Tagged: Georgia State University

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.

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.

The appointments are Kamau Siwatu at Texas Tech University; Courtney Anderson at Georgia State University; Michael Bolden at the University of California, Berkeley; Jide Wintoki at the University of Kansas; and Marla Peppers at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.

“I will approach this role with bold vision — focused on student success, innovation, and national prominence — while building strong bridges with the FAMU community and honoring the legacy that makes this university so special,” said Johnson.

“I am profoundly honored to have been chosen to lead Talladega College, an institution with a powerful legacy and boundless potential,” said Dr. Todd. "As a proud product of an HBCU and a lifelong servant of these sacred institutions, I believe the time has come to reimagine liberal arts education as a dynamic force for the future."

The Black men and women appointed to new administrative posts in higher educartion are Nicole McDonald, Lerato Barney, Rodney Lewis, Charles Jake, Brittany Holloman, and Douglas LaVergne.

With over 35 years of professional experience, Dr. Orok currently serves as the inaugural director of the Center for Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Economic Development at Alabama A&M University.

The Data Mining and Mapping Antebellum Georgia project, led by Elizabeth West, the John B. and Elena Diaz-Verson Amos Distinguished Chair in English Letters at Georgia State University, aims to create an online, public database of the names and locations of thousands of enslaved people across the state of Georgia.

Prior to joining the Georgia State University faculty in 2020, Dr. Johnson spent several years as a law enforcement officer in Memphis, Tennessee. For his expertise in racially disparate justice outcomes, the Western Society of Criminology has presented him with the 2025 W.E.B. Du Bois Award.

The appointments are Joyelle Harris at Georgia State University, Candace Jones at Long Beach Community College in California, Christopher Ackerman at George Mason University in Virginia, and JL Porter at Denmark Technical College in South Carolina.

Monic Ductan was honored for her first book, Daughters of Muscadine: Stories. She currently teaches creative writing and literature at Tennessee Tech University.

The appointments are Charles Bell at Illinois State University, Danielle Wood at MIT, Robert Gooding-Williams at Yale, and Maurice Dawson Jr. at the Illinois Institute of Technology.

Dr. Drake brings over 40 years of experience to his new role, having held leadership positions in both higher education and private sectors. He recently served as interim president of historically Black Bethune-Cookman in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Qiana Cutts Givens of Mississippi State University has received an award from the Lillian E. Smith Center at Piedmont University in Georgia providing her the opportunity to work on her manuscript focused on the creative artistry of rural Black girls.

Here is this week’s roundup of African Americans who have been appointed to new faculty positions at universities throughout the United States. If you have news for our appointments section, please email the information to [email protected].

“I am grateful for the opportunity to serve at Clayton State in this interim capacity, and I hope that my contributions will aid in the success of its students, faculty and staff," said Dr. Fountain, currently the associate provost for faculty affairs at Georgia State University.

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.

The Association of University Programs for Health Administration has honored Kimberly Enard, associate professor at Saint Louis University, with the 2024 John D. Thompson Prize, making her the first African-American to receive the award.

Dr. Fedrick has been president of historically Black Albany State University since 2018. She will step down from her role on July 1 to serve as executive vice president and chief of staff to the president at Georgia State University.

Dr. Johnson currently serves as executive vice president and provost at Talladega College in Alabama, where she oversees the college’s academic affairs, including the institution’s academic mission, teaching, research, and service. Prior to joining Talladega College in 2022, Dr. Johnson served as vice president for academic affairs and professor of student services administration at Arkansas Tech University.