Monthly Archives: August 2015

University Research Finds a Link Between Poverty and Lower Brain Development

This is of particular importance to African Americans because the median income of Black families in the United States is only 60 percent of the median income of non-Hispanic Whites and Black families are three times as likely to be in poverty as non-Hispanic White families.

Bethune-Cookman University Adds Seven Degree Programs

Among the seven new degree programs are four online bachelor's degree offerings and two new online master's degree programs. The university also will add an on-campus master of public health degree program.

Four African American Faculty Members in New Roles

The appointees are Melissa Wooten at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Christopher Williams at Xavier University of Louisiana, Ajamu Loving of the American College of Financial Services, and Brenda Hosley at Arizona State University.

Fisk University Partners With Nine Academic Institutions in China

The agreements call for academic and cultural exchanges between Fisk and the Chinese universities and the establishment of dual degree programs where students from both countries will study at Fisk and a Chinese university to complete their degrees.

Five African American Academics Honored With Major Awards

The honorees are Roslin Growe of the University of Louisiana Lafayette, Quintard Taylor of the University of Washington, Tony Brown of Hampton University, and Marie Chisholm-Burns and Noma Anderson, both from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis.

Southern University to Issue iPads to All Incoming First-Year Students

The effort, which will begin next fall, is designed to greatly reduce the cost of textbooks for Southern University students. Students will be issued the devices which will be paid for through a fee attached to their tuition bill. Once the fee is paid in full, the student will own the device.

New Administrative Roles in Higher Education for Six Black Scholars

The appointees are Na'ilah Nasir at the University of California, Berkeley, Newtona Johnson at Middle Tennessee State, Teshome Alemneh at Indiana University, Genyre Henry Boston at Florida A&M, Veronica Cohen at Mississippi Valley State, and Artika R. Tyner at the University of Saint Thomas.

In Memoriam: Ronell Lavar Blizzard, 1978-2015

Dr. Blizzard had served as an assistant professor of sports management at Newbury College in Brookline, Massachusetts, and Lyndon State College in Vermont. He was also a consultant for Post University in Waterbury, Connecticut.

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.

Archive of African American Women Soldiers’ Letters Donated to Harvard University

Maryline Morris Whitaker sent 1,000 packages of hair care products to African American women serving in combat areas overseas. The letters she received in return from the soldiers have been donated to the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard 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.

Math Collaborative for Black Males Moves to California State University, Long Beach

The goal of the program, initially established at the Claremont Colleges, was to encourage Black male students, who many would not expect to go to college, to excel at mathematics and other subjects so that they would be prepared for college-level work.

Two African Americans Are Leaving Their High-Level Posts at Flagship State Universities

Linda Williams, associate chancellor and chief ethics, risk and compliance officer at the University of California Berkeley has retired and Maurice Daniels, dean of the School of Social Work at the University of Georgia, is returning to the faculty.

In Memoriam: Claudia Alexander, 1959-2015

Dr. Alexander joined the staff at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in 1986. She was the project manager for the Galileo mission to Jupiter, the Cassini mission to Saturn, and the lead U.S. scientist on the European Space Agency's Rosetta mission to rendezvous with a comet.

Yale Divinity School Lands an Esteemed African American Scholar

Willie James Jennings was an associate professor of theology and Black church studies at Duke University Divinity School. He is the the 2015 winner of the $100,000 Grawemeyer Award in Religion.

Two Yale Students Will Use Grant to Start a Preparatory High School in Burundi

Wendell Adjetey and Etienne Mashuli, both graduate students at Yale, have received a fellowship from the nonprofit Echoing Green that will be used to start a foundation, school, and library in Burundi's capital city.

The Vast Majority of Black High School Graduates Are Not Prepared for College

A new report from ACT and the UNCF finds that African American high school graduates are less prepared for college-level curriculum than students from any other major racial or ethnic group.

Racial Differences in How Schools Deal With Disciplinary Problems

For classroom disruptions, White kids tend to get viewed as having ADHD, or having some sort of behavioral problem, while Black kids are viewed as being unruly and unwilling to learn.

Tyler Stovall to Lead the American Historical Association

Tyler Stovall is dean of humanities at the University of California, Santa Cruz. He will serve one year as president-elect of the American Historical Association and then become president for one year. The AHA is the nation's largest professional organization devoted to the study and promotion of history.

Low Rates of African American Voting in Congressional Elections

Mid-term congressional elections are critically important in regards to African American higher education because Congress decides on federal support for historically Black colleges and universities and sets thresholds for Pell Grant awards and other federal financial aid.

The First Black Professor at an Israeli University

Anbessa Teferra was appointed to the position of senior lecturer of Semitic languages at Tel Aviv University in Israel. He is the first immigrant from Ethiopia to be granted status as a tenured senior lecturer at an Israeli University.

Latest News