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.
Kent State University in Ohio received a $100,000 grant from the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation to support the university’s Spirit of Motherhood Program, which screens and treats PTSD and chronic stress among Black expectant mothers with the goal of reducing symptoms that impact the health of mothers and babies. The grant will allow the program to recruit more interventionists, enabling them to bring into the program up to 20 additional mothers and up to 40 of their preschool children. The program is under the direction of Angela Neal-Barnett, a professor in the department of psychological sciences.
Kenneth and Kathryn Chenault have donated $2 million to Howard University to fund an endowed chair at the School of Law in honor of Vernon E. Jordan Jr. Kenneth Chenault is the former CEO of American Express.
The University of Pennsylvania received a $1.5 million grant from the National Institute of Aging to establish a new pipeline program to support underrepresented undergraduate students interested in academic careers in aging and health research. Students, chosen for the program will spend two consecutive summers conducting research on the Penn campus.
The dental products company Henry Schein, Inc. has announced the donation of $100,000 in health care products to both the Howard University College of Dentistry and the Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry to support their efforts to provide free oral health care to the underserved through their respective student outreach programs.
Historically Black Tennessee State University received a $1.9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to lead a consortium of historically Black universities in research around sustainable agriculture and environmental conservation. The other participating HBCUs are Alabama A&M University, Southern University in Louisiana, Florida A&M University, and Langston University in Oklahoma.
