Appointments & Awards

New Roles for Three Black Scholars in Higher Education

Andre E. Johnson was named director of graduate studies in the department of communication and film at the University of Memphis. Taylor Whitehead of Virginia State University was elected president of the HBCU Band & Orchestra Directors' Consortium and Paul Joseph López Oro was promoted to associate professor of Africana studies at Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania.

Caleb Gayle Wins Distinguished Book Prize in Great Plains Studies

The Center for Great Plains Studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has honored Northeastern University's Caleb Gayle for his new book on Edward McCabe, a Black man who tried to establish a U.S. state governed by and for Black people.

Four Black Administrators Appointed to New Roles at Universities

The appointments are LeNá Powe McDonald at the University of Alabama, Sean Lyn Sr. at Fort Valley State University in Georgia, Charles Small at Syracuse University in New York, and Patricia Smith at Jarvis Christian University in Texas.

Four Black Scholars Appointed to New Faculty Positions

Duchess Harris was selected for an endowed appointment at Macalaster College and Samson Okoth Opondo was promoted to full professor at Vassar College. Christy Swinson is associate dean of the Fayetteville State University School of Nursing and La'Tesha Sampson is director of the MSW program at Seton Hall University.

Nicole Joseph of Vanderbilt University Receives National Award in Mathematics Education

Dr. Joseph, an associate professor at Vanderbilt University's Peabody College, was recently honored by the Mathematical Association of American for her career-long contributions to mathematics education for K-12 and undergraduate students.

New Appointments for Five Black Americans in Higher Education

The appointments are Sean D. Burns at the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, Shawna Lynch-Watkins at Meredith College in North Carolina, Robert E. Nobles III at Florida A&M University, Tyrell Warren-Burnett at Georgia State University, and Catherine Edmonds at North Carolina A&T State University.

Princeton’s Nell Irvin Painter Recognized by the Society of American Historians

Professor Painter has been awarded for her distinguished scholarship in American history. Currently a professor emerita at Princeton University, she has authored nine books throughout her career.

New Appointments for Three Black Administrators in Higher Education

Terrence Brooks is associate vice provost for campus engagement at Rice University. Victoria Neason Wallace will serve as vice president for enrollment and dean of admissions at Bates College in Maine and Eric Burns is director of athletics at Winston-Salem State University in North Carolina.

Thavolia Glymph Elected to the American Philosophical Society

Dr. Glymph is the Peabody Family Distinguished Professor of History, professor of history, and professor of law at Duke University in North Carolina. She was the first Black woman to serve as president of the American Historical Association.

Two Black Women Scholars Selected for Endowed Professorships

Margarita Guillory is the C. Allyn and Elizabeth V. Russell Professor of Religion and Culture in the United States at Boston University. Candis Watts Smith was named the Robert O. Keohane Professor of Political Science at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.

Barbara Ransby Receives National Award for Contributions to American History Research

The Organization of American Historians has honored the University of Illinois Chicago's Barbara Ransby for her decades of scholarship, mentorship, and public engagement. Her work has helped shape the study of African American history, social movements, and Black feminist thought.

Six Black Administrators Selected for New Roles in Higher Education

Taking on administrative roles are Jamarco Clark at Wichita State University in Kansas, Marques Dantzler at Alcorn State University in Mississippi, Antionette Marbray at Rollins College in Florida, Tashni-Ann Dubroy at the United Negro College Fund, William J. Young at Alabama A&M University, and Chadwick Wilson at Middle Georgia State University.

Two African Students Elected President of Graduate Student Groups at American Universities

Nichesius Godwin has been elected president of the LEAP Graduate Student Network at the University of Georgia, where he is pursuing a Ph.D. in education. Vanessa Macamo has been elected president of the Graduate and Professional Student Council at the University of Arizona, where she is pursuing a Ph.D. in special education.

New Appointments for Four Black Scholars in Academia

The Black scholars named to new posts are Ozzie Abaye at Virginia Tech, Suban Nor Cooley of Michigan State University, A. Bolu Ajiboye at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, and Dustin Bessette at Mt. Hood Community College in Oregon.

Two Black Professors Honored for Their Distinguished Service to Architecture Education

Carla Jackson Bell of Tuskegee University in Alabama and David Hughes of Kent State University in Ohio have each received an Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture Distinguished Professor Award in honor of their contributions to architecture education.

New Positions for Three Black Administrators at Universities

Sheena Cobrand was named interim general counsel at North Carolina A&T State University. Grant Winrow was named vice president of institutional advancement at Wilberforce University in Ohio and Kofi Ofori was appointed chief financial officer at Towson University in Maryland.

New Faculty Appointments for Three Black Scholars

Tanja R. Darden was selected for a faculty fellowship in the College of Business & Economics at Towson University in Maryland, Leapetswe Malete was appointed to an endowed professorship at Michigan State University, and Igho Ofotokun is chair of the department of medicine at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio.

PEN America Honors Edwidge Danticat for Achievement in International Literature

Professor Dantict, the Wun Tsum Tam Mellon Professor of the Humanities in the department of African American and African diaspora studies at Columbia University, is the author of 18 books, including works of fiction and nonfiction.

Four African American Men Appointed to Administrative Roles at Universities

The appointments are TaJuan Wilson at North Carolina A&T State University, Austin McDonald at Florida State University, Barry Pearson at Grambling State University, and Altony Lee III at Florida A&M University.

Four Black Leaders Appointed to Administrative Roles in Higher Education

Taking on new administrative roles are Lavelle Hayes at North Carolina A&T State University, Rabekha D. Stewart at Stephens College in Missouri, Torrance Garvin at Savannah State University in Georgia, and Javan D. Reed at Meharry Medical College in Nashville.

Christina Anderson Wins the Windham-Campbell Literature Prize in Drama

Yale University has announced the eight recipients of the 2026 Windham-Campbell Prizes, one of the world’s most significant international literary awards. One of the eight winners is an African American woman.

Three Black Scholars Selected for New Roles at Universities

Monica L. Baskin and Tycie Coppett are taking on interim leadership roles at Virginia Commonwealth University and Yale College, respectively. Christina Edwards Bailey was selected for an endowed faculty appointment at Vanderbilt University.

University of Delaware’s Trevor Dawes Receives National Award in Academic Librarianship

Dawes is the May Morris University Librarian at the University of Delaware Library, Museums, and Press. The Association of College and Research Libraries recently named Dawes the 2026 Academic/Research Librarian of the Year.

New Appointments for Four Black Administrators in Higher Education

The appointments are Marquita Graves at North Carolina A&T State University, Taylor Helton at Denmark Technical College in South Carolina, D. Anthony Everett at BSK Theological Seminary in Kentucky, and Carjie Scott at AdventHealth University in Florida.

American Educational Research Association Honors Six Black Americans

The awardees are Vivian Gadsden of the University of Pennsylvania, James L. Moore III of Ohio State University, Nicole Patton Terry of Florida State University, Terrell R. Morton of the University of Illinois at Chicago, Chezare A. Warren of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, and Sean Darling-Hammond of the University of California, Berkeley.

New Academic Appointments for Four Black Professors

The appointments are Robert Winn at Temple University in Philadelphia, Chanita Hughes-Halbert at the University of Southern California, Caroline M. Kingori at Hampton University in Virginia, and Lawrence Udeigwe at Manhattan University.

Gloria Thomas Recognized for Commitment to Advancing Women’s Leadership in Higher Education

Dr. Thomas has over two decades of experience in higher education leadership, including her current role as president of HERS, a professional development organization for women and gender-diverse leadership in higher education.

Five New Administrators at Historically Black Colleges and Universities

The new administrators are Dawn Nail at North Carolina A&T State University, Darryl Scriven at Florida A&M University, Letitia Williams at Morgan State University in Baltimore, Marci Middleton at Denmark Technical College in South Carolina, and Chandra Dorsey-Felton at Florida Memorial University.

Lincoln University of Pennsylvania Promotes Three Administrators to New Roles

Lincoln University of Pennsylvania has promoted Harry Stinson III, Mel Fenner, and Josh Dean to new roles in institutional advancement, digital innovation, and athletics, respectively.

New Appointments for a Trio of Black Scholars in Academia

Cacey Bester was promoted to associate professor at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania and Tonya Peeples was named a special adviser to the provost at Pennsylvania State University. North Carolina A&T State University's James Daniels was appointed the second Poet Laureate for the city of Greensboro, North Carolina.

Harvard University Honors Three-Time College President Ruth J. Simmons

Dr. Simmons has served as president of Smith College, Brown University, and Prairie View A&M University. When she was appointed president of Brown, she became the African American woman to lead an Ivy League school.

Three Black Administrators Appointed to New Roles at Universities

Samuel L. Hinton and Dilcie D. Perez are taking on new leadership roles in student success at South Carolina State University and the California State University System, respectively. Robert E. Gaddy, Jr. is chief of police at North Carolina Central University.

Three Black Scholars Promoted to New Faculty Ranks

Mercy Mumba was named a Distinguished Research Professor of Nursing at the University of Alabama. Krystle McLaughin was granted tenure and promoted to associate professor of chemistry at Vassar College in New York and Nsoki Mavinga was promoted to professor of mathematics at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania.

Yale’s Marlene Daut and Kaiama Glover Win National Award for Co-Edited Book on Haitian Literature

Professors Marlene Daut and Kaiama Glover of Yale University have been honored by the American Comparative Literature Association for their co-edited collection of essays on Haitian literature.

New Appointments for Five Black Administrators at Universities

Here is this week’s roundup of African Americans who have been appointed to new administrative positions at universities throughout the United States. If you have news for our appointments section, please email the information to contact@jbhe.com.

A Pair of Black Scholars Selected for Endowed Faculty Positions at Historically Black Universities

Ibram X. Kendi is the inaugural Carter G. Woodson Endowed Chair in History at Howard University in Washington, D.C. James Lee III is the Endowed Professor in Composition and Theoretical Studies at Morgan State University in Baltimore.
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