Rita Dove, the Henry Hoyns Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Virginia, has been selected to receive the medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters from the National Book Foundation, the nonprofit organization that presents the National Book Awards. She will be honored in New York on November 15.
Stephanie Akunvabey has been named associate vice president for diversity and inclusion and chief diversity officer at Pace University in New York. Alton M. Standifer was appointed vice provost for inclusive excellence director of the Office of Institutional Diversity at the University of Georgia and Ashton Murray is the inaugural chief diversity officer and vice president for diversity, equity, and inclusion at Rockefeller University in New York City.
Taking on new assignments are Shanen M. Sherrer at St. Mary's College of Maryland, Daphne Penn at the Peabody College of education and human development at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Lorelle Semley at Boston College, Stacy-ann Robinson at Colby College in Waterville Maine, and Tesa Leonce at Columbus State University in Georgia.
Taking on new roles are T. Simeon Ananou at Stony Brook University in New York, Jarrett Carter Sr. at Howard Community College in Maryland, Joy Jefferson at Hampton University in Virginia, Norris Allen Edney III at Talladega College in Alabama, Gissette Forte at Queensborough Community College in New York, Juanita W. Hicks at the University of Georgia, and Harold Ellis at Morehouse College in Atlanta.
Margie Lee, associate dean for research and graduate studies at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, has been selected as the 2023 recipient of the Phibro Animal Health Excellence in Poultry Research Award which honors a scholar who has demonstrated sustained excellence in research of poultry disease and health over a period of 20 years or more.
Dwight Hamilton has been named the chief diversity officer at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti. Lois V. Greene is the new senior vice president of wellness, diversity, equity, and inclusion at University Hospital in Newark, New Jersey, and B. Elliott Renfroe was named chief diversity officer at Greenville University in Illinois.
Taking on new roles are Marc Lamont Hill at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, Chinenye Anyanwu at the University of Connecticut, James Kereri at the University of Missouri, and Curtis Austin at Arizona State University.
Shana Stoddard is an associate professor of chemistry at Rhodes College in Memphis. She is being honored by the society for showing a sustained commitment to breaking down local and/or systemic barriers against scientists and students from historically marginalized or excluded groups.
Taking on new administrative assignments are Joel T. Faison at North Carolina Central University, Gwendolyn Caples at Jackson State University in Mississippi, Desireé Honoré Thomas at the Southern University System, Reginald Holt at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, and Karen M. Carty at the University of the Virgin Islands.
There are 15 new tenure-track faculty members at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, this fall. Four of the 15 new faculty members are Black.
Taking on new duties are Ruth L. Okediji at Harvard University, Milton S.F. Curry at Cornell University, Felicia McGhee at Florida A&M University, and Summer Perry at Columbus State University in Georgia.
Shana Stoddard, associate professor of chemistry at Rhodes College in Memphis, has been selected to receive the 2024 Ruth Kirschstein Diversity in Science Award. The award honors an outstanding scientist who has demonstrated a sustained commitment to the encouragement of scientists from historically marginalized groups.
The six African Americans in new administrative posts are Patrice Moorer at the University of West Florida, Anton Goff at Prairie View A&M University in Texas, Joy Milfort at Howard Community College in Columbia, Maryland, Michael Ray Bradley, Jr. at Jarvis Christian University in Hawkins, Texas, Yolanda Pollard at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, and Jeffrey L. Clark at the University of Georgia.
The faculty members in new roles are Brandon A. Owens, Sr. at Wilberforce University in Ohio, LaDaryl Watkins at Mississippi State University-Meridian, Lynda Gardner at the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Patrick Otim at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, and Gentry Patrick at the University of California San Diego.
Howard University President Wayne A. I. Frederick received the W. Montague Cobb/NMA Health Institute Lifetime Achievement Award. This award recognized Dr. Frederick for his longstanding commitment to scientific excellence, his fervor as a leader in addressing bias in healthcare and medical education, as well as his impact on medical research.
Taking on new roles are Brandon A. Logan at Grambling State University in Louisiana, Melinda Spaulding Chevalier at Rice University in Houston, Jeremy Carter at Philander Smith University in Little Rock, Arkansas, Holly Rachel at Fisk University in Nashville, Marriel Hardy at Talladega College in Alabama, and Kenneth Elvis Jones at Wilberforce University in Ohio.
The Black scholars in new roles are Chielozona Eze at Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota, Ihudiya Finda Williams at Virginia Tech, Sarah Vinson at the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Melynda Price at the University of Michigan, Vaughn A. Booker at the University of Pennsylvania.
Jack Trice was injured in his second collegiate football game against the University of Minnesota and died two days later on October 8, 1923. He was 21 years old. News reports said that he was trampled by opposing players and suffered severe internal injuries.
Taking on new roles at historically Black colleges or universities are John E. Smith Jr. at St. Augustine's University in North Carolina, Kenyatta Shamburger at Talladega College in Alabama, Valerie Melton at Albany State University in Georgia, Janet Barnes at Grambling State University in Louisiana, and Brian Benn at Clark Atlanta University
The African Americans in new administrative roles are John Girton Jr. at Martin University in Indianapolis, Delisle Warden at Howard Community College in Columbia, Maryland, Rhonda Owens at the University of Chicago, Juan McGruder at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Sandra D. Yates at Fayetteville State University in North Carolina, and W. Franklin Evans at Allen University in Columbia, South Carolina.
Taking on new roles are Stephen Newby in the School of Music at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, Marcia Chatelain at the University of Pennsylvania, Maureen Edobor at the Washington and Lee University School of Law in Lexington, Virginia, Rickey Oglesby at Tuskegee University in Alabama, and Chileatha Wynn in the physician assistant program at North Carolina A&T State University.
Shay Malone was named assistant vice president of diversity and inclusion at Northwest Missouri State University. Henry Evans is the inaugural associate dean for equity and outreach for the College of Arts and Sciences at Washington State University and Keisha Jimmerson has been promoted to dean of students and diversity officer at Seton Hill University in Greensburg, Pennsylvania.
Taking on new duties or roles are Reginald Perry at Florida A&M University, Tiffany Morris at North Carolina A&T State University, Derreck Williams at the University of Southern Mississippi, Aaron Kamugisha at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, Tonya Pinkins at Fordham College at Lincoln Center, and Alford A. Young Jr. at the University of Michigan.
Beverley Crawford, professor of clinical restorative dentistry and director of the student diversity and inclusion initiatives at the University of Pennsylvania, has been recognized for her service to students and academics.
Taking on new administrative duties are Tyron Clinton at South Carolina State University, Kamala Green at the University of California, Santa Cruz, Theodore B. Callier at Grambling State University in Louisiana, Ron Brade at Xavier University in New Orleans, and Ludwig P. Gaines at Talladega College in Alabama.
Taking on new administrative roles are Jermaine Rolle at Clayton State University in Morrow, Georgia, Rita L. Walters at Montclair State University in New Jersey, Juan McGruder at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Lucreta Tribune at Alcorn State University in Mississippi, and LaMarcus D. Howard at North Carolina Central University.
Taking on new duties are Royel Johnson of the University of Southern California, Karen Keaton Jackson at North Carolina Central University, Aaron Allen at the University of Southern Mississippi, and Corcoran Holt at the Arizona State University School of Music, Dance and Theatre.
Taking on new administrative roles relating to diversity are Nicholas M. Creary at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Vermont, Nicole Del Castillo at the Carle Illinois College of Medicine at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and Marc Reed at Grinnell College in Iowa.
Makhroufi Ousmane Traoré received tenure and was promoted to associate professor of history and Africana studies at Pomona College in California. Neil Roberts, professor of Africana studies, was named associate dean of the faculty at Williams College in Massachusetts and Saida Grundy was promoted to associate professor of sociology and African American studies at Boston University.
Yęmisi Jimoh, a professor in the W.E.B. Du Bois Department of Afro-American Studies at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, was recently honored with the Society for the Study of the Multi-Ethnic Literature of the United States (MELUS) Award for Lifetime Achievement.
Taking on new administrative roles are Shantay Bolton at the Georgia Institute of Technology, Jovan Alexander Wilson at North Carolina Central University, Aristide J. Collins Jr. at the Strada Education Foundation in Indianapolis, and Robin Whitfield at Howard University in Washington, D.C.
Barbara J. Lawrence has been named vice president for diversity, equity, inclusion, access, and belonging at the University of New Haven in Connecticut. Michael Snowden is the new chief diversity officer for Georgia College & State University in Milledgeville and Lynette Yarger is the associate dean of equity and inclusion for the Schreyer Honors College at Pennsylvania State University.
Kafui Dzirasa will be the inaugural holder of an endowed chair at the School of Medicine at Duke University. Paula Austin was promoted to associate professor of history and African American studies at Boston University and Lewis R. Gordon was appointed a Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor at the University of Connecticut.
Since 2015, Gina S. Brown has dean of the College of Nursing and Allied Sciences at Howard University in Washington, D.C. Dr. Brown was recognized for her leadership and achievements in healthcare, government, and for her positive impact on society.
Here is this week’s roundup of African Americans who have been appointed to new administrative positions at colleges and universities throughout the United States. If you have news for this section, please send an email to info@jbhe.com.
Bruce Morgan joined the staff at Bryan College in Dayton, Tennessee 1999 and has served as dean of students for the past 21 years. Earlier, he was a high school teacher in three states over a 17-year period.