Monthly Archives: August 2022

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.

Test-Optional Policies Have Helped Boost Black Admission Rates at the University of California

This year, 4,855 Black students were admitted to one of the nine undergraduate campuses. This was 56.2 percent of all Black students who applied. For Whites, the admittance rate was similar at 56.8 percent. Two years ago, when standardized test scores were still required, Whites were accepted at a rate that was 11 percentage points higher than the rate for Blacks.

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.

West Liberty University Board Votes to End the Tenure of the University’s First Black President

In January 2021, W. Franklin Evans took over as the 37th president of West Liberty University in West Virginia. Dr. Evans was the first African-American president in the university’s then 183-year history. Just 20 months later, the university's board of trustees voted not to renew his contract.

University of North Carolina to Erect a Memorial for a Black Man Murdered on Campus in 1970

On November 21, 1970, James L. Cates Jr., a 22-year-old Black man from the Chapel Hill community, was stabbed outside the Student Union on the campus of the University of North Carolina. He bled to death in the heart of campus though the hospital was just down the road.

The Undergraduate Institutions That Produce the Most Black Doctoral Degree Recipients

From 2010 to 2020, nearly 22,000 Blacks earned doctorates from U.S. colleges and universities. The new NSF report finds that Howard University in Washington, D.C., produced the most undergraduates that went on to earn a doctoral degree during the period with a total of 403. More than one quarter of all Blacks who went on to earn doctorates were graduates of HBCUs.

An Abrupt Change in Leadership at Fisk University in Nashville

With the academic year in its infancy, the board of trustees of historically Black Fisk University in Nashville announced that Vann R. Newkirk was removed as president, effective immediately. No reason was given for Dr. Newkirk's departure. Charles Sims the chair of the board of trustees was named acting president.

The Burden of Student Loan Debt Impacts the Mental Health of Many African Americans

Black students are more likely to borrow, borrow more, and are more likely to struggle with repayment than their White peers. Twelve years after starting college, the typical Black borrower owes 13 percent more than they originally borrowed and has paid down none of their balance, while the typical White borrower has successfully paid down 35 percent of their original loan balance.

A Trio of African American Women Who Have Been Appointed Provosts

Barbara J. Johnson is the new executive vice president and provost at Talladega College in Alabama. Nicola Blake was appointed interim provost at Guttman Community College in New York City and Yolanda W. Page was appointed provost and vice president for academic affairs at Savannah State University in Georgia.

Exposure to Lead-Based Paint Is Still Impacting the Racial Gap in Educational Progress

Lead-based paint was banned in the United States in 1978. But people who live in the nation's older housing stock - primarily those in impoverished urban areas still are at high risk of exposure to lead-based paint. Studies have shown that exposure to lead can have a significant negative impact on the cognitive abilities of young children.

Health Issues Force Wiley College President to Take a Leave of Absence

Herman Felton Jr., president of Wiley College in Marshall, Texas, announced that he is scaling back his duties on campus due to ongoing health issues. He was diagnosed with a blood infection but is expected to make a full recovery and be back at his job full time in a short time.

A Trio of African American Women Who Have Been Appointed Provosts

Barbara J. Johnson is the new executive vice president and provost at Talladega College in Alabama. Nicola Blake was appointed interim provost at Guttman Community College in New York City and Yolanda W. Page was appointed provost and vice president for academic affairs at Savannah State University in Georgia.

Five Black Scholars Who Have Been Appointed to New Faculty Positions

The five Black scholars in new faculty posts are Amanda McLeroy at the University of Rochester in New York, Jabari Asim at Emerson College in Boston, Tara T. Green at the University of Houston, Dawn Bragg at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, and Erik Carpenter in the College of Visual Arts at California State University, Fullerton.

Fourteen Historically Black Colleges and Universities Receive Ronald E. McNair Grants

The Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program provides grants to universities and colleges for projects designed to provide disadvantaged college students with effective preparation for doctoral studies. Among the 189 grantees are 14 HBCUs.

Seven African Americans in New Administrative Roles in Higher Education

Taking on new administrative duties are Shana Lassiter at Duke University, Britney Smith at Fort Valley State University in Georgia, Sama A. Mondeh at Talladega College in Alabama, Jasmine Young at Howard University, Jovan Alexander Wilson at North Carolina Central University, Mame Ndiaye at Ithaca College in New York, and Phanalphie Rhue at Bennett College in North Carolina.

New Branding for Drake State Community & Technical College in Alabama

Historically Black Drake State Community & Technical College in Huntsville, Alabama, is starting the new academic year with a fresh look – a new logo. The new tagline – Reimagine Your Future – supports the message that Drake State is committed to helping students create a career path tailored for them.

Princeton’s Neuroscientist Bradley Dickerson Wins a McKnight Scholar Award

Dr.Dickerson's research investigates how the fruit fly uses feedback from its wings and specialized organs to both maintain stable flight and rapidly maneuver when navigating through complex environments, and how this process plays out at neural and whole-body scales.

Alcorn State Partners With the University of Southern Mississippi to Combat Nursing Shortage

Alcorn State and the University of Southern Mississippi are creating new enrollment pathways to bachelor's degree nursing programs and to create the Rural Health Scholars Program. The program’s purpose is to increase the number of doctoral-prepared nursing faculty from diverse backgrounds; prepare nursing scientists to improve rural health outcomes and improve the health of the communities surrounding Alcorn State.

Four African Americans Taking on Diversity Roles at Colleges and Universities

The new diversity officers are Ufuoma C. Abiola at Princeton University Library, Donald Jaamal at Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Karen Nelson at Herzig University in Milwaukee, and Pamela Ross-McClain at Delta College in Frankenlust Township, Michigan.

In Memoriam: Terrance Dean, 1968-2022

Before joining the faculty at Denison University in 2019, Dr. Dean was a journalist and an executive for the MTV network. Earlier this year, he was named the inaugural Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson Scholar-in- Residence at the Columbus Museum of Art.

In Memoriam: Dorothy Louise Christel White Smith, 1939-2202

Dr. Smith taught at Long Beach City College, Grossmont Community College, San Diego City College, and San Diego State University. Dr. Smith also was appointed, then elected, to the Board of Education in 1981, becoming the first Black woman ever to be elected to public office in San Diego.

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.

UCLA Law School Project Tracks Anti-Critical Race Theory Efforts Nationwide

The law school’s CRT Forward Tracking Project is the first in the United States to precisely identify, catalog, and contextualize these efforts at the local, state, and federal levels.

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.

The Center for the Study of African American Preaching Established at Anderson University

The Center for the Study of African American Preaching at Anderson University in South Carolina will have two missions: developing significant new scholarship regarding the use of preaching in the Black church and creating a publicly available online library of audio recordings of well-known African American preachers.

George Grant Jr. Will Be the Next President of Saginaw Valley State University in Michigan

When he takes office on December 1, Dr. Grant will be the first person of color to lead the university. Since January 2021, Dr. Grant has served as chancellor of Pennsylvania State University-Berks. Earlier, he was dean of the College of Community and Public Service at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan.

Why HBCU Medical Schools May Be Better for Aspiring Black Physicians

A new study by researchers at Harvard Medical School, the University of Central Arkansas, and Northwestern University, finds that Black medical students attending historically Black medical schools report a greater sense of belonging and greater confidence in their scholastic abilities than those in predominantly White medical schools.

Walter Kimbrough to Lead the Black Men’s Research Institute at Morehouse College

Dr. Kimbrough recently stepped down as president of Dillard University in New Orleans. He had led the university since July 2012. Earlier, Dr. Kimbrough was president of Philander Smith College in Little Rock, Arkansas.

New Report Examines The Disparate Impact of COVID-19 on Student Loan Debt for Blacks

A new study by the Center for Responsible Lending finds that women carry about two-thirds of the $1.7 trillion of federal student loan debt and Black women are more than twice as likely as White men to owe more than $50,000 in undergraduate student loan debt.

Melva K. Williams Is the New President of Huston-Tillotson University in Austin, Texas

Prior to coming to Huston-Tillotson University, Dr. Williams held numerous positions within the Southern University System in Louisiana including, executive associate to the chancellor, assistant vice chancellor and vice chancellor for student affairs and enrollment management at Southern University-Shreveport, vice chancellor at Southern University-New Orleans, and system chief of staff.

Study Finds Little Progress for African Americans in Academic Radiology

In academic radiology in 2019, Blacks were 3 percent of the assistant professors and 2 percent of the associate professors and full professors. The proportion of Black or African American department chairs was 5 percent in 2019. These percentages have not changed significantly since 2010.

Five African Americans Who Have Been Appointed to Dean Positions at Universities

The new deans are Ethel Scurlock at the University of Mississippi, Anthony Davis at Georgia State University, Corey Smith at Voorhees College in Denmark, North Carolina, Joi Spencer at the University of California, Riveraide, and Lisa Owens-Jackson at North Carolina A&T State University.

Four Black Scholars Who Are Taking on New Assignments

The four Black scholars n new faculty roles are Richard Price at Virginia Union University in Richmond, Pernella Rowena Deams at Talladega College in Alabama, Cynthia E. Rogers at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, and Omolade Adunbi at the Univerity of Michigan.

Jackson State University in Mississippi to Offer a Bachelor’s Degree Program in Public Health

Upon graduation, public health undergraduates can assume entry and middle-level positions as community health planners, first responders, epidemiologists, public policymakers, public health physicians, public health nurses, and occupational and safety professionals.

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