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.
Historically Black Bennett College in Greensboro, North Carolina, received a $400,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to establish a tutoring and mentoring program aimed at increasing retention and graduation rates for students in STEM fields. The grant program is under the direction of Michelle Linster, interim provost at the college.
Fort Valley State University, a historically Black educational institution in Georgia, received a three-year, $538,148 grant from the U.S. Department of Defense. The grant will support research on target detection using machine learning systems.
Georgia State University in Atlanta received a $1 million donation from Regynald G. Washington, the chief executive officer of Hojeij Branded Foods. He is the former vice president for worldwide food and beverage operations for Walt Disney resorts. The university’s graduate program in hospitality management will be named in Washington’s honor.
Historically Black Mississippi Valley State University received a $300,000 grant from the National Collegiate Athletic Association to support the academic success of student athletes. Among the programs supported by the grant are a computer lab for athletes, Wi-Fi on buses student athletes use for away games, and new student advisers and tutors for athletes.
Xavier University, the historically Black educational institution in New Orleans, received a three-year, $8.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Resources. The money will be used for programs aimed at increasing the number of African American pursuing degrees in pharmacy.
Indiana University in Bloomington has been awarded a five-year, $1,660,000 grant from the U.S. Department of the Navy to increase the number of minority students pursuing graduate degrees and careers in STEM fields. Indiana University has a partnership with 12 HBCUs that funnels African American students from these schools to graduate programs in STEM fields at Indiana University.
Historically Black North Carolina Central University in Durham received a $200,000 grant from the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. The grant will fund uterine fibroid tumor research by Darlene K. Taylor, an associate professor of chemistry. Part of the money will be used to hold a conference entitled “Uterine Fibroids: What Every Woman Needs to Know.” Dr. Taylor is a graduate of Goucher College in Maryland. She holds a master’s degree from North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro and a second master’s degree and a Ph.D. in physical polymer chemistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
