The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education

Monique Guillory Named Ninth President of Dillard University

Dr. Guillory has served as Dillard University's interim president for the past seven months. Her background includes over three decades of higher education administration experience.

Robert Q. Berry III to Lead School of Education at Indiana University

Dr. Berry, dean of the University of Arizona College of Education, has spent his career studying equity issues in mathematics. His new deanship at Indiana University will begin in April.

GerShun Avilez Appointed Dean of the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Minnesota

Dr. Avilez's background includes teaching and academic leadership appointments with the University of Maryland, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Yale University. His scholarship focuses on Black Diasporic literature and visual culture.

Research & Studies

The Huge Racial Gap in College Completion Rates

According to a new report from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, the percentage of students who began college in the fall of 2018 and earned a credential within six years rose to 61.1 percent. For Black students who enrolled in 2018, 43.8 percent had earned a degree or other credential within six years. This is more than 17 percentage points below the overall rate. And the racial gap has increased in recent years.

Black Medical School Students Continue to Have to Cope With Racial Discrimination

A new study by scholars at the medical schools of New York University and Yale University finds that African American or Black students were less likely than their White counterparts to feel that medical school training contributed to their development as a person and physician.

School Segregation is Widening Racial Achievement Gaps in U.S. Public Schools

A new study from scholars at Stanford University, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Alabama, has found racial achievement gaps grow more quickly in districts where Black and Hispanic students attend higher-poverty schools than their White peers.

Report Examines Long-Term Outcomes of State-Level Affirmative Action Bans

The National Bureau of Economic Research has examined the long-term effects on educational attainment and economic outcomes for Black and Hispanic students in Texas, California, Washington, and Florida - the first four states to ban affirmative action in higher education admissions decisions.

Statistic of the Week

52.1%
Percentage of all players in the NCAA's Football subdivision in 2024 who were Black
11.9%
Percentage of all head coaches in the NCAA's Football subdivision in 2024 who were Black

Source: Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport, University of Central Florida

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Quote of the Week

“It is an honor, and I hope all coaches—minorities, Black, Asian, White, it doesn't matter, great people—continue to get opportunities to lead young men like this. This ain't about me. It's about us.”

Marcus Freeman,

head football coach at the University of Notre Dame, who will be the first Black head coach in the national championship game

JBHE Archives

All Recent Posts

Howard University and Johns Hopkins to Collaborate on Cancer Research and Address Racial Health Disparities

Thanks to a $13.5 million federal grant, scientists at Howard University and Johns Hopkins University will work together on cancer research projects and initiatives aimed at eliminating health disparities among Black Americans and other underserved communities.

Three Black Professors Appointed to New Positions at Universities

The new faculty appointments are Reitumetse Obakeng Mabokela at the University of Illinois, Colin Adams at Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina,, and Francis Owusu at Iowa State University.

Lincoln University Launches New Program to Prepare Missourians for High-Demand Employment

The Lincoln University Employment Academy aims to prepare local Missouri residents for successful careers in high-demand industries, such as direct care, cybersecurity, office administration, and accounting.

Tuskegee University’s Olga Bolden-Tiller Honored for Commitment to Agricultural Education

Dr. Bolden-Tiller is the dean of the College of Agriculture, Environment, and Nutrition Sciences at Tuskegee University, where she has taught for nearly two decades.

Coppin State University Launches Homeownership Assistance Program for Employees

The "Live Near Your Work" program will provide eligible, full-time Coppin State employees with up to $90,000 in grant funding to purchase their own home near the HBCU's campus in West Baltimore.

Five Black Leaders Appointed to Administrative Roles in Academia

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. If you have news for our appointments section, please email the information to contact@jbhe.com.

In Memoriam: Adrienne Gaines, 1976-2025

A longtime member of the University of Arkansas community, Gaines served as an academic advisor and mentor to students in the university's College of Business and College of Engineering.

Higher Education Gifts or Grants 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 University of New Mexico Partners With the University of the West Indies

The University of New Mexico and the University of the West Indies Five Island Campus, Antigua and Barbuda, recently created a new partnership designed to expand immersion opportunities for students at both institutions.

The Huge Racial Gap in College Completion Rates

According to a new report from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, the percentage of students who began college in the fall of 2018 and earned a credential within six years rose to 61.1 percent. For Black students who enrolled in 2018, 43.8 percent had earned a degree or other credential within six years. This is more than 17 percentage points below the overall rate. And the racial gap has increased in recent years.

American-Born Layli Maparyan Appointed President of the University of Liberia

Dr. Maparyan, a distinguished academic and prolific scholar, had been serving as the executive director of the Wellesley Centers for Women and a professor of African Studies at Wellesley College in Massachusetts.

Black Medical School Students Continue to Have to Cope With Racial Discrimination

A new study by scholars at the medical schools of New York University and Yale University finds that African American or Black students were less likely than their White counterparts to feel that medical school training contributed to their development as a person and physician.

Kyle Farmbry Has Resigned as President of Guilford College in North Carolina

Before being named the first African American president of Guilford College in Greensboro, North Carolina in 2022, Dr. Farmbry served as a professor of public administration in the School of Public Affairs and Administration at Rutgers University in Newark.

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.

LaNiece Tyree Is the New Leader of the National Association of College Auxiliary Services

LaNiece R. Tyree, assistant vice president for auxiliary enterprises at Howard University in Washington, D.C., was recently elected president of the National Association of College Auxiliary Services. She is the first woman of color and the first official from a historically Black university to hold the position.

Dillard University to Expand Opportunities for Film Studies Students

The partnership between Dillard University and E. Ross Studios School of Film & Television in New Orleans will be an academic enterprise that integrates technology and creativity that drives innovation and amplifies culture.

The Next Dean of the College of Engineering at the University of South Florida

Levi Thompson has been serving as dean of the College of Engineering at the University of Delaware. He previously served as a faculty member at the University of Michigan, where he was associate dean for undergraduate education and director of the Hydrogen Energy Technology Laboratory.

UCLA Teams Up With Morgan State University in a Student Exchange Program

The UCLA-MSU collaboration is part of the UC-HBCU Initiative, a statewide program designed to address the underrepresentation of African American students in graduate studies through partnerships and research opportunities.

Nneka Dennie Receives National Book Prize for Outstanding Bibliographical Scholarship

Dr. Dennie's award-winning book, Mary Ann Shadd Cary: Essential Writings of a Nineteenth-Century Black Radical Feminist, examines the works of North America's first Black woman newspaper editor.

Voorhees University Launches the Charter Institute of Learning

Historically Black Voorhees University in Denmark, South Carolina, has announced the establishment of the Charter Institute of Learning, a pioneering charter school authorizer dedicated to supporting independent charter schools across South Carolina.

Marsha McGriff Recognized for Diversity Work by the Not Alone Foundation

Marsha McGriff, vice chancellor for equity and inclusion at the University of Masssachusetts Amherst, has been selected to receive the 2025 Diamond Award for Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion Leadership from the Atlanta-based Not Alone Foundation. The foundation's stated mission is fighting kidney disease.

Higher Education Gifts or Grants 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: Travis E. Overton, 1982-2024

Travis E. Overton was the vice president for executive initiatives and chief of staff at Coastal Carolina University in Conway, South Carolina.

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.

All Recent Posts

Howard University and Johns Hopkins to Collaborate on Cancer Research and Address Racial Health Disparities

Thanks to a $13.5 million federal grant, scientists at Howard University and Johns Hopkins University will work together on cancer research projects and initiatives aimed at eliminating health disparities among Black Americans and other underserved communities.

Three Black Professors Appointed to New Positions at Universities

The new faculty appointments are Reitumetse Obakeng Mabokela at the University of Illinois, Colin Adams at Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina,, and Francis Owusu at Iowa State University.

Lincoln University Launches New Program to Prepare Missourians for High-Demand Employment

The Lincoln University Employment Academy aims to prepare local Missouri residents for successful careers in high-demand industries, such as direct care, cybersecurity, office administration, and accounting.

Tuskegee University’s Olga Bolden-Tiller Honored for Commitment to Agricultural Education

Dr. Bolden-Tiller is the dean of the College of Agriculture, Environment, and Nutrition Sciences at Tuskegee University, where she has taught for nearly two decades.

Coppin State University Launches Homeownership Assistance Program for Employees

The "Live Near Your Work" program will provide eligible, full-time Coppin State employees with up to $90,000 in grant funding to purchase their own home near the HBCU's campus in West Baltimore.

Five Black Leaders Appointed to Administrative Roles in Academia

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. If you have news for our appointments section, please email the information to contact@jbhe.com.

In Memoriam: Adrienne Gaines, 1976-2025

A longtime member of the University of Arkansas community, Gaines served as an academic advisor and mentor to students in the university's College of Business and College of Engineering.

Higher Education Gifts or Grants 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 University of New Mexico Partners With the University of the West Indies

The University of New Mexico and the University of the West Indies Five Island Campus, Antigua and Barbuda, recently created a new partnership designed to expand immersion opportunities for students at both institutions.

The Huge Racial Gap in College Completion Rates

According to a new report from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, the percentage of students who began college in the fall of 2018 and earned a credential within six years rose to 61.1 percent. For Black students who enrolled in 2018, 43.8 percent had earned a degree or other credential within six years. This is more than 17 percentage points below the overall rate. And the racial gap has increased in recent years.

American-Born Layli Maparyan Appointed President of the University of Liberia

Dr. Maparyan, a distinguished academic and prolific scholar, had been serving as the executive director of the Wellesley Centers for Women and a professor of African Studies at Wellesley College in Massachusetts.

Black Medical School Students Continue to Have to Cope With Racial Discrimination

A new study by scholars at the medical schools of New York University and Yale University finds that African American or Black students were less likely than their White counterparts to feel that medical school training contributed to their development as a person and physician.

Kyle Farmbry Has Resigned as President of Guilford College in North Carolina

Before being named the first African American president of Guilford College in Greensboro, North Carolina in 2022, Dr. Farmbry served as a professor of public administration in the School of Public Affairs and Administration at Rutgers University in Newark.

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.

LaNiece Tyree Is the New Leader of the National Association of College Auxiliary Services

LaNiece R. Tyree, assistant vice president for auxiliary enterprises at Howard University in Washington, D.C., was recently elected president of the National Association of College Auxiliary Services. She is the first woman of color and the first official from a historically Black university to hold the position.

Dillard University to Expand Opportunities for Film Studies Students

The partnership between Dillard University and E. Ross Studios School of Film & Television in New Orleans will be an academic enterprise that integrates technology and creativity that drives innovation and amplifies culture.

The Next Dean of the College of Engineering at the University of South Florida

Levi Thompson has been serving as dean of the College of Engineering at the University of Delaware. He previously served as a faculty member at the University of Michigan, where he was associate dean for undergraduate education and director of the Hydrogen Energy Technology Laboratory.

UCLA Teams Up With Morgan State University in a Student Exchange Program

The UCLA-MSU collaboration is part of the UC-HBCU Initiative, a statewide program designed to address the underrepresentation of African American students in graduate studies through partnerships and research opportunities.

Nneka Dennie Receives National Book Prize for Outstanding Bibliographical Scholarship

Dr. Dennie's award-winning book, Mary Ann Shadd Cary: Essential Writings of a Nineteenth-Century Black Radical Feminist, examines the works of North America's first Black woman newspaper editor.