Nikki M. Taylor is the new chair of the department of history at Howard University in Washington, D.C. She was interim dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Behavioral Sciences at Texas Southern University in Houston. Professor Taylor’s latest book is Driven Toward Madness: The Fugitive Slave Margaret Garner and Tragedy on the Ohio (Ohio University Press, 2016).
Dr. Taylor is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, where she majored in history. She holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in American history from Duke University.
Maurice Edington, professor of physical chemistry and founding dean of the College of Science and Technology at Florida A&M University, was given the added duties of vice president for strategic analysis and institutional effectiveness.
Dr. Edington joined the faculty at Florida A&M in 1998. He is a graduate of Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee, and holds a Ph.D. in physical chemistry from Vanderbilt University.
Joseph Watson Jr. is the inaugural Carolyn Caudell Tieger Professor of Public Affairs Communications at the University of Georgia. He was director of the public advocacy group for Exelon Corporation.
Professor Watson is a magna cum laude graduate of Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois, where he majored in political science and government. He earned his law degree at Harvard Law School.
Kevin Blackistone was appointed professor of practice in the Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland. Since 2008, he has served as a visiting professor at the journalism school. He has been a sports journalist for ESPN and The Washington Post.
Professor Blackistone is a graduate of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. He holds a master’s degree in journalism from Boston University.
