Appointments & Awards

Northwestern University’s Natasha Trethewey Honored for Her Outstanding Literary Career

Oregon State University has honored Natasha Trethewey of Northwestern University for her literary achievements. A Pulitzer Prize-winner and former Poet Laureate of the United States, Professor Trethewey is the author of five poetry collections, one monograph, and a memoir.

New Leadership Roles for Five Black Administrators in Higher Education

The five appointments are Breana M. Ware at Spelman College, Dianne Pledger at Winston-Salem State University, Kevin White at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Angelique D. Stallings at North Carolina Central University, and LaVada R. Rice at Voorhees University.

Cato T. Laurencin Named Top Orthopaedic Surgery Scholar in the United States

ScholarGPS has ranked Dr. Laurencin as the top scholar of orthopaedic surgery in the United States and the eighth best in the world. He currently teaches as an endowed professor at the University of Connecticut and CEO of the university's Cato T. Laurencin Institute for Regenerative Engineering.

Vanderbilt’s Velma McBride Murry Honored by the American Psychological Association

In her research, Dr. Murry investigates how social stressors shape the everyday life experiences, development, and well-being of African American youth and their families, especially in rural and under-resourced communities.

New Leadership Positions for Three Black Administrators in Higher Education

The administrators who have been selected for new leadership roles are Yurandol Thompson at the University of Phoenix, Allen Vital at Albany State University in Georgia, and Sheila Thimba at Kingsborough Community College in New York.

Ohio State’s James L. Moore III Recognized for Outstanding Contributions to STEM Education

An Ohio State faculty member for over two decades, Dr. Moore is currently on loan to the U.S. National Science Foundation, serving as the assistant director for its Directorate of STEM Education. He was recently honored by the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley's STEM Education Consortium for his remarkable contributions to STEM education.

Ronald Crutcher Honored by the American Association of Colleges and Universities

In addition to his presidency at the University of Richmond, Dr. Crutcher also served as president of Wheaton College in Massachusetts. He was recently honored by the American Association of Colleges and Universities for his outstanding contributions to higher education.

Three Black Scholars Appointed to New Academic Positions

Kara Yacoubou Djima of Wellesley College and Chanelle Wilson of Bryn Mawr College were both promoted to associate professor and granted tenure. Former Howard University President Ben Vinson III was named a fellow at the Afro-Latin American Research Institute in Harvard University's Hutchins Center for African & African American Research.

Arizona State University’s Jewell Parker Rhodes Wins the Coretta Scott King Book Award

Dr. Rhodes' award-winning book, Will's Race for Home (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2025), tells the story of a Black father and his 12-year-old son as they set out to win land in the Oklahoma land rush is the late nineteenth century.

New Positions for Four Black Administrators at Colleges and Universities

The appointments are Philip Culver at Farmingdale State College in New York, Vanessa Vales-Lewis at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Rodney D. Smith at Texas Southern University, and Christian Murphy at Spelman College in Atlanta.

New Faculty Appointments for Three Black Scholars

John Thabiti Willis of Grinnell College in Iowa and Erica Edwards of Yale University have been selected for endowed faculty positions at their institutions. Chipo Dendere was promoted to associate professor with tenure at Wellesley College in Massachusetts.

Clemson’s Brandi Nicole Hinnant-Crawford Receives National Book Award in Educator Preparation

The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education has honored Dr. Hinnant-Crawford for the second edition of her book Improvement Science in Education: A Primer.

Four African Americans Selected for Administrative Positions at HBCUs

The appointments are Linell J. Jefferson III at North Carolina Central University, Raymon Hicks at Savannah State University in Georgia, Todd Greene at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, and Jarrod Benjamin at Albany State University in Georgia.

Three Black Scholars Who Are Taking on New Roles in Academia

Kaakpema Yelpaala is faculty director of the Future of Health Innovation Hub at the Yale School of Public Health. Karen Keaton Jackson of North Carolina Central University and Mopelola Adeola of Purdue University are taking on leadership roles with the Southern Regional Honors Council and the Midwest Nursing Research Society, respectively.

The University of Massachusetts Amherst Renames Series of Awards to Honor John H. Bracey Jr.

Professor Bracey taught in the W.E.B. Du Bois Department of Afro-American Studies at UMass Amherst for over 50 years. In recognition of his legacy, the university has renamed its Chancellor's Leadership Awards to the Professor John H. Bracey Jr. Leadership Awards, which honor students, faculty, and staff who foster a more equitable and inclusive campus community.

Six Black Administrators Appointed to New Roles at HBCUs

The appointments are Ashley Conner at Edward Waters University, Erin Wiggins Gilliam at Albany State University, Aristide J. Collins Jr. at Howard University, Jalen R. Baker at Livingstone College, Leslie D. Rose at Xavier University of Louisiana, and Marc DeWitt at Central State University.

New Faculty Positions for Three Black Professors

Maxine Burkett is founding faculty director of Stanford University's new Center for Just Environmental Futures and Kim Lewis is chief research officer at Howard University. The University of Georgia has named J. Marshall Shepherd a Regents' Professor, which is the university's highest professional honor.

Bruce Ovbiagele Honored by the American Stroke Association

Bruce Ovbiagele, an associate dean and professor of neurology at the University of California, San Francisco, was presented with the Edgar J. Kenton III Lecture Award which recognizes lifetime contributions to the investigation, management, mentorship and community service in the field of racial and ethnic stroke disparities or related disciplines.

Five Black Administrators Taking on New Roles in the Academic World

The appointments are Cassandra Hawkins at Jackson State University in Mississippi, Malikah Pitts Harvey at St. Philip's College in Texas, Karla Miller at Alabama A&M University, Brandon Thorne at the Universities Space Research Association, and Sheleah D. Reed at Prairie View A&M University in Texas.

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 Macalaster 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 contact@jbhe.com.

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).
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