Monthly Archives: January 2022

Three African Americans Who Are Assuming New University Administrative Duties

Reginald Ruffin was named director of athletics at Tuskegee University in Alabama. Valeda F. Dent was appointed vice provost of libraries and the museum at Emory University in Atlanta and Melanie E. Jones was appointed vice president for advancement, research, and economic development at Grambling State University in Louisiana.

Oberlin College in Ohio to Establish the Center on Race and Inequality

President Carmen Twillie Ambar said that “this new center will ensure that Oberlin is consistently contributing to the national conversation on race. The center will bring together academic opportunities, co-curricular experiences, career programming, mentorship, community building, and civic engagement.”

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.

New Living and Learning Community at the University of Denver to Focus on Racial Justice

The University of Denver has established a new Living and Learning Community within the School of Engineering and Computer Science that will focus on Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Ethics in Technology. Ten first-year students are living together and taking courses together.

Vast Racial Differences in the Financing of Doctoral Education

Only 19.4 percent of all African Americans who earned doctorates in 2020 had no education-related debt when they earned their terminal degree. For Whites, 50.2 percent had no education-related debt.

Lena Walton to Serve as Provost at Alabama A&M University

Dr. Walton has served as dean of the College of Education, Humanities and Behavioral Sciences since 2017. Earlier, Dr. Walton served as assistant and associate dean in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of the District of Columbia. She served on the faculty there for 15 years.

African Americans Are the Most Likely to Be Impacted by the Lack of Adequate Childcare

About five million U.S. households had a child who was unable to attend childcare as a result of it being closed, unavailable, unaffordable, or because parents were concerned about the child’s safety during the pandemic. Black families were impacted more than any other racial or ethnic group, according to a University of New Hampshire study.

Miles College President Gets a Vote of Confidence and a Contract Extension

The board of trustees of Miles College in Fairfield, Alabama, has voted to extend the contract of President Bobbie Knight through May 2024. Knight was originally selected to serve as interim president of the college beginning September 1, 2019. She was named permanent president of the college in March 2020.

Research Finds Continuing Racial Disparities in Exposure to Air Pollutants

A new study led by researchers at the University of Washington finds that while overall pollutant concentrations have decreased since 1990, people of color are still more likely to be exposed to six pollutants than White people, regardless of income level, across the continental United States.

Colette Pierce Burnette Is Stepping Down as President of Huston-Tillotson University in Texas

Dr. Pierce Burnette was named president in 2015. She is the first woman to hold the position since the 1952 merger of Tillotson College and Samuel Huston College. She will pass the baton of leadership on June 30.

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.

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.

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