Monthly Archives: August 2015

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.

Southern Illinois University Research Finds That “Old Slave House” Is Probably a Misnomer

Archaeological research conducted by scholars at Southern Illinois University Carbondale at the Hickory Hill State Historic Site in Gallitan County, Illinois, dispels local legends that a nineteenth-century estate home was the hub of a Reverse Underground Railroad.

Virginia Tech’s Summer Program Seeks to Increase Diversity at Its Medical School

Hampton University students selected for the internship program receive guaranteed admission to the medical school so long as they graduate from Hampton with honors and achieve a threshold score on the Medical College Admission Test.

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.

Increasing the Number of African American Cancer Researchers

The Minority Training Program in Cancer Control Research aims to encourage Black and other minority graduate students to pursue doctoral degrees and careers in research relating to cancer.

Tulane University Study Documents Child Labor in West African Cocoa Production

According to the report, there were 2,120,000 child labors who worked on cocoa production in Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire during the 2013-14 harvest season. Some 94 percent of these child laborers were involved in hazardous work.

Summer Program Aims to Increase Black Students in Graduate Programs

The Leadership Alliance Mellon Initiative seeks to encourage students from underrepresented minority groups to pursue graduate studies in the humanities, education, and social sciences.

The University of Chicago Looks to Aid Mathematics Education in Africa

The University of Chicago has signed a new partnership agreement with the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS). Under the agreement the University of Chicago will provide faculty members and graduate students to AIMS centers across Africa to assist in the training of AIMS graduate students.

Presenting While Black: African American Speakers Face Challenges at Conferences

A new study by Ebony O. McGee of the College of Education at Vanderbilt University, and Lasana Kazembe of the College of Education at the University of Illinois at Chicago, examines the experiences of Black faculty members who give presentations at academic conferences.

Marion Gillis-Olion Named Dean of the School of Education at Fayetteville State University

Dr. Gillis-Olion has been on the faculty at the university since 1983. Most recently, she has served as associate vice chancellor for academic affairs. This will be her second tenure as dean of the School of Education.

New University Study Finds That Racial Segregation Has Increased in Suburbia

The research team examined U.S. Census data in 1990 and 2010. They found while urban neighborhoods have become less segregated, an increased level of racial segregation has occurred in suburban communities and that many suburbs are becoming racially homogenous.

The New President of the North Miami Campus of Johnson & Wales University

Dr. Larry Rice has served as president on an interim basis since 2014. Previously, he was vice president and dean of academic affairs. Dr. Rice joined the faculty at the university in 1993.

Penn Study Finds Fixing Up Abandoned Buildings in Inner Cities Can Reduce Crime Rates

Near buildings where new windows and doors were installed, crime rates were down compared to neighborhoods were buildings were not renovated. Gun violence was down by 39 percent.

Edith Mitchell Is the New President of the National Medical Association

Dr. Mitchell is a retired Brigadier General of the United States Air Force. She currently serves as the director of the Center to Eliminate Cancer Disparities at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia.

In Memoriam: Horace Julian Bond, 1940-2015

Julian Bond, a legendary civil rights leader, legislator, and longtime professor at the University of Virginia, died on August 15 in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. He was 75 years old.

Barber-Scotia College Looking to Rebound From a Decade of Difficulties

Since a July post examining the status of historically Black Barber-Scotia College in Concord, North Carolina, college officials have responded to a series of questions presented by JBHE.

A Pair of African American Men Named Chair of Their Academic Departments

Calvin White was appointed chair of the department of history at the University of Arkansas and Timothy Turner is the new chair of the department of biology at Jackson State University in Mississippi.

Fayetteville State University Partners With the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education

The purpose of the Department of Energy's mentor-protégé relationship is to enhance the capabilities of the protégé - in this case Fayetteville State University, to improve its ability to successfully compete for federal contracts.

Eight African Americans in New Administrative Roles in Higher Education

Here is this week’s roundup of African Americans who have been appointed to new administrative positions at colleges and universities throughout the United States.

Morgan State and West Virginia University Students Team Up for Journalism Project

Students from each school traveled with faculty members to Selma, Alabama, and used photographs, videos, and the written word to tell stories from the city past as well as investigating the community's present and hopes for the future.

New Roles for Three Black Faculty Members

Taking on new duties are KiTani Parker Lemieux at Xavier University of Louisiana, Darby English at the University of Chicago, and Kerry L. Haynie at Duke University in North Carolina.

University of Texas to Move Statue of Jefferson Davis to an Educational Exhibit

On the Main Mall of the University of Texas at Austin are seven statues. Along with George Washington, there are statues of several Confederate officials. University of Texas President Gregory Fenves has decided to remove the Jefferson Davis statue.

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.

New Effort Aims to Increase Diversity Among Academic Librarians

American University in Washington, D.C., the University of Iowa, Virginia Tech, and West Virginia University are hiring resident librarians from diverse backgrounds in the early stages of their careers for a three-year period.

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.

In Memoriam: Joseph T. Skerrett, 1943-2015

Joseph T. Skerrett was a professor emeritus of English at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He joined the faculty at the university in 1973 and taught there until his retirement in 2009.

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.

Virginia Colleges and Universities Join Together to Discuss Their Shared Historical Legacies

A new consortium of 12 colleges and universities in Virginia recently held its first meeting to discuss how the educational institutions have dealt with and will deal with the issue of slavery.

Barnard College Scholar Co-Authors the Libretto for a New Opera

Yvette Christianse, a professor of English and Africana studies at Barnard College in New York City, is the co-author of the libretto for the opera Cities of Salt that debuted recently at the Royal Opera House in London.

In Memoriam: Barbara Guillory Thompson, 1936-2015

Barbara Guillory Thompson was the first African American women student to live in a dormitory on the Louisiana State University campus. Dr. Thompson later served on the Dillard University faculty for 42 years.

Vanderbilt University Creates the Office of Inclusion Initiatives and Cultural Competence

The new office will be under the direction of Tina Smith, who has been promoted from assistant dean of students to associate dean. She will have oversight over many organizations including the Women's Center and the Black Cultural Center.

Racial Incident on the Campus of Emporia State University in Kansas

A Black couple, who were both employees of the university, allege that they have been subjected to a racially hostile work environment after filing a complaint when they had found a racial slur directed at them in a university office.

Why Black Men Are Making No Progress in Medical Education

In 1978, 1,410 Black males applied to U.S. medical schools. In 2014, the figure was 1,337. In 2014, women were 62.2 percent of all African Americans who applied to medical school. In every other major racial or ethnic group, men were a majority of all applicants.

The New Leader of the Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers University

The Institute of Jazz Studies in the John Cotton Dana Library on the Newark, New Jersey, campus of Rutgers University is the repository of more than 150,000 jazz recordings and 6,000 books on the subject.

African Americans in the Workforce: New Report Examines Changing Demographics

A new report from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission documents the progress of African Americans over the past half century in several occupational categories. Yet, in 2014 African Americans still filed 25,482 complaints of racial discrimination with the EEOC.

Florida State Scholar Named a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry

A native of London, Steve Acquah is an associate research professor at Florida State University in Tallahassee. Dr. Acquah, who is also a fellow of the Royal Microbiology Society, focuses his research on carbon nanotube-based sensors and devices.

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