Monthly Archives: December 2017
Ten African Americans Selected as Rhodes Scholars
In the past, the Rhodes Trust did not disclose the race or ethnicity of the scholars selected. But this year the Rhodes Trust stated in its press release that there were "10 African-Americans, the most ever elected in a U.S. Rhodes class."
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.
The Digital Divide May Be Contributing to the Racial Gap in Health Disparities
Scientists at the University of Kansas are studying the barriers keeping low-income African-American older adults from adopting technology and seeking health information online. They found that digital literacy skills represented more of a barrier to online healthcare resources than access to digital technology.
University of Chicago Honors a Pioneering African American Alumna
The University of Chicago recently unveiled a bust of Georgiana Rose Simpson that sits on a pedestal in the Reynolds Club, the student center on campus. Dr. Simpson is widely considered as the first African American woman to earn a Ph.D.
Higher Education Grants or Gifts of Interest to African Americans
Here is this week’s news of grants or gifts to historically Black colleges and universities or for programs of particular interest to African Americans in higher education.
University of Maryland Outlines New Procedures for Dealing With Incidents of Hate or Bias
The new protocol is aimed at ensuring a coordinated response, providing support to impacted community members and guaranteeing transparency with the campus community. The university’s Office of Diversity & Inclusion will hire a hate-bias response coordinator to assist with these efforts.
Colby College President’s House Named to Honor a Former Slave
Samuel Osbourne, born into slavery in Virginia in 1833, came to Maine after the Civil War and served as a janitor at the college for 37 years. His daughter was the first African American woman to graduate from Colby College.
Two HBCUs Will Participate in the Diversifying Art Museum Leadership Initiative
The art museums at Clark Atlanta University and Fisk University in Nashville, will receive grants from the Ford Foundation and the Walton Family Foundation for programs to foster greater diversify in museum leadership positions.
African American Presence Among Study Abroad Students Continues to Rise
According to new data from the Institute of International Education, 325,339 American students studied at foreign institutions of higher education during the 2015-16 academic year. Of these, 5.9 percent were African Americans. A decade earlier, only 3.5 percent of study abroad students were African Americans.
Larry Robinson Appointed the 12th President of Florida A&M University
Dr. Robinson has been serving as interim president of the university, a role he had taken on twice before. Over the years, he has served in a number of posts including provost and vice president of academic affairs and director of the Environmental Sciences Institute.
How Medical Research Can Widen Racial Health Disparities
African-Americans are three times as likely to be diagnosed and two times more likely than White Americans to die from multiple myeloma. Yet, most scientific research on the disease has been based on people of European descent.
Stanford University Student Wins the Jamaican Rhodes Scholarship
Jelani Munroe, a recent graduate of Stanford University, was awarded the Jamaican Rhodes Scholarship for 2018. Beginning this fall, he will study for a master's degree in development studies at Oxford University.
Major Study Finds Racial Gap in Tobacco Use and Tobacco-Related Health Disparities
Smoking cigarettes and the use of other tobacco products had declined significantly in the United States over the past several decades. But tobacco-related health disparities persist for African Americans and other ethnic groups.
Oregon State to Rename Buildings So as Not to Honor Those Who Supported Slavery
Edward Ray, president of Oregon State University in Corvallis, has announced that the university will change the names of three buildings on campus because the people for whom the buildings have been named had expressed support for the institution of slavery.
In Memoriam: Joseph L. White, 1932-2017
Often referred to as the Father of Black Psychology, Joseph L. White taught at the University of California, Irvine from 1969 to 1994.
Fayetteville State University Makes Appointment to an Endowed Chair
Fayetteville State University, the historically Black educational institution in North Carolina, has announced that Ron Carter has been named the Felton J. Capel Professor of Performing and Fine Arts at the university.
New Administrative Positions in Higher Education for Four African Americans
The appointees are Shontay Delalue at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, Julius Korley at the University of Delaware, Kevin Marbury at the University of Oregon, and Tineke Battle at Pennsylvania State University.
A New Faculty Development Initiative Debuts at the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff
The goal of the faculty development initiative is to encourage faculty members to make changes to their teaching styles with a strong sense of the knowledge of how both themselves and the learners will benefit from enhanced learning opportunities.
Stretch of Interstate 85 in North Carolina Named to Honor John Hope Franklin
Now, nearly nine years after the death of one of the most prolific and respected historians of the twentieth century, a section of Interstate 85 near Durham, North Carolina, has been designated the Dr. John H. Franklin Highway.
A Shake-Up in Student Affairs at Elizabeth City State University
Elizabeth City State University in North Carolina announced that it has dismissed Nolan Davis as senior associate vice chancellor for student affairs. Valerie L. Holmes, associate vice chancellor of student affairs, will lead the division until an interim director is named.
Four African American Women Taking on New Faculty Roles
The four Black women appointed to new faculty positions are LaShanda Korley at the University of Delaware, Alison Curseen at Boston College, Sonya Clark at Virginia Commonwealth University, and Rizvana Bradley at Yale University.
