Monthly Archives: May 2023
Wesleyan University Creates a New Scholarship Program for African Students
Applications to the program must be citizens or permanent residents of one of Africa’s 54 countries. Individuals with dual U.S. citizenship or who are permanent U.S. residents are not eligible for the program. Only students applying for need-based financial aid and who have demonstrated need will be considered.
Racial Slurs Written on the Home of the President of the University of California
Michael V. Drake was named the 21st president of the University of California in 2020. He is the only African American president in the 155-year history of the university system.
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.
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.
The University of Connecticut to Establish a Social Justice Course Requirement
The University Senate at the University of Connecticut has voted to create a social justice requirement in the university's curriculum. The new social justice requirement focuses on the one-credit “Anti-Black Racism” course that has been offered as an elective since the 3021=-22 academic year. The new requirement will be in effect beginning in the 2024-25 academic year.
President of Central State University to Step Down on June 30
Dr. Thomas became president of Central State University in July 2020. After taking a sabbatical, he will return to the university as a tenured professor. From 2011 to 2019, Dr. Thomas was president of Western Illinois University.
Racial Inequality and the Staggering Toll on Life Expectancy
A new study led by researchers at Yale University reveals a staggering disparity in life expectancy between Black Americans and their White counterparts. The results show that there were 1.63 million excess deaths in the Black population compared with White Americans in the 1999-2020 period, representing more than 80 million excess years of potential life lost.
Robert M. Dixon Is the New Leader of Rust College in Holly Springs, Mississippi
Dr. Dixon has worked as a faculty member and administrator at six HBCUs over the past half-century as a provost, vice president, dean, department chair, and professor. He is a physicist and may have trained more African American physics undergraduates than anyone else in the country.
Rodney Bennett Selected to Serve as the Next Chancellor of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln
As required by state law, Dr. Bennett’s candidacy now undergoes a 30-day vetting period which will include a series of public sessions during which members of the university community and the news media can meet him and ask questions. After 30 days, the board of regents can vote on Dr. Bennett's appointment. If approved, he will be the first African American to lead the university.
New Report Examines Racial Differences in Early Signs of Dementia
An estimated 6.5 million persons aged 65 years and over in the United States live with Alzheimer's disease, the most common dementia. This number is projected to double by 2060, with African Americans projected to have among the largest increases. College education was associated with a lower prevalence of subjective cognitive decline among all racial and ethnic groups.
Glenell M. Lee-Pruitt Will Be the Thirteenth President of Jarvis Christian University in Texas
Since August 2012, Dr. Lee-Pruiit has served as provost and vice president for academic affairs at the university. Previously, she served at Mississippi Valley State University as dean of University College and was a tenured professor in the department of social work.
Land Conservation Measures May Be Widening the Racial Wealth Gap
A new study by researchers at the University of Rhode Island and the University of Illinois finds that protecting open space from development increases the value of surrounding homes. But a disproportionate amount of that newly generated wealth goes to high-income White households.
A Trio of Black Scholars Who Have Been Appointed to Dean Positions at State Universities
Antwon Woods will be the next dean of the School of Business at Alcorn State University in Mississippi. Abimbola O. Asojo will be the second dean of the School of Architecture and Planning at Morgan State University in Baltimore and Teresa Mastin will serve as interim dean of the College of Communication Arts and Science at Michigan State University.
Cato T. Laurencin Honored for Diversity Efforts by the Society for Biomaterials
The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award recognizes Dr. Laurencin of the University of Connecticut for promoting anti-racism and creating a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment for historically excluded groups in the STEM disciplines, especially in the field of biomaterials. He is the inaugural winner of the award.
Dillard University to Offer its First Master’s Degree Program This Fall
The new nursing program will be the first master’s degree in Dillard University’s 153-year history. The master's degree program is a 12-course, 36-39 credit hour hybrid degree program designed to be completed in four consecutive semesters for full-time students and six semesters for part-time students.
Talladega College Partners With Grand Valley State University in Michigan
Under the agreement, students who graduate from Talladega College with a degree in education will have a pathway to earn master’s degrees in education, school counseling, instructional technology, and instruction and curriculum at Grand Valley State University.
Four African Americans Who Have Been Appointed to Administrative Posts in Higher Education
Take on new administrative duties are Darrius Douglas at the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, Shelly Perdomo-Ahmed at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Sharon Stroye at Emory University in Atlanta, and Lloyd Nivens IV at Livingstone College in Salisbury, North Carolina.
Teenager Is the Youngest Graduate in the History of Langston University in Oklahoma
In 2022, 14-year-old Shania Muhammad earned associate's degrees from Langston University in Oklahoma and Oklahoma City Community College. This year, the teenager became the youngest person to earn a bachelor's degree at Langston University.
Michael Ward Honored for Lifetime Achievement in Radiology and Nursing Education
Michael Ward recently retired from the Goldfarb School of Nursing on the campus of Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, which is affiliated with Washington University. He served as vice dean for student affairs and diversity and professor at the nursing school.
In Memoriam: Robert Charles Smith, 1947-2023
Robert Charles Smith was a long-time member of the political science department at San Francisco State University. One of his later contributions to the literature was a discussion of how U.S. conservativism was inherently related to anti-Blackness.
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.
Northwestern University Is Changing the Name of Its Department of African American Studies
The department is seeking to better reflect the breadth of its scholarship and teaching, according to the faculty’s formal name change proposal. The term “African American studies” is often interpreted as being specific to the United States, while the department’s actual work is broader.
A Dozen HBCUs Receive Grants from the U.S. Department of Defense
The awardees will conduct four-year research projects in scientific disciplines of critical importance to the Department of Defense, spanning advanced computing, biosciences, quantum sciences, renewable energy generation, and storage, and trusted artificial intelligence and autonomy.
Linda Oubré Is Steeping Down as President of Whittier College in California
Linda Oubré, president of Whittier College in California, has announced that she will step down from her post on June 30. She was the first African American and the first person of color to serve as president of Whittier College. An alumni group called Save Whittier College had called for Dr. Oubré to resign due to poor fundraising results.
Study Finds That Black Consumers Brush Off Poor Customer Service Because They Are Used to It
White, Hispanic, and Black testers who sought out small business loans at local banks reported similar levels of satisfaction during encounters with bank employees. But a a analysis of videos of these encounters showed that Blacks were given significantly less time than White participants, waited longer to see a bank employee, and experienced other subtle forms of discrimination.
George Timmons Selected to Serve as President of Holyoke Community College in Massachusetts
Since 2019, Dr. Timmons has been serving as provost and senior vice president of academic and student affairs at Columbia Greene Community College in Hudson, New York. Earlier, he was dean of the School of Liberal Arts at Excelsior College in Albany, New York. He will beging his new duties in late June.
How to Stem the Alarming Decline in Black Enrollments in Higher Education
A new report finds that over the last 20 years, the nation has lost 300,000 Black learners from the community college system, with participation rates among Black students lower today than they were 20 years ago. If we look at higher education as a whole, Black enrollments are down 600,000 students.
Barbara Krauthamer Named Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences at Emory University in Atlanta
Currently, Dr. Krauthamer is dean of the College of Humanities and Fine Arts at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She has served on the faculty there since 2008. She will begin her new duties on July 1.
Racial Differences in Employment Status of College Students and Recent Graduates
For people 20 to 29 years of age, Blacks made up 11 percent of all students who earned a bachelor’s degree in 2022. Some 83.6 percent of these recent African American college graduates were employed compared to 81.1 percent of Whites. But 8.7 percent of 2022 African American college graduates in this age group were unemployed, compared to 5.5 percent of White college graduates in this age group.
Ruth Ray Jackson Selected to Lead Langston University in Oklahoma
Dr. Jackson has been with Langston University since 2014 and currently serves as the vice president for academic affairs. She has held other leadership positions at the university including associate vice president for student success and dean of the School of Education and Behavioral Sciences.
Agbonkhianmeghe E. Orobator Named Dean of the Jesuit School of Theology at Santa Clara University
Dr. Orobater is currently president of the Jesuit Conference of Africa and Madagascar, responsible for leading the inter-provincial mission of the Society of Jesus in the region. His scholarship focuses on ecclesiology — or the study of the church — as well as theological ethics, human rights, and human dignity, especially fuller participation of women in the life of the church.
Carl Phillips Wins the Pulitzer Prize in Poetry
Carl Phillips, a professor of English and African American studies at Washington University in St. Louis, won the Pulitzer Prize in poetry. Professor Phillips was honored for his poetry collection Then the War: And Selected Poems, 2007-2020
Prairie View A&M to Establish a School of Public and Allied Health
Angela Branch-Vital has been named executive director of the new school. She is the head of the health and kinesiology department. She holds a bachelor's degree in human science and a master's degree in counseling from Prairie View A&M University. She earned a Ph.D. in epidemiology and biostatistics from the University of Texas School of Public Health.
Saint Augustine’s University Awards Tenure to Three Black Faculty Members
Sheria D. Rowe is the assistant dean and professor in the School of Business. Patrick Webb is an associate professor of criminal justice and Shirlkeymu L. Winston is an assistant professor of African American history.
