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.
North Carolina Central University, the historically Black educational institution in Durham, received a $171,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to develop two courses to enhance th security of small communities in rural areas. The courses will be entitled “Mobilizing Faith-based Organizations in Preparing for Disaster” and “Security Threat Group Identification and Assessment for Rural Law Enforcement Officers.” The program will be under the direction of M. Chris Herring, executive director of the university’s Institute for Homeland Security and Workforce Development.
The University of Michigan received a $3 million donation from Mark Bernstein, a regent of the university and his wife Rachel Bendit. The couple both graduated from the university. The gift will be used to establish a new multicultural center in the heart of the university’s campus.
Historically Black Morgan State University in Baltimore received a three-year, $450,000 grant from the United States Navy to conduct research on lithium-ion batteries. The research will focus on developing thinner and more durable cathodes so that lithium-ion batteries will store more energy.
Pennsylvania State University received a grant from the Dietrich W. Botstiber Foundation of Media, Pennsylvania, to launch the Botstiber Scholars Program at the university. Under the program, four students from African nations will be awarded full scholarships at Penn State. The scholars will also receive mentoring and internship opportunities. Preference will be given to students who have expressed an interest in returning to Africa once they have completed their education. The program hopes to expand in future years. Michael Adewumi, vice provost for global programs at Penn State, said that “the Botstiber Foundation is providing a life-changing opportunity to young scholars in Africa to study at Penn State. It will not only transform their lives, but the ripple effect on their communities cannot be underestimated. We are pleased to partner with the foundation in this transformational opportunity.” Dr. Adewumi is a graduate of the University of Ibadan in Nigeria. He holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in gas engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago.
