Tag: University of Michigan

In Memoriam: Julius Sherrod Scott, 1955-2021

Professor Scott earned a Ph.D. in history at Duke University in 1986, where his dissertation concerned communications between groups of free and enslaved Africans throughout the Atlantic World that were facilitated by travelers on ships between ports in the New World. The dissertation was finally published as a book in 2018.

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.

Mary Frances Berry Wins the Lewis Award for History and Social Justice

The Lewis Prize is offered annually to recognize a historian for leadership and sustained engagement at the intersection of historical work, public culture, and social justice. The prize is named in memory of John Lewis, the civil rights icon who represented Georgia in the United States House of Representatives for 34 years.

Higher Education Grants or Gifts of Interest to African American

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.

Linda Scott Was Named President-Elect of the American Academy of Nursing

Dr. Scott became the eighth dean of the School of Nursing at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2016. Earlier she was associate dean for academic affairs, director of graduate studies, and urban health at the University of Illinois at Chicago’s College of Nursing.

Duke University Renames Building to Honor Wilhelmina Reuben-Cooke

Wilhelmina Reuben-Cooke was one of the first five Black students to integrate the Duke campus in 1963. She becomes the first Black woman to have a campus building named after her. She joins historian John Hope Franklin and campus architect Julian Abele as having buildings or grounds named after them on the Duke campus.

The American Political Science Association Honors the University of Chicago’s Cathy Cohen

Cathy J. Cohen, the David and Mary Winton Green Distinguished Service Professor in the department of political science at the University of Chicago, received the 2021 Hanes Walton, Jr. Career Award from the American Political Science Association. The award honors a political scientist whose lifetime of distinguished scholarship has made significant contributions to the understanding of racial and ethnic politics.

Heritage Foundation Report Claims a Bloat of Diversity Officers in Higher Education

Just as conservatives have mounted attacks on ethnic studies programs, critical race theory, and other subject areas not to their liking, the hiring of diversity officers has also been highly criticized. A new Heritage Foundation report finds what it calls an administrative bloat of diversity officers.

Four Black Scholars Who Have Been Appointed to New Faculty Positions

Taking on new faculty posts are Michael McElroy at the University of Michigan, Ndidiamaka Amutah-Onukagha at the Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, Lamonte Aidoo at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, and Julie Dash at Spelman College in Atlanta.

Six African Americans Who Have Been Appointed to Administrative Posts in Higher Education

Taking on new positions are Reggie Hill at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, Xeturah Woodley at Guildford Technical Community College in North Carolina, James K. Winfield at Southern New Hampshire University, Nina E. King at Duke University, Adele Brumfield at the University of Michigan, and Nicol Lewis at Columbus State University in Georgia.

In Memoriam: Larry E. Davis, 1946-2021

Larry E. Davis was dean of the School of Social Work at the University of Pittsburgh from 2001-2018. He was also the founding director of the Center on Race and Social Problems at the university.

The First Black President of Bentley University in Waltham, Massachusetts

Since 2019, Dr. Chrite has served as president of Bethune-Cookman University, a historically Black educational institution in Daytona Beach, Florida. Before taking on that position, he was dean of the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver. 

Scientists Call for an End to Racial Funding Disparities in Biomedical Engineering

Representatives from a network of women deans, chairs, and distinguished faculty in biomedical engineering are calling upon the National Institutes of Health and other funding agencies to address disparities in allocating support to Black researchers.

Colleges and Universities to Seek a Path Toward Reparations

The Center for Social Solutions at the University of Michigan is leading a group of college and university scholars in an effort to examine possible avenues to provide reparations for African Americans and Indigenous people.

In Memoriam: James S. Jackson, 1944-2020

 James S. Jackson was the Daniel Katz Distinguished University Professor of Psychology, Emeritus, at the University of Michigan. He also held appointments as a professor of Afro-American and African studies and as a research professor at the Institute for Social Research at the university.

The First African American Woman to Chair a Department at Johns Hopkins Medical School

Namandjé Bumpus was appointed chair of the department of pharmacology and molecular sciences. She is the first African American woman to chair an academic department at the medical school and the only African American woman currently chairing a pharmacology department at any medical school in the nation.

Two African American Women Named to Provost Positions at Midwestern Universities

LaTonia Collins Smith was appointed provost and vice president of academic affairs at Harris-Stowe State University in St. Louis, Missouri, and Susan M. Collins was appointed provost at the University of Michigan. Both had been serving as interim provost.

Eight Black Scholars Who Are Taking on New Assignments or Duties

Here is this week’s listing of Black faculty members from colleges and universities throughout the United States who have been appointed to new positions or have been assigned new duties.

Study Examines How Racial Identity Affects Self-Esteem and Well-Being Among Young Black Males

Researchers from the University of Michigan and the University of Arizona surveyed a large group of young Black males to examine the effects of puberty on symptoms of depression, self-esteem, and self-efficacy.

Four African Americans Who Are Embarking on New Administrative Assignments

The four African Americans who will be taking on new administrative roles in higher education are Daniel O. Wilson at Chowan University in Murfreesboro, North Carolina, J'onnelle Colbert-Diaz at the University of Arkansas, Martino Harmon at the University of Michigan and Antoinette Candia-Bailey at Elms College in Chicopee, Massachusetts.

Cornell University Study Finds Racial/Ethnic Differences in Perceptions of Environmental Issues

The survey found that there were, in fact, demographic differences in how people viewed environmental issues, with racial and ethnic minorities and lower-income people more likely to consider human factors such as racism and poverty as environmental issues.

Erika James to Lead the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania

When she takes office on July 1, Erika James will be the first woman and the first African American to lead the prestigious business school since its founding in 1881. Since 2014, Dr. James has been serving as dean of the Goizueta Business School at Emory University in Atlanta.

Lynn Perry Wooten Will Be the First African American President of Simmons University

Most recently, Dr. Wooten has been serving as the David J. Nolan Dean and Professor of Management and Organizations at Cornell University’s Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management. Prior to her position at Cornell, Dr. Wooten served on the faculty at the University of Michigan for nearly two decades.

In Memoriam: Roger Pulliam, 1942-2020

Dr. Pulliam joined the staff at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in 1989. During his tenure, he served as assistant vice chancellor of academic support services, director of advancement and interim chief diversity officer.

Suzanne L. Weekes Received Teaching Award From the Mathematical Association of America

Suzanne L. Weekes, a professor in the mathematical sciences department at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts, has received the prestigious Deborah and Franklin Tepper Haimo Award for Distinguished College or University Teaching of Mathematics.

The Next Dean of the College of Engineering at the University of Iowa

Currently, Dr. Harriet Nembhard is the Eric R. Smith Professor of Engineering and head of the School of Mechanical, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering at Oregon State University. Earlier, Dr. Nembhard was a professor at Pennsylvania State University.

Three African Americans Who Are Stepping Down From University Administrative Posts

Teresa Phillips, director of athletics at Tennessee State University, and E. Royster Harper, vice president for student life at the University of Michigan, are retiring. Harry Elam will step down from his post as vice provost for undergraduate education at Stanford University.

In Memoriam: Paul Elritt Meacham, 1936-2019

Dr. Meacham was the first African American to earn a Ph.D. in education at the University of Texas and the first African American to serve as president of a college or university in the state of Nevada.

University of Michigan Study Examines Young Black Women’s Access to Birth Control Resources

A new study found that young African American women tend to live closer to pharmacies than White women, but those pharmacies are less likely to provide easy access to condoms and other resources relating to reproductive health.

Study Finds a Link Between Racial Discrimination and Suicidal Thoughts of African American Men

Suicide deaths among African American men have risen dramatically during the last 20 years, and racial discrimination may be a contributing factor in many cases, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of Michigan.

Robert Winn Named Director of the Massey Cancer Center at Virginia Commonwealth University

Dr. Winn has been serving as the director of the University of Illinois Cancer Center in Chicago and as associate vice chancellor of health affairs for community-based practice at the University of Illinois Hospital and Health Science System.

University of Michigan Creates New Professorships to Honor Diversity Efforts

The new professorships will recognize senior faculty who have shown a commitment to the university’s ideals of diversity, equity, and inclusion through their scholarship, teaching, or service and engagement.

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.

Four Black Scholars Taking on New Assignments in the Academic World

Taking on new roles are Audrey Bennett of the University of Michigan, Billy Childs at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Stephanie Y. Evans at Georgia State University, and William C. McCoy at Clemson University in South Carolina.

Six African Americans Have Been Appointed to New Administrative Posts in Higher Education

Taking on new roles are Brigette A. Bryant at Arcadia University in Pennsylvania, Rita L. Walters at Union Theological Siminary in New York, Rolanda Burney at the University of Massachusetts, Bryle Henderson Hatch at North Carolina A&T State University, Carol E. Henderson at Emory University in Atlanta, and Rhae-Ann Booker at the University of Michigan.

Marcella David Appointed Provost at Columbia College in Chicago

Currently, Professor David serves as the Betty T. Ferguson Visiting Professor of Law at Florida State University. Previously, she served as the chief academic officer at Florida A&M University.

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