Historically Black Albany State University to Merge With Darton State College

Arthur Dunning, interim president of Albany State University, has been selected as president of the new merged institution. The two educational institutions combined enroll close to 10,000 students.

The New President of Bishop State Community College

Valerie Richardson has been serving as interim president of the college since August. She is the former vice president for institutional advancement and student services at Gadsden State Community College in Gadsden, Alabama.

Gwendolyn Boyd Has Her Contract Extended at Alabama State University

Gwendolyn Boyd, president of Alabama State University in Montgomery since February 1, 2014, has had her contact extended by the board of trustees for another three years until 2019. However, the vote by the board was 8 to 6 in favor of the contract extension.

Jennifer Baszile Named Director of the Consortium on High Achievement and Success

Jennifer L. Baszile was named director of the nation's oldest and largest organization dedicated to the success of underrepresented students on liberal arts college campuses nationwide. She previously served on the faculty at the University of Connecticut and Yale University.

New University of Virginia Program Prepares Black Students for Leadership Roles

The Office of African American Affairs at the University of Virginia has begun a new "strategic leadership" initiative as part of its Cornerstone Plan of academic advising, career advising, coaching, and networking with alumni.

Paul Tiyambe Zeleza to Lead United States International University-Africa

Dr. Zeleza has been serving as vice president for academic affairs at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut. He will become vice chancellor of U.S. International University-Africa in Nairobi, Kenya, on January 1.

A Change in Leadership at Fisk University in Nashville

H. James Williams has resigned as president of the university after less than three years on the job. Frank L. Sims, a member of the board of trustees who was an executive at Cargill Inc., has been named interim president.

Christopher Howard Named President of Robert Morris University

Since 2009, Christopher B. Howard has been serving as president of Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia, one of the few all-male colleges in the United States. He is a former U.S. Air Force helicopter pilot and earned a doctorate at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar.

The Inaugural Dean of the School of Public Health at Jackson State University

Dorothy C. Browne has been serving as an adjunct professor of maternal and child welfare in the School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is the former director of the Public Health Institute at North Carolina A&T State University.

Danielle Laraque-Arena Named President of SUNY’s Upstate Medical University

A native of Haiti, Dr. Laraque-Arena has been serving as chair of the department of pediatrics at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York, and as a professor of pediatrics at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University.

Two African Americans Among Three Finalists for President of Chicago State University

Dennis J. Shields is the fourteenth chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville and Jerry D. Blakemore is vice president and general counsel at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb.

The New Dean of the School of Business at Claflin University in South Carolina

Charles W. Richardson Jr., the new dean of the School of Business at Claflin University, previously taught at William Paterson University in Wayne, New Jersey, and Clark Atlanta University. He served for 25 years as an executive at AT&T.

Lincoln University of Missouri Names a New Dean of its College of Agriculture

Dr. Albert Essel was appointed dean of the College of Agriculture, Environmental, and Human Sciences at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri. He has been serving as an associate dean at Delaware State University.

Two African American Finalists for Vice Provost for Inclusion and Diversity at Virginia Tech

Menah Pratt-Clarke is the associate chancellor for strategic affairs and the associate provost for diversity at the University of Illinois and G. Christine Taylor has served as vice provost for diversity and chief diversity officer at Purdue University.

The New Faculty Director of the Center on Reproductive Rights and Justice

Melissa Murray has been on the faculty at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law since 2006. She teaches courses on family law, criminal law, constitutional law, and reproductive rights.

William Bynum of Mississippi Valley State Awarded Contract Extension

William B. Bynum was named the seventh president of Mississippi Valley State University in October 2013. Now the state governing board has praised Dr. Bynum's performance and extended his contract through June 2019.

Marion Gillis-Olion Named Dean of the School of Education at Fayetteville State University

Dr. Gillis-Olion has been on the faculty at the university since 1983. Most recently, she has served as associate vice chancellor for academic affairs. This will be her second tenure as dean of the School of Education.

The New President of the North Miami Campus of Johnson & Wales University

Dr. Larry Rice has served as president on an interim basis since 2014. Previously, he was vice president and dean of academic affairs. Dr. Rice joined the faculty at the university in 1993.

Tyler Stovall to Lead the American Historical Association

Tyler Stovall is dean of humanities at the University of California, Santa Cruz. He will serve one year as president-elect of the American Historical Association and then become president for one year. The AHA is the nation's largest professional organization devoted to the study and promotion of history.

Heidi Anderson to Be the Next Provost at Texas A&M University-Kingsville

Since 2013, Dr. Anderson has been provost and vice president for academic affairs at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia. Previously, she served as a faculty member and an administrator at the University of Kentucky for 11 years.

Jarvis Christian College Extends Its President’s Contract for Five Years

The historically Black college, located east of Dallas in Hawkins, Texas, has extended the contract of President Lester C. Newman through June 2020. Dr. Newman became the 12th president of the college three years ago.

The New President of Hennepin Technical College in Minnesota

Merrill Irving Jr. recently became president of the largest technical college in Minnesota serving 10,000 students at campuses in Brooklyn Park and Eden Prairie. African Americans make up 21 percent of the student body.

Thomas Isekenegbe Named President of Bronx Community College

The two-year college enrolls more than 11,000 students. Blacks and Hispanics make up 93 percent of the student body. Almost all students at the college receive federal financial aid grants.

Al M. Panu Appointed Chancellor of the University of South Carolina at Beaufort

Since 2013, Dr. Panu has served as senior vice president for university affairs at the University of North Georgia in Dahlonega. Earlier he was vice president for academic affairs at Gainesville State College, which is now part of the University of North Georgia.

The Lehigh Valley Campus of Penn State Names Its Next Chancellor

Tina Q. Richardson has been serving as associate dean of academic affairs in the School of Education at Drexel University in Philadelphia. She will begin her new job on July 15.

Richard Green to Lead The Lincoln University in Pennsylvania

Lincoln University in Pennsylvania has named Richard Green as interim president. He will begin his duties on July 1 and serve until a permanent president is named. Dr. Green has been serving as interim provost at Saint Cloud State University in Minnesota.

The Southern University System Names Its Next President

Ray Belton was named president of the Southern University System. The new system president will also have the added duty as chancellor of the main campus of the Southern University System in Baton Rouge. He has been serving as chancellor of the Shreveport campus of the Southern University System.

Andrea Miller Named President of LeMoyne-Owen College in Memphis

When she takes office on September 1, Dr. Miller will be the first woman president in the historically Black college's 153-year history. Since 2012, Dr. Miller has been chancellor of Baton Rouge Community College in Louisiana.

The Next President of Grambling State University in Louisiana

Grambling State University, a historically Black educational institution in Louisiana, announced on June 4 that Willie D. Larkin will be its next president. Dr. Larkin is the chief of staff at Morgan State University in Baltimore.

Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina, Names Its Next President

Dr. Tashni Dubroy has been serving as as the special assistant to the president for process optimization at Shaw University. Dr. Dubroy is also the co-founder of Tea and Honey Blends, a hair care products company.

A New African American Dean at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Melissa Nobles was named as the next dean of the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She has been a member of the MIT faculty since 1995 and holds an endowed chair in political science.

The Next Chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Franklin D. Gilliam Jr. has been serving as professor of public policy and political science and dean of the Luskin School of Public Affairs at the University of California, Los Angeles. He joined the UCLA faculty in 1986. Dr. Gilliam will become chancellor of UNCG on September 8.

Talmadge King Jr. to Lead the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine

For the past nine years, Dr. King has been chair of the department of medicine at the university. He joined the faculty at the medical school in 1997 after teaching at the University of Colorado.

Six Men Named as Finalists to Lead the Southern University System

Six men have been selected as finalists for the position of president of the Southern University System and chancellor of its flagship campus in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Maria Thompson Will Be the Next President of Coppin State University in Baltimore

Since 2011, Dr. Thompson has been serving provost and vice president for academic affairs at the State University of New York at Oneonta. Previously, she held several administrative posts at Tennessee State University in Nashville.

The Next President of Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri

Benjamin Akande, a native of Nigeria, has been serving as a professor of economics and dean of the School of Business and Technology at Webster University in St. Louis. He will become the 21st president of Westminster College on July 1.

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