In Memoriam: Bill Wilson, 1940-2019
Bill Wilson was the first African American elected to the city council in St. Paul, Minnesota, founder of the Higher Ground Academy, and former administrator at the University of Minnesota.
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Dec 31, 2019 | 0 comments
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The University of Minnesota’s Historical Ties to Slavery
In 1856, the university was struggling financially and received a loan of nearly $15,000 from William Aiken Jr., who at one time owned more than 700 slaves in South Carolina. This money helped build one of the first campus buildings, Old Main.
Nov 26, 2019 | 0 comments
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In Memoriam: Tracie Gibson
Dr. Gibson joined the staff at the University of Massachusetts in 2017. Before coming to Amherst, Dr. Gibson served on the faculty at the University of Texas-Permian Basin and later at the University of Missouri-Columbia.
Nov 01, 2019 | 0 comments
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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.
Oct 16, 2019 | 0 comments
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Three African Americans Appointed to Teaching Posts at Colleges and Universities
Taking on new teaching roles are LaTasha Moody-Love at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Billy R. Bennett at Bowie State University in Maryland, and Donna Hylton at Philander Smith College in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Sep 20, 2019 | 0 comments
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Dorcas Davis Bowles to Serve as Provost at Clark Atlanta University
Dr. Bowles served as provost at Clark Atlanta University from 2003 to 2008 and she served as dean of the university’s School of Social Work on three different occasions. Earlier in her career, Dr. Bowles was a professor and acting dean of the School of Social Work at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts.
Dec 31, 2018 | 2 comments
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University of Massachusetts’ New Fellows Program Aims to Boost Diversity in Its Graduate School
The Spaulding-Smith STEM Fellowship Program is named for Major Franklin Spaulding, the first African American to receive a Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts, and Elizabeth Hight Smith, who in 1905, was the first woman to earn a graduate degree at the university.
Aug 14, 2018 | 0 comments
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Scholar Looks to Improve Data Science for Analyzing the Language Used by African Americans
Su Lin Blodgett’s research is focused on improving English language parsing tools relating to words, phrases, and alternate spellings used by millions of African Americans on social media.
Aug 06, 2018 | 0 comments
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New Administrative Appointments for Seven African Americans at Colleges and Universities
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.
Aug 03, 2018 | 0 comments
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The New President of Greenfield Community College in Massachusetts
For the past two years, Dr. Salomon-Fernandez has served as president of Cumberland County College in Vineland, New Jersey. Earlier, she held several positions at Massachusetts Bay Community College in Wellesley Hills, including interim president.
Jul 23, 2018 | 0 comments
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University of Massachusetts Study Examines Workforce Diversity in Silicon Valley Firms
The report found that on average, Black men make up less than 1.5 percent of employees in professional, managerial, and executive posts. Black women are rare in all professional, management and executive jobs. There are 10 firms with no Black women at all.
Jul 02, 2018 | 0 comments
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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.
Jun 29, 2018 | 2 comments
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Notable Awards for Three African Americans
The honorees are Derron Wallace, an assistant professor at Brandeis University, Crystal A. George Mwangi, an assistant professor at the University of Massachusetts, and Clyde Kennard, the first Black student to seek admission at the University of Southern Mississippi.
May 28, 2018 | 0 comments
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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.
May 09, 2018 | 0 comments
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The Andrew Brimmer Collection at Harvard Is Now Available for Scholarly Research
Andrew F. Brimmer was a respected economist who was the first African American to serve as a governor of the Federal Reserve System. His massive archival collection of papers is now available for scholarly research at the library of Harvard Business School.
Mar 14, 2018 | 0 comments
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In Memoriam: Stephen W. Jefferson, 1950-2018
Dr. Jefferson taught at the University of Massachusetts from 1999 to 2013 and directed the undergraduate sport management program from 1999 to 2011.
Feb 28, 2018 | 0 comments
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University of Massachusetts Graduate School Launches Office of Inclusion and Engagement
The new office will develop initiatives designed to help students amplify the impact of their research, prepare for leadership positions, and broaden their career options. It will focus on recruitment, retention and success of graduate students from historically underrepresented populations.
Jan 10, 2018 | 0 comments
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Eight Black Americans Who Have Been Appointed to Administrative Posts 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.
Natasha Trethewey Wins the $250,000 Heinz Award in Arts and Humanities
Natasha Trethewey, the Board of Trustees Professor of English at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, has been selected to receive the Heinz Award in the Arts and Humanities. The award comes with an unrestricted $250,000 prize. She will be honored in Pittsburgh on October 18.
Sep 19, 2017 | 0 comments
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Seven Black Faculty Members in New Roles in Academia
They are: Melissa C. Thomas Hunt at Vanderbilt, Charkarra Anderson Lewis at the University of Southern Mississippi, Talitha Washington at Howard, Charmaine Royal at Duke, Tara T. Green at UNC-Greensboro, Alwyn Leiba at Miami Dade College, and Enobong Branch at the University of Massachusetts.
Aug 25, 2017 | 0 comments
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A Large Group of African Americans Who Are Taking on New University Administrative Roles
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.
The New Dean of Arts and Sciences at Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Jean King has been serving as vice provost for biomedical research at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester. Dr. King is also a professor of psychiatry, radiology, and neurology and director of the Center for Comparative Neuroimaging.
Jul 18, 2017 | 0 comments
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Three African American Men in New University Administrative Posts
Taking on new administrative duties are Kevin McDonald at the University of Missouri, Johnny P. Tooson at the University of Massachusetts, and James A. Felton III at the State University of New York-Cortland.
Three African American Scholars Appointed to Dean Positions
The appointees are Byron P. McCrae at Davidson College in North Carolina, Barbara Krauthamer at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and Vernon Hurte at Iowa State University.
May 09, 2017 | 0 comments
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J. Keith Motley to Step Down as Chancellor of the University of Massachusetts-Boston
Dr. Motley’s resignation comes at a time when the university is experiencing declining enrollment and has accumulated $30 million in debt. Protesters held a rally in front of the State House on Beacon Hill in Boston in support of Dr. Motley.
The University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth Names Its Next Chancellor
Since 2010, Robert E. Johnson has been president of Becker College in Worcester, Massachusetts. When he takes office, he will become the first African American to lead the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth campus.
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.
Mar 08, 2017 | 0 comments
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Sharon Davies Named the Next Provost at Spelman College in Atlanta
In 2015, Professor Davies was named vice provost and chief diversity officer at Ohio State University. She has been on the faculty at the university’s Moritz College of Law for the past 22 years and holds the Gregory H. Williams Chair in Civil Rights & Civil Liberties.
Two Black Scholars Given Additional Roles at Major Universities
Harry J. Elam, a professor of humanities at Stanford, was named vice president for the arts at the university and Nefertiti Walker, an assistant professor of sports management will serve as director of diversity and inclusion for the School of Management at the University of Massachusetts.
Jan 27, 2017 | 2 comments
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Black Scholar Develops a Smartphone App to Estimate a User’s Blood Alcohol Level
Emmanuel Agu, an associate professor of computer science at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts, is developing AlcoGait, a smartphone app that can accurately predict a user’s level of intoxication by monitoring how he or she walks.
Jan 09, 2017 | 0 comments
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In Memoriam: Dovi J. Afesi, 1945-2016
A native of Ghana, Dr. Afesi was a professor of history at Greenfield Community College in Massachusetts. Earlier in his career, he was an assistant professor of Afro-American studies at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
Dec 21, 2016 | 0 comments
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Higher Education Grants of Interest to African Americans
Here is this week’s news of grants to historically Black colleges and universities or for programs of particular interest to African Americans in higher education.
Nov 02, 2016 | 0 comments
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Study Finds Army Vets Are More Comfortable With Racial Residential Integration Than Non-Vets
A new study by sociologists at the University of Massachusetts and the University of Connecticut finds that soldiers’ experiences with racial integration in the military result in veterans being more willing to live in racially integrated neighborhoods once they return to civilian life.
Oct 10, 2016 | 0 comments
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Natasha Trethewey Awarded the 2016 Fellowship for Distinguished Poetic Achievement
Natasha Trethewey is the Robert W. Woodruff Professor of English and Creative Writing and the director of the creative writing program at Emory University. She is the former poet laureate of the United States.
Sep 27, 2016 | 0 comments
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Scholars Identify Diversity in the English Language Used Online by Different Ethnic Groups
The goal of the study was to identify online language usage by African Americans so that search engines like Google will be better able to serve a more diverse population of users.
In Memoriam: Robert Colbert, 1950-2016
Robert Colbert was an associate professor and director of the counseling program in the department of educational psychology in the Neag School of Education at the University of Connecticut.
Aug 31, 2016 | 0 comments
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