The four African Americans who have been named to diversity posts are Bruce B. Felder at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia, Thelathia “Nikki” Young at Haverford College in Pennsylvania, Emanuela Kucik at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and Annie McGowan at Texas A&M University.
Girmay Berhie is a native of Ethiopia. Before becoming dean of the only accredited School of Public Health in Mississippi, Dr. Berhie was a tenured professor and the former chair of the department of health informatics at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia.
The African Americans taking on new administrative roles at colleges and universities are Maurice Cooley at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia, Maquisha Ford Mullins at Oakwood University in Huntsville, Alabama, and Anthony J. Davis at Livingstone College in Salisbury, North Carolina.
The appointees are Cedric Gathings at Marshall University, Aaron Whigham at Pennsylvania State University-Greater Allegheny, Rodney C. McClendon at Carnegie Mellon University, Herman Frazier at Syracuse University, and Walter Davenport at Saint Augustine's University.
Dr. Terrence Hardee previously served as vice president for student success at Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey, and dean of the University Center at Cumberland County College in Vineland, New Jersey.
Under the program, nine colleges and universities in Kentucky and West Virginia will seek to increase the percentage of minority students in STEM disciplines by 15 percent by 2016.
Ohio University has announced three finalists for the position of vice provost for diversity and inclusion. Two of the three finalists are Black: Shari J. Clarke from Marshall University in West Virginia and John Bello-Ogunu of the College of Charleston in South Carolina.
Hampton University has entered into an agreement with the Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. The two universities will create a joint bachelor's degree/medical degree program.