Appointments & Awards

New Faculty Appointments for Three Black Professors

Olaoluwatoni Alimi and Francis Tsiboe have joined the faculties of Princeton University and North Dakota State University, respectively. Barbara McCaskill has been promoted to distinguished research professor at the University of Georgia.

UNC’s Becky White Receives Citation Award from the HIV Medical Association

Dr. White, an associate professor in the division of infectious diseases at the UNC School of Medicine, was recognized for her pioneering research and leadership in improving care and reducing health disparities among prisoners with HIV.

A Trio of Black Leaders Appointed to Administrative Positions at HBCUs

The appointments are Kery Davis at Howard University in Washington, D.C., Yolanda Robinson at Alcorn State University in Mississippi, and Casey Davis at Prairie View A&M University in Texas.

Henry Louis Gates, Jr. Wins the Newberry Library Award

Throughout his long career in academia, Dr. Gates has made groundbreaking contributions to understanding the genealogical history of African Americans. His work has resulted in dozens of books, documentaries, and the popular "Finding Your Roots" series on PBS.

Three Black Scholars Taking on New Appointments in Higher Education

The academics taking on new positions are Percy Mack at South Carolina State University, Ronett Jacobs at Alverno College in Milwaukee, and Stephen Philip Harvey at Salisbury University and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore's joint public radio station.

JBHE Contributor Chuck Stone Receives Posthumous Honor From the Pulitzer Prize Board

While teaching at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Professor Stone collaborated with The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education compiling a number of directories of African Americans who held endowed professorships at U.S. colleges and universities.

Four Black Administrators Appointed to Leadership Roles in Higher Education

The administrators taking on new leadership roles are Johnny Woods at Yakima Valley College in Washington, Rachel Davis at Grambling State University in Louisiana, Heather Freeman at Xavier University of Louisiana, and Angel Pointer at South Carolina State University.

Three Black Professors Receive 2025 Pulitzer Prizes

Percival Everett of the University of Southern California, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins of Yale University, and Edda Fields-Black of Carnegie Mellon University have received Pulitzer Prizes in fiction, drama, and history, respectively.

New Academic Appointments for Four Black Professors

Edward Hill, Jr. of Talladega College, George Johnson of South Carolina State University, Melissa Bonds of Alverno College in Milwaukee, and Lee Baker of Duke University have received new appointments at their institutions.

Six Black Americans Taking on Administrative Roles in Higher Education

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 Appointments for Three Black Faculty Members at Universities

Brandon Hasbrouck has been selected for an endowed professorship at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia. Kelvin Lesene is the new director of Delaware State University's aviation program and Phokeng Dailey, a communications professor at Ohio Wesleyan University, will serve as the institution's vice president of marketing.

Matthew Morrison Receives Book Award from the Association of American Publishers

The Association of American Publishers has presented the 2025 PROSE Excellence Award in Humanities to Matthew Morrison for his book Blacksound: Making Race and Popular Music in the United States.

Six Black Americans Selected for Administrative Roles in Higher Education

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].

Emory’s Crystal Sanders Wins Two Awards for New Book on Graduate Education During the Jim Crow Era

Crystal Sanders' award-winning book, A Forgotten Migration: Black Southerners, Segregation Scholarships, and the Debt Owed to Public HBCUs, explores Black southerners' efforts to secure post-baccalaureate education during the era of legal segregation.

Rust College’s A’Cappella Choir Receives Top Award at International Competition

"I am immensely proud of our students," said Karl Twyner, dean of humanities at Rust College. "They worked diligently to prepare for this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Through it, they gained international exposure for themselves and the college, received valuable feedback from world-class judges, and created lifelong memories."

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