Monthly Archives: May 2015
West Point to Name New Cadet Barracks to Honor Benjamin O. Davis Jr.
In 1932 Benjamin O. Davis Jr., the son of an Army officer, was admitted to West Point. He was "silenced" or shunned by his classmates for four years. No cadets, faculty or staff members befriended or spoke to him except on an official basis.
Four Universities Appoint African Americans to Dean Posts
The new deans are Eboni Pringle at Kent State University, Akel I. Kahera at Virginia Commonwealth University's campus in Qatar, Lorna Le'Anne Shaw-Berbick at Kentucky State University, and John K. Davis at California State University, Dominguez Hills.
Xavier University of Louisiana Names Its Next President
Since 2012, C. Reynold Verret has served as provost and chief academic officer at Savannah State University in Georgia. On July 1, he will replace Norman C. Francis who has led Xavier University since 1968.
Duke University Task Force Publishes Report on Faculty Diversity Efforts
In the past, Duke University has been a leader in efforts to increase the diversity of its faculty. But a new report finds that from 2005 to 2014 the Black percentage of the Duke faculty increased from 3.8 percent to 4.4 percent.
Danielle Allen Elected to the American Philosophical Society
This year 34 new members were elected to the society. Of these, 27 are Americans. After an analysis of the new member list by JBHE, it appears that of the 27 new American members, only one is an African American.
African American College Football Coaches Tend to Get the Axe Sooner Than Their White Peers
A new analysis by Nolan Kopkin, an assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, found that on average, a Black head coach in major college football will be fired one or two years earlier than a White coach with a similar job-performance record.
Ronald Mason Jr. Named President of the University of the District of Columbia
Since 2010, Mason has served as president of the Southern University System. Earlier in his career, he was president of Jackson State University in Mississippi and served in several administrative posts at Tulane University in New Orleans.
University Study Finds That Residential Racial Segregation Has Increased
The study, led by a demographer at Cornell University, found that Whites tended to leave neighborhoods where foreclosure rates were high and Blacks and Latinos moved to these areas to find affordable housing. As a result racial segregation has increased.
Incoming Boston University Scholar’s Tweets on Race Create Controversy
Saida Grundy has been hired as an assistant professor of sociology and African American studies at Boston University. But her comments on Twitter about White males have angered some in the BU community.
Bennett College Debuts New Logo and Marketing Tagline
Bennett College, a liberal arts HBCU for women in Greensboro, North Carolina, has debuted a new logo and marketing tagline. The new tagline reads: "Education for your future. Sisterhood for life."
Universities Appoint Six New Black Administrators
The new appointees are Julian R. Williams at George Mason University, Guy-Alain Amoussou at Bowie State, Michael Williams at the University of California, Berkeley, Eddie J. Howard at Youngstown State, Rick Kisner at Tuskegee University, and Obadiah Simmons Jr. at Grambling State.
Morgan State University Is Constructing a Major New Academic and Research Facility
When completed in 2017 the new $79.4 million academic building will house the departments of psychology, sociology and anthropology, political science, history, economics, and geography.
Honors and Awards for Six African American Educators
The honorees are Stephanie Luck of the University of Arkansas, the late Levi Watkins at Vanderbilt University, Clara Adams of Morgan State University, Anthony B. Pinn of Rice University, William F. Tate of Washington University in St. Louis, and Em Claire Knowles of Simmons College.
Norfolk State Cuts Jobs to Deal With Budget Deficit
The board of visitors at historically Black Norfolk State University in Virginia, has voted to eliminate 97 jobs in an effort to make a dent in a projected $16.7 million deficit in the budget for the coming academic year.
Three African American Scholars in New Faculty Roles
Clarence Lang was named to a department chair at the University of Kansas. Roshawnda was named to the faculty at Pepperdine University in California, and Sylvester James Gates Jr. will be the Roth Distinguished Scholar at Dartmouth College for the 2015-16 academic year.
In Memoriam: Wallace Maryland Jr., 1933-2015
Professor Maryland began his tenure on the Alabama State University faculty in 1963 as an instructor of mathematics. He served as chair of the department of mathematics and physical sciences at the university from 1974 to his retirement in 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.
University of Washington School of Law Aims to Increase Diversity
Students from underrepresented groups who are selected for the new fellows program will receive paid summer internships at area law firms or in the legal departments of area corporations after completing their first year of law school.
Ole Miss Students Conduct Archaelogical Dig at Former Slave Quarters
The dig occurred at the Hugh Craft House in Holly Springs that was built in the 1840s. The 1860 Census listed nine slaves living in a detached kitchen building at the Hugh Craft House.
Louisiana State University: A Leader in Black Male Doctoral Awards
Each year, only about 1,000 African Americans men earn doctoral degrees. Thus, it is noteworthy that this spring four African American men earned their doctoral degrees in one department at Louisiana State University.
In Memoriam: Verdelle B. Bellamy, 1927-2015
In 1963, Verdelle Bellamy received a master's degree in nursing from Emory University. She was one of two Black students to earn a degree that day, the first African Americans to earn degrees from the university.
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.
Colorado State University Mounts a Massive Book Drive for Hawassa University in Ethiopia
Recently, more than 20,000 textbooks and journals were packed into 641 boxes weighing more than 33,000 pounds. The boxes were packed into a shipping container that is currently on its way to Ethiopia.
Claudine Gay Appointed Dean of Social Science at Harvard University
Dr. Gay is a professor of government and a professor of African and African American studies at Harvard University. Before joining the Harvard faculty in 2006, Professor Gay taught at Stanford University.
The Nation’s Top-Ranked University Debater Is an African American
Aaron Murphy, a senior at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, was named Speaker of the Year by the American Parliamentary Debate Association.
Sydney Richardson Is the New Leader of Adult Education Programs at Salem College
Dr. Richardson, the new dean of the Martha H. Fleer Center for Adult Education, joined the faculty at Salem College in 2007 and recently was serving as an assistant professor of education and director of the college's Writing Center.
Two Black Scholars Elected Members of the National Academy of Sciences
The two African Americans elected members of the National Academy of Sciences are Scott V. Edwards, a professor of biology at Harvard University, and Jennifer A. Richeson, a professor of psychology at Northwestern University.
Diversity in STEM Fields Is a Social Justice Issue, Study Finds
Amassing critical numbers of underrepresented students is important, but achieving enrollment targets does little to improve the problems in the campus culture that affect students and contribute to their failure to complete degree programs.
Jessica Bailey to Lead Fort Valley State University
Jessica Bailey will serve as acting president of Fort Valley State University in Georgia until July 1 when current president Ivelaw Griffith leaves office. On July 1, Dr. Bailey will become interim president of the university.
University of Illinois Survey Finds Widespread Racial Microaggressions on Campus
The results found that 51 percent of the minority students reported experiencing racial stereotyping. More than one quarter said their contributions in the classroom were minimized and 25 percent said they were not taken seriously due to their race.
Alecia A. DeCoudreaux Is Stepping Down as President of Mills College in June 2016
Alecia A. DeCoudreaux, president of Mills College in Oakland, California, has announced that she will step down in June 2016. She became president of the women's college on July 1, 2011 after a long career in the legal department of Eli Lilly and Company.
South Carolina State University Trustees Fired, Lawmakers to Appoint Interim Board
South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley has signed legislation that fired all of the trustees of historically Black South Carolina State University. Haley and GOP lawmakers will appoint a seven-member interim board that will serve until mid-2018 and work to solve the university's financial crisis.
Medical Education Pioneer Donald Wilson Honored by the American College of Physicians
In 1991, Dr. Donald E. Wilson was named dean of medicine at the University of Maryland, the first African American dean of a predominantly White medical school. He was also was the first Black president of the Association of American Medical Colleges.
Bethune-Cookman University Launches New Program to Help Area Small Businesses
The Venture Incubation Program at the university's Center for Entrepreneurship and Economic Development will provide free services such as marketing, financing, strategic planning, and business development to area start-up firms.
New Appointments or Promotions for Black Faculty Members
Taking on new roles or responsibilities are Tirin Moore at Stanford University, Emma A. Faulk at Alabama State University, Jennifer F. Hamer at the University of Kansas, and Trudier Harris at the University of Alabama.
