Monthly Archives: July 2014

Tilahun Adera Named Provost at Evangel University in Springfield, Missouri

Dr. Adera, a native of Ethiopia, was the dean of the College of Health and Social Sciences at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces. Earlier he was a professor of epidemiology at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond.

New York University Program Improves Black Participation in Medical Studies

A new program developed at the New York University College of Nursing uses a peer-driven recruitment and education program that focuses on the problem of disproportionate involvement of African Americans in HIV/AIDS medical studies.

Two African American Women Named to Dean Positions

Kimberly Suress Gaiters-Fields is the new dean of the College of Education at Albany State University in Georgia and Jacqueline S. Jackson was named dean of students at Anne Arundel Community College in Arnold, Maryland.

Eight HBCUs Sign Agreement With China’s Ministry of Education

Eight historically Black colleges and universities have signed an agreement with the China Education Association for International Exchange. The agreement calls for 1,000 scholarships for students at the HBCUs to study abroad in China.

Howard University’s William Spriggs Earns Honor From the NAACP

Dr. Spriggs is a professor of economics at Howard and also serves as chief economist for the AFL-CIO. He is the former assistant secretary for policy at the U.S. Department of Labor.

Winston-Salem State University Announces an Academic Reorganization

The College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Business and Economics, and the School of Education and Human Performance will be consolidated into the College of Arts, Sciences, Business, and Education.

Appointment News: Five African Americans Assuming New Administrative Roles

The appointees are James A. Felton III at Anne Arundel Community College, Charles Gaines at the University of Arkansas, David Fryson at West Virginia University, Mia Henry at Kalamazoo College and Rodney D. Chism at Fayetteville State University.

HBCU Puts the University at the Fingertips of Its Students

The new University of Maryland Eastern Shore app provides fingertip links to a faculty directory, a campus map, university social media platforms, the resources of the university's library, and emergency contact information.

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.

Florida International University Begins a Collaborative Effort on African Diaspora Studies

Florida International University in Miami has entered into an agreement with the Universidad Andina Simon Bolivar in Quito, Ecuador, to develop a collaborative program in African diaspora studies and Latin American cultural studies.

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: Tritobia Hayes Benjamin, 1944-2014

Dr. Benjamin served for 44 years on the faculty at Howard University in Washington, D.C. She was an accomplished art historian whose research focused on the works of African American women.

Virginia Tech Revamps Its Organizational Structure on Campus Diversity

The university, where only 3 percent of the undergraduate student body is Black, has established a new President's Inclusion and Diversity Executive Council that will oversee all of the university's diversity efforts.

U.S. Court of Appeals Upholds the University of Texas’ Affirmative Action Plan

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld the affirmative action policies of the University of Texas in a case brought by Abigail Fisher that had previously made it all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The First 33 Carnegie African Diaspora Fellows

The 33 fellows from North American colleges and universities will travel to Africa for 14 to 90 days to collaborate with faculty members at African institutions on curriculum development, research, graduate teaching, training, or mentoring activities.

Southern University Seeks to Expand Enrollments in Its Computer Science Program

A partnership agreement allows students who have a completed an associate's degree in computer science at Baton Rouge Community College to gain admittance to the bachelor's degree program in computer science at Southern University.

The New Provost of the Norfolk Campus of Tidewater Community College

Dr. Jeffrey S. Boyd has been serving as dean of sustainability, business, and career technologies at Elgin Community College in Illinois. Earlier in his career, he was on the staff at San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton, California.

North Carolina Central University Enters Dual Enrollment Partnership With Community College

The new Eagle Connect Program allows students enrolled at Durham Technical Community College to live on the nearby North Carolina Central University campus during their first two years of study.

Isaac Crumbley to Be Honored by the Geological Society of America

Isaac J. Crumbley, associate vice president at Fort Valley State University in Georgia, will be honored for his efforts to open the geological sciences to minority students.

Black Degree Attainments in Engineering: Long Way to Go to Reach Parity

In 2005, Black earned 5.3 percent of all bachelor's degree awarded in engineering. In 2012, Blacks earned only 4.2 percent of all bachelor's degrees awarded in the discipline. Blacks did slightly better in graduate degrees in engineering.

Washington and Lee University Addresses Its Past Ties to Slavery and the Confederacy

Kenneth P. Ruscio, president of Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, has issued a response to student demands that the university take actions to address its past.

New Report Examines Ways to Increase Retention of Black and Other Minority Teachers

The Center for American Progress has released a new study documenting the importance of efforts to retain Black and other minority teachers in our nation's public schools. The report also lists recommendations on what can be done to increase retention rates.

Joyce Ester Named President of Normandale Community College in Minnesota

Dr. Ester was president of Kennedy-King College, one of the seven campuses of the City Colleges of Chicago. Before becoming president of Kennedy-King in 2011, she was associate vice president for student services at Bakersfield College in California.

For Ph.D.s in STEM Fields, Blacks Are More Likely Than Whites to Have Non-STEM Careers

A new study finds that one of every six students who graduate with a Ph.D. in a STEM discipline pursues a career in a non-STEM field. For Blacks with doctorates in STEM fields, one in five pursue a career path outside STEM.

Xavier University of Louisiana Establishes a New Doctoral Program

The board of trustees of Xavier University of Louisiana has approved the establishment of a doctorate in educational leadership degree program. The new degree program will focus on urban education and turning around poor-performing schools.

Three New Department Chairs at the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta

Janice Herbert-Carter was appointed chair of the department of medicine. Winston Thompson will lead the department of physiology and Yasmin Tyler-Hill is the new chair of the department of pediatrics.

Howard University Teams Up With Chrysler and Arizona State University

Under the agreement, two students from each university will participate at an internship program in supply chain management at Chrysler during the summer months and then study at the other university this fall.

This Week’s Appointments of African Americans to Key Posts in Higher Education Administration

Taking on new administrative roles are Venessa Funches, Nancy L. Jones, Michael A. Ellington, Michael Williams, Kenyatta Tatum Futterman, Zella Palmer, Loretta A. Moore, Angela Simmons, and Marquetta Faulkner.

Dillard University in New Orleans Restructures Its Academic Divisions

Under the new restructuring plan, which will be in effect for the 2014-15 academic year, the university's four colleges will be reduced to three academic units. The College of Health Sciences has been eliminated.

In Memoriam: S. Dallas Simmons, 1940-2014

Dr. Simmons served as president of two historically Black educational institutions: St. Paul's College in Lawrenceville, Virginia, and Virginia Union University in Richmond.

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.

Spelman College President Says She Is Stepping Down in June 2015

President Tatum has led Spelman College since 2002. Previously she was a professor of psychology and dean of the college at Mount Holyoke College. Dr. Tatum expressed her wish to return to her research and writing.

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 Southern Mississippi to Double Its Digital Archive of Civil Rights Era Oral Histories

The University of Southern Mississippi recently received funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities to digitize its collection of oral histories and make them available to the public. At the present time, many of the oral histories are on reel-to-reel or cassette tapes.

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.

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