
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.
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.
Taking on new positions in higher education relating to diversity are Russell T. Griffin at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida, Adrienne Morgan at the University of Rochester in New York, Karin Lee at the University of Alabama, and Kathy Goodridge-Purnell at Southern Adventist University in Collegedale, Tennessee.
The four new deans are Tracey Weldon at the University of South Carolina, Jelani Cobb at Columbia Journalism School in New York City, Stacy L. Jones at the University of Alabama, and James Sattrfeld Jr. at Boise State University in Idaho.
Honorée Fanonne Jeffers, a professor of English at the University of Oklahoma and author of five poetry collections, was the winner in the fiction category of the National Book Critics Circle Awards. She was honored for her novel The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois.
In 1956, Autherine Lucy enrolled in a graduate program in education at the University of Alabama. She was the university’s first Black student. Angry protests by White students ensued. She was suspended three days later “for her own safety” and she was later expelled.
Graves Hall, honoring former Governor Bibb Graves, a Grand Cyclops of the KKK, was renamed Lucy-Graves Hall to also honor Autherine Lucy the first Black student at the university. After an outcry that Lucy’s name should not be joined with the name of a KKK leader, the university renamed the building Autherne Lucy Hall.
The board of trustees of Miles College in Fairfield, Alabama, has voted to extend the contract of President Bobbie Knight through May 2024. Knight was originally selected to serve as interim president of the college beginning September 1, 2019. She was named permanent president of the college in March 2020.
According to published reports, the president of Alpha Phi sorority wrote to group chat members, “I’m gonna yack, it smells so bad in here,” referring to the atmosphere in a local bar. Another member agreed, before another member wrote, “cigs, weed, and black girl.”
Jinx Coleman Broussard, the Bart R. Swanson Endowed Memorial Professor in the Manship School of Mass Communication at Louisiana State Univerity, has been selected as the 2021 Bruce K. Berger Educator Honoree from the Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations. The center is housed at the University of Alabama.
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.
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.
Dr. Anthony has been serving as interim president at the college since September 2020. Prior to her appointment as interim president, Dr. Anthony was interim vice chancellor for student success for the Alabama Community College System.
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.
Dr. Schnavia Smith Hatcher has been serving as director of the School of Social Work at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Earlier, Dr. Hatcher was the founding director of the Center for African American Studies at the University of Texas at Arlington from 2012 to 2016.
For the past 8 years, Dr. Fulton has served as dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and professor of history, humanities, and languages at the University of Houston–Downtown. Earlier, she taught at the University of Alabama.
She has been serving as interim president since August 2019. President Knight is the former vice president of the Birmingham division of Alabama Power and the former chair of the Birmingham Airport Authority.
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.
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.
Kofi Agawu, the Hughes-Professor of Music at Princeton University and Robert Stepto, the John M. Schiff Professor of English and Professor of African American Studies at Yale University have retired. Jamie Riley, dean of students at the University of Alabama, has resigned.
Knight has served on the college’s board of trustees and is the former vice president of the Birmingham division of Alabama Power. She has been serving as chair of the Birmingham Airport Authority. She will begin her duties as interim president on September 1.
The honorees are Anita Hill, a professor at Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts, Barbara Lofton of the College of Business at the University of Arkansas, and Steve D. Mobley an assistant professor of education at the University of Alabama.
Dr. Evans serves as provost and vice president for academic affairs at Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, Texas. Earlier in her career, she served as associate dean and department chair at the University of Texas at San Antonio.
The honorees are Mercy Mumba of the College of Nursing at the University of Alabama, Paulette Brown Bracey, professor of library science at North Carolina Central University, and LaDelle Olion, professor of special education at Fayetteville State Univeraity in North Carolina.
Dr. Riley was the executive director and chief operating officer of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. Earlier in his career, he held student affairs and diversity and inclusion posts, as well as faculty positions at a number of colleges and universities.
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.
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.
Gina Carter-Simmers, the general manager of the public radio station operated by Jackson State University in Mississippi, died late last month after a two-year battle with breast cancer. After her diagnosis of triple-negative breast cancer, Carter-Simmers became a staunch advocate for breast cancer survivors.
The four Black men taking on new roles are Kemi Fuentes-George at Middlebury College in Vermont, Vokay Addoh at the University of Mississippi, Richard Benson at Spelman College in Atlanta, and Andre R. Denham at the University of Alabama.
A new study led by researchers at Iowa State University, the University of Alabama, and the University of Utah examines the experiences of Black men in doctoral programs in engineering. The study found that for Black men in these graduate degree programs, race was a greater obstacle than they expected.
Fanonne Jeffers, a tenured full professor of creative writing at the University of Oklahoma, will receive the honor during a gala dinner at the Alabama Writers Symposium in Monroeville, Alabama, on April 19.
Trudier Harris, University Distinguished Research Professor of English at the University of Alabama, received the Clarence C. Cason Award in Nonfiction Writing from the journalism department at the university for her body of work on women and Black southern writers.
A White woman student from New Jersey at the University of Alabama was expelled from the educational institution after she posted racist videos on social media.
Angela K. Lewis, professor of political science at the University of Alabama Birmingham, has been selected to serve as chair of the department of political science and public administration at the university.
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.
Dr. Dunning was named interim president of Albany State University in 2013 and was hired on a permanent basis in 2015. He successfully presided over the university during its merger with Darton State College.
Professor Charles Ogletree is having an endowed chair named in his honor at Harvard Law School. Jawole Willa Jo Zollar of Florida State University was honored for lifetime achievement in dance and Trudier Harris of the University of Alabama has honored for being the first tenured Black faculty member at the College of William and Mary.