Monthly Archives: November 2014
University of Vermont Honors Its First Black Graduate
For many years, it was believed that George Washington Henderson was the first African American graduate of the University of Vermont in 1877. But research has revealed that Andrew Harris, an African American, was one of 24 students in the graduating Class of 1838.
Mary Frances Berry Honored by the American Society of Legal History
Mary Frances Berry, former chair of the U.S. Civil Rights Commission, is the Geraldine R. Segal Professor of American Social Thought and professor of history in the School of Arts & Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.
In Memoriam: Jonathan Raymond Reed, 1933-2014
Jonathan Raymond Reed was a long-time obstetrician and gynecologist and an assistant clinical professor at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
Belinda Miles Named President of Westchester Community College
Since 2011, Dr. Belinda S. Miles has served as provost and executive vice president of access, learning, and success at Cuyahoga Community College in Parma, Ohio. She will begin her new duties in January.
The Economic Price Tag of Racial Inequality
A new study by the Center for American Progress estimates that if educational gaps were closed and incomes rose to coincide with the educational gains, the gross domestic product would grow by $2.3 trillion by the year 2050.
Black Enrollments in Higher Education Continue to Decline
In 2013, there was a total of 20,847,787 students enrolled in high education. Of these 2,790,255 were Black or African American. In 2013, there were 176,208 fewer African American students enrolled in higher education than was the case in 2011.
Study Finds Community College Helps Minority Students on the Road to a Bachelor’s Degree
The authors found that for disadvantaged students, who represent the majority of community college-goers, enrolling at a community college has a modest positive effect on their likelihood of completing a bachelor’s degree.
Dartmouth College Graduate From Kenya Named a Rhodes Scholar
Miriam Kilimo, from Nairobi, Kenya, majored in anthropology at Dartmouth and was ranked second in the 2014 graduating class. At Oxford University, she will study for a master's degree in women's studies.
Texas Southern University to Offer Two New Degree Programs in Engineering
This spring, Texas Southern University in Houston will begin a bachelor's degree program in civil engineering. In the fall of 2015, a new bachelor's degree program in computer and electrical engineering will be offered.
Jean D’Arc Campbell Named to Dean Position at Bellevue College in Washington State
Campbell was named dean of international education and global initiatives at Bellevue. For the past nine years, he has been the director of international education initiatives for the district campuses of Portland Community College.
Kentucky State University Announces Staff Reductions and Budget Cuts
Under the spending reduction plan, 18 full-time staff positions and 32 adjunct teaching positions will be eliminated. In addition, $500,000 will be cut from the athletics budget over the next two years.
Marquis Hill Wins the Thelonius Monk Jazz Competition
Marquis Hill is a teaching associate in the jazz program at the University of Illinois-Chicago. He is a graduate of Northern Illinois University and holds a master's degree in jazz pedagogy from DePaul University in Chicago.
Clark Atlanta University Establishes a Ph.D. Program in the Humanities
Since 1982 Clark Atlanta University has offered a doctor of arts degree in humanities with five possible concentrations. Courses with an emphasis on research and scholarship have been added to satisfy the Ph.D. requirement.
Two African American Educators Honored by Indiana University
Stanley Warren, a retired professor of education at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, and Shaun R. Harper of the University of Pennsylvania, received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the School of Education at Indiana University.
Hampton University Provost to Lead Virginia State University
When she takes office in January, Dr. Pamala Valleria Wilson Hammond will the first woman president in the 133-year history of the Virginia State University. She has served as provost at Hampton University since 2009.
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.
Johns Hopkins University Junior Publishes Her First Novel
Marlene Kanmogne, a junior at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, is majoring in neuroscience. She hope one day to be a physician. But she has also just published a 305-page novel for young adult readers.
Five New Black Scholars on the Faculty of Cornell University
New Black scholars on the Cornell University faculty are Naminata Diabate in comparative literature, Anna R. Haskins in sociology, Jamie L. Perry in human resource management, Russell Rickford in history, and C. Riley Snorton in Africana studies.
Princeton University Seeks More Low-Income Students
Princeton will expand its partnership with Leadership Enterprise for a Diverse America and enhance its Freshman Scholars Institute, a summer bridge program for low-income students who plan to major in STEM disciplines.
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.
New Book Documents the History of Virginia Union University
The book is only the third published history of the institution and the first available in general circulation since 1925. It has been published to coincide with the 150th anniversary of the founding of the institution in 1865.
In Memorian: Haskell S. Bingham, 1930-2014
Dr. Bingham, the former provost at Virginia State University, traced his roots to a Virginia slave in 1703. He also was a descendant of the slave Gabriel, who was executed in 1800 for planning a slave rebellion in Richmond.
Three New Assistant Professors at Iowa State University
The College of Human Science at Iowa State University has announced the appointment of three African Americans to assistant professorships. They are Brian Burt, Christa Jackson, and Daniel Spikes.
University of Cincinnati Aims to Increase the Diversity of Its Faculty
The provost’s office has allocated $1,170,000 to the faculty diversification effort during the current fiscal year. And the Office of the President has allocated $800,000 over the next three years for the effort.
H. Prentice Baptiste to Lead the National Association for Multicultural Education
H. Prentice Baptiste is a Distinguished Achievement Professor in the College of Education at New Mexico State University. He will serve as president-elect for two years before becoming president in 2016.
Major Progress in Black Student Graduation Rates at Top-Ranked Colleges and Universities
A decade ago, only five of the nation's highest-ranked colleges and universities had Black graduation rates of 90 percent or more, compared to 15 today. In addition, many of these top schools have narrowed the racial graduation rate gap.
One African American Among the Four Finalists for President of the University of Nebraska System
Prior to his appointment as president of Central Michigan University in 2010, Dr. George Ross served as president of Alcorn State University in Mississippi.
African Americans Still Significantly Underrepresented at U.S. Medical Schools
In 2014, African Americans were 8.1 percent of all applicants to U.S. medical schools. Blacks were 6.9 percent of the students who matriculated at U.S. medical schools in 2014.
Beverly Walker-Griffea to Lead the American Association for Women in Community Colleges
Dr. Walker-Griffea became the seventh president of Mott Community College on August 27, 2014. She is the first woman and the first African American to lead the college. Blacks make up 19 percent of the student body.
Study Finds Poor Communication Between African American Mothers and Daughters on HIV/AIDS
African Americans account for 57 percent of new HIV/AIDS cases among women. But a focus group study found that many African American mothers and their daughters do not talk about the issue.
The Higher Education of the Next Attorney General of the United States
Attorney General nominee Loretta Lynch is a native of Greensboro, North Carolina. She is a graduate of Harvard University, where she majored in English and American literature. She is also a graduate of Harvard Law School.
Three HBCUs in North Carolina Get a Break on SAT Threshold Requirements
North Carolina Central University in Durham reports that it was obliged to reject 292 students last year who had 3.0 grade point averages in high school but did not meet the University of North Carolina System's SAT threshold.
Two African Americans in New Faculty Posts
Andre L. Lewis was appointed assistant professor of social work at the University of Arkansas at Monticello and Cassi Pittman is a new assistant professor of sociology at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.
Savannah State University Establishes an English Language Institute
Beginning in January, the English Language Institute of the International Education Center at Savannah State University in Georgia will offer English classes for non-native speakers.
Melanie Murry Honored by the National Bar Association
Melanie Murry, University Counsel at the University of Memphis in Tennessee, received the 2014 A.A. Latting Award for Outstanding Community Services.
