Tag: Fisk University

Fisk University to Offer a Bonus Master’s Degree Program to Students Who Graduate in Four Years

Historically Black Fisk University in Nashville has announced a new program in which students will graduate in four years and be automatically admitted to a master's degree program at the university. Tuition for their master's degree studies will be at half price.

A Long Overdue Honor for the Fisk Jubilee Singers

The Fisk Jubilee Singers were established in 1871 and have traveled the world raising money for the historically Black university, But until now the group had never won a Grammy Award. But this year they won Best Roots Gospel Album for "Celebrating Fisk! (The 150th Anniversary Album)."

Three Black Scholars Taking on New Positions at Colleges and Universities

Syd Carpenter was appointed to an endowed chair at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania. Tiffany Murphy, an associate professor at the University of Arkansas School of Law was named associate dean, and Oghenovo A. Obrimah is a new assistant professor of business administration at Fisk University in Nashville.

Vernell Bennett-Fairs Named the Thirteenth President of LeMoyne-Owen College in Memphis

Since 2016, Dr. Bennett-Fairs has been serving as vice president for student affairs at Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi. Earlier, she was vice president for student affairs at Kentucky State University.

Fisk University Partners With the American University of Antigua College of Medicine

Students from Fisk University will now be eligible for advanced admissions priority, an expedited application review, and grants/scholarships for those that attend the American University of Antigua for their medical education. 

A Sudden Change in Leadership at Fisk University in Nashville

Kevin D.  Rome Sr., president of Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee, was placed on leave after a man filed a restraining order against him. The Fisk University board of trustees immediately appointed Vann Newkirk, provost at Fisk, as acting president.

In Memoriam: John Robert Lewis, 1940-2020

Congressman Lewis was one of the original Freedom Riders. He chaired the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and was the youngest speaker at the March on Washington in 1963. In 1965 he was beaten on the Edmond Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama on Bloody Sunday.

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.

In Memoriam: Albert Nathaniel Whiting, 1917-2020

In 1966, Dr. Whiting was named the fourth president of what is now North Carolina Central University in Durham. He served the university for more than 15 years as president and chancellor.

In Memoriam: David Clyde Driskell, 1931-2020

In 1977, Driskell joined the faculty at the University of Maryland, College Park. He taught there until his retirement in 1998. In 2001, the university established the David C. Driskell Center for the Study of the Visual Arts and Culture of African Americans and the African Diaspora.

Five African Americans Who Have Been Appointed to University Administrative Positions

Appointed to new posts are Myron L. Pope at the University of Alabama, Olabisi Ladeji Okubadejo at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., Lisa McClinton at Elizabeth City State University in North Carolina, Keith McGee at Alcorn State University in Mississippi, and Bryant Nall at Fisk University in Nashville.

Fisk University Forms Partnership With Meharry Medical College

The partnership gives Fisk University students focused on a career as a physician or dentist a clearly specified pathway. Under the agreement, Fisk University undergraduate students who meet strict criteria will be admitted directly into medical or dental school at Meharry.

Professor Mildred Robinson Is Retiring After 47 Years of Teaching in Higher Education

Mildred Robinson is the Henry L. and Grace Doherty Charitable Foundation Professor of Law at the University of Virginia School of Law. Professor Robinson, who specializes in tax law, was the law school's first African American female tenured professor.

University of Memphis Creates Two Funds to Honor Frances and Benjamin Hooks

The Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change at the University of Memphis has created two endowed funds which will enable the Institute to further the work of social change championed by Benjamin L. Hooks and his wife Frances Dancy Hooks, two stalwarts of the civil rights struggle.

Roland Mitchell Named Dean of the College of Human Sciences and Education at LSU

Dr. Mitchell is the E.B “Ted” Robert Endowed Professor and has been serving as interim dean. Professor Mitchell joined the faculty at the university in 2005 and was named a full professor in 2018.

Four African Americans in New Teaching Roles at Colleges and Universities

Taking on new roles are Darren Gibson at Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri, CharLynda Williams-Devine at Fisk University in Nashville, Deanna Lawson at Princeton University in New Jersey, and Yannick Marshall at Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois.

Cheryl Evans Jones Named the 17th President of Paine College in Augusta, Georgia

Dr. Jones first joined the Paine College faculty in 1993 as an assistant professor of psychology. In 2014, she served as Paine’s acting provost and vice president for academic affairs. Dr. Jones has been serving as acting president of Paine College since July.

A Trio of African American Women Faculty Taking on New Roles

Tiffany A. Butler was named director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Amanda Wilkerson is a new assistant professor of higher education at the University of Central Florida and La Tanya Rogers was appointed associate professor of English and literature at Fisk University.

New Administrative Positions in Higher Education for Seven African Americans

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.

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.

Carol Johnson-Dean Will Be the New Leader of LeMoyne-Owen College in Memphis

Dr. Johnson-Dean has been serving as executive director of the Memphis chapter of New Leaders, a nonprofit organization that develops educators' leadership skills. Earlier, she led the public school systems in Memphis, Boston, and Minneapolis.

Fisk University Receives Approval for a Bachelor’s Degree Program in Homeland Security

In addition to existing Fisk faculty, practitioners from the Tennessee Department of Homeland Security will teach courses in the new program. The first cohort of students in the new degree program is expected to begin in the spring of 2020.

Cheryl Evans Jones Appointed Acting President of Paine College

Dr. Jones first joined the Paine College faculty in 1993 as an assistant professor of psychology. She later went on to become an associate professor and earned tenure. In 2014, she served as Paine's acting provost and vice president for academic affairs.

In Memoriam: Niara Sudarkasa, 1938-2019

In 1969, Dr. Sudarkasa joined the faculty at the University of Michigan. She was the first tenured African American faculty member at the university. In 1986, she was appointed the eleventh president of historically Black Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, and served in that role for 12 years.

Fisk University Launches New Bachelor’s Degree in Data Science

The new program in data science will consist of a multi-disciplinary curriculum made up of courses that teach students how scientific methods, processes, algorithms, and systems can be used to extract knowledge and insights from structured and unstructured data.

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.

Fisk University Forms Partnership to Improve Sustainability Efforts on Campus

For the first phase of the program, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation gave the university 47 recycling bins, helped the institution secure a grant to start a composting program, and partnered the university with local environmental groups to educate the community about sustainability.

Fisk University Launches New Degree Program In Data Science

Historically Black Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee, has announced the establishment of a new degree program in data science. According to the university, the new degree will be one of only few such programs in the state of Tennessee.

Maurice Edington Named Provost at Historically Black Florida A&M University

Dr. Edington had been serving as vice president of the Division of Strategic Planning Analysis and Institutional Effectiveness at the university since February 2017. Prior to that, he served as the university's founding dean of the College of Science and Technology from 2013 to 2017.

Vann Newkirk Named Provost at Historically Black Fisk University in Nashville

Dr. Newkirk most recently served as provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs and as a professor of history at Elizabeth City State University in North Carolina. Prior to that, he served as associate provost and dean of the graduate school at Alabama A&M University.

Clark Atlanta University’s Ronald E. Mickens Wins the 2018 Blackwell-Tapia Prize

Dr. Mickens is the Distinguished Fuller E. Callaway Professor in the department of physics at Clark Atlanta University. He is being honored for being a role model for mathematical scientists and students from underrepresented groups.

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.

Kentucky State University Extends the Contract of President M. Christopher Brown II

The board of regents of Kentucky State University has extended the contract of M. Christopher Brown II for four years through July 2022. The four-year extension is the maximum allowed by state law. Dr. Brown was appointed the 15th president of Kentucky State University in March 2017.

Esther Jones Will Be the Inaugural Dean of the Faculty at Clark University

Dr. Jones joined the faculty at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, in 2009 and held the E. Franklin Frazier Chair of African American Literature. She was also the inaugural director of the Africana studies program at the university.

New Administrative Posts for 13 African Americans in Higher Education

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.

Accreditation Agency Takes Action Affecting Five HBCUs

The Commission on College of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools recently made decisions affecting several historically Black colleges and universities in its jurisdiction.

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