Appointments & Awards

Four Black Scholars Appointed to New Faculty Positions

Duchess Harris was selected for an endowed appointment at Macalaster College and Samson Okoth Opondo was promoted to full professor at Vassar College. Christy Swinson is associate dean of the Fayetteville State University School of Nursing and La'Tesha Sampson is director of the MSW program at Seton Hall University.

Nicole Joseph of Vanderbilt University Receives National Award in Mathematics Education

Dr. Joseph, an associate professor at Vanderbilt University's Peabody College, was recently honored by the Mathematical Association of American for her career-long contributions to mathematics education for K-12 and undergraduate students.

New Appointments for Five Black Americans in Higher Education

The appointments are Sean D. Burns at the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, Shawna Lynch-Watkins at Meredith College in North Carolina, Robert E. Nobles III at Florida A&M University, Tyrell Warren-Burnett at Georgia State University, and Catherine Edmonds at North Carolina A&T State University.

Princeton’s Nell Irvin Painter Recognized by the Society of American Historians

Professor Painter has been awarded for her distinguished scholarship in American history. Currently a professor emerita at Princeton University, she has authored nine books throughout her career.

New Appointments for Three Black Administrators in Higher Education

Terrence Brooks is associate vice provost for campus engagement at Rice University. Victoria Neason Wallace will serve as vice president for enrollment and dean of admissions at Bates College in Maine and Eric Burns is director of athletics at Winston-Salem State University in North Carolina.

Thavolia Glymph Elected to the American Philosophical Society

Dr. Glymph is the Peabody Family Distinguished Professor of History, professor of history, and professor of law at Duke University in North Carolina. She was the first Black woman to serve as president of the American Historical Association.

Two Black Women Scholars Selected for Endowed Professorships

Margarita Guillory is the C. Allyn and Elizabeth V. Russell Professor of Religion and Culture in the United States at Boston University. Candis Watts Smith was named the Robert O. Keohane Professor of Political Science at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.

Barbara Ransby Receives National Award for Contributions to American History Research

The Organization of American Historians has honored the University of Illinois Chicago's Barbara Ransby for her decades of scholarship, mentorship, and public engagement. Her work has helped shape the study of African American history, social movements, and Black feminist thought.

Six Black Administrators Selected for New Roles in Higher Education

Taking on administrative roles are Jamarco Clark at Wichita State University in Kansas, Marques Dantzler at Alcorn State University in Mississippi, Antionette Marbray at Rollins College in Florida, Tashni-Ann Dubroy at the United Negro College Fund, William J. Young at Alabama A&M University, and Chadwick Wilson at Middle Georgia State University.

Two African Students Elected President of Graduate Student Groups at American Universities

Nichesius Godwin has been elected president of the LEAP Graduate Student Network at the University of Georgia, where he is pursuing a Ph.D. in education. Vanessa Macamo has been elected president of the Graduate and Professional Student Council at the University of Arizona, where she is pursuing a Ph.D. in special education.

New Appointments for Four Black Scholars in Academia

The Black scholars named to new posts are Ozzie Abaye at Virginia Tech, Suban Nor Cooley of Michigan State University, A. Bolu Ajiboye at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, and Dustin Bessette at Mt. Hood Community College in Oregon.

Two Black Professors Honored for Their Distinguished Service to Architecture Education

Carla Jackson Bell of Tuskegee University in Alabama and David Hughes of Kent State University in Ohio have each received an Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture Distinguished Professor Award in honor of their contributions to architecture education.

New Positions for Three Black Administrators at Universities

Sheena Cobrand was named interim general counsel at North Carolina A&T State University. Grant Winrow was named vice president of institutional advancement at Wilberforce University in Ohio and Kofi Ofori was appointed chief financial officer at Towson University in Maryland.

New Faculty Appointments for Three Black Scholars

Tanja R. Darden was selected for a faculty fellowship in the College of Business & Economics at Towson University in Maryland, Leapetswe Malete was appointed to an endowed professorship at Michigan State University, and Igho Ofotokun is chair of the department of medicine at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio.

PEN America Honors Edwidge Danticat for Achievement in International Literature

Professor Dantict, the Wun Tsum Tam Mellon Professor of the Humanities in the department of African American and African diaspora studies at Columbia University, is the author of 18 books, including works of fiction and nonfiction.

Four African American Men Appointed to Administrative Roles at Universities

The appointments are TaJuan Wilson at North Carolina A&T State University, Austin McDonald at Florida State University, Barry Pearson at Grambling State University, and Altony Lee III at Florida A&M University.

Four Black Leaders Appointed to Administrative Roles in Higher Education

Taking on new administrative roles are Lavelle Hayes at North Carolina A&T State University, Rabekha D. Stewart at Stephens College in Missouri, Torrance Garvin at Savannah State University in Georgia, and Javan D. Reed at Meharry Medical College in Nashville.

Christina Anderson Wins the Windham-Campbell Literature Prize in Drama

Yale University has announced the eight recipients of the 2026 Windham-Campbell Prizes, one of the world’s most significant international literary awards. One of the eight winners is an African American woman.

Three Black Scholars Selected for New Roles at Universities

Monica L. Baskin and Tycie Coppett are taking on interim leadership roles at Virginia Commonwealth University and Yale College, respectively. Christina Edwards Bailey was selected for an endowed faculty appointment at Vanderbilt University.

University of Delaware’s Trevor Dawes Receives National Award in Academic Librarianship

Dawes is the May Morris University Librarian at the University of Delaware Library, Museums, and Press. The Association of College and Research Libraries recently named Dawes the 2026 Academic/Research Librarian of the Year.

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