DePaul University names Tatum Thomas dean of School of Continuing and Professional Studies

For more than 15 years, Tatum Thomas has committed herself to preparing adult and nontraditional learners for the next stage in their careers. Effective July 1, she will serve as dean for DePaul University's School of Continuing and Professional Studies.

“Leading and designing emerging schools of professional studies is an area of expertise for Dr. Thomas," said Interim Provost Salma Ghanem. “Her deep understanding of nontraditional, urban education will strengthen DePaul's longstanding commitment to serve diverse learners. As a collaborative and innovative leader, Dr. Thomas will continue to advance SCPS, further supporting the success of our adult and nontraditional students."Thomas currently serves as senior associate dean of student affairs at Columbia University's School of Professional Studies in New York City. Prior to her current role, she served as the director of academic services at New York University's School of Professional Studies.

In her current role at Columbia University, Thomas oversees strategic initiatives to increase quality, retention and student outcomes in the School of Professional Studies. A leader in diversity and inclusion, she managed a first-of-its kind Columbia University HBCU Fellowship program. This successful program invites high-achieving undergraduate seniors to pursue master's degrees, enhancing student readiness with a robust mix of support services and career development opportunities.

“Nontraditional education has been a natural part of my being," said Thomas. “I was an inner-city, first-generation student and the product of multiple institutions that cater to non-traditional learners. I completed my bachelor's degree at night, while holding full-time and part-time positions and raising a small child. I know first-hand that affordability, flexibility, practicality and immediate returns on the investment are essential to adult learners."

DePaul officially launched SCPS in 2019. The school builds upon the work of its predecessors, the School for New Learning and the Office of Continuing and Professional Education. Aligned with the university's strategic plan, SCPS offers nontraditional students a range of lifelong learning opportunities, including credit-hour based, market-responsive professional studies degrees and credentials.

“DePaul's SCPS fulfills the mission of higher education," Thomas says. “We create a place of opportunity and deliver an excellent education without disrupting lives. I appreciate the caliber of DePaul's faculty and their highly visible commitment to lifelong learning and scholarship. I'm privileged to serve in this community."

During her tenure at Columbia University, Thomas launched multiple student service units. She opened the School of Professional Studies' first lifelong learning career center to provide resources for degree and non-degree students, in addition to alumni. The success of the pilot launch led to the opening of a second center in San Francisco. Relationships she has fostered with civic and corporate partners include Morgan Stanley, Turner Construction, the Mellon Foundation, Firelight Media and the Harlem YMCA of Greater New York.

“Dr. Thomas embodies the mission, values and professional impact represented by innovative schools of continuing education,” says Dr. Jason Wingard, dean and professor of Columbia University’s School of Professional Studies. “She has served as an invaluable partner to me at Columbia - contributing to the preparation of global students for the future of work.”

At NYU's School of Professional Studies, she led key initiatives and programs. Her teams administered graduate degree programs, undergraduate degree programs, and continuing education programs and interacted with accrediting bodies for curriculum administration. As part of this work, she collaborated with department chairs and faculty to manage academic portfolios and launch new programs. Thomas also established a one-stop holistic counseling unit, as well as a judiciary committee to oversee academic integrity at the Division of Programs in Business.

Thomas holds a bachelor's in psychology from Marymount Manhattan College and a master's in higher education administration from Baruch College, City University of New York. She has a doctorate in organizational leadership from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. She also earned a certificate of management excellence from the Harvard Business School. She plans to relocate to Chicago in June.

Don Opitz, an alumnus and adult education scholar, has served as interim dean for DePaul's SCPS since July 2018. “Don has led SCPS through a critical time of transition," Ghanem says. “Professional education is a strategic priority for DePaul, and thanks to his expertise, the school will continue on its positive trajectory. I am very grateful for all Don has done for the faculty, staff and students of SCPS."

Nicholas Johnson: Princeton University's First Black Valedictorian

Nicholas Johnson is the first black valedictorian in Princeton’s history.

He said he appreciates the encouragement he has received at Princeton in developing his academic interests. The University’s support through opportunities including international internships and cultural immersion trips to Peru, Hong Kong and the United Kingdom were especially significant, Johnson said. But most of all, he treasures his relationships with his classmates.

“My favorite memories of my time at Princeton are memories of time spent with close friends and classmates engaging in stimulating discussions — often late at night — about our beliefs, the cultures and environments in which we were raised, the state of the world, and how we plan on contributing positively to it in our own unique way,” Johnson said.

Johnson plans to spend this summer interning as a hybrid quantitative researcher and software developer at the D. E. Shaw Group before beginning Ph.D. studies in operations research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in fall 2020.

Along with his concentration in operations research and financial engineering, he is pursuing certificates in statistics and machine learning, applied and computational mathematics, and applications of computing.

His research has focused primarily on sequential decision-making under uncertainty, optimization, and the ethical considerations that must be made given the increasing role of algorithmic decision-making systems.

His senior thesis, “Sequential Stochastic Network Structure Optimization with Applications to Addressing Canada’s Obesity Epidemic,” focuses on developing high-performance, efficient algorithms to solve a network-based optimization problem that models a community-based preventative health intervention designed to curb the prevalence of obesity in Canada.

This work, supervised by Miklos Racz, assistant professor of operations research and financial engineering, also has applications to public health interventions designed to increase adherence to strict social distancing to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Johnson has another ongoing research project supervised by Yacine Ait-Sahalia, the Otto A. Hack ’03 Professor of Finance and professor of economics, in which he is developing a reinforcement learning agent to execute large financial trade orders with minimal market distortion.

During his junior year, Johnson conducted an independent research project, “Generating Privacy Preserving Synthetic Datasets,” supervised by Prateek Mittal, associate professor of electrical engineering, in which he developed a machine learning system to more robustly anonymize datasets than existing alternatives. He presented this work at the spring 2019 Electrical Engineering Symposium and the 2019 Center for Statistics and Machine Learning Symposium.

Among his other professors, William Massey, the Edwin S. Wilsey Professor of Operations Research and Financial Engineering, and Dannelle Gutarra Cordero, a lecturer in African American studies, were also influential.

“Professor Massey inspired me by sharing his ever-present love for operations research and through his advocacy for black and African American students in STEM fields,” Johnson said. “He encouraged me to pursue increasingly ambitious research projects and to share my work at academic conferences. Professor Gutarra introduced me to academic writing during my first-year Writing Seminar. She was instrumental in helping me develop my skills as an effective academic writer and communicator, and she motivated me to become a writing fellow.”

In addition to serving as a writing fellow at Princeton’s Writing Center, Johnson is editor of Tortoise: A Journal of Writing Pedagogy. He is a member of Whitman College, where he has served as a residential college adviser. He is also a member of the Princeton chapter of Engineers Without Borders and served as its co-president in 2018.

As a rising senior, Johnson worked as a software engineer in machine learning at Google’s California headquarters.

He previously interned at Oxford University’s Integrative Computational Biology and Machine Learning Group, developing and implementing a novel optimization technique under the supervision of Aleksandr Sahakyan, principal investigator and group head. He presented the project at Princeton’s inaugural Day of Optimization in October 2018 and at the 25th Conference of African American Researchers in the Mathematical Sciences in June 2019, where his project was recognized with the Angela E. Grant Poster Award for Best Modeling.

Johnson has interned at Montreal Institute for Learning Algorithms, and he participated in Whitman’s exchange program with Morningside College at the Chinese University of Hong Kong in March 2017.

Among his academic honors, Johnson is a recipient of the Class of 1883 English Prize for Freshmen in the School of Engineering, a two-time recipient of the Shapiro Prize for Academic Excellence, and co-recipient with Sommers of the Class of 1939 Princeton Scholar Award. He was elected to Phi Beta Kappa in fall 2019 and to Tau Beta Pi in 2018, where he served as president of the Princeton Chapter in 2019.

Johnson is a graduate of Selwyn House School and attended Marianopolis College, both in Westmount, Quebec.

UNCF joining May 5 #GivingTuesdayNow Campaign

UNCF (United Negro College Fund) is joining the #GivingTuesdayNow campaign to encourage philanthropy  in light of the many challenges facing minority higher education including the coronavirus health pandemic. UNCF works tirelessly to benefit historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in part, by changing the narrative of HBCUs across the nation and helping  equip minority students with the resources necessary to transition into and graduate from college, and ultimately succeed in the workforce.

“The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on UNCF students is felt very keenly,” said Dr. Michael L. Lomax, president and CEO of UNCF. “The majority of our member HBCUs are closed for the remainder of the school year making things very precarious for our member schools and those earning their degrees. Many students need tablets and laptops to be able to access classes online. And some need basic support, like food and other financial resources, since the jobs they had to help them make it through school have all but vanished.”

UNCF HBCUs need help during the best of times, and UNCF works to provide the support they need to help more students pursue their educational endeavors and graduate from college prepared for leadership roles, competitive employment, and active participation in society.

“The foundation of UNCF was built on the act of giving, and participation in #GivingTuesdayNow shows our steadfast commitment to educating our students and providing resources to our HBCUs, especially in this time of unprecedented crisis,” Lomax added. “UNCF and our member colleges and universities have persevered through many other turbulent times, and we cannot let this disaster wash away decades of progress and HBCU legacies.”

#GivingTuesdayNow, a global day of giving that harnesses the collective power of individuals, communities and organizations will occur May 5 as a response to the coronavirus outbreak.

Five Reasons to Give to UNCF During this Critical Time:

• Our students are at greatest risk of not being able to continue their educational efforts due to financial need.
• The lack of technology gets in the way of both our HBCUs and their students’ ability to ensure online classroom connectivity.
• Part-time jobs that students rely on to get through college are all but gone right now. 
• The nation’s HBCUs have been producing almost 17% of all African American graduates and 25% of African American graduates in the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics — the critical industries of the future.
• To ensure that UNCF continues to have the resources to do its important work of supporting HBCUs and our students during this global crisis.  

Help UNCF make a difference in a student’s life.

1.    Donate today by visiting UNCF.org/Donate

2.    Share your donation on social media using the #GivingtuesdayNow

3.    Spread the word about UNCF’s mission

4.    Follow #UNCF on Facebook, Twitter @UNCF and Instagram

For more information about UNCF, visit UNCF.org and stay connected via social media.

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About UNCF
UNCF (the United Negro College Fund) is the nation’s largest and most effective minority education organization. To serve youth, the community and the nation, UNCF supports students’ education and development through scholarships and other programs, supports and strengthens its 37 member colleges and universities and advocates for the importance of minority education and college readiness. UNCF institutions and other historically black colleges and universities are highly effective, awarding 17 percent of African American baccalaureate degrees. UNCF administers more than 400 programs, including scholarship, internship and fellowship, mentoring, summer enrichment and curriculum and faculty development programs. Today, UNCF supports more than 60,000 students at over 1,100 colleges and universities across the country. Its logo features the UNCF torch of leadership in education and its widely recognized motto, ‟A mind is a terrible thing to waste.” ® Learn more at UNCF.org or for continuous updates and news, follow UNCF on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @UNCF.

About #GivingTuesday #GivingTuesday is a global giving movement that has been built by individuals, families, organizations, businesses and communities in all 50 states and in countries around the world. This year, #GivingTuesday falls on November 28. #GivingTuesday harnesses the collective power of a unique blend of partners to transform how people, think about, talk about, and participate in the giving season. It inspires people to take collective action to improve their communities, give back in better, smarter ways to the charities and causes they believe in, and help create a better world. #GivingTuesday demonstrates how every act of generosity counts, and that they mean even more when we give together. 

Cory Booker request for $1.5B in Immediate Assistance to HBCUs during COVID-19 outbreak

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Doug Jones (D-AL) today urged Senate Leaders Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senate appropriators to direct $1.5 billion in emergency funding to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and other Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) to support urgent COVID-19 related costs. Over the past month, MSIs have had to cover substantial emergency expenses for students from low-income families, yet these colleges tend to have fewer financial resources than other institutions. Additionally, the move to distance education has forced MSIs invest in infrastructure that they did not previously have, and purchase expensive technology, such as WiFi hotspots, for students without Internet at home.

“As the Senate anticipates consideration of a third supplemental appropriations package in response to COVID-19, we respectfully request that a one-time increase of $1.5 billion is added to Minority-Serving Institutions and Historically Black Colleges and Universities under Title III, Part A and B, Title V, and Title VII of the Higher Education Act,” the lawmakers wrote in a letter to Leaders McConnell and Schumer. “Title III and V  and VII institutions are a refuge for the communities of students that they serve, and in these uncertain times they are needed now more than ever. Assuring an increase in funding for Title III and V will allow these schools to continue operating without fear of going bankrupt or having to raise tuition next year.”

Minority Serving Institutions include Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, Predominantly Black Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities, and Native American-Serving, and Nontribal Institutions. Even though these institutions serve many of the country’s most marginalized and promising students, many MSIs have smaller endowments, less money from alumni giving, and lower levels of federal investment. New Jersey is home to 13 Minority-Serving Institutions.

“The National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education, NAFEO, the 50-year membership and advocate association of all HBCUs and PBIs, is grateful for the tremendous support Senator Booker continues to provide HBCUs, TCIs and MSIs,” NAFEO President and CEO Lezli Bakersville said. “Today, he is making a wise and just decision to urge America to further invest in HBCUs, TCIs, and MSIs because these institutions  are essential to closing the Nation’s persistent education and liberation gaps; the economic, wealth, and health gaps. These 800 equal educational opportunity American colleges and universities, are graduating 4.8 million undergraduate students in the U.S., 24% of ALL students. They are doing this despite their woeful underfunding. They are “punching way above their weight.” We urge all United States Senators to Senator Booker’s request for $1.5B for HBCUs, TCUs and MSIs in the third Coronavirus supplemental.”

"In this time of tremendous uncertainty, in the midst of this ongoing health emergency, it is imperative that neither our Nation's HBCUs and MSIs, nor their students find themselves a casualty of the disease COVID-19", Thurgood Marshall College Fund President and CEO Harry L. Williams said.  "Like other institutions of higher education, our HBCUs and PBIs are attempting to transition their academic instruction to a virtual environment, while simultaneously trying to manage the financial, technological and environmental challenges faced by many of their students, and doing so in the face of the resource limitations that our schools have historically encountered.  That is why the $1.5 billion in emergency Title III aid that Senator Booker and other Members of Congress are supporting is critical to helping our schools not only navigate this dynamic situation, but also ensure that our schools and their students are not unduly impacted by its ill effects. At a time when Congress is attempting to shore up our economy against the Coronavirus, it should be cognizant of the fact that our schools help educate some of our Nation's most vulnerable communities and, as such, they are particularly worthy of our federal government's support in this season of heightened need."

“HBCUs and their students are in need, expressly because of the response to the coronavirus, and we are calling on Senators and Members of the House to respond,” United Negro College Fund President and CEO Dr. Michael L. Lomax said.  “Our institutions are dealing with unique circumstances because of who we serve.  The digital divide is real in our community, and a stimulus bill should definitely reflect our needs and proposed solutions.  We applaud Senators who are stepping up to the plate to advocate for our institutions and the students they serve.”

The full text of the letter is available here.

Last week, Booker wrote to the White House urging it to unlock emergency funds to help libraries and schools purchase mobile hotspots for students who lack internet access at home. And last fall, he was instrumental in pushing the Senate to reauthorize lapsed funding for MSIs by passing the Fostering Undergraduate Talent by Unlocking Resources for Education (FUTURE) Act, a bill he had cosponsored.

HBCUs still ‘woefully underfunded,’ according to UNCF president

One could argue it’s been a victorious year for historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). The FUTURE Act – legislation sustaining federal funding for minority serving institutions — made a fraught, winding journey to President Donald J. Trump’s desk, where it was signed into law in December.

But during a recent event, Dr. Michael Lomax, president and CEO of the United Negro College Fund (UNCF), discouraged unbridled optimism.

“I cannot stand before you here today and say only that the state of HBCUs is strong or only that HBCUs remain resilient,” he said at the organization’s second annual “State of the HBCU Address” where HBCU leaders and allies gathered in Washington D.C. “As you know, those truths are only part of the story.”

He argued that the permanent annual $255 million in federal funding for minority serving institutions, with $85 million designated for HBCUs, marks progress, but it isn’t enough to solve the “HBCU paradox” – the fact that HBCUs enjoy broad bipartisan support but continue to be “woefully underfunded.”

The support that exists, though it spans party divides, is “too often a mile wide and an inch deep,” Lomax said. “Too often it creates an all too convenient gap between rhetoric and reality. It makes it easy for people to look and sound like they are HBCU boosters without having to take the hard steps and make a deep-seated commitment to eradicate decades of disparate treatment of HBCUs.”

He directed a few pointed comments at Trump, who claimed at the Davos economic conference in January that his administration “saved” HBCUs.

Lomax acknowledged that HBCU leaders “deeply appreciate” that the president signed the FUTURE Act, forgave the loans of HBCUs impacted by Hurricane Katrina and offered capital finance loan deferment for 13 HBCUs. But he also noted that the FUTURE Act wasn’t included in Trump’s 2021 federal budget and Trump’s efforts to remove programs like federal work study would hurt HBCU students if successful. Meanwhile, most Democratic candidates — Joe Biden, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Michael Bloomberg – have proposed more extensive plans for funding HBCUs.

“We know the president wants the bragging rights for having done ‘more than any other president’ to support HBCUs, so there’s still time for you to claim that mantle,” he said, addressing the president and prompting laughs from the audience. “We hope you will propose in the coming months investments that rival or exceed those of your Democratic opponents.”

Lomax laid out several ongoing policy goals like lobbying for a $1 billion grant for HBCU infrastructure, doubling the Pell grant and tripling Title III funding, the funds guaranteed in the FUTURE Act.

But the federal government isn’t the only sector responsible for the inequitable funding of HBCUs, he said, pointing to “subtler forms of disparate and unfair treatment” by philanthropists, accreditors, corporations and lenders.

Notably, he cited a recent report from the Student Borrower Protection Center called “Educational Redlining,” which found that Upstart, an online lending platform, offered HBCU graduates higher interest rates, costing them thousands of dollars more than similar graduates from predominantly white institutions.

“Let’s make this year the year inequitable treatment of HBCUs is named and shamed,” he said.

[SOURCE: LouisianaWeekly]

Inaugural class at LeBron James' school to receive free tuition to Kent State University

The inaugural class of LeBron James' I Promise School in his hometown of Akron, Ohio, has received some amazing news.

All 193 students, who are high school juniors, will be receiving free tuition to Kent State University. The kids, who were visiting the Kent State campus, erupted in cheers when they were told of the news, while their parents, watching from a live feed in a separate room, burst into tears.

The students will be guaranteed free tuition for four years as well as one year of a free room and meal plan.

The students will be eligible for the package as college freshmen for the 2021-2022 academic year. To be eligible, they must be admitted to Kent State, fill out required financial aid forms and have completed a required number of community service hours each semester.

To remain eligible, students need to remain in good academic standing, take part in a required number of community service or volunteer hours and complete a minimum number of credit hours per year.

"We have so many options, and I just know that so many kids in my community just don't have many options," James said. "So for me to be able to be in a position where I can give these kids options to decide what they want to do with their future, it's probably the best thing I've ever done."

WATCH THE ANNOUNCEMENT

[SOURCE: CNN]

Katrina VanderWoude Appointed President of Los Angeles Trade Technical College

Katrina VanderWoude has been chosen to be the next president of Los Angeles Trade Technical College. She is scheduled to take office on February 24.

Los Angles Trade Technical College enrolls more than 13,000 students, according to the latest data supplied to the U.S. Department of Education. The vast majority of students are African Americans or Hispanic Americans.

In 2018, Dr. Vanderwoude was named the 12th permanent president of Contra Costa College in San Pablo, California, north of Oakland. She was placed on administrative leave and later resigned her position after nine months in that position. Previously, she was vice president for academic affairs at Grossmont College in El Cajon, California. Earlier, she was vice provost at Rochester College in Michigan.

Dr. VanderWoude is a graduate of Michigan State University, with degrees in social work and psychology. She earned a doctorate in educational leadership from Eastern Michigan University.

[SOURCE: JBHE]

A new UNCF report details how successes from HBCUs can be implemented into K-12 education

The United Negro College Fund's, the Frederick D. Patterson Research Institute (FDPRI) has released a new report, Imparting Wisdom: HBCU Lessons for K-12 Education, which details historically black colleges and universities’ (HBCUs) longstanding efforts to provide quality educational experiences for their students and how their success may be translated in K-12 schools—specifically schools with demographics similar to HBCU populations.

HBCUs are often overlooked as sources of effective methods for producing high-achieving black students, although their existence is based on this very premise. Imparting Wisdom highlights research-based HBCU best practices, practical recommendations and insights from HBCU leaders, with the goal of promoting mutually beneficial alliances between the K-12 and HBCU communities.

Read a report summary: Summary: Imparting Wisdom: HBCU Lessons for K-12 Education

Read the full report: Full report: Imparting Wisdom: HBCU Lessons for K-12 Education

HBCU Virginia Union University to lower 2020 tuition rates

The Virginia Union University’s Board of Trustees alongside university president Dr. Hakim J. Lucas, have made the bold decision to lower undergraduate tuition rates by 32-percent. This change amounts to a $5,000 reduction, reflective of where VUU’s tuition costs were listed over a decade ago. The decision moves the university towards its goal of offering greater access and affordability to a more diverse student body. The new tuition rate will begin with the Fall 2020 semester and all enrolled students will be eligible.

“We realize how crippling student loan debt has become for students nation-wide,” said Dr. Hakim Lucas, President & CEO of Virginia Union University. “Students enroll in college seeking a career path that will allow opportunity for long-term financial stability. However, they end up spending most of their working years paying back student loans. Virginia Union is doing what it can to ensure that students in the Commonwealth and across the nation have access to an education that will equip them with the tools they need to be successful, while avoiding the crippling bill waiting at the other end of graduation.”

The tuition change is part of the university’s “Access to Excellence” initiative. VUU generated the new financial structure after months of investigating tuition, room and board, and fees of peer university’s in Virginia and comparable universities nationally. A close review of the cumulative amount of student loans and default rates of those loans was also conducted. Currently, the annual tuition at VUU is $15,530 plus $1,753 in fees. The study concluded that making the cost adjustment with tuition makes VUU the highest value and lowest cost HBCU in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

The new annual undergraduate tuition will be $10,530 plus $1,753 in fees. That amounts to $351 per credit hour, a 32-percent reduction. 97% of VUU’s students receive financial aid which will continue to be offered under the new model. Those who qualify for state and federal awards will see their dollars go further because of the lower tuition costs. Students will also be able to take advantage of new extended payment options to include 5- or 6-year payment plans.

“This was an important decision for the Trustees as we work to meet the needs of our students,” said Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson, Chairman of the VUU Board of Trustees. “Virginia Union University is a special place where students are nurtured academically and spiritually. We want to ensure that anyone who desires a high-quality education has access to it without accumulating a mountain of debt. This decision will change the future for our current students by reducing and, in some cases, eliminating their student loan debt. It will also give opportunity to students who may have felt that higher education was financially impossible.”

While undergraduate tuition will go down, students seeking a master’s or Doctorate degree will see an increase. Master’s program tuition will cost $451 per credit, an increase of $92, and Doctorate tuition will cost $551 per credit, an increase of $295 per credit hour. The increased rates for these programs align with current pricing trends and keeps VUU as a competitive and affordable option among peer institutions.

For more information and to request an interview, please contact Pamela Cox at phcox@vuu.edu or (804) 937-7936.

B. Stephen Carpenter: New Dean of the College of Arts and Architecture at Pennsylvania State University

B. Stephen Carpenter II, professor of art education and African American studies and interim director of School of Visual Arts at Pennsylvania State University, has been appointed to the position of dean of the College of Arts and Architecture. Professor Carpenter will start his new role on January 1.

Dr. Carpenter will oversee the college’s academic programs in music, theatre, visual arts, art education, graphic design, art history, architecture, and landscape architecture. The College of Arts and Architecture is currently home to 1,225 undergraduate and 265 graduate students, 200 full-time and 60 part-time faculty, and 120 full-time staff. The college is also the home of the Center for the Performing Arts, the Palmer Museum of Art, Penn State Centre Stage and Penn’s Woods Music Festival, which serve as important cultural resources and provide educational outreach programs for Penn State and area communities.

“I am eager to take on the challenge and responsibility of being the dean of the college,” Professor Carpenter said. “The college is defined by the complexity and breadth of disciplinary engagements that reside within the range of arts and design fields. It is this very complexity and breadth that renders my role as dean a desirable challenge and a logical next step, given my interests and vision for what the arts and design can offer to a large research institution, and to contemporary society at this historical moment.”

Dr. Carpenter, who joined the faculty at Penn State in 2011, is a graduate of Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania. He holds a master’s degree and a doctorate in arts education from Pennsylvania State University.

Help black students continue their education

Union County College Foundation trustee George L. Cook III and some of the young men helped by the Close The Gap Fund.

Hi, my name is George L. Cook III. I am a trustee on the Union County College Foundation, and we help students finish college.

Many African American students at our college struggle to finish school not because of academics but because of finances.

Many of these students struggle with their stay in school but not due to grades. They need help with paying for classes, books, transportation, and even paying for lunch.

The Union County College Foundation and we have a fund called the Close The gap Fund to help these students finish college.

I am raising money for that fund, and your contribution will make an impact, whether you donate $5 or $500. Every little bit helps.

Many of these students struggle to stay in school but not due to grades. They need help with paying for classes, books, transportation, and even paying for lunch.

Last year we raised over $2,500 through Facebook fundraisers. That may not sound like much, but that money helped students pay for that last class needed to graduate or a book they needed for a class. Anything you can give can change a young person’s life.

Many of these students that were helped continued to further their college education to help better themselves and our communities. Please give today.

You can donate to the Close The gap Fund here: https://www.facebook.com/donate/438911413440654/

More About the Close the Gap – Seeing the growing achievement gap among our African-American students, four volunteers knew that something had to be done. Working with local governmental officials and community leadership they developed the Close The Gap Campaign to provide financial assistance to students approaching graduation as well as resources for other academic needs. This program has already had an impact on student success which has translated into nearly doubling the African American male graduation rate in one year. For more information on this program please click here

More about the Union County College Foundation The Union County College Foundation was established in 1977 with the mission of supporting the educational needs of Union County College students by providing resources not available through public funding. Foundation dollars provide support for scholarships, equipment, facilities, academic programs and special projects. The mission of the Union County College Foundation is to develop private financial resources to support Union County College programs and students.

Reginald DesRoches named Rice university's first African american Provost

Reginald DesRoches, the dean of Rice University’s George R. Brown School of Engineering, has been named the Rice University’s new provost.

With this appointment becomes the first African American provost in Rice's history.

DesRoches will assume one of the university’s most important leadership posts. Together with the deans and vice provosts, the provost’s office supports excellence in all of the university’s academic, research, scholarly and creative activities.

“I could not be more grateful and excited that Reggie has agreed to serve as our next provost,” Rice President David Leebron said. “He is an accomplished scholar and a proven academic leader. During his years as dean of engineering at Rice, he has demonstrated in numerous ways that he shares the high aspirations and values of the university. His commitment to excellence extends to every part of our endeavors.”

DesRoches has served as the William and Stephanie Sick Dean of Engineering since 2017, leading a school with nine departments, 140 faculty and 2,500 students. Effective July 1, he will assume the duties now fulfilled by interim Provost Seiichi Matsuda, Rice’s dean of graduate and postdoctoral studies, who succeeded Provost Marie Lynn Miranda.

“I am deeply honored and excited,” DesRoches said. “Serving as dean of engineering for the past 2 1/2 years has been among the most rewarding times in my career. It is an absolute privilege to serve as the next provost and I look forward to working with President Leebron, the faculty and staff to enhance the university’s stellar reputation.”

As dean, DesRoches led a comprehensive strategic planning process for the School of Engineering, expanded the engineering faculty by nearly 20% and strengthened collaborations with the Texas Medical Center. Under his leadership, the school launched a new minor in data science as well as the Center for Transforming Data to Knowledge, which provides students immersive learning opportunities working with companies and community organizations. DesRoches also established a Master of Computer Science online program and led several international initiatives in China and India to bolster research and recruiting efforts.

Born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and raised in the New York City borough Queens, DesRoches credits his love of science and math and his interest in “tinkering with things” with leading him to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering. As a student earning his doctorate at the University of California, Berkeley, he witnessed firsthand the structural damage wrought by the historic 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake in San Francisco.

“I became fascinated with studying structural engineering and how we could design structures to perform better in earthquakes, and I ended up studying that for my master’s and Ph.D.,” he said.

DesRoches is a nationally recognized expert on earthquake resilience who has testified before U.S. House and Senate subcommittees. He has also participated in Washington, D.C., roundtables for media and congressional staffers on topics ranging from disaster preparedness to challenges for African American men in the STEM fields — science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

DesRoches came to Rice from Georgia Tech in Atlanta, where he became an assistant professor in 1998. In 2002, he received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the highest honor given to scientists and engineers in the early stages of their careers. DesRoches became a professor in 2008, and in 2012 he was named the Karen and John Huff School Chair and Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering. At Georgia Tech, he oversaw a $13.5 million renovation of the engineering school’s main facilities and doubled the number of named chairs and professors.

DesRoches is a recipient of the Distinguished Arnold Kerr Lecturer Award in 2019, the John A. Blume Distinguished Lecturer award in 2018 and the 2018 Earthquake Engineering Research Institute Distinguished Lecturer Award, one the highest honors in the earthquake engineering field. He is also a recipient of the 2015 American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Charles Martin Duke Lifeline Earthquake Engineering Award, the 2010 Georgia Tech Outstanding Doctoral Thesis Advisor Award, the 2007 ASCE Walter L. Huber Civil Engineering Research Prize and the 2008 Georgia Tech ANAK Award, the highest honor the undergraduate student body can bestow on a Georgia Tech faculty member.

DesRoches serves on the National Construction Safety Team Advisory Committee and chairs the advisory board for the Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure Simulation Center. He has chaired the ASCE Seismic Effects Committee as well as the executive committee of the Technical Council on Lifeline Earthquake Engineering.

DesRoches’ wife, Paula, is the director of occupational health at Houston Methodist. They have three children: Andrew, Jacob and Shelby (Sid Rich ’23).

MIT student Megan Yamoah named Rhodes Scholar

Megan Yamoah, from Davis, California, is a senior majoring in physics and electrical engineering. The daughter of immigrants from Ghana and Thailand, she seeks to expand on her engineering background to tackle questions involving technology and international development. At Oxford, she will pursue an MPhil in economics to acquire knowledge in development economics and study how innovation can positively impact emerging economies.

A Goldwater Scholar with several first-author publications and a patent to her name, Yamoah has focused on the cutting edge of quantum computing. As a high school student, she conducted research in the Goldhaber-Gordon Laboratory at Stanford University. Since her freshman year at MIT, she has been assisting Professor William Oliver in the Engineering Quantum Systems Group in the Research Laboratory of Electronics. She also did a summer research internship in the Q Circuits Group at the École Normale Supérieure de Lyon. This past summer, Yamoah attended workshops for the MIT Regional Acceleration Program (REAP) where she connected with diverse stakeholders from around the world on developing initiatives for spurring innovation.

As president of the MIT chapter of the Society of Physics Students, Yamoah worked to develop a physics department statement of values, the first of its kind at MIT. She is an executive board member of Undergraduate Women in Physics and has served multiple roles in the Society of Women Engineers. As a project committee member for MIT Design for America, Yamoah organized workshops for teams creating technology-based solutions for local challenges such as food insecurity.

Ole Miss student Arielle Hudson named Rhodes Scholar

An Ole Miss senior is making history as the university’s first African-American female Rhodes Scholar.

Arielle Hudson is an education major at Ole Miss and in late November was chosen as one of 32 candidates from across the US to participate in the prestigious global program at the University of Oxford in the UK.

Hudson said she’s still stunned that she’s a Rhodes Scholar. Hudson becomes Ole Miss’ 27th Rhodes Scholar and the university’s first African-American woman to receive the honor.

“To be the first African-American woman, it shows how much progress is being made not only in Mississippi but also within our world,” she said.

Hudson is a second-generation Ole Miss student, studying secondary English Education. She’ll head to the University of Oxford for two years to earn dual master’s degrees and then return to Mississippi to teach for five years, as part of her undergraduate scholarship requirement.

Arielle Hudson graduates from Ole Miss in May, and she’ll head over to the UK to begin her studies in Oxford in fall 2020.

Wanjiku Gatheru Named University of Connecticut’s First Rhodes Scholar

Wanjiku (Wawa) Gatheru, a highly accomplished student leader whose academic achievements have garnered national recognition, has been selected as the University of Connecticut’s first Rhodes Scholar.

Gatheru ’20 (CAHNR), a senior majoring in environmental studies with minors in global studies and urban and community studies, is among 32 people nationwide elected to the American Rhodes Scholar Class of 2020 to continue postgraduate studies at the University of Oxford in England.

The highly prestigious program counts presidents, ambassadors, business leaders, and many other prominent Americans among its alumni, and is among the world’s most selective academic programs. It announced its 2020 class late Saturday, making special note of Gatheru’s achievement as UConn’s first Rhodes Scholar.

“As I reflect on my journey, it is extremely clear to me that my accomplishments – my story – is not my own,” she said Sunday. “I stand on the sturdy shoulders of the many people that have supported me along the way. My family, my mentors, and friends. The Rhodes application is particularly strenuous, with a total of eight letters of recommendation required. So I quite literally would have not been in this position if I didn’t have professors and mentors who believed in me. And I am so thankful for them.”

Gatheru’s academic and service endeavors had been widely recognized even before the Rhodes Scholar announcement. She was a 2019 Truman Scholar and a 2019 Udall Scholar, the first student in UConn’s history to win those illustrious honors in the same year. She has also received several other prominent plaudits during her time as a UConn student, including the McCullough Leadership award, the University’s highest student leadership award.

“Wawa is a rare talent who in her three years at UConn has built a legacy that will endure long after she has graduated,” President Thomas C. Katsouleas said. “She has demonstrated not only a superior intellect, but a depth of character and an unbridled energy that compel her to take action. In addition to being academically gifted, she has played a leading role on critical issues, including environmental sustainability, the inclusiveness of our environment, and food insecurity on our campuses and in our state.

“Please join me in congratulating Wawa and in wishing her all the best during her time studying at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar,” he said in an announcement about her honor to the UConn community. “We are incredibly happy for her and so proud that she is a Husky!”

On campus, Gatheru also served as vice president of the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) and as the student co-chair of the 2019 University-wide Metanoia, pursuing the theme of “Youth for Change.”

As co-founder of the UConn Access to Food Effort (UCAFE), she helped launch the first assessment of food insecurity on a public institution of higher education in the state. UCAFE’s research has since been cited by U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., and referenced in the creation of both state and federal legislation.

Gatheru is a 2018 UC Santa Cruz Doris Duke Conservation Scholar and a 2018 Newman Civic Fellow, and is motivated to connect grassroots movements to institutions of power. She was a lead organizer in Connecticut’s first Youth Climate Lobby Day, a United Nations Global Health Fellow, a delegate at the 2017 U.N. Climate Change Discussions, a founding member of the President’s Council on Race and Diversity at UConn, and played a critical role in the successful implementation of UConn’s environmental literacy general education requirement.

Read more about Wawa here: https://today.uconn.edu/2019/11/student-leader-wanjiku-wawa-gatheru-named-uconns-first-rhodes-scholar/

Brooklyn teacher wins Milken Educator Award

Princess Francois, a Brooklyn, NY teacher, arrived to work Wednesday to learn she had won a very prestigious and exclusive award and the $25,000 check that comes with it.

For 30 years, the Milken Educator Awards, an initiative of the Milken Family Foundation, have rewarded and inspired excellence in the world of education by honoring top educators around the country with $25,000 unrestricted awards. Watch more on this story below.

Magic Johnson company gives $2 million to Grambling State University

Grambling State announced that Magic Johnson’s SodexoMAGIC donated one of the largest unrestricted gifts in the University’s 118-year history. The $2 million contribution comes only four months into the multi-year partnership between the University and international food service and facilities management giant.

“Significant investments in student advancement are essential to our efforts to build the most vibrant academic community possible,” said Grambling State University President Rick Gallot. “I want to thank SodexoMAGIC’s leadership for their outstanding partnership and generous support of our deserving students.”

Supporting Rapid University Growth

This July, Grambling State launched a multi-year dining partnership with SodexoMAGIC that included a host of academic and community benefits for the rapidly growing university. The new agreement will deliver $6.7 million in facility renovations and add new, major-brand restaurants to campus. In addition to an enhanced food service program, the deal garners a $51 million return on investment built into the five-year renewal option.

The $2 million contribution comes at an important time in the University’s growth as a technology leader, which includes the launch of Louisiana’s only bachelor’s degree in Cybersecurity and infrastructure developments like the state’s first Digital Library and Learning Commons.

“Our dining partner has made many commitments to advance some of the University’s top priorities such as educational innovation, holistic student advancement and infrastructure upgrades,” said Martin Lemelle, Executive Vice President. “Their $2 million contribution is leading the way for unprecedented growth and development.”

Investing in Education

The agreement also includes bolstering support for Grambling State’s advancing technology degree programs and forthcoming community focused STEM education program. The University is established as a tech and STEM leader in higher education, having recently been approved to propose Louisiana’s first Bachelor’s in Cloud Computing and designated for a Center of Academic Excellence in Mathematical Achievement for Science and Technology.

“Students matriculating at Grambling State will be thoroughly prepared for the most in-demand career opportunities of the 21st century,” said Provost, Dr. Connie Walton. “SodexoMAGIC’s investment provides the fuel to ensure that our degree programs and educational opportunities are aligned with the demands of the world around us.”

Enhancing Student Opportunities

SodexoMAGIC’s bequest will count toward the ongoing Bring It Home fundraising campaign spearheaded by the University’s Office of Advancement. The gift doubles the campaigns $1 million goal.

“Grambling State is growing faster than ever and our community of support is matching the pace with their donations,” said Marc Newman, Vice President of Advancement. “The outpouring of support from our partner, SodexoMAGIC, is a huge catalyst for university growth.

Proceeds from the Bring It Home campaign have historically provided thousands of students with financial aid gap funding, supplied scholarships, and other forms direct student support.

For media interviews and more information on Grambling State University, email mediarelations@gram.edu or call (318) 243-5012.

To show your support for Grambling State, visit www.gram.edu/giving.

Kamala Harris introduces bill to lengthen the school day

U.S. Senator Kamala D. Harris (D-CA) on Wednesday introduced the Family Friendly Schools Act, first-of-its-kind legislation to align the school day with the work day to better support working families.

“My mother raised my sister and me while working demanding, long hours,” said Senator Harris. “So, I know firsthand that, for many working parents, juggling between school schedules and work schedules is a common cause of stress and financial hardship. But, this does not have to be the case. My bill provides an innovative solution that will help reduce the burden of child care on working families. It is time we modernize the school schedule to better meet the needs of our students and their families.”

Throughout the United States, current school schedules make life harder for working families. Research shows that schools are shut down for an average of 29 days throughout the school year. With the vast majority of schools closing at or around 3 pm, two hours short of the standard full-time work day, parents are often left in a bind. Additionally, summer breaks present a challenge; in fact, three in four parents report at least some difficulty finding child care during that time period. 

The economic cost of this problem is substantial. Schools are closed for two weeks longer than the typical American with paid leave has in paid holidays and vacation. Further, 39 percent of all workers, and 80 percent of low-wage workers, lack access to any paid vacation time. This places a financial burden on parents and caregivers to either pay for additional child care or take leave without pay to care for their child. While the misalignment of school and work schedules affects all families, low-income households often shoulder the greatest burden especially those with unpredictable or inflexible work schedules.

The Family Friendly Schools Act will create a first-of-its-kind pilot program to give schools resources to stay open during the entire work day throughout the school year and to invest over $1 billion in enriching summer learning programs – all without forcing teachers to work longer hours or for less pay.

Specifically, the legislation will:

• Award five-year grants of up to $5 million total to school districts to transform elementary schools serving a high number of low-income families into Family Friendly Schools that:

• Collaborate with community partners to develop high-quality, culturally relevant, linguistically accessible, developmentally appropriate academic, athletic, or enrichment opportunities for students from at least 8 am to 6 pm Monday through Friday during the school year, with no closures except for Federal holidays, weekends, and emergencies;
• Do not close for parent-teacher conferences, professional development, or any other reason without offering full-day enrichment activities free of charge for students;
• Do not increase the amount of time teachers and staff have to work unless they choose to work additional hours, and are compensated fairly for the additional hours; and
• Develop and implement evidence-based policies and practices for parent and family engagement to support working families and help better align school and work schedules.

• Require the Department of Education to publish and disseminate a report on lessons learned from the pilot schools at the end of the five-year grant period, including:

• Approaches taken by Family Friendly Schools to align school and work schedules;
• Survey results on parent, teacher, student, school administrator, and community organization satisfaction with Family Friendly Schools;
• Changes in parental employment rates, student performance, and teacher retention at each Family Friendly School; and
• Best practices and recommendations for aligning school and work schedules, aligning school schedules and calendars among schools and school districts, and engaging parents and families.

• Authorize an additional $1.3 billion annually for 21st Century Community Learning Centers to allow up to 1.8 million more children to access summer programming.

The Family Friendly Schools Act received support from the following organizations: American Federation of Teachers, Center for American Progress, CLASP, EdNavigator, First Focus, Institute for Educational Leadership, Main Street Alliance, National Association of Counties, National Association of Elementary School Principals, National Summer Learning Association, National Women’s Law Center, and National League of Cities.

“By investing in before, and after school programming, summer enrichment and 21st Century Community Learning Centers, this legislation addresses a chronic and long-neglected problem: too many working parents can’t access affordable care for their kids during the workday,” said Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers. “After a decade of disinvestment in public education, more than half of public elementary schools lack the funding to meet kids and families where they are, and offer care beyond traditional school hours. Roughly one million mothers of elementary school children cut their hours at work because of a lack of affordable child care. This bill would enable school districts and communities to find solutions that work for them, and would make sure teachers and paraprofessionals aren’t filling in the gaps without respect and fair compensation.”

“The misalignment between school and work schedules puts working families through unnecessary financial stress – a burden we know is disproportionately shouldered by Black and Latinx families and families with low incomes,” said Catherine Brown, Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress. “Senator Harris’ proposal would better support families in arranging child care and their work schedules, enabling more parents – largely mothers – to work, advancing educational equity and providing a needed boost to our economy.”

“The Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) is proud to support Senator’s Harris’ Family Friendly Schools Act,” said Olivia Golden, Executive Director at the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP). “The disconnect between school and work schedules can cause unnecessary hardship for working parents and their children. One in six workers report that their schedules vary based on the needs of their employer— and workers in low-wage jobs are disproportionately represented among those with unpredictable schedules. Given the struggle that many families face when trying to find high-quality, affordable child care, aligning the school day with the work day and expanding resources for afterschool and summer care and learning programs is a positive initial step towards improving job stability, child well-being, and economic security for families across the country. We applaud Senator Harris for introducing this innovative legislation.”

In addition to Harris, the bill is sponsored by U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and Michael Bennet (D-CO).

Full text of the bill is available here.

Further background on the bill is available here.

Additional statements of support are available here.