former president of Martin University in Indianapolis. He resigned as president on November 1 after being appointed to the position in February 2012.

University of Maryland Study Identifies Educational Strengths of Black Youth

The authors state that many low-income minority children exceed their peers in self-regulation, the ability to manage behavior, emotions, and attention. These strengths impact social skills and academic success.

Charles D. Howell to Lead the Department of Internal Medicine at Howard University

Dr. Charles D. Howell has been serving as a tenured professor of medicine and director of hepatology research at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

New Report Examines the Status of Blacks in California Higher Education

A new report from the Campaign for College Opportunity finds that there has been no progress in closing the racial gap in enrollments and degree attainment in California over the past decade.

Nuclear Engineer Named Dean at South Carolina State University

Kenneth Lewis was appointed dean of the College of Sciences, Mathematics, and Engineering Technology. He served in the same post from 2005 to 2011.

University Study Finds Insufficient Eye Care for Blacks With Diabetes

A new study by researchers at the University of Alabama Birmingham finds that many African Americans who have been diagnosed with diabetes are not receiving recommended eye care.

Naropa University Suspends Black Religious Studies Professor

Don Matthews filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education contending racial bias against Black faculty. Then in a silent protest, he refused to speak during classes.

University of Rhode Island Students Provide Bikes for Africans

Students in a community service class in the political science department at the University of Rhode Island have collected 80 used bicycles for shipment to the African nations of Ghana and Uganda.

Academic Disciplines Where African Americans Earned No Doctoral Degrees in 2012

In 2012, there were 1,605 doctoral degrees awarded in various fields where none of the recipients were African Americans.

Oakwood University on Broadway

From November 6 to January 4, Oakwood University, a HBCU in Huntsville, Alabama, has rented advertising space on a huge electronic billboard overlooking Times Square in New York City.

George Langford Named Distinguished Professor of Neuroscience at Syracuse University

Since 2008 Dr. George Langford has been dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Syracuse University. He will take a one-year research sabbatical before taking on his new teaching role.

Johnson C. Smith University to Offers Its First Master’s Degree Program

Beginning in the fall of 2014, the historically Black educational institution in Charlotte, North Carolina, will enroll students in its master of social work degree program.

Phyllis Curtis-Tweed Takes on New Assignment in Bermuda

The Harvard-educated woman who is currently a dean at Oakland Community College in Michigan, will become the seventh principal of The Berkeley Institute, a highly selective preparatory school in Bermuda.

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