Higher Education Gifts or Grants of Interest to African Americans

Here is this week’s news of grants or gifts to historically Black colleges and universities or for programs of particular interest to African Americans in higher education.

Three Black Leaders Appointed to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Positions in Higher Education

The diversity appointments are Monica Smith at the University of Richmond in Virginia, Nygil Likely at Grand Rapids Community College in Michigan, and Mohamed Ahmed at Winona State University in Minnesota.

Three African Americans Appointed to Leadership Positions in Diversity

The three African Americans appointed to diversity positions are Melanie Duckworth at the University of Nevada Reno, Doug Thompson at the University of Notre Dame, and Anthony Jones at Centre College in Kentucky.

American Academy of Physician Associates Launches Program to Increase Diversity in the Field

"Increasing the representation of healthcare providers from historically marginalized communities is of utmost importance for improving health outcomes in all patients,” said Jennifer M. Orozco, chief medical officer of the American Academy of Physician Associates.

Three Black Leaders Appointed to Diversity Positions at Colleges and Universities

The three scholars appointed to admininstraive positions relating to diversity are Marsha McGriff at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, JeffriAnne Wilder at Oberlin College in Ohio, and Branden Delk at Illinois State University.

Georgia State University Launches Program to Support Black Women in Tech

While Black women account for roughly 29 percent of the Georgia State University undergradaute student body, they represent only 10 percent of the university's computer science majors and 18 percent of the computer information systems majors.

Mercer County Community College Launches Leadership Institute for Black Women

Through a new partnership with the New Jersey Black Women's Collective, Mercer County Community College in New Jersey has launched a new Leadership Institute aimed at supporting emerging Black women leaders through speaker series, workshops, and mentorship opportunities.

A Trio of African Americans Appointed to Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Positions

Jeremi London was named the assistant provost of academic opportunity and belonging at Vanderbilt University. Pierre Morton has been appointed the vice president of the Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility at Pacific University Oregon. And Chloe Poston will be the next vice president for diversity, equity, and inclusion at Davidson College.

Universities Join the National Science Foundation to Boost Women of Color in Technology Fields

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine has formed the Action Collaborative on Transforming Trajectories for Women of Color in Tech. This joint initiative aims to provide evidence-based insights and recommendations to enhance the recruitment, retention, and advancement of women of color in the tech industry.

Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Nation’s Census Tracks

A new study from the U.S. Census Bureau offers data on the diversity of every census tract in the United States. Overall, the diversity index nationwide is 61.1 percent. This means that there was a 61.1 percent chance that two people chosen at random from a particular census tract were from different racial or ethnic groups.

A Trio of African Americans Who Have Been Appointed to Diversity Posts in Higher...

The three African Americans who have been appointed to diversity positions in higher education are Carl Lawson at the University of Pittsburgh, Sydney M. Savion at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, and Sheryl R. Wilson at Bethel College in Newton, Kansas.

Tufts University Initiates a Faculty Cluster Hire Initiative Focusing on Racial Equity

Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts, recently established Connecting the Community of Tufts Scholars (CCTS), a new university-wide faculty hiring initiative. Its aim is to recruit and increase the impact of faculty whose work contributes to Tufts’ pursuit of racial equity in its research, scholarship, and curriculum.

A Trio of African American Women Who Are Taking on New Diversity Roles in...

Virginia Tech's Menah Pratt was named chair-elect for the Council on Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion of the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities. Professor Gwendolyn D. Pough has been given the added duties as associate dean of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility at Syracuse University and Sekile M. Nzinga was appointed vice president of diversity, equity, and inclusion at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Diversity Hiring Freeze Plan Rejected Then Later Approved by the University of Wisconsin Board...

Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman brokered a deal with the Republican-controlled legislature that called for a freeze hiring for diversity positions through the end of 2026 and shift at least 43 diversity positions to focus on “student success.” But the deal was rejected by the board of regents of the University of Wisconsin System.

Four African American Women Named to Diversity Positions in Higher Education

Taking on new roles relating to diversity are Jamila Lee-Johnson for the Graduate School at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, Sheryl R. Wilson at Bethel College in Kansas, Dionne Lambert at the University of Tulsa in Oklahoma, and Markeisha Miner at the University of Rhode Island.

UCLA Report Finds That Television Shows Have Made Progress in Diversifying Their Casts

The tenth annual Hollywood Diversity Report produced by the Entertainment and Media Research Initiative at the University of California, Los Angeles finds that, for the first time, overall cast diversity in television shows reflected the population across all platforms following an upward trend over the last decade.

Four African Americans Who Have Been Hired to Diversity Positions in Higher Education

The new diversity officers are Chancey Page at West Chester University in Pennsylvania, S. Brooke Vick at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania, Donyale R. Padgett at Wayne State University in Detroit. and Laura Renée Chandler at Colby College in Waterville, Maine.

Blacks Are Vastly Underrepresented in Staff Positions in the U.S. Senate

A new report from the the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies in Washington, D.C., finds that African Americans account for 13.6 percent of the U.S. population, but only 2.1 percent of Senate personal office top staffers. Of the 100 chiefs of staff in the U.S. Senate, only one is Black.

Three African Americans Who Have Been Appointed to Diversity Posts in Higher Education

Nicole Belisle is the new chief diversity officer at Palomar College in San Marcos, California. Rosevelt Noble has been named associate dean of students for equity, diversity, and inclusion at Vanderbilt University in Nashville and Tracye Y. Davis is the inaugural executive director of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging at Henry Ford College in Dearborn, Michigan.

Three African Americans Who Have Been Appointed to Diversity Posts in Higher Education

Terrence Mitchell was appointed executive director for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice at Mercyhurst University in Erie, Pennsylvania. Faye Belgrave has been named vice president and chief diversity officer at Virginia Commonwealth University and Tammy Bennett is the inaugural vice president for inclusive excellence in philanthropy at the University of Cincinnati Foundation.

Three African Americans Who Have Been Appointed to Diversity Posts in Higher Education

Stephanie Akunvabey has been named associate vice president for diversity and inclusion and chief diversity officer at Pace University in New York. Alton M. Standifer was appointed vice provost for inclusive excellence director of the Office of Institutional Diversity at the University of Georgia and Ashton Murray is the inaugural chief diversity officer and vice president for diversity, equity, and inclusion at Rockefeller University in New York City.

A Trio of African Americans Who Have Been Named to High Education Diversity Posts

Dwight Hamilton has been named the chief diversity officer at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti. Lois V. Greene is the new senior vice president of wellness, diversity, equity, and inclusion at University Hospital in Newark, New Jersey, and B. Elliott Renfroe was named chief diversity officer at Greenville University in Illinois.

Three African Americans Who Have Been Appointed to Diversity Posts at Universities

Shay Malone was named assistant vice president of diversity and inclusion at Northwest Missouri State University. Henry Evans is the inaugural associate dean for equity and outreach for the College of Arts and Sciences at Washington State University and Keisha Jimmerson has been promoted to dean of students and diversity officer at Seton Hill University in Greensburg, Pennsylvania.

Three African Americans Taking on New Diversity-Related Roles in Higher Education

Taking on new administrative roles relating to diversity are Nicholas M. Creary at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Vermont, Nicole Del Castillo at the Carle Illinois College of Medicine at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and Marc Reed at Grinnell College in Iowa.

The Snail-Like Progress of Racial Diversity in Faculty Posts in South African Higher Education

In 1994 when the Republic of South Africa ended apartheid and allowed free democratic elections, Whites made up 83 percent of the academics at the nation's universities. Today, 67 percent of the professors at public universities are White.

University of Michigan Commits to Boost Faculty Diversity in the Biomedical Sciences

The University of Michigan will invest $79 million to support and recruit 30 new faculty members to the Ann Arbor campus as part of a nationwide effort to enhance inclusion and equity across the biomedical and health sciences community. The Michigan Program for Advancing Cultural Transformation (M-PACT) is supported by a five-year, $15.8 million grant awarded from the National Institutes of Health.

Three African Americans Appointed to Positions Relating to Diversity in Higher Education

Barbara J. Lawrence has been named vice president for diversity, equity, inclusion, access, and belonging at the University of New Haven in Connecticut. Michael Snowden is the new chief diversity officer for Georgia College & State University in Milledgeville and Lynette Yarger is the associate dean of equity and inclusion for the Schreyer Honors College at Pennsylvania State University.

Vanderbilt University’s New Program Aims to Boost Diversity in Biomedical Research

The Vanderbilt Faculty Institutional Recruitment for Sustainable Transformation Program (V-FIRST) will build upon recent strategies such as toolkits for inclusive faculty searches, a discovery lecture series for national late-stage postdoctoral fellows from minoritized groups, and innovative institutional policy changes regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Three African Americans Who Are Starting New Higher Education Roles Relating to Diversity

The three African Americans in new diversity roles at universities are Adrienne Morgan at the University of Rochester in New York, Algerian Hart at Missouri State University in Springfield, and Monica Smith for the University of Wisconsin System.

The Battle Over Diversity Programs in Higher Education Heads to the State of Mississippi

Shad White, the auditor for the State of Mississippi recently released a report showing how much was being spent on diversity initiatives by public universities in the state. The report found that Mississippi universities reported spending $23.4 million on diversity programs from July of 2019 to now. Higher education officials in the state staunchly defended their diversity programs.

Three African Americans Who Are Assuming New Administrative Duties Relating to Diversity

Dyonne Bergeron has been named chief diversity officer at the University of California, Irvine. Dakesa Piña was named the inaugural vice president in charge of diversity, equity, and inclusion at Illinois Wesleyan University and Minnette Ellis has been named the interim chief diversity officer at the University of North Alabama.

Three African Americans Appointed to Diversity Posts in Higher Education

Taking on new roles in higher education relating to diversity are Shawn Washington at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington, Sheree M. Ohen at Amherst College in Massachusetts, and Carol A. Sumner at Northern Illinois University.

Three African Americans Who Have Been Appointed to Diversity Posts in Higher Education

Anthony Brown is the new vice president for Equal Opportunity and Title IX at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. Romona West was appointed assistant dean of inclusive excellence and strategic initiatives at the University of Arkansas, and Kellie McCants-Price is the new chief diversity, equity, and inclusion officer at Anne Arundel Community College in Maryland.

Three Black Scholars Taking on New Assignments Relating to Diversity

André L. Churchwell will be the senior advisor to the chancellor of Vanderbilt University on inclusion and community outreach. Chloe Poston has been promoted to vice president for culture, belonging, and strategic engagement at Dartmouth College and Ann Gakumo was named associate dean for inclusion and community impact at the University of Cincinnati College of Nursing.

Four African Americans Named to Diversity Positions in Higher Education

Taking on new duties relating to diversity are Russell Morrow in the College of Business at Ohio University, Tanyka M. Barber at the University of Maryland Baltimore County, E. Cheryl Ponder at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and Bill Woodsen at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, New York.

Three African Americans Appointed to Diversity Positions in Higher Education

Derek A. James was appointed dean of equity, diversity, and inclusion at Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. Noura Allen was named director of diversity and inclusive excellence for the College of Professional Studies at Syracuse University and Jeanine Staples-Dixon, a professor at Pennsylvania State University. was appointed the senior faculty mentor in the Office of Educational Equity.

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