Claflin University – Donnell Frayer, Jr. scored a game-high 20 points and Cornellius Reynolds added 13 points as the Claflin University men’s basketball team upset the No. 1 seeded team in the Northern Division Virginia State University (VSU) in the quarterfinal round of the 2020 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) men’s basketball tournament at Bojangles’ Coliseum on Wednesday.
Claflin University Basketball 2019-2020 Team
Claflin, who entered the tournament as the No. 4 seed in the Southern Division, improves to 15-15 and advance to face the winner of the Livingstone/Winston-Salem State game in the semifinal on Friday, Feb. 28 at 9 p.m. at the Spectrum Center. Virginia State season concludes with a 19-9 record.
Claflin’s Brandon Davis came off the bench to contribute eight points and six rebounds.
Virginia State was led in scoring by Andrew Corum with 19 points with five rebounds. The Trojans had two players to score in double-figures as Armond Griebe finished with 13 points and a team-high seven rebounds.
The contest was a tail of two halves with Claflin winning the first (35-24) and Virginia State winning the second (34-28).
The second half of the contest was a back-and-forth battle down the stretch.
After going into intermission down 35-24, the Trojans scored the first six points of the second stanza to cut the deficit to five, 35-30, at the 18:31 mark.
Claflin then scored five straight points to push its lead to 10 (40-30) with 17:07 remaining in the contest but Virginia State remained resilient. The Trojans scored six unanswered points to pull within four (40-36), forcing a Claflin timeout at the 15:18 mark.
Johnson C. Smith – Johnson C. Smith University erased a six-point deficit in the second half to outlast Saint Augustine’s University, 70-68 during the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Men’s Basketball Quarterfinal Round Wednesday night in the Bojangles Coliseum.
In a tightly contested first half, both teams were evenly matched. The Falcons took a 10-8 lead on a 3-pointer from Nilous Hodge at the 13:59 mark. SAU then increased its lead to four points on a jumper from Karaan Clemonts but both teams would go cold from the floor until JCSU’s Trevor Lewis snapped the scoring drought for the Golden Bulls with two made free throws and 9:57 on the game clock.
The game tied for the fourth time until Saint Augustine’s regained the lead with four-straight points on free throw shots from Rashad George. The Golden Bulls closed the gap to one point twice but over the course of two minutes, the Falcons extended its lead to nine (31-22) – its largest of the half on a 13-7 run to close out the first half with a 31-25 stand over Johnson C. Smith.
JCSU opened the second half on a 6-0 run to tie the game at 31-even as the Falcons finally scored its first basket of the half at the 16:20 mark with two free throws from Clemonts. In similar fashion of the first half, the second stanza would continue to be a back-and-forth battle between both teams as the game tied six times and four lead changes.
After the games tenth tie of the night, JCSU took the lead after a Cayse Minor 3-point play that led to the Golden Bulls scoring six straight points to lead 63-57 with 50 seconds remaining in regulation.
Read the full article, originally shared via the JCSU Newsroom.
GMA — Graduating from college is difficult, but for Morehouse College student Dacavien Reeves, who is graduating with a job offer from JP Morgan, it’s a milestone beyond his wildest dreams.
“This is a sample of the greatest black minds in America in this room,” said Robert Brown, Reeves’ professor and fellow Morehouse alumnus, of Reeves’ work ethic.
The 22-year-old Reeves went through a lot before even making it to college, becoming homeless after his mom Tasha Graham fell ill in 2012.
Dacavien Reeves and with his mom
“We lived in hotels until the money ran out. And we eventually moved into the Salvation Army,” said Reeves.
“I made a promise to myself. I said, ‘I never want to be in this position ever again.’ And so that was my self-motivator. I knew that I was capable. I was hardworking, so I knew college was my way to go.”
“I remember seeing the students at Morehouse College were well-dressed and they’re able to articulate themselves,” Reeves told “Good Morning America.” “I was like, ‘Wow. I want to be able to talk like that. I want to be able to dress like that. I want to have those experiences.'”
NCA&T Athletics – The North Carolina A&T men’s basketball team won their 25th-straight home conference game on Monday night inside the Corbett Sports Center, this time against Maryland Eastern-Shore, 83-62.
Kameron Langley (center) broke Thomas Griffis’ (right) school assists record on Monday. // Kevin L. Dorsey
Senior forward Ronald Jackson scored a team-high 20 points to go along with 14 rebounds. It was his 13th double-double of the season and the 15th of his career.
“We’re focusing on winning one game at a time,” said acting head coach Will Jones. “Year-in and year-out, being one of the top teams in the league, winning at home is something that you have to do and I’m proud that these guys were able to get it done.”
Junior guard Kameron Langley broke the school’s all-time assist record, previously held by Thomas Griffis, during the game Monday.
With just under seven minutes remaining in the first half, Langley tossed an in-bounds pass to junior Darus Maddox who was deep inside the paint. Maddox scored on an easy layup to give Langley his 583r career assist, passing Griffis for the record.
At halftime, Griffis presented Langley with ceremonial basketball and a portrait of Langley. Langley said breaking Griffis’ record is special to him because he has known Griffis for many years and competed against him when Griffis was coaching at Grimsley and Langley was at Southwest Guilford.
“Go ahead and put that record away for 400 years,” said Langley when asked what Griffis said to him regarding the record. “So I’m going to try my best. I have one more year, so we’ll see what happens.”
Langley now eyes the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference’s (MEAC) all-time record of 622 held by Larry Yarbray (Coppin State, 1988-92). Langley tied his career-high with 13 assists in the game to go along with 10 points and eight rebounds.
Junior guard Kwe Parker had a career-high 15 points and hauled in a career-high eight rebounds in 30 minutes of action. Seniors Andre Jackson and Devin Haygood both scored in double-figures in their respective last games at Corbett, Jackson with 12 and Haygood with 10.
The Hawks (5-23, 4-9 MEAC) jumped out to a 14-8 advantage to start the game, but the Aggies (15-14, 11-3 MEAC) utilized a 19-5 run over the next eight minutes to claim a 27-19 lead. A&T outscored UMES 16-8 the remainder of the half and take a 43-27 lead into the locker room.
In the second half, A&T jumped out to a 54-33 lead after an Andre Jackson fastbreak layup. The Aggies forced UMES into 17 turnovers and scored 17 points off of them. A&T also outscored the Hawks 48-26 in the paint. The Aggies held their largest lead of the night when they led 83-57 following a 3-pointer from freshman Harry Morrice.
Senior forward AJ Cheeseman was the high man for UMES with 16 points.
N.C. A&T (15-14, 11-3 MEAC) still has a hold on first place with a half-game lead over N.C. Central. The Aggies will have a week to prepare for their next opponent in S.C. State when they head to Orangeburg, S.C. on Monday, March 2 at 7:30 p.m.
Life Lessons and Life Blessings: Korey Wise urges youth to “listen to your first voice”
The University of Maryland Eastern Shore’s Ella Fitzgerald Center for the Performing Arts held over 1,000 people who sat in piercing silence as Korey Wise of the Exonerated Five shared his painful and triumphant journey from wrongfully convicted child to exoneree with an Emmy-winning story on Feb. 20.
At the age of 16, Wise was one of five New York City teens wrongfully accused and convicted of the 1989 rape of a white female jogger in Central Park. He was the only teen sentenced as an adult to serve five-to-15 years in prison.
Wise, a criminal
justice reform advocate, visited the historically black university in
Princess Anne, Md. as the Black History Month guest speaker for the
event titled “Life After Injustice: A Conversation with Korey Wise.”
Following a student’s introduction, the night began with Wise’s surprise
entrance as he emerged from the audience although they were expecting
him to make a stage wing entrance. “I have to feel their energy,” he
said. Previously, he had been sitting among the crowd during a soulful
rendition of “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing,” the Black National Anthem.
“This
is a once in a lifetime event. His story is true. Him here at an HBCU,
we need more stuff like this,” Daronn Wright, an attendee, told local
media in anticipation of Wise’s message.
During the moderated conversation, Wise responded to questions that
were submitted by the audience. He began by thanking Matias Reyes, the
culprit of the near fatal attack, whose confession removed Wise from
nearly 14 years of daily torment.
“If he never said nothing to me, my five to 15 would have turned into 15 to Life,” said Wise.
The audience included local community groups, schools, attendees from
Maryland’s Department of Juvenile Services, Salisbury University, and
Wor-Wic Community College.
Luis Garcia
Social media overflowed with messages
of gratitude and excitement for the opportunity to hear from Wise.
“2.20.20 will go down in the books as one of the best,” said Dom Scott.
“I was so hyped that my question was chosen to ask Korey Wise,” said
Talonda Brown.
The question was “what would you say to your 16-year-old self?”
“Listen
to your first voice. Not your second voice, not your third voice.
Listen to your first voice,” Wise answered urging the youth in
attendance to be careful about decision making and knowing your
friends.
Read more via Tahja Cropper’s original story in the UMES Newsroom.
“In the interest of transparency,” writes Joseph Martin Stevenson of Jackson Free Press, ” I write this op-ed commentary with no personal or professional agenda; no acronyms, prefixes or hashtags behind or in front of my name; and no ulterior motives. I write because I love Jackson State University, both its past treasured history and its future potential trajectory. I have no interest in being considered as the next president at Jackson State, but I do have some constructive suggestions and formative recommendations for the Jacksonians who will hopefully be formidably, substantively, significantly, fairly, and actively engaged in selecting the next leader who manifests as the reckoned righteous one for JSU, Jacksonians, Jackson, Mississippi and the larger HBCU community.”
Stevenson continues, “As far as the current circumstances at JSU, let me say that he or she without mistake or misfortune please come forward as a paragon of perfected proclivity for the rest of humankind. I write this to not defend anyone but to encourage everyone to consider praying instead of placing judgement. That is not our place. Let me also define “reckoning” as it has both direct and indirect relevance and applicability to this op-ed. Reckoning is defined as a person’ s viewpoint or the process or action for calculating or estimating something. This column is not only about viewing others possibly placing judgment but about posing actions and processes to calculate the best outcome of optimal leadership at Jackson State.” Read his full story, originally shared via Jackson Free Press:
Pro-action vs. Reaction
Now is the time to be constructively, pointedly and formatively proactive. Much of the criticisms about the past presidential selections at JSU have been mostly afterward and not so much beforehand. Now that another search is being officially conducted, this is a crucial time to examine all the written, memorized, formal, and practiced policies, procedures, and protocols associated with the search and selection process. There will be an acute need to pay close attention to the specific details and probed questioning, especially to apparent ambiguity, potential misunderstanding, sequential process and unclear intent.
I encourage the analysis of “backward design theory.” I strongly encourage the employment and engagement of this theory as a anticipatory framework to make recommendations or suggestions to others of authority or control on how to improve and monitor promulgated policies and practices. This can make the process more inclusive, participatory, transparent, and representative of Jacksonian voices, convictions and values.
Governance and Mission
Although many leaders have developed tenets, pillars or constructs for their leadership strategy, look for those who remain committed to the foundational and fundamental pillars of modern higher education: teaching, research and service. Moreover, at some point, there should be serious discourse in Mississippi about governance. That is, centralized governance versus decentralized governance and state boards versus local boards.
In the three states where I
worked previously—New Jersey, Florida, and Tennessee—there has been very
successful movement from state boards to local boards. With regard to
JSU being a historically black university, I urge Jacksonians to look
for leaders who can document their commitment to JSU’s historical
foundation but also provide a measurable strategic plan and a way driven
by student learning outcomes to build future foundations. That includes
adding futurism to the mission to build on the institutional treasured
history, given that most companies, organizations, institutions and
sectors—where JSU graduates will land and start careers—study their
mission-positioning for “futuring” their bottom lines for progress,
profit, performance and productivity. JSU and other HBCUs need to add
studying futures to the curriculum and brand it as added-value to the
degree.
The future president must document how she or he will innovate degrees that are academically rigorous and relevant to today’s student, employer and graduate school interests, and responsive to the global marketplace and the accelerating competitive space that drives it. Read more via Jackson Free Press.
Joseph Martin Stevenson of Madison was the first named provost at JSU and also served as a provost at Mississippi Valley State University. Find his books on higher education here and read more about his provostial work at JSU here.
BIRMIGHAM, Ala.– The Southwestern Athletic Conference Council of Presidents and Chancellors has voted unanimously on a five-year contract extension for SWAC Commissioner Dr. Charles McClelland.
The extension which will run through 2025 academic year, was announced on Tuesday afternoon.
“In the past two years the Southwestern Athletic Conference has made
significant strides under the direction of SWAC Commissioner Dr. Charles
McClelland,” said SWAC Council of Presidents and Chancellors Chairman
Dr. Andrew Hugine Jr. “We could not be more excited about the future of
this historic conference, particularly during its Centennial under the
leadership of Dr. McClelland.”
“I’m extremely humbled to have the opportunity to serve as the Commissioner of the Southwestern Athletic Conference,” said McClelland. “I’m also very excited about the what the future holds for the Conference Office and our ten member institutions. As we’ve stated previously our overall objective is to make the SWAC one of the best conferences in the nation. Our membership has my unwavering commitment that we will leave no stone unturned as it relates to achieving that goal.”
About the SWAC
The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) is considered one of the
premier HBCU conferences in the country and currently ranks among the
elite in the nation in terms of HBCU alumni playing with professional
sports teams.
Current championship competition offered by the league includes
competition for men in Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Football,
Golf, Indoor Track and Field, Outdoor Track and Field and Tennis.
Women’s competition is offered in the sports of Basketball, Bowling,
Cross Country, Golf, Indoor Track and Field, Outdoor Track and Field,
Soccer, Softball, Tennis and Volleyball.
Follow the SWAC For complete coverage of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, please follow the SWAC on social media at @TheSWAC (Twitter), @TheSWAC (Facebook), and @TheSWAC (Instagram) or visit the official home of the Southwestern Athletic Conference at www.swac.org.
ANNAPOLIS – Kayla Moore testified Tuesday in Annapolis on how she participated in an exchange program while at Coppin State University in Baltimore with students at Frostburg State University.
Moore recalled that the state distributed more money to Frostburg to deal with pregnancy and opioid challenges in their respective communities.
William J. Ford/The Washington Informer
“Our state is struggling to fill our schools with qualified, diverse
educators, but we will never meet this need if we continue to
essentially divest from our four [historically Black colleges and
universities],” said Moore, 23, a second grade teacher at University
Park Elementary in Prince George’s County. “Doing so poses a negative
impact on graduating high school seniors who want to be educators in
Maryland, ultimately stunting the recruitment of diverse educators from
our state, for our state.”
Moore joined dozens of other alumni, students and other supporters to tell the House Appropriations Committee to fund Maryland’s four historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Specifically, the group called for the committee to recommend legislation sponsored by House Speaker Adrienne Jones for the governor to include $57.7 million in the state’s operating budget beginning in fiscal 2022 for the state’s HBCUs.
Before testimony continued at the hearing, Del. Maggie McIntosh
(D-Baltimore City), who chairs the Appropriations Committee, praised
Moore.
“You are an example of what we want to move toward in Maryland,” she said to rousing applause.
The bill is one of the top priorities of the Legislative Black Caucus
of Maryland, which seeks to end the ongoing 13-year HBCU lawsuit.
The money would be designated this way: $24 million for Morgan State University, $16.7 million for Bowie State University, $9.6 million for the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and $7.2 million for Coppin State University. Read more via Washington Informer.
Claflin University is planning this year to launch a graduate nursing
program and a climate change focus for its graduate biotechnology
program.
The university also intends to introduce a graduate and undergraduate certificate program in a new center for artificial intelligence, according to university Provost and Chief Academic Officer Dr. Karl Wright.
Nursing students attending Claflin will be able to receive a master of science in nursing in fall 2020 as the university introduces the program into its degree portfolio, Wright told those gathered for the quarterly meeting of The One Orangeburg County Initiative.
“There is a great need for graduate-level nurses in South Carolina,”
Wright said, citing a university-commissioned research study. “They will
help meet the nursing needs in the rural communities that are
underserved by the health care profession.”
Wright said the program still needs to receive accrediting approval from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, which the university will hear from in June. If the program is OK’d, Claflin will be the only historically black college or university in the state to have a graduate nursing program. Less than a handful private colleges offer such a program.
Wright said the degree would have two tracks — nurse practitioner and nurse educator.
The graduate degree in nursing would follow on the heels of the university’s launch of a bachelor of science in nursing in 2016.
Claflin is the only HBCU in the state offering a BSN degree.
Since the program’s inception, 52 graduates have completed the 100%-online program.
Claflin’s
RN to BSN program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing
Education Board of Commissioners, meaning that the nursing program
consistently demonstrates quality in mission and governance,
institutional commitment and resources, and curriculum and
teaching-learning practices.
The program was also awarded Best Nursing Program at the 2019 HBCU Awards ceremony this past August.
The university is also planning to re-engineer its master of science in biotechnology and turn it into an online delivery format focusing on climate change. The climate change track would include such courses as bio-mathematics, Wright said.
The track most likely will be unveiled after the 2020-21 academic year. Read more via Index Journal.
Dallas Weeklyshares, The Dallas Mavericks are proud to announce the unveiling of its newest basketball court at Paul Quinn College, the only Historically Black College in the City of Dallas and the first Urban Work College in the country.
The court dedication will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2020, at Paul Quinn College marking the 27th court donated back to the community by either the Dallas Mavericks or the Mavs Foundation.
Dallas Mavericks legends will join forces with Paul Quinn College leaders for this celebratory event to officially unveil the court, created to generate excitement for students and surrounding community.
Paul Quinn College president, Dr. Michael J. Sorrell, will attend along with Mavs special guests, Cedric Ceballos, Erick Strickland and Randy White.
The Paul Quinn College court is especially unique to the city because the design was inspired by renowned Dallas street artist, Tex Moton.
Sport Court® technology installed a professional-grade quality basketball court that is known around the world for its safety and performance. The surface is splashed with an abstract masterpiece designed by Moton that includes a one-of-a-kind custom mural painting. The university also received other cosmetic upgrades like new basketball goals and bleachers. Read more via Dallas Weekly.
Stephanie Farr of the Philadelphia Inquirershares a heartfelt article about one special man’s dedication to one of the nations oldest historically black colleges and universities:
JESSICA GRIFFIN / Philadelphia Inquirer Staff Photographer
Meet Michael Ruff, foster dad and boiler tech at Lincoln University, where he’s worked for 50 years.
• Retirement options: “I often think ‘What am I going to do if I retire?’” Ruff said. “I’d rather be working.”
• Foster care and concern:
Ruff and his longtime partner have fostered between 20 and 30 children.
“It’s exciting but it’s also scary,” he said. “You hope you get the
right kids to fit you.”
Michael Ruff was a senior at Avon Grove High School when he went to Lincoln University for the first time. It was a trip with his high school sweetheart to pick up her mom from work.
The university’s housekeeping foreman saw Ruff on campus and asked if he was looking for a job.
“Yes,” his girlfriend’s mother answered for him.
No matter that Ruff already had a job at a knitting mill in West Grove — his girlfriend’s mom obviously thought this one was better.
As it turned out, Ruff’s hours were getting cut back at the mill and he did need something more stable. So in December 1969, he took a job in housekeeping at Lincoln University — one of the country’s first Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
Ruff couldn’t have known then just how stable the job at Lincoln would be. He doesn’t have that girlfriend anymore, but 50 years later, he still has a job at the university, where he now works as a boiler tech. He is the longest-serving employee on Lincoln’s campus. Read more via Philadelphia Inquirer.
News One has the latest news from a black perspective with stories and opinions you would not read anywhere else — but should and it seems that they are always creating moments for the culture.
Yesterday, the black news site released a list of 20 HBCU graduates who are basically changing the world, celebrating the country’s historically black colleges and the professionals who have attended those institutions.
Stacey Abrams, Spelman College
2. Rev. William Barber II, N.C. Central University
3. Kenya Barris, Clark Atlanta University
4. Rosalind G. Brewer, Spelman College
5. Ruth Carter, Hampton University
6. Raashaun “DJ Envy” Casey, Hampton University
7. Louis Farrakhan, Sr., Winston-Salem State University
8. Andrew Gillum, Florida A&M University
9. Rep Al Green, Howard University, Texas Southern University, Tuskegee University
10. Kamala Harris, Howard University
11. Jesse Jackson, North Carolina A&T University
12. Samuel L. Jackson, Morehouse College
13. Letitia James, Howard University
14. Kweisi Mfume, Morgan State University
15. Marilyn Mosby, Tuskegee University
16. Bakari Sellers, Morehouse College
17. Ruth Simmons, Dillard University
18. Stephen A. Smith, Winston-Salem State University
19. Wanda Sykes, Hampton University
20. Oprah Winfrey, Tennessee State University
The list includes HBCU graduates from the arenas of politics to entertainment to corporate America and well beyond.
Katherine Johnson, a notable African American, NASA Mathematician, and one of the 3 legendary women depicted in film HiddenFigures, passes away at 101-years-old.
NASA / Getty Images file: Katherine Johnson at Langley Research Center in 1966
Johnson attended West Virginia State University (then WV State College), enrolling at the age of 15. Given her trailblazing legacy, it is unsurprising to learn how quickly she excelled, graduating summa cum laude in 1937 at 18-years-old with bachelor’s degrees in both mathematics and French. Johnson was a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha, Sorority, Inc.
“You got the best education there could be at the time (in Institute),” Johnson recalled recently in the documentary ‘Rise Up West Virginia.’ “You knew everybody. It was a small high school and it was pleasant to be there, but everybody knew you. Everybody in the high school knew everybody in the college and it was just like being at home.”
Patrick Wymore / ABC via Getty Images file
Notable moments on Johnson’s career include:
Becoming the first woman in the Flight Research Division to receive credit as an author of a research report for her work with Ted Skopinski on detailing the equations describing an orbital spaceflight
According to NASA, when Johnson was asked to discuss her greatest contribution to space exploration,she reflects on the calculations that helped synchronize Project Apollo’s Lunar Lander with the moon-orbiting Command and Service Module
Becoming one of the first African American women to work at National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), calculating the trajectory for Alan Shepard, the first American in space
Being names Mathematician of the Year in 1997 by the National Technical Association.
Receiving an honorary Doctor of Law degree from the State University of New York and honorary Doctor of Science degrees from Capitol College in Maryland and Old Dominion University in Virginia
In the film HiddenFigures she was portrayed by fellow HBCU alumna, Taraji P. Henson. Actresses Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monae portrayed her trailblazing “co-legends,” Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson, respectively. Henson shares,:
Thank you QUEEN #KatherineJohnson for sharing your intelligence, poise, grace and beauty with the world! Because of your hard work little girls EVERYWHERE can dream as big as the MOON!!! Your legacy will live on… https://t.co/sMv6kETbjV
When Johnson was honored by President Barack Obama in 2015, NASA shared:
WVSU shared, “In bestowing the award, President Barack Obama called Johnson, “a pioneer in American space history,” whose mathematical calculations “influenced every major space program from Mercury through the Shuttle program.”
NASA
Katherine Johnson was 5 years shy of being a 100-years-old when she was recognized by President Obama—some 30 years after she retired from NASA.
“The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the Nation’s highest civilian honor, presented to individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors…” writes NASA.
In a statement released earlier this morning, NASA shares, “Our NASA family is sad to learn the news that Katherine Johnson passed away this morning at 101 years old,” NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine posted to Twitter. “She was an American hero and her pioneering legacy will never be forgotten.”
One of Johnson’s wishes included educating those who come after her. Click “here for lessons Katherine would like to pass on to the next generation,” shares NASA.
Our heartfelt condolences to the Johnson family and her loved ones.
WILBERFORCE, OH—Over the next four years,academics and researchers from Nigeria seeking to enhance grant writing skills will attend week-long capacity building workshops at Central State University’s (CSU) newly established Cynthia Jackson-Hammond Institute for Professional Development.
The Institute, housed within the College of Engineering, Science, Technology, and Agriculture (CESTA), is named after Central State’s outgoing president, and will serve as an international leadership and professional development center. Through this collaboration with the Nigerian government, Central State University will officially begin training leaders on a global scale.
The first Capacity Building (CB) workshop is scheduled for Feb. 24-28, at the CSU’s Xenia facility, located at the Xenia YMCA, 336 Progress Dr, Xenia, OH 45385.
“This conference was organized for Research Academics in Nigerian Public Universities,” said Dr. Ibrahim Katampe, conference organizer and assistant director of Innovation and Technology Transfer for CESTA at Central State University. “The February event is the first of many that will take place over the course of the next four years and was designed specifically to train academicians in Nigerian Higher Educational Institutions (HEI’s) with current knowledge and skill required to write a fundable research proposal that meets international standards.”
The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) was established by the Nigerian government as an intervention agency under the TETFund ACT – Tertiary Education Trust Fund Act, 2011.
The TETFund monies provide for the essential physical infrastructure for teaching and learning, instructional material and equipment, research and publication, academic staff training and development, and any other need that may be deemed critical and/or essential for the improvement of quality and maintenance of standards in the higher educational institutions.
Under its mandate of Research and Academic Staff Training and Development, a sub-committee of the TETFund was set up in May 2019. This committee was tasked with developing a framework for the strengthening and institutionalization of Research and Development in Tertiary Institutions in Nigerian Universities.
Co-chaired by Professors Placid Njoku and Tope Togunof Nigeria, along with Dr. Ibrahim Katampe serving as vice-chair, the committee developed a plan and made recommendations to Professor Suleiman Bogoro, Executive Secretary of the TETFund.
In June, Professor Bogoro and members of the committee, paid a visit to the U.S. as part of a global assessment of “best practices.” Stops included meetings with officials of the U.S. State Department, the National Science Foundation (NSF), GE Global Research Talent Center in New York, and Central State—an 1890 Land-Grant University.
“It was during that visit we began discussing the possibility of collaboration,” Dr. Katampe said. “Prof. Bogoro and the committee were warmly welcomed by President Cynthia Jackson-Hammond, Provost Pedro Martinez, and CSU CESTA Dean and Land-Grant Director Dr. Alton B. Johnson, they immediately welcomed the idea; and this partnership is a direct result of that initial conversation.”
Dr. Jackson-Hammond has been an ardent supporter of international engagement and is especially committed to partnerships with Nigeria. “This opportunity to support the TETFund program allows us to integrate Central State University’s scholarship and professional development with Nigeria’s influential and brightest minds,” said Dr. Hammond. “We are honored to be partners in this global expansion of connectivity.”
According to the National Universities Commission (NUC), Nigeria presently has 43 Federal Universities, 48 State Universities, and 79 Private Universities. About 120 Polytechnics and Colleges of Agriculture. There are 82Colleges of Education in Nigeria, consisting of 22 federal, 14 private and 46 that are collectively referred to as HEIs. The five-day workshop developed by CSU is designed to support TETFund in its Capacity Building Program (CBP) for enhancement of research activities in the Nigerian HEIs.
“This involves delivery of high-quality training in academic writing, research proposal writing and research management skills that meets international standards in research design, conduct, and management,” said Dean Johnson. The course content will be designed and delivered by highly experienced staff of Central State University.”
To learn more about the conference or the Cynthia Jackson-Hammond Institute for Professional Development, contact CESTA at 937-376-6677 or visit centralstate.edu online.
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About Central State University
Central State University, located in Wilberforce, Ohio, is a regionally accredited 1890 Land-Grant University with a 133-year tradition of preparing students from diverse backgrounds and experiences for leadership, research, and service. The university, which was named 2017 HBCU of the Year by HBCU Digest, fosters academic excellence within a nurturing environment and provides a strong liberal arts foundation and STEM-Ag curriculum leading to professional careers and advanced studies globally.
Central State University, an 1890 Land-Grant Institution, is committed to the full inclusion of all people, and does not discriminate on the basis of age, ancestry, color, disability, gender identity or expression, genetic information, HIV/AIDS status, marital or family status, military status, national origin, political beliefs, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status. If reasonable accommodations are needed, please contact the Department of Human Resources at 937-376-6540. Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Institution.
Dr. Hadiyah-Nicole Green has become the first person to successfully cure cancer in mice using laser-activated nanoparticles, according to Black Culture News.
Unlike traditional cancer treatments, Green’s revolutionary and unique nanoparticle technology, which was found to successfully cure cancer after testing on mice within 15 days, does not require chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery. Green received a $1.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to expand her nanoparticle cancer treatment research.
Green’s interest in cancer treatment stems from witnessing the death of her aunt, Ora Lee, who suffered from cancer, and her uncle, General Lee Smith, who also was diagnosed with cancer and experienced the negative side effects of chemotherapy treatment.
Green is, not surprisingly, highly educated. In her pursuit to fight cancer she obtained her bachelor’s degree in physics and optics from Alabama A&M University and later earned her master of science in physics from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, both of which she received full scholarships for. After earning her degrees, she transitioned to the Comprehensive Cancer Center for five years and the Department of Pathology for one year, according to afrotech.com.
Currently, Green’s Ora Lee Smith Cancer Research Foundation, the nonprofit she founded in memory of her aunt, is continuing to fight cancer using laser-activated nanoparticles and focusing on its mission to make cancer treatment accessible, affordable, and effective. She devotes time to helping young black students as well.
Strides in cancer treatments/cures are very important. According to the American Cancer Society, in the U.S. alone, an estimated 606,520 people will die from cancer in 2020. This equates to 1,660 people dying of cancer each day in 2020. Approximately 69% of people diagnosed with cancer between the years 2009 and 2015 were alive five years after their diagnosis. This is higher than people who were diagnosed with cancer between the years 1975 and 1977. Between these years, 49 out of 100 people, or 49%, were alive five years later.
This post was written by Cedric Roland Michel, a writer at Black Enterprise, where it was originally published. It is published here with permission.
Renewed attention is being directed to historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), the slightly more than 100 public and private institutions of higher education established primarily for the purpose of serving the African American community.
The Higher Education Act of 1965 defines an HBCU as: “…any historically black college or university that was established prior to 1964, whose principal mission was, and is, the education of black Americans, and that is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or association determined by the Secretary [of Education] to be a reliable authority as to the quality of training offered or is, according to such an agency or association, making reasonable progress toward accreditation.”
HBCUs have long been a key source of access to postsecondary education, and not only for black students. They also have served a significant proportion of first-generation students and those from low-income families who struggle to afford college—a growing segment of students in the United States.
According to the American Council on Education, HBCUs represent just 3% of two-year and four-year public and private nonprofit institutions taking part in federal student financial aid programs, but they award 17% of all bachelor’s degrees earned by black students. With an overall enrollment of about 300,000 students, HBCUs also play a major role in graduating black students with bachelor’s degrees in STEM fields.
HBCUs have been battling strong headwinds. They are chronically underfunded compared to other public institutions. Their endowments are smaller than most private schools. And like many institutions, they are grappling with declining enrollments, although because the typical HBCU is relatively small, they often have little cushion to absorb decreased tuition revenue.
Nonetheless, the past couple of years have seen signs that HBCUs are beginning to receive the attention and respect they deserve from policy makers, and that focus is intensifying as we come closer to the national elections. One indication of this renaissance is the extent to which elected officials and candidates for the Presidency have drafted specific proposals for advancing HBCUs.
In 2017, President Trump signed an Executive Order establishing “The White House Initiative to Promote Excellence and Innovation at Historically Black College and Universities.” That action appears to have been mostly symbolic, moving the White House Initiative on HBCUs from the Department of Education to the White House from the Department of Education and designating a senior official to oversee the initiative.
Last December Trump signed the Future Act, a rare triumph of congressional bipartisanship that permanently provides more than $250 million a year to the nation’s HBCUs along with many other institutions serving large numbers of minority students. The bill restored the $255 million in annual funding that had lapsed earlier in the year. In addition to $85 million a year for HBCUs, it authorized $100 million for Hispanic-serving institutions, $30 million for tribal schools and $40 million for other minority-serving institutions. Lawmakers also added an amendment that simplifies the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA.
Each of the six leading candidates for the Democratic nomination for President has proposed investing more money in HBCUs along with plans for bolstering their mission.
