Four African Americans in New Teaching Roles at Colleges and Universities

Darren Gibson, a dance director, ballet master, and musical theatre performer, is an artist-in-residence at Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri, for the 2019-20 academic year. He is teaching courses and mentoring students in the bachelor of fine arts program in musical theatre. Gibson is a former dance instructor in the Texas State University musical theatre department. He taught at Stephen College for one semester in 2017.

Gibson founded his own studio, the Gibson Academy of Dance in Austin, Texas. He served previously as artistic director of TexARTS Academy and director for the TexARTS Broadway Company, choreographing and directing more than 30 musicals and ballets.

ClarLynda Williams-Devine is a new associate professor of bioinformatics at Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. She was an assistant professor of bioinformatics and biostatistics at North Carolina Central University. She previously held positions at Duke University Medical School and at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Dr. Williams-Devine is a graduate of North Carolina Central University, where she majored in mathematics. She holds a Ph.D. in bioinformatics from North Carolina State University.

Deana Lawson was promoted to full professor of visual arts at Princeton University in New Jersey. Professor Lawson began teaching at Princeton in 2012. Earlier, she taught at California College of Arts in San Francisco; the International Center for Photography in New York; and the Rhode Island School of Design.

A native of Rochester, New York, Professor Lawson holds a bachelor of fine arts degree from Pennsylvania State University and a master of fine arts degree from the Rhode Island School of Design.

Yannick Marshall is a new assistant professor of Africana studies at Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois. He previously taught at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Colby College and Bates College.

Dr. Marshall is a graduate of the University of Toronto. He holds three master’s degrees and a Ph.D. in African studies from Columbia University in New York City.

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Get the JBHE Weekly Bulletin

Receive our weekly email newsletter delivered to your inbox

Latest News

Tennessee State University Requests Financial Intervention to Avoid $46 Million Deficit

Without financial intervention, Tennessee State University is headed towards a $46 million deficit by the end of the 2024-2025 academic year. Administrators at the HBCU have announced a plan that would alleviate these challenges and leave the university with $3 million in cash by June 30, 2025.

Two Black Men Appointed to Advancement Leadership Roles at Winston-Salem State University

Winston-Salem State University in North Carolina has appointed Kevin Turman and John Kirby, Jr. to new positions in university advancement.

Xavier University of Louisiana Establishes New Master’s Degree in Genetic Counseling

Xavier University of Louisiana states that its new genetics counseling program is the first of its kind in the state of Louisiana and the first to be offered at a historically Black college or university.

The Anti-Defamation League Honors Charles Chavis for Scholarship on Black and Jewish Relations

Dr. Chavis currently teaches as an assistant professor of conflict resolution and serves as the founding director of the John Mitchell, Jr. Program for History, Justice, and Race at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.

Featured Jobs