Maria Baxter-Nuamah was appointed director of advancement relations at Minnesota State University in Mankato. She has been serving as director of African American affairs in the office of institutional diversity at the university. In her new position, Baxter-Nuamah will direct outreach efforts to alumni who have not participated in recent development efforts and she will develop strategies for working with alumni of color and international alumni.
Stephen Ekunwe, professor of biology at Jackson State University in Mississippi, was elected as a fellow of the African Scientific Institute. There are currently 553 ASI Fellows from 41 countries. Professor Ekunwe was honored for his achievements in cellular and molecular biology, particularly in colon and prostate cancer research.
Dr. Ekunwe holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Jackson State. He holds a Ph.D. in microbiology from Michigan State University. He joined the faculty at Jackson State in 1998.
The Department of Fine and Performing Arts at Hampton University in Virginia has welcome Aunjanue Ellis as artist-in-residence for the spring semester. Ellis, who appeared in the hit movie, The Help, and many other films is teaching two courses this semester, ‘The Entertainment Industry in the New Millennium” and “The Actor at Work.”
Ellis studied at Tougaloo College in Mississippi but transferred to Brown University where she earned a bachelor’s degree. She studied acting in the graduate drama program at New York University.
