Tag: Virginia Commonwealth University
James Frazier Appointed President of the International Council for Arts Deans
James Frazier has decades of experience in higher education and professional dance performance. He currently serves as a full professor of dance and dean of the College of Fine Arts at Florida State University.
A Change in Leadership at the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at Florida A&M University
Johnnie Early II, former dean of the FAMU College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, has stepped down from his role and returned to a full-time faculty position. Seth Ablordeppey, longtime FAMU professor, has been selected to serve as interim dean.
Eight African Americans Appointed to Administrative Roles in Higher Education
Here is this week’s roundup of African Americans 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.
VCU Acquires Film Collection Documenting the Civil Rights Movement in Richmond
The Richmond Police Department has provided VCU Libraries with the Surveillance Media Collection, a collection of video and audio materials documenting local protests, meetings, and marches from the civil rights movement.
Living in a Disadvantaged Neighborhood May Be Responsible for Increased Levels of Prostate Cancer in Black Men
In the United States, Black men are significantly more likely than White men to be diagnosed with and die from prostate cancer. A new study has sought out to determine if living in a disadvantaged neighborhood could be responsible for this disparity.
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.
Heather Jones Recognized for Distinguished Contributions to Diversity in Pediatric Psychology
Dr. Jones was recognized for her research and work centering around Black children and their families, maternal mental health, and educating future health service psychologists.
Prairie View A&M University Selects Aashir Nasim for Senior Vice President and Provost
Dr. Nasim has spent the past 15 years with Virginia Commonwealth University, currently serving as vice president and senior advisor to the president, as well as a full professor of psychology and African American studies.
National Institutes of Health Honors Cecelia Valrie With Award for Interdisciplinary Collaboration
Virginia Commonwealth University psychology professor Cecelia Valrie was honored by the National Institutes of Health's HEAL Initiative for her collaborative research into improving pain management for pediatric patients with sickle cell disease.
Jamila Taylor Named President of the Institute for Women’s Policy Research
"I am eager to set a path for IWPR that builds upon its reputation as a trusted economic and equity think tank, producing ground-breaking research and bold policy solutions that advance gender equality in ways that are meaningful and long-lasting," says Dr. Taylor.
Stress From Discrimination, Racism, and Safety Fears Leads to Increased Heart Disease Risk for Blacks
The research led by scholars at Virginia Commonwealth University found that the cardiovascular impact of these stressors varied by gender, with Black women more affected by discrimination and Black men more affected by neighborhood safety.
Three African Americans Who Have Been Appointed to Diversity Posts in Higher Education
Terrence Mitchell was appointed executive director for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice at Mercyhurst University in Erie, Pennsylvania. Faye Belgrave has been named vice president and chief diversity officer at Virginia Commonwealth University and Tammy Bennett is the inaugural vice president for inclusive excellence in philanthropy at the University of Cincinnati Foundation.
Four African American Scholars Who Have Been Appointed to Dean Positions
Yolanda Pierce was appointed dean of the Divinity School at Vanderbilt University and John W. Miller Jr. will be the next dean of the School of Social Work and Family Science at the University of Louisville. Kristina K. Bethea Odejimi was named dean of students at Emory University and Kelechi C. Ogbonna is the new dean of the School of Pharmacy at Virginia Commonwealth University.
Nicolle Parsons-Pollard Appointed Provost at Georgia State University in Atlanta
Since arriving at Georgia State in January 2020 as associate provost for faculty affairs, Dr. Parsons-Pollard has created, implemented, and championed a variety of faculty development programs to support and strengthen faculty in teaching and research, as well as leadership programming for department chairs and other administrators.
Tressie McMillan Cottom Is the Winner of the Gittler Prize from Brandeis University
The Joseph B. and Toby Gittler Prize was created in 2007 by the late Professor Joseph B. Gittler to recognize outstanding and lasting scholarly contributions to racial, ethnic, and/or religious relations. The annual award includes a $25,000 prize and a medal.
New Research Documents the Medical College of Virginia’s Ties to Slavery
The Medical College of Virginia was established as a separate entity in 1854 from its 1838 roots at Hampden-Sydney College. In 1968, it became part of Virginia Commonwealth University. A new report found that the Medical College of Virginia remained thoroughly embedded within the institution of slavery from its founding until the end of the Civil War.
Tomikia LeGrande Chosen to Lead Prairie View A&M University in Texas
Since 2018, Dr. LeGrande has served as vice provost for strategic enrollment management at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond. Earlier, she was vice president for strategic enrollment management at the University of Houston-Downtown. Prior to her duties in Houston, Dr. LeGrande worked at North Carolina A&T State University and Winston-Salem State University.
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.
Seven African Americans Who Have Been Named to Administrative Roles in Higher Education
Taking on new administrative duties are Aaron J. Hart at Virginia Commonwealth University, Shawn Bake at Harris-Stowe State University in St. Louis, Carmen W. Harper at Fayetteville State University, Monique Carroll at Chicago State University, Lisa Lee at Rice University in Houston, Earl Holland Jr. at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Toniette Haynes Robinson at Dallas College.
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.
Name Change for the African American Studies Building at Virginia Commonwealth University
The building will now be known as Gabriel's House, named for the enslaved man in Richmond who, in 1800, organized an unsuccessful but historically significant slave revolt.
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.
Dietra Trent Is the New Leader of the White House Initiative on HBCUs
Since 2019, Dr. Trent has been serving as chief of staff for the president of George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. Earlier, she was secretary of education for the Commonwealth of Virginia.
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.
Three African Americans Who Have Been Assigned to New Roles Relating to Diversity
Taking on new duties relating to diversity, equity, and inclusion are Brooke Berry at Virginia Commonwealth University, Daniel Hastings at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Barbara J. Lawrence at Rider University in Lawrence Township, New Jersey.
Virginia Commonwealth University’s First Novelist Award Given to Raven Leilani
Raven Leilani, who has served as an Axinn Foundation Writer-in-Residence at New York University, is the recipient of the 2021 Cabell First Novelist Award given by the creative writing program at Virginia Commonwealth University. The award, now in its 20th year, honors an outstanding debut novel published during the preceding calendar year.
Study Shows How COVID-19 Widened the Racial Gap in Life Expectancy in the United States
The study found that the gap in life expectancy between Black and White populations decreased from 4.02 years in 2010 to 3.54 years in 2014. But the gap increased to 5.81 years in 2020. In 2020, life expectancy for Black men was only 67.73 years, the lowest level since 1998.
African Americans Not Making Progress Into the Top Ranks of Academic Surgery Positions
Over the six-year study period, the share of surgery department chairs and full professorships held by White doctors decreased by 4 to 5 percentage points, but it was Asian faculty who filled the void, rising by 4 percentage points over the same timeframe. Male Black chairs actually lost ground during the study period.
The New Leader of NACADA: The Global Community for Academic Advising
Melinda Anderson currently serves as the interim associate vice chancellor for student success at Elizabeth City State University in North Carolina. NACADA, with approximately 15,000 members in 35 countries, is housed in the College of Education at Kansas State University.
Former President of Disneyland to Lead the Business School at Santa Clara University
Grier has been serving as dean of the School of Business at Virginia Commonwealth University. He joined VCU in 2010 after a successful 29-year career with Walt Disney Company. He will become dean of the School of Business at Santa Clara University this coming summer.
Excess Deaths Due to the Pandemic Have Been the Highest in the African American Community
More than a quarter of the excess deaths during the pandemic were not from the virus itself but the result of not seeking or finding adequate care in an emergency such as a heart attack, experiencing fatal complications from a chronic disease such as diabetes, or facing a behavioral health crisis that led to suicide or drug overdose.
Academic Study Examines Reluctance of Older African Americans to Seek Mental Health Care
A new study by researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond and the University of Maryland finds that older African Americans living in U.S. counties with a higher population of Black residents are less likely to pursue mental health treatment than other African American seniors.
Study Finds That Racial Segregation in Public Schools in Virginia Is on the Rise
The report, by researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University and Pennsylvania State University, reveals that segregation among schools in the same division contributes to half or more of all multiracial school segregation in Virginia’s metropolitan regions.
New Administrative Positions for Nine African Americans at Colleges and Universities
Here is this week’s roundup of African Americans who have been appointed to new administrative positions at colleges and universities throughout the United States.
Two African American Woman Appointed to University Dean Positions
Loury Ollison Floyd has been named dean of the School of Education at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke and Carmenita D. Higginbotham, an art historian, has been named dean of the Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts.
The New Dean of the School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth
Susan T. Gooden has served as interim dean since May 2018. Professor Gooden joined the faculty at Virginia Commonwealth University in 2004. Earlier, she was an assistant and associate professor in the Center for Public Administration and Policy at Virginia Tech.
