Monthly Archives: March 2014
Black Scholar to Lead the Missouri School for the Deaf
When he takes office on July 1, Ernest Garrett III, who holds two master's degrees from Gallaudet University, will be the first deaf person to lead the school since its founding by the Missouri legislature in 1851.
Former University President Publishes Her First Novel
Thelma B. Thompson served as president of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore from 2002 to 2011. Since then she has completed work on her first novel and is teaching at Bowie State University.
University of Georgia to Honor Its First Black Applicant
The University of Georgia, which more than 60 years ago did not consider Horace Ward's application for admission because of his race, has decided to award him an honorary doctor of laws degree.
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.
Kent State University in Ohio Recognized for Its Efforts to Promote Diversity
Kent State University in Ohio received that 2014 Institutional Excellence Award from the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education. African Americans make up 9 percent of the undergraduate student body at Kent State.
Tufts University Dean Named President of Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut
This July, Joanne Berger-Sweeney, currently dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at Tufts University, will become the first woman and the first African American to serve as president of Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut.
Racial Differences in Higher Education Spending Have Little to Do With Race
In comparing Black and White families of similar income, wealth, educational background etc., the Bureau of Labor Statistics found there were almost no differences in the amounts spent on higher education.
Donald Reeves to Relinquish Duties as Chancellor of Winston-Salem State University
Dr. Reeves has served as chancellor at Winston-Salem State University since August 2007. When he gives up his duties as chancellor, Dr. Reeves will return to the classroom as a full professor of political science at the university.
Does Moving Children Out of High-Poverty Areas Improve Their Mental Health?
A study of more than 4,600 families who were given vouchers to move out of high-poverty urban areas from 1994 to 1998 found that 10 to 15 years later, in terms of mental health girls in these families were better off but boys were not.
Donald Generals Jr. to Lead the Community College of Philadelphia
The Community College of Philadelphia enrolls about 19,000 students and African Americans make up about half of the student body. Dr. Generals, is currently vice president for academic affairs at Mercer County Community College in New Jersey.
Washington University Develops New Treatment for Sickle Cell Disease
The procedure involves an umbilical cord blood transplant. A new lose-dose chemotherapy procedure with fewer adverse side effects prepares the patient for the transplant.
Meharry Medical College Scholar Named to Dental Research Post
Ethel Harris, an assistant professor in the School of Dentistry at Meharry Medical College, was named the 2014 Enid A. Neidle Scholar-in-Residence for Women at the American Dental Education Association.
New Master of Social Work Program to Begin This Fall at Johnson C. Smith University
Classes for the master of social work degree program will be held in the evenings and on weekends for the convenience of employed students. The program is slated to begin this coming fall.
University of Texas at Arlington Scholar Earns Promotion
Sonja Stephenson Watson was promoted to associate professor of Spanish at the University of Texas at Arlington. She will also serve as director of the women's and gender studies program at the university.
Florida A&M University to Be the Home of the Black Television News Channel
The School of Journalism and Graphic Communication at historically Black Florida A&M University in Tallahassee has entered into a 11-year partnership to be the home of the Black Television News Channel.
Three African American Faculty Members Win Awards
The honorees are Viola L. Acoff of the University of Alabama, Dorinda Carter Andrews of Michigan State University and Margaret A. Burnham of the Northeastern University School of Law.
Howard University Turns to Barnes & Noble for Bookstore Management
The Howard University Bookstore will reopen on April 6 as Barnes & Noble at Howard University. The store will provide an expanded product line in books and other amenities. The store will undergo more extensive renovations this summer.
Three African Americans Named to New Administrative Positions
The new appointees are George Koonce at Marian University in Wisconsin, Katherine Phillips at Columbia Business School, and Stephanie Helms Pickett at Duke University.
In Memoriam: CherRhonda Smith-Hollins, 1980-2014
At Prairie View A&M, Dr. Smith-Hollins worked in the areas of student retention and recruitment. She coordinated the engineering school's summer programs and was adviser to the university's chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers.
Mary Hinton Named the Next President of the College of Saint Benedict in Minnesota
Dr. Hinton currently serves as vice president for academic affairs at Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh, New York. Earlier in her career, she was associate vice president for academic affairs at Misericordia University in Dallas, Pennsylvania.
Huston-Tillotson President to Step Down in 2015
Larry L. Earvin has been president of the historically Black educational institution in Austin, Texas, since 2000. During his tenure as president, enrollments at the school have nearly doubled.
Cynthia Anthony Is the New Leader at Enterprise State Community College
President Anthony has been serving as dean of students at Lawson State Community College in Birmingham. She is a graduate of Talladega College in Alabama and holds a master’s degree in counseling.
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.
Faculty Member Files Racial Complaint Against Northwestern Oklahoma State University
Dr. Carlos Minor states that he had been assigned to teach a course load that is double that of many of his colleagues and that his department chair treated him in a racist manner.
In Memoriam: Jonas T. Kennedy, 1917-2014
A trustee emeritus and long-term financial supporter of Claflin University in Orangeburg, South Carolina, Kennedy's gifts financed the construction of three campus buildings.
James Haywood Rolling Jr. Named Art Educator of the Year
Dr. Rolling is an associate professor in the School of Education and the College of Visual and Performing Arts at Syracuse University in New York.
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.
John L. Jackson, Jr. Named to Dean Position at the University of Pennsylvania
John L. Jackson, Jr., the Richard Perry University Professor and senior adviser for diversity at the University of Pennsylvania, was named dean of the university's School of Social Policy and Practice.
Simmons College Professor Awarded Distinguished Poetry Prize
Afaa Michael Weaver is the winner of the $100,000 Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award given by Claremont Graduate University to a mid-career poet so that they "can continue working towards the pinnacle of their craft."
Tuajuanda Jordan Appointed President of St. Mary’s College of Maryland
Dr. Jordan, who holds a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Purdue, currently serves as professor of chemistry and dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon.
Survey Finds Black Men Try Hard But Still Have Difficulty Achieving Educational Success
A new report authored by scholars at the University of Texas finds that Black men are more engaged in the community college experience than White men but less successful in educational outcomes.
A Bump in the Road for the Effort to Reinstate Race-Sensitive Admissions in California
This year, an effort was mounted in the state legislature to give voters an opportunity to reverse a ban on race-sensitive admissions. But after opposition from Asian Americans, the measure was pulled from consideration.
Do American Bar Association Ratings Serve to Unfairly Exclude Blacks From the Federal Bench?
A study finds that African American nominees to the federal bench were 42 percentage points less likely to be highly rated than Whites with comparable educational and professional qualifications.
Historically Black Denmark Technical College Chooses Its New Leader
Leonard McIntyre is the former State Deputy Superintendent of Education in South Carolina. He was dean of the College of Education, Humanities, and Social Sciences at South Carolina State University.
In Memoriam: Najee E. Muhammad, 1944-2014
Dr. Muhammad joined the faculty at Ohio University in 1996 and taught in the department of educational studies. He served for one year as interim chair of the department of African American studies.
