Monthly Archives: November 2021
In Memoriam: Millie Louise Bown Russell, 1926-2021
The granddaughter of enslaved African Americans, Dr. Russell was the first Black student to enroll in the medical technology program at Seattle University. She earned a bachelor's degree in biology from the university in 1948 and later had a long career as an administrator and lecturer at the University of Washington.
University of Pittsburgh Adds Large Group of Black Faculty
The University of Pittsburgh has announced a large group of new Black faculty members who comprise the first cohort of its Race and Social Determinants of Equity, Health, & Well-Being Cluster Hire Initiative.
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.
Baylor University Opens Its New Black Gospel Archive & Listening Center
The centerpiece of the Black Gospel Archive & Listening Center is a sound isolation pod, which features high-end audio equipment and a full keyboard for researchers who want to play along with sheet music or recordings from the collection.
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 Alabama’s New Program Seeks to Increase Diversity in the Real Estate Industry
The Career Opportunities in Real Estate initiative is an eight-week online credentialing course consisting of eight modules featuring live and self-paced real estate career content, as well as professional development resources, soft skills training, and access to life coaching.
No Progress Over the Past Decade in Diversifying Surgical Faculty at U.S. Medical Schools
Researchers used data from 140 U.S. medical schools to assess trends from 2011 to 2020. They found that diversity was greater among medical students than among faculty. The data showed that faculty from all underrepresented groups remained unchanged at about 11 percent.
Marcus Jones Is the First Black President of Northwestern State University in Louisiana
Before being named interim president in July 2021, Jones was executive vice president and chief operating officer for the University of Louisiana System. He was executive vice president for university and business affairs at Northwestern State from 2017 to 2020 and has been a faculty member since 1994.
Study Finds Everyday Exposure to Police May Be Harmful to the Mental Health of Black Youth
“While there has been growing attention toward the deaths of Black Americans by police, less focus is being given to the everyday, routine encounters that Black youth have with police,” said lead author Monique Jindal.
The First African Woman to Win the African Studies Association’s Distinguished Africanist Award
Oyèrónkẹ́ Oyěwùmí is a professor of sociology in the College of Arts and Sciences at Stony Brook University in New York. In the 38-year history of the honor, she is the first African woman to win the Distinguished Africanist Award. More than half the recipients have been White men.
Are Black Athletes Returning to Play Too Soon After Suffering a Concussion?
A new study led by researchers at the Vanderbilt Sports Concussion Center and the University of Alabama found that for athletes competing in middle school, high school, and college sports, Black athletes reported a shorter time between injury and symptom resolution and spent fewer days out of school than their White peers.
Three Colleges and Universities Announce the Appointment of African American Deans
Hasan C. Crockett is the new dean of liberal arts and humanities at Livingstone College in Salisbury, North Carolina. Jennifer Faison Kelly is the new dean of the School of Education at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio, and Johannah Williams has been hired as the dean of the STEM Division at Nashville State Community College.
Five Black Scholars Who Are Taking on New Roles at Major Universities
The five Black faculty members taking on new duties are Judith Green McKenzie at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Frederick Evans at South Carolina State University, Jennifer Swann at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Ruth Opara at Syracuse University in New York, and Bocar Ba at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.
Good News! Accrediting Agency Moves Wilberforce University Off of Probation Status
The university was placed on probation in June 2018 when it was determined to be out of compliance with Higher Learning Commission’s Criteria for Accreditation and was granted an extension based on the accrediting agency's temporary emergency COVID-19 policy.
Four African Americans Who Have Been Named to New Administrative Positions in Higher Education
Taking on new administrative duties are Jeffery T. Burgin Jr. at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Penya M. Moses Grambling State University in Louisiana, Timothy Thomas at the Peralta Community College District in Oakland, California, and Terri Stewart at Colgate University in Hamilton, New York.
Historically Black Savannah State University in Georgia Signs Two New Partnership Agreements
Historically Black Savannah State University in Georgia has entered into an agreement with Augusta Technical College to allow for an easy transition to Savannah State. The university also has established a dual degree program with the South University School of Pharmacy.
University of Pennsylvania’s Elijah Anderson Wins the 2021 Stockholm Prize in Criminology
The Stockholm Prize in Criminology is an international prize established under the aegis of the Swedish Ministry of Justice. First awarded in 2006, the prize recognizes outstanding achievements in criminological research or the application of research results to reduce crime and advance human rights.
Delaware State University to Open an Early Childhood Innovation Center on Campus
In partnership with the state Department of Education and Department of Health and Social Services, Delaware State University will use $30.6 million in state funding to support the construction and launch of the Early Childhood Innovation Center, invest in Delaware's childcare workforce, and expand access to affordable childcare for Delaware families in need.
Four African Americans Who Have Been Hired as Diversity Administrators in Higher Education
Taking on new roles related to diversity in higher education are Linwood B. Whitten at Alabama State University, Jerima DeWese at Queens College of the City University of New York, Aswad Allen at California State University, San Marcos, and Diane Forbes Berthoud at the University of Maryland, Baltimore.
In Memoriam: Teresa Ann Miller, 1962-2021
Teresa A. Miller was senior vice chancellor for strategic initiatives and chief diversity officer for the State University of New York. Earlier, Miller was a tenured professor of law at the University at Buffalo, specializing in immigration law, criminal procedure, and prisoner law.
Reginald DesRoches Will Be the Eighth President of Rice University in Houston
The will of oil tycoon William Marsh Rice stipulated that only White students would be allowed to enroll at the university bearing his name. From its founding in 1912 to 1965, no Black student was permitted to enroll at Rice University. Next summer, the university will install its first Black president.
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.
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.
The Late Congressman John Lewis Honored by the University of California, Santa Cruz
The University of California, Santa Cruz has announced that College Ten — an undergraduate residential learning community founded on principles of social justice and community — will be named in honor of the late congressman and civil rights icon John R. Lewis.
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.
Serena Eley Wins Award for Scholarship, Mentoring, and Service in the Field of Physics
Serena Eley, an assistant professor of physics at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colorado, studies the dynamics of vortices in superconductors and skyrmions (nanoscale whirlpools of magnetic moments) in magnetic materials.
The Higher Education of the Next Lieutenant Governor of Virginia
On Tuesday, November 2, voters in the Commonwealth of Virginia elected Winsome Sears to the position of lieutenant governor. She will be the first woman and the first African American to hold the office in the 400-year history of the Commonwealth.
Are Admissions Lotteries a Good Way to Boost Racial Diversity in Higher Education Enrollments?
The current research found that using minimum lottery thresholds for GPA and standardized tests, both together and separately, the participation of students of color and low-income students dropped precipitously, in some models to levels below 2 percent of the entering class.
The American Psychological Association Apologizes for Its Past History of Racism
The apology began by stating that "the American Psychological Association failed in its role leading the discipline of psychology, was complicit in contributing to systemic inequities, and hurt many through racism, racial discrimination, and denigration of people of color."
Teenagers Largely Reflect Their Parents Views on Race
Researchers found that on some issues, partisan gaps among teens were larger — though not much larger — than those among adults. This larger gap is mainly driven by teenagers from Republican families having on average more right-leaning perceptions than their parents.
Samuel Mukasa Is the New Provost at SUNY’s College of Environmental Science and Forestry
Dr. Mukasa is the former dean of the College of Science and Engineering at the University of Minnesota and former dean of the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences and Eric J. Essene Professor of Geochemistry at the University of New Hampshire.
Study Finds Persisting Racial Inequality in Access to Financial Services and Credit
The Brookings Institution study finds that there are stark contrasts in access to credit for African Americans: Interest rates on business loans, bank branch density, local banking concentration in the residential mortgage market, and the growth of local businesses are markedly different in majority Black neighborhoods.
Vanderbilt University’s Renã Robinson Is Leading a National Organization of Black Chemists
Renã A.S. Robinson, associate professor of chemistry and Dorothy J. Wingfield Phillips Chancellor Faculty Fellow at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, has been named president of the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE).
University of the District of Columbia Adds Three New Administrators
Roy Layne was appointed chief financial officer. Stephan A. Byam is the new associate vice president of information technology and Charles M. Sutton was named director of Title III programs at the university.
Four Black Faculty Members Who Are Taking on New Assignments
The four Black scholars in new roles are Nathaniel Wright at Texas Tech University, Yolanda Cooper at Case Western Reserve University, Kerry Lee at Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania, and Andia Augustin-Billy at Centenary College of Louisiana in Shreveport.
