Monthly Archives: January 2016

Four African Americans in New Administrative Posts in Higher Education

Taking on new roles are Monica C. Scott at Lane College in Jackson, Tennessee, R. Kenneth O'Neal II at Pueblo Community College in Colorado, Fatima M. Mncube-Barnes at Howard University in Washington, D.C., and Jeremy Orr at Wayne State University in Detroit.

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 Doubles Its Commitment to Minority Graduate Student Financial Aid

The Graduate School at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst has announced a $600,000 annual investment to provide financial aid to graduate students from underrepresented minority groups.

African Poetry Book Fund Sends 1,750 Volumes to Libraries in Africa

The African Poetry Book Fund in partnership with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries has sent nearly 1,750 books to libraries in Gambia, Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, and Uganda.

Neil Roberts Elected President of the Caribbean Philosophical Association

Neil Roberts is an associate professor of Africana studies and chair of the department of religion at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts. He will become president of the association in January 2017.

Early Admission of African Americans to Leading Colleges and Universities

Several of the nation’s highest ranked colleges and universities have reported data on students they have accepted under early decision or early action admissions plans. Some have provided data broken down by race.

Two African Americans Who Have Retired From University Positions

Joan Morrison, assistant director of the Office of Alumni Relations at North Carolina Central University and Ralph Oliver, director of public safety and chief of police at the University of Kansas, have retired.

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.

Hampton University Teams Up With the United States Coast Guard

Under the agreement, Hampton University faculty will participate in research and development projects relating to activities associated with the Coast Guard.

Cato Laurencin to Receive the National Medal of Technology and Innovation

Cato T. Laurencin has been selected by President Obama as one of seven winners of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation. He is the only African American among the seven winners of the award this year.

Jackson State University More Than Doubles Its Endowment

Recently, the state of Mississippi transferred $24.3 million to Jackson State University, making good on an agreement reached in the 2001 settlement of a desegregation suit. This allocation more than doubles the university's total endowment.

Two African American Women Scholars Honored With Prestigious Awards

The honorees are Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, a professor of dance at Florida State University in Tallahassee and Keisha Blain, an assistant professor of history at the University of Iowa.

Central State University Partners With the African Leadership Institute

Under the agreement, faculty members from universities in Nigeria will come to Central State University to conduct research. The African Leadership Institute will work to recruit Nigerian students to enroll at Central State University.

New Administrative Posts in Higher Education for Three African Americans

The African Americans in new administrative posts in higher education are Eva K. Pickens at Texas Southern University, Adriel A. Hilton at Grambling State University in Louisiana, and Howard Blue at Yale University Health.

In Memoriam: Charles Frederick Harris, 1934-2015

Harris served as director of Howard University Press for more than a decade. While in this post, the press published approximately 100 books, predominantly in the social sciences and the humanities.

The Racial Gap in High School Graduation Rates in the 50 States

The highest Black student high school graduation rate in 2014 was in Texas. The state with the lowest high school graduation rate for Blacks is Nevada. The racial gap in high school graduation rates is 20 percentage points or more in California, New York, Minnesota, Nevada, Ohio, and Wisconsin.

Curtis Charles, President of Tiffin University in Ohio, Resigns

Curtis B. Charles served as president of Tiffin University for only six months. The board of trustees stated that Dr. Charles' resignation was due to "a difference in views on strategic vision."

Sub-Saharan Nations Sending the Most Scholars to Teach at U.S. Colleges and Universities

According to new data from the Institute on International Education, in the 2013-14 academic year there were 1,844 scholars from sub-Saharan African nations teaching at U.S. colleges and universities. This is down more than 13 percent from the 2012-13 academic year.

Shirley Ann Jackson to Receive the National Medal of Science

President Obama has chosen nine individuals to receive the National Medal of Science at a White House ceremony early in 2016. Among the nine winners, one is an African American.

Emory University Study Finds a Racial Disparity in Development of Alzheimer’s Disease

The data showed that after adjusting for age, gender, and education, African Americans are 64 percent more likely than Whites to have Alzheimer's disease. The study found that 8.6 percent of African Americans develop Alzheimer's disease compared to just 5.5. percent of Whites.

Leslie McClellon Resigns as President of Rochester Community and Technical College

President McClellon had been criticized over her spending and hiring decisions since taking office only 18 months ago. She will take a position as a senior system director at the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System.

Racial Slur Published in the Annual Report of Lawrence University

After the annual report was published, an alumnus of the university noticed that in a photograph of university officials a racial slur had been written in chalk on the wall behind the executives.

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