Monthly Archives: February 2015

Johnson C. Smith University Takes Prompt Action Over Hazing Allegations

Police arrested six members of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity and accused them of hazing a pledge over a two-month period. The pledge alleges that he was struck with an object on several occasions and that his injuries forced him to go to the hospital.

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.

MIT’s First Black Graduate Honored With U.S. Postage Stamp

In 1892 Robert Robinson Taylor was the first Black graduate of MIT. He spent most of his career at what is now Tuskegee University and designed more than 20 buildings on its Alabama campus.

Yusef Komunyakaa Awarded the Sidney Lanier Prize for Southern Literature

Yusef Komunyakaa is the Global Distinguished Professor of English at New York University. He is being honored by the Center for Southern Studies at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia.

Florida A&M University Professor Produces Documentary Film on Student Loan Debt

Darryl Scriven, professor of philosophy at Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, has produced a new documentary film that aims to provide information so college students can limit student loan borrowing.

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 Pennsylvania Professor Honored by the American Psychiatric Association

Dorothy Roberts, the George A. Weiss University Professor of Law and Sociology at the University of Pennsylvania, has been selected to receive the 2015 Solomon Carter Fuller Award at the association's annual meeting in Toronto this May.

Christopher Howard Is Among Three Finalists for President of the University of Toledo

Christopher B. Howard, a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, is president of Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia, one of the few all-male colleges in the United States.

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.

Malcolm Butler to Lead the Association for Science Teacher Education

Malcolm B. Butler is an associate professor of science education at the University of Central Florida in Orlando. He will serve one year as president-elect and then become president of the association.

In Memoriam: Burrell A. Brown, 1947-2015

Burrell Brown was a professor and chair of the department of business administration and economics at California University of Pennsylvania. He served for 20 years as legal counsel for the Pennsylvania chapter of the NAACP.

The Gender Gap in African American Degree Attainment

The gender gap is most pronounced for holders of master's degrees. In 2014, there were 964,000 Black women who held a master's degree but no higher degree. For Black men, the figure was 565,000.

Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry Named President of the World Maritime University

Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry holds dual citizenship in Switzerland and the Commonwealth of Dominica in the Caribbean. She is a former lecturer in law at the University of the West Indies in Barbados.

Report Finds That Women of Color in Science Face Both Gender and Racial Bias

Of the 60 women of color in STEM fields in the survey, all 60 women stated that they had been subjected to some sort of gender bias. In having to prove their competence to others, most of the Black women stated that race was more of a barrier than gender.

University of Southern California Creates a Diversity Report Card on the Entertainment Industry

The Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism at the University of Southern California announced that it will conduct an annual survey and grade Hollywood entertainment companies on their diversity efforts.

How Altruism Impacts Minority Students’ Academic and Career Paths in STEM Fields

A new university study finds that students from underrepresented minority groups are more likely to pursue courses of study and careers in the biosciences if they believe that pursuing this life path will help them solve problems in their communities.

A New Dean at Jackson State University in Mississippi

Dr. Robert Blaine was appointed dean of undergraduate studies and cyber learning. He has been serving as special assistant to the provost for cyber learning and is an associate professor of music at the university.

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