Three African American Scholars Who Have Been Assigned New Roles

Michael Strickland, who teaches in the department of communication and media at Boise State University in Idaho, was appointed to the Idaho Commission for Libraries by the state’s governor. As part of the five-member board of commissioners, Strickland will help set policies that shape Idaho’s libraries.

Strickland has taught at Boise State since 2008. He is a graduate of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, where he majored in communication. He holds a master’s degree in corporate communications from Seton Hall University in New Jersey and taken doctoral course work at New York University.

Narketta Sparkman-Key, associate professor for counseling and human services at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, recently was named director of faculty diversity and retention. Dr. Sparkman-Key’s research focus is geared toward further defining the professional identity of human services practitioners and she is an expert on adolescent suicide.

Dr. Sparkman-Key is a graduate of Madonna University in Livonia, Michigan, where she majored in sociology. She holds a master’s degree from the University of Michigan-Dearborn and earned a doctorate in human services through Capella University.

Frederick A. Williams Jr. was appointed professor of criminal justice at Kentucky State University. He was director of criminal justice studies at Spaulding University in Louisville, Kentucky. He is a 20-year veteran of the Kentucky State Police.

Dr. Williams is a graduate of Tennessee State University, where he majored in criminal justice and played football. He holds a master’s degree in justice administration and a Ph.D. in criminal justice from the University of Louisville.

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