Appointments & Awards

Five African American Scholars Who Are Taking on New University Assignments

The five Black scholars in new posts or who are taking on new duties are Derrick Harriell at the University of Mississippi, Crista Johnson-Agbakwu at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Duane Watson at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Phylicia Rashad at Howard University in Washington, D.C., and Misty De Berry at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University.

Georgia State’s Elizabeth Armstrong-Mensah Earns Early Career Teaching Excellence Award

The Early Career Teaching Excellence Award is given to one faculty member each year from among the 138 member institutions in the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health. The award recognizes faculty for outstanding teaching and mentoring of students in public health research, teaching, and practice.

Six African Americans Who Have Been Selected to Serve in Higher Education Adminitrative Roles

Taking on new administrative duties are Antwan Lofton at Duke University in North Carolina, Mya Jolly at Miles College in Fairfield, Alabama, Timothy A. Minor at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Lisa McClinton at Winston-Salem State University in North Carolina, Jessica Madison at Alabama State University, and Marcus Byrd at Alabama A&M University.

Four Black Scholars Who Are Taking on New Assignments at Major Universities

Appointed to new positions or taking on new duties are Michelle Robinson at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Charles D. Brown II at Yale University, Patricia Smith at the Lewis Center for the Arts at Princeton University in New Jersey, and Angela Byars-Winston of the School of Medicine and Public Health at the University of Wisconsin.

New Administrative Roles in Higher Education for Five Black Americans

Taking on new administrative duties are Kafui Kouakou at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut, Rashonda Austin at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, Teriya Richardson at Texas Southern University in Houston, Troy Miller at the University of Southern Indiana, and Christian Mitchell at the University of Chicago.

Penn State’s Denise Okafor Wins the Mason Award for Women in the Chemical Sciences

First awarded in 2015, the Mason Award is a highly competitive award that attracts applications from the very best early-career female chemists across the country. Dr. Okafor's research focuses on understanding how protein function is regulated.

Three African Americans Women Who Have Been Appointed to Diversity Posts

Taking on new administrative roles relating to diversity are Vernese Edghill-Walden at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, B. Afeni McNeely Cobham at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, and Shawna Watkins at the Tulsa campus of the University of Oklahoma.

Four Black Faculty Members Who Are Taking on New Positions or Roles

Taking on new duties are Soyica Colbert at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., Arisa White at Colby College in Waterville, Maine, Samuel Johnson at the Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit, and Sherard Robbins at Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development in Nashville.

New University Administrative Appointments for Five African Americans

Taking on new administrative duties are Michelle Garfield Cook at the University of Georgia, Tasha A. Carson at Tennessee State University, Anthony D. Henderson, Sr. at Hampton University in Virginia, Brenda Tindal at Harvard University, and Anna Ponder at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin.

Princeton University’s Dan-el Padilla Peralta Wins Two Book Prizes

Dr. Padilla Peralta won the 2022 American Historical Association’s Herbert Baxter Adams Prize (given for an author’s first book in European history from ancient times through 1815) and was co-recipient of the 2022 Classical Association of the Middle West and South’s First Book Prize.

A Quartet of African Americans Who Have Been Appointed to Diversity Posts in Higher Education

Taking on new diversity roles are Joshua Quinn Tucker at the University of Mississippi School of Law, Lita Little Giddins at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, Steven Kniffley Jr. at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, and Alicia Richardson at Hartwick College in Oneonta, New York.

Harvard University’s Tiya Miles Wins Another Award for Her Book Ashley’s Sack

Tiya Miles, the Michael Garvey Professor of History and the Radcliffe Alumnae Professor at Harvard University, recently was awarded the 2022 Cundill History Prize by McGill University in Montreal. The $75,000 prize is given for a book that embodies historical scholarship, originality, literary quality, and broad appeal.

Three Black Scholars Promoted to Full Professor at Winston-Salem State University

Historically Black Winston-Salem State University in North Carolina has announced that seven faculty members have been promoted to full professor. Three of these scholars are Black: Ike Okonta in philosophy, Tennille Presley in chemistry, and Pamela Jones in biological sciences.

Tressie McMillan Cottom Is the Winner of the Gittler Prize from Brandeis University

The Joseph B. and Toby Gittler Prize was created in 2007 by the late Professor Joseph B. Gittler to recognize outstanding and lasting scholarly contributions to racial, ethnic, and/or religious relations. The annual award includes a $25,000 prize and a medal.

New Administrative Duties for Five African Americans in Higher Education

Taking on new administrative roles are Johnny M. Smith at Fayetteville State University in North Carolina, Kori Harris at Hampton University in Virginia, Kimberly Woods at Rust College in Holly Springs, Mississippi, Jamar Jones at Elizabeth City State University in North Carolina, and Annya Lott at the University of California, Riverside.

Robert Bullard Honored by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education

The Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education honors outstanding leaders (both academics and practitioners) who have made significant contributions to the advancement of sustainability in higher education over their lifetimes. Dr. Bullard, Distinguished Professor at Texas Southern University, is the fifth recipient of this award.

A Trio of African American Scholars Who Have Been Appointed to University Diversity Posts

Taking on new roles relating to diversity are Steven H. Kenney, Jr. at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minnesota, Felicia Benton-Johnson at Clemson University in South Carolina, and Sonia Toson at Kennesaw State University in Georgia.

Jason King Named Dean of the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California

Dr. King currently serves as chair of the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at the Tisch School of the Arts of New York University. He is the institute’s founding full-time faculty member. He will become dean of the School of Music at the University of Southern California on July 1.

Harvard University’s Tiya Miles Wins Another Award for Her Book Ashley’s Sack

Tiya Miles, the Michael Garvey Professor of History and the Radcliffe Alumnae Professor at Harvard University, recently was awarded the 2022 Cundill History Prize by McGill University in Montreal. The $75,000 prize is given for a book that embodies historical scholarship, originality, literary quality, and broad appeal.

A Quartet of Black Faculty Members Who Are Taking on New Assignments

Stacy Gee Hollins was appointed interim associate provost of academic affairs at Harris-Stowe State University in St. Louis and Getiria Onsongo was granted tenure at Macalester College in St. Paul Minnesota. Candis Watts Smith was named interim vice provost for undergraduate education at Duke University and Terrell Brown was appointed director of the master of social work degree program at Jackson State University in Mississippi.

Colleges and Universities Appoint Four African Americans to Administrative Positions

The four African Americans in new administrative roles are LaMar Bunts at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, W. Rebecca Brown at Florida A&M University, Derrick Robertson at Talladega College in Alabama, and Jackie K. Brockington Jr. at Delaware State University.

New Appointments of African Americans to Diversity Posts in Higher Education

Garrett Green was appointed chief diversity officer at Augusta University in Georgia. Nicole Joseph has been named associate dean for equity, diversity, and inclusion for Peabody College at Vanderbilt University and Chemen Neal is the chief diversity officer for the Indiana University School of Medicine.

A Trio of Black Faculty Members Who Are Taking on New Roles

Marlon M. Bailey, a professor of African and African American studies at Washington University in St. Louis, was granted tenure. Salome Brooks has been appointed clinical professor and program director of the department of physical therapy at Clarkson University in Potsdam, New York, and Arnetta Villela-Smith was named co-chair of the ethnic studies department at Skyline Community College in San Bruno, California.

New Administrative Assignments in Higher Education for Three African Americans

Misha G. Cornelius was appointed director of public relations at Howard University in Washington, D.C. Zac Selmon was appointed director of athletics at Mississippi State University and Anne Edwards was named director of the Black Cultural Center at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana.

Miriam Mobley Smith Honored by the American Society of Health-Systems Pharmacists

Miriam Mobley Smith is the interim dean of the Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo. Prior to coming to the University of Hawai'i in 2021, the veteran pharmacy academic served as interim dean and visiting professor at the Northeastern University Bourvé College of Health Sciences in Boston and as dean and tenured professor at the Chicago State University College of Pharmacy.

Three Black Scholars Who Have Been Given Duties Relating to Diversity

Wilmore Webley will serve as the inaugural senior vice provost for equity and inclusion at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Cornelius Gilbert was appointed chief diversity officer at the State University of New York Adirondack and Krista L. Walker was named assistant dean for diversity, equity, and inclusion for the College of Nursing at Michigan State University.

Kelly Brown Douglas Wins the Grawemeyer Award for Religion

Kelly Brown Douglas is dean of the Union Theological Seminary’s Episcopal Divinity School in New York City. She also serves as a canon theologian at Washington Cathedral. She is one of the first Black female Episcopal priests in the United States and the first Black person to head an Episcopal Church-affiliated educational institution.

Three African Americans Who Have Been Named to New Higher Education Administrative Posts

Lou Avotri has been promoted to associate vice president and executive director of student success at Talladega College in Alabama. Jared Russell has been named associate dean for academic and faculty affairs at Auburn University in Alabama and M. Ray McKinnie has been selected to lead Cooperative Extension at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.

Professor Jerrilyn McGregory Wins the Chicago Folklore Prize From the American Folklore Society

Jerrilyn McGregory, a professor of English at Florida State University, was honored for her book on Boxing Day traditions in the Anglicized Caribbean world, which encompasses the Bahamas, Belize, Bermuda, St. Croix, and St. Kitts.

Two Prominent Black Scholars Have Jumped to Different Universities

Chandra L. Ford has joined the faculty at Emory University in Atlanta after teaching at the University of California, Los Angeles and Fredrick Muyia Nafukho, who has taught at Texas A&M University since 2007, will be joining the faculty and serving as vice provost in the Office of Academic Personnel at the University of Washington.

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

Taking on new administrative roles are James Flowers at Tacoma Community College in Washington, Tasha Bibb at the Mississippi State University Office of Technology Management in Vicksburg, Trey Jones at West Virginia State University in Institute, Nicole Johnson at Rhodes College in Memphis, and Dominique Harrison at North Carolina A&T State University.

Vaughn Booker Honored by the Council of Graduate Schools for His Book on Black Jazz Musicians

The Arlt Award from the Council of Graduate Schools recognizes a young scholar-teacher who has written a book deemed to have made an outstanding contribution to scholarship in the humanities. Dr. Booker is the 52nd winner of the award.

Three African Americans Who Are Taking on Roles Relating to Diversity at Universities

Taking on diversity assignments are Sofiya Alhassan at the Graduate School of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Jacquez Gray for the Michigan State University Department of Police and Public Safety, and Keona Lewis in the provost's office at the University of Notre Dame.

La Marr Jurelle Bruce Wins First Book Award From the Modern Language Association

La Marr Jurelle Bruce is an associate professor of American studies at the University of Maryland, College Park. According to the Modern L:anguage Association selection committee's citation, "Bruce develops original and provocative readings across media and genres, and the impact of his work will be felt in multiple fields and disciplines."

Four Black Scholars Join the College of Education & Human Development Faculty at Georgia State

The four new faculty members College of Education & Human Development at Georgia State University are Bobby Bonwenyue Gueh and Tamika P. La Salle in the department of counseling and psychological services, Dionne Cowan in the department of educational policy studies, and Christopher Jett in the department of middle and secondary education.

Cynthia Nance Receives the Ruth Bader Ginsburg Lifetime Achievement Award

Nance, the Nathan G. Gordon Professor of Law at the school, is serving as dean of the school for a second time. She joined the faculty in 1994 and served as dean from 2006 to 2011. She was the first woman and the first person of color to serve as dean in the school's then-82-year history. In July 2022, she was named dean for the second time.

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