Tennessee State University has formed a beneficial new partnership with multiple Tennessee organizations to save an endangered salamander species! Read the details in the local WKRN article below.
Many of you may have never heard of the “Eastern Hellbender” salamander, an amphibian common to some rivers and streams here in Middle Tennessee.
The Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency has designated them as an endangered species in the state.
“Populations in East Tennessee from the Hiawassee up north into upper parts of East Tennessee, those populations are doing quite well,” explained Josh Campbell, TWRA Chief of Biodiversity. “But here in Middle Tennessee that is not the case, especially here on this stream where we just have a lot of large and older individuals. So, we’ve got one age class or size class here in this population. So, slowly without any type of work or augmentation, this population could be lost.”
So the TWRA, along with the Nashville Zoo and Tennessee State University have joined forces to try and increase their populations.
Six years ago, the Nashville Zoo took in a number of Eastern Hellbender eggs from the Little Buffalo River System in South Middle Tennessee. They hatched them, and have been raising them ever since, even bringing in their natural diet from that same habitat, crayfish, abundant in the Little Buffalo River.
Since they have been finding mostly older adults and nests with eggs in them but few hatchlings, many of the hatched young were not surviving.
“So by taking the eggs, raising them for a few years until they get to a bigger size where they can miss that critical period, we can put them back out,” explained Sherry Reinsch, Nashville Zoo Lead Herpetology keeper.
So in mid-June, the Nashville Zoo along with biologists and researchers from the TWRA and Tennessee State University released 13 of the 6-year-old hellbenders back into the river. A second release of 19 animals was scheduled for later in the month. Each Hellbender being released is fitted with a radio transmitter and an identification tag so researchers can track the progress of each animal. With future studies, they can hopefully find out what is causing the young ones not to survive.
“Unfortunately, human development in forms of agriculture and urbanization do not mesh well with hellbender populations,” according to Bill Sutton, Tennessee State University Associate Professor. “They’re pretty intolerant of any kind of thing that’s upstream in the watershed that impacts sedimentation or anything that affects erosion of the habitats.”
As they release the new Hellbenders, they will be tracking and studying if they survive and where they go to determine what has caused the decline.
Whatever the result, the whole process has been rewarding to the researchers.
“When you get to put wildlife back where it once was or to help facilitate restorations of populations, it’s always exciting,” Campbell said.
“Today I was able to release one, which is really exciting,” exclaimed Mallory Tate, TWRA Region 2 Wildlife Survey Manager. “It’s been months and years of work for some people. So to finally see these animals being released, it was a little tricky because they were ready to go, but it was very exciting.”
In an impressive show of support, the Board of Trustees at Shaw University has extended the contract of President Paulette Dillard by 5 years! Learn why Shaw considers Dillard to be such an asset to the university in the release from Shaw University below.
Source: Belmont University
Today the Shaw University Board of Trustees enthusiastically announces it has extended the contract of President Paulette Dillard for an additional five years. Dr. Dillard was appointed interim president of Shaw University in July 2017 and president in September 2018. In an era of rampant presidential turnover, this contract extension provides continued strength and stability for the university.
President Dillard has successfully led the university for the past four years and her leadership rose to the challenges presented by the unprecedented impacts of COVID-19. She has remained focused on student health and academic success. During the challenging times, she also diligently ensured the university received federal emergency funding to assist students with their varied needs, along with creating financial stability for the university. In 2020 she launched the university’s Center for Racial and Social Justice, a national center to further the development of a more just and equitable society. With notable partnerships with Apple, Google, and Red Hat, President Dillard has led Shaw University to become the preeminent hub for students desiring a pathway into high-paying tech jobs and a place for every student to have access to opportunities that create the career of their dreams.
“President Dillard’s successful leadership has helped Shaw University remain stable during COVID-19,” stated Dr. Bell, Chair of the Board of Trustees. “I believe that working together works. President Dillard, together with the Board of Trustees, has positioned the university for unparalleled success as they lead the university into its 2025 Strategic Plan.”
“I am grateful to the Board of Trustees for demonstrating their continued support of my leadership,” stated Dr. Paulette Dillard. “My focus will remain on bolstering student success and leading the academy’s stellar faculty and staff along with engaging our distinguished alumni.”
For over 155 years, Shaw University has faithfully lived out the mission of transforming its diverse community of learners into global leaders. And with the strong commitment of support from the Board of Trustees, President Dillard will lead Shaw University into the boldest time of expansive growth and boundless opportunity of the university’s history.
After fallout over denied tenure at UNC Chapel-Hill, acclaimed journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones has found her new home in Howard University, but not alone. Accomplished Howard alumnus Ta-Nehisi Coates will be joining Hannah-Jones as well, and together the two will establish a center for journalism and democracy! Read all the details in the release from Howard below.
Nikole Hannah-Jones (John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation)
The appointments are supported by nearly $20 million donated by Knight Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the Ford Foundation, as well as by an anonymous donor, to support Howard’s continued education of and investment in Black journalists.
Howard University announced today that Nikole Hannah-Jones and Howard alumnus Ta-Nehisi Coates will join the Howard University faculty. Hannah-Jones will be a tenured member of the faculty of the Cathy Hughes School of Communications, filling the newly created Knight Chair in Race and Journalism. Coates, journalist and author, will be a faculty member in the flagship College of Arts and Sciences. Hannah-Jones, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, will also found the Center for Journalism and Democracy, which will focus on training and supporting aspiring journalists in acquiring the investigative skills and historical and analytical expertise needed to cover the crisis our democracy is facing. The center hopes to work across multiple historically Black colleges and universities (HBCU) that offer journalism degrees and concentrations.
“It is my pleasure to welcome to Howard two of today’s most respected and influential journalists,” said Wayne A. I. Frederick, M.D., MBA, president of Howard University. “At such a critical time for race relations in our country, it is vital that we understand the role of journalism in steering our national conversation and social progress. Not only must our newsrooms reflect the communities where they are reporting, but we need to infuse the profession with diverse talent. We are thrilled that they will bring their insights and research to what is already a world-class, highly accomplished team of professors.
“Further, we are grateful to the Knight, MacArthur and Ford foundations, as well as to an anonymous donor, for their support in our continued efforts to train the next generation of journalists and to provide a diverse pipeline of talent to America’s newsrooms,” said President Frederick.
(CNN)
Hannah-Jones, the creator of the 1619 Project, will be the inaugural Knight Chair in Race and Journalism and will begin her faculty role this Summer. Award-winning author Coates will hold the Sterling Brown Chair in the Department of English and will begin this position following completion of several current obligations.
“I am so incredibly honored to be joining one of the most important and storied educational institutions in our country and to work alongside the illustrious faculty of the Cathy Hughes School of Communications and the brilliant students it draws in,” Hannah-Jones said. “One of my few regrets is that I did not attend Howard as an undergraduate, and so coming here to teach fulfills a dream I have long carried. I hope that the decision that Ta-Nehisi and I made to bring our talents to an HBCU will lead others to make a similar choice.
“We are at a critical juncture in our democracy, and yet our press does not reflect the nation it serves and too often struggles to grasp the danger for our country as we see growing attacks on free speech and the fundamental right to vote,” Hannah-Jones continued. “In the storied tradition of the Black press, the Center for Journalism and Democracy will help produce journalists capable of accurately and urgently covering the challenges of our democracy with a clarity, skepticism, rigor and historical dexterity that is too often missing from today’s journalism. I am so grateful to the Ford, Knight and MacArthur foundations for the initial funding to launch the center and hope to very quickly meet the center’s $25 million fundraising goal.”
Ta-Nehisi Coates (University of Oregon)
“I heard a wise man once say, ‘A man who hates home will never be happy.’ And it is in the pursuit of wisdom and happiness that I return to join the esteemed faculty of Howard University. This is the faculty that molded me. This is the faculty that strengthened me,” Coates said. “Personally, I know of no higher personal honor than this.”
For 50 years, the Howard University School of Communications has trained the nation’s top communicators and media professionals, from award-winning news anchors and journalists to filmmakers, public relations executives and researchers. The school will celebrate its 50th anniversary during the 2021-22 academic year, highlighting its history of disseminating truth through communications and providing community service through storytelling.
The College of Arts and Sciences (COAS) is at the heart of Howard University, recognized worldwide as a premier, comprehensive research university. COAS is often referred to as the University’s flagship because it is the oldest and the largest of the University’s 13 schools and colleges. Its predecessor was founded in the second year of the University’s existence, and today it enrolls more than 3,000 students – making it the most popular choice among Howard’s undergraduates.
Three foundations and an anonymous donor have contributed nearly $20 million to support the University’s demonstrated academic and journalistic excellence.
Florida A&M University‘s longtime professor Kellie O’Dare is working in a place very unusual from her normal line of work. It’s been a week since a waterside condo in Miami collapsed in the middle of the night, and now she’s on site working to make a difference amid the rubble. Learn about her work in mental health at the site, and the conditions she’s working to improve in the Tallahassee Democrat article by Ana Goñi-Lessan below.
Members of the Tallahassee Fire Department’s Urban Search and Rescue Team, also known as Florida Task Force 7, prepare to deploy to Surfside to aid in the aftermath of the Champlain Towers South Condo collapse at Fire Station 4 on West Pensacola Street Sunday, June 27, 2021. Tori Lynn Schneider/Tallahassee Democrat
As soon as you step outside the barricade at the Surfside condominium collapse site, it’s like a switch.
It’s Miami Beach. People are on vacation, and it’s a beautiful day.
“Many are not even aware what’s going on down the street,” Kellie O’Dare says.
O’Dare is a faculty member at FAMU and director of the 2nd Alarm Project, a mental wellness initiative for first responders in the Panhandle.’
She is now embedded with Task Force 7, members of the Tallahassee Fire Department’s Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) Team, who left Sunday for Miami-Dade County to help with recovery efforts.
Task Force 7 members, CFO Jimmy Patronis and other first responders pose for a photo on site at the Surfside condo collapse in Miami. (Source: Tennessee Democrat)
Rescuers have been working to find victims in the rubble after part of the Champlain Towers South building in Surfside collapsed June 24. So far, 22 people been confirmed dead with 126 still missing as of Friday evening.
“It’s hot, it’s pouring rain, and they don’t stop because they have a task,” she says. “No matter how challenging it is for them, physically and mentally, they are driven to accomplish their mission, to bring these family members back to their loved ones.”
O’Dare is providing mental health support for the first responders at the site of the collapse, also known as “the pile.” She also is working closely with the International Association of Fire Fighters with their peer support initiative and with the State Fire Marshal’s office.
Peer support is one of the most important resources for first responders at the site and can be more effective than professional services, O’Dare says.
Fire chief: ‘We can’t just … shut ourselves off emotionally’
Tallahassee Fire Chief Jerome Gaines has been a firefighter for 38 years. When he first started, he says first responders were expected to just tough it up and keep moving forward.
It took years to change that mentality: “We can’t just respond and shut ourselves off emotionally,” he says.
Rescuers continue to search through the rubble of the Champlain Towers south condo collapse in Surfside, Florida on Tuesday, June 29, 2021 (Credit: Andrew West/The News-Press)
Gaines says that other than 9/11, the Surfside condo collapse is one of the most traumatic incidents he’s seen, and peer support is essential to keep his team healthy.
“Very few understand what first responders do on a day-to-day basis,” says Lance Butler, an engineer EMT with the fire department and the peer support team leader.
“Of course it’s not always this big or it’s not going to be on the news, but you can pretty much guarantee that a first responder every day sees someone on their worst day,” he adds.
Butler, who has worked with the department for seven years, says it’s crucial to talk about the emotions of the job. Encouraging mental health support, especially on the most difficult days, can help first responders enjoy a long and successful career.
O’Dare says Task Force 7 has already worn through their first pair of work boots in five days. As long as there’s no lightning nearby, workers continue sorting through the rubble in the rain. They can’t just easily walk up the pile because it’s jagged.
And it’s South Florida summer hot.
Kellie O’Dare, a professor at FAMU, is embedded with Task Force 7 and providing mental health support for first responders in Miami (Credit: Tallahassee Democrat)
“But when they’re on that pile, they’re laser focused on the task at hand,” she says.
Butler says as soon as the team gets back to Tallahassee, they have the potential to go right back on shift and get right back into any type of emergency.
Fortunately, he says, Tallahassee is a town that supports first responders. It’s not uncommon for residents to come up and thank them.
Before the pandemic it might have been a hug — now it’s a fist bump. But the small gesture still matters.
“Those little things make a world of difference,” Butler says. “Even with everything else going on in the world, knowing your community supports first responders is a big deal.”
Virginia Union University has several keys members of its athletics history heading to its Hall of Fame. Learn more about who made the cut in the local Richmond Free Press‘ article by Fred Jeter below.
Virginia Union University’s rich athletic tradition will be celebrated Oct. 1 with its Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
The Class of 2021 features eight individuals and one team—the 1973 CIAA championship football team.
They will be inducted on the evening prior to the VUU versus Shaw University football game at 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 2. The inductees also will be honored during the football game.
Here are the honorees:
•1973 Panthers football team: Under Coach Willard Bailey and defensive coordinator Jesse Chavis, the 1973 Panthers posted a 9-1 record and won their first conference title in 50 years. The lone loss was to South Carolina State University. The 1973 Panthers shut out six of their last seven opponents, including a streak of putting four straight “doughnuts” on the opposing scoreboard.
•Willard Coker: From Winston-Salem, N.C., he brought glory to VUU as a basketball player, assistant coach and head coach. He was recruited to VUU by Coach Robert Moore and played under Coach Moore and Coach Dave Robbins.
He was a key coming off the bench for VUU’s first NCAA Division II title in 1980. He also served as an assistant coach under Robbins for 23 seasons, helping the Panthers to two more NCAA crowns, 10 CIAA championships and 19 NCAA playoff berths. In his three seasons as head coach, the Panthers went 55-25.
•Melvin Edison: The speedster left a lasting impression on the Panthers’ indoor and outdoor track and field history. From 2006 to 2010, Edison excelled in the hurdles and sprints, earning multiple CIAA and NCAA honors. He accumulated three NCAA All-American awards and was an eight-time, All-CIAA performer. He was named VUU Athlete of the Year in 2008 and 2010.
•Tracie Harris Haygood: The Lady Panther was a superstar on the basketball court and in the classroom. She scored 1,122 points in basketball while compiling the highest cumulative GPA between 1989 and 1993.
Her numerous honors included Most Versatile Female, Most Outstanding Player and recipient of the Jesse Chavis Outstanding Sports Leadership Award in 1993.
•Alvin Hunter: He was a big name in Panthers golf as both a player and coach. He played for VUU from 1969 to 1972 and served as coach from 1982 to 1996.
Hunter garnered All-CIAA honors three seasons and helped the Panthers win the 1969 and 1971 CIAA golf titles. The 1971 squad was VUU’s last to win the CIAA championship until 2019.
•Ralph “Pete” Hunter: The Atlantic City, N.J., native is among the last Panthers to take their game from Hovey Field to the NFL. Hunter enjoyed a six-season NFL career with the Dallas Cowboys, the New York Jets, the Cleveland Browns and the Seattle Seahawks.
Playing under Coach Willard Bailey at VUU, Hunter helped the Panthers to the CIAA championship in 2001. As a senior, he led the CIAA with 11 interceptions, while also blocking six kicks and recording 50 tackles.
•Jacqie McWilliams: Now in her ninth season as CIAA Commissioner, McWilliams was the first VUU volleyball coach in 1994 and also served as an assistant men’s basketball coach under Coach Dave Robbins.
She started her career in coaching, compliance and administration at VUU. She is the CIAA’s first female commissioner and the first appointed African-American commissioner representing NCAA Division I, II and III.
•Dr. S. Dallas Simmons: The late Dr. Simmons served as VUU president from 1985 to 1999. He is credited with outstanding fiscal management and building the university’s endowment. During his 14-year tenure, he initiated VUU’s criminal justice program, restored several campus facilities and built a new library. During his presidency, VUU won its second NCAA basketball title in 1992.
•Rob Timmons: He was a rare two-sport athlete in football and golf, playing from 1986 to 1991. As the Panthers’ place kicker, Timmons accounted for 234 points on field goals (21) and extra points. That places him third on VUU’s all-time scoring chart.
He made the All-CIAA Rookie team in 1988 and was All-CIAA in 1989 and 1991.
Jewel Bronaugh has taken her experiences at Virginia State University, and beyond to gain the momentum that has taken her to the top ranks of the USDA! Learn about the first black woman in the position, and how she plans to excel in the full story below from staff at Emporia, Viginia’s local Independent Messenger.
During statewide travels as an Extension specialist and dean of Virginia State’s College of Agriculture, Jewel Bronaugh met with farmers from all over Virginia.
This wasn’t the original path for Jewel Bronaugh. She didn’t intend to become the deputy secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture and the first Black woman to hold the position.
An educator by trade, Bronaugh instead wanted to follow in her parents’ footsteps and become a teacher. She wanted to work with people and help them achieve success in the classroom.
But instead of following their path – she forged her own. Now, she’s not only helping youth achieve success, she helping the entire country.
On May 13, the former dean of the College of Agriculture at Virginia State University and 4-H youth development specialist was confirmed as the deputy secretary of the USDA after being nominated in January by then President-Elect Joe Biden.
“I fully understand the historic nature of this confirmation, along with the responsibilities of my service in this role,” Bronaugh said. “I join thousands of dedicated civil servants at the USDA who work in every state and 100 countries around the world. I know from experience how their work touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. I value their work and identify with their selfless commitment.”
The former commissioner of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services will face her biggest hurdle yet when she becomes second-in-command at the USDA.
But her roots in Virginia Cooperative Extension and at Virginia Tech’s partner land-grant institution, Virginia State University, helped her prepare to handle everything that awaits in the road ahead.
“Dr. Bronaugh has done exceptional work for the commonwealth, and we have no doubt that she will continue to do so at the federal level. We look forward to working with her and USDA as we address our country’s agricultural, nutritional, and infrastructure needs.”
—Virginia Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine
Land-grants and leadership
Virginia’s land-grant institutions exist to give higher education opportunities to people who otherwise would not have had that chance. It’s the outreach arm that disseminates knowledge to the people.
“These institutions took a chance on me before I even believed in myself,” said Bronaugh, who earned her doctorate from the Virginia Tech School of Education in 2000. “They gave me the chance to become an administrator. Where would I be without Extension, Virginia State, and Virginia Tech? I have no idea. They’re the ones that pushed me forward and let me stand on their shoulders.”
The Petersburg, Virginia, native got that start when she returned to the commonwealth to be closer to her family after teaching at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. An opening for a 4-H youth development specialist job caught her eye. She had taught high school before, so she knew what it was like to work with youth.
“4-H is an incredible organization for youth that is focused on how to empower young people to become leaders,” Bronaugh said. “From my involvement in 4-H and 4-H camp, there are so many people I know who are successful because of 4-H.”
Ed Jones, the director of Virginia Cooperative Extension, has worked with Bronaugh since she was an Extension specialist. The two continued to collaborate as she rose through the ranks at Virginia State University, Extension’s partner institution. Jones said a large part of the excellent working relationship between the two universities can be traced back to Bronaugh’s tenure as dean of the VSU College of Agriculture.
“Jewel does not have a big ego, so people warm to her easily, and consequently she can build meaningful and lasting partnerships,” Jones said. “Her style is very authentic and that gives people the space to trust her and know their trust won’t be betrayed.”
Jones said these traits, along with her willingness to listen, make her an excellent leader.
“The value of listening as a leader is incredibly important, and Jewel does it extremely well,” Jones said. “If you are not listening you are not taking in additional perspectives that can help you make decisions better. Leaders who do not listen only hear themselves.”
Throughout Bronaugh’s roles, she has maintained her passion for the people, said M. Ray McKinnie, dean of Virginia State’s College of Agriculture and 1890 administrator.
“To me, her greatest ability is that she understands that there’s a person at the other end of the policy, programs, and program development,” McKinnie said. “We build programs and we design things, but they impact people. She’s never forgotten that.”
“As dean of the College of Agriculture at Virginia State University, Dr. Bronaugh inspired many first-generation college students from rural communities to become outstanding leaders in their fields. That is understandable considering her positive, uplifting nature. She speaks respectfully of producers and rural Americans and believes that as a public servant, her job is to find a way to help those who need it. I look forward to working with Dr. Bronaugh to ensure USDA lives up to its calling as the People’s Department, to be a department that serves all people equally and fairly.”
— USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack
Richard Booker, a retired Extension Specialist and assistant administrator for Extension at Virginia State University, worked with her at the university and helped mentor her.
“Jewel has always been significantly concerned about the programing, methodology, involvement, and the results of programing for our clientele, especially the communities of the minority and underserved,” Booker said. “She had a genuine concern for the diversification of small farmers in their production techniques and crops.”
Alan Grant, dean of the Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, served on the Virginia Department of Agricultural and Consumer Services board with Bronaugh when she ran the board meetings.
“I’m always so impressed by her leadership style, and I think she is so effective because of her strong interpersonal skills,” Grant said.
He also said her strong belief in the land-grant system and its inherent ethos of service has been a guiding light throughout her career.
“I think that those of us who work at land-grant universities are serving society, and that is something that has been part of Jewel’s career,” he said. “I think that the land-grant university experience prepares people well if they want to go work in government because it is all about service. This is a core part of who Jewel is and is one of the many reasons she’s going to excel in this new role.”
An open ear for farmers
Bronaugh honed her leadership skills during the statewide travels with farmers as both an Extension specialist and dean of Virginia State’s College of Agriculture and 1890 administrator.
During some of these travels, she saw the heart and soul of Virginia’s producers firsthand, and she got to know Robert Mills, who is the 2017 Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year, a former member of Virginia Tech’s Board of Visitors, and graduate of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
At a Farm Bureau convention in Hot Springs, Virginia, Mills opened up to Bronaugh – who was then the commissioner of the VDACAS – about the mental state of farmers in Virginia. It’s a difficult topic that few people want to talk about.
This was at a time where prices were depressed. The economy wasn’t great. There was a constant stream of farms that were going up for foreclosure. The suicide rate of farmers was high.
“We sat down at the couch there in a little atrium room and I poured my heart out to her,” Mills said. “Her response to what I told her about the folks that I love so much here in Virginia was from the heart. It was overwhelming in the sense that she took what I told her, ran with it, and started a farm stress task force.”
Bronaugh’s ability to listen to farmers has led to an increased focus on the vital topic.
Coinciding with the new task force, Virginia Cooperative Extension and professional agency partners conduct and go through training on how to identify critical mental health needs of farmers and farm family members in their communities. This includes agents having much-needed tools for talking to and providing referrals for farmers and family members who may need professional support and health care interventions.
“Sometimes it’s sitting down or standing across from a farmer and seeing them cry. Sometimes it’s been out of frustration. Sometimes it’s been out of joy. They are honest in what they share with me and the help that they need to continue to make the contributions to their communities and their families,” Bronaugh said. “It moves me, and it’s what motivates me to do the work that I do. The decisions that we make impact someone’s life.”
To this end, Bronaugh helped create the Virginia Food Access Investment Fund and Program, a statewide program that aims for equity and justice in underserved food systems in the commonwealth.
Because of her ability to listen to the needs of farmers, they love her, said Rosalyn Dance, a former member of the Virginia Senate and the Virginia House of Delegates.
“She wants to hear what farmers have to say and to find a solution,” Dance said. “That’s why they trust her. They can’t be anything but happy to know that someone they know and who is genuinely concerned with their issues is at the USDA.”
An inspiration for those to come
In a voice vote, the United States Senate confirmed Bronaugh in May, officially making her the first Black woman and woman of color to serve as the USDA’s deputy secretary and a role model for many.
Bronaugh said she understands the responsibilities that come with a position of this magnitude.
“My job is to represent all people who are clients of the USDA,” Bronaugh said. “But I do understand that my role as a woman and my role as an African American can require me to speak up for people who may feel that they have suffered systemic racism and discrimination. I have a role to play in being a voice and in sharing a perspective, if necessary. I realize that this is part of the responsibility of who I am and what people see in me in this role.”
Through all of her positions and roles in agriculture, Bronaugh continues to be a trailblazer.
“As the first in Virginia to be a woman, minority and Black in holding the positions that she has held, Jewel should and will continue to be a role-model for African Americans, especially females, and women of all backgrounds,” Booker said.
Dance, who has known Bronaugh since childhood, knows the caliber of her character.
“She hasn’t changed over the years,” Dance recalled of Bronaugh’s willingness to work hard and the dedication to her family. “She’s done everything the right way. Her confirmation is a promise to African American girls that they too can excel and can reach the highest levels of government in the United States.”
In her new role, Bronaugh will rely on the experiences she had at Virginia State University, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia 4-H, and Virginia Tech in working for all farmers, producers, and rural communities that rely on the USDA. Virginians saw what she can do. Now the United States has this opportunity.
“Jewel’s confirmation is great for Virginia, great for the country, and great for farmers,” Mills said.
Stillman College has joined the ranks of other HBCUs that are forgiving the debts of students to their elation. So far, Saint Augustine’s University, and Wilberforce University and a few others have also done something similar for their students. Why, and how much funds Stillman will provide to students in the article by Kelvin Reynolds at local station WBRC below!
Stillman College(WBRC)
Tuscaloosa’s Stillman College will use money from the Cares Act to help its own students. Now hundreds of them have less of a financial burden.
Stillman College President Cynthia Warrick approved giving a portion of its Cares Act money from the federal government for coronavirus relief to help students to pay off student debt.
“It’s going to give so many students a fresh start and a new lease on their education and financial future. With so much going on about student debt, student debt is climbing across the country. This provides our students with a unique opportunity to continue their education while they minimize the debt to pay for that education,” Dr. Tyshawn Gardner, Vice President for Student Affairs at Stillman College, said.
He says the school put $760,000 towards that effort. Stillman gave that money to students who had balances to pay off tuition and housing debt. Several hundred students enrolled in the Spring and Fall of 2020 and Spring or 2021 were helped.
“It allows the number one to return to school to continue their education unimpeded by financial constraints. It also allows enrollment numbers to continue to climb and hopefully will lead to a vey prosperous and successful Fall,” said Gardner.
Stillman College now joins a growing list of Historically Black Colleges and Universities that have helped pay off at least a portion of student debt.
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Florida A&M University has officially joined the SWAC after over 40 years as a member of the MEAC. Get the exciting full story and learn how it will impact FAMU athletics from Rory Sharrock at the Tallahassee Democrat below!
Stanley Denmark/FAMU Athletics
A new era in the storied history of Florida A&M begins on July 1 with the university officially joining the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) as a full-time member.
FAMU President Larry Robinson, Vice President/Director of Athletics Kortne Gosha and SWAC Commissioner Charles McClelland will host a press conference Thursday at 10:30 a.m. inside the Al Lawson Multipurpose Center welcoming the Rattlers to the league.
Rattler coaches from each program will also be in the building for this landmark occasion.
This is a follow-up to the announcement from last summer regarding the university’s move from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). The switch was unanimously approved by the FAMU Board of Directors.
FAMU has previously been a member of the MEAC since 1986.
“This is a transformational moment in our athletic department’s history. I would like to thank our President Dr. Larry Robinson and our Board of Trustees for supporting this next chapter of Florida A&M athletics’ storied history,” Gosha said.
“Excitement is an understatement for our student-athletes, fans and alumni. To have the opportunity to compete against HBCU royalty every week is an honor and the natural rivalries that exist in the SWAC will give every game that homecoming vibe.”
In this 12-team conference, the Rattlers will play in the East Division. Their divisional foes are Alabama A&M, Alabama State, Jackson State, Mississippi Valley State and arch-rival Bethune-Cookman.
The Wildcats followed suit with FAMU in departing the MEAC.
Schools representing the West Division are Alcorn State, Grambling State, Prairie View A&M, Southern, Texas Southern and Arkansas-Pine Bluff (UAPB).
In 2020, the MEAC and FAMU canceled fall sports due to safety concerns from the coronavirus pandemic.
The MEAC moved its fall activities to the spring. However, FAMU opted not to compete during the season.
FAMU’s three active fall programs are football, volleyball and women’s cross country.
Similarly, the SWAC held its fall sports schedule this past spring.
Listed below are the defending SWAC championship teams from these respective sports. There’s also a head-to-head comparison of these programs against the Rattlers.
FAMU running back Bishop Bonnett in a game versus Southern at Bragg Memorial Stadium in 2019. (Credit) Stanley Denmark/FAMU Athletics)
Football
The Alabama A&M Bulldogs won the SWAC football championship on May 1 following a 40-33 victory over the Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions.
Alabama A&M – winner of the East Division – is located in Huntsville.
FAMU faces both championship game participants on the road this fall.
The Rattlers and Bulldogs meet on Oct. 16. They’ll visit the Golden Lions on Nov. 13.
Currently, there are 22 players on the Bulldogs’ roster from Florida. The local connection is linked by defensive back DeJuan Hughes of Wakulla High School.
There are also coaching ties between FAMU and Alabama A&M.
Rattlers associate head coach/tight ends coach James Spady was the head coach of the Bulldogs from 2014-17.
FAMU and UAPB share common ground from the relationship between head coaches Willie Simmons and Doc Gamble.
Both men were assistants on the staff at Alcorn State in 2012.
Simmons was the offensive coordinator/running backs coach. Gamble worked with the running backs alongside Simmons. He also coached tight ends and served as the recruiting coordinator with the Braves.
FAMU opens the 2021 season against Jackson State in the Orange Blossom Classic. The game takes place Sunday, Sept. 5 at 3 p.m. in Miami Gardens. This live broadcast airs on ESPN2.
2021 Rattlers SWAC Schedule
Sept. 5 – Jackson State (Miami Gardens)
Oct. 2 – Alabama State
Oct. 16 – at Alabama A&M
Oct. 23 – at Mississippi Valley State
Oct. 30 – Grambling State (Homecoming)
Nov. 6 – at Southern
Nov. 13 – at Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Nov. 20 – Bethune-Cookman (Orlando)
Volleyball
Jackson State reigns as the 2021 spring volleyball champions.
The title match featured a match-up versus UAPB. However, the contest was canceled due to a COVID-related issue and subsequent quarantining of student-athletes within UAPB’s program.
As a result, Jackson State was awarded the title.
FAMU head coach Gokhan Yilmaz is finalizing the scheduling details for the upcoming season. He is eager to return to the court after a year away from the game.
“You just keep practicing to get ready. We redshirted a lot of kids the last time we played. This is a very important year for us,” Yilmaz said.
FAMU has a little familiarity with the level of competition in the league. It has played in the 2019 MEAC/SWAC Challenge at Alabama State.
The Rattlers lost in four sets to Alabama State and Alabama A&M.
Adjusting to life in the SWAC will be a weekly learning curve taking place on the floor.
“Overall, the SWAC and MEAC have had one team that’s been on top. It was Howard in the MEAC and Alabama State in the SWAC. This league has more teams that have won in the past four or five years,” Yilmaz said.
The SWAC Volleyball Tournament is scheduled for Nov. 19-21 at Alabama A&M University.
Women’s Cross Country
Cross country in the SWAC was eliminated from the schedule in 2020 and for the spring 2021 semester.
The 2019 championship trophy was awarded to Texas Southern (men) and Alabama State (women).
FAMU cross country head coach Nadia Alexander-Pompey is piecing together the race schedule for 2021.
She knows the talent on the trails will be different from the MEAC. This is especially true with programs such as North Carolina A&T and Bethune-Cookman no longer in the conference.
FAMU Cross country runners (Left to right): Shalet Mitei, Mercy Rotich, Emmax Kiplagat, Hunter Walker, Itianna Redding and Sharon Kibiwott pose for a group shot during a meet in 2019. (FAMU Athletics)
I’m excited about being in the SWAC. With A&T and Bethune gone from the MEAC, the competition wouldn’t be the same,” Alexander-Pompey said.
“We’ll go against some great competition like Alabama State and Prairie View A&M. We should be running against SWAC teams during the regular-season meets.”
This year’s conference championships are held on Oct. 18 at Choctaw Trails in Clinton, Miss.
Langston University students and more will assist in bringing the HBCU experience to youth at an Oklahoma City band camp! Learn all about the new band in the CBS News 9 article by Anjelicia Bruton below.
Credit: KOCO News
Oklahoma City Parks is offering a band camp to local students to learn about what it’s like to play in a historically Black college and university-style band.
The Oklahoma City All-Star Band is working to preserve and introduce students to historically Black college and university marching band culture. One of the band directors, Larry Birden Jr., described HBCU bands as show-stopping, upbeat, a band that doesn’t compare to most.
“They play top 10, top 40 hits, and they’re usually populated with kids from the urban cities. So, it has an urban, hip-hop type of culture style to it. So it’s very flashy, it’s very entertaining and it’s very competitive, as well,” Birden said.
All of the students have experience playing in bands, but some said this experience is an eye-opener.
“The school that I go to doesn’t do much of marching band. HBCU style and marching in general, there’s a lot of passion in the music. The dancing and the fun you have with the rest of the band at the same time,” said Michael Pulliam, a rising junior at Classen SAS.
“Most of the bands in Oklahoma City tend to be on the corps style which is fine and beautiful if that’s what you want to do, but I don’t feel like there’s a big HBCU culture which is why we’re trying to establish it here,” Birden said.
Birden said he wants students to come out of this program more confident and a stronger musician.
“I’m not a snare player at heart. I use to play an instrument called the quince so when I first starting play snare a lot of people kind of doubted me when I started playing so I was just want to show them I can play both instruments,” said Delante Hutcherson, a rising freshman at Millwood High School.
Jackson State University’s Sonic Boom Band (Source: HBCU Sports)
Band members from Langston University are also there to assist kids. Program leaders hope this experience could also encourage students to go to an HBCU for college.
The HBCU all-star band are planning to showcase what they’ve learned so far at noon on July 3 at Fredrick A. Douglass High School. They said they’re also looking for more students from any background to join.
Christopher Brown, a 3-time coach of the year and former Athletic Director is coming to Morris College to apply over 20 years of experience in the sports industry. With his experience, the college looks forward to him not only serving as head men’s basketball coach, but an admissions counselor as well! Learn more about Brown and his qualifications in the recent release by Morris College below.
Source: Morris College
Brown comes to Morris College with over 20 years of coaching experience as an Athletic Director and a Head Basketball Coach. Most recently, he spent the past six seasons as the head coach at North Charleston High School in Charleston, SC.
Brown, a Sumter native and a graduate of Sumter High School joined Morris College in June 2021. “I would like to see Morris College become known as one of the top three Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU)’s in basketball. I have already recruited some of the top talent from around the country to Morris and they will be on campus in the Fall [of 2021]. This includes several kids from Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi,” said Brown.
As a coach, Brown has had an opportunity to be the coach who has coached students who became the player of the year for three consecutive years. This along with some of his other accomplishments has also lead him to earn the title of “Coach of the Year” three times in the past six years. Along with maintaining all aspects of the Division One Men’s basketball program within the policy of the institution and National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIC), Brown will also be responsible for recruiting students, attending college career fairs and community events to assist with Morris College’s Enrollment Management, Records, and Financial Aid departments.
Credit: Edward Waters College
“I am excited and just looking forward to working with an already great group of admission counselors as well as excited to build a program that will be known outside of South Carolina,” said Brown. While at North Charleston High School, Brown also launched a Business 101 Mentoring Program for young men and was very active in the Charleston community.
Insert a quote from President Staggers
Brown’s quote for his past, present, and future players is “failing to prepare, is preparing to fail.”
Brown is married to Teresa Brown, has one daughter, Courtlyn Maple, a rising senior at Sumter High School, and enjoys fishing and spending time with family when he is not working. Brown earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science from Troy University on March 7, 2021, and officially started on June 1, 2021.
Hercy Miller, a popular basketball player at Tennessee State University, has become one of the first student-athletes to sign an endorsement deal after the NCAA lifted deal restrictions this week. This welcomed news likely is surprising to few, as Hercy’s father Master P has likely guided his tremendously as a current business mogul and former professional basketball player. A recent release by P. Miller Enterprises through EIN Newswire shares below how the multi-million dollar deal is not only benefitting Miller, but HBCUs as well.
Source: The Tennessean
Today, teen Student-Athlete Hercy Miller, son of entrepreneurial businessman Percy Miller, signs his ground-breaking endorsement deal with Web Apps America, a leading web, mobile, and augmented reality agency.
Hercy will be the brand ambassador for Web Apps America technology company that has made a commitment to shining a spotlight on tomorrow’s leaders from the HBCU School System and furthering educational initiatives in the technology sector.
Web Apps America CEO says, “Hercy is the perfect spokesman for our company. His authenticity and commitment to empowering his generation and culture is inspiring.”
“I am proud to represent a company focused on technology, which is our future. We have a suite of apps that we will be launching in the very near future targeting HBCU Students and Student Athletes covering topics from financial literacy to healthy eating to games to networking. This is a blessing. July 21st will be my first official Life Skills & Basketball Camp, which will be free to the young kids in the community. We will also be giving away Back-to-school supplies. I hope this endorsement will open up more opportunities for more NCAA student-athletes. ” added Hercy Miller.
Percy “Master P” Miller says, “I am proud of my son, he is a leader on and off the court. Working with a technology company as a student athlete is a first deal of its kind. Hercy will be able to increase the awareness of the HBCU system on a global level.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CQIHpMbDJSN/
The deal was brokered by Donald Hogan of Athlete Wallet, a trail blazing digital platform that aligns student athletes with brands, and Jabari Morgan of J Morgan and Associates, a strategy development firm.
Delaware State University will be growing after taking on the daring acquisition of another college! Get the expansive story from Mark Eichmann at PBS/NPR news organization Whyy.
Credit: Wesley College
Less than a year after announcing plans to acquire Wesley College, Delaware State University has officially completed its takeover of the private liberal arts college.
“My intention is to grow our institution to about 10,000 folks over the next couple years, and this is a jump-start to that opportunity,” said DSU president Tony Allen. “There is real, and I do mean real, opportunity for us to grow the organization and to do that smartly.”
Delaware State’s enrollment topped 5,000 students for the first time in 2019, and the university had 5,027 undergrad, graduate and online students attending amid the pandemic in fall 2020.
The Wesley College acquisition gives Delaware State a bigger presence in downtown Dover, not far from DSU’s main campus along Route 13 in the state capital. DSU will inherit 50 acres, 21 buildings, and 14 academic programs. The university is also adding to its payroll 71 former Wesley faculty and staff members.
The former Wesley campus will become home to DSU’s new Wesley College of Health and Behavioral Sciences, which combines nursing, occupational therapy, social work, and other health programs from both schools. The health school will carry the Wesley name as a way to honor the school’s history and legacy.
“Our ability to provide educational opportunities, enhance cultural opportunities and economic development opportunities that drive the vitality of Kent County and Dover [is] important to us, and we believe will certainly gain great synergies from the combined entity,” Allen said.
So far, 397 former Wesley students have registered to continue their studies at DSU. With another 85 students still making their way through the registration process, nearly 80% of Wesley’s student body will carry on at Delaware State. That decision to stay in Dover was made a bit easier by drastically reduced tuition. One undergrad year at Wesley cost students $43,000, compared to about $24,000 at DSU.
“I’m very excited about what this prospect brings for more students who need an open door, just need an opportunity to change their economic trajectory for themselves, their families, and their communities,” Allen said.
The move is a first for an HBCU. Delaware State is the first historically Black college or university to go out and acquire a non-HBCU school on its own.
“This is an unprecedented landmark in the long history of HBCUs,” former DSU president Harry Williams, who now leads the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, said when the deal was announced. “I am not surprised that Delaware State University is leading the way.”
Latoya Nicole, a graduate of Winston-Salem State University, is on a mission to represent black women in all of their vibrancy. She has published multiple coloring books, including “Alma Mater,” a book representing successful HBCU students and alumni. Now, she is literally making sure they can be represented in every shade with new brown color pencils! Read the colorful story from Andrea Blackstone at Black Enterprise below.
Credit: Entrepreneurs Color Too
Entrepreneurs like Latoya Nicole are working to fill gaps where African Americans are underrepresented from product lines.
Nicole—CEO and founder of Entrepreneurs Color Too— came up with an idea to create coloring books and even coloring pencils which would appeal to Black and brown women. Nicole’s latest endeavor is launching the colored pencils representing an array of skin tones, per BlackNews.com.
The “Shades of Brown” colored pencils were requested additions to the Entrepreneurs Color Too line, according to the article. Packs of 12 limited edition colored pencils are sold exclusively on Nicole’s business website.
“We’re excited to finally launch the new colored pencils that our customers have been asking for! Representation is more important than ever, and we are proud to expand our body of work by offering skin tone colors that further represent families of color and allows for another opportunity for our customers to see themselves in arts & crafts and supplies,” Nicole remarked in the article.
Credit: Entrepreneurs Color Too
According to a previous MadameNoire feature, the entrepreneur who observed that women of color “weren’t adequately represented in the book industry” opted to found her company brand in 2018. Inspirational colored pencils and coloring books, such as an HBCU-inspired coloring book, coloring books for mothers and daughters, and a Christmas coloring book to celebrate Black and brown women.
“I want women and the young girls that look up to them to them to feel empowered. I want them to know that they are included, celebrated and represented, because representation matters,” Nicole’s said in a statement, per MadameNoire. “The idea to manufacture pencils came when I couldn’t find any Black Owned Colored pencils to recommend to my community to use with my adult coloring books. I took that as a sign that I needed to find a way to produce them. But, I knew I wanted the pencils to be encouraging and to be used as a reminder to put you first because you matter.”
BlackNews.com also reported that Nicole sold more than 25,000 coloring books, before launching the new line of skin toned colored pencils which are geared toward women of color.
“Shades of Brown” includes colors such as “Diamond, Keisha, Toya, and Ebony,” according to the product description provided on Entrepreneurs Color Too’s website. Please visit this link to find the packs of pre-sharpened colored pencils.
Southern University graduate and former employee Trayvean Scott has been tapped to lead as Grambling State University‘s new athletic director! Learn about why he’s the perfect man for the job in local Honor News Star‘s latest article below written by Cory Diaz.
Trayvean Scott was announced as Grambling State’s athletics director. Cory Diaz
Trayvean Scott will have to trade his Columbia blue and gold for black and gold.
Scott, who spent the last decade in Southern University’s athletics department, has been hired as Grambling’s athletics director. The Tigers and Jaguars are storied athletic rivals.
Grambling announced Scott’s hire Thursday afternoon. The hire is pending approval by the University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors. Terms of Scott’s contract were not disclosed.
“He has delineated a clear vision and a commitment to all of our sports and the coaches who guide those programs,” GSU President Rick Gallot said. “He shares our vision as well as campus’ master plan to significant investments in our athletic facilities so our student-athletes have all the tools they need to be successful.”
Scott comes to Grambling after serving as SU’s deputy athletics director and chief operating officer for the better part of 10 years. This marks Scott’s first time as an AD.
“I’m thrilled the death to be here,” Scott said. “(This position) means everything. This is my first AD job. President Gallot is so transformational and easily relatable. For me, I couldn’t think of a more perfect scenario to be a first-time AD.”
A 2005 Southern graduate, Scott played basketball for the Jaguars. He studied business administration, management and sports marketing in SU’s College of Business.
“I’ve worked in academics, compliance, I’ve raised money, I’ve done marketing. All that’s prepared a space for me where I can identify those things and have everyone’s buy-in because I’ve done it,” Scott said. “I think I can add that value to Grambling State. It’ll help us be more efficient across the board and smarter.
For the first time, GSU partnered with a search firm for its AD search, enlisting TurnkeyZRG to vet the initial pool of applicants and identify its final candidates.
Although Clinton College brings much resources and success to the Rock Hill, South Carolina neighborhood where it is nestled, not all in the community are thriving. Now, a new multi-million dollar grant is here to change that. Read about how the college will be of service to its community in the new Clinton College release below.
Clinton College receives $3.5 million to address health disparities in vulnerable areas
Rock Hill, SC (June 28, 2021) – Clinton College and the City of Rock Hill announced on Monday a $3.5 million grant from the Department of Health and Human Services to address the health disparities in the city’s most vulnerable neighborhoods, specifically the south side of Rock Hill.
Credit: Clinton College
The Clinton Health ConNEXTion grant is a partnership between Rock Hill and Clinton College. The college will lead project management, quality improvement, and evaluation through the Clinton College Community Development Corporation (CC-CDC).
“The true outcome is to improve the quality of life and length of life,” Mayor John Gettys said. “This could change the lives of people in our communities and that’s going to happen because people stood up in the community and said we can do better than what we have in the past.”
Clinton College will focus on wellness and community health, which includes health literacy and responses to COVID-19.
“We saw what COVID-19 did to our nation and our most vulnerable citizens have taken the brunt of that,” said President McCorn. “Many of them are African Americans and people of color.”
Source: The Herald
There are three main goals of the project:
Service Provider Professional Development
Implement a Community Health Promotion Institute that supports a Health Service Provider Consortium (a collaboration among Impact York County health partners) in implementing health literacy training to enable Consortium members to implement or improve their practices that align with CLAS standards and the Healthy People 2030 objectives.
Health Promotion Partnerships
Increase the participation of community stakeholders (residents, businesses, faith-based organizations, educational institutions, civic organizations, and healthcare providers) in collaborative projects and practices that promote health literacy and healthy behavior.
PSE Health Promotion Advocacy
Increase community engagement in the planning, design, and evaluation of health improvement projects that will impact the policies, systems, environmental (PSE) resources that support residents in making their healthy choices easier and more accessible. The intent of this goal is to reach populations and uncover strategies for impact and sustainability beyond the current crisis in order to accelerate the adoption, implementation, and integration into existing infrastructures.
President McCorn said the project will not try to “reinvent the wheel.” Instead, the plan is to improve existing health services and review how they are promoted and used in everyday lives.
The Clinton Health ConNEXTion is supported by the Office of the Assistance Secretary for Health of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $3,875,000 with 100 percent funded by the Office of the Assistance Secretary for Health/OASH/HHS.
3 Atlanta colleges and universities have entered a productive partnership with Blackstone LaunchPad that will increase the entrepreneurship skills and development of students. Learn more about it in the PR Newswire article below.
Spelman College, along with Clark Atlanta University and Morehouse College, announces a new partnership with Blackstone LaunchPad to make the development of entrepreneurial skills more accessible to students in the Atlanta University Center Consortium.
Developed with support from United Negro College Fund Inc., the largest scholarship provider for students of color, Blackstone LaunchPad’s expansion to Spelman, Morehouseand Clark Atlanta is the latest step in the Blackstone Charitable Foundation’s commitment to increase career mobility for a more diverse set of students through entrepreneurship training and skill-building.
“Spelman’s goal is to provide our students with the competitive edge they need to excel in any field,” said Mary Schmidt Campbell, Ph.D., president of Spelman. “Providing access to entrepreneurial insight, training and mentoring through high caliber partnerships, Blackstone LaunchPad is an innovative program our scholars will benefit from for years to come. We are grateful for the investment in our students by Blackstone LaunchPad, which aligns with our new Center for Black Entrepreneurship, and will result in diversifying the pipeline of owners and leaders.”
The partnership is part of the Blackstone Charitable Foundation’s $40 million, five-year commitment to expand Blackstone LaunchPad from 30 to 75 colleges and universities that have a majority diverse population or serve under-resourced communities. Blackstone LaunchPad will facilitate access to a global network of mentors and advisors, deliver proven startup resources and offer unique virtual and physical convening opportunities. Students will also have the opportunity to participate in pitch competitions, fellowships and live speaker series.
“We are thrilled to be supporting these three great schools and their students through Blackstone LaunchPad,” said Amy Stursberg, executive director of the Blackstone Charitable Foundation. “This partnership is an exciting step in our broader commitment to introduce students from underrepresented communities to entrepreneurial skillsets that are applicable to all future career paths.”
The initiative began with a $5 million expansion in January 2021 to six campuses designated as Hispanic Serving Institutions in the University of Texas system that demonstrated a commitment to increasing diversity in student entrepreneurship.
“This an exciting venture that opens opportunities for our HBCU campuses and their students. We are especially pleased that Blackstone LaunchPad will now be available for students at the Atlanta Universities Consortium schools,” said UNCF President and CEO Michael L. Lomax, Ph.D. “We look forward to continuing our partnership and introducing Blackstone LaunchPad to additional HBCUs across the United States. Advancements like this enable our students to make their talents grow exponentially and open doors they could never have dreamed of even peering through previously.”
With support from partners including Future Founders, UNCF, Startup Grind and Techstars, Blackstone LaunchPad is currently available to over 900,000 students at 30 schools in the United States and Ireland.
