Tag: Harvard University
Arizona State University Law Presents the O’Connor Justice Prize to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
Johnson Sirleaf was the first woman democratically elected head of state in Africa. She was elected president of Libera in 2005 - just two years after the end of a decades-long civil war.
Two Black Scholars Receive the Barry Prize for Distinguished Intellectual Achievement
This prestigious annual prize honors those whose work has made outstanding contributions to humanity’s knowledge, appreciation, and cultivation of the good, the true, and the beautiful. It is presented by the American Academy of Sciences and Letters.
Working With Predominately White Co-Workers Increases Turnover Rate for Black Women
In a new study from Harvard University, scholars have found Black women are the only race-gender group adversely affected by working with primarily White co-workers. Compared to White women, they are 51 percent more likely to leave their job within two years.
Kimberlé Crenshaw Honored With Harvard’s W.E.B. Du Bois Medal
Presented by Harvard University, the W.E.B. Du Bois Medal is considered the university's highest honor in the field of African and African American studies.
Seven Black Leaders Appointed to Administrative Roles in Higher Education
Here is this week’s roundup of Black leaders who have been appointed to new administrative positions at colleges and universities throughout the United States. If you have news for our appointments section, please email the information to contact@jbhe.com.
Harvard Study Examines How Prejudice is Learned Through Observing Behavior
Through a series of experiments in which participants observed behavior from others driven by racial stereotyping, the authors found illuminating insight into how individual prejudices can spread to others and potentially society at large.
Study Finds Significant Racial Disparities in Exposure to Tobacco Advertisements on TV
A new study has revealed that roughly 12 percent of American adults encounter tobacco-related marketing when watching TV traditionally or via streaming platforms. However, among Black Americans, that exposure jumps to more than 19 percent.
The Economic Gap Between Black and White Americans Born Into Low-Income Families Is Shrinking
A new study from scholars at Harvard, Cornell, and the U.S. Census Bureau has found a significantly smaller economic gap between Black and White millennials from low-income families that has not seen in prior generations.
NAACP Awards Prestigious Spingarn Medal to Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
The NAACP's Springarn Medal is widely considered to be one of the most prestigious prizes recognizing outstanding achievements by Black Americans. Dr. Gates, professor at Harvard University, is the 109th recipient of the prize since its inception in 1915.
Sigma Xi Presents Its Highest Honor to Cato Laurencin
The Golden Key Award from Sigma Xi is presented annually to a member who has made outstanding contributions to scientific research and advocacy. The award is considered the society's highest achievement.
Five African American Scholars Appointed to New Faculty Positions
The new faculty appointments are Judith Byfield at Cornell University, Nikki Hoskins at Harvard University, Edda Fields-Black at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Shawn Utsey at Virginia Commonwealth University, and Gwendolyn DuBois Shaw at the University of Pennsylvania.
Two Black Historians in Higher Education Receive Prestigious Dan David Prize
Keisha Blain of Brown University and Cécile Fromont of Harvard University have received 2024 Dan David Prizes for their outstanding achievements as academic historians.
University of Nebraska Medical Center Selects Dele Davies as Interim Chancellor
An expert in pediatric infectious diseases, Dr. Davies joined UNMC in 2012. He has been serving as the medical center's senior vice chancellor for academic affairs and dean of graduate studies.
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Appoints Andrea Stewart as Interim Chancellor
"This institution holds a rich legacy of academic excellence and community impact, and I am committed to advancing its mission during this transitional period," said Dr. Andrea Stewart upon her appointment as interim chancellor of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.
Mark Brown to Be the First Alumnus to Serve as President of Tuskegee University in Alabama
On July 1, Dr. Mark Brown will assume the presidency of his undergraduate alma mater, Tuskegee University in Alabama, making him the first alumnus to serve in the position. He currently serves as the inaugural president and CEO of the Student Freedom Initiative.
In Memoriam: Christopher Fairfield Edley Jr., 1953-2024
Christopher Edley had an extensive career in both academia and public service. He served as a professor with Harvard Law School for 23 years and held senior advising roles for five presidential campaigns, including for his former student, Barack Obama.
In Memoriam: Clayton Bates Jr., 1932-2024
Dr. Bates taught physics and electrical engineering at Stanford University for over two decades. He was the first Black faculty member to earn tenure in Stanford's School of Engineering.
Study Finds Scientists With African Names are Less Likely to Be Featured in News Stories
The study found scientists with African-sounding names are 15 percent less likely to be quoted by news outlets than their peers with Anglo-sounding names.
Adler University Selects Lisa Coleman as President
Dr. Coleman currently serves as the inaugural senior vice president for global inclusion and strategic innovation at New York University. She will assume the presidency of Adler University in September.
Herman Taylor Jr. Honored for Advancing Diversity and Inclusion in Cardiology
Dr. Taylor, endowed professor at Morehouse School of Medicine, serves as the founding director and principal investigator of the Jackson Health Study, the largest community-based study of cardiovascular disease in African Americans.
Higher Education Gifts or Grants of Interest to African Americans
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.
In Memoriam: William Strickland, 1937-2024
Strickland spent his lifetime dedicated to advancing civil rights and Black political representation. For four decades, he served as a professor of political science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he taught courses on Black history and the civil rights movement.
Eight Black Scholars Appointed to New Faculty Positions
Here is this week’s roundup of African Americans who have been appointed to new faculty positions at colleges and universities throughout the United States. If you have news for our appointments section, please email the information to contact@jbhe.com.
Trinity College President Joanne Berger-Sweeney Announces Retirement
In 2014, Dr. Berger-Sweeney became the first African American and first woman president of Trinity College since its founding in 1823. Over the past decade, the college has experienced growth in enrollment and graduation rates, hired more diverse faculty, and improved campus infrastructure.
Four Black Professionals Appointed to Administrative Positions
The appointments are Stanley Bazile at Ithaca College in New York, China Jude at Chadron State College in Nebraska, Kofi Ofori at Harvard University, and Brint Martin at Hampton University in Virginia.
In Memoriam: Norman B. Anderson, 1955-2024
Dr. Anderson was the assistant vice president for research and academic affairs at Florida State University at the time of his death. He had an extensive career in clinical psychology, which led him to become the first African American chief executive officer of the American Psychological Association.
Black Film Project and Film Studies Fellowships Established at Harvard University
Henry Louis Gates Jr., professor and director of the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research at Harvard University, will direct the newly established Black Film Project, an initiative aiming to support independent films focusing on Black history and culture.
University of Notre Dame Honors Maurice Cox With Henry Hope Reed Award
Maurice Cox has been named the 2024 laureate of the Henry Hope Reed Award at the University of Notre Dame for his dedication to education and public service.
Claudine Gay Resigns as President of Harvard University
Dr. Gay had served as president of Harvard University for only six months. She was the first African American and the second woman to lead Harvard in its nearly 400-year history.
Roger Fairfax Will Be the Next Dean of the Howard University School of Law
Fairfax currently serves as dean of the American University Washington College of Law. Earlier he was senior associate dean for academic affairs, Patricia Roberts Harris Research Professor of Law, and founding director of the Criminal Law & Policy Initiative at George Washington University Law School.
In Memoriam: Willard R. Johnson, 1935-2023
Dr. Johnson joined the political science faculty at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1964 as an assistant professor. He was the first Black faculty member at MIT to rise through the ranks and achieve tenure from within.
Harvard Announces a Grant Program to Address Systemic Inequities for Descendants of Slavery
The Harvard and the Legacy of Slavery Initiative will offer annual funding up to $350,000 for long-term projects and $25,000 for smaller projects that address systemic inequities for descendants of slavery.
Harvard University Establishes the Black Teacher Archive
The archive consists of journals and newsletters created by members of Colored Teachers Associations that captured the political and social efforts of Black educators’ activism from the Jim Crow era to the Civil Rights Movement. The old journals and bulletins chronicle the acts of resistance in places where Black educators fought against injustice in education under Jim Crow.
Henry Louis Gates Jr. Honored by the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society
The James Dent Walker Award is the highest national award that can be bestowed by the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society upon a person who has exhibited distinguished accomplishments through a significant and measurable contribution to the research, documentation, and/or preservation of African American history.
Kerry James Marshall’s Portrait of Henry Louis Gate Jr. Donated to Cambridge University
Kerry James Marshall has donated his portrait of Harvard's Henry Louis Gates Jr. to the University of Cambridge. Professor Gates holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in English language and literature from Clare College at the University of Cambridge. The work is Marshall's first portrait of a living person.
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.
