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.

In Memoriam: Elson S. Floyd (1956-2015)

Elson S. Floyd, president of Washington State University since 2007, has died from complications of colon cancer. Earlier this month he had taken a medical leave of absence. Dr. Floyd became the 10th president of Washington State University in May 2007.

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.

A Sharp Rise in Suicide Among Young African Americans

The study, led by scientists at Ohio State University, discovered that the overall suicide rate remained stable over the past 20 years but this obscured a significant increase in suicide incidence in Black children and a significant decrease among White children.

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.

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.

The New Provost at Elizabeth City State University in North Carolina

Vann R. Newkirk has been serving as associate provost for academic affairs, dean of graduate studies, and professor of history at Alabama A&M University.

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.

Hugh Mighty to Lead the Howard University College of Medicine

Dr. Mighty has been serving as vice chancellor for clinical affairs at the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in Shreveport. Earlier in his career, he was on the faculty at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

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.

Xavier University of Louisiana Names Its Next President

Since 2012, C. Reynold Verret has served as provost and chief academic officer at Savannah State University in Georgia. On July 1, he will replace Norman C. Francis who has led Xavier University since 1968.

Danielle Allen Elected to the American Philosophical Society

This year 34 new members were elected to the society. Of these, 27 are Americans. After an analysis of the new member list by JBHE, it appears that of the 27 new American members, only one is an African American.

Ronald Mason Jr. Named President of the University of the District of Columbia

Since 2010, Mason has served as president of the Southern University System. Earlier in his career, he was president of Jackson State University in Mississippi and served in several administrative posts at Tulane University in New Orleans.

Two Black Scholars Elected Members of the National Academy of Sciences

The two African Americans elected members of the National Academy of Sciences are Scott V. Edwards, a professor of biology at Harvard University, and Jennifer A. Richeson, a professor of psychology at Northwestern University.

Jessica Bailey to Lead Fort Valley State University

Jessica Bailey will serve as acting president of Fort Valley State University in Georgia until July 1 when current president Ivelaw Griffith leaves office. On July 1, Dr. Bailey will become interim president of the university.

Alecia A. DeCoudreaux Is Stepping Down as President of Mills College in June 2016

Alecia A. DeCoudreaux, president of Mills College in Oakland, California, has announced that she will step down in June 2016. She became president of the women's college on July 1, 2011 after a long career in the legal department of Eli Lilly and Company.

Bipartisan Group Launches Congressional Caucus to Support HBCUs

The Bipartisan Congressional Historically Black Colleges and Universities Caucus is being led by Alma S. Adams, a Democrat from North Carolina and Bradley Byrne, a Republican from Alabama. Representative Adams taught art at Bennett College in North Carolina for 40 years.

Gregory Pardlo Wins the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry

Gregory Pardlo, both an instructor and a student at Columbia University in New York City, has won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. He is also completing work on his doctoral dissertation at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York.

LeRoy Pernell Stepping Down as Dean of the College of Law at Florida A&M...

Professor Pernell became dean in 2008. Previously he served for 10 years as dean of the College of Law at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. He will now return to his full-time faculty position at the FAMU law school.

Jason Wingard Named Dean of Continuing Education at Columbia University

Currently, Dr. Wingard is the chief learning officer at Goldman Sachs, the Wall Street investment firm. Earlier, he was vice dean of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he led the executive education program.

Palm Beach State College Names Its Next President

Ava L. Parker is executive vice president and chief operating officer at Florida Polytechnic University in Lakeland. Earlier, Parker served for 10 years as chair of the Board of Governors of the State University System in Florida.

The Next Provost at Drexel University in Philadelphia

M. Brian Blake is vice provost for academic affairs and dean of the Graduate School at the University of Miami in Florida. He will become provost at Drexel University on August 1.

Anita Hill Named University Professor at Brandeis

Professor Hill joined the Brandeis faculty in 1998. She came to national prominence in 1991 when she accused Supreme Court Justice nominee Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment.

Everett Ward Named the 11th President of Saint Augustine’s University

Dr. Ward has been serving as interim president for the past year. Previously, he was director of the HBCU/Minority Institutions of Higher Education program for the North Carolina Department of Transportation.

End of the Line for Knoxville College?

Knoxville College in Tennessee has continue to operate for the past 18 years despite the fact that it lost its accreditation. This spring only 11 students are enrolled and the college announced that it would suspend all classes for the fall 2015 semester.

Eileen Wilson-Oyelaran, President of Kalamazoo College, to Retire

Dr. Wilson-Oyelaran has served as the 17th president of the college since July 2005. A native of Los Angeles, Dr. Wilson-Oyelaran taught at the University of Ife in Nigeria for 14 years before returning to the U.S. in 1988.

The First African American President of Hamline University

Fayneese Miller currently serves as dean of the College of Education and Social Services and professor of leadership and developmental sciences at the University of Vermont. Previously, she taught for 20 years at Brown University.

Todd C. Shaw Is the New President of the National Conference of Black Political...

Dr. Shaw is the College of Arts & Sciences Distinguished Associate Professor of Political Science and African American Studies at the University of South Carolina. He is also serving as the interim director of African American studies.

M. Evelyn Fields Named to Lead the American Association of Blacks in Higher Education

Dr. Fields is a professor of early childhood education and chair of the department of teacher education at South Carolina State University in Orangeburg. She is past president of the South Carolina chapter of the American Association of University Professors.

The Next President of Huston-Tillotson University

Colette Pierce Burnette served on the staff at Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio, from 1999 to 2012 in such roles as vice president for administration, chief financial officer, vice president for information technology, and chief information officer.

Fort Valley State University President to Step Down in June

Ivelaw Griffith, the ninth president of Fort Valley State University in Georgia, has announced that he will leave his post at the end of the academic year on June 30. He will have served as president for less than two years.

Timothy Beard Named the Next President of Pasco-Hernando State College

Dr. Beard has been on the staff at the college since 2007 and currently serves as vice president for student development and enrollment management. He will become president of the college on July 1.

Ronald A. Johnson Appointed President of Clark Atlanta University

Since 2011, Dr. Johnson has been dean of the School of Business at Texas Southern University in Houston. He is the former dean of the College of Business at Western Carolina University. Dr. Johnson will become president of Clark Atlanta University on July 1.

Spelman College Names Its Next President

Mary Schmidt Campbell is dean emerita of the Tisch School of the Arts and University Professor of art and public policy at New York University. She will become president of Spelman College in Atlanta on August 1.

Breaking News