Monthly Archives: February 2019

First African-American Graduate of Oklahoma State University Honored With Life-Size Statue

Nancy Randolph Davis, the first African-American student to attend what was then Oklahoma A&M College, has been honored with a life-size sculpture outside the College of Human Sciences at Oklahoma State University.

The University of the Virgin Islands Becomes First HBCU to Provide Free Tuition

In order to receive free tuition, students will need to have a 2.5 grade point average and be a resident of the Virgin Islands. Additionally, they will have to take part in community service projects within seven years of graduating.

Four Black Women Appointed to Positions as Deans

Appointed to dean posts are Adrienne C. Webber at Grambling State University in Louisiana, Tameka Angela Harper at Tuskegee University in Alabama, Enku Gelaye at Emory University in Alabama, and Valerie Ashby at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.

North Carolina A&T State University Establishes Three New Centers of Excellence

The three centers will conduct research in cybersecurity, advanced manufacturing, and entrepreneurship and innovation. Interim directors have been named for the three new centers. Two of the interim directors are African Americans.

Jamel Brinkley Wins the 2018 Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence

The award recognizes the outstanding work of rising African-American fiction writers. Brinkley's book is a collection of nine short stories set in familiar places from his childhood, Brooklyn and the South Bronx. The author is the Wallace Stegner Fellow in Fiction at Stanford University.

Syracuse University College of Law Partners with Three HBCUs to Increase Student Diversity

Students completing the program will receive a bachelor's degree from an HBCU and a juris doctorate from the College of Law at Syracuse University.

New Administrative Appointments in Higher Education for Five African Americans

Taking on new oles are Shakenna K. Williams at Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts, Fatima Rodriguez Johnson at Canisius College in Buffalo, DeIrish Moss at Florida International University, Wendy Wilson at Albany State University in Georgia, and Dwala Tooms at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.

In Memoriam: Manderline W. Scales, 1927-2019

After 20 years in the public schools of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Dr. Scales joined the staff at historically Black Winston-Salem State University. She served as dean of women, director of student affairs and assistant vice chancellor of student affairs and development.

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.

University of Arkansas Names Residence Halls After Its First African American Faculty Members

Dr. Margaret Clark began her teaching career at the University of Arkansas in 1969 and taught world languages and education. Dr. Gordon Morgan was hired as an assistant professor in the department of sociology in 1969 and eventually worked his way up to the rank of University Professor.

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.

Saint Elmo Brady Honored With a National Historical Chemical Landmark

Professor Brady was the first African American to earned a Ph.D. in chemistry. He will be honored with plaques at the University of Illinois, where he earned his doctorate, and at schools where he served on the faculty: Fisk University, Tuskegee University, Howard University, and Tougaloo College.

In Memoriam: David Williams II, 1947-2019

Williams was the first African American to serve as a vice chancellor at Vanderbilt. He also was the first African American to serve as an athletics director in the Southeastern Conference. Profesor Williams had also taught at the university's law school since 2000.

Purdue Graduate to Lead Agricultural Workshops at Universities in the Republic of Cameroon

A former Purdue University student, Scott Massey, has received his second Mandela Washington Fellowship that he will use to provide Cameroonian farmers vital information on developing and incorporating innovative farming practices into their work.

Study Finds No Evidence of Bias in First Stage of the NIH Grant Review Process

A new study from researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has found that bias towards women and Black scientists is unlikely in the initial phase of the process the National Institutes of Health uses to review applications for grants.

Seven Black Scholars in the U.S. From Foreign Nations Have Been Awarded Rhodes Scholarships

There are 16 international Rhodes Scholars who are attending or have recently graduated from American colleges and universities. Out of the 16 international scholars at American educational institutions who have been awarded Rhodes Scholarships, seven are Black.

Study Finds Black School Students With Disabilities Are More Likely to Be Suspended or Expelled

The researchers found that Black girls with disabilities had the highest rate of overrepresentation in-school suspension and out-of-school suspension. Black boys experienced a greater representation in in-school suspension.

Fayetteville State University in North Carolina Names Its New Provost

Dr. Pam Jackson has been on the staff at the university for almost 13 years and has been serving as interim provost since December 2017. Earlier, she was dean of the of College of Business and Economics at Fayetteville State University.

Study Finds People Believe Themselves to Be Less Racist Than Is Actually the Case

The research team surveyed participants and asked if they had ever participated in various racist activities. Several months later, the participants were provided with a list of racist behaviors that purportedly were done by a fellow student but were in fact based on the participants own behavior.

Adrienne Cooper Appointed Provost at Florida Memorial University

Most recently, Dr. Cooper has served as associate provost at Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Florida. Earlier in her career, she served on the staff at the University of South Carolina, Florida A&M University, and South Carolina State University.

In Memoriam: Faye Elizabeth Coleman, 1940-2019

Faye Elizabeth Coleman joined the faculty at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, in 1978 as an assistant professor. In 1980, she became director for the graduate program in medical laboratory sciences for students in several diagnostic professions. She retired in 2016.

Gregory Howard to Lead the School of Theology at Virginia Union University in Richmond

Dr. Howard is senior pastor of the First Baptist Church East End in Newport News. He also serves as president of the Baptist General Convention of Virginia with a membership of more than 1,000 churches and nearly 30 associations.

Senators Introduce Bill to Strengthen Partnerships Between Federal Agencies and HBCUs

The new bipartisan legislation will require federal agencies with relevant grants and programs to undertake annual planning and coordinate their efforts to support and expand HBCU participation in those programs.

Five African American Scholars Taking on New Assignments in Higher Education

Taking on new roles are Gloria Boutte at the University of South Carolina, Katherine Jolly at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Ohio, Cedric M. Bright at East Carolina University, Ulysses Owens Jr. at Edward Waters College in Jacksonville, and Allan Richards of the University of Kentucky.

Clyde Hoey Was a Racist Whose Name Still Adorns a Building at North Carolina Central University

Two years ago students at North Carolina Central University called for the university's board of trustees to change the official name of the Hoey Administration Building on campus. Hoey was a White supremacist who served as governor and U.S. Senator. The board of trustees has not voted to make a change.

Two African American Women Honored With Notable Awards

Berenecea J. Eanes, vice president for student affairs at California State University, Fullerton, was honored by NASPA-Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education and Talitha M. Washington, associate professor of mathematics at Howard University won the Black Engineer of the Year STEM Innovator Award.

Hampton Receives Top Classification from Carnegie Classifications of Institutions of Higher Education

In order to receive this prestigious classification, institutions must award at least 20 research/scholarship doctoral degrees and must also have at least $5 million in total research expenditures through the National Science Foundation Higher Education Research & Development Survey.

A Half Dozen African Americans Taking on New Administrative Duties at Colleges and Universities

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.

Three African American Men Appointed to Public Safety Posts in Academia

Anthony Purcell of the University of Alabama at Birmingham has been elected president of the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies. Xavier Redmond at Mississippi Valley State University and Marc R. Partee at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania will head up university public safety departments.

Controversy Over Race Erupts at American Library Association Meeting

A scholarly communications librarian at New York University states that she was verbally abused by a White colleague at the winter meetings of the American Library Association. The librarian stated that the organization warned her not to publicize the incident on social media.

Eastern Virginia Medical School to Investigate Racist Photos in Yearbooks

Following the revelation that Virginia Governor Ralph Northam had a photograph of a student in blackface and another student in a Ku Klux Klan costume on his 1984 yearbook page, the Eastern Virginia Medical School announced it would investigate how this could have happened.

In Memoriam: Feleta Wilson, 1945-2019

Dr. Wilson, an associate professor of nursing at Wayne State University in Detroit, focused her academic research on patient education and patient health literacy to reduce health disparities and inequities in vulnerable populations.

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.

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.

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