Appointments & Awards

Three Black Scholars Who Have Been Assigned New Roles

Tennessee State University's Learotha Williams, Jr. is the new Davidson County Historian, Tia-Simone Gardner was awarded tenure at Macalaser College in Minnesota, and Jonli Tunstall was appointed associate vice provost of student diversity and director of the Academic Advancement Program at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Antoinette Jackson Honored by the American Historical Association

Dr. Jackson, professor and chair of the anthropology department at the University of South Florida, was honored for her work to recover and restore Black cemeteries. As founder and director of the Black Cemetery Network, she has been able to retrieve a rich but forgotten history of Black cemeteries as an integral part of Black life in the United States.

Five African Americans Selected for Administrative Roles at Universities

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 our appointments section, please email the information to [email protected].

New Faculty Appointments for Three Black Scholars

Ariel James was awarded tenure at Macalester College in Minnesota. Michael Morgan was named associate dean for research in the College of Letters & Science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Maria Rosario Jackson was named University Professor of Creativity and Social Impact at Arizona State University.

Austin Community College District Names Its African American Cultural Center to Honor Roland C. Hayes

For over five decades, Roland Hayes has taught history and African American studies at Austin Community College, where he founded the African American Cultural Center. Earlier this month, the college renamed the center in his honor.

Six Black Americans Selected for Key Staff Positions at Colleges and Universities

The appointments are Tuwanna Williams at Copiah-Lincoln Community College, Brandi Bush Roberts at the Louisiana University System, Michael Wade Smith at Pennsylvania State University, Corey Moore at Virginia Commonwealth University, Tarryn Harris at the University of Arkansas System’s Clinton School Impact Center, and David Meadows at Roanoke College.

New Appointments for Three Black Scholars in Academia

Fenaba R. Addo has been promoted to full professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Darrell A. H. Miller has been selected for an endowed professorship at the University of Chicago Law School. Jaqueline Allen Trimble, professor at Alabama State University, was named poet laureate for the state of Alabama.

Livingstone College in North Carolina Hires a Trio of New Senior Administrators

The new administrators at Livingstone College in Salisbury, North Carolina are Adreanna Johnson, associate vice president for strategic engagement, David Camps, Sr., associate vice president for foundation relations and sponsored programs, and LaVon Gray, assistant to the president for information technology and operations.

M. Ray McKinnie Honored With the George Washington Carver Award

“This is an honor that goes far beyond recognition,” said Dr. McKinnie, administrator for cooperative extension at North Carolina A&T State University. “This award validates much of what I’ve strived for over the years and tells me I’ve gone about my work in the right way.”

New Leadership Appointments for Four Black Americans in Higher Education

The appointments are Jazz M. Lewis at the University of Maryland, Jeremy Patterson at Lane College in Tennessee, April Robinson at Tennessee State University, and Reginald Miller at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.

New Faculty Appointments for Three Black Scholars

Musa Manga and Guy Nave have been selected for endowed professorships at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Luther College in Iowa, respectively. Alicia Moore was promoted to professor of education at Southwestern University, making her university's first African American woman to earn the rank of full professor.

Two Black Administrators at UNC Charlotte Recognized for Advancing Fraternity and Sorority Life

The University of North Carolina at Charlotte's Kevin Bailey, vice chancellor for student affairs, and Michelle Guobadia, senior director of student engagement and director of fraternity and sorority life, were both recently honored by the Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors for their outstanding commitment to supporting fraternity and sorority students.

Morgan State University’s Stacyann Nelson Receives National Award in Experimental Physics

Dr. Nelson has received the 2025 Joseph A. Johnson Award of Excellence, presented jointly by the American Institute of Physics and the National Society of Black Physicists. The award recognizes early-career experimental physicists for their scientific innovation, mentorship, and service.

New Appointments for Three Black Administrators in Higher Education

Brandi Tatum-Fedrick was promoted to vice president for university advancement at Florida A&M University, Danielle Lynch was selected to lead the joint athletics program at Pomona College and Pitzer College in California, and Warren L. Williams is the new band director at Tuskegee University.

Bernard Appiah Recognized for Outstanding Contributions to Public Health Communication

Dr. Appiah studies how communication strategies can influence public health decision-making. He is known for developing an innovative radio broadcasting approach that uses entertainment-education to disseminate public health information to underserved communities.

New Faculty Positions for Four Black Scholars

Stacy Ryan-Pettes and Keidrick Roy have joined the faculties of Case Western Reserve University and Dartmouth College, respectively. Kalenda Eaton is taking on a new leadership role with the University of Oklahoma Honors College and Richard Mtisi was selected for an endowed professorship at Luther College in Iowa.

Justene Hill Edwards Wins the 2025 Frederick Douglass Book Prize

The Frederick Douglass Book Prize is presented annually by Yale University in honor of the preceding year's best book on topics of slavery, resistance, or abolition. Dr. Edwards, associate professor at the University of Virginia, was honored for her latest book, Savings and Trust: The Rise and Betrayal of the Freedman's Bank (W.W. Norton and Company, 2024).

Four Black Leaders Appointed to Administrative Roles in Higher Education

The appointments are Jamesia Harrison at North Carolina A&T State University, Michael A. Davis at the University of Minnesota, Douglass Morency at Howard Community College in Maryland, and Anthony Stone at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.

James L. Moore III Named a Living Legend by the National Alliance of Black School Educators

Dr. Moore, distinguished professor at Ohio State University, is widely known for his research on the educational experiences of African American men. At Ohio State, he serves as vice provost for diversity and inclusion and executive director of the Todd Anthony Bell National Resource Center on the African American Male.

A Trio of Black Leaders Appointed to Administrative Roles in Higher Education

The African Americans assuming new administrative roles in higher education are Christopher Blakely at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Alana Dais Manga at the Paris College of Art in France, and LaDaniel Gatling II at Elizabeth City State University in North Carolina.
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Fort Valley State University President Paul A. Jones Announces Upcoming Retirement

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“As I look toward the conclusion of my presidency, I do so with confidence in Fort Valley State’s future,” said Dr. Jones. ”This confidence comes from knowing the strength of the people who sustain this institution and the clarity of the mission that continues to guide us.”

Nannette C. Turner to Lead the College of Health Professions at Mercer University

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Dr. Turner currently serves as executive associate dean of Mercer University's College of Health Professions. A faculty member for nearly two decades, she has over 25 years of experience as public practitioner in Texas and Georgia.

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