Monthly Archives: May 2021
Recent Books of Interest to African American Scholars
The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education regularly publishes a list of new books that may be of interest to our readers. The books included are on a wide variety of subjects and present many different points of view.
An Unwanted Surprise for the Wingate University Community
In 2018, Wingate University asked three employees to look into whether any buildings, monuments, or statues around campus were named after anyone with egregious pasts. Nothing was uncovered. But researchers at Wake Forest University recently discovered that Washington Manly Wingate enslaved African Americans.
Grants or Gifts of Interest to African Americans in Higher Education
Here is this week’s news of grants or gifts to historically Black colleges and universities or for programs of particular interest to African Americans in higher education.
In Memoriam: Tobe Johnson
Tobe Johnson taught at Morehouse College in Atlanta for 59 years before retiring in 2018 from his role as Avalon professor and chair of the political science department. He is the longest-serving faculty member in the school’s 150-year history.
The Next President of Colorado Northwestern Community College in Rangely
In her most recent role, Dr. Lisa Jones served as vice president of student development at the Cedar Valley campus of Dallas College, a Hispanic-serving and predominately Black institution in Lancaster, Texas. Earlier, Dr. Jones served as vice president of student affairs at Henry Ford College in Dearborn, Michigan.
The Economic Cost of Racial Inequality in Higher Education
The study conducted a simulation that found that the U.S. economy misses out on $956 billion dollars per year, along with numerous nonmonetary benefits, as a result of postsecondary attainment gaps by economic status and race/ethnicity.
A Major Gift Aimed to Address the Huge Racial Gap in STEM Doctoral Programs
Johns Hopkins University and Bloomberg Philanthropies have announced the launch of a $150 million effort to directly address historic underrepresentation in science, technology, engineering, and math fields. Five partnering HBCUs will receive funding to build pathways toward doctoral degrees in STEM
Knight Commission’s Recommendations for Achieving Racial Equity in College Sports
Proposed reforms suggested by the Knight Commission include permanently eliminating standardized testing for athletic eligibility, boosting diversity in recruiting and hiring of leadership and creating more opportunities for Black student leadership and advocacy.
Adrian Epps is the New Dean of the College of Education at Kennesaw State University in Georgia
Prior to being named interim dean in May 2020, Dr. Epps was an associate dean in the university’s College of Science and Mathematics from 2007 to 2019. He also served as interim provost and vice president of academic affairs at Dalton State College from 2019 to 2020.
Babson College Scholars Examine Entrepreneurship by African American Women
The study, summarized by the authors in the Harvard Business Review, found that 17 percent of adult Black women in the United States are starting or running new businesses. This compared to 10 percent of White women and 15 percent of White men. But only 3 percent of Black women were running "mature businesses."
Renée T. White Appointed the Next Provost at The New School in New York City
Dr. White comes to The New School from Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts, where she has served as provost and a professor of sociology since 2016. Previously she was dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Simmons University in Boston from 2011 to 2016.
Four African American Scholars Appoointed to New Teaching Posts at Major Universities
The scholars in new faculty posts are Kwame Dawes at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Nadia Brown at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., Christopher Wayne Robinson at the Pennsylvania State University Allegheny Campus in McKeesport, and Roderick A. Ferguson at Yale Universsity.
Alcorn State University in Mississippi Graduates Its First Class of Doctoral Students
Six family nurse practitioners recently became the inaugural Doctor of Nursing Practice class at the Cora S. Balmat School of Nursing at Alcorn State University in Mississippi. All six of the graduates had earlier received a master’s degree in nursing from the university.
Four Black Men Who Are Taking on New Administrative Roles in Higher Education
Taking on new administrative duties are Jack Eaddy Jr. at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, North Carolina, Barkley Barton II at the University of Georgia, Blake K. Gaines at Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio, and Ikhide Imumorin at the California State University system.
Proposed Legislation Aims to Boost Infrastructure at HBCUs
Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, Senator Chris Coons of Delaware, and U.S. Representative Alma Adams of North Carolina are co-sponsoring the Institutional Grants for New Infrastructure, Technology, and Education (IGNITE) HBCU Excellence Act.
Yale’s Marcella Nunez-Smith Honored to Her Work to Address COVID-19 Racial Disparities
Dr. Nunez-Smith, an associate professor and associate dean for health equity research at Yale Medical School, was honored for her work to address the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Black and brown communities.
Fort Valley State University Enters Partnership With Grand Valley State University
Historically Black Fort Valley State University in Georgia announced a partnership with Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan. The agreement will create a pathway for FVSU students to earn a master’s degree in electronic engineering technology or computer science in as little as five years.
Four African Americans Who Are Assuming New Diversity Positions in Higher Education
The four new diversity officers are Travon Robinson at Butte College in Oroville, California, Julie Bernard at Norwich University in Vermont, Charlene Holmes at Elms College in Chicopee, Massachusetts, and Michael Alston at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis.
In Memoriam: Carolyn Grubb Williams, 1940-2021
Dr. Williams was named president of Bronx Community College in 1996. She was the first woman to hold the position. She served in that role for 15 years.
The Rise, Collapse, and Legacy: HBCU Football and the NFL Draft
Currently, nearly 10 percent of Black players in the National Football League Hall of Fame are alumni of HBCUs. That percentage will inevitably decline, but that history, too, cannot be erased. HBCUs were in the vortex of the racial transformation of the NFL.
Online Articles That May Be of Interest to JBHE Readers
Each week, JBHE will provide links to online articles that may be of interest to our readers. Here are this week’s selections.
Recent Books of Interest to African American Scholars
The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education regularly publishes a list of new books that may be of interest to our readers. The books included are on a wide variety of subjects and present many different points of view.
Website Will Track Racial Residential Segregation in Little Rock, Arkansas, Since 1957
The University of Arkansas at Little Rock Center for Arkansas History and Culture is creating a map-based website that tracks how urban renewal changed the city of Little Rock in the decades following the Central High School desegregation crisis in 1957.
Higher Education Grants or Gifts of Interest to African Americans
Here is this week’s news of grants or gifts to historically Black colleges and universities or for programs of particular interest to African Americans in higher education.
University of Georgia Program Aims to Boost Black Male Retention and Graduate Rates
The Georgia African American Male Experience (GAAME) started in 2014 as a two-day transition program for Black males accepted into the University of Georgia. The program has grown into a multifaceted initiative that centers on the needs of Black male students, supporting and improving retention and graduation rates.
William Tate IV Will Be the First Black President of a University in the Southeastern Conference
Dr. Tate has been serving as the Education Foundation Distinguished Professor, executive vice president for academic affairs, and provost at the University of South Carolina since July 2020. Professor Tate served as dean of the Graduate School and vice provost for graduate education at Washington University in St. Louis.
Hiram C. Powell Selected to Lead Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Florida
Most recently, Dr. Powell has served as dean of performing arts and communications at Bethune-Cookman University. During his time at the university, Dr. Powell has served in several leadership roles including interim provost and vice president of institutional advancement.
How the COVID-19 Pandemic Has Impacted Black Enrollments in Higher Education
A new report from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center finds that Black undergraduate enrollments are down 8.8 percent from the spring 2020 semester. But African American enrollments in graduate programs are up 10.4 percent, more than double the increase for Whites.
Two State Universities in the South Name African American Provosts
The University of Oklahoma announced the appointment of André-Denis Wright as senior vice president and provost for its flagship campus in Norman and Monica Terrell Leach was appointed provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at Fayetteville State University in North Carolina.
Faculty at HBCUs Face a Large Pay Gap Compared to Their Peers at Predominently White Institutions
A new report from the National Education Association finds a large pay gap for faculty who teach at historically Black colleges and universities compared to their colleagues at predominantly White institutions. Faculty teaching at HBCUs earned $69,180, on average, compared to $87,384 for faculty at non-HBCUs.
The First African American Dean of the College of Law at Georgia State University
LaVonda N. Reed has been serving as associate provost for faculty affairs at Syracuse University. She joined the faculty there in 2006. Professor Reed's research and teaching are in the areas of wills and trusts, property, and communications regulatory law and policy.
The Racial Gap in Voter Participation Has Increased in the Last Two Presidential Elections
In 2012, when President Obama was locked in what was thought to be a very close election contest with Mitt Romney, the voting rate for African Americans was higher than the rate for Whites for the first time in American history. Since that time, the racial gap in voter participation has returned.
Miriam Delphin-Rittmon to Lead the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Dr. Delphin-Rittmon is an associate professor adjunct of psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine. She also has served as director of cultural competence and health disparities research and consultation at Yale’s Program for Recovery and Community Health.
Grambling State University Enters Partnership With Northshore Technical Community College
This pathway provides community college students with a transparent and systematic outline for successfully completing a baccalaureate degree from Grambling State University in accounting, computer information systems, management, or marketing.
Four African American Scholars Who Are Taking on New University Assignments
Taking on new positions in the academic world are Tammy Kernodle, at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, Titus Underwood at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Leroy Long III at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Dayton Beach, Florida, and Amoaba Gooden at Kent State University in Ohio.
North Carolina A&T State University’s Record-Setting Fundraising Campaign
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University raised a record $181.4 million in its recently completed eight-year capital campaign. The campaign total is believed to be the largest ever raised by a public, historically Black university.
