Monthly Archives: August 2016

A New Degree Program in Supply Chain and Logistics Management at Fort Valley State

Fort Valley State University, a historically Black educational institution in Georgia, has announced that it will be offering this fall a new bachelor of business administration degree with a concentration in supply chain and logistics management.

Six Black Faculty Members Taking on New Roles

Here is this week’s roundup of African American faculty members from colleges and universities throughout the United States who have been appointed to new positions.

North Carolina A&T State University in a Major Restructuring of Its Academic Programs

According to the university, "the reorganization will position North Carolina A&T to award degrees that support careers of the future and increase its competitiveness in the global marketplace."

California State University, Fullerton Scholar Wins Poetry Award

Natalie Graham, assistant professor of African American studies at California State University, Fullerton, has been selected as the winner of the 2016 Cave Canem Poetry Prize from the Brooklyn, New York-based Cave Canem Foundation.

Norfolk State University Offering New Bachelor’s Degree Program

Historically Black Norfolk State University in Virginia has announced that beginning this fall the university will be offering a new bachelor's degree program in tourism and hospitality management. The new degree program will be offered online.

Five African Americans Appointed to New Administrative Posts in Higher Education

The appointees are Sentwali Bakari at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, Michael A. Nutter at the University of Chicago, Sherie Cornish Gordon at Albany State University, Will Sutton at Grambling State University, and Darryl C. Wilson at the Stetson University College of Law.

Online Articles That May Be of Interest to JBHE Readers

Each week, JBHE will provide links to online articles that may be of interest to our readers. Here are this week’s selections.

Recent Books 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. The books included are on a wide variety of subjects and present many different points of view.

Emory University Opens Its Refurbished African Art Galleries

Only 5 percent of Emory's African art collection can be displaced at one time. The refurbished galleries allow museum officials to easily change exhibits, allowing for more of the university's vast collection of African art to be seen by museum visitors.

In Memoriam: Edwin Smith, 1950-2016

Edwin Smith was the Leon Benwell Professor of Law, International Relations, and Political Science at the Gould School of Law at the University of Southern, California. He was the first African American tenured faculty member at the law school.

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.

An Educational Milestone for April Gillens at Clemson University

Earlier this month, April Gillens became the first African American to receive a Ph.D. in environmental engineering and earth sciences at Clemson University in South Carolina.

University of Virginia Scholar Works to Preserve the History of the House of Slaves

A group of American and African scholars are working together to restore the home of Madame Anna Colas Pepin on Goree Island just off the coast of Senegal. A professor at the University of Virginia is one of the international scholars involved in the project.

The University of Georgia Reports an Increase in Black First-Year Students

While the number of Black students in the entering class at the University of Georgia is up 10 percent from a year ago, there is still a very long way to go before racial parity with the state's Black population is achieved.

Three Black Scholars Appointed to Positions as Deans

The new deans are Lisa Kirtman at the College of Education at California State University, Fullerton, Winston Oluwole Soboyejo at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts, and Jon Gant at North Carolina Central University in Durham.

Report Documents the Large and Growing Racial Wealth Gap

Wealth is a major factor in college affordability for American families. And a new report shows that the racial wealth gap in the United States is huge and expanding.

A Change in Leadership at Bennett College in North Carolina

Rosalind Fuse-Hall has stepped down as president of Bennett College, the historically Black educational institution for women in Greensboro, North Carolina. Phyllis Worthy Dawkins, provost and vice president for academic affairs, is serving as interim president.

Will the Internet Serve to Raise Black Participation in Medical Research?

In a study of nearly 1,000 people, researchers analyzed DNA to determine genetic factors that were linked to smoking behavior and nicotine additions. Black participants were far less likely to go online to find out if they had these genetic variations that increased their risk.

The New Provost at Savannah State University in Georgia

Clarissa Myrick-Harris has been serving as associate provost for pedagogical and curricular initiatives at Morehouse College in Atlanta. She also served as a professor of African American studies at Morehouse.

A New Database of Peer-Reviewed Articles on Black Males in Education

Louis Harrison and Anthony Brown of the University of Texas at Austin have created The Black Male Education Research Collection. The new website is a repository of research on issues relating to Black men in all levels of education, with a special emphasis on higher education.

Albany State University Announces Significant Staff Reductions

Art Dunning, president of historically Black Albany State University in Georgia, announced that Albany State University is eliminating 80 staff positions due to declining enrollments and a subsequent reduction in state funding.

Kentucky State University to Provide Free E-Textbooks to All Students

Under the agreement, Pearson will offer electronic textbooks to Kentucky State students for a flat fee. The university is offering students a book scholarship to cover the costs of the Pearson fee.

Two African American Women Faculty Members Assigned New Duties

Stanlie James, a professor in the School of Social Transformation at Arizona State University, was appointed vice provost for inclusion and diversity engagement. Ellen D. Smiley, dean of the Honors College at Grambling State University in Louisiana, was named interim provost and vice president for academic affairs.

A New Master’s Degree Program at Mississippi Valley State University

Historically Black Mississippi Valley State University has announced that is it offering a new master's degree program in sports administration. Students will have the option of a concentration in international sports, intercollegiate sports, or sport leadership.

Two African American Scholars Honored With Prestigious Awards

Rickey Laurentiis was selected as the winner of the 2016 Levis Reading Prize presented by Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, and Bridgette Peteet, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Cincinnati, was honored by the American Psychological Foundation.

Pennsylvania HBCU to Send Graduates to University of Pittsburgh Nursing School

Cheyney University has signed an agreement to fast-track high-achieving Cheyney graduates into the accelerated bachelor's degree program in nursing and the Ph.D. program in nursing at the University of Pittsburgh.

Five African Americans Taking on New Administrative Duties in Higher Education

Taking on new roles are Van Bailey at the University of Miami, Maria Arvelo Lumpkin at Atlanta Metropolitan State College, Terence Peavy at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, Barbara Hampton at Princeton University in New Jersey, and Keyana Scales at Xavier University of Louisiana.

In Memoriam: Stella Mason Parson, 1929-2016

Stella Mason Parson, a long-time educator, was the first Black woman to earn a college degree in the state of Nevada. She taught in Las Vegas public schools for 33 years.

Harriet Nembhard to Lead Engineering School at Oregon State University

Harriet Nembhard was appointed the director of the School of Mechanical, Industrial, and Manufacturing Engineering at Oregon State University in Covallis. She will also serve as the Eric R. Smith Professor of Engineering at Oregon State.

Kelly Spain Named to Lead the Augusta Campus of Brenau University

The campus serving the Augusta, Georgia, metropolitan area, offers undergraduate programs in business and education and graduate programs in business. Spain was an academic advising coordinator at the main campus of Brenau University in Gainesville, Georgia.

Hampton University Alumna Named Secretary of Education in Virginia

Dr. Trent earned a bachelor's degree in sociology and criminal justice from Hampton University in Virginia and a master's degree and a doctorate in public administration and policy from Virginia Commonwealth 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.

Online Articles That May Be of Interest to JBHE Readers

Each week, JBHE will provide links to online articles that may be of interest to our readers. Here are this week’s selections.

Recent Books 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. The books included are on a wide variety of subjects and present many different points of view.

Johnson C. Smith University President Announces His Retirement

Ronald L. Carter, the 13th president of Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, North Carolina, announced that he will step down at the end of the 2016-17 academic year. Dr. Carter has led the university since 2008.

In Memoriam: James Alan McPherson, 1943-2016

In 1978, Professor McPherson was the first African American to win the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. At the time of his death he was professor emeritus at the Iowa Writers' Workshop.

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