Gerald L. Early, the Merle Kling Professor of Modern Letters at Washington University in St. Louis, will be honored with a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame on the sidewalk of Delmar Boulevard. The St. Louis Walk of Fame honors about 130 individuals from the St. Louis area who have made major national contributions to the nation’s cultural heritage. Others with stars include Charles Lindbergh, Scott Joplin, and Maya Angelou.
Professor Early joined the faculty at Washington University in 1982. His most recent book is A Level Playing Field: African American Athletes and the Republic of Sports (Harvard University Press, 2011). Professor Early is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and holds a Ph.D. in English literature from Cornell University.
Shante Hearst, coordinator for multiculturalism and inclusion in the Office of Student Activities at Morehead State University in Kentucky, received the 2013 Outstanding New Professional Award from the Pan African Network of the American College Personnel Association. She received the award at the association’s annual convention in Las Vegas.
Hearst is a graduate of California State University and holds a master’s degree in educational administration and leadership from the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California.
Mickey L. Burnim, president of Bowie State University in Maryland, was honored with the establishment of an endowed chair in his name at Elizabeth City State University in North Carolina. Dr. Burnim served as chancellor of Elizabeth City State University from 1995 to 2006. The endowed chair is being funded by the C.D. Spangler Foundation.
President Burnim holds bachelor’s and master’s degree from the University of North Texas and a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.