Nigerian American Student From Long Island Admitted to All Eight Ivy League Colleges
Augusta Uwamanzu-Nna, this spring's valedictorian at Elmont Memorial High School on Long Island in New York, applied to and was accepted at all eight Ivy League colleges and four additional high-rated universities.
Ronald Wheeler to Lead the American Association of Law Libraries
Ronald E. Wheeler is director of the Fineman and Pappas Law Libraries and associate professor of law and legal research at Boston University. In July, he will become the first African American man to lead the American Association of Law Libraries.
Roland Anglin Named Dean of the College of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University
Dr. Anglin has been serving as senior adviser to the chancellor and director of the Joseph C. Cornwall Center for Metropolitan Studies at the Newark, New Jersey, campus of Rutgers University. He holds a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Chicago.
African American Woman Named Deputy Under Secretary at the U.S. Department of Education
Kim Hunter Reed, who has extensive teaching and administrative experience in Louisiana higher education, will be a member of the senior leadership team at the Department of Education that oversees higher education in the United States.
The New Dean of the School of Education at American University
Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy currently serves as vice provost for faculty affairs and a professor of counseling and human development at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. She will begin her new job in July.
John Edgar Wideman Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters
This year 12 new members were elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters. One of the 12 new members is an African American: John Edgar Wideman, the Asa Messer Professor and professor of Africana studies and literary arts at Brown University.
The Next President of Minneapolis Community and Technical College
Since 2010, Dr. Sharon Pierce has been vice president for academic affairs at Howard Community College in Columbia, Maryland. Earlier, she served as chair of the Health Sciences Division and director of the nursing education program at the college.
Two African American Women Named Deans at Southern Universities
Stephanie G. Adams was named dean of the Frank Batten College of Engineering and Technology at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, and Pamela Jackson is the new dean of the School of Business and Economics at Fayetteville State University in North Carolina.
Camille A. Nelson Named Dean of the Law School at American University
Professor Nelson was dean of the Suffolk University Law School in Boston from 2010 to 2015. Earlier, she taught at the law school of Saint Louis University. A native of Jamaica, Professor Nelson was the first Black woman to clerk for Canada's highest court.
New $48 Million Scholarship Program for African Americans in STEM Fields
The Fund II Foundation of Austin, Texas, led by Robert F. Smith, founder and CEO of Vista Equity Partners, has teamed up with the United Negro College Fund to establish a $48 million scholarship program for African Americans in STEM fields.
Historically Black Delaware State University to “Deactivate” 23 Academic Programs
More than one quarter of all academic programs at the university will be cut. The programs that will be eliminated have low enrollments and the university plans to place more emphasis on academic programs that will attract larger numbers of students.
Roderick McDavis to Leave Presidency of Ohio University in 2017
Roderick J. McDavis, president of Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, has announced that he will step down at the end of the 2016-17 academic year. Dr. McDavis has been president of Ohio University since 2004.
Cumberland County College in New Jersey Names Its Next President
Yves Salomon-Fernandez, who is fluent in four languages, has been serving as interim president of Massachusetts Bay Community College in Wellesley Hills. She will begin her role as president of Cumberland County College on July 1.
Two African American Scholars Nominated for the PEN/Faulkner Award in Fiction
Two of five finalists for the award are African Americans with current affiliations at American universities. James Hannaham is an associate professor of humanities and media studies at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn and Julie Iromuanya is an assistant professor of English and Africana literature at Arizona State University.
H. James Williams Named President of Mount Saint Joseph University in Cincinnati
Dr. Williams was president of Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee, from 2013 to September 2015. Previously, he served as dean of the business school at Grand Valley State University.
The University of Pittsburgh Names a New Vice Provost and Dean of Students
Kenyon Bonner has served in this role on an interim basis since January 2015 and has been on the university's staff since 2004. Before being named interim dean of students, Bonner was associate dean of students for seven years.
The New President of Bishop State Community College in Mobile, Alabama
Since 2010, Dr. Sykes has served as president of Alabama Southern Community College in Monroeville. Earlier in his career, President Sykes was dean of students at Meridian Community College in Mississippi.
The Next President of the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington
Since 2008, Dr. Isiaah Crawford has served as provost of Seattle University. Previously, Dr. Crawford served on the faculty at Loyola University in Chicago for more than 20 years and was chair of the department of psychology and dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
Alec Gallimore Named Dean of Engineering at the University of Michigan
Professor Gallimore joined the faculty at the University of Michigan in 1992. He was promoted to full professor in 2004. Dr. Gallimore is the director of the Michigan Space Grant Consortium, funded by NASA and the director of the Michigan/Air Force Center of Excellence in Electric Propulsion.
Michelle Howard-Vital Is the New Provost at Florida Memorial University
From 2007 to 2014, Dr. Howard-Vital was president of Cheyney University in Pennsylvania. Earlier in her career, she served as interim chancellor of Winston-Salem State University and as associate vice president for the University of North Carolina System.
Michelle Williams to Lead the Harvard School of Public Health
Since 2011, Dr. Williams has served as the Stephen B. Kay Family Professor of Public Health and chair of the department of epidemiology at the school. Earlier she taught at the University of Washington.
Walden University Names Its School of Social Work in Honor of Barbara Solomon
Dr. Solomon played a major role in the development of the social work program at Walden University. Earlier in her career, she was professor, vice provost, and dean of the Graduate School at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.
University of California Aims to Increase Black Applicant Pool
The Achieve UC program targeted 12,000 students at high schools with large underrepresented minority student bodies with programs to guide them through the admission and financial aid processes. The program is being expanded this year to target 60,000 minority students.
Paula Johnson Will Be the First African American President of Wellesley College
Dr. Johnson is a professor at Harvard Medical School and the Harvard School of Public Health. She is the founder and executive director of the Connors Center for Women's Health and Gender Biology at Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital.
Georgetown University Commits to Addressing Racial Injustice
Georgetown University President John DeGioia said that the university would establish an African American studies program, a new research center on race, and hire the faculty required to fully staff these initiatives.
Morgan State University Receives the Largest Donation in Its History
Morgan State University in Baltimore believes that the $5 million donation is the fifth largest gift by individuals to any HBCU in the nation. The money will be used for need-based scholarships for students from the City of Baltimore.
The New Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education
James Cole Jr. has been serving as general counsel at the department and will continue to serve in that role. Earlier, he was deputy general counsel at the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Brown University’s Plan to Create a Diverse and Inclusive Campus Community
In releasing the report, Christina Paxson, president of Brown University, stated that “a diverse and inclusive academic community is foundational to every ambition we have as an institution of higher education."
University of Texas System Initiates a “Rooney Rule” For Senior-Level Hiring
The University of Texas System has instituted a new policy that requires search committees to have a minority candidate among the finalists for every senior level administrative post on campus. The new policy is modeled after the Rooney Rule in the National Football League.
Robert M. Dixon to Serve as Provost at Cheyney University of Pennsylvania
For the past two years, Dr. Dixon has served as interim vice president for academic affairs at the University of Maine at Fort Kent. He is the former provost and vice president for academic affairs at Grambling State University in Louisiana.
New Leader for the College of Arts and Sciences at Fayetteville State University
Fayetteville State University in North Carolina has announced the appointment of Samuel Adu-Mireku as interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. Since 2012, Dr. Adu-Mireku has served as associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
Mandara Savage Is the New Leader of the Extended Campus of Southern Illinois University
The Southern Illinois University Extended Campus includes all online courses and courses taught at off-campus facilities. Dr. Savage is an associate professor and chair of the department of technology at the university.
The Next Dean of the College of Education at Virginia Commonwealth University
Andrew P. Daire currently serves as associate dean for research in the College of Education at the University of Houston. Earlier he taught for 14 years in the College of Education and Human Performance at the University of Central Florida in Orlando.
Three African Americans Among the Top 10 Most Influential Scholars in Education
Linda Darling Hammond of Stanford University was rated as the most influential university-based education scholar in the United States. Also among the top 10 influential scholars are Gloria Ladson-Billings of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Claude Steele, provost at the University of California, Berkeley.
Melvin Oliver Named the Sixth President of Pitzer College in Claremont, California
Dr. Oliver is a professor of sociology and executive dean of the College of Letters and Science at the University of California at Santa Barbara. From 1978 to 1996, Dr. Oliver taught sociology at the University of California, Los Angeles.
The Nationwide Racial Gap in College Graduation Rates
For all students who enrolled in bachelor's degree programs at four-year institutions in 2008, Blacks had the lowest graduation rate of any racial or ethnic group. Only 40.9 percent of Black students had completed their degree within six years.
