Appointments & Awards

New Appointments for Three Black Administrators in Higher Education

The appointments are Deidra Hill at Rutgers University-Newark, Anthony E. Barwick at Wilberforce University in Ohio, and Adrian Thomas at Colby College in Waterville, Maine.

April Lavette Jones Receives National Award for Contributions to Social Work Education

Dr. Jones has influenced social work education at Bellevue University, Talladega College, Tuskegee University, and Alabama A&M University, where she currently serves as director of director of strategic innovation and distance social work education in the department of social work.

Avis Proctor Awarded for Leadership in Community College Education

Dr. Proctor has served as the sixth president of Harper College in Illinois for the past seven years. She was recently honored by the Association of Community College Trustees for her leadership in advancing student success, institutional innovation, and community college education.

Two Black Scientists Appointed Assistant Professors at Liberal Arts Colleges

Courtney Marshall is a new assistant professor of neuroscience at Haverford College in suburban Philadelphia. Akachukwu Obi is a new assistant professor of Integrated Sciences at Claremont McKenna College in California.

Professor Cynthia Oliver Awarded for Her Career in Choreography

Cynthia Oliver has been a professor of dance at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign for more than 25 years. As a choreographer, she creates experimental dance-theater works that explore Blackness, feminism, Black masculinity, and Afro-Caribbean cultures.

Four African Americans Appointed to Administrative Roles at Universities

Adriel Hilton is senior advisor to the chancellor at Indiana University Northwest, and Jasmine Gurley is senior director of public relations at Howard University. Lauren D. Myers is chief human resources officer at Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, and Damon L. Williams, Jr. is vice president of university relations and chief of staff to the president at Adler University.

Hilary Beckles Named a Distinguished Scholar by New York University

New York University's Center for the Study of Africa and African Diaspora has named Hilary Beckles, vice chancellor of the University of the West Indies, a 2026–2027 Distinguished Scholar. Dr. Beckles previously conducted research at NYU more than three decades ago.

Two Black Scholars Selected for Academic Appointments at Universities

Trevor A. Dawes was named the 2026–2027 Follett Chair in Library and Information Science at the School of Information Studies at Dominican University in Illinois. Keithen Mathis has been selected to serve as interim director of the Florida State University Civil Rights Institute.

Yale’s David Knight Wins Early Career Award in Sociology

The American Sociological Association has presented its inaugural Early Career Award for Community-Engaged Scholarship to Yale's David Knight in recognition of “his visionary leadership in documenting the history of political mobilization within U.S. prisons.”

New Appointments for Four Black Administrators in Higher Education

The appointments are Brian Gray at Prairie View A&M University in Texas, Josh Cathey at the University of Southern Mississippi, Paula G. Love at Talladega College in Alabama, and Irene Okwang at Dutchess Community College in New York.

New Faculty Appointments for Five Black Scholars

Paula Marie Seniors was selected for an endowed professorship in Africana studies at Virginia Tech. The other appointments are four new assistant professors: Kamia Smith at the University of Cincinnati, Efemena Diejomaoh at Meharry Medical College, Danielle Lynch at Pomona College, and Camille Lois at Cornell University.

Emory University’s Tayari Jones Receives Award for Her Latest Novel

Tayari Jones, an endowed professor at Emory University, has received the 2026 Kirkus Prize for Fiction for her latest novel, Kin. The book is Professor Jones' fifth novel.

New Leadership Roles for Four Black Administrators in Academia

Amanda Peters Hopkins and Kevan L. Turman are taking on vice presidential roles in advancement at Rollins College and Salem Academy and College, respectively. Christine Mellampe is executive director of human resources for Bronx Community College and Brianna Clark-Williams is associate dean of Richmond College at the University of Richmond.

Six Black Scholars Appointed to New Faculty Positions

The appointments are Carole Boyce-Davies at Howard University, Whitney Fields at Vassar College, Anthony Robinson at Wayne State University, Angel Jones at the University of Washington Tacoma, Sandra Thomas-Lalmansingh at McDaniel College, and Kira Reed at Syracuse University.

Zophia Edwards Receives National Book Award in Sociology

Dr. Edwards is an assistant professor of sociology at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. She was recently honored by the American Sociological Association for her latest book, Fueling Development: How Black Radical Trade Unionism Transformed Trinidad and Tobago.

New Administrative Appointments for Six Black Americans in Higher Education

The appointments are Lance Kennedy-Phillips at Pennsylvania State University, Kiona Sinks at Metropolitan Community College, Ike Ugboaha at Talladega College, Johnny Bernard Hill at Shaw University, Maya T. Mapp at Bronx Community College, and Leandra Hayes-Burgess at North Carolina A&T State University.

Four Black Women Selected for New Faculty Roles

Camille Borders and Sophia Mongero are new assistant professors at Bates College in Maine and Smith College in Massachusetts, respectively. Jametta A. Davis is assistant director of the Hampton University Honors College and Kiana Dibo-Armstrong is chair of the department of social work at Savannah State University.

Keisha Rogers Receives Black Mental Health Educator of the Year Award

The Black Mental Health Symposium has honored Dr. Rogers, professor of rehabilitation counseling at Winston-Salem State University, for her contributions to counselor education, mentorship, and advocacy.

Five Black Americans Appointed to Administrative Roles at HBCUs

The appointments are Kristi L. Smith at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, Alicia Williams at Grambling State University, Octavius Rice at Johnson C. Smith University, Abiodun Durojaye at Howard University, and Joshua Busby at Langston University.

Five Black Scholars Selected for New Faculty Roles

Camille A. Brown was named to an endowed professorship in dance at the University of Southern California. Robert R. Lindsey of Johnson C. Smith University and Ashley Leak Bryant of the University of North Carolina are taking on new leadership roles. Amaryah Shaye Armstrong and Tré Watkins are new assistant professors at Columbia university and Point Loma Nazarene University, respectively.

Prudence Carter Receives Career Award From the American Sociological Association

A leading sociologist of education, Dr. Carter currently serves as an endowed professor and director of the Center for the Study of Race and Ethnicity in America at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island.

A Trio of Black Administrators Selected for New Roles in Academia

Blair Lee is the inaugural associate vice president and chief marketing and communications officer at Front Range Community College in Colorado. Atia Garrett-Washington was appointed vice president of enrollment management at Dillard University in New Orleans, and Elmore J. Jones, Jr. was appointed compliance officer at Hampton University in Virginia.

Five Black Scholars Appointed to New Roles

Ezemenari M. Obasi of Wayne State University has been appointed to the National Advisory Council on Minority Health and Health Disparities. Miriam Johnson, Judith Crocker-Billingsley, and Lewis Johnson are taking on new academic leadership roles at universities. Scott Poulson-Bryant joined the faculty of the New York University Tisch School of the Arts.

Tomikia LeGrande Honored by the Thurgood Marshall College Fund

Dr. LeGrande became the ninth president of Prairie View A&M University in June 2023. Earlier in her career, she held key leadership roles in enrollment management at Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Houston-Downtown.

New Roles for Four Black Administrators in Higher Education

The administrators who are taking on new roles in higher education are Johnnie Watson III at Howard University, Wesley Fountain at Fayetteville State University, Felicia Ellzy-Smith at Dutchess Community College, and Jordan M. Davis at the University of Cincinnati.

UNC-Chapel Hill to Name New Residence Hall After Pioneering Black Faculty

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's new Jackson Hall honors two of the university's earliest Black professors. Blyden Jackson was the university's first tenured Black faculty member and his wife Roberta was the first Black tenure-track faculty member in the School of Education.

New Academic Appointments for Eight Black Scholars

Here is this week’s roundup of Black faculty members who have been appointed to new positions in the academic world. If you have news for our appointments section, please email the information to contact@jbhe.com.

UCLA’s E. Dale Abel Receives Prestigious Honor from the Government of Jamaica

E. Dale Abel of the University of California, Los Angles has been awarded the Order of Distinction in the Rank of Commander by the Government of Jamaica. The award is one of the nation's highest honors.

Three Black Administrators Appointed to New Roles in Higher Education

Lindsey Hunter is the vice president for strategic enrollment management at Langston University in Oklahoma. LaShaunda Reese is a new associate director in the Institute for Black Catholic Studies at Xavier University of Louisiana and Darrell L. Farewell is chief financial officer at Salem Academy and College in North Carolina.

New Faculty Roles for Six Black Scholars in Higher Education

The faculty appointments are Heather Tookes at Yale University, Yaa Oparebea Ampofo at Columbia University, Curtis R. Govan, Jr., II at Jarvis Christian University, Shaun Ossei-Owusu at the University of California College of Law, San Francisco, Arnold Holland at California State University, Fullerton, and Lyrric Jackson at Spelman College.

Deborah Willis Selected to Receive an American Book Award

Deborah Willis is a University Professor and chair of the department of photography and imaging at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. She will be presented with an American Book Award on September 28.

Four Black Administrators Selected for Key Leadership Roles at Universities

Alton C. Standifer is chief of staff at Clemson University in South Carolina and Alfred S. Chandler Jr. is chief of police at Hampton University in Virginia. Tamara White is the inaugural director for belonging and servingness at the University of Northern Colorado and Ashley Robinson is the athletic director at Texas Southern University.

Eight Black Scholars Selected for New Academic Appointments

The appointments are David W. Brown at Temple University, Christina Baker at the University of California, Merced, Dennis C. Sweet IV at Washington and Lee University, Trena Warren at Belhaven University, Tiffani Chidume at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Avery Bargassé at the University of Cincinnati, Jean Beaman at the City University of New York, and Aimee J. Carlisle at the College of Law at the University of California, San Francisco.

Brittany Suggs Receives Emerging Leader Award From the American Counseling Association

The American Counseling Association has presented its Robert H. Rencken Emerging Professor Leader Award to Brittany Suggs, an assistant professor and graduate clinical coordinator in the department of counseling and human services at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia.

New Roles for Four Black Administrators in Higher Education

Mattie White and Katreshia Louis-Verrett are the new athletic directors at Emory University and North Carolina A&T State University, respectively. Kizzy N. Lea is chief financial officer at Livingstone College and William C. Nelson Jr. is chief of staff to the provost at Virginia Commonwealth University.

New Associate Dean Positions for Three Faculty Members at North Carolina Central University

At North Carolina Central University, Tryan L. McMickens is a new associate dean in the School of Education. Katrina Smith and Nakia Davis are taking on associate dean roles in the School of Law.
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