Tagged: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

John Silvanus Wilson, Jr. Named Executive Director of Penn’s McGraw Center for Educational Leadership

A former president of Morehouse College, Dr. Wilson has conducted extensive research on American higher education, particularly the history and current state of HBCUs. During President Obama's first term, Dr. Wilson was executive director of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and University.

MIT Study Uncovers Racial Disparities in Organ Offer Acceptance

In a study led by scientists at MIT, Black patients in need of an organ transplant are 7 percent less likely to have a liver offer accepted, and 20 percent less likely to have a lung offer accepted compared to White patients with similar wait-list priority.

Cato Laurencin Lauded for Contributions to the West Indian Foundation

Dr. Laurencin, professor at the University of Connecticut, has been a dedicated supporter of the West Indian community. In 2015, the West Indian Foundation presented him with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Earlier this year, Dr. Laurencin was knighted by King Charles III of England through the Governor-General of St. Lucia.

Charles Lee Isbell, Jr. Appointed Chancellor of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Dr. Isbell is slated to assume his new role on August 1. He said, “I’m energized by this chance to serve the citizens of Illinois and advance the mission of learning, discovery, engagement and economic development."

Alexia Hudson-Ward to Lead the Association of College and Research Libraries

Alexia Hudson-Ward, associate director for research and learning at MIT Libraries, will serve as the president-elect of the Association of College and Research Libraries beginning on July 1. This will be followed by a one-year term as president beginning July 1, 2026.

New Faculty Positions for Four African American Scholars

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.

Five Black Scholars Appointed to New Faculty Roles at Universities Across the Country

The new faculty appointments are Stephen Bayne at Texas Tech University, Ebony McGee at Johns Hopkins University, James Wright at Arizona State University, Lawrence Sass at MIT, and Antony Joseph at Illinois State University.

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 Black Scholars Selected for New Faculty Appointments

The Black scholars appointed to new faculty positions are Ishion Hutchinson at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, Martha Hurley at Sinclair Community College in Dayton, Ohio, Sandy Alexendre at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Marcia Chatelain at the University of Pennsylvania, and Dwight A. McBride at Washington University in St. Louis.

National Science Foundation Honors Muyinatu Lediju Bell for Early-Career Accomplishments

Dr. Lediju Bell is the John C. Malone Associate Professor at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, where she teaches in the departments of electrical and computer engineering, biomedical engineering, and computer science. Her research focuses on engineering biomedical imaging systems.

MIT Launches HBCU Science Journalism Fellowship

The new HBCU Science Journalism Fellowship will provide students from Howard University, Hampton University, Florida A&M University, Morgan State University, and North Carolina A&T State University with hands-on training and individualized mentorship to develop their journalistic skills.

Shirley Ann Jackson to Step Down as President of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 2022

Dr. Jackson was chair of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission from 1995 to 1999. She then left government service to take over as the 18th president of RPI in 1999. She was the first African American woman to earn a Ph.D. in any discipline from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Two African American Scholars Awarded the Berlin Prize

Recipients of the Berlin Prize are awarded a semester-long fellowship in Berlin where they will be provided with the time and resources to step back from their daily obligations to engage in academic and artistic projects they might not otherwise pursue.

Higher Education Grants or Gifts 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.

Emery Brown Wins the 2018 Dickinson Prize in Science From Carnegie Mellon University

The award recognizes substantial achievements or sustained progress in the fields of natural sciences, engineering, computer science, or mathematics. Dr. Brown is only African American, to be elected to the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and the National Academy of Medicine.

Ebonya Washington Named the Samuel C. Park Jr. Professor of Economics at Yale University

Dr. Washington has taught at Yale since 2004, when she joined the faculty as an assistant professor of economics. Prior to her most recent appointment, she was the Henry Kohn Associate Professor of Economics.

The First Black Woman to Earn a Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering at the University of Michigan

With a background in chemistry, Dr. Sivels had not taken basic physic courses in high school or as an undergraduate at MIT. As a result, she he was not as well prepared for a graduate level program in nuclear engineering in comparison to her peers.

MIT Is the Latest University to Explore Its Ties to Slavery

Slavery was outlawed in Massachusetts in the late 1780s. However, researchers discovered that MIT's first president - William Barton Rogers - owned slaves while he lived in Virginia.

Higher Education Grants of Interest to African-Americans

Here is this week’s news of grants to historically Black colleges and universities or for programs of particular interest to African Americans in higher education.

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In Memoriam: Norman C. Francis, 1931-2026

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Norman C. Francis served as president of historically Black Xavier University of Louisiana for nearly five decades. When he retired in 2015, he was the longest-tenured university president in the United States.

Eric Wilcots to Lead the University of Wisconsin-Madison

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A faculty member since 1995, Dr. Wilcots currently serves as dean of the University of Wisconsin-Madison's College of Letters & Science. He is slated to become the institution's interim president on May 17.

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