Ronnie Ursin has been named chair of the nursing department at the Borough of Manhattan Community College within the City University of New York system. He brings two decades of experience in healthcare to his new role. He has teaching experience in nursing programs with the University of Maryland system, the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences in Florida, Frederick Community College in Maryland, and Walden University.
Dr. Ursin holds a bachelor’s degree in public health from Dillard University in New Orleans, a bachelor’s degree in nursing and a master’s degree in nursing administration from the University of Maryland, Baltimore, an MBA from Hood College in Frederick, Maryland, and a doctor of nursing practice degree from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.
Wesley Cox has been named an assistant professor of African American studies at Fullerton College in California. He has previously held faculty roles with California State University, Fullerton and Los Angeles Valley College. His research focuses on higher education and student affairs for Black LGBTQ+ students at public California universities.
Professor Cox is a graduate of San Francisco State University, where he received dual-bachelor’s degrees in industrial design and Africana studies. He holds a master’s degree in African American studies from the University of California, Los Angeles. He is currently pursuing a doctorate in education through a joint program at San Diego State University and Claremont Graduate University.
Wanda Arrington has been named director of the Myrlie Evers-Williams Honors Program at Alcorn State University in Mississippi. She has over two decades of experience with the university, and currently teaches as an assistant professor of agricultural economics and agribusiness.
Dr. Arrington is a two-time graduate of Alcorn State University, where she received her bachelor’s degree in business administration and master’s degree in agriculture. She holds a Ph.D. in agricultural science from Mississippi State University.
Lassiter F. Speller has been appointed chair of the department of psychology and political science at Eastern New Mexico University. A faculty member since 2020, he currently serves as an assistant professor of psychology and founding co-director of the American Descendants of Slavery Research Institute.
Dr. Speller is a graduate of Winston-Salem State University in North Carolina, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology. He holds a master’s degree in cognitive psychology and a Ph.D. in experimental psychology from Ohio State University.
