Chris V. Rey Is the New President of Barber-Scotia College in Concord, North Carolina
Rey had been serving as international president of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. Founded by the Presbyterian Church in January 1867, Barber-Scotia College lost accreditation in 2004 and since that time has struggled to remain viable.
American-Educated Olu Q. Menjay Named President of Tubman University in Liberia
Olu Q. Menjay, who received the bulk of his education in the United States and served as a faculty member at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia, has been appointed the fourth president of Tubman University in Liberia. Founded in 1978, the university closed in 1990 due to the Liberian civil war. It reopened in 2008.
Melissa Gilliam Will Be the First African American President of Boston University
Dr. Gilliam has been provost at Ohio State University since July 2021. Earlier, she was vice provost, the Ellen H. Block Distinguished Service Professor of Health Justice, and professor of obstetrics and gynecology and pediatrics at the University of Chicago. She will become president of Boston University on July 1, 2024.
Five Black Faculty Members Named MacArthur Fellows
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation recently announced the 20 latest recipients in its fellowship program, commonly referred to as “genius grants.” Of this year's 20 winners, five are Black scholars with current ties to the academic world.
Rice University Provides a Detailed Look at Its History of Racial Injustice
University founder William Marsh Rice was an oil and cotton tycoon, who when he died was said to be the richest man in Texas. He left the bulk of his estate to establish the Rice Institute for Literature. His will stipulated that only White students were allowed to enroll.
A Trio of New African American Deans
Shirley Hymon-Parker will lead the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences at North Carolina A&T State University as interim dean. William H. Whitaker Jr. has been named dean of South Carolina State University’s Honors College and DeNeia Thomas is the new dean of the College of Professional Studies at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri.
Denise Richardson Appointed President of Berkeley City College in California
Dr. Richardson has been working as interim president since July 1, 2023. Earlier, Dr. Richardson was the vice president of instruction at Merritt College in Oakland, a role she began in March 2020. She has been an employee of the Peralta Community College District for over 20 years.
Barbara Bryan Is the New Leader of Broward College in Florida
Currently serving as the CEO of Higher Education Consulting, Dr. Bryan is widely recognized for her skill in obtaining accreditation program approvals, driving organizational development, and leading expansion efforts. She was employed by the college for 26 years in various roles.
David C. Howse Appointed the Tenth President of the California College of the Arts
Since 2015, Howse has served as vice president in Office of the Arts at Emerson College in Boston. He also was executive director of ArtsEmerson, and served as special advisor to the president. He will become president of the California College of the Arts in December.
Grambling State University President to Lead the University of Louisiana System
Since 2016, Rick Gallot has been president of Grambling State University. He previously represented Grambling and northeast Louisiana in both the state Senate and House of Representatives. Gallot will begin his new role in January.
Sherwin K. Bryant to Lead the Center for African and African American Studies at...
Dr. Bryant currently serves as an associate professor of Black studies and history at Northwestern University. He is the former director of Northwestern’s Center for African American History.
Black Representatives Establish the Congressional Predominantly Black Institutions Caucus
Unlike historically Black colleges and universities, predominantly Black institutions were founded after the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and therefore are unable to take advantage of federal programs earmarked for HBCUs.
Two African American Women Who Have Been Appointed Deans
Danielle Lauria is the new dean of nursing, health, and wellness at MiraCosta College in Oceanside, California, and Sarah Price was appointed dean of the College of Education at Florida A&M University.
Jamila Michener to Lead the Cornell Center for Racial Justice and Equitable Futures
Dr. Michener is an associate professor of government in the College of Arts and Sciences and senior associate dean of public engagement at the Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. She will begin her new duties in September.
The Doerr Institute for New Leaders at Rice University Names Bernard Banks as Its...
Dr. Banks comes to Rice from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, where he has been serving as associate dean for leadership development and inclusion and clinical professor of management and organizations. Earlier, he was chair of the department of behavioral sciences and leadership at the U.S. Military Academy.
Howard University’s New President Organizes His Top Staff
Paul Tiyambe Zeleza was named senior advisor for strategic initiatives and Allison Morgan Bryant will stay on as a member of the cabinet as the vice president of the Office of Corporate Relations. Calvin J. Hadley was named assistant provost for academic partnerships and student engagement and Latrice Byam was appointed executive director of academic planning and curriculum for the Office of the Provost.
Sean Johnson to Lead Entrepreneurship Center at North Carolina A&T State University
Sean Johnson has been appointed director of the Center of Excellence in Entrepreneurship and Innovation at North Carolina A&T State University. He was senior project manager in the Workforce Development Center at Cincinnati State Technical & Community College.
Heidi Lewis Is the New President of the National Women’s Studies Association
Heidi Lewis, an associate professor of feminist and gender studies at Colorado College, has been elected president of the National Women’s Studies Association. Established in 1977, the NWSA prioritizes promoting and supporting knowledge about women and gender through teaching, learning, research, and service in academic settings.
Tuskegee University President Charlotte Morris Announces Her Retirement
President Morris has served the university for almost 40 years in different capacities including chief of staff to the president and secretary to the board of trustees. Dr. Morris also served as the director of the university’s Title III program and has acted as interim and associate dean in the Brimmer College of Business and Information Science.
Southern University to Reorganize Its Leadership Structure
For the past eight years, the president of the Southern University System and the chancellor of the flagship campus of the system in Baton Rouge has been the same person. The positions were combined due to severe financial constraints on the system's budget. Now the Southern University System board of supervisors has voted to split the positions once again.
Virginia State University to Be the First HBCU to Host a 2024 Presidential Debate
Virginia State University is the first historically Black college or university ever selected to host a general election U.S. Presidential Debate. The debate, scheduled for October 1, 2024, is the second of three scheduled general election presidential debates. The debate will take place in the university's Multipurpose Center.
Deborah Dyett Desir Is the New President of the American College of Rheumatology
Dr. Desir has more than three decades of experience in clinical medicine. In 1993, she started a rheumatology private practice in Hamden, Connecticut. In 2019, Dr. Desir joined the Yale School of Medicine faculty.
Marcus L. Thompson Named the Thirteenth President of Jackson State University
Dr. Thompson has more than 20 years of leadership experience in early childhood, K-12 education, and higher education. He has been serving as the deputy commissioner and chief administrative officer of the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning, where for over a decade he has been responsible for overseeing IHL staff.
The New Dean of Architecture and Engineering Technology at Florida A&M University
Andrew Chin is a tenured associate professor who has 32 years of experience in higher education. He has held several leadership roles within the school, including interim dean, associate dean, assistant dean, and program director for graduate and professional programs.
Darrin Martin Is the New Leader of Bluefield State University in West Virginia
Dr. Martin is a third-generation graduate of Bluefield State as both his mother and grandmother are alumnae. He has been serving as an associate professor of education, dean of academic support, and, director of graduate education studies.
The Next Leader of the College of Education and Human Development at Texas A&M...
Dr. Emma Savage-Davis has been serving as dean for the College of Education, Leadership Studies and Counseling at the University of Lynchburg in Virginia. She will begin her new duties on January 1.
Cynthia Nance Once Again Named Dean of the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville School...
Professor Nance first joined the University of Arkansas School of Law faculty in 1994 as an assistant professor and served as the dean from 2006 to 2011. She then returned to the classroom as the Nathan G. Gordon Professor of Law in 2012.
College of Engineering at Pennsylvania State University Has Named Tonya Peeples as Dean
Dr. Peeples joined Penn State in 2018 as a professor of chemical engineering and as the inaugural associate dean for equity and inclusion in the College of Engineering. Before coming to Penn State, Dr. Peeples was a professor of chemical and biochemical engineering at the College of Engineering of the University of Iowa.
Amid Accreditation Crisis, a Change in Leadership at St. Augustine’s University in Raleigh, North...
Two days after the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges voted to strip historically Black St. Augustine's University of its accreditation, president Christine McPhail was fired.
Two African Americans Who Have Been Appointed Deans at Historically Black Universities
Janet A. Guyden was appointed the interim dean of the Graduate School at Bowie State University in Maryland and Kareem Jordan has been named dean of the College of Juvenile Justice at Prairie View A&M University, effective June 1, 2024.
Adiam Tsegai Is the New President of Erie Community College in Buffalo
Dr. Tsegai previously served as the college’s Officer-in-Charge since 2022 and provost and vice president for academic affairs, a position she was appointed to in mid-2021. She joined SUNY Erie as the dean of engineering and technologies in 2018.
The New Leader of the University of Tennessee at Martin
Dr. Freeman has served at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga for the past 25 years in various admissions, recruitment, and enrollment roles.
Marcus H. Burgess Is the New Leader of Saint Augustine’s University in Raleigh
Dr. Burgess most recently served as vice president for institutional advancement at Claflin University In South Carolina. Before his return to Claflin in 2019, Dr. Burgess served several institutions in a leadership capacity, including York Technical College in Rockhill, South Carolina, Florida Memorial University, and Voorhees University in South Carolina.
Conrad Tucker Has Been Named Director of Carnegie Mellon University in Africa
Dr. Tucker is currently serving as interim director of the Kigali, Rwanda College of Engineering location. He is also a professor of mechanical engineering and holds courtesy faculty appointments in machine learning, robotics, and biomedical engineering at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.
The New Provost at Clayton State University in Georgia
Dr. McLeod also holds the rank of full professor in the university’s department of psychology. She joined Clayton State following her role as vice president of economic and academic development at Texas A&M University-Commerce.
The First Black Dean of Loyola Law School in California
Brietta Clark is the new Fritz B. Burns Dean of Loyola Marymount University Law School in California. Clark, who is the nineteenth dean of the law school, is the first woman to hold the position and also the first Black dean in the law school's history.
