Monthly Archives: October 2020
Xavier University’s New African American and African Diasporic Cultures Studies Degree Program
The new program will allow the university's students to delve fully into the lived experiences of Black Americans and people of the African diaspora.
Five Black Scholars Taking on New Faculty Roles at Major Universities
Taking on new positions or roles are Sherman Jackson at the University of Southern California, Adji Bousso Dieng at Princeton University in New Jersey, John Dabiri at the California Institute of Technology, Frederick Douglas Dixon at the University of Wyoming, and Robyn Ridley at Wesleyan University in Connecticut.
Two HBCUs Partner to Improve Medical Care for an Underserved Region of North Carolina
Fayetteville State University in North Carolina, and Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee, have entered into an agreement that will address the need for providing quality medical care and skilled health care professionals in the Fayetteville region.
Jeanne Craig Sinkford Wins the Highest Award Given by the American College of Dentists
Dr. Sinkford was appointed associate dean at the Howard University College of Dentistry in 1967. In 1975, she broke the gender barrier when she was appointed dean of Howard University College of Dentistry, the first woman to lead a U.S. dental school. She served as dean from 1975 to 1991.
Grambling State University Teams Up With Louisiana Tech to Boost Diversity in Accounting
The partnership will offer undergraduate accounting students at historically Black Grambling State University in Louisiana to take advantage of an accelerated path into the master of accountancy program at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston.
Three African Americans in New Administrative Posts at Colleges and Universities
Jerome Tinker was named executive director for the Jackson State University Development Foundation. Tamara Williams has been appointed interim vice president for workforce solutions at Tidewater Community College and Valerie S. Fields was appointed vice president for student affairs at the University of Louisiana Monroe.
University of Virginia Takes Steps to Make its Campus a More Welcoming Place
Jim Ryan, president of the University of Virginia, stated that these "actions that will make this place more clearly and obviously welcoming to all, and where all have an opportunity to thrive.”
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.
HBCU Finally Removes the Names of a Ku Klux Klan Leader From a Residence Hall on Campus
Since 1929, Bibb Graves Hall on the campus of historically Black Alabama State University has honored a former governor and the Grand Cyclops of the Montgomery Klavern of the Ku Klux Klan.
National Science Foundation Teams Up With Nine Universities to Boost Diversity in STEM Faculty
The alliance will provide underrepresented minority doctoral and postdoctoral students training opportunities to learn and network at partner institutions, conduct research exchange visits, and access resources for placement into faculty positions.
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.
Penn State Men’s Basketball Coach Resigns After Investigation of “Noose” Remark
An internal investigation following a report that the coach told a Black player that he would "loosen the noose that's around your neck," uncovered new undisclosed allegations that led to the resignation.
For 50 Years, There Has Been No Progress in Closing The Black-White Median Income Gap
In 2019, the median Black household income was 59.7 percent of the median income of non-Hispanic White families. With only minor fluctuations, the racial gap in median income has remained virtually unchanged for more than a half-century.
Theresa B. Felder Selected as the Tenth President of Harford Community College in Maryland
Dr. Felder comes to Harford Community College from Clark State Community College in Springfield, Ohio, where she most recently served as the senior vice president for student success. Prior to this position, she was the vice president of student affairs and administrative dean for Clark State’s largest branch campus.
The Stubborn Racial Gap in Scores on the SAT College Entrance Examination
Some 54 percent of all Black students in the high school Class of 2020 who took the SAT College Entrance Examination did not meet the minimum benchmark in either reading or mathematics. For Whites, the figure was 19 percent.
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Names Its Next Chancellor
Dr. Thomas Gibson has been serving since 2016 as vice president for student affairs and vice provost at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. Previously, he was associate vice president of student affairs at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. Dr. Gibson will take on new duties in January.
Indiana University Study Finds Racial Disparity in the Discipline of Police Officers
A group of six management professors at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business conducted research that shows that in three major U.S. cities, Black police officers were more frequently disciplined for misconduct than White officers, despite an essentially equal number of allegations being leveled.
Three African Americans Who Have Been Appointed to Dean Positions
Shannon Mathews will be the next dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of La Verne in California. Rochelle Gilbert was appointed dean of student affairs at Walden University and Bruce A. Johnson is the new dean of mathematics and sciences at Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte.
Six African Americans Appointed to Diversity Posts at Colleges and Universities
The appointees are Sheldon D. Fields at Penn State, Deidre Hill Butler at Union College in New York, Belinda Robnett at the University of California, Santa Barbara, Sonia Rucker at Southeast Missouri State University, Franklin Ellis at Vanderbilt University, and Nahomi Carlisle at Bunker Hill Community College.
Morgan Stanley Pledges $12 Million for Scholarships at Three HBCUs
The program will provide full scholarships for HBCU students at Howard University in Washington, D.C., Morehouse College in Atlanta, and Spelman College in Atlanta. The program is designed to support the students' career skills and readiness to help set them on a life-long path to success.
Four Black Scholars Taking on New Faculty Roles
The four Black scholars in new posts are Brian K. Smith at Boston College, Zindell Richardson at the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry, Olufunmilayo Ayobami at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts, and Blessing Masasi at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.
Google to Train 20,000 HBCU Students to Enhance Their Digital Skills
The Thurgood Marshall College Fund is partnering with Google to launch the Grow with Google Career Readiness Program. The goal is to have 20 participating HBCUs by January and to have the program be available to all HBCUs by fall 2021.
Anderson Sunda-Meya Wins the Excellence in Physics Education Award
Anderson Sunda-Meya, the Norwood Endowed Professor of Physics and associate dean in the College of Arts and Sciences at Xavier University in New Orleans, has been awarded the 2021 Excellence in Physics Education Award from the American Physical Society.
New Program Seeks to Install New Field Turfs at Dozens of HBCUs
Willie Lanier, a former star of the National Football League's Kansas City Chiefs and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, has announced an initiative to install state-of-the-art playing surfaces at the football stadiums of nearly three-dozen historically Black colleges and universities.
A Trio of African Americans Taking on New Administrative Duties in Higher Education
Taking on new assignments are Dionne Hall at Fayetteville State University in North Carolina, Quinton Clay at Fontbonne University in St. Louis, and Dawn S. Booker at Bennett College in Greensboro, North Carolina.
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.
Duke University Receives Major Gift to Boost Faculty Diversity and Combat Racism
The $16 million grant from the Duke Endowment allocates $10.5 million toward recruiting and retaining diverse faculty and $5.5 million to support the university community’s understanding of historical and current racism, to combat racism, and to create a more inclusive environment.
University of Pennsylvania’s New Initiative to Preserve Black Heritage Sites
The University of Pennsylvania's Stuart Weitzman School of Design is launching a new initiative to advance the understanding and sustainable conservation of heritage sites relating to African American struggles for equality, from before the passage of the 14th Amendment to the present day.
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.
Former Assistant Dean at Millersville University in Pennsylvania Files Race Discrimination Lawsuit
The suit alleges severe harassment from her superiors, including leaving her out of important meetings, denying opportunities for advancement, being passed over for promotion, and interfering with an attempt to hire a Black student to assist her.
University of Oregon Mounts Effort to Boost Faculty Diversity
The five-year effort to create the new Center on Racial Disparities includes hiring 12 additional faculty members with research expertise in understanding and addressing racial disparities in areas such as health, education, housing, employment, and wealth.
In Memoriam: Jacqueline Rosemarie Satchell, 1968-2020
A native of Jamaica, Jacqueline Rosemarie Satchell was an assistant professor of medicine and a leading clinician-educator in the Yale Section of General Internal Medicine and Veterans Administration's Connecticut Healthcare System.
A Snapshot of Pre-Pandemic Black Enrollments in U.S. Graduate Schools
In the fall of 2019, Blacks were more than 18 percent of total first-time enrollments in graduate programs in public administration but only 4.5 percent of first-time graduate enrollments in physical sciences and 5.8 percent in engineering.
Saint Augustine’s University President Succumbs to the COVID-19 Virus
Irving Pressley McPhail, the twelfth president of Saint Augustine's University in Raleigh, North Carolina, died on October 14 from complications relating to the COVID-19 virus. He had taken office as president of the university in July of this year. Maria A. Lumpkin was named interim president.
