Appointments & Awards

Five African Americans Taking on New Administrative Duties in Higher Education

Newly appointed to administrative posts are Wanda A. Wright at Arizona State University, Shawan Baptiste at Texas College in Tyler, Chancey Page at Stockton University in Galloway, New Jersey, Branville Bard Jr. at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, and Evelyn Rucker at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, North Carolina.

Yale University Awards Degrees to Two of its First Students

James W. C. Pennington (1808-1870) and Alexander Crummell (1819-1898) studied at Yale from 1834 to 1837 and 1840 to 1841, respectively. Because they were Black, however, the university did not allow them to register formally for classes or matriculate for a degree. They could not participate in classroom discussions or access library resources.

Four African Americans Named to Diversity Positions in Higher Education

Taking on new duties relating to diversity are Russell Morrow in the College of Business at Ohio University, Tanyka M. Barber at the University of Maryland Baltimore County, E. Cheryl Ponder at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and Bill Woodsen at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, New York.

The University of South Carolina’s First Building Named to Honor an African American

The University of South Carolina has renamed a residence hall to honor Celia Dial Saxon, who was born enslaved in 1857 but later had a 57-year career as an educator in South Carolina. Saxon attended the Normal School on the University of South Carolina campus when it was integrated during Reconstruction.

A Pair of Black Scholars Who Have Been Appointed to New Faculty Roles

Elisha Chambers was appointed director of the new master's degree program in occupational therapy at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke and Isrea Butler will be the next director of the School of Music at the University of Nevada Las Vegas.

Two African American Men Win Prestigious Awards

Robert Bullard, the Distinguished Professor of Urban Planning and Environmental Policy at Texas Southern University has been selected to receive the Horizon Award from the Harvard Law School’s Environmental Law Society and James L. Moore III, the chief diversity officer at Ohio State University, received the Transformative Impact Award from the American Counseling Association.

A Quartet of Black Administrators in New Higher Education Roles

Taking on new administrative duties are Antoinette Candia-Bailey at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri, Javier McCoy at West Virginia University, Adell Brown at Alcorn State University in Mississippi, and Renae Myles Payne at Fort Valley State University in Georgia.

The First African American to Deliver the Bampton Lectures at the University of Oxford

Willie James Jennings an associate professor of systematic theology at Yale Divinity School, has been selected to deliver the Bampton Lectures for 2023 at the University of Oxford in England. He is the first African American selected to give these lectures in the 243-year history of the program.

A Trio of Black Scholars in New Faculty Positions

William T. Brooks has been named an assistant professor of music at Albany State University in Georgia. Ericmoore Jossou will be joining the engineering faculty at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology this summer and Joan Blakey is the new director of the University of Minnesota School of Social Work.

Four African Americans Who Have Been Named to University Administrative Positions

Taking on new administrative duties are Elfred Anthony Pinkard at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, Whitney McDowell-Robinson at Brenau University in Gainesville, Georgia, Terryl Brown at Pace University in New York, and Rochie C. Hunter at the University of Michigan.

Two African American Women Appointed to Endowed Chairs

Stacey Abrams was named the inaugural Ronald W. Walters Endowed Chair for Race and Black Politics at Howard University in Washington, D.C., and Rhonda Y. Williams was named to the Coleman A. Young Endowed Chair in the department of African American studies at Wayne State University in Detroit.

Camara Phyllis Jones Honored for Her Contributions to Health Education

Camara Phyllis Jones received the 2023 Elizabeth Fries Health Education Award from the CDC Foundation and the James F. and Sarah T. Fries Foundation. Dr. Jones was honored for her exceptional ability to educate about pathways linking racism to poor health outcomes.

New Administrative Duties at Universities for Four African Americans

Taking on new administrative roles are Runell J. King at Saint Augustine's University in Raleigh, North Carolina, Jade Packer at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, Clinton Fluker at Emory University in Atlanta, and Richelle D. Payne at Hampton University in Virginia.

Three African American Women Faculty Members Who Are Taking on New Assignments

The three Black women faculty members who are taking on new assignments are Crystal Feimster at Yale University, Kia Dolby at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia, and Alison Brown at Talladega College in Alabama.

Syracuse University’s Carrie Mae Weems Is the Winner of the 2023 Hasselblad Award

The Hasselblad Award is an international photography prize that is granted annually to a photographer recognized for major achievements. The award is often referred to as the “Nobel Prize” of photography. The award includes a monetary prize of about $188,000 and a gold medal.

Three African Americans Appointed to Diversity Positions in Higher Education

Derek A. James was appointed dean of equity, diversity, and inclusion at Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. Noura Allen was named director of diversity and inclusive excellence for the College of Professional Studies at Syracuse University and Jeanine Staples-Dixon, a professor at Pennsylvania State University. was appointed the senior faculty mentor in the Office of Educational Equity.

The Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice at Brown University Named After Ruth Simmons

Ten years ago, the Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice opened its doors at Brown University. The center’s creation inspired universities and other organizations around the world to take up the work of investigating their own ties to slavery. Now, the university has named the center in honor of President Emerita Ruth J. Simmons.

Five Black Scholars Honored With Endowed Professorships at Vanderbilt University

Vanderbilt University in Nashville held a ceremony honoring the 41 faculty members who have recently been appointed to endowed chairs. Several of these appointments went to Black scholars, including three who teach chemistry.

Cal Poly Pomona President Soraya M. Coley Honored by the American Council on Education

Dr. Coley is the first woman and first African American scholar to serve as president of California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. She will receive the 2023 Donna Shavlik Award from the American Council on Education at the Women’s Leadership Dinner at the American Council on Education's annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

Five African Americans Who Have Been Assigned New University Administrative Duties

Taking on new administrative roles are Phillip D. Jones at Hampton University in Virginia, Karla C. Lewis at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Andrea Simpson at Howard University in Washington, D.C., Camacia Smith-Ross at Southern University New Orleans, and Zenobia Lane at Santa Clara University in California.

School of Pharmacy at the University of Pittsburgh to Honor Its First Black Woman Graduate

While Ella P. Stewart was at the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy beginning in 2014, in classrooms White males had the first rows of seats, and they were followed, in descending order, by White females, then Jews, then Blacks.

Four African American Scholars Who Have Been Appointed to New Faculty Positions

Taking on new roles are LaQuandra S. Nesbitt at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Jarvis Givens at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Nicole B. Burwell at North Carolina A&T State University, and Anthony Greene at the College of Charleston in South Carolina.

A Quartet of Black Women Taking on New Administrative Duties at Universities

The four African American women hired to new administrative positions are Marcia Walker-McWilliams at Tulane University in New Orleans, Felicia L. McMillan at South Carolina State University, Endia DeCordova at Morgan State University in Baltimore, and Melissa Hodge-Penn at North Carolina A&T State University.

Spelman College President Helene Gayle Honored for Her Philanthropic Work

Before becoming president of Spelman College in July 2022, Dr. Gayle was president and CEO of The Chicago Community Trust, one of the nation’s oldest and largest community foundations. Earlier, Dr. Gayle was president and CEO of CARE, a leading international humanitarian organization.

A Quartet of Black Americans Who Have Been Appointed to University Posts Relating to Diversity

Taking on new duties relating to diversity at universities are Bi Awosika at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Nefertiti Walker at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Dorothy Hines at the University of Kansas, Jai-Me Potter-Rutledge for the School of Public Health at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island.

A Quartet of Black Scholars Who Are Taking on New Positions or Duties

Taking on new roles are Barnard A. Jones at St. John's University in Staten Island, New York, Artha Gillis, at the University of California, Los Angeles, Terry-Ann Jones at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and David Staten at South Carolina State University.

UCLA’s Kelly Lytle Hernández Wins the Bancroft Prize

Kelly Lytle Hernández holds the Thomas E. Lifka Chair of History at the University of California, Los Angeles. Dr. Lytle Hernández is also the director of the Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies at UCLA.

Five African Americans Named to New Administrative Posts at Universities

Taking on new administrative roles are Greg Hart at Washington University in St. Louis, Brenda Murrell at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, Todd Misener at Oklahoma State University, D’Andra Mull at the University of Colorado Boulder, and Khala Granville at Morgan State University in Baltimore.

Harris-Stowe State University in St. Louis Names Its Inaugural Regents’ Distinguished Professor

Dr. Kelvin Adams retired in December 2022 from his duties as superintendent of the St. Louis Public School District, a position he held since 2008. Prior to serving as superintendent, he was the associate dean of the College of Education at Southern University in New Orleans.

Five African Americans Who Are Taking on New Administrative Roles in Higher Education

Taking on new administrative duties are Rico Munn at Colorado State University, Monika Williams Shealey of Rowan University in New Jersey, Renarde D. Earl at Livingstone College in Salisbury, North Carolina, Natasha Hutson at Alcorn State University in Mississippi, and Misty Nunn at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri.

Princeton University’s Ludovic Tangpi Wins an American Mathematical Society Fellowship

The AMS Claytor-Gilmer Fellowship is named for William Schieffelin Claytor and Gloria Ford Gilmer, the first African American man and woman to publish research articles in peer-reviewed mathematics journals. The year-long fellowship was established to further excellence in mathematics research and to help generate wider and sustained participation by Black mathematicians.

Four African Americans Who Have Been Appointed to Diversity Posts in Higher Education

Taking on new assignments relating to diversity are Kendra Jason at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Rodmon King at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Chanelle Whittaker at Prince George’s Community College in Largo, Maryland, and Harold Wallace III at Wichita State University in Kansas.

A Trio of Black Scholars Taking on New Faculty Roles

Bree Alexander was appointed clinical assistant professor and interim coordinator for the bachelor of social work degree program at the University of South Carolina. Cajetan Iheka is the new director of the Whitney Humanities Center at Yale University and Earl J. Edwards is a new assistant professor in the educational leadership and higher education development at Boston College.

New Positions for Five Black Administrators in Higher Education

Taking on new administrative roles are Peter Gitau at the Spokane campus of Washington State University, Donald Miles at the University of South Carolina, Pat Kendrick at Xavier University in New Orleans, Joseph O. Montgomery at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, and Brittney Johnson at Florida A&M University.

Two Black Scholars in the United States Win the Dan David Prize

The Dan David Prize is awarded by the Dan David Foundation at Tel Aviv University in Israel to up to nine early and mid-career scholars and practitioners in the historical disciplines. The honor comes with a $300,000 prize. Of this year's nine winners, two are Black scholars with university affiliations in the United States: Saheed Aderinto of Florida International University and Stephanie E. Jones-Rogers of the University of California, Berkeley.

Three African Americans Appointed to Diversity Posts at Colleges and Universities

Altheia Richardson has been named the inaugural chief diversity officer at Newberry College in South Carolina. D’Angelo Taylor has been named as the vice president for hope, unity and belonging at Belmont University in Nashville and Monae Roberts is the inaugural chief diversity officer for the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California, Davis.

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